Day to Dye for

Couple of weeks ago, Carla and I taught a natural dyeing class. The day started out cold and rainy but did warm up a bit and the sun did come out. Our class was small there was 6 of us. We had great fun. Besides natural dying with madder, onion skins, indego, safflower, we also did some kool aid dying and dying with Wilton cake icing as well.

We had journels for each of the participants to start there own dying journel. I have to say that Carla and I are bad at keeping tract of what we are doing when we are dying.
We do it more for the fun and just like to experiment..

Thank you Barb for hosting our day and Thank you to Marty, Barbs husband for letting us use his shop to play in.

I am slipping!!!!

I can't believe that it has been almost a year since the last time posted. Alot has been going on since then. I have a new job. working fulltime. Makes it hard to find time to blog.
I have been knitting alittle. I did make an alpaca hat from yarn that I spun for my sister in law for christmas. It turned out really cute. I even had enough yarn left over to make a pair of fingerless gloves. Still working on my X&O vest. Keep starting little projects inbetween. I also just started a clapotis out of fiber that I purchased from Adams farm. It has been spun for a while just waiting for the right project to come along. I love the colors. Has all the great fall colors. It reminded me of the fall leaves with a bite of angelena to give it some sparkle.

I appologize for not having pictures, but once again I am having computer issues and am unable to load pics to this computer. But I do promise that I will get pics on as soon as I am capable.

FUN IN THE MUD

Spring has finally sprung here!! This is a picture of my daughter ( the driver and my sons girlfriend) My son is the one in the back ground. The girls decided that while they were riding 4 wheelers and going through the mud that they would get off and wrestle in the mud.. They were covered from head to toe... My son, the one in the back ground, was reaching for a bucket of water that was on the ground...he proceded to dump it over the top of the 2 girls right after I took the picture.. then the hose came out and the had a water fight with the hose....good thing it was 75 today.... On to the knitting front.... I know have 2 pairs of socks done and a scarf... I am now working on a vest for myself...but I have not been able to do a whole lot of knitting.. I started a new job 3 weeks ago, making a whole lot more money.. I have to say that this job is a whole new side of nursing and there is alot for me to learn.. I am liking it though.. Health wise things are good. I have not been able to do alot of spinning either.. I just don't seem to find the time..after getting the supper dishes done and laundry and all the running for sports I am wiped out and head for bed. Well speaking of bed I think that it is time.. tomorrow is another long day. work, track met, and then off to Dicks for baseball supplies for my youngest.. I will try to include some pictures of my finished work next time..

When is spring coming???

We had one of the biggest snow storms that we have had in quiet awhile on Valentines Day. It was nice to see the snow,but now the cold can go away. I am not a winter person. Don't get me wrong I enjoy watching it snow from my livingroom window, not through my windshield. The kids are enjoying it though, it came just in time for winter vacation. They have been out on the snowmobiles all week.
I have been knitting like crazy. I finished a pair of socks, scarf and 2 hats. I am now working on another pair of socks. My goal is to make socks for everyone this year for Christmas. (you can stop laughing now!!!) I think that I am doing well. I also need to do some spinning. In October, I dropped off 2 fleeces to be processed by twist of fate spinnery in Ct. (at Rhinebeck). They came not to long ago. I am greatly impressed. The fiber is clean, it was nicely packaged. I did spin some of it and it spins beautifully. One of the fleeces is from Mary Pratt, it is beautiful. My other goal is to spin it and knit a sweater for me to where to Rhinebeck. ( again you can stop laughing) I did not say which year to Rhinebeck. I am also hoping to be able not to buy any yarn or fiber and use what I have here, but with spring just around the corner and fiber festivals starting it might be asking to much. I am going to try and be good.
DH has been home working. Siding the house and when the wind was to strong and cold, they tore out the bathroom, replacing the tub, floor and toliet. Which was a surprise when I came home from work, to find a tub in the middle of the living room floor and the vanity in the dining area and the sink on the floor in the hall. I am not one for having my house torn apart. I have issues with sawdust and sheetrock dust track all through the house. Left for me to clean. While he plops his butt down in the chair to watch the news, then complain because the vacum is to loud and he can't hear. It is a never ending battle. Well, I guess I am off to start the day. Nice to have uninterupted computer time.

