The wedding

I've been sick for days, but with the help of my whole family - we pulled the wedding off.

The weather was great, the house was decorated, the out of town guests arrived safely, Grandma got ordained so she could perform the ceremony, the cakes were baked, the dress was perfect, the groom was sober and not hung over, the family and friends were mostly on time, the bride was beautiful, all in all - not bad for a wedding pulled together in 5 weeks.

I put captions on most of the pics. Here is a small selection from the over 400 pictures taken by DeVia and I. I'm hoping to get copies from everyone else.

Catching up

Ok, there's a lot going on in my family and around my house...

I'm going to try and catch you all up in one post with lots of pictures.

Halloween - we had lots of kids this year - went thru 2 large bags of candy and had to shut our porch light out at 8 pm. Here's a cute pic of Summer and Zach - niece and nephew




I finished three shawls.
Another brown handspun Forest Canopy for my sister Juanita,


a commercial yarn Forest Canopy for Mom,


and my Kiri out of handspun exotics for me me me.







Here are some gratuitous cat pron... We have 4 cats - a 14 year old long haired calico - Cameo - my sweet old gal.


Two adults - Candy



and Stormy,




and a youngster - Baker Baker.



Here's a shot of them all on the bed at once - this rarely happens. Cameo is picky and doesn't like any of the others to come close to her.




Here's the reason we bought the new couch - Maegan and Sarah spend the night at our house almost every other weekend - this new couch gives them both room to sleep on it


The couch also got put to good use on Thanksgiving - the reclining feature was appreciated by all - my son and some of the girls


My mom and a couple of sisters



The kids had a good time at Thanksgiving - look at them playing fort under the table.



I have to finish the last minute details for my sons wedding this weekend. I'll probably have more updates soon.

Kiri finally done

No pictures yet, I just sewed in the ends last night.

At SOAR this year, I received a number of exotic fibers as samples from peace of yarn.

There was cashmere, cashmere/silk, ultra fine merino, angora, yak, camel down, etc...

About 1.5 ounces total for 10 different fibers - most of them white or off white.

When I got home, I scored an electric drum carder with a fine drum, so I carded all the white and off white exotic fibers together with some merino I already had. I added about 25% more in bleached tussah silk to get four ounces of yummy batts.

I spun it medium fine laceweight and the single came out slightly slubby in places, but pretty.

I already had 3/4 bobbin of very fine bleached tussah singles for a different project that I had stalled on - so I plyed those two together to get 1200 yards of a very pretty off white yarn - total weight a little less than 5 ounces.

I have knit the Forest Canopy Shawl 6 times so far and wanted to do a different one.I like my shawl knitting to be a memorizable pattern - written with a chart, but a small enough repeat to be able to knit without looking at the pattern every row every stitch. Kiri fit the bill perfectly.

So, in between the felted bags and the watch caps that I've made for holiday presents, I finally finished knitting the shawl. This was my take along knitting. Everyone at work has seen me knitting it and are waiting for me to wear it to work.

I have less than about 20 yards of the yarn left and did 20 repeats of the pattern rather than the 14 called for. I dressed it on to my 7 foot triangle loom to see if I was going to be able to block it on there like I've done all my other shawls and it fit, but a very soft block. Once I wet it down with a sprayer, the shawl sagged and I was afraid it was going to stretch all out of shape. As it is, it's very large on me and I love it.

I finished it last Friday and then sewed in the ends last night so that I could wear it to my guild meeting.

I'm hoping to get some pics of it soon

Taking a break from work - Which Superhero are you?

It's been really stressful at work lately and I saw this on a friend's blog, so I had to take it.

Your results:
You are Green Lantern

Green Lantern 85% Wonder Woman 70% Spider-Man 65% Superman 60% Catwoman 55% Supergirl 50% Batman 45% The Flash 45% Robin 40% Hulk 40% Iron Man 35%

Hot-headed. You have strong will power and a good imagination.

Click here to take the "Which Superhero are you?" quiz...

Guest Blogger - Book Review - "The Knitter's Book of Yarn"

My friend Alicia Santiago wrote this great book review and gave permission for me to post it here - enjoy..

