Support my daughters dress habit... or Etsy Sale!

I'm running a special at Etsy right now because I want to clear out the commercial spun yarn in favor of my own. All these were kettle dyed and are wonderful in hand - very soft. Both Sock and Worsted Weight yarns... all called Yarngetti by my daughter.

Etsy Buy Handmade TGTreasures

For the rest of the month I'm running a special - 2.00 shipping on the first item, and 1.00 a skein thereafter...

Please, clean me out so I can get some of my hand spun up and can support Tessa's flower girl dress habit.

Also - if you refer folks my way, I'll likely be really nice to you and throw in some unexpected hand spun along the way.

When I have the inclination I'm missing the time.

I swear time is moving too darn fast. When I have the inclination I don't have the time, and vica vera...

What I do have however is some pics to share. I started on a scarf a few weeks ago after seeing a you tube video on the bubble stitch - crocheting of course.

This is what I started a few weeks ago...


and today this is where I am at with it.

The lighting stinks ...

lemme try this again.

Ok - that's somewhat better. What can you expect for a camera phone though - it's literally hit and miss with it.

So My dilemma with which night seems to have resolved itself. My MIL wants to start taking the kids on Wednesday nights, so there ya have it ;-)

Speaking of the kids - here are some pics from the weekend. Not a lot, but goodness they are growing up so fast...

3 going on 13 here with her toy cell phone...

And my 11 month old trying to look cute and innocent - don't let that fool you however. He's 100% boy.

Ok - off to get this posted, to traipse through my Etsy account, and then on to Ravelry.

Can you call Speedos a Pair?

So when Gaelon came to bed last night he told about watching the Power of Ten while I was out at S&B, and that some of the questions on the show got him thinking about the silly drama regarding my posts on divorce over at an other site I write at, which then let him to recall a comedians take on infidelity being caused by a lack of imagination.

We decided then that the best form of infidelity was the one that happened completely in a person's imagination.

Keep in mind - I'd been asleep when he came in. So I was processing this in a very groggy state. It was that babbling you do when you're on the periphery of being awake but just not quite. We have some very funny conversations when one or the other of us are in that state.

I then told him that I was having an affair right there in my imagination, and he laughed. I told him then "I'm all done. I had to dump him."

"Who did you dump Annie?"

"Daniel Craig. He looks great in a pair of speedos..."
(Can you even call Speedo's a pair???)

"But I had to dump him because he had a terrible foot fetish, so it's over."

and I went back to sleep.

My hubby just reminded me of this as I told him about my dream with John Larroquette buying me a bikini to take me to Bimini. Urm - me in a bikini? no. John Larroquette? Again - no.

Man my imagination is on overtime I guess. I wonder what it would be like with adequate sleep.

Cheater!

So - I have two knitting groups available to go to each week. One is 1/4 a mile away from my house, and the other is held about a half an hour away.

Both groups have a lovely group of warm, wonderful women.

However - I feel more comfortable and welcomed at the group that's farther away on the Wednesday nights.

I never knit at the Tuesday group that's closer to home - I bring my wheel and spin, and sometimes even teach spinning. The social dynamic there is different though. The women there are mostly close to if not already retired and their kids are all grown up and having kids on their own. They are also not very computer literate, although a couple of them know their way around XP...

The Wednesday night group - it's filled with both stay at home moms and working moms and some women who aren't moms at all... and not a single one of them is petrified of their computers, unlike the Tuesday night group. I also tend to actually knit or crochet at this group. It's fun, and hopefully I'll get Gaelon's scarf finished soon by getting over there.

Obviously you can tell my preference.

So why do I feel guilty like I'm cheating on Tuesday by going to Wednesday? Especially when I went to Wednesday's first.

Gifts of love

My daughter's cat brought us a "present" at lunch time.

There we are - I'm working from home with my laptop, she's playing on the Dora the Explorer site (nickjr.com) on her laptop and a little bit of grey fluff with a white string is dropped infront of my daughters computer. At first glanceI thought it was wool from my spinning stash, and initially reached out to take it from the kitten, thanking her for her good hunting skills...

when I realized that white string had a foot next to it, a very tiny foot.

that white string was a tail.

Delilah brought us a mouse.

Reaching over the mouse to the box of babywipes, I grabbed a babywipe instead, and wrapped the little gift up while hearing Tessa say "Mommy, What's that, What did Delilah bring us, that's not fluff mommy, that's not yarns mommy"

Yeah - I'm fielding preschooler curiosity at the same time I'm dealing with a dead rodent.

