Daylight Savings Time, Once Again

/ LDSVenus / 1 Comment

Old Indian Wisdom - (click on picture for larger image)

 I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I don’t like Daylight Savings Time!!!   And to be honest, the older I get, the longer it takes me to adjust to the new time and less I like it!!  I want my hour of sleep back, and I don’t want to have to wait until fall to get it back!  Ok I’m feel better, still tired but I feel better ;P. 

They don’t have Daylight Savings Time in Arizona or Indiana, anyone else?  Glad to see someone thumbing their nose at it.  Sigh, I wish Iowa would.

I’m working on some knitted slippers for my grand children, I’ll post a picture and the link  in a day or two, when I can find the time  to post and not fall asleep when I try to knit :P.

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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 :).

I’m a Procrastinator

/ LDSVenus / 1 Comment

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There I’ve said it.  Yes I am a procrastinator.  It’s really hard to avoid recognizing that, but I try :P.  It’s so much easier to say, “I’m laid back”, “I like to go at my own pace”, but the ugly truth is I’m a procrastinator.  Sigh.

I’ve known it for a long time, but I avoided thinking about it.  However my youngest son is going to be going through a divorce and I told him I had two bedrooms and he was welcome to come stay with me to give him a chance to get back on his feet here.  It meant finishing getting what was left of those boxes still in that second bedroom somewhere else.  I have the room in closets and storage for the boxes, but I have put off doing something with those boxes saying I was going to go through them, until now I have to, I’ve only been in my apt for a year (did I mention I’m a procrastinator?), and I was eventually going to use that second bedroom for my sewing and craft room.  But I never got around to doing it, so now my son will be able to stay in it, and eventually when he’s situated and on his own again, I will have an empty room to put my sewing and craft things in, but then I’m a procrastinator ;P.

Ok, the above is also appropriate for the blanket I’m working on for my grand daughter, yes, I do work on it and I only have about 3 1/2 skeins to go, but I really should be finished by now.  I’ll stop letting things distract me this week and see just how far I can get, my grand daughter will be very happy, and probably very surprised if I actually get it finished, I mean I’ve only been working on it for about a year ;P.

Still looking for work, but at least that is one thing I am not procrastinating about, that’s one point for me anyway :).  My car let me know a few weeks ago that it would not be taking me anywhere anymore.  The steering rack has finally gotten so bad I’m afraid to drive it.  I can’t complain, I only paid $500 for it about 4 1/2 years ago, so with some pampering, I did get my money out of it. 🙂  You forget how dependent on a vehicle you are until you don’t have one.  I miss the independence that the car gave me, now I have to wait until someone can take me to grocery shop, or anywhere else I need to go.  I do take the bus sometimes, but it’s a half a day to take the bus to Walmart to do some shoping  and then wait for the bus to come back by and get home, which would have taken me about an hr to do before.   And I can’t carry too much because I have a 5 block walk from the bus stop coming home.  Sigh.  I also had a week job from the temp agency a couple of weeks ago and I took the bus to work every other day (my daughter took me the in between days) and my son picked me up, or I wouldn’t have been home until about 7 to 7:30 pm.  I had to get up pretty early to catch the bus and get to work an hr early because the next bus would have gotten me to work late.  Funny all the things we take for granted.  I’ll never take a car for granted again.

More Fog Frost

/ LDSVenus / 1 Comment

More Fog Frost!

Close up of fog frost on a tree

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We had a fog advisory today until noon.  It created fog frost in the trees again, and these are the pictures I took. 

The one on the right is a close up (you can click on both pictures for enlarged pictures.)  The frost in the trees like that is really strikingly beautiful.  It makes the end of the branches look like they are made of glass.  But I’m thankful it’s Feburary and that Spring is right around the corner (it’s a longer block here to round the corner of than the south and the west tho, but soon.)  🙂
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Maybe it’s the economy and having to post and give from your blog, but I was surprised that I only have one person to give a PIF gift to.  Remember you will not have to give one to me,  just post and give to 3 people who sign up on your blog for your PIF.  I have room for two more if anyone is interested.  Please do it soon tho so it will be easier to leave a post about it, as I will be putting my security safeguards back up soon because I’m tired of clearing out the spam that my security program takes care of.  I just wanted to make sure it wasn’t counting anyone’s real post as a spam.   Once you post and I accept it, it’s much easier to post.
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Well, I will be looking for another source for the handmade soaps I love to use, as Autumnoak has some health issues and the soap was taking alot out of her because of the time she was putting into it to make sure she had everything just right for her customers.  She is still selling her beautiful handspun yarns to help with the medical costs.  Spinning is always peaceful and restful.  If you love knitting with handspun and you don’t spin (or even if you spin) please visit her etsy site (click on her name above) and look at her beautiful handspun yarns.
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Hope everyone has a wonderful Valentine’s Day. 🙂

Pay It Forward

/ LDSVenus / 2 Comments

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Ok it’s time to do this again.

