tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-226580742024-03-13T16:35:44.903-04:00My Life in KnotsBuggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11215409816589386818noreply@blogger.comBlogger131125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22658074.post-68315415543789674692010-01-31T19:42:00.003-05:002010-01-31T19:57:22.437-05:00Having a day off!The New Years resolutions I am really sticking to, not the only one but one of, is to have a day off on the weekend. I do a load or 2 of laundry a night when I get home from work, hound my husband to pick up during the week and on Friday night or Saturday morning we have been cleaning top to bottom to have Sundays off.<br /><br />So with my new time off I have had time and energy to do a few things I want to.<br /><br />One bone of contention around here is dressing up the min pin Edie. We have 4 dogs but only Edie would be a dog you would dress up. She weights a whopping 5 lbs, has no body fat and very short hair. The poor thing gets cold in the winter!<br /><br />However, my husband and sons HATE the fact I put a sweater on the dog. She owned three items, a sherpa style coat Lauren bought her when she got her and then gave to me when she gave me the dog, a small pink sweater again from Lauren and a hot pink handspun sweater I made her, her first winter with us. All are size x-small. They are now too small for her. She wears an X-small around but she is now too tall so they pull but items from the store in size small tend to be too big.<br /><br />So I set out to make her a coat to keep her warm, to keep her from digging at my blankets all the time dragging them across the floors to find warmth, and something the boys would possibly not detest.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglKP8gZQJEaEMO1UfHwutROP4ebxvZhjrwn5AIcgBM5Ssp_Rdx4schSxXocqOOGUQ_ggA7SLjhW23jefxvV9YFID-bNt_oWGs7eNTH7VoB8ktyMo6zlPOgbm_8l_ukNm0PPXzFVA/s1600-h/IMG_7510.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglKP8gZQJEaEMO1UfHwutROP4ebxvZhjrwn5AIcgBM5Ssp_Rdx4schSxXocqOOGUQ_ggA7SLjhW23jefxvV9YFID-bNt_oWGs7eNTH7VoB8ktyMo6zlPOgbm_8l_ukNm0PPXzFVA/s200/IMG_7510.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433069694994978642" border="0" /></a>The solution! Camo fleece coat for Edie! It's not quite a snuggly because it lacks arms and actually stays on, and it's keeping her warm. She hasn't been shivering all day and is running around completly content in her camo coat.<br /><br />The husband and the boys still think it's stupid to dress up the dog and not pretend they can't find her to let her out....oh well at least I'm not making her dresses and such!<br /><br /><br />I was still in the simple sewing mode, things I could make fast, with what I have, without making or using a pattern because I HATE using patterns. Well my one son needed new pajama pants, he's tall, skinny and lanky and no matter what fits his waist is about 4 inches to short.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUc8Vbal2nsPmu3pkwXtW0IqtoQ7kgUk1PzaY65MSCXlPyyaXmlnMPmIa6VAYIiLa5Pb6zSYE1_L-Hv84I8Hn4pKjH7cv85C9-tMl-qpC-kGqjJlHPsagi7IVN2fEaTtVAcfOjRw/s1600-h/IMG_7512.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUc8Vbal2nsPmu3pkwXtW0IqtoQ7kgUk1PzaY65MSCXlPyyaXmlnMPmIa6VAYIiLa5Pb6zSYE1_L-Hv84I8Hn4pKjH7cv85C9-tMl-qpC-kGqjJlHPsagi7IVN2fEaTtVAcfOjRw/s200/IMG_7512.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433069702271574226" border="0" /></a><br />With less than 2 yards of walmart $1 table flannel and about 30 min I created him some new pajama pants. He was given no choice in color, it was what ever mom had on hand. But they now fit perfect with a little room to grow and no more high waters.<br /><br />So this is how I get to spend my day off without chores. 1 well dressed dog and 1 well dressed child. Now it's time to go knit on my wandering vines sock as I am still working on finishing off all WIP's before begining any new projects.Buggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11215409816589386818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22658074.post-47851164023532232712010-01-09T17:24:00.002-05:002010-01-09T17:45:16.001-05:00Laundry Detergent and Fabric SoftnerI was looking for laundry detergent and fabric softner a while back that was pretty much allergen free. There is absolutely nothing you can make that you can say NO one will have a reaction to, but, I did foster care and had kids coming in allergic to fragrances, allergic to certain soaps or with various skin conditions like eczema set off by many detergents.<br /><br />I also have senstaive skin myself and a son with a skin condition plus it's much more economical to make my own. It now costs me roughly $2.00 to make enough detergent for 80 or more loads of laundry.<br /><br />Here's what you need:<br />1 bar fels naptha soap (its in the cleaning products isle not the bath soap isle: if you can't find this you need 1 bar of hard laundry soap or 3 bars of soap of your choice from the bath isle)<br />1 1/2 cup Borax<br />1 1/2 cup Washing soda (not baking soda and you can substitue soda ash from a pool store if for some reason you can't find washing soda)<br />1/2 cup of biz or powdered detergent booster of your choice<br />32 qt stock pot you will never use for anything but making this again<br />Water<br /><br />Step 1:<br />Grate your soap and add to stock pot (I have a kitchen aid mixer with the grater attachment I use but you can do this by hand with a cheese grater and the item can be washed and reused for food as this is just soap)<br /><br />Add 12 cups of water and set heat to med Let cook until soap has melted<br /><br />Once soap has melted turn off heat. I do not remove this from the heat as i let it sit on my stove overnight to cool so it doesn't matter.<br /><br />Add 8 cups of hot water from the tap and then stir in the washing soda, borax and Biz. You will see foam don't stir to create more foam just enough to disolve the powders.<br /><br />Now I fill the stock pot with water about 1inch from the top...this will be about 40 cups of water.<br /><br />place lid on pot and let cool/set over night. It takes about 8-12 hrs for this to set up into a thick gel liquid.<br /><br />You can pour this into a 5 gallon bucket with a lid or I persoanlly just place the pot on the floor next to my washer once it'scooled. I then use an old measuring cup and scoop 1/2 cup out per load.<br /><br />Fabric softner:<br /><br />Theres 2 I use<br /><br />Softner 1: The easy breezy<br />Need distilled white vinegar<br />2 Downey balls<br /><br />to use: Fill both balls up to the line and drop in washer (2 per load)<br />If you have a dsipenser addd 1/4 cup of vinegar to it for fabric softner.<br /><br />This will make items made from cotton (except jeans) get back that feeling like when you purchase them. If you hang clothes outside it aids in helping boost brightness in clothes as well, also it won't set stains as much as a commecial fabric softner will.<br /><br />Softner 2: I am still perfecting this<br /><br />you will need:<br />10-12 cup container for storage and mixing<br />1 cup baking soda (not soda ash this time we want real baking soda)<br />6 cups white vinegar<br />essential oil of your choice (optional)<br /><br />Place baking soda in container then slowly pour in vinegar. This creates a chemical reaction so will fizz and foam up thus why you need a larger container then needed. Just keep pouring then let this mixture sit about 15 min until the reaction is over.<br /><br />Stir the mix to ensure all the baking soda has reacted with the vinegar then add about 10 drops of essential oil for fragrance.<br /><br />Use about 1/4 cup per load. This adds some softnes like a commerical softner but not as much. However, it still doesn't set stains like a commercial softner.<br /><br />On an added note since we're here<br />1/2 cup baking soda<br />1/2 cup salt<br />1 cup vinegar<br />4 cups boiling water<br /><br />Put soda down drain, then salt and then pour in vinegar<br />let sit 10 min<br />Add 4 cups boiling water and let sit for 30 min<br /><br />Helps clean basic clogs and sanitizes disposals and traps so no more drain smells.Buggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11215409816589386818noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22658074.post-76520187170543875762010-01-09T14:10:00.006-05:002010-01-09T15:02:06.057-05:00Designing SocksMy friend Sandi is a wonderful independent dyer and we collaborated to create a summer sock club in 2009. Most knitting clubs come about because a designer has a vision and then has yarn dyed to match that vision. Ours was backwards: Sandi designed the yarn and handed it over to me to become inspired to create a design based on her color choices.Month one I was handed a lush blue yarn. It wasn't a cold blue but a serene color with flecks of lighter and darker blues within. Before a design thought came to mind the yarn itself reminded me of running water in a warm stream during the dead of summer. As I started playing with the yarn I know it had to be made up into something with waves...cables? no we wanted to keep the club set no higher then the intermediate level and even though I love cables and think they're easy, not everyone shares my love.<br /><br />I finally created a simple design with easy repeats that I felt any advanced beginner or intermediate knitter could accomplish easily.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: right;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3-cXb_qcIBZBzBcJFqcUuuN8WG0bvYa2uaIpWgxTqPzFlz8AJtxmrQV0vhIrtA-xDRW11ZoSGkpwkBvhS5t4Zcvty45HIbQNdkUaXNbK9njNSaC0iLrsxhXmD6nhCnpa0XNVGVQ/s1600-h/DSC07412.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 196px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3-cXb_qcIBZBzBcJFqcUuuN8WG0bvYa2uaIpWgxTqPzFlz8AJtxmrQV0vhIrtA-xDRW11ZoSGkpwkBvhS5t4Zcvty45HIbQNdkUaXNbK9njNSaC0iLrsxhXmD6nhCnpa0XNVGVQ/s320/DSC07412.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424822975300746674" border="0" /></a></div>Any Which Wave<br /></div>Now to dish the dirt on these socks because i always see these fabulous designs by designers and wonder about things...well here's my dirt. In this beautiful picture above you see 2 socks artfully displayed on display feet. my husband is a wonderful photographer and has been charged with taking all our pictures for these projects. What you don't see is that the sock in the background was lacking a toe! I needed pictures and was a day away from finishing these off so we posed them in a way it appeared 2 socks were complete. they are now finished but they weren't then! But, they did only take a few days to complete from inception to finishing off. I personally write my patterns out as I create the first item and then i read it over to check the spelling and grammar, and then i use it to knit the second item as a way of checking the pattern.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG7B58k5qWWQ82lGcVBiLZ8GIMYc_I0UFC8h7awErQbMzduY433zyDYQIy9_Io3J3qpF-Ar9BWkA6VW3xeICR9qOlgLU6_dhSh0sP8pyKF83RxvSo4iImHcrZiCG5Pb1UV73MgmA/s1600-h/DSC06899.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 102px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG7B58k5qWWQ82lGcVBiLZ8GIMYc_I0UFC8h7awErQbMzduY433zyDYQIy9_Io3J3qpF-Ar9BWkA6VW3xeICR9qOlgLU6_dhSh0sP8pyKF83RxvSo4iImHcrZiCG5Pb1UV73MgmA/s200/DSC06899.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424829698032597634" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We didn't have a theme established at the time of this socks creation but due to us both feeling the color and then the pattern appeared as water we created a theme for the sock club based around the elements. So what needed to come next?<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGW2qYmYuld-FnwR4O4WHgo6Un5nXBTV3xfa_JUt305PZ3ZRWz7MRhqeSiIOLHULMsfuK9pWBhotf9lUsp7bqYtm5fbw26ztfsoLHLhNJ11LkLVJyvpGn6w2jEmnKaeNRk3Ed9xQ/s1600-h/DSC08591.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 255px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGW2qYmYuld-FnwR4O4WHgo6Un5nXBTV3xfa_JUt305PZ3ZRWz7MRhqeSiIOLHULMsfuK9pWBhotf9lUsp7bqYtm5fbw26ztfsoLHLhNJ11LkLVJyvpGn6w2jEmnKaeNRk3Ed9xQ/s320/DSC08591.