They're coming

I hate not having a laptop

Being without my laptop is starting to get on my nerves. I had to bring my sad little broken computer in to the IT guys at work to have them backup the hard drive before we ship it off to Toshiba to be fixed. Unfortunately this lack of a laptop is effecting my blogging and my shop updating. I've had a bunch of new additions for the shop just waiting to be uploaded but no access to any of my accounting files for the shop. I had IT send the files to me today and now I can add new listings so sometime this weekend new things will arrive.

Knitting...what am I knitting? Well I've been working on some doggie booties for a friend of mine's new puppy. I couldn't find a good pattern so I'm just kind of winging it. They're all knitted and felted but I have to try them on the puppy this weekend to see if they fit and to figure out how to do the closure around the ankles. I hope they turn out alright but I'd loved to offer up the pattern to anyone else who needs to warm their puppy's feetsies.

I'm also debating whether to purchase a drum carder or not. I really want an Ashford Two-Speed so I can start playing blended fiber batts. The cheapest one I can find is for $395. Does anyone know if someone out there has a used one they'd like to sell me for a bit cheaper? I love working with carded batts and would love to make my own but I can't justify the purchase at the moment so if you know anyone please leave a comment.

I have to get ready to see some friends I haven't seen in a bit so I will end this post. I'm debating whether or not to bring my knitting since we're just going to be sitting around watching movies. I guess I'll see what Carl thinks. Have a very happy Friday and pray for my poor computer.

Catch up time!

You're not going to hear a lot from me over the next few days/weeks. Monday night, my lovely and clutsy Carl tripped over over the power cord for the laptop which pulled the laptop to the ground. It landed on the connector between cord and computer and pushed the whole female connector inside the computer so basically my computer is fucked.

Anywho, I managed to study for my CFA exam some more, finish Dad's sweater (yippie!) and finish the felted bucket all on Monday. Of course I still have months worth of studying to do. I still have to clean Dad's sweater and give it to him. Hopefully that will happen before it gets too warm to wear the damn thing, AND I still need to felt the felted bucket. But all in all I think I had a rather productive day.

With all those projects out of the way I started working on the jacket I was designing in my class with Stefanie Japel. After working with all that natural raw wool for the felted bucket the malabrigo felt orgasmically soft. I can't stop knitting with it. Hopefully I can finish this jacket soon and maybe even write up the pattern in a way that others (not just me) can read.

Saturday will be a dyeing day so hopefully there will be new things in the shop. Unfortunately I have to figure out a way edit and post the new items in the shop but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

Trying to be good.

I think I've lost a bit of my knitting mojo. In order to get it back I'm spending today trying to clear out some of the WIPs that were almost done but I'm just being lazy about. Like Dad's sweater. I fixed the left side of the collar and the button holes are all done. Now I just need to finish the otherside of the shawl collar, seam in the collar and the button bands, sew-in all the ends and put on the buttons. Then all it will need is a little wash and dry and Dad will finally have his new sweater. Let's see how much I can get done today.

I also added some new rovings to the shop. I'm changing my acid dyes to a local dye company here in NYC. Aljo dyes are really lovely to work with and I think they give much richer color. 

Ok no more wasting time I've got to get back to the sweater...oh and I need to get on the Wii Fit. So much to do so little time.

I had the weirdest dream last night

These little flying saucers came to earth to check out the planet and would kill anyone that moved. Carl, myself and some others figured out that we needed to stand still when they were around so we managed to survive a few "attacks" and eventually a small group of people were left. One day they came back and the planet started to shrink in on itself. The continents sort of became a super-Pangaea where all the cities of the world were crushed into one city. You would look out at the skyline and see things like the Empire State Building next to the Eiffel Tower. It was bizarre. Then we all felt this strange pull and were forced to move toward this giant clam thing that I swear was going to eat us all but didn't. This giant clam had some sort of freakish mind control thing and must have been the leader of the little space ship army. Somehow the giant clam communicates that we will no longer be humans and will be converted to some strange alien almost robotic like creature in a weeks time. Before we changed they had to weed out the bad humans so the clam sent some of the alien robot people (that looked just like humans but could download new skills and talents like a computer downloads a new program). Then we started to battle it out trying to find a way out of the clutches of the giant clam and the robotic alien people. It ended with me somehow getting in touch with people that were outside this strange world which was really weird and I have no explanation as to how that happened. And then I get "home" from some sort of giant clam sponsored retreat on how to be a good alien robot person and I'm being arrested for killing a granny alien robot (which I didn't do). I also find out that Carl has been turned into grass because the authorities thought that would make me confess to something. Then I woke up.

Seriously, one of the weirdest dreams I've had in a long time. Giant clam leaders...really?

I hope you all enjoyed this little trip into my crazy mind.

Experimenting Naturally

The new issue of Knit 1 has an article on natural dyeing by Shannon Okey. It inspired me to get in the kitchen and try some natural dyeing. She mentioned dyeing with blueberries and I happened to have a couple bags of frozen blueberries in the freezer AND the bodega up the street was have a sale on fresh blueberries (2 pints for $2!) so I bought a bunch and threw them in the pot. 

 

The blueberry dyeing was so successful that I decided to poke around the kitchen to find other things I could dye with. I found some paprika in the cupboard and thought I'd try it out. I think I used too much because some of the granules didn't dissolve but the color I got was great! It took a lot of rinsing to get all the extra paprika off the yarn and I couldn't get the smell out of my nose for a few hours. I didn't know what paprika smelled like before this and I never thought it was a really powerful smell but after hours of smelling it I was starting to feel sick. So I guess I won't be dyeing with paprika again anytime soon. But the color is really nice.

