Ya gotta watch this!

gotta see this
The Last Knit. I never laughed so hard!!

Catching up

Haven't knit much lately. Been cleaning...my spring and fall seem to be confused. So, Fall cleaning it is.
Spent some time making Oriface hooks for friends and my own spinning wheels. I have an over abundance of beads..about 10 cases full (big cases). So, while I was cleaning that part of the room I had to stop and use some of them ..lol I'll try to get a pic of at least one to post later today.. check back.

Not such a Disaster

Purple yarn made itself into a Big felted yarn bag. Disaster past.. all is.. ok.. in the world for the moment.

The Purple hand of Fate

Not the best picture but you can see..after all the Drama.. I got some fairly decent looking yarn. Colors range from pale blue threw Purple to almost navy. Its really more purple then the picture shows.

The Purple came out of my hands but *ahem* not my feet...yet.

Luckily Mitzie stayed upstairs..the yard dried. Hopefully, the Nightmare is over.

Unless it Rains...it is Washington!

Great Wise Woman....Adventures in Dyeing

You all, no doubt, know I'm the most brilliant person in the Universe..right? Aliens come to ask me questions as if I'm a great Wise woman ...right?
Then, good reader, why are my hands PURPLE?
Could it be..maybe..that I don't know JACK about dyeing yarn?
Yup, I think thats it. Not only are my hands (slightly) purple but a good portion of my front yard and the table that I used.
I ,very carefully, covered the table with sheet upon sheet of cling wrap..overlapping carefully. Laid out my 8 skeins of yarn which had been soaked in vinegar water. I put my rubber gloves on (dr. kind) and proceeded to dye my yarn Purple and Teal (why is it Grey??). Ok that went alright but where everything went horribly wrong was as I finished dyeing. The liguid started leaking out of my carefully folded joinings. All over the ground...panic set in. I ran and got several large ziplocks and thrust the offending yarns in them.. rinsed the bags so no dripping threw the house. Nuked them in the Microwave for 3 min each..only one exploded. Sigh.....Need I continue? Oh, you ask, how did I get purple hands? The gloves ruptured somewhere along the way and filled with dye.
At this writing ..my WHITE cat is upstairs sleeping and the black one I'm not to worried about. But, can you Imagine if Mitzie (the white one) decides she has to pee? Walks across the grass in the front yard and aquires a new name..something like Plum or Purp ..lol..maybe I should close the doors!! EGAD.
The moral....is........Use thick gloves, dye one or two skeins at a time..not 8. Don't wear anything you wanna ever wear again..and black shoes. At least I lost the white shoes first thing..being a wise woman, I did see that possiblity occuring.
So, now, in my wisdom.....I have learned a valueable lesson. And, taught one as well. Hopefully, you learned from my mistakes. If so..my work is done.
My Purple and mmm greyish yarn is now drying in the front yard. Frightening the Neighbors and the birds as well..no doubt.

Oh, there it is!

HERE they are!! Someone gave me this site weeks ago but I didn't see the stockings! Aren't they fabulous?
Then someone else gave me the same link...thanks...so I looked around. This site ,Vintage Stitch O'rama, is a real find if you like vintage knitting and Crochet. I found a dozen things I'd like to make.
I have gotta make these!

Spinning Spinning Spinning

I did finish the "not so ugly shrug" out of my pink homespun. I used two buttons instead of making it a tie front. I don't need that extra bulk up front..lol
Now, I'm working on something similar out of the Purple yarn that Sascha sent me last Christmas. Something, crocheted filet but not quite sure what it is yet..just along the lines of the shrug but longer with longer sleeves. Thats the beauty of Crochet..it can grow as you go!
To say I've been spinning alot is an understatement. I have 6 fleeces and a ton of other fiber to spin. I need to get with it. Martha's wool is white and springy and lovely to spin long draw. I've done 6 huge fluffy skeins so far. Martha is the sheeps name. The black is named Beauty. Haven't done much with it yet.
A friend is sending me another fleece she found when she was moving. She already gave me one!! I've got an abundance of Riches. People may expect sweaters this year or next.. thats for damn sure!!

Bryces' Bunting

This is Bryce Allen in his new bunting, made by his grandma...me. Still Big on him but it looks cute. He's such a cutie!!
Thanks Jyll for the Pictures.

