testing

how awesome was that to post that the comments were on and still they were broken? pro-fessional.

email address shows under comment, no way to hide it. Well, you could leave it blank.

I love that you are posting more often lately. Yay, you!! Love the cat pics and the knitting pics.

Oh look, it didn't eat your comment! That is progress!

Your blog is lovely as always, Laurie. And that little cardigan - just beautiful!

Hooray! =)

your little red sweater is beautiful, but your plan for the leftovers reminds me of something that grandgirl (age 7) said a few weeks ago:

me: stacy is having twins, so i think i'll knit washcloths and baby booties.

grandgirl, with puzzled look on face: gogo, how do you knit one of THOSE?

Love the sweater, it's gorgeous!

Yippee!

Drew I left my phone at home or I would call you. Hope Austin was fun. Oh, guess I could do that twitter thing. TOO MUCH TECHMOLOGIE

Your sweater is gorgeous...a sweater is my goal for this winter. Sorry about the great pumpkin massacre ( I empathize, lost my zucchinis to an over zealous but well meaning neighbor. BTW love your blog...

Yay for new comments - not so broken, really. And you know? If you can't innernet the way you want, then it's using you, not the other way around.

(((hugs))

so nice to have open lines of communication. there have been so many times when i just wanted to comment "YES!!" or "LOL"

i'll always read what you write because it's fun, charming, interesting and so on the level honest that it strikes a chord with so many of us gals.

Now ya'll are just being nice :) Ice cream for all!

I just posted a comment and it ate it, I think it happens when you use special characters in the name. I have no idea. I now officially give up on the comments. Maybe the database has PMS.

I've been reading your blog ever since my sister bought me your book for Christmas, and I'm so happy to be able to comment! And now I've outed myself as being an over the top effusive geek girl! Who loves exclamation points!

Yay for comments!! I promise to play nice.

The sweater looks great. Too bad infants can't appreciate great seaming. :) I hope all your comments are happy and spam-free.

I love exclamation points, too!!! And commas, oh, I love commas the best!!! Also, comma splices.

Sometimes I look at a column I just wrote and it looks as if someone upended a comma shaker all over it and sprinkled the page with comma splices like so many grains of salt.

Woot! *pumps fist in air* You go with your bad self. Comments or not, still love you, still read you.

Whoo hoo. I have kept reading, and often wanted to comment, but the extra effort involved in e-mailing you just made me think, "huh, she doesn't really need to know what I think about this." So I have said nothing. But now, hooray, I can leave sort of pointless remarks...

Love that your comments are back on... of course it was nice to send you random notes via e-mail as well.

I feel your garden pain. Instead of overzealous gardeners, we in the upper NorthEast have been dealing with overzealous weather patterns involving huge amounts of rain which means little to no harvesting of pretty much anything. I finally got a mammoth pumpkin started and while it's not going to break records, I will have a pumpkin for Halloween after all. I just finished making a summer squash casserole out of my only 4 yellow squash.

Hope you and the kittos are well.

The sweater looks lovely, and I think you should do comments when you want!

So glad you have the comments fixed so that you can have them closed only when you choose. Your theories on the comments make sense. I like that you make these decisions because that are right for you without turning it into a big thing.

Oh Laurie! I'm so happy you have comments again. Sometimes I've just wanted to say a "right on" or something of the sort, but it never seemed enough of a comment to write an email. Yay! You're awesome!

I am happy that the comments are working! I don't know why.....I hardly ever comment, but your blog is the very first blog that I started reading about 2 years ago. I found you when I was trying to figure out how to plant a garden via Google.

I went back and read every single one of your post from the beginning. It took be about 2 months to read all of them. It was like reading a really good book, I was a little sad when I finished. But it only lasted a minute, because you keep posting. So it is like one of your favorite books that never ends.

I will stop my gushing now...thanks for the wonderful blog!

When your comments went away, I was sad because sometimes I just wanted to cheer you on and say THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!

Yet, if I had a blog that a gazillion people read, I would totally turn off the comments every other day, because ya'll, people are just not nice all the time. And all their opinions. Ugh. I completely understood why you did it, because sometimes, a little quiet is just what a girl needs.

Glad they are back and I really hope this comment doesn't get eaten.

I love your red sweater! I am on a baby dress knitting jag because I now have a new great niece. I am burying the poor babe in knitwear. I would send the before and after pics of the pumpkins to Michelle Obama. I bet the gardeners don't mess with HER pumpkin vines!

Waa Hoo!!! Although email is nice...comments is nicer!!

Awesome sweater, awesome ladybug buttons..

BAD gardener..BAD BAD Gardener...

Happy Monday!

Bonza beauty Laurie. As a programmer I send my congrats on getting the comments to work again.

Ta muchly for such a great blog.

From an Aussie in the USA.

The little red sweater is darling!

After reading your post, all I can think about is the Monty Python bit about Spam, spam, spam, spam...I know, I am sick and twisted.

Yay! Laurie's comments are back! I never e-mailed, cause, well, I figured if you wanted to hear from us you'd turn the comments back on. But so many times I've just wanted to say HANG IN THERE GIRL! You inspire me. You really do!

I've never made a sweater. Scarves and one and one half market bags. I'm so pleased with the market bag I may start a blog just to post a copy of it on the innernets!

Give the cats a hug from all of us!

Please don't hide. Far too fabulous for that.

Hard to know when I'm hiding vs. when I'm just being still so I can hear my own self. Sometimes I'm not sure, I guess I tend to err on the side of "be quiet and see." hahaha
OK, must drive home now. Bye all! xoxoxo

Oh. I see you fixed it since I emailed. Thats Great!

yeah for the sweater and seaming!
yeah for the comments back on!
yeah for you!

so glad to read that you read the emails...hang in there we are all sending good karma!

Oh, yay, comments! It was nice to drop you an email now and then, but I agree with the rest that email seemed overkill for the "woo!" or "me too!" kind of comments that I often wanted to make, too.

Yay! It's so nice to be able to comment on your blog again!

I linked to you, as you are such a delight to read, so alive and upbeat --you have quite a following of folks that you possibly aren't aware of. Just one more thing: I love that little sweater. If you ever toy with the thought of giving up your day job, well, between your writing and your knitting, you certainly could pull it off just fine, I'm sure. Have a great week.

