After Christmas.......

Ha! It's a couple days after Christmas and I think that we have to get off our butts and get out of the house for a bit!

On our 17th wedding anniversary (Dec. 21) I got us both New Zealand fleeces to cover our recliners. DH says that they are 'pimped out' LOL!!

And as you can see from my iphone photo someone else loves this too! I wonder if I can find a small version for the pup?

It has been way too long..........

Ok it is time for me to play catch up!! My birthday is tomorrow already! Then just 4 more days (3 if you do Christmas with family on the eve) to get all the presents wrapped! Oh and lets not mention I still need stocking stuffers. OOPS!

I have been really busy I guess. Some knitting, some spinning, a fiber in the forest retreat back in November.

Met with CoggieTM from the High Fiber diet podcast a couple of weeks ago at the Spinning Loft here in Howell. Had lunch with the girls. Laughed, shopped and gifted fiber.

Have to locate some photos.
But for now I am still alive, smiling and ready to keep ya all updated!

Wow! missed a whole month!

October in a nutshell?

That would be more work than I can re-create here I think.

But you know there was some knitting time, some spinning time, time for work and also time for play.

Maybe just a few photos to tell a story?

Did I ever?

You know I am blogging from the iPhone again and can't remember if I ever posted a photo of my goodies that my sister from another mother sent me!
Some time ago I tried to lure her over to the "other" side with a drop spindle, book on how to and some fiber samples. Some of which I dyed myself from Easter egg dyes.
Well I just don't think my temptaion worked!
So in the meantime she accumulated a box of goodies to send me. Now ya know if I forget to mention something I have to apolgize right here and now with a big fat SORRY.
Here goes, some wonderful fiber for me to spin, might be a hint! Then there was a seashell from the seashore and a bottle of real authentic Atlantic beach sand, I think to dump on the floor and wiggle my toes in maybe? A purty little key chain so that maybe when I loose my carkeys I can say that they have a nifty atlantic beach keychain attached ro them and how many of those do you think there are in Michigan?
Then just to clean up my now sandy toes there are 3 bars of handmade soap and even a shampoo bar!!! I must admit that that shampoo bar is my favorite thing!
Well almost. There is also a skein of malabrigo lace yarn!!! I have never had the pleasure of seeing it before in person and now I have some of my very own!!!! Thank you thank you!!
Ok so here is a photo taken with iPhone right after I opened my goodie box.




-- Post From My iPhone

Eugene

Well yesterday I adopted a Rex bunny from a lady that foud it abandoned. Named him Eugene. He is the friendliest bunny ever! Hard to believe someone would just drop him in a parking lot!
So with that said I will contact local humane society to see if there is a missing report before purchasing a deluxe home.
But in the meantime here is a quit iPhone photo to show him off.





-- Post From My iPhone

Christening gown

Didn't I tellyou all it was finished? Here is proof!


-- Post From My iPhone

Not the best time.....

Our oldest (5 year old) granddaughter Abby is shown here in these photos using chopsticks for the first time! Luckily grandma remembered how to make the cheater chops with a rubber band and chopstick wrapper!!

Still thinking and doing some research on the podcast. Got a mic and a podcast book to read......hey it's a start!

Still boxing......but might switch things up a bit as I would like to take some type of classes to better myself. Spanish I and a physical class and even a journaling online class? I'm just thinking.

I looked into medical transcription....... one year online class with certification when you are finished. It's an option. Then there was also a phlebotomy class, it was full ;(. Not sure the I have whats required to take it though.

well that's a quickie for now! LOL Time to make the chicken.

Facebook and farmtown........total I mean total time suck! And I can't help it! Ya just want to get to that next level! It is fun to work through it with family and friends though! And to have reconnected with old friends from high school too! Technology. Amazing.

Knitting? Well still working on that chevron scarf probably more than halfway but just yes, bored with it. So I cast on a knitted beaded scarf. Bought it in kit form from my local yarn shop Whitmore Lake Yarn Co. here in you guessed it! Whitmore Lake Michigan. Still have the hardly worked on socks on the needles........and last but not least I had to cast on a scarf pattern that I am supposed to be teaching later this month. I knit a whole scarf but that was months ago, had to cast on and refresh my brain on the pattern details. I rarely knit the same thing twice so it was a push for sure!

