134 thoughts on “Early morning light”

1. There is no way i’m first. but i can’t wait to see the eggs!! I’m dye-ing…(snickering at my own ridiculousness)… Can’t wait to see the new book!!

2. I can’t wait for your next book..
   Sanity w/ 3 girls in the house means you must take time for yourself. Don’t be amiss in doing this. School should be for 12 months a year, why should teachers get a 3 month break,lol.
   Your eggs are looking egceptional.. (bad pun) I would never have the patience you do.. Knitting I can do, that is tedius and that isn’t in my make-up.
   Take care and enjoy your “you” time!

3. You have steadier hands than I ever had.
   And you’re right, time alone is a requirement. And I can’t wait for the book.
   Now comes the real question: did you ever again see that woman in the dirty pink underwear? I keep wondering.

4. Those eggs look great! Knitting, spinning, beads and now eggs…I can’t wait to see what skill you’re going to demonstrate next! And you’ve just been sick! Rest…please…you’re making us look lazy in comparison.

5. Ooh, can’t wait for that new “useless” book! They may not have patterns and such, but they are FAR from useless, Steph!

6. I too am looking forward to your next book. And I totally get what you mean about quiet time. I was suffering from a lack of that a few months ago. Made me very testy and I am normally a very mellow person. Good luck with the eggs and here’s to a really happy new year! (I’m only starting my new year’s resolutions today.)

7. But will you *stay* on the new cover? I have a friend who is furious that her copy of “Knitting Rules” has someone else on the cover.
   It’s your book, it should be your picture — at minimum, it’ll help us understand when you go off on a frizzy hair rant.

8. Very cool–I’ve never done eggs like that before…well there was a project in Girl Scouts MANY years ago, but nevermind that. Is it a tradition to do them for the previous year, or should they say ‘2007’? Regardless, you are my hero. Knitting, spinning, writing, Momming, delivering babies, touring, egging (not necessarily in that order). I imagine the offer of your own show can’t be far off!

9. That picture of you is wonderful.
   From the neck down, that is.

10. Having had some hideous energy sapping, stomach churning gastrointestinal lurgy since New Years Eve (at midnight I woke up, said ‘Hi’ to my beloved and went to sleep again) I am profoundly jealous of you getting so much done in 4 hours. I can barely make a cup of tea (but I can still knit ;o).
    Those eggs look fab…Happy New Year (and Happy new book)!

11. 12 colors on your palette. You are down to 4 after the white and yellow phase. You may find yourself boiling extra eggs in the middle of the night…
    Obviously you have much more patients than me. Might be why we just dip and dunk our Easter eggs. Crayola is our wax of choice.
    As always – you are fabulous! Happy dippin’!

12. I know all about the added stress having people around you at all times can add. 6 kids (well 5 kids and 1 male who acts like a kid) drives me nutso on a regular basis. Even when they are not trying. /le sigh
    Love the eggs!

13. Those are some seriously hot lookin’ ova.

14. The eggs look fabulous!
    A trick that I use that helps when drying layers of dye and also at the end when you are varnishing: rather than letting the eggs dry in egg cartons, which can smear things, hammer 3 big nails all the way through a nice thick piece of wood in a roughly triangular shape. The 3 nails make a good support for the egg’s bottom and let it dry without too many things touching it. Of course if you have done this before you’ve probably got your own method, but this one works for me….

15. I know we all have our own issues with our physical appearance, but I have to say that whenever I’ve seen you (both in person and in print) I think your hair has always looked quite nice.
    I suppose this could be due to curly hair envy on my part (having incredibly straight, do-nothing hair myself), but really I don’t think so.
    (the thought of hair that actually gains volume in presence of humidity has a way of sounding very appealing to someone whose hair goes limp as a wet noodle in moist air!)

16. Yup. I’m definately going to have to get my egg stuff out!!!
    They’re looking great!!!

17. Can’t wait for the new book! And I have to say I have figured out how to fix a lot of my knitting mistakes from your so called “useless” books. So there must be something good there=>

18. Wow time alone, what is that? You mean you can go to the bathroom alone!?!?! I don’t think so!
    The eggs look great. Did you blow them out first? I may have missed that part, I guess I had a bit of stomach flu induced sanility.
    I can’t wait to see them finished. Enjoy your fiber trip. Lucky! I also hope that the non-knitter took them hint when I sent him an email from Amazon telling him I wanted your new book. (the hair isn’t that bad… better then the lotion hair?)