I have a love-hate thing about comments myself, but like others, glad you are feeling mostly like you want them on as, again like others - sometimes just want to comment and email seems personally intrusive???

Beautiful sweater!

Yay for comments being activated! Although I can understand wanting quiet sometimes too. Selfishly, I'm glad I can drop a comment quickly because I felt sending an email when comments were disabled was maybe too intrusive . . . although I did once send an email (in response to your post about you sending your mechanic a letter while he was in jail -- I *loved* that post).

oh my goodness, the comments are back!!!

Laurie, if you ever find the time, do you think you can highlight your own comments in a different color or something?

So glad comments are back open. Love you - love reading you. It makes my day when you have posted and I look for them every day!

I'm just happy you kept blogging, even if you did not have/want comments. I enjoy the knitting, the ill-fated garden, and of course the cats. I rarely even comment on blogs, and so email felt a bit odd with someone I know (but who does not know me).

I've been reading your blog in my RSS feeder and didn't even think of emailing your directly. I know it's late but I wanted to give you a big virtual hug when I read about the Great Pumpkin Massacre - all of us who read your blog know how much work you put into your garden and what an amazing achievement it was and I can't believe that thoughtless stupid &$%@^(*&*^^%$#

(comment edited to remove nasty abusive stuff that doesn't belong in your comments)

Yay, comments! Sending an actual email to a stranger whose blog I read excessively made me feel like a stalker. But leaving a comment for a stranger whose blog I read excessively makes me feel completely normal!

Yay comments! The sweater you made is beautiful. The lucky mommy of the little baby getting the sweater is going to cherish it, I guarantee.

And yay you for deleting abusive yucky comments or just turning them off when you're not up to it. I heard something the other day about how older people tend to be happier because they have finally learned how to limit negative influences - look at you bein' all precocious and learning how to do that when you're still so young! Well done.

Laurie, when I have some pumpkin pie this fall, or maybe a nice, steamed wedge of pumpkin with butter and salt, I will think of your beautiful garden and the pumpkins that could have grown to their fullest.

Here's to your very own pumpkin pie from scratch (the very scratchiest-- made with your homemade pumpkins) ...someday.

SomeGirlOnTheNet...lcf

Hey! Comments! Hi Frankie! Hi Bob! Greetings, your majesty!

And hi, hi Laurie! I've enjoyed every post from the first time I found your blog, lo these many years ago. When the comments went away, I thought just perhaps possibly you might not want or need responses, so I rarely emailed...except when absolutely driven by the TimeLine book/movie question, or the unfortunate vegetable attack of 2009.

But if the comments are back, I will probably often share pithy and meaningful reactions of the "me, too!" variety :)

love ya, that's all.

Lovely sweater, Laurie! The stitches are so even and smooth! How does that happen? I can't get garter stitch to look that nice. And thanks so much for fixing the comments! I really love to hear from everyone in "your circle!"

Welcome back, Laurie! Like paisleypenguin, I was so happy you kept blogging even when you turned off the comments. Can't even imagine getting SO much feedback every time you write. But thank you for recording all your little dramas and bumper stickers and kitty pictures... and your GORGEOUS new baby sweater!

I'm glad you've turned the comments back on so I can tell you I'm still sad and upset everytime I think of your poor murdered garden! And, also, your little red sweater is the sweetest, one can never have enough ladybug buttons, or red sweaters.

Awesome job on the baby sweater, Laurie. The hubs and I don't have children and yet I love to knit, so maybe making a pint-sized sweater would be just the right thing to introduce me to knitting clothing (I did a scaled-down Elizabeth Zimmerman, but that hardly counts because it's not classic sweater construction). You inspire me!

That sweater is adorable! I think you did a fantastic job - and I'd never have guessed you hadn't sewn a sweater together before. Cute!

I'm still fuming about the garden annihilation.

I am a lurker with somewhere between 2-4 cats of my own, no garden yet, and a partially finished baby sweater. I'm glad you've turned comments back on just so I can tell you that you are amazingly resilient through pumpkin disasters. Also, I'm glad you'll once again get daily reminders of your awesomeness from your Internet Friends!

Hi Laurie!
I missed 'talking' to you!

So glad the commments are back-I only emailed once as it seems like a direct invasion of your space. On a sad note-my old black cat T was lost to us Sunday. He was the first kitten born on the ranch and was our constant companion-on the tractor, on the back of my horse, with the boys while they did their homework, keeping company in the middle of the night when sleep was elusive...he was pure love and friendship. Having to put him to sleep was the hardest thing ever, even though it was right. True to the end, he gave a head bump and purred as he went even though he was unable to move. I thought of you and Roy-

I am a native Californian living in Oregon for now, waiting for the housing market to settle so I can try and get back. I really enjoy reading about the San Fernando Valley (where I grew up), it makes me feel more connected to home.
I read your blog as often as I can and am always thrilled to see new pics of the cats, love them!
I like reading about the way you see life and the way you talk about it. (My sister gave my your book last Christmas.)
Thanks Laurie.

I began reading your blog after I bought and loved your book. Never never missed your comment area because I didn't see it. Just love your blog all by itself. Love your kitties. Love your knitting. Love that you inspired my knitting. Thanks!

So happy to be able to talk to someone besides myself, I've missed the comments section but I've been following anyway and really loved it when I read your first tweet/twit/twat? (STALK, STALK, STALK)

And almost cried when I saw what those so called gardeners did to your used-to-be green yard, you might need to stand watch with a chain-saw next time.

Anyway, the little red sweater is beautiful, love to the kitties and I'll shut up now but I'm going to go tell Liz the comments are now open!!

Hey, Laurie,

I'm glad you've got your comments back on. I've been reading you for a couple of years now. I don't knit (ssh! No realy desire to knit either) but I wanted to tell you that I love your writing style, and your stories. Your cats too. Oh, and last year I set off on an adventure and took my first non-work related solo trip. LOVED it. And it was your blog that gave me the nerve to do it.

Laurie, your blog makes me smile.

Hallelujah! Our prayers have been answered! Praise the Lord. Or the Knitting Gods.

