(Apologies although I blathered quite a bit anyway...)

This week, chapters 2-3!

More Amazing Crochet from Dawn, some victorian pruditry, more wonderful emails from y'all, how to be an ostritch rather than a governess, and a little background on our author.

His dad was a Swedenborgian (say THAT three times fast) and I thought--when working through the "ghost" question--this quotation was ellucidating:

Although James had rejected in the beginning of his career "spirit-rappings and ghost-raising", in the 1880s he become interested in the unconscious and the supernatural. In 1908 he wrote that "Peter Quint and Miss Jessel are not 'ghosts' at all, as we now know the ghost, but goblins, elves, imps, demons as loosely constructed as those of the old trials for whichcraft; if not, more pleasingly, fairies of the legendary order, wooing their victims forth to see them dance under the moon." Virginia Woolf thought that Henry James's ghost have nothing in common with the violent old ghosts - "the blood-stained captains, the white horses, the headless ladies of dark lanes and windy commons." Edmund Wilson was convinced that the story was "primarily intended as a characterization of the governess".

Then there's the "corruption" question. Ah...the tangled web...

ALERT:
I just this second got this email from MaryBeth--right after uploading the 'Cast. Darnit. But it's worth noting here:

Loved your comments on the Fog Index. I'm a technical editor, and I have the following quote by Melville on my wall at work: "A man of true science uses but few hard words, and only those when none other will serve his purpose; whereas the smatterer in science thinks that by mouthing hard words he proves that he understands hard things."

Is that not brilliant?! I love Melville...but I'm not gonna do Moby Dick...not for a couple of years, anyway. See how I love you?

Many thanks to Nikolle Doolin for her SEXY reading of Henry James' Turn of the Screw.

Cool things to check out: Crochet Sea Creatures not to be believed (Thank you Dawn!), Check out Yarn-a-go-go's site and then check into NaNoWriMo! It's not too late! Then there's The Thread Project (One World, One Cloth), and I ran out of time to talk about My Paper Crane from Heidi.

I'll never do this to you.

Here's Henry, by the way:

I think you'll need this over the next few weeks.:

Character List
Anonymous Narrator
Probably represents Henry James. (Diagetic Level 1)

Douglas
The one in posession of the Governess' manuscript. He may have been in love with her. (Diagetic Level 2)

The Governess
The protagonist--twenty-year-old governess of Flora and Miles at the country estate of Bly. (Diagetic Level 3)

Mrs. Grose
A servant at Bly; illiterate, respectful.

Miles
A ten-year-old boy; charming, well-behaved, and very attractive.

Flora
An eight-year-old girl; beautiful and well mannered.

The Children’s Uncle
The governess's employer; good looking but aloof with odd requirements for the job...

Peter Quint
A former valet at Bly; "infamous" throughout the area of Bly.

Miss Jessel
The governess's predecessor; a lady, young and beautiful but "infamous." Apparantly had an inappropriate relationship with Quint.


May thanks to Nikolle Doolin for her SEXY reading of Henry James' Turn of the Screw. If you check out her site you'll see why she's so good...except for that blasted microphone...

Some good blogs to check out (from SOAR attendees: Rachael Herron, Janine Bajus, and Brooke Sinnes, oh, and Stephanie...I think you know her); a really cool listener's site (Spinneret) regarding My Friend Irving; some pics (scroll down) and some detritus that I need to get out to you (below).

A good Challah recipe. Heal the world through cooling!
and a nice Jewish crafting guild (just in cast you thought they didn't exist!)...

The Red Thread Project! How cool is this!

And some stuff I found but didn't have time to talk about b/c I blathered too much: The sounds of (good) music can be found at NPR

In need of Knickers?
Check this out?

Hook up with next year's mystery stole (number three).

Awesome matress stitch (plus!) tutorial. Which I needed.
Sadly.

You can see the photo album of SOAR pics here.

I think I promised you pics of a skull jacket that I knit. I forgot to mention that my 17 hour sojurn did give me the time to finish the baby hoodie. The carpet under the jacket, just so you know, is the floor of the Samsung Comfort Room at the Dallas-Ft. Worth Airport.

Very comforting, no?

'Nuff said.

