Thursday, June 19
So far so good!
The indigo vat...well still collecting so far and then after that sits for a bit I will add the indigo, I think by next week I should be ready. We shall see what happens there.
I am going to order some more natural dyes too, and some mordants. I have been checking the Ravelry boards and seeing what everyone is doing and getting lots of ideas.
In fact I dyed some yarn with my left over coffee and it came out so pretty. I have it drying right now but pics to come. As I said so far so good. It is a learning process and I am learning a lot. The Ravelry board is a great source for information. In fact I have to order 2 books on dyeing. These 2 books seem to be what most are recomending so thats what I will get. I must say I am getting tons of pleasure from doing the natural and solar dyeing. Its just something I am enjoying learning about and playing with.
Well I will let you all know what happens with my experiments.
Tuesday, June 17
And so it begins.....
The creopsis started turning right away, not sure about the rest of them. Also on the stove is a pot of yarn and fiber in Alum to get mordanted!! So hopefully soon I will be able to do some great dyeing. I must thank everyone for answering all my many questions and helping me get started. Oh and here are some pictures of my jars and my "vat".
Tuesday, May 20
Now I see what all the fuss is about!!
Monday, May 5
Oh how I love MDSW!!!!!
Great give aways and overall very nice. So I made out like a bandit!! I spent my alloted monies with 28 dollars left over!! But look at the haul!!!!!!!! Most of the pics are thumbnails to get a better view just click on them. The white fluffy fiber can be seen much better close up!! So can the rovings and fibers..
So after thinking about it for a year I went to Tess Yarns and got the Window pane pattern and ribbon yarn for it. I must say her yarns are great but the girl has a serious attitude problem. She acts like everyone is bothering her!!! I also got some sock yarn from her, the pink/purple/yellow and grey skeins and am waiting for the entrelac pattern. The white angora/sparkle I just couldn't resist, it will be a shawl/wrap and its from Mohair in Motion. She had some great stuff. Also lots of fiber, the purple/teal/blue is wool and silk from http://www.spinnershills.com/page1.html I was going to only get 8oz but had to get a pound. The white/green is Alpaca/merino/mohair from All Strings Considered, great stuff. Plus I got some wenslydale and BFL braids from flying fibers and some Cormo and kid mohair from ??? I know I have the card. The pink/white/green braid is merino/silk from Cloverhill farms. And some silk hankies, some Mountain colors yarn and some jojoland yarn with the dragon shawl pattern. Some Tillie Thomas who we met and is just a great person. and lets see, some hand carders and some baby alpaca and some angora/alpaca roving and some Finn top roving and of course the kettle corn, and eclairs came home with me too!!!
The Ravelry meet up was really crowded but I did get my button with my avatar sticker. The
Ravelry party was really nice and I won some wool wash/rinse!!! The give aways were just incredible 70 in all I believe. The Sheraton was a great hotel and most definitely will be going back there next year. The weather held up and we had 2 beautiful days!!! Sunshine and warmth. We hit no traffic going there, getting to and from the festival both days and really no traffic on the way home. Just a little in Staten Island of course and some on the VNB into the Belt parkway. But really not bad.
However the one glich... Garmin!!! I have a retarded Garmin!!! She took us to Maryland via Baltimore!!! I mean THROUGH Baltimore!!! Don't ask me why but when it said to get off 95 after getting back on from the rest stop we did. Why??? Don't know because we really knew better but we figured it knew what it was doing. WRONG!!!!! But we got to see some really interesting sights!!! Some parts are really nice and others well...... At one point every other building was a BAR!!! It was a bit funny, we were going to stop at.... are you ready for this??? SKEETERS Pub!!!! There really is a Skeeters Pub, but no we weren't going to stop. And then on the way to the resteraunt we wound up on this road that is just insane!!! Very narrow and winding. Then in the middle of the woods on this road is a stream and an abandoned "mill" I think it was a mill and there it was..... the Tallahatchie Bridge!!! Well that's what it looked like to us anyway. I mean really kids fishing in this stream and this bridge in the middle of no where. I was something out of a movie I tell ya!!! But I think that "road" was one of the prettiest I have ever seen and am glad we wound up on it. The restaurant was very nice, quite large too, yes we finally did get there.