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424824549769932130" border="0" /></a><br />Controlled burn<br /><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;">Fire was the next logical colorway Sandi chose to go with. i was presented with what looked like 2 odd sushi rolls of yarn. The yarn was dyed in sections so it went from yellow to orange to red instead of striped or variegated. This sock was designed to be worked top down or toe up and the pattern will match either way you chose to knit this. i created the picture above as a top down starting with the red. I had tested the pattern repeat and measured out how long my finished sock would be so I knew how many pattern repeats to do per color. I started on the red and worked until that color was the length needed and then I unwound the rest of the red from the ball and picked back up knitting with the orange for the next set of pattern repeats. Once i hit the heel area I simply picked up the yellow from the outside of the ball to create the heel. This way if you were wearing clogs you would see all 3 colors on the back. i then finished the orange section, again cut off the left over orange and finished up with the yellow. However, it was designed so someone could chose their own color lay out and people in the club have.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNNqQ_Ec87UDUOM1tu8Ra7e_M-OjW1bIcEkXQxxVtmOm8FeridQ8qD50LJaau0QD_uw40JOIaI-HDOpZQ8-Tww49NB7jKVUejF3henSb7qdkdTWsqqG4aBkq_gXpejol913EY69g/s1600-h/DSC08603.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 160px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNNqQ_Ec87UDUOM1tu8Ra7e_M-OjW1bIcEkXQxxVtmOm8FeridQ8qD50LJaau0QD_uw40JOIaI-HDOpZQ8-Tww49NB7jKVUejF3henSb7qdkdTWsqqG4aBkq_gXpejol913EY69g/s200/DSC08603.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424829703379946882" border="0" /></a></div><br />Now for the dirt! Originally Sandi dyed up a skein of yarn I actually love but it wasn't translating the way she had intended. She looked into flames themselves and saw the colors how they traveled from an orange into a white/yellow with the blue flame we all see. you will eventually see the originally "Fire" yarn she created as I have used it in a new design, but, for the sock it wasn't working. We discussed this and she came up with the colors you see above and then I was able to come up with Controlled burn based off the newest idea.</div></div><br />We had one last direction to travel in because Air well we'll say Air means you went barefoot...so earth was next.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUvvIwdIY-VGTubKdsl2_HLOKedaFhjTKUPw2AhJP7t4ypFqYTqsYRnByNnYOc7xAe1op00j3CUZ_TMw5kPAnBGDElT3-8-CKP5rR9buMdPXG0GS1SGFu2VypVg8JD9NBgaM3zFg/s1600-h/AutumnVineFront.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 256px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUvvIwdIY-VGTubKdsl2_HLOKedaFhjTKUPw2AhJP7t4ypFqYTqsYRnByNnYOc7xAe1op00j3CUZ_TMw5kPAnBGDElT3-8-CKP5rR9buMdPXG0GS1SGFu2VypVg8JD9NBgaM3zFg/s320/AutumnVineFront.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424826959162028130" border="0" /></a><br />Wandering Vines<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Sandi's base yarn is a very nice wool nylon blend that holds the colors well and is great for sock making as well as any other item where you want soft wool yet the added nylon for durability and some spring! But, for her creation of earth she went to an equally beautiful yarn but something more specialty for socks an Alpaca silk blend. It's lush let me tell you!<br /><br />The colors are beautiful in purples and greens and the yarn is a dream to work with, but, don't you know this was the hardest design I had faced yet! I wanted to show off the colors while designing something based around earth but anything resembling rocks or tree roots was just not working for me. Then I became inspired by my back yard.<br /><br />We have a length of sidewalk running down the back yard hill that has many annuals planted along it; hostas, ferns, morning glories, sweet peas and the like. Towards late summer early fall the intruding vines that look like the leaves of a morning glory over take this area strangling the other plants unless you are diligent about weeding....we'll we all know my joy of gardening so yeah I'm not really dilligent, but, I find it just as beautiful to see these leafy vines over take the back yard before winter hits. the leaves go everywhere, up lilac trees, over the fencing and cover the pathway. our club was for socks one could create knitting top down or bottom up and i did manage to create a pattern that would look the same in Controlled burn no matter which direction you started in, but, for this sock I wanted there to be a marked difference because the wines in my back yard don't grow in one direction so when you knit one top down and then one toe up your vines look like what i see every fall. Theres a faux cable running up each side with some stitching done to mimic a rocky pathway between the fron and back of the leg. And, the leaves run back onto the heel instead of having a traditional patterned heel.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxnOEaH03Wvgl_riekXaVy8avXCflurE3mEjouo8bYwfb2ajxw5q76bWWmkzlNP1lqPrWBVrhhF9WBnTTu9DZ3im_t5MHI9BDIicTm31gzDQJHEDvpE0HPSwRbdNVkt6hOlmTxXQ/s1600-h/AutumnVineHeel.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 160px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxnOEaH03Wvgl_riekXaVy8avXCflurE3mEjouo8bYwfb2ajxw5q76bWWmkzlNP1lqPrWBVrhhF9WBnTTu9DZ3im_t5MHI9BDIicTm31gzDQJHEDvpE0HPSwRbdNVkt6hOlmTxXQ/s200/AutumnVineHeel.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424829696316045314" border="0" /></a></div></div>The dirt on these would only be that I have yet to finish sock 2. the club had ended and i moved on so this is part of my WIP's I have to complete before starting any new projects.<br /><br />These are patterns listed for sale through myself for the pattern or through sandi for the yarn or a kit of yarn and pattern. You can find her on etsy at<a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/twiggi34"> Twiggi knits</a>Buggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11215409816589386818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22658074.post-18744466824260763102010-01-09T13:56:00.002-05:002010-01-09T14:10:00.298-05:00Catching upI have a lot of blog catching up to do least of which is cleaning up my side bar since most of the jobs listed have long since been completed.<br /><br />In the past year so much has changed. We had done foster care for a few years and were in the process of trying to adopt a 5 year old in our care that ended badly and we are now taking an extended break from offering care. <br /><br />My oldest daughter had moved out to live with her boyfriend, against our desires for her to do so but you have to let them go and believe you raised them right.<br /><br />we finished off a lot of home improvement projects refinishing the floors on the second floor as well as resurfacing all the walls and ceilings up there, except for that hallway....it's still not done as far as walls go.<br /><br />My husband and i both started new jobs and now find our lives changing with just two children left home, both inmiddle school, and we've entered that time in life where we are much more free to come and go with no small children at home waiting to be picked up from school and no babysitters needed for a quick run out of the house.<br /><br />so things have changed a lot in life in the past year! my last blog i listed a long list of resolutions and so far so good. I am planning on taking this Sunday as a me day as it's been a long 65 hr week at work. I wasn't able to clean all week as i had hoped because last Monday my washing machine broke. We purchased a referbed washer a few months ago and it's already died so the appliance place is coming to look at it Monday. I wasn't able to cook at all this week as food is low in the house and i haven't been home before 8pm any night. this is because Monday after I discovered the washer was broken, i went to go to work to find my car broke down. It's only 5 yrs old but now i need a new engine! the bills seem to be piling up so i don't think the resolution to not purchase any craft supplies will be a hard one to keep...i'm broke!<br /><br />So the car is still dead with no cash to repair it at the moment, the washer is dead so can't do laundry, then some small appliances went as well...food processor and popcorn machine. And, as many know, we have been fighting with the cable company for 3 years about our service which caused me not to have internet at home for over a year. Well it's still not fixed, they have given up on trying but have also given up giving us credits for lack of service so I have given up paying for service that doesn't work. so we once again face it all being turned off but it doesn't work reliably so it's not a huge loss. so my weekly blogging may have to be from work, which is fine i can do so and can bring in photos to post as needed.<br /><br />But, the kids and husband and I have been doing more together, some games and movie watching. 2010 sucks as far as finances, relying on vehicals and my job just not being what i would like, but, at least my children are happy and healthy, my animals are happy and healthy and we aren't homeless....always have to look on the bright side!Buggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11215409816589386818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22658074.post-24278487115333182452010-01-03T00:51:00.003-05:002010-01-03T01:29:29.735-05:00A New Year to commit myself.....Ummmm????New Years resolutions seem to be those things you make then break. Some of us try harder than others to stick with it for a month or so but soon most of us fall off the wagon back to old habits.<br /><br />If you are one of those that has been able to keep to these resolutions then Good For You! But, I think it's because some of us make more realistic goals, and that is what I have been trying to do every year.<br /><br />One year my goal was to try out a new yarn a month to expand on my fiber knowledge. I came close to fulfilling this resolution, funds ran short so it was hard to keep to but not for want. I think one of the most important things is to make any resolution, any life changing decision, known to your family and friends so you can have a support system as well as someone to answer to.<br /><br />I also wanted a large list of resolutions. I generally make 1 or 2 and they are usually things like exercise daily and try a lot of yarn....I can do one but not the other, lets set reasonable goals and enough to make us feel like effort is required.<br /><br />So without further ado here are my resolutions for 2010<br /><br />1. Finish all knitting, crocheting and sewing WIPs prior to starting any new projects. I haven't even counted how many I have but off the top of my head I can think of 16 so I know there's probably twice that eeepp!<br /><br />2. To have no more than 4 WIPs at a time after finishing off what I have started in the past few years, and to finish off at least 1 prior to starting a new one.<br /><br />3. To publish one design a month, these could be knitting crocheting or sewing and could be free or for sale but at least one a month! I do actually design a lot because I have that perpetual issue of not being able to focus on actually following a pattern, but, I never write this stuff down so I'll have to get better at that.<br /><br />4. This is a hard one, to lessen the bitching about work and just suck it up and go to work and come home and put it all away. For those who know me or follow me on plurk they know I am there a good 10-15 hrs a day so it is my life right now, but I do need to stop letting it get to me and the fact I feel it's just a job and not a career I crave<br /><br />5. Figure out what career I actually want. I can do whatever I set my mind to and I'm not trying to sound pompous. I am a great employee pouring myself into what ever is needed and always trying to accommodate. I'm not an "assistant to" anyone but the common joke is that I am my bosses personal secretary because I just try to make his life easier by doing what I can so he doesn't have to see it, deal with it or stress about it. I educate myself on what ever the topic at hand is so I can be perfect at my job. I am a perfectionist or strive to be one, I know an issue for those that have to live with me, but, thats how I am. I am also steadfastly loyal! So for all that I can say I am the perfect employee never sick, never late, always there, always on, always willing to do more and more and educating myself as I go. I just don't know what career there is for me in this region of the world as it's been economically depressed for as long as I have known and I'm not the cute or hot girl with a ton of connections that has career opportunities just presented to her. So I really need to figure out what I want to do here, moving isn't an option sadly, and then figure out how to achieve that. College, even though I loved it, only produced $65,000 worth of debt and absolutly no jobs....ok enough bitching about that!