turkeyday is a coming!

This week has been a hectic one. Several funerals including an infant and a couple of relatives. Finally got DD a used car and the house cleaned. This weekend will be interesting to say the least, we are packing for AZ. Gonna be on the road for about 10 days. Lots of yarn shops and sites on the way! Planning to hit Santa Fe and Tucson and Taos (time and weather permitting). Any other recommendations are appreciated! My goal is two shops in each town and at least two hours on the plaza. Other than two specific diners for WH and a National Park stop we should be good if the storms wait until December. What are you knitting for the holidays? Ours is going to be a "homemade" Christmas this year due to several inlaws being out of work this year. I am working on aprons and potholders and maybe even tea towels and lots of cooking--mostly breads. My roadtrip project will be either a new sweater or baby shower items...decisions decisions. Photos to follow as the trip progresses!--Happy turkey day to all!!!!

knit one for me....

What a long, tiresome, adventuresome weekend it was. The car is all-better!(the mechanic said "trust me".) Just a very expensive air filter housing, (slammed the vacation yarn budget). DD is recovering from the flu, and her mama (that would be me misses her). WH is battling clinical depression episode (wifely vigilance keeps me up at night). One of my favorite great uncle's passed away this past week and his funeral is tomorrow.(he was the first to notice and encourage my gift of writing). Six years ago this week I lost my mother-in-law (part of WH issues???) and 10 years ago today I buried what should have been my second husband (pancreatic cancer). On top of all of this wonderful news I attended KIG (knit in Gove day!!!--whew who!)on Saturday and loved it. (Thank you Brad and Sherri for letting me ride along!!! I owe you one, ummm or is that two?). My WH picked me up on the road and we went to the Wallace county German festival (dinner actually-- which after he worked a 8 hr shift i can see why he left my part of the meal laying on the counter at home by accident). My brother in law was expecting 30ish in attendance....we wound up with 100ish (just shy of having to wash silverware...lol). After driving home from Sharon Springs (back to Ellis--around 3hrs give or take a time zone) we fell into bed exhausted at 11pm on Saturday (we had gotten up at 4 am). Sunday after WH worked toddler nursery at church and I was unexpectedly called on to run TV camera(on my week off) we had a nice dinner and headed home for our naps (which really means we worked around the house cleaning rabbit pens, doing dishes, laundry, and clearing off the garden until we dropped off into bed at 10:30pm). Having been through all of that my alarm failed to go off this morning and I woke up when I should have been leaving the house. No breakfast, disarrayed and very exhausted I did manage to grab my knitting bag on the way out the door. In order to lower my blood pressure I began a new vest out of cheap hand me down very soft gray acrylic (yes i said it...sigh!). I just got a phone call that WH is contemplating quitting his job of 38yrs because he needs to be home more, (having lived in campgrounds and motels 5 days a week for all of that time i agree). We are soooooo close to having everything paid for (according to budget it will be Christmas of 2010). I am hesitant to let him (pray harder on this one ya'll). Other than that I did become an official Reverend over the weekend which means I can drown you and bury you (baptisms and funerals) but i cant marry you not for at least two more years...lol!(school has paid off!!!). So in rememberance of my uncle, and the acheivement of my career please knit one row for me today! (its cheaper than alcohol and mall therapy and saves the rest of the holiday yarn fundage). And while your at it knit one row just because!!!! It will do you good! Trust me!!

snow day!!!

Tomorrow they are calling for nearly 4 inches of the fluffy stuff in my part of the state. Good thing I have the day off, bad thing is I am hunting for DD a new (used) car, and the really bad news is as of a mishap on my way to lunch I am looking for ME a new car now too....bankers love me!!! The only thing this really means is during our upcoming trip to Arizona to see the youngest DSS I will have to behave with the fiber fundage. Gotta luv WH!!! Since all of that was the bad news here is the best news yet...I have been making my YO backward for years. NOW that I know better I have started 4 lace projects...LOL!!! It's a good thing something in life is going right for me otherwise I have asked the bosses permission to line my desktop with a collection of lil bottles of alcohol from the liquor store next door. HEY....it was either that or pin his remote to the far wall of the office with a #11 knitting needle. The choice was his...LOL!!!

WH needs to come home!!

WH seriously needs to come home and clean the furnace.....I was good last week when it froze the garden out on Oct.1 but when I had to scrap ice this morning it was not as pretty. I told him I was gonna light the pilot light on the furnace and turn it on and he replied...."noooo gurl, let me clean it out first, i wanna vacuum it out" (aaarrgghhhh!!!). If he wasnt so dang cute in a do-rag and overalls!!! Oh well, in order to complain about this in here i told myself it would have to include yarn, does the twelve bags of roving and fiber I tucked in the bed with me to make a nest last night count???? if he doesnt make it home tonight all bets with the plastic and LYS are off!!! (evil laughter goes here!!!!).oy!

long holiday

Well today I am playing catch up. Mostly catch up on laundry, dishes, gardening, and mail. I have a church retreat this weekend so I thought I would take a few things along. Maybe my lace stole, or the new rovings I dyed up this morning, but in all honesty I will more than likely take the new roving I just bought from my friend the treasure goddess (formerly knitting virgin). I just love the way it spins,(merino is my friend..lol). Here is the stocking hat I have just finished, yeah its sock yarn on a size 5 (wth was I thinking?).The roving may not make it to the weekend - kind of like american honey wild turkey, its too smooth -oy its gonna be a long night...lol!

more please!!!

