Little Grey Cat Musings

Big Changes and Big News

2010-03-10T09:27:00.000-08:00

I'm moving, yes, but not the way you think. Big Man and I are splitting up. It wasn't amicable at first, but it is now. I'm not moving to LA anymore; I'm moving to Charlottesville, Virgina, home of Juniper Moon Farm! My amazing friend (and the farm's owner) Susan asked me to move in and be her assistant in exchange for room and board.

Clio and I and my wonderful sister (who's flying in to make the drive with me) will be starting on our grand adventure this weekend, and should be at the farm sometime next week. If I can get my camera to cooperate (currently, the pictures it takes look like Salvador Dali painted them), I'll share pictures of our trip and our new home soon!

Miscellany

2010-03-04T08:26:00.000-08:00

We got a house! To rent--never in our lifetimes could we afford to *buy* this house. However, it is AMAZING--1926 Spanish style, many many original fixtures (like leaded glass windows, built-ins, original Batchelder tile fireplace)--and is in a great neighborhood, and our landlady seems really lovely, and it's less than 1/2 mile from the beach, and overall I'm thrilled! Pictures once I get up to LA again (well, Redondo Beach, technically).

It is going to require some paring down of our belongings. It is technically the same square footage as this apartment, but it seems MUCH smaller. However, I don't mind having to cut back. We've needed to do so for a long time, so it's refreshing.

The house is small enough that I'm not even sure where, exactly, to put the cat's litter boxes. Someone on Ravelry suggested this toilet-training kit to me. I was immediately prepared to dismiss it. However, it's only $30 for the kit, and I would love to be done with litter entirely. Plus, it's obviously hilarious to see a cat use the toilet. Anyone have any experience with this? I'd love to hear about it.

Moving on up...

2010-02-16T18:09:00.000-08:00

To the east side...well, not really. We are moving on up the map, though, to LA! Big Man accepted a job in El Segundo, and we'll likely be out of the San Diego area entirely in 2 or 3 months. We're both pretty excited and nervous about it, though for different reasons. He's nervous about his new job (more responsibility), and I'm nervous about how to condense and move 7 years' worth of STUFF out of here!

I'm likely to be selling/wanting to get rid of some things, like novels and other books, maybe some crafting items (though not likely any fiber or yarn!), and maybe some kitchen gear. If I get these things listed somewhere public like Craigslist or half.com, I'll be sure to post a link.

In the meantime, I get to figure out how we're going to work out our life for the next few months. And yes, I'd say we're finally (maybe) getting our piece of the pie :).

it's been a while...

2009-12-05T08:54:00.000-08:00

And things are different. I have a craft show tomorrow, so I'm madly knitting for that (except right now, when I'm typing) and hoping I sell every bit of what I bring. Thanks to the terrible economy, we'll likely be moving in a few months, though I don't know yet if it'll be for a job or back in with my mom in Maryland. Clio the Wonder Kitty has a urinary stone that should have, in all ways, killed her, but she's perfectly healthy. I am sort of holding my breath to see what our future holds. I'm excited to find out, whether it's good or not so good. Either way, it'll be different.

A taste of things to come

2009-08-24T16:06:00.000-07:00

Here's a few photos of some of the handspun yarns I have listed or will list during this week in my shop. They're going to be priced MUCH lower than normal in order to get some cash flowing into my anemic bank account.

hi there

2009-08-22T20:13:00.001-07:00

Wow, it's been a while, eh? I've been in quite a long, drawn-out funk. I'm not a fan of my job (anybody want to hire me? For anything?) for several reasons, and it's affecting my brain pretty heavily.

However, this weekend marks the first weekend I have off since I told my boss "no more weekends!!". Even though this means my hours are being cut roughly in half, I can't tell you how happy I've been since I got off work Friday. It's completely worth it (not to mention the fact I'll actually get to spend time with Big Man again).

One sign of this happiness is that I'm interested in spinning again! Oh, I had done some during the bleaker days, but I wasn't *excited* about it. Now I am. Due to the hours being cut, I plan to work hard and get things listed in my Etsy shop at enough of a discount to (hopefully) ensure they sell just to get some more money coming in. I'm just spinning my fingers off, and it feels great. I owe a local Ravelry/LSG friend a debt of gratitude for getting me going, as she is paying me to custom spin some rovings she fell in love with.

I plan to take photos tomorrow, as this afternoon was spent spinning and napping (and, I kind of forgot I was supposed to take them). I hereby swear to post photos on this blog in the next few days of beautiful fibery things. Oh wait! I DO have a picture of the skein I test-spun for my Ravelry/LSG friend!

50ish yards, 4oz of hand-dyed merino from Fat Cat Knits, her colorway Deep Woods (I called it Sea Glass)

And just for fun, here's my buddy Sampson at the Wild Animal Park (where I met said friend this morning). I don't really know if it's true, but I like to think he remembers me, as every time I go into the aviary he hangs out in, he always comes right to the front of his tree and hams it up and looks like he wants to jump onto my shoulder. I say this because I've observed him from the entrance (where he can't see me), and he just sort of hangs out on the tree not doing a lot for other folks. I do usually spend at least 15 minutes talking to him every time we go.

Today he danced for me! I'd never seen that. Of course, that was when my camera died, so you'll have to move your head up and down in front of this photo and pretend.

He's a hyacinth macaw, and part of the reason I realllllllly want a big bird. His beak (and a lack of funds and space) is part of the reason I don't have one. I'm a weenie.

Maybe the lifting of the funk will mean more blogging too--it feels fun right now, whereas in the past it felt a bit like a chore or duty. Here's hoping! Now I'm off to spin some more...

You must eat this NOW.

2009-05-22T19:47:00.001-07:00

Immediately, drop whatever you're doing and go straight to the nearest grocery store. You MUST try this flavor of ice cream.

I know it's been out for a while, and I'm late to the party. But it's soooooo gooooooooooood.

Also, if anyone knows where I can get my hands on some Ben & Jerry's Coconut Seven Layer Bar ice cream (short of going to a scoop shop), PLEASE let me know!

I'm a thief.

2009-05-20T10:18:00.001-07:00

My lovely friend Susan has a recurring feature on her blog of "Probably Something You Would Like". I'm stealing that idea to share some things with you that I like, and hopefully you will too!

I adore Smitten Kitchen's blog. LOADS of wonderful recipes, all very well-written and photographed, and I have yet to find a problem with anything I've cooked. Well, baked, as I usually go for the goodies. I also bought some of her prints to put up in my kitchen. They look lovely, if I say so myself. Well, if you ignore the horrible rental "white" paint and the ugly window.

The artwork found in AmberAlexander's shop is *amazing*. I'm in love, and want to wallpaper my wool room in her prints. I especially like this one of an octopus.

Artwork property of and courtesy of AmberAlexander

Lookit this amazing fiber bowl! It's machine stitched on soluble fabric, and is just astounding to me. ChocolateFrog really is an expert at this most unusual art.

Image courtesy of ChocolateFrog

Not Always Right kills me, every time. Customers say the darndest things!

You've probably seen this before, but I lurve it. The kitty makes me happy.

Well, I think that's it for now. I don't get out much anymore--work, sleep, sometimes on my days off I get to cook or do fibery things. I'll see if I come up with anything interesting for a post next week--if not, maybe this will be an intermittent feature!

Friday Funny

2009-05-15T07:00:00.000-07:00

I snagged these from this month's issue of Vegetarian Times.

A couple sits down at a diner. The husband orders a burger, and his wife gets the veggie burger. The waitress yells back to the cook " Two burgers, one regular and one de-calf!"

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Why did the tofu cross the road?

To prove he wasn't chicken!

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A man walks into the doctor's office with carrots in his nose and broccoli in his ears. He says, "Hey doc, I still don't think I'm eating right."

Well, hello there.

2009-05-12T10:25:00.000-07:00

I am still here. Things have been, well, a bit topsy-turvy in my head the last couple of months. I'm trying to straighten myself out and settle down. It's slow going, but it is going, at least a little bit.

I've been trying to get used to my new job, and doing some knitting, and some spinning, and lots of nothing too. I might have a finished object to show you, but, well, someone has been holding me up.

That's the inside of the finished back of my Estes Vest. Clio decided it was wonderful and the perfect bed, so it has been naught but a bed for some time now. I've also finished one side and part of another, and will be buying a skein of grey Lamb's Pride to make her her very own bed, so she can stop usurping my knitting.

I'm going to try to post more often. I did hear a good joke recently, so look for a Friday Funny this week. Oh, before I forget--I'm going to Rhinebeck this fall! For those of you who aren't fiber fanatics, Rhinebeck is the informal name for the New York State Sheep & Wool Festival, and it is one of the two biggest on the East Coast, if not in the country. I'm considering it research, as I'd really love to make a living traveling to different markets with my yarns, and selling online and wholesale in between festivals.

Till next time, keep knitting, spinning, spending time with your loved ones--whatever it is that makes you tick and keeps you happy!

Virtual Cat

2009-03-09T10:48:00.000-07:00

Because I forgot to take the camera to the beach this weekend and because I've done nothing but knit, watch Mythbusters on DVD, and that single beach trip, I have nothing to show you (though if the sun stays out, I'll snap some pics of the finished back of my Estes vest). However, I figured we could all use some time with a snoozing kitty, who is ever-so-happy to have me home all day. You might be able to hear her tiny little snores. If not, she's still calming and cute. Hope it brightens your day even a little.

Friday Funnies

2009-03-06T06:00:00.000-08:00

A three year old walked over to a pregnant lady while waiting with his mother in the doctors office.

He inquisitively ask the lady, "Why is your stomach so big?"
She replied, "I'm having a baby."

With big eyes, he asked, "Is the baby in your stomach?"
She said, "He sure is."

Then the little boy, with a puzzled look, asked, "Is it a good baby?"
She said, "Oh, yes. It's a real good baby."

With an even more surprised and shocked look, he asked...
"Then why did you eat him?"

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Three guys are driving in a pickup, two in the cab and one in the bed. Suddenly, a deer jumps into the road, so the driver swerves to avoid it and drives down an embankment into the river. He and the other guy in the cab swim out as the truck sinks. To their horror, as they reach the riverbank, they realize the third guy is nowhere to be found. They’re just about to dive into the river to save him when the third guy final pops up and swims to the shore. “Sorry,” he says. “I couldn’t get the tailgate open.”

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What do you call two men sitting on a window sill?

Kurt and Rod.

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Three fonts walk into a bar. The bartender looks up and say "Shove off! We don't serve your type in here!"

what, you want I should update?

2009-03-05T09:09:00.000-08:00

So, it's Thursday. Time has gotten away from me, moreso than usual. I do have a few pictures (however terrible) for you, and I will post them now. Let's see, how to begin...

I went to Stitches West. It was really great. I want to be a vendor next year. I think that makes me insane (especially since I just looked at the prices for vending this year, eep!). I nearly forgot to take photos, and the ones I took are sort of blurry. Believe me, these two are the best of the bunch. Sorry, but if you squint you'll see it clearly!

Yes, it was crowded. Yes, it was weird being one of the attendees after working so many other types of conventions. However, as it was a crowd of women, I could see over almost everyone!

Standing on a chair near one of the back corners. This was a relatively *open* area--it was PACKED in some of those booths!

I think this was The Bagsmith booth--those are US50 wooden needles. She could've killed someone with them. The rug to her left was knit with roving and those needles.

What's that? You want to know what I bought? Why? Oh, living vicariously, ok. I had set aside some of my tax refund to take to Stitches, and boy am I glad I did! I used almost every last penny of my budget for the trip, but I paid for all my gas, food, and of course yarn with it. I've got some captions on the photo (click on it to "embiggen" so you can actually read it). Also, please try not to be distracted by the colors of my bedspread. Nowhere else was big enough and light enough to take the photo!

click to make it big enough to read the captions!

I have no idea just yet what the Malabrigo is for, though there is enough of the Brillante for a vest (I think) and enough of the Melilla for a short-sleeved sweater (I think--maybe even elbow length). I simply could NOT resist those colors. Yes, I know it's a softly spun single, and yes I know it will pill. I don't much care though, and I'll shave them as necessary!

The Knitting Notions should be plenty for a cabled vest, I believe. Hand-dyed--there are gorgeous tonal variations you can't quite see in the photo.

There's another enormous skein of Eco-Wool for Big Man's sweater, but that was being swatched from and therefore in another room (did I tell you I want to make him a hoodie? And that he wants it baggy? Thankfully he likes the looser/bigger needle swatch!).

The sequin thread will be plied with some plain black thick/thin (like these yarns) and I think I can get two skeins out of it, and the two green wool/stainless Habu cones are to (eventually when paired with two cones I already have) make myself a Sea Tangles sweater.

The ultra-fine stainless--I can't wait to try that! I want to spin a textured single of...maybe merino/bamboo, and let that thinner-than-a-hair wire wrap around it as I spin it back the other way. It'll be sooooo coooooooool. I have to find the perfect fiber, though...ooh, maybe I'll corespin and then let the wire wrap! So many decisions.

Not much else is going on right now, honestly, I'm applying for jobs, freezing myself because I feel like not using the heat (but leaving the silly windows open) is a great money-saving measure for some reason, and deciding if I should make my own bread every day (is it more cost-effective? Doing the math today). ETA: I just called my local warehouse store, and a 25lb bag of all-purpose flour is $6.29. That is roughly $0.26 flour cost PER LOAF of sandwich bread. Guess who's never *buying* sandwich bread again! Off to try making a loaf right now to ensure I'm good enough at it that this would be a worthwhile purchase.
I've been doing loads of knitting on my Estes Vest, and have nearly the whole back done. I know it's faster than if I were doing it with finer yarn, but even using the Lamb's Pride Bulky and US10.5 needles, all the tiny cables in the honeycomb are slowing me down. It's such a cool pattern, though, that it's worth it. Plus, it's going to be a REALLY warm vest--I'm excited.