Happy New Year!!

I know I am late in wishing everyone a happy new year. It has been hectic. Started off the new year, teaching a med course. Now it seems that I have gotten a cold. I really don't understand why seeing that yesterday it was over 60 degrees here, today it is in the mid 40's. My plants are so messed up. They think that it is spring. With all that has been going on I have managed to finish one project and start a new one. I finished the vest that I started a while ago out of some of my handspun. I hope that he likes it. It is to be a birthday present. My new project is a scarf from the winter issue of knitty. I started it on Monday evening and it is just about done. I can't believe how fast it is going. When I get some batteries for the camera I will post the pictures. I have no idea what the next project will be. I need to find something to take with me to work. I knit at lunch time. Melissa and I have decided that with the new year that we need to work on decreasing our fiber stash. We had gotten the idea from some of our fellow bloggers who are not adding to there yarn stash but using it up this year. So we have decided to do the same with our fiber. No new fiber until we have used up some of what we have!!! ( yeah right, how far away is Cummington?) Wish us luck!!!!

Winter is here!!

Wow it certainly has been cold here the last couple of days. Tuesday gave us our first taste of snow. Just enough to make driving fun. Fortunately it did not last long and by the end of the day it was gone. It still remains cold and for the weekend it is going to be warmer. Has been a long week. I have some health issues that have really started to take a toll on me. Since July I have been battleing high blood pressure that just came on suddenly. I went to the cardiologist on Wednesday, he increased my meds that I am currently on and started a new one. Since I have started the new meds. I have had a headache like you would not believe, and extremely tired ( more so than usual). This does not give me much time to get any spinning or knitting done. As much as I hate to say it the desire is just not there. Hopefully once my body adjusts to the meds it will be better. My hope was that Christmas this year would be better. Last year was horrible, with my husband hurt and out of work and me not working Christmas was hard. I made alot of gifts last year and I am feeling guilty this year because I am not making things like I usually do. I am working on finishing the Irish Hiking Scarf that I started last year, Hopefully it will be done in time to give it to my sister. The vest will not be done. Might have to be a birthday present. My daughter yells at me for bringing my knitting to her basketball games, but she will just have to get over that. Maybe I will have pictures of some finished projects next time.

They are done!!

This is the sunset off my deck on Thanksgiving night. Beautiful

It has only taken me months to make these socks. I bought the yarn from Janet Lynn of www.the-wheel-thing.com during our Hot N Hazy spin in. Started them shortly after but I guess life was just to busy. Finally they are done. I am thinking they are going to be for me, but now with Christmas so close they may be part of a gift for my mother. I am still working on the vest. It is coming slowly. Of course now I am itching to start a new project. Not quiet sure what that will be. Since my last post only the other day. ( I don' know what has gotten in to me. Usually it is months before I post again. ) Things have gotten very stressful here. So I need to find something to keep my hands and my brain occupied. In July I started with panic attacks, started on medication, it seemed to help but yesterday I had to work very hard to hold one back. They scar me and it means that things are going down hill again. I am letting things bother me that perhaps I should not. Well now that I have vented and don't feel anybetter it is off to do some blog reading.

I got pictures!!!!!!

Wow time does fly when you are having fun,( I think it is fun that I have been having, not quiet sure). Things in my life just seem to get more hectic. Rhinebeck was a great relaxation for me. Here is the fiber that I purchased. The white is cormo silk blend from Foxfire, the blue is a blend of mohair and wool with some Angelina in it. The dark is a red and black Lincoln. The fiber pictured in the front is moreno tencil blend from the Sheep shed. I had purchased some in May at Cummington and fell in love with it. So I just had to have some more.

