No pictures = no Blog Love

Well, I get the hint. I get it loud and clear. You aren't interested in reading my blog unless I post pictures. I understand, I'm the same way as I'm a very visual person. Well you wanted pictures and pictures you shall have. I borrowed a camera - because I aim to please (and to be honest, I'm a comment Ho and miss hearing from you guys). Some of the pictures aren't the clearest because I don't know how to use all of the setting on this camera.

I'm pleased to present to you, the beautiful Zira...


Zira loves the camera and aspires to be a model some day. She also loves bananas...


Especially eating them!


I catch her climbing on Arwen quite frequently...


She assures me that she's not playing but just trying to sneek a peek of what I'm spinning. Today, its merino and alpaca.


Zira wanted to show off the hat that I made her even though it doesn't fit very well(she's so sweet to wear it anyway). I'm working on a custom fit sweater this weekend.

Zira tells me that she has a secret that she'll share with you all very, very soon. I wonder what that monkey is up to.

Zira began as this bunch of unfelted parts.


After felting her, I had to snip and restitch her hands and feet. It was a big mistake knitting that mohair at the tops of both. I wanted fluffy cuffs and ended up with Popeye arms and calves. I used my mitten and sock skills to make her hands and feet. I was so glad to use my newfound skills. I stitched her muzzle on and needle felted her face and ears. In my haste to finish her, I forgot to make a tail. I'll have to work on that over the weekend. Overall, I'm pleased with the results and only need to make minor changes to the pattern. I did some stash busting to make her so her colors aren't very monkey-like. I hope to work on a buddy for her soon. I "heart" Zira!

Enough monkey business. For those who've inquired (thanks for asking), my laptop is about 80% back to normal. It has crashed a couple of times since I got it back so I hesitate saying that its "fixed." However, its a huge improvement over the other computer so I'm not going to complain (plus, I get the feeling that everyone is tired of hearing me whine). I'll have a regular knitting/spinning post on Monday. I've been a busy little bee. Take care...

(((((Heavy Sigh)))))

That sigh is me giving in to the negative energy that has surrounded my tech toys. I have some bad computer karma right now. I took my poor sick laptop into the office and it was "fixed". Needless to say, after I got back home (which is almost 200 miles away from the office), I found that it was missing software, all of my files and I didn't have administrator rights so I can't edit any of the settings. I'm going to have to ship it to the office and pray that it comes back to me in one piece. I haven't had a real computer since Jan. 24th. I'm dying here. I barely have contact with the outside world. I miss you guys and visiting your blogs. Its lonely without my high speed internet connection. Wahhhhhhhhhh!

Thanks for letting me whine, I feel better already. I still don't have a camera but I've decided to just go buy one rather than try to get the Nikon fixed. However, the kid's computer has a hard time with photo uploads so even if I did have one, I wouldn't be able to show you pictures. I feel like my blog is so naked without some show and tell. Please bear with me. I hope to be back to normal soon.

On the home front, I buckled and got another guinea pig for Thing 2. Her name is Maika (a name that he made up and I really like) but we call her Mai for short. She's so tiny compared to Booger who's three. She's so quiet and docile. She has yet to bite (something that Newt would rarely do but most certainly would if she was done playing) and is wonderfully sweet and snuggly. I think getting another was a good move and has helped us all cope with Newt's passing. Thanks for all of the suggestions and thoughts so many of you shared with me. I'll post photos of her soon (I hope).

On the knitting front, nothing since this time last week which was when I finished the Corgigora flower. I was out of town the latter part of the week and found that I lacked all energy this weekend. I guess I'm in a slump :( I am pleased to announce that my felted tote fetched $75 at the Fat Tuesday auction last week! I was so flattered! Several people are interested in placing orders so we'll see how busy I am this spring.

On the spinning front, I attended my first group spin in Thursday night! I'm still jumping up and down. There were four of us (one was a mom from the boys' school and neither of us knew that the other of us spun) and we spun together for over two hours. I'm still working on a couple of ounces of merino/alpaca. We already have another date planned for March. The ladies deemed me an alien because my spinning is so good for a beginner. I honestly just do what feels right especially since I've had no one to watch until now. I have so much to learn and can't wait to meet more of this group. We're going to have Jen (The Spirit Trail) come out in the Spring for a trunk show and invite people to come in and demo techniques such as needle felting. I can't wait! I finally feel a sense of belonging.

Well, I need to make an attempt to work. Without my files, I'm somewhat lost. I just want to hibernate for a couple of weeks. By then, I'll have my computer back and spring will be right around the corner...

Tomorrow is another day...

Well, my computer isn't dead but its certainly on life support. I'm going to have to get IS to reload windows which means I'll have to reinstall of the programs that are currently installed on my computer. Am I bitter or grumpy? No, of course not, I'm 100% certifiable super bitch, that's all. *Sigh* I'm reminded that tomorrow is another day. I'll pray that I live to see it and that it doesn't start like last Saturday (with a dead guinea pig placed only inches from my face at 7 am).

So those of you mumbling to me right now "it could be worse", yes, it could and is. I awoke at 1 am with a wonderful case of Montezuma's revenge courtesy of a local Mexican restaurant chimichanga. Yup, today is a craptacular end to the week. Goodbye first week of February. I will NOT miss you.

