Soul Journal pages

My friend Sarah http://www.sarahwhitmire.blogspot.com/

has started a group art journal project. We are playing follow the leader. She does a page or 2 and then the rest of us follow her. It has been lots of fun.

Here are a few of my pages.

Keep Calm and Carry On! Has been my motto for the last few weeks.

Viki

KnittyOtter's Get to know you list.

My friend Anita turned me on to KnittyOtter's blog
http://knittyotter.typepad.com/otterknits/
Where she is having a 200'th post get to know you contest/list.
Anyway it was fun to answer and so I answered on her blog comments and decided to answer here on my blog as well.

1.) How long have you been knitting?
I learned how when I was 3. Didn't start serious knitting until I was 23 and stuck in Alaska

2.) How long have you been knitting socks?
About 16 years. My first pair were out of handspun.

3.) What do you do with a problem like Maria?
Poor Maria. I think teletubbies would drug her right up.

4.) What is your all time favorite sock yarn?
Now that is a hard one.My own handspun is wonderful, but I do really like Trekking and Opal.

5.) Toe Up or Cuff Down?
Depends, I do both. I like an afterthought heel but can't do one for the girls.

6.) What's your favorite color (this week or for all time)? Do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand?

I love purple. I used to hate red, but realized it was the orangy red that I didn't like. So now I love a true blue based red. I like blues and greens too.

7.) Do you have a pet(s)?
Yes I have a Goldendoodle, he is the most laidback dog I've ever had. He is huge though.

8.) Babies: Oven Roasted or Barbecued?

Baby lamb?, roasted with lots of garlic

9.) Besides socks what is your favorite type of thing to knit?
Lace, but socks really are my favorite.

10.) What's your favorite scent?
I can't do commercial perfumes...migraines, but I like essential oils: Lavendar and sandlewood and pepperment.

11.) What music are you really loving right now? Like a song or a band?
Old stuff...60's thru the 80's Rock.

12.) How many pairs of socks have you hand knit?
Your supposed to COUNT?!Okay, I'll have to guesstimate...over 30 pair.

13.) What's your favorite treat? Salty or Sweet?
Chocolate, dark chocolate. Not salty after that anything lemon.

14.) What was the most interesting thing you smelled yesterday. Not good or bad necessarily, just the thing that stuck out most so that you actually took notice of it.
Skunk.

15.) Needles - DPN's: Wooden, metal or plastic?
Wooden or bamboo..unless I'm going size 00 or less then it is metal. I have some antique ones with a really great point.

16.) What is your favorite sock pattern that you've knit? What do you recommend?
Monkey socks are fun, Buffalo girls were quick but I prefer my own generic fit my foot pattern.

17.) The last Question: If you were stuck on a deserted island who would you want with you, what knitting would you want with you and would you ever want to leave

DH (gotta have sex), a few of my knitting and artsy friends...a spinning wheel, lace and sock wt yarn and my needles and a lace pattern book, my art journal and the internet. If food would be no problem..I'd be set for life.

Thanks for letting me play.
Viki

Alice the back

back of Alice
Originally uploaded by cobweb1st

As you can see the back of Alice is Vivid. It POPS!

It of course started as a mistake.
I painted over it and I like the hair.

I did something similar with the back of my Cirque page for Denise.
I do have the rest of the pages photographed, I just have to wait to be able to upload them to flickr or the blog.

Viki

Alice the front

Front of Alice
Originally uploaded by cobweb1st

On one of my mixed media groups we have been doing that Maya Road 6x6 book. This is the front of my Alice page for Sarah W. and while I like it I like the back better.

Unfortunately I am posting from my flickr account because my computer that I use for pictures has decided expire and I haven't figured out a ritual to revive it yet.

Viki

Dye Day

On Sunday our Odd Tuesday group met at Andrea's for a Dye Day. We are all participating in a dyed cotton swap on the Garden Fiber Group on Ravelry. We each chose to do things a little bit differently, as usual. LOL.

