8-08/12-08 Ramblings

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" background="10e6085a3.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" ><B>Wendy's Modest Dress</B></FONT><B>    </B><B> |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Wendys Modest Dress"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id60.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="FIBER"><U>FIBER</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id61.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Yarn Destash"><U>Yarn Destash</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id39.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="DVDs BOOKS SUPER CHEAP"><U>DVDs BOOKS SUPER CHEAP</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id66.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="BLOG"><U>BLOG</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id55.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Patterns/Test Knitting"><U>Patterns/Test Knitting</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id24.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Fabric Coverings"><U>Fabric & Coverings</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id63.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="1309/809"><U>1-3-09/8-09</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id59.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="808 to 809 Ramblings"><U>8-08 to 8-09 Ramblings</U></A>   |   <B>8-08/12-08 Ramblings</B>   |   <A HREF="id38.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="108/808 Rambings"><U>1-08/8-08 Rambings</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id54.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="FamilyPhotos2008"><U>FamilyPhotos2008</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id52.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Older Photos "><U>Older Photos </U></A>   |   <A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="On Covering"><U>On Covering</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id27.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links/Testimonies/BV Pics"><U>Links/Testimonies/BV Pics</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id23.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Modesty/Submission/Children"><U>Modesty/Submission/Children</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id25.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Recipes"><U>Recipes</U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" background="10e7d2e83.jpg"> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I>8-08/12-08 Ramblings</I></div> <bR> <div> <B>12-19-08 We got the first really good snow here, the best in four years.</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="14a658020.jpg" border=0 width="344" height="258" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B><B><IMG SRC="14a95d060.jpg" border=0 width="349" height="262" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <bR> <div> <B>This is a sort of panagraph of the back yard.  Seen from our back porch,,, a winter wonderland. Just left of the barn in the right photo... See that little inch of space below the hill...the Interstate 5 Freeway.... closed! YEAH! No low rumble in the back ground,,, just silence on the glittering snow.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="14ac690f0.jpg" border=0 width="361" height="271" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B><B><IMG SRC="14ae650c0.jpg" border=0 width="357" height="268" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>Our pony Coco looking off towards his buds.  The sun just coming over the hill.... lovely.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="14b095300.jpg" border=0 width="405" height="304" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>Here is the last of the back yard,,, you can see Cocos buds just there to the left of the play house (little gray out building).</B></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="14b47b1c0.jpg" border=0 width="379" height="284" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B><B><IMG SRC="14b57d1e0.jpg" border=0 width="381" height="286" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>On to my view off of the front porch... you can see the canyon from here.  See Sparkey,,, follow the tracks in the right photo, he's just there under the tree.  </B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="14ba5f070.jpg" border=0 width="351" height="263" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>Ready for my close up Mom.</B></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="14bb77190.jpg" border=0 width="375" height="281" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"><IMG SRC="14bd74170.jpg" border=0 width="372" height="279" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>The children love sledding down the hill on the belly whomper.  See my bench! COVERED! LOVE IT!</B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="14bf8f2b0.jpg" border=0 width="399" height="299" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>The last from the front.  Isn't it just what I told you??? a winter wonderland.  The children are scrambling to get into their snow clothing for another day of play.  I made up a hot chocolate mix for them yesterday and a big batch of pancakes.</B></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>The reason I'm wheel chair bound seems to be from yet another chronic illness.  The Chiropractor says it's Leaky Gut Syndrome.  I believe him as he pushed all over on my stomach and said this is this that and the other and then YOOOOOUCHHHHHH!  He got the muscle that the guts leaking on... the one that cramps which causes me to not be able to walk.  He then showed me my innards on a skeleton,,, all the muscles and bones and showed me the ones which hurt so very much... the ones that are cramping.  They go from my femur to my spine... so when the freeze and cramp I can't walk.  The only way to fix this is through diet, REALLY hard to impossible.  You have to be rolling in the money in order to eat only all organic veggies and meat.  It's really hard to come away from rice, pancakes, French toast, potatoes and sugar and and and.  Name it and I'm not supposed to eat it.  If I can get off of everything I'm sure to loose about a million pounds too.  I gained back all of the weight I lost last year due to the operations and stuff I have had this year.  Next year has GOT to be better.  sigh... pray for me.</B></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>12-8-08 Sometime around 11-15 I became wheel chair bound... just woke up and could no longer walk.  I keep thinking it's something to do with the FMS and that it will go away just as fast as it appeared.  I just keep praying.</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="14a4ee3d0.jpg" border=0 width="238" height="317" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">  This is my best bud, isn't she beautiful?  She has been a life saver through this bout.  I made her this hat as she was flipping through my IK and found the new book Boutique Knits... this hat's on the cover.   She said she liked this hat.  Well, not identical as I wanted reverse stitching on the brim and I wanted to work it long ways instead of left to right.  I also added the flower which was just perfect.  Her DD also let me snap her,,, in my recent test knit.  Once that comes out in print I will post it here.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>11-30-08  </B><B>I have knit about another 8" on the test knit coat. I love the new colors as does everyone who sees them. You will love them when you see them too. This will be fun as when I get to show you the coat... it will be with the old and new side by side. You will be able to say yuck with me. </B></div> <div> <B>I had to put the blazer aside in favor of the coat as the coats due first and it's done in very fine sock yarn. I know, glutton for punishment right? </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Having the WORST time not casting on. Yesterday's mail brought in a bag and a half of 100% alpaca WW from Little Knits. They are having a super sale on it. It looks AWFUL on the site and I was planning on over dyeing it. At those lower then low prices I figured I could dye it. Well, in it comes and it's LOVELY! It's just grey and black. I was going to hit it with a bit of pink or deep purple but hey, it's wonderful! Nummy! Soft and lovely so I'm leaving it as it is. This is to make my High School sweater/coat. I bought 15 skeins so it should be enough as that's about 1600 yards. Normally for a top I only take 700 yards so this is a goodly amount. This will replace my tomten which is just way to large, done in WW and on like 15's?!!! I made the tomten back in the day when bigger was better... well the tomten wraps around me a few times! LOL it falls off of my shoulders and the bulky handspun sleeves drag it even further. So this will replace it. The sweater has a shawl collar, it over laps over in the front by about 8" and has a belt. Nothing fancy but I so loved that sweater. Wore it for many years. </B></div> <div> <B>Got a gift for DD, it's the Happy Feet sock yarn in light blue and pink that she's been drooling over. Also Avril (?) from Malabrigo sock, deep purple. The 3 balls of Angora that I got in teal were joined with three more.... I would like to make a pullover vest or something like that. </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>OH got my Spin Off magazine in the mail and WOW page 90, dog hair cell phone cover thingy is so stinking cute. The gal designed this cover out of hair from a friends dog who'd died. It's so stinking cute! Dog hair is really itchy and prickly so that cover is just the thing. </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Also got in the Furminator and the Peticure, don't have batteries yet for the later but the first has been well worth it. The cats have NEVER looked this good. Pulling off a lot of dead skin with all of the dead hair too. I love the way Barkey and Fur look now. There's like NO hair on their backs! You can push the hair down flat,,, and they look like a balding man! LOVE IT! This thing does a bang up job. Hopefully it will cut down on the amount of hair we have all over the place and cut down on DH's sneezing. Poor man. I got to thinking about spinning the hair of course... you just can't see that much fiber and not want to spin. </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Creatively Dyed... sent me an e-mail the other day, she had 8 ounces of hand painted merino for $10!!! It's probably all gone now. Wool Girl,,, didn't send me an e-mail but she had like 20-50% off of ALL STOCK! I got some yarns I thought I'd never be able to purchase. OH! Yarn 4 socks... she had a thrum kit in stock... it's not in stock any more! I finally got it... although, it's a mitten kit and I will have to make socks from it. Speaking of which, my toes are ice cubes! I sit there knitting on the test knit wishing I could work on my alpaca socks instead! </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Only other fun thing is I got in is my Tink DVD! It's a lot of fun, you learn where Tink comes from at Pixie Hollow. Anything for a diversion! I went to Disney.com and they have a place where you can make your own fairy... mines named Ginger Snowpuff and she looks a lot like I would like to look. She has her own stationary and calling cards! I printed them out last night and let DD make her fairy.</B></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>11-23-08 Have you bought your turkey?  Gobble, gobble, gobble,,, and in more ways then one!</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="149b30950.jpg" border=0 width="304" height="405" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>My little Lovey!  This is Boopie (AKA Disco, AKA Cisco, AKA Hey You!) my little lovely Yorkie.  He's doing ever so much better.  He's lost some of his gained weight, his eye's are clearer, ears aren't all plugged and his teeth are firming up.  All but one... that one has to be pulled and I'm NOT doing it.  I have tried though.... just can't put him through more unpleasantness then I already do to the poor little guy.  He is prone to matts at the neck on his back... there's no collar on him to do the rubbing.  The only thing I can think of is that, every night I pull him up from the foot of the bed.  I nestle him close to me in the crook of my left arm.... away from DH.  I pet him and cover him up with the bed clothes and he sleeps that way for a good long time.  It's not unusual for him to still be in that position when DH goes to work!  I love my little guy.  This is his favorite toy.  We had to buy this as Barkie (AKA Sparkie) always plays keep away with Boopie over the frog squeeker.  You should here them go at it.  Growl,,, grrrrr,,, squeek squeek! {shake, </B><B>shake, shake, shake, shake, shake}  that's Boopies head about to fly off of his neck as he gives his toy a good Shake N Bake!  Hysterical.  He plays grrrr with DH at night too... DH just touches his paw or head and Boopie will bat at him and gently nip.  It's great to see him come out of his shell.  It's been a really slow process but we are making great strides.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="149d0d390.jpg" border=0 width="269" height="313" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> Yet another project OffTN for Katie girl.  See Em From Space socks!  She did a 4 cable twice on each sock.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="149f075f0.jpg" border=0 width="263" height="351" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>These are the first balls of sock yarn off of my Majacraft, Rose.  They are so nummy!  There's like a ton of the top one.  I'm thinking it's enough for a lace shawl and it's fine enough at 28 WPI - 2 ply.  