Friday, August 24, 2007

Delays....

I am very sorry that I haven't been posting as often as I should and would like to. I am headed into some crunch time and prep for a trip to Texas for medical reasons. Add to it the upheaval with in the family and things just wind up being way to chaotic for getting much more then the basics done.

In about a week or so I should be back in the running for getting things back to where they should be. We'll see how the post trip stuff goes.

Tuesday, August 7, 2007

Too much!

Algiht, I know I haven't posted in quite a while and I need to get pictures up of finished work. But well sorry to say that it's all been postponed for a bit longer. Long story short there is just to much changing way too fast in my life for me to keep up with everything. Add to it the hot humid weather messing with the cable line and making things run about as fast as molasses in January, and it just adds to the fun. I haven't been keeping up with any of my blogs and it's driving me nuts!

I'm hoping that things will start cooling off and getting back to some form of normality.

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

knitting right along

OK the first shawl thingy is done for Dd1, the second one is done and as soon as I pop on a button for each one I'll get pictures of them up with the little blond devil modelling them. ;) Then I need to work on a couple for my older Dd (she has asked very nicely!) and then it will be time to get some knitting in for momma! LOL!

So that is where that stands. :)

Monday, July 16, 2007

crash and burn

Well I finished my Choella a few days a go and I think it is one of the biggest knitting busts I have had yet. The pattern took a lot of tweaking to fit me right in the first place but the neck opening it still *way* too big. I've given up on that pattern. I'm switching over to magknits patterns for now since I just don't feel like going bust on another knitty pattern. I really like knitty but just haven't had any luck with 90% of the patterns I have tried from there.

I am working on a series of these for my two girls to wear when the weather starts to cool and I'm going to do a couple for them to play in since the littlest has a fascination with superman right now and it would be a heck of a lot safer for her to run around in one of those in a nice red color then it is for her to be running around with a sheet tied to her neck. LOL!

I will be posting the pictures of the first on tomorrow since I'll have it done today, it is *so* cute even though it's on the needles!

I am also tossing this on the needles for me! :D

I'm aiming to get some spinning in this evening too. ;)

Off and running.....

Wednesday, July 4, 2007

taking a break

OK today is the fourth but the fingers are still flying. I feel like crud though. Either I have suddenly been hit with a nasty summer cold, or my body reacted badly to flurry of spinning I did yesterday and the resulting flare of other stuff that went flying too (some dust and second cut stuff went into the air). I am working on my Coachella, as I want to get it done and off the needles. I'm plotting the slight alterations that I will be making to it as there seem to be some serious issues with this pattern. As soon as I have this off the needles I have plans for apron tops for my girls. Then it will be followed by me tracking down my DPN's and getting back to going (read restarting) the tall ass socks/stockings that I want to be wearing when the weather cools off.

Happy Fourth of July everyone!!!

Tuesday, July 3, 2007

Spinning away!

I've tried to work on my Caochella but well after having to frog it it's just kind ofhovering. I've been in a spinning mood today. I'm almost out of brushed Llama wool and will have to brush some more.

My mom is trying to talk me into doing demos with her. She's demo beadmaking and I'd be demoing spinning and fibery stuff. LOL!

It's tempting. Very tempting. I'm going to have to think about it. :)

Monday, July 2, 2007

Ack!

OK I was almost doen with my 'Coachella' from knitty.com and found out that I had flubbed it in an area (I *swear* I had double checked that too!) so I thought that I just needed to take out the work back to that section. No biggie right? Then I thought 'hey I want to see what this is going to look like on me! trying it on will naturally unravel it a little and undo some of the work for me.' to find out that it was *way* too big for me. Eek!
So I'm starting it from scratch after frogging it all, and get sick as I restart it. It should fit this time. LOL!

Need to get a move on with some spinning. Maybe I'll do that tonight while Dh does a little work on his resume.

Thursday, June 28, 2007

Blah!

Well nothing has been done the last few days as our a/c has been out. It's been hot and humid and with three kids (two heat sensitive) nothing was getting done. The kids are going to grandma's to spend the night tomorrow and will be leaving around noon, so I will have seven and a half hours to do with as I please before Dh comes home from work. ;)

What ever in the world am I going to do with that time? LOL!

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Flip it!

Well I dropped my hand spindle yesterday while spinning and the worl popped off. LOL! So on a whim I popped it right back onto the top instead of the bottom where is had been loosely glued. I'm liking it. I *think* I'm getting a better spin.

Still want a spinning wheel though. ;)

Monday, June 18, 2007

Back from a long weekend

Well, I'm sore and worn out so today is looking like a spinning day, maybe some knitting will wend it's way in there too. It all just depends on how well the pain killers work out. ;)

It was a good weekend despite all three of the kids trying to drown themselves, there's action for you when you are moving before the lifeguard can respond! We are all alive and well if not a bit tired and sore, and the trauma of near drowning experiences wore off pretty quickly.

