I have to say I was very happy to see that ribbon!! Last time I entered I took a blue ribbon for an afghan I made. I really loved seeing everyones beautiful work. There was some incredible things there. Something about that place I just find very peaceful. The fair this year was quite crowded and even though it was quite a bit more commercial than it used to be I still love it.
Monday, October 5
A blue ribbon for the lady
I have to say I was very happy to see that ribbon!! Last time I entered I took a blue ribbon for an afghan I made. I really loved seeing everyones beautiful work. There was some incredible things there. Something about that place I just find very peaceful. The fair this year was quite crowded and even though it was quite a bit more commercial than it used to be I still love it.
Wednesday, August 12
Art or yarn? How about both
The Brooklyn Bridge was right there and quite lovely! All in all it was a great weekend and full of fun. I highly recommend taking one of her workshops if you get the chance.
Monday, July 13
Summer spinning
And of course there is Luke right in the middle to protect us all. What a sweetie he is. Yes all in all it was quite nice. But not all of us from the group were here, don't ask, so that was a bit of a bummer. But next time... Better planning and less confusion
Saturday, July 11
That is a mohair blend, not sure of the yardage or the wpi but that is 4 ply baby!!! Oh yes I am sucking less at spinning!!
Friday, June 5
Rainy days and dye days....
A really good day to wash the fleece I have sitting around and start dyeing it. Those are the dye pots on my stove and there are my natural dye products on the table. And there is the fleece some washed and some mordanted. The "brown" fleece is mordanted in iron, the other fleece is mordanted in blue vitriol and the other is just washed in the sink. There are 3 different blends of fleece just waiting to be dyed. So I will keep you all posted. Oh by the way I am dyeing with Brazil wood, alkenet, cochineal bugs, and maybe some madder and Osage orange, depending on the time factor.
Oh and this too...
Homemade yogurt!! Just love the stuff!!!
Thursday, June 4
Bloomin Yarn
Tuesday, June 2
Getting the dye pots out of hibernation
So now I have to brush up on my mordant and dye recipes and look for new ones to play with. I have a few things in mind for a couple of projects, so we shall see. Also I have some stuff I want to overdye for some things I want to do this winter. I have a feeling I will be doing alot of dyeing this summer.
I also am taking a spinning workshop in August!! Yippee, its right here in NYC, Insubordiknits is doing a 2 day workshop on art yarn. I have been looking to take classes for that but couldn't find any around here. And her workshop is really reasonable too. So I am looking forward to that. And if I can hurry up and get some fiber dyed I can use my own dyed fibers, maybe I can do some blending on the drum carder as well. I just have to many things I want to do and not enough time. I really need to quit my job LOL
So off to read some dye recipes.
Sunday, May 31
A really great day
West Babylon/Panera knitters, went and hung out for the day. This year again we just hung out, well we also did some knitting/crocheting/spinning too!!
It seems that we were quite a show, people were just fascinated by the spinning. Grown men just stood there with there not quite sure what to make of it all. There were pictures taken and lots of question asked and answered. Children were really drawn to us, they just had to know what was going on. And people were very impressed that we all knit/crochet too. It seems that not alot of people knit/crochet they say, hmmmmm...... I don't know I think there are many knitters/crocheters around, people aren't looking in the right places.
But yesterday was the perfect weather, not to hot not to chilly and just a slight breeze. We sat under a wonderful cherry tree and had a grand time for ourselves. A few of us took a nice walk to get lunch for the group, what a lovely village.
I have to say our group is quite terrific!!! I know I may be a bit prejudice but really we are a great group. We laugh alot, and really have a great time when we get together. You see I have been to a few groups that were not so friendly, they don't really make you feel welcome. I have felt like I was intruding on a private club. Us, the more the merrier, come on down and pull up a chair!!! So if you are ever in West Babylon on a Sunday from 1:00 on, come to Paneras on Montauk highway across from Kmart. We will be there, you will be able to spot us, we are right in the front section to the left right behind the coffee station, plus you will hear us for sure!!
So thank you Rena for inviting us to the fair, we had the most wonderful day. And next year for sure we will be there again, because now it's something we look forward to!!
Of course I have no pictures, because I forgot my camera at home. Sorry about that.
Monday, May 25
It took longer than I thought!!
I love this pattern, quite easy after I got over my brain freeze!! I am going to do another in other colors. My hubby said it looks like dragon wings, I think he's right.
Also I am still trying to knit my sweater in the wildberry hand spun, just about there. And I have the peacock feathers shawl on the needles too. Almost done spinning Black Magic Woman for a rectangular shawl. But in between knitting there is lots of yard work and of course housework, and lets not forget just plain old work!! So there will be less knitting but that's OK, I love working in the yard. Oh and soon there will be dyeing, the indigo vat is in the works again this year.