Last Weekend

Just a little baby update. Wyatt, Jyll and the kids came up last weekend. So, heres a recent picture of Bryce..and yes thats me.
Speaking of mothers. Marshall was in the backyard working on the dining table top with his back to the big Maple tree. When his older brother came out to smoke..he was like.. "Mmmm, Marshall, look behind you!!" This is a picture of the ,not to amused, mama Raccoon..with 3 half grown Raccoon children who came to my yard to eat apples. My tree just dropped a bunch. Only to be met by a large (good looking) human male making annoying noises(sanding)..so they decided to climb the tree and take a nap. Hoping he'd go away...lol.. he didn't. Eventually they did. This is the most babies I've seen with a mama raccoon. I thought they only had 1 at a time?? Could these be triplets? Well, anyway. My husband cleaned up the apples. We don't want our cats attacked..or our kids.

I CHANGED my mind

Ok.. I lied. I'm not making the arrow at the butt bolero out of my homespun. I'm making the "not so ugly shrug" from Happy hooker crochet. I got half way threw the bolero and saw the shrug that Deb of Village yarn and tea was making and ripped the whole thing out. I'm nearly done. I have to sew it together and crochet around the edges. Oh I'll make the bolero too..really I will. But in something softer.. with less ..mmm.. character. It is perfect for the "not so ugly shrug".
Its kinda overspun. I'm learning..leave me alone. I'll get it before I die!!

Word!!

Finally, Knitting content

Well, I've been putting this off. My camera and my computer don't get along very well anymore. So, its a big deal to try to take pictures of any of my projects.
I finished the the lace shrug of Ecru Rowan Calmer. I made the sleeves a little longer. I noticed alot of women looking at the shrug while I was at knit group in a large bookstore/food court. I don't think I had a booger? Or a kick me sign on my slowly shrinking Ass. As my husband suggested!
I'm now working on Lace Knee highs from Knitting Vintage Socks-Nancy Bush. Page 75 .. I think. In ecru baby Ull by Dalegarn. I've never done such long socks. Oh..I was surfing blogs and came across a pair of thigh high, knitted fishnet stockings with skulls worked into them. If you remember whos blog that is, could you email me! I wanna make those!! I have a couple friends who would LOVE them.
Another thing I'm working on is a Bolero from Alchemy, yarns of transformations

This I'm making out of Pink tweedish stuff I spun. It starts at the point in the back and worked up in one piece. Oh, I know its a big arrow pointing at my butt. I'm hoping it will be ok. I think I'll have the closure at the bottom of the front so you won't get that gappishness by the pits in the back.

Other Knittish news is that my black and white fleeces are back from Dawn's custom carding! She makes the roving up in Bales. This time its Pencil roving. I barely have to do anything to it but hold on!!
These were given to me by a co-worker of my lovely husband. One black one white (the fleeces, not the co-worker). I was told that the black was only good for rugs. It is..sigh. But its really tough so thats a plus and its easy to spin. I was worried that it would be brittle and only good for stuffing pillows. The white is much nicer even if its not Merino. I can see making something Aran in it. Its really nice to spin..not smooth like I've always spun before but very springy and crimpy. Its very forgiving. You know how some roving sometimes snaps out of your hand while spinning. This, just about, can't. I tried spinning it super fine..1 hair and some air and it stayed tight. It was nice. I spun up and plied a few yards. It has a tendency to fluff or cloud. I think it will be very pretty..if a little rough.
Lets see .. I think that makes me officially a spinner.. I have about 24 lbs of roving tucked around this house. I'm sure I left out all the little baggies of tencil and angora etc.
I'll try to get some pictures of the shrug and my sockies.
Otherwise things in my life are settled down. No accidents.. weddings..babies.. Alls quiet, for the moment.

Ouchies all better

So, we rented a trailer and pulled the boys car to our house and quickly disassembled the broken parts. Only took 2 days. Broken nose and the radiator hit the trailer hitch of the truck that he hit.
Bill figures it took about $300 to totally fix it. $150 of that was for a new radiator. He did good.
I know the picture is dark. They finished at dusk It only took 10 days. Its kinda patchwork.. somone suggested I paint lil xxxx's between the colors so it looked like a crazy quilt..lol Silver front, blue middle with a Red tail fin. Eventually he'll get it painted.
My handy hubby out did himself this time! Oh heres some brighter pictures taken the next day.

Sorry no Knitting content... More Pictures of Shane and Kendra's Wedding

Marshall (my youngest son) and Shane. They look pretty HOT!!



















You may now kiss the Bride.














Kendra is so beautiful.




















That Shane is a lucky guy!
But, I think he knows that!

