Happy New Year!

My resolutions for 2006 are:

I will knit more and learn to spin on my wheel.

Garden more... take good care of the "rooted ones", as Native Americans call our friends, the plants.

I will sew all my clothes again, and make quilts after a long lacuna from it.

I will read every translation of Taoist Tracts by Thomas Cleary again. The time is right to make a move away from the mundane mind. Obviously the mundane mind has never let us out of the burning hot water that it's adherents, who love money and power above all else, insist on sitting us in. Let them sit alone, I say......

Visitors!

My brother and sister came over today and we all had a nice chat session, catching up on news of the other branch of the family. My brother showed me his latest bionic limb. He tripped over something in his yard few months ago and broke his arm in several places. That's the second time for that arm. The last time was a slider down an A-frame roof he was re-roofing, and he landed in a not so neat pile on the ground. Sheesh. This was in the bad old days of roofers not working with safety ropes. I can't believe I ever got up on roofs like that. My legs shake now just trying to climb up on my own rather flattish (5/12) roof.

My sister is celebrating some new everyday china that she and her DH got themselves for Christmas, and she was also gasping over the prices of replacing her furniture. DH and I did a little gasping, too, as the couch we bought several years ago has now doubled in price. =0\ I would NOT want to be furnishing a house these days.

Using Vit C therapy to fight off the latest invader picked up on a shopping trip to peruse the dinnerware with Sis at a Mission Valley store. But, I did get myself a little visit to a yarn shop as a reward, and scored a yarn cutter of my own, and some lovely 8 inch crystal palace DPNs of size 1 to make a hat of the Lorna's Laces from Crey. I'm hugging myself as this is surely paradise! All this knitting and the colors are wonderful!

This is the Wildfoote that Kim sent in the sock yarn exchange

The pattern is Yukon Leaves, although at this point you can't tell anything about the pattern. Soon it will look like the picture in the link below, I hope. Look at those magnificent colors!  

I finally found a link to the Yukon Leaves that works

The link I had in the post below just went no where but here's a new one


YUKON LEAVES Pattern

It's from this place, and there are lots of free sock patterns

Lots of sock Patterns HERE

They are done!

Tomorrow they begin their journey North to DD3. The Wildfoot is already on the needles - next piccie- and I have NO ideeeeeaaa when the afghan will be finished. *sigh  

Tracking Santa!

This is the 50th year that NORAD will track Santa, and of course this is well underway, but here's a URL for fun



Check out the whole site. The stories and pictures are pretty fun.

TRACKING SANTA

Merry Christmas! Night Owlness and Christmas Movies

I've become a night owl again. What's been happening is that we've been watching films, Christmas movies, in the bedroom on the tiny TV, and I just drop right off to sleep for that 90 minutes. This is very bad, as you who fight sleeplessness know. It wrecks a night's sleep. Also, this has to stop as it's winter and too cold in the house to do anything at night, especially bumping into things in the sewing room or studio while bundled up in polartec or trailing blanket wraps.

I've fiddled with the brake on the wheel, and sat and treadled for a day or so to get up to speed and learn the rhythms of the wheel. Also, I sacrificed some old gray yarn, as was suggested by one of the old spinning books, as a means of determining how the flyer was spinning. This is the first time I've really actually figured out how the yarn gets spun.

I've had books for several years on all of this and read the KR forums for a long time before actually entering a post. Sadly they were thrust aside for the sock forum about a year ago, and yes, the pink socks are done! Pictures tomorrow if I can take enough time out from cooking good things to eat to get their pictures taken. We will be playing an online game with our DDs tomorrow, too. This is one of the real joys of the web when so many miles separate a family.

There was a lovely brunch today at my SIL's house and LOTS of little kids were there and some of the adult grandchildren and their SO's, as well. It was very fun. Jaz got to be petted and to play with several of the people he's not seen for a few years. Everyone was in a good mood and we had a great time. In the past this hasn't been the case but time really does change things. The family has opened up it's heart to include so many sorts of people that were once excluded. Sometimes I wonder if the whole world wouldn't be that way if people let themselves really know others better. I was the beginning of the ethnic wedge. hehe And it felt like it, too, for many years. What a waste when it could have all been LOVE and not predjudice. Well, all's well that ends well! I'm glad my children were not influenced by it.

I love my Louet. It is amazing and so quiet and smooth. I was anxious as to whether a squeak would develop on some brass part that would then need a little vaseline applied but so far, I've not had that small bit of maintenance to perform. DH has returned all the tools, especially the covetted phillip's head screw driver that came with the wheel. He really wanted it. Some day it may find it's way to the garage on permanent loan. Shall I paint the handle hot pink?