I also added to my dropspindle collection as well. I purchased 2 Hatchtown spindles one is a Lady Anne made out of Fishtail oak. It is one that I have wanted for a while, more for the looks then to spin on. The other is inlaid with Lapis. It spins wonderfully. In the picture as well is the 3rd spindle that I purchased, a Vermont Spindle made of Zebra wood. The other is one that I purchased before Rhinebeck,( I just could not wait) It is a Spindlewood spindle, exactly 1/2 ounce in wt. It has become one of my favorite spindles. Thanks to Janet Lynn of www.the-wheel-thing.com for getting these new spindles. They are beautiful.

Unfortuantly I have not had a whole lot of time to spin. My wheels keep giving me dirty looks. My suzie currently has beast on it. I am in the process of spinning more to finish the vest that I had started as a gift for a friend. I don't think that it will get done in time. The back is done and the front is about 1/4 done. My country craftsman has silk on that, but it has been awhile since I worked on it. Time just seems to fly. I miss spinning. It was a great way for me to relax. With some of the health issues that I now have and person things going on, I really need to do more.

Tuesday was our Christmas get together for our spinning group. What alot of fun. It is always so nice to see my fellow spinners. One of our fellow spinners, Lisa of http://spinaround.blogspot.com was there. Lisa had been ill and had not been coming. It was so nice to see her again and know that she is feeling better. She does some beautiful knitting and spinning. I can't wait for our next spinning get together. Well that is all for now.

Chachachanges

The weather has certainly taken a change, it feels like fall. One of my favorite times of the year. The colors of the trees and the crisp air in the morning, are what make it my favorite. Life here has been going through its own changes here. I have started working full time. I love my new job. I am a Medical Trainer for a bordering counties ARC. It is hard to get back into the routine of getting up and going to work every morning. The kids start school in a few days and perhaps that will help everybody get into a routine. Things at home have been very stressful as well as some health issues that I am having. I have been walking just about every night. Hoping that it will help lower my blood pressure. Has not helped and now I am on a b/p med. Not what I wanted to do. Unfortnately I have not had alot of time to spend spinning. All of my wheels sit in the living room calling to me. Only one wheel has a project on it. I know that is sad. I do have some projects in mind so that may be my inspiration to start again. Also have a sock started and slow progress is being made on it. I did get to turn the heel last night. That is something that I like to do all in one sitting. I do like the yarn that I am using. It is Opal that I purchased from The Wheel Thing in july at the hot n hazy. The pattern and colors are really nice. If I can keep the batteries in my camera I will try to post some pics. Have a great Labor Day!!

Hot and Hazy II

No I did not fall off the face of the earth. Life kinda carried me away. Since my last post in April alot has changed. I had a job at the local icecream shop as manager. I was working 40+ hours aweek, but that was not enough for her. I asked for a day off to go to a job interview, because the icecream stops flowing after labor day. and she fired me. Oh well! I do have a new job that I start on Monday. I am very excited about it. I will be working for a local county ARC as there Medical Trainer. July 1st was Hot and Hazy II. We had a good turn out compared to last year. I want to Thank all the vendors for coming. I will try to include some pictures. We are hoping that next year is an even bigger turn out.
I bought 2 new spindles from Janet Lynn of The Wheel Thing. A Tabachek and a Forrester, along with a skein of sock yarn. From Grafton Fibers I purchased 2 batts of fiber, a bright blue and one that is orange and turquise blended. I am hoping to make socks from them. They are already spun.
Some of my other spinning purchased happened at Cummington. I bought my pretty Saxony wheel, A Country Craftsman. I have wanted one for a while. Yes I now have 3 wheels.
I try to give them each equal time. I also picked up a Russian Lace spindle from Janet Lynn. It is walnut and beautiful. I have not learned how to use it yet but I will. Also bought a fleece from Mary Pratt. Sad that you have to travel 2 hours to purchase from you neighbor, but that is how it goes.
My knitting has come to a stand still. I joined the Mystery Stole 2 knit along and had to rip out the first 9 rows and I just have not gotten back to it. I need to. It might be something to do at lunch. I am also working on a vest, the back is just about done. I am thinking that I am not going to have enough yarn. It is beast that I spun and I am going to have to get some more. Maybe I can get it done in time for Christmas. We shall see. Things are just going to get crazier.
Yesterday, I had a follow up visit with the eye doctor for a retinal tear that she discovered 3 months ago. She found that I had an occluded vessel in my right eye. So off the the retinal specialist I went. He took all kinds of pictures and injected dye. He is not quiet sure what the couse might be. High blood pressure is one theory. So now I am off to the primary for a complete work up. Then back to the specialist in 6 wks so we shall see what happens.