Laurie, I always lurk (only commented one time when one of your sweet lovies passed to catnip heaven - so poignant to a fellow cat-lover), but I always check your blog several times a week, and enjoy it, and you, mightily. Thought you should know. Keep it up. You rock...!

yes, it ate my comment - see above! I will try again, if this one works...

Glad you're willing to again put up with all our inane comments. I mean, after all, sometimes even I don't want to read my own posts!

When is your next book coming out? We had such a blast at your first signing event that we wouldn't miss another one for the world.

trying again. I just lurk (only commented when one of your lovely sweet ones passed to catnip heaven - so poignant), but I check your blog several times every week and always enjoy your posts, and you, mightily. Keep on rockin'....thanks!

Wow! - MY real comment shows up under Pirate Boy (and I'll bet his/hers is the one under my name!) too wild.

AND---my FIRST posting is up there as well - under "Neil"....

still some serious problems here!

Dear Mr. Pirate... heh. New book comes out in February. It's making me crazy. If it's really bad we'll all just make jokes about it later. Jokes! Comedy!

I can't believe I came home and checked to be sure comments were still working and entire site had not been eaten by Gremlins. Now I have to retire to my ugly clothes and lie on sofa with Frankie. Best part of the day!

Hi Jan -- the name appears under the post, I was unable to fix it without removing the name field altogether, which I did at one time whoops.

His/hers? Let me go check.... Nope! All male, all the time!

My wife is going to be so relieved...and grateful!

Glad your comments are back. I will totally understand if you shut them off again (for any reason). I have a request...more cat posse photos pul-eeze!

Yay! Comments! How many times did I just want to drop a line to say "Hang in there" or "Love your cats" or "I am gonna KILL THOSE GARDENERS!"

Oh wait... I emailed! Hehe.

Keep it up. Finding a new post is like finding an extra 20 bucks in your back pocket.

Yay for comments!!!! Ironically, I just decided today to try your "Easy" Roll Brim Hat for my "First Official Hat".

CAP, you rock!

Hurray! Comments!!!

Your little red sweater is adorable Seaming still frightens me, even after I've done some!

Just testing to see what happens if I put my blog URL in the email field....

Hmmm.... it gave me an error message. It knows that email addressed don't start with http. So let's see what happens if I just leave that part out.

Heck, it doesn't like that either. It's looking for an @ sign, I guess. Vinnie the Lap Cat and I give up...

Oh, nice to see the comments back. And as for that Cave of Fallibility and Persnickityness, I think it's bigger than you think!

You make me think - you make me laugh - a lot. Anything that can make me laugh is worth a visit -comments or no! Thank you, Laurie
and your sweater is gawgeous!

OH! I just clicked my name and it took me to my blog, even though the address it shows is weird.

I haven't read all the comments - maybe someone else had already discovered this...

You are by far, my most fav blogger. I have been reading you since the very beginning and I am so glad to see that you are doing so well. Go Laurie!!

Yay! I'm glad you opened up the comments again. Not that I comment much, but I like to read what other people have to say about some topics and I can't read your email! (I'm no hacker)

Welcome back to the comments! I am glad you're letting your readers post comments again. I love your blog!!

Howdy! I cried a bit when I read about the death of your lovely garden...just so sad.

But congrats on the lovely red sweater and the return of the comments!

some of us are dorky, persnickity, and just want to hide in a cave too -- sometimes we just work our day and come home & enjoy knowing that others are that way too.
Knit on - continue just doin' what you need to do to get along in this ole world.............
besides,it's Monday!!!

Your blog is one of my absolute favorites too...and I can completely relate to your cave of persnickitiness (I spent the whole day in one of those myself).

Your kitty pictures are just the best too...I have a tortoise cat who could be twins with Soba!

I did wonder what happened when the comments stayed closed for so long - but as long as you are posting - I'm reading!

We're all still here. Have been glad to see you posting more frequently. Beautiful job on the sweater! I feel my knit coming on as fall approaches. Best to you, as always--

divageek in Oxford, Miss

Yay! Comments!
I love the baby sweater! And I'm glad to know you still read your eleventy billion emails!

I was horrified when I read about the Great Pumpkin Massacre of '09. Enraged, and horrified. I'm so sorry that happened.

The baby sweater is fabulous!

Woot Woot for comments!!!!

YAY! Thanks for restoring the comments- I often want to email, but it feels stalky to do so too often!

The little red sweater is adorable, the seams a treat to behold, and the ladybug buttons just perfect!

Sorry about the pumpkin massacre- I can't imagine what I might do if that happened to me.
Hope we don't overwhelm you into turning the comments off again! :)

(sometimes I use -s so as not to use too many ,s- the !!!s I just can't help...)

Yay for comments! There have been lots of times I wanted to post some inane comment that there was no point emailing; I think I only sent you one email because I didn't know how much of an intrusion it was, and I didn't know why you had comments turned off (it could have been because too many people were nasty to you or something; I've seen that happen to other nice bloggers, alas) so I didn't want to bother you. Computer ineptness is something I totally understand, however!

The baby sweater is adorable, and you did a terrific job of seaming. And I'm still ready to join the mob with my pitchfork the next time those gardeners even THINK of getting near your garden! I nearly cried when I saw what they'd done. So unforgiveable!

The comments are a HIT, obviously.

I was not getting around the blogosphere much for a while, so missed the comment turn-off part. But I would have missed being able to comment, if I had not missed reading the blog altogether the way I did. Did that make sense?

I showed back up just in time for the Great Massacre. Ulp. Then read back to the planting. It was rather odd in reverse....

So glad comments are open again so we can tell you how stinkin' cute that baby sweater is! Great job. Also still ticked OFF about the garden. And I have a hoe and shovel. Just sayin'. Wouldn't leave much evidence if we planted a new crop.