I was up just about all night and took the opportunity to read "The Knitter's Book of Yarn" The Ultimate Guide to Choosing, Using and Enjoying Yarn by Clara Parkes, published by Potter Craft.

It's written to not only be very informative but also done interestingly rather than a bland text book. Clara covers all fiber foundations found today including SeaSilk and Soy but also covers the luxurious qiviut and cashmeres. She also discusses the government's current laws regarding fiber content. You'll know everything about Protein, Cellulose, Cellulosic and Synthetics and how they're processed, the uses and their care. She thoroughly evaluates the types of yarns, twist per inch, handspinning vs. mill spinning, yarn manufacturers (not all of them, of course), the dyeing process and whole myriad of other fiber facts.

She goes into the types of yarn as well: singles, plied, cabled, novelties and the felt factor. Care of the yarn before and after it is a garment. How to take a beloved pattern that uses discontinued yarn and use the yarn you have at hand (or make a run to the store).

There are also patterns from socks to lace to sweaters to fast knits. She's got charts in the back with WPI (wraps per inch) and what that means as far as your yarn weight. A glossary, recommended reading, briefs on the various designers that contributed to the patterns (Norah Gaughan, Cat Bordhi, to name a couple), resources on the yarns and fibers mentioned, and abbreviations and techniques.

This is an encyclopedia on yarns and fibers and I highly recommend it. If you're looking for a holiday gift for a fiber friend or for yourself, you won't go wrong with this one!

As always, I'm unfortunately not affiliated with Clara, though back in 2000 I did send her a spindle and various fibers to try out. Clara is also the person behind Knitter's Review, which is an online 'zine that you can sign up for free.

I hope you enjoyed my review! Next up will be Vogue Knitting's "The Ultimate Sock Book" but you'll have to wait until my next insomnia attack :-)

Alicia

Tag - I'm It!!

I've never been tagged for a meme before - so we'll see how this goes since Cindy got me this time. So, here you go -- probably more information than any of you really want! LOL

38 things about me that you may or may not want to know.

1. Name one person who made you laugh last night? DeVia - she's always the one


2. What were you doing at 0800? Getting ready to meet my sister and go pick out a new living room couch


3. What were you doing 30 minutes ago? Eating lunch with my sister and her two wonderful daughters
   


4. What happened to you in 2006? Went to Hawaii for the first time - first class too!!


5. What was the last thing you said out loud? Get off the Table - to Cameo -one of my cats.
   
6. How many beverages did you have today? A glass of water and some of Maegan's root beer
   
7. What color is your hairbrush? I only use a comb.


8. What was the last thing you paid for? the new leather couch being delivered next Tuesday.


9. Where were you last night? home with my sweetie.


10. What color is your front door? um, wait a moment while I go check - boring Tan
    


11. Where do you keep your change? bottom of my purse.


12. What’s the weather like today? I'm hoping that this long late summer will end this weekend. It's a little cloudy but still in the 80's.
13. What’s the best ice-cream flavor? Bear tracks
    


14. What excites you? Family, yarn, fiber - festivals - hanging out with other like minded people
    


15. Do you want to cut your hair? It's plenty short enough
    


16. Are you over the age of 25? hrump! more than twice that
    


17. Do you talk a lot? yes


18. Do you watch the O.C.? The O.C.? What's that?
    


19. Do you know anyone named Steven? Yes.


20. Do you make up your own words? yes - fotched is currently my favorite?


21. Are you a jealous person? not when I am secure
    


22. Name a friend whose name starts with the letter ‘A’. Angel.


23. Name a friend whose name starts with the letter ‘K’. Karen.


24. Who’s the first person on your received call list? Juanita.


25. What does the last text message you received say? me2.


26. Do you chew on your straw? No.


27. Do you have curly hair? curly in the back - wavy on top.


28. Where’s the next place you’re going to? Home depot for lamp shades


29. Who’s the rudest person in your life? I don't think I have any rude people in my life.


30. What was the last thing you ate? Los Compadres Chile Relleno.


31. Will you get married in the future? In a committed relationship - don't think we will get married unless they actually legalize it in our state.