Might be lace yarn instead... we'll have to see as I don't have a project for either yet.</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="14a219770.jpg" border=0 width="281" height="375" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> So many of you wanted to see my winter coat... it's not blocked, not completed,,, but close.  I still need a belt (GREAT stable knit belt design in mind) and pockets to come.  First the two coats I'm test knitting will be completed.  Well no... after that I have two presents too... one's a sweater the other a pair of socks... both are started but just a tiny bit done.  The children might be getting presents which have indian giver written all over them.  UGH! or is that UG! or HOW!  HAHA LOL I'm cruising through my work knitting though so I think I might be getting a good bit done on them yet and all. </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>I hope you are all doing well, physically, emotionally and health wise.  Enjoy the day.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>11-20-08, WOW Do you know Thanksgiving is one week from today!  WOW how time flies.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="1494cb0f0.jpg" border=0 width="203" height="271" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> I love this yarn!  It's my own Bar Room Brawler!  I just love it!  This one is a gift and I will be dyeing up more for me.</B></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>11-18-08 </B><B><U>WHAT A GREAT DAY I HAVE HAD!</U></B> </div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="147fe7340.jpg" border=0 width="231" height="308" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> This is Katies Bug Socks... just came off of HER needles.  I love my baby!  I'm so proud of her.</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="14810dca0.jpg" border=0 width="269" height="202" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">   <IMG SRC="14840dca0.jpg" border=0 width="269" height="202" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> These can be found in the Knit Picks catalog Holiday 08</div> <div> <IMG SRC="148603590.jpg" border=0 width="259" height="345" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> This is Rings, AKA 1800 stitches... it was knit for Cherry Tree Hill.  I knit this to the pattern.... then was asked to make changes to the pattern to get it off of the floor.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="1488eb390.jpg" border=0 width="235" height="313" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> It took me two days, a few more grey hairs, alot of knitting and ripping, tears and pain but  I made it wearable.  Forgive the averted face, I was in pain that day.  I was supposed to get my name as designer of the large size but there was some mis-communication and so I just appear as the knitter on the pattern now.  I wrote off the additional "payment" as they were thinking I was trying to steal the pattern... better of leaving it all alone then having this sort of trouble.  I LOVE my contracts now.  Everythings all signed and written down so that there's no miscommunication ever again.</div> <bR> <div> I have been a total Chatty Patty too... if you are on ILS you have seen all of the following typing today.  I still can't believe I had this much stuff to say!</div> <bR> <div> What I was thinking was this... I have been casting on just about... well a LOT of goodies. I got to thinking that it's good cause no matter where I am in the house I have something to work in. What with me not able to get round so good (PTL for my scooter!!!) I don't need to get round much. Too,,, if and when I can leave the house I just grab something and go... they are all portable, easy to do stuff for the most part. Also I never have to get bored with the same knit... I just put it down and grab something else up! LOVE IT! </div> <bR> <div> Ok, so I'm rationalizing to tell you all that I did it again! YUP I cast on another blouse last night! ;-) Patagonia Nature cotton in light blue... it's a thick thin 100% cotton yarn that I'm doing a blouse up in. I love it! So far I have about 3" of ribbing and keep feeling like I might want texture in this blouse. FUN FUN FUN. </div> <bR> <div> Then there's the FIVE skeins of sock yarn that I put aside for Christmas gifts for my family! NUT! There's only just a few short weeks till Christmas and today I'm just not at all sure all of the people I pulled for want socks! HAHA YUP rationalizing myself out of those too! At least 3 of the people,,, I'm not sure that they need them. Two got socks last year and I don't know what happened to them and if they even like them. One for sure needs a pair as it's Mother and she's a lovey and she knows how much work goes into a pair of socks. So for sure I'm doing her up a pair. Then there's my loving ShaneMan,,, I had c/o a Gianna EPS sweater for him and only had a couple rows done. That came out and I will work on it in the night from now on. I got 3 short rows in for the back and it's on like 10.5 so a fast knit. Just working on it at night I should get it done by a month or so. </div> <bR> <div> I was up till 3:30 in just too much pain to think of sleeping. I cried and cried and put my Blue Ice on my knees at they were the culprits. I heated and finally at 3:30 the pain had subsided enough to sleep. </div> <bR> <div> I kept thinking of you all though. I had gotten this e-mail last week and I know some of you are short on yarn funds. This place is terrific! <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><U>http://store.juliasyarn.com/</U></FONT> I have their sock yarn and need to get their bamboo! I SO love the bamboo yarn for my tops. It's not wool and so it's not at all hot... I who flash thataway often.... so I love my bamboo top. I want to try some of their other new yarns too. If you spend $49 you can get 15% off, free shipping, and a free gift. So here's your coupon! ENJOY!!!! </div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> on orders over $49*</div> <div> until 11/23/2008 </div> <div> Use coupon code: <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><B><U>newarrival</U></B></FONT> </div> <div> Don't say I never gave you anything! LOL We have used their sock yarn and you really get what you pay for. While it's not at all bad, it's not Wollemeise or STR. ;-) BUT it's also not twine. I have a gift from the children of a glove in it. I so love those gloves. They aren't itchy and nasty... so I can say that for it. Also the colors are smashing. These are the gloves that look like sea, sand, sky and mountains. They are lovely which is why I can recommend the yarn to you. I found them by seeing folks selling them on Ravelry for a lot MORE.</div> <bR> <div> Another thing I have to tell you is to check the Blue Moon Fiber Arts (BMFA) blog for updates to Sock Summit! Also there's a group on Ravelry. We printed out a listing of all of the hotels in the area of the convention center and already some of them are all booked for that weekend. The ones that are right across the street ;-( which is something I NEEDED! UGH BUT they do have this shuttle service thing so I'm thinking, who know's, perhaps that would be the better thing for me. I want to find a lovely cane or walker/seat thingy by the time it comes. A folding walker/seat thingy would be ideal. I wonder if they make something light weight like that????  </div> <bR> <div> So the last thing LOL yeah right, ME? NOT! Is that I have to tell you... through reading BMFA blog on SS I come to find out they are having a SALE!!!!!!!!!!! I soooooooooo need to try their WooBu and this is my chance. I have only to wait until 12-6 when they have their sale slated for. Now the trick will be to remember! I wrote myself a note... I will put it on the calendar but still! OHHH I can put a notice at our group site! yeah baby! </div> <bR> <div> I have 3 pages of notes I took while listening to pod casts so I have a bit of jaunting to do. If I find something interesting, I will LYK. Have a great day and </div> <bR> <div> {crack} </div> <bR> <div> get to work,,, ya grimmy ruggers!</div> <bR> <div> I LOVE WORKING! It makes me feel needed and HEY ABOOTTTTTTTTTTT!!!! I sent in the test knit and asked if there was anything else (an afghan!!!) or something that they needed yesterday or anything at all.... today I got an e-mail! </div> <bR> <div> YOU GUYS IT'S GORGEOUS!!! I can't wait to show you all this one! It's up 12-19 so I have to wait toooo long but it's gooorgeous! It's for a small child, a forest coat with fiddle heads on it!!!!! I love this knit it's in the round!!!! Oh oh oh! I'm screaming and squeeeing, can you hear me!?!!<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <bR> <div> Gee, the only thing is I have to finish knitting the presents NOW. sigh... DS might be getting something still OTN. those socks really don't need to be knit now... well, I think I will c/o Mom's right now and see if I can't get those done before the yarn gets here. </div> <bR> <div> WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! She just wrote back and wants me to do something which hasn't been knit before... it's just like that FI jacket that I just finished for them. It's all patterned 2 stranded LOVELINESS! Worst comes and she doesn't let me do both... I could so get them both done for them... then I will knit the other for DD. </div> <bR> <div> It's sooooo wonderful that it just HAS to be knit by me. I just measured DD and she's 25, the largest size on the pattern is 28 so if I up the needle size it will be a perfect fit. It's about knee length and wow it's just... well, I HAVE to knit this. PERIOD! So if they say no then DD and I will find the yarn and get cranking on it for her. ;-) WOW I just looked again, there's so much here, I have to read through everything... it's pattern says super fine yarn which is probably fingering,,, so if I but bump it up to WW then it will go with her into adulthood!!!! It's so lovely that it could easily make the switch. HAHA if it ends up too big... well, haha you know who will get it... YEAH BABY! </div> <bR> <div> Then she can do mom's feet if I can't finish them before the yarn gets here. Then there's only DS's sweater,,, which he might have to get OTN and watch me knit it for him in the New Year. I'm sure there have been many times when knitter folks have been indian givers. ;-) OH I'M ON CLOUD NINE! who cares if the body doesn't work, I'm needed and loved, who can ask for more? </div> <bR> <div> Squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeing all the way home. YEAH BABY. Want a leg up to my cloud? WAAAAAAAhOOOOOOOO</div> <bR> <div> Every year, Planet Patchwork.com on New Years Day,,, has a mystery quilt.  This is something DD </div> <div> and I have promised each other we will do annually. No matter how far apart we are, no matter what the difficulty... we will at least get together on New Years day and do this quilt. So far we have done the last two years. </div> <bR> <div> It's a riot! You get on line and chat with the ladies and normally I don't quit until I'm finished and at the end of the day I have a completed quilt top. It's great fun. The ladies are the same too... so I'm not the only NUT!</div> <bR> <div> So on 1-1-09 we will all be in the chat room... Shane said he will monitor the chat and do all of the typing and clue downloading and printing. Katie will do all of the ironing and 1/4th of the sewing probably. Last time we finished on the day... year before the following morning. So we are getting better each year,,, and the children are aging,,, skills being honed. Perhaps this year we will finish on the first day. That would be nice. I showed DD my 07 and she freaked! LOL I can't remember just where that top got off to. Last years is on her bed! She loves it. I need a new machine quilter. ;-( Mine got carpel tunnel and had to quit, it's too bad as she loved it and just did it to keep her busy... she only charged like 50 bucks for a queen! She's a wonderful gem. I have missed her. I'm leary of finding a new one as I have had so much of my stuff stolen in the past. It's hard to trust and quilts have so much time and money invested into them. There's NO way I can do either the machine or hand quilting any more though. It's just too hard on my old body. Just chain sewing is hard on me. Hopefully (prayerfully) I will be all rested and not in a flare on D day. ;-) </div> <bR> <div> I am most blessed! They said yes! They are trusting me. I'm sooooooooo blown away, I really thought that they'd say no as this is major. Both projects involve many yarns, color work, steeking, added shopping for notions.... etc. etc. Not your standard jacket and coat,,, embroidery, etc etc. So as you can see, I'm going to be very busy. PTL! I'm most blessed indeed. All of the funds go straight into my savings for Sock Summit. It's grown very rapidly since I dumped it all to purchase my wheel. I'm so happy. So they are trusting me. I told her I thought she was wonderful and that I wouldn't let her down as it would reflect on her. I have an old school work ethic and my word is truth. I will do my best for them. </div> <div> Needless to say, I'm not doing all of those socks I said I was going to. I am only doing one pair. I started and have about 4" done on the first one. Using my hand painted, lovely yarn, I'm sure Mom will love them. DS might not get a completed sweater either... but I will finish it after the first of the year. I'm so pleased. ahhhhhhhhhhh I can't believe it... just the other day I had a clear slate and wasn't it me who said I am not going to work for a good long time? </div> <bR> <div> What an incredible day, followed by a wonderfully stupendous night!