19. Cool – it’s like batik on eggs!

20. Well at least your hair is tame in that book cover. I’d rather buy a book with that cover than a book with a lotion hair picture 😉
    And WOW! I am so impressed with the eggs! I can’t draw a stick figure, let alone an intricate design on an egg that you then track with hot wax! I’d have -20 eggs by now, so kudos on only breaking 2. I can’t wait to see how they turn out!

21. re: cover… that’s a nice pose and a great smile.
    re: eggs… show off (read: can’t wait to see them finished!).

22. I was first, wasn’t I?!! 🙂

23. The most fun with the eggs is at the end when they are covered with black wax, looking horrible, and you wave them over the candle and melt the wax and reveal all the beauty underneath.

24. OMG…your paragraph about the time alone describes my current situation to a “t”! You summarized how I’ve been feeling these past few weeks so well…I’m so greatful to you, you will never know. My husband lost his job the Monday after (US) Thanksgiving and has been hard at work (from home) trying to find a new position. Add to that my newly minted 5 year old son and I’m about ready to pull out my hair. It had struck me several days ago that I was struggling with the loss of privacy. Then along came this post and I actually read that paragraph to my husband. He laughed and said you had nailed it on the head. For me, it’s not so much the constant talking but the lack of any time in a space by myself – prior to his being home every day I had about 4 hours every morning to do as I pleased. Bring it back!
    And your eggs are going to be beautiful…I have a friend that does this as well and I’ve always been a little envious. Maybe this year I will add Ukrainian eggs to my list of things to learn!

25. I can’t wait to see the end product. Good luck with the remaining 4!

26. In our house the alone time is acknowledged as Happy Hour (the time between 5am and 7am – not an hour, I know) during which no-one is to approach the woman of the house and they are to all stay in bed for preference. There is Attitude Readjustment Hour (roughly between between 5.30pm and 6.30pm) when it is advisable only to approach with wine or other thoughtful treats. This is not a good time to make requests or demands.

27. I totally understand about the quiet time. If I don’t get mine, I turn into a bear. To the point that my lovely husband knows that if I go hide in the bedroom during the day, it’s in everyone’s best interest that he keep our 5 year old from bothering me. Make sure you make that time for yourself!
    Looking forward to seeing the finished eggs.

28. Hi Stephanie,
    If I were you I would seriously consider hiring a stylist who is an expert at working with curly hair. For example, there is a salon in NYC called Devachan that specializes in curly hair. They can give you products, styling tips and the cut to make your hair look its best. They also have a great book called Curly Girl that has good tips.
    But…if I were going to be immortalized on a book, I’d definitely just hire a pro for an extra couple hundred dollars. I would even do a “test run” and take pictures to make sure you like it several days before the real shoot.
    Good luck!

29. I love the Ukrainian eggs! It’s interesting that when they paint all of those elaborate icons, they go the OPPOSITE way, starting with all of the dark colors and layering on lighter and lighter colors, finishing with gold. Like the journey from darkness to light!

30. I understand entirely about having some time to yourself. A few months ago, I was given a new job position in which I work standard morning to evening shifts, Monday through Friday…I had been working shifts that varied (retail…sometimes I opened, sometimes I closed) and days that varied. I didn’t realize I would miss the variation until I had the steady schedule for awhile and ended up having all of my non-working time co-inciding with everyone else’s non-working time. I’m excited because I got out of work early today and have the house to myself for a few hours. YAY!!!
    The eggs are pretty and interesting…and even though I enjoy tedious work, I’m not sure I’d have the patience for that (said the gal who likes knitting lace and socks…hmm…).

31. I can’t wait to get my copy–it could have no cover at all, and I’d be happy to have it.

32. So I have to know… does it still give you a thrill to see your book… *YOUR BOOK*… at a bookstore or amazon?
    Shoot, it makes me happy and I didn’t even write the thing. 🙂

33. DD and I lived on our farm in Montana until she was 4, often only talking to the chickens and each other for weeks on end. Then we moved to inner city Chicago… I crave silence, the kind that I found only on my farm. A little laughter and conversation is wonderful, but I need a good block of 4-6 hours of silence per day in order to think straight. Luckily, DD is a super quiet teen!

34. Yarn doesn’t break – unless you want it to break – then it exhibits resistentialism and it still doesn’t break.

35. THANK GOD YOU SAID SOMETHING ABOUT THE HAIR! I haven’t even read the rest of your post yet. I just saw that you too were horrified of the HAIR and I had to let out a huge sigh. I have been thinking about it since I saw that picture and I didn’t want to say something because I was nervous that you liked it. However, I knew that I would KILL anyone who would avoid telling me something like that. So, well, I’m just glad I don’t have to cross that bridge. I can sleep now. 😉

36. Yay, I will be at Madrona. I’m not taking any classes… taking classes means I’ll have less money to spend at the Blue Moon booth. That would be a bad thing.
    Maybe I’ll see you there.
    Good luck with the eggs, I would have broken them all by now.

