text:
Double Standard
Smaller v. larger breeds
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Submitted by anonomous | February 24 2010 | Permalink
To Sophie's owner: you describe Sophie as very friendly. This raised an eyebrow. Does Sophie walk in front of you, greeting the little dogs before you do? Is Sophie greeting these dogs face-to-face? Many larger dog owners are willing to put the "blame" on the small, barky dog, failing to see the signals their dog is showing. The behaviors I just described are basic dominant behaviors and would get a good bark going from my small breed dog. You might want to consider starting a structured (person leads, not dog) dog walking group in your neighborhood and invite the small dogs.
To the guide dog owner: gotta ask... How can you see the little dog lunging at your dog? Why did you stay near a barking dog for 5 minutes? That little dog must have been in real distress...
Submitted by Deanna | February 24 2010 | Permalink
I'm probably on the tail end of responses for this issue but I do have to AGREE with Lisa from Ontario. I would have to say, though, that it is the vast majority of small dog people, not all. And while larger dogs are not exempt from being unruly, more does seem to be expected of them. I also think that small dog people tend to train and socialize their dogs less, after all you can just pick them up-eewww! They have four legs for a reason!
LOVE your magazine!
Deanna, Dudley, Zane and Zori
Submitted by Judy | February 25 2010 | Permalink
I can't tell you how glad I was to read the letter by Lisa McMillan about the problem of uncorrected bad behavior by small dogs. Time after time I have walked away, just shaking my head, after someone allowed their little dog to behave outrageously, sometimes triggering aggressive responses from my dogs. While the situation seemed to be "no big deal" to them, I was sometimes left with 2 very upset 50 lb. dogs nearly pulling my shoulders out of the sockets (of course, my dogs are leashed)! It is not OK. Not OK at all and I do not appreciate having onlookers shift their attention from some little yapper to me and my dogs who make a considerably more impressive display when they're upset. THEY get painted with the "aggressive" brush, and little Fifi and her owner walk away, scott free. Grrrrr...
Judy Johnson
Submitted by Rhonda | February 27 2010 | Permalink
First of all, no, I don't think ALL small-breed owners encourage bad behavior of their dogs, but I DO believe this letter to the editors stemmed from a sense of frustration from a large-breed owner, and I myself encounter this frustration on a daily basis. I have 2 pit bull mixes, although one is so old she doesn't go to the park anymore but I take my youngest one 3-4 times a week and WITHOUT fail, am confronted by this situation at least twice each week, to the point where I no longer enjoy going. (Unfortunately, I live in a very metro area on a main road and have a small yard so our exercise options are somewhat limited). At our park,we have a small dog area and a large dog area. They are NEXT to each other, just seperated by a double gate. Small dog owners REPEATEDLY bring their tinies into the large dog park and then complain about the behavior of the big dogs, which is typically NORMAL dog behavior, but they don't want an 80 lb german shepherd or pit tumbling their small dog. Most of the time the larger dogs are playing in typical dog fashion but they're simply so large it LOOKS bad and their small dogs start squealing and nipping at the larger dogs. This then riles up ALL the dogs and the small dog owners repeatedly complain, "Fluffy or Nipper or whatever doesn't like big dogs, they make him nervous". GO TO THE SMALL DOG PARK. Its right HERE, I'm not asking you to go across town. So, what ends up happening is that in order to avoid conflict, the big dog owners, including myself, just leash our dogs and leave. This implies an arrogance of the small dog owner that I just cannot abide. Not only do they think its okay for THEIR dogs to bite as a defense mechanism and refuse to correct the situation, but we with the big dogs have no right to be out in public because our dogs are "lesser" for some reason.
Submitted by Kate | February 28 2010 | Permalink
Small dog owners are no more likely to allow their dogs to behave inappropriately than large dog, medium dog or purple dog owners. There are dog owners everywhere that are irresponsible and disrespectful of others, and it has nothing to do with breed or breed size. My Poms are well mannered and I certainly don't find any kind of aggressive behavior cute. The larger service dogs that I foster are carefully supervised anywhere we go to ensure appropriate behavior. On walks and in pet supply stores we run into owners who have not socialized or trained their dogs appropriately - and the dogs come in all sizes. Generalizations about anything are based on small amounts of data, anecdotal data, misconceptions brought about by the media, and often an individual's minute experiences in the grand scheme of things. People are people - there are those who are responsible and respectful, and many who are not. Generalizing can bring about discrimination - as in bans on many bully breeds. Generalizations and stereotypes are dangerous - bringing about discrimination not just against dogs, but people throughout history.
Submitted by A Doberman Serv... | March 1 2010 | Permalink
I have sat here thinking about this whole topic. I grew up with small dogs, chihuahua and chihuahua mixes. Now, my Mom and I never treated them like little decorations, we treated them like a dog. They never had a problem with behavior, we socialized them from a young age and made sure they were well trained. My Aunt, also has three toy poodles that she rescued. All have had trained classes and she has worked on each one's problems. I think the issue is more with people being bad owners. It is NOT ok for a 5 pound or a 105 pound dog to bark lunge, bite, ect ect ..
I have a small dog, and I agree that there is a double standard. We have worked hard to train Rosie just as we did our large dog. We constantly get comments on quiet Rosie is, and we feel secure in our ability to do fun stuff with her because for the most part, she listens well. It is a shame that people do not spend the time to train their small dogs as they should, it does the dogs a dis-service as much as the people. The dogs become fearful and as you pointed out, obnoxious. We are fortunate to have a Chihuahua mix that is not yappy and is well trained. She get's lots of exercise (something else many small dogs don't get enough of, adding to the yappiness) and we spend a lot of time working with her and challenging her mind with activities like Agility. We feel blessed to have her in our life and proud that she is generally a very well behaved pup - we have our moments, as any dog owner does - but we keep working on it!
Submitted by Adrienne | March 2 2010 | Permalink
I would have to agree that some owners of small dogs don't mind the aggressive behavior. I have a 14 lb. cockapoo and when she barks at other dogs, I usually fuss at her to stop. I do believe it's not in a manner of being aggressive, it's more a "hey, can you come over to play" regardless to the size of dogs.
Submitted by Amy | March 2 2010 | Permalink
I have a theory that small-dog owners find their pets' aggressive behavior cute, endearing and funny. They believe that because their dog is small and could never be a threat to any other dog, therefore it's OK to allow it to growl, bark, snap and charge at my dog.
I find this letter childish and ridiculous, and honestly, I was shocked that The Bark would publish such a divisive and ill-thought message. Would you publish a letter from a reader saying pit bull owners get a pass because they play the sympathy/misunderstood card? I doubt it. But it is very easy to pick on the small breeds because they aren't really dogs, are they? There's good and bad dog owners of all breeds. For Lisa to pigeonhole small dog owners because of her situation with her neighbor is small minded. She should get out more and mingle with responsible dog owners of all shapes and sizes.
If we're going to foster a community of stereotypes, the comments I am reading here from other large breed owners fit my own stereotype: Large breed owners are arrogant. My small dog has been attacked not once, not twice, but 3 times by large breeds. Is my dog at fault while she's walking along sniffing trees and doing her thing? Not when I am on the other side of the park and a German Shepherd or Border Collie or Vizsla bolts across the field and grabs my dog by the throat or pins her to the ground. And do you know what the owners of these dogs said to me? "That's not really a dog anyway" or "my dog was just playing" or "lighten up" - all of them laughing while I had to take my dog to the clinic for emergency treatment, once even resulting in eye surgery.
I'm sorry that you are the victim of a barking little dog. Truly. But lets keep some perspective here... you are able to cross the street or walk a different direction to avoid a neighbor with a barky dog. What about being chased by an out of control large breed dog that could not only kill your dog, but seriously injure you. Listen - I'm not saying your neighbor is off the hook. But to label all small dogs & the owners is your problem and will limit your life experience. I am regularly get verbal barbs from people when I'm out walking my dog like "nice rat" or "that's not a dog", but those people are jerks and I move along. At the same time, I have people stop and ask to pet her and cuddle her and go crazy over how cute she is and I try to remember these moments. I can't always keep it in perspective myself because the vehement hatred of small breed dogs that I've encountered is so incredibly mean spirited. It frightens me for the animals in shelters and any dog that just wants a chance at life, but has to overcome nasty stereotypes like Lisa's. I take an interest in my dog's training and behavior, she's wonderful, and she does not deserve the consequences from the stereotypes Lisa's letter perpetuates.
I have a small dog, a Chinese Crested. She was a year old when I got her, and had had some unfortunate experiences prior to that time, leaving her afraid,no, terrified, of larger dogs. I've worked with her intensely over the last three years, and she's made huge progress.
Last summer, I took her to a local nature reserve where dogs are allowed on-leash. At the summit of the major hill, we were hanging out in the sun when we were joined by a family with their off-leash Golden Retriever. The Golden saw my dog, got that goofy Golden look on his face, and bolted over to us--with his dim-witted owners shouting, "Don't worry, he's friendly!"
My little dog put herself into a down, made herself as small as possible, said as clearly as possible in polite doggy language that she was uncomfortable and did not want this approach. The Golden ignored the signal, barreled right up to us and stood over her, with that big, goofy, Golden grin on his face. My terrified little dog jumped to her feet and started barking a clear, warning, get-away bark. She barked. She did not bite, try to bite, lunge at him, anything.
His dim-witted owners finally called him off. And for the rest of the time we stayed, I was listening to jokes about my "Tasmanian Devil dog" and how she "tried to attack the Golden." Even when other families showed up, one with a Cavalier and one with a Lhasa mix, and my dog interacted politely and appropriately with these dogs who were, yes, smaller than the Golden, but also more polite themselves than the Golden had (which, heck, wasn't a hard standard to meet), people who'd been there for the initial incident "warned" the families about my "Tasmanian Devil dog."
All those people went home with yet another story of a vicious little dog attacking a big dog--even though that's not remotely what happened. Facts don't matter; there was a small dog and a large dog involved, so the little dog must have been at fault.