32. What’s the best movie you’ve seen in the past 2 weeks? I don't think I have watched a movie in the last two weeks.


33. Is there anyone you like right now? yeah!


34. When was the last time you did the dishes? Ha! That would be housework and I don't do that.


35. Are you currently depressed? No.


36. Did you cry today? yes .


37. Why did you answer and post this? Cause Cindy tagged me and I have never done one before.


38. Tag 5 people who would do this survey. I'd rather not tag anyone - if you read this and haven't done it before - then you are tagged. K?
    

News - not fiber related

My oldest son is getting married - in 4 weeks. I am working on the details required to pull this all together.

At first they were going to just go to the JP, but have now decided to make it a little more of a wedding.

My youngest sister has volunteered her house for the event. We will do a small ceremony and then a reception. Even if we just invite family - there's going to be about 50 people.

Yikes! I have so much to get done - find a minister, rent tables and chairs, figure out what to do about food, decorations, dress for the bride, dresses for all the little girls who want to be flower girls. There will be at least 5 flower girls - probably no other attendants.

My son's father and his brother have to be gotten down here - I already booked the ticket for my youngest son - now I have to figure out how to get his dad here - he doesn't fly and lives in Wyoming.

Lot's to do - not very much time to do it in.

Moo Cards Arrive!

At Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival (OFFF) a number of the bloggers has half size calling cards called Moo Cards.

I was entranced by them and finally got mine the other day.

On the Moo Card website, you can upload your own photos, crop them to the card's size and then have 6 lines of printed info on the other side.

I love mine - lot's of fibery goodness on them. Can't go wrong for $25 bucks (total with shipping).

Now I need to get one of the little carrying cases I saw...

Fibers Through Time 2008 - Registration Opens

Whew! After a lot of hard work by a number of people, the registration information is now available for Fibers Through Time 2008. Presented by the Arizona Federation of Weaving and Spinning Guilds in April 2008.

Please take a look at the workshop information. The vendor info is not on the website yet, but from what I heard yesterday, it promises to be a great selection.

I am the registrar, if you have any questions please let me know and I will do what I can to help.

I'm very excited - our theme this conference is "Connections to the Past" and it promises to be a lot of fun.

April in Arizona is one of the best times to come - I hope to see you then.

New Learning Opportunity

At Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival (OFFF), Morgaine of Carolina Homespun let me know about a conference they were pulling together for 2008. At SOAR, she finally gave me the rest of the details. Here they are from the handout she gave. I am SO going to do this one next year.


Golden Gate Fiber Institute Summer Intensive
July 28 -August 3, 2008

Join us for the first meeting of the Golden Gate Fiber Institute. We have great teachers, a beautiful location, fabulous food and the Pacific Ocean at our door step!

The retreat will be 6 days of instruction. The classes are intensive and each student will take two classes. One in the morning and one in the afternoon. Our hope is that by dividing up the day and spending some time with 2 different subjects we will be giving your mind and body time to learn and absorb all the new information and techniques.

Just imagine spending the morning (or afternoon) learning about Estonian lace knitting with Nancy Bush, spinning ancient fibers in new forms with Judith Mackenzie McCuin or Weaving cut silk pile with Sara Lamb and the rest of the day learning about natural dye with Darlene Hayes, freeform crochet and knitting with Myra Wood, or felting with Loyce Ericson.

This is a small retreat in a relaxed atmosphere with lots of time to learn and practice, walk for exercise and inspiration and enjoy your fellow fiber folk. The classes are small to maximize your learning opportunity and provide plenty of individual attention.

The retreat facility is rustic but the location is fantastic! We will be using the YMCA Camp at Point Bonita Lighthouse in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA). The facility is an old military base set amidst the beauty of the California coast just 5 minutes north of the Golden Gate Bridge. If the accommodations are rustic the food is not! The chef is a graduate of the California Culinary Academy and does a magnificent job of providing for a variety of special food needs while making the overall dining experience a pleasure. Visit their website to see more about the camp. www.pointbonitaymca.org

Registration opens Dec 1, 2007

www.goldengatefiberinstitute.org

I don't have the total handy - but it was between $800 - $900 - that's a great deal for 6 days of workshops + food + lodging. OK, I am definitely going to this one next year. Any one going to join me?