I will throw up a photo or so in a bit just to keep things interesting ok?

thanks for following................Lorrie

Something I have been thinking about

Ok for all you knitters and fiber freaks, I want to podcast..... I think. No really I want to it's just now how to develope an interesting and fun format. My brain is working overtime!
I may have to give up my farming on facebook as I would need that time for the podcast. Time management ha what's that?
If any of you readers have program ideas and suggestions please leave a comment below.
Let me know your thoughts and you might win a random fiber gift from me!
Thanks and more news as things and thoughts progress.



-- Post From My iPhone

Time again

Looks like it is time again to update my blog! How time flies!
Baby Reese's baptism was wonderful. And her dress looked like it was made for her, ya think?
Her mom had pictures taken and I think I can put one up here to show baby and dress off. ( insert photo here)
On other news, finished and ready to send red blend of superwash merino to my dear friend Alicia. I spun it in a heavy fingering weight yarn that I personally can't wait to hear how it knits up! Now to just add some other goodies to the box so I can ship it to her.
I still have not knit any of my spun yarns, I need just the right project or pattern first.
Oh and let's not even talk about face book!!! Dog gone farm town! It is a terrible obsession of a farming game that like all computer type games sucks up all your time. So I have not knit too much other than a couple baby hats. The most recent is the baby Squash hat from one of the one ball designer knit books that I can't remember the real title of lol! Still have to finish that scarf I can't remember the name of. Dang not doing too good huh with the memory thing that's probably not a good sign.
Most recent books I have read or listened to: Eat, Pray, Love in audio book. Interesting read. Actually I don't know that it would have held my interest if I had to read it in book form. Other readables are mostly blogs on my kindle and Crazy aunt purls drunken divorced and covered in cat hair. Ha!
Washed up the rest of Chinny's challenge fleece from peace fleece. I don't think that it was skirted, lots of vm and other stinky's. But after all the work it is spinning up well and I like it. Actually very white in it's natural color. Washed up a bit of lovely dark Romney just to see it's final color, more yummyness!
I did get my really cool gift box from Alicia, in it was 4 bars of her handmade soap, some chocolate brown fleece all scowered and ready to comb or flick and spin, a skein of malabrigo lace yarn in yellow and oranges that I will get on my needles after I finish the baby hat, a sea shell from the seashore and beach sand from Atlantic beach, keychain to hold my car keys, boy I sure hope that was all. I did take an iPhoto of the goodness and will put that up here later as well.
Still on my list of things to do are to come up with a podcast? Maybe something that I can feature my local yarn shops and spin shop along with my posts on my learning curves in podcasting, blogging, knitting, spinning, weaving and all other hobbies and crafts? At this early stange of the thinking game it just seams that it would flow better spoken as apposed the all this thumb typing updates from iPhone keyboard? I know there will be some editting involved so I might have to give up farming on face book?


-- Post From My iPhone

My first fleece washing experience

Purchased this 1 pound bag of fleece from Peace Fleece and it's called Chinny's challenge. Chinniny is one of their sheep and I have her full breed description at home.

Here it is after I got a few of the locks out of the bag...........ewe dirty and with many bits of vegetable matter or VM

Here I am washing the fleece, yes in the kitchen sink! I have a layer of tulle down with the fleece spread out on it. Makes it very easy to just pick up the tulle, squeeze out access water and then wash again. I used dawn dish soap.

After rinsing and then squeezing, I put the bundle in a towell and stepped on it to get out all of the extra water then I put it on an old window screen propped with a fan blowing up from the bottom to dry.

Here is the dried fleece and I am fluffing and picking the locks apart to get out more of the VM to ready for hand carding.

Here are some of the hand carded rollags that I did myself for the first time!

And this is what it all looks like while being spun up on my little Victoria spinning wheel. It is very white and clean and soft and I can't wait to work with more of it! I spun through all I had prepped and need to wash again...........

A couple of things

Well.........I just need to vent! Sorry but really, sometimes a person just needs to go on about nothing right?

Eh not so much I guess. I am here at work and today instead of listening to podcasts or audio books I have been watching you tube! Gee from how to make a WWII fox hole radio to silk screening a t-shirt! LOL. I really want to try that radio too!

But for me today I just have a need to wash wool. Oh I neglected to tell you that I started out on you tube watching washing, carding, combing, spinning and dying fleece. That just led to many other things to watch.