The footnote to all this is that today we were there again, and there was a family there with their two (off-leash!) Labs. The Labs saw us, and started bounding enthusiastically towards my girl, and she threw herself into that self-effacing down again--and this time it worked. The Labs stopped, looked at her, and started a slower, more circuitous approach, at the end of which my dog was feeling calmer and more confident, and was able to greet them in a slightly nervous, but friendly manner.
I've worked with her a lot, but really, the difference was in the "big dogs"--one friendly, ill-mannered lout of a Golden, two equally friendly, and polite, Labradors.
But anytime a little dog starts barking, it's a yappy, vicious, untrained, unsocialized, spoiled little dog, no matter WHAT immediately preceded the barking. And the owners of the big dogs remain secure in their sense of their persecuted victimhood.
Submitted by Anonymous | March 8 2010 | Permalink
I am the owner of two dogs. One small Jack Russell and a German Shorthaired Pointer. It has been my experience that not all small dogs are aggressive. Yes there are bad small dog owners but from what I have been around there are just as many if not more bad large dog owners. My Jack is terrified of large dogs because he was attacked for no reason by a larger dog. So yes he will act out but it is out of fear not aggression. Are large dog is new and it has taken me over a week just to get them to be okay seeing each other through a baby gate.
It isn't the size of dog, it is the owner. Blaming only small dogs as being bad isn't right and I am shocked that this story was even published.
Submitted by Kathryn | March 8 2010 | Permalink
I would just like to say that not all small/toy dog owners are like this. I have a rescued Miniature Schnauzer mix who has been well trained and is NEVER allowed to be aggressive to people or dogs. He knows what is appropriate behavior and what is not. What bothers me the most about this article is that it implies that all large dog owners are responsible, and all small dog owners are irresponsible. Don't get me wrong, I love big dogs too, and I see where the author is coming from, but there many examples of owners of large dogs being irresponsible.
Lucky and I were recently attacked by two large dogs while the owners stood by and did nothing to stop. This was an unprovoked attack, all we did was walk past them on the other side of a very wide street. Another man who was working out in his yard saw what happened and rushed over to help. He had to kick the other dogs as hard as he could to get them off. Lucky was severely hurt (he had a dislocated hip, two torn ligaments, severe damage to his kneecap, and several deep gashes and puncture wounds), and I had gashes and puncture wounds on my hands and arms from the attack. They still have the dogs, and have done nothing to curb their aggressive behavior. It just goes to show that not all owners of large dogs are responsible, and not all small dog owners are irresponsible.
Submitted by Chris | March 8 2010 | Permalink
"But anytime a little dog starts barking, it's a yappy, vicious, untrained, unsocialized, spoiled little dog, no matter WHAT immediately preceded the barking. And the owners of the big dogs remain secure in their sense of their persecuted victimhood"
Liz, your "conclusion" is an extreme, over-the-top, inaccurate generalization that makes clear there is only one person playing up their victim role, and that is YOU.
This is an anecdotal piece voicing ONE person's opinion. Relax. There are responsible and polite dog owners of dog of ALL sizes. There is no universal statement that applies to all dog owners, toots.
Submitted by Kim | March 9 2010 | Permalink
Well, how insulting. I live with 6, fairly well behaved, small dogs. Two of my dogs trial in Rally obedience. One of my dogs works with me as my partner when I train. He gets to be the bait dog for all those people with big, out of control, barking, lunging dogs. While their dogs are acting the fool trying to get at him, he is sitting calmly at my side, looking at me, waiting for my next cue.
All dogs, big, medium and small, should be trained to have manners and singling out a group of dogs by breed or size is nothing but predujudice.
"This is an anecdotal piece voicing ONE person's opinion. Relax. There are responsible and polite dog owners of dog of ALL sizes. There is no universal statement that applies to all dog owners, toots."
One person's opinion, originally a Letter to the Editor, "promoted" to a blog post by the editors of the magazine, who tell us (in the print magazine) that "She's not the first to make this observation." And most of the comments have been supporting the letter writer's wholesale smearing of small dogs and their owners.
But somehow her expressing her sweeping opinion based on anecdotal experience is A-Okay with you, but my expressing MY experience is not, and I need to be told to "relax" and be addressed as "toots." Isn't that interesting?
Submitted by thatcrazydoglady | March 10 2010 | Permalink
I have 3 med. to large dogs and 3 small dogs. All are well trained, so I do not see this as a large dog v small dog issue. I think this is more of an uneducated owner and under-trained dog issue. Unhappily, should anything happen, the larger dog would most likely be blamed initially (not to mention vet bills, bite laws, other matters like lawsuits, etc.).
Submitted by margie doyle | March 16 2010 | Permalink
I have been in animal rescue for over 25 years. When I 1st got into the process I did not like little dogs because of the exact behavior that you mention. Now my goal is the re-train the little dog's & their owners. If you go into a store & I'm there you will get an ear full. The store personnel could & should ask you to leave but they won't. Let me tell you that I will, and so should every person there. How dare you expose ANY SIZE OR SHAPE animal without behavior to the general public. Small dogs just like out of control children are not exceptable anywhere. The hardest job rescue or shelters have is fixing poor behavior problems.
Margie Doyle
And when the German Shepherd around the corner from barks and lunges and acts like an insane dog when my small dog and I walk by, does that prove that German Shepherds, or dogs of that size, are "just like out of control children and not exceptable [sic] anywhere"--or does it demonstrate that THAT PARTICULAR DOG has not been adequately trained by THAT PARTICULAR OWNER ?
Sometimes that dog isn't out in her yard. Sometimes we walk on by anyway. Sometimes the owner comes out and yells at me for being so ill-mannered as to cause all this noise by walking by and "making" his dog bark. And sometimes we hear that dog starting up, and just turn around and go the other way.
How do you (and the original letter writer, and the editors of Bark who promoted this hate-on-little-dogs rant) figure that this slagging off of little dogs and the owners in these sweeping terms is any different from slagging off pit bulls just because they're pit bulls and have a DIFFERENT severe media image problem?
Submitted by sw | March 24 2010 | Permalink
A double standard absolutely exists between "some" small dogs and big dogs.
My big dogs have been bitten by spaniels, JRTs, poms. And I mean bitten to the point of scarring in some cases. I am constantly shocked at the flippant way these bites are non-addressed. And these are trained dogs and handlers.
If my big dogs would bite anything save their kibble - all "you know what" would break out.
As a trainer, I am constantly reminding little dog owners that their dogs have legs and they need to be on the ground to use them. I don't see too many beagle owners walking around in this manner, and I've never seen the handler of a GSD feel the need to carry their dog in and out.
ALL dogs should have manners - big or little.
Little dog owners are often challenged by the "big" dog behaviors that their little dogs try to impress. These behaviors are just as dangerous - just maybe not as loud.
Submitted by Anonymous | March 28 2010 | Permalink
sorry, i have to agree with lisa that small dogs are given more leeway when they are aggressive. i have an eight month old pitbull puppy. i have spent six of those months in training with him and he goes for his canine good citizen test in two weeks. he is friendly to dogs, people and even cats. i can't tell you how many times small dogs have attacked him! fortunately he doesnt fight back but i fear one day he will and the blame will be on him, even though he is trained and leashed! even at the dog park he was immediately attacked one day by a cocker spaniel. the owner didnt address his dogs behavior, he simply said that "she was attacked by a pit bull once." apparently his cocker can tell dog breeds apart as well! i dont blame the dogs, they are doing what comes naturally...i blame the owners! just because a dog is small it doesnt make it cute when it attacks! and for the record, my dog has never been attacked by a larger dog!
Submitted by Judy | March 29 2010 | Permalink
Kudos to Lisa!
Well said!I couldn't possibly agree with her comments more. As a life long owner of Saint Bernards, I encounter this behaviour on a regular basis. While I appreciate the flattery and curiousity about my dogs, I find it totally unacceptable for anyone (small dog owner or otherwise) to allow their dog to yap, snarl and generally get in my dogs' face.
Funnily enough, when I diplomatically voice my objections to such behaviour, the offending dog owners usually reply: "Foo Foo doesn't like big dogs, or she's not usually like that". All the while, my dog is sitting obediently by my side, while these people can't control an eight pound dog(which is ALWAYS on a retractable leash).
I spend a great deal of time training all my Saints to be respectful, canine citizens., not just because they are giant dogs, but because it is what responsible, caring dog owners should do.
Lisa is absolutely correct when she says that small dog owners find their dogs abborant behaviour "cute & funny".When confronted with that irrational mode of thinking I always ask the people if they would find it equally "amusing " if my 165lb. one year old accidently
Submitted by Dani | March 30 2010 | Permalink
I also agree about the double standard BUT I'd like to heavily emphasize that, as with pit bulls and BSLs, it has a LOT to do with the owner.
Submitted by anonymous | April 1 2010 | Permalink
As the owner of a well-behaved, well-socialized and extremely quiet smaller dog, I am perhaps even *more* horrified by the snarling, yappy little ones than those of you with bigger dogs. "Oh, great... another point for the prejudice," I think. Spoiled, obnoxious dogs of any size are no more appealing than their counterparts among children, and I wish we had some branch of Social Services that would help their humans to be more responsible owners.
HOWEVER, I have an equally large bone to pick [no pun intended] with a certain type of big dog owner who thinks that it's amusing to greet me, and my dog, with casually aggressive comments like, "Oh look, Harold, lunch."
My dog and I will just be walking by, minding our own business, and some macho owner (male or female) struts by, thinking that this is an acceptable and oh-so-witty remark to make. If I had a 120 pound Rottie who, no matter well trained, COULD easily attack and kill their dog, would they find a "joke" about that amusing? I doubt it. So although I do apologize on behalf of the smaller dog owners for the badly behaved humans and animals among us, I also ask you to keep your own size-related ego in check.You simply don't notice the well-behaved smaller dogs who go by. PS -- My neighborhood is positively infested (in a good way) with dogs of all sizes, and with only one exception, ALL of the aggressive ones -- the ones people cross the street to avoid -- are in the 50+lb range. But I see them as individuals, not as a new stereotype with which to judge dogs of that size and the people who own them.