Here's the front.



Here's the back.

Ain't that grand?

Next week, SOAR audio (if there's a high-speed port) and after that, HENRY JAMES! The time has finally come!

Learn the origins of the name "Tarrytown"
as you
listen to Geoffrey Crayon's Sketchbook.

You should also check out Diedrich Knickerbocker's History of New York!


Meet my man Irving (aka "Mr. Knickerbocker"...).


And his spectacularly (self-)designed home on the Hudson.





Someday plan to take advantage of the Legend.


Imagine yourself as part of the Hudson River School which I had no time to talk about but will try to get to next week.

And a little on the Mather Boys, Increase and Cotton (who NAMES these people?!) and their attitudes towards Witchcraft.
Here's Cotton:


The DomiKNITtrix's spectacularly appropriate skull pattern (which is free for a bit longer).

A non-Socks-That-Rock club--NAYY but it looks nice!


And a nice theory/site for socks. They're gorgeous and there's something about not-quite-matched socks that appeals to the eccentric in me...
"Mismatched with Care in Vermont"
I love that.


And once again
Thank you Heidi for goodie box! My 2-1/2 year old must march every day to "76 Trombones". Thank you so much!

Don't try

This week we listen to "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gillman, and a little bit of "The Phantom Tollbooth" by Norton Juster.

Gillman (here she is)

is a particular favorite of mine. She wrote Herland which I'm (slowly) reading for Librivox. Great little book!

Juster is a freakin' genius. Really! I can't read nearly as much of his book as I'd like, but (here HE is)

I will introduce you to this decidedly not just-for-children book.

Thanks for your patience getting this 'cast out.
Long week.

Visit Jen!

Today, "The Yellow Wallpaper" was read by Justine Young, and "The Phantom Tollbooth" excerpt was read by Yours Truly. And, as always, our opening music was provided by Joshua Christian at Garageband.com, for which I am eternally grateful.

Well, sorta.

We have a story

This week is hard for me on

This week's stories are all about

Wrapping up

Today, chapters 56-59; THE PAYOFF!

Today, aside from chapters 53-55, we talk about accordions, my love of the word "odious," (isn't it great?!) and I finally take Amy up on her suggestion weeks and weeks ago!

Namely: I just read and really dug To Shield The Queen, by Fiona Buckley. Actually, I didn't just read that. I read the first three books in the series.

I also have finished the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde, but my books are in boxes so I can't read you any bits from that. However, if you love books, and have a wicked sense of humor, The Eyre Affair is for you!

I'm thinking that instead of a poll, I just want everyone to look at the librivox.org cataloge and tell me what you like. I'll take the one with the most emails. I think I'll putter around with some of the short works first, just to give you some variety, then dive into another long book.

Sound good?

Email me your thoughts at MamaOKnits AT Gmail DOT com.

As always, Pride and Prejudice is narrated by Annie Coleman. Intro music provided by GarageBand.com which connected me with Joshua Christian’s "Chasing Hiro."

I'm relegated to podcasting from my local coffeehouse again, sorry about that. The ambient noise is MUCH worse than before as this joint has tile floors--a local hazzard. Apologies. I should have DSL at my Mom's house by tonight, but I wanted to get this posted before that. I'm already mighty late by previous East Coast standards.

The trip, however, was successful, and we're all here safe and sound. Though, this morning's news filled me with dread as my darling husband has to fly back to New York saturday morning.
World War IV, is what I'm hearing. WWIII was the Cold War, according to People I Trust.

Sigh...

Can't we all just get along?

Even 'Liz and Darcy?

This week, chapters 50-52!
But not before a little

Chapters 47-49! Next week, I hope I can find my microphone...

Well, it's August 3rd, and I'm on the road! Chicago, Sioux Falls, Deadwood and on to LOVELAND COLORADO--home of Interweave Press.Well, it's August 3rd, and I'm on the road! Chicago, Sioux Falls, Deadwood and on to LOVELAND COLORADO--home of Interweave Press...

How do I love thee...let me count the ways.

So the title of the podcast? Because my son is a questioner...well...so am I, so...apples/trees, you get the picture.

I fully expect this road trip to be one of fun and learning. The country is so big and so wonderful...I feel an Emily-from-Our-Town-Moment coming on!

