Knit and Spin with Susan

SOAR!!!!!!!!

I’M IN!!!!!!!!! It took me like 8 min and I probably would have been done faster except I was making realllly sure I had it all correct! I was so nervous I’d screw it up I was shaking!!

I’m just going for the retreat, I wish the budget/munchkin watching allowed for more, but that said I have in order:

Making your Wheel do the Work
Teaching Spinning
The Gentle Art of Plying
Designing in Spinning

I sort of thought there was some logic in the class progression…

WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

A little long weekend fun.

So I'm out here at Pismo Beach Sand Dunes enjoying a little peace and quiet while the hubs and the girl are off tearing it up on the sand dunes. Pismo is one of the few beaches you can still drive, off road and camp on and we are taking advantage of it while it lasts. Our friend and his kids are here too, so mommy is enjoying a little time to herself while the Blazer follows the Jeep or vice versa. It's rather gloomy so I opted to take the next ride out. As you can see we share similar modes of transport and sleeping arrangements. It made for an easy wind break. It would otherwise be a bit miserable in camp. This is the afterparty to Halas Holiday, the hubs annual family get together. This year it was at our San Miguel cousin's, who have the furry boys above, I think I've mentioned them before. This is only three of the boys, they have six! Why yes, it is lovely having Alpaca ranchers in the family!!!! Fun was had by all as usual and it was nice to see family we don't see often. Especially the newest member of the family, Max who is just three weeks old and still needs to be spun and knitted for... I have been doing a little spinning while out, I am almost done spinning the striped singles for the Ravelry Spunky Club Mystery Shawl and I started working on Pie in the Sky the November 2006? Spunky Club on my Kundert Denim Pine, which spins like a dream, if you need a new spindle go see Amy! As soon as I am done typing this I'm going to go finish a sock toe!

Waiting Game

So I'm sitting here in my car writing this post because I lack three things: Knitting, Spinning or an Internet Connection. I am sitting in my car because my friend is training me on How to Be a Proper Notary and we are at a signing I couldn't sit in on. I have no spinning because I had knitting, but I have no knitting because we are not in my friends car. We are not in my friends car because we had to run back to her house to get something and while there her husband the mechanic said we weren't going anywhere in her car since it was leaking signifcant engine coolant. The knitting was in her car and we managed to not grab it. I have no internet connection since I am sitting in a dead zone. All is forgiven though since said spot is under a huge oak tree and the only sound is the birds talking and a lovely fountain. Not bad, huh? So instead of reading other people's blogs while listening to Pandora, I am writing this little post to be sent off when there is again an internet connection. The funny thing about the whole car/coolant issue is I was watching something about GodWinks this morning on TV. There is this man who has written this book about GodWinks, those things you think are coincidents, but he feels it's really God watching out and interveaning. Now, I am by no means a follower of any religion, but after the whole back home/coolant thing I am beginning to think the guy is onto something... Nothing much to show for knitting or spinning, I've gotten about halfway with the stripe section for the Tara Mystery Shawl, which is not really a mystery any longer since one of the folks on Ravelry finished it already. It came out lovely, so now I'd really like to get my rear in gear. I did create a Facebook page this week for Susan's Kitchen, so come on by and become a fan if you're a Facebooker.

Dividing my time...

 At some point in life, we realize that there aren't enough hours in the day and days in the week. That no matter how many more we try and find, something else pops up and we never seem to get ahead. The result is that we must either give up on something or become darn good . Since I am generally not the sort to give things up and we learned last week that Alex is most definitely not interested in doing daycare, multitasking is now my new keyword. For instance, I started typing this blog post on the Blackberry while playing at Child's Play with Alex. It is now almost a week later and i am finally getting a chance to finish it and post it.

