Two Pair Down with How Many to go

"R" did a lot of the driving on our Heritage trip, so I was able to complete a couple pairs of socks. I had some of each pair done before we even left, but it felt good to get them done. Started another pair after getting home last night. I haven't decided who these are going to yet, but they will be ready for gifting come Christmas.

"R" and I had a lot of fun on our trip. He was really goofy the first afternoon. He jammed out to his music and was very talkative that first day. He also talked quite a bit on Saturday, but Sunday he was very quiet. He was ready to be home to hang out with his friends. He wants to spend time with them before leaving for his dad's in three weeks.

I took quite a few pictures and will post them during the next week or so. I need to show them to a friend before I can download them to the computer. I don't want to print all of the pictures off, some of them are just important to me.

We saw a lot of deer with "R" almost hitting one on a blind corner. Instead of hitting it, we watched it (a fawn) bounce down the road in front of us. It was fun to watch. We also saw a couple of eagles, antelope, a moose, and a black bear. Lots of animals to see all in one trip.

Like I said, it was a fun trip and I hope one that "R" will remember, at least for a little while.

Happy knitting & spinning.

Another Finished Shawl

I was going to give you a modeled shot of the shawl I just completed, but my friend for whom it is for couldn't meet today. And the next available day to meet won't be for about two weeks. I wanted to show it off, but this picture will have to do. I used almost two skeins of Opal #2020. I think it will look nice on her and I can't wait till I can give it to her. There is enough of the yarn left that I can make a child's size pair of socks.



Here is the moving storage room today. It doesn't look much different than last week. But there are definitely more boxes in there. "C" and I went to the mobile home and got packed boxes from there. We came home with about seven boxes. I also packed five or so boxes from the computer/craft room today. That room, at least, is looking like I am getting something done.

I am sure "E" and "Au" will be glad to have them, the boxes, out of their 'place' now. Besides the room the boxes were in is the baby's room and they want to get it painted before the baby comes.

I have been busy working away on my SoS socks. I have two pair on the needles and one pair is about done. I am three inches up the cuff, from toe up, and would like to put another inch or so on each sock. The Ravelry group is really busy with posts of people already finishing many pairs of socks. I can knit fast, but not that fast. Besides, I'm still packing and planning "R" heritage trip which we are starting tomorrow after I get off work.

"R's" heritage trip is a memory lane trip for me. I take the newly graduated child and take him up where I used to spend my summers in Mission Valley Montana and Kalispell, Montana. We might even get into Glacier National Park this time. "J-b" didn't want to go to Glacier when we went three years ago. Just letting you know, I might not post until we get back sometime on Monday.

Happy knitting & spinning

Yes, It's Tuesday Orchid Watch

Yes, it is Tuesday and that means it is orchid watch day. If you look at the picture, you'll probably say, "This is the same picture as last week." But really it isn't. The center here is a little whiter than last week's picture. It is fun, for me at least, to watch my plants and see the changes happening to them.

Not much new is happening here. I packed more boxes before work this morning. I finished knitting the shawl that was on my summer knitting list. (I will block it tonight or tomorrow and have pictures for you soon.) I have worked on my SoS 2008 socks and started another pair. Yes, I have startitis right now! I have been digging out all the sock yarn I can find, that hasn't been packed yet, and making a list of what I want to get done before the summer of socks is over. So far, I have found yarn for seven pairs of sock and I'm not done looking yet. I know, ES, I have too many skeins of sock yarn in your opinion.

Tomorrow I get to teach a neighbor how to spin on a drop spindle and wash some wool. She has been a weaver before, but never a spinner. And now she wants to learn how to spin, before I leave the area. I think it will be fun! I'll let you know.

Happy knitting & spinning.

Socks and Books

Yesterday was the start of the Summer of Socks 2008. I started my first pair of sock before heading to Poky for the Spinner's monthly meeting. The first picture is how much I had done when I got off work Saturday. Valerie, I didn't like how they were looking so I ripped them out and restarted. The second sock picture is of the socks today, going down about eight stitches in the circumference and casting on a fewer number of stitches at the toe. I did the figure eight cast on for the first time and I like how it worked. The pattern is working up very quickly and makes a perfect project for watching tv.

Yesterday, on the way to Poky, I kept trying to remind myself to take pictures at the guild meeting. On the way home it dawned on me that I hadn't even gotten my camera out of my purse. I so wanted to get a picture, because this was probably the last guild meeting I would be able to attend! I know I will miss seeing all my fiber friends. Edie was reminding me of what I was like when I first started attending the guild meetings.

I would go to where they were holding the meeting and sit and watch! I would then go home and take my spinning wheel out of the car and sit and mimic what I had seen. I thought I wasn't nearly good enough to bring my wheel inside and have everyone see what I was working on. It was about two or three months after starting to attend that they, Edie - Anna Lucy - Lu - and Phyllis (those are the ones that I remember, but there may have been more), found out that my Ashford Traditional was in the car. They made me go get it! And I haven't been the same ever since. I didn't realize when I first started going how eager everyone was to share their talents with newcomers.