Delilah of course ran off thinking she was in trouble at my first "EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!"

because come on - if you were eating pizza, snuggling in bed and playing with computers with your little snugglebum - you'd be grossed out by a dead mouse too.

Mouse wrapped up, and tossed into bag with wet pullup pants, tied off, and carried down to the garbage can, we then sought out Delilah. Tessa praised her liberally, and the kitten is now laying next to me purring as I've also reassured her that she's done a good job.

Sunday morning she brought Garret a makeup sponge as a present. She's obviously worked her way up to the real thing.

Well... I did want a mouser. I got a heck of one if the past two presents are any indication. Good thing she's a house cat - the squirrels and possums outside would be in danger next, and I really don't want either of those dropped on my bed. A dead mouse is more than enough thank you.

And I think I prefer the makeup wedge.

Etsy Up and Broken Ankle

 

First things first - wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!I spent some time last night listing my hand painted and kettle dyed yarns...My Hand spun needs to be re-skeined before I can take pictures, but I have a ton of those to list too - which will happen this weekend.  We've got a lot of other things to list as well.

Etsy Buy Handmade TGTreasures

Pretty cool eh?  They were a lot of fun to do.  Tessa thinks the sock yarn is "Spaghetti Yarn"

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I went to the walk in clinic.  Seems I've reinjured my foot, in the form of stressing a broken bone in my ankle that I didn't know I'd broken.

Go Me!  I turned down the Air Cast, and have an ace bandage on the ankle. I'm supposed to stay off it, keep icing it until late tomorrow and keep popping Advil.   That advice I could have given (and did) my self.  The broken bone and likely torn scar tissue however - that was news.

 

 

 

Last time I was aware I damaged my ankle - I was pregnant with Garret. Nothing like a 10 lead apron xray to make you remember when you hurt yourself last.

 

Also - 7 weeks on the job and I've already had to call the help desk.  I think I may be getting a new laptop...

 

 

Who won the pool?

 

I am horribly hard on laptops, I went through 12 of them in less than 3 years at CLG.

 

I'm right on schedule I guess.

 

*For those interested - Mom's about 100 miles east of Flagstaff.  She's trying to get in to Vegas during Daylight today, so she can get the rig put up the way it needs to be - done right the first time.

 

I'm so very proud of her.  Seriously - she's done this on her own, and has completely taken charge of her life, and her preparation for the retirement she desires and deserves.

Spinning, Garret and Boo

I twisted my ankle mightily tonight. It's icy and gross outside tonight, and coming in from grocery shopping I wiped out. Called Gaelon on my cell phone and he helped me up and into the house. I have had far worse sprains, and it's a beautiful technicolor mess but due to spinning it's stronger than I've ever had an ankle when sprained, and it will probably recover quicker too.

So The Kid shared some of her photo's with me. Here they are in their glory. Remember what I said - ABC Carriers are not nice to the boobs. Garret was happy though.


All those balls from the ball winder were recently twist set and measured to be as accurate in the yardage as I could get... hence being in balls. I don't know which will be better for selling on Etsy - hanks or images of balls already wound. We'll find out, and if I need to I can wind some balls onto the niddy noddy (my PVC one is there in the pic) and see if it helps the yarn sales from there. I do hope they sell as I need to pay for my roving I ordered. Or Repay myself for it? It's good therapy, but is nice that it's therapy that can pay for itself.

Yes - for those of you in the know - it is a smaller bobbin on the jumbo flyer head. I was cheating, it worked out nice though.


Garret was delighted to be in the ABC when I was spinning, but loved even more the attention that Boo and The Kid were showering on him

.
His face is changing again, and in this one you can really see how much he looks like his big sister.


I think he was channeling his Daddy and trying to charm the older ladies... Boo certainly loved playing with him.


He really is a charmer...


Seriously - aren't they adorable, Boo is just awesome with Garret, and really is so good with the fact he's a baby. She couldn't wait to hold and play with him and even shared her little bell which he shook with much gusto.


Like I wrote above, she was awesome with him and he just adored her. I felt bad that Tessa wasn't able to get some time with her, but there's always a next time, and one of these days I think that we'll likely meet her mom and Boo for lunch and the four of us will go out for Sushi and leave the boys at home.

Economic Depression does not sell yarn

OMG What the heck???

So - The craft show - very talented vendors, beautiful artisanship on a lot of things there... and the buildings next door were boarded off and a bit frightening looking.

It was held in the gym of a Catholic school, but the neighborhood is so scary that it would take a miracle to convince me it was safe enough to send kids into that area.

So - I have a lot of yarn for the Etsy shop. And that's ok really. I am fine with this, and have no problem listing things there.