37. Dude! You’re just *now* writing the intro?! I’ve got you pre-ordered through Powell’s bookstore!

38. About your book cover — at least you have clothes on (cf: no sheep for you) I know that’s a model and not Amy but WHAT was Interweave (not)thinking???
    Can’t wait to have your latest off the press and into my hands!
    Kabira

39. Yarn doesn’t break, hmmm? What about that extra-fine wool merino shawl that was being blocked out and a little too much tension and shwing! there goes an afternoon trying to recover from the damage. hmph.

40. Perhaps the title of Egg Harlot could be a temporary thing which comes and goes like the running of the Copper River Salmon. Those eggs are certainly impressive enough to earn you a title.
    And no woman ever wants her own hair. Especially on a book cover.

41. I love useless but interesting reading!! I don’t think the photo is as bad as you think, but I would probably have the same anxiety if it were my photo. Can’t wait for the Harlot’s new purls of wisdom.

42. Those people keep messin’ with your head. First Knitting Rules considers chopping it off entirely, now they see if they can get away with simply rendering you unrecognizable. I was another who said to her husband “Woah, they killed her hair.” This is not The Yarn Priss they’re promoting… Better than this would be the “birch broom wi’ the fits” (my mother’s equivalent was “couldn’t fit my head in a bushel basket.”) Free the Hair!

43. You are drawing very straight lines! Good work!

44. Those eggs are pretty-I’d never have the steady hands to do that. I lack in the hand-eye coordination, which is amazing because I am a piano performance student, but is confirmed with my absolute inability to apply makeup correctly.
    And as for hair, that is nowhere near as bad as just about every performance picture I have. No matter how I tame it, it always poofs away from my head and gives me a mad-Beethoven kind of look.

45. Instead of trying to get the hair on the book perfect, why not go the other way? If you put a picture of yourself on a really really BAS hair day on the cover, you get tons of “Oh you look so much better in person” comments on the next tour.
    Something to think about….

46. That looks really cool. I however hope they’re not meant as a keepsake from coming easter. Why? We’re 5 days into 2007 already 😉

47. Now that you wrote that, your yarn is gonna break! 🙁

48. One of these days, I would like to see a book cover of you with truly messed-up wild crazy hair, the way it looks in your mind.

49. Wow. TWELVE colors in your palette? You’ll do this 10 more times? How long will that take you?

50. “Me time” is a must in my household. But then, I have no children…
    Great looking eggs! Another reason being the Yarn Harlot is better than being the Egg Harlot: Knitting does not require the use of an open flame.

51. Did they frighten your hair into submission? You don’t look hideous or anything like that, it’s just that your country singer hair gives the rest of us mad-hair types hope and a sense that we are not alone with our daft curls. Mine varies, depending on humidity, between wilful ringlets (very Miss Havisham once you’re middle-aged) and looking like a small frightened animal has taken up residence on my head.
    I completely sympathize with the time-to-be-alone-keeps-me-sane scenario. We are mid summer vacation down here and I have another month to go… while still working full time… from home. By the time term starts again I’ll have locked myself into the washing machine as it is the only place in the house to which they will never hunt me down. They don’t even know where it is, let alone what it is for.

52. Don’t worry about your hair. In twenty years, you’ll wish you still looked like that.
    I understand about the need for privacy. You can love someone, and still need a few hours alone.

53. #1 I have to agree. That picture does nothing to promote the “Yarn Harlot Hair Persona” that you have so firmly established via this portal of wisdom called the internet. If I didn’t know better, I would have guessed that the photo on the cover was indeed taken on Lotion Hair Day. Perhaps your post about the Lotion Hair is what inspired the hairdresser to do such a thing to your tresses?
    #2 I also understand the need for quiet. However, I like to be around people. I should knit in libraries or something. LOL.
    #3 Tell Joe that he needs a hobby. One that involves leaving the house for 6-8 hours a day. If he prefers to call said hobby a “job” and gets to bring home money at the end of the day…so be it.
    #4 School vacations were clearly invented by some lazy “suits” that wanted two weeks off and didn’t have any children at home. Don’t they know that children need structure? Don’t they know that children get cranky when things get out of whack? Don’t they know that I get cranky when the kids get cranky? Haven’t they heard the saying, “If Momma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy!”? Clearly, someone needs to rectify this atrosity.
    #5 I hope Yoga Bag is feeling more robust today. I had to giggle at the suggestions to cut your mat to fit the bag. 🙂

54. Firstly, dear, I already put your book on my Amazon wishlist. Yesterday.
    And I would never say a cross word about your hair because it looks just like mine. (Mine doesn’t do a thing I want it to do, either.)
    (Minor pet peeve: asking for a hairstylist who knows how to work with thick, naturally curly hair, and the first thing they do it stick their hands in it and say, “It’s so THICK!!!” Well WTF?? I know, it’s my hair.)
    But if you don’t like what they put on the cover, perhaps one of talented knitters here could whip up a pattern for a book cover. Needles out!