And because I know you've missed her, here's another shot of Her Furry Highness. It's from yesterday, and she was resting hard. Doesn't she look tired from all her exertions?

Friday Funnies, Matey!

2009-02-27T06:00:00.000-08:00

These are courtesy of my Seester, queen of silly jokes. Thanks Seester!

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Why did the pirate cross the ocean?

To get to the other tide!

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A pirate walks into a bar with a paper towel on his head. The bartender asks "what's with the towel?", and the pirate replies "Arrr! I've a bounty on me head!"

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How much did the pirate pay for his piercings?

A buck-an-ear!

Wednesday, huh?

2009-02-25T18:40:00.000-08:00

What a long strange week it's been. Let's see...

1. I am now part of the 7.6% of Americans who are unemployed. I kind of knew it was coming, but it still stings. On the plus side of things, this means I probably have more time for spinning and knitting till another job comes along!

2. I'm going to Stitches West this weekend. Actually, I leave tomorrow morning. I'm driving up, picking up a fellow Raveler about halfway. it should be loads of fun, especially as I have a portion of my tax refund to spend as I wish!

3. I have not yet begun to pack for this trip. I don't even know what knitting projects I'm taking, and I have to do a load of laundry. I am sure I'll forget nothing (yeah, right). I will try to remember to take photos, though.

4. I don't know that I even have 4 things tonight, much less 5. It's been sort of a draining afternoon/evening. Did I mention that when I got to the rental car place directly after work, that location had closed and *no one told me*? I was, um, "annoyed". I was able to go to another nearby location and get my silly rental car though.

5. Hey look, 5! But nothing substantive to post, so here's a picture of my cat. Again.

Another one bites the dust...

2009-02-22T16:55:00.000-08:00

Hopefully I've now gotten that song stuck in your head, because I'm evil like that. Another week has flown by. Thanks to my pinkeye (which seems to be resolved now, thankfully) and some goings-on at work, I had a three day week this past week, and I'm going to have another one this week because I'm going to Stitches West!! I'm pretty excited, though it doesn't really seem real. I've already made up shopping lists for all the yarn weights and yardages I'll need for all the different sweaters I want to make. If you actually clicked through, you'll see two men's sweaters. Yes, I'm convincing Big Man he wants a sweater. Considering how tall he is, I think I now qualify as a masochist. At least they're both done in worsted weight yarn, so it won't be too awful.

I'm also excited to see many of my online friends from Ravelry. I'm road-tripping up and picking up a lovely Raveler about halfway up, and it should be a lot of fun. I made loads of muffins this weekend (more on that later) and intend to take quite a few with me, both for delicious snacks and to ensure I have something to eat in the mornings that doesn't come from Starbucks!

The only sad thing is that I don't think I'll have much in the way of internet access while I'm gone, so the virtual world will have to muddle through without me somehow!

Yesterday (and Friday night), I decided I wanted to bake. As Big Man will testify, I don't usually do things in a small way when I cook. I should probably sign a contract to cook for the local firehouse (though they would probably take exception to my vegetarian meal planning). I looked in my cabinet, saw that I had 4 kinds of dried fruit, and decided I would make muffins. I don't think I've ever made muffins, but that didn't deter me. So, when making muffins, the recipes usually make 1 dozen--muffin pans only have 12 cups, so why not? However, if you're going to take the time to cook one dozen, why not make TWO dozen? I mean, really, it would be silly not to. Right? Right?

That's a 5.0 cubic foot freezer. Sure, there is some other food in there (like Big Man's Lean Cuisine, which will go to work Monday and be replaced with more muffins, see below). but there are also approximately 60 muffins stuffed in there too. Oh, and about 4 cups of cookie dough (see it perched precariously in between the top two bags of muffins?) because 8 dozen muffins weren't enough.

This is why we discussed getting a small chest freezer last night. That's about 20 blueberry muffins that wouldn't fit in the freezer yet, plus a few of each flavor to be eaten sooner rather than later.

Since I was waiting to go to the specialty store on Saturday for the sparkling sugar to sprinkle heavily on top for that lovely sparkle and delicious crunch (though it turned out they don't carry it anymore, phooey), Friday night I made Olive Oil muffins from Smitten Kitchen's blog (which is amazing, go look). I cooked mine too long, as I'm not used to making muffins, but they're still just wonderful. I imagine they'll be perfectly delightful with a salad or soup, or, well, anything. I didn't use fresh zest, but rather splashes of citrus oil. It's wonderful stuff, and just the thing for adding flavor when you don't have fresh fruit handy, or when a recipe would suffer for too much liquid added. Take note: a little goes a loooooooooooooooooong way!

On Saturday, after discovering I wasn't getting any prettifying sugar, I came home and started baking. First up were Sour Cream-Apricot muffins. It says it makes 1 dozen muffins. When I doubled it, I had enough for 2 dozen muffins and to fill a loaf pan (if somewhat shallowly). This is ok, actually, as they're delicious! Despite me (again) cooking them too long, they're very tender and delicately flavored. When I chopped the dried apricots in my food processor, I added some candied ginger to the mix (and should've added a bit more). Note: if you make this recipe, the dough is much more like biscuit dough than batter, and will seem EXTREMELY dry til you add the soaked apricots, so do not skip the soaking! Also, they don't really rise almost at all, so feel free to fill the cups FULL.

The line-up, L to R: Olive Oil muffins, Sour Cream-Apricot muffins, Cherry-Lime-Almond muffins, and Blueberry-Lemon muffins.

Next up were the Cherry-Lime-Almond muffins. I used the same recipe for these as the Blueberry-Lemon muffins, but modified it to suit what I wanted. Disclaimer: I think I'm going to try a different recipe next time, as this wasn't quite right (though not bad!).
Trader Joe's makes a neat product called almond meal (though I expect you could find it lots of places) which is ground almonds that you can use to replace part of the flour in your baked goods to provide an almondy flavor without the chunks. Obviously, I used it here, or else I wouldn't mention it! I used both the lime oil and some lime juice. I only made up a small part of the total liquid called for with lime juice and made the rest up with water. Even so, the batter was VERY limey, but it mellowed out some on baking. I chopped the dried cherries in the food processor again, and again added some candied ginger to the mix. Also again, I needed to add more ginger! I again cooked them too long (noticing a pattern?), but they are very flavorful nonetheless. I really like the lime in particular, and the cherry flavor becomes more noticeable as they sit.

The final contender was Blueberry-Lemon. I also used some almond meal in these, but didn't feel like including it in the name. I actually used real lemons in this one, so no lemon oil for me! I scraped the zest of two lemons and used the juice like I did with the lime. I added a good bit of powdered sugar to the liquid, though, to make up for the intense tartness of the lemon juice. For these, I used dried wild blueberries (I love Trader Joe's!), and they're so wee I didn't chop them. I finally learned from my mistakes, too, and took them out sooner than I thought I should, and they have the best texture of any of the group. The blueberries are wonderful bursts of flavor, and I wholeheartedly recommend them, even if they are a bit pricey.

Finally, the cookie dough was my old fallback, modified of course. I added chopped good-quality dark chocolate, dried cranberries, and delicious tulip poplar honey (thanks Dad!) instead of the egg. I usually tip in some shredded coconut too, but I didn't have any. I have no idea how these bake up, because I don't think I've ever actually cooked them. I always just eat the dough. Oh don't look at me like that--I know you've done it too!

Oh, right--I'm supposed to talk about yarn and stuff, huh? Well, though the twist hasn't been set yet, I did some spinning amidst the baking this weekend. This is spun from FatCatKnits' last installment of the first merino club. It totals 4oz, though it is obviously in two yarns. The thin two-ply is spun from what wouldn't fit on the bobbin when I did the single. I had thought I wanted to do a N-ply, but thought the colors would look good and tweedy as a two-ply.

Approximately 45yds/2.6oz of the single and 80yds/1.4oz of the 2-ply. Approximately.

I would also love to know what your favorite online or local yarn store is. I have another huge batch of promotional postcards to send out, and would love your input on who you'd like to see carrying my yarns. Sadly, I can only do within the US right now, as selling wholesale internationally is a bit much for my feeble brain to comprehend at the moment!

Friday Funny

2009-02-20T06:00:00.000-08:00

René Descartes walked into a bar and the bartender asked if he’d like a drink. He replied, “I think not” and *poof* he disappeared.

Have you heard about the vampire who decided to be come a poet?
I hear that he went from bat to verse.

What's orange and sounds like a parrot?

A carrot!

Wednesday!!

2009-02-18T10:07:00.000-08:00

1. I'm nearly out of jokes for Funny Fridays! Someone help! Ok, the internet will probably be useful in this endeavor. So will my Seester, queen of goofy jokes. I'll be ok. I think.

2. My eye is much better, thank you. Antibiotics are pretty amazing.

3. The scarf of doom was used to great effect--lookie!

That's my old friend Katie in the middle, dressed as Rikku. She's accompanied by her friends Mary and Lauren dressed as other characters from Final Fantasy X-2. See the scarf of not-doom-but-awesomeness? She wears it well.

4. Due to upcoming changes in my life, you may get to see more yarns, FOs, and blog posts! Hurray! Or, you may not--I don't know yet what precisely is going to happen.

5. I don't normally post things like this, but it made me laugh today. Hope it makes your day a little brighter too.

Hmmm.

2009-02-16T18:55:00.000-08:00

Welp, I was worn out Sunday and didn't post. Last night, I didn't much feel like it. I still don't tonight, but think I ought to. So now, I'm going to simply caption pictures rather than writing. So I think I shall. It's good to be da king.

Point Loma, the westernmost point of land in the continental US. That pic is for you, dad.

See, I told you we went whale-watching. That right there is the best picture I got. Sure, we saw tails and blow-sprays and flukes. But no, I couldn't get a single one on film.

A replica of the schooner America, who gave its name to the America's Cup race when the title was snatched from the British in 1851.

Look, handknits! See the neckwarmer? You saw it a few weeks ago too. The sweater was bought on clearance at Target. Can anyone explain to me why a sweater made of 60% cotton/25% wool/15% acrylic is the itchiest damn thing I own?!?

A nook-u-ler submarine. They can go 30 YEARS without refueling!! No, that's not a typo. YEARS. I know what I'm doing when the zombies come.

Lazy sea lions. They're sunning on some docks that date from the 1950s and are used for holding live bait.

Part of the SD skyline and the USS Midway. Though it's slightly cut off, the width of the Midway is nearly 26 stories. It's just over 100 stories long, twice the allowed "height" of San Diego skyscrapers due to FAA regulations.

Super delicious "Car Bomb" cupcakes I made for our LSG/Ravelry get together on Sunday. They have Guinness in the chocolate cake batter, whisky (that I didn't use) in the chocolate ganache filling, and Bailey's Irish Cream in the buttercream frosting. They are AMAZING, and you can find the recipe here.

That's all I've got for now. Have to save something for tomorrow's post of randomness, right?

Friday Funny

2009-02-13T06:00:00.000-08:00

A neutron walks into the bar and asks how much for a drink….. barman says “for you, no charge”

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What does the H in Jesus H. Christ stand for?

Haploid

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What do you do with a dead chemist?

Barium.

Promiscuous Wednesday

2009-02-11T13:06:00.000-08:00

Yes, promiscuous. See last week's post for clarification.

i. Don't forget--any purchases of yarn, patterns, or knitted items throughout the month of February will help support the Australian Red Cross in their efforts to deal with the devastation of the ongoing bushfires.

1. I think of things I could write all week, and then forget them. It's terrible. I can't wait to see how awful my memory will be when I'm 70!

2. I joined Twitter. Seemed like all my Ravelry friends were on it, and it also seemed like a great way to keep inane babble out of this blog. So, really, I did it for you. Check out my tweets (not twits) in the sidebar over there to your right.

3. You may have forgotten, but I have yarns on consignment over at Material Whirled. The wonderful Reenie Hanlin has a lovely website, so check it out!

4. On the note of yarns--I'm going to have to spin my head off the next few weeks, as my stock is incredibly low, and (thankfully!!) people want skeins. However, I have to finish a custom knitting project first, and I feel like it's the slowest thing I've ever knitted. Sigh.

5. I long for a proper crafting space. Right now, my wool storage/workspace shares a room with the guest bed and the computer. I would want a computer in my future studio (the internet is sort of integral to my happiness and crafting abilities), but I would LOVE to get the dang futon out of the room right now. That, however, would leave nowhere for guests, and we do like having visitors on occasion. Of course, there's also the comfy chair in the living room, and the yarn in our bedroom--those should all be in one place with the wool and other supplies. One of these days...probably the same day we cease to have noisy neighbors!

Australian Bushfires

2009-02-09T07:08:00.000-08:00

I have several e-friends on Ravelry who are in the "danger zone" for the Australian bushfires. You may have heard news reports about the fires. One friend said "this must be what the apocalypse feels like".

I'll be donating all profits from the sale of yarns and knitted items and all proceeds from the sale of patterns to the Australian Red Cross during the month of February. Please consider making a purchase and supporting our Australian friends in their time of need.