I did make some sales, and did some Bartering for this awesome little hat that I'm hoping SOMEONE got a picture she can share of it on Garret's little head... hint hint.

The Kid came with Boo and spent time while I spun, and Boo and Garret got along famously.

She has pics to share... I just have to say that ABC Slings do not lift and separate, but instead make your boobs look like they are saggy and spread far apart. I'm not skinny but the pics make me look HUMONGEOUS.... and all I can do is laugh. They are a recording of today. I can be bummed because I look like crud or I can rejoice in the memory of what actually was a rather fun day

So here's a funny for ya'll when you consider the context of who it happened to (me) and what my religion is... (Wiccan/Pagan.)

I was nursing Garret and the only comfortable seating to do it on was near the entrance, so while I nursed I got to watch traffic go by (what little there was.) Well in walks the Parish Priest. I smile as he's immediately noted I have a baby in my arms (Garret seems to draw attention even when he's not nursing...) so I by reflex say "Hello Father, I hope you are well." Why I said just that I have no idea - remember brought up Pagan here, and my family outside of my mom are all Baptists.

He walks over while Garret is still latched and says "Let me bless you" and blesses Garret, tracing whatever it is that they trace (the cross? again functionally illiterate when it comes to Catholicism here) onto Garret's forehead while saying his blessing.

Garret looks at the priest like a new toy and someone else that he can charm to bits...

I smile and say "Thank you Father"

and am befuddled for hours.

Seriously.

I then texted Gaelon and my best friend Donna (Who is a reporter for the Catholic TV Station)

Gaelon's response - "I guess that's Tacit support for Nursing in Public by the Catholic Church then"

Donna's response - "What - you didn't get struck by lightning?"

A little bit later the power went completely out for about a half an hour. No heater, and it was below freezing all day. If if didn't kick in soon ambient heat would dissipate and I'd have to pack it in because I wasn't going to have a popsicle for a baby boy... Just as I was getting ready to pack it in? Lights and heat came back.

I blame Donna for putting the idea into the universe.

So - time to get pictures taken for the Etsy store.

Snowy Day and Yarn Pr0n

As soon as I sat up in bed this morning I was accosted by a kitten who was realllllllly hungry as she didn’t get her mini can last night. (she gets canned food 2x a day right now)

Then I had to explain to Tessa that even if it was snowy out, I didn’t bring my work computer home last night so I didn’t get to work from home today. That went over like a lead balloon.

Running late I took the dog out, to have her look at me like I was on crack. She HATE’s the snow with a purple passion. She was going back to Dog Daycare today after being out sick last week but I decided I didn’t want to be trying to keep the dog from climbing up onto my lap while driving down an ice laden hill. Back to the crate with a rawhide bone and a bowl of food after a good slurp at the waterer… hopefully Gaelon will get to let her out at lunch time otherwise she’s gonna be really whiney when I come home.

Finished the last of the first batch of yarn to be dyed last night, it's still sitting in the crock pot waiting to be spun out and set on the drying rack. I came home to my sock yarn order being in so those will get skeined and dyed this weekend. Everything that’s hanging to be twist set is going to have to come inside as there’s no way it will dry out on the porch. I think I’ll wait to do the rest that’s waiting to be set until Friday when I can hang it out at my MIL’s next to her new furnace. That basement is dry - so the yarn should set up nicely.

There are several other Coopworth skeins that need to be twist set and when I get home tonight I’ll set them aside to go to my MIL's on Friday too. I bought a Coconut Conditioning Baby Shampoo to set the twist with, as I want to put a little moisture back into some of the yarn that Tessa completely stripped with her Dawn bath. She so loves to help so I don’t make a big deal, but man that could have been a disaster. Plus the shampoo leaves the yarn smelling better than good old blue bottle Dawn…

I was asked over on OpenDiary for a sneak peak. So here's 13 skeins on my porch last night... There's a ton more on my drying rack and hanging in my bathroom, and in baskets... I'm no way going to have the stock for the show that Cinderella had for hers in Wyoming last weekend, but I think that I will have a decent amount when all is said and done.

The biggest skein is all the way to the right. That is about 500 or more yards of plied Coopworth/hand Painted Merino in a Grey and Lilac shade and it's really pretty. I'll have closeups later if I remember to and if it doesn't sell at the craft show.

I have two more skeins of plied Coopworth/Merino and they just turned out beautiful.

I'm going through my carded wool and batts before I get into any of the undyed stash yet. I find I really like working with the roving being dyed first instead of spin first then dye. It just gives a more consistant color.

