Therbligs- Episode 124 - The Knitmore Girls

Listen here:


This week's episode has been sponsored by:

Abstract fiber has new Limited Luxury fibers. Our website will soon have merino cashmere silk and merino yak silk blends that we will dye to order in any of our colors until we run out. The cashmere blend sold out at SOAR in 3 hours! Visit your lys or Abstractfiber.com to see what the commotion's about!


Everything's coming up Cassidy at Purlescence Yarns! Join us for our fabulous fall Cassidy Knit-Along, featuring Chic Knit's wonderful cabled cardigan pattern. We're loving this piece knit in Manos Rittenhouse Merino 5-Ply, Cascade Venezia & Eco Wool, Lorna's Laces Green Line Worsted & Shepherd Worsted, to name but a few. Mention the Knitmore Girls when you place your order for 10% off your yarn purchase for the KAL through the end of October. And don't forget, Amy Singer is coming November 2 to teach her Non-Wool Socks Class. Seats in this class are limited, so sign up early!



Knitter’s Magazine brings you the very best in the Knitting Universe. Each issue offers something for every knitter—easy step-by-step instructions, how-to techniques, informative articles, and the best designs from the most talented designers. We’re Knitter’s, it shows. You can find us on the web at http://KnittingUniverse.com/Knitters/ or call 800-232-5648.

On the needles: (00:43)

Gigi has been working on vanilla socks with afterthought heels out of the StitchJones "Gene Simmons" colorway. Jasmin is working on the Twist cardigan for Meghan. Gigi put another couple of repeats on her Heart to Heart scarf by Sivia Harding.

Jasmin is knitting her Cece out of the Abstract Fiber Alto in "Spinach". Gigi is continuing to work on the Maia shawl by Rosemary Hill. Jasmin is still working on her Supernatural Socks and *did* finish them today. Gigi has finished her Marta Cardigan by Julie Weisenberger.

Welcome back, Brenda!

Mother Knows Best: (15:05)

We talk about throwing vs picking, economy of movement (therbligs!), and muscle memory. We mention the Yarn Harlot Knitting video:

Jasmin mentions The Knitter's Handbook.

When Knitting Attacks: (29:46)

Gigi's Aeolian shawl runs short. Jasmin's Cece is attacked by Komodo vs Cobra. Gigi can't get gauge on her Cassidy.

Straw into Gold: (38:68)

Jasmin talks about the Norwegian Top from the Crown Mountain Farms fiber of the month club.

from the BRG archives: That thing with feathers

Black Beauty grows old (and Ginger dies!); Mattie never is nice to Wanda Petronski, and joins the other girls in egging her on about her “hundred dresses”; Lyra causes her best friend’s death; Anne Frank goes off to a concentration camp …. but all these books still left me with a feeling of hope -- about people and possibilities. Great books do this not with platitudes or PC messages or Walt Disney happy endings, but because of the way their (very real and believable) heroes and heroines react:

“In spite of everything, I still believe that people are good at heart,”

or

“Yes, she must have [really liked us],” said Mattie, and she blinked away the tears that came every time she thought of Wanda standing alone in the sunny spot in that sunny spot in the schoolyard, looking stolidly over at the group of laughing girls, after she had said, ‘Sure, a hundred of them – all lined up…”

or

“The first ghost to leave the world of the dead was Roger. He took a step forward, and turned to look back at Lyra, and laughed in surprise as he found himself turning into the night, the starlight, the air, and then he was gone, leaving behind such a vivid little burst of happiness that Will was reminded of the bubbles in a glass of champagne.”

Maybe it has nothing to do with the way the characters react, maybe it’s just something the best writers show us or induce in us about the gallant human spirit. Anyway, I feel bigger-hearted and more hopeful after reading them.

“Hope is the thing with feathers –
that perches in the soul.” – Emily Dickinson

And how about that word “perches”? Pretty perfect. That some people write that well – and that some girls now still read and love her poetry – gives me hope, too.


Originally posted on Aug. 30 2006

Happy Halloween from Golf Girl Media

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OK. We could have been sexy nurses or sexy police women... or sexy golfers. But we went for something decidedly more... blue PG.

Meridith, our "Fashionista", created the Avatar style  ...and as blue as we may look... we kind of like it.

Happy Halloween everyone!

Photo by Meredith Horton/Golf Girl Media

Giles Corey: An Iron Man Who Was a Victim of the Salem Witch Trials

My first guest blogger post for Jonathan Turley's law blog is up.
Giles Corey: An Iron Man Who Was a Victim of the Salem Witch Hysteria

A Thur... Fri... Saturday post from Golf Girl World

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By Jordan Farr aka Golf Girl Junior

Once again the business of the week has gotten in the way of my famous Thursday Post... so from now on, it's going to be a Friday post... which will make my life easier AND lessen the chance of it being late... although this week I'm actually writing it at 2:ooam on Saturday morning?

OK... I assure you, I will get into the rhythm of the work flow around here, and I really appreciate your patience in the meantime. Thank yous.

We spent Wednesday in Manhattan, where we had the opportunity to preview the 2011 Ralph Lauren and RLX golf apparel lines. What can I say? Everything... from the fresh color pallets to the body-conscious cuts to the innovative fabrics is ... superlative? I think that's the word I'm looking for. Anyway it's a beautiful, well-balanced collection and we'll be writing about it next week.