So hope you all had a nice Memorial Day weekend and onto summer!!! My Memorial weekend was quite nice. My brother and his family came to my house for a BBQ! I know that's not really breaking news, but considering we had not spoken for 27 years and just recently reunited, its something special to me. His family is terrific, the kids (grown ups) are great and his 2 grand-daughters are so sweet. I have to say my sister-in-law Maria is one special lady. She stuck by him and got his butt turned around and straightened out. So my son got to meet his cousins and aunt and uncle for the first time. It was funny to see my brothers face when he saw my son, you see my son looks a lot like him. Ever since he was small I always said he, my son, looked a lot like my brother. And his younger grand-daughter is quite a bit like me, oh Karma!!
So off to start my summer. Hope you all are having fun!!
Thursday, May 7
Yes another Febuary Lady Sweater
And now for a for a shawl....
Monday, April 27
Back to business
First off yard work, there is lots of it!! It seems like last year we really didnt do a lot. And then in August when my son left we did NOTHING. The bare minimum was done and that was it, you know just so it looked neat and tidy. But this year we are getting back to the business of making the yard look beautiful. We, hubby and I, always loved the yard and loved making it look beautiful. All my neighbors always commented how beautiful it was. Even my hubbys uncle who is a landscaper used to say our yard was something else!! So with lots of hard work, which we are doing ourselves, and patience it should all come together soon.
Also on the agenda is.... I am opening my ebay store finally and then my Etsy store too!!!. I have been wanting to do this for a while now. It will be hand-knit bags, hand-spun yarn, hand dyed yarn and sterling silver jewelry. I really need to get this moving. I have quite a few ideas rolling around in my head and just need to get them out and done.
Well I am off to get busy, lots to do!! And on top of it all I work 5 nights a week. So its a bit hectic right now but its all good.
Happy spring everyone!!!
Tuesday, April 14
Easter dinner, ala vending machine!!
So Friday we head out and for some reason we were not supposed to make that trip that day. Everything went wrong, my navigation was retarded and got us completely off track, I mean really whacked out!!! Then after stopping and have new directions printed out, and having to go a completely different way than the last time, we started off again. But we were in New Jersey and we needed to turn around, good luck!!! Can't make lefts in Jersey!!! I am not kidding you can only turn in certain places, very strange. So there I am trying to find someplace to go to turn, and boom!!! My back passenger tire blows out!!! Thankfully I was only going about 20mph, so I quick turned into the parking lot and promptly got hysterical!!!
Called AAA they came and put my spare on, which thankfully is a full size spare and not a doughnut. I told hubby that's it we are going home and will start again tomorrow!!! When we got home he took the car to our mechanic, who he called and told him to get us 2 tires, and had them put on the car. My mechanic was floored, he had just checked the tires that week because he knew we were taking a road trip. It turns out a lead balancer from a mack truck somehow went into the side of my tire and blew it out, when Jay, my mechanic, took the tire off it was still in there!!!
Then later my son calls and says, good thing we didn't come that day. Tornado's all over the area we would have been in!!!
So Saturday we started out and thankfully all went well, followed AAA directions this time, and got there by 7:00. The "apartment" my son was staying in was in downtown Knoxville. The area is just outrageous!! Love the area!! The apartment, not so much. While it could have been fixed up to be great it wasn't. His friend who's apartment it was, but he was living with his girlfriend, left it a bit of a mess. And my son had no furniture so there was only a futon mattress on the floor. I must say I saw this and my heart broke, he was living in a 2 bedroom place with all new furniture and it as beautiful. He and his girlfriend broke up and decided to just live as room mates until the lease was up in August or at least until he finished school in May. But she decided to throw a tantrum and when she didn't get her way, she told him to leave. He thinking he had an "apartment" to go to said fine. But she did not know he had a place to stay and didn't care where he was going to end up. So for all she knew he had no place to go and still told him to leave, nice right???
Anyway after spending the night on the floor, off we went on Easter Sunday. Got to Pennsylvania and spent the night there, in a great hotel I might add. And came home on Monday!! So now thank God he is home safe and sound and we all made it!!
I have to say, making an 800 mile trip with 2 cars, one following the other is a bit nerve wracking!!! And I am NOT GOOD with road trips to begin with!!! I mean to go 4 or 5 hours away, no problem, but really 12 hours???? So this will go down in the books for us and the craziest Easter yet, and believe me I have had some crazy Easters.
Oh and Easter dinner, lets see....we got dinner from the hotel vending machine, not kidding!!! The hotel room had a complete kitchen in it, so I got a can of ravioli, hubby got a can of soup, and son got 2 easy macs!! By then we were so shot we didn't care what we ate. Heated everything up in the microwave and viola!! But the main thing we were all together and safe and not to far from home!!!!
So the real Easter dinner will be next week!! I will make us something really special. So now if you all will excuse me, I have to go have a complete meltdown!!!