I'll be donating weekly, and posting a running total of donations here on the blog. I've donated US$40 myself already to start us off. Help me make that number grow.

Additionally, if you're interested in supporting the care of wildlife injured in the bushfires, please click through to Wildlife Victoria to donate for the animals.

Are you sure we had a whole weekend?

2009-02-08T15:53:00.000-08:00

I'm just asking, cause it sure seemed to fly by for me. Let's see...

SATURDAY

Started out the day by visiting a local yarn s hop interested in carrying my yarns. Not only did they agree to place a wholesale order, but two of the employees nearly cleaned out my stock for their own stash! I'm quite pleased, to say the least. I was also delighted to do the math and figure out I'd only need approximately 8 wholesale orders a month in order to match my current salary at my day job--time to step up my marketing!
After doing a few things at home, Big Man and I went out for dinner to celebrate the sale. We ate at Monsoon downtown, and you should do the same if you're ever nearby--it's quite delicious, and the atmosphere is wonderful. I had coconut-ginger soup and dizzy noo shak (curried bananas), and of course delicious naan. We also ate at Extraordinary Desserts for (you guessed it) dessert. I was painfully full on the way home, but all the food had been so good I couldn't turn it down!
Sadly, upon arriving home, I discovered my ankle was exceedingly unhappy with me for some reason, and I spent the rest of the evening grimacing and watching Iron Man.

SUNDAY

Due to the stupidity of my ankle, we had to skip our beach walk. This made me very sad, and I alleviated my sadness in that time-honored way: baking. I made Blueberry-Lemon-Ginger bread from scratch, bastardizing a cranberry-nut bread recipe. I used dried wild blueberries from Trader Joe's, and diced up some candied ginger from the bulk food aisle at my local natural food store, and lemon oil instead of fresh juice/zest. It turned out quite well, though I always have to bake quick breads for FAR longer than the recipe says to get the middle done. Sometimes I don't care and eat it doughy, but I wanted to do this one right so I wouldn't be embarrassed to show y'all a picture!

After making the bread, I decided I couldn't stand the clutter in the house anymore, and recruited Ian to join me in a cleaning whirlwind. It felt great, and we threw out plenty of useless junk, collected coins to cash in, and even rearranged a few things. I'm not done, of course, but a good portion of the apartment is much prettier now!
While the sun poked its head out for a few minutes (it's been rainy here lately), I snapped some shop photos. Yes, you heard correctly--I have new yarns to list! You've seen the two black ones (remember them?), but this one I spun AGES ago, and hadn't shot yet. Heaven knows why, because I love the yarn so much I'm tempted to keep it.

It's spun from FatCatKnit's handdyed merino in colorway Crocodile Tears. I got it some time ago, so you may not remember seeing the roving in her shop. It's 116yds and just over 8oz of thick/thin bulkyish weight two-ply, and has delicious raspberry sorbet colored sparkle spun in at the raspberry parts (you can see it in the big version of the photo, so clickity!). If I could think of something specific I'd make with it, I would keep it!

I'm now off to do a custom knitting order that I should've finished by now. I'm also packing up some packages (none of them orders, btw, so don't think I'm slacking there!) that I should've already mailed. How is time so speedy, and so much speedier than us?!?

Friday Funny

2009-02-06T06:00:00.000-08:00

Because I have no problem whatsoever remembering to make regular posts, I decided to start another recurring post! I'll post something funny (and clean!) every Friday.

Why did the chicken cross the Moebius strip?

To get to the other...oh, wait.

Arbitrary Wednesday

2009-02-04T21:43:00.000-08:00

1. The online thesaurus I sometimes use gives "promiscuous" as a synonym for random. That's a fail right there, thesaurus.com!

2. Any suggestions on a comfortable low stool, preferably with a back and no arms and perhaps 16" high? My regular spinning stool works just fine with my Sonata, but my Country Spinner requires me to be much lower, and the sofa heaped with pillows won't cut it for more than a skein or two of plying. I love being tall, but sometimes being regular-sized would be most helpful--I wouldn't scrunch over just to be closer to my spinning, and the regular stool would probably be fine!

3. Do you prefer cold water or room temperature water? I like mine to be icy, though I will usually finish my glass if it's warmed to room temperature from icy (but not usually if it's been out overnight, as on my nightstand). I know some folks like warmer water all the time, but I just can't fathom it!

4. I adore pudding, but only instant (or Snack Packs if I must). Cooked pudding (aka the real stuff) has never appealed to me, especially not when it forms a skin, ugh. Instant pudding only turns into pudding because of some sort of reaction between the pudding mix and the calcium in the milk. That's why soy or rice milks don't really work at all and just make pudding-flavored soup, and a reason I occasionally buy cow's milk. But only once in a great while, as it kind of squicks me out (for various reasons I won't go into, cause they're gross). Oh, and NEVER tapioca. I don't like eating fish eyes, thankyouverymuch.

5. I saw this on Cute Overload today, and it made my whole day. Except, it did make me sad I don't live in Australia, because nothing like this would ever happen in the States. At least, if it does, it's never an animal as cute as a koala.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hot damn.

It is HOT.

Hot enough to sneak into this cinderblock haven and look for relief! [Koala makes 'ehn!' sounds]

WAIT A MIN! [sploosh sploosh] WHAT'S THEES!?

[Test Slurpitty test slurpitty]

Yes.

Yes, this will do.

[Sizzling Koala sounds]

According to Sender-Inner Kathy M., "A guy at work's wife sent him these photos of a little Koala who just walked into the back porch looking for a bit of heat relief. She filled up a bucket and this is what happened!"

Enjoy.

2009-02-01T17:21:00.001-08:00

While it may seem like I'm being a fab blogger and sharing loads of photos, really, I'm just tired. So, I'm not going to type a whole lot. Just going to load a bunch of pictures and pass that off as a post. Hope you don't mind...

I noticed these little root dealios on one of the few plants I haven't managed to kill yet. The whole plant (a succulent of some sort) is smaller than my palm, so the root-ish things are quite tiny.

A marsh drains directly onto the beach here, and make a neat little creek. There've been loads of stones washed onshore lately, so it's rockier than normal.

just pretty

boids.

The groundwater seeps out of the cliffs along the shore, but I just liked the feet hanging over the edge.

The groundwater seeps out on some mosses in some places. The dripping is quite loud, actually.

We weren't the only ones enjoying the beach today.

Big Man took this. Quite lovely, I think.

So wee I had to give you scale (that's my palm).

more pretty

ane-nem-o-nees

So you can relax too.

Randomly, it's not Wednesday

2009-01-29T08:31:00.000-08:00

Ok, I admit I left the Wednesday Randomness post till last night, and then fully and completely got too swept up in a dramalicious Ravelry thread to do it. I didn't even knit (hangs head in shame). So here's the Wednesday post, on Thursday.

1. When walking over to work this morning, I saw there was a pile of bedding/sheets in our dumpster enclosure. People who don't work here dump stuff all the time (though they're not supposed to), so I didn't think much of it--except they do usually put it in the bin, and this was on the ground. I went over to investigate, and discovered I watch too much CSI: I left without looking too closely because the pile appeared to be human shaped, and I didn't want to find a dead body that early in the morning. Yes, it was in fact a homeless guy (which is sort of unusual around here, so I'm not entirely crazy).

2. I finished knitting the scarf of doom. I plan to cut the fringes and block the scarf tonight, and then apply the fringe (and return all the extra yarn) when it's dry.

3. Upon the advice of a lovely woman, I have been having veggie sandwiches for lunch every day this week. Well, except the day I remembered the veggies and forgot the bread. Anyway, it's wheat toast, one side spread with mashed avocado and the other with a little veggie cream cheese, and then stacked with cucumber, raw spinach, tomatoes, and red bell pepper slices. It's super-tasty, only about 360 calories (as far as I can figure), and keeps me full till 5 or so.

4. Remember the lamb-camb? It's finally up! Be forewarned, there are no lambs this time of year. But come spring, there will be loads of them! Also, you need Java to run it.

5. I've seen photos of the ugly weather those of you in the middle and eastern United States are having. If I know you in real life, and you want to get away, feel free to come out and see me. We have a guest bedroom--but know that if you do come, you can't be allergic to either cats (as it's sort of her room usually) or wool (as it's crammed full of the stuff).

6. I promise more pictures this weekend, though not necessarily of fibery stuff, as I also have to do my sales tax return. Ugh.

Whew!

2009-01-25T20:12:00.000-08:00

Well, here it is Sunday night again. How does that always happen so darn fast?!? However, at least I have something to show for this weekend! (hinthint, that means pictures)

First, our beach walk today. It didn't happen. This was not our fault. We tried valiantly to get to the beach after eating our bagels, but there was a marathon being run up the 101, which runs parallel to the beach--you can see the ocean for most of it. Therefore, no cars were allowed on or over the road, and foot traffic seemed highly discouraged too. We would've been run over:

The beach is literally one block to the right of the photo.

So, we watched the crazy people running for a bit, and entertained ourselves by watching this little guy.

He was SO. CUTE.

He really seemed happy to be there. Plus, he had pantaloons. Completely painfully adorable.

On the fiber front, I got loads done. Ok, it was almost all on the same project, and some of this yarn is from last weekend. But that's beside the point!

I've been calling this the Scarf of Doom. I'm making it for an old friend to go with an anime character costume (I think it's anime...). It's not so bad, except that it's 8 feet of seed stitch, because I wanted it to be easy and reversible.

doooooooooooooom!

As you can see, I'm nearly done. Well, relatively nearly done. It still needs 10" fringes on either end once I finish the knitting. I sped up the knitting ever so slightly by knitting into the back loop for every knit stitch because that doesn't require me to change the position of my needle from purling. The yarn is Knitpicks Palette (fingering weight) held triple on US9s so I could do the fades required to match the character's scarf. I think they came out pretty well, though I do wish I had the ability/space/know-how/equipment to have dyed it.

Remember this yarn from last week?

still no measurements because I still haven't set the twist!

Though the fuzzy yarn I spun the black merino with has been discontinued, I found a store in NJ with relatively good stock, and bought them out of this color and also got some in HOT pinks and lovely leafy greens. I think they'll look marvelous!

I also spun this yarn last weekend, as I figured why not do both of the black merino singles at the same time?

the commercial yarn for this one was MUCH longer, hence the size disparity

I don't know how I feel about the bright colors, but Big Man loves this one. If it sells, maybe I'll get some more of this yarn. I haven't set the twist on this one either (surprised?), so no specs right now.

After knitting on the Scarf of Doom till 6PM last night, I decided I'd do some spinning. Of course I didn't do any of the spinning I need to do. But I still spun!

Despite the terrible photo, the colors are quite true.

Please excuse the crappiness of the photo. The sun came out for a single shot today, and it was the Scarf of Doom that felt its rays. The roving was BFL in colorway Artemis from Ginny over at Fat Cat Knits. It was spun thin and Navajo plied to about 9-11 wraps per inch. I believe that's aran-ish weight?
This was the first time I've spun with BFL, and man was I surprised at the staple length! It's probably twice that of the merino I usually use, and while I definitely enjoyed it, it gave me fits till I got used to it! I have some more of Ginny's BFL in Patina and I'm definitely looking forward to spinning it!

Finally, I used the BFL as a sort of practice to see how even I could spin. The answer is not as even as I'd like. I want to spin these rovings

from Fat Cat Knits, merino, L to R:
Janine, Sept monthly club, Blueberry Pie, Sept monthly club, and Janine
solid roving is commercially dyed merino, color lilac

into yarn for this shawl (sorry for the huge picture)

picture borrowed from Flickr, cause I'm too lazy to go get my copy of Spin-Off to scan

I don't know yet how the yarns will be arranged. I thought I would do them in random rows, but I really like the striping in the example shawl. Each of the individual rovings shown in the photo are 4oz, and I have 16oz of the lilac. I plan to spin each 4oz roving all at once because I seem to have bad luck with loss of sproinginess (technical term: energy, I think) when I let singles sit for any length of time (even just a week). I did the 4oz BFL last night in just a couple of hours, and I hope the merino will be as quick. Of course, I won't necessarily be getting to this project anytime in the next month! But I'll keep you posted as I do work on it.

Not as exciting, but just before writing this entry I sorted alllllllll my receipts and sales for last year (they were just in a box or on Etsy!), and am ready for the accountant. Aren't you proud of me, my accountant Seester? That said, I've been at this doggone computer for approximately 10 hours now, and I'm going to go knit!

Wednesday Randomness

2009-01-21T09:14:00.000-08:00

It's baaaa-aaaack. I tried to get a proper photo for you, but had to make do with a scanner. You'll see.

1. Folks who have left comments: I've tried responding through the email I get about them. However, unlike my friend Becky's blog host, mine is not cool enough to allow me to do that. So, I apologize. Anyone know if this is something I can change?

2. My awesome brother (technically stepbrother, but we've been in the same family for something like 14 years, so...) is a lance corporal in the Marines, and is currently stationed in Iraq on a base the soldiers call "Camp Cupcake". If you have suggestions on good stuff I can send him, I'd love to hear them. I assembled a pretty good list from scanning Ravelry forums, but I could always use more ideas!

3. Here's the "photo" I was talking about. This poor neckwarmer scarf languished as a work in progress for AGES. I can't even remember when I started it, though I recall working on it. Again, please excuse the quality of the scan.

The pattern is the Double Cable Scarf from One Skein: 30 Quick Projects to Knit or Crochet. I used almost a full skein of Blue Sky Alpaca Organic Cotton, a wonderfully soft bulky cotton. I don't like knitting with cotton, but this was a pleasure. I have one more skein of this, and a skein each of their Dyed Cotton in Caribbean and Pickle. I have to figure out what to make with them--probably something for me!