We also met with a photographer who may be helping us out with "Tillinghast from the Red Tees". I never saw golf courses as art before. Now I do. To be honest with you, I didn't even know who Albert Warren Tillinghast was a month ago when Patricia told me about the project... even though I grew up in the shadow of one of his most famous courses. ~ So... I'm learning. Learning a lot, and quickly.

Now for my Poll question which you may have caught on Wednesday's show: After seeing a woman on the golf course last week with a small dog sitting next to her in the cart... and knowing this is practice of Playboy's Kendra Wilkenson along with other celebrities... I wonder: Should dogs be allowed on the course and (bonus question) what breed would you like to see on your course?

Well that's it for now, talk to you next Thursday...no I mean Friday... or maybe Saturday. What ever, see you soon.

Photo: Golf Girl Media

Glitz, Glamour and Golf at Mission Hills Hainan

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He didn't do his triple back flip, but former Olympic gymnast Li Xiaoshuang was certainly in a celebratory mood today.

Together with his partner, Ryuji Imada, and three amateurs,  he won the Pro-Am Team tournament at the inaugural Mission Hills Star Trophy, now taking place in Haikou, China.  The team will split a back-flip-worthy $100,000 prize for their efforts.

The Pro-Am Team tournament is the first of three segments that make up the Mission Hills Star Trophy event.  It featured teams of one celebrity, one pro and three amateurs, in a scramble format. The improbable celebrity/pro pairings, combined with a collective sense of wonderment at the amazing new venue, made for two magical days of golf.  The final results... and some of those unique parings... are listed here.

The amazing golf event will continue throughout the weekend with the Pro-Celebrity Team (one celebrity, one pro, four-ball stroke play) and the Professional Individual events (20 professionals, male and female, 36-hole individual stroke play).

In additional news from Mission Hills,  precocious New Zealand pro Danny Lee gives good golf tips,  Hugh Grant is contemplating a Chinese girlfriend and Hong Kong pop singer Arron Kwok is adorable (major new Golf Girl Junior Celeb Crush).  

More to come this weekend.

October 27, 2010 - Photo by Athit Perawongmetha/Getty Images AsiaPac)

A FEW QUESTIONS ANSWERED

I thought I'd try to answer a few of the questions that people had asked below. So here is one:

"Something my crit group and I were talking about last night was the fine line between a picturebook with spare text vs one that gets labeled as "slight". I love books like "Shark vs. Train" published by Little Brown or "Show Dog" by Megan McCarthy. What is y'all's take on the fine line of spare vs. slight when it comes to picturebooks? How do you indicate action that occurs in wordless panels in a manuscript? Should you indicate it or just show it in the dummy? 
"

First, thanks for liking Show Dog! The importance of a book like that is pacing. A lot happens in that book even though there aren't a lot of words. Ed trains for a dog show, enters the show, ruins the show (there's your story arch), but behind the scenes you can watch Princess and how unhappy she is and that's sort of the secondary plot. At the end she gets to go home with Ed and his family and Mr. Pitt continues to be unhappy. Will he learn his lesson that there's more to happiness than being perfect on the outside? I actually used the Ramsey girl as my model (as sick and twisted as that may be). What if she could have been adopted by another family instead of having to put on a happy smile all the time?

So there's a lot going on in that story even though there aren't many words. A slight story is one where there aren't many words and there isn't much story/stuff going on to boot. It's the kind of story that makes you feel empty... wanting more... or kind of that huh? feeling. And believe me, there are plenty of them out there. And just imagine how many unpublished stories there are! There's a fine art to making text work well and have a good chunky story but yet not contain many words. I still do this with my nonfiction works. I'm often very frustrated by the amount of nonfiction books that win awards. Their lengths are soooo long that the books clearly are for adults and not kids. I'm writing for kids and will continue to do so.

As far as indicating action in a wordless dummy: yes, draw it out in the dummy if you're an artist or write in parentheses what action will take place if you are the writer.

Here's another question:

"One thing that I am very interested in is how to fund research, and I don't mean just for nonfiction writers. Almost every work requires research. Sometimes, it can all be done in a library or online, but what about when it can't?

I've read blogs about authors who discuss their research process - visiting places, people, etc. Who pays for this? Does the writer pay for it him/herself and then hope to get it back out of book sales, or do publishers help front some of it? This aspect of publishing has always stumped me and because I have some ideas that would require more research than others, I'm curious.
"

Authors are always responsible for paying for research. This goes for trips, gas, books purchased, etc. Sad but true. You can write it off at the end of the year. Hey, nonfiction has its costs!

film version

This wonderful video of my book was made to promote the book as a Georgia Children's Book Award nominee by Library Media Specialist James Campbell. I think it's great! It's very cool to see your book turned into such a wonderful film... complete with the actual broadcast! Wonderful.

An Original Poem, My Sessions at NCTE, and Guest Blogging at the Turley Blawg

I wrote the following poem earlier this year for my blog Political Verses. First, I’ll provide you with the news story that inspired the poem:

Study Says Women With Mates Get Heavier
By Nicholas Bakalar
New York Times (January 4, 2010)

It is widely known that women tend to gain weight after giving birth, but now a large study has found evidence that even among childless women, those who live with a mate put on more pounds than those who live without one.