Submitted by CynthiaLR | April 8 2010 | Permalink
I have to admit, I am becoming prejudiced against, not little dogs, but little dog owners. I've observed the aggression that small dog owners seem to encourage but, even more than this, I've seen these owners completely ignore the rules/guidelines other dog owners have to follow. For example, where I walk my dog it's rare to see a small dog on a leash. Are they not dogs? Are there not leash laws for dogs? The small dog owners so ignore this law that the owners living just across the streets from parks, just open their doors and let their small dogs run to the park on their own and do their business. And that last word, business, brings up another observation of mine. Don't small dog owners ever pick up after their dogs? These people are ruining it for the rest of us and shouldn't be surprised when non-dog owners get together to ban dogs from parks altogether. And a note to store/mall managers and owners - if you're going not going to allow medium or large sized well behaved dogs in your stores/malls you shouldn't allow small dogs in there. Thank you for posing this question which I think needs to be addressed.
In my neighborhood, if I encounter an off-leash dog, it's a big dog, not a small one. And when I'm walking my small dog, if I encounter dog poop that hasn't been picked up, it's not from a dog even close to her size; it's from a much bigger dog. It appears that it's big dog owners who don't bother to pick up after their dogs--of course, that might be because they're the ones that let their dogs wander, and they don't see when their dogs poop.
Submitted by KC | April 11 2010 | Permalink
After reading the article by Lisa and the posted comments I would like to offer the following: in many instances the conversation of the comments has strayed from the topic of whether there exists a double standard regarding aggressive displays in small dogs to the topic of unleashed dogs. I intended to respond only to the first.
A double standard exists for small dogs vs. big dogs. It includes behavior on or off lead. It includes greeting strangers and other dogs. It includes simply scooping the pet up to hold on to it rather than to train it. There is no argument there.
It must be pointed out though that sadly, the double standard applies not only in regards to aggressive or territorial behavior displays and training or a lack thereof. It also applies when little dogs get special privileges and pampering extended to them by airlines, restaurants, shopping centers, hotels, neighborhoods, and other venues simply because of their size.
It frustrates me very much to know that an ill behaved yappy and nervous dog may ride in the presence of his/her owner in the cabin of the plane for a hundred dollar fee, but for a monetary fee of four times that much and countless angst, a medium size or larger dog will be handled as baggage or cargo and ride removed from the owner in the virtual unknown of the plane's belly.
How many restaurants, knowing or unknowingly, allow diners that sneak their pint sized dogs for a meal and air conditioning in an oversized purse or fashion bag, but medium or large dog owners are lucky to find a restaurant that will allow them to sit outdoors with a dog, if outdoor seating is even an option.
The same with the shopping malls, clothing stores, bookstores, and even grocery and computer stores! Seeing small dogs toted in a bag or in the arms of their owners as a fashion accessory while shopping is not an uncommon sight, but when is the last time that any of us saw a medium or large dog (not a service dog) allowed to go shopping?
And then there's the infamous neighborhood association and/or hotel pet policies of 'no pets over fifteen pounds,' as if these discriminatory rules are based on the misconception that it is a safe bet the dogs in this size category do not shed, or possibly chew, poop, bite, or bark.
The fact is, we are a whole society of double standards when it comes to small and medium or large dogs – it isn't just the owners that passively allow or proactively encourage their little dog to act aggressively on a walk.
We need to wake up and start celebrating all dogs, and recognizing that all dogs need opportunities for the same positive socialization, safe travel experience, and time with their people. Until then the bitterness between what seem to be the 'haves' and 'have nots' that comes across in many of the posts to Lisa's article will continue to fester.
Submitted by Elizabeth | April 12 2010 | Permalink
Little dogs often behave agressively toward my three big dogs as well, although I blame the owners more than the dogs. Not picking up poop is a universal problem-I will never understand how dog owners can neglect that portion of their responsibility. In my neighborhood, there is a woman who DRIVES her car to my neighborhood with her dog and allows her dog to poop without cleaning it up. My husband is hilarious, though-whenever he sees her, he runs out and hands her one of our poop bags. :)
KC, you can't "celebrate all dogs" by bashing little dogs and their owners. You have to be willing to actually identify individual bad behavior AS individual bad behavior--and be able to recognize it when big dogs and their owners do it, as well as little ones.
As far as housing goes--I actually am a small landlord, with one rental unit. I lost out on a tenant I would have loved to have had, because she had a Siberian whom I would ALSO have loved to have had here--because my house insurance has weight restrictions, and since my house is a duplex and in this state many insurance companies won't insure duplexes, I can't just switch insurance companies.
When you can't rent with your big dogs whom you may or may not have put the amount of time into that I've put into my little dog, it might not be the landlord's fault. But I'll tell you whose fault it definitely isn't--that little dog you scared and then blamed for reacting to the scare had NOTHING to do with the landlord's ability and willingness to rent to you.
Submitted by RachelM | April 28 2010 | Permalink
This article really hit home for me. I have an 80# female Alaskan Malamute who is reactive toward other dogs. I have worked extensively with her on this issue for the past 6 years and go out of my way to keep her away from other dogs. I totally agree with this article. It is *extremely* frustrating for me when we encounter small dogs whose owners seem to think it's "cute" when their little dog growls, barking, and aggresses toward her. Comments like "oh look how tough you are barking at that big mean dog!" are just maddening. It implies this behavior is acceptable, cute, and some how brave while if my dog reacts, that same owner would be screaming she's dangerous.
I swear some owners actually encourage the behavior and seem to be goading their dog into reacting at her more. I've had words of several owners who even had the nerve to stop in front of my dog and let Fifi aggress at the end of his/her leash all while laughing at how "cute".
I do not see this owner attitude with medium or larger size dogs. And I'm not biased against little dogs - I'm a professional dog trainer and have worked with hundreds of little dogs. But they should be held to the same standards of behavior as bigger dogs. But it's not the dogs' fault...it's the people.
Submitted by Brian | April 30 2010 | Permalink
We walk twice daily with a GSD, Rotty mix and a mastiff, always on leash. During the past five years, our dogs have never uttered a sound at another dog on walks, although they are vocal when someone walks down the street. We were recently rushed by a small dog who came at us from a porch where it's owner sat laughing at her dog. I stopped, said "Sit" and everyone sat then I said, "Ok, how 'bout a show of paws, I say we eat him." I was kidding of course but the owner shot down the steps and picked up her dog and retreated. We haven't seen that dog at large since.
We carry pepper spray on walks because there have been several dog on dog attacks in recent years; the aggressors were mid-sized dogs. I've only had to use it once and not even directly on the interloper, just in his general direction, he got the hint.
We like all dogs although we prefer owning large ones. A friend has a Yorkie who loves our mastiff, they are best friends. We don't see dog size as a either / or proposition.
Submitted by Joyce | May 10 2010 | Permalink
I love your response and the fact the no one was upset or hurt by it! Congratulations to you for training your dogs to sit quietly while a small dog runs up barking. I have three dogs two of whom weigh about 50 pounds. I once had a woman tell me to walk my dogs on my own street when her little dog came running up to my dogs and they reacted to her little dogs aggression. I now have pepper spray to take with me on walks.
Rachel, I can't express how happy I am that our trainer (who owns an English mastiff and a Lab), our neighbor (who owns two Rotties and an American bulldog), another pet therapy volunteer in our group (who owns pit bull), don't share your "unbiased" confidence that only owners of little dogs are guilty of that "my dog is so TOUGH!" attitude. The fact that we do have these people and their dogs around us has meant that I have been able to teach Addy that dogs quite a few times her size can be friendly and not scary.
Because, sadly, we DO encounter big dog owners who, almost regardless of how friendly or how aggressive their dogs are, think it's clever and amusing to "joke" that "My dog could eat your dog in two bites!" and have no awareness of the fact that their dog rushing up and standing over a smaller dog is not polite behavior and that the little dog might legitimately be scared by this and react accordingly.
Brian, we need more like you and your dogs.
Submitted by Colette | May 13 2010 | Permalink
I'm sorry I'm late posting this comment, I read your letter to the editor entitled "Double Standard?" and I concur with your opinion. There is no excuse for pet parents to assume that a small dog is either funny or cute when being aggressive. When I worked at a doggie day camp, the majority of snapping and aggressive bites came from untrained, small dogs. Shameful behavior was constantly exhibited when pet parents were informed that their unsociable pet was no longer welcome at the facility. Sophie's story should wake people up to this double standard, personally, I have never been gnashed at by a large dog, my own shelties will respond to any command for a hot dog, but I have to say, a toy poodle once broke my skin, (I'm not bitter).
Submitted by Rachel River | May 16 2010 | Permalink
It is a double standard and one that can end in tragedy. There was a small terrier that was allowed to run loose in our neighborhood. Little nasty thing (due to no training). He would come over and bark, pee at, antagonize my big male Akita. My boy is so good with other dogs, retired show dog, well trained. One day he had enough, over a 5 ft chain link fence, one bite/shake and that was it. (I was in the yard, heard the chain rattle and was instantly behind my boy but was too late) I had repeatedly asked the neighbor to contain that dog but no...it was small not bothering anyone. Well yes it did bother someone, big time. The little dog lost his life due to bad owners..what a shame. Now, people would say my boy was the problem, mean dog, vicious dog... nope..he had enough and I don't blame him. Till he passed on, he was so wonderful with dogs and cats, it was that one dog and I really disliked that dog too. My neighbor understood and after that there were no loose dogs.
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She thought she sharted. That is my best guess. Or a premonition but let's hope for the former.
She thought she sharted. That is my best guess. Or a premonition but let's hope for the former.
Ha ha, Suja. That does seem to be one of those things where if you did it, you'd know. Maybe she just had gas? Noe still gets confused by that sometimes -- she's not entirely sure whether she's got gas or poop. She pooped in her undies the other day and when I asked her how it happened, she said, "It was a surprise!"