Now I'm one of them who likes to share my spinning talents with other people. And I don't think I would trade that for anything. I am glad I have had the guild to help me along the many different roads that life has led me on.

The many wonderful ladies from the guild signed this book for me. They debated getting more fiber, but decided the book would be easier to move. Thank you so much! I have enjoyed reading all your little notes and special thoughts and it will be a very nice reminder to me of what you all have meant to me.

Thanks for putting up with me!!

Happy knitting & spinning.

Ten Minutes per day

I thought I would show you what this past two weeks of 10-minutes per day spinning has produced. (On that link it is the June 12th post.) It is this jumbo flyer bobbin for the Lendrum full of two-plied yarn. I don't know how many yards are on the bobbin, haven't put it on the niddy noddy yet. I do have about 15 wraps of this yarn that wouldn't fit onto this bobbin. I think it will make a nice Luna Moth shawl, if I have enough yarn.

Today has been spent packing boxes, cleaning the yard up, doing some spinning and taking the dog to the vet. I have one full row of boxes against the one wall. I have started on the second row, but sometimes I think it is going very slowly. I don't know if I will ever get everything packed. I am taking one room at a time and going through things as I pack. Getting rid of things as I pack has become the mantra. I am a pack-rat, so that makes it hard to get rid of things. I have a great big box ready to go to the Goodwill though.

I'm looking forward to the spinner's monthly meeting this Saturday. It will be good to catch up with everyone. Saturday is also the first day of the Summer of Socks 2008, so that's what I'll be working on. I have my pattern picked out and the yarn ready to go. I might get all the socks for Christmas done with this challenge!

Happy knitting & spinning.

Tuesday Orchid Update

To start off with, there is a orchid update.

This week there is not much change in the orchid from last week. The buds are a little bit bigger and lightening up just a little and if you squint really hard to can see a little bit of white in the center of the bud. I know, probably not very interesting to you. But I've never had a orchid before these and I am really excited to get to see them bloom in my very own home.

I have been doing some knitting. These are my projects from the WWKIP day. They are another pair of the Pieces of Eight by Susan Lawrence. They worked up really quickly and I had them done by Sunday night.

I have also been packing more boxes. Are you tired of hearing that yet? One day I will show you the progress of the boxes moving across the "staging area" bedroom. It's amazing to me to see how much "crap" we have! Now I need to go pack some more. We have a house in Virginia so now I know how much I can take with me and what I will have to get rid of.

Happy knitting & spinning.

Silk Shawl Unveiling

I thought I would show you the process I went through for the silk challenge for the fiber guild. I didn't get to attend the "big unveiling" in May, but will be there this next Saturday to show everyone in person.


First, I spun the silk in the first picture. I had dyed the silk with the same colors that I had used to dye some wool I got from Heather that she got from Portland. I had three bumps of the wool and two ounces of the silk. Both fibers spun up very nicely. The silk spun up better than I thought it would! Lyn had told me that I wouldn't have problems spinning the silk, because of the way I spin anyways.


Here are the full bobbins of the spun fiber. The silk is on the left, in case you can't tell, and the wool is on the right. They look very much different on the bobbins than they did in the fiber stage.






Here is the fiber plied and skeined, ready to be wound into a ball and start the knitting process. I think, if I remember right, I ended up with about 560 yards altogether of the silk blend fiber. It worked up very nicely into this shawl by Myrna Stahman.





Here's the shawl, blocked and ready to be worn. Doesn't she look pretty draped over the wood cart?



I really think she looks better on.

I even wore her at church today when the chapel was a little too cool. I think I will enjoy this shawl and it's many uses.

"Mommy, I Did It...."

On Tuesday night "C" came and asked if he could use some of the left over flannel from Christmas pajamas. I said he could and asked what he was doing. He said he wanted to sew. He made a pillow case for his baby pillow! The only part I helped him with was doing some pinning for the edges. He did the rest on his own.

On Wednesday we had to go buy some more material, in a pattern he wanted, so that he could make a pillow case for his contour pillow. That case is almost done. He wants to put buttons on it and he will need some help with that. And he's had a friend over for the past couple of days, but tonight about 9 pm he'll be asking for help again, I'm sure.

This afternoon, after doing some errands with "C", I picked up "R's" graduation pictures. They are more money than I have ever spent on any one person's pictures, but they turned out really well. I should have waited and had Hart's take pictures during the year. His hair wouldn't have just been long, but it would have had "dread-locks" and then would have been cut much shorter.

The first picture on the top left has "R" on his long-board as if he has just done a jump or something. This picture earned the photographer a ribbon at the Fair this past September. "R's" one claim to fame! He had a couple of students at school say that they had seen the picture at the fair. We never did make it down to see in person, but the photography studio has had it hanging in their hall for a while.

