Fiber

I Hope You Voted!!

/ LDSVenus

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I hope you all got out today and voted.   I did.  My son and I tease that we cancel each other out.  But that is alright, it’s our civic duty to vote, what an awful state we would be in if we didn’t have that right and opportunity!!  Guess we will see in the morning who will be in control of the House and Senate and our state.

lsfiberadventure has posted a picture, of the PIF I sent, on her blog. 🙂  You can see it here.   PIF’s are fun to do, they take time and a little bit of money :P, but they are fun.  I think the most fun is waiting to see if they will like what you sent, and well, yes – the excitement of getting your own PIF package in the mail ;).

PIF Sent

/ LDSVenus

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I got all the things for my PIF ready and sent them off a week ago last Saturday.  My PIF recipient has received it.  If she posts a picture of the things I sent I will post a link for you.  I sent her some really pretty fiber to spin, a cute old fashion Easter toy with candy in it, a pen with a soft plastic sheep’s head on the top, two hand knit dish cloths, a bag that I machine embroidered “I love to knit with handspun” on, two yummy special chocolate candy bars and the knitting book “One Skein -30 quick project to knit and crochet”.  As usual the PIF was fun to put together.  I may do it again next year.  The nice thing about them is you have a whole year to put things together for your (up to 3) recipients.

I broke down and went to the Dr on Saturday because my breathing has been uncomfortable, lots of dry coughing, and I’ve been so tired I haven’t even worked very much on the comfort shawl I need to finish.  He listened and said yes, you are rattling in there (referring to my lungs, not my head ;)).  He also said that this was the sickest summer he can remember in his 50 years of doctoring.  He attributed it the tearing down of many of the houses that were damaged 2 years ago in the horrendous floods they had here and all the mold and mildew that has stirred up.  Everyone’s allergies have been much worse this year, including my own (and I have awful fall allergies).  I’m afraid it will probably be the same next year when they finish up the “de-construction” of these flood damaged houses.  He put me on some medication that will help with the coughing spasms and I will continue to take my decongestant and allergy meds.  Oh the joys of allergies.

My supervisor at my temp job told me she had extended my stay and was checking into when they could hire me on permanent.  WOOT WOOT!!  That was what I was hoping for!!!  I have been working temp jobs since I lost my job at the Title Insurance company about 3 years ago due to the collapse of the housing market.   It’s been unsettling knowing the jobs were temporary, but Heavenly Father has been kind and they have been long term while I’ve waited for a job that I enjoyed and could do well that was permanent.  I wouldn’t want to do this again, but it has been a learning experience and gives me a lot of compassion for all those who are seeking work in this awful and depressed economy.  I know that my “good fortune” in being able to support myself (even if a bit scary because of the instability of this kind of work and the change in wages with each job), is because I pay my tithing.  And I know that my ability to have a safe place to live, that is within my means, is because I work hard at keeping the Sabbath holy, leaving the worldly things to the other 6 days of the week.  Those are promises that go with those commandments.  How blessed we are when we follow the commandments, and how grateful I am to understand that.

Comfort Shawl Update….

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click on picture for larger image

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The gauge wasn’t coming out right, so I frogged it and decided to go up to a size 9 needle from a 7 since I was doubling the yarn (one strand too light a weight, 2 strands a little too heavy but closer than the 1 strand) .  The pattern called for a size 8 needle, but I was using a 7 since I knit a little bit more loosely than others and generally have to go down a size needle to get the correct gauge.  The gauge is now more correct and the 10 skeins should make the shawl, tho it will only be 58 to 60 inches in length instead of 63, because I will run out of yarn before I get it that long.  But it should still be a nice length.  This yarn is very soft, which is why I wanted to use it.  A comfort shawl should bring comfort in every way possible.  I’m almost done with the first 2 skeins so I am about 1/5 of the way done.

Off to bed, 5:15 am comes awfully early.  Will be soooo happy when we get that hour of sleep back when they turn back the clock next month, which is almost here!!!!  I love that as much as I do football :).

Scarf Finished

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This is the hand dyed (Wilton cake icing coloring – Purple), hand spun and hand knit scarf that I have just finished.  It was interesting to see the colors the food coloring broke into.  The last time I used the purple Wilton cake icing coloring, it turned out different shades of purple and no blue, you can see it here.  This time it had a beautiful pastel blue in there as well, see it here.  You just never know when you use the Wilton colors what you will get.

