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Hanging on the Edge

· posted 11/12/2008

Times are a’changin’. Some good things are coming to an end….and some new ones are on the horizon. It’s these transitional, ambivalent times that really try me. I’ve been told that I’m not really a pessimist nor an optimist, but more of a realist. Sometimes that’s not so much fun. I also tend to worry quite a bit. Worry is a hard habit to break. I really just need things to fall into place right now. I’m having to let go of one dream, while we work on achieving another and to get one back that’s been pushed to the side.

I’m mourning. I can’t even type the words. Yet.

It’s not our land. Besides a snag we are finagling with regarding the right-of-way for electricity and the lack of hearing back from the environmentalist on our perk test results, that seems to be still rolling forward. Time is ticking, though. We plan to break ground this weekend – provided it’s not frozen.

The last year and a half is a blur – looking back. There were so many good times, tough times, and so many learning times. There must be a transition to take, but I can’t find it.

Anyone want to buy a turn-key yarn/spinning shop?

…………………….:’(

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Legally Speaking

· posted 11/07/2008

It’s all contracts, applications, details, etc. around here. I’m trying to cover all of our bases and so far everything is going well. We’ve had a few glitches but nothing that we can’t overcome.

The perk test is ordered – should have been done Wednesday and we should hear something soon.

The electric the guys will be able to do themselves and then get cleared. That will save some money.

Our building site is within the 1,000 feet that the electric co-op will put up their line to bring power to us. Now all we have to do is obtain Right of Way from the person who owns the land across the road from us. It appears that may be our seller’s sister – that should help.

The water just needs the seller to remove from his name so we can put it in ours.

We do not need ANY building permits, nor do we have any zoning laws to worry about – how awesome is that?

We have the rough draft of the Land Contract, I’ve gone over it once, and I plan to review it one more time, and then send in the edits to our attorney so we can get that ironed out.

The seller will be in town this weekend and we plan to meet with him. If all goes as planned we will officially SEAL THE DEAL when he is here!

There are many more loose ends that I have tied up this week, but is there anything anyone else can think of that I might have overlooked?

This weekend I will be taking my second born to an orientation at her first choice college. I can hardly believe it. I’m still in denial that my son is in college. And now my first baby girl will be ready to go next year. Luckily she picked a school not too far away. She wants to do the college dorm life thing, but we will only be about an hour and a half away from her, should she ever need us.

So many changes going on….

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My version of NaKniSweMo 2008

· posted 11/05/2008

National Sweater Knitting Month (NaKniSweMo) is upon us again, coinciding with NaNoWriMo as usual. I am contemplating a new take on it – new to me anyway. Instead of casting on yet ANOTHER sweater, I’m going to estimate the number of stitches left to knit on the three main sweaters that I currently have on the needles. (Yes, there are more, two others are currently in hibernation) This would seem more productive to me than adding another to my loooooooong list of projects at this time. And besides, if I work on sweaters I could potentially control the weather and keep winter from coming on full force, at least until we have our cabin built and are moved onto our property.

Speaking of the property, we camped out on it this past weekend. Yes, camping in November is insane, it was COLD, but it was beautiful and we survived. We walked and GPS’ed both the power lines that we need right-of-way to pull power over from, as well as the entire border of our property. We hiked at least a mile, some of it through pretty bumpy terrain. But it was amazing. The stars that night were so crisp and bright. The sunset and sunrise were gorgeous. The air was so refreshing and clean. The night was so quiet – especially after midnight when I awoke to discover that even the crickets were sleeping at that time and ALL was peacefully quiet.

And one of the most exciting things…. we chose our building site! It’s very pretty, with one lone Oak tree right next to it, sort of at the edge of our open land, towards the middle. We love it!

Back to NaKniSweMo, I’ve figured out that I still have about 2,000 stitches left on the first sleeve and the whole 2,880 stitches left on the other sleeve of MnM’s Einstein cardigan.
And for Nicci’s sweater, I’m almost done with the yoke, so it just needs sleeves and the body. I’m estimating that the body will take approximately 30,000 stitches, and each sleeve somewhere around 8,000 stitches each. The total thus far puts me at around 50,000 stitches already, and I haven’t even begun to add up the stitches to finish MY sweater. (Fine by me, the addition started hurting my head any way). This is a real challenge, but I’m in need of one, to keep me focused. Speaking of which….. I’m off to knit on one of the sweaters!

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Contractual Perplexities

· posted 10/22/2008

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Our Land Adventure Begins

· posted 10/20/2008

While I am ever so excited to be reducing our excessive space (to heat, clean and just plain waste) and trade it in for the whole mind set behind living in a Little House on a Small Planet, it is quite an adventure figuring out the floor plan for our first phase of building. Taking a 5 bedroom, well over 2,000 sq. ft. home down into one that is a fraction of it’s size takes some planning. We started off with a yard sale this past weekend (UGH!) and I even went through every box in the attic. Most of the boxes were from our basement in the previous home and hadn’t been looked into in at least 5 years. It felt good to purge, organize and repack. What we have left over we will be delivering to a local Women’s shelter. Oh, the great lessons we are teaching our children, and it’s a great time/way to do so I think.

We should be finalizing the contract and getting starting with perc tests, foundations, fencing and so much more this week and on into the next month. We are in a bit of a hurry with winter coming on so quickly. The weather went from a late summer/early autumn type warmth (80’s for highs) last week to late autumn chill (barely into the 60’s for highs and toying with the 30’s for lows) here rather suddenly. It is time to knit sweaters and hats and scarves and mittens and socks, oh my!

Unfortunately there has been little knitting getting done around here. But I’m working on changing that around. It’s a wretched catch-22: I have less time for knitting when I need to be knitting the most (for my sanity).

I’m off to dream of open spaces, spectacular sunsets, garden fresh vegetables, amazingly bright star-filled skies and so much more. It’s been a long time coming….

I hope you are experiencing dreams coming true – even if they feel like little dreams. Life was meant to be blessed!

p.s. There will be pictures soon, I promise (myself).

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21 Beautiful Acres!

· posted 10/17/2008

After a grueling, nail-biting delay, our offer has been accepted!

*** Cartwheels ***

This good news is so timely I can’t even express it! So many other things in my life have been topsy turvey, to say the least.

