Start of Another Comfort Shawl & Christmas Cactus Blooming

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Another Comfort Shawl

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This is the last comfort shawl that I have on my plate.  It’s been a busy year for comfort shawls.  I used the Tara Shawl again with Lionbrand Homespun because it’s soft and quick to make.  The colors in this yarn make the shawl pretty, and it’s squishy ;).  You can’t really see the colors very well in this picture, they are a purple, blue and grey with cream through out.  It’s muted and very pretty.  I hope she will like it.

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Christmas Cactus 2011

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The Christmas cactus is blooming.  It has lots of new growth this year, will be time to re-pot it this coming spring.  Then it will get bigger, not sure how large I want it to get, I have a friend who had one that was huge, but I dont think I want a really big one.
I have some spider plants that are getting pretty big too.  I hate that they call them spider plants because I really DO NOT like spiders at all.  So much so that I didn’t put my plants out on the patio this year because every fall when I bring them in I find a spider running around close to it.  Ewwwwww.

2nd Wisp Shawl Finished!

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click picture for larger image

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I got this shawl finished yesterday evening and was able to block it last night and it was dry when I woke up this morning so I ran it down to my friend.  She was pleased with the result and that made me very happy ;).

It’s an easy pattern to knit even tho’ it looks complicated.  Once I have the projects on my plate finished, I will try to find a nice heavy lace weight to fingerling yarn and make another one of these. :).

I picked up some more homespun from Lionbrand to make a comfort shawl for my future daughter in law who lost her father 2 months ago.  I hope she will like the color I chose.  I wanted to find out what her father’s favorite color was and make it that color but I didn’t get that information and the yarn was on sale this holiday week end so I picked out what I hope will be an soothing color to help with her grief.  I’ll be doing the Tara Shawl again.  It’s quick, easy and, with their homespun yarn, pretty.  I’ll post a picture after I get it started and enough done on the shawl so that you can see what the color will look like.  I do not use the fringe when I make this shawl, fringe, to me seems to get in the way more often than not.

Shawl Progress & Oh Yeah It’s My Birthday

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3rd skein of cria for shawl

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The 3rd skein is done and I’m about 1/2 way through knitting with it.  I will have the shawl finished this week and blocked and ready to give by this next week end. 😉  It’s been a pleasure spinning and knitting with this cria.

I have one more comfort shawl to knit and then my next project will be dying some superwash merino wool and spinning it.  🙂

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Christmas Cactus already budding

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I can not believe that my Christmas Cactus already has buds on it.  It’s a bit early this year, tho everything has been a bit early preparing for winter.  You wouldn’t know it with the wonderfully warm weather we have had this last week.  Tho it shows it will cool back down next week.  I’ll take the warm weather while it’s here because I know soon it will be all too cold, and snowy and icy.  sigh

And yes, today is my birthday.  I keep hoping it will go away each year, but it just comes anyway.  Guess I’m just stuck having it every year, cos you can’t seem to sneak around it. :P.

General Conference was last week end and what a wonderfully uplifting week end it was.  I love that peace that accompanies General Conference.  I also had to have my car repaired last week end, the cv axle went out and I was fortunate that my daughter knew someone who could fix it for about 1/2 the price of a car place.  It’s running well and I’m able to get around which is exactly what I need!!!  I also have a 3 day week end which I am enjoying immensely!!Have a great week end all!!

Fall Make Way For Old Man Winter

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LDSVenus

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Up front  just so you know, I am not a winter person.  Snow is awesome if you are looking out a big picture window at it in a nice heated room, and you don’t have to get out in it.  Warm snow would be terrific. 

My ferret and my bird shed and molted in preperation for winter in early August this year, about a month earlier than normal, during a heat wave.  We have been having cooler than normal temps in September and today, while I was walking to where I park my car for work, I saw geese flying over head,  headed south.  And altho’ I love watching and listening to the geese, it’s a bit earlier than normal as well.  So I’m getting ready for an early winter!  I wouldn’t mind winter so much if it wasn’t so, you know – COLD.  Guess I will be thinking about how nice it would be to live in Hawaii in a month or two :P.

