Believe me, some of us Americans are now in a deep depression following yesterday's election. And I'm totally with you on Martin Sheen! Embarrassing? Perhaps. But so true.

Hey Steph -- it is my country and election -- can I come move in with you? I will help paint, I won't take up much room, hey, I can even do laundry-- I'm not sure Canada will have me though. It is a sad morning for us here in America.

Harlot-

You have no idea what it is to be in the US right now. I can honestly say that I am embarassed for my country.... Even Martin Sheen would make a better president!

Well, I finally turned on the heat this morning. My two little girls that are home in the mornings have been huddled on a chair, together, in front of the heater ever since. This is pretty cool. I wonder if they'll stay there all winter? I'd pay a heat bill for some confinement benefit. They can't mess up the house I'm trying to clean when they're affixed to a chair in front of a heater vent.

Thank you for not taking advantage of the opportunity to bash Ohio - not all of us are the kind of people who would vote to ban gay marriage, or for Bush for that matter.

Stephanie,
Don't be embarrassed about Martin Sheen. Politician are actually thinking about changing the Constitution about being born in America in order to run for President. Just so Arnold the Guvenator can run. A man who previously ran around in speedos flexing his muscles, and is most famous not as a human being but as a cyborg, could one day be President of the United States. Almost as scary as your laundry isn't it.

And of course during all this you are still going to be coming to the SnB tonight, right?? :)

Hi Steph - I want to move to Canada. I am so depressed I ate an entire pint of heavy duty high fat ice cream. And washed it down with a chocolate donut. I didn't stay up late but kept getting up throughout the night and woke up the computer to check the tally. This country is so divided. By the way, I am knitting that cute rolled brim hat you posted about the other day. It will be good for taking the dogs walkabout in the mornings.

We're not mocking you, Miss Harlot. We're wishing we lived in -your- country...

Enough of these distractions! I say that it is the Harlot's DUTY to cheer everyone up by telling us about her book. After all a person does not travel to a press on business without a reason. All the depressed Harlot fans south of the border (Canadian) need SOMETHING to look forward to -- preferably something enjoyable like MORE Yarn Harlotry!

We want details -- names and dates, no less, and insights into the knitterati publishing world...

What a depressing day! I'm trying to decide whether to move to Canada or stick my head in the oven.

There are a great number of us contemplating a move to your country. And I for one am totally serious. This is a miserable situation that no amount of chocolate, coffee, or paint fumes can possibly make sense of. Please don't hurt yourself trying.

And turn on the heat. For the paint. Only for the paint's sake - I'm sure you can handle the cold, but the paint can't.

Steph, don't be embarrassed about Martin Sheen. Heck, I was hoping Pat Paulson would run (again). He probably didn't because he was afraid that he might actually win! Joe's mitts do look ... well ... as though points might be a nice touch. (Sorry.) I wish I could come to the Sewing Up Party. Unfortunately, my homeowners association has scheduled a meeting for Sunday afternoon, in deference to my request for afternoon meetings. Go figure. The *ONE* time someone listens to me ...

What irony!! You in Toronto listening to US election politics and me in the Detroit area, thanking God for CBC's classical music programming!! As far as the Martin Sheen thing...you guys get us back with that little segment that "22 Minutes Does" when they send someone to the US to ask people to opine on outlandish Canadian nonfacts.

I consider it my motherly duty to eat Halloween candy until I am sick. I am saving my children from sugar poisoning. Wish that I could be there for the Mason-Dixon thing, but it might be a bit of a commute. I will be there in spirit.

I too am resisting turning on the heat. I live in South Dakota and we have been getting lows in the 30'sF (some lower). I am also currently bemoaning the fact that I think only one of the votes yesterday went my way (actually I think that might be better than most elections).

Mittens - I agree.
All the rest - sigh.

Had to read you to cheer myself up today.

I caved a couple of weeks ago but we have been much colder than you are and would not be just cold but frozen stiff. We've been below 0 C. for over a week.
Thanks Steph for a daily smile.
Utah..it's NOT a pretty great state...sigh.