Last day – Leaving SOAR…

It’s bittersweet on the last day. I am eager to get home to my family, but sad to leave the friendships I have made in the past few days. I always find that leaving SOAR and other immersion type of events and returning to ordinary life is hard for me. I don't return to work refreshed and ready to get busy. I almost resent work for taking me away from what I really want to be doing, instead of being grateful that what I do for a living provides the ability to go and do these things.



Shanty Creek is a beautiful setting - the leaves are turning colors that I rarely get to see in Arizona. The morning mist rising from the water this morning was so peaceful. I wish that I lived in a place that had the seasons so clearly delineated. I slept with the windows wide open and snuggled under the covers. On the last night I even wore my socks to bed to keep my feet warm - yum!

I took four classes during the retreat – Spinning for Lace with Margaret Stowe, Getting the Most Out of Hand Held Combs with Robin Russo, Kitchen Sink Batts with Janel Laidman and a great entrelac class with Kathryn Alexander - the name of which escapes me right now.

I learned a great deal in each class – not necessarily what I expected to learn, but valuable in any case. The staff of Interweave, and the Spin Off group in particular are once again to be commended in putting together an event that I will remember.

The best parts were seeing friends made during previous SOAR’s like Janel of Chameleon Colorworks and Spindlicity Magazine, Shirley of Lambspun, and Morgaine of Carolina Homespun; and then making a couple of wonderful new friends. I feel that I met a couple of kindred spirits in Connie and Steve of Spindlewood Spindles. I met them my first night there at dinner and we became instant friends. Their generosity of heart was appealing from the start and over the few days that we spent together, I felt like we were old friends reconnecting after a long time apart.

Funny that I make friends more easily with people who are vendors than participants, hmmm, I wonder why that is?

I also met Abby, I have been reading her blog for some time now and it’s cool to put a face with the name. She was very nice – down to earth and friendly. I ran into Stephanie a couple of times, got some good pictures with her and Janel in them from the panel discussion on Sunday morning.

Well, my bags are packed and the shuttle is on it's way. I'll spend all day traveling and be wiped out tonight.

(posted Monday - written Sunday)

SOAR 2007 - Day one

It feels strange to be blogging about SOAR when I haven't written anything up about OFFF from last month, but here goes anyway.

I arrived on Wednesday - I have only attended the retreat portion of SOAR so far and this year is no different. I like to get here the day before check in so that I am already settled in and know my way around when the market opens Thursday Mornings. Yes, one of the major draws for me is the shopping. Now that I know that the number of vendors here is is much less than OFFF or other major fiber festivals - I think the shopping will be a much less important part of the trip.

Actually that is exactly what happened yesterday. All day to shop the market and I came away with much less than ever before. I bought a couple of spindles, two more bobbins for the WW on my Gem, a couple of small doo dads and only two rovings. That's right - only two. One of them was one of the gorgeous Cashmere/silk dyed rovings that I got from Carolina Homespun at OFFF. Perhaps now that I have two of them, I may work up my courage to actually spin one.

I met some wonderful people at dinner Wednesday evening. Connie and Steve from Spindlewood Spindles. Steve makes square spindles and they are gorgeous. He and I talked about custom spindles so now I have to ask D's son if he still has any of that Koa wood that we sent him from Hawaii.

I've run into Janel, Patty and Morgaine - so nice to see people again from last year. Stephanie and I have bumped into each other a couple of times also. Last night I was in line to use the ladies room and she was struggling with the latch on the stall she was in. I told her that it would be on the internet by morning and here it is.....

I was able to sign up for all the classes I want and will actually take my camera with me today so that my next post may have photos.

It's nice and cool here, I get to wear my sock and my shawls. Yippee.

New Item at my house

The last think I need is another piece of equipment - but I could not pass up the opportunity to have this Baby Wolf Loom come live at my house.

Pics to come.