This weekend is the Michigan Fiber Festival and I am going! Never been and just want to check it out, and hey I am pretty sure that I will learn something new too. I hope to get a few pictures to post from the event.

But for now I just wanted to show you some of my wool washing and prep pics. Excuse the quality as I did this with the iphone as it was just plain old handy!

AND..... as you can see I posted the in another blog post. Was just easier that way. Enjoy

Oh bloggit!

So it's been a while again! Lots of things happening or happened. But it is summer right?

Pretty much had all week off last week! If you want to call it off that is. Depends on how you describe 'off'. I steamed all carpets in the house. Cleaned all floors! Cleaned and organized many rooms in my house. Tiff moved out and I got her old room set up for grandkids room. Week ago Saturday had oldest granddaughter over night for first time ever! We did a few crafts and book store run. Just had fun hanging out!

Then Wednesday evening got youngest granddaughter for both wed and thurs nights! We walked in Ann arbor, did some shopping at kohls and salvation army where I found barbies! Grandma had no barbies! We have like 8 now! Woot!

Cleaned sewing room, some. Just have a few flat surfaces to clean off and then I can do some of the just for fun sewing projects I have been wanting to do!! Fun as in soft toys and dolls for the kids to play with! Like the wacky critters and stuff in some of the books I have gotten at the bookstore I can post the names of the books with photos of finished projects later.

Can't remember if I posted that I bought a new to me old car or not on here. Did on facebook though. 1997 (see I said old) Honda accord with 81k miles. Very clean didn't need any mechanical work at all. I did however get an up to date radio, back windows tinted (for backseat graNdkid taxi purposes) and new speakers this weekeend. Even hubby likes it and has driven it exclaiming how great it drives for being such an older car! And just to be clear I bought it myself with no input from him. He didn't even see it until I brought it home lol!
I have finished spinning most of the superwash merino sock yarn for my seperated at birth twin sister (soul sister) or sister at heart? Not sure how to phrase it really as we have never met in person as yet. But the nets have brought us together non the less. I spun up 283 yards and had to order a bit more to be able to gift 400 yds to knit up some socks.
-- Post From My iPhone

One more time about the car..........I BOUGHT IT!

Back to the car wasn't what I had in mind but it is an awesome car and deal and I don't have to shuck out a ton if money right now but I will still have a nice car and reliable
I still feel a roadtrip of some sort coming up!!
Oops machine just ran outta parts!



-- Post From My iPhone

To New car or not to new car?

I might I think I am getting this car it's a dark teal green 97 Honda accord 81k miles body clean original owner trade in new exgast new tires new timing belt and water pump clean inside
Yeah I know one super loge sentence but blogging from iPod while working at machine making parts!

-- Post From My iPhone

FREE Down and Dirty swiffy cover pattern

Down n dirty swiffy sweep cover

Needle size 9 us

Comfort dk 1/2 skein

Sprinkles 1/2 skein

4 1-1/2" buttons

Co 40 stitches holding dk yarn doubled

K 3 rows, knitting each row (garter st)

K6 sts, Bo 4 sts, k 20 sts, Bo 4, k rem 6 sts turn

K 6sts, co 4, k20, co 4, k rem 6 sts. You just made your button holes!

Garter st next 12 rows

Cut one dk yarn and add sprinkles yarn

Garter st until fuzziness is 5"

Cut sprinkles an pick up second dk again

K 12 rows garter st

Knit back and forth on just 15 sts for 2", Bo

Join yarn at base of first tab, Bo 20 sts

K on rem 15 sts until it is 2" or same as first tab, Bo

Sew 2 buttons back to back on tab and then do the same with the second.

Wrap around your swiffy head and enjoy using reversable, reusable cleaning dusting down and dirty swiffy sweep cover!!

What I did today

See video of what I did today!

And just so you know, this is an ACME Gridley screw machine. Each of the parts we make represents the center of a car steering wheel! Since we are a tier 4 supplier to automotive you have to take into consideration scrap and fallout. But that is just one of the operations we do.

Testing

Just testing to see if I can update my blog from the iPhone!

Sent from my iPhone

Oh and how SWEET is this! It worked and boy I could even send video? Lemme check on that.