It was from Martin Sheen (who I would vote for in a SECOND) that I discovered the poem that is on my blog now. I am also seriously, seriously depressed, and angry, and ashamed, and... oh, thank goodness there isn't ice cream nearby. I doubt it would help the nausea I've had since the results started coming back, but a diabetic coma would be much better than what I'm feeling right now.

I am a Republican (most of the time, anyway - you have to look at the BIG PICTURE)and I knit. Is there anyone else out there like me? Did I miss some law that says only right-leaning political thinkers may take up needles and knit?

Yeah, I stayed up too. I think DH told me to go sleep in bed instead of on the sofa under the kitties around 2am. I insisted on staying up, just to see what was going on even though I'd already determined the outcome (courtesy of Jon Stewart-Prelude to a Recount).

Reality TV Alert - for all y'all who fessed up a while back.

PBS is continuing the "living history" series with Regency House (dating Jane Austen style). It starts tonight on most PBS stations.

In knitting, I am having thrum issues. Apparently, I cannot tell the difference between a wisp and a chunk.

Hi ...uh, should I call you Steph, Stephanie, or Harlot? Thank you for the birthday wishes. I hope your Joe had as much fun as I did on *our* day! Go for the points on the mittens, slap that paint silly, and have a great time on Sunday.

oh my! so much to comment on! but really, the most important thing is that you only have EIGHT MORE DAYS UNTIL REMEMBERANCE DAY!!!! i wouldn't want you to endanger your family for anything, but i would like to remind you of my promise of yarn related goodness heading your way if you made it until november 11th. i have faith in you.

regarding the election - try being canadian living in america and not being able to vote. i pay american taxes!!!! if i think about the situation any longer i will immediately defect to my homeland. oh how i miss the maple leaf flag.

American.
Voted for Kerry.
Would rather have Bartlett for President in a heartbeat.
Currently crying inside.

Ditto on the Martin Sheen thing. I wonder if he'd run if enough of us called him up and asked him to. Hmmm... I'm seriously consider migrating to Canada, too, if it wasn't so damn cold. I live in Georgia now (and by the way, even though Kerry lost the state, he won my county) and we were running the air-conditioning yesterday.

Wait a minute. I know you thought you could distract all of us about the miserable US election outcome, but you're eating Halloween candy? Yet, you won't let a Twinkie cross your threshold?

I am absolutely taping "Regency House" on PBS. It's my kind of reality show (I gave up the Apprentice. Amatuers. My dysfunctional extended family could show them a thing or to - not proud of that, just sayin'...).

Also, I'm proud to be a US citizen who cares about the world and my place in it to improve human relations. I'm embarrassed and aggrieved by an administration I never voted for in 2000 or this year. However, some of us are planning on finding Canadian property and developing a sheep/yak/alpaca/ox commune for spinning, knitting and weaving.

Are you my mother? She's been known to decide she can't possibly have company unless she repaints a room, upholsters a chair, sews new drapes (making all the little tucks by hand)... The most recent episode was that she couldn't possibly have my future in-laws over unless she remodeled the bathroom. And had the ceilings replastered.

I would elect Martin Sheen in a minute- My only consolation to this awful election is I can wach WW reruns on Bravo and pretend.

Enjoy your party, and new wall color!

harlot cheer. yay.

Oh, I'm so glad to hear that someone else is compulsively eating their kids' Halloween candy. I worked at home yesterday and chomped my way through a rainbow of little chocolate bars, thinking all the time that I was a bad mother to steal from little kids, and wondering how many I could eat without actually throwing up.

Today I'm in the office, clean, but craving a bite-sized coffee crisp, bad.

I am always baffled by the paint names too. I have one room painted "Mystic White", a lovely shade of light green. I just don't get it.