Now to get through the next few days…. Homeschool co-op in the morning, and then work at the shop (pain has kept me away all week), so many lists & phone calls to make and then setting up for a yard sale – ugh! So then there is the yard sale to get through and then the packing and cleaning really kicks into full gear around here.

We have so much learning, preparing and planning to get ready to homestead our own land!!!!

P. S. This post is a test from a new iPhone application that I came across – if it works I should be posting here more often

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This Land is OUR Land?!?!

· posted 10/11/2008

I can hardly believe it. Is it just a dream or did we really negotiate a deal on some land? We have wanted this for YEARS!
It’s hard to sleep. I keep checking my email for the final acceptance.
Pinch.
OUCH!
There is so much to do! There are plans to make, packing to do, purging to happen and so much more.
So much is about to begin. I am so thankful.

We’ll finally live with our sheep!

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One of the Books-I-Have-Read Memes

· posted 08/29/2008

The Big Read reckons that the average adult has only read 6 of the top 100 books they’ve printed. Well let’s see.

1) Look at the list and bold those you have read.
2) Underline those you intend to read.
3) Italicize the books you LOVE.
4) Reprint this list in your own blog so we can try and track down these people who’ve read only 6 and force books upon them ;-)

1. Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen
2. The Lord of the Rings – JRR Tolkien
3. Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte
4. Harry Potter series – JK Rowling
5. To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee
6. The Bible
7. Wuthering Heights – Emily Bronte
8. Nineteen Eighty Four – George Orwell
9. His Dark Materials – Philip Pullman
10. Great Expectations – Charles Dickens
11. Little Women – Louisa M Alcott
12. Tess of the D’Urbervilles – Thomas Hardy
13. Catch 22 – Joseph Heller
14. Complete Works of Shakespeare
15. Rebecca – Daphne Du Maurier
16. The Hobbit – JRR Tolkien
17. Birdsong – Sebastian Faulks
18. Catcher in the Rye – JD Salinger
19. The Time Traveller’s Wife – Audrey Niffenegger
20. Middlemarch – George Eliot
21. Gone With The Wind – Margaret Mitchell
22. The Great Gatsby – F Scott Fitzgerald
23. Bleak House – Charles Dickens
24. War and Peace – Leo Tolstoy
25. The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams
26. Brideshead Revisited – Evelyn Waugh
27. Crime and Punishment – Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28. Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck
29. Alice in Wonderland – Lewis Carroll
30. The Wind in the Willows – Kenneth Grahame
31. Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy
32. David Copperfield – Charles Dickens
33. Chronicles of Narnia – CS Lewis
34. Emma – Jane Austen
35. Persuasion – Jane Austen
36. The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe – CS Lewis
37. The Kite Runner – Khaled Hosseini
38. Captain Corelli’s Mandolin – Louis De Bernieres
39. Memoirs of a Geisha – Arthur Golden
40. Winnie the Pooh – AA Milne
41. Animal Farm – George Orwell
42. The Da Vinci Code – Dan Brown
43. One Hundred Years of Solitude – Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44. A Prayer for Owen Meaney – John Irving
45. The Woman in White – Wilkie Collins
46. Anne of Green Gables – LM Montgomery
47. Far From The Madding Crowd – Thomas Hardy
48. The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood
49. Lord of the Flies – William Golding
50. Atonement – Ian McEwan
51. Life of Pi – Yann Martel
52. Dune – Frank Herbert
53. Cold Comfort Farm – Stella Gibbons
54. Sense and Sensibility – Jane Austen
55. A Suitable Boy – Vikram Seth
56. The Shadow of the Wind – Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57. A Tale Of Two Cities – Charles Dickens
58. Brave New World – Aldous Huxley
59. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time – Mark Haddon
60. Love In The Time Of Cholera – Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61. Of Mice and Men – John Steinbeck
62. Lolita – Vladimir Nabokov
63. The Secret History – Donna Tartt
64. The Lovely Bones – Alice Sebold
65. Count of Monte Cristo – Alexandre Dumas
66. On The Road – Jack Kerouac
67. Jude the Obscure – Thomas Hardy
68. Bridget Jones’ Diary – Helen Fielding
69. Midnight’s Children – Salman Rushdie
70. Moby Dick – Herman Melville
71. Oliver Twist – Charles Dickens
72. Dracula – Bram Stoker
73. The Secret Garden – Frances Hodgson Burnett
74. Notes From A Small Island – Bill Bryson
75. Ulysses – James Joyce
76. The Bell Jar – Sylvia Plath
77. Swallows and Amazons – Arthur Ransome
78. Germinal – Emile Zola
79. Vanity Fair – William Makepeace Thackeray
80. Possession – AS Byatt
81. A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens
82. Cloud Atlas – David Mitchell
83. The Color Purple – Alice Walker
84. The Remains of the Day – Kazuo Ishiguro
85. Madame Bovary – Gustave Flaubert
86. A Fine Balance – Rohinton Mistry
87. Charlotte’s Web – EB White
88. The Five People You Meet In Heaven – Mitch Albom
89. Adventures of Sherlock Holmes – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90. The Faraway Tree Collection – Enid Blyton
91. Heart of Darkness – Joseph Conrad
92. The Little Prince – Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93. The Wasp Factory – Iain Banks
94. Watership Down – Richard Adams
95. A Confederacy of Dunces – John Kennedy Toole
96. A Town Like Alice – Nevil Shute
97. The Three Musketeers – Alexandre Dumas
98. Hamlet – William Shakespeare
99. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Roald Dahl
100. Les Miserables – Victor Hugo

So many of the books that I intend to read I have seen the movie (Pride and Prejudice, Gone with the Wind, Little Women, Sense and Sensibility, The Count of Monte Cristo and The Color Purple.)
I’ve also seen movies of many that I have read. (The Lord of the Rings, Great Expectations, Alice in Wonderland, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, Winnie the Pooh, Anne of Green Gables, Oliver Twist, The Secret Garden, A Christmas Carol, Charlotte’s Web, The Five People You Meet in Heaven, The Three Musketeers and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory)
Which is why in my opinion there is much support for the theory that the book is better than the movie- almost always.

I found this meme at Elle’s place on the web.
Please send me a comment/email/note when I can see it on yours.

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I cannot brain today. I have the dumb.