Tuesday, April 7
A quick update
First off the Feb. Lady sweater is finally done, pics to come soon. The handspun cardigan, still going, almost done with the front. Back is done, now to the sleeves, then to put it all together.
I started another shawl called Night song, really pretty. Doing it with sea silk in peacock, the same as its done here http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/gail-aka-nightsongs.
I am also doing the Japanese vine shawl too in Blue moon Geisha yarn, this is a rectangular shawl. And as usual I have socks on the needles and of course, crocheting an afghan as well.
Spinning.....still working on the black magic woman, have a shawl in mind for that once its done.
On the home front, lets see... Son is single again and living on his own for now. Still in Tennessee and loving being single I might add. Once school is done who knows what will be, he may be going to Ohio to do some recording with his band, here is the link for the my space http://www.myspace.com/ForeverTheGentleman. It seems a record label is quite interested in them. He is supposed to be coming home in July, but I will believe it when I see it. Don't ask me how, but for some reason my son is a traveler. Don't know where he gets it from neither me or his father like being away from home to long. Go figure, but good for him. But we will be going to see him for Easter. And he says he wants to cook Easter dinner for us. He can cook that I know, but he won't tell me what he has in mind. Whatever it is, that's fine. I am just glad we will be together.
And that's about it here, just the usual work and stuff to go along with everything else. I am hoping for a peaceful spring and summer and lots of knitting/crocheting/spinning and dyeing. I have something in the works and still trying to pull it together. Hopefully by the summer it should be ready to go. And that is all I am saying on the matter.
Happy Easter to you all and Happy Passover too!!!! Whatever you celebrate have a wonderful holiday everyone!!!
Saturday, March 28
A little of this and that
Saturday, March 14
Quite Amusing
Sunday, March 8
Not enough time...
You see my friend Hope moved upstate a while ago and kept saying for me and hubby to come up and visit. Well we never got there but said this summer for sure we were going to get there. But time ran out, Hope had a massive heart attack and passed away yesterday.
I met her at the Massapequa Diner way back in the early 80's, we were both waitresses and lived a few blocks from each other it turned out. Well we became fast friends and did so much together. In fact she was with me when I went for my blood test to see if I was pregnant. We were always there for each other and through thick and thin.
She left waitressing and worked for the Red Cross, taking blood and then went into nursing. I believe she was what they call a nurses aid for private home care. I always gave her so much credit, she overcame all and any obstacles life handed her.
I will miss her very much, but I am glad for all the wonderful memories I have. So Hope, I love you and will never forget you. Be at peace my dear friend.
So to everyone I say, no there is not always time. Sometimes it runs out, so do the things you want to do and be with the people you want to be with. The rest will fall into place somehow, it always does. So if you want to go do something or see a friend don't let housework, yardwork , or something else that can wait get in the way. Because you just never know.
Saturday, March 7
78 Coupe Deville
Monday, February 23
Rice Pudding, easy peasy recipe!!!
1 cup Carolina rice, yes it has to be Carolina.
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 gallon of milk
2 cinnamon sticks more if you like it REALLY cinnamonny I use 3
1 stick margarine or butter
Put these ingredients in pot and cook for about 45 minutes, while stirring, till THICK.
In separate bowl mix
1 pint heavy cream
1 tsp (more if you like) vanilla
1 egg
After pudding is cooked add this mixture and cook for an additional 15 minutes. Also at this point I add raisins. Raisins are just if you want them. I add just about a handful. Put in large bowl or foil pan, at this point I take out cinnamon sticks and sprinkle cinnamon on top. Let air cool for a few hours and then put in fridge, serve when cold or warm if you want.
Like I said easy peasy!! Enjoy!!!
Tuesday, February 17
Where oh where are my blog posts??
Anyway still spinning and knitting, and now I have some fleece!!! Yeah!! Some lovely BFL/Romney and even though its a bit dirty on the edges, it spins up quite nicely. I am spinning from the lock after brushing the tips and fluffing it up some. So after I get some spun up I will ply and then clean the skein and see what I get. My friend Lisa aka TsockTsarina, spun some up and its lovely. There is more fleece coming too!! All together its about 5 1/2 lbs of the stuff! Oh the dye pots will be going this year for sure!!
And I am still spinning my Wildberry, boy I have a lot of that stuff!!! I have to say that yarn is just incredible!! I am just loving the colors of that, and I am glad I did 3 ply, it just makes a perfect yarn. I am thinking I will have enough for a lovely sweater, something with cables! Just have to finish spinning it first.
Oh I got my drum carder!!! It's a Strauch Petite and its wonderful!!! I was lucky enough to find Janet from http://www.the-wheel-thing.com/ and she let me put it on lay a way!! I got it Friday and it is such fun!! Haven't really played to much with it but I cant wait to start blending fibers, colors and some glitz too!!
Soon there will be some pics of things but right now its late and I am just to tired to play with the camera.
So here's to having my blog posts show up I hope and lots of carding, spinning and knitting/crocheting.