4. If I have your email address, I probably asked you to help vote for a friend in an Intel contest a while back. The friend was Susan Gibbs of Martha's Vineyard and Hudson Valley Fiber Farms, and she won! Part of the prize was setting up a lamb-camb for all of us to be able to enjoy the babies cavorting and romping. It should be operational very soon, and can be found here, so bookmark it now for future fun!

ok, ok, these are baby Angora goats. That's beside the point.

In the meantime, Susan is giving away some awesome prizes on her new blog. Sorry, the LGCD handspun yarn was already given away, but today you can enter to win some of her luscious millspun Cormo--it's worsted weight, in sweater quantity, and is SOFT, believe me! See, here it is:

5. If you're on LSG on Ravelry, you've already seen this. But most of you aren't, so here are my answers to some "Inside the Actor's Studio" style questions.

1. What is your favorite word? slender–it just sounds so pretty

2. What is your least favorite word? a certain anti-gay slur

3. What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally? color

4. What turns you off creatively, spiritually or emotionally? being exhausted

5. What sound or noise do you love? the birds chirping outside (especially the ones I “know”, like the little black phoebe who comes for mealworms every day)

6. What sound or noise do you hate? skateboards. The children in my apartment complex skateboard constantly.

7. What is your favorite curse word? PG version--fer pete's sake!

8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? naturalist

9. What profession would you not like to do? anything involving a slaughterhouse

10. If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? You sure took your sweet time getting here.

Yes, We Did.

2009-01-20T06:00:00.000-08:00

It took us a long time to make this mess, and it's going to take a long time to clean it up.

But I think we've made a damn good start.

It's been a good day.

2009-01-18T15:38:00.000-08:00

First, another picture of my Seester and her Starsky.

A hat made of St. Louis Cathedral's steeple

Today was quite lovely. We went for breakfast at Sun Flour Bagel in La Costa. It was most excellent. The owners are Japanese, and make truly wonderful bagels. However, their daughter has also trained at a baking school in Tokyo, and makes authentic Japanese confections three times weekly. They sell out quickly, and people come from as far away as Orange County and near the Mexican border for her goodies. She's currently in Japan, so we won't get to try the deliciousness till some time in February. If you click here, you can read an excellent review from a local foodie.

After the bagels (I had cranberry with plain cream cheese), we came home for a bit. We didn't know the baker was out of town yet, and returned to the bakery at 11 (when they begin selling the Japanese treats, normally). Since there were no melon rolls or cream buns to be had, we drove to the beach. If you're having terrible weather where you are, stop reading now so you don't reach through the computer to smack me.

We had an absolutely marvelous walk (yes Mom, with plenty of SPF 70 sunblock!). I think we walked about 3.6 miles total, though we stopped to peer at anemones, skip stones, and watch dogs playing fetch. My feet and ankles are pretty tired--you use entirely different muscles walking in the sand than on pavement! I have no pictures of my own--that's what happen when you forget the camera. We're going to try to do this weekly as long as the weather holds, so I'll take the camera next time. In the meantime, here is a shot from a fine Flickr photographer to give you an idea of where we were.

again, not my photo, but taken from precisely where we began walking today

Then we got some food. Big Man opted for a Burrito Bowl from his second home, Chipotle, and I, still full from breakfast, chose absolutely delicious chocolates from Chuao Chocolatier. They're a small local chocolate company, and I would love to be able to eat their bonbons every day. In case you're wondering, I very highly recommend the following flavors: Honey Truffle, Grignottine White, Romero, Pina Colada, Gianduja, Le Citron, Cambur, Musiu, and Melao. Strangely, that would just fill up their smallest box, should you wish to send some my way (though, it's probably easier for me to just go to the store than for you to send them!). We also tried their seasonal flavor today, Candy Cane. It was dark chocolate filled with a peppermint infused caramel. I thought it was good, but Big Man said it was the best chocolate he'd ever eaten.

When we were home before the second bakery trip, I spun this little number quite quickly. Sadly, the commercial novelty yarn I chose to do this with appears to be discontinued, but I intend to dig up some more because it was so wonderful and easy! This shot is on my niddy noddy, as it's always more fun to spin the yarn than wind it or set the twist.

acrylic/polyester commercial novelty yarn plied with commercially dyed black merino--silky soft!

I also spun some handdyed bamboo this past week. It's a lovely colorway I intend to call Mother of Pearl, for fairly obvious reasons. I have about 8 other colorways (a pound each!) I've never spun before, so I need to get cracking on those too!

8oz handdyed bamboo from Fiber Lady; no yardage yet as I haven't set the twist

I haven't spun bamboo in ages, and found myself getting it very fine unintentionally. The twist also isn't quite what I wanted. Additionally, while I don't mind the fuzzy rustic look, I'd love to know how to do a silky-smooth finish. I'm spinning from combed top--any suggestions?

And, because I know what you actually want are more shots of the Little Grey Cat herself, here you go. She was really having a stressful morning, as you can tell.

note the stretched paw and the tail tip peeking out right in the middle of the photo

Random Weds Photos

2009-01-14T09:00:00.000-08:00

Figured you were tired of text. Besides, you deserve some photos for once, right?

1. Seester in the aforementioned Starsky at the River Walk on the Mississippi River in New Orleans.

2. My Christmas tree, cause why not? It was much jewelier-toned than is shown.

3. The previously described cowl neck prototype for the custom T-Shrug (prototype only!)

4. The view from our room when we went to Vegas recently for Big Man's 30th birthday. It was sweet (especially since he won at the poker tables).

5. The gorgeous superwash merino wool my darling friend Ginny dyed and gave to me for Christmas. She's a doll.

She's still alive

2009-01-11T19:15:00.000-08:00

Though you wouldn't know it from the blog, eh? No momentous comeback, no all-encompassing post. Just some shots of a cowl neck sweater I'm working on. I'm using Sublime Kid Mohair Blend, which is a gorgeous mohair/nylon/extrafine merino that is (apparently) a worsted weight, though I would say perhaps sport if you include the halo. I made gauge for the sweater on US9s, and hope to finish it in time for Stitches West (which I'm going to, by the way. See you there?).

Also, I hope it's going to be a cowl neck sweater. I don't think this is the sweater I got this yarn for, and I'm not sure I'm going to have enough. I'm knitting it in the round instead of front and back flat, so hopefully that plus the fact that my rows are slightly taller than the pattern's will let me make the whole thing!

The pattern calls for doing a WS knit row in an otherwise stockinette sweater to give you a place to fold the hem up. I decided to to *(k2tog, yo) instead, which will give a nice picot-type edge when I fold up the hem, as vaguely demonstrated in the photo.

I'll keep you posted. Also forthcoming--pictures of my Seester in her Starsky from New Orleans, possibly pictures of a custom cowl neck T-Shrug I'm designing, perhaps some yarns I spun a while back and never photographed, and maybe some new bamboo yarns. I still have to spin those, though.

It's Wednesday again?

2008-12-10T12:07:00.000-08:00

Wow. That happened fast. Whew.

1. The craft show went pretty well. I needed to have made WAY more fingerless mitts, but if you were at the show and didn't snag a pair, please contact me to have a custom pair made. I enjoyed talking to folks who had seen me at the spring show--some remembered me! I was also irrationally excited to look out over the crowd and see the very nice guy who won the hat I donated to the raffle wearing it with pride. It was very cool.

photo courtesy of Kristina Miller

2. I know I'm behind the times, but I just started watching The Office on DVD, and I am COMPLETELY HOOKED. As you probably well know, it's hilarious (except when it's too awkward), and quite clever. I skipped season one (because Big Man had already watched it without me cause I thought I didn't like it), but just watched the first episode of season 3 last night. Also, I am completely in love with Jim Halpert, and, by extension, John Krasinski assuming he is anything like Jim in real life. If he is, and I ever meet him...well, Big Man may find himself in a bit of a competition.

3. Unfortunately, he isn't writing anymore, but this blog is amazing. He's a paramedic in Boston, and I found his accounts of calls and daily life fascinating. You should definitely check it out for an inside look into a life most of us never see.

4. The Santa Anas have apparently started blowing again, and the weather is being weird. The temperature hasn't changed so much (it's still "cold"), but it's gone from being grey and blustery during the day to beautiful and sunny...and blustery. I know, I should shut my piehole, considering I live in a place that rarely gets frost, much less 10-foot drifts of snow.

5. I haven't bought any yarn or spinning fiber in literally a MONTH. That is kind of ridiculous for me. I feel like I should treat myself somehow, but at the same time, I feel like I would rather just knit on something that's purely for pleasure, like my vest, or Seester's Starsky. This week, though, I haven't done a lick of knitting or spinning. Too busy drooling over John Krasinski.

Almost forgot the randomness!

2008-12-03T15:31:00.000-08:00

Whew, that was a close one. I nearly forgot!

1. CRAFT SHOW THIS SUNDAY! Come see me with some wonderful goodies as well as 65 other vendors at the North Park Craft Mafia's Holiday Hit List this Sunday, Dec 7th, from 12N-6PM. Click the link for more info. Come on over--IT'S FREE!

2. Big Man and I started back to the gym this week. We've been getting up at 5AM to go before work. Yeah, it's not so fun, but I already feel better in general and about myself, and I know it'll be so worth it.

3. I'm going to take a hiatus for a couple of months from the business. I'll still have listings up, and will still accept custom orders and be happy to ship your purchases--I just won't be listing or creating new things. I need a little time to myself to get me and my life back in the order I want it (which is why we've begun at the gym again), and to just *relax*. I may design some new patterns, or I may not! I know for sure, though, I'll be knitting this vest for myself!

photo from Interweave Knits--see the linky above

4. You may or may not remember, but my lovely friend Susan of Martha's Vineyard Fiber Farm and Hudson Valley Fiber Farm won the Intel Tech Makeover contest, and she's got all sorts of new goodies to help with the business, including a Lamb-Cam! It's not operational yet, but I can't wait for live feeds from the barn of adorableness! See Susan's Etsy shop for photos of the beautiful babies from this spring. I've met them in person, and man, they're even cute as teenagers!

5. I'll be going to Vegas in January for a quick weekend celebration with the Big Man. We'll be treating ourselves some--any suggestions for restaurants or shows? We've been plenty of times, and know quite a few good ones, but I would be happy to hear what you like!

Pictures! Of Scarves!

2008-11-28T15:45:00.001-08:00

Top row, L to R: Souffle Scarves, colors Currant, Pumpkin, Ginger, and Strawberry Cream

Bottom row, L to R: Cobweb Scarves, colors Fern, Stream, Storm, and Heather

See? Scarves! I've had them knitted for some time, but only today did a marathon photo session. Both styles are knitted on large needles, creating an airy fabric that traps warm air against your skin to keep you warm, but doesn't weigh you down with pounds of fiber.

The Souffle Scarves are knitted of brushed suri alpaca blended with a little bamboo and merino. What's that mean, you say? Well, suri alpaca is the rarer, silkier type of alpaca, and brushed makes it fluffy. You know those flannel sheets you love for the winter? Those are brushed cotton. Imagine silky-soft alpaca brushed in the same manner, and highlighted with smooth bamboo and snuggly merino! They really are as luxurious as they sound.

The Cobweb Scarves are knit of lustrous kid mohair. Mohair comes from angora goats, and "kid" refers to the fineness of the fiber, not necessarily the age of the animal (though as in many species, the baby coats of the goats are finer than those of the adults, hence the term kid mohair). This mohair yarn feels as though it has silk in it, but is actually kid mohair with a touch of nylon and merino wool (mainly as stabilizing components to hold the mohair fluff). It is even finer and lighter than the alpaca scarves, and would work equally well in Dallas or Duluth!

Both of these scarf styles are available in other colors--just contact me for a custom order!

Other photos are hopefully forthcoming--we are actually beginning to have "winter" weather here in San Diego, meaning it's grey and cloudy and sometimes even raining! What this means for you (besides jealousy that our winter weather is still warm enough for jeans and a t-shirt during the day) is that good lighting for photo sessions is harder to come by. I'll try for shots of the Horizon Hats tomorrow!

It's "Friday"!

2008-11-26T11:24:00.000-08:00

Except it's Wednesday, which is why this is a randomness post. But since I am fortunate enough to have the rest of the week off, it's Friday! Hurray!

1. While I wouldn't call it a Black Friday sale, as I can't slash prices but so much, I will be refunding 20% of the purchase total to anyone using the code "TOFURKEY" in the message to seller when they buy anything (except patterns) in my Etsy shop. This deal begins at 12:01AM PST Fri 11-28-08 and ends 11:59PM PST Sun 11-30-08. Anyone can use this code, but you have to write the code in the notes to seller in order to receive your refund. Pass on the word to friends and family! Don't you all need to buy some Christmas gifts? (hint hint)

2. On that note, I intend to list some lovely new things in the shop this weekend (hopefully Friday), including:

the long-discussed mesh scarves knit from the world's softest kid mohair and suri alpaca
a few more Horizon Hats
possibly some new yarns
some Delight mitts
patterns for the Horizon hat and possibly the T-Shrug

3. I feel smart. Despite the fact that it's just Big Man and I for our Thanksgiving, I decided I wanted to do a big proper meal. I chose recipes (and had Big Man approve them), made up a full shopping list, did the shopping last night (forgetting only one item!), and will begin cooking tonight according to the schedule I've made up. We're having

Honeyed Pecan & Pecorino Salad (with Parmesan instead, as I don't like sheep's milk cheeses)
Pumpkin-Black Bean Soup with Cranberry Guacamole
Balsamic Roasted Red Potatoes
vegetarian Sausage, Cranberry, & Apple Stuffing (but with all cornbread, cause it's better)
Roasted Vegetable Cornucopias for the impressive dish

We're also having the el cheap-o brown and serve rolls because they're just so tasty. To top it all off, I'm making Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake and Caramel Bars. The Caramel Bars are Big Man's request--he will tolerate pumpkin, apple, and cranberry, but would rather have a big gooey pile of caramel any day. I'm wondering if my oven can handle it all...