Ohhh how embarassing to make a stupid mistake on a rant. Of course, I meant something more like... do you have to be a left leaning political thinker to knit....oops

P.S. We turned our heat on for the first time this morning (we live in Markham). We would have held out, but my husband caved, just because he had the chills from having the stomach flu! A sad day.

oh Harlot-why do you do this to yourself?? Why oh why? And as a side note, I am American and very proud of it-I LOVE my country, the good and the bad. I was happy so many came out and voted-I just wish the country was not so divided. As for the Halloween candy-I'm lucky I have young children, that way they don't know how much I have actually eaten!

You have to watch it with paint: unless there's a *lot* of window space in the room, the walls reflect off each other and darken the color considerably. I once bought a very light peach, and found myself with a dark orange room. Yikes! I tried again with a white with just the slightest touch of blue added in, and got a definitely light blue room.

p.s. And I should have known better the first time around; my grandfather was the inventor of the Colorizer system of mixing paints on site at the stores so that you could always replicate the dye lots. This was revolutionary at the time.

is it weird that all the time i'm reading Martin Sheen i'm thinking Martin Short and still thinking that would be a better choice that W? i finally got my brain back on track halfway through reading the comments. :-)

Toya, that's the first thing that's made me smile all day! (and yep, still better, though Sheen would be the preferred Martin...)

I would make a great Canadian. I also love to do laundry (well, I love the washing and drying part of it but not so good at actually putting it away) and I'm really good at cutting in when painting. I also have dead good color sense.

If you adopted me and let me come live with you in a country that didn't tell the world we think Bush is doing a great job, I would never scarf ice cream when you had your back turned, I would leave the coffee cups brim up and I would see to it that you always had fresh coffee or a glass of wine. Depending on how the knitting project is going.

(I'm off to memorize Oh Canada)

Actually, the woman from Weakest Link (Is her name Anne Robinson? It's been so long since I saw that show.) said that she got all nervous when she met Martin Sheen. . . then she remembered that he was not the *actual* president of the United States, so she could relax a bit. I rather people from outside the US think that Martin Sheen was our president.

I, too, am moving to canada. or my new plan - can New England secede from the united states and become a province of canada? i rather like it here in MA, but am ashamed of the rest of my country.

on a knitting/blogging note - i recently started reading your blog. LOVE it. great writing.

I'm studying for an exam: Now, Ireland has a provision that if you can prove you have ANY ancestors who were Irish, you can get citizenship. (at least I think that's the way it goes) Does Canada have that provision, coz if so, I've got it made in the shade. Somebody please enlighten me. I'm close enough I can even ride a bike across the border.

Why would I mock you? I could BE you. Frantic promises. Plans to over achieve for someone else's benefit? Excapt I've never knit a mitten. Or lusted after Martin Sheen. (Maybe Martin Short would at least make the Congress laugh a little. Serious old farts for the most part, with NO SENSE OF HUMOR... let alone perspective.)
Your honesty is inspiring. Loveable. I hope the paint dries.......

Do you light a fire or are your house's inhabitants huddled around your oven? 44, maybe. 30, no way. Good thing they have thrums. I like the mittens' flat edge. The usual point is a little too elfish for my taste and the center diamond finishes its last repeat perfectly as you have done it.

Beth, I'm with you. It may just be the two of us, but I'm here!

Harlot dear, I agree that the mittens need pointier points. But they are lovely and Joe is lucky. :-)

Canada here I come... Please let me in... I've got several things going for me...
1. I'm married to a Canadian. (I'm guessing this would be the biggest help.)
2. I know all the English words to Oh, Canada. (This is thanks in part to seeing San Jose play Canadian teams at the Shark Tank... and the having of a Canadian husband, who can sing it in both English and French.)
3. I love Upper Canada Lager. (Best. Beer. Ever.)

We turned on our heat yesterday cause the nights are getting down into the 40s... whadda ya want? I live in California. :) It's cold if I can see my breath, which I did see the other morning when it was 52F out. Our first frost should be here soon...

It's cruel that Halloween was so close to Election Day this year. It led to my boyfriend and I huddled in the living room, staring in pain at the TV, while we ate our way through a pizza and an entire bowl of halloween candy.