· posted 08/29/2008

credit

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Here I Knit 20080802

· posted 08/03/2008

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My view 20080723

· posted 07/23/2008

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31 single words

· posted 07/12/2008

I was the 4th to comment on Becky’s blog entry, so I guess I’m tagged with this meme.
Rules: You must answer the questions using only one word. Then tag four others.

• 1. Where is your cell phone? Beside
• 2. Your significant other? Sleeping
• 3. Your hair? Short
• 4. Your mother? Lyme’s :(
• 5. Your father? California
• 6. Your favorite thing? Love
• 7. Your dream last night? Forget
• 8 Your favorite drink? Crangrape
• 9. Your dream/goal? Land
• 10. The room you’re in? Huge
• 11. Your hobby? Knitting
• 12. Your fear? intimidating
• 13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Traveling
• 14. What you’re not? Focused
• 15. Muffins? Blueberry
• 16. One of your wish list items? Wooleewinder
• 17. Where you grew up? California
• 18. The last thing you did? Ravelry
• 19. What are you wearing? t-shirt
• 20. Favorite gadget? Blackberry
• 21. Your pets? Allergic :(
• 22. Your computer? laptop
• 23. Your mood? melancholy
• 24. Missing someone? Grammie
• 25. Your car? Paid-off
• 26. Something you’re not wearing? shoes
• 27. Favorite store? YarnAlong
• 28. Like someone? Lots
• 29. Your favorite color? Green
• 30. When is the last time you laughed? Unsure
• 31. Last time you cried? Recently

Now to tag 4 people: the first 4 who read this, please feel free to do this too!

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Tour de Fleece 2008 Week 1 Progress (or not)

· posted 07/11/2008

Here is some of what I’ve spun up thus far. It’s not much, but it’s something.

On the left in the picture is some alpaca that is part of my stash that hid from the original photo of the complete stash.

I should weigh all of this fiber.

The 2 skeins shown are some odd bits of white wool – probably merino or something as soft. It was nice to spin.

On the drop spindle is some of the Finn left over from my trial purchase from Firefly Fields. I had attempted to purchase a couple of fleece from her 2 years ago but it fell through for some reason and she returned my deposit.
I may purchase the same two sheep’s fleece this year, though! I’ve inquired and they are available. Now to just finalize the deal and I’ll have some lovely Finn to spin.

Here is some of my stash fiber dyed up to be spun. The blue/green is the Blue Faced Leister and the pink/red/purple is some unknown (nice) wool, possibly Merino. The purple/blue on the right is the tussah silk. I dyed it all with kool-aid. It’s easier to dye at home in the evenings, so I stick with kool-aid (it’s safer). I have yet to use the acid dyes that I purchased last year to try at the shop.

Now on the spinning wheel (Joy) is the green/white wool/silk blend.

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19 Fleeces shorn today

· posted 07/07/2008

Wow, it’s been since the middle of June since I updated. So sad, because quite a bit has been going on.

My title explanation:

We were FINALLY able to get an appointment with the shearer! We had our 4 ewes shorn and we also picked up 14 other sheep fleece (mostly suffolk, most likely to be used for needle felting) as well as a llama fleece (poor Pedro hadn’t been shorn for 6 or 8 years!).

I’ve joined the Tour de Fleece again after skipping it last year (too busy after just opening the shop ). I plan to spin my stash.

I have some sad news that I guess I should post, if nothing else for future reference. We lost Blondie, my favorite shetland sheep. She lambed twins on Monday June 16th, a day after we discovered she was ‘accidentally’ pregnant. One twin only lived a day or two, and Blondie only lived 4 days post partum. We are now bottle-feeding her other twin here at the house. She is sweet.

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My View 20080617

· posted 06/17/2008

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Bro flies out and I spin around

· posted 06/16/2008

Here I am drop spindling some alpaca/shetland blend (from our flock) with my laptop on my lap. Yeah, that is me – geekess (it was either that or geekette). I have been spinning more lately, especially on drop spindles.

Seriously.

I’m really looking forward to our Third Saturday Spin Along at the shop. It hits on June 21st this year, the first day of summer and the longest day of the year. I think that’s excuse enough to make a party out of it! We’ll have snacks and some other extra fun going on that day.

My brother was here for a 2 week visit. It was great for us all to see him and spend time with him. He’s such a teddy bear. He may not look like it but he sure is on the inside! It was particularly interesting watching him with my 3 1/2 yo nephew. My brother hadn’t visited for 2 years, so T.J. doesn’t remember my brother. When he first saw him, he ran to me, and jumped into my arms and wouldn’t let go. He resisted my brother’s attempts to interact with him. But within a very short while – maybe an hour or two, he was all over his uncle. I’ve said for a long time that young children, even babies, have incredible instincts about the true character of a person.

Between the shop move, and brother visiting, life was certainly out of order around here. I saw the allergy doctor for testing before the craziness started, and then I saw him for the follow-up last week, after the initial chaos had settled down. It turns out that I am allergic to EVERY-TREE-IN-THIS-AREA – except one. I am also allergic to half of the grasses, half of the weeds, dust mites, dogs and cats. I am so glad to have a great doctor though. He didn’t tell me to get rid of our animals – they ARE a part of the family anyhow. He did suggest some ways to deal for now, and I will be starting the long road of weekly allergy shots next week. I’ll have to go in every week for about 6 months, and then monthly for around 5 years. At that time I should be resistant to all of these allergens and have my life back. Well, that should happen even sooner, actually. I’m SO looking forward to that, as this being the worst pollen year on record, it’s really kicked me down. I’m all for short-term pain/discomfort/trouble in exchange for long term gain, so bring it on. It’s just so nice to have hope at a better quality of life I can’t even express it in words!

I’m still experiencing what I can only call Knitting-A.D.D. at this point. Yes, I’ve started a few smaller projects, but only for charity, or dishcloths, which finish fast and don’t count. I find the hardest thing when I finally sit down to knit at night during my wind-down time is choosing which project to work on first.

I did manage another speaking engagement. I can hardly believe it, though. It is SO TOTALLY not my personally style to get up in front of strangers and talk. But thanks to another wonderful customer friend setting up the outreach, I spoke in front of a local Lion’s club luncheon. They were an awesome audience, that sure helped. They had great questions. And I survived. Surprise, surprise, there was a reporter there from the local paper and she did a story about my speech. You can see the text here and I may someday scan in the photo. Maybe. Regardless of me or my photo, it is great publicity for the shop and our charity projects. Our new charity project, now that the preemie hats for the NICU at our local hospital was such a success, will be knitting/crocheting scarves for a local group called Matthew 25 AIDS Services, to be given out to patients for Christmas gifts. We have a few nurses from the clinic that have been coming to knit/crochet with us at our Thursday night Yarn Alongs and they are wonderful people that we are enjoying getting to know.