<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <bR> <div> Check it out. I just had the most incredible meal. The beans were done to perfection... authentic Mexican pinto beans LOVE THEM! Real tacos where you fry the corn tortilla with the seasoned meat inside the thing so you don't break it getting the meat in afterwards. I was taught that trick by my adopted Mother (I adopted her) who was my hard core mexi momma! So... we had those GREAT tacos, beans and then we did the flower tortillas with cinnamon and sugar on them as in Curros! GREAT RIGHT! </div> <bR> <div> Well, it don't stop there. I got in my Knit Picks catalog. Kat and all, did you get yours... ??? CHECK IT OUT!!!! On the front cover,,, that little baby on the right corner... he's mine! LOVE HIM TO DEATH!!!! He was a joy to knit. I highly recommend him for anyone special in your life. So then turn to page 5, again upper right hand corner... I did that. So then turn to page 11,,, THOSE ARE MY BABIES!!!! I LOVE THEM ALLLLLLL and I highly recommend you get them all. The bear... I had one entire skein left over of the Gingerbread so you only need one... you can knit from the start and end of the ball. So then turn to page 23... yup, bottom right hand corner, SHAZAM,,, Sipalu again. ;-) Modest? me? HAHA So then turn to page 45, bottom of the page... you thought I was going to say I did it? HAHA NO ME WANT THEM ALLLLLLLLL!!!!! WOW do you love it? I surely do. </div> <bR> <div> So I was screaming the house down, had to call Mom's and tell her all about this and she just about split. I invited her to the list, she's a lurker but she might come on. I told her she just can't look back at the messages or she'd know what she's getting for Christmas. So... then I got the new Yarn Harlot book in. As well as that stuff I thought was thrums... the Fleece Artist yarn in purples, nummy!!!!, mohair and BFL, you hold the two yarns together for a thicker sock,,, that comes with the pattern for socks or mittens... and a skein of Madelintosh in this nummy blue color. </div> <bR> <div> We also got the Herrschners catalog and I can't make up my mind which afghan I'm going to make. I don't need a pattern, I just go off the photos and Wendyize them. They have so very many cute ones... I just want me a nice wool, crocheted (fast) afghan for my lap while in my wheel chair, recliner where ever, KWIM... just a little thing. I can't decide if I want to do the lady bug or the butterfly. I can just see the lady in all different jewel colors with black dots... the butterfly the same. I would outline everything in (pages 34 & 35) in black and put the little circles off to the top outside like a Monarch. Well, that's not all I would change but I can so see this thing. GEE!!!!!! What a great thought! DD's wearing this hankie triangle I made for her... it's a hankie, with a crocheted butterfly in the corner and then made into a triangle. Well I made this out of #30 thread. If I used WW wool.... it would be ginormous!!!! Well, no,, it's really holey so I guess that wouldn't do. It was fun while it lasted. I was looking at the swirl and the squares, hexs and stuff too... need to figure this thing out and just crank something out... course I guess it's going to have to wait for January now. ;-) HAHA LOVE IT! </div> <bR> <div> You know something funny, I used to crank out the round ripple (page 2 top left corner) and I only charged $45 for it,,, with it CROCHETED they charge $35 for just the YARN! </div> <bR> <div> AHHHHHHH is my life exceptional or what?!!!! I love it. What a day. I was all up and hopped up for dinner... now I'm crashing. I wanted to stay up with the children as we have this thing, when I'm hopping like that and I'm my old self... we stay up as long as we last as this is the way I really am... without the drugs, pain and illnesses wracking my body. So when I get to this level of rightness, normalicy, I like them to get as much time with me as we can squeeze out of the day, night or whatever. So I'm not sure what all we will do but the days long from over even if it is almost 10! HAHA oh me. ;-) I will get some photos of my goodies up on my site on the New Rambling page if you want to see them unprofessionally shot. Have a great night... morning. ;-) </div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>11-16-08 I have been working like a fiend to get out a test knit as I really wanted to get back to all of my projects.  I have been casting on still through the test knit as you know me... I have Castitonitis REALLY BAD!  I love it though... just like I love my stash!  DH said I could use the book case, YUP the great wall O' books... if I sell some of the books off.  Anyone need a set of the Undersea World of Jacque Coustea?  ;-)</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>While I can't show you my test knit currently I can show you what I did while taking a break from working.... spinnnnnnnnnnnninnnnnnnnnnnnnnnng!</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="146b18d20.jpg" border=0 width="280" height="210" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">    <IMG SRC="146c1bd40.jpg" border=0 width="283" height="212" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>Ashland Bay green WW on the left, really well         My hand dyed Suffolk, bulky yarn, great for a hat!</B></div> <div> <B>carded, shot through with red and yellow.</B></div> <div> <B>I needed to add to the final bobbin so on the </B></div> <div> <B>left you see my Suffolk in teal, green, navy</B></div> <div> <B>along with the Ashland Bay.  </B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="146e21810.jpg" border=0 width="289" height="385" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> </B></div> <div> <B>I don't think I shared my baby with you.  Say hellow to my Rose!  I just love her.  She makes lovely fine yarns.  I have all of the whorls as well as the jumbo and lace flyers.  I got the works with her.  She does fine to super bulky art yarns as there's no orifice on the bulky flyer.  I love her so much.  She's rapidly becoming my buddy.</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="146f48f60.jpg" border=0 width="328" height="246" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>This is Enchanted Knoll merino in Woodland.  I love it!  This is a fine lace which I will ply on itself.  I split the roving down the length of it in half.  Then I put away one of the halves and play with the rest.  Over a two day period I was able to spin almost all of it.  What you see is the last of the first half.   This is a lovely green, brown, shot with a bit of orange.  I did a good bit of prepping on this roving as it asked to be split long wise each time I came to the wheel to spin it.  I must have gotten about 10 splits out of the half that I had.  This was just standard roving but wild and fun to spin.  It had definate ideas of what I was to do with it.  When I complete the second half and ply it back this has been screaming that it wants to be a shawl.  I will have to skein it up to find out how much yarn is here as my yarn counter does WW only.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="146d6c110.jpg" border=0 width="364" height="273" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>So this is my one day hat.  I was cold and needed a hat.  This is the left over Lorna's Lace from my winter coat so the hat matches the coat.  Cool eh?  I didn't think of that when I asked DS to find and skein it.  I just love how the top of the hat looks a bit formed, just the decrease that did that.  It was a fun, fast knit.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="147155000.jpg" border=0 width="341" height="256" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">  Can't remember if I showed you all this but just before the test knit got here I went through that major startitis... well this is another Bamboo top.  I LOVE the bamboo,,,, when you have it on it's like there's nothing there... talk about comfort!  This goes perfect with my skirt that I'm wearing as you can see.  I can't wait... I'm 16 hours from being finished with it so I'm going to get cranking.  I'm wanting to do a different neckline for this.  I will probably start knitting back and forth at the underarms and get me a real neat neck.  I can't wait.  I love placets and lacing and then there's the collars!  OH JOY!  I can't wait.  OHHH I have to show you all Snow White!</B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="14748c290.jpg" border=0 width="396" height="297" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">  Isn't it a wonder!  As in I wonder how in the world it's going to fit me!  LOL You can see the shaping in the right centerish... there,,, see the ribbing coming to a point?  Well I finished the waist and am increasing for the bust already!  I know,,, scary but I have pulled the cast on to the point of no longer having any give and it measures a full 60" around!  Since I'm only 40 it should work.  If it's too immodest I will just wear a top over it.  I used an Elann yarn which is cotton and elastic, perfect for So. Cal. heated summers.  This top is so addicting, I just had to knit on it till 2:30 last night... couldn't put it down,,, better then a good novel!</B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="147536e90.jpg" border=0 width="310" height="233" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">  Here's my Thrum socks!  LOVE IT!  My feet get so very cold in the winter and these should fix that.  This is alpaca sock yarn from Crown Mountain farms with a color way called Shala.  The roving is my softer then soft alpaca dark brown.  I just twist the thrum and put it into the knitting.  This is only the first row of thrums.  I am doing them every 7 stitches ever 7 rows.  Should work fine.  The reason I choose this yarn over my Knit Picks Imagination in Lost Boys... even though that matched the roving even better... I choose it cause it's thicker then Imagination.  These will have to be made larger then a normal sock to accomodate the roving.  When I saw how thick this yarn was when it came in I thought I'd never use it... here is the PERFECT application for this yarn!  I'm so very pleased with these socks.  OH and too... I'm so HOOKED on two at a time toe ups.  That's what the test knit was and it was just such a breeze.  It was wonderful to bind off and be finished... while DD bound off and still had another sock to knit.  LOVE IT!   I don't like short row heels so I will be using Wendy Johnsons'  heel flap for these socks and probably all future ones.  That figure 8 cast on...  feels like cheating it's so simple!  LOL Anyway I have to get to my Bamboo, it's calling my name.  Hope you are all well and happy in the Lord.  Bless you all!</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>11-6-08  I have really been getting into organization of late.  I did all my sock patterns up into divided sections of a large binder.  The reason they got done is that I purchased 4 binders from Costco for my purchased patterns which I had recently broken down and bought a few.  I have an entire bottom of the file cabinet full of printed patterns not to mention all of them in the puter that I have saved, but I digress.</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="146331970.jpg" border=0 width="305" height="407" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>From bottom right up Wollemeise!!!! 2nd up left Fleece Artist NUMMY! right sock of the month club yarns.  Above those are just by color.  This isn't all of the sock yarn... just the most expensive and funest and my most loviest!  Course I was able to fill the small shoe totes right back up with yarn UGH!  LOL I have another larger tote in the garage full of sock yarn too but at least it "feels" more corralled.  {contented sigh}  I have everything in the garage (really need to count those totes) sorted by Manufacturer.  Some times this isn't a good thing though... when I'm looking for a sweaters worth of yarn I need to be able to look through those yarns.  When I need silk I have a tote for that.... but then like there's more silk in the Cherry Tree Hill box.  Course I say that all of the sock yarn is in that tote but speaking of it... there's more in the CTH box as well as the Lorna's Lace.  So... HUM... more organizing is needed.  Here a little there a little it will get done.  Off to the treadmill now.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>DD has taken the balance of the Lorna's Lace... she loves my new cable sweater so much that she's cast on!  ;-)  I love her so much.  You have to do a double take with us at times as we dress alike often.  We have matching skirts and now tops and sweaters.  I'm so happy as now she can fit into my shoes as well.   The other night I slipped into her soft snuggly pink fluff slippers... ohhh how nice they are. There were a few shoes I just couldn't part with when I was diagnosed with Plantar Facitis.  All I wear is Birkenstock shoes now... they have many more then just the slip on that folks immediately think of.  So Katie will inherit my good Ariat books, my leather Granny's, my black patent leather pumps... shhhhhhh don't tell her.  LOL off to the treadmill.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>11-4-08 So today all I did was work on DH's b-day gift, fitfully trying NOT to work on other items that I really wanted to work on... but now DH is home so I may work on them to my hearts content.</B></div> <div> <B>Kat, you wanted to see me doing something other then blue, green and purple... here's your chance... and mine,,, to get out of the b/g/p box!!!!</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="145c3ea80.jpg" border=0 width="318" height="424" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> There's this wonderful woman who checks with me before she does a destash and I LOVE HER!!!!  So this is my haul from her recent destash.  While I love and adore blue, green and purple... these yarns just speak to me!  