We did avoid the booze, but barely.

We're painting our basement tea biscuit, a lovely warm yellow, this weirdly named green color I can't remember the name of, ever, "popped corn" a very very light yellow, and in the bf's office area, Wine Tasting. He's so going to regret that.

I've gotten weird about paint colors. I keep picking colors whose names are/sound British (Berkshire White, Thames Blue). I wonder where my mind is when I'm picking out theese colors?

As someone else said, pointy mittens are a bit too elfish for me.

I am happy to be American and am happy that Bush won. No one can take my knitting needles away from me for being right-leaning. The right to keep and bear needles is consititutional, I think. (I am far to the left when it comes to gay marriage).

The guy who names the paint is called the "swatch bard", just for the record. Isn't that cool? A playwright friend of mine dug that up and stuck it in a play of his.

Can my 18-year old son and 17-year old daughter come up to live with you?

Leave the mitts! They look great just the way they are.

Please, let's not speak of the election. It's far too depressing. Will Canada let me move there? Please, let me in. I'll learn 'Oh, Canada'.

A Harlot book?!?!!?!?! Is this truth or just a lie? If it true where do I send money too? Must have Harlot book.

Turn on the heat. Let the paint dry. Have pity on the paint.

Halloween candy is evil. I know because I ate almost 1/2 a huge to protect my kids from it.

Um. Guys? Given that Stephanie has made it clear that her politics are left and that the election has made her unhappy, doesn't it seem a little uncivil to hold the victory party in her house/on her site? Just sayin'.

"Swatch bard" is the best thing I've heard since the name of the tweezers pressmen use to remove dust which causes flaws in color printing -- the flaws are "hickies" and the tweezers "hickeypickers".

I'd eat all the Halloween candy to comfort myself, but I'm already feeling nauseous (roggey, can I join you on that commune?).

Thanks for the knitting pics -- such a beacon of sanity and happier times.

I suspect that your choice of blue paint for the door was your subconscious attempting to get you to notice your family's blue lips & extremities due to the cold temps in the house. For their sake & for the paint's sake, turn on the damn furnace already!

By the way, the "green in winter" people probably are South Floridians.

In spite of all this political tragedy, you have yet again made my day! I have never giggled so much in front of my computer. As for keeping the heat off-You can do it!!! I have no children, but our lows have been high 30's and high's in mid 40's and I haven't budged yet. Friday night will get down to 28 and I don't see any heat in my future. But I'm chubby and have lots of natural insulation (as does my bf). Today it was probably 45 out and I was in front of the open sliding glass door in a sleeveless shirt!

You make a helluvah lot more sense than our current President. Consider running? (Arnold will make it possible for you to try.) Will be emigrating to your fair country soon. Hopefully we can elect Martin Sheen together.

Stephanie, I wish I could be at your Mason Dixon party, it would be so fun. But I will be busy trying to convince my Gray that he could actually find a job in Canada and that he would *like* it cold and snowy, as I would. And since the jobs here in Washington are going to continue going to the Indians (nothing against India, but we'd like to keep the jobs here, please) we'd probably better save our pennies. We are all angry and upset here, and maybe I'm radical, but I've always been a Republican until Bush got elected in 2000, then I got a little reality check. Many people say "we have to unite now that the election is over" and I'm saying "why? we should be fighting every second to keep the bad decisions from being made. If we unite, people think we have given in and agreed to current policies." Now, where can I find the words and music to "Oh, Canada"? And do you have good coffee there already or should we bring our own supply? I'm already practicing saying "aboot" and "oot" and using a lot of "eh"s. Any other advice?

I am so sick of turning my heat on & off. I wish Mother Nature would make up her mind already! I really think you need to give in to her already. :-)

I like the commune idea. Maybe all you imports could host the next wool/sheep fair so I don't have to cross the border! I always thought that Martin Sheen was a much more real President than the current @#$%^*! Good grief, when will you learn about the deadline thing? The pressure? The sleep deprivation? And sorry, no heat, no sew-up!

