Per Special Request.....

Laina asked that I post a photo of the bookcase that I mentioned in my previous blog post.  I do so with a certain amount of trepidation..... It's probably "tacky" in many ways, but I do love it. 

Every edge is worn, and I probably need to sand it down and refinish it to make it look more presentable, but for me, that would remove so much of the character.

This housed my grandfather's set of encyclopedias when I was a little girl, and they were nothing if not a treasure trove full of wonderment!  And, then there was my grandma's constant concern that I would make the entire bookcase topple over on top of myself whenever I got within a 3-foot radius of it.  Grandmas and their concerns and worries.  How I can relate at this point in my life.  Anyway, there you go, Laina.  I have several other pieces of equally beautiful, (lol) and memory filled items around my house.  I'll share a couple of others sometime. 

Right  now, I'll tell you about what sits along side my spinning wheel lamp up there on top:

Back in my pottery making days, this is actually a casserole dish that I made.  One of my favorite pieces actually, and one of just a few that I still have.

I use it to store little Yankee candles.  I usually have one burning in here - my "woman's cave" as the hubbs calls it.  Everybody needs a place to call their own!  :)

So....back to the "knittin" of this blog:

The giant socks are finished.  They fit, and he seems quite happy with them!  I was glad to have them finished, as I really don't like the look of the yarn.  Not sure why - perhaps just too bland, and the crazy striping part (zebra??), well, I'm just glad he seems to like them.  Goes to show that even after being married to someone for 43 years, he can surprise you!

I must admit that most of my free time has been monopolized by my new spinning wheel.

Each one of these small skeins is an ounce of fiber - the white one on the left is 2oz..  I had some "sampler" packs that I bought back when I got my first wheel - when I had no idea what I was buying.  So, the prep on these wools was not very good, and the type of wool is unknown, but for some reason, I started spinning on these as a "test and trial" project to get acquainted with my new wheel.  Not sure what (if anything) I will do with the finished yarns.  I played with the Double Drive set up on my wheel, as well as Scotch Tension.  And, I discovered that I can also run it in "Irish Tension".  Who knew - I'd never even heard of Irish Tension before, but I think I will really like it for plying.  What I have always heard about the Schacht Matchless being the BMW of spinning wheels  is true!  It's so lovely to use.  I think we're going to have a long and lasting relationship.  Since I'm a Honda girl at heart though, my Lendrum still owns a happy corner of my room - and in my heart.  I don't plan on us parting ways anytime soon.

Except for finishing the socks, the only knitting that I have done this week is a little felted bag for my new wheel.

Before the felting process:  Knit from scraps of Cascade 220. 

And after:  I have a "gentle front loader" type of washing machine, but still have success in felting.  I have an old pair of tennis shoes that I used exclusively for felting.  I throw them in with a couple of big towels, and let the machine do it's thing.  It takes two cycles, but I do manage to get a good felting accomplished. 

Just the right size for a little bottle of oil, scissors, and some balls of yarn for tying skeins of yarn. 

Next on the schedule is that I MUST finish my Breckon sweater.  I MUST.  MUST.

For the Chihuahua lovers out there....(you know who you are!)

Barnes and Noble has Friday specials available for their Nook users.  Last week, their weekly email told me about this book.  Apparently it's first in a series of books by this author.  For $.99, I could not resist.  I'm not too far into it, but so far it's cute.  Totally light and frivolous, but a "right before bedtime" escape reading type of book.  Chihuahua fans might get a grin or giggle...... 

BG1 graduated from preschool last night.  It was a non-traditional graduation in that they had a small ceremony, received their diplomas, and then there was an old fashioned Fun Night!  Remember those?  Face Painting, Shaped Balloons, and Silly Games - complete with worthless (but much coveted) prizes.  My photos were most disappointing.  Guess all those kids giving "miss kathy" good by hugs was a distraction to me....so when I actually looked at my camera's content, well I fell sadly short.  :(  I know his parents got some good photos though..... )

By this time, we had moved to the refreshment stage of the event, and he was into making funny faces whenever he saw a camera.  Ahhhh...what a corker!  Kindergarten starts on July 25th.  Blink....5 years gone!  Hold onto your hats.......... 
 

And, yet ANOTHER wheel!

Last Thursday night, one of my knitting/spinning friends brought a gift for me.  She found this lamp at a garage sale, and thought of me.  Isn't it just oh so cute!

She said she was taken by it from a distance, but when she got up close, and discovered that it actually worked.....

The treadle moves up and down,

which in turn spins the wheel,

which in turn spins the little bobbin!

 

She just HAD to buy it for me!  Yes...she is a terrific and thoughtful friend. She recently bought her first real spinning wheel, and I am helping her learn how to spin.  It is a "Thank-You" gift, and one that could not be more perfect!  I LOVE it!