<br /><br />6. To blog at least once a week! I will have to figure out which day of the week will work best but at leats once a week is, I think, an achievable goal. I've actually been quite busy but looking at my neglected blog one woul never know.<br /><br />7. To not purchase anymore craft supplies unless needed for the current job at hand. I really have enough of a stash of yarn, material and notions to make a ton of stuff I just always buy whats on sale or when I have a coupon and just can't anymore (see #5 which infered student loans UGH)<br /><br />8. Creative cooking. I once had to create recipes and try new things out. I fell out of loving to cook and taking pride in it but would like to get back into cooking on the creative level of producing usable, functioning, reproducable recipes. I will go for once a month though, I do work 60hr weeks and then clean all weekend a girl can't commit to too much here.<br /><br />9. To spend more quality family time with my husband and sons even if that means I have to play xbox, wii and playstation to do so. We usually watch TV or movies together, sometimes play aboard game, but the boys are just getting busier as highschool creeps up on us and my husband and my job don't always mesh to do a lot.<br /><br />10. To take 1 day a week to have to do nothing. Nothing planned, no work, so a saturday or sunday, no expectations, no laundry, no cleaning etc. This will mean that after a 15 hr day I'll have to come home and instead of sitting down to relax go do laundry instead but I need one day to just loaf and be a blob...probably the opposite of most resolutions where people are trying to figure out how and where to fit in more exercise and self help classes, no offese if those are your resolutions, but, the most self help I can have and the best thing for my health at this time will be to have 1 day a week where I can just destress!<br /><br />OK 10 is enough and please feel free to share your delight and disgust of my choices, I am sure someone will critique the order of the list or the length of certain statements vs others. But, share with someone your resolutions because when you think about it any resolution is because you accept you have a flaw and wish to better yourself, which is never a bad thing, but, share that desire with people who can help you obtain that goal because you can't be a better person if you isolate yourself from humainty.<br /><br />It's now 1:30am here...perhaps one of my resolutions should have been to go to bed at a decent hour? naaahhh we said achievable goals<br /><br />Happy New year and may 2010 be even better for us all<br /><br />Happy hooking, pleasent purling, spin your hearts out and sew a bunch. I will be here for 2010 and hope you all help hold me to resolution 6.Buggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11215409816589386818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22658074.post-49516378586203899632008-09-30T02:29:00.002-04:002008-09-30T02:57:15.732-04:00When I was almost finished<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span>Ok so the story on my living room furniture<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I had a vintage 6ft long yellow, down filled, sofa that I loved and came home to one day out on the curb with all the down filled cushions taken already. My mother lived with me at the time and bought a nasty, dog smell infested, sante fe covered, small sofa from a friend of hers so wanted mine out to put hers in. So one day I come home to find she had someone help her heft my sofa to the curb to bring hers in and by the time I discovered this the cushions were all gone, thanks to garbage pickers, and the deed was done.<br /><br />A few months later she needed to leave my home, never to move in again, but, I was left with no furniture as she was taking her sofa but had thrown mine out.<br /><br />About that time my friend Lauren was moving to Florida and had a sofa, chair and a half and ottoman in her family room she wasn't taking with her. I took these off her hand years ago as she's now been back from Florida for two years...so this was all maybe 3 years ago or a little more.<br /><br />You've probably seen this chair and sofa set in many images on my blog, white background with large blue stripes on the sofa and a denim blue chair and ottoman. Well it matched nothing in my house, had a few issues and i decided to recover them, 3 years ago.<br /><br /></div></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_7263.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_7263.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Here's the chair, missing it's back cushion after a fight between some new pets in the house. The bottom cushion was worn and needed to be replaced.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_7264.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_7264.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>The ottoman had a few holes and ware spots in the material that just got worse in my house with kids and pets.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_7265.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_7265.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />So left uncovered this is how bad this chair would now look. I think even the cheapest of the cheap would pass this up on a curb!<br /><br />Now I purchased a fabulous ultra suede in my favorite color to recover this chair. I started the cover when the back cushion was still attached and got to the point where I only had to add the skirt when that back cushion was destroyed. I was upset and didn't want to deal with it so it sat for 2 years with no back cushion, no skirt, and an over sized slip cover that now was too large for the chair. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_7267.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_7267.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Well now it's all fixed. I had to repin the whole thing and took off 2-20x8inch sections on each side of the back. I added the skirt and closures and washed the whole set. The only issue left to tackle was the back cushion as you can't sit comfortably on the chair without something behind your back or you're hitting the bar in the structure tright on your lower back.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_7266.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_7266.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>So I made a back cushion I thought would be large enough but by the time I stuffed it enough to fill it out to where it was comfortable to lean back on it was now to small width wise. I'll have to work on this portion again sometime and then make a matching cover for it as I still have plenty of fabric left even with the ottoman covered.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_7268.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_7268.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />So for now I am still using the pillow I covered the other night, but, theres now a skirt to the floor, the blue is all cover and it looks finished. This pillow could pass for the back cushion and only I, and anyone reading my blog, would know it's suppose to be other wise.<br /><br />Now I only have the sofa left to slip cover in the living room and I will once again have a matching set.Buggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11215409816589386818noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22658074.post-39718344984053586592008-09-28T17:08:00.002-04:002008-09-28T17:16:39.694-04:00Spinning to KnitI have been learning to spin, as many people know, and am finally getting better at it! This is a Cascade spindle given to me in a swap last year if you see my 12 days of Christmas postings from December of 2007. Well I finally started using this spindle in September of '08 lol yeah I was scared I was going to screw things up.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_7211.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_7211.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />This is a wonderful roving given to me by Mardi in exchange for a bag I am making her. It's 50% cormo wool, 30% finn wool, 15% angora and 5% mohair.<br />I was able to spin the singles to about a lace weight and then do a 2-ply yarn that came out to be 16-17 WPI or fingering weight, baby yarn etc.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_7243.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_7243.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_7246.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_7246.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Here's everything together, starting on the top left the roving, next the skeined 2-ply yarn, then top right is the balled up working yarn and bottom right is the 1st project I have made really from my own hand spun yarn, a fingerless mitten.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_7253.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_7253.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Here is one completed mitten so far and the 2nd is in progress. Its a simple 1 day item on the weekend you could make called <a href="http://javajem.blogspot.com/2008/04/free-pattern-merletto-mitts.html">Merletto Mitts </a>by Jody at<a href="http://javajem.blogspot.com/"> Javajem.</a><br /><br />They are so soft, warm and the colors came out wonderfully. I'm seriously impressing myself knitting these because the yarn is knitting up so much nicer then I could have ever imagined. I think this means I'm officially a spinner.Buggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11215409816589386818noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22658074.post-81161958248023122652008-09-28T17:01:00.003-04:002008-09-28T17:07:50.931-04:00How to Pay your Lawyer<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_7255.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_7255.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Ok kidding! It's a joke between my friend Lauren and I as she does represent me in court when needed but is also one of my best friends. She dragged me to the fabric store one day, a foreign land to her, so she could have some help picking out fabric I could use to make her a bag but that she liked as we have very different tastes.<br /><br />Well I finally finished her purse for her last night. It came out really cute!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_7260.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_7260.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_7258.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_7258.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Buggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11215409816589386818noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22658074.post-34145898283490122252008-09-28T16:44:00.002-04:002008-09-28T17:01:31.532-04:00UpholsteringI have several projects around the house that have needed to be completed for quite some time. One of which is finishing slip covering my living room furniture that I have had the material for for almost 3 years now. So I finally got sick of looking at this green chair that was getting worse and worse as the weeks rolled on and one night, at about 3am, decided to start recovering it. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOZiC_XVAJ7I-jICuBwSgwrA1dzURffc43i0gKXd1TECQIeyUd1Rduj2LWJnsdxGwLxcyA3tNufP9Yf-rw_NfkJ1tbxWKwyzMvgp9mSc5qikQAMIm-O9NVzJ8gv5y-3Jm6_nYGZg/s1600-h/IMG_7236.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOZiC_XVAJ7I-jICuBwSgwrA1dzURffc43i0gKXd1TECQIeyUd1Rduj2LWJnsdxGwLxcyA3tNufP9Yf-rw_NfkJ1tbxWKwyzMvgp9mSc5qikQAMIm-O9NVzJ8gv5y-3Jm6_nYGZg/s320/IMG_7236.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251178815555758594" border="0" /></a><br />Here is an in progress. You can see the dark olive green of the original chair here.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjGIR8Hiu_85CubCWoh2ygR-IRzxn2VXnRVRHLXx3tmPswNfOlI8jInnGsABztG2eBr53Mx0pfk0UaaXIJY_54Hr03OcMdmPQrns9syeSF5vTSxJCvR57DILHBDwGYFqU_aLL5ug/s1600-h/IMG_7262.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjGIR8Hiu_85CubCWoh2ygR-IRzxn2VXnRVRHLXx3tmPswNfOlI8jInnGsABztG2eBr53Mx0pfk0UaaXIJY_54Hr03OcMdmPQrns9syeSF5vTSxJCvR57DILHBDwGYFqU_aLL5ug/s320/IMG_7262.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251178814423194290" border="0" /></a><br />And, to even my own family's astonishment, later that day I finished the whole slip cover and the chair was finally rejuvenated! I decided not to go with a full skirt to the floor on this piece because I liked the look of the wood legs showing. I do plan on eventually sanding and staining the legs though.