I am looking forward to putting a warp on her when I get back from Portland.

Warning - family members do not read

Yes, that means you, too, Bonnie.


My sister and I just sat down and figured out the Christmas list and I'm going to be very very busy between now and the end of the year.

Yikes - I have at least 11 felted bags to make and only 95 days to do it in. That's just about one a week.

Luckily, Juanita will do all the finishing - make the linings and attach the handles.

I am going to use the one that is already felted as one gift - only 10 to go!

The Felted Bag

The bag from the last post was so much fun that I am doing another one right away. I acquired 6 skeins of Plymouth Boku yesterday from TYF along with some interlacements Tiny Toes. The Tiny Toes looks very similar to the base yarn used for Koigu - I'll let you know how it knits up.

Anyway - back to the bag. Last night at the store, I was asked for the pattern. So, I thought that while I am knitting this bag, I will write the pattern and then post it here for those interested.

More to come.

My first felted bag

I was captured by a Patons SWS colorway one day and knit a little bag using two skeins. It was nice, but not spectacular and I never did get around to felting it.


One day on Ravelry, I spied 3 skeins of a different colorway offered for sale or trade and soon it was mine too.


In August, my LYS had a weekend retreat and the technique that I wanted to learn was Entrelac.



I unraveled the first bag and used some of that yarn to knit the bottom of this bag, I then used 2 skeins of the new yarn to knit the first 4 rows of entrelac, the next two rows of entrelac was from the first yarn again and then the bag was finished off with the remaining skein of the new colorway. An I cord bind off and I cord tie and then into the washer.



I was a little concerned exactly how to do the felting in my front loader. I can't adjust the spin or rinse cycles and decided to check on the bag after just 3 minutes in the washer. Good thing as it was already as felted as I wanted it to be. I have a box in it right now and it's drying out on the back patio. I'll post pics as soon as it's dry and assembled.


These pictures don't really do justice to the vibrancy of the colors in this.

Finished Portland Koigu Socks

I love these socks... I purchased the Koigu KPPPM from KnitPurl in Portland when I was up there for the PDX Knit Bloggers meet up.

They are knit in my usual toe up fashion, however I used the patch toe from Duffy for the first time and the sherman heel that Mel explains so well.





The stitch pattern is from the 365 patterns a year calendar - it's called Crocus Buds. It's very simple, but gives a great texture. Very effective for handpainted yarns.


The richness of the yarn and stitch pattern is not fully visible in these pictures. The socks have to be seen to really get the impact.


I have to have more Koigu KPPPM - I can see more in my future - no matter where I have to go to get it.

Oregon Flock & Fiber Festival

Yes, another trip to Portland this year! Yippee - this makes the third one so far. The 21st of September I am flying into Portland and then Melissa and I will go to the festival on Saturday. I will probably also be there on Sunday, depending on the workshop I take Saturday.

Melissa has to work on Friday, so I am looking forward to a little running around Portland, perhaps getting together with a couple of friends, purchasing sock yarn (the Koigu KPPPM at Knit Purl better watch out) and in general loving being in Portland.

So, any of my Portland friends, drop me a comment if you want to get together on Friday.

Re-organizing day

I finally started setting up the back bedroom to be my fiber prep room. I put up the two new tables, got out the drum carder and started sorting thru the 35+ bins to sort the yarn, ready to spin fiber, and fiber to be prepped.

I have moved the fiber to be prepped into the back room and will start going thru the yarn and ready to spin fiber this afternoon. I'm hoping to take some pics of my handspun yarns and put them into Ravelry.

I have been itching to work with my drum carder lately and been discouraged at the thought of having to put it away every time someone wants to use the dining room table. Being able to leave it set up and in the middle of a project really makes it more productive.

I am thinking that I want to card up some sweater size (16-20 ounce) batches for sale. That take time and space that I did not really have up until now.

More later with photos.

This is sooo funny

Mamacate had a link to this on her blog today and it's too funny not to share.

I promise I will post pics of the almost completed Koigu Portland souvenir socks soon. I ran into a slight hitch in the cast off and it wants to roll forward - Arrrgh!