4. Despite the fact that it's brilliantly sunny outside right now, last night (and hopefully tonight!) was cool and rainy. It was a wonderful change, and made waking up several times through last night ok, as I got to pet the cat and listen to the rain.

5. Having a wee car is not conducive to transporting a real tree home. While I will be visiting a tree lot for scraps so the house will smell good, we're bringing home this guy sometime in the next couple of weeks. My mom's Christmas present to us is to chip in on our buying ornaments and decorations, as we have none--the result of not having a Christmas of our own for 5 years now. After consultation with Big Man, we're leaning towards colors like this and silvers. Neither of us care for "traditional" Christmas colors, so bright and cheerful it is!

So...tired...

2008-11-24T10:44:00.000-08:00

Well, it was lovely to see everyone. I'm very glad I went. I do, however, wish I had the Zack Morris tool for stopping time so I could've slept to my heart's content this weekend. By the time I arrived home last night around 11PM PST, I had slept approximately 90 minutes since 2AM PST that morning--that's approximately 21 hours awake, since the "sleep" was dozing on the plane. I was so tired I couldn't see straight, and felt like crying. Bless my sister for sending me home with her version of chocolate toffee cookies--they gave me the energy to do things like get off the plane and find my next gate. They are delicious, and you should try making them despite the apparent messiness involved.

Also, my frazzled brain completely forgot to take pictures of the wholesale yarns before they shipped out. I do have more roving in all the colorways, though, and will share those when I spin them. Sigh. I want a nap, and by nap I mean I want to go home and go to bed till tomorrow. Thank goodness it's a short week!

Oh, and I finished a few more pairs of mitts for the show and got approximately 7" of the back of Starsky knitted for the Seester. She seems to love it, and I'm happy with it. Needless to say, I did NOT knit anything on the way back, cause it would've had to be frogged due to mistakes, I'm sure.

Randomness

2008-11-19T13:01:00.000-08:00

I remembered, I remembered! Cookies for me!

1. I'm going home this weekend (back east). I'm going to freeze--I think the highest high is 43, and the lowest low is 24. Yes, 24 degrees farenheit. I don't have a winter coat anymore, and mom and sis are both smaller than me, so not so good for borrowing. As it's for a whole 36 hours or so, I'm just going to test the warmth of my own knitting. I am, however, considering seeing if I can use superbulky yarn to knit a sweater on the plane.

2. I killed my computer. There was a "planned outage" in the wee hours of Sat/Sun (thanks SDGE), and I forgot to unplug the damn thing. Big Man and I are hoping it's just the "ignition" (not the computery term), but a computer tech-y friend says he thinks it's the motherboard. However, said computer friend has a days old baby in the house, so I'm gonna forgive him for not inspecting it in person! Big Man is going to get the ignition and install it, and I'm crossing my fingers for it to be operational by the time I get back Sunday. I am ever so thankful that Big Man has a laptop through work, and that we have a wireless router. I am, sadly, completely dependent on the internet.

3. I am currently writing and posting patterns as fast as I can translate them from the chickenscratch in my pattern journal. So far, it's just the Delight mitts and the Pocket Scarf, but I'm hurrying. I plan to add the Horizon hat soon, as well as the T-Shrug and the Practical Wrap. I'm listing them on both Ravelry and Etsy, so look me up!

4. I am officially open for wholesale business with some of my handspun yarns. Feel free to contact me for a price list and terms!

5. I know I stink because there hasn't been a fibery post in some time. Well, not one with pictures, which is what counts. However, I am sending out a little wholesale order of my Squish thread-plied yarns before I leave Friday, and will snap some pictures (even if they're shot in the cruddy fluorescent light of my kitchen) before I wrap them up. That said, there will be nothing this weekend, because I'll be whirling my way to the east coast and back--but hopefully I'll get some good stuff knitted while I'm gone!

Wednesday Randomness

2008-11-12T08:52:00.000-08:00

For the last, oh, 7 or 8 weeks, I've intended to do a Wednesday post about a few random things. Well, you know what they say about good intentions...oh. You don't? Well, they say the road to hell is paved with them. I would think, though, that if there were a road to hell, people would know about it and avoid it.

1. Using a leaf blower to push excess water out of the pathway is ridiculous. I'm looking at you, landscaper at Big Man's office.

2. There are an increasingly large number of people running the red light at the main intersection on my walk to work. It's rather amazing really. I have to admit, I enjoy (when there is not danger to my life and limbs) beginning my walk out into the intersection and making them wait and feel silly.

3. On a related note, on the drive into work a few weeks ago, we saw a guy smoking pot out of a "pipe" made from an aluminum can. This is unhealthy--you know, in case you weren't sure. Also, it is bad to do it while driving, as this fool was. Consider this a public service announcement--don't smoke pot out of an aluminum can while driving, m'kaaaaay?

4. It is supposed to reach temperatures near 80 again this week. That is just wrong, Mother Nature. I know I live in San Diego, but really? It's going on Thanksgiving. Stop with the hot.

5. I'm doing a craft show in a few weeks! It's the North Park Craft Mafia's Holiday Hit List, and it's Sunday Dec 7th. Click here for more info! I'm going to bring plenty of handspun yarn, of course, but also loads of accessories like scarves, mitts, hats, neckwarmers, and cuffs. I think more people will buy accessories for quick Christmas gifts than they would yarn, don't you?

Another kitty update (pictures!)

2008-11-08T09:38:00.000-08:00

I found Ms Tortie (now named Henna) on Petfinder (through the SPCA shelter). Check out her listing, and her adorable mug!

Isn't she GORGEOUS?!? Look at those green eyes.

I think she's saying "take me home! I'm out of my annoying teen years, and I'd be an excellent cat for someone who doesn't want tooooo much energy in their kitty, and who would enjoy chilling with me on the couch watching movies!"

Won't you consider giving this adorable, small, sweet, quiet kitty a loving home? She'd do best in homes with older children or no children, and would be a wonderful companion. She's only about a year old, so you would get to enjoy many lovely years with her.

I must say the quiet thing is high on my list right now--my little jerk...erm, cat started waking me up at 3:30 this morning. Why yes, I will be napping this afternoon.

Even if it's Mickey Mouse...

2008-11-04T06:41:00.000-08:00

Go cast your vote. It doesn't matter who you're voting for, just go do eet! I'm out the door right now myself to go wait in the rain (yes Virginia, there is rain in San Diego) for my crack at the ballot. This is the third presidential election I'm old enough for. It's still amazing to me that I get a say in who runs not only my local school board, but in who becomes one of the most powerful politicians in the world. Wow.

See--pictures!

2008-11-02T18:45:00.000-08:00

I promised you pictures, and here they are. These are some more FunkYarns I spun last weekend (I think), as well as a pair of Squish thread-plied merinos. As usual, FunkYarn batts were made by Hobbledehoy, and the merino was dyed by FatCatKnits. There are more after these, so keep scrolling!

I was thinking Mind Eraser for this one--it's a shooter drink made of Rumpleminze mint schnapps, Jaegermeister, and 151. It seemed appropriate. And no, the drink isn't *quite* as bad as you think.

I'm not sure how I feel about this one. Any suggestions for names?

Earth Wind and Sky--longer than normal, and not *quite* the name of the band, but...

Sheena is.... (a punk rocker)

I'm thinking about keeping this one, ostensibly to knit up an example of a pattern to show LYSs when I convince them to buy my yarn. Plus, I just really like it.

Sunshine of Your Love?

I already did one called Twilight--what should this colorway be called?

Here's a first for me--my first corespun! It's done out of the September installment of the FatCatKnits monthly merino club, and I looooove it. I only used 2oz of the wool in this, and can't quite decide if I want to do another 2oz of corespun (which means I need to buy more core thread), or if I want to do an equivalent weight of another type of yarn so they can be used together in the same project for visual texture. There are also 1/2oz of matching dyed locks to use somewhere too. Then, too, there's the question of if I'm keeping it or if I can bear to part with it :).

I decided to call it Lily Pond. Ginny, I won't mind if you make this a regular offering!

It is by far the softest and loftiest yarn I've ever made. I really enjoy corespinning, and if I can figure out a way to do it without doing all the prep of the fiber, I will do it all the time. After the prep, I think it's even faster than regular spinning, plus you're only running the fiber through the wheel once, saving time that way too.

We also watched Frida tonight. It was EXCELLENT. The movie was beautiful, in scenery and cinematography, and the story very well told. Salma Hayek was, of course, fabulous and sexy, and the other actors were terribly intriguing. You should go rent it if you haven't already.

brain is mush.

2008-11-01T22:14:00.000-07:00

I have just spent several hours compiling a list of yarn shops to whom I can mail a promotional postcard. I have 249 shops right now, and 250 postcards. I think I'm stopping for the evening. My eyes are bleary, my shoulders sore, my elbows angry (leaning on the desk), and I can't think straight anymore. I also spent a little while making some photos pretty so I can post them for you tomorrow. They're yarn, of course. On the plus side, the monkeybutt (aka cat) has been sleeping in her bed on the table next to me, and has been quite adorable (she even snored) the entire time, making it a bit nicer.

Also, I have been meaning for several weeks to begin a random Wednesday entry tradition. Perhaps a list of things I see on my walk to work, or various things I'm thinking about, or who knows what. However, I have forgotten every. single. Wednesday. for about 6 weeks now. I even try to remember and just do it on Thursday to no avail. I can't imagine what my brain/memory will be like when I'm 40 or more if it's this bad at 28!

Pictures tomorrow, I promise. Oh, and Seester--I did a swatch for your Starsky, and I think it's nearly perfect. I'll begin on it sometime...possibly after the craft show.

Mr B&W

2008-10-28T16:12:00.000-07:00

Well, I again can't say just what I'm thinking. But the very nice lady at the shelter told me they euthanized Mr B&W for being "deemed unsocial in the behavior evaluation". I do not understand it, and I am very sad and angry. Fill in your favorite cursewords--I can suggest some if you need help, as well as share some tears.

I'm not angry at the shelter, just the situation. I know he was a sweet boy. Well, if you'd like to adopt Ms Tortie, here's the info again:

She is sweet as sugar, and animal number 33104 if you want to head over and drop the $75 for the adoption fees and take home this adorable munchkin. Seriously, she was the quietest, sweetest, calmest kitty I've ever had in a carrier, and a head-butting fiend before I put her in. Give the North County Humane Society & SPCA shelter at 760-757-4357 and ask about animal 33104.

Kitty update

2008-10-27T13:31:00.001-07:00

I called just now on the shelter kitties, and Ms Tortie is only about a year old and doing well and ready for adoption She is sweet as sugar, and animal number 33104 if you want to head over and drop the $75 for the adoption fees and take home this adorable munchkin. Seriously, she was the quietest, sweetest, calmest kitty I've ever had in a carrier, and a head-butting fiend before I put her in. Give the North County Humane Society & SPCA shelter at 760-757-4357 and ask about animal 33104. They've given her a name now, but I can't remember it. Something-ee, I think--maybe Callie?

Mr B&W, however, has been euthanized. The very kind lady on the phone said there wasn't a reason marked in the computer, but the vet was at the shelter today, and the nice lady will be calling me back with more info. The shelter only euthanizes for illness or aggression. Now, I'm hoping that the foolishness I was told earlier in the week about "not being able to get near them" is not the reason. I will be angry if it is. He was a little antsy in the carrier, but sweet sweet sweet overall, and even friendly in the carrier, just scared. They marked him as a kitten, age unknown.
He was scruffy enough when I snagged him that I thought he was middle-aged, maybe with some kidney disease--certainly didn't think he was a kitten. Now, I'm not hoping that the shelter (and any loose animals at my complex) were exposed to an FIV or FeLeuk kitty, but I wonder if maybe that accounted for his scruffiness.

If the nice shelter lady hasn't called me back by 4:30, I'll call her again. When I find out what happened, I'll tell you here as an edit in this post.

What a long, strange weekend it's been...

2008-10-26T19:26:00.000-07:00

There's no particular reason for it, but this weekend has seemed very surreal, almost like it didn't happen. Nothing special occurred, and nothing weird happened. But it was just a very very odd feeling weekend. I'd like a do-over please.

I took an impromptu nap today, as I was quite tired. It probably ranks as the worst nap ever, because I was dreaming about being so tired I couldn't keep my eyes open as I was napping. It stunk.

I did get some spinning done, though--6 more FunkYarns, and a couple of thread plied merinos. I'll have pictures after Tuesday, I think--I'll have the car that day, and can snap some photos at work on my break. I think I may try to go corespin the September installment of the FatCatKnit's 4oz merino monthly fiber club. I'm a bit behind, as October's installment is staring at me, begging to be a supercoil yarn.