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYJLDFLqS-pTbIkBDmJRjqrQjieQvEkyiZwUNR62u8COmIEBbcrCusEIydwQy8G5huClezPPtd35BnmPfiJwLkrC-NfhR-0lW_HT7bDTErnZPgwNybjAb5MGBy3fH8Cz-U_IOQfQ/s1600-h/IMG_7261.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYJLDFLqS-pTbIkBDmJRjqrQjieQvEkyiZwUNR62u8COmIEBbcrCusEIydwQy8G5huClezPPtd35BnmPfiJwLkrC-NfhR-0lW_HT7bDTErnZPgwNybjAb5MGBy3fH8Cz-U_IOQfQ/s320/IMG_7261.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251178825299496290" border="0" /></a><br />Then a quicky last night. I had a 26x26in throw pillow form I will admit I threw on the chair in its white splendor and have been using it uncovered...I know ghetto!<br /><br />This material I have only had a few months and amazingly was upholstery material I found on the Walmart $1 table. I made the piping to give it a more finished look and inserted a zipper so the cover can be cleaned without destroying the form.<br /><br />The living room is finally coming together now to just finish a skirt on another chair and slip cover the sofa...and not take 4 more years to do so.Buggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11215409816589386818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22658074.post-51448349182651910802008-08-25T23:41:00.003-04:002008-08-26T00:07:37.460-04:00Another Bag, More Socks and Mittens for the hubbySo as one can see from my sidebar I have a waiting list for bags. I wish I could make them faster and as I do each bag I do get a wee bit faster with them and then listen to feedback on what could or should be changed/added/deleted etc.<br /><br />So here was the latest bag delivered this morning and the recipient was so happy she bought yarn to match her bag...which we all noticed also matched her current project bag, and yarn and her car!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Heathers Bag<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_7177.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_7177.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_7178.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_7178.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_7179.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_7179.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I also realized about 30 min before my Monday Morning knitting group I really had nothing portable on needles so I had to remedy that! I have some beautiful Araucania hand painted sock yarn and no idea what it wanted to be. So I brought my cake along, in one of my sock bags of course, and cast on a toe while I was there. I am using size 1 (2.25mm) needles and generally like 64 stitches around on these needles, so figured I'd cast on and increase to 64 stitches before I came home to decide what the socks would be.<br /><br />I decided on Express Lane socks (linked in the side bar) as it would give me a slight pattern to hold my interest while knitting, but, would be enough straight knitting to really showcase the beautiful yarn.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Express Lane Socks<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_7182.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_7182.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_7183.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_7183.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: left;">I also had some Alpaca left over from the <a href="http://mylifeinknots.blogspot.com/search/label/hemlock%20ring%20afghan">Hemlock Ring Afghan</a> I made for the Olympics. I had to open a new hank of yarn to bind off the last 2inches of the afghan leaving me with about 108 yards of yarn to use on something.<br /><br />My husband liked the feel and warmth of the yarn so I made him some fingerless/convertible mittens. I started with the <a href="http://www.berroco.com/exclusives/pele/pele.html">Pele</a> pattern but soon discovered that pattern just didn't work for my husbands hands (I'm not sure whose hands it would work for as they were about 4inches to short and 10inches too wide) So I used that pattern as inspiration but did a lot of modifications I noted on my <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/Bugaboo1/pele">Pele Project Page</a> on ravelry.<br /><br />Now they well fit like a glove and will keep his hands toasty warm and he has no excuse not to shovel this winter!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Hubby's Convertible Mittens<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_7169.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_7169.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_7166.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_7166.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: left;">I also had started 3 times a pair of socks out of a beautiful Brooklyn Handspun yarn that Mardi gave me in exchange for her bag. I ended up settling on the <a href="http://pixiesparaphernalia.net/pixie-patterns/sock-patterns/">Pablo Blue</a> socks which I loved to knit, they were fun and interesting, however, a bit small for my foot using the pattern directions. This is alright though because they are a Christmas gift for my mother in law whose foot is about 1/2 a size smaller then mine so will fit her beautifully!<br /></div></div></div></div></div><br />Pablo Blue Socks<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_7152.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_7152.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;">So thats whats been getting done, craft wise, around here the last week. I have more bags cut out and more projects in mind. I do start my college semester oh in about 8hrs and expect with school, kids, homework and such things will slow down a bit on the craft front but not all that much! I find it very therapeutic to craft during school and such because it's kind of time for me away from a computer, kids, text books, TV's etc.<br /></div></div>Buggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11215409816589386818noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22658074.post-57770402807141676232008-08-11T00:33:00.003-04:002008-08-11T00:49:23.629-04:00Ravelympics 2008<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdwWHUM11vpzYpEYShqGouglXqbKzztlMeH6_j7v_5TwyFdhuGqwa13BuP0wlHkDYoJ81OhWzI684lrAlLeJko0Vy50BbDiQn4gP0dxOHKaT3Vw-U_Qk35GvxpV8KmXbQahyp-iw/s1600-h/teamsplurkav3.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdwWHUM11vpzYpEYShqGouglXqbKzztlMeH6_j7v_5TwyFdhuGqwa13BuP0wlHkDYoJ81OhWzI684lrAlLeJko0Vy50BbDiQn4gP0dxOHKaT3Vw-U_Qk35GvxpV8KmXbQahyp-iw/s320/teamsplurkav3.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233115011552044130" border="0" /></a><br />I participated in the Ravelympics for Team Splurk and decided my event would be the Afghan Marathon....for non rav/plurking people: This means I decided to cast on a knitted afghan at 8am on 8-8-08 and to cast off by the closing ceremonies, Beijing Time.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Day 1</span><br />08/08/08 8:08am<br />Cast on: <a href="http://brooklyntweed.blogspot.com/2007/08/hemlock-ring-blanket.html">Hemlock Ring Afghan </a><br />Yarn: <a href="http://www.berroco.com/shade_cards/cuzco_sh.html">Berroco Cuzco</a> in Oliva 682.5 yards used<br />Needles: US Size 10 double points, 29" circ and 40" circ<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi96nKioz3D4vMsPSPpQ0U6ofzXx2TPkP29H3c_eJxBAhJHIo6VzOY5VEHoSjGmdzr6VCHzg8V12tJRSLExgjdyvdYPskuMiqQy5JzaJcIsVpQE7J6w8pSbydqkCJ1ppEr5q2OExg/s1600-h/IMG_7134.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi96nKioz3D4vMsPSPpQ0U6ofzXx2TPkP29H3c_eJxBAhJHIo6VzOY5VEHoSjGmdzr6VCHzg8V12tJRSLExgjdyvdYPskuMiqQy5JzaJcIsVpQE7J6w8pSbydqkCJ1ppEr5q2OExg/s320/IMG_7134.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233115017915702018" border="0" /></a><br />Ending Day 1 at 66 as seen below<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSAClEmYVKFnZZfC64uJx7VdOVLkryz7jMtkDNUMM3OVAfykpMkMIlnNduMDh32TfhnnjPlTaaSyVkDD8EHfQt8kD5ms2aBBvM6jRyZ-P7fTiPI2uIEhxMhlvvKUTZkg1_XfMXjw/s1600-h/IMG_7137.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSAClEmYVKFnZZfC64uJx7VdOVLkryz7jMtkDNUMM3OVAfykpMkMIlnNduMDh32TfhnnjPlTaaSyVkDD8EHfQt8kD5ms2aBBvM6jRyZ-P7fTiPI2uIEhxMhlvvKUTZkg1_XfMXjw/s320/IMG_7137.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233115019608369490" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJJxzRrVavB3XscUxdywXb8PGKhLI8Y35vKKcl-NFxENpOd4nxMyNadgB2eBOYujnPK4CB987WtqJbmWGBxCYFZ0LWzKM8YGEq1-wZ6CitWobJn2Y1pjTxxgC9X8rHoMfmlaW1GA/s1600-h/IMG_7140.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJJxzRrVavB3XscUxdywXb8PGKhLI8Y35vKKcl-NFxENpOd4nxMyNadgB2eBOYujnPK4CB987WtqJbmWGBxCYFZ0LWzKM8YGEq1-wZ6CitWobJn2Y1pjTxxgC9X8rHoMfmlaW1GA/s320/IMG_7140.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233115028256446258" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Day 2<br /></span>08/09/09<br />You can see the cute stitch markers April made me that I used for this project!<br /><br />ended day 2 on row 88<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8iTjS-hQWBCsHG3-YAj5eoHuF4Jk2CApVw4cZ-EBdggzJgSOIF6FPJwbRaQ4s0VHjzvEzVIEoe6-GT2i5zkYtJxIdx9t8BK-LZ50zW7wQxkRyftwNslzocIz165-ikFsEaxI-gA/s1600-h/IMG_7141.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8iTjS-hQWBCsHG3-YAj5eoHuF4Jk2CApVw4cZ-EBdggzJgSOIF6FPJwbRaQ4s0VHjzvEzVIEoe6-GT2i5zkYtJxIdx9t8BK-LZ50zW7wQxkRyftwNslzocIz165-ikFsEaxI-gA/s320/IMG_7141.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233115038094636562" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Day 3</span><br />08/10/08<br />With a sever sinus headache all day I was able to work on this and finished off at 11:oopm EST<br />I then wove in the ends, washed and blocked the afghan.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXHyYxMoiJv8WY58kchIWeJ6s6WLAlqMMKJGwFq98srGLDDHicf3GUfOaVpamcI2A-iof2vByh4d9Eu3-L59Sr8E4qc5R-zAUlyu89QlqCJTMipGGXqGAkaMlA2dosLn5ExBOvvA/s1600-h/IMG_7147.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXHyYxMoiJv8WY58kchIWeJ6s6WLAlqMMKJGwFq98srGLDDHicf3GUfOaVpamcI2A-iof2vByh4d9Eu3-L59Sr8E4qc5R-zAUlyu89QlqCJTMipGGXqGAkaMlA2dosLn5ExBOvvA/s320/IMG_7147.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233115438584153474" border="0" /></a>Here it is stretched out on a queen sized bed drying. The finished size is 45" from point to point.<br />Not a huge afghan more something to throw on your lap but given the fiber content of 50/50 Alpaca/Wool it's more then warm!<br /><br />It's now dry but will wait till there is sun light for better photos.<br /><br />I only entered this one event thinking I would need many more days to finish this project so I'll just support my team mates from here till the end.<br /><br /></div>Buggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11215409816589386818noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22658074.post-49281806939856186352008-08-07T20:10:00.002-04:002008-08-07T20:14:47.922-04:00What do you want to see?While I have a ton of ideas of what I personally want in a bag I'm always interested to hear what others want. Since I started sewing up my own project bags I have found no one bag is perfect for everyone. Some people want purses that will also hold knitting, some want storage bags, some want easy to grab totes. The sizes differ, the contents differ, zippers, no zippers, snaps, buttons, closures, fabric etc.<br /><br />So I'm asking what it is you would like to see in a bag? If you have seen my other posts on <a href="http://mylifeinknots.blogspot.com/search/label/perfect%20sock%20bags">sock bags</a> and more <a href="http://mylifeinknots.blogspot.com/search/label/project%20bag">sock bags</a> you'll see some of what I have done. But, I'd still like more input, no matter how odd, hard, complicated, impractical or easy but over looked you think it is.<br /><br />Just leave a comment or email me at Bugaboo1 AT stny DOT rr DOT com replacing the At with an @ and DOT with a .Buggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11215409816589386818noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22658074.post-89708843924558514512008-08-07T00:57:00.005-04:002008-08-07T01:26:14.350-04:00More Toys and finished dying!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfEn39tFxTdWzHz8EiiCW34CjLsQarSEKxvgQ3NJrZSS48UxlItU_iQ4EBbPWG-r5jCqphnI7Qf_wG4xKAVBDMZ6YpndvTxvN-HOYRvpNFK0SLzLUVopn4PL2EiU_mzJdEOcUskQ/s1600-h/IMG_7086.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfEn39tFxTdWzHz8EiiCW34CjLsQarSEKxvgQ3NJrZSS48UxlItU_iQ4EBbPWG-r5jCqphnI7Qf_wG4xKAVBDMZ6YpndvTxvN-HOYRvpNFK0SLzLUVopn4PL2EiU_mzJdEOcUskQ/s320/IMG_7086.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231641901902974802" border="0" /></a>This is where this spinning began with a grey (lighter color in the twist) roving I spun to about sport weight, and a brown (darker color seen in the twist) also spun between fingering/sport and then plied the 2 together.