The Hubbs asked if there was any "made in ???" marking on it, and so we looked it over good....found no markings at all - but I guess it did make me a bit curious. Today,  I did a google search "Spinning wheel lamp", and yes....you can find anything on the internet!.  
I found several for sale on Ebay and even Etsy, but the most interesting post was on a woodworkers site.  A gentleman had posted a photo of one very similar, stating that he had made it in a shop class in high school back in the 60's.  He was hunting for the original plans, so that he could make some authentic repairs before he passed it on to his daughter.

I eventually found some great information on a woodworker;s blog.  Here is the link - please check it out.   If you scroll down a bit, you will find a link "Spinnng Wheel plans High Resolution". Open that, and you can click on and enlarge the blueprint, and read about the lamp.  Such fun!  I feel a little rush....the "Roadshow Antiques" kind of rush.  If you will notice, the original plans were from a 1934 magazine.

I would love to have a little information pertaining to MY particular little lamp, but whatever it's history, it now has a prestigious new home atop a circa 1925ish bookcase handmade by my grandfather.  It holds my knittng and spinning books and magazines.  A very special place in my craft room - and it will be used every morning.  I'm an early riser, and it's the first light turned on in my house each day.  Thanks Paula....I so appreciate this little gem!

Finally, My new wheel came....

FedEx stopped by today!  Life was just fine without it, but since I ordered it, well, I wanted it....Here!.... Now!  LOL!

 

I'm not in the least bit mechanically inclined, so the thought of putting it all together made me a bit queasy feeling!

But, the hubbs was out working in the garden....so I knew it would be quite some time before he could help me get it assembled. 

 

So, I grabbed a screwdriver, found a U-tube video, and took a deep breath....

  

Treadles are on....looking good so far!

 

 Fully assembled.  Really not too hard, but a little spooky.  It was a good way of really learning about the parts and getting up close and personal with him.

 

Instant love!  He spins like a dream!

 

He is a special commemorative Cherry edition.  Barry Schacht, the founder of the company, turns 70 this year.  There was supposed to be something "special", but until the wheels began showing up, no one knew for sure what it would be. 

 

I love the color of the Cherry wood.  Especially with the bit of Black Walnut.  I have always liked that Black Walnut bit, even on the Maple wheels.  Truth is, I have always liked pretty much Everything about the Schacht Matchless wheels.  Just that I could not justify the expense when I purchased my first wheel.   (Not that I can justify it now, but my new car did come in under budget...that's my story and sticking to it!)

 

I expected a learning curve, as I set him up in Double Drive, and I've never used a Double Drive wheel before.  Lendrums are Scotch Tension, with a different "feel" to them.  But he was spinning perfectly, straight out of the box.  No learning curve to master!  

My Lendrum, Larry, watched the from the corner of my craft room.  He will be used mainly for plying, as I have my Woolee Winder on him.  I won't get a Woolee Winder for Rodney.  Oh - it's tradition that wheels are named, (least you think I am totally nust!).  Larry will also be my traveling wheel, as Rodney is not very portable.  He's a little "stocky" for that!

So, I will leave you for now.  I think we're going to be great friends...... 

Tulip time!

Whoops!  What happened to those last seven days!  I can't believe it's been a week since I posted already.  Sheeesh....no wonder I fall off the "blog wagon" so often!

It's suppose to frost tonight.  The Hubbs will be out covering his tomato plants.  Yes - they are in the ground.  And, I just heard the forecast for later in the week.....90 degrees on Tuesday.  Go figure!!!!

So, what's been happening this last week?

Well...the meager row of tulips along the front of my house are in full bloom now.  We really love the color - the hubbs favorite color for tulips. (I think I mentioned that he likes orange.)

I wish I had tons more, but probably should be grateful (and I am) that the squirrels did not consume these long before they ever thought about producing color.

I'm making progress on the gentle giant socks.

They fit him perfectly, and he seems to like them.  My hands have become more accustomed to the smaller needles, and they are no longer aching, so I'm good with this project, and will march onward. I was having alot of hand pain.  I usually knit socks on 2.25mm, so I would not think dropping down to 2.0 mm would make that much difference, but it seemed to.

I had a nice post delivery yesterday:

I won this skein of Lisa Souza's "Baby Alpaca Silk".  7.2 oz/750 yards of a dk weight yarn.  So soft and luscious!  I always say that I never win anything.....but I have actually won yarn twice from the "DramaticKnits" podcast.  Lightening does strike twice - at times.  Thanks Steve! This is destined to be a shawl of some sort.  It's soooo soft!  Amazing!

And an update about the wheel.....It is somewhere between Colorado and Iowa.  Arrival expected on Monday.  I can hardly wait.  I'll be sure to post photos.  I just know it's going to be beautiful! 

