So This is Friday

 

So this is Friday. 

The last "official" day of March Break 2013.  I too, like the Harlot, was able to spend the ENTIRE WEEK ALONE (with the dog and the cats) as I chose not to go West and freeze (some more) because Spring will surely come to Ontario in March.  Here's the thing...while I did see a Robin, while there were some fairly decent above zero temperatures (when it wasn't bitterly cold) and there was a bit of sunshine...the day my family left to go skiing?  It snowed here.  They are scheduled to arrive home later today and...it's snowing. 

I missed the wonder that was Spring LAST March Break and it was my hope and plan that I would not let that happen this year; yet here I sit...watching the snow. 

Another kick start to remember to live in the moment and not try to recapture that which was in the past.

 

Now, I wasn't able to get out on my bike, nor did I have the desire to really venture outside much at all (I am soooo done with Winter by the time March comes along) other than to meet up with my friends, but I was presented with an unexpected option to "Spin First" this March Break and as you've been reading, I wholeheartedly joined in!

 

Here is that funky bright fibre hanging out in the Laundry room.  I think I liked it in fibre form better than spun form...it's kind of muddy now; I'll see how it goes when it's knit up.

 

Next, I finished spinning the Mohair and Merino Batt that I found so intimidating and L-O-V-E it!!  It spun a lot easier than I ever expected and the end result has a lovely highlighted quality to it; I'm very excited to work on the scarf that it was destined to become.

Next after spinning the muddy and the grey, (while looking at muddy with some white and a lot of grey that is our yard) I decided next...next I will spin GREEN!  Something that is cheery and portrays hope and life.  I went through the fibre stash and found a couple of options, but when I found this Sweet Georgia Panda...well, I said out loud, "Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!"  And what a winner it was!  A joy to spin, a pleasure to ply and a wonder to behold!  I cannot WAIT to create something heavenly with this puppy!
 
 
 
 







 

So after Green I want to go with another cheerful colour....

 

May I introduce Dyehard Superwash Merino "L".  It's not really that orangey, but it's a lovely fibre to work with and the colour was enchanting.  Here again, I'm illustrating pre and post drafting.

 

Here is my Finished Friday Photo!  (Ohhh, I'm gettin' me some ideas with that title!)  Six skeins of Hand spun (by me) in one week of alone, spin first, time.

 

 

 

Here is a shot capturing the contrast between hope and reality.  For one thing I hoped that the picture would turn out better and that you could actually see the yarn and then there's the Tulips...think Spring, Pink and Green...versus the ever continuing reality that March in Ontario means Snow.  (Heck, APRIL in Ontario means snow!)

 

 

"Is there anything more you can show us Miss. Winewoolandwhoppers?" 

Why, yes, yes there is.  Part 1 of Catkin is complete and I am now ready to tackle the charts of Part 2! 

 

I also FINALLY put together an apron for myself that I have had cut out and waiting for YEARS!!  Thanks to The Castoffs for encouraging me to get this done.  As with many of the crafty ones among us, I've made quite a few of these...for other people...and never for myself, well that ended yesterday as I put the final touches on the apron featuring some of the things I love.

A recap of the "Finished Friday Photo"....

 

I'm not quite through with this whole Spinning First idea though...

How long do I have 'til their back?

SPRING!!!

 

I SAW A ROBIN!!!

First Robin  of the season....lalalalala


Would not have seen that Robin if I was say...on a ski hill in British Columbia.


Just sayin'

So this is how it goes...

 

Hi again!  Well we're just gonna let the text land where it may!

 

Here is my first days worth of spinning hanging and drying after its post ply bath.  I'm quite happy with the colour progression; it's not perfect...but who is?

 

Next we have the lovely Merino and Yak resting before plying.  You can only imagine how soft that is; wait, whatever you're imagining?  It's softer than that!

While there was no denying the beauty of natural fibres and the comfort in their organic colourways...it was pretty grey outside and I needed a little visual pick me up.  May I introduce "Summer Days" a Corriedale Stripey Sliver that I picked up at the Gemini Fibre booth at the Knitter's Frolic last year. 

 Yes, its that bright!  It was especially nice spinning this one as the sun peaked it in and gave a different 'flavour' and 'intensity' to the colour.
 The singles are resting before they get plied tomorrow and are destined
(I think) to be knit into something for my daughter, who's been eyeing it ever since it came home!

I have to admit, I consciously chose the bright fibres not only because of the weather, but because I also knew that I was heading into a more solid and sedate colour choice and needed to break it up a bit. 
Santa was kind enough to drop this off (by way of our annual Knitter's Christmas party) a couple of years ago and quite honestly I've been quite intimidated to attempt spinning it because it was not in a form that I was used to.