Steph, my vote is leave the mitts. If they fit him, and you bring the point pointier, won't that bit just flop around out there? I used to have to wear my brother's mitts, and that's what they did and I hated it. Also, I think they look kinda "manly" like that, you know as in not "boy".
If it's too cold for paint to dry it's too cold for people. Also, below 0 and your water pipes are gonna freeze and that'll cost more than heat. And did you ever "The Blue Castle" by L.M.Montgomery? Her Mom wouldn't turn on the heat till a certain date...it got cold....her husband got pneumonia....turned on the heat the next day....it was too late!
What's this about a book? Details please....
Barb Brown

So, is the secret plan behind the sew-up party to fill your home with enough bodies to create heat to get you through the next week? Until you can win your Nov 11 prize? I am still holding out here, and the word "mutiny" is being muttered by the young'uns.

Yes, my country, my election, but the whole world will be subjected to another four years of Bush & Co. My apologies to everyone affected by rippling circles of war, injustice, political instability, violence, poverty, inadequate education & health care, terrorism, fear, and a contaminated environment.

Today, my day of mourning. We're tired and brokenhearted, but tomorrow, the fight *has* to continue.

Given the results of both my State's and the National elections, I'm definately trying to overdose on Halloween candy!

Screw the painting, Steph, start building an addition to hold all of us that are heading your way. Don't worry, though, it's only four years, right? RIGHT? Shit.

Oh, and screw the halloween candy, too, I'm going for Prozac.

I'm hoping Canada's infrastructure can handle us all. I think maybe it's time for you to invade us and take over. The W campaign has been based so much on fear, and today I feel fear down to my marrow. I am sickened by the fact that half of my country has voted for intolerance and greed. I don't see a way to unite with that, thank God.

Has anyone asked Mr. Sheen if he'd run? Maybe we just need to ask is all.

My country, my election, my shame and depression. I have always wanted to move to Canada (or Europe -- for lots of cultural reasons), and now I think I should start answering personal ads from north of the border.

Or, I think California should join New England and secede. We've certainly got a good-sized combined economy, and we could welcome refugees from the Midwest/South.

I will say, though, Steph, that it's in winter that California is green. We're brown in the summer.

Oh, and sure, one can be a right-leaning knitter. It personally makes me weepy that we're going so rightward (and I was dumb enough to think that when people my age -- I'm 37 -- came of age and into more power, we'd go way left), and I can't think of a single issue I agree with the GOP on at the moment (there may be one)... but of course you've got a perfect right to your opinions and I think the KR boards are full of folks who share your views. I do know some Republicans I like quite well; we just steer clear of many topics.

Me, though, I wanna go to Canada.

My only consolation is that at least my state went for Kerry... {sigh}

I knit. I quilt. I even sew Halloween costumes and am happy about it. I'm also a Republican. Just don't tell my family. I'd like to break the news gently.

You can't make the mittens pointy. Reliable sources on Macho Subleties (eg, my DH This is a man who can declare a blue too purpl-ey for a baby boy to wear, but cannot match socks) states that pointy mittens are for girls. Also, did you know that there is a year and a half wait to fill out visa paperwork to move to Canada? Not for the visa- to get the paperwork to fill out. Oh, well, I can use up my yarn stash and watch the US crumble around me while I wait.

This has nothing to do with the election other than I cannot stand Bush-but just to tell you that you are the hi-lite of my day! I also know nothing about knitting other than knit one, pearl 2. I have serious problems with my back and am housebound frequently so tune in and laugh and I wish I had your talent and sense of humuor. Keep it coming! tHANKS. P.S> the mittens look great but I am concerned about the navy door.

you're not alone...i'm a republican, i'm a knitter...deal with it...thank you grandma for fighting to give us the right to vote! now-onto the sewing up of the mason-dixon afghans..i'm still searching to see the squares i sent in and how they'll work with the other squares and the love everyone gave from their hearts. only wish i could travel from calif to toronto to help with the sewing up...i was in toronto back when i was 15....just a 'few' years back..lol...had a great time...even with the younger brothers being themselves on the trip.

