BLISS (Cashmere) Update

We voted early then ran away for the day. Trust me when I say I really needed to get away from the TV and the book in progress and the book that escaped my control and got out there in the real world with real readers who aren't even related to me.

That said, I figured if we came home around nine o'clock I'd have plenty of time to gather up all of the emails, call up the Random Number Generator, and post a winner by ten.

I never in a million years expected the HUGE number of entries that were waiting for me. Hundreds of them. Literally. I'm putting them together in numerical order right now (and on dial-up this is a slow process) so please bear with me. I should post the winner within the hour.

And because there are so many of you who were kind enough to take time to drop in here, hang out, and enter the contest, there will be a Bliss Part Deux tomorrow. If you've already entered, you won't have to do a thing. Just check back here to see what it looks like and cross your fingers.

I'd heard about The Wendy Effect. I think it was Lisa Souza who told me about the tsunami of orders she received the day Wendy wrote about one of Lisa's gorgeous hand-dyed yarns. All I can say is WOW.

Lots of votes cast today. Lots of contest entries too. Life ain't half bad.

Stay tuned. I'll be right back with a winner.

Box O'Sox

How about a box of sox? Sox yarn, that is. I'll stuff as many skeins into one of those Priority Mail "shoeboxes" as I can. Think of it as a grab bag but without the bag.

Lots and lots of sock yarn to experiment with, play with, yell at (hello, Nancy!), and ultimately turn into something wonderful. (Preferably from The Wendy's Socks from the Toe Up which will be out in April.) (Not that I'm counting down the days or anything.)

Send me an email here with SOX in the subject header and tomorrow night you might see your name in lights.

Sneak peek: chapter two is posted

Yes, this is shameless huckstering but I promise to make it up to you with some knitting content. (I'm too lazy weave in the ends and photograph my completed Irish Hiking Scarf, (designer: Adrian Bazilia) but I will very very shortly. Honestly. I promise. You have my word . . . )

There are new two chapters of CASTING SPELLS available for you to read on my website. They're in the Sneak Peek section but I'll make it easy for you. Just click here and you'll be whisked away. The book won't be out until somewhere around Halloween (official pub date is 11/4 -- Election Day!!) but my first review popped up in my inbox this afternoon and I'm grinning from ear to ear. "Excellent read," says Susan Randall from ARMCHAIR INTERVIEWS.

And I'm very excited to announce that THE WENDY (aka Wendy D. Johnson of Wendy Knits) and Dawn Brocco (Dawn Brocco Designs and blog)

both contributed some wonderful knitting tips that appear in the book. In fact their hints were so good that the ARMCHAIR INTERVIEW review took note:

Although I am not a knitter myself, the 10 things you need to know about knitting in
general are quite funny as well as the 10 things you need to know
about knitting lace and knitting socks in the back of the book are a keeper.

So here's a big loud heartfelt "Thank you!" to Dawn and Wendy for their help. I owe you one.

And while I have your attention, Fran mentioned Nancy Herkness's fabulous book MUSIC OF THE NIGHT in comments and I have to say I second, third, and fourth her praise. Nancy wrote a taut, sexy, witty, intelligent mystery that swept me up into the very different worlds of music and police work and held me captive until the last page. This comes highly recommended!

One more thing: we'll be adding another writing knitter/knitting writer to the roster in the next few weeks. Caroline Leavitt, whose talent leaves me literally speechless, will be joining us here at Romancing the Yarn. I first discovered Caroline's work around 1982 when I devoured her first novel (I think it was her first) MEETING ROZZY HALFWAY. It's twenty-six years later and I can still remember scenes and passages. That's how good a book it is. I hope you'll take time to visit Caroline's website and get to know her. And check out her blog. I think you'll love her.

And here I thought I had nothing to say tonight.