So I took a leap of faith and just jumped in!  It was difficult to pull into strips and after much tugging and pulling....

I'm just taking junks of fibre and spinning those. 
So far so good; more to follow!


In Knitting News:

KAL #5 is started (I'm actually the last one to start and one of the ladies is already finished!).  Catkin using Madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light.  Yeah, it's a pattern that you really need to pay attention to right from the start! 
Thanks for your help TDC. 

Spinning Too! (Two ?)

 

Just needed to post this addendum to my last post to let my dear friends see that I know how to celebrate just like my sheepy friends there. 

 

 

 Alright then, moving on...

Dear Stephanie,

This is what I saw outside my window as I considered your post of yesterday.

 

 

 Now, I happen to find myself with quite a bit of time to myself this March Break and so to your request I say, I'M IN!!

I chose my first project very carefully; as in, a small amount to get started and that might go with the Bison that I've already spun; that I've been wanting to use with something, because I didn't get a lot of yardage from it.

I wanted to show the non-spinners the difference between predrafted and drafted roving -->  VOLUME!!

 (I love taking yarn/fibre shots.)

 

 I spun my singles in less than 2 hours and took sensible breaks so that I could still walk afterward.  Makes me sound old and decrepit, but all the "professional" spinners tell you to take breaks; so I did!

I marveled at how gathering my equipment and choosing my fibre was like a scrapbooking adventure.  I relived choosing the fibre and the specific colourway over the other colourways available.  I took a moment to notice how the fibre picks up the pink in the apron that I use to cover my lap when I spin.  The apron was a gift for my mother that I made several  (many) years ago; I like to use it for spinning because I have a Lady Bug and a Bee wheel and the fabric has lady bugs and bees!  And it brings me close to mom again, too.

 

 The idea of spinning everyday for a week gave me an opportunity to pay attention to one of my Christmas presents.  You place a coin in the yarn basket and as the lovely lady spins the coin drops down...so you have money to buy more fibre.  ;-)

So as I spun, watching the snow swirl before me, I also thought about the week that lay before me...a quiet, lightly scheduled with appointments that only I choose to engage in, restful week and wondered how I should incorporate this spinalong. 

I have decided that I will predraft, spin my singles, prepare the next days treasure and then let the singles rest.  The next day I will ply my previous days work creation before spinning the previously prepared treasures.

 

 Did I mention "treasures"?
This is some fibre I picked up at Rhinebeck a couple of years ago and it is soooooooo soft.  Mmmmmm

 

 And after drafting...I have a beautiful Yak and Merino Rose. 
Yes, I am desperate for spring!  Please?!

So Stephanie, I accept your invitation and have my wheel at the ready!  I am gaining confidence and speed, but hope for some advise along the way.  I have a batt of Mohair that I need to spin to be able to complete a scarf project (to go with a skirt that I no longer own---always the way) and am unsure of how to start/proceed. 
Any hints on spinning from a batt?  Any hints for spinning Mohair?

 

I think this is going to be fun and look forward to reading about and seeing pictures of the many spinners you've brought on board and all that they create.

Before and After

 

Hello all!

Just thought I would post a few pictures to keep you up to date around here.

First, we have a photo shot with my BIG lens to show the really neat way that the snow was melting from our fence.  Today the snow is gone from the fence (not from the ground), but the forecast has a BUNCH more coming tonight and so I'm sure there will be a lovely (sneer) snow covered fence again soon.

 

 

 

 A friend of mine moved to Florida and had twins, a boy and a girl!  Here is a little something that I sent her way.  Because I know that babies in Florida need hats and blankies...right?


















Here's a shout out to Transit Knitter and That Darn Cat!
 
 














BEFORE & AFTER...





{thanks for the reminders}










WHAT A GREAT IDEA!! 

And Again!

So, I found this in the draft page of my blog...

Surprise!!  Two posts in one day!  I'm setting up on a new, big screened desk top PC; so here we go...!
 

Here is an FO from Summer 2012:

Colour Affection.  Lots of people have made it.  And another surprise...I didn't hate the garter stitch.  Short rows made it bearable.

 

So, as I mentioned we went on a cruise.

 

MY FAVOURITE PICTURE OF MY KIDS OF ALL TIME!!!

 

I finished this sweater while we were on the cruise and I wanted a nice picture. That's my husband; not some random sweater model guy.  (That would be a great gig though, wouldn't it?)  The yarn and pattern were a birthday gift from Transit Knitter...Thank-you again E.