55. I have to go the obligatory stupid comment and say, I dont think you should be the ehh Harlot either, it is counter productive, seeing as you crack us all up!
    My God, I have been spending far too much time with a 5 and 7 year old……..Totally relate to the what you are saying re the no time alone thing, cant even manage a coherent sentence.
    Cannot wait for the new book! or to see the finished eggs…..

56. If it was me I’d need to start with a dozen eggs to end up with 2! 😉
    I will be glad when school starts next week, I’ve been after my son to do homework all week. So much so that I am now being refered to as the “Warden”.
    (I did let him out on parole for a couple of hours yesterday)

57. The eggs look very cool. I’m looking forward to seeing them progress!
    I’m also wondering if there’s a way for those of us in the states to see the CBC? The website you linked doesn’t seem to have any streaming stuff so I’m guess we’re SOL, but I figured I’d ask anyway 🙂

58. Saw the pre-order available at Amazon yesterday. Writing books is amazing to me, the thought of undertaking and ultimately finishing such a huge project.
    I completely understand the alone time thing myself. I find I’m getting up earlier and earlier to beat the rest of the family awake just to have enough of that time to maintain some sort of sanity.

59. How can you say yarn doesn’t break? Are you not a spinner?
    BTW, are you watching your letterbox? 😀

60. oooooo that egg thing looks fun.

61. WHOOOOOOOO-HOOOOO! I can’t wait to read the new book. 🙂

62. My husband calls an hour into the first day of school to “sympathize” about how quiet the house must be with the kids in school. As if quiet is a bad thing. I love my husband and my children incredibly, but their being home guarantees that my day is toast!

63. Some people think knitting is so fiddly and takes too much patience to be bothered. I vehemently disagree with them, but the egg thing – is there some secret that you have for draining them?
    The sticking-with-pins and passing out from trying to blow the innards out was what always got me.

64. The eggs are looking wonderful and they are obviously in the early stages (12 colours – OMG). So wonderful to hear you will be on CBC news!! I’ll be watching/listening. Am trying to work out a plan to get to the KW Knit Meeting also.
    The picture isn’t bad – it’s just not what you feel is your best – I’ve gone through life like that. Keep pestering till you get what you want!
    Look at those dollars!!! Go Harlot and Go Knitters.
    Chris S.

65. As Cara illustrated so well today, yarn does, too, break, but you can’t graft an egg back together. Reserving your primary OCD for knitting is a good choice.
    I’m with you on kids’ being back in school — only I’m getting less done than I would like, what with catching up on blogs and all.

66. New book? DROOL!!! And breaking eggs is one reason I have my own chickens. 😉

67. your hair looks well-behaved.

68. I’ve always wanted to try that egg thing. Where do you get the stuff? Any good links to learn?

69. never mind, I’m missing the obvious again.

70. Wow… that’s some kinda something they did to your hair! I think perhaps the photo would look better, despite the hair, if it wasn’t so… perky. Not that you’re not… It’s just, well. You know. But I agree with Rams. Free the hair!
    As for me, if I can tame my hair and not look like I’ve been pulled through a hedge backwards, I figure I’m off to the races!

71. Eggs gorgeous, book fabulous, hair . . . er, what’s with the hair? As a fellow curly girl who has always had to worry about her hair going horizontal at the slightest hint of moisture (“Don’t sneeze at me! You’ll ruin the ‘do!”), I totally sympathize about the big hair thing. But that photo looks like they beat it into submission by putting saran wrap around your head or something. Demand a re-shoot! Let the locks do their thing!
    (P.S., I recently cut mine–it was in long, occassionally and unpredictibly well behaved ringlets–to about an inch or so all over. That’ll teach it!)

72. Tell whoever did that to put back the real Stephanie. We love you, warts and all. (I am, of course, referring to the warts on us, not you.)

