CraftLit

Well, we're having the first winter storm of the season. The mountains are capped with snow, the sky is grey, it's 39° (I hear you..."Hey! It's the DESERT! What's with the snow and temperature?!"), and the day is bleeding ennui. Not least because my husband is here and I'm here (though it's much greyer today).

But Ennui and Turn of the Screw go well together so no complaints...much.

Today, chapters 10-11. You won't BELIEVE what happens today! Ai yi yi!

Charity knitting! Fixes to the Blogspot site! Felted Doggy Toys! More funny things! Holiday presents of fibery knitty things! (Does he love me or is he just feeling guilty for spending New Year's in Paris with his Brother and Dad?) Was Santa good to you!?

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

2026 Author Revision: Dead links removed.

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Nina sent this very helpful, eminently bookmarkable link to help me with mosquito bites. There's actually a lot of great info here...and this site has a very interesting looking hand/foot/everything cream. Lotions just don't work on me. If it doesn't say "cream" I don't buy it. Well, I bought it and thank you Nina!

And, here's my attempt to rekindle a love of Weird Al...Yoda!

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

2026 Author Revision: Dead links removed.

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This week--Chapters 6-7!

Okay, and you're not really strangers but y'all sure are kind! Some fun with YouTube and Dante, Julie's socks (whoo hoo!) and 1400 A.D. knit pic More Organic info from Dawn (worth a look-see)! Seventh Generation and Land Stewardship Project Janet's pomo fun And then--That Darn Governess and her latent class and boy issues!!!

BTW: we didn't have time for these which I got off of a Knitter's Review forum. Did you know these superstitions?

• It's bad luck to leave a project unfinished. The intended recipient will get bad luck from the unfinished item.
• Stabbing your needles though your yarn balls brings bad luck to anyone who wears something made from that yarn.
• Don't knit a pair of socks for your boyfriend or he'll walk away from you.
• If you knit one of your own hairs into a garment, it will bind the recipient to you.
• Knitting for children you may have in the future, but before you are pregnant, is bad luck (it may prevent one from getting pregnant, or bring ill health to the baby).

And Interesting Latvian beliefs about mittens!

1. Mittens and socks should be knitted in summer, then they will be warm, soft and strong.

2. One should not wash new mittens when there is an old moon, they will lose their color and let through the wind.

3. One should not wipe their nose in a mitten. Whoever does that never gets rich.

4. One should not give their hand to another with a mitten on, otherwise they will give away their luck.

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

2026 Author Revision: Dead links removed.

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You should also check out Stephanie/Lumie's blog (gorgeous work!) Then go here and get smart, RIGHT NOW! After expanding your brain, you can crack yourself up with my friend Peter on his podcast.

Don't forget to get your SantaCon on! When you're done with that, embrace your inner Earth Mother and find out the skinny on Organics.

And in today's chapters, listen for the allusion to Jane Eyre that ol' Henry snuck into the first minute of this chapter. As we continue our governess will continue to show her true colors--not a pretty picture.

And today's chapters reveal a bit more of James' brilliance. The Governess--who may still be nuts--does see someone who looks like Peter Quint. She had seen no pictures of him, but describes him to Mrs. Grose--well enough for her to identify the vision. Of course, the problem is...he's dead. So, the mystery deepens...

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

Oh, and I've moved all the links to previous episodes to the right side of the blog page at Craftlit.blogspot.com. There was a question as to why the files are so blasted big, and I'll tell you--I'd like to know that too! I'm working on it...

2026 Author Revision: Dead links removed.

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(Apologies although I blathered quite a bit anyway...) This week, chapters 2-3!

More Amazing Crochet from Dawn, some victorian pruditry, more wonderful emails from y'all, how to be an ostritch rather than a governess, and a little background on our author. His dad was a Swedenborgian (say THAT three times fast) and I thought--when working through the "ghost" question--this quotation was ellucidating:

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

Then there's the "corruption" question. Ah...the tangled web... ALERT: I just this second got this email from MaryBeth--right after uploading the 'Cast. Darnit. But it's worth noting here:

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

Is that not brilliant?! I love Melville...but I'm not gonna do Moby Dick...not for a couple of years, anyway. See how I love you? Many thanks to Nikolle Doolin for her SEXY reading of Henry James' Turn of the Screw.

2026 Author Revision: Dead links removed.

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Cool things to check out: Crochet Sea Creatures not to be believed (Thank you Dawn!), Check out Yarn-a-go-go's site and then check into NaNoWriMo! It's not too late! Then there's The Thread Project (One World, One Cloth), and I ran out of time to talk about My Paper Crane from Heidi. I'll never do this to you. Here's Henry, by the way:

By Unknown photographer - taken from the frontispiece of Short Story Classics (American) Volume Three, edited by William Patten, copyright 1905, printed by P.F. Collier & Son. Photographer unknown. Scanned by English Wikipedian, MakeRocketGoNow., Public Domain, Link

I think you'll need this over the next few weeks.: Character List Anonymous Narrator Probably represents Henry James.

