A Day in the Life of.....

A Year in Review

 
These are the 8 finished projects that I have photos of.  I also completed a vest for a friend's grandson, crocheted a sweater that I need to send to a friend, started and worked on some socks that aren't completed yet and did do some spinning (not as much as I would have liked).  I was lucky enough to go to SPA, Conn Sheep and Wool, NH Sheep and Wool and Stitches East.  It has been a good year for fiber.  Hopefully in 2010, I can keep up with projects, finish a pattern I am writing and attend some more super fibery places.  Hope everyone has a great year and you accomplish everything you want and then some.

Happy Dance, Happy Dance

That is what I was doing at 5:30 on Saturday night after spending time at Aleksa Cars in Salem, NH.  Mary and I went and met with Ralph and Dan and after about 30 minutes, a test drive and some signing of papers, barring any unforeseen issues this lovely lady is all mine.  Please met Miss Moon - my new (to me) Hyundai Santa Fe SUV in Moonlit Blue.  Isn't she loverly?????????  Lots of room for roving kids, my wheel,  groceries, and camping things.  Thanks for all the good thoughts as we went through this process.  It was not painless but it was not too painful either. 

SPA revisited

Last weekend as you know, we attended SPA.  There were lots and lots of yummy fiber, yarn, goodies, some spinning wheels, patterns and books.  I actually purchased one cone yarn but lots of fiber, lots and lots of fiber.  Now not all of it was for me, well most of it was for me, but some was for Mary’s swap pal, my swap pal, my sister’s swap pal also received something.  I bought some yarn for my mom and my sister and Mary bought some yarn.    

 

I bought some black Icelandic lamb roving, some smokey gray bamboo roving, some tencel/merino roving from Spunky Eceltic spinning, a gray and cranberry roll and some other items that were just too pretty to leave behind.  Now to just decide what all of this should be.  Hmmmmmmm that will have to wait, I still have to finish my swap pal’s socks.  Then – more spinning.

Red Merino/Orange Finn

Red Merino/Orange Finn
Originally uploaded by ADITLO

Last spring at the NHSW I purchased some wonderful orange Finn/Corridale roving and then at the Revival this summer, managed to get some multi-red merino roving. I decided to blend them together. Having never done this, I of course looked to Julie to figure out how to do this. She had purchased a hackle last spring and was glad to give me a lesson on it. You place some roving on to the deadly looking nails, then put a second layer on and so forth until you have the blend that you are looking for. You then pull it through a diz (piece of wood with small hole in it) and you create blended roving. Lots of fun. This is how it looks spun up.

The Good and the Bad

Let’s see, what has been happening in my life.  Well first, the good news.  The kids have gone back to school.  YEAH!!!  Mary has decided to sell Tupperware for a while to see if that works for her.  YEAH!!!!  I finished a knitting project – more on that tomorrow.  YEAH!!!

 

Now the bad news.  My mother in law Fran has liver cancer.  Large and apparently in charge. (at least for now)  So Mary is going to move back to her mom and dads house during the week and help take care of her.  She is weak and will get a bit weaker when she starts chemo sometime soon, so it is difficult for her to cook, and take care of things around the house like she is used to doing.  Mary is the logical choice as she is the sister without a full time job or little kids, and there are some things that a mom just doesn’t want her son (if any of them were unemployed) to do.  So off to

Somerville

she will go.  The kids, cats and I will miss her but she will be home on the weekends and Mondays and we will do what we need to.  

 

Little hint on what I knit – it is lacy, used handspun that was a gift (yummy) and shaped like a triangle.  I hope to have pictures of it up tomorrow, and pictures of Halloween.  More later.

Fiber Revival

Brickhouse Merino
Originally uploaded by ADITLO

Last Saturday, Mary, Cheryl and I went to the Fiber Revival in Newbury, MA. It was small but well attended and it was a beautiful day to walk around and see friends, animals and some wonderful fiber. I purchased a pound of roving from Sereknity with the intent of blending it with some orange that I have to make some socks for Mary. It is quite yummy feeling.

While there we ran into a couple of friends, saw a very social turkey, fondled yarn by Spunky Ecelitic and gazed in wonder at some super cute alpacas (including a two week old little girl one). All in all it was a fun time and I will go again next year, bring Winnie the wheel and spend the day.

Manchester Knit and Crochet Show

4255
Originally uploaded by ADITLO

Last Sat. Mary, Cheryl, David and my mother all met up at the Knit and Crochet show. There was some lovely yarn, nice vendors, cool friends, like Julie, Christine, Crystal and Colin and some FLEECE! Mary had her fleece detector on and found me some lovely merino and silk and some kid mohair. We also found a lovely silk cap for my HHHH pal. I am hopeful that they will like it. It is beautiful colors. The skein here is Lorna's Laces, shepard socks that I am going to use to make a baby hat and some booties for one of the women at work. Here are the other goodies that we walked away with. Oh ya, and my lovely wife took a picture of me crocheting on a blanket for a bear that one of the guilds had at their stand. We also ran into Manise, Kathy and Cheryl. There was a ravelry meet up right in front of my favorite LYS, The Yarn and Fiber Company. It was lots of fun, and I am glad we went.

 

Hush Hush Handspun Hootenanny Bobbin

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Originally uploaded by ADITLO

This is the first bobbin full of the yarn that I am making for my swap pal. I will be spinning the second bobbin this weekend and hope to have it plyed up the beginning of the week. I would like to send it out the end of the next week. I am going to have to look for some goodies to put in the package as well, as the other 4 ozs of unspun fiber that I am sending. I am sooooooo excited about this swap. I can't wait until I get my package from my swap pal. More updates as I spin and shop.

Purple/Brown 33% Alpaca & 67% Corriedale

Purple/Brown Corridale
Originally uploaded by ADITLO

This is the roving that I have been working on getting ready for a swap that I signed up for. I am hoping that this will be thin enough and maybe even enough yardage to make some socks. I only have 4 oz but this is 2 ozs spun up and it is an almost full bobbin so we will see. I am going to do it in a two ply with the other 2 ozs. I am pleased at how thin it is coming out.
This is the swap that I am in.  I found it in Ravelry.  Not on Ravelry yet?  What are you waiting for?  All the cool kids are hanging out there.

Playing with Full Bobbins

Full Bobbins
Originally uploaded by ADITLO

Last night I did some more of the fuschia and gray spinning. I plyed some that I had spun at Julies on Sunday and that left some empty bobbins so of course I needed to fill them up again. I am almost done with this roving and will be on to something else. Not sure what yet. Need to stand next to the box of roving and see what speaks to me. I think but am not sure that I will be trying my first pair of mittens with this. If any one has any ideas, I would welcome them. I should have over 300 yards when I am done and it is mostly a light worsted weight. OR maybe some socks. HMMMMMM that could be interesting. Maybe make spinning socks.....I'll keep you posted.