73. Wow! The eggs look wonderful. I’m fascinated with this craft of waxing, dying, waxing-and-dying-some more-then-melting-the-wax-off-the-egg thingy. Too Cool! I’ve seen it done before on, of all things, Reading Rainbow. The eggs are so beautiful and intricate when they are done. I can’t wait to see…that is, if you have any left by then;->
    Oh, and by the way, glad to hear there will be another book. I think you look pretty on the cover. You must be even more beautiful in person:)
    Ang

74. The eggs look great so far! I know they’ll be awesome. Can’t wait for the book, I hope they put the photo of you walking away wearing your wedding shawl on the back. That’s a perfect ending to what I know will be a great read. Pre-ordered btw. I agree on the alone time, well worth getting up early for.

75. Those eggs look awesome – I’ve always wanted to try that. I even have the materials… I’ve just been too “chicken” to actually do it! I hear you on having a moment to yourself for sanity… Today when I got home, the kids were all asleep in the car – so rather than wake them up to go inside, I reached into my knitting bag and enjoyed the peace for a little while before one of them woke up. Considering I have a 3-month-old, I probably should have taken a nap too. 🙂

76. When I was creating my knitting booklist on LibraryThing your new, yet to be published book was listed with your other books.
    If you haven’t seen the LibraryThing website at http://www.LibraryThing.com , check it out. It’s a free way to catalog your books. I was able to do my list of 100+ knitting books in less than 1 hour, complete with book cover pictures (supplied by LibraryThing).

77. I hear you about the “alone time” requirement! I am at home with my children in the daytime, and work evenings and weekends. This doesn’t give me a lot of down time, and I’ve taken to eating an early dinner hiding in my bedroom, just before I leave. Sigh. :0)

78. Niiiiice eggs.
    Some complete solitude every day is an ABSOLUTE must. Without it you will go ABSOLUTELY nuts.
    I love your hair, (yes, absolutely) the wilder and crazier it gets the more I love it. In my wildest and most beloved dreams…I have hair like yours.

79. I’m really looking forward to seeing you at Madrona again. Are you taking classes again this year? I’m signed up for all of Judith’s non-weaving classes. Love that woman.

80. Hm. Another thing: since you are a knitter and not a quilter (or a sailor), what’s with the Mariner’s Compass on the cover? I think they had a little reality meltdown over at the publishers’ department of cover pictures.

81. Actually, I think you look great on the cover!

82. Yarn doesn’t break? Oh yeah, your kids are a little bit bigger than two and four. Mine like to play steal the skein while I am knitting. So far the only casualty has been a lace-weight that I couldn’t chase fast enough. Granted, it wasn’t two out of six skeins though…

83. Phew. I wasn’t gonna say anything about the hair on the cover. Aw heck, yes I was. It’s just wrong. I’m very pleased it’s just a temp version.
    I’ve been awake since 4 am this morning. Since the boy has been awake and glued to my side pretty much since that time however, I’ve achieved um, nothing, today.

84. New book! New book! *bounces happily* When? Oh well, whenever it comes out it’ll be on my standing order list so . . . As one who has do-nothing baby fine hair, I sympathize. And like Nancy, I’d love to know if you ever ‘encountered’ your new neighbor again!
    *sighs* Well, since I’m going to miss Madrona, but will be in Amsterdam the following week — anyone want to console me by giving me directions to yarn shops in Amsterdam?

85. You know, your photo for Daisy over at Knitty had much nicer hair. To whom should I write at Storey to ask that they use that picture (or at least style)?

86. Rams said it best–free the hair ! My goodness what did they put on it glue ? Oh well never read a book by its cover as they say but I found it hard to recognize you . Thank God they got the name right. The eggs are realy moving along and they look GREAT. You are very exact with the pattern and they will be lovely I’m sure —at least the ones you have left at the end of it. hehehe We took the wax off by placing them in a warm oven BUT left too long in one position and you have baked eggs and cannot blow them out . I know this from trying to blow the baked inerds out and breaking them. good memories and good laughs. GOOD luck

87. Cool! I’ve always wanted to try pysanky but have never had the guts. Maybe this easter?

88. Re: Curly hair takes bad photos…don’t I know it girl! I finally got a great cut and some decent products, but in pictures I’m like “is that me or my evil undead twin?”
    Re: Home office holidays. They suck! I’m getting panicky too. Here in New Mexico (I think I was once foolish enough to refer to it as ‘the land of relentless sunshine’) my school-age son has been not back to school as expected because of a huge city-numbing snowstorm. Due to various federal holidays and the storm my husband has also been home. After reading your post and the comments, I’m thankful he has a job, but still fighting off the ‘I haven’t been able to do any billable work for three weeks’ panic…and the further panic that results from what that does to my yarn budget!
    Let’s all hang in there and keep remembering that the light is returning now…and, oh yeah, we Rock! (look at that total!)