I wish it was longer, but I mis-judged the amount of fiber I dyed and because I can’t match the color, it is a bit shorter than I had intended to make it.  I’ll be more careful to weigh the roving before dying next time. 🙂

I originally had different plans for this scarf, but felt prompted as I began knitting it to give it to my neighbor who has been graciously giving me her Sunday paper every Sunday so I could look for work.  She’s a very nice lady and it will be a simple thank you gift.   Now I will have to chose a different fiber to spin on :).  Think I will begin spinning more of the cria (baby alpaca), it’s so soft and soooo relaxing to spin. 🙂

Are You Ready for Some Football? 2010

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Dallas Cowboys!!!

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Yep, it’s pre-season again!!!!  Dallas won their first game against the Bengals (16 to 7) and lost their 2nd game against the Raiders (17 to 9).  They lost against the Raiders in pre-season last year too. 😛  I didn’t get to see either game tho, I need the NFL channel ;).

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Well I’m doing this from my daughter’s computer because I did the last Micro Soft windows update and now my computer will not boot up. 😦   It won’t even get to the windows screen, it freezes before it gets that far.  So when I get some money saved up, I will take it to a computer place and have them get my data off of the hard drive, and reformat and add the OS back on and then restore my data.  Computers can be such a pain, but you almost can’t do anything without them anymore.

I hope everyone is surviving the heat.  We have been hot, hot, hot the last several days.  Suppose to cool back down starting tonight, thank goodness.  I have some pictures of the yarn I finished spinning, plying and am now knitting into a scarf. 🙂  But I will have to wait to do that until I get my computer fixed so I can upload the new pictures.  sigh

Oh yeah, I have a temp to perm job that is suppose to start next week either on Monday or Tuesday.  It’s at the bank I worked the long term temp for last year :).  I’ll be grateful not to have to keep changing jobs, which is sooo stressful.

CD Spindle

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Spinning with a CD Spindle

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I finally got the rubber grommets I needed to make a CD Spindle this past Saturday.  So I went to Lowe’s and picked up some dowels, which Lowes was nice enough to cut down for me, and some cup hooks.  My current employer told me I was welcome to use their older CDs if I would make sure that the information would not be usable – so I used sand paper and sanded the underside of the CD.   Free is always good :). 
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Another look at the yarn

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The ball of yarn is one that I did with the same “waste not want not thrum“.  It had a bit more turquoise in it than the rest of the thrum.  It was spun on my spinning wheel and I’m spinning some on the spindle now.  It has come out as a novelty yarn because of the bits of yarn that was mixed in.  It’s soft and a fun spin.  I’m spinning it to show a friend that is having a hard time getting even yarn, that thick and thin is ok :).

Officially Spring in Iowa

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Click on picture for larger image

I thought because most of the pictures I had taken were of snow this last winter that I would show you that Iowa really does have spring, it just seems forever to get here!  The leaves are starting to come forth and the robins have been here for a couple of weeks now.  But I know it’s really spring because the Magnolia buds are starting to bloom!  I don’t have a picture of that because I don’t have one close to my yard and I didn’t have my camera with me when I saw one yesterday.  We got pretty warm a week  & 1/2 ago, then late last week it got cold again, freezing at night again.  That is typical here tho, I can’t really depend on the warmer weather to stay until May. 🙂

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Spinning wilton dyed superwash merino

I have been spinning slowly on the wilton dyed superwash merino.  I’ve been busy with a temp job (which should last until mid May), my car wasn’t drivable for a couple of months and I had to rely on others to get around for errands, getting to and from work, church, etc, I caught a cold from my grandson 2 weeks ago and tho I am feeling better there is still the coughing thing going on (a wonderful repercussion from my asthma).  I’m gearing up for the spring cleaning in the house and (now how many excuses have I listed? :P).  Anyway, I’ve started spinning on it again, and it really is lovely.  I wonder what it will look like when I have enough to ply. 

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I have my car back again!  A friend and his wife, from my church, helped me get the steering rack and brakes fixed.  He said it still needs axels (they are ok for a while so we will do that this fall before winter comes) and the carborator needs a kit to rebuild it and he’s going to find a new handle for my passenger side front door (don’t even ask how that got broken – don’t want to embarrass one of my sons because he really is such a sweetie :P), and it needs a tune up, and the  jets for the windshield wiper fluid have never allowed fluid to come out, but it’s getting fixed little by little, the more important things first and hopefully all by the fall.  It’s just so nice to have it back and drivable and be independant again!!!!

It’s Done! It’s Done! & Spring is almost here!!

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Afghan Done! (click on picture for larger image)

 

 .I finished my grand-daughter’s  afghan!!  It was taken from the Triple Chevron Lace shawl pattern at knitting on the net and adjusted to be an afghan.  She is pretty happy as you can see from the picture.  She was glad to finally have it after waiting for about a year :P.  She said it was very soft and way cool :).