CAT UPDATE
I've been trying to call for an update on the kitties. However, the last few times I've called, I've been transferred to the shelter's message system, and my calls haven't been returned. I don't fault them for this--I'd rather they helped the critters than return my calls. However, this means I have no further info for you, other than the kitties became available for adoption as of the 23rd. If you're interested, or perhaps would like some more information, please call the North County Humane Society & SPCA shelter at 760-757-4357 and ask about animals 33104 and 33105. Oh, and let me know what you find out!

What a day...

2008-10-18T09:41:00.000-07:00

Whew! Well, the Seester is gone--we had a lovely time, and now she unfortunately has to sit on four different flights to get back across the country. That's the price you pay for wanting to fly a specific day and using the fewest number of frequent flier miles possible to pay for the ticket.

However, we had quite the day yesterday. I took off work, and we had no particular plans other than to run a few errands (take the cat for a dental, get some passport photos taken, minor things). Well, as it turns out, the [foul names redacted for those readers who would be offended] who lived down the way were evicted on Weds or Thurs, and abandoned their two cats. Yes, that's right, simply moved out and left them there. Maintenance shooed them outside before closing down the apartment to fumigate, so these kitties were outside with no obvious source of food or water for at least 24 hours by the time I saw them Fri morning (thankfully, the weather wasn't too cold or too hot). As Big Man and I took our monkey to the car so I could drop her off for her dental, the black and white kitty (Mr B&W) came trotting up to us mewling pitifully. I had to leave, but resolved to get some cat food on my way back.

Upon my return, I stood at the porch and opened the bag of cat food, and Mr B&W trotted right over (he had been laying on a pile of rags on the porch), and his buddy Ms Tortie came running from behind some AC units where she was hiding. Since I didn't know what shelter I'd be able to take them to yet (they weren't open), I poured some bowlsful of food and water, and went home. They were very excited to have access to food and water again, and were headbutting me and purring and rubbing on my legs as I was pouring.

Once we determined which shelter served my area, I called and chatted with the wonderful staff. They do not euthanize for space reasons, and I could call and check on the kitties any time. If the kitties were being considered for euthaniasia for ANY reason, the shelter would call me before anything happened. Nerves settled, the Seester and I went to buy some cardboard carriers (which are surprisingly expensive!), and set out to catch the cats.

Not surprisingly, the little darlings were happy to let us pick them up, and only slightly less happy to be put in the carriers. They are absolute dolls, and I cannot begin to comprehend how someone could do that to an animal, much less animals as sweet as these little guys. The shelter suggested that, should I see any of the owners around, I should tell them to come to the shelter and sign the cats over so they could be adopted out faster. However, I'm no so sure I could say anything so civil to these people now, nor am I sure I should say anything so civil. I'm remaining polite here, but be assured my blood has boiled and I have cried like a baby and generally want to hurt these....people. Even sadder, the woman turning over a cat at the window next to us was going through the same thing--her neighbor moved, and took one cat and left the other behind.

I'll keep you guys updated as best I can on how the little guys are doing. I would have kept them, but Big Man and I didn't think that would be fair to our monkey given that she's been Queen #1 for going on 8 years now, and she's nearly 16. But otherwise...you would be seeing pictures of my new adorable kitties.

If you live anywhere near me, and would be interested in either of these low-key, sweet as sugar, adorable cats, please contact North County Humane Society at 760-757-4357, and inquire about animals 33104 and 33105. They are both approximately 8-9lbs each, and seem to be in relatively good health. Ms Tortie is very quiet and a little shy, but very loving, and Mr B&W (I think he's a neutered male) is more talkative and a bit more outgoing. Both seem to be quite laidback and are at ease with being handled, even by strangers.
They are on a 6 day waiting period right now so the...people who owned them previously have a chance to "find" them. However, they'll be available for adoption immediately after that, and you may even able to place a hold on them now, should you care to do so.

The Seester

2008-10-15T15:38:00.000-07:00

She's here! I just dropped her off at the house--she's going to nap while I go back to work, and then we're going for amazing pizza later. We're not doing anything special (unless you count a Jimmy Buffett concert!) and it should be lovely. Don't think for a minute, though, that this means I won't be doing fibery stuff--in fact, I've promised her a Starsky (she's paying for the yarn--how could I resist?), and I'm also making her a little cropped cardigan. She works in DC, and I think of it as free advertising (and, you know, she's my sister). Um, not all while she's here, of course--she has to approve the Starsky yarn first, plus I'm not that fast!

Here's a picture from the last time she visited, two years ago...

2008-10-09T11:58:00.000-07:00

Hurray, my first game of tag! Charlene, jewelry designer extraordinaire, has tagged me in this particular game.

Here be the rules:
1. Link to your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog - some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blog.
4. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

While I don't know if I know seven people to tag, I'll follow the rest of the rules to a T.

1. I cannot wait for the day when I no longer have to go to work. I don't mind hard work; I just don't want to do it for someone else!
2. When I was wee, I liked dipping graham crackers in red kool-aid. It's not as good now, but I don't know if it's me or the kool-aid.
3. Even though I know it hasn't changed, and won't ever change, I check the packages of mellowcreme pumpkins every year at Halloween to see if they stopped using gelatin in them yet. Sometimes I check them twice in the same season.

4. I love learning, but dislike going to school. After being in school for 20 of my 28 years, I am absolutely sworn off ever going back to school. However, I may make an exception for Yarn School.
5. Despite it happening every year, I get agitated when I can't wear proper autumn clothing in the autumn here in San Diego. I should be able to wear sweaters in October, fer pete's sake! For the last few days, it's been over 80 degrees. That's just not right.
6. I want to live in a zillion different places, including (but not limited to) Seattle, London, Australia, Belize, Italy...and yet, I like the idea of settling down somewhere for the rest of my days. Sometimes.
7. I secretly worry that if I ever have my own fiber studio (whether it's a big room in my house or a separate "playhouse" out back), I'll never come out again, particularly if someone brings me delicious baked goods so I don't have to go into the kitchen!

Let's see, who should I tag...

Liz, maker of amazing batts and wonderfully wacky yarns at Hobbledehoy

Susan, shepherdess and all-around awesome gal at Martha's Vineyard Fiber Farm

Velma, amazing spinner and funny gal at COLORBOMB Creations

Kyra, maker of excellent spinner's accessories including brilliant lazy kates at Chiwawa

Becky, dyer of beautiful roving and maker of ingenious spindle boxes at Middle Kingdom Fiber

Abby, dyer and spinner of glorious yarns filled with imagination at Folktale Fibers

the ever-funny and witty SaintGothric--I'm sure you can find her on LSG too!

Tag, you're it!

Terrible beauty

2008-10-08T20:39:00.000-07:00

While I'm fairly certain (which is only somewhat, as there's never any way of knowing for sure) that we won't be in any danger here, there are some folks catching hell on earth a few miles north of me.

I just took these while standing in my apartment complex parking lot. They're not retouched in any way, and were shot with approximately a 1.6 second exposure.

I'm told by newspaper websites that the fire is completely on Camp Pendleton, which is 6 miles north of me as the fire burns. However, while I admit I'm no expert on estimating distances, this seems awfully close--perhaps my judgement is just aggravated by fear of the unknown and anxiety. Be assured, the breeze was blowing steadily against my back as I took these--if it holds steady, good news for those of us in my town, bad news for folks in places north of me. A wonderful man is detailing things over at his blog, so please check it out for more info than you can find on either the San Diego Union-Tribune or the North County Times websites.

I've been busy...

2008-10-05T17:21:00.000-07:00

See?

Superwash merino, 8oz

FatCatKnits, colorway Sentinel

Superwash merino, 8oz
FatCatKnits, colorway Malibu

Superwash merino, 8oz
FatCatKnits, colorway Modesty

Superwash merino, 8oz
FatCatKnits, colorway Rocket

Superwash merino, 8oz
FatCatKnits, colorway Blossom

Superwash merino, 8oz
FatCatKnits, colorway Frenzy

Superwash merino, 8oz
FatCatKnits, colorway Atoll

merino, humane angora, soysilk, sparkle, 3oz
Hobbledehoy

merino, bamboo, sparkle, 3oz
Hobbledehoy

merino, organic cotton, lemon sparkle, 3oz
Hobbledehoy

merino, flax, recycled denim, sparkle, 3oz
Hobbledehoy

merino, camel down, sparkle, 3oz
Hobbledehoy

merino, alpaca, soysilk, sparkle, 3oz
Hobbledehoy

These should be in the shop soon (like this week and next, just not all at once!), so keep an eye out!

A personal best

2008-09-27T20:12:00.000-07:00

You may have noticed from reading this blog that I'm a bit of a dork. No, it's true, it's true. I know it seems hard to believe, but there it is.

One thing that proves my dorkiness is that at which I've bested myself tonight. I enjoy watching movies while I spin or knit--not so dorky or unusual. What is dorky (and possibly unusual) is that I like to play a degrees of separation game when I do it: if Actor A is in Movie X, and in Movie Y, then I watch Movie Y after Movie X to keep it continuous. Sure, Movie Z is good too, but Actor J is in it, not Actor A, so it's not next in line. (See, I told you.)

Well, I achieved a new high at this game tonight. I matched movies that share FOUR of the same actors!! Yes, I know, it's rather amazing. In this game, Nanny McPhee and Love Actually are sort of like being able to spell quizzicality in Scrabble. Emma Thompson, Colin Firth, Thomas Sangster, and Adam Godley are all in both movies. I felt like a bit of a genius when I realized it, especially since this isn't necessarily a case of a director liking to use the same actors in all his films (Quentin Tarantino, anyone?).
(As a side note, I began the game earlier in the day with A Midsummer Night's Dream/Rupert Everett, and then progressed to The Importance of Being Earnest/Colin Firth, which led me to Nanny McPhee, etc.)

CAUTION: dorkiness alert!!
From here, I could go in several directions: Calendar Girls/Celia Imrie, which is a bit of a dead end given my movie collection; Pirates of the Caribbean/Keira Knightley/Bill Nighy, which would last ages, as we have all three movies; Batman Begins/Liam Neeson, except we obviously don't have The Dark Knight yet and I like to watch series of things; Dogma/Galaxy Quest/Alan Rickman (don't have Sweeney Todd yet) or Tombstone/Bandits/Bad Santa/Billy Bob Thornton, but those would kill the British vibe...you can see that I have many choices. It's a rough life, but I muddle though somehow.
END dorkiness

Also, as you may have noticed, I'm on a bit of a British movie kick right now. I would be thrilled to move to England immediately, however unlikely that is. Short of that, can you recommend some more good British films? Nothing too sad, please--I don't like crying into my wool.

(and I apologize for all the linkages--I just like to keep my readers informed--all two of them!)

Coming soon...

2008-09-22T23:38:00.000-07:00

To an Etsy shop near you! (aka, my shop):

loads of new FunkYarns - I got a huge wonderful shipment from Liz, and am spinning them up as we...ok, not as we speak, but that's what's on my wheel right now! Current FunkYarns may be seen here, here, and here
luxurious mesh scarves, some knit of soft-as-clouds brushed suri alpaca and some of light-as-a-feather and smooth-as-silk kid mohair, in all the best colors for the season--sweet potato, ginger root, ethereal teal, claret red, misty green, and more...
loads of superwash yarns, as I realized I have more superwash wool right now than I know what to do with! Look for big 8oz two plies and possibly some thread plied like these
assuming I finish those mesh scarves quickly, there will also be plenty of fingerless mitts and Horizon hats in all sorts of color combos (I'm happy to take requests!)
and this yarn, once I get in gear and list it:

you should definitely click to huge-ify the picture...

That's Ginny's handdyed 60/40 merino/bamboo right there, and it's astoundingly soft and silky and squishy and shiny and all those other "s" words that describe a big 7oz pile of wonderful. Although, candystripe starts with a "c", and that describes this yarn too...hmmm.

Of course, I have to decide to actually list it. You see, I am rather in love with this yarn, and may not be able to part with it...

oh, and a picture of the dang cat, since you haven't had one lately:

Lions, but no tigers or bears...

2008-09-19T17:54:00.000-07:00

I know I haven't posted lately--for this, I do apologize. But there's some good stuff coming up, starting with today's post.

Last weekend Big Man and I went to theWild Animal Park, or WAP as we affectionately call it. We're members, so though we pay an annual fee, we pay nothing to get in and parking is free--a pretty sweet deal since we live about 30 minutes from the park.

We often go first thing on a weekend morning to avoid the crowds. Since we can come back any time, we often only do one or two things and leave before it's gets packed. This visit was spent at Lion Camp and taking the train ride.

Big Man looooves taking pictures, and really likes the fact that Lion Camp often allows him to get such great shots. As we walked up, we thought they had added a recording of a lion roaring to the exhibit. Nope, it was the young male showing off! He sounded amazing, and hung around doing feline-type things. He's about 2 years old, and I can't remember his name, of course. He was enjoying some time to himself in the exhibit. He kept roaring, but never did it anytime we were close enough to shoot a video. It's an amazing sound, and one that you can hear for quite some distance. BTW, if you ever get the chance, we also highly recommend doing the Roar and Snore sleepover at the WAP - it's so cool, even for jaded visitors like us!

Isn't he gorgeous!

pawing at the ground--perhaps something moved?

I think this is actually a method of smelling something better. Complete hypothesis, but given his other actions, it seemed similar to a flehmen response.

Scratching away

Either smelling something or the end of a meow. I just thought it was funny.

eating the grass

chilling on his Land Rover (it's part of the exhibit)

And, if you can stand a few more pictures, here's some non-lion photos! The first is one of my favorite critters--though I have no particular reason for them to be a favorite--red river hogs! The second is for the Seester--she loves these guys :)

I'm pretty sure this is one of the babies from this spring. Bebeh red river hogs are cuter than almost anything, and that includes kittens.