Celtic Spider Woman Spirit Dancer needed

Thank you so much for all the good spinning vibes (and sweet birthday wishes, too) Del.

I need all those vibes, truly, even though born on the winter Solstice at 3 am. That in itself would hopefully count for some luck in the spinning, Moonlight dancing, Celtic Mythicality. Hopefully I get to add in a little + sign for a Grandmother of Scots/Irish/Welsh origin.

And my other grandmother from the Spider Woman mythicality for SW American Indian spirits hopefully will arrive in spirit. See, I'm pulling in all the support teams here.

My bobbin leaders sure picked a good time to be on the wrong end. This could be weeks resolving. It's time for the duct tape, right?

Knittinreed, thanks! She is really a beautiful little wheel. I couldn't be happier now that Lilly has gotten herself together. She won't mind a little duct tape until further help arrives with the White Knight. <--- aka the UPS man (if it comes down to that).

Here she is.

She is all together now and finally I am starting to learn the treadling. To get yarn started on her I am going to use my hand spindles to get a length. She is small and compact and light enough to haul around when we go camping. This should be rewarding and very good for the soggy synapses of my brain.

My little Lilly

Here's the beautiful little S-75 DT Loeut wheel all back together. I'm finally ready to learn to spin on. I am happy with it Yeay! I will get accessories for it in a few months that will let me spin lace weights, and more bobbins. including a bulky, if it is needed.

A big sigh, for a lovely little Lady.  

What the Heck...

I'll TAPE the yarn leader on the bobbin if I have to. This should keep me busy while I learn it. So far I'm treadling, treadling, treadling.. Smooth little bebe wheel... I'm going to call her Lilly, after my mother.

The Louet gets shiney but still has a problem

Picasa fails again. But this is the final finish for the Louet. Now it's just the fitting it all together. This is a warm, sunny and still day in SoCal, so perfect weather to finish the wheel.

It's fitted together and in the house under the tree. Not enough light for a piccie but tomorrow is another day. The trouble is that the leaders are all on the wrong end of the bobbins. They came that way, all fitted together with it on the wrong end. Now what? They do not come apart... we tried to get them apart.

I've emailed my dealer. This is getting a little depressing. Maybe I'm not meant to have gotten this wheel.

Life marches on...

I have seen enough of death and separation to know that life must go on. It's not that you get used to it, it's just that you learn that it's always there, is death, and that as long as you are alive, you must pick yourself up and go on with what is left of your emotions and lifeforce for the sake of others who love you.

So, I spend time baking the annual fruit/nut cakes from Sunset magazine's recipe for sending to my daughters, and their Dad made them a big baking dish of marshmallow fudge. Christmas still seems like it's gone by to me because of many reasons not the least of which is that big party last week.

Tomorrow (actually now it's today) for my birthday, the spinning wheel is getting it's final coat of finish and when that is dry, it will be set up for spinning. I'm up awfully late tonight so Hubby will have plenty of peace and quiet to carry out this labor of love for me.

The pink lace socks have been, indeed, claimed by the child to whom they were offered, and there is just the kitchnering of the toes to finish off and they will be on their way North to her. Not a Christmas present, but just a little I Love You one. As soon as the toes are finished, the next socks will be on the needles-- the delicious wildfoote :=) yarn from my KR sock buddy exchange--- and I'm starting a roll brim hat with the sport weight Lorna's Laces from My Gift Elf from KR. I will put up all pictures later today if I'm not thoroughly flogged from being up all night. Sorry there are no pictures at this time.

Today is a sad day

Today is both my 63rd birthday, and it's the day that a friend is being buried, far too young, bright and beautiful. We all thought, those who were communicating with her in the KR, that she was going to be able to go home for Christmas. She had been battling the initial double pneumonia that sent her there, and I thought she was winning the battle

I had said a special prayer for her on the night that she died, not knowing that this tragedy was to come for her, and thinking that she would be going home for the Holidays to her family and Fiance. I'd wondered why she hadn't picked up the card that I'd sent her telling her all my wishes for HER wish to come true.

Nearly three years ago another friend, one with three teenage daughters, so young, so full of life and such a beautiful soul, passed away after pneumonia started a cascade of illness that took her life.

If you have a bad cold that settles in your chest, DO NOT ignore it. Get it checked out. I've done the very same thing and came close to being hospitalized with pneumonia.

I just do NOT want this preventable tragedy to happen to any of you who read here. Please watch when a cold settles in your chest. Please check out this page so this silent killer does not stay for a visit with you.

