Love My Fiber

Absolutely Amazing

2012-01-27T23:27:00.000-05:00

Please do yourself a favor. Get a cup of tea or coffee and sit back and take in these amazing time lapsed videos. You won't be disappointed.

Slick Site

2012-01-26T12:42:00.000-05:00

I found another great website courtesy of Worldstart.com today. It's called Bill Shrink (although I think it's been bought out by another company) and you can give it a bit of information and find better rates for television service, wireless service, gas stations, credit cards, and CDs/savings accounts. I used the gas station option and it gave me the best prices on my route home, the fill up cost, and the extra cost for going a bit out of my way. Very slick!

Catching Up

2012-01-25T21:18:00.001-05:00

Last Saturday I had the chance to go out and visit Holly, Mike and Baby Denver. I stopped at Zumba to pick up their favorites and headed out there. I took a couple of bags of assorted items -- Holly's baby books, photos, those socks from my sock drawer clean up, and other stuff.

I had a nice visit and got to feed a bottle to my grandson before he conked out. He's getting so big -- over 17 pounds already. Sunday he rolled over from his back to his belly. He'll be 5 months old next Tuesday!!

That minty green blanket is the one I knit for him. Good to see it's being used.

When Holly brought out her laptop and started to work on her grad class assignment, I knew I'd overstayed my welcome so I headed for home.

Once home I started another cleaning chore -- the living room. Then it was the laundry room. I'm down to the kitchen table! Can't wait for all the cleaning to be done and then I'll just be left with the maintenance. Phew!

The splints I'm wearing on my hands may be curing the numbness but they're causing bruising and soreness in my fingers. Most nights they slip down my hands over my knuckles so I think I'm taking them back to the store I got them from. Somethings not quite right. So while my hands aren't waking me up several times due to tingling, the pain is and so is the awkwardness of wearing the splints.

Yesterday I went for my first physical therapy session for the pinched nerve in my neck. Nothing really happened there except for a consultation so I'm hoping the next session on Friday will yield some results.

I was supposed to go to the gym tonight but when I let Maggie out, I noticed someone had broken off the bottom half of a piece of fence. Good thing I saw it before Maggie -- she could have bolted and I would never be able to catch her. Living near a main road can be really dangerous for pets. I put her back in the house, dug out the hammer and nails and went to work fixing the fence. Double Phew!!

Retail Therapy

2012-01-23T21:43:00.000-05:00

There's nothing like a little retail therapy to pick a girl's spirit up. I've been down in the dumps, not really knitting anything at all for more than 6 weeks now. When the going gets tough, the tough go shopping! Even better when it's online!!

I ordered something last Wednesday and it arrived on Friday. Speedy delivery, right Mr. Rogers??

Any guesses about what's inside???

Oh, I'm quite certain you'd never guess this:

Since I really can't cut or use a rotary cutter right now, I figure this AccuQuilt Go! will fit the bill. I've been kicking around the idea for a while now and when JoAnn Fabrics had it on sale with free shipping, I jumped. Now of course, I'll need more dies and I'm already looking around for those. I tried it out over the weekend and it cut squares and 1/2 squares beautifully. I even tried it on felted wool and it worked marvelously. Maybe now I can get going on something creative.

I start my physical therapy tomorrow and I'm looking forward to that. My neurologist called me today to say the xrays looked fairly good. Hmmm. But then he asked me if I have a problem swallowing. As a matter of fact I do, I said, why do you ask?? Seems there is some tissue around my vertebrae that he thinks I need a CT scan to check it out. I'll do that once I'm done with my therapy. One problem at a time!

System Mechanic Offer

2012-01-22T11:39:00.000-05:00

If you're looking for a great application to keep your PC safe and tidy at the same time please click on the new link for System Mechanic on the right side bar. You can purchase this marvelous software for 1/2 OFF !! I've been using it for several years, after I gave up on McAfee and Norton.

System Mechanic is a one-stop shopping kind of application. It cleans up your computer, keeps it safe from viruses and looks for updates to your drivers, among many other things.

Since I've been using it, I've not had a single virus attack. If you've ever experienced a virus or Trojan you know how dreadful the experience is.

This offer is only good in the U.S. though. I hope you'll give it a try!

Proud?

2012-01-19T22:20:00.001-05:00

My roommate told me he was proud of me the other day. I told him how I had called AT&T to have them explain a crazy bill. After they adjusted for a movie package I didn't order, I mentioned that I had been upset about the bill and sought out the prices of their competitors. I asked if they could do better on the package I had and they did! Now I'm saving about $35 per month. Kevin didn't think I had that gene but I proved him wrong!

CTS? Yes!

2012-01-16T21:15:00.001-05:00

The biggest problem with going to see the doctor is you often come home with more problems than you went in with. I saw my neurologist today and he performed the EMG test. Let me tell you -- NOT fun. The zapping and the probing -- owwww! Bad enough he was doing it to my hands and arms but then he asked me if I had any neck pain. Sure, I said. Zapped and probed some more.

Then he pronounced his diagnosis -- moderate carpal tunnel syndrome in both hands. Pinched nerve in my neck and possible herniated disc in both my neck and lower back. Got the script pad out and went to town:

Wrist splints to be worn at night and as much as possible during the day
Multiple xrays for my neck and lumbar region
One month of physical therapy -- sounds like torture from what I can make out
Follow-up appointment on February 13.

Don't worry Kate I'll be able to make our weaving workshop that day!

The doctor is hoping the therapy and splints do the trick on my hands. Otherwise he might have to go to shots or other meds. Let's not!

In the meantime, I'm not knitting but looking around the house for other things to do. Still have some cleaning to do but I'm leaving the heavy lifting for my roommate.

For now, I'm going to give those splints a try. I have a feeling they'll be intrusive all night but I have to get used to them. My body has these crazy shooting pains from where the probes were stuck under the skin. Hope that doesn't last much longer. My Dad was right -- it's hell getting older!

For something fun, test your reflexes here.

Apps

2012-01-15T22:16:00.003-05:00

Recently I've gotten into adding apps to my smartphone. The Windows 7 operating system is definitely behind I-phone and Android with regard to developing apps. I have found some great apps recently and I'm on the look out for one that tracks your workouts at the gym.

I joined Planet Fitness the day after Christmas and just started going last Friday. I knew I needed to go but I had to get my house de-cluttered first. So, essentially going to the gym is my reward. Who knew? I went for the second time today. Sometimes it's hard to believe how out of shape I am. In my mind I'm not but in the mirror I most definitely am. I can 'find' weight like nobody's sister. Losing it - now that's another story! But at least going to the gym I can feel like I'm making progress and the weight will start to come off.

Do you have a good app for tracking your workouts? Let me know so I can check it out!

Amazing

2012-01-14T22:53:00.000-05:00

The latest addition to the list of visitors on the NeoCounter roll in the right hand panel??? Would you believe Mongolia -- amazing, eh? I've now had visitors from 80 different countries. Wow!

Friday the 13th?? - No Problem

2012-01-13T20:32:00.000-05:00

Today started with a bit of snow which led to some icy roads. No problem, just drove slower. Got to the parking lot at work and the 'Check Engine' light went on. Had to take a half day off work. No problem, no meetings today at work. Took the car over to Belle Tire and Frank reset the sensor. No problem, nothing needed fixing.

Stopped at Costco and picked up some Breathe Right strips that will hopefully help me sleep a bit better. Went for the first time over to Planet Fitness for a workout. Busy, but not too busy. Worked out for about an hour and came home. I think I'll go back tomorrow. I need to work out every day to try and reverse the damage I've done. Ugh.

CTS -- Maybe?

2012-01-11T21:59:00.000-05:00

I've got an appointment on Monday with a neurologist to have an EMG done on both hands. My P.A. seems pretty certain it's CTS. I'm hoping they'll just prescribe some braces to wear at night for a while until the pain goes away. In the meantime, nothing crafty for me for a while.

My customer who ordered the Lemon Yellow Shoulder Bag last month called tonight to say his sister loved it and wants a THIRD bag from me! Obviously, I can't wait for my hands to heal so I can crank out another bag for him to send to her in England.

About the rug hooking. While I did love doing it, truthfully I haven't really touched it since I took that dreaded chicken rug workshop in Ohio. I have two rugs to finish the edges on still. My interests are still in wool, but more applique and sewing instead. Don't worry -- all that hand-dyed wool fabric I've done won't go to waste.

No More Hooking

2012-01-10T21:39:00.002-05:00

Remember how I wrote the other day that my hands have been bothering me and I haven't been able to knit? I've come to another realization. I'm going to have to give up rug hooking. I've enjoyed making primitive rugs but because of the way I pull the wool strips up from underneath the rug pattern, I just don't see that being easy for me to do, ever again.

I have a lot of rug hooking supplies to part with: Puritan Frame & hand-crafted stand, a Buttler frame, Townsend wool cutter with several blades/carrying case/custom designed box for cutting, several patterns, and several patterns with the hand-dyed wool already picked out. I don't know how to sell all of this. If you can think of a way, preferably not Ebay, I would appreciate hearing from you. I'd rather not ship due to the size and weight of most everything.

I started primitive rug hooking over 12 years ago. I loved picking out a pattern, mostly Kris Miller's Spruce Ridge Studios adaptations, and just the right hand-dyed wool. Cutting the wool into lovely piles of 8-cut strips and smelling the wool fumes! I enjoyed the hook-ins and workshops and learning from others when I organized a small group that met for a while at the coffee shop.

But I have to let go of that hobby. My thumbs ache just thinking about hooking........

Getting Closer

2012-01-08T23:15:00.002-05:00

Another weekend gone, spent cleaning up my Craft Cave. Ugh. It's not done but pretty darn close. I have a few more things to go through, organizing projects so they're easy to pick up once the time is right. I took over three bags of yarn and two storage containers to my friend Tanya. Nice to see them go to a good home -- whatever she can't use will go to her school to be used in the classroom.

Remember how bad my room looked last week?

And here is the new and improved version:

Notice the little 4 cube Expedit? I bought it to replace the nearby cart, which will hopefully go to Holly very soon. The only problem is now my black chair is a bit too big for the space -- I keep backing into the OTT Light. I'll probably swap out that chair with one that is a little smaller in our storage unit.

Cleaning the room should make me happy, right? Nope. Instead I just look at the various skeins of yarn and think about the projects they were intended for that I can't knit up until my hands stop going numb. Very frustrating.

Cleaning Up....Still!

2012-01-07T23:13:00.000-05:00

I'm looking forward to a relaxing weekend.....someday. Right now I'm compelled to clean, clean, and clean some more. This weekend I'm working on my craft cave. All sorts of yarn is making a quick exit from the room. A lot of the yarn is going to the guild for the free table and a good hunk is going to Holly for her crafting projects at school. Things will look much better tomorrow once everything finds a new home.

