The day after tomorrow .... yikes help!

Here I go again, life is crazy, so I ignore my blog. I've been knitting and spinning, since my big blister healed up on my hand.

I also painted my Turkish spindle. It is orange now (of course), and has sparkles and little black and orange moons and stars.

Here is a before and after picture, and a close up so you can see the little sparklies better.

I like it! That alpaca (I think - is that what it is Carrie?) is now started on this very spindle. It's so pretty; all black with green and blue shiny stuff in it. I like it, too!




The day after tomorrow is going to be a huge day for me. I have been freaking out all week. SP is going off to college! My little artist is all grown up! High school graduation seemed big, now this!!

The longest we've ever been away from each other is one week. Two times in his life, once last year, and once the year before. I am not worried about him, though. He's always been so independent. How did this happen? No, I mean, this is what we strive for when we decide to have children, right? Oh my gosh, my baby is a grown up! It's a good thing I'm immature enough for both of us. :)

Time to go knit some more, or spin, or pace around hoping for the best!!!!

Blah ~ Whiney Post Ahead

Hopefully everyone has been wondering where I've been. I've been here, waiting for winter to end. It is so gray, and yucky. I haven't even been lurking on blogs. I haven't answered any comments from weeks ago, and I owe two memes. Bad blogger! I have to snap out of it and get back to being a compulsive blog reading, blog posting, comment queen!

I get so depressed this time of year. It feels like winter will never end, money's tight (as usual), and the kids and I are sick to death of being in this house! Luckily, the people at the library are very nice, and help us to find books to get through the boredom that is festering around here. We've been crafting, too, though. That seems to be the only thing that is saving my sanity. Check out the stitch markers I made. Skulls! LD got me these beads. I also made her a bracelet with a skull as the center piece. She is really into pirate stuff right now, and is compulsively watching the Pirate's of the Caribbean movies.

Here's something to cheer me up! Carrie made me this sweet little bunny, almost totally out of real bunny! My picture is yucky, so go check her post out. I saw it and left a comment, thinking "Someone must have done something nice for her", not realizing that it was me. That put a smile on my face.

This sweater here, is making me feel pretty good, too. Thankfully, the pictures are a little blurry and you can't see how blah I am. I am doing the longer sleeved version in wool, and I plan on wearing it all next winter. I will definitely have to do a real photo shoot when it's done. It is my first ever sweater. I am no longer a sweater virgin. (I'm going to be getting some weirdos here, aren't I?)

I knit another pair of fiber trend clogs, and sent them off to my SIL without taking a picture. *smacks forehead* Then I started a

scarf. I have to decide if I want to leave it 8 inches wide, or fold and seam it to 4 inches wide. If I seam it, it will be reversible. I like that, but is 4 inches to narrow for a scarf? It's going to be pretty long. Hmmmmm. Let me know what you all think. Of course, the recipient won't need it until next winter. I am knitting it as a thank you to someone. It feels good to do that, but I don't really know this person well, and (shame on me) I don't really like this person very much. Of course, if I got to know her, maybe I'd like her. Who knows?

OK, so I'm sad, and sick of winter, among other things, and I need to know if 4 inches is too narrow for a scarf. So, is it? Let me know what you think, so maybe I can finish the darn thing before June. lol

I hope all you other knitters are doing better than I am. Maybe I should go blog browsing and find out!

Just add a little bunny!

(Yes, I am tired of thinking of titles ~ lol)

Well, we did it. We (Carrie and I) tried to hook another generation on spinning. I think it's working. *Mwah-ha-ha* It must be, because when I went into the school the next morning moms, and kids were coming up to tell me how cool spinning is, and asking wonderful questions.

I do have some tips, if anyone is crazy enough to show spinning to about 20 kids at once. Number one is predraft the heck out of the wool. I did a little, but next time, there will be pencil rovings, all ready to spin, because some kids (the little perfectionists) didn't like the thick yarn they were ending up with. I had a hard time 'getting' drafting when I started, too.

Another tip is having a lot of grown up helpers, even if they don't know how to spin. We had the teacher, and another mom, and LD. She was a great helper, and she loved that she was allowed to go to the other third grade classroom, while all of her friends had to do a writing assignment. Her teacher said that she's such a good student, she could catch up later. Bless her heart.

On Wednesdays, the third graders have the option to stay in for lunch recess, and knit. I go in for about 1/2 an hour and help. The other day, though, after our knitting time, Carrie and I went over to Mr. D's class, and just jumped right into the spinning thing. Carrie saved my bacon with a little speech about wool, and how old spindles are. I didn't even think about how to start, so here's a great big "Thank You!" to her!

LD's teacher is Mrs. D, and the other third grade teacher is her husband. They are both so great, but I love that Mrs. D is so crafty. She's the super nice teacher that gave me two sweater kits. See, nice lady!

After we stayed in Mr. D's class for about an hour, running around helping kids, we went next door, and did the same thing for Mrs. D's class. Carrie had to run, so I asked her to give her little intro first. Sweetie, sweetie ~ what a great friend.

This morning, I said something like "If I ever do that again...." and Carrie said "You'll be doing it next year, because my daughter will be in that class." Then, Melanie, our other knitting buddy, said the same thing. hehe

I was so tired Wednesday night, though. Whew! I don't know how teachers do it. At bedtime, I realized that I must have been tired when I got up that morning, since I had on two different socks! I've never done that before. At least they were knit out of the same yarn, just two different patterns. Trying to be a good blogger, I snapped a pic.

Carrie, Melanie, Riki, and I decided to have a quick little knit meet this morning, and I was spinning some of my Christmas wool when Carrie pulled out a baggy of bunny softness. I was petting it, when she said I could keep it! "Really?" I said "Sure, he'll make more." said Carrie. Hehe ~ so I started adding it to what I was already spinning, and wow! It is so soft, and warm, and pretty. I love it. It's the white fluff there by the spindle, and added on to the other wool. It is indescribably soft. Is that a word? It should be, if it's not.

Ok, laundry's calling. The dishes are done, though. At least I can knit or spin while the washer's going. Be back soon! Contest on the way, too ~ Don't forget. :)

edit: here's a post of Carrie's with a pic of the softest bunny in the world. (scroll down a little)

We've been crafty!

Thanks for the comments! I owe so many emails. We've been busy crafting, though.

Here are the fimo Creations the kids made.

I forgot to take a pic of the bracelet I made. Remind me for next time. It is knitting related. I've even been knitting a little!

Don't forget to click and see the detail of our craftiness!!

Happy Easter to all who celebrate it!