Speaking of N, we got her acceptance packet from the ritzy preschool by our house today. It's like college letters: we knew the day they were mailed out, and I kept checking the mailbox and hoping to see a big fat packet instead of a little skinny letter. It's a very strange notion to me, having to do interviews and tests and then applying and waiting to see if she got in ... to preschool. But it's a good school and literally just around the corner from our house, so the rigamarole was worth it. And I'm very glad to be done with it and have her school in place, because I really wasn't sure what I was going to do had she not gotten a spot. Wasn't thrilled with the other options. So that's a load off.
DD1 told me today she wants to quit the school swim team. I'm annoyed because it's such good, free exercise, and in general she's happier when she gets a lot of physical activity. Also, I just paid $63 for the team suit. But I get where she's coming from -- she's been getting overwhelmed with work in a couple of classes and feeling really stressed. We actually have an appointment on Monday with a therapist because she's been having random panic attacks at school. So while I know exercise is beneficial for stress, I think she does need more downtime in her day to get and keep herself together with her heavy load of schoolwork and her "job" (she is a very prolific artist who takes commissions online for artwork -- she charges between $35 and $50 per piece and she's building up quite a paypal account). So, I have mixed feelings about her quitting. I love how healthy and strong she is when she's getting two-hour daily workouts, but she probably does need to dial down her commitments.
Oh, that IS a tough call. I agree that the excersize is so important but so is down time. Congrats on the preschool!
Dbf and I aren't getting along very well since he has come home. I guess he thinks I'm ungrateful because the other night when the house was a mess and Sawyer was fussy, he asked me if there was anything he could do and I said it would be awesome if he cleaned the kitchen. So he went in there for awhile and then came back to sit down. After I got Sawyer to sleep I went to the kitchen. The dirty dishes were piled in the sink. The counters and the table were not wiped down, still crumbs and food everywhere. He hadn't swept. So basically he just put food away. I told him next time don't even bother because now I'm just annoyed that he offered to help and then did such a half assed job. He is shocked at my ungratefulness.
Kids had dental appts today and all is well. Phew.
Oh and the other issue is that I thought him traveling would make him more attentive to the children when he was home. He is constantly talking about how much work he has to do every day. First of all, he doesn't manage his time wisely at all. Like he will want to try to send out emails during the loudest and most active part of the day when he will have so many distractions instead of doing it after the kids go to bed or while we are outside. And when he does finally get spare time he chooses to go to the gym or snowmobiling. I feel so bad for them. He is missing so much. The other night I asked him to get me a pair of socks for Sawyer and it really hit me like a ton of bricks when he had no idea where I even keep Sawyer's clothes. He has never dressed him in 2 years.
Suja, what do you mean, no naked moon dancing? I do it every month! Y'all betterbe doing it too!
We went out with friends tonight and had a really good time. Our town used to have loads of oldy worldy pubs, but most have been shut down since our town got a huge indoors skiing place that has loads of bars in it. We still had a good time going around town and even met another American girl, but disappointingly, she wasn't very friendly-my Cajun friend and I put it down to her being "northern" as she was from California...we always do that as a joke, but in all honesty, I do notice that southerners and northerners are different as expats.
Gretchen, I think you're right about I andswimming. I feel your pain on the cost of it all! And well done to N for.getting in to school!
I had loads of vodka tonight and am feeling very tired now, so I'm going to head off to bed now and hope that I don't have a hangover in the morning (we have two birthday parties to go to in the morning!)
Congrats on the preschool! It's too bad she might quit swim team, but it sounds like she's overloaded. Maybe if she did a less competitive physical activity, it would be beneficial but not as stressful or time consuming.
Oh Bridget, that broke my heart when you said he didn't know where Sawyer's socks were. He really needs to get more involved. DH is kind of the same way with his time. He does his own thing before and after work and doesn't realize sometimes that he can't just stop and relax when he gets home. He may work but he's still a dad and husband when he gets home. On the positive side, he does clean, but that's because it really bothers him when things are not clean, like crumbs or plates everywhere like you described. I think he's one of those people who can't relax until things are neat--which is sort of a losing battle when you have kids! LOL
Aww, Bridget. I hope he wakes up and realizes what he's missing (and what his priorities and responsibilities need to be). What a shame.
My dh is going through a "not helping with housework" phase right now too. I know he's been working hard for a year now and is really burned out, but so am I. He used to be really helpful with vacuuming, kitchen etc. and now he can't even be bothered to rinse out his lunch containers or dinner dishes, or put his soda cans in the recycling. It's maddening. When I mention it to him, he gets defensive and acts put-upon and says "So now I have something else I'm supposed to do, too?" I know he thinks that because I'm here all the time I should be happily doing it all. And I am glad to shoulder most of the household work, but I'm tired too and it would be nice if the other adult in the house would at least not ADD to the mess.
At least he has a sense of humor. I sent him an email at work telling him Noe got into the preschool. He wrote back saying, "OK. Could you please send me all of the exorbitant fees, the total dollar amount, and the payment plan? And could you ask them if they could come over and kiss me, because I like that when I'm getting f***ed."
SCUBA or WTF -every y'all say....
I just got back from my bookclub slumber party. No events with Judy worthy of note. She was so herself last night that I could have fooled myself into believing nothing was wrong. Barb had decided to make arrangements to take Judy home herself so she could gently broach the subject....after our slumber party and alone so Judy wouldn't feel attacked. And with someone that's been a good friend and coworker for over 20 years (if not 30?). I haven't heard how that went yet. Following them down the road was kinda sad for me.
Other than that, I had the best time! We watched "Romantics Anonymous" which was hilarious. I think it's in Dutch? I've never watched a subtitled movie before and didn't think I'd like it, but I was game to do whatever everyone else wanted to do. It was hilarious and sweet. We had dinner, talked, watched the movie...then this morning Barb made a breakfast casserole which was to die for (I need to get her recipe). It was sweet and cake like (and i hate cake) and had cream cheese and blueberries in it and you eat it warm. Yum!! We did our regular bookclub discussion and left at about 12:30.
Wow, Chrissy, that does sound cool! I agree about the recipe; I neeeeed it too!
Ashley I have made that cinnamon cake you posted twice now...once when DH's mom was up and last weekend when my parents were up. It disappeared fast!
Bridget I know you do gluten free....any favorite recipes or tricks? My MIL is going to give it a try which I have thought she should for a while and has a lot of health problems that could be celiacs.
Chrissy I am glad that you had a good time and it does sound like that was the best way to approach her....a group thing would have likely felt like an attack.
What was the recipe? You need lots of butter and real cream or 1/2 and 1/2 if you ask me.
I received an invitation to my cousin's wedding in St Louis. Silly question...how do I RSVP? There's a line next to an M, which I'm assuming I write in my name (like Ms Chrissy Seymour) and then Accept or Decline. Do I simply check accept, or should I write in a 1? The invitation was sent just to me, not "and guest" or "and family" so is it safe to assume that if I simply accept they'll understand it's just me? I do have 4 kids...I don't want them thinking we're all coming. TIA!
You guys are all having problems with getting APA to load unless you quickly click on a sub-forum, right?
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I think if it's sent just to you and doesn't have a space for the number of guests attending, you can just write in your name. If you know any of the organizers really well/speak to them often, you could casually mention that you got the invitation, are excited to attend, and want to be sure they know it'll be just you.
Re the cream of chicken soup -- is it for inclusion in a recipe, like a casserole? Or to eat on its own? If it's on its own, I agree that quality ingredients like butter and cream make a big difference in taste. Although in most of my cream soups, I find whole milk and a bit of butter make them plenty creamy. I will sometimes also put in a dollop of light sour cream for extra creaminess with less fat.
If it's for a recipe like a casserole, I just sub the "can of soup" for 1 tbsp butter, 1 tbsp flour, 1 & 1/4 c. milk, one tsp. chicken bouillon or soup base (I like organic Better than Bouillon), and seasonings (salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder) to taste. I melt the butter, whisk together the flour and milk, add it to the butter, add seasonings and simmer until thickened. If you're putting it in with other ingredients, like if you're sauteeing onions or veggies or meat to put in the casserole, you can just add the butter and milk/flour mixture to the same pot and stir until thickened. If you'd like it thicker, add up to another tbsp. flour to the milk.
Ooh, Pepper, that is really good to know! I can do a basic roux with my eyes closed and one hand fixing a toy or holding a baby, and it never even occurred to me to sub a cream of whatever soup in a casserole because I tend to be focused on speed and time management while cooking more than a lot of other things. BTW, congrats on Noe's first successful entrance exam, and I thought your DH's comment was pretty funny, too. Is she going to be going M-F, or only a few days a week?
I found out Friday night while getting ready for bed that my MIL was coming up on Saturday and would be spending all day Sunday with us. DH forgot to tell me earlier. Then on Saturday night as I was cleaning the house, DH told me that he'd found out she wasn't going to come on Sunday morning after all, but would be coming around 3 PM. Then today he checked in with her and she changed it to 4 PM. I asked DH if he thought I should get supplies to cook dinner, and he said no. So we went out to play and then dragged the kids away from a playground to be home by 4 PM. Then 2 minutes before 4 MIL called and said she was still an hour away and hadn't eaten since breakfast and so she was going to eat and then come over. The kids have been asking all weekend how soon they can see her, and now I'm doubting they'll be seeing her at all before they go to bed. Grr.
I think it was some of the seasonings. And it tasted like paste. It was supposed to replace four cans worth. Butter, flour, half and half, chicken broth and seasonings. I think it was the flour. I make a roux when I make mac and cheese but the time I tried with flour I didn't like it. So I always use corn starch for the cheese sauce and make gravy with corn starch. I should have just used corn starch. I don't eat a lot of cream of chicken but DH's family has a favorite meal of cream of chicken with peas and turkey or chicken served over rice. I only drink skim milk so we never have whole in the house....I use 2 cups skim and 1 cup half and half for the cheese sauce for the mac and cheese. But this family meal is one of the few things his picky uncle will eat when they visit us and if I didn't use campbells I doubt he would eat it.
To be honest sometimes if I don't feel like making gravy I get a jarred gravy (usually Heinz).For mac and cheese you can make a bechamel first (milk and roux) and then add a bunch of cheese. I've never tried making cream of anything soup but I think if you made a thin bechamel with some chicken broth instead of milk that would work.