I'm blogging today from the worlds oldest computer since my laptop will barely come on now. I'm starting to wonder if this is an evil plot staged by the boys in hopes that we'll buy them a new computer. DH has given me carte blanc to buy whatever I want. Lots of HD space, huge monitor, a new digital camera, snazzy printer - a techie gurl's dream! I'm so tempted. Anyhoo, I hope to get my baby back soon since I sprout gray hairs everytime I try to visit any of my buddy'd blogs. Plus, I can't even think of uploading photos with out crashing the computer.

Okay, enough of the pity party, right? Thanks for the sweet sentiments regarding Newt. We're doing better now and she'll always have a special place in our hearts. Thing 2 is begging for another GP and I'm so tempted to comply. The other GP affectionately named "Booger" is very lonesome and we don't want her to die of a broken heart. DH thinks I'm crazy and maybe he's right.

While the spinning front stalled this week, I'm looking forward to my spinning activities next week. The librarian finally set a date for the beginnings of our spinning group - Thursday, Feb. 10th! Yippie! I can't wait. I won't have to be lonesome in my addiction anymore.

The knitting front has been wonderfully busy with small instant gratification projects. I finished the felted bag that's destined for the Fat Tuesday auction next week. It started as a comissioned french market tote (the woman never returned my call) and then morphed into a handbag. It's knit from my favorite yarn - Cascade 220 - with a black base, tan body and brown/black/tan Manos top and handles. I added a pocket and needle felted a sheepie on it. For fun, I made a matching key fob. It's one of my favorite bags so far. This auction is sort of my community debut. I'm so excited! Over 300 people attended last year so I should get some good exposure. I also knit the Corgigora yarn into a pretty flower pin as my display piece for a second auction entry. I'm auctioning off the opportunity to spin someone's pet's fur into yarn. I'm very interested to see if people like the idea. Finally, I finished the gift exchange felted strawberries sachets by filling them with lavendar flowers. They are MIGHTY fragrant but too damn cute for words. I'm going to put them in an actual produce container to give the full effect. I hope the gift recipient likes them.

No snow forecast for the weekend so we should be able to get out and about for the first time in a while. I'm going to work on my attitude before I blog again. Oh, by the way, I am still tracking my weight loss. I'm down 5 pounds total since the beginning of the year and I've spent $20 on yarn and fiber (so there's $30 in the till for those weak moments I may have in the future). AND, I've done some stash bustin' so I'm behaving myself. Catch ya later...

Drive by blog post

Yes, things are still on the fly here at the house that IM built. I'm hanging in there though only by the tips of my nails. Here's quickie on how last week went:

*** Trip to NC was good. It was nice to have some me time. I was in workshops all day and businesses dinners and lunches but the evenings were all mine. I spun and knit my life away. Right before I left. The library got Knitting in Estonia in for me. Yes, that meant LATVIAN MITTENS - oh happy day! I did a test knit mini mitten with the tiny bit of borderline sportweight yarn I had in my stash and hated the results. Alas, it was too thick. So I have two choices: buy some sportweight yarn or spin some. Decisions, decisions. I can say that I love making those braids. I knit and reknit one several times just to have the satisfaction of seeing it develop. Thanks for helping me catch the bug, Sandy :)

*** Internet access in NC was not to be had in my hotel room as planned. Thus, no blogging and no blog reading :( So I spun up some merino and shetland and plied it into a barbershop pole colored skein. It looks too cool. I bought some cashgora locks and soysilk from the spinning place in Greensboro. The shop - which will remain nameless to protect the innocent - was "eh". The cashgora is a dream to spin with and was a steal at only $6 for 4 oz. The soysilk - lets just say that I have to practice more before I try this one again.

*** Dear sweet Thing 1 and a couple of his testosterone blind buddies singlehandedly toasted my computer on Friday in just 30 minutes. It has tons o' spyware and at least one trojan on it. I couldn't get it to work very well until today. A friend of mine is going to clean the drive up for me tonight. Pray that my computer comes back to me in one piece. If it doesn't my name is mud.

*** Tragedy struck on Saturday when we awoke to find one of our sweet guinea pigs - Newt - didn't make it through the night. She was out of her cage (a big no-no) with Thing 2 and crawled into his pillow to sleep. We think she smothered. We're better now but Sat. and Sun. were rough. Lots of talk about the great beyond, theology and a higher power. And of course, lots of tears. Thing 2 asked me to spin some of her fur into a keepsake for him. I started last night and hope to have something to show for it soon.

I have lots of photos to share but can't do anything complicated like upload them with this testy computer until it gets cleaned up. I've completed a couple of charity knits and other misc. objects. I've missed catching up with my buds and look forward to some blogging this weekend if not before then.

TTFN...

Where's the beef...er...IndigoMuse?

Remember the commercial a bazillion years ago with this famous line? I feel like just like that tiny little piece of beef that was featured on that huge bun. I've allowed myself to be swallowed whole by life again. Work and life are sucking me dry which leaves little time for blog reads, blogging and *gasp* knitting and spinning :( Fear not dear friends. I'm alive and well (though very, very cold - only 56 days until Spring) just don't have much spare time lately.