And now, for the best news possible.  My New Mexico kids are here for a visit!  (Our son and his wife).

We took all four of the kids and BG1 out to dinner on Thursday evening.  We all like Thai food - the spicier the better it seems!  Yum!  Friday, I had taken off from Preschool, as I had cleared my calender for the few short days that they would be here.   So, although the official Tulip Time celebration was held last weekend (under a substantial blanket of snow!) we headed to Pella to see the beautiful tulips.

 

It is a small town full of Dutch heritage and pride.  This is a museum, about the only place in town that is not surrounded by flowering trees and gorgeous beds of tulips.

The hubbs and I usually go every year, but this year it was especially fun to have the kids along.

I'm not sure what was more beautiful, the tulips or the trees.

The fancy varieties of tulips made my meager specimens look like, well.....meager specimens.

We took photos of Tulips, and....

photos of us taking photos of tulips.

And some of us were just plain.....

Silly! He always was the entertainer in the family

It was a good day!  I hope you all have equally enjoyable days this weekend.  Talk to you soon.... k

Long, Long ago.....

In a time before Ravelry.... (Gasp!).....  This is how I kept track of my knitting projects:

I cannot tell you how happy I was when I discovered just how complete my notes were for a pair of socks that I knit for the Hubbs back in 2006!

 

I remembered that I needed two 100 gm skeins, and that they were large and pretty boring, but that was about the extent of my memory.  When I decided that he deserved another pair of wool socks, (as he had been asking, and he actually still wears the 2006 version) I had him join me in looking at Opal colorways online.  He picked out this black/greys Rainforest colorway - the animal is Raccoon, and his comment was that he liked raccoons.  So......

After casting on 96 st on size 2.25mm needle, and changing to a 2.00mm at the 3" mark, this is what I have so far:

He wanted a snug, dense sock, which is why I'm using such ridiculously small needles.  I will do the heel and toe on size US 00! I remember how diffiuclt it was to formulate a pattern, but he really liked the final outcome.  Again - I am so grateful that I had kept good records.  In this yarn, I currently see more of a Zebra than Raccoon, but I'm not pointing that out right now.  It's a pretty boring knit, and so HUGE!!!  But, he's well worth it!

During the local Shop Hop last week, I noticed this Opal colorway.  I returned to the LYS this morning and picked up two skeins.  Orange is his favorite color, and I'm hoping that it's not too wild for him.   Again it's a Rainforest colorway, the animal is some sort of a baboon.  I probably won't even mention that, however.  ;)

 

I think it's beautiful!  I'm going to start a sock for him, and when I have the 9" leg complete, have him try it on and give his blessing or his thumbs down.  He's retired....he can be wild and live a little!  lol 

If he is not pleased, I'll frog and reknit a pair for myself and return the 2nd skein to my LYS. 

 Oh, and this past week, I did finish a pair of Opals for myself. 

It's a difficult colorway to photograph.  I failed miserably to capture it correctly, but believe me when I say it is a pretty one. 

I've been on such a sock kick of late, I wanted to take advantage of it while it was there to knit up these socks for the Hubbs.  It takes a bit of fortitude to knit such huge and tightly knit socks.  But he loves the one pair that I knit him, all those many years ago.  I fondly named them the "Manly Giant" socks.  LOL - kind of fits!

I am anxiously awaiting news on my new spinning wheel.  Sadly.....nothing yet.  I'll give them another week, and then give them a call.  It was supposed to be shipped last week, so I'm on pins and needles!


I played around with my car again today, and managed to upload a photo of BG1 onto my console screen.  I'm looking forward to the first time he's in the back seat and notices his smiley face on my car's instrument panel.  I think he'll approve!  :)

Pretty much all I can think of is what a stress-buster this car would have been back in my working days.  I can almost guarantee that by the time I'd driven home from work with that photo on my dash, I'd not have had a care in the world......  LOL  Who knows, perhaps I'd still be working, had that been the case.  Maybe Honda should develop an add campaign around that theory.

Catch ya later.... Happy knitting, spinning, grand snuggling, puppy petting, or whatever brings you joy!

And...jump ahead 2 months.....

Time Travel, right?  Well, no excuses.  Just lack of blogging mojo, I guess.  I'd like to say it won't happen again, but then.....  On With The Show....

It's 81 degrees today.  The ceiling fans are spinning, and the neighborhood is abuzz with mowers going.  But cold weather is due back in our short-term forecast.  Some parts of Iowa will see snowfall.  Sigh....MotherNature is really bi-polar I do believe!

The tulips that BG and I planted last fall are budded out.

The chicken-wire barrier against the squirrels worked!  If you will recall, they were gifted to us by the proprietor of the local feed/grain store.  Unsure of the color, but I predict that they will all be the same.  We should know soon.

