It is nice to see how the messages on this forum went from hysteria laden with misinformation, to a more fact filled, tolerant view. Education really is the key. People should learn the facts from the people who have the facts, and not from the people who are spreading misinformation and fear. Those that belive they need to kill every coyote that they can are terribly misguided - the biological facts are that the implementation of "coyote control" actually stimulates the coyote population growth. This concept is not an easy one for most people to understand. If "coyote control" actually worked, then why were millions killed through ADC in the Western States for years, yet a healthy coyote population persists there. Studies have shown that if they had simply left the coyotes alone to do what coyotes do, there would have been many less coyotes than before the control was implemented. Imagine the money that was thrown away on this project! If control methods actually lowered the population, coyotes would theoretically be extinct by now. However, killing coyotes actually causes their population to grow at a faster rate. The litters increase in size and the young that are produced are more viable and hardy. So it is actually the coyote haters and killers that are creating more of them. If you have coyotes on your property and you hire someone to come in a trap or shoot them, you will create a bigger "problem" for yourself and your neighbors. Funny thing is, if you don't want coyotes, the last thing you want to do is kill them. Your population will stabilize and once the prey population goes down, the coyotes will leave, or you will have a single pair protecting their territoy. Logging also will cause coyotes to move into an area. Logging creates more undergrowth, more treetops for food for the small prey species. Coyotes will move in to fill the niche of predator to control the prey populations. A lot of people see the predator /prey relationship as a Good VS. Evil relationship. This is a very naive and environmentally unsound view. Predators are necessary to have healthy prey populations. coyotes are doing what predators are supposed to do. Man should butt out and simply protect their domestic animals with good fencing and good common sense practices. A good person to look up is Robert Crabtree, or "Bob Crabtree" He is the foremost coyote biologist in the USA. He has studied coyotes for years and has the facts, not the misinformation. Elise Able Fox Wood Wildlife Rescue, Inc http://www.foxwoodrehab.com Here is a link that might be useful: Fox Wood Wildlife Rescue, Inc

At the end of our block, they hold an annual pot luck for the neighborhood. Its a cul de sac street, so they close it off to traffic, put out tables, everyone brings a pot luck dish. The Email invitation says that people with the last initials A-G bring salads, G through o bring main dishes, a small group brings paper plates and silverware Everyone brings their own beverage. It has grown over the years. Its wise to start with people who live in a connected area first and work from there, and have it outside. You can get permits to close off a street and have a block party. Just be sure to invite everyone on that block to begin with. Where I lived before we had walk streets with no traffic so it was easy to put tables out and do a block party on holiday weekends. July 4, etc., Dont forget you do need a clean up crew for the next day. If you are willing to organize this--its wonderful. People are happy to go to these block parties, it just takes somebody who is interested in setting it up. Discuss this with several neighbors and together pick a day and a place to have it--outside. Send out flyers. Yippee block party. Get Email addresses for next year. Guests sign in at party. Take photos--put one on next years Email announcement & flyer, and presto--you have the 2nd annual block party. Then when you run for mayor--you have a mailing list and supporters.

Use the one stitch pattern from Lion Brand - a one piece sweater. Here's the link to the knit version. My Elmo is a size three for a 2 year old - she's tiny so it is big but will be great in the fall. I used Caron Simply Soft for the sweater. They have some great colors. I've also made the sweater plain in grape for her younger sister - figured she had enough pink and wanted something bright. Have also used the lemonade and berry blue. We're in the northeast so a 4ply yarn is used more often. Enjoy! Here is a link that might be useful: Lion Brand One-Stitch Sweater

So happy to find this site! I too, am looking for a knitting pattern. Many years ago (28) I knit an adorable zip/cardigan sweater with Cookie Monster on the back for my daughter (Mary Maxim pattern). She loved it & lived in it until she couldn't zip it any longer. She has now blessed me with a wonderful grandson (who is now 2.5 y/o) & he is an Elmo nut. I would love to find an Elmo pattern/graph so I can knit a sweater for him. Any ideas from my fellow knitters? Your help is graciously appreciated! ~~Annie1221