If there is internet access and time, you'll hear some audio from the road. If not, you'll notice this post popping up, and a small-ish podcast appearing in your iTunes ontime.

Why?
Because I love you!

Here's the link to our

This week, chapters 44-46!

Really!

A little OTN moment: I'm working on a Faroese shawl, which has only a little section of lace. I've knitted lace before, but this project...well, it was going to be hard enough; I didn't want to kill myself.

This is the first project I've planned from washing, drying, and spinning the fiber, all the way to knitting. I'm going to do some funky dye thing to it when I'm done and I"m going to (God Willing and the Creeks Don't Rise) take this to SOAR for the gallery.

But.

The knitting is a total leap of faith. I've knitted 25 rows and it's barely 3-4 long. It's 390 stitches, decreasing regularly down to...well...7 that get grafted in a tricky way that I'm sure I'll marvel at when I get there.  I got the pattern from Claudia at CountryWool.com. She's a genius with this stuff.

Anyway.

Lace and all things lace-weight are a leap of faith. They look like a ball of twisted blah, then you wet and pin them and suddenly it's...LORDY! I made THAT?!

Right now, my whole life is a leap of faith...so it seemed an appropriate thing to do.

And, btw, HEY, did you hear Cast-on's essay last week? It was as though we dovetailed our themes on purpose! Synchronicity? Love that Jung!


Promos from Faith at The Knitting Cook, and Jeannie of Crochet Cast. 

As always, Pride and Prejudice is narrated by Annie Coleman. Intro music provided by GarageBand.com which connected me with Joshua Christian’s “Chasing Hiro.�

Chapters 42-45!

WRONG WRONG WRONG!

43 was much longer than it said on the tag. This week we only have 42-44...but its an hour long episode regardles...
Next week, chapters 44-??...

Sorry about that!

Well, I'm in the homestretch! This week and next week are the last two I'll be podcasting from Croton-on-Hudson...boy I'll need to change the intro, huh?

I'll be podcasting from the road the week of August 1st, then from Tucson the next week. IF I can, I'll get my son in on the 'cast...but no guarantees. He's quite the ball-o-goof.

So this week!

A little discussion of ChickLit and Austen...

Jane Austen's novels have been repackaged as chick-lit to reflect our modern conception of her as a romantic novelist. But her world is less comforting than we think, argues Laura Thompson...

On 07/09/2006, Laura Thompson created a bit of a stir in the literary world when she said that Chicklit--the girlie romancified summer book lit that's gotten to be so popular among the young--had co-opted Jane Austen, and specifically, Pride and Prejudice.

...It all started in fine non-literary style: with Colin Firth. The scene in the 1995 television adaptation of Pride and Prejudice in which Colin got his shirt wet was, almost certainly, the moment that opened the door and let the modern world in upon the quiet, oil-lit writing desk at Chawton Cottage. And when Firth played Mark Darcy in the film of Bridget Jones's Diary, the deal was sealed: Pride and Prejudice was on its way to fame and fortune.

Which brings her to a point we've discussed on this podcast:

...What on earth would Jane Austen have made of it all?

Well, she would certainly have laughed - "I dearly love a laugh," says Elizabeth Bennet, in the voice of her creator - and she would have enjoyed all the money, because nobody was more aware of its importance. Elizabeth and her sister Jane might have charm to spare, plus wit and good temper to keep fear of the future at bay, but their genteel poverty means that the men who marry them are not just lovers; they are personal relief missions from lives beyond contemplation.

And this acute alertness to the significance of money - to the humiliating gulf between the shillings that buy Elizabeth's hair ribbons and Darcy's £30,000 a year - is just one of the many aspects of Jane Austen that has been lost to a contemporary audience.

She goes on to say that too often, readers today just think it's neat that Elizabeth wound up with a rich guy--rather than noting that it was her job to find a rich husband or live a life of drudgery. In reality, loving Darcy is the bonus. The real marriage is that of money.

....Actually, there is rather more to Elizabeth than the perfection we behold in her (and ourselves). What, for example, is one to make of her ambiguous joke that she began to love Darcy on "first seeing his beautiful grounds at Pemberley"? Sir Walter Scott, for one, thought she meant exactly what she said; and I think he had a point.

