"I promise, I’m not peeking"!

Yesterday, my husband came home and said….."What, no Walk With Me Wednesday" pictures??  "Slackin are you?"  No, I told him…..  I really did go for a walk, but it was with Maggie the moose and I still haven’t figured out yet how to handle my camera and her at the same time.   Maggie has become a wonderful walking companion and I am really enjoying our daily mile long walks, but sadly, no pictures 🙂  (hmmm….maybe a new pocket camera is needed)

I have always been a firm believer in what goes around comes around, whether it is good or bad.  Yin and Yang. A few months ago, I struggled with a commitment I had made once I realized that it might have been a mistake. In the end, however, I knew it was the right thing to do, so I honored that commitment and said to my friends, who understood my struggle……it’s ok, I made someone smile and something good will come my way, if even in a small way…and I really meant that.

A short few weeks later, that little something good came my way.  This little Isabella Fiore leather bag is something that I have lusted after from the first day I saw one, but they are outrageously expensive and no longer produced. As soon as one shows up anywhere, they are snatched up by Cavalier enthusiasts at ridiculous prices.  Last month when I was at the fun match in Texas, I admired one of these bags that a woman was carrying.  She told me that she had 2 of them……….and the next week, one of them was delivered to my house as a gift.  I can’t tell you how thrilled and touched I was.

So that of course was a big reminder to me of just how important it is to give.  Not because you will get something back in the form of a material gift, but what it gives you inside.  Knowing that you made someone smile or made their life a little easier, is a gift in itself.

The year before last, I did a lot of knitgiving and got a little burnt out.  It brought up a lot of old feelings from a time in my life that I truly struggle with.  A time when I was the single mom of 4 children after the loss of my soon to be husband and had no choice during the Christmas holiday, than to be the recipient of charity.  That was a very hard time in all of our lives..  I was incredibly grateful for the help, but sad all the same that I had to accept it….  What I do remember however, are the smiles on my children’s faces that Christmas morning. Children who had not had a lot to smile about.  It made me realize then that sometimes we have to step outside ourselves and accept help and be thankful for the people who are there to lend us that hand when we need a step up with a little dignity.

I had not planned on doing any charity knitting this year…..instead I was going to knit for my family. Somehow though,looking at the red scarf I made this fall, the little hats left over from the fair and the acrylic yarn sitting in another box (perfect for children’s mittens),  I was reminded of the smiles from that long ago Christmas. I know that that these small things could bring a smile to a child that will warm some other mom’s heart……..so my lace knitting project that I had planned has been set aside and the mittens are now on the needles.  I am so fortunate to be in a place now that allows me reach out my hand.

Tis the season to give and when you truly give from your heart, it really does come back to you 🙂

Breath
You breathe,
Frosting mountains white,
Exciting trees to verdant flame,
Dancing Sparrows on your wing,
Swirling waves into long sighs.
You breathe,
And all things live.
Deng Ming~Dao

I am heading up to Vermont on this frosty morning….I hope you enjoy your day!

Last year, I had bought 2 of these little books.  One for me and one for a close friend.  She and I were both hoping to take off some weight and wanted to encourage each other along the way.  I bought these little journals with it’s cheery words as a gift of friendship to help us.

Over the year, my friend and I lost touch.  She took a new job and my life became incredibly busy with the added responsibilities in my job.  I have tried a few times to reach out to this friend, but for whatever reason, her life has taken a different path, which makes me a bit sad, as I miss our daily chats….but l understand that life happens and sometimes friends move on.  Anyhoo…….I was going somewhere with all of this. 

A few of you commented on how nice it was to see a picture of me on my blog.  Now some of you know me well enough to know how much I hate to have my picture taken.  I have put a lot of weight on over the last few years and even more so this year with my butt glued to my computer chair.  In my mind’s eye, I still see the slim me, so when I catch a glimpse of myself in a picture, I go screaming for the hill’s……..eeekk!! LOL! 

Well, I posted that picture for a reason.  I pulled out my little journal (still unused) as I truly need to take this weight off and now is the time.  Even though I have lost touch with my old dear friend, I realized that I have new friends who are wonderfully supportive…..YOU! :-).  I am not going to bore anyone with my diet over the months, (I have created a private blog for that), but every now and then, I will brave the camera and put up a picture…hoping eventually the picture in my mind will match the picture in the camera :-).  Thank you for your friendship!

Remember that un~dyed Zephyr?
3 new colors for sale 🙂  I so enjoy working with this yarn!

Brrr…….it is pretty cold up here this morning.  The day is supposed to warm up to nearly 60 today, but you would never guess that by the hard frost when I shot this picture.

This little scarf is the kit that I purchased from Rabbit Tree Farm Cashmere  at Rhinebeck this fall.  Diane from Indigo Di was sporting one and I just fell in love with it. 

It is an easy lace pattern, once you get a feeling for how to keep those Yo2’s neat and consistent.  (I started twice before I felt they were right).

Of course working with Cashmere is always a treat and even though this tis the season for giving, this little scarf will be staying right here.  :-).  My knitting to give projecst are also on the needles :-).

