I forgot to show!

Here's a skein I spun and am proud of. It's some roving from etsy called Razzmatazz. It's not even - there are some puffier spots - but it looks like real, store-bought yarn. I need to see how many yards there are and think about what to make with it. Suggestions??

Summer's Over

For the kids, anyway. School started on Wednesday and it's back to the routine. They both like their classes - so far. We live close to the school so they've been riding their bikes. It's good to have a schedule again.
I have been watching Dr Who on dvd. I must say that Billie Piper is really beautiful. She's so different than Hollywood actresses with their skeleton bodies and perfect teeth. After watching both seasons of her I feel a bit less bad about the filling-out I've done lately and my overbite. I haven't watched much with the other actress - I'm just through Rose and her mom (LOVE her mom) going to the parallel world. We did watch the season finale this summer which will make much more sense now that I've seen so much leading up to it. I'm addicted. I admit it.
Summer of Socks is almost over. I've made four pair and have two second socks to make - but they won't get done in time. But -- I'll have six new pairs of squishy socks to wear this winter. Yay! I didn't win any of the drawings and I won't win any of the other prizes, but that's okay. I've improved my sock-making skills alot and am pretty darn good with the DPN's.
My next adventure is the Harry Potter House Cup. It's a knitting and crochet contest (for lack of a better word) based on the sorted houses and the classes at Hogwarts - potions, herbology, etc. I'm in Ravenclaw, of course, and am anxiously awaiting the start - on September first, when Hogwarts starts. The assignments should be fun, if the conversations are correct- blending yarns and fibers for potions, nature motifs for herbology, that sort of thing. It will be fun to see what everyone comes up with.
I've been checking out the Fiber Friday posts on craftster lately - it's where spinners show off their latest creations. Wow. People are making some amazing yarns, both for knitting with and for looking at. They're using so many different rovings, threads, beads, crocheted flowers - my mind is swirling with ideas. Right now I'm combining two different rovings in one draft - naughty me - but with three spindles and Jenny's kick spindle I can really go crazy. (Hint, hint - if you have any spinning supplies you don't need, I would be happy to give them a home!) I need a great project for the handspun skeins I've collected. I really want to put them to good use and show them off.
Well, no pictures this time, sorry. I've got yardwork to do and dyeing to do (you know you want to buy some!) and school fundraising to go through - already!- so I'm off for now - and maybe I'll spend some more time with the Doctor.

I Have a New Name

Your Goth Name is:

Sullen Valhalla

What's" Your Goth Name?

I think it kind of fits! She even looks like me - in my mind, anyway.

I Won!

I enter alot of contests and drawings. I'm usually laughing as I enter because I'm generally not lucky enough to win. Imagine my surprise when I found out that I had won a prize in the Knit Girls fundraiser this summer. I got my prize in the mail today. Know what it is? A skein of Wollmeise! Yep. It's pretty, too - I've seen some skeins online that are alot of icky color combos, but this one is nice, even with the gold color. Next to the skein is the second part of my prize - a set of stitchmarkers from Celticfrog.They will be lovely for a clapotis or small-gauge sweater. I'm very tickled about winning. Yay!

I finished my Fawkes socks. I love the feel of the tencel blend yarn. It's so soft and smooth. If I had the gumption I'd make a cardi or pullover out of it - it would be so yummy to wear as a top. Heh, it would feel nice as yoga pants, too. Anyway, that makes four pair of socks this summer. Not bad. Of course, I haven't done much else, knit-wise. I'm trying for one more pair - the Dracula socks. The Summer of Socks KAL ends September first (I think), so I have a bit of time to finish them.

I'm itching to read the Harry Potter books again. Why? Well, the new movie comes out this fall and I've entered a KAL/CAL that starts as the sock one ends. It's based on Hogwarts classes and should be alot of fun. I hope they put me in Ravenclaw, but I've told the organizers that they could place me wherever needed to balance things out. I'll be jumping from footwear to magic.

Eric is home on vacation this week - it's strangely nice to have him here when I wake up.

So What's the Deal???

I put a counter on my blog. It's says that NO ONE has visited here in the past week. NO ONE. I'm still getting over the "I'm such a f*****g loser" thoughts on that - and it will take awhile. Mom and Jenny know that I struggle (alot) with depression. This does not help.

I guess I could consider this a Private site and just tell myself that only X number of people are invited - a select few.