Last edited by daylilies; 03-10-2013 at 08:52 PM.
I've made cream of potato and cream of mushroom soups that are really tasty. WAY better than anything that would ever come out of a can. And I can make a good homemade mac and cheese, too. I just never even considered making a cream soup as an ingredient, although it's probably a lot easier to just mix a bunch of stuff together to put in a casserole than to get the taste exactly perfect to serve as a standalone meal. The cream of mushroom soup I make has a tiny bit of rosemary and I think maybe a touch of wine or sherry (its been a while since I made it), but it was yummy. I don't make it very often, because DH doesn't find soup satisfying, and since speed is of the essence, most of my meals are one-dish meals or main-dish and side. A cream soup is not a healthy side dish. Real butter and whole fat dairy are essential, though.
Kate, thanks for reminding me that a roux is not the same as bechamel. And so nicely. It's a vague memory of seeing the word before, but never would it have occurred to me to retrieve it out of my brain or use it in this context. See? Do you remember when you mentioned that you could perhaps offer people knowledge about NKOTB, implying that there wasn't much else? I could maybe feel a little dumb for not knowing this, since cooking is one of the things I try to pay attention to and improve upon, but instead I am just happy to know such a wide variety of people here who can offer such helpful advice and useful facts. Also, it's nice to know that you take shortcuts too.
My MIL made it over right as the kids were supposed to start eating dinner. DH strongly encouraged her to leave after we put the children to bed, saying it was a school night and he had three hours of work to do tonight. She showed the kids the museum tickets from her excursion today, so I guess she didn't come earlier because she'd been at the SFMOMA. Which is okay if she would rather do that. I just wish that she had kept us better informed about all of her changes in plans, particularly the last one.
Mmm...all this talk of food is making me hungry! I ended up making no-bake peanut butter cookies. DH and the children devoured them. They were yummy and very easy to do; I will be doing them again for sure. Tonight, I roasted a gammon joint in the oven for the first time ever. Although it takes some time, the end result was delicious!
We had such a fun-filled weekend. On Saturday, Travis went to 2 birthday parties. One was a typical play place party and the other was a swimming pool party. I wondered how T would be at the pool party, but he was like a little Nemo swimming around and socializing. He loved talking to his soccer coach (it was his son's pool party). We decided we will enroll him to start taking some swimming lessons (he currently wears arm bands to swim in the pool and we show him how to do his arms and legs). SIL's boys swim really well since they've been taking swimming lessons since they were newborns, so T now wants to swim without arm bands as well.
And following on from that, T's behavior has been so exceptionally good this past week. He's like a little angel child compared to how he was a few weeks ago. I really don't know what's changed in him other than maybe he's maturing a bit. They've started using the vocab at school like "good choices and wrong choices," and ever since we've adopted the same at home, if I tell him he needs to think about his choices, he's pausing for thought. He is so proud of himself when we tell him about how good he's been. Sometimes I look at his little face with his big hazel eyes (magnified by the lenses of his glasses!) and I just think he looks like the cutest little Ewok I ever did see and my heart bursts with pride.
On Sunday, we went to the city centre via the train because the boys were dying to go on a train. We went out for a meal since it was Mothering Sunday here. The boys were very good to me and bought me some new perfume, made me breakast in bed (pancakes) and treated me to dinner out. T is now saying he wants to go somewhere on the bus...I told him the reason we have a car is so that we don't have to ride a bus! I don't know about where y'all live, but busses here aren't the nicest of things to be on.

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The TEDxManhattan event called Changing the Way We Eat event will explore food system and sustainability.
The conference will address the way we eat and the social, ecological and economic concerns around food system planning. The goal of the event is to introduce the TEDx audience and viewers across the country to the innovative work being done in the field.
Saturday, February 16, 2013, 10:30AM - 6:00PM
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You might not be familiar with the term 'Z-Movie,' but if you grew up in the 90's, chances are you've seen one. They're the beyond-low-budget monstrosities that teased you from the walls of the mom-and-pop video store. Usually, the films themselves could never live up to the pictures on the videotape boxes (because this was way before your fancy 'Digital Video Discs' and 'Blu-Rays') but occasionally you'd find something truly unique. 'WEIRDO FLICKS' will clue you into some movies which 'unique' doesn't even begin to describe...
'Forbidden Zone' - 1982, Directed by Richard Elfman
Speaking of Johnny Depp (as the last post on this blog was,) if you're a fan, you are probably familiar with the work of Danny Elfman who has scored basically all of Tim Burton's films. He also wrote the theme song for 'The Simpsons,' and a loonnnnggg time ago, he was in a band called Oingo Boingo. BEFORE that, he was in a theatre troupe with other future Oingo Boingo members called 'The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo.' Now that we're all caught up....
'Forbidden Zone' is a recreation of the Mystic Knights' stage show, directed by Elfman's brother, Richard. Suffice to say, the movie is pretty demented.
The plot is minimal, but not very important. There's a family whose house somehow has a gateway to the 8th dimension in the basement. The king of the 8th dimension (played by Herve Villechaize - aka Tattoo from 'Fantasy Island') takes a liking to the daughter of the family and kidnaps her. Then, her brother and his friend make a deal with the devil (played by Danny Elfman channeling Cab Calloway quite literally) to get her back. It's pretty silly, and it's obviously designed with fans of 'Rocky Horror Picture Show' in mind, but this gem is wayyyy beyond that.
First of all, the soundtrack features very early Oingo Boingo tracks, and a handpicked selection of musical oddities that Elfman and company warp beyond belief. Old mariachi records played on broken turntables turn into children's songs with overdubbed cursing.
Then, there are the sets and costumes, all a continuation of the troupe's stage show. It's like a zany 1920's musical put on by the cast of 'Eraserhead,' Mix that up with some Monty Python-styled cutout animation, parodies of 1800's minstrel shows and some homemade film editing techniques, and you've got one of the fastest-paced pieces of 80's dementia ever committed to celluloid. It's pretty available as well.
This pretty much sums it up:
VHS photo by Toby Hudson.


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"The Tom Reitz fan club"
Well done my friend,
Its going to be used equipment when I sell it, so it may as well be used equipment when I buy it.
Tim deParavicini's E.A.R. Yoshino V20 Integrated Amplifier, Fosgate Signature Phono pre, No. 50 and 51 Carverfest Tube amps, Hammond M3 tube amp, Ariston RD-40 Turntable w/ Linn Basik LSV tonearn, Grado Statement Master1 cartridge, Cardas Silver wire service and wire block, Carver TX-8 & 11 tuners, Carver TD-12 & 1700 decks, Tascam CC-222mkII CD recorder, Carver HR-742 reciever, DBX-3BX & 200xg & 120x, CarverAudio ALV prototypes, Alesis Studio One loudspeakers, Dahlquist DQ-8s, The Carver Research DarkStar Sub and Stax Earspeakers.
THIS SPACE FOR RENT...helping the blind to hear, one valve at a time


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Plum Frost Pullover & Cardigan
Back in February, I found myself playing around with some simple XOXO fair isle patterns and color fading. As soon as I swatched this one in Harrisville Designs New England Shetland, I knew I had to make myself a sweater with it. Regular readers will hardly be surprised to see me knitting yet another garment with this yarn. What can I say? It works! I carefully planned out the pattern in six sizes from start to finish. Like every other project I had going, it immediately began collecting dust when I became pregnant in March. I returned to it in August, committed to knitting up the sample in spite of my impossibly large middle. Although it hardly fits now, with the baby due in December, I hope to squeeze at least a few months of wear out of it this winter.*
I am happy to present Plum Frost Pullover & Cardigan! Knit seamlessly in the round from the bottom up, this simple, versatile, women's pullover/cardigan pattern features a classic XOXO stranded pattern in the 6-color yoke, with stars occupying the lozenge positions. The main color (charcoal) fades out to nearly white within the stranded pattern while, at the same time, a light purple darkens toward the center of the band. Hourglass waist shaping and fitted sleeves outline a flattering style to most sizes and shapes. The bottom band, button bands, neckband, and sleeve cuffs are worked in K1, P1 rib and employ tubular cast-ons and bind-offs. The cardigan version is steeked open; however, it is essentially the same pattern as the pullover, measuring 1″ wider in the body only because of the button band. The pattern is designed to fit bust measurements from 33″ to 51″ . It will be available for purchase from my Ravelry shop for $6.50 beginning Wednesday, October 7.
I could not be happier with how well this particular garment turned out. Harrisville's Shetland yarn is such a delight to use. Just as I began to find my stranding rough and lumpy, I soaked the pre-steeked version and it was instantly transformed. The yarn blooms so well, filling in errant gaps between stitches, smoothing out the yoke, and blending the colors together. I really cannot speak highly enough of how magnificently Shetland blooms: I've never experienced anything quite like it with any other yarn. While it is unmistakably a very woolly yarn, it is somehow soft enough that I can wear it next to my skin without itching all over. I have used it often in the past (e.g. Vine Lace Pullover, Scoopneck, Vespergyle Mittens, Ivy League Vest), and I will certainly return to it again. Besides, now I have leftover bits in lots of colors!
One of the things I needed in a yarn for this piece was a color choice that included three close shades of each color (i.e. gray and purple). There are only a few yarn companies that offer such thorough color palettes: Harrisville, Jamieson's and Knit Picks are ones that come to mind. I do not care for Knit Picks' Palette yarn, and Jamieson's is both out of my budget and unavailable locally. Not only that, my local yarn shop carries the full line of Harrisville Shetland – all 56 colors – on cones, which makes it quite an economical option for me. Another thing I love about all of Harrisville's yarns is that the lines and color offerings are so stable. As long as I have a color card on hand, I know exactly what I will be getting when I pick out colors. How often do other companies discontinue colors or particular yarns altogether? I still miss Magpie Aran and Skye Tweed – surely we all have our own personal, discontinued favorites. Anyway, I appreciate the wide selection and stable offering. Without it, fair isle projects would surely be much more difficult to plan!