My daughter Mariah took pictures. Cindy took notes and audio taped/ interviewed for a future Yarnspinner's pod cast as well as dyed fiber.(http://yarnspinnerstales.com/) I think Andrea and I just played. I know I wasn't very scientific.

Anita, now she dyed scientifically. Check out her blog http://thefiberartist.blogspot.com/ She will be posting more pictures soon.

Here is what I did.

I soaked the fiber overnight in plain water. I dyed both cotton lint and cotton sliver (thanks stashy!) I added the the soda ash to the dye before I applied the dye. I used the old formula Cushings Dye. The newer Cushings will NOT dye cotton.

I coiled the sliver into the pan lids. Then I mixed up the dye with the soda ash in squeeze bottles and smooshed it into the fiber. Then I heated the fiber for half an hour in Anita's warming device. Although as hot as it was on that deck, we probably didn't need the warmer. After 24 hours I rinsed the fiber and then wrapped the sliver around a window screen so I could prop it in front of the air vent to dry.

Don't laugh, it worked and it looked pretty.

Viki

New toy on new bed

New toy on new bed
Originally uploaded by cobweb1st

I just met someone on line who has a goldendoodle who could be a twin to Baily so I had to post yet another picture of my dog.
This one is from Christmas 2007. He is on his new bed with his new toy and had been groomed a week or so before Christmas, so he was lookin pretty.

Viki

tired and happy

Jordan and Bubbie
Originally uploaded by cobweb1st

This lovely picture is of my oldest daughter. Can you tell she has been up all night working at UPS? Last night was her last night.
Give her a big cheer. Today she starts working for that very large health insurance company that starts with an H. That means working DAYS!

Viki
p.s.
Does the dog look a little put out to you?

Another Weekend Challenge

This past weekend was mother's day, so the challenge was to make an ATC about Mother's day.

It didn't have to be traditional could be off beat and strange, it just had to have a flower on it.

Mine turned out fairly tradional though.

Viki

Get over it!

Get over it!
Originally uploaded by cobweb1st

For the last few weekends I have been setting a challenge for the Art group I'm in on Yahoo. These weekend challenges are't for trade, unless you want too. They are just to get you making art of some sort quickly so you don't over think. It is supposed to be easy.

The first weekend I gave out 3 page numbers and the participants were to go to those pages in ANY magazine and use them to make an ATC (2 1/2 X 3 1/2 inches). People loved it. The cards were GREAT!

Last weekend I challenged people to Face Your Fear.
Here is my card from last weekend.
Coulrophobia is of course the fear of clowns. I didn't used to be wary of clowns. I did mime in college for a while. However, I knew someone who was a clown during the Summer. He worked with his father under the big top. He told stories. One story was about a clown he knew that NEVER took off his makeup. No one ever saw him out of character. I think that started it.
THEN, a friend had a baby and the childs favorite toy was a clown doll. Which just totally freaked me out. Can you imagine waking up in the middle of the night with a clown doll looking at you? ACK!

So here is my "Get over it!" card.
He doesn't look that scary does he?

Viki

6x6 pages

On an art group that I am on we are doing a book swap.

We each bought a Maya Road 6x6 book and we are making a page for each person in the swap.

Everyone picked a different theme. I have finished 2 pages and have 5 to go. I am behind as usual. Here are the 2 I have finished.

enjoy,

Viki

Yarn Harlot!

I haven't had a post in a while about Knitting.

One of my favorite blogs to read is Yarn Harlot's. The link is in the sidebar.

Our Odd Tuesday group, well the main 4 of us, went on a road trip to the Indy area yesterday to go to the Yarn Harlot 2008 Book Tour. What FUN! Lots of knitters.

It was Exhausting though and I did get a migraine about half way through the evening.

It was truely an exciting time. I got to hold "the sock" for the group photo! Don't we all look totally wiped out? I'm second from the left and was so gone I don't believe that I even realized that Stephanie was even next to me. A Migraine will do that to you.

I had the Yarn Harlot sign the book to my daughter Mariah, because it was a school night and Mariah couldn't participate in this event. She was quite pleased and took the book to school today before I even had time to browse through it.