It's amazing how many bags and baskets are turning up. Don't....Need....Any....More. I also don't need any more yarn. Right now I can't knit for more than a few minutes before my hands go numb so I can't even get much done right now. I started a new felted hat while I was getting my hair cut today and only managed to knit about 2" before the tingling became too much. Probably time to make an appointment with my doctor.

Trends

2012-01-06T21:32:00.000-05:00

I'm definitely spotting a trend here. It seems like I get on kicks and if one is good, more must be better. Take hand creams:

And storage containers:

I've already filled up TWO other sets of these with projects!

I've got baskets and baskets and bags and bags -- I'm over-run with ways to store things and no place to put them all. Might be offering up a few at the Black Sheep sale this Spring. Something's gotta give around here!

Salvation Army Update

2012-01-03T21:22:00.001-05:00

On Christmas Eve I was a bell ringer for the Red Kettle Drive. I spent four hours at the Market Fresh store in Beverly Hills (Michigan, not California!) and there were so many nice people. I was stationed in front of the entrance to a Starbucks and one older gentleman asked what I'd like in my coffee. When I said I don't drink coffee, he said how 'bout a hot chocolate? I gladly took him up on his kind offer! A woman asked me later on if I'd like something to drink but I had to pass since I couldn't exactly stop and use the restroom if I drank anything else!

The four hours went rather quickly as more and more people dropped money into the kettle. One man deposited two checks! Today I found out that I collected $508.79 !!!! Sadly, no one else came to ring after me -- who knows how much more money could have been donated that day.

Next year I'll definitely be ringing at that store -- lots of generous people make the time zip by and it's so worthwhile!

Sock Drawer Results

2012-01-02T22:54:00.002-05:00

The actual 'before' count in my sock drawer was 126 pair! The 'after' count is........44 pair of socks!!!!

I gave 58 pair to the Salvation Army, 13 pair to my daughter Holly, threw 8 pair in the garbage, gave 3 pair to my knitting friends, and kept the balance. Hard to believe -- so glad to be done with this task!

Finis!

2012-01-02T21:47:00.000-05:00

Oh good Lord! I'm finally done with the clean up project in my bedroom!! Who knew it would take me this long? Certainly not me! I thought I'd be done days ago and moved on to some fun sewing or knitting projects. But it had to be done and here are the after shots:

Close up of the new Expedit I bought late yesterday and put together this morning:

I've discovered the key to getting out of IKEA sooner rather than later, is to get there within 15 minutes of closing. That way you have no time to dawdle and have no choice but to zoom through the store!

Yes, I've made great headway. I've got lots to do now in my craft cave:

Tomorrow is another day, right Scarlett???

Almost Done

2012-01-01T18:57:00.001-05:00

I have spent the last week working on my bedroom. I know it's hard to believe but you have to trust me here. I haven't just been working on my room. You know how it is...you find something that belongs somewhere else, then you start working on that room, and before you know it -- bam! The day is over.

Now I know I said I'd be brave and show you the before picture of my bedroom. Believe me when I say I'm ashamed to admit it but sometimes it takes shame to straighten you out and knowing that I'd be accountable to you, I had to persevere.

Go ahead -- all of you gasp collectively now:

Stunning, isn't it? Now most of the things on the bed came from the stacks on the floor, as I was sorting through all of the ~~debris~~ stuff. I have a few more things to go through and then I'll take the after shot and post it here tomorrow.

One of my goals was to pare down all of the clothes in my drawers. I took bags and bags of things over to the Salvation Army yesterday and it felt so good! Then I took a bag of Yarn Market News magazines, two books, and two very, very old UFO knitting projects over to my friend Tanya. The books were a bribe to get her to take on the two projects :*)

Today I tackled the last of my drawers -- the dreaded sock drawer. Scary sight:

I added a poll on the right so you can guess how many socks were in the drawer when I started. I'll give you the after picture and actual count tomorrow!

I know you're shaking your head, wondering how in the world I could ever get to this point. Simple. I'm busy and I know how to close my bedroom door. I just don't take the time I should to keep up on things, especially during my mad dash to knit up inventory for my Fall shows. Stray bits of skeins of yarn dot my room, leftovers from hats, hats, and more hats knit up for shows. This has been building up for years and years. Not wanting to deal with it didn't make it go away, much as I would have liked. Like a lot of the hoarders you see on TV, I have a hard time tossing things out. I have sentimental attachments to so much of what I have. I remember when I got it, who I got it from, why I got it. I also have a tough time disposing of packages and containers that can be re-purposed in my mind. Sending things to the dump when I can find a new use for them doesn't make sense in my head. Logically, there's no reason to hang on to things but there's skewed logic in my thought process.

I'm eager to finish this clean up and I'm already sleeping much more peacefully in my de-cluttered room. I hope to never have to do this again but time will tell.

Could Have Been Bad

2011-12-30T11:24:00.000-05:00

New pictures from Boat fire rescue on Fort Myers Beach

My niece Carla (wearing the blue jacket) and her husband and dog were on his family boat when it caught fire yesterday. Thank goodness they were anchored in the bay and not out in the ocean somewhere. It's a miracle the boat didn't blow up before it sank. They were so very lucky and we are so blessed they are all safe.

Quick Post

2011-12-30T00:04:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to let you all know I'm fine and well. I've been sequestered in my bedroom for the past four days trying to get a grip on the mess that is of my own making. Neglect for the last several years - yes, several - has led me to this point in time where I can no longer function as a normal human being. If I'm brave enough I'll share the before and after pictures later today, once I've put everything back in its proper place and I can finally rest easy.

Happy Boxing Day

2011-12-26T22:24:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas yesterday. So much craziness at my Mom's apartment. It gets unbelievably loud with 28 people there. My Dad would have been popping the Xanax and Ativan if he were still alive.

We got all of the grandkids and great-grandkids together for a group photo. This is the best shot that I took.

I told you yesterday it would be crowded in the kitchen and I was right! Here's a shot of my Mom,sisters Carol, Denise, me, and sister Renee.

The big news of the day was that my niece Carla and her husband Jeff, who were married in July, are expecting their first baby next July! Woohoo. They don't want to know the baby's sex ahead of time so I'm going to have to whip up some unisex gifts again.

Denver got some help opening his gifts, which included this beautifully hand-crafted truck from my brother-in-law Mike:

Denver got a little overheated with all the people crammed into the apartment, so he needed to shed some clothes. All the commotion just knocked him out!

But then he woke up:

And then he was out again:

And a cute family shot before they headed off to see Mike's parents:

Denver is growing like a weed. Today I tracked down Holly's baby books when I attempted to clean out my closet. Ugh. So much stuff -- I feel like a hoarder sometimes. I just hate to get rid of things. Right now there's only a footpath from my doorway to my bed so I've got to either find a new home for things or trash 'em. Enough is enough! Even I have a limit. I. Must. Be. Strong. Now where did I put those big girl pants???

Merrrrrry Christmas!

2011-12-25T08:34:00.000-05:00

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas today! Last year I was moping around, out of a job, but this year things are much better. I'm working again, I'm a first time grandma of the most wonderful boy in the world -- life is GREAT! I hope wherever you are, you are enjoying the day, remembering why we're celebrating with friends and family.

I'm in charge of the ham for our family dinner today. 28 people should be attending but baby Denver won't be eating any ham this year. I bought two hams at Costco since they didn't have a single one over 10 pounds. Thank goodness leftovers freeze well. To make things easier at my Mom's I'll cook the ham here, cut it off the bone and then place it in a serving dish, so there's little mess in her tiny apartment kitchen. You should see us -- 5 to 8 women working in a 5 x 8 kitchen -- it's a wonder we don't kill each other!

My Chicken friend Joyce sent me the most perfect card this year:

Don't you just love it?!! It's from Heifer International and I'm definitely going to donate to them next year. Maybe it would be a goodwill project for our knitting guild???

Besides the card at the beginning of this post, I sent out this one that cracked me up when I saw it at Write Impressions in Royal Oak:

I can't wait to give out my gifts this year. I've had such fun picking out just the right thing for everyone. Which brings me to this: I've got to get going and sew a lumbar pillow for my brother in law Mike!

Hope you have a peaceful day. I'll have lots of pictures coming up soon, no doubt.

Finishing Up

2011-12-23T22:26:00.002-05:00

Gotta love UPS, despite those wretched videos from the last couple of days. I've seen them scooting along my street, two men on a truck, dropping packages off left and right.

Today they brought the last of my gifts for baby Denver. I ordered a bunch of clothes from Macy's on Wednesday and can you believe it -- they arrived today. Sure beats the heck out of hitting the mall. While I love all of the clothes I HATE how the bulk of them were made in China. Why, why, why. Next year I'll take my time and make better choices but for now I'm just glad to be done with my shopping.

Tomorrow morning I'm heading over to Natalie's Bakery in Madison Heights again. I've got to get a loaf of their Christmas Bread. No wait, it's a loaf of Stollen. Never mind -- maybe both!

From there I'll be off to the Market Fresh grocery store in Beverly Hills to be a bell ringer for the Salvation Army from 10 am until 2 pm. This is my only stint as a bell ringer this year so I hope it's fruitful. If you're any where near the northwest corner of Southfield Rd and 13 Mile Rd -- come and see me. I'd love some company.

Provided I don't need too much thawing out, I'll be running next door to Premier Pet Supply, my favorite place to shop for gifts for all of my four legged friends. Could be some new treats in Maggie's future....

Shop Till You Drop

2011-12-22T22:39:00.000-05:00

I finished most of my Christmas shopping tonight -- phew!! I picked up the last of my gifts for Denver. Not. Going. To. Buy. Anything. Else. Really!

I stopped at the Doll Hospital & Toy Soldier Shop in Berkley last night. I love buying local and I used to buy gifts for Holly there. While there were loads of made in China ~~junk~~ things I persevered and found several toys that were made in the U.S.A. I'm actually thrilled with the toys I found in the Green Toys line.

What a joy to find a company that is conscientious -- they recycle milk jugs into children's toys. In the U.S.A. -- what a great concept!! Nothing toxic and they have minimal packing, too. There are no zip ties, twist ties, or plastic things holding these toys in their recyclable boxes. Holly & Mike will love them and I know Denver will have hours of fun playing with them too. There are more toys in older age ranges so I'll be picking up more over the years. I'm starting with the blocks, stacker and tugboat.

I also got an Italian duck push toy and Sophie the Giraffe from France. I had heard great things about Sophie but today I found there had been a recall several years ago so I hope those issues were resolved.

Denver will be getting his own camouflage fleece throw:

And this cute onesie I got at the Mt Bruce Sheep Station show:

With any luck all of the clothes I ordered from Macy's yesterday will get here by Saturday. Keeping my fingers crossed!

I wrapped all of my gifts tonight -- probably a record for me. Usually I'm taking care of that task on Christmas Eve -- practically a tradition. I feel so much better that it's done. Now on to the last minute sewing projects.......

Need a Quick Gift Idea?