Ouchies

Marshall started his new job the 10 th of July.. and they moved to their new place in Bothell-Sunday. About 30 miles commute difference. Monday was intensely hot and bright. Evidently, Marshall didn't see the two trucks in front of him jam on their brakes.. chain reaction accident and blam..his lil Probe made friends with a Ford F-150 (pickup, 4x4).. slid under the bumper and Trailer Hitch. He's ok.. maybe a vertebre out in mid back. Truck didn't have any damage at all!! He just kept repeating Fuck! over and over.. all day. Bet I would have too and cried probably as well.
Bill and I have been disassembling the front end all day. It should be totally fixable but what a pain. Radiator is a total mess.....but the engine seems fine. He drove it the rest of the way to work. It was steaming but it was running. We brought it home on a little trailer with its front wheels off the ground. He drove it onto the trailer. whew!!
But, guess who gets to drive him to and from the new job (only 22 miles round trip)? Moi!! More quality time with my youngest son! Not the ideal way to get more time with him.. fer sure!
Maybe ,I should knit him a chainmail bra for his car when we get it put back together.. with spikes or something ..lol!!
OH and THANK (insert diety here).. that he had his seatbelt ON!

Shane and Kendra

Quick update. Shane and Kendra's wedding was really lovely. I missed it but Marshall was there and I've been promised pictures!! We (Bill and I) instead went to a weekend party with his friends from work. Its a yearly deal! Lots of Food, Drink, Kareoke, and Outdoor movies. Did I say drink? Well, thats the understatement of the century. Husband got sloshed.. I knitted. The weather was warm and the trailer was comfy. I really would have rather gone to the wedding tho...sigh!! I had to reknit alot of what I did do because of some frozen creamsicle margaritas that someone forced on me. I only had one!! Actually I tasted it and gracefully stole it from its owner..lol.

Baa Baa Blacksheep

This is a little of what Terri brought me back from The Blacksheep festival in Oregon a couple weeks ago. I love the surprises she brings me. Look at the picture in a Bigger view... the pink has sparkles in it. She got me 2 lbs!! That and the 3 fleeces I have out for cleaning and carding are going to keep me busy for YEARS!! THANK YOU Terri.....you know me to well!

The one in the bag is pygora (not sure of spelling and to lazy to go look). Its mainly white with little flashes of purple! A nice soft lace.. I think.

I'm about half way threw the Shrug that is red in the pictures I posted but I'm doing it in Ecru Rowan Calmer. I'm totally in love with this yarn!! TOTALLY...softest thing I've ever felt and it knits up so nice.

Bill's latest Beauty

A Picture is worth a thousand words. This is a outdoor table ,my talented husband, built for our son Wyatt (Daddy to the new baby). He turned the leg on his new lathe. All the rest is built of Deck lumber and Oiled with Linseed oil. He says he used every tool he owns. I think its stunning!!

Baby Bryce

Bryce arrived at 3:56am July 3rd. Eryka's 10 Birthday!! Happy Birthday Eryka..lol. He's a bit annoyed with people here but he really was very quiet and calm. Kinda like his daddy..lol. More info later....I was to asleep to remember weight 7lb ? and length 18.?
For more pictures go to : http://www.geocities.com/pixalcat/bryce

Knitting content..at last!!

Except for the Zipper I have finished the Blue baby bunting. I'm still debating on the hood vs a hat. Yesterday at our usual Saturday Knit in, just Roger and I today, I sewed up all the seams. Today, I'll find a zipper and get that sewn in and Jyll can feel free to have baby Bryce anytime!!

Also, in the last couple weeks I made a short sleeved cardigan in a fishnet pattern of this yarn. Its more springy looking then the picture. Raspberry, Lime and Orangsicle. With A raspberry ruffle of Lornas Lace worsted down the front and neck. It turned out pretty Sexy, I think.


For you that are wondering how I'm adjusting to my Diabetes meds: I'm doing ok. Getting some annoying side effects.. stomach ache and metallic taste in my mouth. Other then that, I'm good. I learned to use the stoooooooooopid blood meter, WHICH I HATE!! I swear I will Loose the damn weight so I don't have to do this anymore! AHEM, anyway.. doing ok. Not crying about it anymore.
For 11 years I homeschooled someone. Then I took care of a Dieing friend. I've been very bored for 2 years! I was wishing for something interesting to do with my now boring life.. be careful what you wish for! I was looking for maybe a job offer......not an illness!! God has a wierd sense of humor. Good thing I'm a buddist! LOL.
Next Project is the shrug I posted last month,in white or seafoam. And, the Pink sweater outa homespun pink/white/blue.