The differences, the scientists found, were stark.

After adjusting for other variables, the 10-year weight gain for an average 140-pound woman was 20 pounds if she had a baby and a partner, 15 if she had a partner but no baby, and only 11 pounds if she was childless with no partner. The number of women with a baby but no partner was too small to draw statistically significant conclusions.

There is no reason to believe that having a partner causes metabolic changes, so the weight gain among childless women with partners was almost surely caused by altered behavior. Moreover, there was a steady weight gain among all women over the 10 years of the study.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/05/health/05weight.html

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Look at the Man: A Poem Explaining Why Women with Mates Gain Weight

Once upon a time he was a prince.
Now every time I look at him I wince.
That dashing fellow who once caught my fancy
Now sports big boobies like my old Aunt Nancy.
As I dream of wedded bliss…a life diviner--
He croaks out to me from his worn recliner,
“Honey, do me a favor—be a dear—
Would you go and fetch me another ice cold beer?
And while you’re at it, get a bag of chips!”
Those are the loving words that pass through his wan lips.
He never buys me flowers, takes me dancing.
My mate’s not into sweet talk and romancing.
He’s always in a couch potato mode—
That prince I married turned into a toad.


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NCTE Annual Convention News
I’ll be presenting at two sessions at the NCTE Annual Convention in Orlando in November.

Session Title: Poets and Bloggers Unite: Using Technology to Connect Kids, Teachers, and Poetry
Date: November 19th
Session/Time: A.09—9:30 am to 10:45 am
Format: Panel

Other children’s literature bloggers who’ll be participating in the session along with me are Sylvia Vardell of Poetry for Children and Tricia Stohr-Hunt of The Miss Rumphius Effect. The poet members of our panel will be Lee Bennett Hopkins, Jame Richards, and Marilyn Singer.

NOTE: I'll be featuring Lee Bennett Hopkins on Wild Rose Reader next week.

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Session Title: Poetry for Children and Teachers at Its Best: The 2009 Notable Poetry Titles
Date: November 19th
Session/Time: C.20—12:30 pm to 1:45 pm
Format: Panel
Panel Members: The NCTE Excellence in Poetry Committee

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FYI: I've been asked to be a guest blogger on Jonathan Turley's law blog next week. Professor Jonathan Turley is a legal scholar and a contributor at MSNBC. He has appeared on The Rachel Maddow Show and Countdown.

In his post, Introducing Our New Guest Bloggers, today, Professor Turley wrote the following:

I am happy to report we will be implementing another one of your suggestions for improving the blog. Various people suggested a year ago that we have guest blogging to allow regulars a chance to make entries on the blog. With my upcoming speech in France, I thought it would be a great time to try this out for a week from October 31st to November 6th. I have selected three of our best known and most respected regulars: David Drumm (aka Nal), Elaine Magliaro (aka Elaine M) and Mark Esposito (aka Mespo).

You can read the rest of Professor Turley's post here.

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At Wild Rose Reader, I have an original fairy tale poem--an urgent FAX message written by the seven dwarfs to Snow white. I also have links to other Wild Rose Reader posts with witch poems and recommendations for poetry and picture books perfect for Halloween reading.

Toby Speed has the Poetry Friday Roundup at the Writer’s Chair.

Sparkling Mission Hills Star Trophy Spotlights Hainan

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An eclectic melange of global glitterati have convened in Haikou, China for The Mission Hills Star Trophy. 

The celebrity golf pro-am tournament will run from today through Oct. 31,  and involves 20 professional golfers along with 20 celebrities and 120 amateurs.  It's part of a government-led initiative to make the Hainan island a leading international tourism destination in the coming years, and judging from the brilliant constellation of international superstars now navigating the fairways of newly launched Mission Hills Resort Hainan, interest in this once mysterious region of China is huge. International exposure from the Mission Hills Star Trophy will be correspondingly massive.

Golf's most astute two-time-Open-Championship-winner-slash-businessman, Greg Norman is a HostAmbassador for the event along with China's multiple gold medal-winning gymnast Li Ningand Japan’s ultra-popular television star, Akashiya Sanma. 

Celebrity participants include reformed frat boy Olympic gold medalist, Michael Phelps, actors Mathew McConaughey, Hugh Grant, Christian Slater, Michael Wong and Catherine Zeta-Jones. Additionally, among numerous others cast of Ryder Cup Captains, major champions and golf icons will be among the professional golfers competing in the pro event for the $1.28 million first prize, including Colin Montgomerie, Nick Faldo, Annika Sorenstam, Lorena Ochoa, Seri-Pak, Danny Lee and Zhang-Lian Wei to mention just a few.

The format sounds ultra-compelling: Amateur teams of three play with a celebrity or professional golfer on the first two days of the event in a team scramble format. The weekend play will then be in four-ball stroke play format between 20 teams consisting of a celebrity and a professional, with a 36-hole individual professional event running concurrently on the Blackstone Course.

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The Mission Hills Star Trophy is huge, and illustrates the rapid emergence of China as an international stage for major sporting and lifestyle events.  ~ We'll keep you updated on the action in Haikou as the weekend progresses. 

October 27, 2010 - Photos by Athit Perawongmetha/Getty Images AsiaPac

what should we talk about?