....But the novels as a whole are rather less comforting. Indeed, they are, in some ways, terrifying. There is something appalling about the lack of illusions with which Jane Austen viewed her little world. To censor out such a judgment - or to condemn it as "male" - is to do her an extreme disservice.

And the point she makes next made me feel bad for not making a bigger deal out of what Charlotte did, and why:

Take, for example, the character of Charlotte Lucas, one of Austen's finest, who cuts through the nonsense now waffling round Pride and Prejudice like a particularly acid lemon. Her presence lurks sombrely behind Elizabeth's lovely lightness: the two girls are faces of the same coin, expressions of their creator's joyful esprit on the one hand and cold eye on the other.

Like Elizabeth, Charlotte has a lively mind, but, unlike her friend, she has no physical allure. A quirk of nature has taken her out of the orbit of men such as Darcy. And, because she is plain, she sees the world plainly. She calmly perceives its limitations: the ruthless judgments of its marriage market, the life sentence of inhabiting its tight social circles.

Seeing the world, she also sees the possibility of falling off its edge. "Without thinking highly either of men or of matrimony, marriage had always been her object; it was the only honourable provision for well-educated young women of small fortune, and however uncertain of giving happiness, must be their pleasantest preservative from want." She snaps up Mr Collins, the terrible suitor whom Elizabeth has the freedom to reject. "I am not romantic, you know. I never was."

It is almost unthinkable, by today's standards, to do what Charlotte did--but she was wise, and right, and she seems to be "happy"...or at least happy enough...

She is the stony reality at the heart of Pride and Prejudice. She tells a woman's story, but in a way that is utterly remote from feminine convention: with scant emotion, appealing to nothing other than rationality. And, like her creator, she has remarkably little to do with cosy readings of The Jane Austen Book Club and communal swoons over Mr Darcy.

...If Pride and Prejudice can be so easily claimed by the Grazia brigade, why should the other books be any different? It is not difficult, after all, to read what one wants to read in a novel. Every reader does it, to an extent. But the landscape of what is seen in books is becoming increasingly impoverished. Indeed, it might be that the reality of literature no longer lies within its words. As Jane Austen flourishes, the literary sense that she possessed in its most refined form is slowly dying: the irony would have amused her.

Hmmmmm...more to think about...
As always, Pride and Prejudice is narrated by Annie Coleman. Intro music provided by GarageBand.com which connected me with Joshua Christian’s "Chasing Hiro."

This week, chapters 38-41! Next week--42-45!

A brief episode because I'm behind at work, sorry about that.

Today, listen for some more wonderful Collins idiocy.

And as far as pride and prejudice go, Elizabeth's refusal of Darcy's proposal due to her new understanding of how she misjudged Darcy's motives knocks them both down a peg. They're on new footing now—a lot of their assumptions about each other have been challenged and now there's room for—well—something to happen.

Watch for the groundwork of an eminent disaster�these are the chapters where doom comes a knockin'.

As always, Pride and Prejudice is narrated by Annie Coleman. Intro music provided by GarageBand.com which connected me with Joshua Christian's "Chasing Hiro."

"Back Issues" of Craftlit can be found at Craftlit.blogspot.com.

This week, chapters 35-37! Next week--38-41!

Have you met the free online spinning magazine, Spindlicity?

Even after last week, do you fear socks? If so, check out the excellent resource page here.

And the results of the sockblocker experiment from Felt Up Designs...

SUCCESS!!!

You can buy really nice fiber from Copper Moose and Grafton Fibers.

How to make your own spindle or with a CD.

Special Thanks to Lauren and Amy for their helpful suggestions. I'm fiddling with the sound this week, so let me know.
AND
Re: iTunes--I have emailed them a number of times now, and we're trying to fix the feed problem. It appears they muffed it because they changed categories, so files that should have been there and complete, were semi-moved to the new category. I know one day the only files I could get through iTunes were the odd numbered episodes--go figure.

Libsyn has fixed their end of the problem. Let's keep our fingers crossed...I know I am.

This week, Chapters 31-34 (next week 35-37)

Felting soap is fun for the whole family! Just look!

