Another Addiction....

Spinning yarn!!! I have no clue why, but I just wanted to try it. After some not so good results, I finally found some great resources thanks to the very talented people at Ravelry. Now I have another passion that I am loving. Above is a practice run. I bought some wool roving that was blue and green and separated it into two strips. I plan on plying the two colors together. Below is the roving spun as is:Sorry for the blurry picture. One of my first attempts did not turn out so well......

Very uneven and "wormy". This was made right after spinning yarn "clicked". I used some random roving I had for needle felting. I think it is just wool, maybe with some alpaca too. The book Spin to Knit by Shannon Oakey says "your first yarn can be soncidered designer yarn, with the unevenness and thick and thin parts" and I have to agree. The spindle is made by me out of a toy wheel, wood dowel and a cup hook. I made another one today out of a large flat bead (some sort of stone) and a wood dowel. Butterfly Girl Designs has some lovely spindles!! The roving for sale on Esty is to die for!! I would order everything if my budget allowed, but I only ordered some BFL and a batt for now. I can't wait until they arrive! I still have plenty of the blue & green roving left but I am anxious to try new fibers.

My New Addiction...

I decided to try dyeing my own yarn, and it turned out great! I used Kool Aid for the colors and here is a picture of the final product....
I call the colorway Grateful Dead because Bob said it would make a great tie-dye shirt.

Before I wound it up, it looked like this...I did another hank today with pink, orange, blue and green. The next one I would like to do is different shades of purple with some yellow, like an iris flower. I used the dip method, and will experiment with "painting" the color on as well. Below are some in-the-process pictures I took to document my adventure:This is the yarn as I wound it to form it into a long hank. (There is the plastic snakey-snake cat toy on the floor, you wind it up and it wiggles along the floor.)

Next I soaked the yarn in water:
Then it was into the dye for a steamy soak:

After that, I rinsed it and hung it up to dry. This morning I wound it into the hank you saw above. I gave it to my mom and she loved it. My adventure into dyeing has begun!

Mommy, We Have a Visitor!

Lucy and Sake have a friend! He comes right up to the window and looks inside to see if I am home to give him peanuts. He is pretty friendly, I can open the door when he is outside and he does not run away. I just have to be careful that he does not get in the house!
At my old house in Hemlock, I had a chipmunk that would come right up to me and sit on my leg. I would call him and he would come running for peanuts.
My latest knitting project is completed, I nade it for my sister's birthday. It only took a few hours and turned out great. Yes, it is a thong.

Now for my secret indulgence........I love to watch Tori and Dean, Home Sweet Hollywood. I am not a fan of reality shows, or even a big fan of Tori Spelling, but I started watching the show when they had the bed & breakfast and liked it. They are so cute together!

One Year and Counting...

Bob and I get married on June 27, 2009! He is in Minnesota right now and I miss him.
I have been knitting up a storm since he left on Tuesday. Here is what I have made so far...
They are Arizona Flip Flop Socks. They were fun to make and cute to boot!! I used Cascade Fixation yarn, it is cotton with a little elastic. Soft and stretchy.

I also made this...Calorimetry is the pattern. It is a headband/hat. Very quick to knit and it fits great. I just need a button. I am going to make a lot of these to give away (Aunt Sandy, you are getting one!) It is a headband that keeps your ears warm, and allows your hair not to get mushed like wearing a hat would do. It is great for when you are wearing your hair up or for keeping it out of your face on a windy day. Click on the picture to see it in action.
Today I am going to get some more yarn (like I don't have enough already!) and buttons for Calorimetry. I may even try to put some things in the garage, our place still looks like we are just moving in. My bedroom is like a storage area, and I want to get in nice and girly like I had it at my house. It will be my area to relax and knit, surrounded by quilts, embroidered table runners, lace and pastel colors. I no longer have a dresser, it was stolen from my old house along with my mountain bike, jewelry armoire (with a pearl necklace in it) and various other things that I cannot replace. I think one of the renters stole the stuff, they are the only ones who had access to the basement where my things were.

Dave Matthews & Rush

Monday night, Bob, Andreja, Josh and I went to see Dave Matthews at the DTE Music Theater. It was a great show! On the way back home we stopped at White Castle for burgers and they were really good. On Tuesday, Bob and I went to the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit to see Rush, where we got to go backstage and meet the band.

You can read more about our concert adventures at Bob's blog.

Knitting-wise, I am almost done with Coachella. I was hoping to have it done to wear to the Rush concert, but that did not happen. My boss and his wife had their baby last night, so I have to get cracking to get the blanket done. It is not far from being finished, but as any knitter knows, nothing ever is! That is why we have so many WIPs!!! (that is Works In Progress for you non-knitters out there!) So I better get going on my projects........

I Got Lei'd!!!

Memorial Day Bob and I went to a luau at my sister's house. It was fun! We drank pina colodas, Bahama mamas, and Washington apple shots from frozen ice shot glasses. Coconut shrimp, fresh fruit and pineapple salsa my mom made were the appetizers. For the main course, Josh made a sweet-n-spicy chicken that was very good.

My three nieces had a blast! Josh made them virgin pina colodas and they loved them. Jenna, her sister Hilah and Inara looked cute wearing their leis as headbands.Rocky the dog also got into the act by wearing a lei. He is the best dog in the world!! I want to steal him from my sister.
Ayden showed off his best Power Rangers move for me. Look at that shirt! How adorable. He is a great little guy.









Then there is my honey!! You can see Josh in the background cooking. My mom made some citrus rice to go with the chicken, and I made an oriental salad (Josh told me to bring it!) Everyone had a great time.
Bob said my sister looked like a Sold Gold dancer with her off-the-shoulder shirt, and my sister replied "What is a Solid Gold dancer?" Makes me feel old!!!!!!!!

Knitting News: I am almost done with Coachella and I tried it on, it is a bit too small under the arms, but looks great overall. I am using Paton's Brilliant yarn. It has some sparkle in it. The colorway is green/gold and I can't wait for the top to be done!

Sushi Night Again, and Wedding Talk!!!

Last night was sushi night at Genjis and Bob and I tried something new, Ahi Tuna Poke. It was good, but really spicy! It is layers of fried won ton skins topped with spicy tuna, avocado and poke sauce. The picture of it is to the right. We were waited on by our favorite bartender/server, Amanda. We also had shrimp wrapped in shoestring potatoes then deep fried and served with wasabi mayo and cucumber rolls.

Today we went to the Antique Warehouse and I found a great brooch for the wedding! I want to wear it in my hair on our wedding day. So I have something old and blue at once!! The picture of it does not do it justice. Monday we are going to a luau at my sister's house so that should be fun.