2011-12-22T12:37:00.001-05:00

Thanks to my friends at Worldstart.com I learned about a great blog with a host of ideas for quick, handmade gifts. I checked out several of the links and know I'll be back to view them all. Try http://www.everythingetsy.com/2011/08/101-simple-handmade-gift-tutorials/ and I know you'll find something you can use too!!
If your tree is looking a bit bare try http://www.everythingetsy.com/2011/09/101-handmade-ornament-tutorials/
And if you want 'green' ideas try this link and you're bound to find a project or two to do.
Be sure to subscribe to EverythingEtsy.com so you don't miss any of her future posts!

Chicken Christmas

2011-12-21T22:35:00.001-05:00

Sunday was our annual Chicken Christmas Brunch. My friend Joyce hosted us and did all the food, which was fantastic. Usually we all bring a dish to pass but this year Joyce insisted on doing all the work. We chatted for hours, much of the time about all of our grandchildren. There was a gift exchange that required a $10 purchase from Home Goods. Being on my ABC kick I found an egg carton with soap shaped like eggs that came from New Zealand, to use for my exchange item. Lots of fun and beautiful things were swapped. I got a pair of Champagne flutes from Diane. Mary got my 'eggs'.

Standing are Diane, Kathy, Carol, Debby, Pat, Joyce, and me. Seated are Mary and Sue. Missing on Sunday were Jackie and Judy. Kathy had a photo book printed for Carol of the photos that Debby had taken when Carol presented her quilt trunk show to the guild earlier this year.

Several of the gals are doing a Shoo Fly block exchange. Here are the blocks that Kathy received that day:

Debby and Kathy were dressed like twins, unintentionally!

And here are the two mothers-in-law, Joyce and Carol:

After five hours of eating, drinking, and gabbing we all went our separate ways. It's such a fun group we hate to part!

Busy, Busy, Busy

2011-12-20T22:57:00.000-05:00

I hope you don't think that I haven't had anything to say since last Friday's post. Quite the opposite is true!

Saturday was a great day and I got a good chunk of my shopping done for Christmas. I tried a new bakery, Natalie's Bakery, in Madison Heights on the recommendation of my friend Sue. It was fantastic. The aroma was magnificent and I wanted to buy one of everything they had to sell! I bought their New York Rye and a loaf of Olive Oil Italian. They offered me a sample of their Stollen and while I was tempted I held off. But I assure you it was temporary as I fully intend to go back and snatch up a loaf. It was fresh and fruity, not rock hard like I'm used to.

You might remember that I'm on an ABC kick for Christmas -- Anywhere But China. I'm making a very concerted effort to choose gifts that were not manufactured in China, trying for the USA but going with other countries who trade fairly. Even more so, I'm shopping in small shops in my local area, keeping my hard earned dollars in my community and supporting people who really appreciate my business. Besides Natalie's Bakery, I spent a lot of time choosing the right gifts for Holly & Mike at American Apparel. It's a small shop in Royal Oak that primarily sells clothing manufactured in Los Angeles. I found a super cute knit pencil skirt and a pair of winter leggings for Holly and for Mike I chose a pair of fleece lounge pants and a pair of rubber boots (made in Canada but that's sooooo close, plus I am 1/2 French Canadian!). I love spending my money locally -- the shop employees are so friendly and genuinely want to help you select the right item.

Torn

2011-12-16T22:59:00.002-05:00

This weekend will fly by and I have so much I want to do. A thousand different crafty things are spinning around in my head. Ok, maybe only a few dozen but still -- I can't decide what to do first. I've got errands to run tomorrow, including a dreaded trip to Costco to get the Christmas ham. Do you have ANY idea how crazy it will be there on Saturday??? I'm going to have to get there early and get out as quickly as possible.

I washed the two pieces of fleece that I'll use to make a throw for baby Denver for Christmas. Then I have to decide on my Secret Santa gift for work. Let's just say there'll be something crafty included.

Sunday is our Christmas luncheon for the Chicken group. I've got my $10 gift from Home Goods ready to go. Someone's going to cackle over this one!!!

Puffy Eyes

2011-12-15T21:48:00.003-05:00

Tonight after work I walked Maggie quickly, changed clothes and headed over to the funeral home. My dear friend Sue's mother passed away on Sunday. I only knew Margaret for a few years but she's the kind of person I wish I'd known all my life.

A true Irish lass, she always had a twinkle in her eyes. Kind as they come, she even commented on the good qualities she saw in my roommate. Margaret was a creature of habit. She always got her hair done at the local beauty school. When she drove she only made right hand turns to get where she was going. And she loved coneflowers, a cup of tea, and an occasional glass of Sangria.

Her family has endured so much this past year. Sue's youngest sister battled breast cancer. Her other sister Jennifer died suddenly from a heart attack in January. Sue's father-in-law, a paraplegic, died in August, and now her mother is gone. Too much for one family. Never ask -- 'what else?!'

Done Done Diddley Done

2011-12-14T21:40:00.000-05:00

Tonight I picked up my Christmas cards at Write Impressions in Royal Oak. I had forgotten how much I LOVE this store. I need to stop in more frequently. My mission tonight was to find cards that weren't made in CHINA. Not hard, they had a lot to choose from that were made in USA, even some cards made by my friend Kate's husband's employer.

I got all of my cards addressed and those that need to be mailed will be dropped off at the post office in the morning. Phew! Probably the earliest I've gotten this task done in many years.

Stay tuned until 12/25 when I reveal my favorite card........

BSKG Meeting

2011-12-12T23:40:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow is the December meeting for the Black Sheep Knitting Guild. Together with my friend Sue, I need to bring some items for our door prize drawings. Let's just say there'll be some interesting fiber, books, and a special OOAK sheepy item......

Lemon Drop Bag

2011-12-11T23:04:00.001-05:00

I have a customer who requests commissioned pieces from time to time. He ordered a second bag for his sister who lives in England. The first bag was an Apple Green Bag:

I used Malabrigo Wool in their Apple Green shade and it shrank so much I had to buy more yarn and re-knit the bag, making it MUCH bigger than the first attempt. I found a ceramic pin at the Potters' Market that worked perfectly on the bag. My customer was pleased and his sister was thrilled. Hence the order for a new bag.

This time I used Brown Sheep Bulky in a shade called Lemon Drop -- just what the customer ordered! Again I knit the bag quite large, probably around 18" plus the flap. After felting it was about 14" high and I made two pockets to go inside. I had found two pins I liked and left it to the customer to make the decision.

Here's the bag, inside out, showing the smartphone pocket:

And here's the bag, right side out, showing the magnetic closures:

My sister Denise liked this dog pin but in the end, it did not win out:

Gerald liked the artsy heart pin instead:

Here's a close up of the winning pin:

I was very glad to finish the bag on time and send it off with Gerald, who picked it up at last weekend's Birmingham Winter Markt. He was very pleased and eager to surprise his sister for Christmas. Since she lives in England he was going to have to wrap it up pronto and get it in the mail to her so she'd receive it on time.

Doodle Bug Yarn

2011-12-10T22:44:00.000-05:00

I added a new button on the right side of my blog. I hope you'll take the time to click on it and check out Doodle Bug Yarn. They have a super selection of yarn -- lots of great indie yarn makers -- and oodles of other fun things for knitting. Best of all, you can save $5 on an order of $25 or more, simply by typing LoveMyFiber for the coupon code on the order form!

GLHQ Meeting Tonight

2011-12-08T13:43:00.000-05:00

Tonight is one of my favorite guild meetings. We're having a potluck dinner and Holiday Bazaar. I sure hope there are lots of great things to bid on for the silent auction. I expect to donate a few items myself, which will hopefully add to the money collected for programs, etc. Bid high, bid often!

I'm actually working on a couple of things for the auction today -- nothing like waiting until the last moment! I'll have to bring all sorts of 20th Anniversary logo items to try to sell, too. I haven't unloaded my car from last weekend's show yet so it will be kinda crowded with all I have to bring with me tonight.

This weekend I should be able to get everything back in order. My roommate is having a tough time at his new job. I told him they'd be challenging him but I don't think he believed me. He usually thinks I'm overstating things. He has a lot to learn.

Sad Day

2011-12-06T22:39:00.001-05:00

My nephew's wife teaches at the elementary school I went to as a child. A small world, right? Last week her friend, one of the 1st grade teachers, died unexpectedly. She was only 33 years old and 32 weeks along in her pregnancy when something went terribly wrong. The baby girl died too. Her husband is also a teacher at that school and I can only imagine how sad it is for everyone.

I'm sure all of the students were eagerly anticipating the birth of this beloved teacher's baby. Now everyone has to try to be brave and help the widower through his grief, made even more sad with the coming holidays.

I don't know either one of these teachers but my heart goes out to them and their families. Maybe it's the joy I have in my heart for my grandson that makes a story like this feel like it hits close to home even though I don't know them. It's just so very sad.

PTO Day -- Yeah!

2011-12-05T22:53:00.000-05:00

Slept in, showered, tidied up a bit, had a massage, shopped at Costco, ripped out a sweater I'd been knitting. Not my typical day off work but it was fine, although I think I'm a bit tender from the massage.

Kevin had a good first day of work at his new job. He has a lot to learn, in more ways than one. Getting up early and coming home late is going to be the norm for him from now on. His biggest concern is what to do about taking a lunch. At least, he thinks that's his biggest problem. Navigating around downtown Detroit is a challenge for him too. He'll figure it out. I hope.

Show's Over!

2011-12-04T22:43:00.000-05:00

I'm happy to say that my craft shows for the year are complete -- phew!! This past weekend's show was grueling and the weather today was bleh! Sales were 1/2 what they were last year and this is the show's second year. Could be that there were twice as many vendors as last year and that spread the money around a bit more. Not sure. I sold all eight of the brimmed hats I felted at my Mom's last Wednesday. I definitely need to focus on making more of those next year. I'm disappointed that I only sold one of my woven scarves. I thought for sure those would go over well at this show, where a lot of well-to-do shoppers strolled around. Hmm......

I had bought three new tablecloths and the cut-out ornaments to make the booth look uniform and festive. You can see my 'hot seat' in the back -- that heated throw from Costco and the Presto radiant heat dish served me well as I doubt anyone else at the show was as comfortable as I was.

I'm looking forward to my day off of work tomorrow. Funny thing is, it's my roommate's first day on his new job. I hope everything goes well for him. I'm sure he'll have a lot to tell me tomorrow evening.

Sleepy-time

2011-12-01T22:32:00.001-05:00

I bet there have been times in your life when you couldn't wait to get to sleep. That's me tonight. My hands are numb from too much knitting and the minute my head hits the pillow, I'll be out like a light. I've finished 8 felted hats, some of which are still drying. If they don't dry by tomorrow I'll use the hair dryer on 'em!

Tonight I met my sister Denise and her sister-in-law Sue at the Potters' Market in Madison Heights. Such a wonderful show -- it's impossible to walk out of there without purchasing many things. Or at least I thought so. I had several items in my basket but when I got home and put my items away I discovered something AWFUL -- they forgot to include the beautiful chalice I had carefully selected. Darn, darn, darn.