Pricing is going to be interesting - I am likely taking a loss when you consider all the equipment I bought this year, but for Tax purposes that's fine. It does me well to be in the red on the yarn business for now. Besides - it's Therapy right?

Plus for the show we're going to have the lavendar pillows of multiple types - oh and the mini learn to spin kits... those will likely either succeed or sit drawing dust. Either way, Beaky is coming to the show as asked by the organizers.

I finished a pound bump of Llama / Corriedale last night. It's this lovely Fawn color and is really warm. I have to skein it up but I'm in a quandry as to whether to leave it as singles or to ply it. I'll probably leave it as singles. Tonight I'll take it off the jumbo flyer and move it to a series of smaller bobbins, which will allow me to check the level of twist in it, plus break it down easier into 4 ounce incriments.

My Jumbo Flyer is on the wheel now, but I’m going to switch back to the smaller flyer. Then finish the Merino that I started on the HitchHiker, and skein that up too. It’s going to need to be plied as there are much thinner patches than I really like.

All told however I’m pretty pleased with what I’ve learned, and won’t feel uncomfortable selling my work at the show…

I also need to start on some of the roving that I'd dyed previously - I have this delicious red that needs spinning, and then I want to get into this mohair batt that I call "Vinyard" It's this lucious, lustrous light green with purples in it, and I can see it becoming a sweater or throw for someone who's got dark hair and fair skin. There are also a couple of singles on the bobbins of my HitchHiker... One Merino and one BFL...

While I'm doing that I also need to dye up some more roving soon. I have a lot of wool in my sunroom waiting to be spun up, so I don't think I'll be buying any more for a while. I still haven't gotten some of the raw stuff to the mill yet, and won't this weekend either, but I can at least get to the stuff I have ready to spin. It will make it to the mill some time mid December at this rate, and I'm ok with that I think.

With the weather being so gross I may just stay home and not go to Knit Night tonight, I have a bump of Alpaca, and a bump of Bison that I'm dieing to spin up, but haven't yet. Maybe that's what I'll do tonight when I'm not dying fiber. I've gotten so I can do a large amount in a very small amount of time, I've finally gotten over my obsession with how much I can stuff onto a bobbin, and have really started turning out some pretty yarn.

ok - off to find some hot tea. The problem with a cold is it kicks my arse when it comes to asthma. I'm going to have to turn to my inhaler(s) and I'm not happy with that. I at least have my bosses sympathy and support, as well as strange suggested home remedys for how to stop coughing at night when you sleep.

Even better news is that I have clearance to leave early, which I'll probably head out and work from home this afternoon to avoid the idiots on the road during rush hour.

Oooooo - I have new boots at my MIL's, I'll grab those on my way home so tomrrow I can wear my new boots to work. mmmmmmmmmm shearling and warm. and with getting to go home early? I can get some more spinning done! YAY!

Cold GO AWAY, and Yarn a hoy!

I have several skeins sitting in a basket - all waiting to be twist set. My Front Porch will be Yarnapalooza today...

I then have 7 more skeins to dye, rinse and set to dry on the dryer. 2 skeins to re-skein, some Corriedale/Llama on the bobbin right now, a promised skein of pink to dye and then spin, although I may cheat and blend some red dyed merino roving with some undyed on the drum carder - which I had to explain yesterday to Tessa that it was not a big kitten brush...

for Mt. Washmore I may just go to the laundromat and use up 6 or 7 machines at once - 3 hours out doing that will get me completely caught up and the majority of my time will likely be spent folding.

Garret and I are the only ones awake not counting the cat and the dog. The cat is curled up in a home made flannel prefold and looks too darn cute for words and Garret's trying to pull the threads from the frayed edges of it...
So not a little baby thing to do, but something his grandfather would have done as a child - my dad was notorious for disassembling things as a child to figure out how they worked. I had a moment yesterday where a sob just randomly escaped as I realized that he and my grandmother are not there this holiday season as I'd briefly wondered if he'd deep fry a turkey again... maybe he is doing that somewhere anyhow.

This cold is still kicking my arse. Seriously - I am getting better and not the snot factory I was, but I'm still having lung issues, and am going to have to go on my Asthma meds. I put it off long enough I guess.

Well - I should post and then tackle the day.

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So - I tackled laundry, got about 15 or so skeins dyed, and am going to cry uncle soon as I need another shower and maybe a nap.

My head is killing me and I justwant to curl up and sleep

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21 total skeins dyed this weekend. My house smells like a koolaid factory and a vineger distellery...

more to do this week, as well as baking a couple of pies for Thursday's dinner.

oh and I leave you with a pic of what is sitting beside me in bed right now.