I know that I have more to say, that I want to say, but I am getting tired, so I’ll stop for now. Oh, how I do look forward to getting my life (and my brain) back!

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My View 20080602

· posted 06/03/2008

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Gasp! Gag! Gas!

· posted 05/31/2008

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My View 20080531

· posted 05/31/2008

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Moving Day Looms

· posted 05/22/2008

We’re moving. I mean we’re moving the shop.
It’s a big undertaking, but one that’s time is due. There is so much to do I am just overwhelmed. But it’s all for good. Pushing aside scared, overwhelmed, nervous, etc. there is a big excited here somewhere.

We were featured in a local newspaper. You can see the article online here.
The photographer did a great job, however the angle was not the best on the photo of me. We’re so appreciative of the thorough job the reporter did on the article – it was more than we hoped for, as we thought she would just be covering the preemie hat project for our local hospital. It was good timing with our move this coming weekend, too. One of our customers friends ran into the reporter and suggested she do a story on us, and the reporter said that she had wanted to do a feature about the shop ever since she heard we had opened. We are so thankful.

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Happy 6th Blogiversary to me!

· posted 05/20/2008

My first entry, 6 years ago.

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Mystery Decisions and My Blogiversary is Coming Soon

· posted 05/03/2008

Well, we have more mysterious decision-making going on. I think we’ve made the decision, now we are just waiting for everything to be finalized. Once it is, I’ll spill the beans. I’ve been feeling a cross of scared/excited and I am working really hard at focusing on the positives, now that we’ve worked through most everything. I’m hoping to tip the scales over into completely excited and hopeful and – well, you get my drift.

And yes, my Blogiversary is coming soon, in a little over 2 weeks in fact. I have been posting photos and words here for 6 years! I know this means MUCH more to me than anyone else, but I want to thank anyone/everyone that has taken part in ‘conversation’ here with me. I hope you know how much it means to me. If you have a blog of your own, you probably understand completely. Taking the time to read about me, my family, yarn, knitting, spinning, animals, trials and even some very vague information now and then, really touches me. I know part of it is curiosity, but I feel the other part is reaching out in friendship, and I just want you all to know that I treasure you.

So………….. the celebration calls for a CONTEST of course, and I’m keeping this one simple. To enter, all it takes is a comment- an honest comment- a simple comment. Simply typing ‘Hello’ will suffice. And a few days after the festivities have passed, I will use the infamous Random Number Generator to choose a winner. The prize, as before, I will opt to leave as a sur-prize. It will most likely be something fibery, but I want to leave it open to all of my fiber-loving-friends as well as my non-fiber-adoring friends.

Let the party begin! Simply leave your comment here, spread the word, enjoy the party, and don’t forget to grab yourself a designated-blogger should you be the type to over do it.

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Neverending Socks, Spinning, and all sorts of Babies

· posted 04/30/2008

I haven’t finished his socks not even for SAM5.

I have been out to see Mama C’s Twin girls, who are thriving.

And Mama Romney’s Twin boys are doing great, as well.

I’ve been dyeing and spinning Frankie Lee and other bits of wool, etc.

And I’ve been clothing and cuddling the sweet, baby nephew as much as possible.
(That’s the BSJ that I finally found buttons for and finished off for him.)

Otherwise, life goes on, as busy, hectic, wonderful as usual.

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Goodbye Pox, Hello Pollen

· posted 04/15/2008

I’ve finished another square for Joel’s Daughter’s afghans.
I’ve cast-on and almost finished a preemie hat for the NICU at our local hospital.
I’m dying some of Frankie Lee’s roving, in fact as I type the last of it is soaking up colors beautifully in my dye pot.
I’ve been down for 2 days with horrible sinus pain – alas, ‘tis that time o’ year.
I’ve finally been able to get a start with catching up on baby nephew snuggles, since the last of my children was finally lifted from Chicken Pox quarantine on Friday- YAY!!!!
I just sneezed – ouch.
I’ve got a bug to dye and spin yarn again – I’ve missed it lately.
I’m looking forward to the Third Thursday Yarn Along and Third Saturday Spinning coming up this week!

I’m done updating for now – more later.

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Not casting on, really, well, sort of

· posted 04/09/2008

I didn’t cast-on for this:

I did finish it in one evening though. I’ve wanted to try filet crochet for awhile. I didn’t have any crochet thread (not sure I’d like it if I had it) so I just used some sock yarn and a size E hook. It was quick and fun. This project on ravelry.

I didn’t cast-on for this either:

But it did become another WIP somehow. My crocheted star project on ravelry.

I did finish this:

And the explanation for the odd colors, is that I decided since this was really just a test knit I would also use it as an example to show everyone how much better cables look in lighter colored yarn. I really didn’t like this hat, I only designed it for a customer who had chosen a WAY complicated cable fiasco out of Vogue Knitting to do so she needed a more simple cable hat pattern for her first cable knitting project. It’s knit flat though. I have worn it around a bit and I don’t hate the hat anymore. I just didn’t particularly enjoy knitting it. I have so many other things that I could have been knitting instead. Faye’s Hat Knit Flat on Ravelry.

And here are 2 more things that I finished (please ignore that neither of them entered my WIP line-up, but they were quickly on and off the needles and both have ‘time’ issues:

The first is an afghan square for a dearly departed fellow Raveler’s daughters. I’ve been thinking of the two young girls so much while I knit on this square and the second one that I have started. My heart really goes out to the two of them as well as their Mom, Joel’s wife. The store is HERE on Ravelry. Such a tragedy. I’ll also be doing 2 or 3 smaller squares for the other young girls that were in the other car during the accident and knitting on a shawl for Joel’s widow that is being passed around. Sometimes it’s all we can do to just knit.

The second is the “Monthly Dishcloth KALhttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/MonthlyDishcloths/ cloth for the beginning of April. It does scream spring.

Check out the shoe that one of our regular customers friends at the shop brought us from Holland, Michigan where she hails from when on a recent visit back to her home town. She is a sweetheart!