So as you can see (and as Alvina said) we've freshened up here at the Blue Rose Girl blog. As we head into the next decade and our 5th(!) year, we thought we could use a little enlivening. Thank you so much, our faithful readers that have made this blog what it is and helped us keep our conversations going.

One of the reasons we started this blog was to talk to each other, but we want to talk to you too! So one of the new features we are planning are our Blue Rose Girl Conversations. Once a month, we'll tackle and talk about kidlit topics that are causing our brains to work in overdrive--kind of like "Hot Topics" on the View!

But we need your help! What do YOU want us to talk about?

We're open to any and all suggestions! You can go deeper than the usual "how do you promote your books" (though we're happy to talk about that, too)-- you can also suggest the real nitty gritty like "what are the ethics of authors reviewing other books?" to "have you ever thought of leaving the industry?" Everything will be considered! Combined, we have over ten years of struggles, triumphs, failures and successes to talk about, as well as the issues we face everyday. So, what do you want to hear about?

Don't worry, besides our thanks, we are giving away a big thank-you gift! To a commenter (chosen at random) we'll send you a collection of our books (one from each BRG) and some delicious, homemade cookies (made by moi!)

(these aren't the actual cookies I will send you, I promise they will be fresh and extremely yummy)

All YOU have to do is leave a comment that tells us:

1. what you want us to talk about

2. your occupation/why you read our blog (teacher, author, etc)

Comment & make as many suggestions as you want.

Winner announced on Wednesday, November 10th--so get going!

Many thanks for being a Blue Rose Girl Reader, from all of us!

Only Two Things - Sluts, Stooges & Halloween Golfers

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... on BlogTalkRadio

The 31st of October is just days away, and it got me thinking  of a post I did last year. It's on Halloween costumes and it makes a a good topic for our show.  Here it is:

Yes, that quaint American holiday where the nation's young people dress up as ghosts and goblinsPimps and Hos and attend Halloween Parties Pimp & Ho Parties is right around the corner.














Many have complained in recent years about the increasing commercialization of Halloween (it's now a $5 billion business in the US) and many more have voiced objection to the increasing sleazeification of the spooky holiday... and, let's face it, to a great extent the traditional favorite costumes of the past, such as ghost, princess, astronaut and cowboy, have indeed been replaced by slightly more... salacious... options: zebra pimp, fallen angel, charm school dropout, and the like.  ~ A reflection of our times, I suppose.

To that end,  I thought I'd do a quick search for "golf costumes" and see what's out there these days for the average person who just wants to be a golfer on Halloween.

I found quite a variety of choices, and in the ladies category they definitely lean towards the lugubrious as you can see in the montage above. I put it together from a variety of costume sites and you can call them racy, slutty, naughty or fun but there's no denying it... these outfits are sexed-up... to the max. 

The strange thing however, is that when it comes to the guy golfer's selection, there's nothing remotely racy available. In fact, all of the men's costumes seem to be inspired by the three stooges or outdated notions that golfers always look like dorks. (I have a friend who insists that guys find the Three Stooges sexy but I don't think I believe her).














Other male costumes have been "modernized". I found plenty of sexy policemen, and sexy cowboys and sexy football players, but I could find no sign of a sexy male golfer, though I suppose maybe one could adapt this costume. Golf did originate in Scotland, right?

Anyway, I can only conclude that if the Golf Sluts meet up with the Golf Stooges on Halloween, the girls will surely have to give the guys a few extra strokes.

So that's what we'll be talking about tonight on "Only Two Things".

Why are men relegated to silliness  - while women are encouraged to sex it up.  Are there further iimplications?   And what would you let your teen or pre-teen wear?  You can join the conversation too... on-air... by using our call-in number, which is: 917-889-9592. Or weigh in at the chat room, or on Twitter... or just have a listen at Blog Talk Radio. We'll be live from 9:30 - 10:30 ET, hope to hear from you.

"Fashionista Golf Girl" - Introducing Meredith Horton

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It's my pleasure to introduce Meredith Horton, the latest member of the Golf Girl Media team.

She's going to be helping us out... here at Golf Girl's Diary... and with our myriad projects at Golf Girl Media.  She's a world traveler and recent college graduate who is determined to learn how to play golf... and she'll surely bring a unique perspective to our endeavors.

Hi everyone, my name is Meredith Horton and I am proud to say that I am the newest member of the Golf Girl Media team.

I've been reading Golf Girl's Diary and talking to Golf Girl about some of the projects in the pipeline, and I'm so happy to have been asked to join the team. 

Now, I have to tell you the truth; I’m a recent college graduate, and for as long as I can remember my world has revolved around books, studying, and papers. (Can I just say how happy I am that that phase of my life is over!) So, I know little about golf as yet… though I can tell you all about Celtic Mythology if that helps!
  
I plan to not only learn all there is to know about golf, but to have fun doing it...  and I plan to do it in style! (Who knew there were so many amazing golf fashions out there? Not me.) 