The drive up was productive. We all brainstormed,, talked, and I knit a short row heel and part of the foot of a sock. I'll take pictures of it later.

Have you ever knit something and later when you wear the item or pick it up you know what you were doing while you knit on it? Well, this pair of socks will always remind me of Jordan because she gave me the yarn as a birthday present, Claudia(http://www.claudiasblog.net/ )because I used her picot edgeing and the Yarn Harlot trip. That makes me happy.

Viki

drop cloth cover Recycled book

drop cloth cover Recycled book
Originally uploaded by cobweb1st

This is the recycled book I made to take notes in at the Autism workshop I attended Last Saturday. I ended up not needing it because they provided print outs in a binder.

I used one of my drop cloth papers for the cover of this little book.
Drop cloth paper is watercolor paper that I use when I paste and paint to catch the drips and overflow. I also clean the rubber stamps off on them and instead of throwing the paint I've squeezed too much of in the trash, I paint on the drop cloth page too.

Inside is a single signature made up of recycled papers: left over color sheets, old notebook paper from spiral notebooks, some grid paper and in the middle, puzzle pages from an old puzzlemania book my kids didn't finish. The puzzles were in case I got really bored.

I did. Get bored, but I knit instead. I knit 4+ inches on a sock.

If you want to see a few pictures of the inside pages check out my flickr acct. http://www.flickr.com/photos/16932110@N04/

I went ahead and upgraded my flickr to a pro account. Which means I got to make Moo cards. 10 free moo cards when you upgrade. I can't wait to see them. You can also make postcards and Stickers with your flickr pictures. Think of the possibilities. One woman who does collage had Moo cards made of the pictures of her collages and then put one of the moo cards into another one of her collages.

Cool!

Viki

Glue Book or Art Jounal

2 weeks ago it was Spring break. I spent the week cleaning the house for company. All day I would clean and at night I would sit in front of the TV and make little books or rip pictures out of old magazines for collage or gluebooks or Journals. This is one of the little books I made. I haven't journaled in it yet, but I'm having fun filling it with interesting pictures and stamps.
It is an odd size for me. 6X6 and stab bound. To see more inside pages and one of my recycled notebooks go to my flickr acct.
Inspiration of course comes from Kelly Kilmer.
See the side bar for her blog. It is well worth checking often to see her wonderful pages.

I just filled my Free flickr acct and of course they want me to upgrade. Is upgrading worth it or should I just go and delete old art? Any suggestions or opinions would be appreciated.
Thanks

Viki

Lots of Books

This is a picture filled post. The little Washi paper covered books I made to put in the auction to benifit the preschool where I work. I had hoped they would sell for more money, but I am happy that my friend Linda won them as she adored them and that makes me happy.

The Guac book is made with a long stitch binding and recycled paper inside as well as a few envelopes. This is the first book I've made like this and I really like it! I like that the whole thing is from throw away papers and that the outside is a box that would have gone into the recycle bin. It is small and fits very nicely in my hands.

Now, off to clean for FIL will be here on Saturday and I am SLOW as I keep finding other things I'd rather do.

Viki

little books

Here are a few pictures of one of the books I made last week. I got the idea from KellyKilmer's blog. http://kellykilmer.blogspot.com/
She teaches several workshops that I'd love to take, unfortunately she teaches mostly on the west coast.



My little book is different from her workshop book, but she inspired me so I tried my hand at it, making it up as I went along.



I gave one of these to a friend for her birthday. She seemed to appreciate it.

Viki

A Hard Days Night

Mom and Sasha
Originally uploaded by cobweb1st

My poor mother had a very hard day yesterday.
The night wasn't so great either.

She started to bake a cake for Easter in the morning.
3 layer, huge, with cream cheese frosting,
has nuts, pineapple and bananas in it. Yum-o!

She couldn't get the pineapple open and I had to go open it for her.

Then her oven heating element went out.
I got a frantic call about baking the cake in my oven.