Because I have the Birmingham Winter Markt this weekend, I won't be able to go back for my chalice. Damn! Maybe I'll find something at the Winter Markt that I'll love just as much, or maybe I'll just have to wait for next year's Potters' Market.

Heading for Home Stretch

2011-11-28T13:28:00.005-05:00

Did you have a busy weekend? Me too! I spent most of Saturday with my friend Kate, trying our best to help out the small businesses in our area. We bought tons of weaving yarn at Forma Fiber Arts in Whitmore Lake, then headed over to the metropolis of Dixboro to the Antique Store/Button Lady. Starved, we walked next door and had a great grilled cheese sandwich and bowl of soup at the Moonwinks Cafe and treated ourselves to Zingerman's version of King Dons -- yummy!

Next up was the village of Northville where we hit the Center Street Knits (picked up a cute pattern for a cardigan) and Dancing Eye Gallery (found a great ceramic button). Both are super shops and the gallery was especially bustling.

On our way home Kate was kind enough to stop at Cantoro Italian Market in Livonia so I could get my fix of Italian goodies. Pasta, cheese, fresh bread, good wine, and a cannolo for my dessert -- deliziosa!

I spent Sunday knitting hats to be felted -- it rained and rained all day so it was easy to stay inside! Now my hands are numb but there's still more knitting to do. Sweat shop work is never done!

Post Thanksgiving Day Post

2011-11-25T22:00:00.003-05:00

Well, the day went really well yesterday. Denver made it to his first Thanksgiving and was wonderful, despite cutting 3 teeth!

Both versions of the Tarte au Sucre turned out fabulous. I think I'm definitely going to be making them again and again, but not for a while -- they're very sweet and rich!! I can see why those crazy Canucks love them so much. :*) I can just imagine my Dad's ancestors indulging in them at the holidays. Oddly enough I don't remember having it as a child. I do remember Tourtiere (meat pie), soupe aux pois (yellow pea soup), and potato dressing, but not the sugar pie. Amazing how I managed to live this long without sugar pie.

I jammed the day full of fun activities. No crazy shopping at 4 am for me. I was sleeping soundly while other bargain hunters were 'chilling' outside, waiting for a chance at the 'steals' that awaited them in the stores.

I started off by taking Maggie to the Blue Cross Veterinary clinic down the road from me. She needed to be out of the house for a few hours so it was the perfect time for her to get some vaccinations and a new hair-do.

She needed to be out of the house because I got my heating ducts cleaned for the first time in 50 years. Those vacuums make a lot of noise and she would have gone crazy. I saw this cute guy hanging out in my front yard while I waited for the Sani-Clean Air Duct Cleaning guys to arrive this morning:

They sucked out all sorts of stuff from my ductwork and dryer vent and sanitized, too:

The guys from Sani-Clean noticed a gas leak in the furnace so it was a good thing I'd already scheduled a furnace check up, too. Rich from Hanson Heating & Cooling came by this afternoon and fixed the furnace in no time.

I'll sleep better knowing the air will be cleaner and I no longer have a gas leak -- yikes! Maggie returned from the groomer, none the worse for wear.

I was afraid she might get a bad report since she does not care at all for being clipped but they didn't say to not bring her back again so I'm taking that as a positive sign - phew!

Tomorrow I'm heading out to Forma in Whitmore Lake to peruse their stock of weaving yarn. Hold me back!! I'll try to be good. Well, maybe.

P.S. Happy Birthday Tanya !!

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T13:14:00.002-05:00

I bought an apple pie at Achatz Pies yesterday and spotted their pie crust dough in their cooler. Hmmm, I thought, bet that would work for my Tarte au Sucre, a French-Canadian staple at holiday time. I didn't have a family recipe so I searched the Internet. Such a variety of ingredients and techniques! I settled on two recipes that both required heating the filling before baking. We'll see which version tastes better! I tried making one a few years ago and it just didn't set up properly so it was very sloppy. It should be about the consistency of pecan pie filling. Looking forward to giving it a try. I'm hoping to make it a tradition at our family gatherings -- trying to keep my Dad's heritage alive.

The pies are cooling and I just need to get myself ready to go now. I'm heading over to my nephew's home for a great meal and fellowship. Holly, Mike and Denver will be there early as they make their rounds to four different homes! Something tells me they'll have a different plan for Christmas.

Fewer than 1000 yards to go!

2011-11-22T22:19:00.000-05:00

If you've ever ventured down to the bottom of my blog, you've seen my yarn usage tracker.

As I finish a project I add my yards used to it. This year I set a goal of 20,000 yards and I've used over 19,000 as of today. It takes around 400 yards to knit each felted hat so it doesn't take me long to rack up the yardage. I'll top the 20,000 yard mark for sure before the end of this week. Next year I think I'll up the goal -- maybe 25,000 yards???

Whims

2011-11-21T21:50:00.000-05:00

Do you act on whims or are you always well-planned out? Saturday morning I went to Champane's to pick up some Warsteiner beer that was on sale for my brother-in-law Mike. While I was there I spotted some great deals on wine for him too. Then there was a giant chocolate turkey pinata filled with toffees that I knew my sister Denise needed for her Thanksgiving table. A little hard to see, but you get the point:

Before I knew it I had returned home, packed a small bag, and by 11:30 am I was on the road to Charlevoix (525 miles round trip!) to deliver the goods. I'm not usually so willy-nilly but I just felt like a road trip was in order. I had a super weekend with them and after a quick dinner (filet mignon -- yummo!) I left for home yesterday about 6 pm. It was nice to get away and see them since we won't be together for Thanksgiving this year.

I managed to finish knitting one felted hat and would have done more if I'd been able to grab more yarn before I left the house. Now I'm working on another hat -- the sweat shop is officially open!

Jump Start

2011-11-18T22:26:00.000-05:00

I had originally planned to attend the Plymouth Potters' Guild show tomorrow but since I was part way there today at work, I decided to head out tonight instead. I'm glad I did. My goal was to peruse some new buttons an artist was supposed to have ready for me but none of the colors were right. I did find a pin from a different artist that might do the trick. I'll know more once I finish felting the lemon drop purse.

As long as I was on that side of town, I decided to hit IKEA too. Believe it or not I didn't buy a single thing. Unless you count dinner, which was the kid's meal version of their Swedish meatballs and mashed potatoes. Yummy!

Tomorrow I need to run a few errands, including getting my minivan washed, and then I HAVE to get going on knitting some hats to felt in time for my last show of the year in two weeks. My hands are aching at the thought of all that knitting but I really do need to have felted hats available.

Catching Up

2011-11-17T13:14:00.001-05:00

I feel like George Jetson with Astro on the treadmill lately. Not sure if I'm coming or going or even able to keep up! I've finished knitting the sunny yellow purse for my English customer. I just need to knit a pocket, sew the strap on, and get it felted. Hopefully I'll be able to attend the potter's market in Plymouth this weekend and find a great button.

Tonight is the quilt guild's board meeting and with all my business travel of late, I'm really out of sorts. Laundry is behind, sewing is behind, knitting is WAY behind. Not sure how I'll ever be ready for the Winter Markt in just over two weeks!

Key to Happiness

2011-11-14T22:51:00.001-05:00

Well it might not be the key to everyone's happiness but at least it's working for me. What is 'IT'? None other than Estroven. Never mind aspirin -- Estroven is the wonder drug for me. Since I started taking it about 2 weeks ago my night sweats have all but evaporated! Instead of waking up 5 or more times each night, I'm down to only once, sometimes not at all. After being sleep deprived for the last 6 months I'm now getting the rest I desperately need.

P.S. Happy Birthday Mary !!

Great Weekend

2011-11-13T20:08:00.000-05:00

I hit the jackpot at the estate sale yesterday. I got all of this for $20:

Wool, wool, and more wool!

A bassinet size piece of cream wool (with a price tag on it still of $21.95) and a nearly 2 yard cut of genuine Harris Tweed, direct from Scotland!

2 1/2 yard cut of cute kitty flannel (charity project ??)

Magazines, a book and a couple of patterns

EIGHT assorted rulers !!!

And finally, a Tailor Clapper and two bags of down to use in a vest I need to make someday very soon.

I was the first shopper to arrive and I quickly made my way around, squirreling away the treasures as I spotted them. Several ladies arrived after me and I wanted to make sure I got the 'good' stuff!

I had a wonderful visit with Holly and 10 week old Baby Denver. He's changing daily and I miss not seeing him as much as I'd like.

Today I went to Costco to pick up copies of the pictures I took yesterday. I ended up bringing home far more than that: slippers, gloves, cutting boards, gummy vitamins, spinach salad. Yikes, that place is dangerous!

I've been knitting a bit on the felted purse I've been commissioned to make for a woman in England. Next weekend I'm going to a potters market and hope to find the signature button it requires. Until then, I'll be knitting up some felted hats that I desperately need for my show in December. Never a quiet moment for me....

Estate Sale Anyone????

2011-11-11T22:57:00.002-05:00

My trip to New Jersey was more adventure than I ever want to experience again. Fog delays kept us from landing at our intended airport, La Guardia, and instead we sat on the tarmac at JFK for TWO HOURS. Ugh. Yesterday's return trip was nearly as bad. My 4:45 flight didn't take off for Detroit until 8:30. I pulled into my driveway at 11:15 pm. -- more than ready for bed!

Had to take this photo and post it here today:

Pay no attention to my apparently dusty monitor....

Tomorrow morning I'm heading out early to attend an estate sale. If you live in the Detroit area and ~~need~~ love fiber-y things you might want to consider a drive in the country too. For those of you who've attended the Mt. Bruce show, it's not that much further and you're sure to find some bargains. Here's the skinny on the sale from Lisa Burmann's website:

QUILTER'S ESTATE SALE SATURDAY, NOV 12TH

I've been helping a friend of mine put together an estate sale for her friend that passed last April. Mary was an avid quilter who also raised sheep - hence she was a weaver and spinner as well. Words can't describe how much fabric this woman had! We grouped it into colors and are selling it very cheaply. Her husband just wants it out of there and to go to a good home! All proceeds will be split between their church and Seven Ponds Nature Center.

Some of the prices will be: Magazines 5/$1.00 Books $1 each

There is batting (a lot!), half done quilt tops, half-sewn jackets, patterns, notions, etc. Did I mention wool???? There's a boatload of fiber and yarn there as well as knitting and other wool related books and magazines.

Here's the pertinent info:

The home of Dr. and Mrs. Duncan

2601 South Blacks Corners Rd.

Imlay City, MI 48444

(approx 1 mile south of I-69 and 2 miles west of VanDyke)

10am to 4pm

Door to Door Organics

2011-11-09T07:00:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I had a few new-to-me produce items in my box from Door to Door Organics.