Now, I’m guessing that you’d like to know a little about me…  well I’m a tea addicted, Gemini, who is obsessed with Gilmore Girls and classic movies. Does that help? Well, if you’re still curious I’ll tell you a bit more: I’m the second eldest of six. Three girls and three boys… I know what you’re thinking, “how very Brady Bunch of you!” And yes, yes it is, though not as creepily happy and obedient. Oh, and our house has toilets something that VH1 The 60’s pointed out the Brady house didn’t. It’s a true story, watch an episode and see for yourself!  We’re also a house of animal lovers. Growing up we had almost every kind of pet imaginable, from chinchillas and chickens to the more conventional dogs and birds.

Oh, I’m also astoundingly competitive and cannot wait till I can teach my brothers and sisters how to play golf… and win! Yep, I plan to become that good (or maybe the heavens will smile on me and they’ll all stink!). To quote Madeline (I loved those books when I was little!) “That’s all there is, there isn’t any more.”

So, I can’t wait to start hearing from you and I can't wait to know more about the multi-faceted world of golf. Golf Girl Media, I've happily come to find out, is all about developing a passion for the game and keeping it fun.
 
Oh I almost forgot, I'm @GolfGirlFashion on Twitter ...and I just got on there two days ago so I'm actively seeking friends. Hint, hint. Well, that's it for now.  

FashionistaGolfGirl signing off. 

Books for babies

As I look down the home stretch of pregnancy (one month to go!), I realize there is one baby accessory that strangely has not made it onto my radar. BABY BOOKS. I don't know if its because I have a library of children's books already (though they are in storage at the moment since we're away from home), or that I've just been preoccupied with making sure we have the basics like diapers and pjs. But I haven't bought one baby book!

What are some of your favorite baby board books? I've always loved Good Night Gorilla, Pat the Bunny, and of course the Eric Carle board books. If any parents or board book aficionados out there have any recommendations please leave them in the comments! I'd love to support some new authors.

Cristie Kerr is Again Number One in the World

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The life of a touring pro isn't an easy one.  As glamorous as it may seem, traveling the world to play golf requires a kind of nimbleness, adaptability and mental dexterity that few of us ever have to call upon in our day-to-day lives.

The resilient stars of the LPGA are needing to call upon all of those skills these days, as they continue their trek through Asia.

From Bangkok, Thailand where the temperatures hovered around 90 (F) degrees, the tour has moved on to Incheon, South Korea.  Located on the country's west coast, temperatures there have been in the 40s... with a blustery breeze thrown in to boot.

However, new (and former) world number one, Cristie Kerr is not letting the drastic weather change dampen her mood.  She's back at the top in the hotly contested Rolex Rankings, having reclaimed the coveted No. 1 spot from Ai Miyazzato yesterday when the updated rankings were released.  And that's just where she wants to be.

Kerr and Miyazato are two of several players who've been battling for number 1 since early in the season,  in a race that's become so close it seems to come down to one putt week after week. 

The Hana Bank Championship  begins later this week on the Ocean Course at Sky 72 Golf Club, and Cristie Kerr is without a doubt aiming to keep that #1 next to her name.

Ch- ch- changes!

Notice anything different? Our blog has a brand new outfit, thanks to the wonderful design and illustration work of Anna Alter. Some of the changes:

-A beautiful new logo: we thought it made sense to include a book, as we're all about books
-A new tagline: we wanted to make the purpose of the blog clearer
-A new background: blue roses, of course!
-New headers: we wanted to make it clear who was writing which post, so going forward we'll be using these new headers (if you click on them, they'll take you to our personal blogs or websites). Note: for our older posts, the author of the each post will be listed at the bottom.
-New photos: now you know exactly what we all look like!
-"Reactions" buttons at the end of each post. Don't want to post a full comment? Just click a button! We're hoping this will also help us with feedback regarding what kinds of posts you'd like to see more of.
-Buttons for posting on Facebook, Twitter, and more.

With the new redesign also comes some new features to the blog. Stay tuned for information about a contest--Grace will have the details on Wednesday. We'll also be introducing some guest bloggers, a "from the BRG archives" feature, and regular discussion posts, including video, audio, and print.

We're all incredibly proud that we've kept this blog going strong for over four years, and we love the  community we have here. But we want to make sure we keep growing and adapting, and that the conversation stays fresh and interesting. Any and all feedback is welcome. Thank you to both our new and veteran readers, thanks to everyone for reading and participating!

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Also, if you're in the New York area, I'll be speaking on a panel at the NYPL tomorrow evening starting at 6:30 pm at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, South Court Auditorium. The panel is titled "Reflections on YA". Here is the description:

As Teen Read Week comes around again, join The New York Public Library for a refreshing and in-depth conversation about the state of YA publishing today. Hear from dynamic and engaging people from the literary world as they discuss the triumphs of the genre, as well as the areas for improvement. From paranormal to economic challenges and from the increasingly diverse population of Ya readers to the dominance of paranormal, find out what's happening in the world of reading.

Featured panelists:

Amy Bowllan, Director of Diversity and Educational Technology at The Hewitt School in NYC

Alvina Ling, Senior Editor at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Cailtlyn Dlouhy, Executive Editor, Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Megan Honig, Teen Collections Specialist, The New York Public Library

Stacey Barney, Editor, Penguin Book Group

Info here. Come join in the discussion! It should be a lively one.

Italian Kid is Youngest European Tour Winner Ever

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Earlier this year Matteo Manassero spoke about how journalists... particularly American journalists... had taken to calling him "The Italian Kid".