She spent the day with me today because she was out of school and I wasn’t working today.  We walked about 1/2 mile to go to McDonalds for lunch (because my car is too scary to drive :P).  We also baked chocolate chip cookies.  Yummy :).  She helped me move my sewing machine and sewing table into the spare bedroom since my son decided to stay close to where his daughter is (he lives on the other side of the state from me).  So I now have my sewing/craft room, still have stuff to do to make it a functional room tho, but the important stuff is in there :).

I will now work on finishing spinning that hand dyed superwash merino roving, that had been calling to me and I’ve had to give the cold shoulder to until I finished the afghan.  Now I won’t ignore it anymore :).   There is a pattern for some slippers I’d like to knit up for my youngest grand-children, but I have to wait until I get the yarn for it.  I need acrylic yarn for them.  My daughter doesn’t appreciate specialized care for their things, because she works full time and says she doesn’t have the time to fuss over hand washing things they will abuse anyway :P.

Oh Yeah, I know it isn’t really spring yet, but it’s March and we have been in the 40’s here this week and I’m soooooo happy!!! So to me it is SPRING!!  Makes me want to go out and start a garden :).

Roc Day Take 2 & Llama is Finished & tada ….. the Cowboys Rocked the Eagles again!

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Roc Day Take 2

Roc Day Take 2

Well, it was decided that since the weather ruined our official Roc Day celebration that we would reschedule our spinning celebration to yesterday.  I know it’s not really Roc Day, but fun was had by all!!  These are the wheels that were there, I took these while we were busy with our pot luck lunch :).  The spinner below on the right (and owner of the local spinning shop, R. Rabbits Fiber Studio ,) is enjoying her unoffical Roc Day spinning.  😉  

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Roc Day Take 2

It's Llama Yarn!!

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The Llama is FINISHED!!  That is what I did at our Roc Day, finished spinning the 2nd spool and plyed and skeined off.  I washed it and hung it to dry yesterday afternoon and used my new swift and ball winder this morning to make a center pull ball from one of them.  I will wind the other skein and my son will have the Llama yarn he has been patiently (ummmm) waiting for. 🙂  

Next Project

As you can see I’ve already started my next project.  I really wanted to spin the Suri Alpaca, but I have a gift project to finish first, then I can spin that Suri. 🙂  This is the Merino Superwash that I dyed with the Wilton purple cake decorating color.  The last time I used it I got beautiful shades of lavender and light purple.  This time it was light purple, lavender and light blue.  Gorgeous colors, but they are so unpredictable, great if you want the excitment of a mystery color, tho’ be prepared to be surprised at the finished colors. 🙂  But before I spin any more of this I need to finish knitting my grand daughter’s blanket.  She has been plenty patient and I need to get it done :). 

Ok, YES!!! The Cowboys beat the Eagles again (played them three times this year and beat them all three times and the Eagles are no slouches!!)  They not only won their division the week before last when they beat the Eagles, but this week’s win against the Eagles won a wild card slot for the playoffs.  Now this Sunday they play the Vikings, that should be an interesting match up.  I’ll be recording that to watch on Monday night :P.  The Cowboys have finally started to work together as a team and what a year they’ve had!!! 🙂  Now they just need to work on those penalties! 😛

A Few Last Things for 2009

/ LDSVenus

Old Man Winter - 2009

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This was what we received from the blizzard that hit the midwest last week.  We got rain and freezing rain (mostly just rain) until the end and then we got about 4 inches of snow.  Much less than other area’s who received 2 or more feet.  Snow on the ground and covering the branches in the trees is such a pretty and peaceful sight, until you have to go out side and deal with it, and besides that it’s cold, brrrrr. 😛

The “Boys” are doing well.  They beat the Saints week-end before last, and their old arch rivals the Redskins, this last week-end.  They will face another newer arch rival this week-end, the Eagles.  If  the Cowboys win they will win their division.  Woohoo!  They’ve had a decent year this year :).  I hope they win, but even if they don’t they’ve had an exciting year.

I’m spinning more Llama for my son, I have one spool filled and am working on the 2nd spool.  When it’s full I can ply and hopefully will have enough for 2 more skeins.  Incase my grand daughter is reading, I am also knitting on your blanket, it’s cosy to sit on the couch and knit in the evening.

Thor, my awesome ferret, is finally finished sheding his summer coat and has a wonderfully soft and warm winter coat.  He’s fluffy and beautiful, and I have much less ferret fur to vacum up :P.

My Church is having a New Year’s Eve party Thursday evening.  I will be glad to usher out the old and ring in the new,  it’s just been one of those kinds of years, so I’m definately ready for the new and hoping for a better New Year. 

Wishing all a peaceful and wonderful New Year!