It's a little white for April

It has been snowing like crazy here today. We were only suppose to have slushy stuff on the grass. Oh well. I have some time off between jobs. I start at the local dairy bar at the end of the month. It should be fun. I love to make ice cream sundeas. With all my time I have been working on the Alpaca (someday it will be finished). I got the urge the other day to work on the beautiful silk that I purchased last summer. I have been spinning it on my moosie, it is one of my favorite drop spindles. On other news. Carla, Melissa and I are planning our hot and hazy day again. This time it will be in July. We are very excited. We have some new vendors this year and hopefully Bosworths will be able to come. They have emailed Melissa. I am still working on my license to drive bus. Hopefully by the end of the month I will have my license. It will be nice. It will give me some extra money for the upcoming fiber festivals. Well off to do some more laundry.

Is It Spring yet?

I just had to have something springy. You walk out the door here in the northeast and you are not sure if it is Janurary or the end of April. Monday I had the windows open airing out the house and last night it was snowing, tomorrw it is going to be in the 40's again. You just can't figure it out. Since my last post life at my house has become even more hectic. My job at the local ski area has been very busy. I am also working towards my drivers license to drive school bus. I have decided to put away my knitting for now and work on getting some of my spinning done. It has been so long since I sat down at my wheel, it felt really nice to just sit and spin and not think about any thing but the fiber going through my fingers. I am still spinning the alpaca that belongs to a friend. Hopefully I can get that done soon. I have so many other things that I would like to spin. I have added the pictures of the vest that I made for my mother for Christmas . I am so glad to that done . It turned out beautiful. I my make one for my self some time.

Time flies...........

How does it go" Time flies when your having fun." Well I don't know about that but it sure has been flying here. Life has once again thrown me a bowl of pits. My husband had to have more surgery on his leg. Seems the screws that were used to attach the plate to repair his leg broke. Causing the plate to move out from his leg. So on Tuesday before Thanksgiving. he had more surgery to repair that, all new hard ware and I am not sure what else they did. He was in surgery for 4 hours. He came home Thanksgiving morning. Now we are looking at another 6 months of recovery time.

On the knitting front my needles have been doing double time. I finished another Multidirectional scarf, 2 felted bags and 1 sock from the sock yarn that my spindler secret pal sent me. I am still working on the red vest, so far I have only had to frog once. I am hoping to start on a pair of socks for my father and one for my brother and I am still thinking that I would like to make hats for my nieces. But time will tell. I am going to limited on time because I will be working at the local ski area with in the next week. It will be cold enough for them to be making snow. Off to do some more knitting.

Surprises in the mail

Saturday I recieved my first package from my secret pal from the spindlers list. What a great package. There were 2 skeins of sock yarn from Knit picks, 2oz. of merino tencil blend roving a silk cap, a candle and a yummy bar of chocolate. I love the bummer sticker. Thank you so much Secretpal. I sent out my first package to my pal on monday. I also sent out some of the Alpaca yarn that I have been custom spinning. I really enjoy spinning it but it is time for a break from spinning that for a while. I started on my christmas gifts. In the spring I purchased some Highland wool from Elanns thinking I would get an early start on my Christmas gifts. What was I thinking. I found a vest pattern that I really liked in the Folk Vests book by Cheryl Oberle. I choose the Clock Vest. So far it is going well. It has been a while since I have made a large wearable item. Hopefully I will get it done in time for Christmas. LOL.