So she came to my house with the batter to bake the cake.
My oven doesn't bake evenly so one layer is a little more done than the others. I tried to warn her.

She called a repair guy to fix the oven, but he said he couldn't get out until Monday. Which doesn't help when you have to cook Easter dinner.

So I call a parts place in town and tell her DH and I will pick the part up and install it.

She calls again while I'm on the phone with DH who stopped at the parts place on the way home from work, to ask if I have any vanilla as she just ran out.
I of course don't have enough either.

So she leaves to go to the store to pick up vanilla.

I get another phone call when she got home.

Her dog had EATEN a Whole Stick of Butter, she can't find the paper so she assumes the dog ate the paper too. Said dog would have eaten the cream cheese, but couldn't get the box open.

I offered her leftovers for dinner and drove them down.
The dog seems very happy.
All waggy tailed and wiggly.
Big doggy smile.

The vet says the dog will probably have diarrhea. Oh joy.

I get home and mom calls yet again.

She found the paper from the butter.
Under the bed.
Big greasy spot.

We installed the heating element with out a problem. Oven Works, Yea!

In the middle of the night the dog urped all over the bedroom.
Lucky for mom she had rolled up the rug. Her slippers however didn't make it.

DH thinks it is about time we started celebrating holidays at a nice eatery or a hotel. Holiday meals are just too stressful.

What do you think?

Viki

Collage card

Collage card
Originally uploaded by cobweb1st

It Snowed a lot Friday night (12 inches) and so I just stayed home Saturday and made this card. Well first I made a 9 X 13 collage of papers and then used glaze and ink and collage to do the project.

This is for my friend Cindy to give to her friend Anne with the shawl a group of us spun and knit over the last several years. It was an on again off again project that ended up in Las Vegas and is now being finished in Kentucky. It will end up in Indiana.

I am really taken with this art. I have printed it out almost full size to doodle on it because I'm not sure if it is finished yet. If you would like to see the original instead of the print go to my flickr acct. it is the second photo. http://www.flickr.com/photos/16932110@N04/

I am thinking of having it printed up as business type cards.

Viki

A Scientific Discovery or the Pee Pee Story

Last Thursday while my class was in the bathrooms.
I was in the girls bathroom helping my youngest student when I
hear Christopher, my most challenging student, yell "Ms. Viki, Ms. Viki" in a frantic voice.

I run to the boys bathroom and ask "What's wrong Christopher?" in a concerned, but out of breath voice.
Very dramatically Christopher points to the little boy at the urinal next to his and says,
"He. Has. A HOLE In HIS PEE PEE!"

I didn't laugh, then.
I calmly told him that all boys have holes in their pee pee's that's how the pee gets out.

"Oh" says Christopher.

The next time we go to the bathrooms, I went in to check on the boys and catch Christopher
as he is peeing at the urinal, just as he is turning his "pee pee" up into the air to look for the hole.
Yes, he did get himself a bit wet in this scientific investigation.

His mother thought the whole thing was really funny and was amazed that I kept a straight face
while dealing with her son.

Viki

Eye as Sun

Eye as Sun
Originally uploaded by cobweb1st

I've been on an ATC roll this past week.
Here is a picture of one of my Zetti ATC's for a swap in which I am participating. I have several more on my flickr acct if you'd like to check them out. http://www.flickr.com/photos/16932110@N04/ I just like this one in particular.

I've talked about Zettiology on this blog before and it is rather hard to explain. To see more Zetti images from the people who coined the idea go to www.teeshamoore.com. From there you will find a link to her husbands Zettiology site too. Her stuff is mostly collage, his is mostly hand drawn.

Viki

Ice

We don't get much snow and ice here in Louisville, but in the last few weeks we have had both. Here is a picture of my weeping tree out in the front yard. It was covered in ice on Friday morning. (click for close up of ice)

Thursday while I was at work the powers that be called off public school at 10 in the morning. I received 3 phone calls in the space of 5 minutes.
Mom: "Did you know they just called school off?"
Mariah: "Mom, they just called school off!"
Jordan: "Mom, did you know that school has been called off?"
I called Dave...Honey, is it busy at the hospital, they just called school off?"