Sockie progress

I am currently working on socks for a tiny girl and this is my progress, only about 1.5 inches but its a start!! Now I can't find the wrapper for this yarn (of course) but it is Crystal Palace yarn either Maizy or Panda soy. It is a nice soft yarn that has a cotton feel but soft and squishy. I took this silly picture with the web cam on this silly little (I mean little) netbook computer.

I also just have to post another photo of a granddaughter, how flippin cute is this one?

Have you ever tried the new starbucks java chip frap icecream? OHMYGOSH!!! Go find it and give it a try! Yummo!

I need to get to spinning but there are just a few other things i have to work on first. Grand babies coming over on Friday night for sleep over and I need to get DD room cleaned up after she moved out, wash sheets etc. Work workwork never ends.

A new photo of hand spun

I have a new photo to post.

This yarn I purchased from butterflygirldesigns at Etsy. Color name: BLUE MORPHO

Here is the description: There are three layers in these batts: black superwash merino, Aegean blue bamboo and a dark cornflower blue superwash merino.Contents: 67% superwash merino, 33% bamboo, 3 oz.

After spinning I ended up with 3 oz. (hey that's pretty good eh?)

It too is a fingering weight yarn and 19 wraps per inch. I plan on making myself socks from it. I will do my first toe up socks to make sure that I have enough to actually wear. Might be anklets but who cares I spun it, gonna knit it and can wear it myself right?

After spinning

NEW CONTEST!! WIN A KNITTING PATTERN BOOK

Well did that get your attention?

I have a book that I purchased just for this occasion. The name of it is Wrap Style by Pam Allen & Ann Budd editors of Interweave Knits. I linked to another site so that you might view some of the designs in this book if you don't already know. Just click on view more images under the photo of the book at the site.

Anywho........to win this book you must sign up to follow my blog. I will wait until there are at least 10 new subscribers and at that point put all the names in the random generator and pick a winner. I hope to have this completed by the end of July so that the winner may start by making their own wrap to wear or gift before the colder season approaches.

Leave a comment at the end of this post also and I will run a random generator on comments and send out another nice gift for that winner. Gift to be determined ,but hey what the heck it's a contest right and it's free.

Have fun, no fighting, hair pulling or name calling. LOL

Getting back in the saddle

Ok it has been quite a while since my last post. Don't know why really.........other things going on perhaps?

My spinning wheel...........LOVE IT! Love spinning on it and have spun several skeins of yarn already! Today I purchased a book called SOCKS FROM THE TOE UP by Wendy Knits. My usual mode of sock knitting is from the cuff down, two circs and two socks at the same time. Since this whole spinning thing started I want to knit toe up as to not either run out of my hand spun or to be able to use it all up.

I know I know, photos of all that hand spun. Now these are all spun on the new wheel which happens to be that very wheel that I posted a photo of a while back. Louet Victoria. LOVE IT!

Any how the photos are here and I am happy to show them off. Now that I have finally posted the pictures.............sheesh! First photo is of the single samples that people from the Spinning Loft tested wheels with my bobbins. At the time they were not yet mine, so when they became mine I got their spun stuff! I then double plied them together just to get a feel for the wheel and so as to not waste any time by just treadling and not spinning anything. It make sense to me. Also there in the first photo on the left is some of that mystery wool that I practiced with while spinning with spindles. So I took another 'spin' and plied them together while tossing in some left over threads from embroidery machine and sewing. Cute huh? Might look good woven on a loom?

In the second photo I spun up the rest of the hand dyed by me with Easter egg colors the last of the mystery wool. The end result is a worsted weight yarn. Have no idea what to make from it.

The last photo is the fiber I received in a swap from the Ravelry group The High Fiber Diet podcast group swap. I received from my swap partner approx 5 oz .of Shirazz Merino Rambouillet and silk batt. It is a true sock weight and I ended up with a finished 4.5 oz and 475 yards double plied. This was a pleasure to spin! So soft and I think that it might become a somewhat lacy scarf..........it feels just soooo good on my neck!

I have also been on a small fiber spree! Yeah like I don't have enough yarn to knit with now I have to spin my own that I will possibly never knit up because then I can't fondle it any more. Actually I do have three of the handspuns that I have plans to knit up.
I have also found that I have to better document or record my progress and also fiber cost etc. you know just in case someone sees one of these they can't live without and wants to purchase it just because I spun it myself and it is just too beautiful to pass by! I better hurry up and knit up what I want before anyone sees these beauties!

