That let down feeling

Christmas is over.
Yea!
No matter what, Christmas is stressful.
And today I am kicking back and knitting and spinning on my New Wheel! and trying to stay awake.
I am so tired.
Maybe I should take a vitamin.

I made out like a bandit for Christmas.
DH got us a new printer/copier/scanner machine and a new Saute pan.
I received new PJ's. Which are in the wash. I HAVE to wash stuff before I wear it.
Just one of my quirks.
My Brother. Bless his heart is fantastic with a list!
I received blocking wires, Selbuvotter by Terri Shea, and a subscription to Sommerset Magazine from him. This year I made it easy and gave him a catalog and a subscription card.
DD Jordan even bought me a gift(down vest). In fact she bought everyone a gift with her hard earned money. DD Mariah also bought everyone a gift, but mostly with DH's money.
The girls received a few small gifts like the PJ's and their big gift was a Nano. Each engraved with their names. No mix ups. Although all you'd have to do is scan the contents. Jordan's would be music and Mariah's mostly books.

I'm almost to the toe of the first sock for Jordan's birthday.(she already knows) and I am almost to the thumb on the 2nd Komi mitten. I must finish this mitten before I start another. Hopefully I'll have enough purple to complete it!

Off to spin.
Maybe I'll post pictures tomorrow.

Viki

Happy Solstice!

It is a beautiful day here in Sunny Kentucky. It is almost 60 degrees outside!
We should have a weather change by this evening though. Windy and rainy.
What I really would like is some snow.

I need to go out and finish the Christmas shopping and buy a bit of food for Tuesday at
Costco. All I want to do is stay inside and listen to music and spin on my new wheel.

So far I've spun some creme Blue Face Leicester and Ramboulet in a medium moorit color.
Beautiful.

Here are some recommendations from my friend Sheila:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Fe11OlMiz8

and a radio program that is really quite good called Carols for Dancing:
http://www.wgbh.org/article?item_id=3172655

Go to the site and click on the icon and listen as you spin or knit or make paper art, or even cook the evening meal.

I finished the first Komi mitten I've cast on for the second, but the wheel came and well, the mitten was put on the back burner again, as was the sweater, the market bag and any lace or socks sitting around waiting to be finished too. I don't know if I have my priorities straight, but I am having fun.

Viki

It's Here! It's Here!

And I'm not talking about Christmas!
About 5 years ago, give or take a few months, I ordered a reverse enabled (right handed) Canadian Saxony spinning wheel from A. A. Every 6 months or so I would write or call for an update. It took almost forever but today when I got home there was a HUGE package on my front doorstep.
This picture is of me looking happy. No I am not drunk. Dave got on the floor to take the next picture and I was laughing because our Goldendoodle Bailey wanted to play with him.
So Dave took Bailey's picture over his shoulder without even looking.
This is the wheel right after we got it put together. Ignore the messy living room.
And here it is in pieces after we unpacked the huge box and got rid of the multitude of packing peanuts.
It was relatively easy to put together. I have been spinning on it and have about 1/3 of a bobbin of fine white yarn. I have it set up for Double drive. I can also set it up for scotch tension. I haven't spun in ages! I forgot how fun it can be. The wheel works great and I only stopped spinning to post this so everyone can see my new AA wheel and my happy face. Oh and the dog. Lets not forget about the dog. If you go to my Flickr acct http://www.flickr.com/photos/16932110@N04/
you can see the dog with his head in my lap while I spin. I think he is a bit jealous of time spent away from petting him.

Back to spinning before bedtime!

Viki

Start-itis

I have a problem.
I don't want to finish things I have started.

These mittens are easy to work on in dribs and drabs of time.

This French Market bag is taking FOREVER.
Then there is the sweater I've been knitting for about 2 years. The FLAK sweater.
It is beautiful. The sleeves are done. It should be smooth sailing. Except for my stress levels.

What I really want to do is start New things. Ravelry is my downfall. You join these groups and you see what other people are doing and it is all so exciting. What a place to be enabled.

This is what I want to start next.

http://knitty.com/ISSUEwinter07/PATTicequeen.html

It is beautiful.

Light as a feather.

It makes me want to justify starting it.

I've been saying things like: "I could make this for my sister-in-law. It would look wonderful on her in an off white with little icy beads."

Lets face it, I'd never finish it in time to give it to her for Christmas.

Of course that didn't stop me from looking for the yarn in my stash. I have a ball of kidsilk haze hidden in the depths of my stash. I bought it LAST December after I finished the scarf for the Ballet auction.

So even my stash is working against me starting this...I'll thank it later I'm sure.

So I'll go knit on one of the other MANY projects I have started. I'll knit as I listen to the wind blowing the siding off the eves. (grrr, roofers messed it up) and the trash cans blowing around the back yard. I'll sip some tea and maybe even put a shawl around my shoulders.

Viki

If it were to actually snow today, we'd have blizzard conditions

The Golden Compass

Mystery

A few years ago I picked up a ball of Artful Yarns Mystery.
On the label there is a 1 ball scarf pattern. Very easy.
Three short rows.
K wrapping yarn twice
K drop extra loop
K
repeat until the ball of yarn is nearly gone and bind off.
Done.

So simple that I keep messing it up. If I don't finish the 3 row pattern in a sitting
I lose track. Such is the state of my stressed mind.

I have not even begun to stress over the holiday season yet. I do need to decorate though.

Ballet I stress over. Latest there is DD2 thinks she wants to quit. I don't blame her. I worry though, going from 5 days to no exercise scares me. (It would give her plenty of time to study though) She thinks maybe she'll try archery.

School, I stress over. DD2's grades have dropped because of the stress from Ballet. Only one 3 week grade is really low, the rest are A's and B's. She evidently did really really well on the Scholarship test at the private school we are thinking about for high school.
DD1 dropped her English class and is thinking about doing an on line course for something or other medical related.

Me, I think it would be wonderful to have more time not running around the city to ballet classes. Less stress might mean I could knit on that FLAK that is still not finished. No it will not be done for any of the Christmas parties.

Off to fix dinner. We haven't had anything but fast food on Friday's for most of the school year.
We skipped ballet today so I'm actually cooking! Yum-o!

Viki

one down

Lots to go.

I Started Calorimetry from Knitty Winter 2006.
http://knitty.com/ISSUEwinter06/PATTcalorimetry.html

I finished on Saturday. A very easy knit, although the holes from the short row knitting really bug me. Also, the yarn it called for wasn't available so I used LLH Magica which actually has 5 more meters than the yarn it called for. I still ran a bit short, but I am a thinking knitter and I salvaged the project.

Still it looks cute and I have a button to sew on and that is one hand knit Christmas gift done.

Picture will be posted at some point.

BTW
Today is my Anniversary. Dave and I have been married for 24 years today. Pretty cool isn't it.

Also, Everyone think positive thoughts and wave pointy objects for my wheel may be finished soon. Now Wouldn't that be a Christmas gift.

Viki