The Chamilian Colorworks.... bottom 2 skeins are Optim!  Soft as silk only it's 100% merino... they have to get OTN NOW!  The red at the top is a sport weight and will either be bed socks or will be a complement yarn for a larger project, perhaps with some home spun?  The there's the  ToostyBoo pink, beige and green,,, lovely spring socks from that... then the two on either side are Fleece Artist, Somoko, no need to say more then LOVE EM!  I have been coveting Lisa Souza Wild Things and came very close to buying it about 2 weeks ago... it's at the top right.  Conjoined Creations is just under that and far right is Rio Dela Plata.  So I have what? only 2 out of all of them which were inside the box, all of the rest are OUT of the box.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="14613aa30.jpg" border=0 width="314" height="419" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">  Here's Shane's present to me.  I love Cloches and this was one who's pattern we found on the internet and he whipped it up for my b-day.  Love my son.  Kat's pansy flower that she bought for me just set it off so well.  You can't see it but on the side... the I-cord has a little knot with the ends hanging down.  The Pansy is covering a little ^ shape on the hat.  It was a little fiddly so we decided this was the best place for the pansy to set.  I did the little bit of beading and over all... I think it's a nice hat for me.  Anything with a wide brim makes me look like a hippo.  I should be able to get my hair all up on top of my head (see the ripples there?) into a bun for church as we cover.  So this is a hit.  :-)  LOVE IT.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="1460db240.jpg" border=0 width="219" height="292" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">  Kat this one's for you too.  This is the new bamboo top I told you about.  I just c/o last night after swatching and changing needles around and all.  I can't wait till you get to see the collar and the sleeves!  I'm doing Floopy Sleeves on this only making them much more practical.  This is SWTC bamboo called Twize, it's got many colors in it, tangerine (YUP me Orange!  HAHA no it's not orange, it's tangerine!!!!! allow me to live in a fantasy world if I so choose), pink, blue, yellow and I think a bit of white.  I adore it.  After looking through Beatons  I might just add some embroidery to it when I'm through as well.  Gee, I never did show you my vest for the Festivals.  I did some silk ribbon embroidery on it.  I need to bead and do some more smaller  things between the flowers and I only did the one side too so I'm still working on it.  Least it's in the files.  I'm off!</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>11-3-08  A brief photo tour of those things OnTN and OffTN of late.</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="145950fc0.jpg" border=0 width="336" height="252" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> </B><B><IMG SRC="14585b040.jpg" border=0 width="347" height="260" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>My Happy Birthday buy from Red Bird Knits... the Cascade was only like $4.50 something what with her sale and the rate of exchange from Canada... it was a GREAT deal so I got two sweaters worth... two Fair Isle sweaters worth NUM!  The pattern was a test knit I just finished and so it's not published yet so I can't share the photo's just yet,,, but soon.</B></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="1456680e0.jpg" border=0 width="360" height="270" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>Heres the 2 at a time toe up I told you about a last week.  A good bit of progress considering how many items I'm working on all at a time!  LOL It depends on my whim I'm not ruled by strict guidelines of I must finish X before I will allow myself Z.  Z might not be got to other wise.  ;-)  Sort of like eat desert first... you never know when your going to go.  LOL</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="1455126d0.jpg" border=0 width="274" height="365" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">  I just started these on Friday.  I was yearning for my Alpaca Sox by Classic Elite.  I made the mistake of taking my socks (this is the 2nd pair) to church and when my friend said she loved them... well, they are now a gift.  Which of course left me with too much yarn once I'd purchased another skein.  I figured out how much I could use and went for it... what you see here... is the old ball!!!!  This yarn just went on and on.  So I knit like crazy for a day on them and this was the results.  Of course I didn't make the ribbing tight enough... one of these days I'm going to learn to write stuff down!  So for the second one, I held Woolyn Nylon along with the yarn, LOVE IT!  You can see how much thinner the second is... wonderful!  They are very comfortable and very warm.</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="1454dfa70.jpg" border=0 width="223" height="167" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>Here's what I have done on my Bronte already.  Playing with the SSK and K2tog and all of that so it varies but you can't tell.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="1453126d0.jpg" border=0 width="274" height="365" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>Here's DH's b-day present... gee, I'd better get a move on!  I just realized that I have been working on Katies sock and I should be working on DH's as his b-day is the 15th!!!</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="145208c60.jpg" border=0 width="264" height="198" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>This was Katies present to me for myb-day... they are fingerless gloves which I wear all the time.  They are silk!!! NUMMY!!!</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="1451fb4f0.jpg" border=0 width="251" height="335" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>Here's another little gift for DH, it's a towel for his golf bag... just needs the button on the top.  You can't see him but there's a man on there with a club teeing off.  Is that how you say it?  ;-)</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="1450e9370.jpg" border=0 width="233" height="311" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>This is the sock I have been working on, I love it, Katie will too.  It's for her.... shhhhh, see the little boys and girls at the top?  See the little hearts on the bottom/ankle?  I think she will get a kick out of them.</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="144ff3440.jpg" border=0 width="243" height="324" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>I love this!  It's the October RBKnits sock club.  Unfortunatly the black came in grey and the multi was only blue so I used Skippy Mom (Etsy)'s hand dyed Confetti yarn with a cone of black fingering I had on hand.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="144e31970.jpg" border=0 width="305" height="407" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>So here's the much spoken of Lizard Ridge.  I have done a good deal of learning about untwisting my W & T's so that they don't show on the front at all.  Good Ole Cat Bordhi!  I never thought too much of it until I saw her UTube on kniting them together.  Then I realized I could do the same thing with the purls and so I untwist them all now.  It's a fun knit.  I come to realize also that I can "make" my own yarn with the duplicate skeins I have with all of the left overs from the other balls and by mixing the yarns up.  So it's real fun to work on this.  I'm going to start making strips,,, not real fond of seaming all of this.  I NEED a woolen throw so this is timely.  Been collecting all of that Noro,,, just thought it was for sweaters til recently when I came to my Merino yarn that's soooooooo soft and nummy.  If you are going to put a ton of time into a project you'd better like it.  In other words if it's itchy, it's not a garment!  So this was perfect.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="144d01560.jpg" border=0 width="257" height="342" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>This is the Monet Cardigan... I have it all dyed up and ready to get cooking on it some day here.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="144c31960.jpg" border=0 width="305" height="406" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>TADA! the cabled pullover that went so fast you never got to see it before this.  I love it.  It's Lorna's Lace, soft, squishy and snuggly!  It's a perfect fit and a good toss on when I'm chilled.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="144b57010.jpg" border=0 width="343" height="257" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>So this is the progress I'd made on my new blouse.  The 6 hour top... only this is Pure Soysilk and MUCH thinner then the WW I'd used last so this one will be OTN for a good long time.  I have it to the waist and need to come up the body so there's much less stitches now which is good... I will have to increase pretty quickly though as I'm short waisted.  I'm going to put the Floopy Sleeves on this top!  I can't wait!  I want to modify them, pull them in at the elbow and make them adjustable at the wrist so that I can cook in them.  As they are they are too fancy for daily life.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="144a3ced0.jpg" border=0 width="316" height="237" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>This is a scarf for a friend.  We are doing a round robin with scarves.  I love knitting on this and praying over her and hers while I do.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="1449620a0.jpg" border=0 width="354" height="266" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>THIS IS A PROOOOOOOOJECT!  I mean a big one too!  This is a 4 tiered ruffled skirt!!!!  My first skirt?  Well it will be the THIRD OTN and probably the first finished.  See the underskirt there?  I'm going to write up the pattern for this one and TEACH YOU!!!! how to make the underskirt.  You probably HAVE everything in your house right now... except perhaps the 1" elastic for the waist,,, but everything else... I bet you have it there with you!  ;-)  It's so easy.  I have been taking photo's as I go so that you can see what I mean... but not just yet.  </B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="1448075f0.jpg" border=0 width="263" height="351" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>This is my beloved boys socks for his b-day which is 11-11... soon.  I love them, I know he will too.  They are from one of my books and called Twilight.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="144726dd0.jpg" border=0 width="294" height="221" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>This is the lace weight I spun from the roving I dyed I called Glacier.  Remember that roving forever and ago?  See the Optium under it?  That's going into home spun socks.... my first.  They too are knee highs.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Today all I could think of was dumping all of my sock yarn out onto the floor and wallowing in it!  YUP wallowing in it!  I was CRAVING A plain old sock... no pattern, heavily colored so that it didn't want to be knit into lace... no texture... just plain old stockinette... not too many yards as I didn't want to be tempted by knee highs... just plain old socks.  FAST!  I know full well that it will only take me a few days start to finish if I do it the old way... DPN's top down... 3's to 2's at the ankles to 1's on the instep and 0's on the sole.  YUP a couple of days and I can have them done.  Course DH's b-day's coming... might just have to shop for him.  </B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="144621d90.jpg" border=0 width="289" height="217" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B> So I pulled out one box... of my newest babies.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="144525dc0.jpg" border=0 width="293" height="220" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>then another... putting the green balled one up in the forefront... carrying him around</B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="144444f30.jpg" border=0 width="324" height="243" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>that was,,, until I opened this box!  I just had to have it....  the ones on the left were really calling hard.  The red Vintage FA or would it be the tiny toes (extra small skein for the toe and heel) of the blue/green Interlacements... or would the other two newer FA's win out?  One of my online yarn stores had just had a sale on FA (Fleece Artist if you are wondering) and I bought one skein of each type.  So there were three in the running,,, with the green balled yarn falling on the way side.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="144346f40.jpg" border=0 width="326" height="244" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>TADA the winner,,, by a mile....Somoko by Fleece Artist a lovely Peacock of course.  Vanilla socks here I coooooooooooomeee....</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>So that's what's OTN and OTN in my home this past week.  There are many more... the lace shawls I skipped over as you have heard of them adinfinaseum.  What with my finishing the Fall Shawl I have a bit of upmf to finish up another one so I will one day here... I have to get over this sock mania first though.  AHHHHH good only Vanilla on DPN's.  Might even throw the yarn!  {contented sigh}  See you in the fiber.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>10-28-08 Yup Older Then Dirt... accordingly I slept through most of the day on my birthday!  How appropriate was that!  LOL I wanted to work on my new Malabrigo sock yarn all day long.  Yes I was able to acquire a skein!!!  