Stop the Merry-Go-Round

I want to get off. What a summer it has been. Since my last post in July, life has gotten even crazier if that is possible. DH is improving daily. Thank you all for you comments and concerns. It is nice to know that there are a few who do read my blog. Mid August, a group of friends and I held our Hot and Hazy fiber day. The name did it justice. It was very hot. What a lot of fun we had. David Paul from Merlin Tree was there as well as Janet Lynn of The Wheel Thing. Mary Pratt brought some of her fleeces to sell. We all so had some local vendors there as well. The only thing that was a little upsetting was that we did not have the spinner turnout that we wanted but what a lot of fun. The week following that was fair week. Carla and I spent the week at the fair spinning for a friend who raises Alpacas. She was promoting her store and the Alpaca industry. During that week my father in law was hopitalized with kidney failure. He is improved and just as orney as ever. It has keep us busy. My husband now drives him to dialysis three times a week. Now fairs are over and I am off to work at the corn maize for the fall. Unfortunately the weather has not helped. All it seems to be doing is raining. Is it possible to be suffering from sun deprivation?!!!!! LOL. I did make it to Rhinebeck. I was afraid I would not. Money has been pretty tight. But I had a great time. Came home with 3 new drop spindles and some camel down. One spindle I do have to say is for my daughter. I purchased her a Bosworth Feather wieght purple heart wood. She picked up my moosie that I had gotten this summer and she had so much fun spinning on it that I thought she should have her own and I could have mine back. It is a wonderful spindle. It has gotten me to spin more on a spindle. I also bought a BW mini for me and a porcilean bottom whorl. I am currently spinning alpaca for my friend. She has commissioned myself and Carla to spin her fiber for her. What alot of fun. I can't think of a better way to spend rainy afternoons then spinning. Well I should be off to do some housework and laudry. (they never seem to end) Now that my merry go round has slowed down some perhaps I can work on my blog some more. Maybe even get some pictures on.

Time to make Lemonade

When life throws you lemons, you just need to make lemonade.

Can things get any crazier. I have been attempting to post for months and my computer or blogger will not let me. So many things to write about. Were to start. I guess the best place to start is with the most dramatic thing that has happened.
Last Friday I went to work with DH ( he is a self-employed carpentar). He was setting the roof trusses on a barn and needed an extra pair of hands, mine to be exact. I was the ground person, guiding the trusses to there right spot. We had 2 more trusses to set when he fell from the peak of the roof to the truck bed of the crane. He broke his right femur in the fall. Saturday morning he was off to surgery to have pins and a plate put in to repair the brake. Wednesday afternoon he came home with crutches and walker. He lost alot of blood during surgery and from the brake. His thigh and knee are very swollen and that makes it even more difficult for him to get around. He is not to put any weight on that leg for 8 weeks. I have a feeling that it is going to be a long summer.
On a better note. Melissa and I are planning a fiber day/spin in. We are getting help from some of our other friends as well. We are hosting it at a local corn maize. It promises to be alot of fun. I just hope that with all the planning that I have put in to it I will be able to attend.
On the knitting front, I have been working on a pair of socks. The first one is done and the second is well on its way. It was something that was easy for me to work on while sitting in the hospital. Not much spinning has been getting done. There just does not seem to be enough room in the living room for the wheel. And to be very honest I am just to tired.
Well duty calls. I will talk to you all soon.

