It's Here!

Besides our regular soapstone woodstove from the Woodstock Soapstone Company, we now have this:
That's a CD case on top of our new Mini Cottage Gas Stove. Yes, it really is that small! It's so cute.

Last winter we basically didn't use our old LP gas furnace at all. The soapstone stove, located at one end of our long narrow house, heated the entire house comfortably (with a little help from two fans). And when I say "comfortably", I mean lovely soaking radiant heat. ahhhhh

However, there are those days at the beginning and end of the heating season when the woodstove is just too much. When the temperature gets up into the 50s or maybe low 60s F during the day the chimney doesn't draw very well. Plus the soapstone stays hot as the day heats up, and it ends up too hot.

This little stove is going to replace the furnace. Isn't that weird? I think it's weird and I'm the one doing it!

It will use less gas and heat us more comfortably. As soon as we do all the work of getting it installed.

I did some finagling and printed most of the Siebmacher book out. I have had the experience of trying to open a .PDF file and getting the dreaded "The file is damaged and could not be repaired message", and I almost always prefer a physical paper book to an electronic version.

There are wonderful things in this book. Besides the dramatic charts of gryphons and unicorns, there are lots of little motifs that would look great on a mitten or scarf.

Unlike Lord Peter Whimsey, I could never afford an original copy of this book. I can't even justify buying some of the modern out-of-print knitting books. It's hard to put into words what I feel when I have this in my hands in book form. I think about how the printing press was the internet of its time. Instead of copying books one at a time, many books could be printed. Instead of being the property of royalty, books and literacy could be enjoyed by many. And now instead of sitting on a library reference shelf, I can hold the contents of this book in my hands.


I slowly figured out that the Roman numerals at the top of each chart equal the height of the chart. And I am guessing (completely guessing) that the "Schniden" [sic] at the top of the charts towards the back might be modern "Schneiden", or cutwork. It looks like reticella.

And now, since it's a cool and rainy day instead of a baking-hot day, I'm going to go and knit!