One of the fortunate few... as this yarn is so nummy!</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="141b42f20.jpg" border=0 width="322" height="242" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B><B><IMG SRC="141c3fef0.jpg" border=0 width="319" height="239" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>Late into the night on the 26th I looked through all of my sock books, patterns and design book.  To no avail!  LOL I ended up designing my own little thing.  This color is called Caribeno, 440 yards, 3.5 oz, kettle dyed superwash merino.  I think it's hitting the USA shortly so hold on you should be able to get some soon.</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="141eb0440.jpg" border=0 width="432" height="324" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>So here's my work so far.  I only "wanted" to work on them all day, when you hit Older Then Dirt in your age you fall asleep more... and stay up all night.  So accordingly, I slept most of the day!  This is the work I was able to do in the night before I had to sleep at midnight.  I'm just not good at staying awake any more.  Good thing I'm in-valid and stay home or the boss would be looking for a new employee!  ;-)  What am I doing with my sock?  It ended up requiring a tiny amount of cabling and a bit of a special rib, stay tuned and I will keep you updated.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>On to the birthday... well, all day long,,, I slept.  The children worked hard but they are still children and what I asked for - I hadn't even done... I requested a 2 layer 9 x 13 cake.  Didn't happen... the cake stuck,,, you know what's coming don't you!  HAHA then you'd be right...</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="1420e5ac0.jpg" border=0 width="229" height="172" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">  HAHA they e-mailed Dad at work and asked for help, he brought home the two in the back of their demolished cake.  They even did pudding inbetween the layers surrounded with marshmallows!  come on, they tried. </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>So... I got to do something I have always wanted to do.  Once I had done it,,, I wondered WHY had I so long wanted to do this thing!  UGH! YUCK HAHA did you guess?  I had a bite of cake without any utensils.  YUP face in the cake.  HAHA so my son decided to follow my example... he was just daintily pecking here and there when he did a face plant as Mom pushed his face into the cake!!! HAHA  oh me!  Too much fun.  Also,,, nasty!  DD knew better as she's been in pie eating contests and knew that it goes up the NOSE!  HAHA so she passed.  Smart child!</B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="142433e60.jpg" border=0 width="307" height="230" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Here's the dining room table covered with presents!  Am I blessed or what!    See the blue on the far right?  DS made me my favorite hat... 1920's Cloche style.  DD made me the turquoise silk gloves there.  She made them out of her head, bless her!</B></div> <div> <B>  <IMG SRC="14253bec0.jpg" border=0 width="315" height="236" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">  Here are my favorites from Amy.  Silk worms!!!!  Scripture cards that she made and see the markers on the left?  They are soooooo lovely!  Her children made me stitch markers, row counter, beaded makers with my names on them,,, a set of lovely tiny pink markers all perfectly wonderful!!!!  I LOVE hand made goodies.</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="142613ce0.jpg" border=0 width="275" height="206" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">  DH really WOWed me.  He purchased this lovely china tea pot and matching cup and saucer.  I love the shape of the cup, isn't it sweet!   As if that wasn't enough... the pot was stuffed with my first two skeins of Koigu!  YUP, he started my collection!  Dear man.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="1428f1b50.jpg" border=0 width="241" height="181" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">  The funniest thing that happened was my beloved Boopie!  He took one whiff of the silk worm and got the strangest look on his face!  His mouth made this snarkmarkwoof thing and then his nose got all wrinkled and well,,, my camera is just TOO slow!  I so wanted to photograph him!  I really wanted to share this with you but he refused to take another whiff so this is all I got.  FUNNY!  He's the best, really!  I do so love my Boop!  I think this dog has more character in his paw then any dog I have ever met in my long years on this earth.  Barkey is decidedly the smartest!  I mean how many dogs do you know who will drag himself across the floor with a leg hanging behind him when you say do it... do SOOOOOOOOOOldier coming home from the Civil War!  He's a riot!  Ok, so I love them both.  ;-) They know it too, as I'm the one they sleep with!</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Off to my Malabrigo!  NUMMY!  Call your LYS, write your favorite online store,,, storm the castle,,, you will find it.  LOL when we went to Santa Barbara,,, I asked all of the LYS owners if they had any and they looked at me like I'd grown a horn out of my forehead!  HAHA  Guess I knew better.  Oh well, I'm off... you all have a terrific day!</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>10-26-08 Well tomorrow I will be older then dirt!  Yup another year has gone past.  WILD how fast it's going.  I have learned so very much this year.  I'm very grateful for my family and all of my friends.  I have the BEST friends in the universe!</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="14181dd60.jpg" border=0 width="285" height="214" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B><B><IMG SRC="14171dd60.jpg" border=0 width="285" height="214" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>Well here's my bed jacket.  I have long said I crochet circles around myself... well here it is... literally!  LOL I love it.  It's a perfect fit and excellent to keep me warm at knit while knitting.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="141627dd0.jpg" border=0 width="295" height="221" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>Thanks to Bill Cosby we have fallen in love with Hoggies!  The only difference is we add lovely organic vegatables to ours, and use a TON less meat and cheese... still not the healthiest thing we have done... but it surely is grand for a change just to have a sandwich.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>I went a little crazy the other night and decided it was time to start my Lizard Ridge afghan with my Noro.  I had been collecting the Kuryeon and Silk Garden for a good long time and had a tote full with Noro and SWTC Karaoke.  The pattern was difficult to interpret so I went to Ravelry and there are lik 941 projects in que!  I got all of the answers I needed and completed my first block.  I really like it, no that's to mild of a word, I LOVE IT!  It keeps me hopping and it's so pretty.  Very striking.  </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Well, I was cruising right along and I went to the garage for more yarn cause I realized that all I had were duplicatss… waaaaaaaa I have a ton of it but it’s a lot of duplicates as I wanted to make like stuff from it… sweater type of stuff. {sigh}  I have a lot of Karaoke which takes up a good amount of the tote which is why I thought I have more then I actually do.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Either I need to swap for singles, purchase singles OUCH or do it in Karaoke and hold off till I can afford more Kureyon.  Little Knits.com always has some for like half off, I might go see what I can find there and some for swap on Rav… only problem with that is then you have to mess with shipping prices and color issues and OHHHHHH bother. sigh I have to just face it my LR addition is going to have to wane for now.  WOW I just had a SMASHING idear!!! </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Comic Sans MS" >AHHA!!!!!</FONT><B> I'm going to take all of the leftovers from each ball and put them together with all of the duplicates and make new SKEINS!!!!! All unique to me Kureyon! I can mix up the duplicates like a stack of cards chopping into them merciliessly and leave them to fall as they may!  This way I can use up the dups! YIPEEEEEE Hey I have work to do, WOW I'm alllll jazzed again! I can so do this with all of those duplicates!!! YIPEEEEEEE!!! HAHA Off to work I go Hi Hoe it's off to work I go Hi Hoe Hi Hoe hahaha singing with me? YIPPPPPPPPEEEEEEEE SKIPPYYYYYY dancing dancing dancing... hello Snoopy!</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>10-24-08 Just a few minutes to show you what I have been keeping busy with.</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="141022da0.jpg" border=0 width="290" height="218" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">  I went to an LYS and saw a button that was PERFECT for my winter coat.  There was only 1 and I need at least 8... at $23.00 I knew I could make it myself.  After a few days of deliberating on how to make a strong, secure base... I came up with these.  Cute eh? They are soooooo perfect for my coat.  As soon as I finish up the button band I will show you an update... yes, just an update as it will have to have a collar, hood and scarf all added onto it!  LOL yes, overkill is normal for me though.</B></div> <bR> <div> I'M GOING TO SOCK SUMMIT!!!!!! YIPEEEEEEE anyone want to come with me? US! I should say.  My wonderful hubby is my loving benefactor. The dear man's driving us up there ($500)---13 -15 HOURS of knitting time... quality knitting time as I can't leave the car! Gee... what a terrible thought! We will have to go the day before cause I will get sick from FMS due to that car ride. sigh,,, we'll work it out... perhaps more stretching stops? Back to the good news... so he's paying for 2 classes for 2 people (DD)</div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="140fdb240.jpg" border=0 width="219" height="292" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> So here's the bed jacket I have been working on.  The front has a bit of an angle open in which I will plop a large rosette most likely.  I have a scalloped edging that I adore which will go on after a few more rows.   You can see that the dye lot changed at the bottom.  Over all the color wasn't just what I was looking for so I will most likely over dye this when complete.  Edging the entire thing in black and it will have black ties.  SOOOOO nummy, snuggly soft and warm.  It will serve me well when I pull all nighters to finish my test knitting.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="140e05c40.jpg" border=0 width="261" height="196" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">  </B><B>     The Charlotte Bronte Shawl  -- Here is the first little bit of the center square.  I did a crochet provisional cast on to keep the stitches live.  This is my hand dyed... LOVE IT!  I'm working it on a size 4 needle as I wanted a larger shawl.  The original is only 35" and just way too small for my liking.</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="140c1ad40.jpg" border=0 width="282" height="212" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> An update on my Pansy at 5 diamonds it's still too small so I will continue making the diamonds.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>I wanted a photo of the Goddess AMS but I couldn't get it to lay out well and the dogs were fighting on the bed where I was.  Not a pretty site and it made me want to stop photographing or you would have a look see at DH's and DS's b-day gifts as well as the Lorna Lace pull over... that thing is so fast!</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>  So the little cami/vest from Ellene Warren called Monet's Garden Camisole, has GOT to be c/o here quickly!  I fell in LOVE with the pattern and so I bought it yesterday.  The pattern calls for Koigu so I thought sock yarns.... at first I was all over my Blue Moon STR as I have a great medium weight mill ends that I purchased from Stitches West.  It's all  in greens and blues that would have been PERFECT for this top.  Well after monkeying around about it for a time I realized that: </B></div> <div> <B>1) it would be far too hot in wool as I need another top under it.  </B></div> <div> <B>2) I have to add sleeves to it and make it into a pull over.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>So back to my LYS (read garage!!!!) I went.  I really love the idea of adding sleeves to this and will make the flowers go down the center of the sleeve too---LOVE IT!!!  I pulled out the good cotton box and pulled through, pulled and pulled and realized that I didn't have even ONE cotton that was variegated.  What I did have was:</B></div> <div> <B>4 skeins of an ugly bright green color</B></div> <div> <B>4 skeins of white and cream ----- these 8 were the PERFECT weight!</B></div> <div> <B>THEY were screaming DYE ME! I had also purchased these from Stitches at a booth called Newtons </B><A HREF="http://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/eve/881690466.html " TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/eve"><U><B><U>http://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/eve/881690466.html </U></B></U></A><B>who sells all skeins for only $4.00 each at shows!  He ONLY sells this cheap at shows, so no use contacting him as he will quote you full price over the phone.  He hosts a little solo show too, </B><B>one on location in Anaheim, CA in the Spring and Fall-just passed. </B><B>  Custom Handweaving is the only other vendor,,, normally.  Nancy is the owner, I love that woman, she's another great enabler.  Needless to say, I got a ton of his stuff, including 3 ? sweaters worth of a cashmere/merino blend that I need to do up.  