Oh Stephanie... Having just finished painting 1300 sq feet of house with 14 (!!!!) different paint colours, I have to ask. Are you mad? Painting prior to a previously scheduled event? It took us many months longer than we'd though. Of course, it was summer in Calgary at the time, so the paint did dry. Best of luck!

I am confused about your painting: is the new color the one close to the doorframe or is the other one the new one? cant tell from you description of the colors...
but I am all for navy colored doors, maybe you imagine being on a ship looking at it?
oh yes and the elections: make me want to go back all the way across the atlantic, but they have my fingerprint already...

Yeah, make sure the Mr. has plenty of room for his middle finger since he may wear them while driving. In case you're still wondering, an underlap is the part of the zipper sandwich that is next to your delicate skin, providing protection against unwitting skin pinching. Look at your husband's front fly...oh you honeymooners!

Don't worry I once had a Pepto Pink living room. Really it didn't look like that on the sample card. I gave to my DH, went to work, came home and walked into a Pepto bottle. ooops. Day 2 of his vacation was spent repainting it a normal color. He was not a happy camper, but did admit that it did look better.
- Rose

Okay, I'm thinking you need more caffine and sugar to power thru the painting and the poncho. Or you need an intervention. Problem is I'm not sure which. But it sounds like something I would think of doing. And as far as paint names, I think it's a whole group of people locked in some white walled room, with no windows, just recycled air, hard chairs and a table, with paper and pencils. Oh and flourescent lights. They sit in this room and create names for yarn, paint, fabric and the like. Names like "casket", "winter silence" and "ocean breeze".
Hang in there and remember to breath, sleep and eat at least one healthy thing. (and no peanut butter cups don't count;)

You make me giggle even tho I've been scowling since last night because now I'm /seriously/ considering moving to Canada. Thanks for the giggle!

One last thought here on paint colors: we once painted our front door a light yellow. Never, never do that. That was the year the imported whitefly infestation hit California bigtime, and that is the perfect shade to attract insects. For months we had to walk through a huge swarm of tiny no-see-ums every time we walked in or out. We finally repainted the door.

Come to think of it, they were kind of like those pollsters calling constantly... At least there's the comfort that every single person my DH and I encountered today was just as morose over the returns as we were.

Well I can say this much - bible bashing middle America certainly spoiled my birthday, and I'm an Australian! It would've been such a nice birthday present to have Bush kicked out.
Come to sunny Australia - no snow except in the alpine regions in winter. We do have little Johnny Howard, our prime minister who seems to be in bed with Bush, but we are working on it!
I am partway through painting our toilet-room (yes we have separate toilets here various lurid sea greens. Looks fab!

yes, i agree. i would be thrilled with martin sheen at this point. well, not to say that i wouldn't be thrilled otherwise, but especially in comparison to the current *&$%*#

Harlot, I completely understand the 'man' v 'boy' issue. My mom still corrects me every time I refer to my BF as a boy, but I still, at 30, consider myself to be a girl (not woman), and plan to continue doing so. And as for the cold, I live in New Orleans and considered turning on my heat this morning, it is 60F. Of course my house has no insulation, but still, I'm such a wuss when it comes to cold, especially given my Wisconsin upbringing. Love the Halloween dress and the mittens!!
Heather

What *is* it with the names of paint? My living room is currently a lovely shade of blue. Unfortunately, I had to paint it myself, as the name of the shade kept sending my husband into giggles...the blue is called Bavarian Mist and for those who know German - Mist is slang for sh*t. Three years later, and my hubby still snickers when he thinks about it. Silly man.

I knit. I sew. I bake bread. I'm a vegetarian. I'm a stay-at-home mom. I volunteer all my "free" hours away. I am VERY conservative and proud to be an Ohioan who voted for Bush... even stumped for him, don't you know! You're not alone, Beth! In fact, you're in the majority!! Sorry, I normally just read and laugh and learn; but I just couldn't let this slide!