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKt8ABBOke1q7kMcnbT9Vz5kM3sGnN6IUG9DR9EFvxQ3Z4n7YbApZKY8ndggHiIpR9-eYRQJqOSdtgfaxDYQTWKc1tHM2GtCB5SX9zcSPtkSWtya85BZbh3nCLDIMcm0SLZgXUBw/s1600-h/IMG_7094.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKt8ABBOke1q7kMcnbT9Vz5kM3sGnN6IUG9DR9EFvxQ3Z4n7YbApZKY8ndggHiIpR9-eYRQJqOSdtgfaxDYQTWKc1tHM2GtCB5SX9zcSPtkSWtya85BZbh3nCLDIMcm0SLZgXUBw/s320/IMG_7094.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231641694105827874" border="0" /></a><br />After dying in Wilton's Rose icing paste coloring this is the finished result! It comes out semi purplish in some images but it's like that Raspberry scented marker a lot of us had in grade school.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis3u9Da4vz336uKvhsstrHJn5ISGOluIqLcx7KbdxLUTtI-TlhJ7-FArDpuCCTLpefOc6G0iATVrdnY7zWC2N1KFd0jKBwRNIsbw1wrVeFudyIsByB4BPHi3qnGe7CDyVLujvKnw/s1600-h/IMG_7117.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis3u9Da4vz336uKvhsstrHJn5ISGOluIqLcx7KbdxLUTtI-TlhJ7-FArDpuCCTLpefOc6G0iATVrdnY7zWC2N1KFd0jKBwRNIsbw1wrVeFudyIsByB4BPHi3qnGe7CDyVLujvKnw/s320/IMG_7117.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231641702816159010" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI9uvFZ-cC3jlAGrjHBBGNEhITnlj2-aFtBJ9-yjKDEtFg9Q6GX1MrJFuqBVgFCadp6QzfvC_PN_swn34ypbHOrxhRdEpgOzCr-4OG81LQw3oH1Mxif9DgnC2mthmpy86CdmZEaQ/s1600-h/IMG_7123.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI9uvFZ-cC3jlAGrjHBBGNEhITnlj2-aFtBJ9-yjKDEtFg9Q6GX1MrJFuqBVgFCadp6QzfvC_PN_swn34ypbHOrxhRdEpgOzCr-4OG81LQw3oH1Mxif9DgnC2mthmpy86CdmZEaQ/s320/IMG_7123.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231641706018045090" border="0" /></a>Here's the other toy my hubby made me a Yarn Swift woohoo! He's actually making me another now out of my favorite wood but I can't complain about a solid mahogany one shown here either!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfxab63AZHa0s2dZEbRgulC6-Wqpzd_nlPFmbZ2x-krm2i_Gkx6WKQb4dxPkwUMUqEzWDDl69-Zs8gvQblpHSLoEECsff2PsLi9HvWi865JT_MhCKnDdUp6cF1-23dICkVt6nuyA/s1600-h/IMG_7125.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfxab63AZHa0s2dZEbRgulC6-Wqpzd_nlPFmbZ2x-krm2i_Gkx6WKQb4dxPkwUMUqEzWDDl69-Zs8gvQblpHSLoEECsff2PsLi9HvWi865JT_MhCKnDdUp6cF1-23dICkVt6nuyA/s320/IMG_7125.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231641707998362194" border="0" /></a>All balled up! I have about 60 yrds of workable yarn here so now to figure out what to do with it....oh I do already know I just can't say yet but the color was picked for a purpose!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggts8xwVGYe9Vvl9zsjCUWfTHaqmyfuyRMZzwqNoMYyE3MCNyGv5jUN0ZuHYX1TCLa4x59FW7LLTb7-RDVsvdfxYzI4YxiBp-ojM1YSdJ5LNUus9KqUw5_ePj3DvVBQ0dJ71JheA/s1600-h/IMG_7126.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggts8xwVGYe9Vvl9zsjCUWfTHaqmyfuyRMZzwqNoMYyE3MCNyGv5jUN0ZuHYX1TCLa4x59FW7LLTb7-RDVsvdfxYzI4YxiBp-ojM1YSdJ5LNUus9KqUw5_ePj3DvVBQ0dJ71JheA/s320/IMG_7126.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231641714634076322" border="0" /></a>Buggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11215409816589386818noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22658074.post-43880430223321204962008-08-06T18:19:00.004-04:002008-08-06T18:41:14.386-04:00More bags and a Barter<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span>I had sewn up a prototype bag I jokingly call <a href="http://mylifeinknots.blogspot.com/2008/06/worlds-perfect-sock-bagalmost.html">the worlds most perfect sock bag</a>. Well the women I knit with LOVED it and have been asking me to make them ever since. I had started about opening a store but I always go back and forth as to if I want to make my hobby into a job or not. So one begged and prodded me with goodies to make her a bag and here it is!<br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCurcF2SgKVLZFXLej5SxCQS5Hr4_Jajh984LjaDOnWYks9-eDFOZB_LMQL_gFFbDGUeKM3V8waDXux2PKsMu7nBFiPgJapmIo_ock6kVlkOG70NbI8i8s68tQM2JYYNtwo6Z4nw/s1600-h/IMG_7064.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCurcF2SgKVLZFXLej5SxCQS5Hr4_Jajh984LjaDOnWYks9-eDFOZB_LMQL_gFFbDGUeKM3V8waDXux2PKsMu7nBFiPgJapmIo_ock6kVlkOG70NbI8i8s68tQM2JYYNtwo6Z4nw/s320/IMG_7064.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231534035194459538" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">She supplied the material, which I normally wouldn't do because sometimes people give you really a fabric that could never work for a pattern they have to have, but, I know she has impeccable taste and already knew it was upholstery weight and perfect for the bag.<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQW2IS7mYGqRfY4sAggvMnHajZJMD3RjXvQf85xGi23pd-1PC8QcwRLYqMBXTdRGH6cHYUhWCD2GrWpJqOyqJff22Ygb4_HPv59N_CeqSStpTwgOGuiwycT0KhX77oolBMAucGYA/s1600-h/IMG_7058.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQW2IS7mYGqRfY4sAggvMnHajZJMD3RjXvQf85xGi23pd-1PC8QcwRLYqMBXTdRGH6cHYUhWCD2GrWpJqOyqJff22Ygb4_HPv59N_CeqSStpTwgOGuiwycT0KhX77oolBMAucGYA/s320/IMG_7058.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231534038686267426" border="0" /></a><br />I was able to create a working pattern and test it then went to town on her bag using this pattern. I cut down some of the sewing time from about 12hrs of sewing and fitting to now about 8. Theres a lot that goes into these bags, every inch is fully reinforced and lined with 6 pockets, zippers gallore, inset snaps you name it.<br /><br />But, I was thinking for myself I wanted an even smaller version so created the perfect 1 sock project bag.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqKQSJ3TNCwv7j0C7SmbNrK0Kci06-vvcxTT23_w2rV99QbPxHO8_Uk_B90To2iInLPwlqNvhN49HcIOvM7ZYPz6YACylFsrkjfL0JmJMjT4UnJovhieptd_JVNAwXq9Yp1h4Low/s1600-h/IMG_6987.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqKQSJ3TNCwv7j0C7SmbNrK0Kci06-vvcxTT23_w2rV99QbPxHO8_Uk_B90To2iInLPwlqNvhN49HcIOvM7ZYPz6YACylFsrkjfL0JmJMjT4UnJovhieptd_JVNAwXq9Yp1h4Low/s320/IMG_6987.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231534042134848130" border="0" /></a>It has the basis of the design from the larger modle but would only hold 1 sock project with the pattern on index cards or folded paper. You could though throw in a credit/debit card into the internal pocket, cell phone, cash and keys and use this as a knitting on the go/purse...like for <a href="http://www.sheepandwool.com/">Rhinebeck</a>?<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqAXcs5Okfqq3y5FK_3p5XYo9gbdrPVwJ5kBoYqNKf8TA1nGVdEaDivUnGQQmC0Y8JKI48_tA-WxqheaBjUUdoclI6aTKH9CcqJgfRz-8atvtylnSfSVllvOVUg2b6V25dTR_gNQ/s1600-h/IMG_6988.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqAXcs5Okfqq3y5FK_3p5XYo9gbdrPVwJ5kBoYqNKf8TA1nGVdEaDivUnGQQmC0Y8JKI48_tA-WxqheaBjUUdoclI6aTKH9CcqJgfRz-8atvtylnSfSVllvOVUg2b6V25dTR_gNQ/s320/IMG_6988.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231534048931084210" border="0" /></a><br />Inside the 1st photo of the small bag is a cake of Brooklyn Hand spun currently in use for a pair of socks. This is one skein given to me by Mardi to make her bag. She gave me the material as I stated, and then below: <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRTztOtZOGDnwxSeSZPw5GDkXLjo8QZtruSExcQDzltIpF0LXjhQK8TIKS5JbKE_IwEtG0jlXKWt5DoggbaRe1Bfw1ImV8DHMG2fSx90UzjDZxRdgFJIJ945OzQSQH199jVRbxpg/s1600-h/IMG_7093.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRTztOtZOGDnwxSeSZPw5GDkXLjo8QZtruSExcQDzltIpF0LXjhQK8TIKS5JbKE_IwEtG0jlXKWt5DoggbaRe1Bfw1ImV8DHMG2fSx90UzjDZxRdgFJIJ945OzQSQH199jVRbxpg/s320/IMG_7093.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231534945179746386" border="0" /></a><br />A skein of Mama-E's C*EYE*BER FIBER Sock in Winter Sunrise (top blue/red hank), A Skein of Brooklyn Handspun in Tropical Punch (orange/peach hank), 2 skeins of Panda cotton in roses ( burgandy/pink/green skiens), 2 skeins of Rowan handknit cotton in Red (2 skeins bottom right), a skein of Froebe Fibers hand Dyed in Watermelon Bombe (Top right pink/green skein) and the Brooklyn hand spun in the bag was Leafy Stalk.<br /><br />So if wondering if I will barter with you the answer is yes I love to swap/barter...but the bars been set pretty high for pricing. It's really because 1. she likes to spoil people. 2. the bag is well made and takes a lot of time 3. the raw materials I supplied to put in the bag bring the cost pretty far up and 4. just cause she wanted to keep giving me yarn.Buggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11215409816589386818noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22658074.post-62063938152162287342008-08-06T18:08:00.002-04:002008-08-06T18:19:33.802-04:00Some spinning...I think I'm improving<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS3kE3JQ8CxNYg4A6lgJsb-oSTPARtOAIlpa5gnhTgx09lBbz4qDOQS7JL7bDNsnOtbJITegd0CT5CAvacaC_79qAD5hA6HMTigmyPrrxMvIsU_s3e8sOJL1YS7ZUpdnoeT4dSmw/s1600-h/IMG_7065.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS3kE3JQ8CxNYg4A6lgJsb-oSTPARtOAIlpa5gnhTgx09lBbz4qDOQS7JL7bDNsnOtbJITegd0CT5CAvacaC_79qAD5hA6HMTigmyPrrxMvIsU_s3e8sOJL1YS7ZUpdnoeT4dSmw/s320/IMG_7065.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231531105670445874" border="0" /></a><br />Yeah it's sideways and I didn't fix it oh well! I did spin though. I am now doing the park and draft method which is working out better for me. I had some wool in grey (top small dowel) and brown (bottom small spindle) so spun up both then plied them together and ended up with a light worsted weight yarn.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRTK5exzLbAEWHi-W1nVanHpvS3IYasKNKApf_cngNRla-Lva3tabS4UdJ61bh7lb4-9NomiFWlK0_xsbuY8J1rNihNht5FVlFVYuSzWM8YxV4lhyscPso0p-k2RMpPbLaVXjxFA/s1600-h/IMG_7076.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRTK5exzLbAEWHi-W1nVanHpvS3IYasKNKApf_cngNRla-Lva3tabS4UdJ61bh7lb4-9NomiFWlK0_xsbuY8J1rNihNht5FVlFVYuSzWM8YxV4lhyscPso0p-k2RMpPbLaVXjxFA/s320/IMG_7076.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231531110465566642" border="0" /></a><br />My wonderful husband has been doing some wood working and made me 2 niddy noddies, a swift and another on the way. So I used the 16in niddy to hank up my spun creation to then soak and set the twist.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibrOOj14D7YW2ezlHKe4guoiuywi99riOZzvquDAQZsKEM362UDqMpVGJGLMzOIjnr1bxZFjiCDMCVQ-5dwTbGBS9SJlDABL-2iKV3ThCKgdZJqpMsRN_he6rzcl7wa-uhXXO12Q/s1600-h/IMG_7077.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibrOOj14D7YW2ezlHKe4guoiuywi99riOZzvquDAQZsKEM362UDqMpVGJGLMzOIjnr1bxZFjiCDMCVQ-5dwTbGBS9SJlDABL-2iKV3ThCKgdZJqpMsRN_he6rzcl7wa-uhXXO12Q/s320/IMG_7077.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231531112717913970" border="0" /></a><br />This is the hank of approximately 60 yrds of hand spun wool.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI9LWjebU9fm89kX35zLophAB6QixKDBPE1g2ZvCzq0jvI3vmlMuENH4udevk1GmcZneOj_0fLLALWeHrnvncCuDbOLH7DLnU6-ObBiWQhfaHb8uNo1VFFbUqjUeoFd_VYHg3qWA/s1600-h/IMG_7088.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI9LWjebU9fm89kX35zLophAB6QixKDBPE1g2ZvCzq0jvI3vmlMuENH4udevk1GmcZneOj_0fLLALWeHrnvncCuDbOLH7DLnU6-ObBiWQhfaHb8uNo1VFFbUqjUeoFd_VYHg3qWA/s320/IMG_7088.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231531116652067186" border="0" /></a><br />Then I wanted to play with some natural dyes. I have been told not to use an increasing acid bath on natural dyes containing red #3. But, if a girl wants reds or pinks what is she to do? Well I decided to try it anyways and picked up some Wilton food coloring paste in Rose Pink and dyed away. I soaked the yarn in clean warm water while I dissolved the paste in some hot water. Then I filled a pot with about the same temp water the yarn was soaking in and added the dye. I placed the yarn in the dye pot and turned up the heat!<br /><br />After simmering for about 15 minutes I added about 1/3 cup of white vinegar hoping the addition of acid after the red#3 had time to set in would be better, and I think it's a success. I turned the heat up a bit more and let it rolling simmer for about 20 minutes until all the dye was incorperated into the yarn and the water in the pot was clear. Then set it aside and let it cool to room temp. I had filled a water basin with tap water as well and set out so they would both eventually come to the same temperature. Then I rinsed.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPq7XXwpterOms7aNPkNTuWxRF2-Q4VE1-k8EHpOLoMoipjILImg6RPKRr3tfFAOQyvjfqbQETE3ShfY53_f6QGDCCxr0-InPnDpVbB09kX1Ke-Mwhel_pN2LeOIMjqnkvOjXRzw/s1600-h/IMG_7089.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPq7XXwpterOms7aNPkNTuWxRF2-Q4VE1-k8EHpOLoMoipjILImg6RPKRr3tfFAOQyvjfqbQETE3ShfY53_f6QGDCCxr0-InPnDpVbB09kX1Ke-Mwhel_pN2LeOIMjqnkvOjXRzw/s320/IMG_7089.