Every time I see him he's got something else that I haven't seen and I end up with more nummies.  He's where I got my Floss... rayon cones as well as cones of elastic thread for my sock tops.  I knit with the elastic and the sock yarn held together for the cuff and it works really well.  Anyway,  I came away with I think 2 tall kitchen garbage bags full the first time!!!! LOL If you go to </B><A HREF="http://www.newtons.com/hanks.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.newtons.com/hanks.htm"><U><B><U>http://www.newtons.com/hanks.htm</U></B></U></A><B> down under cotton, top right photo,,, my white, cream's in the middle and the green is just peeking out of the bottom... not too terrible a color but really needed overdyeing.  The center photo, has my pink that I bought at the same time.... hot pink on the bottom row.  He's also where I got a good deal of the fancy yarns I used on my PPPutting on the Glitz sweater, which is complete,,, skirt has about 2' done.  I have been gathering yarns for my DD's duplicate of my Glitz sweater only she has it in pink, yellow and pale tangerine, they look so good on her.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Getting back to dyeing,,,,, then there was the actual DYE problem.... see my wool dyes don't dye cotton.  So I was stuck with Kool Aid, food color, Ritt dye and a tye dye kit I'd bought from Joann's with shout out load neon colors in it!  sigh... this was going to be harder then I'd anticipated.  For once I wanted subtle colors, more muted, not screaming from space neon's I normally work up.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>The green was easy enough... I prepped it all and then used brown and dark green on it... came out with the three colors as the bright green can still be seen in some places.  It looks much nicer now that there is so little of it.  So this is the main color... on the left in the photo below, isn't it lovely?!!!  I just fell for it in a big way.   I ADORE dyeing yarns.  I'm always so pleased with the results.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>White and cream skeins were next... I new I wanted somewhat bland colors,,, different for me eh?  I came to find that these dyes I listed above react strangely when mixed!  Some fulled and fizzed until it got thick!  WILD!  I had so much fun mixing them all and trying to get what I needed for the flowers.  Finally I feel as if I hit it.  I'm thinking of over dyeing the lime, aqua, yellow one but not sure about that just yet as I need to think which color to over dye it with.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="140d32e60.jpg" border=0 width="306" height="230" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">  So, there's a teal/pink/purple (top center), burgundy/mauve/yellow/green with hints of lime (top right)  Then the one I might over dye or skip (bottom center) and lastly a bit of deep violet/plumb/sapphire.  They look nothing like they looked before the washing.  I washed them, then Katie washed them all, then Shane washed them all... good thing we have many hands as they are still probably going to run a bit.  </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>They are all dried and ready for me to c/o!  I can't wait.  So if you want/need me, I can be found making oh about a million little flowers... and beading their centers.  </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>10-14-08 I don't have more then a minute but I wanted to show you Katie's reaction to us going to Sock Summit in Portland August 09</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="13fde8350.jpg" border=0 width="232" height="309" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>HAHA LOVE IT</B></div> <div>  I got a TON of knitting done this past weekend with Mom in the hospital and all of the doctors couldn't put her (mom) together but I "cured" her! She was released from the hospital Sunday night. All tests on the heart negative. Got home, had another attack. I was so dead out by then that I started praying and almost in tears begged the Lord for guidance. Well, shortly there after the answers all came to me. It's one of the meds she's taking. She's been taking it for a really long time and it's just backed up in her system. Two hours after taking it she gets all of the side affects from it... nausea, sweats, cramping in her ESOPHAGUS!!! as well as the desire for food leaving her. She hadn't eaten much in two days and had eaten her last meal at the hospital... right after that they gave her the drug. Came home, 2 hours later, whammo! So,,, I took her back to the first time, sure enough, 2 hours after taking it she was sick and taken to the hospital. So, she vomited of her own accord as her body didn't want that poison, felt better! HELLO! The doctors never sat and asked her all of the questions,,, all of the answers all lined up. She skipped the med today and is getting to her doctor to see if there's something else he can prescribe for her. She feels great and was very happy Sunday night when I finally got to come home.<FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> sigh<FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> Life is good. The hospital was a joke. They Band-Aid the problem instead of finding out what's wrong. I have long had a problem with doctors. I dunno, if I didn't go to them I know I'd be in bed right now. Still it's all balance isn't it? Go too far to the left and you fall into the chasm... too far to the right and you hit the cliff. I dunno.</div> <div>  </div> <div> So,,, what's OTN now? I worked on my toe up, two at a time socks one day and made good progress on them.  I wanted to show Mom my pullover that I'm doing out of Lorna Lace bulky. It's soooooo nummy she was shocked it was wool. My sister flipped when she felt my bamboo top and learned I knit it. LOL so I sat there for hours working on my sweater (bottom up circular) I had to stop!!!! All of a sudden I realized I was past where I wanted to stop for the sleeves! LOL So I started those last night instead of doing my lace. I have one to the elbow. Bulky sure goes fast!<FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <bR> <div> I have been designing knee warmers for what feels like forever!  Well I have had those OTN for what? 6 month! I had finished one and didn't like it and so pulled it back out. These are just a ribbed tube with a decrease for the calf. I finished one on the way there yesterday that I'd had OTN and I almost finish the other one on the way home late last night! I'm so pleased to have gotten so much done. Course I only did like 4-6 rows on the pansy but every little row counts. I'm very pleased with how much I got done. I had nothing else to do and so had no choice. ;-0 I can't just sit there in a car for 5 hours a day and a hospital for another 5... then home to Dad to make sure he's got everything he needs. Poor man he's very ill and was alone some of the time.<FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >   </FONT></div> <bR> <div> Then there is the Goddess Knits Anniversary shawl, it's a circular shawl that I made this wonderful beaded border for.  I am plugging away at it every evening after everyone goes to bed.</div> <bR> <div> SHHHHHHH I can't tell you about all of the things I have OTN for gifts as my people would hear about it.  ;-)  Suffice to say there are a few large and a few small items with deadlines... those are the ONLY deadlines I want for a good amount of time.  We decided I'm on a Home Vacation.  There's only ONE yarn company I will work for,,, the one who pays me in cash and who doesn't short change me in any manner,,, the one whom I trust will always be there unless I goober.  Yes, you hear a story there but it's not going to come out of me.  So I'm writing my baby ensemble and taking it slow trying to recover from the weekend.  mom wants the ensemble for my niece who's pregnant.  I am giving her the yarn from my kettle dyed's.  NUM!</div> <bR> <div> <B>10-5-08  Since the puters been on dial up I have had more knitting time.  I finished off two projects last week on the treadmill so this purple silk top (photo'ed too dark) is the new treadmill knitting.  It's my 16 hour top but in fine gauge so it's more like a few weeks... specially since I'm doing it on the treadmill for 1.5 hours a day.</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="13bc44f30.jpg" border=0 width="324" height="243" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <bR> <div> <B>I have only one pull over sweater for myself but I put metallic into the cowl and it's a bit irritating...  so this is supposed to be another.  I say supposed to be as I might just steek it.  I have no wool cardi's so this is a possible cardi.</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="13bb660d0.jpg" border=0 width="358" height="269" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">  I am using Lorna's Lace bulky here... it's a fine bulky though and I just LOVE this knit.  Simple but effective.  Kate and I decided it needs cable running up the sleeves too.  It's a fast knit.  I just c/o yesterday at the festivities,,, photo's to follow.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="13ba77190.jpg" border=0 width="375" height="281" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">  So just a few days later, here's my pansy shawl.  It's going to be too small at the point where the designer ended hers so I will add a few repeats.  This is my lace weight hand dyed on size 9's I believe.  LOVE this knit.  It's easy to memorize and while the hand paint detracts a bit from the lace... the lace is so plain that it doesn't matter too much.  I love the pool up the top right... so like a little leaf!  This photo's bad too as you can see if you scroll down to 10-1 photo.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="13be0b640.jpg" border=0 width="267" height="356" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> We went to Tejon Ranch for the 150th anniversary of the stage coach coming to town.  They had a real stage...</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="13c02ce10.jpg" border=0 width="300" height="225" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>that we got to ride on...</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="13c28b280.jpg" border=0 width="395" height="296" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="13c453fe0.jpg" border=0 width="339" height="254" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> not as bumpy as you would have thought though.</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="13c638ea0.jpg" border=0 width="312" height="234" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">  There was an egg toss... Shane's (red shirt) partner (little red) attached himself to Shane right when we got there and didn't let him alone the entire time... buuudddy!  LOL too cute.</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="13c835e80.jpg" border=0 width="309" height="232" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">  Dad is 2nd here in the TugOWar...</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="13ca7a1c0.jpg" border=0 width="378" height="284" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">  The pie eating contest is always fun...</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="13cd43f20.jpg" border=0 width="323" height="242" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> Out of what? 10 children my Kate always wins!  LOL at least this is the second time in a row.  I don't know if I should be too proud of her.  LOL</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>The Finale!  My next knit project is here... I will be making this into a fair isle sweater.  What is it?  The place where the black smith was making hinges.  He didn't speak much as he was a young man and terribly shy but I did get him to open up a bit.  He is actually taking classes and learning all about being a black smith, you go boy!  </B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="13cf6a100.jpg" border=0 width="362" height="272" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <bR> <div> <B>We went into the next room where the carpenter was giving a talk.... then through to the last room where a man was unloading... BTW these were all reenactors in their parts... a small box with TONS of stuff in it!  All the goodies came out that he'd been collecting including his Huswif (thread and needle fabric case) and a Bible... there were so many items in this small leather case that I was just amazed.  He just kept pulling them out... all the way from a plate, fork, gun, etc to a pair of long underwear!  Wanted to check for a false bottom on the case!  It was cold low 50? so it was nice to be indoors listening to him tell the history of all of his goodies that he'd been able to compile.  Needless to say a fun time was had by all.  We even made our own dipped candles.  ;-)  Which we burned late last night.  FUN FUN FUN</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>10-1-08</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="13b039eb0.jpg" border=0 width="313" height="235" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">  Here's my Pansy shawl that I got to do today.  The School House Press KAL just started and my puter was down all day!  Of all the days it could have gone down.  I had DH go to the site, pull up the clue, print it and bring it home during his lunch hour.  So I got about an hours time of play today.  You can see the error on the top left but I can drop that down and pick it up pretty quickly.  So I have a good start.  I LOVE my yarn that I dyed for this.  I love the little pool.  I don't know why people don't like that effect I find it rather pleasing... especially for this shawl... looks like a bit of leaves popping through an entire bed of pansies.