Does anyone have any advice on what to do with any of these items:

Persimmons
Ambrosia Apples
Mini Roma Tomatoes

The Saga Continues...

2011-11-08T13:17:00.001-05:00

Well yesterday my Mom had no luck with the Comcast technician. He told her she had a DHCP server problem and needed to take her CPU in to Best Buy for the Geek Squad to fix. Remember she's 85 years old -- not exactly equipped to haul a heavy CPU out of the apartment, into her car and into the store.

Instead of all that hooey, I went to Best Buy at 8 pm last night, picked out a new computer, drove out to her apartment and got to work setting it up. I made good progress except for the modem issue again, and trying to hook up her existing printer, which was too old to use with the Windows 7 operating system. Plus, a new printer was included in her package so I just installed it instead.

Needless to say we were both up late, as I didn't leave until 11:15 pm. I know she goes to bed around 9 pm, unless there's a hockey or baseball game on TV. She was delighted to have her internet working once again -- 16 messages were in her inbox! She'll have plenty to do today. My roommate is hopefully heading over there to pick up the old pieces and either get the CPU repaired or discard it all at the recycler.

I'm pooped. I have to be in bed by 8 pm today so I can get up at 3 am tomorrow for my flight. I sure do hope I can get to sleep fast and not toss & turn, thinking about how I NEED to get to sleep. Fingers crossed....

Mission Accomplished

2011-11-06T22:16:00.000-05:00

Today I received a phone from my Mom, sounding pitiful and in need of help. Not the usual stuff -- this time she could not access the Internet! Imagine being 85 years old and not being able to go online!! I told her to start with Comcast and see if they could provide the help. Well, I'm sure she didn't express herself quite as well as you and I would, so she ended up speaking with someone she couldn't understand, who gave up on her.

I headed out there after finishing my chores and knitting up the second mitten for my friend at work. When I got to the apartment, I sat down to dinner courtesy of Boston Market, and tried to ascertain what led up to her access problems. I found out she does not have any virus protection -- going to rectify that, and might have opened an spam email by mistake. I scolded her on both accounts and then headed to her desktop. I tried several things before figuring out it was probably an issue with Comcast.

I was in the middle of unplugging and re-plugging several wires when my Mom got disconnected from a phone call from my sister Carol. Sorry 'bout that. I'm sure she thought my Mom hung up on her. Anyhow, I called Comcast, let them ping the router after resetting and it was determined that a service call was required. They'll be there tomorrow morning and hopefully my Mom will be back online by the afternoon. Back to her emails, back to her Lexulous games with my sister Denise, and back to reading all about what's going on in the world. And I told her to ask them to load their free virus protection so we won't have to worry about that again.

Cabled Mitten

2011-11-04T19:14:00.000-04:00

Here's a completed mitten for my friend Lori B. Her son's marching band in competing tomorrow at the State Championship -- wishing them good luck!!

Irresistable !!

2011-11-03T22:54:00.001-04:00

No one could resist someone so precious, right? Denver is already 2 months old and weighed 12 pounds 9 ounces at his check up on Monday. He got his first shots and like all new mothers, Holly cried when Denver cried.

Need a Lift?

2011-11-02T20:55:00.000-04:00

You're gonna enjoy this.

New Knitting

2011-11-01T22:16:00.000-04:00

I finished knitting an earflap hat for my friend Tanya over the weekend. She wrote the pattern and had asked members of our knitting guild to knit up samples. I think she's got about 10+ hats so far! Next up on my list of must-knit items is a pair of mittens for my co-worker Lori B. She's travelling to NYC for the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade, where her son's marching band will perform. Lori asked for a pair of mittens that would keep her hands warm and show their school colors. Here's the start of the mitten:

I haven't knit anything with a cable in it in quite some time. I'm using Berroco Ultra Alpaca for the black cuff and Stonehedge Fiber Mill's Shepherd's Wool for the yellow mitt, knitting with size 4 double point needles. I hope to have them finished by the end of the week. Next up is the lemon yellow felted bag I have been commissioned to make for a repeat customer. He's giving the bag to his sister in England for her birthday in December. Time to get crankin'!!!

Fabulous Sunday

2011-10-31T23:00:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was fantastic -- from the sunshine start to the delicious baked pork chops with homemade applesauce dinner. Always makes me think of Peter Brady -- you too???

I had a weaving workshop Sunday at Heritage Spinning & Weaving. I picked up my friend Kate and headed out to Lake Orion for our 5 hour class taught by Joan Hoover, the owner. After warping our looms Saturday night we were more than ready to learn several techniques on our rigid heddle looms.

We learned how to use pick up sticks and a fork in manipulating the cotton yarn.

The two pictures below represent about 3 hours of work -- yikes!

We started with hem stitching and Leno stitching, 4 warp strands and then 6 warp strands. BTW, it's pronounced LEENO not LENNO. I always think of Jay when I see that pattern!

Then we tried some color work using four different techniques. Plenty of practice time will be required for me to get everything down pat but I do like the top two techniques. Hmmmm.....now where do you suppose I'm going to find the time to practice???

P.S. Happy Birthday Sue!!

Darn, darn, darn

2011-10-30T21:42:00.000-04:00

I had a really great blog post but stupid Blogger won't let me post pictures today. More coming tomorrow....hopefully.

Ahhhhh!!

2011-10-29T17:25:00.000-04:00

I love buying books on fiber. Never mind that many never result in a finished project. That's not the point, right Joyce?? My roommate told me yesterday that one time he actually counted the books on my two bookcases and there were nearly 300 books. Nooooo, I said, I'm sure you're wrong! Of course I was certain because I knew he hadn't included the books in the entertainment center, or the books on the shelves in the laundry room, or the books in the hallway, or the books in my bedroom and craft cave.

I'm always looking for new books with beautiful projects and new ideas. I spotted 'Quilt it With Wool' by Nathalie Mornu at the Spinners Flock Fleece Fair last month. I thumbed through it and while I loved many of the projects, the book had some damage so I passed on it. But I didn't forget about it....

When I saw it on Amazon I HAD to get it. Not only would it be in pristine condition, it was insanely cheap -- $8.56 instead of $21.95 !!!! But of course, since you have to spend more than $25 to get free shipping from Amazon I had to get a second book. I looked through their suggestions and decided on 'Pennies From Heaven' by Gretchen Gibbons.

Both books are filled with do-able projects, fabulous photos, and wonderful ideas. Now if I only had more hours in my days......

Comeback Story

2011-10-28T08:58:00.003-04:00

This is what makes us great. Time to support this company that was determined to rebuild and help this devastated community make it through a terrible time.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/bringing-america-back-wrangler-rebuilds-tornado/story?id=14826097

For other ways to seek out locally produced goods, check out Still Made in USA.com. There are still lots of options!

Upheaval

2011-10-26T21:56:00.001-04:00

Today at work:

I lost my boss
my team leader became my boss
I got a new title: QA Analyst
I got a new team name: Technology Solutions

Change is good, right?

Lamb Chair Pad

2011-10-25T23:09:00.001-04:00

Last year when I was losing my job I started selling all sorts of things on Ebay. I sold a lamb rug hooking pattern and Cris sent me this photo recently of the finished chair pad. It's so darn cute and nice to see it actually being used!

Better

2011-10-24T22:07:00.001-04:00

I've spent the last couple of days trying to clean up my craft cave. I started with this:

Not much room to move around, eh?

Here are the after photos:

Am I done? Oh no, not yet. But at least I can walk around the room and much of my stray yarn has found its rightful home. I have a large Rubbermaid contain full of yarn for upcoming hats, wraps, etc. I have a lot of knitting to do before my show in December. My, oh my.

OMG

2011-10-24T21:08:00.000-04:00

Do you watch any of the 'Housewives' shows? I'm trying to clean my craft cave but as usual, am sucked into the Housewives of Beverly Hills show. I'm positively stunned. Stunned I say because one them just lathered a raw whole chicken with dish soap to ward off salmonella. Stunned.

GLHQ Studio Tour

2011-10-23T10:35:00.000-04:00

Yesterday 7 of my Chicken friends and I meandered from home to home, viewing the quilt studios of 6 different members of the GLHQ guild. It was a fundraiser and while we had hoped for 200 attendees, we managed to garner about 90. A great first effort for this project and I think that if we do it again, the positive feedback from this year's go-round will help bolster additional ticket sales next time.

Each studio was unique and I took pictures where I could. Everyone had great ideas on using their space to maximize quilting enjoyment and several offered up various tips. Of course, there were lots and lots of quilts and other textile projects to see, too!

These first three are from Elaine's home. The portrait of the woman was from last week's workshop with Aniko Feher.

This is one of my early rug hooking projects that Cathy had purchased at the guild's holiday bazaar one year:

Cathy is super patriotic with loads of flag related items grouped together. Her son Nick just returned from his third tour of duty in Afghanistan -- safe and sound, thank goodness.

These are six of Cathy's antique quilts, layered on a table:

The next four photos are from Nancy's home. Guess why I love the first two so much!!

We had a great time -- the weather was FINALLY nice!!

Carol, Joyce, Sue, Judy, Kathy, Pat, and Debby -- great group of friends. We switched passengers several times so everyone had a chance to visit. Pat found out the night before that there was a new quilt shop on our route -- we HAD to stop there. Michelle opened Fabric Affair a couple of weeks ago so she had limited fabric but most of us made a purchase and welcomed her to the quilting community.

Michelle is a full-service Bernina dealer so I expect that she'll be seeing a lot of business from our group. I haven't had my machine in for service since I bought it 5 6 years ago -- don't hit me Mary!!!

I bought this fabric:

to make a quilt for Denver, who is now 7 weeks old!!!

Each of us received great prizes given out by Joyce along the way. I got a packet of Moda fabric from their 1974 line and a bottle of Mary Ellen's Best Press -- woohoo!!!

Our last stop of the day was fellow Chicken member Diane's home. Her studio is a loft above her family room and it's amazing! Fabulous lighting, great views, and plenty of space to work. I'm so jealous!

I love this antique J.P. Coats thread cabinet:

Diane had a giveaway table full of things she uncovered while straightening up her studio. We all obliged by taking several things home. I scored a piece of red flannel to use in my Sock Monkey Quilt for Denver.

It was a marvelously relaxing way to spend a Saturday after all the rushing around with my show and business trip lately. Now I have to get to work cleaning my craft cave. I'll be sequestered for the rest of the day. I've taken the 'before' pictures and will share the misery with you once I have the 'after' pictures. Hope you have a great day!

Traveling Pressing Board

2011-10-22T21:19:00.000-04:00

While searching on Amazon for a new quilting book I followed a series of links until I ended up here. Quilt book author and blogger Laura Nownes shows us how to use empty fabric bolts, fabric, batting, etc. to make a super lightweight pressing board -- I might have to try this one!

Catching Up

2011-10-21T22:06:00.001-04:00

I feel like I've been gone from the house for two weeks. Actually, it's really only been 9 days but it seems like forever since I've been able to relax. I took today off expecting to get my minivan repaired but that will have to wait until Monday, when the parts come in.