A couple of quick updates. I'm working on designing a couple of patterns (I'll show you pictures real soon). One is a felted knit monkey. I must say that she came out cuter than I expected. I used several knitting techniques and love the results. I decided that I didn't want to wait to buy the knit toy book and since I love to felt the hell out of everything, I went solo. Not only did I do some stash busting but I expanded my horizons. Hurray for me.

I also made the cutest felted strawberry sachets that I'll stuff with lavendar. They are too cute. I'm also working on a pattern idea that I pitched to Knitty for their upcoming Man issue. They liked the idea so I have to get cracking on writing it up. I'll keep you posted on my progress as I might need a couple of test knitters in the near future.

On the spinning front, I haven't had much time to play with Arwen - boo hoo. We're working on some Merino/Alpaca and then I have to spin the corgi hair for a charity project. I also signed up for a Valentines Day "Love Ewe" exchange through the Yahoo Spindler's group and already receive my gift from my wonderful pal. It was a box stuffed full of red merino and white Shetland, a cute spinning buddy beaded ant made by her 10 yr. old son and a cute heart box that will be great for holding my random knitting supplies. It was quite a surprise to receive it on Friday considering V-day isnt for another couple of weeks. This is the first giftie I've received since JessKR secret pals from the summer. Thanks Megen!

Sorry this is on the fly. I'll be in North Carolina for a conference the rest of the week so I hope to catch up on lots of things while away ALL BY MYSELF! I've missed reading up on everyone's fiber adventures for the past week. Knit a row and spin some fiber for me. (((((((Kisses))))))

Hot Now

This...


Plus this...



Equals

BLISS!!!

Yup, I couldn't resist last night. I HAD to have one. It didn't help that my sweet little Thing 2 was in the car egging me on. "They're even better when they're hot, Mom. Puleeeeeezeeee, can we stop by on the way home? Puleeeeeezzeee?" *Sigh* The car squeeled into Krispy Kreme and Thing 2 busted into the store. The aroma nearly knocked me off my feet. Before I could open my mouth, Thing 2 placed his order - "one dozen hot glazed please and two hot ones to go." That's my boy. Before I knew it, that hot doughnut lept into my mouth and melted into sweet carbolicious oblivion. I've been good. I lost my holiday weight. The most I've treated myself to is a WW watchers carrot cake within the past week. I won't eat the entire box, that's what I have kids for. And the reality is that unless I magically lose 20 lbs before I go to the OBGYN next week for my lovely annual tuneup, I'm still going to get a lecture. A couple of doughnuts and a moment of bliss - yeah, I'm easy to please.

Not much happening here as of late. Corgi girl Mavis is shrinking in size as everything in our house becomes enveloped in her hair. The joy of having carpet is that you can't really see how badly covered everything is. Our old house had hard wood floors. When she would shed, tumbleweeds of fur would roll across the room like a scene out of the wild, wild west. Needless to say, it was a constant source of embarassment.

I have a "spin in" date this evening with a local lady. We were told NOT to come to the library with our wheels (the nerve of them, I'm not done with the city on this one) so we're going to visit the local coffee shop. I'm excited since this is my first fiber hook up :) I'll hopefully finish spinning and plying the bag of romney tonight and move on up to the corgi hair or some rainbow colored merino.

I started a pair of Koigu socks that come with me to basketball practices and games. I can't tell you how much I DON'T like b'ball. However, I love Thing 1 and want to show my support so the knitting helps me endure it. I'm making up these socks as I go along so it will be interesting to see how they turn out. I'm knitting them on the Clover minis and they are flying off the needles.

My friends came over for their second knitting lesson yesterday. They both did such a great job learning the knit stitch that I taught them how to purl. They were fascinated by the way stockinette unfolds by alternating the two stitches. I think I may have started something - mwah ha ha ha ha!

I've decided to chill on my yarn and fiber purchases for a while. I went way over budget this month when I purchased Arwen and don't really NEED anything, I just WANT everything. I WANT Latvian mitten patterns, I WANT more yummy fibers to spin, I WANT, I WANT, I WANT! With so much real need in the world, I need to find ways to be content with the abundance of what I already have. Anyhoo, I'm going to take some advice that I saw on KR and tie my fiber purchases to my weight loss plan. I'm thinking $10 toward fiber for every pound I lose and a RAOK to someone for every pound I gain. I'll post my results on Fridays starting tomorrow. I call it the Fiber Addict's Incentive to Lose (FAIL) plan except I end up winning in the end! Wanna FAIL with me?

I'm a loser baby...

That song was in my head all morning, at least until I saw this over at JenLa first thing - Cows with guns. It was a wonderful diversion and fun way to start the day. Thanks, La.

Anyhoo, yes I'm a big loser of the weight loss variety. I climbed back on program Jan. 1st, after a small set back, succeeded in losing all five pounds that I gained over the holidays and working on developing a healthier nutrition path as part of my mindful living plan. This WW article has some simple tips for those of us who are having a hard time getting back on track. I combine measuring with using the scales to gauge weight loss success. What I've learned is that I'm losing more from my upper body (except my forearms) than my lower body. I've gotta shake these hips and thighs so I'm changing the plan this week.