Yay, comments! I recently volunteered to host my sister's blog on the same server with mine; I must be crazy to add more risk of breaking things to my list! I admire you for at least trying to change things around, even if they sometimes get broken in the process. ;)

Just adding my two cents...I LOVE the sweater. Wish you could whip one up for me in a size L Women's...but then you'd probably just keep it yourself rather than give it to some random blog friend! Darn. :)

I sent you an email asking about the blueberry and carrot salad and was so appreciative that you responded so quickly! In fact, I was able to make the salad that same night. I stumbled upon your blog about a year ago by clicking a link on a baseball blog that I follow and have been a faithful reader ever since. I like your style! And your name :-)

Aw,glad that you have the comments back. I'll keep reading, and yes, it is your blog, you be the Queen and get to decide that stuff. I had someone complain about something that I wrote on mine - like I was their staff. Er, wrong.

Keep it up, still love the blog and so glad there is knitting right now!

Oooh, it's a bit weird reading what everyone else is saying too!

Is there any progress on the garden/gardeners front?

Hopefully the full force of the owner's wrath as well as yours descended upon Satan's garden boy. I do feel your pain, although in our house it was a visiting blood relation what did it!

Really great job on the sweater, it's beautiful!

Hooray for comments! Just wanted to say (again), so sorry about your garden. Just seeing those pics was a shocker. The nerve.

Your sweater is adorable. Red is such a delicious, happy color. And you finished it so fast! I'm in the middle of a BSJ for my new granddaughter. Ok, I've been "in the middle" since way before she was born. You know how that is. *sigh*

I'm glad comments are back, in whatever format they choose to appear. I blogged about the plight of the pumpkins, and had several people (erm, I have like 10 readers total) contact me to express the shared sympathy and offer support (and words of revenge) as well.

The moral of this comment (because comments needs morals?) is: Hooray for you! Hooray for comments! Hooray for the internet bringing us all together!

You've got LOTS of friends out here!

I am in wholehearted agreement with all the nice things already aired, leaving me time to say I just wish my son could find a girl like you, (sigh); your parents must be very proud, I would be.

I don't comment much. I read regularly (and make myself late for work (as in today!) but I don't always chime in with the same thing as 217 others - because I don't feel that I'm adding anything so why waste anyone's time? (Unless it is a support/encouragement thing. Then I get that an extra voice may be useful.) I especially wouldn't send email - because, to me, that was a sign that you didn't really want feedback at that time. (Which was really sad because I so felt for you and the Great Pumpkin Masacre of 2009 and wanted to tell you so.)

But I do keep reading. Because I love this blog, because you're real and struggle with life and your cats are darling (and that red sweater! Woot!)

I am thrilled to see comments back on. I promise to say nothing new or different or particularly witty, just another member of fan club.

Hi Laurie,

Missed your comments. Glad they are back. So sorry about the pumpkins.

Good lord - you open your comments for five minutes, and you've already got spam. To be honest, I'm not very good at reading comments on other people's blogs, so I didn't miss the comments, but if it makes life easier for you then they're awesome. And also, you are awesomesauce for fixing them yourself - I wouldn't know where to start.

De-lurking to say I'm happy the comments I'm back (and that from a lurker!). Not to dwell on the subject, but I could have killed your gardeners. And I have one who's equally menaced (he mauled a beautiful jasmine and I can't get over it...)
If your travels ever bring you here to Argentina, please be sure to let me know, I'd love to meet you!

Congrats on the wonderfulness of the little red sweater! Its lovely and that new baby will be so comfy and warm - wait, we're talking California. What were you thinking? Oh I know, include a container of baby powder for the heat rash - then it all evens out.

Seriously, the sweater is lovely - nice work!

Just wanted to say hello and tell you that your blog is one I never miss. And I'm with you - turn those comments off and on at whim! Delete all the meanies! It's your world - you get to rule it.

Yays! for comments!! I totally support your deletion policy and I think it makes the web a better place in some small way.

I am STILL horrified about the pumpkin massacre. I practically had to go lay down after reading about it and it's not even MY garden nor do I like pumpkins.

Oh, and I don't care where my name appears in the comments or even if it appears, so there's one person you don't need to worry about. Again, Yay! comments.

Laurie, I would have loved to see the comments on the last garden post. Ah well. Maybe it's good that it all went privately. I'm so sorry that the gardener did that to you. Red sweater is adorable, WELL DONE! I hope the parents are appreciative. I hear ya about the cave - I'd join you in that cave, but then there'd be 2 of us there, which defeats the purpose, so I'll go find another cave to inhabit in my own dorkiness.

Yay comments!

I'm glad they're back. And apparently so are a lot of other people.

I'd emailed you a while ago about the Prydain Chronicles - and your mentioning them brought back such nice memories...guess what arrived in the mail yesterday. Thanks to you I'm curling up with the first of them soon.

thank you for continuing to blog in spite of mean comments. after what happened to YHarlot i'm just amazed bloggers are strong enough to keep on truckin. sometimes i wanna decimate the haters like those righteous gardeners decimated your farmette.

Yay for comments.
I would have tried to sympathise with you when you posted about your garden (so sad - RIP Pumpkins). I even nearly used your e-mail thing but then I knew how many e-mails you'd get in response to that. However I'd love to know why Librarian is the first descriptor on the list because I am one and it was a bit spooky.

Anyway, I am totally with you on the seaming thing, it's like magic the way it looks so neat. I spent years in the wilderness seaming knitted fabric like I was sewing cotton or something and it always looked like hell and ruined the finished garment.

Hooray! Now that your comments are back on, maybe I'll stop being such an introvert. Or not. I'm glad to be able to post a quick "right on!" or "spammers be gone!" without having to clog your email in box.

Love the sweater! That is a lovely, thoughtful gift.

Secondly, my heart SANK when I saw your post about the garden. I am so very sorry that happened.

Yay! I read you all the time and though I am an infrequent commenter there have been times when I've wanted to tell you how much I have enjoyed something you wrote (but I'm a bit too shy for the email route.) Glad your comments are back.

I'm so very glad you are still blogging. I've never been one to leave many comments, so losing that functionality didn't bother me--I still like you, so I keep reading.

But since you turned them back on, I had to tell you that. :-D

What a pretty sweater. Makes me think I can do it too. I'm so sorry about the pumpkin/corn killing--DH used to do that to my flowers too. I'm glad your comments are back.

Hi Laurie,
Great baby sweater. And thanks for blogging - I hardly ever leave comments but I do appreciate your writing.

Hooray! I'm glad the comments are back. I love your blog! And your cats!