 

Ummm, yeah, it was a BIG SHIP!!!

Can't wait to do it again!

 

 

 

IMAGINE...

 

Imagine...

 

That I have been consistently blogging since August 2012...

 

 

 That I knew how to create an entertaining post with the new (to me) blogger format...

 

 That you can actually see flowers blooming in January in New York City...

 

That the people who work to show the wonder of that city, are very good at their jobs...

 

 

That those same people will put you in a cab to keep the street people from bothering you; so you can go see even more sights...

 

That Times Square truly shines bright and never goes to sleep...

 

 

That YOU CAN go shopping on Fifth Avenue....

 

That The Tiffany Diamond is truly THAT Spectacular...

 

That SACS Fifth Avenue can make you feel young and beautiful...

 

 

 

And they serve a delightful lunch...that you knit at...

 

 And lastly, imagine that you attend Vogue Knitting Live in New York City, spend time with the people---even though they're strangers---who understand you better than most. They know that the colour and the vibrancy of the yarn that you see and touch only speaks to you of the potential for beauty and creativity in your life.

 

 

And with that, your soul sings.

Hello?

I thought I would test this out to see if I could still make this new fangled innerweb thing work.
It took me a while, but I did manage to find the right button to click on to be able to write these few words for you to read.  I did not, however find any pictures that I wanted to include and I'm not up to finding the camera and getting some new material.
Summer has flown by and for a family that had little to no plans, it has been another busy one!
We have a new car...no more Mini.
We went on a Cruise...Caribbean in August = HOT, HOT, HOT!! (insert musical notes here ;-))
There has been knitting.
There has been baby making.  (again, NOT ME!!  I just like to share the joy with others.  hehe)
After I pay some bills and try to find clear spaces to work...I'll work on getting some pictures and new insights out here to share. 
Enjoy your long weekend and...
BACK TO SCHOOL!!!  WOOHOO!!!

The Fun Never Stops!

 I wanted to check in and tell you about the fun we had here after dinner last night, but because it was so much fun I forgot to take pictures and have inserted some yarn eye candy instead.

First, here are our hats again, but in a better 'Artsy Fartsy' kind of angled shot.  The focus was beads.

Speaking of beads a few weeks ago I met some friends in Oakville for lunch. 
I found Knit One Bead Too and had a peak.  I came home with this HABU Silk and Silk Stainless and of course some pretty matching beads.

Someday... 

So my daughter and I are heading to another Dance Competition this weekend and yesterday I was busy making some stuff to take with us and to leave for the guys.  Last competition (o.k. this is going to be a longer story than I thought!) we visited the Hershey's store while in Niagara Falls...

(Hey! I actually have a photo---wait here, I'm going to try to insert it)  IT WORKED AND IN THE APPROPRIATE SPOT!!  COOL!!  Anyway, we went to the store and I bought a little something for everybody...I got baking cocoa.  Woot, woot. 
There's a recipe on the container for brownies and as you may recall I do enjoy brownies (see birthday post); I made them, my daughter loved them and so I thought I would make them for the trip.  Now, when I was growing up one of my mom's tips was to make the recipes on the packages of things.  She said, "They're usually pretty good and they want you to think that it's their ingredient that makes it, but you can substitute and use whatever you have."  I was passing this info along to my daughter and to prove it I thought, well why don't I bake two batches of brownies, one with the Hershey's and one with Fry's?  And then, I don't know what happened here---chocolate fumes mixed with the ever present yarn fumes perhaps, but I thought if we're going to have a taste test we should include the recipe that I've been making my whole adult life to prove that it indeed is the superior brownie recipe!
So, 3 batches of brownies later, I had a taste testing planned for dessert!  Each brownie was marked with a different coloured toothpick and I tucked the master list away; so that I didn't even know which was which (except for the old standby) when it came time to rate them.  I put together score cards  and asked everybody to give their honest opinion.  I did have to remind them that just because one was bigger than the rest it didn't mean that that one was better.
Well, knock me over and call me Susan, (that's funnier when a man says it) my son was the only one who liked the old standby best.  Even I had been won over by the new guy in town!  But, it was not a landslide, by any means!  My daughter liked the new recipe using Hershey's Cocoa; my husband and I?  We liked the new recipe, but with Fry's! 
Now that that's been settled...I think we're good for Brownies for awhile.

I wasn't especially thrilled with the sock shot that I left you with last time; so here's another one.  There's a lot of prep required prior to a sock shot.  Just Sayin'

Wish us luck!  I'll try to check back soon.