Because I like the yarn so much and want to support their business, I contacted Harrisville Designs about this particular pattern. The company has generously offered to donate the yarn for one lucky commenter to make a Plum Frost pullover or cardigan! Please leave a comment by Wednesday, October 7 at 8 a.m. CST to be entered in the contest. I will use a random number generator to choose a winner to receive the yarn and a free copy of the pattern. I hope you will love both the yarn and the pattern as much as I do!
* Can you believe I actually published that link?? I felt it was only honest. You're welcome.
280 comments so far
I love your sweater design, but I especially love your baby belly. Congratulations!
I had a December baby last year, so your photo looks eerily familiar. ;)
Beautiful design!
As I've told you before, I *love* this cardigan. Lovely work, as always :)
I love this sweater. So beautiful, color choice is perfect!
What a lovely, lovely, perfect sweater. Great job!
Beautiful sweater and belly :) Congrats!
Lovely sweater, and I am sure you will appreciate it after the baby arrives too! I wonder if there is a supplier for this yarn in Canada? The colours are gorgeous, and it would work so well with my work wordrobe.
Beautiful sweater! And I also appreciate your recommendation of the Harrisville yarn–I'll have to try it.
A beautiful sweater. I especially love the blending of colors you got with the greys and plums – one of my favorite color combinatitons.
Congratulations on the baby and on the gorgeous new design. I'm such a sucker for both grey and purple. I would love to be entered in your contest!
That is indeed a very lovely sweater! With baby due in December hopefully you'll be able to wear it and enjoy!
The sweater is lovely! I really like the color palette you chose. If I were to knit it, I think I would do mine just the same. Great work!
Wow…what a gorgeous sweater. It looks like a classic that will take you through many years. Congrats on your future arrival!
This sweater is beautiful! The color choices are just perfect.
love, love, LOVE
Beauty of a sweater its in my colours too
Beautiful sweater, I will have to try this yarn. And congrats on the baby-in-progress.
Wow — that's a beautiful pattern. I've used Harrisville before, and agree with you — it blooms wonderfully! Congratulations on your wip due in Dec!
What a fantastic sweater! I already favorited it on Ravelry so I can make one of my own. :)
Beautiful sweater, & congrats on the baby!
The belly shot brought a smile to my face.
One of my LYSes also carries Harrisville on cones. Yum.
The sweater is SO beautiful! I wouldn't mind winning a free kit :)
And you look beautiful. Don't be self-conscious about the baby belly. I gained 42 lbs with my first (he was right on time) and 37 with my second (she was 16 days early), and I've more or less bounced back to normal. Congrats!
(BTW why don't you like KP palette? The range of color has me tempted to try it, maybe for a smaller fair isle project like mittens…)
That's a beautiful sweater. I love the combination of purple and grey.
Oh, Elinor, it's even better than I had hoped from seeing the WIP photos! My friends are such a talented crew :) Nice job, as always.
Lovely! I need to make this.
Lovely colors, great pattern, and a sweet deal for the winner.
I LOVE everything about this design! The yarn, the color, the fact that it's a cardigan. This is definitely going in my queue. (I hope I win the yarn for it!)
What a lovely pattern!
I love your design, so pretty!
I love that cardigan – the colors works great together and the pattern is simply gorgeous.
By the way – if I win it will be THE best birthdaypresent (I'll be 32 Wednesday 7. oct).
Omigosh! How exciting.
I love it! what a wonderful design. The colors are just perfect. :)
I'm feeling lucky…
And win or not, it's a gorgeous design.
Wow, it's gorgeous! What a lovely cardigan!
What a beautiful sweater. I must try this yarn! I've been hearing lots about it, and your glowing recommendation may have just tipped the scale for me.
This is gorgeous Elinor!!
This is so amazingly gorgeous! It's very rare that I want to knit a pattern in the given colors but I want this exact sweater rightnow!
Oh, that's so lovely! That charcoal! I agree, Harrisville Shetland is a very special yarn – I love everything I've knit with it. The sweater is beautiful, and I can't wait to make it.
What a beautiful sweater. Perfect colors! There's something about shetland yarn that just makes you want to knit – scratchy or not!
Beautiful design and sweater. I love pullovers especially in the smaller weights.
I love the colours in this design – they're some of my favourites! And I think the cardigan looks great over the baby belly – although if it's particularly cold the belly does start to get a bit chilly without extra layers on!
Congrats on your new pattern – it's stunning! I'd love to try a new fair isle project this winter. Keeping my fingers crossed!
It is beautiful! I have a pile of this yarn waiting to be knit. I'm feeling inspired! And the linked photo is beautiful!
It's a lovely cardigan! Congratulations!
Purple is my favorite color! When I make this pattern, I won't have to change any of the colors. :)
It is a beautiful design, both timeless and elegant. Please add my name to your growing list.
Beautiful sweater. Thanks for the contest.
Are you kidding? I think the cardi complements the baby belly beautifully! Eh, button schmutton. :)
One way or another I think I'll have to knit this in the Harrisville yarn, after you spoke so highly of it. I'm also excited to try steeking. Your images make it look not-quite-so-scary!
I love your pattern! It would be perfect for my teenage daughter.I've never really been tempted to try colorwork, but this is so subtle yet lovely that I'm entranced. I hope I win!
This sweater is amazing!!!!! The colors, the design, the model…everything is beautiful! I can't wait to see your FO come December!!!!
This is a beautiful cardigan, I can't wait to get the pattern.
So classic and gorgeous! I must admit that I've never seen or felt Harrisville Designs New England Shetland, so I would definitely love to win your contest!
I love stranded knitting, so I am always interested to learn about yarns that blooms well. And your pattern is really very lovely.
Oh my, that's absolutely "plummy", pardon the bad pun! Delicious!
I am so excited about this pattern! It's so gorgeous. I've never used this yarn, but will definitely try it now.
Your glowing review of the yarn makes me anxious to try it out–please count me in!
Your sweater is beautiful. Knitting for the first time with Harrisville Highland and enjoying the experience. Glad to hear so many good things about the Shetland yarn.
GORGEOUS. And congratulations! I just took a class with Jared Flood on shetland knitting and am ready to steek away. This is the perfect sweater for it
oops–hit return too soon. Just wanted to add that I'm a big fan of all your patterns :)
lovely pattern and color selection! i look forward to trying this pattern someday!
Wow, found the pattern posted on Ravelry and had to come over and check it out. The sweater is beautiful. The yarn review is great also. I'm going to check out the yarn and see the colors. Thanks.
Oooohhh, those colors are divine! I want one! Now off to check out the pattern.
Oh this is so pretty! I love the colors you chose. I saw it on Ravelry and wanted to check out the post here too. I love the picture with your baby belly! It looks very cute with the sweater. :)
I love the colors you used, and the pattern is beautiful! I haven't knit with Harrisville's yarns but your awesome review makes me want to.
This cardigan is beautiful! I love the color palette you chose!
I was just trolling along on Ravelry and… then stopped and drooled over your sweater pictures before I even realized there might be a chance I could knit one for myself! Thanks so much for all your hard work. :)
I'm trying NOT to enter contests but this one is too beautiful to resist! It's the prefect combination of pattern and yarn. Brilliant job!
This is a beautiful sweater! Oh, and I love the "exploding belly" picture. You look fabulous! Yay & congrats!
That sweater is lovely. And thank you for giving me another yarn to check out.
BEAUTIFUL sweater..lovely colors!! Thanks for sharing it
Thanks for hosting this giveaway. It's a beautiful sweater.
What a beautiful sweater. I would love to try making it, especially since you said the wool does not "itch" next to your skin. Lovely.
What a lovely color combination! I find myself wishing I could reach through my screen and snuggle up in the cardigan ;)
This is a beautiful sweater! Your other designs are very nice, too. — Meg
I absolutely adore the colours and would like to take part in the contest, although I thought Shetland can only come form the Isle of Shetland in the British Isles?
That is a truly lust worthy sweater. And I've been wanting to do more colorwork . . . hmm . . .
Also, it looks beautiful modeled on your current body — your baby curves are nothing to hide.
I followed the link from the 'recently added' page on Rav :) It is a very nice sweater!!! I've never tried Fair Isle (even though I had some Fair Isle knitting classes on Fair Isle 2 years ago, using Jamieson's yarn that I picked up on Shetland hehehe :)).
Cheers Eva
What an absolutely stunning cardigan!!! And such lovely photos – all of them :-))
I am very happy to see an ordinary, old fashioned yarn used it this beautiful garment. It makes me want to run to my own LYS and buy some local yarn.
What a gorgeous cardigan, and a generous contest. I wonder if any of my LYS carry this stuff…
Wow this is beautiful! I have never tried to knit fair isle, but this cardigan makes me want to jump right in to it!!
Absolutely lovely! I have bookmarked the pattern :)
Your new design is fabulous and it looks great with your pregnant tummy, congratulations :)
I'm not usually much of a purple person, but I'm quite taken with how it blends in with the greys. Lovely!
What a beautiful cardigan! I really love the subtle color changes and I look forward to knitting this pattern.
i am drawn to the way you blended the purples and greys together, very subtle and pleasing!
Oh, this pattern is *SO* me!! You have done such a wonderful job :)
Nicely done!
This is a real beauty! I LOVE greys and plums <3
Beautiful work! Love the "baby" picture.
What a lovely sweater, Elinor – I could make a habit of knitting your patterns (I already have the Winter Sunrise hat in my queue)!
It's stunning. Loved it the moment it popped up on Ravelry. Congrats on another beautiful design and the baby as well.
Finally the pattern I have been looking for! Genius!
Beautiful sweater…I am looking for a replacement for a cotton fair isle sweater that died. I'm looking forward to knitting this one!
Love the colors in the sweater – perfect!
Oh my goodness — beautiful! What lovely yarn in combination with such a gorgeous pattern. I'd LOVE to knit this one.
I love Harrisville shetland. Your cardigan is looks great in it.
What a beautiful cardigan! Can't wait to try this.
oh, it's lovely.