Saturday the festival was mobbed!!! And why would people wait on line for an hour for a t-shirt is just beyond me!!! I wont waste my shopping time for a t-shirt. But we did get some wonderful stuff that you just cant find here, like the fiber and some of the yarns. There was a lot of local and small farmers that sold things they spun, dyed, or both. So I am set for quite a while LOL So hope everyone who went had just as good a time as us and if you didn't go I really think every knitter/crocheter/spinner/fiber person should go at least once!! It is not to be believed. Well off to work now YUCK!! But tomorrow I have all my goodness to play with!!!
Friday, March 21
Wow a month gone by!!
I make my own chocolate and Jellybean pies and that takes at least 1 whole day if not 2. Then of course the shopping for the candy and Easter stuff for the kiddies! Have to get the little toys like bubbles, chalk and stuff for the Easter baskets or in this case Easter pails!!
Lets see..... what else, oh yeah I now work 5 nights not 4 but its because I am now a hostess/cashier 3 nights a week and only waitress 2 nights. So while its easier and better for me it is a day off I lose.
So its been a bit nuts around here and a month just FLEW by to fast!!! Oh and my son got his drivers license and put his car on the road at the ripe old age of 20. I am now a complete wreck!!! And he is moving in August, to Tennessee!!!! He is going to go to school down there, so him and his girlfriend, Kate, who is a complete doll, got a nice townhouse to rent. I am just not ready for this! I really am glad he is going to school but it will be strange around here without him around. So his birthday is Aug. 11th and they are leaving Aug.12th!!!
So anyway that's about it around here, I am sure there is more but I just cant remember it LOL. So Everyone have a great Easter!!! I will be posting again soon with pics!!
Friday, February 22
A room with a view!
Images are thumbnails and clickable for a close up view of the snow !!!
So Finally some snow this winter!! It looks soooo pretty but I am glad we didn't get a lot this year. But to sit in the sun room and see the snow falling was really wonderful. And the view is really pretty, so clean and white. And I have a large backyard so its really something when it looks like this. But the rain is supposed to come so it will probably be gone by tomorrow but it was nice. Off to have some hot chocolate!!
Wednesday, February 20
When will the house be done???
I had to get a couch for the sunroom and also I wanted a couch for the den. The loveseat in the den was just not comfy and I hated it, and since I am the one who sits in the den it matters. So while hunting for 2 couches we decided it would make more sense to just get new couches for the living room and put those 2 in the other rooms. We have 7 year old "new" couches in the living room. For some reason no one uses the living room, probably because there is not a TV in there. So thats how this whole thing started! Then it was new lamps because the lamps we had didnt match the couches and we had just gotten new tables for the living room so they were good. Then it was a new area rug because the other one wasnt just right!! And of course the carpet no longer matched so we are getting new carpet. This sun room is getting very expensive!! But the couches we found are just perfect, here is a picture of the loveseat. We bought 2 couches because my living room is long and needs 2 couches rather than a loveseat and chair. But what a cool set.
You cant see it on this picture but the fabric has little "bubbles" embosed on the fabric. They kind of look like champagne bubbles. I love the chrome feet!! So hopefully by Easter all will be done. Right now its just trying to put all this together. The sunroom still has to be tiled, we bought porclian tile for that at a bargin!! Then the carpet then we can get the couches. But what a hassel trying to find everything. All because I hated my loveseat in the den!! Mind you I have lived in this house for 17 years and redecorated a number of times. Hubby and I get bored so we change things alot. I am on my 5th kitchen set and this will be my 3rd living room set. Carpet, well lets see.... berber, teal, black, rasberry and now purple!! Den... have had 3 couches in there so far and recarpeted 4 times so this will be the 5th recarpet job. On my 2nd bedroom set but ready for a new one LOL. The color of my bedroom has changed quite a few times too!! And thats not even mentioning the outside which we are constantly doing something. Although we did take last year off, no big projects no crazy yardwork nothing! Now its back to work. So thats what I have been up to and of course lots of knitting and stuff. But right now off to do some errands. Till next time have fun!!
Sunday, February 10
I am Rabbit!!
Your Score: Rabbit
You scored 21 Ego, 14 Anxiety, and 18 Agency!