I also spent a great deal of time last week meditating on the things that I'm grateful for. The tragedy in Asia not only helped me appreciate life but also reminded me to pray for the well being of my fellow man daily. The process of focusing positive healing energy on the world truly does help me focus on life.

I've also found that spinning is wonderfully meditative. As I concentrate on the rhythmn of tredling, I'm also the facilitator of each tiny fiber's effort to bind into one twisted strand. What strength we have when we work together for a common cause, common goal. What could we accomplish if we applied these same values more often in our lives? Sorry for so much Zen this today but I'm feeling contemplative as of late.

There's been much more spinning than knitting in my life as I really get to know my new wheel. I decided to name her Arwen after watching Lord of the Rings Return of the King for the umteenth time on Friday. BTW, I have yet to tire of this trilogy and still cry each time the movie ends. The various interwoven stories of friendship, kinship and love get me every time. Sorry, I trailed off again.

Here's a side by side shot of my first two skeins of plied yarn.

The first born skeins 

The orangy pink is the Bartlett pencil roving spun on Arwen and the maroon is the merino silk spun on Brighid. I love my baby girls. Can't wait to figure out what to knit them into.

I've also finally finished knitting, plying, washing and drying my first skein of Romney. Here it is still on the bobbins...

Fresh spun Romney 

It's over 100 yds of worsted weight yarn. I still have about 5 oz. to finish spinning which I hope to conquer by week's end. I hope to order more so that I have enough for DH's sweater vest. Meanwhile, I came in contact with a lady who spins through our LYS. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we successfully hold our own little "spin in" at the library on Thursday.

The corgi hair stash is staggering. This was how much came off the last time I brushed Mavis...


Mountain o'Corgi fur 

How this dog still has any hair left is amazing. I think that I'll use the yarn that I spin from her fur in a feather and fan throw that I already have the yarn for (gotta bust that stash).

On the knitting front, I'm almost finished with a mini version of the Kittyville Hat from SNB. I happily bequeathed the Adult sized hat to my friend, E who came to visit me over the weekend. She saw it, squealed and begged to have it. How could I say no especially when people rarely react to my knitting that way? I decided that a matching hat for her daughter would be too cute and in no time I was able to whip one up. In the process, I decided that I had to learn how to do the "continental" and forced myself to practice. I'm getting better and this style is definitely faster. But the creature of habit that I am, its hard for me to convert. I figure that once I'm more comfy, I'll be ready for stranded knitting and the Latvian Mittens that still taunt me daily. I WILL conquer them SOON - mwah ha ha ha ha ha!

I leave you one of my new faves, Monkey.

You can find his adventures over at Buster N Me. Monkey was posted on KR last week and I'm still cracking up over the creative mind behind his antics. I LOVE monkeys! There's a cute free monkey pattern at Sullivans. I've also added the Knitted Toys pattern book to my Amazon wish list and can't wait to knit knit my own monkey. Have a fibery good week everyone!

I heart my new baby

Announcing the adoption of my new baby girl (who is still waiting on a name)

Weight: 10 lbs
Height: 29 inches
Eyes: uh, she doesn't have any but she has really big feet



Yes, sir that's my baby, a Majacraft Little Gem. She's so petite and cute and just perfect that I want to cuddle her. And then of course, put her little hinny to work. Which is what I did Tuesday and Wednesday night. I posted more details over at Knitters Review (in the entry dated 1-06-05) if you want to read about my trip to Stony Mountain Fibers. Barbara herself is a gem and I strongly encourage anyone who is close to her shop and in the market for a wheel to give her a call. I know that she has a loyal customer for life :)

I've already spun and plied a sample skein of Bartlett pencil roving in very bright colors and am working on my second bobbin of Romney. Plus, I amassed close to two ounces of amount of Corgi hair (Princess Mavis is blowing her coat like you would not believe)in just one sitting. I figure I have enough to spin into something so this is next on my list.

Oh I also forgot that I gave knitting lessons to two of the lovely ladies from my Suppa club. In just 45 minutes, I had them both knitting away. They have a homework assignment and will be back next week to report on their progress. I'm so proud of them! Mark down two more that I've converted to the dark side - mwah haha haha!

I promise to post more soon with hopefully some pictures but I wanted to fire this off quickly while Blogger was cooperating (I've had nothing but trouble for the last two days both posting and commenting).

Dreams about mittens

Latvian mitten dreams to be exact. Yes, I actually dreamed about Latvian Mittens last night. Okay, I admit it - I've been dreaming about them for the past several nights. Do I need mental help or what? That braid intrigues me and so do the patterns. Thanks to Sandy, I'm dying to try my hand at knitting these beauties. Can I handle two stranded knitting? Barely. After Da Hound, I was ready to scream. But then again, I hadn't read about the different techniques of throwing, dominant hand, etc. which might have helped me. Can I find a pattern to whet my appetite online? No of course not. My LYS is regularly not helpful (really nice people but seem to specialize in scarfs) and the book stores have none of the titles in stock. I'm stuck special ording a book and waiting for it to arrive. Keep in mind, I'm not patient and this prospect is a frustrating one :( Damn you Latvian Mittens. Damn youse to hell (you've gotta say it like Jay from "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back").