It was... he declared... a nickname he wore with pride. ~ After all, though his game is that of a far more seasoned player,  Matteo Manassero is only seventeen.

As such,  his win yesterday at the Castelló Masters made him the youngest European Tour winner in history. ~ Matteo's reaction when asked how he'd spend his €333,330 earnings was disarmingly... um...youthful:

"I'm not old enough to drive and I don't have a girlfriend to spend the money on," he said laughing. "So I really have nothing to spend my money on -- but the most important gift for me is the two-year Tour exemption."

In addition, the newly minted champion earned a start in next fortnight's $7m WGC-HSBC Champions event... and the assurance of a place in the season-ending $7.5m Dubai World Championship after moving to 44th on the money list.

Matteo also won the tournament's cute, kissable trophy (above)... though he didn't get nearly so intimate with the whimsical award as Michael Jonzon did last year. (Matteo just kissed the little guy's hand)

Ultimately the Manassero victory is the latest in a year of extraordinary success for Italian golf and it had a number of golf writers asking, "What are they doing right in Italy?"


Early this year I wrote about the Italy's emerging golf excellence, about the Italian Golf Federation's dedication to growing the game,  and particularly about extraordinary coach, Alberto Binaghi who has nurtured the talent and passion of Matteo Manassero from the start. Signore Binaghi has quite a bit to be proud of today.

K(nit)9 - Episode 123 - The Knitmore Girls

Listen here:


This week's episode has been sponsored by:

Abstract Fiber is headed to SOAR! Spin-Off’s Autumn Retreat is the last week of October in southern Wisconsin, just outside of Chicago. We’re bringing crimpy, easy to spin cashmere, Polwarth, and BFL/Silk as our featured fibers, plus Hedonism, our luxury yarn available only direct from us. We’ll have our regular yarns and fibers too. If you can’t make it to SOAR check out AbstractFiber.com to find a local retailer or shop online. The market will be open to the public on Thursday, October 28, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, Friday, October 29, 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm, Saturday, October 30, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.


Everything's coming up Cassidy at Purlescence Yarns! Join us for our fabulous fall Cassidy Knit-Along, featuring Chic Knit's wonderful cabled cardigan pattern. We're loving this piece knit in Manos Rittenhouse Merino 5-Ply, Cascade Venezia & Eco Wool, Lorna's Laces Green Line Worsted & Shepherd Worsted, to name but a few. Mention the Knitmore Girls when you place your order for 10% off your yarn purchase for the KAL through the end of October. And don't forget, Amy Singer is coming November 2 to teach her Non-Wool Socks Class. Seats in this class are limited, so sign up early!



Take your knitting skills to new levels with instruction from the country’s top knit designers at STITCHES ETC on November 1 and 2. Work one-on-one with Isager, Mondragon, Bortner, Duvekot, Slicer-Smith, Brown-Reinsel, and Bush. Learn to build on classic designs, master one-yarn intarsia, and enter the world of entrelac…plus much, much more! This 2-day experience begins immediately following STITCHES EAST Knitting Expo at the Marriott Hartford Downtown and Connecticut Convention Center. STITCHES EAST Knitting Expo is October 28 through 31. Easy registration for STITCHES ETC and STITCHES EAST Knitting Expo classes are available online at knittinguniverse.com.

On the Needles: (00:28)

Gigi wants to replace "mindless" with "autopilot", Jasmin's suggestion is "cruise control". Gigi has been working on her Aeolian shawl. Jasmin has been working on Meghan's Twist Cardigan. We mention the Cables and Lace Knit(more)-a-long. Jasmin is still working on the socks for Andrew out of the Creatively Dyed J'ouvert base (colorway: Cake).

Gigi is knitting the Heart to Heart Scarf by Sivia Harding out of Abstract Fiber Hepburn in red. Jasmin mentions the Yarnspinner's Tales podcast. Jasmin also mentions the Knit Knit Cafe podcast and the heeled Doc Marten boots that Abby mentioned.

Be a mench, leave positive iTunes reviews for your favorite podcasters!

Mother Knows Best: (16:32)

We discuss beads and knitting. Gigi mentions the 7 Small Shawls ebook by Rosemary Hill.

Review: (24:58)

This week we review "Dress Your Dog" by Sys Fredens. Jasmin mentions the CARE rescue group in Saratoga, CA. Jasmin mentions the dog sweater calculator.

Straw into Gold: (38:21)

Jasmin mentions the Crown Mountain Farms Superwash merino ("Tequila Sunrise"). Jasmin and Gigi drumcard Shetland fleece while they watch TV. Jasmin mentions "The Knitter's Book of Wool" and "In Sheep's Clothing" as her go-to reference books.

Jasmin talks about the Welsh Top from the Crown Mountain Farms Fiber of the Month club, and her "aha" moment when it comes to spinning from the fold.

Maybe

In Greece and Ireland and other places in Europe, stories and epic poems weren't written, but performed - improvised, somewhat differently each time -- by traveling bards. Then, sometime in ancient history (around 800 BC, in Greece, some scholars think), people started writing them down, on skins and, later, papyrus......Of course in China they'd had paper for centuries, but paper came late to Europe.

When Greek epics were first written down and read, some people were outraged -- we know because there are comments in written Greek histories and plays. What was happening, they said, this was going to ruin poetry if, instead of being performed by bards, artists, anyone -- even people too lazy to memorize -- could just read it. Anytime they wanted to.