He couldn't pick Mariah up they were in the middle of a pediatric case. So I tried to get someone to cover my class so I could go pick up Mariah. After 10 minutes of rushing around and getting things settled I got another phone call from Jordan. "Mom, Chris is downtown, he wants to know if you want him to pick up Mariah?" YES! So a few more phone calls, to Mariah and to Chris(Jordan's boyfriend) and things were settled. Cell phones = Good!

We had to call parents to pick up the preschool and MDO kids early. I actually was feeding my class lunch at 11 when parents started showing up. Mariah and Chris showed up about then too and one of the mom's asked if Chris was my husband. I laughed and said no, he was my oldest daughter's boyfriend. So I now will post a picture of my husband Dave with our goldendoodle Bailey and Bailey's favorite toy: bunny.

For the record Chris and Dave look nothing alike.
Chris wears a hat 90% of the time as he is going bald. Yes.
See a photo of him from Jordan's birthday.

Dave has a lot of hair, even if it is cut short.
Bailey has even more hair and we all want curls like Bailey. Well, maybe not Dave.

Check out my flickr acct if you want to see more photos of ATC cards.http://www.flickr.com/photos/16932110@N04/

Viki

The Speed

Today I went to the local Art Museum (The Speed) http://www.speedmuseum.org/
With my friends Cindy, Ted, and Andrea. (http://www.yarnspinners.blogspot.com/ and
http://blog.farceconsulting.com/)
They have an exhibit from the Victoria and Albert Museum featuring one of
Leonardo's journals. The actual Journal was under glass of course but it was set up so you could peer at it from all sides. They had it opened to an interesting page and that page was blown up and on the wall too.
They also had 2 computers set up with every page from the journal scanned into it. That was fun and we spent a lot of time on the computers.

The art was amazing some of the symbolism was very interesting. I particularly liked the fertility mirror, some of the stained glass, the carved Mary carrying Jesus while stepping on the moon, and the fate sculpture. The wild man and woman were interesting too.

I bought an art deck and a few buttons featuring little bits of art from the exhibit.

Then we went to lunch at Irish Rover. Yummy.
Unfortunately I was driving and couldn't have any beer.

Viki

It's SNOWING!

It will likely be raining most of the day tomorrow, but tonight it is Snowing! Started with little flurries at around 4 this afternoon and by the time we got out of The Olive Garden at a little after 6 there was at least an inch on the ground.

I love it!

I know I'm crazy.

If you would like to see it snowing here in Louisville, KY click on this link:
http://www.whas11.com/weather/cameras/index.html

Which will show you the pretty lights of Downtown Louisville with the snow making it all smudgy and blurry. I do not live downtown, but couldn't get a live feed for this area.

DD2 is of course wanting a snow day. Likely we will only have a school delay.
It is beautiful while it lasts.

I'm going to go knit. I have about 8 inches more to go on the body of this sweater.

Viki

It was 20 years ago today...

I was laying in recovery with a massive tangle of hair on my head listening to the nurses talk about that big beautiful baby in the nursery. They were talking about my daughter, Jordan.

That huge baby (9lbs 1oz) is now this svelte beauty.

Pictured here with her boyfriend. (This is the only picture of him I have without a hat on his head.)

Happy Birthday Jordan! I find it difficult to believe that you are already 20 yrs old. Where has the time gone? Believe me I don't want to do it over...in fact, if I had to, I'd skip your teenage years. All in all, I am glad you are you. May all your best dreams come true.

Love you,

Mom

Wish it would stay cold!

drop cloth Valentine
Originally uploaded by cobweb1st

First it freezes then it warms up. Then the molds cause wild allergy symptoms and I get very little knitting done because knitting and cold & allergy meds just don't go well together...well, cables don't work well anyway.