IT was going to be one of Rabbit's busy days. As soon as he woke up he felt important, as if everything depended upon him. It was just the day for Organizing Something, or for Writing a Notice Signed Rabbit, or for Seeing What Everybody Else Thought About It. It was a perfect morning for hurrying round to Pooh, and saying, "Very well, then, I'll tell Piglet," and then going to Piglet, and saying, "Pooh thinks--but perhaps I'd better see Owl first." It was a Captainish sort of day, when everybody said, "Yes, Rabbit " and "No, Rabbit," and waited until he had told them.
You scored as Rabbit!
ABOUT RABBIT: Rabbit is generally considered Clever by his many friends and relations. He is actually a much better reader and writer than Owl, but he doesn't consider it worth mentioning. Instead, Rabbit's real talent lies in Organizing Plans. He organizes rescue parties, makes schemes to reduce Tigger's bounciness, and goes on missions to find out what Christopher Robin does when he's not at the Hundred Acre Woods. Sometimes, however, his Plans do not always go as Planned.
WHAT THIS SAYS ABOUT YOU: You are smart, practical and you plan ahead. People sometimes think that you don't stress or worry, but this is not the case. You are the kind of person who worries in a practical way. You think a) What are my anxieties about and b)what can be done about them? No useless fretting for you. You don't see the point in sitting around and waiting for things to work out, when you could actually work them out today and save yourself a lot of time and worry. Your friends tend to rely on you, because they know that they can trust you help them work things out.
You sometimes tend to be impatient with people who are less practical in their ways. You don't have much patience for idiots who moan about things but never actually DO anything about them. You have high expectations of everyone, including yourself. When you don't succeed at something, or when something goes wrong despite your best efforts to prevent it, you can get quite hard on yourself. You need to cut yourself some slack and accept that everyone has their faults, even you, and THAT IS OKAY. Let yourself be faulty, every now and then, for the sake of your own sanity.
| Link: The Deep and Meaningful Winnie-The-Pooh Character Test written by wolfcaroling on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test View My Profile(wolfcaroling) |
Wednesday, February 6
Schools Out!!
So I know why I am at my best at around 4:00 pm!! I also now know why I like working nights. I have always been a night person and dont see that changing any time soon.
On the knitting/crocheting front,,, I have been doing prayer shawls for my church and still doing my other projects. Plus I am in the middle of spinning my pound of colonial from copper moose. Its wildberry and I got it a while ago but just now spinning it. It is so sutle and really beautiful. Cant wait to see it plied up, I think I may do three ply with this. I dont have pics right now but nothing really complete yet either. Unlike some people I am not a super fast knitter and I dont commute by train so I dont get to knit to and from work either. I am so jelous of people who commute!!
Well off to bed, its been a rough day. I had my mamogram appt today and the technician was just BRUTAL!! Oh boy did she flatten the girls today!! I had imprints of the pattern from the machine on them!! But its a necessary evil and at least its done. Now I have to wait 2 weeks for the results, fun!! But I am not worried I figure if there was something there that had to be taken care of the tech would have made the doctor look at it right away. So have a great weekend everyone.
Sunday, January 27
Finally finished my sultry batts
In other news, well I finished an afghan I made, pics to follow, I also did some socks, and am still working on those @#^$@ sleeves!! I am just about done with the sleeves and then just to sew them in and done!! I should finish them tonight yeah!!!! I figured out how to put pics in my Ravelry notebook and did a few there. So when I am done with the stupid sleeves I will post my picture of my sweater and my other stuff too.
Hubby has been away in Florida since Thursday so I got LOTS of knitting, crocheting and spinning in these past few days. I must say its been strange not having him around here, to quiet. So I am off to meet the ladies from the Ravelry knit up group. Till next time, have fun!!
Thursday, January 17
Color work and Mittens all at once!
Well that's it for now, have lots more things going on so back to knitting, crocheting and spinning!!!To all happy crafting.
Saturday, January 12
A few finished things.
Wednesday, January 9
some spinning projects....
The pastel multi color is some pencil roving I bought from http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=110802 Its called tropical skittles and I love it. Spun up like a dream, its now plied and on the bobbin setting. The other is a merino tencel firestar batt called sultry shadows. That is just to pretty. It is plied on this bobbin and as of now its twist was set and its drying. So I will be posting pics of that soon too. By the way that was also from http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=110802. Tracey has the best stuff!!! I am also just about done with a sweater I am making for either me or my son, not sure whose getting it yet. I started the sleeves today, I hate doing sleeves, they are just so boring!!