In Chicken Pox news I am happy to report that we are on the downside and counting down mere days to the end of our epidemic. Fever reducers are no longer being dispensed. Oatmeal baths are done given. All children are sleeping soundly. Thank Goodness!!

All of my ramblings I bring to you as I distract myself from the tragedy in my life to focus on the pleasant blessings. I hope it distracts you from tragedies in your life, as well, and reminds you just how much you have to be thankful for – it sure has done so for me.

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Double Sheep Again This Year!

· posted 04/08/2008

Mama Romney gave birth to twins again! 2 dark ones instead of yin & yang colors. I’ll have photos and more details to share soon.

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Diagnosis - Late Stage Castonitis a.k.a. Startitis

· posted 04/04/2008

I am a sick gal. Please send any suggestions for treatment, A.S.A.P.!

This is embarrassing:

Click here to see how bad off I am

That is the day last week that I dragged in all of my WIP ‘s and told Mom that I needed intervention. I announced that I was finally going to, gasp!, count the numbers I was up to at this point. It was 13 on the needles that day! Mom said I was not to cast on any more projects. Then shortly thereafter Mom headed out to take Sister to the pediatrician for my new nephew’s first doctor appointment. When she came back, Mom looked at the knitting in my hands and said something to the effect of, ‘That was not on any of your needles when I left.’
Busted.
I even had a good excuse for this one. A customer had come in to get help with the knitted cast-on method. So what did I do? I cast on a Tribble. Heart Coaster

I’ll report back on my critical condition.

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Guess who's here!

· posted 03/16/2008

Here is his sweetness and glory, and he just happens to be wearing the Bananahead Hat that I made for him!
Isn’t he just adorable?

I am working on my nephew’s first “boots”. They are Old World Green Serf Booties, although, obviously, they will be Blue Serf Booties. I started them the day sister went into labor, and worked at them in the hospital overnight that night. I did put them aside for a bit, as I’m working on some wee thumbless mittens for him, that match his hat. I’ll post a photo and probably the pattern, since I’m making it up as I go, when I am done. I have one done, and I’ve started the 2nd one. They knit up so fast! I did ribbing to hold them on his tiny, little hands, and I’m doing seed stitch for the main part. Seed stitch on baby items – how can I resist?

I finished a project that’d been sitting around the shop. It’s a Slipped Stitch Brioche Rib Scarf, and I must admit an underlying motive. I’m SO over winter! I figured it was worth a shot to tempt ol’ Murphy by working on cold weather items, in hopes that this would encourage Spring to appear, therefore rendering my beautiful, big, warm, fuzzy scarf useless until next winter. Ah, well, we shall see, but so far so good.

My new nephew is the most exciting thing going on around here, but in silly stuff, here is the new ‘skin’ on my Blackberry. It’s a lily design. Fun stuff, you know.

The shop has been crazy-busy, well I’ve been crazy-busy, the shop has been, off and on. Business is starting to pick up with the weather not so nasty, though. I’m just spread in so many directions. Re-writing patterns, writing patterns, updating, ordering, planning, etc.

Good news so far as the Chicken Pox that Nicci came down with – none of the other children, mine or sister’s, have come down with them, so far. It’s amazing, but true! I know there is still a chance, as she was contagious for a good week, but we’re hoping to avoid this whole scenario right now. Especially with sister busy with a new baby – she doesn’t need to be taking care of 4 children with the chicken pox on top of everything. And I had a hard time not being here with Nicci when she had hers, though I was with her through the first couple of days which were her worst. I don’t know what’d I would do if the other girls came down with them – just cope I suppose.

Well, I’d better get back to work – I have a anticipated pattern to write for the shop, and I have a dear friend working on test knitting it for me. It’s supposed to be ready for release in 2 days. I’ve got to get it knocked out. Especially since I would like to take SOME time off tomorrow.

I’m thankful for my nephew, a good labor experience for sister, my sister, the opportunity to take part in my nephew’s birth, the ease of sickness around here, my van back since he now has his own car, having my nieces and nephews stay with me for a few days during sister’s hospital stay, the many encouraging friends we’ve made at the shop and the weather finally getting nicer!
Oh, and dove chocolate truffle eggs – my bad this season.

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Snow Storming Decisions

· posted 03/08/2008

It’s snowing here – still – has been pretty much all day. Everything is bright and quiet out there, even in the middle of the night. I’m about done with winter and it’s ice storms and tornadoes and what not. I’m ready for spring. Even though I know that heightens the actual normal threat of the tornadoes. Give me warm sun, pretty flowers, clothed (as opposed to naked) trees, and lower heating bills! The winter has been dangerous, expensive and bad for business.

We are at a pivotal point in many areas of our lives. Decisions need to be made, but us and others that will affect us. Like our old house that we still own, the yarn shop, and my other business.
Where do I put my time, energy and focus. I only have so much. And my children still need more of me.

We’ve had a chicken pox outbreak. None of my children have ever had it, therefore they will be falling to it, like dominoes, I’m afraid. Nicci has it first. She came down with fevers Sunday and Monday and by Tuesday night there were pox. I had thought the fevers were just that flu that the rest of had the week or two before. No such luck? Now she is pretty much one big pok (sp?). The rest of the kids are sitting here just waiting to be sick with it anytime next week. The Boy will enjoy it the most I am sure (/sarcasm).

We are still on baby watch. She will be 38 weeks along in a couple of days – so not much longer either way. Poor Sis is pretty miserable. She’s having quite a bit of back pain lately. But then her kids were here Monday, when Nicci was fevering and contagious, but we didn’t know it was Chicken Pox yet. So we are hoping and praying that my nieces and nephews don’t come down with it. That’s all Sis needs is a bunch of sick kids along with a new baby.

My knitting has been sporadic. I’m trying to keep myself to finishing 2 projects before I cast-on for another. But there’s this cute baby boy vest, and some sweet booties, and a sweater for me, and and and and …. well, you know. Startitis – it’s a terrible ailment. But I have focused on the Slipped Stitch Brioche Rib Scarf and I will finish it tomorrow for sure. So that’s progress!

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Leapin' in here

· posted 03/03/2008

I know, groan , pun intended. Happy Leap Year Day! I didn’t know it was a holiday, but oh well, we can use all of the holidays we can get, right?