Then, some hundreds of years later, illuminated manuscripts became an artform -- handmade dyes, monks lovingly copying and painting and embellishing......until Gutenberg invented the printing press. Again, there was outrage.

You can see where I'm going with this. Something was lost each time -- all those bards and performances, all those beautiful paintings and gold letters. But something was gained, too.

Maybe it doesn't matter if our stories are memorized or written on skins or papyrus, or inked and painted by hand on parchment or printed on paper-- or passed on in some other form I can't even imagine (implanted in people's brains by electronic transmission? telepathic communication?).....I'm not sure I really believe this (I love books!) but there's at least part of me that thinks what REALLY matters is that some people go on loving language and using it to make up the best stories they can -- and that other people go on reading (or maybe I should say "Getting") them.

Win Amazing Golf Prizes With the 2010 Golf Census

By Jordan Farr (with Meredith Horton)

So... we’re going to let you in on a little secret and you have to promise that you wont tell anyone you'll tell every golfer you know. Are you ready?? 

Okay, there's a really easy way for you to win the most amazing golf prizes ever!  

We’re so not talking about t-shirts and caps... not that we have anything against t-shirts and caps... but what we're talking about here are... dream vacations: Scotland, Ireland Pinehurst and Pebble. Also, major championship ticket packages, golf instruction with Annika Sorenstam and equipment prizes so vast and varied that we get dizzy with excitement just thinking of them!  And as we were saying, it's really, really easy.  

All you have to do is fill out the American Golf Census. It takes less than 5 minutes, because it's just a few basic questions,  and here's the thing: the census supports the game of golf. By being counted, you'll be helping policymakers understand how golf enhances the lives of millions of Americans from all walks of life. So if you play golf, please take part in the census; for the game we love and for the awesome prize possibilities.  Tell your golfing friends too, you get additional entries for doing so.

As for us gals at Golf Girl Media, we happen to have a nerdy obsession with statistics so we're looking forward to the results.

society of illustrators event

I had a great time at the Society of Illustrators show last night. Lots of hobnobbing. I didn't get a good shot of anyone because my camera was in my jacket pocket, which was upstairs and pretty much unavailable. Grrr. So everyone took group shots and I missed out. I have one of me which I like because it's totally washed out. Yeah!



My picture is above and I'm blocking Kevin Henkes painting.

meghan

An Unpoetry Poetry Friday

I apologize for not posting on Poetry Friday last week. I've been having computer problems. My computer is back with the "geek squad" again--for the second time in a week. I have to borrow my husband's MacBook when he isn't using it--which can be very frustrating. I can't get any writing done. I'm going crazy!!!

I'm going to send you to Wild Rose Reader if you need a "Poetry Friday" fix this week. I posted an original poem for Halloween titled Licorice. I wrote Licorice for a poetry collection about candy--which is still unpublished.

*****

BTW, I'm thinking of getting myself a MacBook Air. To those of you who own a MacBook Air: Do you like it? Would you recommend I get one for myself?

*****

The Poetry Friday Roundup is at A Wrung Sponge this week.

Golf Ghouls and Fairway Phantoms - October Golf

You needn't be a golfer to enjoy a twenty minute golf cart trip across the verdant fairways of River Bend Golf Course.  Everyone is welcome,  even those who've never held club.  There's no dress code either.

However,  if you're not a fan of murderous ghouls, haunted bridges and malevolent scarecrows, you may wish to abstain from this round... it's not one you can win.

It's the “Haunting at River Bend” and along with the "Trail of Terror" at the Community Park, it's part of late October activities in Lisle, Illinois.

The haunting begins at the 19th hole aka The View Restaurant.   A ‘train’ of several golf carts takes off from there, following the cart path through a multitude of "scare points" more frightening than a downhill four footer.

This particular event takes place in the mid-west, but scary golf is taking place all over the country in honor of Halloween. Look for a haunting in your area... if you're brave enough.

BTW - It seems I've been drafted into I've volunteered to take my friend's two little ones to the Haunted Mini Golf this weekend.

The Taking Tree

I recently posted a picture of a bench that reminded me of The Giving Tree. Several people commented on the tree's terrible fate and that the book should be called The Taking Boy. Looks like someone else had the same idea...

Cigar Guy Humor-Is there a Male/Female Disconnect?

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 The finish was dramatic and the ensuing celebrations were raucous, but it's mid-October and the 2010 Ryder Cup has been relegated to history. 

We'll retain memories of lavender sweaters and rain delays... and the roar of the crowd at the 17th on that riveting final day when Graeme McDowell punched an iron to six feet.  We won't soon forget Hunter Mahan's tears at the press conference that followed either.  Those will be some of the lasting memories. 

But thanks to a spontaneous photo of a less than memorable Tiger Woods mis-hit, what many will remember most about Celtic Manor 2010 is a photo taken on-the-fly by Daily Mail photographer X as Tiger flubbed a chip in and more specifically,  "Cigar Guy", a stogie-chomping, mop-topped, MAJ impersonator, wide-eyed and smiling, in the background.
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"Cigar Guy" managed to transcend golf.  He was photo shopped and set to music in hundreds of different ways, appeared on myriad talk shows around the world and will undoubtedly appear on numerous doorsteps this Halloween.  Like nothing else from the 2010 Ryder Cup, "Cigar Guy" went viral.
 