So, catching you up on the knitting front: FO since we last visited:

 The Tea Leaves Cardigan kint in Berroco Vintage.

And the Aran Cabled Cowl sweater knit in a discontinued yarn, Kathmandu Aran.  Both are nice sweaters, and I was able to get some wear in before the weather turned warm.

Also a pair of Plain Jane socks out of Opal - one of the Van Gough colorways.  (Have I mentioned how much I LOVE Opal sock yarn?)

I am currently stalled out on working on a lovely cardigan knit our of BeaverslideDryGoods yarn:

I have the majority of this project completed.  If I could just get my nose to the grindstone, I could have this wrapped up in 2-3 days!  Soon...I'll post finished photos.

And also, I'm nearing completion on another pair of Opal socks.  They are a carry around project, much easier than a full sized sweater.  That's my excuse anyway.  :)

For spinning, I have three finished skeins.

This last one turned out a wee bit thinner than I had anticipated.  A very light fingering - 540 yards in 4oz skein.  Not sure what I will do with any of them, but they were a fun spin.


As most of you know, I have volunteered full time at BG's preschool this entire school year.  Full time being 3 mornings a week....the entire time that he is there.  Sadly, the school has announced that this will be their last year.  I had planned on continuing to help next year, even with BG off to a full fledged kindergarten.  So, it saddens me a great deal.  Due to lack of enrollement, primarily due to the free preschools provided within the public school system, it has just become too much of a financial burden on the host church.  This is the same preschool that both of my kids attended.  It's been a staple to the community for over 40 years!!!  So, it was a sad day......  Last Sunday, there was a "preschool Sunday" event - a celebration and farewell.  The kids have been working hard on musical numbers for the program.  We will soon start working on preparation for graduation ceremonies.  I will miss the school, the kids, and the teachers and director.  I hope to keep in touch with the adults, and perhaps BG's kindergarten class will have some volunteer opportunities.  Perhaps.

So, I think that catches everyone up on the "old business".  Now for the new...

Stash Enhancement:

 Pretty Worsted Weights from Marigold Jen arrived in the mail last week! The top is destined to be a new skull cap for the hubbs.  Browns in so soft Merino - will make him happy!

 These two are fingering weight - top one will be socks for me!

And this skein was a total surprise....a gift to me - to knit a special something for a special someone. More on that later.....

I am trying my hand at quilting again:

It's a scrap quilt - and I am quite enjoying the process.  If you will remember, I made a log-cabin wall hanging for my kitchen, but it was just not exactly what I wanted.  It was not colorful, fun enough.  So, I'm giving this a go.  If I don't like it when I get it done, it will be nothing lost - except my time.
A friend who also quilts, turned me onto this website.  Tons of information.  Amazing information! These squares are not in the final placement....just haphazard at this point.  I'm trying to do one block each day.  It's quite fun!


We had a Yarn Shop Hop last week, and I was anxious for a little road trip, so a friend and I checked out just a few of the shops.  Un-typical of me, I bought a lace weight yarn:

I really don't enjoy knitting with lace-weight, but I could not resist these gorgeous colors!

Totally made me weak in the knees!  Sigh.....

So, now for the "New" Stuff:

I finally bought a new car.  (Which explains the desire for a little road trip.)  It's a Honda Civic, which replaces a 2001 PT Cruiser.  Lots of Bells and Whistles have been designed for cars during that time period, and I am still learning what they all are, and how they all work!!!  Seems each time I drive it I retain a little more.  I am hoping for super good gas mileage.  29 city/39 highway is predicted.  Time will tell.

And, I am waiting to hear when my new Matchless Spinning Wheel will be delivered.  Any day now!  While I dearly love my Lendrum, the Matchless has always been my dream wheel.  A week or so ago, I discovered they were coming out with a new limited edition Matchless in Cherry.  The hubbs encouraged me to get one....(yes, he's a keeper for sure!).  So...it should be drop shipped any day now.  Apparently the founder of the company is celebrating his 70th birthday this year, and the Cherry wheels are in commemoration.  Me...I just like the wood!  But...I wish him a happy birthday none the less.

So, You are caught up on the basics, heard about the new, now....how about the exciting!:

Doesn't he look all grown up!  Doesn't he look like a perfect Big Brother?  Well, a little sister is expected late this summer.  Yep! It's true!  Momma isn't working these days, so you probably won't be bombarded with quite so many photos of BG2 as you were of BG1, but I'm sure there will be a few...or more...  Guess that in itself is reason enough to keep on blogging....

And you all thought you were rid of me!  LOL. 

Sorry for such a long and babbling update post.  I'll not wait another 2 months for the next one.  Promise (this time anyway).