We’ve had lots of excitement going on around here. We’ve had ice storms, freezing temps, sickness, and almost had a baby yesterday! One of my “nieces“ was in the hospital with complications of the flu, but she is much better now and home. We had her siblings as house guests for the duration, except for the last day, since Dad works out of town.

The storms have really kept people at home, especially when they are bad enough for school closings, and they have been bad for business at the shop. The past 3 Thursday night Yarn Alongs were dismal. The first because of a storm, the next because of Valentines Day along with bad weather, and then another ice storm. This last week’s was a blast though. We had a baby shower for my sister who is ready to deliver anytime now. She was even in the hospital overnight Wednesday, but the contractions just didn’t stay regular. We had my nieces and nephews overnight – in addition to the other 2 – so we had quite the houseful for a night and a day. It went very smooth – they are all a wonderful bunch of children if I do say so myself. Sister’s been ouchy and uncomfortable since then, and she’s to report to the doc first thing Monday morning. So maybe a baby any day now!

I knit a cute hat and finished a baby surprise sweater (except for buttons) for the baby shower. Of course I forgot to get photos, but I will have a chance soon. Otherwise I’ve mostly just knit on mystery dishcloths. I’m hoping to get back into my knitting groove. Although I have been feeling the bite of another bug more lately – the camera bug.

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Look who just FLU by

· posted 02/19/2008

Yes, bad pun, but a terrible strain of the flu, yes that one, the one that everyone seems to be getting lately, hit our home with a vengeance this past week. I wasn’t even able to escape it. Though my instincts tell me that my immune system was not at it’s strongest what with all of the heaps of goings on going on around here.

Sad news: we lost our Alpaca. I mean he passed away. We have no idea why, nothing stands out, he was just lying on the ground when The Boy went out to feed the animals a week ago. It’s so sad. And now I worry about Durango the Llama – since him and Kokomo the Alpaca were buddies. They never went anywhere without the other – not even to opposite sides of the pasture. I’m going to look into adopting him out to another llama farm in the area – I hear there are a few of them.

The other animals are doing fine – or so I’m told. I haven’t been able to visit them for a couple of months now. Wow, there goes that time flying by my head again. I’ll see them soon, though. We will be moving them back down here across the river soon. They’ll go back to our friends pasture where they stayed temporarily when we first brought them home almost 2 years ago now. We will be thinning the flock during the transition. It’s necessary – part of the business of farming. But not fun no matter how I try to solve the logical puzzle of the best way to go about it.

I’ve been knitting, of course, but not nearly so much as I’d like.
I did finally finish (after re-knitting) the latest Man’s Hat.

And right now I have a special little project that I’m just about done with, that needs to be done and soon. I’ll release details soon. I’m taking a break from it at the moment, in fact. I’ve been knitting really fast because it appears that I will most likely run out of yarn before it’s complete. And we all know that knitting faster prevents one from running out of yarn before a project is over, right? Righeeeet. This is out of special hand-dyed-by-me yarn, and all there is is all that there is to be had. Either it will magically make it or I will have to get really creative and fast!

I feel like sighing much of the time these days. That letting go thing is still bumming me out quite a bit. But with faith, and love, I’ll trudge on through it. Funny how this is one of the absolutely rare stages of anything to do with my children that I have ever wanted to ‘get through’. Almost every other aspect of their growing up I have wanted to go ever-so-slowly, since in reality it all passes much-too-quickly.

Well, back to speed knitting that wee project – wish me extra lengths of yarn luck!

Care to comment?

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No time to blog, really

· posted 02/01/2008

I won’t even begin to list the things I need to do, because if I have to one more time to one more person I may just seriously lose something!

I finished Angel’s pink sweater and she’s been wearing it since! Here it is blocking. I’ll try and get a photo of her in it tomorrow.

I acquired a GORGEOUS sweater of my own!! Mom made a hooded sweater out of the Gertrude Ederele colorway of Schaefer Miss Priss – and it was a tad too big for her in one way – but it fits me perfect!! My bad luck ;) For once not being as petite as Mom and Sister was a benefit! ;)
I’ll try and get a photo of it tomorrow – it’s blocking right now. I did wear it right off of the needles, and it is so comfortable and beautiful and amazing! Yay!

Our two teenage daughters have their first stage performance tomorrow with their elite ‘triple threat’ class tomorrow night. I’m so proud / nervous / excited for them!

The first sweater that I knit, which I did for the Yarn Harlot’s Knitting Olympics a couple of years ago was lost. But it’s been found! Boohopper and I are ecstatic! I had recently ripped and lengthened the sleeves and undid the cast-on, picked up the stitch loops, and grafted on ribbing to extend the bottom of it. She wore it right away yesterday, and for some reason a bit of the grafting came apart, so I am repairing that for her now. She’ll probably wear it again tomorrow.

I’ll be spinning every Saturday afternoon for at least the next month at the shop. A great customer, more importantly great friend, will be bringing a different type of weaving loom into the shop each Saturday in the month of February, and maybe into March. She will also be joining me at the local tourist commission office for a demonstration at their Pioneer Exhibit on the morning of the 3rd Saturday this month, and then in the shop that afternoon. Such fun!

Our Block-a-month afghan out of luscious Malabrigo Merino Knit Along at the shop is in full swing and we will be hosting a “Dishcloth Mystery” at the shop ( and on the website ) starting next Tuesday. I’ll give out a ‘clue’ 3 times a week, on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday afternoons that will consist of 6-10 rows of a dish cloth pattern (with a suggested color of cotton to use) that will be finished within 2 weeks. There will be 2 of them a month. I think it will be a blast!

I have so many things to be thankful for in my life. And as I often say when I am in the shop in response to the question, “How are you doing?” – How bad can it be, I’m surrounded by beautiful yarn!

Care to comment?

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I just moved down the cyber street

· posted 01/25/2008

Whew! That was a lesson or twelve. I’ve moved servers, (if anyone even noticed ;) and I finally got it all fixed up tonight. I feel like I’ve come back home after being lost for awhile out in the middle of the unknown. Technology – it’s a blessing and a curse on me, to be sure.

The whirlwind that is my life continues to swirl in chaos. I’m still going through the painful process of learning how to let go. It is NOT easy. Earlier this evening was on the down slide, but later this evening it perked up a bit. However I am getting too jaded to get as torn-up the more and more this drags out I’m afraid. This will be a long week, as the end of the month deadline approaches. He’s my first baby….