My son gave me some of the fiber off of his goat.  All goat’s soft under fiber is called cashmere except for the Angora goat which gives mohair instead.  His goat has a lot of guard hairs which have to be picked out, so I have it at work and during my lunch break, since it only takes me about 10 to 15 min to eat, I sit there with tweezers and pick out guard hair and vm (vegetable matter) from the soft fiber.  The more guard hair I get out the softer it is.  It’s pretty dirty tho, so as soon as I get the picking done, I will need to wash it before I spin it.  I think this will be a long, on going project. 

 ***Just wanted to make mention that there is an actual cashmere goat that produces very nice cashmere fiber, but as I said before all goats produce cashmere (again except for the angora goat) tho not as abundantly and not the same quality as the actual cashmere goat does, but it’s all soft :).****

Wisp Shawl Update

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2nd Skein Done

.Shawl progressI got the 2nd skein of the cria done.  I love spinning that, it is soooo soft!!!  On the right is a picture of the size so far.  I have just started the 2nd skein (which because of a problem when I was plying is a little less yardage than the first skein).  I should have enough for a 3rd skein and I’m gonna need it, not sure how much the

yardage will be, I will just spin until the fiber is gone. 

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click picture for larger view

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Here is an up close picture of the lace design.  Instead of the way the Wisp shows in it’s pictures, I am just leaving it a retangular shawl that she can put around her shoulders.  It will be very warm and soft. 😉
It has sure cooled down, but then I knew it was going to be an early winter, my ferret and bird did their molting and sheding thing in early August when it was still hot.

9/11 – 10 Years Later – May We Never Forget

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In Memory of 9/11

This picture is on the side of a tractor trailer truck that has made it’s rounds around the United States.  Although the master mind behind the attacks was eliminated this year from participating in any more aggressive acts against our country, there are those whom he lead who still want to hurt us, may we never forget this horrendous act of aggression on our soil so that we might always be free.

As we remember the 10th year since this heinous attack was perpetrated, may we take a moment to remember all those who died on this day 10 years ago and thank those who helped in the aftermath.    I would like to salute those heroes on flight 93, and all those who, on that day, willingly and unselfishly sacrificed their lives to save the lives of others.   I also salute those in our armed services who have given their lives and those who continue to fight, selflessly putting their own lives in jeopardy to protect us and others from terrorism.  They are all heroes to me and I will never forget.

Wisp Shawl Started

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click picture for larger image

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I’ve been working on comfort shawls this last year while starting this shawl languished, but I’ve finally got it started.  I decided on the Wisp shawl because it’s light and airy looking.  I’m not using the light weight yarn the pattern calls for tho, I’m using my hand spun which is about sport weight.  I’m also making it a little wider so it will cover more to keep her warmer in church or keep the chill of the fall and winter nights away.  I still have another skein or two to spin, part of one is on my wheel and I will try to finish it before I run out of the skein I am knitting from now because I knit during lunch at work for something to do.  This cria is sooooo soft, it is a pleasure to spin and knit with.   I’ll try to post another picture as I get more of it done.  You’ll notice the ball of yarn is not in a pull skein, because I forgot to wind it into a pull skein and took the long skein to work and ended up having to wind it by hand on my desk, but I didn’t mind because it’s so soft and squishy ;).

3rd Comfort Shawl Done

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3rd Comfort Shawl started

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Yes, it’s the same picture because I finished it on my lunch hour at work and gave it to her so I didn’t get a finished picture, I know, I’m bad.  She was so surprised and held it close and said, it’s so warm.  I hope it will give her many days of warmth and comfort.

I’m starting another shawl, but this will be the one that I’m spinning the cria (baby alpaca) for a friend just because.  I have one skein and a spool on the wheel that I need to spin more onto and then ply it so that will give me 2 skeins.  I will need 3 maybe 4 skeins for this shawl.  It’s one I’ve done before, the Wisp shawl.  It’s light and very pretty.  I think light and airy for the warmth of the alpaca would be good, because alpaca is very warm.

I’ve been so moody this week, and then it hit me why, today would have been my youngest son’s birthday.  Happy Birthday son, I miss you.