Other news? Grand kids are growing like weeds! OHMYGOSH! The twins are now crawling like the wind and pulling themselves up and standing! Abygail is off to summer 1/2 day camp next week (thanks to gramma here). She will be going 1/2 days for one week. To break her in, give her a goal to reach for for next summer when she could go for a full day , full week of summer camp! I am confident that she will love it. Next we have the 3 year old Madison who if finally potty trained and can now come and stay at grammas to play and maybe over night too. She is a doll and her baby sister Reese just started crawling too! She is on the move to keep up with her twin cousins who are going to be ONE this month! Reese is only 8 months tomorrow and zipping around all over! All the babies are getting teeth too! So you never know who or when any of them will be teething and crabby or have running noses and just not happy.
I should probably stop now..........if I get too long winded about virtually nothing boredom will surely set in.

So I am quitting today and hope to get back in at least the weekly swing of updates on my blog. Oh I got an iphone (new one) and its the BOMB. I might be posting from it soon too. ;)

Forgot what I was doing..........

Sheesh I can get sooooo distracted on the net! One minute I am looking at this and the next that and Oh yeah I was going to update the blog here with a new photo of the Christening gown and it's progress...............

Here ya go

Next step now that first blocking is complete is to sew on button at back neck closure and then add ribbon at bodice then decide if or how many beads to hand sew into the centers of the flowers or snow flakes as the lace pattern calls them.

hmmmmmm what else is newsworthy? Oh I enabled an internet buddy to learn spindle spinning. She lives in NC and has just about as many hobbies/crafts/ loves as I do so hey whats one more? I sent her some rovings, some I dyed, some baby alpaca and also some undyed. Gotta start somewhere right? Oh and let's not forget the spindle! A very nice Louet spindle.

Hoping that today is the day that I get to pick up my wheel................just waiting for my bankcard or checks to arrive. Darnit! I think that either I am sleeping really WRONG or that all this spindle spinning is creating a new knot in my neck and it hurts!

Progress on the LYS sample scarf is moving along. I am almost finished. Lets say I have one more repeat with a different color and then bind off! Nothing like making a scarf long wise eh? I mean 431 stitches long? I must have been out of my mind doing it this way as if you make a mistake you are not just frogging back 20 or 30 stitches to fix it but could be the whole 431 or for that matter double if it was a couple of rows back and you can't figure out how to drop the stitch and re-knit it! Not that I have done that or anything.............really.

My black baby alpaca and multi colored yarn I made has been washed and is hanging to dry and set the twist............then I will have to knit something from it. Thinking fingerless mitts just a simple knit 3 purl 3 type pattern. Don't want to take away from the yarn itself with a pattern.

I have so many things going through my brain that I just can't seem to figure out were to start making them happen! I should probably start my list again and prioritize? Looks like I will have almost 2 weeks off work intermittently anyhow as after this shipment of parts to go out at the end of the week we don't have anything else until the end of the month. Here is hoping that I get to stay home and work on house projects. I think that if I start with that I will be more motivated to accomplish my other goals. Nothing like a clean, fresh house with some organization and yes I am going to have that darn garage sale and unload everydarnthing that I haven't touched in well lets just say the last 10 years! It's just so hard to determine what is a 'keepsake' item and what is just hording!

I guess that's about it for now and I might should go and run a few parts.............all the better to get it over with and done so that I get a couple weeks to work on the ME projects.

Photo update

Helloooooooo world!

I am just popping in to show off some of my spindle spinning finished projects.

This one is from the beginning spindle class from The Spinning Loft in Howell. We were given some Merino, Coopworth, Tussah Silk and BFL to test spin. I just spun them all together, plied them and ended up with about 140 yards of a nice soft fingering weight yarn that would be perfect to add to maybe a scarf.

These photos are of this multi colored Corridale roving I picked up. Just grabbed hunks of colors and spun them. Spin a hunk of color here and grab another hunk of color there. Kept going till it was all gone and I had about 200 yarns of the single.

So then I wanted to get something a bit softer and went back to The Spinning Loft and got some black baby alpaca...........can you say ooooooooooooo ahhhhhhhhhhhh?!

Spun that into a single seen here

Then I rigged up a fake lazy kate, put my toilet paper bobbins on pegs and then just twisted one wrap around a third peg for a tiny bit of even tension and started plying the two together seen here

Now here is the shot of the finished skein. 202 yards of a nice fingering weight yarn. I do believe this would make nice fingerless mitts...........for me?