Prior to the Latvian Mittens, I'd been dreaming about spinning wheels. Yup, I really DO need help. No wheel in particular in my dreams, just their contours, their spinning magic - I am so in LUST with spinning. I finally finished spinning and plying my first skein of yarn (the merino silk). $4 worth of fiber net 70 yards of the most beautiful plyed yarn (about 24 wraps per inch).
Here's a peek at the yarn (still on the niddy noddy after I steamed it to set the twist).


Freshly steamed handspun merino silk 

I'm still amazed. The unfortunate news is that somehow dear sweet Brighid was damaged after one of just a few falls (I only spin over the carpet and have been careful NOT to let her fall). The brass ring popped off the Ebony and won't stay seated on the spindle anymore. Boo hoo! I've emailed Mr. Golding to see if he can fix her. Poor baby :(

The good news is that I'm going to test spinning wheels tomorrow afternoon after a business meeting in Richmond. I promise to be open and wait for that one wheel to "sing" to me. Budget be damned! I should have an announcement of a new arrival on Wednesday - keep your fingers crossed for me!

Do you hear that? Shhhhh, be very quiet and listen with me.

*Is it the blaring of the TV from the two week football/Cartoon Network marathon? Nooooo. Is it the sound of noisy video games? Nooooo.
*Is it the click clack of the air hockey table that GMIL thought that the boys HAD to have for Christmas? Noooooo.
*Is it the constant whir of the neighbors' leaf blower - BTW, how many damn leaves can one yard have? No, no, no.

That, my friends, is the sound of silence. Just the sound of the birds chirping, a slight breeze, warm sunshine and 65 degreee temperatures on this glorious first week of January. This picture embodies my gratitude for the day...


Sunrise on a new day 

Its so good to be home alone again. Don't get me wrong, I loved having my Testoterone Trio home for the holidays but I need my space and certainly haven't had any for the last two weeks. And at the end of my "vacation" DH decided to make me help him clean out the garage - yuck! However, we purged nearly 20 tubs of "stuff" to charity and could play indoor soccer in the garage if we wanted to. Still I wanted to be a happy couch dwelling slug and he wouldn't let me - harumpf.

I'll post my 2004 favorites tonight to get you through Tuesday without me. I'll be out of town but hope to have a new baby with me on Wednesday. To usher in 2005, I present my first WIP that has promptly been frogged.


Wave goodbye to Noro Wavy 

I tried to love you Noro (Kureyon) Wavy but it was not meant to be. DH - being the fiber snob that he is - even commented on your roughness. Piecing the scraps of leftovers together was not fun and you're really not that pretty. Don't worry Noro. There's a time and a place for us. Somehow, someday, somewhere... (whilst bellowing Somewhere from West Side Story).

A time for spinning

***Edited to add - for those of you asking about the Clover needles, I got mine at my LYS. However, here are a few places where you can find them online:
Purl Soho
Marr Haven Wool Farm
WorldKnit.com

I've ignored my poor Golding girl, Brighid, for nearly three weeks. I wondered if my spinning abilities were a fluke, if I really couldn't spin but just got lucky when I first picked her up. Well, a chair positioned in the warmth of the sun, Thing 2 as my fiber assistant and a few stolen moments (stolen from working) later and I was spinning lace weight silk mohair as I had before. If you're even thinking about spinning, get a Golding. They spin FOREVER and are just beautiful tools. Anyhoo, I spun for over an hour last night and still have a ton of fiber to spin up. I'm going to have enough yarn to knit something small with though I'm unsure of what just yet. Spinning is definitely in my blood. I'm am SO convinced that I was a Celtic spinner in a past life (Stop laughing, I CAN hear you).

I realized yesterday that I never showed you some of my spinning samples. I took pictures but forgot to post. First a snapshot of my fiber stash from Spirit Trail Fiberworks. I also included a shot of my homemade PVC niddy noddy. This baby is great for setting the twist on my singles because I can soak, rinse and dry without removing them from the niddy noddy.


Fibery goodness 

Next, I spun up samples of Jen's fabulous fibers just to get the feel of the fiber and the hang of spinning, My faves were the Polwarth/Angora blend (fourth one over with the hint of blue)and the CVM (the dark brown in the second sample). I lined these up in order of when they were spun. As you can see, the first few are pretty damn ugly. I'll keep them as I've been advised but man they are pitiful little blobs of fiber.


Spinning samples 

Finally, a shot of the merino silk. Don't ya love my high tech toilet paper roll bobbins? The mini skein is my first attempt a plying. It's not great but should get better with practice. I didn't realize until too late that I'm spinning the second batch much thinner than the first. Oh well, live and learn.

My thumb is sore from spinning which prompts me to step up my spinning wheel search activities. I think I have my six choices narrowed down to 3 - an Ashford Traveller or a Majacraft Millie or Little Gem. At first I thought that I didn't want to travel with my wheel but now I'm thinking that it would be great to take her with me when I visit family. That ruled out the Prelude and the Traditional and the Baynes wheels. I might be able to get by Stony Mtn. Fibers after a business trip on Tuesday. Man do I need to scratch that itch!