Instead I ran a bunch of errands: credit union, gas, Speedy Tees for a GLHQ jacket pick up, Right off the Sheep for yarn to make infinity scarves, Staples for a new printer, Costco for 'stuff', and finally the Cloverleaf Fine Wine Shop. I feel reasonably caught up now.

Tonight I installed my new Canon PIXMA MG6220 printer. Relatively pain-free installation and the pattern I printed from Ravelry looks great. My old printer was acting up and since is was time to buy more ink for it I decided it was time to get this new printer that I've been eyeing for a few months. It's sleek looking -- now when have you said that about a printer?!

Tomorrow I'm heading out with my Chicken friends for our quilt guild fundraiser -- a studio tour of several member's quilting spaces. I'm looking forward to a fun day and it sounds like the sun will finally be out.

Sunday I'll be sequestered in my craft cave trying to get things back in order. When I'm approaching show season I tend to grab yarn willy-nilly and things get super messy. If I'm feeling brave I'll take before and after shots and share them. Or not.

Shouting From the Rooftops

2011-10-18T12:54:00.001-04:00

Thanks to everyone for your prayers and positive thoughts --------- my roommate got the job!!!!! I am so pleased for him, I know he's really been challenged by the economy and his degree of marketing hasn't exactly been in demand. He starts next Monday so we've got some 'styling' to do before then. Woohooo!

Here's a fun game for you to play:
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/science/rock-paper-scissors.html See how you stack up against a computer!

Oh My Stars

2011-10-17T21:10:00.000-04:00

I'm so stinking busy I can hardly stand it! Right now I should be folding the clothes I washed for my business trip tomorrow. I'm trying to get caught up on email, Facebook, etc. -- just not enough hours in the day.

I traveled home from Charlevoix today, picking up the headlight I need to repair my minivan from the 'hit and run' deer incident. I stopped to see Holly, Mike and baby Denver. Oh, my goodness -- he's cuter than before and getting so big. That's what happens when you miss out on three weeks of his life!

I tried to get the headlight installed but apparently there are a few broken mounts and possibly damage to the front quarter panel. Not enough to call in a claim, I can handle this one. I'll have to return to Belle Tire on Saturday to get everything installed.

In the meantime, I'm packing for New Jersey and trying to get a handle on everything. So much to do, so little time!

More later..............

Yikes!

2011-10-13T21:21:00.003-04:00

Today I set up my tent for this weekend's show in Charlevoix with help from my sister Denise and some man who volunteered to help with the 'tall' stuff. I picked up a few must-have items from Hearts to Holly, the quilt shop plus a new Charlevoix sweatshirt in case it gets chilly.
We're expecting rain and 25+mph winds later tomorrow. Hmmm.....
A crazy thing happened on my way back to Denise's after closing up my tent for the night. Minding my own business, a deer ran across the road in front my car as I was going about 50 mph. I slammed on the brakes and thumped it. It ran off along with at least three other deer as I moved the car off the main drag to inspect the damage. Amazingly only my side lamp was knocked out. There was a hunk of fur on the grill. I walked up and down the street and never did find any broken pieces and the deer was long gone. Hmm....

Word of the Day -- Paraprosdokian

2011-10-12T16:39:00.001-04:00

Too cute not to pass along:

A paraprosdokian is a figure of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected in a way that causes the reader or listener to reframe or reinterpret the first part. It is frequently used for humorous or dramatic effect.

Ø I asked God for a bike, but I know God doesn't work that way. So I stole a bike and asked for forgiveness.

Ø Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.

Ø I want to die peacefully in my sleep, like my grandfather. Not screaming and yelling like the passengers in his car.

Ø Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.

Ø The last thing I want to do is hurt you. But it's still on the list.

Ø Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.

Ø If I agreed with you, we'd both be wrong.

Ø We never really grow up; we only learn how to act in public.

Ø War does not determine who is right -- only who is left.

Ø Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.

Ø The early bird might get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.

Ø Evening news is where they begin with 'Good evening,' and then proceed to tell you why it isn't.

Ø To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism. To steal from many is research.

Ø A bus station is where a bus stops. A train station is where a train stops. My desk is a work station.

Ø How is it one careless match can start a forest fire, but it takes a whole box to start a campfire?

Ø Some people are like Slinkies ... not really good for anything, but you can't help smiling when you see one tumble down the stairs.

Ø Dolphins are so smart that within a few weeks of captivity, they can train people to stand on the very edge of the pool and throw them fish.

Ø I thought I wanted a career; turns out I just wanted pay checks.

Ø A bank is a place that will lend you money if you can prove that you don't need it.

Ø Whenever I fill out an application, in the part that says "If an emergency, notify:" I put "DOCTOR."

Ø I didn't say it was your fault, I said I was blaming you.

Ø I saw a woman wearing a sweat shirt with "Guess" on it... So I said "Implants?"

Ø Why does someone believe you when you say there are four billion stars, but check when you say the paint is wet?

Ø Women will never be equal to men until they can walk down the street with a bald head and a beer gut and still think they are sexy.

Ø Why do Americans choose from just two people to run for president and 50 for Miss America ?

Ø Behind every successful man is his woman. Behind the fall of a successful man is usually another woman.

Ø A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.

Ø You do not need a parachute to skydive. You only need a parachute to skydive twice.

Ø The voices in my head may not be real, but they have some good ideas!

Ø Always borrow money from a pessimist. He won't expect it back.

Ø A diplomat is someone who can tell you to go to hell in such a way that you will look forward to the trip.

Ø Hospitality: making your guests feel like they're at home, even if you wish they were.

Ø Money can't buy happiness, but it sure makes misery easier to live with.

Ø I discovered I scream the same way whether I'm about to be devoured by a great white shark or if a piece of seaweed touches my foot.

Ø Some cause happiness wherever they go. Others whenever they go.

Ø There's a fine line between cuddling and holding someone down so they can't get away.

Ø I used to be indecisive. Now I'm not sure.

Ø I always take life with a grain of salt... plus a slice of lemon... and a shot of tequila.

Ø When tempted to fight fire with fire, remember that the Fire Department usually uses water.

Ø You're never too old to learn something stupid.

Ø To be sure of hitting the target, shoot first and call whatever you hit the target.

Ø Nostalgia isn't what it used to be.

Ø A bus is a vehicle that runs twice as fast when you are after it as when you are in it.

Ø If you are supposed to learn from your mistakes, why do some people have more than one child?

Ø Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.

Town Hall Quilt Show #3

2011-10-11T00:02:00.001-04:00

Here are the last of the quilts I captured at Saturday's show. I hope you've been enjoying them!
The first two are wool mats -- makes me want to whip up my own!

I absolutely l-o-v-e this one:

Here's a wonderful holiday wallhanging by Norma Crowton:

Of course I HAD to snap a photo of this chicken quilt:

Another great Sue Spargo inspired wool/cotton wallhanging:

This one was really slick with its raw edge shapes:

I always enjoy a good quilt show but they do leave me feeling like I should get out my sewing machine and make some magic! Perhaps one of the goals of a quilt show IS to inspire you so I guess in that respect, this show was successful! Sew much to do, sew little time. :*)

Town Hall Quilt Show #2

2011-10-10T07:00:00.001-04:00

Here are more pictures of the beautiful quilts I saw at Saturday's show.

This one was inspired by a Sue Spargo workshop:

This one is another quilt by Norma Crowton, completed after the death of her German Short Haired Pointer:

This quilt was especially poignant. The quiltmaker had the quilt hand quilted by her recently deceased mother's guild members:

Here is another fabulous quilt made by Norma Crowton:

Another Edyta Sitar inspired quilt:

Doesn't this one remind you of the TV test patterns???

Town Hall Quilt Show #1

2011-10-09T21:50:00.002-04:00

As promised here are some of the quilts I enjoyed at the show yesterday.

Here's a beauty by Norma Crowton:

That's my friend Mary's hand -- giving you an idea of how tiny the blocks are!
Here are some close ups of Norma's blocks:

Aren't they spectacular?!!!!

There were a couple of these quilts in the show, designed by Edyta Sitar:

I have her book, now I only need time, right?

I loved this quilt. The quilting DOES make the quilt!

More pictures tomorrow!!!

Busy Saturday

2011-10-08T20:11:00.001-04:00

Some days I can't believe all that I get done in a day. Then there are days that seem to get away from me and nothing is accomplished. Today was the former.

I went to a great quilt show with my friend Mary, who picked me up at 9:30 am! Woohoo! The show did not disappoint and I took many, many pictures. I'll post them over the next couple of days so I don't wear you out! So much eye candy!!

We did our fair share for the local economy at the vendors who were there today. I bought several things from Chris Zane including a fabulous piece of hand dyed linen. I see another jacket in my near future. Mary spread her money around a bit! We saw several members of GLHQ there and a few new vendors so I think there's a road trip in our future, too.

I finished sewing the giant snaps on my wool jacket and now I just need to tweak the collar a bit so it lays down better. So far I'm pretty darn pleased with myself. I haven't sewn garments in ages and I was pretty much winging this one. Once the collar is straightened out I'll post pictures for that too!

It was a beautiful day weatherwise and it should continue for the next few days. I'm lovin' it!

Here's one picture from the quilt show today. I loved this one! Simple, yet effective. The border really makes it pop:

Keep 'Em Coming

2011-10-07T23:17:00.001-04:00

My roommate has survived the initial interview and is now preparing with a second interview with the 'leadership team'. I told him he needs to really prepare -- figure out how to answer situational questions, hypothetical queries, and just get his 'poop in a group' as my old friend Irene used to say. So please keep sending the positive thoughts his way (and mine!).

I'm thinking a nice batter bowl green would look good in my new sewing room................

Time is Flying

2011-10-06T21:36:00.000-04:00

I can't believe how quickly the last couple of weeks have gone by. Every day seems fuller than the day before. Tonight I went back to Haberman Fabrics to try and solve my button issue with the jacket I'm sewing. The buttons I want to use are very thick -- about 1/4" -- so I can't really make a button hole big enough to get them through. I think the solution is to use some giant antique brass snaps and sew the buttons on the outside of the jacket. We'll see if that works out.

I'm getting ready to go to Charlevoix next week for Apple Festival. My friend Holly and her husband Fritz have already said they'll be up there and will stop by to visit my booth. Right now the weather is looking pretty crappy there -- 50s and rain some of the time. I don't mind the 50s because people will still come out but if it rains, forget it. It's still a week away so maybe the forecast will improve.

The day after I come back from the festival I have to leave for a business trip. I won't have much time to prepare -- laundry and packing all over again so I can head out to the airport straight from the office. Kevin will have to hold down the fort. I picked up dog food for Maggie so she won't run out while I'm gone.