The one thing that makes me feel alot better is a nice RAK. I got a gorgeous skein of handspun yesterday. It's lavender and yellow, slightly thick and thin texture, and alot of yards. I'll be looking at it for awhile to decide what it wants to be.

One last thought. I saw this beauty in my yard and had to take a picture.

The Good, the Bad, and the Heart-breaking Ugly

Happy hot summer days! I've been in our pool alot lately, even without kids - especially without kids, actually, because they can be way too splashy. I haven't done alot of knitting or crocheting this past week partly because it's hard to do yarnwork in the water and partly because the strong discomfort has been back in my upper half, hands included. But still there's things to share.

First, the bad. I live in yoga pants. I have a favorite pair that I bought five years ago as a comfort gift to myself when I found out that I have endometriosis. These pants have been worn alot. Last week I noticed the signs of wearing out. Now, I sew a bit - a very little bit. I can't fix these, nor can I make more pairs based on these. I'm sad about it, too - my six dollar Walgreens comfy pants that have fit me fat or thin are dying. If anyone can help, please do. I will love you forever.

Here's the good. I have been able to do some spinning. This is a ball of hand-dyed roving that I got on etsy. I was worried about it as big fluffy fiber because it's rather bright, but it's spinning up really nice. I'm taking my time so it will be nice and even.

I've learned a plying technique - online, of course - and it turned out great, considering it was my first time. It's called Andean plying and is a way of using one spindle-full to make a two-plied yarn. I, of course, in my excitement to do it forgot that wrapping my hand up in a big amount of spinning may be rather uncomfortable, so I had to slip it off and work from a modified cake. But here it is. It turned out rather nice. I will do it again - on the above spinning.

Now, for the ugly. While I was wrapping my hand in the spun strand of fiber it snagged a bit. I worked the fibers loose and felt the most awful, heart-stopping snap. My beautiful spindle had broken. I love that spindle. I only have the two, but I so much prefer the feel of the heavier bottom-whorl with it's gorgeous ceramic whorl. I did cry. I'm really trying hard to save it, too - you who know me know I keep a large selection of glues on hand and a smaller variety of tapes (adhesive addict, I admit). Can you see the slight bulge in the middle? That's tape as clamp, holding it together until the glue cures. Then the quest for a wrap begins. I need something similar to floral tape but not sticky on the outside. Suggestions, anyone?

Well, now that I've shared the highs and lows of the week, I feel I must go. My elbows are hurting from typing and it's nice outside - the pool calls for me!

Personality test

I just took a test. Tell me if the results sound familiar:

You Are An INFP

The Idealist You are creative with a great imagination, living in your own inner world. Open minded and accepting, you strive for harmony in your important relationships. It takes a long time for people to get to know you. You are hesitant to let people get close. But once you care for someone, you do everything you can to help them grow and develop. In love, you tend to have high (and often unrealistic) standards. You are very sensitive. You tend to have intense feelings. At work, you need to do something that expresses your personal values. You would make an excellent writer, psychologist, or artist. How you see yourself: Unselfish, empathetic, and spiritual When other people don't get you, they see you as: Unrealistic, naive, and weak

What's" Your Personality Type?

Yup, I have a new interest!

So, yesterday, while I was dying my hair, I heard the mail truck stop, shut off, and seconds later a box slide across my porch ( she walks to the steps and slides packages towards the door). Yay, thought me as I reached out to get it. It turned out to be a video that I won on ebay but can't watch yet because it's part two and I need to start with part one. So, I put the video aside and was about to dispose of the package when I looked at the bubble wrap and all of the gears in my brain started turning. I watch all kinds of crafty shows, and one in particular, Uncommon Threads, has alot of felting projects. Bubble wrap is used in wet felting! A quick read on craftster gave me the whole scoop. I got some of my roving out, put down a towel, and with help from the girl child we have this:

These are little squares of felt, made by us! I know, it's a crappy picture, but I'm so excited and wanted to share. The top one is some oceany-inspired roving that I'm sure I won't spin, but it worked great for this and has a felty future. The bottom one is mostly Khloe - she picked out the colors and did alot of the work. Her favorite part, of course, is squirting the soapy water on, but she did great all around. Where does she get her craftiness?

I know what you're thinking. "How on earth will you balance all of your hobbies, kids, housework, etc?" Oh, ha ha ha! Surely you jest! Balance has no place in my life - except for a couple of yoga poses and climbing the ladder to the pool, but you know what I mean. Eventually everything will fall into place.