Corgi lovers have come out of hiding as of late. I've found that lots of people love these nubby little fur balls and want more pics of Princess Mavi. As soon as I get a new camera, I'll oblige her fans. In the meantime, here are some great photos that I've come across by sheer accident in most cases. Enjoy!


Gigi 
This is Gigi. She's a year old and is a red headed tri. More pictures of Gigi are here.




This is Ollie the wonder Corgi.

Holiday Hangover

I have a serious post Christmas hangover. Not the drinking kind but the "man, I'm having a hard time getting motivated kind." I've barely gotten out of my jammies for the past few days (remember, I work from home and don't have to when the kids don't have school), been sleeping late, going to bed late, haven't eatten a sit down meal in over a week and have watched a ton of football. I am a self proclaimed butt slug.

Christmas was wonderful albeit exhausting visiting family. We went on a three day whirlwind tour to see the family on both sides - aunts, great aunts, grandmas, cousins, the whole kit and kaboodle. Our families are way too generous, so much so that Winston (the minivan) was packed to the gills for the four hour trip home Christmas eve. My favorite gifts - DH and the boys gave me an entire wardrobe of casual clothes, Mom and Dad gave me money for a spinning wheel and my cousin in law knit me a scarf as a thank you for turning her onto the world of knitting. As the saying goes, Life is Good!

Everyone loved their knitted gifts. Mom took some pictures for me so I hope to have some to post soon. I even broke down and knit MIL a felted flower. It was almost to beautiful to give away. I finished some post holiday wrist warmers for my boys that totally kick ass. Thing 1's are hand dyed pink and black (looks cooler than they sound) and Thing 2's are knit with Noro Kujaku in a bluish colorway. The fun part about these is that I knit them with my new Clover miniature circular needles and didn't have to knit them on double points. The needle is only 22 cm long from tip to tip! These babies flew off the needle in less than an hour! I am definitely going to buy another pair in a smaller size to make socks with.

After all of my time constrained knitting, I decided to just rock in the corner this week and knit something with no recipient in mind, that requires very little concentration. The lucky knit? Wavy from Knitty using Noro Kureyon leftovers. It is so cool how the waves form and all it uses are knits and purls. Ah, what a great break for me.

I'm also in the market for a new digital camera since Santa didn't bring me one. I hate that I don't have a single holiday picture this year. With all of the great sales right now, there's no excuse.

That being said, I really am looking forward to next week when we get back into our routine again. Starting next week, I'm going to open a new chapter as a regular part of my blog - Dhiyaya - in alignment with my New Year's resolution to live a more mindful life. Knitting, of course is a part of this concept. I hope that you'll not only join me on this journey but will share some of your tips for more mindful living.

Later this week, reflections on my 2004 adventures in knitting. I leave you with some of my favorite Calvin and Hobbes cartoons from the past...

Holiday Sentiments

Dearest Knit Bloggers...

During this season, whether it be in celebration of the Winter Solstice, Jewish holidays, Christian holidays, or just the end of the year, I wish you all good health and prosperity. For those traveling, I wish you safe passage and a safe return. Most of all, I hope that the warm embrace of love is upon you in some form. I know that we may never meet each other in person, but so many of you have a special place in my heart. Without your support, advice and care, I would be less of a knitter, less of a person. Thank you for sharing yourself with me and my family.

I won't be blogging again until after Christmas. My needles are smokin' from all of the last minute knitting that I'm doing. I've purged some gifts and some will arrive late, and that's OKAY :)I'm most thankful that I even have friends and family to knit for and who actually LIKE my hand made gifts.

I'll reflect on my year in knitting next week and look forward to reading your reflections too. Take care and happy holidays :)

Scarf, Scarf bo barf bananafanafofarf

Okay now lets do Chuck - Chuck, Chuck, fo... er, enough of the name game. I'm feeling so juvenile today :)

Here's my latest FO, the quick, the colorful, the clever, multidirectional diagonal scarf.




I used about 1 1/2 skeins of Noro Kureyon 138 and knit it using size 8 brittany bamboos to get a 4 1/2" by 4' scarf. It knit up in absolutely no time and wasn't a typical boring scarf since you were increasing and decreasing constantly while watching the colors change like magic before your eyes. However, I still hate the way most Noro yarns feel - sorta rough. Plus it tended to be thick and thin in some places so when a thick chunk ended up on the edge of the scarf, it bulges out. I'm hoping that blocking will help. I think this might be a fun pattern for some handspun, hand dyed yarn in the future.