I forgot to mention our great day last Saturday. We had a BLAST at the shop. It was our Third Saturday Spinning get-together (we host them monthly). We had an awesome group there. A newcomer to spinning on a wheel (read about how she was wonderfully gifted with her wheel at Christmas on her blog ) visited from Tennessee! Her man, the one that was amazing enough to surprise her was with, and so I bestowed upon him his verbal “Great husband/boyfriend” award in person, even though I’d already done so over the phone last month. They were great fun and we are happy to have welcomed them into our yarn family. Also a very crafty local gal that’s knit with us brought in an heirloom spinning wheel – held together with wooden pegs and leather bits! It’s beautiful! Several others joined us, some spinning, some knitting, some just observing and enjoying. I look forward to next month’s get-together! Prior to next month’s (Feb. 16th) I have been asked to demonstrate spinning at a Pioneer exhibit that is being held at the local tourist commission building. Such spinning fun!

In knitting, I set out to complete the never-ending-pink-sleeves last night, with great intent. That was until I ran out of yarn just a couple of inches from the top of the cap on them. Ugh! But never fear, I have another ball of it and will finish it tomorrow. I am determined!

Not on a whim but a long talked about plan just executed sort of off-the-cuff, we performed another Locks for Love donation cut. This time MnM was again the donor. She’s just not interested in dealing with such long hair – I think she even has a sensitive head as brushing knots out is horrible for her. She’s beautiful no matter how she wears her hair.

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Midmonth, mittens and MLK Jr.

· posted 01/21/2008

I finished the mid-month Monthly Dishcloths group cloth tonight.

I think it’s a pretty pattern. Details on Ravelry.

Tomorrow I plan to cast on for BooHopper’s 2nd Peekaboo Mitt, as well as MnM’s Other Peekaboo Mitt. They are going to help me knit them. It will make them that much more special for them and I.

Tomorrow will be a day off of sorts around the house, but it will also be a day to honor, learn and reflect. The kids will be writing their yearly paper about Martin Luther King Jr. I think it’s very important. They agree with us on our view that civil rights are something worth fighting for, and I want to keep that alive in them. We all need to place importance on the ideals that we have been working and moving towards this past century. We’ve come a long way, but we still have much ground to cover.

A conversation came up with the family recently when the man was talking about some co-workers that were discussing presidential nominees. Sadly, a couple of guys that he works with pretty much said that they would not vote for Obama simply because of the color of his skin. Our kids couldn’t believe nor understand this point of view. It didn’t make any sense to them at all. We had to explain how things used to be, and how there are still a percentage (though shrinking) of the population that are still naive and ignorant about such things. When we reminded them of their impending essays tonight and civil rights came up again, one of the kids said that they were really glad that they didn’t live in those times (of slavery and segregation). Amen. But I believe that only through our children will we continue to move forward on race and other issues.

For tonight I’m going to do some more work on sweater sleeves and extending the sleeves and body on a sweater that Gramma made for MnM a couple of years ago. I’ve already enlarged the neckband. We’re trying to stretch out the life of it, until she moves up in the sweater queue. If only I could knit instead of sleep! Unfortunately the similar sweater, my first, that I made for BooHopper has disappeared. I had “done surgery” on it, extending the sleeves and body and was about to open up the neck a bit. She wore it meanwhile, and it has not showed up anywhere for a couple of months now. It makes me sad. I guess I shouldn’t be so attached to knitted garments, but it was my first sweater.

I hope to finish a few things off the needles soon, as I am anxious to cast-on baby things. My nephew will be joining us in just 2 months and I haven’t knit a thing for him – that is outrageous! I’m also helping the girls plan little boy knits for the wee one.

Oh man :( I was planning to jump over the river tomorrow to go and knit with some dear friends that I haven’t knit with for quite some time. I thought opportunity had opened itself, and it turns out in an email that I just read that the other gals are not going to make it. This type of situation makes me yearn even more for a 3rd vehicle – I just don’t have any desire for any type of car payment!

Things coming up this week include:

• meeting with our shearer to discuss flock reduction so that we can relocate the animals to this side of the river – closer to home.
• inventory for the first time at the shop – oh joy.
• starting a block-a-month afghan knit along at the shop.
• showing our house to a couple from St. Louis on the 31st – please, oh please /\/\/\ let it sell and fast!
• the Man and I celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary on the 30th. We are both most definitely re-upping for another 20 years.

Care to comment?

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Give Wool A Chance

· posted 01/18/2008

This is a great article about wool. Seriously, read it. I’m considering contacting Stephanie for permission to put a copy of it in with our shop’s next newsletter at the end of this month.

The mid-month clues are up for the Monthly Dishcloths Yahoo Group and I’m enjoying this one as the clues come out, day by day.

This week I’ve been working my ahooha off, enjoying our cold weather and experiencing the feeling of being BURIED in WIP ‘s. I am thankful that we are a sickie-free household after I pretty much spent my weekend in a sinus-coma (Yes, that is an exaggeration, but it’s purpose was to emphasize pain not tragedy). Now I think I’ll go and knit myself to sleep.

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The river on a clear Saturday

· posted 01/12/2008

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"Speaking" of decorating footballs

· posted 01/12/2008

I survived my first public speaking engagement. I was SO freaked out about it. I am amazed I made it there. I am just not the type to stand up in front of even a small crowd of 60 people and talk. No, not me. But I did it, and I survived. I wasn’t booed, nor hissed at, and not a soul fell asleep. All laughing was on cue with things that I meant to be funny. I even had a lady show up at the shop today (not a knitter, nor a crocheter or spinner, but just a very nice lady) who simply took the time to stop by and say “Thank you” and to say that she enjoyed my talk. Wow!!!

Afterwards, last night, I finished decorating the little boy’s birthday cake hat.

The little guy will most likely be picking up his birthday dud tomorrow. It’s cute – but I’m glad to be finished.

And tonight, on a whim, I picked up the remains of the red cotton leftover from the Mick Mouse dishcloth and whipped up the current Monthly Dishcloths Group pattern.

Mine is here or here.

But don’t peek if you think you might like to knit the mystery yourself. They send out a clue (several rows) each day for a week or so, and you don’t know what it will be like until you knit it up. There is one at the beginning of the month and one mid-month. It was great fun. I’m looking forward to the mid-month pattern and hope to knit each days clue as they come out, instead of all in one evening like I did with this first one.