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>The other photo I got,,, I can't share.  It's DD's Fall Shawl, clue 1 is done.  I'm so happy for her... knitting with the big girls now.  YEAH BABY!</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>9-29-08  </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Comic Sans MS" >So I got two large sacks today.</FONT> </div> <div> One from Earth Faire was wonderful! Everything had a bit of ribbon tying the bag shut. I got some skeins to match some I have here so's I can make a summer top next year out of it.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="13aa6f130.jpg" border=0 width="367" height="275" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div>  Then I got the pattern for the stole I have been drooling on. I dyed up the yarn with just a hint of color change so that it will just be a knock out.  I went with the stars (beads below) in the night sky.</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="13ac61090.jpg" border=0 width="353" height="265" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div>  Lastly the cuter then cute swirl bead stew! LOVE IT! I asked for blue/green/purple and I ADORE what she mixed up for me. I bought enough from JoAnn's to make up half a million more too! LOL I literally have at least what? 12-15 toggle clasps with the cutest tail, dragonfly, heart things going on and my beads I bought are just lovely. So I'm all set. The thread's just to dye for! It's a metallic Kremilick whatever they are called in blue and green soooooo me. I'm going to put a photo up.<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <bR> <div> The other sack was from Red Bird Knits and it's the sock club she has going each month.  I just love the Faux Fair Isle ,,, just a black with a multi color and just 2-stranded makes these lovely patterns.  </div> <div> <IMG SRC="13ae31960.jpg" border=0 width="305" height="406" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> <B>Since I seem to be getting into beading the Beadwork just had to come home with me.  The green yarn on the left has silk in it.  There's cream/black for the middle pattern and then black/multi red for the last one.  I can't wait to cast on!</B></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>9-21-08  Yesterday we had a day tripper to Santa Barbara, we had a GREAT time.  </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Comic Sans MS" >So we hit the road at about 8 am, then we got coffee and donuts, what a treat! There's no donut shop here. By the time we hit Santa Barbara we were unwound pretty good. First things first, we hit a LYS there! OH JOY! To see all of the yarns, actually touch the items I have only drooled over from afar (online). At the first shop I got some Colinette Jitterbug. I have long wanted some. It's a sock yarn and a sock pattern. Then we went to the Mission and lolled about the grounds for a while, did the self tour... made a wood puzzle of the state with the old Indian reservations only on it. We unwound more. Saw all of the crypts and just dawdled and had a splendid time.</FONT> </div> <bR> <div> Then we hit the wharf. Ate an over priced lunch! 66 bucks for 4 to eat burgers!!!! DH treated us to ice cream, got me my thimble for my collection. We were going to go into the Ty Stern fish museum but walked around it instead as it was 8 bucks a pop to get in. I'm so glad we didn't go in as we ended up walking through it and it was a big fat nothing. We would have been feeling mighty poorly had we paid for it. DH was so sweet and wonderful... I was so loving our time together.  We don't get to spend time together much without a million things to do.</div> <div>  </div> <div> So,,, next things next! Another yarn store!! No, make that TWO! The first I only got 2 skeins of Claudia Hand paints Eat your Veggies! Lovely greens and browns (sock yarn again!!!). The last store was the winner! There was a room for tea! Couches, tables galore and definitely "THE" meeting place. What fun we had there. We spoke to everyone. Katie and I were matching wearing the Twize tops we made last week. So she and Shane stole the show! It's great seeing people enjoying the children like that. They always blow folks minds. So there I got all sock yarn again, Rio de la Plata and ShiBui which I have never seen. Cherry Tree Hill (3 skeins!) and some HandMaiden Silk, seaweed stuff that's remarkable. I even got a solid sock yarn for the first time! It's going to make either heavy duty cabling or lace. Or I will match it with another skein for mondo knee highs. </div> <bR> <div> This same shop had 100% cashmere! It was soooooooooo unbelievable soft and wonderful. I put some on DH's neck and then DD's and told DH now, this is the be all end all and if you want to buy me something, get this as I will never be able to treat myself to a sweaters worth. We then figured out if I need 1000 yards how much it would cost and somehow he was ok with it! What a nut! He said well, there's more in this silk/cash one so I only need to buy you 5 and I'm saving money!!!! NUT! He's so cute though. He said... ok, here's the plan, I drop you all off here,,, go hit 18 holes and come back and pick you up. LOL I think that would be a VERY expensive round of golf! They have cashmere!!!! and when he plays golf I get to shop... so with an arrangement like that... with all of that temptation... OH BOY!<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> <IMG SRC="1388f4770.jpg" border=0 width="500" height="375" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <B>Here we are in our new Bamboo tops we made this past week.  Katie took like 3 days and mine was 16 HOURS!  LOL No I didn't use a knitting machine.</B></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>9-16-08 pm here's the "Floophy Summer Sleeve"</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="13793fa90.jpg" border=0 width="319" height="425" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> You can't really see but at the far end is a row of eyelets for the velvet ribbon,,, changeable to match the shirt I want to wear them with.  I just LOVE them... well ONE singular yet but I cranked it out and should be able to make another one tomorrow before my work knitting gets here.  I also want to dye up 12 more skeins of lace weight yarn for the Fall Shawl tomorrow.  Hopefully they will both get done and I will be in good shape when UPS gets here tomorrow evening.  This sleeve,,, it's actually large enough to be a top!  Some straps and it would be a nice lace over shirt for another top.  It's pretty large.  That's my tea cart it's sitting on.  ;-)  I LOVE IT!  I haven't tried it yet but I think it's going to hang pretty far down.  I can't wait!</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>9-16-08 Here it is, my 16 hour top!  This is made out of 10 ply,  100% bamboo, Twize by SWTC and only took like 5 balls I think.  I'm going to be making quite a number of these out of a great number of natural fibers (other then wool as it's too hot for the desert) to replace all of the frumpy t-shirts I normally wear.  LOVE IT!  I'm making the big floophy sleeves to go with it first.  Although... it is screaming for white and I only have creams.  DS has been taking in with all of the hallabaloo as DD started her's yesterday am.  She's already at the sleeves!  DS is doing a color in the Twize which matches my floopy perfectly!  If he drops the ball, I will be picking it up for myself.</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="13771a780.jpg" border=0 width="282" height="376" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">  Forgive the tub shot.  I just was too excited to wait for it to dry to show it to you.  I still can't believe I made it in 16 hours from cast on to bind off!  LOVE IT!  I am going to do the silk next.  First I will finish all of the Fall Shawl though as that KAL's starting on 10-3 and I can't afford any more tops at this time. ;-)</B></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>9-15-08 Announcing!!!! </B></FONT>the first annual (hopefully!!!) <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Comic Sans MS" ><U>"Finishitupitis Contest KAL"</U></FONT> we will be having the contest on the IcelandicLaceShawl list at Yahoo Groups.com.  We are all going to get out our WIPS we have sitting about which have not been touched for at least a month. Each of us will log in the item name, how much we have finished, photo it and log it all in the database. Log in as many as you think you can complete. Then we will vote on how many weeks out you would like to go. I have some goodies here that I would like to put up as prizes and if there are others who would like to contribute to prizes feel free to LMK. I'm happy to accept donations of yarny goodness or even just funds to help with the postage. I have a friend who works for a library and she has been sending me boxes of knitting magazines and books. I thought these would be perfect as prizes cause I have always known I was going to give them away. Please feel free to blog about this and invite all of your friends to join us... the more the merrier in my book.<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <bR> <div> My general outline is that we photo and log in our projects that we would like to work on. Then at the end of X amount of time we will have prizes and goodie give aways to the person who's laid down the most yardage. You will need a photo of the before and after and posting along the way. We will have to have a few judges to come up with winners. Perhaps we can come up with different categories to shoot for like socks, sweaters, lace whatever.</div> <bR> <div> Come one come all we will all have a ball.</div> <div> <B>~~~~~~~~~</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="1375781a0.jpg" border=0 width="376" height="282" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> Aren't these beautiful!  I just uncovered the cutting table this last week and saw these under all that yarny goodness.  I just love this mix.  I just dumped all of my light blue glass beads into the same container.  These are from 11 (seed beads) all the way up to pony sized.  I can't remember exactly why I did this but WOW I can so see these on a lovely shoulderette lace shawl with tassel beads and droplets of beads.  WOW</B></div> <bR> <div>  So late in the evening, last night.... I was just trying to get the bamboo and silk bagged yarns out of the cardboard boxes and into Rubbermaid totes. Well,,, I just kept seeing that bamboo and thinking of how I could probably crank out my 5-day top in fewer days. After all it was Sunday night and I know that the work yarn will be here by Wednesday night. So I thought... and didn't do it and finally I just couldn't take it any longer. I thought surely I could crunch it into 3 days. NO WAY! I so don't need even 3 days! I'm working on the neck (bottom up) already and it's only been 15 HOURS!!!! I couldn't be more pleased. So it's a black and white 100% bamboo 10 ply from SWTC called Twize and I LOVE IT! I used the EPS (Elizabeth Zimmerman) method and I seed stitched the ends of the short sleeves and waist, I will do the collar like that too. I went back and forth about what to do with the neck and have had a great idea! This will be my 3 in one top! I'm going to knit up long sleeves that I will put on with buttons. Then I can take those off for summer wear. Then I will knit up lacy long, blowsy, ruffled, floophy sleeves too! Along with those sleeves I will knit up a collar. The sleeves and collar will be white bamboo thread and I will put it on by weaving black velvet 1/4 or 1/8" ribbon through an eyelet border at the top. Cool eh? I wear this kind of stuff normally so it's not wack. I will have a photo for you tomorrow. I can't wait to finish it now to get back to my FS. ;-) Just had to take a detour. I'm not used to all of this monogamous knitting. I'm so not used to it. LOL I'm used to having like 4 projects to knit on during the day depending on which room I'm in.<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>9-14-08  </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Comic Sans MS" >So today I had this thought... making a tank shape top... then adding (cause I can't do sleeveless, hate it) lace sleeves! Sleeves that are just light as a feather,,, lacy and airy and huge... like tightish through to the elbow and then flooph! to the wrist... ruffled a bit but mostly just flloooof. KWIM? I wonder how that would work. Definitely Renaissance era. I remember doing a dress for our choral I was in back in the day. We each did up our dresses and I put insets into a lovely yellow satin dress and had these huge sleeves hanging like to my knees! I had no fear back then and you can't do it wasn't in my vocabulary! LOL </FONT></div> <bR> <div> Of course now that I'm under the gun I want to knit my 5 day top in silk, bamboo and rayon (3 different tops!!!) because I have no time. Right? I mean this is what happens to everyone right? </div> <bR> <div> Normally I'm not ready when stuff comes in. Well, I'm so streamlined and sooooo ready. This time I wont have just jam my projects hiddity piggity. I'm all project bagged out and organized. My coat is in two bags with the bodice out in the front closet and then the bag for the bottom and the bottom in the works... still on the treadmill. I would like to continue working on it through the "work" knitting if I can. Depends how fast the work knitting goes. I finally got down (top down) to the top of my thighs! YEAH! I'm really pleased with it so far. Anywhoo that's prepped to get put into it's bag if I need to. </div> <bR> <div> The only other thing that's out is the round robin scarf I'm doing with my friend. Oh and of course the FS, that's not going away. Very pleased to say I'm almost through #4 and I have written through #6. I need to figure out the math,,, inches at #6 so that I know if I need to write #7. OH and too,,, will the yarn be enough? Seems totally insane to have to think about that I mean come on 1980 yards right! LOL but it's going to have to be addressed as I'm already into the second ball.