(Diagetic Level 1) Douglas The one in possession of the Governess' manuscript. He may have been in love with her.

(Diagetic Level 2) The Governess The protagonist--twenty-year-old governess of Flora and Miles at the country estate of Bly.

(Diagetic Level 3) Mrs. Grose A servant at Bly; illiterate, respectful. Miles A ten-year-old boy; charming, well-behaved, and very attractive.

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

The Children's Uncle

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

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

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

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

2026 Author Revision: Dead link removed. The Yarn-a-go-go link has turned into an author site! Fascinating. There were images in these shownotes, but we're still figuring out how to include those.

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Brace yourselves, for this hair-raising journey that will take us to the most haunted corners of a dimly-lit mansion, an isolated countryside estate, a handful of creepy kids, and of course, the classic English fog creeping through the pages. Trust me, it's going to be a literary rollercoaster ride you won't want to miss!

So, get ready for goosebumps, laughs, and a deep appreciation for The Turn of the Screw of hauntings and hidden secrets!

Some good blogs to check out (from SOAR attendees: Rachael Herron, Janine Bajus, and Brooke Sinnes, oh, and Stephanie...I think you know her); a really cool listener's site (Spinneret) regarding My Friend Irving; some pics (scroll down) and some detritus that I need to get out to you (below). A good Challah recipe. Heal the world through cooling! and a nice Jewish crafting guild (just in cast you thought they didn't exist!)... The Red Thread Project! How cool is this! And some stuff I found but didn't have time to talk about b/c I blathered too much: The sounds of (good) music can be found at NPR In need of Knickers? Check this out? Hook up with next year's mystery stole (number three). Awesome matress stitch (plus!) tutorial. Which I needed. Sadly.

2026 Author Revision: Dead links removed.

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Sleepy Hollow, part 3!

Book talk begins at 22:20. Listen to 28 audio.

Apologies! The original audio to this show was recorded—I believe—as my mic was dying. I've tried to remaster the hiss out, but couldn't get it all. However, the entire "Legend of Sleepy Hollow" has been re-recorded and remastered and, along with a few other Halloweenie kinds of stories, appears in the Crafting-a-Life Shoppe.

I think I promised you pics of a skull jacket that I knit. I forgot to mention that my 17 hour sojurn did give me the time to finish the baby hoodie.

The carpet under the jacket, just so you know, is the floor of the Samsung Comfort Room at the Dallas-Ft. Worth Airport.

Very comforting, no?

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

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Sleepy Hollow, part 2!

Book talk begins at 15:50. Listen to 27 audio.

The entire "Legend of Sleepy Hollow" has been re-recorded and remastered and, along with a few other Halloweenie kinds of stories, appears in the Crafting-a-Life Shoppe.

Skeeter Syndrome, and why I hate researchers...well...not hate...but really strongly prefer the applied sciences... Allergic reaction to mosquito bites identified for first time—"skeeter syndrome"

MILWAUKEE—Bug bites are a standard annoyance for those who spend time outside during the summer months. The consequence for most is uncomfortable swelling and itching at the site of the bite for a short period of time. However, young children, immune deficient persons and those previously unexposed to mosquitoes are at increased risk for a severe reaction to mosquito bites according to a study in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

Canadian researchers recently identified this reaction as "skeeter syndrome," defined as mosquito-bite induced large, local inflammatory reactions accompanied by fever. Large local reactions to mosquito bites are under diagnosed and sometimes assumed to be infectious in nature when in fact, they are the result of an allergic reaction.

In this study, researchers studied five healthy children between the ages of two and four with no history of allergy to insect bites. Each had been diagnosed with cellulitis, a bacterial infection of the skin and tissue that is usually found on the face, neck or legs. The children developed extreme redness, swelling, warmth and inflammation within hours of a witnessed mosquito bite.

Several months later the children were tested for allergy to mosquito. Blood tests confirmed that the children had been misdiagnosed: the symptoms they experienced were the result of an allergic reaction to a mosquito bite, not cellulitis. People with skeeter syndrome should minimize their exposure to mosquitoes to avoid experiencing an adverse reaction. It is important to increase the awareness of skeeter syndrome so those affected can avoid unnecessary diagnostic procedures and antibiotic treatments.

[From: "Skeeter syndrome." J Allergy Clin Immunol 1999;104: 705-707.]

The SCA has my hat (I think)! Maybe I should engage in Guerrilla Knitting? Governess Gone Goth WEAVING!?!?! Orange Juice Carton Basket Tragic Crafting...

But more importantly: Why don't the folks on Survivor start studying how to do this

THE SECOND they send their application in??? Cheap sock blockers for those of us with less dough than fiber.

I flew to NYC to surprise my husband on our 10th Anniversary, and am currently stuck in D-FW airport (grrrrrrr) at 3AM. I was supposed to be home five hours ago. Don't get me started...just please know that your podcast page was supposed to be up a long while ago.

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