EXCELLENT- let's see what i've wanted to say- loved the travelogues and packing info, love the kitties, great baby sweater, sorry re:the veggies and always a pleasure to read you!!!!!

Love the sweater, its so beautiful and so well done. WOW is all I can say.

I've always found your blog entertaining...comments or no comments.

I always thought it was so cool when you would respond to an email that I would send you regarding a particular blog post. It made me feel like I had brushes with celebrity!

Yay, comments are back!! I missed this. Thanks, Laurie! :-)

Hi Laurie, long-time reader and appreciator of southerness, humor and your transparent approach to life. Next year's garden will be amazing.

Yay comments. And yay red sweater. Very pretty. Debbie Bliss is responsible for starting my own knitting obsession. Her and my first born actually. Together they made cuteness happen :0) And there was no turning back.

Yay! So glad comments are back. Thank you.

I've been reading for a while now and just want to take this opportunity to say how great I think your writing is. It has been a delight for me to "meet you" through your writing. I wish you all the best in your life.

I read your blog almost daily. Doesn't matter if comments are on or not. Stay Cool!!

I'm so glad you turned these back on. Like others, I didn't want to intrude on your life with email just to say "I love you!" or "good for you" or "thanks!" I have an answering machine for when I don't want to talk on the phone so you should be able to turn the comments off when you want. Just please don't forget to turn them back on, ok?

I'm impressed as heck with the sweater - it's lovely. And the buttons are to plotz over :)

please tell the cats hello specially from me? I miss the photo essays with the cat-quotes.

Hi! Long time reader, first time commenting. I really enjoy reading your blog for your wit, your knitting, and as long as we're being honest, your cats. I'm so sorry about your garden, but at least now you know you can create a vegetable masterpiece! :) Congratulations on all that you have accomplished this past year, and please keep up the great writing!

YAY! Comments!

The sweater is fantastic and I love the ladybugs!

I'm happy comments are back, too! There are so many times I've wanted to say something, but it wasn't worth emailing you. Plus I love getting to know everyone else that reads your blog. And you can never have too many commas (or too many shoes, but those aren't free like commas). Plus I have to tell you I think I'm falling in love with Bob.

Hugs to you, Laurie! Your sweater is just precious...!!!! Have a great day-

Yours is my favorite blog for so many reasons, and though I would seldom comment or email, sometimes it's fun to read what others think. Especially on the product suggestion posts.

Even when they're not directed at me, sometimes I don't have the energy to deal with all those opinions, even the good ones. You're strong to be able to do it at all! Do whatever you like, it's your blog!

Testing, testing? Glad comments are back! I can't tell you how many posts you've written where I've thought "ohmygod I've totally done/thought/said that too!" which doesn't really warrant an entire email in my book.

Glad to see that comments are back!

I'm so pleased your comments are back!! I was desperate to comment about your poor pumpkin patch. I've loved watching your garden grow and was so horrified at what your 'Gardener' did!!

Gorgeous job on the baby sweater :)

xxx

I've never commented or emailed you, but I read your blog every day. I love it. When you don't post for a few days, I wonder where in the world your off to and can hardly wait for your return.

I love your bumper sticker pictures and your cats. Some of my favorite posts - the letter to the mechanic in jail; the rec center with all the signs; and the car place that loves Jesus. Oh, and the bikini mannequins for the surgically enhanced. Too funny.

I'm going back to lurking, now. Thanks

Yeay, comments are back! I just wanted to say WHAT KIND OF GARDENER CAN'T RECOGNIZE A GARDEN.

Ok, I feel better. Sorry for shouting, but geez, as someone who has worked and sweated to bring forth vegetable abundance only to have it destroyed in August by snow, hail, heatwaves, sheep, chickens, jays, and even BUFFALO, I feel your garden sorrows.

And I support deleting inappropriate comments.

I totally got why you turned off the comments. And to tell you the truth, I was pleasantly suprised that you responded to my comments by email. I have to tell you, I can feel myself starting to hyperventilate at the thought of all those emails sitting there in my inbox judging me! You are a braver woman than I.

Any way, glad to see you've gotten the comments semi-fixed, it is interesting to see others views on the topics in your posts.

Blog on!

'And the other change I made was that I picked up a few extra stitches on the neckband and then on the next row knitted the extras together to keep the stitch count but prevent any gaps in the fabric.'

That is what you said in your last post. And you keep pleading you are a novice knitter. What? That is a genius ploy, GENIUS I tell you! I shall be (stealing) using that one myself. :)

Nice work on the baby jumper too. I've knitted some booties in just that yarn (same colour too!) and it's good stuff. I hope the babies appreciate it all!

K

very happy to see comments. You are a knitting/commuting/gardening/cat-lady hero of mine! I love your blog!

So happy to have the comments back. Your words seem to resonate with me every time your write. Thank you for sharing with us and making my day so often.
The sweater is amazing and beautiful, and your lovely feline "keepers" are always smile worthy!

Dear Comments,

Please don't eat my comment.

Hi Laurie! :)

Yay...comments!

I love, love, love the red sweater.

If you are really loving knitting sweaters, may I suggest the Baby Surprise Jacket by Elizabeth Zimmerman? It is adorable, knits up in one piece and is formed by stitching a few edges together.

a. So glad comments are back. Your readers are pretty funny too. (yes, me included)

b. I'm still pissed off about the hacking down of your beautiful garden.

c. The baby sweater is lovely. Nice job and seaming! You should teach a finishing class!

Like others, I've often wished comments were on so I could cheer you on or say "yes yes YES" to some observation you made that exactly mirrors my own.

Agree - lots of people are mean and abusive, though. And I would totally want to hide in a cave. I admire you for putting yourself out there for all to see. I don't have that kind of confidence or nerve.

Hope you keep comments enabled but if the meanies get too mean and it drags you down just having to read their nastiness, well then, you'll have to disable again. But know all of us are out here being positive and supportive!

Yay! It totally did not eat my comment! Now I can tell you that I LOVE your baby sweater - there's nothing like a baby sweater, is there? So little and cute, but you could just burst with pride at having knit a whole garment, and then it keeps some adorable little one warm. They're perfect. And I'm glad your comments are back. :)

Just dittoing all the praise for the beautiful red sweater!

sweater is spectacular

glad comments are on, pretty red sweater and as always cat pictures!