There are somethings that I can do with Alex, sometimes I can work on the computer with her, sometimes not. I can usually take pictures in the lightbox with her, but of course I can't dye with her around. I can rinse fiber and use the drumcarder though. Vacuuming can be done, but not toilets or mopping. Sometimes she let me spin or knit, but usually she's a bit too interested. The point to all of this rambling is that Susan's Kitchen may not get to progress as fast as I want, although I am trying. I still want to start a fiber club and just need to get it up and running.

But the biggest development is that Susan's Kitchen will be a Vendor for Sock Summit. I'm taking a big leap of faith for this one and I dearlyy hope it pays off!

Most of the knitting as of late has been on Alex's blanket or my entrelac scarf, although I sure as heck won't need it for a while now, as it was like 102 today???  WTF, it's April!!!!!  Otherwise, I have been spinning.  I have a pile of purple or partly purple batts from swaps, so I made up a few more and plan to knit a vest with them, I have four skeins done so far.... 

 

I've also made a new friend recently, a Merlin Tree Spindle....   Purty, huh?  I haven't had a chance to do much with it, but it sure is nice to look at.  It's sitting on my desk right now looking lovely.

Hopefully, this blog won't get even more neglected since I am almost a Notary.  Just waiting on the Bond to file my commission, and then, I must work again.  It's been a nice year and a half off!!  The nice thing about Notary is most of it is at night, saving poor Alex fom the horrid daycare thing.  Sigh....

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Edited to add:  I have no ide why it's doing this wacky column thing.  Silly blog. 

 

Are you wearin' your green?  No?  PINCH PINCH PINCH!!!!   Ok, now stop by the shop and buy some green, I've stocked it well with all shades!   The Corned Beef was nummmmmmy from the crockpot (because it's just easier that way)!  Alex and I have green on, although the hubs is pinchable.  Even the dog has on her shamrock collar!      We went for a walk earlier, and Alex just had to help with Bella!

 

So the Show went as well as could be expected due to the economy, the attendence was waaaaay down according to many.  I would have of course loved to have sold more, but we can't have it perfect, no?  The booth looked lovely, though:

Really, it just means more for you all to buy from the shop!  My goal is to do one colorway a week if not more until it is all up.

 

I've also managed to get a wee bit of knitting done.  The Ugly Socks have both cuffs done, and just need a double heel turn.  The heel on the second Warm Colors sock is turned and I'm coming down the home streach of the foot.  I did have a slight panic whle turning the heel.  I LEFT WITHOUT STITCH MARKERS.  And I was turning a short row heel.  I use the method in Simply Splendid Socks, and you need markers for the while think to make it easy, and I'm all for easy.  So what's a girl to go?  Go MacGuyver on it!  What I found on the fly in the car was a straw and a boxcutter.  I promptly sliced the straw at 70 MPH while hubby was driving and VOLIA!  Stitch markers!  Worked just fine on the sock!  The sock has made much progress since then, and is darn close to the toe.  I also have a hat almost done for Alex out of some handspun, so there might be two FO's in one week.  Watch out for the flying monkeys!!

Why yes, I still knit!

And to prove it, a FO!

Pattern: Greenleaf Hat

Yarn: Reynolds Andean Alpaca Regal 3 Ply Bulky 90% Alpaca, 10% Wool

Recipient: My niece Abby

This was an easy knit, it's really just a simple hat pattern with a lovely little dangling leaf on the top. It just took me forever to get it done because I have been so busy. The yarn is the real star here, it is just so soft. Perfect for a little girl with minimal hair. Hong Kong actually gets pretty chilly in the winter, and this is large enough that it will still fit her next year. I had to get it done as they are going back to Hong Kong today after being here since Thanksgiving. It will be so odd to have them gone again, I was getting so used to them being around and having them here to play. They will be back again in September for sure, but Andy and Abby will have grown so much. Andy is due for a new hat next year...