What a gorgeous sweater and color choices! Can't wait for the pattern release!
The sweater is beautiful! Great job on the design & colors as they are perfect together.
This is a lovely sweater! I enjoy working with Harrisville shetland yarns also, and am now thinking about how my stash yarns might work with this design. The shaping aspects of your design are appealing, too.
LOVE the cardigan. It's right up my alley!
How gorgeous! I love the subdued color palette, and I'd love to knit one up for myself.
Great pattern! I am especially impressed that you included the picture with your belly! Great!
What a beautiful sweater and pattern!
What a lovely cardigan. Was looking for something like this to make for my daughter! Didn't see length till I looked at you special photo! Congratulations with being pregnant. Hope you will have a lovely baby.
Love your new sweater design, colors and all. What a perfectly lovely sweater! And perfectly lovely belly – Congrats!
OK, I lurk here mostly but the combination of a great sweater and a chance to win yarn have lured me out of hiding.
I love this pattern Elinor, it only drives me more to make something fair isle soon.
The colors you chose for the sweater really are perfect! I know other people who rave about that yarn and it is high time I gave it a shot, as well as fair isle and steeking. (What a coincidence).
Thanks for a great pattern and good luck with your final months as mom-to-be!
This is such an awesome pattern! I love the fading in the colorwork. Would love to knit this in the harrisville shetland.
Wow, that is amazing! I wouldn't change a thing! I've done a fair isle yoke with worsted weight and now am itching to do more traditional fair isle and this is exactly what I want. Great job!
love that sweater – congrats on the new baby to come!
My, this is gorgeous! The colors are really lovely together, very wintery and Sugar Plum Fairy-esque.
What a lovely sweater, and great colors. Thanks for sharing it and congrats on finishing with a new baby around.
I have put the sweater into my ravelry queue. I LOVE it and will knit it even if (probably won't)I don't win. Thanks for the pattern and the possiblity of free yarn to make it!!!
What a pretty sweater! Even if I don't win, I think I will be purchasing the pattern. I love fair isle (and I am so excited to have the Alice Starmore fair isle book!).
Wow, amazing sweater! I would love to try and make this!
Another gorgeous pattern from you :) And if I am not lucky enough to win the yarn, I'll have to go and investigate the cost of getting Jamieson's shipped to London :) x
Hi, Lovely pattern! I am longing to start a fair isle project with lots of subtle shade changes. Thanks for the new pattern!
(smgoldin on Ravelry)
Pick me! choose ME!
Love the design and love Harrisville yarns!
Lovely, lovely, lovely! A must knit for me!
Love this – really beautiful. The pattern is probably way above my competency, but I'd love to give it a try!
Beautiful sweater! I'd love to make this and will have to search for the yarn. Sounds like a wonderful yarn to knit with and then enjoy a wonderful finished project.
Thanks for wanting to share!
What a lovely cardigan! I would love to try both the pattern and the yarn.
That is just one gorgeous sweater. And I love your baby belly, it's gorgeous, too!
What a beautiful sweater! Great job!
Gorgeous! I love the color combination. I've got sweaters on my mind as I've been a pullover girl until now. Something about nursing a 7 mo old makes cardigans considerably more attractive!
oh i lovelovelove this sweater!!!
Beautiful! Purples and grays are my colors. I am adding this to my queue immediately and I'd love to be entered for a chance to win the yarn.
And wow, your baby will be here before you know it. Phoebe just had her one year birthday, so quick, so happy, so beautiful. What a marvelous year its been (and the pregnancy such a distant memory now!)
awesome sweater! it looks like the perfect wear-with-everything cardigan…perhaps a nice contrast with your previous post?
That's a beautiful sweater! I can't wait to make one!
Wow, I love it – and I can get Harrisville locally :-) it's all good!
Gorgeous sweater. Grey is a staple of my wardrobe and I've recently rediscovered my love for purple, so this is definitely going on my "to knit" list.
Gorgeous design E! I think what I like best is that you did choose colors that were so complimentary…they really are a stunning combination!
I absolutely love this cardigan. And your choice of colours is spot on.
Love the colors and the design!
Beautiful sweater, I've been looking around for a pattern to make a first stranded sweater for myself, this is almost exactly what I've been looking for. Congrats on the pattern and the soon-to-be new baby.
Wow, what a great sweater. I love the gentle colors. I live in KC and love to make a special trip out to the Yarn Barn, it's always worth the drive.
Congrats on such a beautiful design!!
Oh my, such a beautiful design! I will definitely purchase this pattern once it's available.
And I share your love of Shetland. It's top on my list too. I've not yet had the chance to try Harrisville (it's not available where I live), so I would really love a chance to win this generous giveaway.
i adore this cardigan.Beautifull design!
I recently discovered harissville. The others whiskey renolds and knit picks are impossible to come by out here in the netherlands. And pretty soon you get directed to rowan tweed etc.
Luckely a friend of mine discovered that one yarn store ( just one alas ) has started to sell this yarn. I ordered it and fell in love.
When i finnish my current one i will start this beauty regardless of me winning a contest ;-)
Your sweater is beautiful. It's a perfect combination of yarn and pattern.
I would love to try knitting your sweater!
what a gorgeous cardi! I love the fair isle in purple on the gray.
Oh, if I won this would be my first Fair Isle project — and it would be PERFECT! I had a December baby almost eight years ago; now he's asking constantly "how many days until my birthday?" :-)
What a beautiful design! The grey and purple are wonderful together.
I love this! Well done on creating a classic but contemporary pattern… hope you get a few wears out of it before the baby belly is too huge! Thanks
I absolutely LOVE this pattern! I really like the lace effect that takes place at the top and bottom of the fair isle work! I will definitely be putting this on my list! I was questioning the softness of this wool so it was really reassuring to see that you don't find it too itchy. I have their color card but have been hesitant since the samples have not been washed and fill a bit scratchy. Now I can order with confidence!..Thanks again!
It's gorgeous. I'm such a sucker for purple and gray, I can't wait to knit this.
What a beautiful sweater. Yes please! I can't wait to knit it up.
Wow–what a great sweater design!
The colour combination is beautiful!
Beautiful! Great job.
Wow! Very pretty sweater. I have a bit of this yarn in my stash that I got by chance for a great price. I think I need to knit up a swatch and block it to see the magic!
Lovely sweater! I will certainly be purchasing it, but I would gladly take it with yarn if I win!!
How lovely!
It's beautifully designed. I recently finished a fair isle yoke baby sweater for my daughter and I am hooked on color work. Thank you for offering this give-away.
i love working with many colors at once, love knitting and the colors in this sweater!
My god- that is amazing! I really hope I win, I love colorwork!
Beautiful and very wearable sweater!
What a beautiful sweater and I think it looks great on your bump too!!
Love the sweater! – I want to make both – pullover and cardigan!
Beautiful sweater…. the yarn, the colors and design. I love all the baby knits here! What an adorable little girl you have. She's a great model.
It's just beautiful Elinor! Love it!
This pattern is absolutely divine and the colours are just beautiful, I've not seen this colour combination in fair isle before.
Great sweater, it will be going on my list of to do knits! Awsome!
Absolutely lovely.
Beautiful cardigan. Your pattern and color choice is perfect!
Best to you through your 3rd trimester.
Very pretty use of colors!
I love this cardigan – and it is now in my list of must does for the year – if I only had some yarn…….
pick me pick me pick me please
Love the sweater. The colors are perfect. Purple and gray combinations are wintery and lovely. I also love the Yarn Barn, even though it is a bit of a drive!
Just linked to your site for the first time, from Grumperina, I think. Lovely, lovely sweater. I was around in the 60s when fair isle cardigans were all the rage and you could buy kits from England with the yoke already knit. You knit the body and then grafted the yoke in place. Looking back, that took all of the fun out of it, but we didn't know that at the time.
I just added your blog to my favorites list. Now to read the archives!
Congratulations on your pregnancy! Love the cardigan.
I really don't think I could love this pattern more, it's so beautiful. Now I've got to figure out how I can add this to my long queue this winter!
Wow! I LOVE that design! It's beautiful!! Thank you for this wonderful giveaway!! **crosses fingers** teehee… good luck everyone! ;)
Lovely! I've been debating my next fair isle project and this might be it. And even if it isn't next it is now in my ravelry queue. Beautiful work!
Thank you for a beautiful design and a fabulous giveaway! I'm jealous of your LYS.
Although I have never attempted fair isle, I have wanted to for a while and this seems like the perfect sweater to get started with! And since I am already three months pregnant, that gives me six months to accomplish that in! :) Really looking forward to this pattern's release!
Oh what a gorgeous cardigan!
Great sweater! I love Harrisville, but usually only pick it up at wool festivals – and I have a stash that may be perfect for this sweater!
The only acceptable excuse for not wearing this gorgeous sweater is your precious little :) Congrats on both!!
what a gorgeous pattern! I especially love your choice of shades of gray and purple. Great choices!
My word! Your cardigan is so lovely! Purple and grey is one of my all time favorite color combos! Lovely!
wow, harrisville is a pretty awesome company! i have to admit i've never worked with their yarn, though. i love the baby belly photo :) the cardigan is beautiful and the buttons are my favorite part!
This is such a gorgeous sweater, I can't wait for the pattern to come out! :)
I love this cardigan! The colors remind me of a grown up version of the fair isle sweaters that my grandmother knit for me as a child. I've never tried color knitting or tried steeking before, but your pattern definitely looks worth the effort of learning!
Oh, pretty!! I'm looking for a new stranded project and this is beautiful. I love the heathered gray and purple together.
I also am a big Harrisville Shetland fan, and will certainly want to purchase the pattern!
LOVE the colors and the belly is cute too.
What a gorgeous sweater!
I'd love to try out the pattern and yarn – it looks just lovely!
The sweater is beautiful. I just love it.
Wow, it's gorgeous! And I'm a sucker for wooly yarns, too — I'll have to track this one down.
it is absolutely beautiful! i love the colors you chose and how exciting to have designed such an intricate design and pattern! My very first knit project ever was a fait isle sweater, i have not had the chance to do another since but would so love to! great success on sales of the pattern!