Oh yay! You know, I never thought to email, because my brain is oatmeal and stuff.
Glad to see the comments on again. Alison you used her entrelac pattern. We were very impressed to have a famous person refer to her. :)

The above comment would make more sense if you insert "I told" before the word Alison.
Once again, brain = oatmeal.

You know, my seams always look vaguely awful...you did a fantastic job, and THANK YOU for posting the seaming notes. I always sewed them up from the wrong side, and now I see how I should be doing it...hmmm......excellent...

Thanks for welcoming our voices back. And for keeping on writing.

Totally get the cave thing, and the "It's my party and I'll do what I want to" thing. Found your blog through a friend long after you had eliminated comments, so I didn't know the history until now. :-)

Comments on or comments off, it doesn't matter, I enjoy reading you all the same. :)

The sweater turned out very cute.

Hi from Illinois!

I just wanted to thank you for inspiring me to try entrelac knitting.

Also, I've enjoyed EVERY SINGLE POST so keep them coming!!

I LOVE YOU!

AND I LOVE BEING ABLE TO SAY SO!

Ditto to all the above. Keep up the great knitting, blogging, gardening, phototaking and cat loving--oh yeah--and finding great bumper stickers.

Oh, yay, comments are back. And I was so sad about your pumpkins. I was vicariously enjoying your garden all summer. May those gardeners go without pumpkin pie this Thanksgiving. Better yet, maybe you'll move to a place where you can really let yourself go with gardening.

Yay! While I never emailed, you have done more for me with this blog than you will know.
Many a nights have been held together with Valium, wine and your book. Divorce sucks, but recovery is sometimes worse. :)
Thanks for being you..

Am I the only dork who thought it was rather exciting to get real emails from a REAL-LIVE author? I love your blog and would read it whether you had comments on or not!

Is it just me, or are there an awful lot of "Sarah"s that post?! :)

Still here, comments or not. Love ya! (in a sister kind of way)

I was so excited to get email from you Laurie. I was so proud to be able to tell the ladies at my local yarn shop that I had actually communicated with "Crazy Aunt Purl" via email! Your blog means so much to so many people on so many different levels. Thanks for continuing with the blog and making us all laugh!

It's your blog. You can turn anything on or off whenever you want. No guilt.
Btw, the sweater is about the cutest thing I've ever seen, and those seams are beautiful!

Hooray for comments! (The good ones anyway.)

First, love the baby sweater. Awesome work. Second, I keep reading because you make me smile and you make me think. I admire your tenacity in the face of adversity.

Cheers. Scratch a cat for me.

COMMENTS!!!!!! I am so glad to see them again :-) And you know we'd keep reading, comments or not! Sometimes its just nice to chime in with our 2 cents, or commisserate over the loss of your beautiful plants. Good luck with the new website building!!!!!

YEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!

Love ya, Laurie! So glad you're back amongst the (commenting) living! Whee!

OK, I couldn't resist the lure of open comments. I was absolutely horrified by the great pumpkin/garden massacre. It took my breath away. Love the tiny red sweater! And I live for pictures of snuggly Bob, Frankie and the great Soba. I still cry when I read the story of how Roy told you his name. Oh, and love travel pics and the DKNY cozy!

Sorry to hear about the Pumpkin Massacre. Maybe you could try growing carnivorous plants, like the Venus Flytrap. They probably like to eat gardeners.

Great sweater! I have not been brave enough to try knitting anything fitted. Keep those needles going!

Laurie - so glad the comments are back on. I love reading your posts, and was kinda frustrated that no comments were allowed. (Although I guess I could have emailed you - but I know how much you hate email!)

I really missed the community feeling of reading everyone's comments - it really adds a lot to this blog - because you have such a great mix of regulars here!

Also - my heart broke for you when reading about the great garden massacre of '09. I only have two tomato plants and some mint, but would cry a little if those died.
~juli

Congrats on a great little sweater! Your seaming is lovely, and yes, you will get faster with practice. I used to hate, hate HATE seaming (and I'm a seamstress too) but just last week I seamed up a new sweater in only a couple of hours (six longish seams on a large person garment.)

And I love that your netbook has Stonehenge as a screensaver - mine does too! I was just there in early July and it is so impressive. Next time you go to London you really have to get out there. We took a day tour that included Stonehenge, Glastonbury Abbey, the Chalice Well, and Avebury (another, larger stone circle, but the stones are much smaller.) A lovely King Arthur tour.

And the pumpkin massacre? Outrageous that someone could come in and destroy your farm. I hope your landlord has fired them.

YEA!!!!! So glad comments are back on! I miss "talking" with you and your community of readers.

Comments are a tricky thing, though. I, too, have a thin skin and can't imagine having hundreds of people commenting on me all at once! But your regulars are a cool community, so thanks for giving us all a place to chat and to let you know how much we love you!

Yay, comments!

I didn't send you an email about your garden but I thought about it many many times and got sick to my stomach every single time. How could anyone do that?? Probably the same way the gardeners at my dad's house when he lived in CA. tore out all the flowers in one of the beds one day. And that's what they call "gardening." Anyway I'm glad to be able to "talk" at you again!

Yay Comments!

Is it horrible for me to bring up the d*mn pumpkin murderers? I mean, I was mad FOR you and I don't even have a garden. I have a black thumb.

How senseless! How awful! How infuriating! If your landlord isn't willing to fire the gardeners over this, then I say it is time to move.

Okay, I have that out of my system now.

I just wanted to say, "Hi!" I'm glad you're still writing. I have been reading your blog since right after your divorce and I love seeing how much progress you have made and how good your life has become since Mr. X stepped out of the picture. I have laughed and cried with you for a while now and still look forward to getting a peek into your life from time to time.

Rock on, Laurie.

welcome back to the world of comments. We all need some quiet time but glad you are back.

Hooray, comments! I completely sympathize with the website-breaking, by the way. There's still stuff on mine that's broken, years later (*cough* spam detection *cough*) which I just can't be arsed to fix right now.

For any given value of "right now."