You can get roving for felting from Toni Neil at The Fold...they're the first house on the left. Really. You have to click it and see. It will make sense. Promise!

My 9/11 story, just in case you wondered. And links to poetry/stories from my students too.

And then The Soapbox. Sorry about that, but it's been bugging me so much. I hope that one of us will come up with some great idea for how to save the planet and all the people on it. I suppose it's genetic in me--my Dad is a Geographer working on Desertification, so I've known we were in trouble for a long time...

Anyway. The Gandhi Institute is a nice place to visit. Take a look!

"We must be the change we wish to see in the world."--M.K.Gandhi


“The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing, would suffice to solve most of the world's problems... �--M.K.Gandhi

And the essay on Gandhi and spinning can be found at this Yale site.








As always, Pride and Prejudice is narrated by Annie Coleman. Intro music provided by GarageBand.com which connected me with Joshua Christian’s “Chasing Hiro.�

Today, chapters 27-30

See the Sockblocker Key chain!
See what Jeannie Townsend has done with her sockblocker key chain!
See the fabu (and fake!) Extortion site, then join me in talking like a pirate on September 19th (or visit the US site and find a husband!).

And the moment we've all been waiting for (at least the moment Kim was unsure if she was waiting for...):


The Crazy Quilt Baby Blanket!











As always, Pride and Prejudice is narrated by Annie Coleman. Intro music provided by GarageBand.com which connected me with Joshua Christian's "Chasing Hiro."

This week, chapters 23-26!

Hobby Horror...





Am I an Artist













or an Anorak?

















As always, Pride and Prejudice is narrated by Annie Coleman. Intro music provided by GarageBand.com which connected me with Joshua Christian's"Chasing Hiro."

The gauntlet is down! How do you control your stash! Tell me now and I'll post your ideas!

Today!
Chapters 20-22! No Joke! THREE chapters!

Heather complains a bit, goes ON about clutter and the need for knitting histories, then drools over Darcy. (Doesn't it always end with that?)

The books: ADD Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life and Outwitting Clutter: 101 Ingenious Space-Saving Tips and Ideas to Make Any House or Apartment More Livable.

As always, Pride and Prejudice is narrated by Annie Coleman. Intro music provided by GarageBand.com which connected me with Joshua Christian’s “Chasing Hiro.�

Well, Tristan and Isolde seem to be winning out as our next book. Please keep emailing me and letting me know your thoughts.

Today a little personal update from me, then on to the next two chapters of P&P!

And a little shout-out ot Anne Hanson, of Knitspot.com...with whom I am tangentially accquainted.

As always, Pride and Prejudice is narrated by Annie Coleman. Intro music provided by GarageBand.com which connected me with Joshua Christian's "Chasing Hiro."

Thank you too for your forbearance last week. What a mess! I so deeply apologize.

SO SORRY ABOUT THE DELAY!
LibSyn doesn't send out warnings when your storage space gets dangerously low, so I uploaded and it looked like it was all fine...then...not.

It sort of had the file, and sort of not.

Now it does.

Many apologies and many thanks for your patience!

So, now:

'Cast number Six!
Yeee Haaaw!

Chapters 14 through 17 of Pride and Prejudice? A Double Header of Annie Coleman...because I'm heading to the Dominican Republic!

We don't have to fear no stinkin' Fiber allergies!
Ew! Acid!
Ew!

Oh...and I lied. It's FlyLady dot NET! Oops! Sorry!

And...We're Knot Taking Any More. June 1st, Thursday

Please read the attached PDF flyer, which states the mission and the guidelines for participating.
my very grateful regards,
anne hanson
knitspot.com


Please do listen to Math for Knitters.

Socks that Rock yarn can be gotten at The Fold.

And oooooooooooooooo!
Mister Wickham!

As always, Pride and Prejudice is narrated by Annie Coleman. Intro music provided by GarageBand.com which connected me with Joshua Christian's "Chasing Hiro."

A Note: Files for previous episodes can be gotten here at LibSyn or at iTunes. Oh, and hey...if you have a second, wouldja vote for CraftLit at Podcast Alley. I'm in the third to the last place on the rankings.
Not that I'm competitive...'Cast number Six!
Yeee Haaaw!