89. My alone time starts somewhere around 10-11 pm, which may explain why I have to remind myself to go to bed at 1 (or sometimes 2)… it is so hard to give up the silence, even though I pay for it the next morning.
    The hair: Yes, if you like we can contact Storey and tell them we want the real YH on the cover, not their stylized version (I am assuming they had something to do with the taming of the locks). Of course, you are a lovely woman either way, but the Sara Jessica look does seem to suit your personality better ~ IMHO;>)

90. Dear Harlot Fans,
    I would like to see Stephanie’s blog nominated for a 2007 Bloggie in the “Best Canadian Blog” and “Best Craft Blog” catagories. Please go to this website to nominate her!
    http://2007.bloggies.com/
    Love your hair, girl, hope you win!!

91. I have to admit, I don’t think that’s a particularly good picture, either . . . I’ve seen worse, but I’ve seen better, too. But the hair? I’m all about embracing the curl! You’ve just got to give up brushing your hair . . . (grin)

92. I did the egg thing once as part of a fundraiser. The eggs I painted were not marked with a high price. Making lines with wax is not easy.
    The hair looks ok, a bit flat. But the glasses look pretty wonky there- one lens has a lot of glare and can’t tell where you’re looking .

93. I’m so with you on the post-holiday eye-twitch thing. I’ve got PMS, too, and this crashing sense of dread that comes only when I’ve been around people (most of whom I love dearly but who really need to go away for hours and hours a day and not bother me – did I mention I have a toddler?) for too long. Like a weekend.

94. hi stephanie,
    i just saw a psyanky demonstration and it took my breath away… so exquisite! can’t wait to see yours in the end.
    very very much hearing you about quiet time and time alone. there has been a nice post-holiday influx of that at my house and i’m amazed by the difference in my mood… the joy of being able to think and ponder and putter and reflect. so nice for the new year.
    also because you’re a morning person… have you seen this??
    http://3191.visualblogging.com/
    absolutely delicious.

95. Well, color me relieved.

96. Goody, goody, new book soon! OK, now calm down a bit. Your hair does look a bit subdued in that picture. My hair is so wild that I just put it up in one of those big clips every morning. Sometimes, when I don’t, people ask when did your hair get so long?

97. Steph: 1) I think you’re darling and adorable, and I don’t think that picture is dreadful at all. ANY picture of you looks sweet to me (I should send you the one my muggle took of you with ME standing there too!); 2) to Ang: yes, she is darling in person, a twinkly sort of pretty; 3) I established “Mommy Time” when my kids were little. After 7:30 pm they had to remain in bed. OF course as they got older, they stayed up later and later, so Mommy Time became pretty late; like Tree I’m now a total night owl. There does come a day, Dear, when they’re on their own and you and Joe can establish your together-and-alone time. One of the (many many) rewards of Advancing Age. Now, where did I put my knitting???

98. Love the eggs. Wish I was going to Madrona–sounds wonderful–the whole list of classes.
    Could you please tell us which CBC you’ll be on tomorrow? Radio One? Radio Two? CBCTV? CBCNewsworld? Enquiring minds want to know.
    I would love to listen to it. I have a hunch though that it will be on the Toronto broadcast, rather than the national broadcast.
    Marlyce in Windsor, Ontario

99. I’m so excited about your new book I can hardly believe it. Secondly, well, time alone does = sanity so don’t question it for a second. Lovely holiday with your family!!

100. So there I was, feeling vaguely panicky, and I read your post and realized it’s from what else but a lack of quiet time and privacy and the space to think things out! Whew! Thanks! I so know now what I need to do this weekend.
     Knitting goddesses are the best!

101. P.S. I absolutely LOVE Taphophile’s Attitude Readjustment Hour. Think we’ll have to start readjusting attitudes around here . . .

102. Man, I have made many a pysanky and have not yet learned how to make anything near as good as yours 🙁 I really can’t wait until they’re done! I have an icky kistka from Michaels that’s actually a cone made of copper at the end instead of the nice bowl-type. I also need to buy better dye. But I’m going to make pysanky for Easter, gosh darn it!

103. I can’t wait to see your finished eggs! It is starting to inspire me to pick up my kistka again! I find it a very meditative process – much like knitting… Happy dyeing 🙂

104. From your comments about needing “SPACE”, I wonder if you have ever taken a Meyers Briggs test. It is a personality typing evaluative tool. I’m definitely an introvert as an opposed to an extrovert. In other words, I have the capability and enjoy doing public speaking and seeing people in groups, but it is EXHAUSTING. I need time alone to regenerate my energy. My husband, on the other hand is an extrovert. He can be alone, and function okay, but he is rejuvenated when he is large groups of people. We have actually had to work out an agreement in which he gets to involve us in a large group activity/party/event once a month. I get a weekend alone once a month and the other two or three weeks out of the the month are catch as catch can. You may need to negotiate for alone time.