Speaking of needles, I have to mention that I am incredibly disappointed with the Knitpick Option circulars.  The needles themselves are the best I have ever used, but not only do I find that they keep coming unscrewed as I am knitting, I have also had one of the plastic ends fall off of the metal clasp that screws into the needle.  I can glue it back in, but it is truly a drag to have your lace knitting fall off of the needles in this fashion.  I am going to write to Knitpics, but unless they have made some changes recently, I am afraid that any replacement is going to do the same thing, as most of the needles I have used from this kit have come unscrewed as I was working.  Bummer…..

Having said all of this though, I have also been using their douplepointed metal needles and I absolutely LOVE them!

What I did today………………and………………..

What I will do tomorrow :-)……………….Color me happy!

I found this little meme on Carole’s page and decided to join along with her.  So many things we have to be thankful for, especially the friendship of others!

1. Which do you like better: Cooking at your house, or going elsewhere?  My house is the biggest family house, so it is the "designated" gathering place and although I bitch and complain at times, I prefer entertaining at home.

2. Do you buy a fresh or frozen bird? Frozen, although fresh would be better.

3. What kind of stuffing?  Pepperidge Farm with lots of sausage

4. Sweet potato or pumpkin pie?  Pumpkin pie…..and mincemeat, coconut cream and apple.

5. Do you believe that turkey leftovers are a curse, or the point of the whole thing? Leftovers are better than the meal :-).  Hot turkey sandwiches and turkey croquettes….yum!

6. Which side dish would provoke a riot if you left it off the menu?  Broccoli casserole

7. Do you save the carcass to make soup or stock?  Nope…….I hate picking thru a carcass….ick.  I do love turkey soup though when someone else makes it 🙂

8. What do you wish you had that would make preparing Thanksgiving dinner easier?  I agree with Carole, 2 ovens and a maid to come clean the house the day before.

9. Do you get up at the crack of dawn to have dinner ready in the early afternoon, or do you eat at your normal dinner hour?  We have a leisurely breakfast and dine mid to late afternoon.

10. If you go to somebody else’s house, what’s your favorite dish to bring?
I can’t remember what it was like to go to someone else’s house…LOL.

11. What do you wish one of your guests wouldn’t bring to your house?  I welcome any and all gifts :-).

12. Does your usual mix of guests result in drama, or is it a group you’re happy to see?
No drama, but lots of old stories over and over and over and we laugh as though hearing it for the first time.

13. What’s your absolute favorite thing on the menu? Wine 😉

14.  What are you thankful for this year? I’m
thankful for the wonderful children that I have.  We have had many ups and downs over the years, but my children have always been the one thing that has kept me grounded.  I am proud that they are such good kids inspite of some of the adversities they have had to endure.  I am also thankful for the wonderfully supportive fiber community I have found thru blogging!

Now it’s your turn.  What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?

Wind stirs the bamboo,

But once the wind passes,

The bamboo is silent.

Geese land in the chill pond,

But once the geese fly away,

There are no reflections.

In the same way,

Once the red dust passes,

The mind is still
Deng Ming~Dao
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I knew today would be a busy day with Thanksgiving cooking, so I took my camera with me this weekend on a walk.  Ken and I took Maggie for a walk in town for much the same reasons I took Cleo last week.  It is good for puppies to have exposure to lots of different things when they are young.  Maggie is getting so big though that she has been taking me for the walk, so  the local pet store for a choke collar was our first stop.

We started out at almost the same spot where Cleo and I took our walk last week, but we went in a bit different direction, as we didn’t want Maggie to be too over stimulated while trying to teach her something new. 

Starting off at the local golf course in town, we walked down a few of the paths, admiring the scenery that people who both live here and visit get to view when playing golf.  Because the weather has up until now been incredibly warm, the greens are all still very green, even though golf is long over up in this neck of the woods.


Maggie was doing so well, we decided to veer off the golf course thru a few different roadways to give her a bit more of a challenge.   Maggie is a very smart girl and catches on quickly, so our walk was much more pleasant with the new collar.  I know a choke sounds harsh, but truly it isn’t when it is used properly, and is a wonderful tool when teaching dogs their manners.

We walked thru this tunnel, and thru some wet woods which brought us out behind the center of town where the Mud Bowl is played (Hog Coliseum) and then back to the parking lot.  It was a beautiful day and our walk was a successful one!

I will leave you with some pictures taken along the way.  I hope that you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!

In my last post, I mentioned that I was going to share my thoughts on wheels and spindles.

As you can see to the left, there are 2 skeins.  The one on the left was spun on my small lendrum wheel and the other was spun on the little Hatchtown Kaari. 

I can honestly say that I enjoyed every moment of spinning this fiber, which is a combination of Icelandic and angora (from Frelsi Farm), on the drop spindle.  The longer fibers of the icelandic made for easy drafting, and watching the little spindle dance as I spun was almost magical.  Imagine my disappointment after I plyed it on a little bigger Hatchtown Amelia and saw how kinky tight it came off the niddy noddy.  I am pretty sure that the overspinning happened when it was plyed.