So my current focus is on the never-ending-pink-sleeves, that I am ever distracted from at the drop of a hat. I’d also really like to get some socks done. Two of my three personal pair have developed problems, and the third pair keeps showing up on the middle daughters feet. I guess I’ve been wearing them out. But they are so awesome to wear!

I’m looking forward to this next week. We have our Third Themed Thursday Yarn Along coming up this week, and then Saturday afternoon in a week will be our day for hosting local spinners as we do each third Saturday. I yearn to get some more spinning done.

I’ve really got to break this habit of falling asleep early, then waking up for several hours, and then going back to sleep so late early. Split-shift-sleeping is not the best sleep.

Care to comment?

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Wicked weather - so yesterday

· posted 01/09/2008

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My sick Boohopper is beside me

· posted 01/09/2008

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Trying to go up when I'm feeling so down

· posted 01/08/2008

We had a bad blow-out with the Boy tonight. Letting go is TOUGH!

So, in meandering around, trying to keep my mind off of it for a little while and to find something uplifting I happened to click on the link in the side bar under On this Day… 5 Years Ago

Go ahead and click on it, and then click again, but please do come back.

We don’t live in that house, in fact we only did for a year. But it was still a HUGE blessing in our lives. That house came available just when we needed it, and it was perfect for what we needed – a place to bring Grammie to live with us, for her last days.

As we near the 5 year anniversary of Grammie leaving us for a better place, at the end of this month, I’m brought to think of the man God used to give us that house. His name was David. He was a bit eccentric, but a very good person. He treated us like family, even if in his distant way. I remember things like him covering our electric bill for a month when we were more than tight. And him buying and setting up a swingset in the yard beside our place and his (he lived in a smaller house on the same property, so was a neighbor) just for our kids to play on. We would drag him in for dinner once in a great while. He would bring us goodies now and then, out of the blue. He gave the girls a baby hampster after ours passed on. He was a good friend.

Yes, you see past tense in those sentences. David passed away himself about a month ago. It was sudden and sad. He’d been sick for sometime with some mysterious infection that they couldn’t seem to name or cure. He’d been out of work for awhile because of the illness. Then one day he had a heart attack (they assume) and fell and hit his head and that caused a stroke. He was found on the floor of his bedroom – still breathing and heart still beating, but unresponsive. After some days in the hospital, he went downhill fast, and his family (from out-of-town) had to make the decision to turn off the machines that were keeping him alive at that point. We haven’t been able to remember his age, but believe him to be in his late 50’s, at most.

We miss David.

Well, that started out to be uplifting, looking at that beautiful house of his, that we were blessed with, and being so thankful for such blessings. But it sort of meandered around to a sad sort of place.

I think I’ll just go try and sleep again. Tomorrow is another day.

Care to comment? [1]

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Cake decorating with yarn

· posted 01/07/2008

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Angel finishes her surprise for Jasmine

· posted 01/07/2008

Angel finishes her surprise for Jasmine

She calls it “HeathRose” and there is a long sorted story behind this scarf that involves the names of the yarns used – sort of an inside thing. But once again my creative 14yo improvised her own lovely pattern. Jasmine is sure to love it!

And another gift for me – The closeness of my 2 teenage daughters.
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Starz*Above
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Tis Winter - a season to knit

· posted 01/05/2008

And I have been knitting, even if it’s not as much as I would like. Running the shop is SO MUCH MORE than just sitting around knitting, crocheting and spinning!

There’s been a little bit of a stitch pattern taught to me by a very sweet lady named Claudia….. it’s oh, so very European! And the mohair spritzed wool is lovely, too.

And then there were the “comfort socks” for my recently-turned-17-year-old. Big and bulky was weird for me. I’m use to size 1 needles for socks and the size 10.5 US were foreign in the process to say the least. The cashmere/silk/alpaca/merino blend yarn I used is LAHHHHVELY! The girl is already wearing them out :)

I’m still finishing the sleeves for the recently-turned-14-year-old-daughter on this lovely. And after all, pink is not just a color, it’s an attitude! (According to aforementioned 14 year old)

I intend to pick up the man’s socks and finish them. Can it really be that I started them last July????

And I MUST knit something baby! My new nephew is coming in March, oh my! I’ve yearned so long to have a baby to knit for, and here he is on the way, and I have yet to cast a baby thing onto my needles – Oh, the irony!!!

On personal notes, we are enjoying the house and living on this side of the river, especially being so close to the shop! I feel like I am home so much more what with losing the commute, and that’s important to us all.

We’ve managed to make it through the Boy’s first semester of college and most of the way through his winter break. So many learning experiences….

The older girls both had birthdays – I so wish they’d stop growing up so fast! The little girls are nuts over the fact that they see their cousins nearly every other day or so – nuts in a great way!

The husband and I work on – my work much more enjoyable than his, I’m sorely afraid. But I still foresee that he’ll eventally, finally figure out that even with the stress/struggles/risk, working for yourself, doing something that is rewarding to you personally, is SO SO SO worth it!

It’s time to go knit a few rounds on those pink, never-ending sleeves. I’ll never understand how two little sleeves can take twice as long as a detailed body of a garment, but it will be worth it!

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Red Mitten Knitting in the Dark

· posted 12/19/2007

I am now testing out ‘moblog’ posting via “Flickr”:http://www.flickr.com

I hope this works – it could really be fun!

This is one of my few furiously-last-minute-Christmas-knitting projects. And yes, I am mostly in the dark, listening to the latest Cast-on podcast and his snoring and knitting this lovely red mitten. Hope you are enjoying yourself as much!

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My first post ala Curve

· posted 12/19/2007

I’m finally posting from my Blackberry Curve! It took some searching but thanks to the Opera Mini browser I can finally post on here when the inspiration arises.

I don’t know if I am the only one – but I’ve been blind-sided by Christmas. I am SO not ready. I’m trying to focus on the reason for the season but it’s hard not to feel like I’m letting people down – especially my children. The only Christmas knitting that I’ve actually finished are the dish cloths for my Dad and Melodie:

I am just spinning in circles all of the time it seems – sort of like a drain. But I’m NOT forgetting how thankful I am for what I do have – don’t get me wrong! I am blessed! Life in the 21st century