New Word Game

2011-10-05T12:09:00.000-04:00

It's not that I think you all need another way of filling up the hours in a day but here's a great word game I discovered today courtesy of Worldstart.com. I've already determined it's my go-to game from now on!

Making Do

2011-10-03T13:10:00.000-04:00

This past weekend I was supposed to be in NYC but my work trip got cancelled. I had a whole bunch of things I was going to do there so I just did them at home instead!

I went to brunch at Cafe Muse and sent a photo of my food to my niece Erica, who I was supposed to be dining with. I went to several yarn shops in my area instead of the Yarn Crawl in NYC. I watched the Tigers vs Yankees game on TV instead of attending the game at Yankee Stadium.

I wound nearly 40 hanks of yarn into center-pull balls. Now I'm ready to knit like the wind without having to stop to wind a new ball. Two of the skeins were 478 yards each so I had to use my Strauch Jumbo Winder for them.

Now that I'm in town this week I think I'll head back over to Cafe Muse for their special dinner offering this week. They aren't officially part of Royal Oak restaurant week but they are having specials. Their food is so very good -- I can't wait to go!

I started sewing my double-face wool jacket yesterday and got it nearly done. I just have to work on the collar, side seams, and figure out the closure. I'll have pictures soon!

Well, Darn

2011-09-30T21:25:00.001-04:00

I am so disappointed. I was all set to get up before the crack of dawn -- waaaaay before -- and get on a plane tomorrow at 6:15 to go to NYC. My team at work had planned a meeting where all of us would meet next Monday and Tuesday. I had decided to fly in early. I had BIG plans. First off, I would have brunch with my niece Erica. Then I'd head into Manhattan for the 2011 NYC Yarn Crawl, where I would do what else?? -- BUY yarn of course. I even contemplated going to the Yankees vs Tigers baseball game.

But it all went kaput when the meeting got cancelled and moved back a few weeks. Darn, darn, darn. I even had my suitcase out, my travel size toiletries, and set aside my clothes. I wound several skeins of yarn into center-pull balls so I'd have plenty to knit with over the next several days.

You know what the say about the best laid plans, right? Never fear. I will have plenty of things to keep me busy this weekend. Now I have time to work on my double faced wool jacket, which is cut out but needs to be constructed. I also can knock off a couple of felted hats. For retail therapy today, I bought two new patterns at Ewe-Nique Knits: Square Peg, an updated poncho, and Bubbles, a really cute kids' hat pattern. As if I needed more patterns, or projects, or things to keep me occupied. Both patterns are available on Ravelry, and if you don't know what Ravelry is, leave me a comment and I can point you in the right direction!

It's going to be a chilly night tonight -- right now it's 41º -- I just might have to kick on the furnace. I was hoping to hold off until October but I guess we're almost there, right?

Hope you have a great weekend, wherever you are.

Fingers Crossed

2011-09-29T22:15:00.000-04:00

I don't want to jinx anything but it's looking like my roommate might be on the verge of obtaining a full-time job with benefits -- woohoo! Send your positive thoughts his way, if you please!!

A Different Knitting Technique

2011-09-28T13:36:00.000-04:00

Several years ago I met Berta Karapetyan, the owner of School Products Yarn in Manhattan. Of course, at the time I didn't realize who she was but I've since figured out she's a very knowledgeable knitter and here's her video demonstrating her Eastern European knitting techniques. I'm going to give it a try and see if it relieves the pain I've been having in my thumbs lately.

Substitutions

2011-09-27T23:30:00.001-04:00

Today was my Door to Door Organics delivery day. They usually have some leaf lettuce on the list and I change it out every time, usually for fruit. I should just put it on my do-not-send list. Instead I asked for more of the Starkrimson Pears -- they are SO good!

I was supposed to get some bananas but they weren't up to snuff so they didn't send them and instead credited my account.

Yesterday I had a different substitution. My regular barber went on his honeymoon Saturday for a week and I desperately needed to have my hair done this week before I leave for my business trip. Kyle set me up with Lyle (not making this up, I promise) who also works at the Berkley Chop Shop. Kyle left very explicit instructions for Lyle and assured me everything would be fine.

I don't know when I've had a more nervous cut & color. I felt bad for Lyle and I suppose threatening him with great bodily harm if he stained my face was not the best way to start the process. My pet peeve is having someone be reckless with the hair dye and getting it all over my skin, leaving the tell-tale sign for all to see. I'm pretty sure Lyle broke the record for slowest cut & color. I was there for 2 hours and 15 minutes and I was his last client of the day. On the positive side, the shampoo was great -- massaged the heck out of my scalp. Too bad the water rolled down my back, soaking my t-shirt. No biggie. The color turned out fine and the haircut looks fine, so all is right with the world.

I really appreciate Lyle taking care of me. I think he was out of his element but he was a trooper and I'm sure he was relieved when I left the shop. Tomorrow when I wash my hair myself I'll be able to tell how well the cut & color turned out.

Shaping Up

2011-09-26T13:10:00.002-04:00

If you're like me, you've got a few areas on your body that could use some toning. OK, in my case, everything needs toning! I found a cool website to assist with that. Or at least it gives me ideas -- now I need to execute them!

Whipped, Again!

2011-09-25T22:27:00.003-04:00

Today was the second day of this year's Sheep & Wool Festival. The weather started out cloudy and turned sunny by mid-day. Thank goodness! We were all very fearful that the rain showers would come and ruin the day.

Traffic was light but I did have a few more sales. I had visits from several friends: Barb, Eddie, Tracy, Kate, Janet, Ann, plus a few return customers. Overall the day went well. It took me 65 minutes to pack everything up and get on the road home -- a record for me!

I bought this super cute candle from the folks at Bernie Bee:

This special onesie for my favorite grandson:

And some basic laundry soap:

Both items were from Sleepy Hollow Herbs in Armada. I tried the laundry soap tonight -- so far, so good!

Here's a satisfied customer of mine who chose her very own felted cloche:

I have a busy week ahead, capped off with a business trip where I foolishly booked a 6:15 AM flight on Saturday -- WHAT WAS I THINKING?????

So Much for the Weatherman...

2011-09-24T21:13:00.000-04:00

All the weather forecasts for today pointed to one outcome -- chilly, rainy day. Bah Humbug! I think the temperature hovered around the upper 60s for the high and the sky was blue with clouds appearing only in the afternoon. Unfortunately, I think the doom and gloom forecast kept many people away, including most of my knitting friends -- missed you!!

My friend Kirstie and her family came, bringing me good luck, as sales were relatively steady all day. I sold 9 knit hats, 6 felted hats, 1 felted bag (OLD inventory!) and one woven scarf. Definitely a good day and hopefully tomorrow will be fruitful, too.

I took a couple of photos after the day got going and missed an overall shot of my booth space so hopefully tomorrow I'll think to do that before the crowds start appearing.

The Curtain

2011-09-22T07:00:00.001-04:00

This is the curtain that's been taking up my time of late! I started on it Sunday night and finished it Monday night! Marathon work for me. I started with 3 1/2 yards of curtain fabric plus 3 1/2 yards of black out lining fabric from Haberman Fabrics, here in Royal Oak. They've got the best selection of "good" fabric and nothing's too good for my grandson!

I cut the fabric in half-ish and sewed it together to get a width of 108". That's a lot of fabric! There was a lot of sweating and slogging and even a couple of swear words. I don't have a sewing room (YET!) so I really struggle with big projects. I even took the curtain to work so I could use a large table to even out the edges before I finished it late Monday.

After work on Tuesday I drove out to see Baby Denver and have my son-in-law Mike install the curtain rod so I could hang the curtain. I didn't get to hold Denver much -- he was snoozing away most of the time I was there.

After we ate dinner, Denver woke up, expecting his dinner.

He let us all know that he intended to eat - NOW!!

Monday night I stopped my sewing long enough to run over to Bed Bath & Beyond to pick out a curtain rod. I snapped this photo with my smart phone and Holly chose the rod on the top. Isn't it nice that phones make this happen??

Here's a close up of the fabric. The stitching went a whole lot better once I started using the walking foot. Thank goodness I remembered what the gal at Haberman's had told me! Don't look too, too, closely but the first three rows of stitching were done using the walking foot and the bottom row, uh, wasn't. Big difference!

I'm so glad to have the curtain delivered so I can get back to knitting for my weekend show. The weather is now looking really crappy -- low 60s with rain. I can hardly wait. NOT!!

Perfect Sunday Outing

2011-09-21T13:42:00.000-04:00

How can any day go wrong when you start out passing by a field with beautiful sunflowers beside it???

Sunday morning my friend Sue picked me up and we headed out to Chelsea for the Fall Fleece Fair, offered up by the Spinners Flock. I always tell myself that I'm going to be good and not buy too much but I don't think I've ever left their sales spending under $100. It's good for the local economy, I tell myself.

Don't get crazy -- I didn't buy all of this yarn but I sure was tempted to buy several hanks. See the pictures at the below the food for my selections.

We headed over to the Common Grill Restaurant afterwards for a fabulous brunch. So many good options it was hard to decide what to order. I went with a bowl of Lobster Corn Chowder (devoured before I thought to take a photo!) and a Chicken Frittata:

Sue ordered the Crab Cakes

Dessert choices were plentiful and scrumptious sounding. I was naughty and ordered the Creme Brulee, again, nearly forgetting to take a picture!

From the restaurant we wandered into a couple shops nearby and found a lot to love about the Potting Shed. I'd been in their shop before but not since they had moved to their new, larger space across the street. Sue and I each found must-have items there, including a pair of Sloggers rain boots for Holly, which were made in the U.S.A. -- woohoo! They turned out to be too small for her so I think I'll keep them and get her the next size up when I'm there next.

So here's the yarn I had to have Sunday. First is a large hank to make a sweater for Baby Denver:

Then I got two hanks of this denim-y colored yarn for a sweater or vest for Baby Denver:

Keep it between us okay? I don't want Denver to know yet!!

Here are a couple of mill spun yarns I want to use for hats for my shows:

Should be enough to keep me busy and out of trouble!

M.I.A.

2011-09-17T23:43:00.000-04:00

I have been so busy that I haven't been able to post here. Even Facebook noticed I hadn't been visiting there! I've been working real hard to be ready for my upcoming shows. Mt. Bruce is a week from TODAY! ! ! ! Yikes!

Today I laminated my hangtags and trimmed them up -- did about 60 today. I inventoried my current stash -- 50 knit hats, 13 felted hats, 10 woven scarves, 8 felted bags....so far. I've got plenty of ideas -- all I need is time to execute them.

I started the day by cleaning up the laundry room where my tub of inventory was stored. One thing led to another and before I knew it, I was in full-fledged cleaning mode. It's a good thing really. I organized my quilt fabric that had been hanging out in the hallway on a bookcase. This included the box of shirt and short fabric from my 9/11 firefighter quilt project. It was time to put that away -- 7 years after I made the quilts. Sheesh!

Kevin and I went over to the storage facility and loaded up my minivan with my show gear. Now I just need to knit up a few more hats and I'll be good to go.