I love the colors I got and today I think I'm going to head to the grocery store to see what I else I can use to dye with. I have one more skein of superwash-bamboo blend sock yarn that I can dye and I'm thinking maybe some cranberries or cherries. They should give me a nice pinky-red color. We'll see what happens.

I was so inspired by the natural dyeing that I ordered The Art and Craft of Natural Dyeing: Traditional Recipes for Modern Use by J. N. Liles I can't wait for it to come so I can find out more about this dye process. If I get good at this I think you might be seeing more natural dyeing in the shop. Of course I still love my acid dyes so they won't be going away anytime soon. Now I'm off to do my Wii Fit for the day and  the grocery store. Happy Sunday!

Quick Reminder

The Elements Fiber Club is ready for sign-ups.  Here are the details: 

4 or 8 ounces (your choice) of buttery superwash merino roving inspired by one the four elements will be shipped to you every three months for a full year of spinning goodness:

March - Air
June - Fire
September - Water
December - Earth

Sign ups will close on February 15, 2009 to allow me time to dye up the orders.

I'm really exited about this little project so head over to the shop, sign up and enjoy! Otherwise have a very happy Saturday!

Fiber Project 2009!

Since learning how to crochet a couple weeks back I've wanted to learn how to actually make something other than a dishcloth. So I decided that my project for 2009 will to complete the Babette Blanket.  And after a couple hours before work, some instruction from Little Ms. Choo Choo and some major focus this evening I think I managed to make my first square!!! 

OK its a shitty picture but my camera died right after I took this and I'm so happy I wanted to show you all this!!! I know its a little square but I think I did it right and if I didn't I think its almost right. I'm going to try to bang out another one and see what happens. Maybe Little Miss Choo Choo can teach me how to "work over the tails" tomorrow so I don't have a million ends to weave-in.

How's Dad's sweater? Don't ask, it will get done. 

Time for a little ramble...

It's been a while since I've just rambled on so here we go...

Today was my first day back at work and man was it weird. I've spent the last approximately two weeks either driving around the Tri-State area or alone with Carl in the woods. Its been nice. I've had a lot of time to just relax and enjoy life. I got to escape into some really good books. I got to play board games which I never get to do and I really love them. I could knit or spin whenever I wanted. I could play video games all day. Basically, I could unleash the dorky kid in me and just be free. It was fun. 

And mixed in with all that child-like fun I got to play house with Carl. I know we live together so what do I mean "play house"? Well we had a real kitchen with full-size appliances! We had a table!! God do I miss eating at a table!!! And I got to cook my wonderful man 3 meals a day for a week. It was great. The look on his face as he devoured his meals...priceless! 

Oh it was just a very simple weekend. There were no parents or authoritarians to yell at us or otherwise ruin our fun. Domesticity was still novel and enjoyable. It was just easy livin. Maybe that's why this vacation was the hardest one I've ever had to come back from. We got back to basics and it was nice. I really felt normal (whatever that is?) and it was wonderful. We didn't spend a lot of money and we really didn't do all that much. We just enjoyed being. If only every day could be like that.

Its good to be home!

We were on the road Christmas through last Sunday visiting family and eating and drinking WAY too much. By Sunday night we were all settled into our a little cabin in woods. As all my Northeastern readers know it was a very cold week and we were in a house with many windows and electric heat. We had a nice wood burning stove which was helpful BUT all our wood was wet so the logs would weep when we threw them on the fire. It wasn't perfect but it made us laugh. We spent the week reading, played board games and I did a little spinning. We cooked (read I cooked) 3 meals a day and just enjoyed each other's company. I did read one book in particular which was just amazing and I think you should all read. It's called The Bronze Horseman and its by Paulina Simons. I don't think she publishes in the States but you can order her books from Amazon. Anyway, she's an amazing writer and this story is just perfect. It's an epic romance and there were moments when I actually cried. Its so good you have to read it.

Me finishing book 1 of 3

mmm fire

I know you're all wondering is my father's cardigan done? I'm ashamed to say it isn't. I have to fix the button band and collar and I just don't have the energy to rip out the whole left side of the button band. I know its not a lot of work but I've had to rip back so many times already and I think this sweater and I need a little break from each other. I did give it to my Dad to try on on Christmas and it fits so that's good. The sleeves are a little long but he can roll them up. I hope to finish it this week and I hate that I'm slacking but I just can't look at it right now.

My brother loved his hat and couldn't stop talking about how wonderful it is!

I think he likes it!

The only thing that might keep me from finishing the sweater is...OUR NEW WII!! Yes, Carl got me (us) a Wii for Christmas and we're both very sore and we've already had one injury. I was bowling this morning and Carl was trying to put the computer down right behind me. I swung back to throw one AWESOME bowl and I smacked my hand right into the computer and now I have a HUGE blood blister on the tip of my middle finger which is making typing a little difficult but whatever, I'll live. I really like the boxing. Apparenly, I have a lot of anger inside and it all comes out when a punch those suckers! The only problem is that Carl thinks I look really funny while I'm boxing because I jump around and look silly. Now he wants to video it so I have to

 watch out before I'm the next You Tube sensation!

Carl testing out the Wii

Now I'm off to rest my weary muscles before going to the grocery store...anyone want to go for me?