Random Thoughts

There has been a lot going on around here during the past two weeks. Not much in the way of knitting or spinning has happened.

There are a lot of random thoughts running around in my mind and so my brain isn't shutting off like it should at night. Let's see if I can name some of them:

• What have I gotten myself into with taking on new responsibilities at work?
• Why haven't I started some Christmas knitting?
• What should I knit for Christmas?
• Will I ever learn this new job?
• Will I ever relax again?
• Only four more shifts at the old job and working two jobs, then down to one job.
  
• What am I doing?
• I know life goes on, but
• When will I be comfortable again?

Maybe now I can sleep for another couple of hours.

Happy knitting and spinning.

AE Goes Home From the Hospital

Thought I would share the picture the kids sent me of AE going home from the hospital. He is using the dishcloth afghan I sent for his baby shower. I am so glad he is getting lots of use from it already.

This has been a busy weekend. ES ran the Baltimore marathon and did really well. I'll post pictures when I get them downloaded. I worked all day yesterday and will again today. I got to spend some time spinning this morning and I have a knitting project almost finished. There should be pictures soon.

Enjoy this day! Happy knitting and spinning.

Montpelier and Family

I thought I would share pictures of some of the fiber I purchased at Montpelier this year. I had a very good time wandering around the fiber fair looking at everything and not having to worry about keeping family members entertained. ES went with me, but spent most of the time watching the sheep/dog trials. I got to spend about three hours just looking, eating, purchasing, and enjoying.

The first and second pictures are showing the fiber I purchased from River's Edge Weaving Studio. I really liked the Fall colors in their booth. The first one is the Maple Leaf color and the second is the Indian Paintbrush color. They are a blend of merino and seacell and they are very soft. They are 4 oz each.

I think she has some really pretty colors in their dying. I realized when I got home that I have purchased fiber from them and spun it. I picked up a couple of ounces of their fiber when Sheryl and I got to go to Stitches East last year. I really liked how it turned out, so I am excited to try these two colors.

The River's Edge booth was about the last one I bought any fiber from, so I am working backwards in purchases for the next couple of posts.

The last photo is some superwash Merino that I got from the Wild Hare fiber studio. It is a 4 oz top in the Grateful Dyed color with two full color repeats in the roving. C saw this and claimed it for himself. He wants me to make him something from it. I told him I already had plans for it and he said, "Well, I get it first. You can use what's left for what you want to make."

In other news, our family has increased by one more. K and J-b had their baby yesterday morning at 2 am. We now have three grandsons. And in other news: Au and E's preemie came home from the hospital on Tuesday. Both babies are doing well and the parents are excited to have them to hold in their arms. I can't wait to see them when we fly home in November. ES says he likes the way they are named. The boys initials are A, B, and C. ES says the rest of the kids will have to name their kids in order on the alphabet so he can keep track of them. Yeah right!!

ES is planning on running a marathon on Saturday. I will have plenty of time to do some knitting while watching for him. I don't know my way around Baltimore, where the race is being run, but am going to try and find a place half-way through to watch for him and cheer him on and then get back to meet him at the finish line. I hope he does well, he woke up yesterday not feeling well and isn't any better this morning.

Happy knitting and spinning.

Dropping in After Way Too Long

This past month has just flown by. There has been knitting, spinning, work, gifts to send, a new baby and one due this week, trips to plan, airplane tickets to buy, a fiber fair to attend, a cooking class and just life. For some reason though it seemed to get away from me. I really didn't mean to not post for a whole month, but that is what has happened.

First let's talk about the gift giving: With two grand babies due in October, one a first child, there was baby knitting to be done. This stack of bibs was sent in time for a baby shower for K & J-b's baby, who is due this week. They were fun to make and I hope will be well used. The cream colored one is one I came up with the pattern for and I really like how it turned out.

I also sent along this dishcloth patterned afghan made with an acrylic/cotton blend. It worked up really quickly with large needles and was a mindless knit on those nights after work when I needed to unwind and let my mind quit racing.

There is other baby knitting, but I will save that for another post.

Our second grandson was born Sept. 20 at five weeks early. He weighed in at 5 lb, 3 oz and is now up to 5 lb, 7 oz. He is still in the hospital, but hopefully just for another week or so. He is eating well and he is breathing on his own and from what his parents say, is quite a little trooper. We are anxious to meet him and his soon to be born cousin, hence the airplane tickets.

I took a cooking, well really a baking, class last week. We learned how to use meringue, besides for lemon meringue pies, which we didn't do. We made these really cute mushrooms!

Don't they look real. Ruth, our hostess for the class, said that she had made these for an open house and put them on the dessert table. No one ate them because they looked so real. I brought home the ones I had made, to share with the guys. They both got quite a kick out of the mushrooms and C said he was going to call R and tell him that "Mom is giving my mushrooms". Besides looking cute, they really are good and sweet. They just seemed to melt in your mouth.

The final two pictures today are of my new drop spindle. It is a Trindle with red granite orbs. It spins really well and is down right fun.
I came home and got out a sample of punta/wenslydale which Vicky was kind enough to send me to sample. It is spinning up very nicely and I am enjoying it.

I have also finished spinning some fiber which was on the Scholar. It is on the niddy noddy now and I will get pictures of it soon. There is a project in mind for it, so I want to get onto it soon. Well, as soon as I finish up a couple of other things first. Too many projects and too many proposed projects, but isn't that the way we all work. What is on your project wish list?

Happy knitting and spinning.