105. Eclaire (at 4:20)– Your wretched blog won’t let me on to comment, nor yet to e-mail. Initially I was simply going to, in the context of your hiding from your children in the washer, tell you about the American columnist Erma Bombeck keeping her children from using up all the Scotch/cellotape by putting a dishtowl over it, on the theory that no one else in the house ever picked up a dishcloth.
     On visiting your blog, though, I’m intrigued and baffled — what IS that little pink think with earbuds coming out of it?

106. This is why I beat my hair into submission, because my curls try to escape each other and end up making me look like I’ve had a close encounter of the high-voltage kind…now, I’ve got it down to a science, a specific round-brush-blowdryer, and an upside-down head.
     Except it makes me dizzy and it lasts for about an hour. The good hair, not the dizzyness. That…well…we won’t talk about how long that lasts.

107. Oh, Steph. The hair, well, looks like they’re trying to get you to fit into a boring-suburban-housewife mold and your hair won’t fit in. WHAT were they thinking??? Sigh. My hair is curly, too, and I like what humidity does to it, but each to their own. Hair is so very personal. No good if someone else likes it, but you don’t. I hope someone tells Storey a thing or two about “prepping” their authors.
     I’m getting such a yen to pull out my pysanky materials. But it would only lead to frustration. My tremor is like I’d OD’d on caffeine, but it’s not predictable enough to make the squiggle a design feature. But have fun. I am getting quite a fix by watching yours grow. Thanks, dear.

108. Oh who cares about the rules. LOL I never follow them either while making my eggs. They look like they might be Christmas Ornaments?. I just love to heat the egg up at the end and take off the wax to see what lays underneath.

109. This egg thing is really cool. I’ve seen it done on TV before and it’s totally captivating. Yeah for the new book! Can’t wait to read it no matter what your hair looks like.

110. Wow, love the eggs. Not to add to your stress or anything, but . . . your book available to pre-order while you’re still writing it?! Thanks for sending the link so we didn’t have to track it down!

111. Believe me, for THICK, curly, frizzy hair….I would have to take the prize. Every hair stylist I’ve had has told me that! Just once to have fine, straight hair that blows in the breeze….well I’m dreaming. I agree with the commenter who said embrace the curl.
     Personally, I avoid hair products that contain alcohol, as some gels do…it ultimatly makes the frizz worse. I leave some conditioner in my hair instead of rinsing it out. My hair just sucks it up! Then let the curls go! Be yourself!
     I hope I can catch you on CBC!

112. Okay, enough with the “useless” stuff…. You taught me “stash pride”… priceless… I can’t wait to be find further liberation in your next book.

113. You’re right – that cover is a passport photo. You look so much more like Charlize Theron than that. Tell them (your publishers) that we (the great unwashed) will not buy your book unless they change the cover. We will…but don’t say that.
     Hey, please, please give me some advice: I’ve stopped knitting. Cold Trurkey. Can’t pick up my needles. This has been a four month thing. It could me because I’m four months pregnant. AGAIN. Sob. I think I’m depressed. Do you think if I force myself to pick up and knit something I’ll get the buzz back? Or will that act as some sort of aversion therapy. Oh, poo. Help. Please?

114. Hi Rams, sorry the blog was misbehaving – I’ve just tested it and it seems to be beaten into submission once more.
     What pink thing with earbuds? I can’t find one – give me another clue!

115. I will agree that it does not look like your hair. Very disconcerting. Maybe you should’ve put some hand lotion in it first.

116. If it’s needed I will sign a petition to make sure the cover for that book gets changed. You are a beautiful person, and you’re a tad over critical of your hair, but that photo makes you look like a bobble-head.

117. 1. Pre-ordered next book last month, damned skippy you betcha. Useless? Oh c’mon. Hilarity about a favorite thing is useless? Please stand still so we can gently whack some sense into your head, silly woman. (Only in the most kindly and loving fashion, of course.) Books lke yours are as much a necessity as ones on techniques. What about the times we can’t, oh horrors, knit for some reason? At least we can read your books!
     2. Being on a stately, dignified dial-up connection myself (i.e., annoyingly slow – it’d take me ages to get any streaming content, if it’d even play without stuttering), I was wondering if anyone more familiar with the CBC site had ever noticed a link for getting transcripts? You know, those old-fashioned thingies that are, like, printed? I looked, but as my brain is currently useless due to The Cold From Hell, didn’t find anything. Or maybe they actually put stories up online sometimes?? ::going back to look again::
     3. Eggs are looking cool!