The baby sweater was gorgeous! And you did an amazing job of the seaming! Three cheers for knitting :D

I have been reading a while and thought I was missing something like the missing link for comments. I have a morning blog stroll I take, and yours is one of the stops. I very much enjoy your blog.

Gardeners - my landlord used to have them until I unglued about them killing my roses. He's had tree people take out trees for the sake of neighbor happiness, nevermind the fact that it made our house unbearable. He let the neighbor kill our ivy that was the only privacy we had from her.
It drives me insane. Hopefully he will fire the bad men.

Love that beautiful baby sweater.

Yours was the first blog I'd ever read and it's still my all time favorite. You're writing is inspirational and I am in love with your knitting. Thanks so much.

Personally, I am thrilled that you will boot to the curb any comments you don't like or feel are appropriate or whatever. It's your bandwidth, do with it what you like, and don't feel like you have to justify or apologize. You are a wonderful, funny, inspiring writer who gifts us most days with something really nice to read. If someone doesn't like it, they can GO SOMEWHERE ELSE. :)

I can totally understand the concept of being thin-skinned some days. I read your blog in great part because you seem to be in a place in your life that involves structuring things in a way that makes you happy and gives you a center (once you determine what that involves, and more importantly sometimes, what it doesn't). I'm pretty much in that place too, and it's amazingly comforting reading about someone else's experiences with that stuff.

I discovered your blog after you turned off comments, I proceeded to obsessively read the entire thing from start to finish, I fell in love with you (in a platonic sort of way) a hundred times, and I've wanted to leave comments but couldn't bother to send emails.

I was so sad and furious about your garden. It's hard to believe that anyone could be stupid enough to destroy a gorgeous, thriving garden. I would be angry and in mourning every time I looked outside. I hope you can cost that company lots of business. Or some other terrible consequences.

Glad comments are back as when you blog about a "popular" topic, I find others comments interesting and often useful. I'd guess blogging is much like talking to a friend, sometimes you want feedback and other times you just want to be heard.
Congrats on the sweaters. So sad about the garden. Really, makes you wonder about how awful it must be to be a someone that is purposefully mean others.
Do the gardeners plan on putting something in the big gapping hole left between the bushes?

Laurie, I <3 your writing. And it's been great to watch you gain confidence in your knitting ability -- the baby sweater is beautiful!

Just a few words to let you know that you are very
much loved by us all. You give us hope for gaining some sanity in this crazy world, plus you have inspired me to try knitting again.(my umpteenth try)I firmly believe that the evil gardeners will be taken care of by the great pumpkin(from charlie brown)and I adore your kitties. I have 2 myself that rule the roost. Take care and keep posting kitty pics.

COMMENTS!! i love being able to post comments! I have some ideas of my own on how to exact revenge on the Pumpkin killers, but I will keep those to myself. If you need suggestions, email me, I'm here for ya!

CUTE baby sweaters! Now I think you are definately ready to try Elizabeth zimmermans February baby sweater. It is the CUTEST darn thing ever. I'm going to make one, and I don't even know anyone expecting a baby.

also I think you are VERY brave to have a website, AND to have opened up comments.

keep up the good work

I apologize! I just sent an email the old way and then just read this post so I didn't realize comments were back on. Sorry!

Don't worry about shutting off comments whenever you want. Your site - you get to be boss. You have every right to ignore the crazies or overly-helpfuls.

Testing testing K2, p3

I love you blog and am very happy there is a commenting area again. Woot!

Yay, glad to have comments back! No nastiness here, just a hey from a long-time reader.

Btw, a looong time ago when you posted about librarians or kids books or some such thing (like I said... a long time ago:-) I posted about a WWII kids book I was looking for about two girls switching places at a train station. Well, I found it! It's called "Searching for Shona" and thought you might want to know since you seemed to recall it with the same vague fondness as I. It's still a great read. Love that!

HORRIFIED about the pumpkins, too. You'd think gardeners would know about the sweat equity that goes into each little vegetable-y payoff you pluck and have more respect, but apparently, for these gardeners at least, you'd be wrong. Dungheads.

Yay! Comments!!!

Wow, this whole time I thought you were making a conscious choice to write this blog for yourself (although I kept reading) and simplify life by closing comments!

You are not the first person to be stumped by a Debbie Bliss anything ;)

yeah! I'm so glad the comments are back! There have been so many stories I wanted to comment on!
and that baby sweater? unbelievable! That is one lucky mama and baby!

Your sweaters are beautiful! Great job!

I discovered your blog while the comments were off...and I didn't want to bother you with an email...so this is my first chance to tell you how fabulous and funny you are! You always manage to brighten my day. Except when your garden got murdered. That just made me mad. Poor garden.

Addorable sweaters! I love that you are postin gmore often. Thank you! Great job on the sweaters.

Adorable sweaters! I love that you are postin gmore often. Thank you! Great job on the sweaters.

Yay, comments are back! I missed them while they were gone, but I totally understood why you turned them off for a while. I have enjoyed reading your posts as always while they were turned off. Oh, and my sincere condolences on the pumpkin massacre. That was just so uncalled for.

It's your blog, honey. Run it how you like. I'm just here for the kitty photos. ;^)

(No, not really, but it sounded cute.)

Yay comments are back! And, just so you know, you inspired me to make one of those cute little baby sweaters - checked out the book from the library, bought the yarn and cast on last night! :)

I'm still mad about the pumpkins!

Sadly I find great comfort in the fact so many others were distressed by your garden's untimely demise. I felt a bit strange to be so upset regarding an event in someone's life I don't actually know, but you've drawn me in with your wonderfully funny stories and occasionally tragic stories. Thanks for sharing your life's ups and downs. And thanks again for the notebook info, I love it.

Yay!!! I am so happy you turned on comments. I sooo wanted to comment after the pumpkin massacre. I would be SO angry and upset. How insane to do something like that knowing full well that what they took out was not weeds and LEAVING the weeds?!?!

great job on both the sweaters. They are lovely.

Yeah!! Comments!!! I felt bad about emailing you, so, once again, yeah!!! You inspire me in silly ways that have a big impact. Thank you.

Brave Girl! I don't know how bloggers deal with all the comments. I read Yarn Harlot, and the persecution she went through? Ick. I understand hitting 'Off' once in a while, and I totally get 'I want to be alone.'