Chapters 14 through 17 of Pride and Prejudice? A Double Header of Annie Coleman...because I'm heading to the Dominican Republic!

We don't have to fear no stinkin' Fiber allergies!
Ew! Acid!
Ew!

Oh...and I lied. It's FlyLady dot NET! Oops! Sorry!

And...We're Knot Taking Any More. June 1st, Thursday

Please read the attached PDF flyer, which states the mission and the guidelines for participating.
my very grateful regards,
anne hanson
knitspot.com


Please do listen to Math for Knitters.

Socks that Rock yarn can be gotten at The Fold.

And oooooooooooooooo!
Mister Wickham!

As always, Pride and Prejudice is narrated by Annie Coleman. Intro music provided by GarageBand.com which connected me with Joshua Christian's "Chasing Hiro."

A Note: Files for previous episodes can be gotten here at LibSyn or at iTunes. Oh, and hey...if you have a second, wouldja vote for CraftLit at Podcast Alley. I'm in the third to the last place on the rankings.
Not that I'm competitive...

Cast number FIVE???
Chapters 11 through 13 of Pride and Prejudice???
Where has the time gone?

Book II ideas: Tom Sawyer!
Tristan & Isolde!
Alice in Wonderland?!—only if one of you record it…
Let me know your thoughts!

Today we get in touch with our inner Granny—specifically the Summer 2005 issue of Spin-Off.

And we also get into Clutter. And De-cluttering, for a move. If the spirit moves you, send your brilliance to MamaOKnits AT gmail DOT com.

As always, Pride and Prejudice is narrated by Annie Coleman. Intro music provided by GarageBand.com which connected me with Joshua Christian’s “Chasing Hiro.�

That's a pic of Jane!

Can you believe we're on chapters nine and ten of Pride and Prejudice?
Me either!
And, once again, I find myself all hot and bothered by Darcey. Ah well...

Before we get to that, today I'll talk to you about some quilting (that's the crazy part) and a wonderful book on toe-up socks (that's the Kahuna part).


Links to: Townsend Sock Knitting Group, Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's new book, check out Blue Moon Fiber Arts on The Fold's Site.

Ready?
Here we go...

As always, Pride and Prejudice is narrated by Annie Coleman. Intro music provided by GarageBand.com which connected me with Joshua Christian's "Chasing Hiro."

Welcome to Episode 3!
In this episode I welcome you to the joys of the Jane Austen action figure (and I am Not Kidding); the belly laughs, sly smirks, or horror filled looks of You Knit What???; the adorable (in the eye of the beholder?) cats and bunnies with stuff and pancakes on their heads; and regale you with my lovely weekend at a spinning retreat in the Catskills, hosted by Claudia of CountryWool.

We'll also move on to chapters seven and eight in Pride and Prejudice, narrated (as always) by Annie Coleman. Intro music provided by GarageBand.com which connected me with Joshua Christian's Chasing Hiro.

And, a little note: I'm so glad those of you who've commented are enjoying Austen. She's a fave of mine (duh!) and I'm thrilled that listening to her words is bringing you some joy while your hands are otherwise occupied.

Well, here we are!

I wanted to welcome you all to CraftLit, a Podcast for Crafters. I imagine you’re here because you like to work with your hands, but you also like to read. If so, this is the place for you! Our program will follow a similar pattern every week. After some introductory comments, a web, magazine, or book review (This week Mason-Dixon Knittng), and perhaps a song, I will include a chapter or two from a book. We will listen to that book until we’re done with it. And because I’m a former English teacher, I’ll give you some things to listen for in the chapters we hear--just to give you something else to do while you’re knitting, spinning, crocheting, weaving, or sewing. Any painters?

So.

Get comfortable. Find your tools. Check the volume, and enjoy, with me, the beginning of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, recorded by Annie Coleman.

Intro music: “Chasing Hiro� by Joshua Christian of Syracuse, NY. I found the music on GarageBand.com.

I just realized that no one can get the promo on iTunes, even though it's uploaded here, because I need to "publish" a page to "ping" iTunes.

Hope this doens't ruin the mojo for you.

Until Thursday...