But why? That's the question my assistant Jordan Golf Girl Junior asked me the other day. "Granted", she said, "it made me giggle like a little school girl, however, I did not by any means find it phenomenal... actually to me, it was quite silly and fairly banal.  What, exactly, is the big deal?"  
 

She asked me... like I'm supposed to know these things... and I had to admit I too was puzzled by the disproportionate popularity of this somewhat sophomoric personage.  So I suggested to GGjr that she look into it and... astute assistant that she is... she conducted an informal survey at her college campus last week, and at a local "19th hole" over the weekend.  What she discovered seems to reveal an interesting humoristic gender gap: When asked why they felt the photo had become so popular, the males described the photo with worlds like brilliant, epic, hilarious and awesome, while the females tended to chuckle and shrug their shoulders. 

To illustrate the point further, Jordan quoted one of her guy friends, "Dude! You go to a golf game and you see people who are uptight... or really into the game. Seeing something out of the norm is just... like... weird. Like why wouldn’t it become a big deal?” 
 
I thought about this, then I thought about CaddyShack, David Feherty and the Three Stooges, and that brings me to tonights topic: Is there a major disconnect when it comes to what men and women find funny?  And if so is the gap particularly wide when it comes to golf?  What do you think, is the "Cigar Guy" just the latest poster boy for schlubby male humor... or an optimistic symbol of hilarity and wonderment?  That's what we'll be talking about tonight on "Only Two Things", and we'd love to hear your opinion. You can join the conversation too... on-air... by using our call-in number, which is: 917-889-9592. Or weigh in at the chat room, or on Twitter... or just have a listen at Blog Talk Radio. We'll be live from 9:30 - 10:30 ET, hope to hear from you.

my long-winded rant on why I will continue to write about shy Asian characters

Even though it takes me a while to answer, I do like to read the reader letters I receive as soon as I get them. Most of the time they are encouraging, which is always very appreciated when I am struggling with projects (authors have very fragile egos, recently I had a nightmare that the publisher published the advanced copies of my book using my horrible first draft). So, I admit I was a bit taken aback when I received a letter that was more concerned than complimentary about my book "Lissy's Friends."

Here is part of the letter:

Although the children love the book, I am writing you out of concern for how the character Lissy was portrayed. I recently read the article Not for Sale by Tracy Lai where the author write how racism is perpetuated on Asian American women through having them described as "being desirable" (in the work place) because they are cute (as in doll like), quiet rather than militant and unassuming rather than assertive...I read your press about being a multicultural book author, and in the end there is a paragraph that states you write about the Asian American experience, and that you believe books erase bias. In reading your book to children, I feel that I may unjustly perpetuating a stereotype that has been used to subjugate Asian American women; no matter how innocently it was portrayed. I do wonder if this book was written about a shy white boy or girl, if I would feel as strongly.

I admit, the grumpy part of me felt just like throwing the letter away (now that I think of it, this whole blog post is more on the grumpy side, which I apologize in advance for) and chalking it up to another learning experience. The truth is being a "multicultural" author/illustrator is always a slippery slope. Authors are human. We create books and characters with the hope that our words express our true intentions. Sometimes we succeed. Sometimes we make mistakes. I'm willing to admit to certain books of mine have even failed; I just have to live with it and try harder the next time around.

But the more I thought about the letter, I began to feel that, in this instance, I wasn't sure if I agreed that the character of Lissy was a failure on my part.

In the book, Lissy is very shy and creates friends out of her imagination with origami. When her origami blows away and is discovered by other children, she is able to make real friends. The character of Lissy is actually based on my niece, who used to be extremely shy among strangers, often hiding when addressed by one. In fact, most of the characters in my books are based on myself and I was definitely more shy than outgoing as a child (and still am). And one of the books I have swimming in my mind for the future features a shy, Asian protagonist. Should I change her because of the fear of perpetuating a stereotype?

And my answer is no. Because before I am a multicultural author/illustrator, I am an author/illustrator without the adjective. I am aware of the adjective, I am sensitive to it, but I also know that I need to write a story that is authentic to myself first. I'm not saying I won't write about a boisterous Asian character, but I do have to write the voice of the character that is true to me. To me, it seems unfair (and not to say stifling!) to think that I have to be limited to what kind of characters I wish to write about because of my/their race.

And it also seems to be asking a lot of any author for the character in their book to be indicative of an entire race. As I mentioned in my booktalk of Little Pear, No one book is supposed to be representative of a culture.

So this was my response:

To address your concerns about perpetuating stereotypes--personally, I only feel that the book perpetuates the stereotype if it is the only book with an Asian character in your library. Just as there are shy white children, there are shy Asian children (I was one of them). One book should not and cannot define an entire race. My suggestion is to include other books with Asian characters in your children's reading--which would then show Asians with a range of personalities. Just like how it is in real life.

I didn't have the time, but if I did I would've included a list of books with unshy Asian characters, like Jenny in Uncle Peter's Amazing Chinese Wedding, and books with non-Asian shy characters, like Disappearing Desmond. That is a great book, by the way. If "Lissy Friends" offends you, please go get that one instead. Unless shy cats offend you too.