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231531124032463634" border="0" /></a><br />Here's the skein drying now. I'll get close ups later when I wind it up into a cake to show the color variations. It's a deep fushia/red coloring due to the base roving used.Buggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11215409816589386818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22658074.post-9777336163978799542008-08-06T17:49:00.003-04:002008-08-06T18:08:03.178-04:00Some knittingI've made a few socks lately! This is a sock I started oh in October of 2007 but got mad at so put them in time out while only the 1st sock was partially done. I picked them back up last month and finished them off! <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibdg50T3WFpFgidw805S9bUM4J4GrpfZ0TPXCbqKoWgbUCrXJzLLGZXx3_46t4SMJpRmYgSTNbI4q95xQRY6D2MROqcdeDA-L75v4xGNHU-jtL9Cd4xGwlFgiP9rvzFzTqedUONw/s1600-h/IMG_6920.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibdg50T3WFpFgidw805S9bUM4J4GrpfZ0TPXCbqKoWgbUCrXJzLLGZXx3_46t4SMJpRmYgSTNbI4q95xQRY6D2MROqcdeDA-L75v4xGNHU-jtL9Cd4xGwlFgiP9rvzFzTqedUONw/s320/IMG_6920.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231527662818291506" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqwaF6Bukpih41qSoYGlwX5SckGgrttpTO6BkCQllTVUtx77ar3MbarvESpGrWte1U7gaGiFx3ROeurwunT2dphA8fWp5d7tmm_3BcqegVKV5TVW1ibLjyad4nn1g7yPfNItH5SQ/s1600-h/IMG_6923.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqwaF6Bukpih41qSoYGlwX5SckGgrttpTO6BkCQllTVUtx77ar3MbarvESpGrWte1U7gaGiFx3ROeurwunT2dphA8fWp5d7tmm_3BcqegVKV5TVW1ibLjyad4nn1g7yPfNItH5SQ/s320/IMG_6923.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231527673935405058" border="0" /></a><br />Pattern: <a href="http://www.straw.com/cpy/patterns2/socks/panda-menehune-sock.html">Menehune Cobble Stone Socks</a><br />Yarn: Crystal Palace Yarns Panda Cotton<br />59%bamboo 25% cotton 16% elastic nylon<br />Colorway: Rose water<br />Love this yarn even though it is splitty<br /><br /><br />Then I had been eying a free modular pattern and decided to give it a go.<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivrmBcusLsxjxfddqk2CNKHzLMlo9d4uCyy7TuvcHC9d3nSLaWsiXdJTjs7maQRN4JinupyfTNYzN4LAH71YATo9EpanWUu0DF3kxU1qKmIgXkRfM5FmpZTytfMHsAEkQ4Ap36SQ/s1600-h/IMG_6963.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivrmBcusLsxjxfddqk2CNKHzLMlo9d4uCyy7TuvcHC9d3nSLaWsiXdJTjs7maQRN4JinupyfTNYzN4LAH71YATo9EpanWUu0DF3kxU1qKmIgXkRfM5FmpZTytfMHsAEkQ4Ap36SQ/s320/IMG_6963.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231527677513196514" border="0" /></a><br />These are colorful socks and have no give so they look wide but they do fit pretty well<br /><div style="text-align: center;">Pattern: <a href="http://www.garnstudio.com/lang/en/visoppskrift.php?d_nr=105&d_id=43">Domino Diamonds</a><br />Yarn: Noro Kureyon Sock<br />70% wool, 30% nylon<br />Colorway: S180<br /><br />Then for the knitting plurkers out there you know <a href="http://wendyknits.net/">WendyKnits </a>offered a free pattern for a limited time. You would have to be on <a href="http://www.plurk.com">plurk</a> to appreciate the importance of the nanner. Here is Wendy's rendition of Nanner socks, I called mine unripe nanners though due to green yarn<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqjZOeyMpZP4cefLecytqVRFDgJ26j7EhLD7S-N7iZypnu3UFre5eA3RCO5mT2gVPaCmzs7DKxH-12MK83HbsMcwaaDEM2xQUuCfvkxDAqBAT5kW7dei6SpAAhtb32UW7IRG_sAA/s1600-h/IMG_7003.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqjZOeyMpZP4cefLecytqVRFDgJ26j7EhLD7S-N7iZypnu3UFre5eA3RCO5mT2gVPaCmzs7DKxH-12MK83HbsMcwaaDEM2xQUuCfvkxDAqBAT5kW7dei6SpAAhtb32UW7IRG_sAA/s320/IMG_7003.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231527682665400962" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Pattern: Nanners<br />Yarn: Crystal Palace Yarns Panda Cotton<br />59%bamboo 25% cotton 16% elastic nylon<br />Colorway: Sprite Green<br /><br />And now, to avoid casting on my afghan for the ravelympics I decided to do another pair. These are in progress so I'll give more info once done.<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJL-XhTUQ-nW6UBUWjnP-fVfXkjRC-PYbSP3gc3FPpsqNWALtQRkC5K0Uv1k5HFeOnQSIWYhhymI3as7JGItwDoiYnYOrpAYFthytcs8CSJTr3RmSLMcITSvytsQjJVKMxJfabog/s1600-h/IMG_7087.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJL-XhTUQ-nW6UBUWjnP-fVfXkjRC-PYbSP3gc3FPpsqNWALtQRkC5K0Uv1k5HFeOnQSIWYhhymI3as7JGItwDoiYnYOrpAYFthytcs8CSJTr3RmSLMcITSvytsQjJVKMxJfabog/s320/IMG_7087.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231527692407723010" border="0" /></a>Buggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11215409816589386818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22658074.post-55386270170981403102008-08-06T17:20:00.005-04:002008-08-06T17:47:35.786-04:00Honey do list.....I'm not sure about everyone else, although I here from my husbands aunts life is like this for them as well, but, the house never seems done. There is always a job to do. Once you finish something off something else is broken, cracked, messed up, disorganized you name it and requires your attention.<br /><br />Well here the jobs get divided for certain reasons like I do all the laundry because if anyone else in the house touches the machine they will break it (has happened before) and I don't want to go naked because of them....so thats my job<br /><br />The hubby mows the lawn and does lawn work because I'm 1. not an outdoorsy person and 2. I'm allergic to most of what grows in our yard;grass, evergreens etc.<br /><br />But, it seems lately My honey do list is bigger then my honeys! How did that happen???<br />I have been working on claning it up some though and since I haven't shared many pics of the house post construction here's an item from my list now checked off!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1TZK_bAYwVe8XS_C5zw7BlBFrY8oA4_PafFMA2IUH4565YFN5qdQP5I5bJXNxizgYsG5f2T5OddSGAnGVPe6blJttuWLXdCkeP_RbIPjevRsC4ilz5rIKUy60Mf_sjNxk-UdhmQ/s1600-h/IMG_6965.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1TZK_bAYwVe8XS_C5zw7BlBFrY8oA4_PafFMA2IUH4565YFN5qdQP5I5bJXNxizgYsG5f2T5OddSGAnGVPe6blJttuWLXdCkeP_RbIPjevRsC4ilz5rIKUy60Mf_sjNxk-UdhmQ/s320/IMG_6965.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231520406488663794" border="0" /></a><br />These are the new windows we had installed on the enclosed porches. This is the front porch where there are 4 like this and the back porch is the same minus the triangular windows at the top. I needed curtains though as with 4 huge picture windows on the afternoon sun side of the house the whole front porch could be a greenhouse.<br /><br />I had been pricing out yardage for large enough coverings in a material I would like then ran across these at walmart one night. $17 for 2 tab top panels and calculated I would need 3 panels per window. They look a big wonky in this pic as they weren't completely up yet.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzrEFPB2-J7FD2gBjc_L38qtlIMk0WTRa3R9j2o56mQm5JUA4iqsEbD_hTORF-a_l9MBB17yQ1QlEhQYkJ5BP8q5KPUUKmoxKzbF08nJLnMkXz2LbZ1jJjJa0ebz8sw2gsnDxH7g/s1600-h/IMG_6744.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzrEFPB2-J7FD2gBjc_L38qtlIMk0WTRa3R9j2o56mQm5JUA4iqsEbD_hTORF-a_l9MBB17yQ1QlEhQYkJ5BP8q5KPUUKmoxKzbF08nJLnMkXz2LbZ1jJjJa0ebz8sw2gsnDxH7g/s320/IMG_6744.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231519416009015570" border="0" /></a><br />They are a nice nutral color though with a touch of red which coordinates to the inside where I have greens and rust colors. So it's not matchy matchy, which I can't stand anyways, but flows nice. The problem was how to hang them. The porch walls are an old aggregate stucco over lath so sometimes finding a stud is impossible or being able to drill into certain spots. Also regular rods were not going to work for this. So between the hubby and I this is what we came up with.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB9YV54wAxMLDlvbiRH-UEScfZgetFhI9dTbZFCuV3-dxMcl3QI2tatAJ_lTbafgrSwr2XpgiXLzqmyUSah7BbdEPTfOuSkX_5WgDg1lc7qppVA0rvWg7EWhpWP-F9Bcvnr1VAsA/s1600-h/IMG_7091.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB9YV54wAxMLDlvbiRH-UEScfZgetFhI9dTbZFCuV3-dxMcl3QI2tatAJ_lTbafgrSwr2XpgiXLzqmyUSah7BbdEPTfOuSkX_5WgDg1lc7qppVA0rvWg7EWhpWP-F9Bcvnr1VAsA/s320/IMG_7091.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231523589013059698" border="0" /></a><br />Closet rod doweling I then stained with left over stain from refinishing all the solid wood doors in the house. Instead of large, expensive wood hangers which we knew would rip out of the walls like almost everything else had, hubby bought c hooks and anchored them into the walls. The effect got the curtains almost to the ceiling of the porch to help cover as much of the triangular windows as possible for heat and light management, kept the curtains just above the floor as well. It's low profile so we maximize room on the porch for use and don't have to worry about the curtains sticking out a few inches and they operate pretty well.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtdFPPMPFRKOr6OfZhvQBXtgqu3bLdD7-tfpUGyT06SETvCh-FX_fyMMwuS9uxfX03GjZxega8Ru43yDs-cjtI-h_eyjKmsV-FQwcMkkih7OevteBI28VBDCWLzMXvV0ltlnuOoQ/s1600-h/IMG_7092.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtdFPPMPFRKOr6OfZhvQBXtgqu3bLdD7-tfpUGyT06SETvCh-FX_fyMMwuS9uxfX03GjZxega8Ru43yDs-cjtI-h_eyjKmsV-FQwcMkkih7OevteBI28VBDCWLzMXvV0ltlnuOoQ/s320/IMG_7092.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231523589295054322" border="0" /></a><br />They now run the length of the porch turn the corner and run the width of one side where the 4th window is and have helped immensely with the heat, although it's still like a sauna out there it's not as bad when they were uncovered.<br /><br />Best thing is for all this we only spent about $130. I mean it is a porch so it's not like I was going to do custom drapery for this area of the home, but, drapes can become costly as well as the hardware so I was pleased with the cost being so low and the over all look being as nice as I think it turned out to be. .Buggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11215409816589386818noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22658074.post-15699426718146135962008-06-25T02:07:00.003-04:002008-06-25T02:15:29.458-04:00Silk SocksYes Silk! They feel like a dream. I think it was more fun petting them then working on them! <br /><br />Ok so a lot of people know the saga of the gray sock, but, in case you don't I'll share. The hubby whined I make everyone else things but him and he wanted socks. So I said ok and STUPIDLY let him chose the yarn and pattern. Not only was I that STUPID I let him chose the leg length as well. Yes yes he chose gray, all gray, not a moddled gray, not an ombre, solid frigin gray wool! Then he chose the worlds most boring pattern full of purls, THEN he wanted the legs a good 7in long. Keep in mind as well he wears a US Mens 11 so 7in leg, so thats at least 18inches of this horrible pattern all in gray and the toe and heal UGH!<br /><br />The first sock took me 3 days, the second 2 months. He whined and complained but finally got them and loves them to death. I have no pictures I hated those socks so much by the time i got them done I threw them at him and grumble every time they hit the wash pile!<br /><br />Now his birthday comes and Fathers day and he wants another pair of socks. This time I was SMART! I picked the yarn out and gifted him the skeins, because really the socks were hinted to he didn't outright ask. Then I told him this pretty silk/wool blend was too busy for any pattern that I would be doing them in a nice stockinette stitch to really highlight the yarn! I know smart right? Then I told him he'd be getting 4in legs because this yarn is pricey and I didn't want to risk having to buy more, and of course find the right dye lot (totally made up I had enough I still have 3/4 of a skein left)<br /><br />So I made his socks, he loves them, I love them (tried to steal them but they look like wilted elf shoes on my feet) and I finished them in a week woohoo! <br /><br /><center><br /><a href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_6917.jpg" target="_blank"><br /><img src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/th_IMG_6917.jpg"></a><br /><a href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_6919.jpg" target="_blank"><br /><img src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/th_IMG_6919.jpg"></a><br /></center>Buggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11215409816589386818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22658074.post-28442097199886631452008-06-23T19:13:00.003-04:002008-06-23T19:36:22.279-04:00The Worlds Perfect Sock Bag...almostSo all us crafters see these wonderful, and sometimes just really plain simple, bags for oh $30-$600! If I was going to spend $600 on anything it would NOT be a knitting bag or any other type of craft bag! So I asked around for ideas on what people would like to see in a knitting bag.