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wow were has the time gone. I can't believe that it has been a month since my last post. Life has gotten so crazy here. Spring does that. Many things have happened. Were to begin. At the end of April some friends and I helped out at the County fiber tour. The weather was not the nicest. It rained on Saturday and Sunday was very windy, but we had a good time. When ever we are doing any kind of public demonstrations we always to some dyeing. This time we used Safflower, Dandilions, hibiscus and Koolaide. The colors were great. The kids had a great time going out in the yard and collecting the dandilions. I do have to admitt that with the demonstrations, I have gotten better with a drop spindle. We did learn some new things too. How to andean ply and to navijo ply. They are not as hard as I thought.
Remember the baby blanket that I have been working on forever. Well it is finally done. It turned out beautiful. I am so proud of myself. My first major handspun project. I am hoping to start the flower basket shawl next. My goal is to have it done to wear to Rhinebeck. I have some light grey coopsworth that I think I am going to make it out of.
I want to thank Liz my secret Pal for a wonderful last surprise. She sent me some beautiful multicolored yarn for socks. A sock pattern, soap, a yummy scented candle and chocolate. Thank you so much. It was alot of fun.
The baby shower went off with out to much of a hitch. My son decides at 5:30 that he needs to go to the emergency room because he has some metal in his eye and it is bleeding. I send his father afterhim and finish getting my stuff together for the shower. DH takes DS to the ER. He had a metal sliver just under the surface of his scleara in the corner of his eye. The whole corner is bloodshot. We have been going to the Doctors everyday to keep an eye on the swelling and for infection. Mothers Day this same son takes a tractor down over a 7 ft. bank on the edge of the road. He did not get hurt . Thank goodness but I really think that he is trying to do me in.
Now for some exciting news, 2 friends and I are going to be putting together a web business to sell our fiber things. We will have drop spindles, fiber felting kits, knitting needles and many other things. I will let everyone know when it is up and running. We will also be going to the big Dressage event at Saratoga Race course. They are having a llama and alpaca show as well. We have been invited to join a local alpaca breeder to share her spot. She has a store were you can buy alpaca products and some of the things that we are selling as well. It should be alot of fun.
Well I think that I have covered everything.
I promise I will be better about posting.

The Sun is shinning!!!!!!!

Can life get more hectic. I am frantically working on the baby blanket, it is almost done. Just need to sew all the pieces together. I am happy that it is going to be done with time to spare. The baby shower is May 14. Now the major planning for that begins.
I have also been spinning as well. I finished up the grey mohair. I am in love with that fiber. This is just one mohair fleece that I purchased at Rhinebeck that came from Hill Shepard. What a wonderful fiber. I put my drum carder to work as well and did some blending. I used the Polypay/angora roving and some logwood dyed superwash. The polypay is a light grey. It turned out ok, I am not sure that I really like the polypay. The skein that came from it is alittle on the rough side. The roving spun up with slubs and even though that was my intention alot of them came on there own. Now I am spinning the romney. It spins very quickly. It is alittle courser than I am use to but I think that it will make some nice yarn.
Things on the home front have been crazy. DH is working on a building to house the horse. She will be coming home with the next month or so. My job is to find a companion for her. I just can't seem to make up my mind as to what I want. Angora goat or sheep. DH would perfer neither but............ Also on the animal front, the ducks are fornicating all over the place. We have a nest with over 40 eggs. I don't expect them all to hatch but you never know. My youngest son is preparing for his 4H pheasants. They will arrive the middle of next month and at the end of summer he will release them. He is also going to raise Turkeys. We will be having baby bunnies with in the next week as well. So life springs eternal on our little homestead.
Along with all of the home happenings. Our 4H group has been asked to do demonstrations at a local farm for the Washington County fiber tour. We will be doing some drop spindle spinning and spinning with our wheels. Dying will be another of our demonstrations. The owners are going to be shearing one of there Alpacas as well. It is going to be great fun.
Well I am off to do some house work and hopefully some more spinning.

Jennifers shawl  

Gifts from my SP4.