I am starting to see an end in sight for the show. It is less than one week away and I think I will get all I want to have done in time. My dear husband is almost finished re-skeining the yarn, it is amazing to me the difference in how it looks before and after.   This Clolorway is Phuket Sunset, and it's brighter in person!  You get such a better idea of how things will look knitted up when it is re-skeined. The dyeing is done and I think the last of it is just about dry.  There is still braiding to finish and locks to bag. After that, it's batts and more batts. Plus a few more sets of stitch markers. Then it's just tying up loose ends like getting the credit cards to run right, getting the register set up, finishing a few flyers and a posterboard. I might just make it. 

BEEEEEEP!

Hi, you've reached Susan's blog.  She can't make it by right now, as she's kinda busy getting ready for her show.  She's got four more batches of fiber going right now, making the lovely count to eleven by the end of the day tomorrow.  Batch twelve has to wait for more dye to arrive.  Then there's still more batts to make, locks to dye and fiber to braid.  She'll make it by for a real post just as soon as she can.  BEEEEEEP!

Ever wonder what....

...hands look like when you run out of gloves while dyeing and it's pouring rain?     Sexy, huh?  They're looking much better today.  But there has been much progress in getting ready for my show, I have about half of the roving and yarn dyed, now I just need to finish batts, dye locks, label and wrap all of the yarn and fiber, get the credit card setup working and find my brain. 

What does that much yarn and fiber look like, you ask?  Well, this is what the upstairs of my house looks like right now....

  

Really, isn't it just a beautiful sight?  All of that fiber, all of that lovely spinning...  Lovely.

Love and Sideways ...

So this is the 14th Valentine's Day I've spend with The Hubs. We have this weird thing about Valentine's Day, we both hate the commercial aspect of it. Although, if he'd get flowers just once... Anyway, for some reason we always seem to be dang grumpy on Valentine's Day. No reason why, just grumpy. (Flowers might help, or fiber) In order to combat it this year, we decided to split a 2lb box of See's Assorted Dark Chocolates   and do all of the Valentine's quests on World of Warcraft after The Girl is in bed tonight. Yeah, we're geeks. I need a break from fiber (shocking as that may sound) as tomorrow begins the full scale dyeing assault. Tonight's dinner is our usual special night fave, steak and artichokes with a baked potato and a bottle of red wine. The steaks will be served dripping with blue cheese tonight... Ummmmmmm....

The Yarn Harlot posted a rather earth shattering post yesterday.  She says Judith MacKenzie McCuin casually said in her class at Madrona that fiber should go into the drum carder SIDEWAYS.  This one little statement, and it's posting on the web seems to have set off quite the little fervor on the Internet.  Gotta love it... 

As I posted in the comments on her blog also, considering I've made like 30 sets of batts in the last two weeks, I'm wondering how much nicer they might have been sideways.  I'll have to experiment with the next batch.  I think it would make a big difference in how you can control the colors as they go on the carder.  It would certainly be difficult to get the stripy batts, but if you were making a well blended set, this might be key.  I wonder if this would make getting sparkle and such on easier, laying the sparkle in sideways...  I bet the silky fibers would be easier also...

Must try tomorrow if I find time, as tomorrow is DYEING Day.  I'm hoping for a pile of lovely pics tomorrow night!

Balls!

Intrigued? Good! Let me tell you about my balls. The little balls of wool, or neps, I have been putting into the last six batches of lovingly drumcarded batts. I promise there is no symbolism here, as The Hubs has been amazing the last few days skeining yarn in the office for me while he works and plays WOW (World of Warcraft). Being the handy guy he is, he's got it set up so he has it running with a timer on so he's alerted just before he needs to stop. Smartie pants! Needless to say this is making me feel much better about my timeline for the March show.

Back to the balls. These little wool neps look so cool in the batts and will add a lot of texture to the resulting yarn. I'm adding in other goodies like sari silk and angelina too. These will be a blast to spin! I've saved out a few of the leftovers from the drumcarder to play with. Normally these go into a basket and become my Leftovers batts but I want to make a few samples so folks can get an idea of the end result. I'm going to put them up on a board or something at the show.  I've been making up some sparkly goodness too.  Life is fun, no?