<br /><br />I don't sell my things for now, thinking about it, but, asking others for input is nice because I have made items in the past, shown them to people and they go "Oh thats great and if it had X it would be better" so why not just ask first then design and create? <br /><br />So without further ado, here is my worlds almost perfect sock project bag!<br /><br />(these are all clickable link photos so click to see a larger image of each)<br /><br /><center><br /><a href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_6911.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/th_IMG_6911.jpg"></a><a href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_6914.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/th_IMG_6914.jpg"></a></center><br /><br />This is the outside you can see the front view with a clear pocket for a project sheet and the side width. I like a nice structured bag and this is a very nice rectangular bag standing all on it's own!<br /><br /><center><br /><a href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_6912.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/th_IMG_6912.jpg"></a><a href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_6913.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/th_IMG_6913.jpg"></a></center><br /><br />The vinyl exterior pocket is the prefect place for either a pattern book, index cards or regular sheet of paper with your pattern printed onto it. This came from asking how people carry their projects around. Most seemed to do what I do, print off a pattern on regular paper or scan and print it off, but some liked having the book or index cards. Here it doesn't matter, the clear pocket will keep it well protected. Added bonuses are that the pockets large enough to hold a few more things and you can write on it with a dry erase marker and wipe off to keep track of where you are. <br /><br /><center><br /><a href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_6905.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/th_IMG_6905.jpg"></a><a href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_6907.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/th_IMG_6907.jpg"></a><a href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_6908.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/th_IMG_6908.jpg"></a></center><br /><br />Again, taking suggestions and what I wanted in a bag, we have an attached scissor minder with a pocket to protect the tips of the scissors and your projects from the scissors themselves. This accommodates from a small pair of travel scissors up to a regular pair of seamstress scissors. On this same side a welted zippered pocket that can hold up to 9in dpns or circular needles, also a measuring tape, post it notes, pen, several sets of dpns or circs. <br /><br />I also included an elasticized pouch. This way when you need to put that sock away it can go into the pouch staying neat with the needles right there and won't just get mangled bouncing around in the bag! <br /><br /><center><br /><a href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_6906.jpg" target="_blank"><br /><img src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/th_IMG_6906.jpg"></a><br /></center><br />Then I added 3 yarn minder pouches. Each allows you to see how much yarn you have left on a skein, holds up to a larger skein of sock yarn (ie noro and sockatta pictured) or 2-3 skeins in 1 pouch of something like panda cotton, melody, even 2 cakes wound on a ball winder per pouch. So you could hold more then one sock project at a time if you chose (or even a few dish clothes, scarf, smaller projects). <br /><br />Each pouch has a zippered top so your yarn won't fall out or be damaged, dirty etc. Then I added grommets to feed the yarn through. This way your yarn stays neat and tidy and would also be perfect for working 2 socks at a time and keeping that yarn from tangling all up. <br /><br /><center><br /><a href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_6909.jpg" target="_blank"><br /><img src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/th_IMG_6909.jpg"></a><br /></center><br /><br />Here it all is opened up! You can see the pouch to hold your WIP is right near the minded yarn. Because the bag is structured you can easily set it on a table to view the pattern and feed the yarn out the bag, or set it on the floor when you don't need to have the pattern in the bag or view it. <br /><br />I'm excited to start using it, but, now I probably should finish the husbands socks you see pictured. I took a break to make a new bag to put them in!Buggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11215409816589386818noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22658074.post-84401953558754614962008-06-22T19:31:00.004-04:002008-06-22T19:37:44.000-04:00Begining SpinningI received a kit last December to learn to spin. I have dabbled with it here and there but am very self conscious about it because, well, it's not good. But, I keep trying. <br /><br />Here is the yummy Alpaca from the spin in: <br /><center><br /><a href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_6868.jpg" target="_blank"><br /><img src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/th_IMG_6868.jpg"></a><br /></center><br />Before it was plied with itself this is what most of it looked like. There were slubby spots though. <br /><center><br /><a href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_6893.jpg" target="_blank"><br /><img src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/th_IMG_6893.jpg"></a><br /></center><br />after plying this is some of it<br /><center><br /><a href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_6894.jpg" target="_blank"><br /><img src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/th_IMG_6894.jpg"></a><br /></center><br /> all hanked up<br /><br /><br />constructive criticism is always helpful and well received. I only have a drop spindle and think a wheel would greatly help me as I get slubs a lot when rewinding onto the spindle to spin more. I also am lost on how far to draft out fiber. You tube has been no help because I'm not a visual person and the books I have fund mainly have pictures to help show you, and again, don't help.Buggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11215409816589386818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22658074.post-11743805378965725662008-06-22T18:41:00.001-04:002008-06-22T18:43:42.110-04:00Craft RoomThis is where all the greatness (and not so greatness) happens!<br /><center><br /><a href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_6353.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/th_IMG_6353.jpg"></a><a href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_6360.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/th_IMG_6360.jpg"></a><br /></center><br /><br />My craft room all for me. I have been known to growl at children when they approach the entrance way!Buggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11215409816589386818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22658074.post-82931703381816229732008-06-22T18:33:00.004-04:002008-06-22T18:38:54.277-04:00Bath and Body TreatsHere's a cute little set I made up. I'm not sure if I'll be doing another any time soon<br /><br /><center><br /><a href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_6592.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/th_IMG_6592.jpg" /></a><br /><a href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_6590.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/th_IMG_6590.jpg" /></a><a href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_6589.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/th_IMG_6589.jpg" /></a><a href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_6588.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/th_IMG_6588.jpg" /></a><br /><a href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_6585.jpg" target="_blank"><br /><img src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/th_IMG_6585.jpg" /></a><br /></center><br /><br />The basket itself was made with gardening twine and acrylic yarn held together. It was a cool idea and the basket stands up alone, however, took about a week for my fingers to heal from rope burn.<br />Then I sewed the liner to fit and made a few extras: reusable cotton body poof and matching back washer, knit and crochet wash clothes, a therapeutic eye patch and neck/head wrap.<br />The wraps are designed with a special ingredient so you can soak them in either cold or hot water and they will absorb and hold the water and temperature. You can then use them to help with humidity, heat, hot flashes, colds, aches, pains, cramps etc.<br /><br />I also did up some quick glycerin based soaps in lavender, added a lavender plant, some potpourri and such to finish off the whole lavender theme.Buggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11215409816589386818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22658074.post-27868540940043594812008-06-22T18:21:00.003-04:002008-06-22T18:27:24.718-04:00ATC BagI personally don't make<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artist_trading_cards"> ATC's </a> but a lot of people I know do. I recently did a swap where you had to make and fill a bag and the recipient was into ATC's and opera. Thus the opera ATC bag was born with my first and probably last ATC's ever.<br /><a href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_6645.jpg" target="_blank"><br /><img src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/th_IMG_6645.jpg" /></a><img src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/th_IMG_6633-Copy.jpg" /><a href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_6637.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/th_IMG_6637.jpg" /></a><br />This was everything together. I made a clear vinyl bag with clear vinyl ATC holders so the cards can be changed out easily but protected during use. You could also insert photographs. Then there were 3 different liners with matching straps for each liner and a few things to fill the bag up.<br /><center><br /><a href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_6631.jpg" target="_blank"><br /><img src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/th_IMG_6631.jpg" /></a><br /><a href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_6633-Copy.jpg" target="_blank"><br /></a></center><a href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_6633-Copy.jpg" target="_blank"><br /><br />I take crappy pictures but it was a HUGE hit now I have people wisting it and asking to purchase them.<br /></a>Buggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11215409816589386818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22658074.post-53585447378738760052008-06-22T17:24:00.003-04:002008-06-22T17:52:04.195-04:00Just SharingSo, as is life, time slips by and I neglect my blog. I could go through and do a different post of everything thats been going on but that would take a long long long long time, so, I'm cramming my FO's onto one post.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_6560.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_6560.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />This is one of my few knock offs of the (IMO) overpriced Nolita knitting bag. It's compact to carry but offers TONS of room. I currently have 3 WIP's living in there together an made another one for my daughter and one for a swap<br /><center><br /><a href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_6834.jpg" target="_blank"><br /><img src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/th_IMG_6834.jpg" /></a><br /></center><br />This was my daughters I finished off last week<br /><center><br /><a href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_6603.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/th_IMG_6603.jpg" /></a><a href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_6602.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/th_IMG_6602.jpg" /></a><br /></center><br />and one for a swap with a friend in Australia (Jen who received the cable knit afghan as well)<br /><br />While I'm showing off bags here's a few more:<br /><center><br /><a href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_6613.jpg" target="_blank"><br /><img src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/th_IMG_6613.jpg" /></a><a href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_6615.