<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <bR> <div> Dinner is this brown rice, spelt, brown spaghetti noodle chopped into short pieces, wild rice... all stir fried in butter then cooked in stock. NUMMY! We have fresh zuc's from the garden that's pan fried in butter and lightly steamed broccoli. What a wonderful meal. NUM!</div> <bR> <div> <B>9-6-08 WOW are we ever POOPED! Tuckered out.  Not sure I have much writing in me.  They say a photo's worth a 1,000 words, how about a few photos?</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Here's the dyeing list, we started at 7:30am and it's now 1pm WOW are we ever tired.</B></div> <div> <B>Roving - Spinning</B></div> <div> <B>     Alpaca, wool, mohair, silk hankies</B></div> <div> <B>Ready Made</B></div> <div> <B>    Silk Shawl, belts, hankies for nose, trim all different types, eyelet, insertion, 2 t-shirts</B></div> <div> <B>Fabric</B></div> <div> <B>    Bolt of flannel and one of muslin for 4 nightgowns and 2 male pant bottoms</B></div> <div> <B>Yarn</B></div> <div> <B>    16 lace weight, 4 fingering, 7 Worsted weight... photo's coming right up</B></div> <div> <B>     </B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="133c4dfa0.jpg" border=0 width="333" height="250" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>Fall Shawl yarns in lace weight</B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="135e23da0.jpg" border=0 width="291" height="218" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>More Fall shawl yarns.</B></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="133e16d10.jpg" border=0 width="278" height="209" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>2 Katie tops and a scarf we use like a belt made of silk</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="13401bd40.jpg" border=0 width="283" height="212" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> Flannel for night gowns</B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="134209c70.jpg" border=0 width="265" height="199" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> Galaxy, 2 lace weight and 1 fingering, </B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="134431e50.jpg" border=0 width="305" height="229" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>Silk hankies for spinning and mohair roving these will turn into bumps for purchase eventually as DS is down shopping and he's the drum carder dude.  If you want some holler... they are $3.00 per ounce.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="134615d00.jpg" border=0 width="277" height="208" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>Silk hankies for the nose and some scarves</B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="1348ca0d0.jpg" border=0 width="202" height="269" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">  <IMG SRC="134ace130.jpg" border=0 width="206" height="275" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>Trims for gowns, sock tops and what not.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="134c10cc0.jpg" border=0 width="272" height="204" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> the bolt of muslin, bottoms for the boys for summer and gowns for the girls for summer/warm weather wear.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="134eda220.jpg" border=0 width="218" height="290" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> Alpaca will be included in aforementioned "bumps"--scarves are the yellow and green.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="1350ffbf0.jpg" border=0 width="255" height="191" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> Worsted weight one ply, I was thinking about using this for the School House Press (Meg Swanson) KAL--the pansy shawl. There are  7 x 220 yards </B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="135209c70.jpg" border=0 width="265" height="199" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">   </B><B><IMG SRC="1354b8f50.jpg" border=0 width="184" height="245" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>roving cooling                                         Wool to be included in the "bumps"</B></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="1358e3aa0.jpg" border=0 width="227" height="170" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>On the left, lace weight skein with no owner. LMK if you are interested.  On the right and top - silk hankies to be included in the "bumps"</B></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="135c10cc0.jpg" border=0 width="272" height="204" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>Here's the yarn for the Fall Shawl cooling  NUMMY</B></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="135af6480.jpg" border=0 width="246" height="328" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>One Tuckered Katie baby and one BIG MESS!!!!</B></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>9-2-08 THE YARN IS IN THE HOUSE!!!!  LOL well it's not in the house any more, it's in the garage but it was in the house.</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="133a640b0.jpg" border=0 width="356" height="267" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>You can't tell but there's 61 skeins of yarn in there!  I thought that the box would be larger.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="133921d90.jpg" border=0 width="289" height="217" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B><B><IMG SRC="13383dee0.jpg" border=0 width="317" height="238" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>Here Furball is checking out the scents from across the ocean.      I'm hunting for the 11 skeins of worsted weight which was mingled in the bags with the lace weight.  WW 3-ply for my next years sweaters.  I LOVE this yarn it's the softest, most wonderful, nummy goodness on earth, LOVE IT! </B></div> <bR> <div> 9-1-08  <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Comic Sans MS" >Guess what I just did? For the last three (two?) hours I have been birthing babies and praying over them!!!!!! Dyeing yarn on three hours sleep and I have done (no modesty here!!!) some of my best work ever! So, what do you think?</FONT> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Comic Sans MS" >Hopefully I will get the brown, red, orange and yellow dyes I ordered a few weeks back. Oh too, I have ONE skein of yarn left so I have to wait for Fed Ex to get here on the 3rd with my huge yarn order. Hopefully this will all just crank out. These aren't the best photo's I will have to take them hanked when they dry.</FONT></div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="133038ea0.jpg" border=0 width="312" height="234" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Blue Tranquility</div> <bR> <div> Today was purple, blue and green day with a bit of teal and maroon toss in for flavor. We frogged an old shawl? Well I over dyed the variegated with blue and WOWSERS it's unbelievable. I didn't like it the first time so I tried it again. I love this one and I'm really glad it's staying. </div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="132af94c0.jpg" border=0 width="249" height="332" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">     Please don't ask me to make this, it's impossible as it's been dyed 4 TIMES!!!! ;-)   OOHHH I can't wait for my yarn to dry! I just love it, it's so lovely, I think it rivals Great Adirondack's dark Soxie in Peacock I think it was called. Or Cherry Tree Hill but no... I can't think of any of her yarns that really look like this. Gee, I'm not saying I'm better then Cheryl, don't think that... as I can't replicate many of these. Whereas she's a genius and can. ;-) Some of them are simpler then others and will be easy to replicate... others wowsers! I would have had to take too many notes and I was just trying to keep them in order by who's baby went to which mommy. As well as getting their birth certificate information ready. ;-0 HAHA LOVE IT! I'm having so much fun. This was a great idea!</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="133289270.jpg" border=0 width="393" height="295" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Left is Peaceful Waters, Hopi Tribe, right is Grape Goodness</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1334781a0.jpg" border=0 width="376" height="282" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Left is Grapes of Love,  middle is Earth Sounds and right is Rose of Sharon</div> <bR> <div> 8-30-08 Well today I was going to spend the afternoon dyeing yarn for the Fall Shawl but DH didn't go golfing so I'm not sure I will.  When we were off the hill shopping I found the PERFECT little additions, little goodies, to put into each of the yarn packages that I will be shipping here soon.  I LOVE them sooooo much, they were so perfect that they just jumped into the cart as I went by, dancing and singing as when I saw them I went into conniptions!  Perfect additions to my bags.  Then I printed this and stuffed that and wrapped this and wrapped that and well, they are all set and ready, I'm terrible pleased that I'm able to send little gifts with the yarn I'm shipping.  I just love to do this type of thing, it so reminds me of all the themed parties I used to throw when we were down in the city before I got ill.</div> <bR> <div> Today in the mail I got a package of alpaca that I'm going to spin for a good friend of mine.  She also sent this wonderful, sweet present for me.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="132620d80.jpg" border=0 width="288" height="216" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> This is my nightstand and it's a needle cushion!  She sent me my all time favorite needles in the top... Harmony 0's for socks!  I'm most blessed!  On the top there are two more roses... so pretty and perfect for my room as I accent it in blue.  I knit late into the night,,, working on lace mostly as there are no distractions.  I get me a big glass full of ice, half water, half mint tea from our mint plant... a wee bit of stevia and I'm good to go for hours and hours.  Forever I have needles, hooks and thing rolling off of the table, this will help to corral them.   I knit lace while listening to knitting pod casts on the Ipod DH bought me last year.  Get this, I have downloaded like 3000 pod casts since last December!  NUTS eh!  Once I found Old Time Radio it was all over!   Between that and Librivox I'm kept pretty well entertained.</div> <bR> <div> 8-27-08 Here is the lace weight yarn for DD's test knitting of the Fall Shawl.  She's an "Easter Egg" gal so this is perfect for her.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="132448f60.jpg" border=0 width="328" height="246" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> We figure since there's mostly lime in it --- that will be a predominant color but time will out.  We have fans on it now so that she can start later on this afternoon.  Fortunately I had purchased a ton of pink beads and I always have lime and royal so she's styling.  We are good to go.  Now I'm off to write clue #2! :-)  This is sooooooooooo much fun!  I'M LOVING IT!  If you want to join us we are at Yahoo Groups in a group  called IcelandicLaceShawl.  Just do a search there for us and join in the fun.</div> <bR> <div> 8-26-08 Well, I have completed all of my test knitting work and so am working full time on writing the pattern for the Fall Shawl.  What a grand time I have been having!  Now I can't wait to share it with the world.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="131e7f1f0.jpg" border=0 width="383" height="287" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> This is the lovely yarn I dyed up for my winter coat.  I can't wait to show you... it's OTN and I have enough done to need the sleeves already!  I work on it for 100 minutes every day when I'm on the treadmill.  So I should have the top to show you shortly.  I'm making the top and bottom separately so that it's easier to maneuver and then I'm going to kitchner stitch it up together.  I will then steek up the front,,, still looking for the perfect buttons.  Don't you love the colors?  I have another variegated one that I purchased already dyed... it's just like this multi only a tad bit darker.  It's the Lorna's Lace which is just as soft as my merino that I dye and sell.</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1322660d0.jpg" border=0 width="358" height="269" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> So on the left we have my first skein of Wollmeise!  on the right is the yarn for my Fall Shawl and the beads I was going to use.  Come to find that they couldn't be seen at all and so I switched over to navy and a turquoise which both stand out really well.</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1321bc4d0.jpg" border=0 width="444" height="333" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> This came in today!  lovely Wollmeise from a wonderful lady who charged me fairly and was a pleasure to deal with.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> WOW what a super dee dooper day I have been having. </div> <bR> <div>  <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Comic Sans MS" >I dyed yarn perfectly for my winter coat.  The 1800 stitch project for work is now OFF the needles. I made up the first Clue to my KAL for my test knitters... the children got a major garden harvest so we had a good dinner. All is well in the world eh? :-) God is on the throne and it shows.</FONT> </div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>