Rana: you bet, dear! Of course you know the commune is just part of a cunning plan in becoming Canucks, right?

This inability to let gloating slide, even out of courtesy to one's hostess, is just one example of what so many of us are dreading in the next four years.

Could we talk about knitting, please?

I dunno - I think the mitts look more manly without a point. And we all know how Joe feels about manly.

Steph, If they fit him perfectly, why oh why would you even mess with them. I agree they look more "Joe" without the points anyway. Let it go. :) I'm surprised though, because they have color and I thought Joe was a pretty monochromatic kind of guy. Really they look great the way they are. Yesterday was a day of mourning here. On the brightside, after 2008 he'll be gone. I just don't know who is going to dig us out of this mess. Bush Is going to make a possible FOUR Supreme Court appointments. THAT has me truly scared.

I like the stumpy mittens. Much more manly than pointy. Save yourself the trouble and leave them as is.

What was that comment above about giving the PAINT a break??? Turn on the heat for the HUMANS!!! Your beloved offspring ( before you have to amputate frostbitten toes) and sew-up party guests (bringing treats......)

I'm another one who loves to knit, loves to finger yarn, and loves my country. I also voted for Bush.

My pattern is to read all the comments before I make any comments..and I will go back and read everyones, But I just had to RUSH IN AND SAY...I thought I was the ONLY one that has done this...CANDY EATING and then chase with coffee! yes, I'm ill and probably gained 5 pounds YESTERDAY alone!
You know I have to say...Canada is looking better and better! But I do love my country..we can't give up the hope...we just can't. What happens when you really don't ...or didn't (ok, I'm in denial still)..like either?

I know it's too late, but perhaps a few rows of NOT decreasing would have provided a rounded look to those beautiful mittens? The pattern is gorgeous- don't let the tips bother you they are one of a kind! Paint colors are hard to choose and they think the name of the paint will sell it! Good luck with the your paint project! Brrrrrrr.... as I sit in mid 60's in Sunny San Diego. Wish it would snow sometimes!...well, maybe not, when it rains here there are usually 200 accidents on the freeways in about 6 hours...can't imagine if there was snow!!! nevermind.. love your blog :)

About the election, well, the best that can be said is that a lot of people voted. If I start to say more, I'll get too wrought up, as my Grandma used to say.

I like the stumpy mittens. Your husband can wear them in your bracingly "cool" house!

Hey, Steph. This comment makes no reference to your entry...it is simply to say...I AM HALF DONE WITH A SOCK! And not just any sock...my first sock. A sock I have named "That Damn Sock," since I've ripped it apart and started it approximately five times. Yes, simple 2x2 ribbing on double-pointed needles has stumped me until now. HALF DONE! Obviously, this is nothing of monumental importance, but you are the Yarn Harlot. Someone must keep track of these things.

Love the mittens -- could you tell me what pattern you used for these? Thanks.

Did you decide to paint you door navy because of Lynda Reeves? She had a segment on Cdn House and Home a few weeks ago where she suggested painting indoor doors white to give them "character." Living in a brand new house desperately in need of said "character" I rushed out to buy "beluga" coloured paint (that's what they call black!) and the nightmare started...I had the same woozy feeling you experienced everytime I walked near the 4 doomed doors and the feeling didn't subside once the fumes did so I decided to re-paint them white. The white paint wouldn't adhere to the black one even though it was the same company and finish and despite sanding and priming the beluga doors. Couldn't take it anymore and decided the only way out of this mess would be to change the doors. Bought 4 brand new doors with pre-drilled hinge "areas" and handle hole, took off the old doors, attached the old hinges to the new doors and thought my nightmare was over. Turns out the new door hinges didn't line up with the old door hinges. Had to run out to the store again to buy a chisel and chisel out new hinge "areas" on the door and after lots of labour and a drill bit that broke in the door my husband and I had 4 new white doors up. Now all we have to do is put wood filler in the original hinge "areas" in all the doors and figure out why the bathroom door won't close and why the office door spings open after about 15 seconds of being closed! Well my house didn't build character...but I sure did! No more Lynda Reeves tips for me! Hope you have more luck with the navy. If not, dark doors make great lawn "graves" at halloween ;-)

I agree on the mittens. Taperage is needed. I don't have Halloween candy so I eat ice cream and cider.