I pressed and cut out the fabric for Baby Denver's window curtain. I still have to cut the lining but maybe I'll get that done tomorrow.

I also cut out a pattern I drafted from my friend Kate's boiled wool jacket that fit me to a T. I found the most outstanding double-faced wool at Haberman Fabrics the other day and I KNEW I had to have it. I'm winging it a bit and I have to say, I'm a bit nervous about cutting it. At $40 a yard I don't want to mess up! The remaining fabric is probably already gone at the store -- a hot commodity according to the sales gal.

If you have any tips for working with double-faced wool, I'm all ears!!

So Much For Plans

2011-09-14T20:55:00.001-04:00

I took today off from work so that I could take Holly to her doctor appointment. I putzed around this morning and took care of setting up my credit card processing with Elavon for my upcoming show season. I activated my account so now I'm ready to handle the throngs of credit card sales, right??

I vacuumed. I cleaned the bathroom. And then I got a text message from Holly. Her doctor had an emergency and had to move her appointment to Friday. FRIDAY???? I can't take Friday off. Darn! Undeterred, I decided to visit her and the most beautiful grandson in the whole wide world anyway! I picked up lunch for us at 'Wiches in Oxford on the way out to Holly's house. Michigan Salad was good, Chicken Salad sandwich was delish, but the Lobster Bisque was bleh - no discernible lobster pieces and a bit spicy.

I took some special gifts for baby Denver. First was a wonderful handknit Baby Surprise sweater and matching booties from my friend Harriet. It's gorgeous but I forgot to take a picture (next time!). Second was a beautiful quilt from my friend Sue. Here are some pictures of the quilt and Denver enjoying it!

I can see the workshop with Diane Gaudynski is paying off Sue!!!

I also took out my special Denver items - a hat, a t-shirt and a bib, all from Cafe Press. Here's my wee one sporting the hat:

My sister Denise, who is Holly's godmother, sent Denver a package last week -- his first mail! In the box were three pair of super cute shoes -- his first pair of Keens, Merrills and these North Face boots:

Aren't they precious??!!

I held him in my arms while Holly took a shower and he was so content. Seriously, he doesn't cry when I hold him. I think he knows already how much I love him. I was so glad to spend the afternoon with them, even if our plans did get changed on us. I look forward to doing this again very soon!

Good Reading

2011-09-13T13:19:00.003-04:00

Have you been following Ree Drummond's blog: Confessions of a Pioneer Woman ? I sure hope so! She does a great job of mixing her love of cooking, family, and photography and gives us insight into a completely different lifestyle. She's been a very busy gal -- she has a cookbook out and now you can watch her on the Food Network on her very own show! Be sure to watch the sneak preview. You know how Paula Deen loves butter? Can't even touch Ree!!!

P.S. -- All my quilting friends -- hurry up and head over to this blog to leave a comment and possibly win some Aurifil thread!!!

I Did It

2011-09-12T21:20:00.000-04:00

I actually went to the gym tonight. Ugh. I could have very easily faded off to sleep in the recliner but I didn't. I had a little dinner, changed into my workout clothes and headed to the gym.

I had no misgivings. I was not going to set the place on fire. I managed 30 minutes on the treadmill, 10 minutes on the stair climber, and 5 minutes of stretching. Big deal, I know, but at least it's a start. Now I just have to keep it up.

Figuring out when I can get to the gym is the big question right now. It's so easy to make excuses. I need to be firm with myself and pick a time to go. After work is logical but that means doing without some other activities, like knit group. On the the other hand, if I can just get to bed early I can get up early and go before work.

When do you like to workout?

Showers and more Showers

2011-09-11T19:47:00.001-04:00

Today my roommate barely got the lawn mowed before the rain started. Unexpected, as least for me, it's raining pretty hard with plenty of thunder and lightning. Looking for a rainbow on this sad day.

Yesterday was a fun day, though. My friend Diane's daughter Samantha had her baby shower and most of the Chickens attended. We had great food, played fun games and witnessed the unveiling of many, many nice gifts.

We decorated onesies with fabric paint:

Pat, Marcy, and Judy look pretty serious about their creations.

We drew pictures of a baby on a paper plate atop our heads:

Here's Mary and Pat giving it their best. Mine looked more like a toddler than a baby, I was told.

We all enjoyed our time together.

Lee chats with Diane, the grandmother to be.

Carol and Aileen pose for me.

Aileen is shocked by something someone said.

Carol and Joyce, who happen to be mothers-in-law, strike a pose.

Joyce and I seek refuge from the hot sun under some crazy hats. Pay no attention to my nearly closed eyes.

Great-grandmother to-be Ginny enjoys watching Samantha open her gifts.

Part of my gift was an earflap hat. Gift opening assistant Alexis looks confused but it was really just a hat.

A nice family shot of father-to-be Adam, Samantha and Diane.

I spotted a rather large butterfly while we were there too:

And as I look out my window here tonight, a rainbow has appeared after the rain:

A busy week is ahead for me with knit guild on Tuesday and a trip to the doctor with Holly and Denver on Wednesday. Every spare moment will be taken up with knitting more hats for the Mt. Bruce show in less than two weeks! I really should get going on the yellow felted bag too. Oh, how I wish I could have more hours in my day!

Patriot Day

2011-09-11T10:16:00.005-04:00

Today marks the 10th anniversary of the attacks on September 11th. It's a day like many others in history that triggers instant recall as everyone remembers where they were when the planes crashed. But it's a different day in so many ways. The profound sadness that ensued in the days, weeks, even months, was nearly debilitating for me and I'm certain I was not alone. As tragic as the events were I could not get enough information -- I had to watch every piece of footage and hear every sad story. Worse than a train wreck, I simply couldn't look away. It was important for me to absorb every detail and ingrain them in my memory so I could try to understand just how and why this happened.

Each anniversary is like an excruciating sore that won't heal. An open wound into which salt is thrown. Tears flow freely as the events are re-lived in print, on the radio, and on TV. Impossible to escape the memories of that day. Perhaps that's how it should be. We should never forget the sadness, the anger, and more importantly, the unifying effect the tragedies had on our country. We've lost that unity, due mostly to divisive politics, and we need to recover those feelings that made us seem as one nation. We owe it to the memory of those who died that day and all the troops who have since died defending our country.

Need Wool?

2011-09-08T14:01:00.000-04:00

If you need wool for any upcoming holiday knitting, etc., Green Mountain Spinnery is having a fundraiser for the victims of Hurricane Irene. From now until September 11, 2011, all profits from their sales will go to aid the people of Vermont who experienced terrible flooding and have lost so much. Beside the fact that you'll be buying some wonderful yarn you will also be helping folks get back on their feet!

Gloomy Weather Day

2011-09-07T21:55:00.000-04:00

Today's weather was pretty darn nasty. Cold and rainy all day long. Would have been a great day to crash on the couch.

Holly took Baby Denver to the doctor for his 1 week check up. He has gained 7 ounces in less than a week. Woohoo! I'm trying to lose weight and he needs to gain -- maybe we can work a deal here, eh? The doctor also said he no longer has a heart murmur -- even better news. Holly sent me a photo on my cell phone -- he's just so crazy cute! Wish I could post it here -- anyone know how?

I was going to go to the gym tonight but I let the weather change my mind. I know, the gym is INSIDE but I just didn't want to go back out again. See.....this is why I probably need to work out before work.

Tomorrow is a super busy day -- first GLHQ meeting and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that all of the anniversary logo stuff shows up on time. Right now the mugs and water bottles are in Indianapolis according to the UPS website. Come on guys -- step it up a bit for me please??? The garments that are being embroidered? Well, I'm not so sure about their readiness. The guy gave me a little attitude last week so I may just be bring the catalog pages to show everyone. Hope I'm wrong there.

More Inventory!

2011-09-06T22:46:00.000-04:00

I can hear my sister Denise reciting that mantra over and over to me as I prepare for my upcoming shows. I did manage to get two more earflap hats knit this past weekend, in between all the fun of visiting my new grandson. I should finish another one tomorrow.

Today I did redeem my Groupon coupon at the local Powerhouse Gym. I got a mini tour of the place by Tim, the assistant manager. Now I just need to show up and get moving. I might try some yoga classes while I'm there. It would be so nice if I could wrap my mind around working out before work. Much more convenient but man, o man -- 5:30 would be soooooo early. I'll have to keep thinking about that.

Happy Labor Day !!

2011-09-05T20:45:00.001-04:00

Chilly!!!! It barely hit 60º here today -- 35º less than it was just two days ago. I wore my new sweatshirt from Torch Lake and it sure felt cozy!

I took the opportunity courtesy of Labor Day to head out to see my precious grandson. Denver was his usual peaceful, sleepy self. He doesn't care much for getting his diaper changes and lets you know how he really feels! When he's in my arms he's quiet as can be. His eyes were open quite a bit today and he was following voices, too. Not bad for 5 days old.

My sister Denise brought this yellow and white blanket back from her trip to Italy for Denver.

I think he likes his new monkey friend!

I've really enjoyed spending time with Holly, Mike and Denver over the last several days. Now I have to go back to work tomorrow. It will be a busy week too, with the first meeting for GLHQ on Thursday. I've got my fingers crossed that all of the anniversary logo items arrive in time for the meeting. I also have to run over the gym and activate the three month membership that I bought through Groupon. Yikes!

Have a great week!

Four Generations

2011-09-03T20:31:00.000-04:00

It was another crazy hot day here -- 95ºF with tons of humidity to go with it. I picked up my Mom and took her out to see Holly and the baby. We had a great visit and the best grandson ever (ok, everyone probably thinks that about their own) was his usual wonderful self, content as could be in my arms. Mike took a four generation photo:

My Mom was definitely nervous about holding Denver. He started to cry a bit but I'm sure it was just him filling his pants!

Holly was feeling pretty good today and showed me her incision which looks like it's healing just fine. Denver is nursing well as evidenced by him filling his pants appropriately!

Can't wait to see them again -- maybe on Monday.......

Withdrawal...

2011-09-02T21:14:00.000-04:00

I've gone a whole day without seeing my grandson. Boo-hoo. I hope to see him several times this weekend. Thank goodness for a long holiday weekend! I just got back from a quick trip to Costco. I think the key to that store is going so late that you don't have much time to wander around and spend money. I found a really cute frog book and a set of sensory balls for you-know-who. I told Holly I'd help with some meals while she's laid up. I picked up a ham, mesquite pork tenderloin, and Jack Daniels pulled chicken because it was so tasty up north. They have all the vegetables you could ever need in their garden so I figured meat was best.

I finished another earflap hat yesterday and started on yet another. I'm hoping to have about 20 of them and then I'll move on to another style. I need a few more felted hats and the commissioned felted bag needs the yarn wound into center pull balls and then I can start designing it. Somewhere in between all that I'd like to do some knitting for that grandson of mine.

Life is ~~good~~ great.