Oh, on Sun I went to Paneras to a knitting get together. It was great, the gals are terrific. Everyone had some great projects both knit and crochet. I learned a few things and saw a great hat pattern. I cant wait to try that, its the Greenery hat from http://www.ravelry.com/tour/video/preview. Jen from Ravelry http://knitterism.blogspot.com/ was working on that hat in the most wonderful red. I was immediately taken with it. So she told me where she got the pattern and it was an easy and great pattern. That's next on my list, thanks Jen. I also met Lisa, who is ..http://www.tsocktsarina.com/. I must say she is quite incredible, her patterns are something else. But all the ladies are very talented and nice!! I am really looking forward to going again and seeing what everyone is up to. I get so many ideas from there. And I learned a new cast on from Helen http://golden-apples.blogspot.com/. I forgot the name of it but its really cool. Thanks Helen, she is an incredible knitter!!! I am going again this Sun and bringing my wheel. I figure I can get some spinning in. I must say its nice to get together with people who understand my obsession and don't think I am odd.
Today the weather here was 63 degrees!! For Jan that is unbelievable. So I went into my new sun room, just about done, and spun!! It was wonderful, the sun was shinning and the breeze was warm and just perfect. After spinning for a bit I just sat in there and knitted. I cant wait for this to be done. I am looking forward to just hanging out there all spring and summer.
So anyway that's about it for now. I have pics of my lady Eleanore and a handspun vest I did. I will post those another day. Just a spinning update for now. So happy crafting all!!!
Monday, January 7
I will update very soon
My spinning has been coming out nicely and I even made a vest for myself from my hand spun yarn. I promise to take pics this week and update my blog. I finished quite a few projects. So anyway the holidays were great but I am glad they are done, now back to normal. I am off to work soon but really just wanted to let everyone know, yes I am still alive and well.
I also joined Ravelry and am getting used to that. That board was way to overwhelming at first. But after a bit you can figure it all out. There is nothing you cant find on there!!
So hope everyone has a great New Year and I will be posting more regularly, a new years resloution. So till next time happy knitting, crocheting, spinning or whatever it is you do!!
Tuesday, May 8
We went, we saw, we bought!!
Plus I got to meet up with some wonderful knitty board friends. Turtlegirl and Trillian looked nice in the matching tomatoes and they both even had pomatomus socks on!! I met a few others and for the life of me I cant remember names. Sorry I am soooo bad with names. But it was nice to meet you all. So for now that's it and I am ready for Rhinebeck!! Right now I am going to play with some of the goodies. I already have the woolee winder on and going and am in love!! Now to go knit some socks and stuff!! So hope everyone who was there had as much fun as Nancy and I and got as much goodies. Next year I will be more prepared for all the sensory overload.
So till next time happy knitting and spinning!!!
Saturday, April 21
The noni is done!
So here is my noni bag all done and ready for spring. I made a large one but it is more of a knitting bag, to big for me to use as a purse. So I just modified the pattern and here it the little noni. These are before and after felting pictures.
Saturday, March 31
From roving to sock pouch
The close up of the stitches is blurry, sorry, and the other picture is the lining I put in it. I line everything!! Plus I don't want my needles sticking out of it either. This is what it, the pouch started out as.
Just a bunch of white roving! And now its a cute sock pouch!! I must say I think my yarn is ok considering I just learned how to spin. Spinning yarn is so relaxing and so rewarding when you get something out of it. I cant wait till I am good enough to spin sock yarn!!! I love making socks and pocketbooks. Speaking of pocketbooks I finished my Noni purse and it is felted and drying on my desk. I made the pink, green and cream striped baguette! It was sooooo huge when I was done, and wouldn't you know I forgot to take a before pic!!! It was 28 inches long and very wide! But it did shrink down to 18 inches long, which I am thinking is still to big for me, but we will see. I love the pattern and the bag was super easy to do. I am going to let it dry, line it and put a zipper in and the cutest pink handles I found at M&J trim and then we shall see. Worse case I give it away. Any way that's about it for me, I have been very busy with work and teaching classes at http://www.villageknitter.com/. That has to be the best yarn shop, no matter what you need its there. So to all happy knitting and crafting and Happy Easter too!!! I cant believe Easter is here already. I am having the family over here for Easter and have not gotten one thing yet!! Good thing its a small gathering LOL