I have been steadily working on all the knitting projects. They are all progressing at a steady pace. The second sock of a generic pair is almost completed. Maybe another two evenings and it will be done. I am about half-way through the first skein of yarn for Emma's shawl. I work on it for at least two rows per night also. The baby sweater is still waiting for some sleeves. I have them started, there just isn't the "mojo" as Margene would say about her socks. The granny square blanket has progressed by a couple or three rows. This one is harder to work on, as my Carpal Tunnel is effected by crocheting more than it is by knitting.

Happy knitting & spinning.

Tuesday Orchid Watch

This is the living-room orchid watch. The buds are coming along really well. As long as I don't leave the windows open for very long when it is chilly outside, like it is this morning. I am hoping that this one will bloom before we move from this house the end of July. The orchid in the bathroom had two good blooms on it. You saw the one bloom a couple of weeks ago. Although I keep watching for the second bloom to open, it never has yet.



At the Idaho Falls Fiber Fair last month, I picked up some of this "Dark Lagoon" from Judy at Wasatch Watercolours. I like how it is spinning up. I am thinking of making this a two ply and using it to make the Luna Moth Shawl from elann. I guess I should put this on the Ravelry page in the que, but I have to learn to do that still.

Today looks like it will be a dark and dreary day. It will be a good day to be at work and maybe do some spinning tonight while "C" is at scouts and "R" is busy.

Happy knitting & spinning

Summer Knitting

There's a contest over at Skeins Her Way. It's about our goals for Summer knitting. Just two days ago I posted what I wanted to get done this summer, but I think I have added another item. So to recount there is:
1. Granny Square afghan (although that is crocheting).
2. Peach socks from March sock of the month.
3. Baby Sweater finished (that may be finished before summer starts)
4. Shawl for Emma
Added to the list are:
5. Pi shawl
6. Summer of Socks 2008

We'll check the list periodically during the summer to see how I'm doing. If I remember!!

Happy Weekend. Happy knitting & spinning.

Productive Evening

After work today, I spent an hour or so plying the 4 ozs of fiber from Debbie Bass. I really like how the sun was shining on the fiber as I plied it. I ended up with 161 wraps on my niddy noddy which equals 268 yards. Don't know for sure what I will do with this as it is my typical thin spinning. I thought I might use it in some socks, but I don't know. It would also make a really pretty scarf in maybe a feather and fan style.


I have to show the newest finished baby sweater. The colors didn't show up the best here. The yarn is Patons Decor in Autumn Varg. It should look very good on a good looking young master. I was trying to find mustard colored buttons to bring out the mustard color in the yarn. The buttons ended up being a light brown, but I still think it brings out the mustard.

I just realized that the colors on the bobbin are about the same color as this little sweater. Is that telling you anything? Maybe I just like these colors right now.

Hopefully, this weekend I can get some flowers planted in the flower box. I need to get some "curb appeal" for the front of our house. Maybe the rain will hold off long enough.

Happy knitting & spinning.

WIP

I thought I would show you some of my works-in-progress. Top left is the granny square afghan I would like to complete before the baby is born. Top right is the sock I started at the March sock of the month class, I don't know if I will e-v-e-r get them done. Bottom left is another baby sweater. And bottom right is a shawl I started for a lady whose son is also on drug court with "R".

I thought I had just about all the unfinished projects, but no, I was wrong. There is still the baby socks I am working on, using up scrap yarn (they are actually my car knitting). There's the felted clogs from the January sock of the month class, men's size socks with one completed and the other ready to pick up stitches at the heel and I think that is about all. I bought buttons today to finish up another small person sweater and should have it completed for photos soon.

I received my Ravelry invite yesterday. That site is sure something to behold. There is way too much to look at and drool over. I could spend all my computer time there, I think.

ES is busy looking for housing for us. He would like to be closer to DC than he is now, but prices just go up and up the closer you get. He found us a two bedroom apartment, with a den, that could work for us for a while. Who knows what will happen, but the uncertainty is starting to get to both of us. Uncertain about who will rent our house here or even if it will be rented. Maybe we should just sell it. I wish I had all the answers now! But I know I don't.

Hard to believe tomorrow is Friday already. The weeks are going faster and faster. There doesn't seem to be enough time and motivation to get everything done that needs to be done. The boys are instructed that tomorrow, while I am at work, they will be pulling the weeds in the front flower beds. Today's chores were done when I got home, but I'm not so sure the weeds will get pulled.

Happy knitting & spinning.

Yes, I've Been Spinning

Saturday and yesterday, I spent some time at the spinning wheel. I have just about four ounces spun. There is one full bobbin and about half another bobbin. I bought this fiber at the Snake River Fiber Fair from Debbie Bass. It doesn't have a color name, but I am loving how it is spinning up. There is a little bit of dye coming off when I spin, but I don't think that is a problem. I am anxious to see what it will look like and feel like when I get it plied. Don't know what to do with it yet, but I'm sure something will come to mind.

Life is down to a dull roar now. Still lots of packing to do and this is my last week of full-time employment. Next week I start part-time and that really is kind of scary for me. It just makes it so I really have to get things on the ball for the move. Still so much to do and sometimes no desire to do it.

Happy knitting & spinning.