This is sooooooooo much fun! I just wish that I knew what I was going to do with them all!

And now for the current spinning project. I purchased this online (can't remember vendor info) but it's approx. 3.1 oz of superwash merino and bamboo mix. I really like spinning it. It's a bit more slick that just silk or merino or even baby alpaca but easy enough to spin.

Pretty huh?

Okay back to work, my machine is fixed and ready to rock and roll..............checking itunes for more podcasts..........making sure battery in ipod is charged...........check, check ready!

Well Darnit!!

Yep darn it again! NOT going to Frankenmuth any time soon :(

Victory got in the way again. Enough said to those who know. This crap just keeps getting in the way of enjoying stuff in life.

Here is a photo of the BEAUTIFUL picture frame the #1 granddaughter Abygail made for me for a mother's day gift to grandma! I so love it. Have it sitting on my desk at work to enjoy.

I have tried my hand at dying fiber to spin. Take a look at these! I am thinking or seeing a theme..........

Tequila sunrise and Blue martini! How cool is that?

I ordered or reserved a spinning wheel last week from Beth at the Spinning Loft. Now just waiting to go pick it up. Would you like to see a photo of it? It's a louet Victoria, I think that I will just call it Vic. See here

This weeks progress on my projects go a bit like this..........Chevron scarf-haven't picked up since last post other than to move it, Sample scarf about 2/3 finished at this point, can't wait to finish and might not turn it over to shop owner as it's just soooooooooo squishy soft! And the colors are perfect. The christening gown- purchased the beads and ribbon and even got it all blocked and it's all ready to stitch on the beads. I think this week even.

Spinning? Finished up the multi colored fiber and purchased some super soft baby alpaca from Beth at the Spinning Loft. All is spun and ready to ply..........maybe start that tonight. I love spinning. Did I say that yet?

Oh and knitwych when you read this yes you will want to give it a try............if you do I will send you some fiber and a starter spindle to give a whorl. Whorl get it?

Exercise. Started running again for this year. It's a very late start for sure. But I am happy to say that I ran almost a mile. The trial that we run has markers at every quarter mile, so I can see them and stop running just short of them to catch my breath then when I reach them I run again until the next one. Then we turn around and finish with a walk of approx. 3 miles. All is good, feel it today.

Sunny Monday!

Maybe spring is here? Again? Sun is shining, happy hormones are coursing through the veins and all is well with my world. Except for the fact that I am sitting here at the shop and we are NOT working. If we don't work today it just means that we will have 3 slammin' days ahead and then....................it's a HOLIDAY! Yippee!! Not exactly like it matters much but maybe next week we will be making a trip to Frankenmuth to Zeilinger Wool Co. just for fun. DH wants to see how its all processed, wool that is. It will give me a chance to purchase a pound of wool to play with.

I have finished spinning and plying the practice wool that we got at the beginning spindle spinning class 2 weekends ago from The Spinning Loft. I just mixed them all up, coopworth, merino, tussah silk and BFL. I did end up purchasing 2 spindles while taking the class, and I also received one in the mail for a mothers day gift! How awesome is that?

The top one is a Tabacheck plying spindle, Left is Greensleeves Queens Septre, and the one on the Right is a Kundert. I don't have a total favorite since they are of 3 different sizes and weights they serve a multitude of fibers at this point. I love them all!
Shhhhhhhh don't tell but I have a Bosworth on order too!

This past weekend we got to watch Baby Reese who is growing like a weed! We took her up to see her cousins Abygail, Blake and Gabriella as it was Abygail's dance recital that was sold out. So we went up after for pizza and a visit. The twins are also weeds! Blake is a crawling machine and so happy all the time. Gabriella is the more serious one and she sits back and takes it all in. She is doing the army crawl right now and it will be no time before she is chasing after brother Blake!

Projects in the works currently are the Chevron scarf is still going, I started a project for the Whitmore Lake Yarn Co. (LYS) for a sample to sell a new pattern and some awesome yarn! About 1/3 done with it at this point. Still have that darn Christening gown to finish and hoping that by the middle of June Reese won't be grown out of it!!!! Need to get ribbon and beads and one button to finish it off. Better get off my ass and do it huh?