So in spite of the headache and sneezing I've been making ATC's. Here is a picture of one of my drop cloth Valentines for a swap I'm in. I use a piece of watercolor paper as a drop cloth when i am making cards. Any extra paint gets smeared on as well. These "drop cloths" are also used when I rubber stamp on anything and they get a few stamps on there as well.
I made these cards using drop cloth paper for the background and for the hearts. I haven't yet decided if I'll embellish them anymore.

I've also been collecting old and odd papers for book binding projects I want to do. If anyone has access to old blueprint paper or maps or old workbooks and such please let me know. Thanks.

Viki

Orange and Pink

Orange and Pink
Originally uploaded by cobweb1st

Orange and pink are big in our house. No the walls are Not painted either color and there is no orange carpet. My dad did have a burnt orange car at one time that I had to drive.

Anyway, for some reason everyone goes nuts when they see Orange or even hear the word Orange. It is kind of a joke.

So when the daily prompt on Gluebooks, www.gluebooks@yahoogroups.com, was Orange and Pink, I jumped on it with both of my sticky little hands.

In fact I firmly believe that it saved my sanity last week at work. During rest time I grabbed the glue and an old Real Simple and cut out everything I found that was pink or orange. It was...restful. Mindless even. Ahhh a Zen moment with three year olds.
You don't believe me do you?

Viki

FLAK and Enthusiastic Kisses

Enthusiastic Kisses
Originally uploaded by cobweb1st

I worked on my FLAK last night. I knit about 2 inches of cables on the body. I've already knit a few rows today and I think I'm getting into a rhythm again.

I've also been making ATC cards. The one in the picture is for a Valentine swap. The background was painted using the Stencil technique from the Bernie Berlin ATC Workshop book. The picture is from printed tissue paper I bought at Michaels.

Back to work!

Viki

Finished Objects

Unfortunately NOT the FLAK.
These are Jordan's Birthday socks. Finished 3 weeks BEFORE her birthday.
This is that funny looking Noro hat that I just had to make. It was computer knitting for a long while, meaning it sits at the computer desk and I knit on it as I surf. I Finished it last night. It is a little big and kind of Funny(looking & feeling). Click on the picture or go to my flickr acct. to see the actual colors. http://www.flickr.com/photos/16932110@N04/

I also started knitting on another pair of mittens on Tuesday during American Idol. The chart is difficult to follow, so it may be slow going. I only have one other pair of socks in the works and I wont allow myself to start anymore until I work on the FLAK sweater. I must have a mental block on that sweater. I have a horrible time even picking it up. I don't know why, it is beautiful. The yarn is nice and I could use a warm sweater. I keep finding other things to do other than knit on it. ATC's, hand bound books, and reading. I need someone to make me knit at gunpoint or needle point.

Viki

Baby it's cold outside

Okay, so today it is hovering around 34 degrees and we have snow on the ground. Just enough to cause them to delay opening school for 2 hours.

This weekend it was really cold for Kentucky. On Sunday when I woke up the temp was 9 degrees. So I stayed inside nice and warm and finished and blocked my Komi mittens.
(Mostly Mittens pattern number 8 on size 1 needles) They are beautiful and warm.

I also blocked my Ice Queen. The yarn is a merino mohair from Crystal Palace. The pattern is from the Winter issue of Knitty. I used a size 9 needle and all but 10 inches of the yarn. Whew that was close. I did not use beads. When I started this, and it was one of those have to start it now or I will just die moments, I didn't have beads to match this variegated yarn. Still it turned out beautiful. My DD2 was kind enough to put it on for the photographs.

Although she did complain and didn't want her face to show.

I have a noro hat in the works, it is the computer desk knitting, and socks of course.
Have to finish those for DD1's Birthday. What I really need to do is knit on the FLAK.
I want to know how the Yarn Harlot can knit a cabled sweater as fast as she does.
My friend Anita would tell me it is because "She works on it!"
I better go work on it because other things are calling my name...like that Kauni yarn sitting
over there in the bag.
Next post there may be art in the pictures. I am working on Valentines for a few ATC swaps.

Viki

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