I have been frantically trying to keep up with the two variety of squash, carrots, tomatoes, and peppers with very little success. Even less in the knitting department. Began working on a stocking hat last week but progress is very slow, I have a rib outta place and a dislocated shoulder that WB (wonder boss the chiropractor) just can't seem to keep in. I am almost sure he thinks I am doing something kinky at night or on my days off to have it go out so often...lol. No such luck, it is making spinning extremely difficult but since when has that stopped me??? I am still learning how to upload pictures from my new camera so be patient with me, I will have a oodles of them up before long. I do have roving and yarn for sale at Great Plains Artistians and The Shepherd's Mill in Philipsburg please check it out if you happen to find yourself in western Kansas. Sally would apprciate the business as much as I would. Take care--L

got lost

I have been rearranging my house and fell into the stash. I have to come up for air so I thought I would type a new post. I have been sketching and working on some portraits (colored pencil) for the house. Other than that I have been attempting to keep up with the garden: zuchinni, cucumbers, carrots, onions, potatoes, radishes, butternut squash, cabbage, horseradish, several peppers and two tomato plants. Can we say "pickles"? The zuchinni bread doesnt hang around that long...lol. I have two months to finish knitting up my sweaters and one more sock. I love my two brother in laws who shear but I must admit its a long drive to the Colorado border to visit my favorite one who just started dating -- get this -- a lady who owns alpacas, sheep and llamas!!!!! I love my relatives! 'nuff for now, back to the stash (er i mean house)!

brain fart

sorry but here are some update photos of my little stash cupboard and the singles I have spun up in the past week and a half and some of my handspuns. (it takes so little..oy!)

summer fun--sort of

There is nothing like working with wool in the heat...lol. I began working on my fall wardrobe this past week. One new green gansey out of cascade heather 220 in a dark forest green (love this one--must be the irish side of me) and one bohus style pullover in the green meadow pattern from the book "Poems of color" -- I am using the colorway shown in the book. Other than that I have inherited a new wardrobe from the local thriftshop--knitted alterations applied as needed. Apparently one of the local high schoolers in my size (itty bitty should say it all here folks) apparently is getting new clothes or has found herself -- like 4% of the local HS'ers how do I say this umm.....knocked up. There is nothing wrong with any of these clothes but I have made them mine with a few decorative trims or touches here and there. WOW! now to remember how to shave my legs on a daily basis...LOL! OHHHHHHH!!! got a new camera too so more photos are to follow....(squeals with glee)! Do you have any BIG plans for the summer?

beautiful day to destash

Today I decided to clean out my stash. Which in turn resulted in me cleaning half the house and running all over town to drop off recycling, and thrift shop items. Afterword I gathered all my batts, roving, and yarn to run up to Philipsburg on Thursday so Sally can haul it to the show in Denver the first weekend of May. This evening I sat down and knit more on my skirt/sweater???? -- haven't decided on exactly what it will be yet. EZ is wonderful. Pictures of all the things on their way to Denver for the sale will be up within the week. (hopefully!!!).

catch up

Today is a day that the housework will be done...dishes washed, laundry folded, budget laidout, filing done, floors mopped, or vacuumed, old sermons that were missed are being listened too, batts made, spinning of the alpaca roving named "dr.pepper" shall be done as well. It is a beautiful gray with black flecks and I am attempting to spinning a superfine lace weight! (yes this may be the final straw on the psych eval). Especially since WH and I are considering a mission trip to Haiti this summer and one to Africa next spring....LOL!!! But seriously the dusting will NOT get done today. (I can't justify spinning while fiber is flying afterword). Dust bunnies rule!!!!

spinning demo

This Saturday from 11-2 I will be at the Ellis Public Library giving a spinning and dying demo (refreshments will be served). I plan on doing a little crockpot dying as well as microwaving some roving. Most of the demo will be on explaining the different fibers and where they come from and drop spindling demos. I will have two wheels present and numerous fibers for the touchy-feely in all of us. Just a basic primer for those interested in learning a little more about spinning. I will also have some hand-dyed yarn and roving for sale if anyone is interested. A couple of ladies here in town have also expressed an interest in getting a knitting circle going in this part of western Kansas. If you want to know more or need directions please email me for info. Hope to see you there!!

Christmas singles

Here are some of the singles that are on display (sigh!) at the library. This is the Christmas fiber that my friend Mallory gave me. It's named Carnival--merino/bfl/silk/angelina glitz. I can't wait to get it plyed. No plans for it yet, I will apply it to the ASJ stash and see what I am up yardage wise.

Display is up

This past week I have actually been in a frenzy. After nearly cutting off my right index finger with a can of Manwich (and convincing WH that said contents strung throughout the kitchen was not my blood), I finally got the spinning display up at the library! It will be up until the middle of March so if you find the time and find yourself in my area please stop in. I also must send out kudos to my nephew by marriage Daniel! He has been nominated for the Kansas Horizon Award for 2008! (For those of you who don't know that is a very distinguished teaching award). We have also acquired a new used truck this past week. I am finally after 2 days beginning to go thru withdrawl of having my spindles and wheel clear across town. I did have Jim at the yarn barn send me a backup for the tremors....lol! So tell me how long have you gone without spinning before?

Display at the library

How is everyone? I take it you are well or I would have gotten a call by now. The weather today is in the change mode...from really kinda nice to craptastically fugly. But what do we expect from western kansas in the dead of winter.
The good news is my fiber arts will be on display for the month of February at the Ellis Public Library in Ellis KS. I will be the featured artist of the month so stop in and see my art if you have the time. I will also attempt to get pictures up in here soon. I am torn between a new digital camera (i am old school...dont like the digital delay) and a new spinning wheel / drum carder....decisions decisions. Well I pray your week is well and I will post again very soon!
Question for the week: Tell me what is your favorite colorway?