And spinning..............just still practicing. Then I will have to make something out of all the practice skeins. That will depend on if the wools feels neck soft I will make a scarf for me, or if its no too soft I can make a hat and line it with polar fleece for no itchies! We will see.

He went and turned on the machines..............boo hoo as its now 2pm and we won't get outta here till 5 now. Gotta go change clothes, listen to some more knitting and spinning podcasts and run my machine too. More later!

Is anxiety contagious?

Why yes I believe it can be. For me at least! It seems that anytime DH gets his boxers in a knot the negative energy shoot out of him and is directed at me! My sensitivity level has increased with age and it's not all about that week before the period emotions either. I have always been an uber sensitive emotional person/kid and then there was a time say 25-40 that it wasn't noticed. Now, I can't hardly escape it. Stress and traumatic episode 2005 I think turned the darn switch back on.

On a really good and positive note (really positive) I finished the Blue sweater and here is the finished photo!

As it turned out I didn't get to go knit but I did stop in the shop real quick like and guess who was there? The customer who I knit the sweater for! I had to break her heart and tell her that she didn't get to keep it just yet as I had to take it home to wash and block. However she could sit there and fondle it for a few minutes till the shop closed. She was very happy and so uber excited................too bad the weather is now finally cooperating with 'Spring' and too warm to actually wear the sweater unless perhaps she wants to head to Alaska for a short trip! LOL!!Isn't it Beautiful?!!!

Next up is I am going to beginning spindle class tomorrow! I am also planning on the purchase of a new and beautiful spindle and fiber to go with it! The one I favor out of the 3 that I have is a beginners spindle (not that there is anything wrong with that at all) but who doesn't want the great spinner that has the looks and beauty of fine woods too?

More news this weekend after spindle class! See ya then.

Spinninggggggggggggggggggg!

Yippee! I just signed up for a beginners spindle spinning class at the Spinning Loft in Howell! Beth is just awesome and I can't wait to learn from her. Its also a good excuse to buy a new spindle and fiber to spin!!

Right now sitting in Panera Bread in Jackson waiting for parts to be plated. Bored. Usually we are here for approx. 3 hours. Now I always bring knitting and never really pick it up......spend most of the time on the net surfing.

News on the blue sweater.......... IT'S DONE! Whaaaaaaahoooooooooo! Well almost. I just have to wash and block it. I might see how it comes out of the washer and decide on block or dryer dry some then finish block. I would like to take it to knitting tonight to get it dropped off. I should probably take a photo too. It was a longggggg sweater. LOL. After finishing this entry I looked at the clock and lets just say there is no time to wash and block BEFORE knitting tonight. Drats!

I have my next project lined up and its knitting for the Whitmore Lake Yarn Co. working up a scarf pattern for the owner in hopes of moving some inventory yarn. I have to cast on my swatch and count stitches per inch then decide how many to cast on as I want to do the pattern lengthwise. I have six different colors and a few rows of each color.

On my needles, still socks as I haven't touched them. The chevron scarf, may inches done and many to go. Christening gown is waiting for the Christening date still. Supposed to be next Sunday.....better check on that. It needs a button, ribbon and maybe beads. I better get that blocked out tonight too!

When it comes to spinning, I haven't done anymore as I have been finishing the Blue Sweater. I can't wait to pick up the spindle. I do believe that I will wait until Saturday and start with new everything! Spindle, Fiber and hopefully new knowledge too!

Ok, not much else to say.......hmmmmmmm emotionally doing ok. I really believe that there is more or something different I need/have to do with my life and it isn't in auto manufacturing with DH. Hopefully in a few months I will be able to make changes in my life/career and be a happier person. I still want to work in the medical field if I can't pursue my love of all things fiber! Maybe one year of full time school/classes for medical assistant/billing/coding and the rest of the time teaching or working with or for an established fiber company/yarn shop.......something. Thinking.

I am going to pick up my needles and as soon as I do that the phone will ring and we will be off to get our parts and head back to our neck of the woods. Since we have a rental van I think that I will also load up misc. company stuff that is still in my garage and take it to the shop along with just stuff to throw in the dumpster. Need to clean it out to get set up for a garage sale here in the next few weeks.

Still in LOVE with the coffee press! OHMYGOSH that is some gooooooooodddddd coffee!Knitting...........ahhhhhhhhh