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/th_IMG_6615.jpg" /></a><br /></center><br />In progress pictures of quilted serving bags I made my sil for her wedding shower back in April. The plates inside were part of the set I purchased for her then made the bags to hold them.<br /><br />I also made her a Bridal survival kit which held some basic toiletries, threaded needles int he wedding colors, hem tape, glues, mints, dryer sheets, wet wipes, band aids TONS of things one may possibly need at a wedding but wouldn't think to bring. However, the morning i was making it I sliced off the top of my thumb with my rotary cutter. Painful yes but I pushed through the blinding pain and finished the bag, however, I didn't have time to take pictures. I have made another for a friend that looks similar in style with just different fabric.<br /><center><br /><a href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_6779.jpg" target="_blank"><br /><img src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/th_IMG_6779.jpg" /></a><a href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_6780.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/th_IMG_6780.jpg" /></a><a href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_6781.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/th_IMG_6781.jpg" /></a><a href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_6782.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/th_IMG_6782.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /></center><br /><br />This ones for a camp councilor so holds toiletries, first aid items, bug spray, sunscreen and the like. These bags are small though about 8x10inches give or take. They hold a lot in a little area and the recipients have always loved them. I need one for myself if I could stop making everyone else things.<br /><br /><center><br /><a href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_6759.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/th_IMG_6759.jpg" /></a><a href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_6768.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/th_IMG_6768.jpg" /></a><a href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_6767.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/th_IMG_6767.jpg" /></a><a href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_6765.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/th_IMG_6765.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_6764.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/th_IMG_6764.jpg" /></a><br /></center><br /><center><br /><a href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_6737.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/th_IMG_6737.jpg" /></a><a href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_6738.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/th_IMG_6738.jpg" /></a><a href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_6743.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/th_IMG_6743.jpg" /></a><a href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_6746.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/th_IMG_6746.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_6748.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/th_IMG_6748.jpg" /></a><br /><a href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_6760.jpg" target="_blank"><br /><img src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/th_IMG_6760.jpg" /></a><br /></center><br /><br />I know a lot right! Here's a HUGE bag I crocheted for aa crocheters swap. This bad boy is HUGE HUGE HUGE! I had 2 cones of cotton, 6 bulk skeins of yarn and 4 regular skeins of yarn in it to fill it to capacity (not pictured). I lined the whole thing with slots for scissors, 5 hooks and a nice zippered pocket to hold all of a crocheters needs and you could store a whole afghan in this thing.<br /><br />Along with the bag I sent yarn, a Tunisian crochet book and hooks. The basket I made in sc and then did Tunisian crochet sample cloths to be used as face scrubbers. I made the row counting bracelet and matching stitch markers out of some beads and findings then decorated an altoid tin to hold them all in so they wouldn't get lost in that monster sized bag.<br /><br /><center><br /><a href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_6873.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/th_IMG_6873.jpg" /></a><a href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_6875.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/th_IMG_6875.jpg" /></a><br /></center><br /><br />This I whipped up the other night for my foster sons 14th birthday. He moved in in garbage bags and has been borrowing a bag from my son for when he goes over night to friends houses. All he owns is his school book bag and that doesn't begin to fit his clothing. So a HUGE duffel bag was in order!<br /><br />Let me just say the kid was beaming i made him something. He thinks its the coolest thing to have anyone hand make anything for you! He immediatly filled the bag up to see if it would work and was off later that night to a friends with his new bag. He loved it, didn't want to over pack it but found out he didn't have to. It's large enough to hold 2 days of clothes, shoes and his basketball.<br /><br />So thats it for bags right now. I'm sure theres other photos in one of my web photo management sites but this is a long enough post now.<br /><br />Happy looking I'm off to make a new bag now.Buggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11215409816589386818noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22658074.post-18582636592535977742008-06-14T17:25:00.002-04:002008-06-14T17:46:35.886-04:00Spin In 2008 at Black Bear Winery Greene NYWe went to a local Spin in today at the <a href="http://www.blackbearwinery.com/">Black Bear Winery</a>. It wasn't a large event about 8-10 local farmers who raise anything from goats, different breeds of sheep and alpaca, but, they were a wealth of knowledge!<br /><br />I had my drop spindle on me and my son and I started talking to a very nice woman named Amy who raises Angora rabbits and Fin sheep. I was asking about the bunnies as she had chosen not to bring them today because they were freshly plucked and looked like any normal bunnie right now, but, when she next breeds them she has my number so I may have one YAY!<br /><br />Then we turned our attention to her fin sheep. They have a very soft coat much different in feel to a shetland sheep.<br /><br />Here is Tony (the dark brown sheep) and Zinnia the light Tan in a little pen where we could pet and feed them. Both were born back in March of 2008 but in different litters and were bottle fed even though the rest of their litters were mother fed.<br /><center><br /><a href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_6839.jpg" target="_blank"><br /><img src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/th_IMG_6839.jpg" /></a><br /><a href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_6841.jpg" target="_blank"><br /></center><br /><br />There were also 2 freshly sheered Alpacas there. You could pet them if they came close enough to allow you. Their head was still fluffy and so soft and their freshly sheered bodies felt like a chenille afghan.<br /><center><br /><br /><img src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/th_IMG_6841.jpg" /></a><br /><a href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_6842.jpg" target="_blank"><br /><img src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/th_IMG_6842.jpg" /></a><br /><a href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_6843.jpg" target="_blank"><br /><img src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/th_IMG_6843.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /></center><br /><br />The owners of all and the spinners were more then happy to talk to anyone about the animals, fleece, bats, roving you name it. Amy, the fin sheep owner, handed us some prepared roving from some of her sheep and started to help my youngest son spin this onto a drop spindle. She was having a ball teaching him and he was picking it up very fast! He ended up spinning about 10 1/2 yards in 15 min so she then taught him how to andean ply it with itself to make a yarn suitable for knitting and to help set the twist.<br /><br />Here's His first spin off:<br /><center><br /><a href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_6852.jpg" target="_blank"><br /><img src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/th_IMG_6852.jpg" /></a><br /></center><br />He now has a little over 5 yrds of plyed fin wool to knit with.<br /><br />Amy was impressed with his interest and how fast he was picking this up and offered him some roving she had in her car. We walked up with her to find bags full of roving and out she pulls a blanket of brown fin wool and hands it to him, to play with, about 2 lbs.<br /><center><br /><a href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_6847.jpg" target="_blank"><br /><img src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/th_IMG_6847.jpg" /></a><br /></center><br /><br />We got her name and address and she took down ours for a bunny but we are invited to stop into her farm any time. She also has a spinning wheel shes willing to loan out for a month to get me totally addicted and drooling for my own lol<br /><br />Then I spotted Sharron who is a local Alpaca farmer who blames me for getting her addicted to some online sites :) It's all in good fun. But, she just shoved some orange alpaca roving into the bag I was carrying and told me to take it. Then she handed Ben some White to card in with his wool and play with it more. She has a spinning group that meets at her farm and I am invited to come out and spin with them whenever I like! I was in heaven!<br /><center><br /><a href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_6845.jpg" target="_blank"><br /><img src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/th_IMG_6845.jpg" /></a><br /><a href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_6846.jpg" target="_blank"><br /><img src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/th_IMG_6846.jpg" /></a><br /></center><br /><br />Amy also gave us a small sample of her angora rabbits last plucking<br /><center><br /><a href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_6853.jpg" target="_blank"><br /><img src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/th_IMG_6853.jpg" /></a><br /></center><br /><br />It started to rain a bit so we went inside for a wine tasting mmmm It's not bad either you get to taste 6 wines for $3, so the hubby and I each did our own tasting and shared so we sampled 12 of their wonderful berry wines. They don't use grapes at all so white/red doesn't make a difference because its not what you are use to with grape based wines. It was wonderful! I came home with a bottle of Strawberry Dream which is a desert wine and to me its desert in and of itself! It smells like Strawberry shortcake and tastes heavenly! The Hard cider is good as well and we were told by the owner is great mixed with beer too! I also fell in love with their Elderberry wine, Ruby, Starlight and Cranberry Zing. We will be going back for more!<br /><br />We came home and Ben had to keep on spinning but he wanted to practice. So I gave him some commercial roving and he's been spinning away.<br /><center><br /><a href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_6848.jpg" target="_blank"><br /><img src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/th_IMG_6848.jpg" /></a><br /><a href="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/IMG_6850.jpg" target="_blank"><br /><img src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa143/Bugaboo1_photos/th_IMG_6850.jpg" /></a><br /></center><br /><br />He now has about 15 yards of commercial roving spun up and wants to again practice plying it. He's very good at spinning and picked it up fast. So fast that Sharron saw his yarn Amy taght him to spun and jokingly showed him her's said "I've been spinning for 4 years now and yours is better...ok you go away now!" LOL<br /><br />We had a great time though and I hope the event only gets larger each year. I know I will be looking for it next year and spreading the word as well as visiting these local farms and learning from them and buying (well bartering as many don't sell their roving or hand spun but will barter it for anything you have)Buggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11215409816589386818noreply@blogger.com3