Life is good is it not? :)

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Kitting away!

Alrighty I got the top done for my littlest Dd now to get her to take it off for long enough that I can finish the seaming on the ruffle and weave the ends in. Maybe even wash it. LOL! I'll get pictures of it posted as soon as she'll hold still for pics. It's cuter then all get out though. ;)

I already have coachella OTN, from the newest knitty mag! (for those who don't know about knitty you can find it here) I'm eyeballing the grow with me top for both of my girls. Still pondering that so we'll see what happens. :)

Need to get back on a move on with the alpaca but I'm thinking that that can wait until next week after we are back from our trip.

Friday, June 8, 2007

Mish mash mosh

Well I did some brushing, spinning and knitting today. I have come to the conclusion that the next batch of alpaca I wash I'm not going to us soap on. I just can't seem to get it all rinsed off and it leaves a sticky residue that makes spinning interesting. Coats my fingers as well.

Things are kind of tight for a bit so I'm starting up a second knitting project since the blanket for my Dd1 is going to have to go on a short hibernation until finances straighten out. Plus I have to get rid of some of the current stash before I'm up to my eyeballs in spun alpaca to start playing with. ;)

So I am starting this.

I am doing one for my littlest first with the main color being white and the contrast color being a yarn that is kind of shiny and will look kind of mottled once knitted up with white, light blue and a light green in it. The yarns aren't anything spectacular, just some acrylic I have laying around but I think that it will look cute and if I can get it done before our trip (not holding my breath but a girl can hope right?) it might work for a nice top for Dd2 to wear in the *big* family pictures that will be done on the first evening of the trip with all of the extended step family.

I'll work on getting pictures of the yarns up tomorrow and maybe I will get a picture of how the brown alpaca is spinning up so far. :)

Thursday, June 7, 2007

No freezer drying....

OK half of the first batch of alpaca dried like a charm. I had it hanging on a clothes line in the basement. The second half I couldn't hang up since I figures Dh would get a little peeved if he went to lay down on the futon and plopped into a puddle. ;)
So, I figured if a normal screen is said to be a good drying rack for wool then why wouldn't and old baby gate that is on it's last legs be a good choice for a drying rack. It's not like it has to do anything but sit there. LOL! Well it will make for a good drying rack as soon as I can find a place to put it other then on top of the chest freezer. :o Let's just say the top dried like a charm but the bottom is still wet due to condensation and not enough air flow. Ah, well there's a lesson learned.

I think I have anew place to put it, by a fan even to remedy the whole problem with really wet areas, so I'll get it moved and get it dry and I should be able to add it to the 'needs brushing' stash.

I even started spinning some of the brushed alpaca yesterday to change things up a bit. ;)

I'm seeing felted slippers for the family out of the chocolate brown. It's spinning up a bit fuzzy. It feels *wonderful* despite looking like a rough and scratchy wool. :)

Now to get some cleaning done in prep for some girl time tomorrow and momma's time off this weekend. Yay!!! :D

Wednesday, June 6, 2007

So much fiber!

Ok I have the pictures and here they are.....

This first one is of how big the four bags are. My son Hiro (in the picture) is about 40" at the shoulder for those who might live where these bags aren't sold. I got four of these bag about 2/3 full of fiber sorted by color.

Here is a picture of my Dd1 Brenna, who was cheesed that her brother got to be in a picture and she didn't. LOL! She is feeling the chocolate brown fiber (sorry that the picture is sideways). There is a better picture of the color below. This fiber is washed and ready to be brushed and fluffed for spinning. I have found that the dog brush that we haven't been able to use for the dog since she is deathly afraid of it. Yes, I have a weird dog. :)


Here is the white and black (kind of brown-ish black), it hasn't been washed yet.


Here is the white, again yet to be washed. :)


Here is the salt and peppery black. I can't wait to wash this to see how it looks spun. So far the color of this is my favorite. :)


Last but not least here are pictures of the very pleasant suprise. From the look and feel of these two grocery sized bags I found tucked into two of the other bags I *think* that it is baby alpaca fiber. My jaw still hurts from all the work it took to scrape my poor jaw off the ground after that find. I about had to pick up Dh when he heard about how much baby alpaca can go for and then decided that it was one hell of a deal that I was given all this fiber for free to find a couple of pots of gold in there too. :D

The first picture is of the two colors together, then a close up of each. :)

So, that is where I stand for now. I'm cleaning it all as fast as I can. ;)

First post, yea!

Ok here it goes. Since I am part of the sexy knitters club and I now have alpaca fiber coming out my ears (quite a feat let me tell you! *wink*) I figure it's high time that I start actively documenting some of the stuff that I'm doing and going to be working on in the future. What can I say like the old saying goes "if you've got it flaunt it".

So I'm going to start flaunting. ;) At least as best I can with three kids trying to help. LOL!

So off we go......