They sit like this all. the. time. (It's a ring-tailed lemur, in case you were wondering)

It's that time again!

2008-09-07T16:06:00.000-07:00

Baby shower! I'm attending one next weekend for a good friend (who I'm 99% certain doesn't read this blog!), and I've been knitting my hands off to get ready for it. (This is the reason there haven't been too many yarns to post...that, and I'm still working on the dang merino/bamboo from last post!)

I dug into my stash, and found the Valley Yarns Superwash worsted weight wool I bought in every available shade of purple and pink. I have no real idea why I bought them originally, but it turns out that they were perfect for this project (with the exception of the hot pink and the light maroon--they just didn't fit in). I had an extra ball of the grape juice purple, so I decided the hat and the trim of the jacket would be made of that, and the rest would stripe. The hat is just a basic hat recipe with a ruffle thrown in on the edge (and some k2tog/yo eyelets). For the jacket, I used a modified version of a pattern from the Knitting Pattern-A-Day calendar and US7 needles. Boy, did it take longer than I expected, but I'm pretty happy with it.

It's not as bulbous as the picture makes it look. The cord is actually a 4 strand braid because I-cord in more than one color was too thick for the eyelets.

I have used snaps in the past for baby jackets, but I think I'll go to the store and get a lovely pink zipper. Wish me luck--I've never done a zipper before!

Don't you love how stripes make things look much more impressive? :)
I have no idea what size they are. I'm not that familiar with kids' clothing. I can tell it's bigger than newborn, because newborns are minuscule. I guess I'll just say I made it to fit her this winter "sometime" since she's being born in October. That should cover the bases, right?

For my fellow language nerds...

2008-09-05T13:39:00.000-07:00

As seen in a Ravatar:

ENGLISH: a language that lurks in dark alleys, beats up other languages, and rifles through their pockets for spare vocabulary.

It gave me a laugh; hopefully you enjoy it too!

I'm a lying, cheating, no good...

2008-09-02T17:42:00.000-07:00

I lied: no blog post on the weekend, but you're getting a good one today! Please forgive me.

I cheated: I generally get 98% of my roving from Ginny of FatCatKnits. However, I cheated and got some Crown Mountain Farms superwash merino after hearing so many lovely things about it on Ravelry. It arrived today--these are Wild Horses, She's Like a Rainbow, and Crocodile Walk (l to r). I'm excited to spin these bad boys up!
But it'll have to wait till I finish this roving of Ginny's:

It's 60/40 merino/bamboo in Summer Garden. I'm really enjoying this blend (heck, I'm even happy spinning it fine, which says something coming from me!), and urge everyone to check it out. Ginny creates excellent colorways, and is always happy to take on custom orders.

I cheated again: I have *always* gotten my cold process Etsy soap from Hiromi of (you guessed it) Soap. But I was drawn in by the basil scent from Southern Vermont Soap and got a sampler pack from her.
They all smell amazing (though honestly, I don't know if I'll get a bigger piece of the basil--it smells *exactly* like basil, and I don't think Big Man, who doesn't like basil, could handle it!) and are generous enough to be mini-bars, not samples. To be fair, I also have some soap samples of some of Hiromi's new scents coming with my latest order of deodorant from her!

I'm no good: I participated in a swap on the Novelty and Art Yarn Spinner s forum on Ravelry, in which we each sent packages to another person containing a picture of something, 3 words to spin by, and 5 things to incorporate into the finished yarn. I received my package with the following components:

and turned them into this:Note the piggy isn't in the yarn. I couldn't begin to imagine how to use him, so he's in there in spirit: notice the yarn is an overtwisted single, with curlicues like a pig's tail. (Brilliant, aren't I?)

I'm no good about this because we were supposed to post our finished yarns by the end of August. I finished this a few weeks ago, and haven't posted it yet. I'm a jerk.

I have so many fibery things I want to work on right now, including this cap with this handspun from AliceofKansas (for me!), a baby shower gift (coming up fast, eek!), some mesh scarves for the shop out of the softest kid mohair and brushed suri alpaca you could imagine, a lace shawl kit to develop (more on that later!), and a secret project involving things like this:

I'm unplugging.

2008-08-29T20:42:00.000-07:00

Technology is making me angry. The computer program at work started it in being inflexible and requiring me to leave a paper trail of "mistakes" because I can't simply edit things to get them in the completely irrational order they need to be in to please the client (silly me had them organized rationally). Then, all I wanted to do when I got home (after years of not remembering the name and then finally finding it) was download City Connection on the Wii and play it. Well, that'd be fine, except the wireless has been screwed up for the Wii for months. Now that I've tried to fix it (with phone help from Big Man, who is currently out of town), it sees the network, won't connect to it, and then I thought I was going to to be out of a regular internet connection for the entire weekend because that disappeared too for no apparent reason. Obviously it came back--also for no apparent reason.

I think it's time to pick up a book, curl up with a cat, and enjoy the same sort of thing people have for centuries. There will be a decent blog post this weekend, with pictures and everything--just not yet.

wow....

2008-08-21T21:41:00.000-07:00

A friend who is kind enough to buy my handspun wholesale (aka, the ginormo order from last weekend) told me that she sold 20 skeins of it today at the local fair. TWENTY SKEINS, and that people from the fiber tent were asking how I do it, and someone wants two skeins of a sold out colorway. I told my husband that if I can figure out a way to sell that much every day, I'm sure as hell quitting my job (you know, since I would then be the primary breadwinner in the family!). I feel...awed, and a bit sad I didn't send more than 31 skeins for the weekend!

Wish me luck in my hoping and finger crossing that a magical way to sell that much every day appears before me :).

Did I mention she sold twenty freaking skeins?!?

I'm actually tired of spinning

2008-08-17T20:11:00.000-07:00

Wednesday: I find out a wholesale customer needs more yarn ASAP, as much as I can make.
Wed night: I begin spinning singles with the goal of sending a box on Monday--got 11 done.
Thursday: Work. But I wanted to be home spinning!
Thurs night: Plying, plying, plying. I plied 9 of them, was too tired by the end to do anything else.
Friday: Work again, but wishing I had my wheels.
Fri night: Out to dinner for a friend's birthday. I had fun, but also worried I would get behind.
Fri late night: Wound all the plied yarns onto my niddy noddy one at a time and set the twist.
Saturday morning: Got the brakes fixed, and began designing a DIY shawl kit while sitting there (more on those later)
Saturday and night: Spin, spin, spin, spin...I think I spun another 10 singles (11 counting the one from yesterday) and plied 10. Was again too tired to wind off, so I went to sleep.
Sunday morning: Wake up to a 6lb cat who is more effective than any alarm clock. Unfortunately, it was only about 5.5 hours after I went to bed. Get up and wind off the plied yarns from last night and set the twist.
Sunday and early evening: Spin another 6 singles and then ply all of them (7, remember, there was one from yesterday?). Intermittently worry that neighbor's kitten (who shouldn't be outside) is attacking your yarns as they dry in the sun on the front porch (he did once, but I intercepted before damage was done). Wind the 7 plied yarns off and set the twist.
Sunday just a few minutes ago: Get excited about the prospect of making real food for a late dinner and relaxing (maybe even bathing!), and then remember there are still 26 tags to be written and attached to the yarns, for which you must weigh and find yardage on all the damn skeins. Crap.

Did you notice there's almost no mention of eating or bathing or any of those everyday activities in there? The only reason the cat got food is because hers is easier to fix than mine! Big Man is out of town for work, so I have been subsisting on things like bagels and crackers and other readily prepared foods. I also told her I'd see how many I could get done by Weds and send those too.
Complaining aside, I am very thankful for the business and for my new wheel because I'm able to ply these yarns about 3 times faster than before. It really allows me to streamline my process, which is wonderful. Speaking of wonderful, I think I will go shower before I write the tags...or do I want to eat instead?

There are still 7 skeins not shown--they're drying.

I didn't do the HUGE skein in the middle during this period--I just finally got around to taking a picture of it.

I am still around, really...

2008-08-15T11:30:00.001-07:00

I've not been posting as much lately, I know. I keep thinking of things to write, but I always feel like there should be at least one photo to relieve the monotony of text, and I don't have any pictures to post.

In the last couple of days, I've had a rush rush wholesale order come in, so I've been working on that, and *loving* my new Country Spinner, Molly. Instead of plying on my jumbo Sonata flyer and not fitting the whole 4oz skein on there and having to wind the last bits by hand because the flyer won't turn around the overly full bobbin anymore, I am now plying one onto Molly, then simply tying the next one on and plying that right onto the same bobbin. I stopped because I was sleepy last night, and I had 9 skeins on one bobbin, and room for at least one or two more! Plus, it's approximately three times faster than doing it on my Sonata (sorry Cora!), so I think I can actually do proper wholesale now with that sort of yarn, which is wonderful. Now I just have to approach my local yarn shops about it...

As you might imagine, treadling a bobbin that big AND full of yarn gets pretty darn heavy--my calves will be too big for my jeans soon, I bet! Oh, and I will snap a quick picture of the wholesale yarns before they leave me so you have something pretty to look at.

The internet is pretty amazing.

2008-08-07T20:03:00.001-07:00

Yes, I'm a nerd sometimes. Maybe I should get out more. But, I can’t imagine how empty my life would be without the internet--I wouldn’t have my shop, I wouldn’t have met many of my fibery friends, I wouldn’t be able to keep in touch as easily with my cross-country family, and I wouldn’t have been able to teach myself how to knit and spin. Most recently, I wouldn't have been able to so easily solve (or hope I've solved) a big problem for a loved one without advice from a kind person I've never met who happened to answer my forum post. Actually, I’m pretty darn grateful for the internet (and for Barbara, the wonderful stranger--thanks a million)!

How would your life be different (or better, or worse) without the internet?

I'm so excited! or, Maggie is a big nerd.

2008-08-06T18:56:00.000-07:00

In the last few weeks, there's been some new construction near my office. I work in a sort of planned community type area--there's plenty of homes, some condos, office parks, and (now) retail. On my walk back to Big Man's office today (he works right across the street, about 15 min walk thanks to traffic laws, and we carpool in the morning and evening, and I walk to my office), I noticed a big sign announcing what was going in the new construction, a whopping 300 yards from my office:

We have what seems to be a billion of these bags in our kitchen.

HOORAY! Not that it's awfully far, but our current TJ's is about 7 miles away (all highway). This one will (I'm quite certain) be a daily stop now! I wonder if I could ask them to hurry it along...

The only thing that could be better is if they put a Whole Foods in within 10 miles of my house--I'd think I'd died and gone to food nerd heaven ;)

We're baaaaaack...

2008-08-04T18:05:00.000-07:00

It was a lovely time! If you want to skip straight to the fiber, feel free--it's at the bottom of this post, after the video.

Our hotel was just outside Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, as you can see in this shot from our balcony.

It was too damn hot to go outside for much of anything except the pool, so that'll have to do. What, it couldn't have been *that* hot, you say? Take a look at the car's exterior thermometer reading (admittedly taken while just outside Baker CA, home of the world's tallest thermometer, but it was pretty dang hot in Vegas too!)

Like I said, a tad warmish. However, the pool was lovely, the food delicious, and we mostly stayed off the Strip. One thing I dragged Big Man to (as I do every time we go to Vegas) was the Bellagio Conservatory. It's so neat to see how they change it every season or holiday. I think I'd seen some of the elements before that they used in this particular installation, but lovely nonetheless. One thing to remember--just about everything in these pictures is made from some sort of organic material, like in the Rose Parade.

Poppa Bear was taller than me!

A replica of the HUGE sign on the Strip (the Cirque ad is made from beans and grains)

Well, this is behind the front desk (note all the poor folks waiting to check out). But equally gorgeous!

I was quite entranced with the miniature Bellagio--it was just perfectly fascinating how well they captured an enormous casino in such detail!

On to the fiber! I snapped a quick horrible shot of the wholesale yarns before they got stuffed into a box

rovings handdyed by FatCatKnits and TheArtsAtEaglesFind

If you like them, head over to the Farmers' Market on Martha's Vineyard! Or, contact me about how to get them without a plane ticket...

I took along some superwash merino sock yarn dyed by Ginny of FatCatKnits to occupy my time on the drive. No, I don't knit socks, but it was too pretty to pass up, so I had to find another use! It is being turned into a cowl for me to wear on my short walk to work during the "cold" winter months here in San Diego (though using a doubled strand of yarn, as I have little patience, and it's what the pattern calls for).

photographic proof I don't kill *everything* I try to grow! Just most things...

I think I'm going to rip out the bottom (I know it's difficult--but I've done it before, albeit carefully) and redo it so it has a more structured pattern, as the suggested pattern looks a bit haphazard. I also did the suggested changes in the cast-on and the increasing.

I also took some glamor shots of my new Ashford Country Spinner, which I put together after only a few coats of poly because I just couldn't wait anymore! Her name is Molly, as that's what a female mule is called, and she is as stubborn and strong as one (or seemed that way as I tried to begin spinning!). Please note how HUGE the bobbin and flyer are!

Molly and my neighbor's very inquisitive little kitten (who I worry about, as I've seen coyotes in our parking lot before, but that's another post)

ENORMOUS bobbin shown with 8oz of merino from FatCatKnits--it's going to have a total of 20oz before I'm done, and still only be just over half full!