Pneumonia Page for Medical Doctors

Turn out the lights... The party's over....

The party was wonderful. This was the year for it because things came together that cheered up some friends who have been down for a good while. I have had the real fear in the last couple of years that a few more of our friends are not going to be around for very much longer. I'm not a young person, but I was the youngest at this party. Basically it boils down to health issues getting in the way of enjoying life. We have lost a lot of our friends in recent years because most of them are in our parent's generation. You really start looking at life differently when nearly everyone you are close to is a lot older than you are. Every moment is really precious, and always has been, but that point is driven home to you in a very forceful way when your group of closest friends is clearly fading away. It was so nice to be able to host the party and to take the exhausting work over from them. Being as tired as I was near the end, tired from my illness and also from getting a fairly broken down little house ready for a big party, made me appreciate our friends for doing this Christmas gathering, in rotation, year after year.

This morning my best friend called and said that she had been exhausted when she arrived but became energized by all the good fellowship. All of us have been friends for years so we mesh well. This is a group that has evolved over the years and new ones were added when older ones were no longer with us, but with exception of two couples, all are in the generation that went through the Great Depression as children. Their stories of life during that era are very similar to ones that my mother used to tell us of her family during that time.

One of the nicest things that happened last night was that two of our friends, the male half of two of the couples who came, used to work with our neighbor. None of us knew this fact but DH made the connection while our friends were all talking about their lives, and he dashed out to invite our neighbor over to meet some of his old workmates, as his name sounded very familiar to them. When he came in, they all recognized each other right away. The three of them sat and talked for quite awhile about old times until dinner was ready. These are all men in their 80's who worked in the aircraft industry here during WWII. It was a real treat to watch them realize that they really did know each other from such a long time ago. When they saw each other for the first time in decades, and their faces all lit up with recognition, it was breathtaking. It set the tone for the evening I think. Kismet! Very Sweet indeed.
We always do this party potluck style so I made a pan of lasagna from Creamette's new recipe on the back of their lasagna noodle box. The recipe is one of the no cooking ones- for the noodles that is- and it was delicious. What a nice no fuss recipe it was, and very traditional tasting. One friend brought a loaf of rustic bread that she had made into garlic bread and we heated in the oven in foil, and someone else brought a Ceasar salad, without egg, and another person brought the dessert, delicious pies. Gosh, we had a great time, and I got so excited that of course I didn't sleep til 4 am. Lol. But it was worth every minute of the time getting ready.
The house looks really lovely this year and there was a new tree, which was DH's idea. He took a white outdoor tree that has all clear lights, and bought some pinkish Christmas ball ornaments which we hung on it ( All that was left out there in Shopping World was this pink. ) in two sizes, then a furry garland of iridescent materials and little silver stars that reflected many, many colors was wound round and round. It was dazzling. We didn't even put up the other tree this one was so pleasing.

PINK SOCK KNITTING REPORT: One pink sock toe is nearly finished and I am sure that they will both be off the needles by tomorrow night. One thing that held everything up was that I was half gone with exhaustion and misfigured the distance to the tip of my toe. After having done that, the next step was to carry out this mutant measurement in the rows of the sock, trying to lengthen something that didn't need any more length at all. Knitting is such good therapy for worries and woes but not when you are too tired. Nope, you just cause yourself any amount of grief.

KNITTING WHEEL UPDATE: IF Hubby gets left alone to do it, the finish coat may go on tomorrow. That means Saturday, since it's already Friday. Is it really that late!?? OMG! Anyway, as soon as I'm awake in the morning, I'll be dragging the whole thing out of the sewingroom and into the middle of the dining room floor to make sure that the wheel is in FULL VIEW!

Let's see if this works.

I tried putting this in the side bar but it made other things go away.

So let's try this. It's a little knitting quiz you can take..



You appear to be a Knitting Guru. You love knitting
and do it all the time. While finishing a piece
is the plan, you still love the process, and
can't imagine a day going by without giving
some time to your yarn. Packing for vacation
involves leaving ample space for the stash and
supplies. It can be hard to tell where the yarn
ends and you begin.
http://marniemaclean.com


What Kind of Knitter Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

In two days, A Christmas Party, yeay!

DH and I are really getting exhausted but have managed to suck up 400 pounds of remodeling dust, and all the gritty dust bunnies who were happy to die after getting asthma from the silica! Cleaning all the books was a major job, amongst many major jobs. Happily the sewing room stayed full shut and had a dust barricade along the bottom of the doors. Who wants dusty batting or velvet. UGH!