118. I rather like the cover design — reminds me of the Hitchhiker’s Guide to The Galaxy, somehow. But it looks like your hair is in Louisiana. See, we have a special kind of extra-polluted humidity here that makes curly hair limp, and it makes straight hair both frizzy and limp at the same time.
     The photo of you from the hair down is enviable.

119. So is it like batik for eggs, or is that just way off?

120. Hi
     If the eggs have to celebrate the beginning of 2007, then you have wrong year on them…. consider this remark as irrelevant if they’re marking a happy survival of 2006.
     As for gauge, my Selbu sweater… I made a swatch. In all colours. Measured, calculated, cast on, after a few rows I got something very wide. Recalculated. Got something too narrow. After two such experiences I stopped calculating and made a qualified guess. Same when casting on for sleeves – and with those I got into some tangled mess, too. Anyhow, not it’s only like 12 rows of 300 stitches missing and I guess there’ll be like 12 metres missing. I’ll know tonight. If I don’t coment tomorrow, I’ve jumped off a cliff in sheer despair.
     Btw this sort of batik eggs is a widespread folk art around this area and nearly every village has its own patterns.

121. Hi from a knitter in England seeing if I can join in with the comments! Have just finished reading your book Yarn Harolt and loved it.

122. I think you look FAB on the cover and the eggs are beautiful!

123. Love the eggs! We do pysanky around Easter and love it. Little tip — when your eggs are entirely covered with the wax, you could do as suggested and let hot water run over them to loosen the wax that you then rub off. Or, if you want more immediate results (like some in our family) you could put them in the microwave for just a few seconds (ie, 10 – 15) and then just wipe away that waxy crud.

124. sometimes it helps to read posts in order(brilliant I know.. sorry about the silly questions on the second post) the eggs are amazing. I’d lose track of what layer and what color. wow.
     I think that consensus agrees that no way, no how does that photo on the proposed cover of your new book do you justice. It’s just not a good pic of you. period. I’d put up a humongo fight if I were you – because, you know, you’ll be looking at copies of it on knitting shelves for the next 10 decades or so.
     And once again, we’re happy you’re coming to Madrona Fiber Arts. I think I’m going to have a create a new project that has some sort of major snafu just so I could get the chance to sit and chuckle with you… (no, I wouldn’t really do that, but it’s fun to consider!) When I’m not in one of those fabulous classes, I’ll be in the booth, and I hope you have a chance to pop by.

125. Demand a professional hair stlyist!!!! You are a published author-you deserve it!! If you use a professional hair and make-up stylist no one will recognise you-something I always appreciate about photos of myself!!!!!!!!
     RETAKES and AIRBRUSHING-good words from the photo industry!!
     I think you look beautiful and I’m sure everyone else does too but I understand your dismay.

126. P.S. My husband used to say when school vacations were looming,”When do the little darlings get to start vacation”? When the time was finally looming for school to begin anew he would say.”When do the little bastards get to go back to school again?” Joking-he really was joking but…sometimes……

127. I love to read, but since I also like keep my hands free to do things other than holding a book, turning its pages, etc., I would like to plant a thought-seed here:
     Audio Books. Best if read by author.

128. I’m jealous you got to do eggs. No one will do eggs with me and I always feel silly doing them by myself.

129. If it makes you feel any better, that picture doesn’t look much like you at all. The hair, the expression…oddly posed and just not quite right. You look much, much better than that, even on a mad and crazy book tour.

130. are u from romania?

131. Do the pencil lines erase okay after the egg is dyed? I tried doing Ukranian Easter eggs without pencil lines when I did it, and I had trouble getting things to line up. 😉 I never thought to take off the bumps either… good idea!

132. Oh…that whole sanity thing is making sense. Considering the fact that I haven’t been alone in the bathroom since the Cave Troll learned to walk, I think it’s safe to say that no one’s safe in the room with me…

133. I was a philosophy major in college and my senior seminar was on the philosophy of space and place (believe it or not, there actually is a difference!). I must sound totally crazy, but I’m really interested to see how you link knitting and place together. I’ve got a few ideas of my own, but it’s always nifty to read that kind of stuff from someone else!

134. As I get older, I have more and more sympathy for my mother. I am the youngest of six children. I am between 7 and 14 years younger than all of my siblings. At the time I was born, the schools in my town were doing double shifts. My mother had 15 minutes alone in the house on school days (if no one was sick).
     I’m amazed she didn’t run away. Time alone is IMPORTANT!

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