I *told* you it was HUGE

The cat again, cause he's so dang cute (even if his name is Simba)

I think that's it for now. I've been bitten by the cleaning and organizing bug, so I don't know if I'll have anything exciting to write about for a little while (since I'm sure you won't find a reorganized bedroom or a new shower curtain quite as great as I do!)

Vegas baby!

2008-08-01T07:37:00.000-07:00

Pretty, no? Well, that's not what our vegas is going to look like this weekend. Ours will look like this

with some of this thrown in

Big Man and I are taking a quick road trip to Vegas this weekend to celebrate both our first wedding anniversary (this past Monday) and my 28th birthday (today, actually). I'm only telling you it's my 28th so you'll believe it's my 29th next year!

New Yarns! And some creative help is requested...

2008-07-27T21:51:00.000-07:00

Ok, so most of the stuff I've spun lately won't see the light of day on Etsy (it's for a wholesale order). But I thought I'd throw out some photos of the things you will find on Etsy as well as some shots of the wholesale yarns...

Sherbet--look for this on Etsy
(roving from FatCatKnits)
(named by the Big Man--he's been trying to name a yarn Sherbet since I began spinning, and finally succeeded!)

Woodlands FunkYarn - it'll be on Etsy

(batt from Hobbledehoy)

Jungle Juice FunkYarn - you'll find this on Etsy

(batt from Hobbledehoy)

wholesale yarn - the customer will name it
(roving from FatCatKnits)

I took part in a swap on Ravelry. It was in the Novelty Yarn Spinners group, and we each sent 5 different types of items, 3 words, and a photo to the recipient (who was not the same person who sent things to us). This is the assortment I received from my partner in Singapore. She was inspired by watching documentaries on Charles Manson and counter-culture. I am completely blanking on any ideas of how to incorporate that concept into these elements (and some fiber to spin it with), and especially would love any thoughts on how to use the pig! It's a resin figurine--the softer resin, not the shatterable stuff. In other words, if I need to cut it up, I can...

Best. Customer Service. EVER.

2008-07-23T21:09:00.000-07:00

photo from Sweet & Sara

Don't they look AMAZING?!? They're vegan marshmallows and s'mores from Sweet & Sara, and they are amazing. They come in vanilla, toasted coconut, and I think Mexican chocolate, and the s'mores come in regular and peanut butter.
(Why vegan marshmallows? Regular marshmallows are made with gelatin, a decidedly non-vegetarian/vegan friendly product.)

I bought some during my trip home (why oh why did the independent natural foods market that *was* near my apartment only get really amazing after we moved?), and the vanilla weren't quite up to standard. I e-mailed Sara to give her a heads up, and she graciously offered to send me a replacement batch. Pretty awesome right there, yeah?

Well, the box came today. It contained the vanilla marshmallows. AND coconut marshmallows. AND a s'more! I am the luckiest girl I know today! In case you're wondering, the s'more and several marshmallows are already gone. I blame the cat.

Time keeps on slippin'...

2008-07-22T22:06:00.001-07:00

I'm guessing you all feel like me--there's not enough time in the day. Well, I agree. I spent tonight looking up evidence and solid information to present to my company to try to convince them we should switch to a four day work week (10 hrs/day). I don't know if it'll work, but it can't hurt to ask! I'd love to hear any information or feedback you have on this type of work week, so comment away.

I did manage to get some spinning done last night for a wholesale order--three singles that will be plied with thread this weekend. I'm going to head out and squeeze in one more single before bed.

For those of you who aren't my wholesale buyer, I also spun three wonderful yarns over the weekend. One is a thinner two ply from some of Ginny's rovings, and two are from Liz's wonderful crazy batts. Because I'm now walking partway to work, I can't drag my big white backdrop, the yarn, and the camera in to take pics on my lunch break. I promise to take pics this weekend, and post the new yarns next week. I'm going to try to get back on my schedule of washing all finished yarns on Fri night to take pics and write listings over the weekend (as well as spin some more for the next week!). For now, you'll have to content yourself with these lovely photos of the batts I spun from:

pictures taken by Liz
both yarns were spun in my FunkYarn style, and plied with silver thread

Guess who's "famous"...

2008-07-19T18:49:00.000-07:00

The fabulous Susan Gibbs of Martha's Vineyard Fiber Farm has posted on her blog my guest entry about my visit to MV. I feel special :). Go check it out!

Not feeling it...

2008-07-19T07:00:00.000-07:00

You ever have those times when you don't feel like working on your chosen craft? When you spend all week just blobbed on the couch watching movies and falling asleep? Well, I've been having one of those for some reason, and I intend to change it today. I'm going to pick up a little in here (my craft/computer/guest bedroom) and spin my butt off. Well, at least a couple of skeins, anyway. I think some bamboo needs to be spun, and some yarns for a custom order, and perhaps a Hobbledehoy batt (I've got a couple of good ones stashed!).

In related news, I got myself an Ashford Country Spinner

which I haven't even unpacked because I don't want to be tempted to use it without finishing it first. I just know that if I put it together and use it without finishing it, I will never want to take it apart to apply stains/waxes/oils/whatever I decide to use. Did I mention that though it only has a ratio of 4:1, the bobbin (which I have unpacked) can hold 2.2 POUNDS OF YARN?!?!?!?!?! Did I mention that? How insane is that? Just to give you an idea of size--

the center portion of the bobbin reminds me of a slightly thinner rolling pin
the entire bobbin is about 9.5" long and weighs 1lb, 9oz with no yarn on it
I'm pretty sure I could knock you out cold with it, should I care to do so

It's a *massive* bobbin. The wheel itself is about the size of my Sonata, but the bobbin is something to be reckoned with! I'm excited to finally get to use it. I'm emailing back and forth with Lee Valley Tools to choose a simple non-toxic finish that's also easy to use. I guess I better go order something so I can use my wheel by next weekend, eh?

My Exhausting Vacation

2008-07-17T07:05:00.000-07:00

Want to hear more about this part of my trip? Well, look for my guest post on http://mvfiberfarm.blogspot.com!

What I will talk about over here is the wedding and how awesome it was :). Ok, mostly I'll show pictures. To be immodest, I and my mom and other family members worked our asses off and got the hall and supplies ready (as well as the bouquets, dresses, flowers, and cupcakes), and I think it turned out pretty darn well.

This is a book of the RSVP cards I made. Each card had a different word on it related to their relationship, the wedding, or things in their lives.

All the tables had brown kraft paper on top, and the food/gift/bar tables had big fabric skirts in the same sorts of patterns and colors as the runners.

This was the bride and groom's table. The cool letters were made by http://kristinemays.etsy.com.

We used 12" runners of quilting cotton between the places for color. What this photo doesn't show are the *awesome* sunflowers we ordered to put in the mason jars in between each runner.

My dress was made by the wonderful http://petapledger.etsy.com, and my stepsister (on the far left) made the other two dresses. Oh, and my jewelry that you can't see is from http://thumble.etsy.com.

Here she comes...

The Seester and her husband--I don't think I've ever seen her look lovelier, or him look happier (despite this photo!). What you can't see in this photo are the pimp saddle shoes he's got on, or the fact that her dress is tea length and gorgeous.

All in all, it went wonderfully, and everyone seemed to have a great time. Now we're almost out of weddings within the family, so we'll have to find something new to do for fun!

One last laugh--yes, I cried a little, and Big Man was kind enough to capture this stunning photo of me doing so...

I need a vacation from my vacation!

2008-07-14T23:54:00.000-07:00

It was wonderful--the trip, the farm visit, the wedding, everything. But man oh man am I beat! I'll get some pictures and more interesting stories a little later in the week. For now, I'm off to bed...

My dear sweet darling leetle Seester

2008-07-05T15:00:00.000-07:00

(that's her on the left...not the bird, the human)

She's getting married in a week. Not surprisingly, I'll be going home for the big event, and all the running around, panicking, and decorating that happens before such an occasion. I'll see if I can post while I'm gone (not least because I want to share the real-life visit I'll be making to Martha's Vineyard Fiber Farm--live yarn!). If I can't, then you'll just have to wait till the middle of the month to see and hear about all the fun that was had!

(eta: it feels very weird not packing any wool to take with me, even though the spinning wheel is staying home!)

"Normal"

2008-07-01T18:38:00.000-07:00

I just graduated with my second bachelor's degree in May. Before that, I worked a marketing job that took me on the road very frequently, sometimes just every weekend, and sometimes for weeks and weeks at a time. Since I started school this time around, Big Man and I have been waiting for me to graduate so life can get back to "normal". Now that I have graduated, there was the futzing around with my job to see if they were going to take me on full time (they did), my sister's wedding to plan (more on that later), and summer is Big Man's busy travel season at work (he just came home from two weeks on the road). So things still aren't "normal".

I wonder when they will be, and how we'll know it. I wonder if they ever will be. I wonder if it matters :)

Indiana Jones and the Maker of the Wool Yarns

2008-06-28T19:05:00.000-07:00

I went on a date today. Ok, ok, so I took myself out. Big Man is out of town, and I went to see Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Yes, it was predictable. Yes, it was cheesy. Yes, I loved it. I'm one who gets easily lost in movies, and I laughed, cried, got excited, got scared, and thoroughly enjoyed myself. Karen Allen is adorable, I love Harrison Ford, and I'm developing a deep abiding crush on Shia LaBoeuf (hooray Transformers sequel). Oh, and Cate Blanchett does crazy woman perfectly. She's seriously freaky. I am disappointed I can't watch it again right now, and I think I'll take Big Man to see it when he comes home. OH! AND, the Janitor is in it! (Go watch Scrubs)

The only bits I didn't like ****SPOILERS**** were Mutt's ridiculous monkey scene (though it was a nice reach back to Marion calling the monkey their baby in Raiders) and the bit at the end where Indy says *twice* that knowledge was their treasure--I get it, Dad, I have to go back to school (insert eye roll). Also, and not that I disliked this, but there were some bits that were very much like The Mummy movies (Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz). I've always felt they drew heavily from Indy, but the bits with the city spiraling away as well as some of the other action bits felt like Stephen Sommers did them.
****SPOILERS OVER****

I inadvertently prepared for my "date" by watching Indy as I spun today (on an unrelated note, spun always seems wrong for the past tense of spinning yarn. I desperately want to say span). I always like to watch series of things or related movies as I do fibery activities.

This was spun while watching the Last Crusade, and plied during Raiders. The wool was dyed by the fabulous Ginny of Fat Cat Knits, and I added in some gorgeous copper flash angelina. Note that this is a small skein of leftover yarn that wouldn't fit on the bobbin. I'm thinking of calling it Arabian Nights, but I'm not sure.

These weren't spun today, but are leftovers from other yarns. I'm going to start offering baby skeins in my shop so that people can get a taste of my work before committing to a whole skein. These are also all FatCatKnits colorways (I love Ginny :) ).

click to see the details up close!

The single for this was spun *ages* ago (perhaps April? maybe March), and when singles sit for too long, they tend to lose their sproinginess (technical term). During almost two viewings of Raiders (yes, I was too laz...involved to get up and change the disc) I added some twist back in, and then decided it wanted to be a coiled yarn. There still wasn't enough sproing for proper coils, so it turned into one of the coolest yarns I've spun, in my humble opinion. I just went a little crazy, and anchored it every few inches.
What this photo doesn't show are the wonderful purples and greens throughout the skein (another FatCatKnits colorway!) and the gold violet angelina added in gobs. Wait till you see the "real" photos in the shop! I don't know if I'll be able to part with this one, and I think I'll need to spin up some more singles to try to do more of this style of yarn.

Remember your first?

2008-06-24T19:14:00.000-07:00

Your first handmade purchase, I mean! I don't remember my very first, but I do recall the first time I had to explain to the Big Man why I was buying several skeins of handspun yarn at once, with no project in mind:

me: But honey, they're one of a kind!
him, skeptically: ok....
me: Really, they're functional works of art! I mean, there will never be another yarn just like this one. And look at the colors! They're gorgeous! If I don't buy them now, someone else will, and I will regret it.
him, sensing a losing battle: ok....

I think I chose wisely, don't you? These lovelies are from Handspun And Dyed Too, who makes a mean fluffy single, and has now added art yarns to her repertoire. Check her out--she's responsible for my addiction to handspun and dyed yarns!
Besides, almost all these yarns have new homes now in the form of pocket scarves (just the pink/orange/purple darling needs a loving owner). The brown and blue one even lives in Australia!

What was your first? Did it speak to you? Or was it just pretty? Why do you like buying handmade?

Voyeurism...

2008-06-23T21:21:00.000-07:00

I think one of the things I like best about reading blogs is the way you're able to peek into the author's life. I think it's human nature to want to know about the "hidden" bits of other people's lives, even if it's just what they had for breakfast or what their sheets look like.

Here's a random peek into my life: the suncatcher hanging at my front porch, crafted by the talented

 Jenifer Eadington

My dad's squishy, floppy, ridiculously sweet and lovable cat George (named for George of the Jungle--he's not too bright)

The big man and I (I'm standing on a step here)

Possibly my favorite yarn that I've spun--roving handdyed by the talented Krista McCurdy of Pigeonroof Studios

Welcome to the world of tomorrow!

2008-06-22T22:05:00.000-07:00

Well, I've finally got a blog. There are often times when I think I'd like to write something down, or tell family or friends or customers. Now I can.

I reckon this will be a spot for random thoughts, announcements about the shop or new products, sharing the adorableness of the little grey cat....well, anything really. Thanks for stopping by!