Hi Elinor! What a lovely sweater!! If that's doesn't inspire me to try my hand at my first stranded yoke cardigan, nothing will. And thanks for the link to Harrisville yarns.
Wow, that is beautiful!!! I haven't done any colorwork yet, but have yarn picked out for a couple projects…This one is definitely getting added to my list!
I love love love it!!! The colors are perfect, and I especially love how thoughtfully you sized it Elinor, srsly, if only every designer were so awesome!
Such a pretty sweater and lovely color combination!
this is stunning. yay baby!
Your sweater is gorgeous! Please enter me for the contest. Thanks!
This is absolutely gorgeous sweater and I belive, that it is joy and fun to knit it.
Wow! What a beautiful sweater. Good job!
I love the grays and purples together. I have knitted 1 simple fair isle hat. I enjoyed making it and would like to try to make the pullover.
Lovely design, colors and photos. Nice work!
Beautiful sweater! It's in my queue — can't wait to make one myself!
What an awesome pattern. It's sweet but not too girly.
munkiknits at yahoo .com
My girlfriend's hands got twitchy when she saw this. I hope I win so I can give this kit to her.
I love your colorwork patterns. I will have to add this to my ever growing list of want to knit.
Oh my goodness! That is absolutely lovely! When the pattern comes out, I'm definitely buying it!
Im in awe of your skills at designing this! When I was pregnant I forgot how to tie my own shoes. Of course I couldnt reach them anyway.
WOW! What an amazing giveaway. I hope I get lucky…oh, wait, don't tell my husband that. He might get the wrong impression. =)
What a great give-away! And congratulations on the soon-to-be-born baby! Pregnant bellies are so cute.
WOW! Great sweater, great contest… great belly! :) Thanks for a chance to win. I would cast this on immediately!
As usual a beautiful result! Gorgeous sweater, lovely mom and soon to be beautiful baby! Thanks for the chance to win.
Ooo, lovely. And congrats on the baby too! Of course if I win I'll have to stretch my knitting skills (quite) a bit!
It's georgeous! The belly, I mean. The sweater is lovely too of course.
Your sweater is absolutely beautiful. Great job!
I love this sweater! I think it maybe the thing that makes me brave enough to finally try steeking.
Your sweater is one of the most beautiful knitted garments I have ever seen. I had to call my husband in here to look at it and now he's gushing over it.
That is just lovely! What a gorgeous pattern!
Love it! I will totally knit it. (More quickly if I win, heh.)
Such a pretty sweater! It's very subtle, and definitely something I could see myself wearing!
It's lovely! The subtle color changes are so attractive.
Gorgeous Sweater! Looks so beautiful; I'd love to make one also.
Truly beautiful – I hope to knit it one day. :)
I've been waiting and longing for my first fair isle project to try now that I've gotten the guts for it. I think you're the one!
At first I just looked at the photos, without reading your text, and I thought "Why is she not showing a full body view of this sweater, why is she just showing bits of it? It's hard to see how it looks!" Then I read your whole post and found your belly photo. Too funny! Good luck! and it's a lovely sweater.
A beautiful sweater and the colors are perfect! Can't wait to get started on it. Thanks for another great pattern.
Ooooo! I would love to make this. Do you think it would be very difficult to adjust for a guy?
Let me win!
What a beautiful sweater — I love the colors. Enjoy this special time in your life!
Oh my! I saw this sweater and knew I had to make it! Oh – then I saw it is not available till tomorrow – and the contest – woohoo! What a great deal! I have never done fair isle and want to try so bad – this is the project for me! Cannot wait to start – oh yeah or maybe win! Yeah!
Best wishes to all of you above! and below!
Vanessa in Upstate NY
I've yet to do a fair isle item that wasn't a hat or a scarf. What a great project.
What a beautiful sweater!
Such a beautiful cardigan and the subtle coloring on the yoke is perfect! Going into queue :-)
what a lovely pattern and color choice! great job yet again!
What a gorgeous sweater! I have a vest that my mum knit when she was 21 (60 years ago) in similar colours. It is too small for me now but every once in a while I pull it out of the cedar chest and think about making something like it.
Thanks for posting the baby bump photo – love it.
totally gorgeous sweater!
What a gorgeous sweater! I am crossing all my fingers & toes on this one!
Fantastic color choice for this sweater… i'll be adding it to my queue!
Beautiful sweater! Grey & purple are some of my favorite color combinations, and the subtlety here definitely caught my eye.
So beautiful it got me out of my usual lurking habit. That and the promise of my first fair isle being done with a pattern and yarn from you! Thanks for all your posts.
I'm going to assume that you will NOT be playing futsal this winter. Such a shame – but such a gorgeous sweater, Elinor. My word – if I don't win, you can rest assured I'm going to 1) buy the pattern, and 2) insist on a gift certificate to the Yarn Barn for Christmas. I love purple and gray together.
The yarn, the fabric, the colours.. all just fantastic!
Oh I love this sweater! The colors are perfect for me, exactly what I would pick in the store but so much better because I can knit it myself!
You look gorgeous in your flickr pic (btw) with your new cardi!
What a gorgeous sweater! The color combination is so peaceful to look at. I love it!
This is beautiful. I'm totally asking for the yarn for Christmas, because I simply must have this sweater!
Love the sweater – classic yet current. For a chance to win a kit, you bet I'll leave a comment!
This might have to be my first steeked sweater…
Wow, that is a beautiful sweater! I love your color choices. I just bought several skeins of Harrisville while on vacation…it's a great yarn. Great job!
I can't believe how pretty that sweater is!! I'm due in a month (eek a month!) and understand the 'not-fitting' thing :) You look great though! Wonderful wonderful job!
This is a lovely pattern. I am looking forward to buying it in your shop!
Just gorgeous! love the colours =)
So pretty! The colors are gorgeous and the sweater itself looks so soft and pettable!
I love this sweater–I found you yesterday while googling around. I have been wanting to do a fair isle pattern for awhile, but didn't want something for me to wear that was 'loud'…I absolutely love the subtleness in the design and color pallete and would love to knit this! I have not tried this particular kind of yarn…but it is beautiful. What a wonderful project…thank you for sharing.
Wow! This is beautiful! I picked out some yarn from another company for it, but after your raves about Harrisville, I may just change my mind. Can't wait to get started! Thanks for the pattern.
I hope I'm not too late to enter! Your sweater is beautiful and I really want to make one for myself!


text:
Oviatt Library
Events by Tag
In Protest: The Shifting Paradigms of Collective Social Action
Tuesday, September 17, 2013 - 8:00am to Tuesday, December 23, 2014 - 5:00pm
Collective social action movements have been a part of American life since the nation's earliest days whether spontaneous expressions of dissent or high-reaching attempts to change society. While protest movements are not an exclusively American phenomenon, our ability to express dissent has become a defining characteristic of our American identity, rights, and freedoms. Read more


text:
Was Jimi Hendrix Out of Control During His Final Days in the Studio? Evidence Emerges on 'People, Hell and Angels'
June 03, 2013 at 7:46pm
Jimi's work was about extending himeslef and taking chances. In this
piece he is exploring a new form of phrasing based on his style.
When he left the Experience he did so because he wanted to move beyond
pre-determined music. While I like many of his songs, he has done some improvs that are, in my mind, as great a master piece as anything ever done in musically.
I don't believe there is room to judge Jimi, he was a genius, and in
no way can a pit stop along the way hold or represent his creative
In just over 4 years, he produced enough to be released for 40 years,
who can do that?
Since Jimi predicted his death, I feel that the jury may still be out.
Alan Sells
May 31, 2013 at 4:34pm
Thanks for not making me sit thru another video commercial like yesterday to show a friend this story on Hendrix. I will not sit thru your ads anymore, nor those of other vendors. You're ALREADY making money from my being on your mailing list. Please do not cause me to ask to be removed from your mailing list.
May 30, 2013 at 12:40pm
Wasting my time reading a 3 month old article AND being forced to run some crap ad, gee thanks GW. I will be rushing back real soon....................
March 13, 2013 at 1:51am
I certainly wasnt there, but It was my undertanding that Jimi H. didnt get a lot of extended time in the studio because he was constantly (and unreasonably) being pulled away from recording to play gigs/travel to "pay" for the construction of Electric Ladyland studios among other things.Its a wonder he got any recordings finished if that is the case.It would explain the mountain of unfinished tapes. It would be interesting to see what people who were there like Eddie Kramer think of this.As I recall, it was mitch mitchell, the drummer, who eluded to this years later [that Jimi's gig scedule was not reasonable on the verge of abuse]. Anyway, neat that there are more unheard Jimi musical ideas (as long as they dont use session players to fill in the blanks-yuk!!)
March 12, 2013 at 9:04pm
This article is poorly researched and trying to create controversy where there is none. Jimi was always known as a bad driver due to his poor eyesight, not because he was always blazed out. This was documented as early as his Army days.
The perpetuation of the falsehood of Jimi accidentally overdosing himself to death should come to a halt too. It's clearly evident that he was killed by Michael Jeffery for insurance money. Anyone with even mediocre knowledge of the death scene details can figure that out.
We don't know why jimi's music was all over the place before his death. Maybe he was frustrated. Maybe he had too many ideas at once. The only one with the real answer is buried six feet down in Seattle.
September 18, 2013 at 4:30pm
...Definetly something to concider, Iv'e read about the given details, I must admit I am complelled to agree with the Logic of all that is presented but this kind of reminds me of all the round and round that went on with President Kennedy and Kurt Cobain over their deaths and their contractors and detractors. More sad that we lost these indiviguals to the worst of conditions...then having to constantly drag up what the possibilty was for their dimise, same goes for Bon Scott's death or Jim Morrison...I think the 27 club just has a bad rap.
Of course all you have to look at is the nature of the human experience and see that for the most part we just want to belong so in the end be it good, bad or indifferent...some will always chase the ambulance and others will stop and look and the rest of us will try to cope with the loss and hope to remember the good in all. Peace!