PAY IT FORWARD!!

Very cool idea I’ve participated in in the past, and I couldn’t resist the idea of starting another one. I signed up on L’s Fiber Adventures blog site and she is signing up on mine so we can get the ball rolling.

The guidelines: “I will send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange. I don’t know what that gift will be yet and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week, but you will receive it within 365 days, that is my promise!”

The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog and link to my blog as where you signed up.

“Want to participate? Be one of the first 3 people to leave a comment on this post and make the same promise on your own blog.

Not So Random Acts of Kindness, and 365 days to do it in!!! What a cool idea!

So, here goes! If you’re interested in participating, just be one of the first three people to post that you would like to PIF! You dont have to be a knitter, you can hand craft – crochet, weave, sew, stamping up cards, anything that is “your thing”.

Fog Frost?

/ LDSVenus / 1 Comment

Frost in the Trees

 

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Ok, I’ve lived in IA off and on for 11 years and I don’t remember having fog like we have had for the past several days, tho it did lift today, and I certainly don’t remember fog causing frost in the trees like this.  But it is beautiful.  I have another picture below.  I wish I had had my camera with me this afternoon when I was out and about, because there was a large group of trees in a snowy field and the frost on the branches stood out making a very stark picture against the sky, but oh so beautiful!

Closer view of the Frost on the branches

 

You can click on the pictures for a larger view.  We are having our mid winter thaw, and the temps have been in the 20’s and lower 30’s this last week and so far this week, however it is suppose to be maybe up to 42 this Saturday – woohoo!!  The mid winter thaw is almost like an early spring, but it goes away followed by more cold snowy winter until the real spring breaks forth.  Come on Spring!!!

Well as you probably already know, the Cowboys did not win their game on Sunday.  Actually they didn’t do very well at all.  But having said that, I was happy to have them make it to the playoffs this year, it shows that they are starting to get things together, now if they can just keep it together ;P.  I’m sure they will have a great year next year. 🙂

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

/ LDSVenus / 2 Comments

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! 😛

Still More Snow & a Swift – Happy Roc Day!

/ LDSVenus

Still More Snow

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Well mother nature has certainly been busy this winter.  According to the weatherman, we got about 4.5 inches of snow over night and expect anywhere from 1 to 3 more inches today.  But at least it was 12 above today!!!  It’s been in the single digits and below zero ambient temps lately.  Supose to be only around 3 to 6 above ambient temps for the next two days and I know that means minus temps with windchills.  Sigh, I’ll ask again, is it spring yet?

Swift & Ball Winder Set Up

 

My sister, for Christmas, sent me an Amazon.com certificate.  I went to amazon and looked and hemmed and hawed and finally made up my mind (hard to spend unexpected money when you’ve been on a budget for so long :P) and decided to get a swift!  I had a ball winder but had wanted a swift for several years but could never talk myself into spending the money on one.  So I decided to treat myself and it came today!!  It really is a nice one, sturdy and seems to move well.  I’ll give it a workout when I get that Llama skeined off so I can wind it into a ball for my son. 🙂

I intended to spend Roc day today spinning with my local spinning group to celebrate the new year.  However the weather wasn’t co-operating and I did not want to take my wheel out in this.   If you would like to know more about Roc Day you can check this wikapedia link or this Florida link. 

Well the Cowboys beat the Eagles 24 to 0 last Sunday (tho I didn’t get to record the game to watch because it wasn’t on cable) and won their division.   They get to play them yet again this Saturday evening for a wild card slot.  It’s always an interesting game between Dallas and Philadelphia – cos’ they are not the best of friends ;P.  I will get to watch it this time :).  GO COWBOYS!!!!

Happy New Year – 2010

/ LDSVenus / 1 Comment

Granddaughter's Afghan/Blanket

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I hope this will be a wonderful New Year for all my friends and family.

Just to show that I really am working on this blanket I decided to put a picture of it’s progress.  It takes approximately 1 skein for each completed pattern (18 rows), yes I am on the 6th skein of yarn.  I have 5 more after this one so I am a little more than half way done.  To be honest I needed at least 3 more skiens, however I have not been successful in finding any.  That is what happens when you make something with discontinued yarn. 😛

I have about 1/2 of a spool to go on the spinning for the 2nd spool of Llama to be done and then I can ply.  You can guess which one will get done first ;P.  Sorry Jade.

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!