Speaking of future, my future has felt so uncertain lately. I'm in a grant funded child advocacy position that technically runs out the beginning of March - eek! Being the control freak that I am, I've had a need to "plan" for the what ifs that this uncertainty brings. After many sleepless nights, anxiety attacks and rollercoaster emotions, I decided to seek spiritual help to pilot my way through the fog that is sometimes my life. "Yeah, so what?" you might say. Lots of people seek help. Well, I have a hard time asking for help. If I can't reach an item at the top of a grocery shelf (which is a weekly occurence since I'm barely 5' 2"), I'd rather kill myself pulling the shelf over while trying to climb to the top rather than ask a clerk for assistance. But somehow I managed to talk to the pastor of the church we've attended for the last year or so and I made myself as vunerable as possible (something I rarely ever do). And you know what? It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. This man is so kind and thoughtful and really speaks to my heart that I never felt once like he took advantage of me. I tell you all of this because what he told me might help some of you when you hit these rough spots that don't require crisis management.

His advice? Sometimes best when you don't know what to do, to do nothing at all. Live each day to the fullest and let your higher power pilot the course instead of fighting for control. That being said, it doesn't mean that you don't have a fall back plan in place (as good McGuyver offspring always should) but we shouldn't live in fear either. So simple for most, but for control freaks like me, its the hardest thing to do. But I'm going to try the strategy, be calm, meditate, pray and stop living by the "what ifs." My heart rarely steers me wrong on issues like this :)

Okay, back to knitting. Seven days to go and its time to fish or cut bait with the knitted gifts. Here's what's left for me to finish in priority order:

* Whip up a couple of quick knit teacher gifts. I'm designing some cute felted flower pins that will hopefully fulfill this task.

* Finish knitting all of the items that need to be felted by Monday night. That includes the maroon felted mitten, the strap to Da Hound and possibly a pair of felted mittens for Mom

* Finish Dad's Irish Hiking Scarf (almost 70% complete)- reality check, I could work on this while on the road especially if I can find one of these earlights. Must have, must find gadget...

* Knit a couple of Willie Warmers as gag gifts

* Add the fringe to Gma's lap blanket

* Sneak in some time on the fingerless gloves for Thing 1 though I can save these for his birthday which is three weeks from now.

* Knit three friend gifts - I'm thinking a cravat for one and perhaps fingerless gloves for the other two

* Make labels to sew in finished knits

* Finish brother and nephew's gifts - reality check, we won't see them until after Christmas and I want to get pictures with them in their knits so I have time to finish these during the holiday.

* Block, block, block

* Wrap, wrap, wrap

I also have some baking that I need to do for the neighbors but that won't take long either. It seems like a lot but I have all day Saturday - Tuesday so I should be able to knock it out. If not, I always have plan B :) See? I'm already learning to let go (she says as they pry her nails out of the knitting needles). Happy knitting over the weekend!

She can't take much more Captain...

I'm reminded of Scotty screaming this to Captain Kirk in old Star Trek reruns as I slog through the days leading up to Christmas. No, I'm not going to "lose it". I've taken some wonderful advice from friends both online and "real", I stepped back and reassessed things, and I stopped letting work and volunteer obligations have get the best of me.

What I can't take much more of is holding myself back from 1.) holiday goodies and as a result my diet is suffering and 2.) turning into a total butt slug of an employee because I'm incapable of focusing on work. It happens every year - same bat time, same bat channel. I did better this year that I have in past years. Maybe one day, I'll grow up (yeah right)and be more responsible.

Okay, I promised pictures and pictures you shall have! Here's my little holiday fashion show...

First on the runway, little miss "Moon Over the Blueridge"


This fluffy, soft young lady is approximately four feet long and two feet wide. She was knit flat on size 11 Denise needles using a modified feather and fan pattern. Her yarns (1 skein each of) are Patons Divine Mohair blend in pale blue and variagated midnight blue, Lion Brand Incredible ribbon in blue and TLC variagated blue. She is destined to be a lap blanket for GMA once I finish her fringe.

Next up is "Dreams of Indigo"...


This is a coordinated, felted tam and mitten set. The pattern for the tam is from HeartStrings fiber arts. I modified the "Knit One Felt Two" felted mitten pattern and added a strand of loopy mohair for 12 rows to make the cuff. Both were knit with size 11 double point needles. Her yarns are Cascade 220 in Indigo blue and Ironstone Yarns Loopy mohair in variagated blue. I used 1 1/2 skeins for the tam. The mittens used 1 skein of Cascade and 1/2 skein of the Ironstone. This sassy little number is also destined for GMa.

For the little people we have "Target Practice"...



This knit will eventually be a hat and fingerless glove set for my 16 month old nephew. I used a basic childs hat pattern, knit on size 4 double points. The yarns are red and white (my brother's fraternity colors) Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino. I hate how the edge curls and yet I didn't want ribbing. I may hem the edge and add earflaps. In addition, I knit the fingerless gloves before I'd mastered the pattern so they will likely be frogged and re-knit. Finally, why the name "Target Practice"?



Need I say more?

DH, Thing 1 and Thing 2 are still laughing about this hat. I'm not amused and yet why didn't I think about the pattern before I used these colors? *Sigh*

Our next model is is "Da Hound"...




This knit is a Houndstooth pattern felted tote bag with a flap. This stranded project from Hell - er, project knit with love - was knit in the round using size 13 Denise needles using the pattern from the Knit A Day calendar. Again, Cascade 220 yarns were used in off white (number 8010 is the one that felts, the other white will not) and black (two skeins of each). Approximately 9" x 7", Da Hound will be capable of toting practically anything McGuyver Mom can chuck into it. Its sturdy handle has yet to be attached. If time permits, I'm going to make matching felted mittens.

