Snow is Forcasted this Sunday -

Gray again. Blah. So, does that make three or four Sunday's in a row?? I've lost count -

Finished up that Stupid Hat! I think this is about the ugliest thing I have ever made. I would be embarrassed for dh to wear this in public! He's a keeper though, because he insists on wearing it due to the fact that I think I have permanently damaged my left hand making this stupid, stupid hat! I know now that I can knit on size 0000 needles, but give me size 11's and I just can't do it! So, no more bulky knitting for me. I should have probably known better, somehow?!

Here is the Blue Jean Lady that I purchased from Frayd Knot on E-bay. She does give a price break if purchasing in bigger quantities. I think this batt looks about as good as some others I have seen on Etsy or E-bay that sell for lots of money per ounce. The yarn is in no way coming out to a smooth yarn, but it is definitely pretty. I am seriously hoping that two pounds will yield enough yarn for a 42" sweater!


Ok, so I guess I have wasted enough time this morning, and it's off to the bicycle for me - how's everyone doing with their New Year's Resolutions?? I'm still working on mine, I might not be going strong, but I'm still going! I've been losing a few pounds and maybe an inch or so - Wahoo for me! Although, I have to say that last night's birthday party for a friend seriously did some damage!

See ya'll next week!

It's Sunday, that means it's raining again!

I wonder how many Sunday's in a row we can go with it raining outside. This is definitely not good for my mood. I think I am one of those people, who have one of those disorders with all the initials, in that I get really depressed when the sun doesn't shine. I think Jimmy Buffet wrote about "Cabin Fever and shooting six holes in his freezer", I used to understand this when I lived in Maine and then Michigan and the snow was shutting us in. Now, it's the rain. . .

Anyway, this all leads to the fact that a lot of knitting was not done this week, due to 16" needles are most definitely not my friend. My hand was killing me!! I am trying to make a hat for Chris, but haven't gotten very far, as I just can not use that small of a circumference to knit on. So, I go out and buy 32" needles to use the magic loop method, and look at this:

Well, that big chunky yarn ate up all the room on the cable! So, it's been a challenge, making this silly hat! Maybe I'll get through it and have one finished object to show next week!

I've been pondering which doily to make next and to tell the truth I really, really want to make this one:
But do you think it's included in the publication of this leaflet?? Not as far as I can tell, anyway. It says it is on page eight and gives the item numbers of the chart, but the photo on page eight is not this doily. Anyone out there have any ideas? This is the full publication:

So, if any of you out there have this and can read German I would be so appreciative!

Then on the other side of the coin, I have been spinning:

I am not doing a fabulous job at keeping the bobbin nice and even, but the spinning has been fun. I am still learning this wheel, and I have decided she is my best wheel! The Rose has so much take up that I almost have zero tension on the brake band. . . I just don't really know what to do about it. I am almost ready to sell her and all her accessories because of it!

Hope you all have a good week, please be assured that I read all your posts, I am just too dang busy to always have time to write you individually! Keep on talking to me though!

It's Another Gray Sunday. . .

Gosh, how can I get you guys good pictures if the Sun never shines on the weekends? It's making me crazy that it rains all weekend lately. The dogs give us new meaning to the name "mud room"! Which is actually our back door entry into the house and kitchen, but it's becoming more and more difficult to keep the floors and walls clean in there!

Anyway, I digress as usual. I have been spinning and dyeing lately and I wanted to take pictures to show how nice some of this is coming out. I will give it my best shot!

This was a pound of roving that was super cheap on e-bay, a blend of a variety of different wools that is not really soft or harsh, so I guess just a medium wool (at $5 it was a steal). Now, I was going for a super light blue, but this is what the dye pot yielded:


Then I used the remaining dye to put in some merino wool I am going to make a sweater from, but the end result was one skein looked green and two looked blue, so, I over dyed that result with a more brilliant blue and this is that result: (please ignore the clean laundry drying with the wool!)


I think this will be ok, I hope so anyway, since this is slated for the FLAK by Janet Szabo. I was going to purchase some Araucania Nature's Wool, which would have been mottled too, so perhaps this will work too. I will be doing a swatch soon to check it out, but of course that would mean I have to give up spinning to knit! And look what finally came from Ohio Valley Fibers:



I sent this in to the mill in September (first week of) and got it back just last week. Just a bit slow, but I had them wash and pin draft it for me. This is a cormo fleece, and the sheep's name is/was Keiki, the fleece was 5.2 pounds and came back to me at 3.9 pounds.It is lovely, and I have no clue what will become of it yet! Then, I found this lovely fiber on e-bay:

Oh man! The Seller's E-bay name is "FrayedKnot" and I just can't say enough kind words about her. You just have to touch this stuff, but, now all my bobbins have something on them! So, I am carding this by hand to fulfill my tactile needs! (lol) Plus April from WoolyVines sent me this (I was asking for more Berry Lush to go with the Merino I spun up last time.) You guys have to get some of her stuff it is fabulous!

Where'd the weekend go??

Geez, I look up and bam! The weekend is over, and now I can officially say that the "fat lady" was singing at the Potere's officially on Saturday night at 7:00 PM CST. The party is now officially over for us!

We brought Caryn to Romano's Macaroni Grill for her birthday dinner, last night, although it officially was no longer her birthday. She had her girlfriends over Friday evening and they pulled an all nighter. Unfortunately for us, we did too!

Anyway, it's late, I need to wrap this up, here is my bobbin of merino two plied, of course it is the one on top:


And here it is Navajo plied:

Well, that answers that question now doesn't it? But the yardage only came out to 143 yards! See how much that method of plying takes up your singles? Wow. But look how nicely rounded the yarn is too. (Well, don't look too closely, this was my first official attempt at plying this way.)

Ok, well, gotta get to dinner now.

Bryan went back to school today, and I was quite sad about it. I wonder if this ever really gets any easier?