Also, I admire your painting ingenuity. I taped off my living room in January. Finally, unpainted, I took the tape down in June. Can I just move?

For those wanting to emigrate to Canada:

www.marryanamerican.ca

I love this blog. The harlot's writing and wit are so engaging. Her knitting is fabulous and the number of projects she completes is unbelievable. It's her blog and she can make whatever comments she wants. But I am a proud American daughter of a veteran, and I am very distressed by the comments here. The voting majority has spoken, and it was the biggest popular vote for a president in the history of the country. Many more people are happy and relieved than those who are upset by the outcome. The majority just doesn't trust Kerry. If you want to move to Canada, feel free. But you won't be allowed to complain about the weather. I'll happily stay put. Betsy

Hi... I've been lurking for two weeks or so and I love your blog. I've been knitting for about a year and I am *so* envious of your knitting skills, lol. All of your projects are absolutely stunning!!

I'm also the daughter of two *Democrat* veterans (World War II and Vietnam) and my older brother is currently stationed overseas. Bush may have had the highest popular vote in history, but he didn't have anything close to the widest victory margin in history. Despite what a lot of Republicans are saying, it was a *very* close election. Hopefully the next President will be able to string a complete sentence together without assistance... but on the bright side, we have four more years worth of material for the Bushisms calendars.

Beautiful mittens. Lousy election. Currently looking at "move to Canada" websites :-P

lurking for months, reading blog to hubby who frequently does the the point back at me and rofl - currently working on 2 poncho's (1 harlot tvm!), 4 prs. socks and 1 shawl-stole thingy - sick on halloween candy, even tho my kids didn't t-o-t this year - and weeping over election results - living in CA where its been getting down to 48f at night and have had heater on for 2 weeks I know - light weights. Steph, finally had to write and say love your blog, love your patterns you so generously share, love your knitting pics and would desperately love to move to Canada but know I couldn't hack the weather

Leave the mittens alone! They are fine if they fit but then again if you are just as *aN@l* as me, then just go ahead.

Sometimes the stinkers don't go away.

By the way, been reading and love your blog. Could I ask if it's ok to link back to mine?

cheers
Em

Please more knitting related material. Folks, I'm sick of the election. If those of us below Canada aren't happy with the current prez, could we all just stay in the country and try to come up with a viable candidate? Because I don't think the Canadian economy can stand the flow of people who want to leave. sorry Steph, but my vote is for more knitting stories to ease the pain.

You know - I love the mittens. Sure, they lack a little sinuous shape, but I think they just are what they are, and the colorwork is enough to carry them - kwim? >>> Please, turn up the heat - for me! >>> **Bartlett for President - YAY!** ;)

Wish I could come help sew up the afghan... but I'm currently in South Korea. Where despite being unable to speak the language I found yarn on my third day in the country.

Now if only I could find sock yarn!

I love that Americans voted... with passion and in big numbers. What a contest! To have the election so close that when I went to bed Bush was winning and when I got up Kerry had just about caught up and then saw it slip away. It is so exciting to see a real race. (I should say that I'm from Alberta the one party state.. where although I am attached to Klein's ability to just say whatever is on his mind there are no other parties to vote for. The Liberal party's slogan is "Opposition makes for good government" - which would be even more pathetic if a week before the election was called the leader hadn't accused the Klein government of corruption only to have to retract it days later cause he had his facts wrong!).... What a ramble... I am worried though about how divided the States has become and what can possibly be done with the mess in Iraq.

On the knitting front. I'm working right now on a pokey little job of crocheting around the eyelet parts of my scarf www.tradewindknits.com/thempsca.html
which is taking forever making me re-think my choice of yarns as they split way too easily.