Our final FO is "Cable Gal"...




Our lovely model (moi) is showing off the cabled goodness of a fingerless glove/wrist warmer. I modified the Irish Hiking Wrist Warmer pattern that Delia -Thanks! - created so that I could knit them in the round (I hate seaming) using size 9 double points. The yarn used was some leftover sportweight Araucania Nature Wool in variagated red. I'm guessing that I used about 120 yards of the stuff for the pair but honestly have no idea. I also don't know who to give these to but I'll be making more since its a fun quick knit. I will add my modified pattern to the blog in a separate post.

I have two UFO's that are almost finished. The Irish Hiking Scarf for dad...



Its knit with Cascade Tweed 128 in grey. The yarn is super squishy and soft and should look great with his black wool overcoat. This is a very quick knit! DH is coveting it daily. I'll have to knit him one next.

And a pair of felted mittens for my great aunt in Maroon Cascade 220 and Lion Brand Moonlight mohair. This one is unfelted.




I also cast on for the multidirectional diagonal scarf (I've been dying to try this one). I'm dying some pink Cascade 220 to make it black AND pink so that I can knit Thing 1 some wrist warmers (pink and black are his favorite colors). The swatch that I dyed and knit looked like pink camo - too cool!

Whew! That's a lot of catching up and I didn't even show you the yarn that I've spun. I'll save that for another day. I leave you with a shot that just melts my heart - Thing 2 knitting his little heart out :)



**Sorry that that it has taken me so long to post. Between upgrading to MSN for Verizon, the typical Blogger issues and not having a camera, I couldn't post pictures until today.

Great prank

I will post finished object pictures later today. In the meantime, for your entertainment, I direct you to this very clever Yale-Harvard prank. I apologize in advance for offending any Harvard alumni. Enjoy!

Help me I'm drowning...

Throw me a life preserver, I'm drowning in life, family and holiday knitting. I've missed bloggin' with you gals. I've been out of town way too much, my house is barely decorated and while I'm zipping through my holiday gift knitting, I'm still behind. Meanwhile, the days are whizzing by me at warp speed. And inspite of a hearty dose of Christmas music (I play it in the car, in the house, sing them at odd moments), the weather is downright perplexing - it warmer here than in places like Southern California. How can I get completely in the spirit when we're wearing shorts?

Speaking of holiday spirit, I want to celebrate some other holidays that have begun this week. Hanukkah began yesterday (my maternal great grandfather was Jewish) and today is the Buddist Bodhi Day celebration. I tend to embrace many spirtual beliefs across religions and am particularly intrigued by the concepts behind Bodhi day.

December is such a great time of year to become more aware of the world around us and our role in it. How often do you think of how the things that you enjoy came to you? Who made the clothing on your back? Who built your house? Who harvested the coffee that you're drinking? Were any of those people paid a livable wage? Hmmm, I thought as the coffee question was posed to me during a NPR show on Sunday. They proceeded to explain the concept of Free Trade coffee and why one should support it. Now DH and I drink a TON of coffee. And I was ashamed to think that I'm not doing the best job of supporting the industry. Since we primarily drink Starbucks, I made the tiny effort to buy some Free Trade beans on the way home from my recent business trip and will try harder to buy products that do a better job of supporting families here and abroad. I sometimes wonder if my little token will make the difference that's needed. I get lulled by the media into believing that only popular, rich and famous people can change the world. But then again I'm reminded by the fact that Gandhi, Buddha and Jesus were all very simple men who made a tremendous impact. A tiny pebble can make hundreds of ripples :)

Okay, what about knitting? I've gotten several items off my needles. GMa's loopy mohair and Cascade 220 mittens are all knitted and felted and very nicely match her felted tam. I'm knitting a maroon mohair pair for my great aunt and will probably make a pair for my mom that will match her houndstooth tote since they're a quick knit. I converted a fingerless glove pattern from the Irish Hiking scarf KAL to a circular pattern (I hate seaming when I don't have to) and LOVE, LOVE, LOVE how they turned out. If I get the okay from the person who wrote the original to post the converted pattern, I will before the end of the week. I think I'm going to knit all of my girlfriends a pair for the holidays (which should help me wrap up the gift knitting). I need to cast on for gifts for my brother and dad and then I'm done. Oh yeah, Thing 1 asked me to knit him a thong for Christmas. WTF!?!?!? Who wants wool or even acrylic for that matter up one's hinnie? I'm thinkin' no. He's digging the fingerless gloves so maybe I can convince him that he wants a pair of those. His favorite colors are pink and black. I thought I might dye some wool those colors and see how they turn out. Holiday knitting this year is so much more fun. Last year it was scarves which I now hate (though I might need to knit up a multidirectional before its all said and done).

Alright, enough for now. I have a board of directors retreat this afternoon until 9 or 10 tonight - yikes! I'm bringing my knitting and may whip it out to help me stay awake. I really do hope to have pictures soon (boo hoo, I miss my camera). And if you have a spare life preserver or even a snorkel, don't forget about me...