I had to take Thor to the vet’s last week end.  He’s having some bowel issues and they put him on anti-biotics and a steroid.  She said if he’s better after the round of anti-biotics (the steroid is in the anti-biotic) then it was a helobactor infection and he should be fine, and that is my hope.  If not and it comes back  then it was an inflammation problem and the steroid was taking care it in the lower colon area, and she will try a different anti-biotic for the lower bowel and see if that takes care of it, and if not then she will have to do a biopsy to see what is going on.  Poor Thor was not a happy camper about getting his temperature taken (he had a sore bottom) – this was his first trip to the vet and I don’t think he likes vets now :P.  I’m glad I had a some savings, and it took it all.  This is why I don’t recommend ferrets to those who do not like to spend money at the vet’s office as the ferrets get older, because you will.  I have my own health check up’s coming soon and when all the free wellness checks that my health insurance takes care of for the year are done, I will be dropping my health insurance so that I can use the premiums I was paying for to take care of Thor.  He comes first.  Other than the free wellness checks (and they cover a lot of things), it was more of a catastrophic insurance plan, because it doesn’t pay for anything until I’ve spent $5,000 out of my own pocket, except for the wellness stuff.

ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL? 2011

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Are you ready for some football?

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I was afraid that there wasn’t going to be any football this year.  But they got it all figured out and we are in Pre-Season!!!  I didn’t get to see the Cowboys play their first pre-season game because it wasn’t televised, but they won!!!  I watched the Bears beat the Bills last night.  My son-in-law I’m sure is a very happy camper because he is a huge Bears fan :).  My daughter, like me, is a Cowboys fan, makes for an interesting household when those two teams play each other  :P.  My oldest son is a Steelers fan, no accounting for taste :P.  My 2nd son has no interest in football and neither did my youngest son, what can I say.

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3rd Comfort Shawl started

This is a simple shawl by Lionbrand yarn.  It’s a garter stitch (knit every row) using their homespun yarn.  Very simple but the yarn makes it beautiful.  I have a co-worker that was diagnosed with cervical cancer.  She did the radiation and they found that it had migrated to her pancreas so she is doing radiation again and I believe they will follow up with chemo.  These treatments make her very sick and she gets cold easily so I thought a nice heavy soft shawl with a soothing color would be nice.  I’ll post a picture when I finish, which I hope will be be soon.  I’m not feeling very well today so I haven’t been knitting on it today.  I only have about a 1/3 of a skein left.  My grandchildren (3 & 5) saw it and wanted me to make them one.  I told them I would make them one for Christmas, they were so excited.  You don’t see little ones excited about a hand knit item very often, was a good feeling.
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Our weather has cooled down significantly and I’ve been able to use my air conditioner much less.  Has been much less humid and much more comfortable. 🙂  My ferret and my parakeet both did their shedding/molting thing early this year, so I expect we will see an early fall and winter, sigh.

A Round Tuit – revisited

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A Round Tuit

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Years ago I saw one and thought it was so cute.  I found this one on the internet and used it several years ago, and have found that I have had to bring it out of mothballs and use it again :P.

When my son was going to move in with me, I had to move the 1/2 room of boxes out of the spare bedroom and ended up putting some of it in my bedroom.  He eventually decided to stay close to his daughter (5 hrs away from me), and after his death, I just couldn’t make myself sort everything out and put away.  It’s finally time, and finding time to do it is not fun…. but I have some motivation to get it done because it’s time for the apt inspection the city does here every 3 years.  It’s coming up soon so I have to get that bedroom cleaned out.  I’m part way done and decided to take a little break.  It would be much easier if I had a week of vacation to go through everything and do it right, but I don’t have any vacation time until late this fall.  Sooo I will just have to do the best I can with what little time I can squeeze out to get it done in.  I’m much better at procrastination :P.

I’ve begun working on a comfort shawl for a co-worker who has been diagnosed with cervical cancer.  I’m about 1/3 of the way done with it.  It’s a simple comfort shawl, as I felt that it would be needed in a hurry and no time to work on something that will take a long time to complete.  I’ll post a picture of  my progress later this week after the apt inspection.

Well it looks like we will have football this year.  That makes me happy 🙂

It’s been hot as heck here and lots of humidity.  I will be glad when fall gets here for the cooler temps and less humidity, but that means winter is right around the corner, so fall is a 2 edged sword. 😛