One thing that has really jumped out at me thru spindling, is just how lazy I have become as a wheel spinner.  Because I have to really pay attention to what I am doing when spindling and carefully watch that draft triangle, I have noticed that my little spindle skeins, even the overspun ones have grist that is consistent for the most part. 

If you look at the 2 green skeins, the larger of the 2, which was spun on a wheel is a bit sloppy, where as the smaller one is more consistent.  Not perfect by any means, but certainly neater.

When I first started spinning, I was started on an old Penquin Wheel, which is a wheel that has you spinning off of a spindle.  My teacher felt that if you could spin on this wheel, then you will be able to spin on any wheel.  So for a week or so, I used this little wheel and then she sold me a Schact.  It was like going from a Chevy to a Caddy.

I would spin every morning and every night for an hour or so and to help with my treadling, the tune the wheels on the bus, helped to keep me from going to fast.  Because I was paying attention and did not really have the ability to spin fast, my skeins were very balanced….in fact, the purple  one in the picture to the right, won a first place at the Fryeburg Fair, the first year that I ever entered anything in a fair.  It was only the 3rd real skein that I had spun.  The judge left comments on how nice the "grist" on the skein was, and that she was very surprised that this was spun by a beginning spinner….I was so excited!

Last night I pulled out the above 3 skeins, as I want to knit a new vest and I was struck by how much better my spinning was then, then it is now, as you can see in the reddish skein to the left.  Because I am really trying and paying attention when I am spindling, I could see that my singles were actually better.  Where I lose it is on the plying.  Because I didn’t want to waste the lovely icelandic blend, I finished the rest of the roving on my wheel.  This time I went much slower and tried to pay more attention to how it was going on the wheel.  The singles are resting right now on the bobbin, so I will take a picture tomorrow after I ply it.

So what have I learned over the last few weeks of Spindling?

For me, I just love the woods in these little spindles and I love how they dance as they spin.  It truly is the process that I enjoy.  Perhaps because it is new?  I’m not sure, but they seem to posses a little magic for me.  Having said that though, I will still look at my wheel as the work horse.  When I sit behind my wheel, I am spinning something for my next project, however when I am spinning on a spindle, I feel more like I am playing :-).  Perhaps it is because so little fiber can be wound onto those little spindles and how will I ever knit with a bunch of little skeins………..and can I ever learn how to ply without way over spinning it?  Time will tell…..but I am enjoying the process 🙂  One thing for sure though, spindling has made me take a much closer look at my wheel spinning and technique.  I need to pay more attention and stop hurrying thru my bag of roving.  Perhaps because like so many of us, I am overloaded with fiber, and forget to just take the time to enjoy the current project I am working on.

So……. this spindling has been good in a lot of ways!

Oooohhh, before I forget…..go take a look at this incredible rescue  It is the most thrilling thing I have seen in a VERY long time.  Make sure your sound is turned on 🙂

Did you ever have one of those days when almost anything you did, just didn’t work out??  When everything you touched fell apart?  Well today was one of those days here.  I had grand ideas of all the things I was going to get done around the house, but……………………… 

You have witnessed me complaining more than once about the heavy workload I have had in my worklife….and wonders of all wonders, I have finally managed to get the workload to a point where I am starting to think that I may actually have a real life again…LOL.  So to honor that real life, I was going to do all kinds of domestic things today.

Well……….I vacumed the kitchen, dog room and mudroom and then dragged the hoover floormate out (I love how this machine sucks up the dirty water).  LO and behold the dirty water from the last time I cleaned the floors was still in the holding tank. (I won’t tell you how long ago that was…eek!!), so I pulled it all apart, cleaned it and started cleaning the floor.  Damn, the suction isn’t working and dirty water is pooling on the floor….what the heck??  I drag the machine over to the sink, pull it apart again and figure that there is probably a fur ball ( I know, hard to believe….) stuck in it. 

Hmmm….still not working……..double damn!  This time I go and pull out the wire snake that my husband made out of a coat hanger and stick it up the suction portion of the Hoover and can you guess??  Yep…………I got that sucker stuck in there………triple damn!

So in desperation, I pulled out my old mop, filled up the bucket with a bleach water mix, figuring I would give the dog room an extra good scrubbing with all the rain we have had and damn again, I broke the top of the mop handle.  I ended up with a big ole nasty blister from that jaggard edge.

When the hubby came home, he managed to get the wire that was stuck, unstuck and noticed the filter that was sitting on the counter.  Duh!  The machine doesn’t suck up the water without that damn filter….uggh!  I guess that I have just lost touch with that domestic goddess side of me…sigh.

So much for all the things I had planned……..floors washed, laundry caught up, windows cleaned and dogs bathed.  I quit after the floors and laundry and spent the rest of the afternoon, playing with the spindles.  Well, maybe I played with those spindles in between each fiasco too……..I had to balance the bad with the good, right??  Yin and yang, so they say…..

Next post I will talk about my thoughts on spindle spinning vs wheel spinning…..I want to think on it a bit 🙂