So, after finishing with a tree raising ceremony tomorrow, we just have a marathon candy making on Tuesday. All the cleaning, and tossing, tossing, tossing will be done. We have defeated the Paper Lions, and the Grit Piggies! If there is any fudge left over it is mine all mine!

The pink lacey socks are one inch to the start of the toes, and the lovely Wildfoot will be the next one on the needles as soon as I find the needles!. Two brand new sets of bamboo 1's are someplace in the bags, hiding? I bought them when we were out and about on the coast, as I thought they would be nice to try. I usually use all metals on the small needles.

Wheel needs it's top coat of gloss. Then it's assembled and by Christmas I hope to be spinning some lovely wobbly yarns. You should see what PugKnits can do with just about any fiber. She makes gorgeous yarns. She is my inspiration! Well, I know she doesn't spin Dust Bunnies but that's about it.

Fall in SoCal

Yes, Fall does come, just a little later. These are my neighbor's trees, and it appears to be Fall Colors to me. And Crey, if you are reading this, you can see how deprived I am over the whole thing. Lol! I really don't have a clue! And look! A palm tree! 
 

Pink sock progress, without much annoying detail.. Yes, it's blurry but ....

...that way you can't see all the mistakes.

This is the worst picture, both for color and clarity, but it does show that progress is being made! Why Hello is working again and Picasa2 isn't is a mystery, but we all love a good mystery. Thank Heaven I didn't rip Hello off the computer when picasa2 was uploaded.

KR sock stash exchange yarn. Yeay! Wildfoote! Yeay Kim!

This is the beautiful yarn that Kim sent. Blogger is not working right at all so this might end up being the third post of this yarn by tomorrow morning! Kim, I am going to make blueberry waffle socks out of this lovely yarn. Thanks so much for sending it!

Blogger isn't working right

I just tried to upload pictures of sock progress and also some beautiful new yarn sent in a KR stash exchange and so far nothing has appeared. Think I'll go eat. That will solve one problem anyway. I won't be so hungry!

Replacement arrives.... On time and PERFECT!

And Hubby is putting the finish on it now. It looks even better to DHs eyes than the first one, which was pretty perfect itself, and we hope that it spins as true as the first wheel. By now I had hoped to have some nice soft thick and thin as a first project, plied, to make a hat for DH for all his troubles and $$. heehee..

They didn't want it back it seems, so I think I will glue the split and make a wall decoration with it. These Louets are things of beauty, and even though they are small, they made the S-75's really beautiful.


Pinch me?

Dec 2, 2005 .. 10:01 PM departure from Cerritos CA. YEAH!

Karen, awww thanks. I probably should have used another color for her. hehe. Pink is a favorite of mine, not my daughter's. None of them seem to like pink. I raised them, too! I never forced them to wear pink either. I know people don't like it but I can't ever figure out why. It makes me so happy just to look at it! *cough* Got a tad bit emotional there. Yellow and Pink just grab my eyes and dazzle them.

The replacement for the wheel part will be here right on time Monday, I imagine. Cerritos is not that far away! I will probably actually spin my first yarn sometime mid-month. The nice place I bought it from send 2 pounds with every wheel, lovely confetti like rovings, and the manufacturer sent about a half pound of lovely top. I won't pretend to know what that is. It must come from off the top of the fleece, right? Oh there is a lot to learn about this fleece stuff. A friend from OZ had fifty fleece stacked up in her studio and could hardly bare to pass up another one at a sale. I hope this isn't catching. Like the sock yarn fever from KR. See Button....


The roof did not leak even a little. I think the worst is over. Goodbye to water stress and flood fears!

We host the Christmas party for our group of friends this year, and we must also see if the little fireplace will actually work better now. We have to do a test fire in it or risk smoke and chaos on the night of the party. It was having trouble drafting because the big elms created a wind shadow for it, and presumably were sending downdrafts into the chimney because it was shorter. You probably remember those pictured so well in Nightmare Before Christmas.

Dec 1, 2005 1:43 AM the replacement wheel departs Illinois!

It's rolling along the road with UPS. Whoot! Hopefully it is the RIGHT part and it is not DAMAGED in anyway. This is sooooooo anti-climaxical. Big DEEP sighssssss

Otherwise, the roof is completely ON, and it's first water test occurs very soon. Rain is in the forecast! Love that contractor!

The pink socks are now up to their foot parts. Rachel, these are yours, Bebe!! They are really a dark rose. Not pink. And you can wear them in boots so who is going to know I ask you?