Having said that? I totally love reading all the comments. Thank you.

I am glad the comments are back. I so wanted to let you know I was crying with you when they cut down your beautiful garden. I wanted to jump through the screen and wack those stupid gardners off at their stem.

Hooray! I'm glad you've got the comments back! I like being able to chime in with a here-here every once in a while, but I am just as content to read without the comments. I love your blog! I think you are adorable and I love your cats.

Oh the righteous indignation I felt when the evil garden murders slaughtered your pumpkins!!! But I figured that was probably a moment when you didn't need a virtual mob at your back, coaxing you to bloody violence. Oh well. What comes around, goes around!

Oh yay! I am so glad to be able to comment without imposing on you to the extent of an email.

Knit on, oh cat-befurred one!

I'm also glad to see the comments up. It took me awhile to read my way through your blog from beginning to end, but once I started, I couldn't stop. The only time I have ever cried over anything on the internet was when I read, "The Story of Roy." How heartbreaking. On an up note, what a strong, independent woman you have become since the divorce. More power to you!!!

This is why I rarely comment - by the time I've read the post most people have already said what I was thinking and my thought just becomes felted in with everyone else's.

But it is nice that now I can just drop in a quick "I also love rice and beans" note without feeling odd about possibly sending an email about it. Thanks.

I'm just glad comments are back - in whatever format. The sweaters you are making are just darling!

I know it's a sign of my poor, pathetic, loner, hermit-i-tude, but I like that the comments are back and I feel like I am ACTUALLY MAKING CONTACT with you. It's how I keep in touch with all my closest friends. :)

And also, sorry about the pumpkins, punkin; love the sweaters; BOB!!; and MISS YOU.

There have been so many times I have wanted to comment! I think I even sent you an email or two... glad to have the ability back. I too would have probably committed murder in defense of my pumpkins.

I don't always feel the need to comment, but I didn't feel my comments were really email worthy either.
Glad you figured out the comments though!
Welcome back, and yes the garden massacre post was very upsetting. Any response from the landlord yet?
(Why can't you choose your own gardening company?)
enjoy the rest of the summer
Lisa R-R

Hi Laurie! I'm glad your comments are back, because I didn't always feel my comments were worth the space in your email box. I guess I am not alone in this. I just wanted to tell you that I LOVE your baby sweaters. I find baby knitting to be so rewarding.. it's over and done with quick and you have a finished products! I only wish I was a knitter when my own two kids were babies. One is starting HS tomorrow, and the other is staring JrH. (sigh)

yippee for comments! i missed them so - but still read daily :)

You rock. You rock. You rock. You rock!

Repeating myself, just in case

First time I have commented on a blog. I find yours very informative and interesting and I look forward to it. Must say I really enjoyed your book even though I'm a guy knitter. I'm encouraging the ladies I knit with at lunch to read it.

I am addicted to your blog, comments or not.

Please publish the name of the gardner--we could have such fun ruining the company. Just kidding. No I'm not.

Once again, you've inspired me to try something new; baby sweaters, here I come!

Oh!!! I have been wanting to knit a sweater for such a long time...and you knit 2!!! You have inspired me! Thank you, Laurie!

Hey! Welcome back :) I've been reading all along, but never felt like I had anything to say that was sufficiently witty enough for an email. I hope all is well - so excited to see your travels to Madrid and Dublin since we last chatted about Paris... You are always welcome!

Yay for comments being back on! It's been sooo hard to hold all my nerdiness inside and not share it with you for fear of overloading your e-mail. Except for the couple times it just came bursting out into email anyway. hee hee... Welcome back comment section.

So glad you've got comments up, and so glad you've kept posting in comparative silence. I love to read everything you write.

The seams on your red sweater are perfect. I can't believe it was your first go!

A corworker tried the dress from the same book and after getting to one spot (that I worked her out of) she got to another, miss read and threw the book down with disgust. Beginners my foot. ;-)

I love the look of Debbie Bliss Patterns, but I have not found them straight forward at all.

Nice to see comments back, but understand how there might be times it is helpful to eliminate the noise they can make. I guess, well, you just seem so darn fun to talk to that a bunch of us hung around even when we could have our say. Totally adorable baby sweaters BTW.

Oh Hon! So glad your community is open again - I've missed seeing DaleHarriet in WI, and so many others - not to mention your own self of course! Yes, we faithfully read all your posts, and like the others, I cheered, and I squee'ed, and I shook with righteous rage over the non-gardening skills of hired gardeners --- Hi Laurie, and Everybody! And bee-yu-ti-full sweaters!! I like non-traditional colours too ... Godspeed, Laurie!
Rock on the Blog, and the needles!

now, if only I could spell my own name!

Thank you for bringing the comments back! I am starting on last October's posts tonight in my effort to catch up from the beginning and know that you closed them in that month which, with them closed, would have allowed me to catch up much faster but as I enjoy the comments as much as the blog itself, I was starting to wonder...It's very nice to see so many of your original readers are still reading your posts and are back with the comments. Have a good night all and hope everyone is well. :)

Yay for comments! Love the little red sweater, so very cute. I wish I had a pregnant friend to knit one for. My neighborhood is riddled with knoced-up ladies, maybe I'll just knit one and give it to a stranger...

yay, comments are back! and please do delete the ugly ones, we (your fans!) don't like those comments either (and...no need to apologize hon, it's your site!).

I had a nasty commenter who said the nuttiest stuff and dialed it up every time I would not approve his/her/(it?) comments....finally that person shut up or went away...anyway, we love you and we promise to behave! :)

Your pumpkins, our hollyhocks. sigh. At my school at teacher and her students worked very hard last year to improve the dusty, trash filled dirt in front of the building. Lavender bloomed, hollyhocks started growing, it was becoming lovely. Over the summer the hollyhocks grew and were 6' tall when school started last week. They were lovely, double blossomed hollyhocks. yes, WERE. Yesterday everything, EVERYTHING, in that plot was chopped down. gone. sigh. back to dirt, trash filled dirt. sigh.

Thanks everyone!

I also close comments on older entries after about a week because of the spam. So, this is now closed. Thanks!