marching on

Time marches on. I find that when a person takes an extended leave of absence from work, one is left without a sense of urgency to preform a task.

Apparently I need to have the pressure of limited time off to motivate myself to get things done.

 Time tends to pass in a blur and before you know it, the week is over and you haven't accomplished squat!

OK I haven't exactly been idle but I haven't been getting my yarn stock produced like I should either.  or those niddy noddys. And some days I just plain don't do diddle. Of course now that work is looming over me I am panicked about my mental to do list.

I feel a bit like I am cramming for finals. Tuesday I went to the clerks office and got my local business license for RaineyDay Fibers, Friday I took care of the state paperwork so now I am all legal like in the state of Tennessee. Of course so far not a sale in this state.

I did also get the poncho off in the mail ( they don't seem to have an 24 hour Post Offices here, just sayin')  and Nikki's Rikki Hat also off in the mail to Chicago Burbs.

Ever since I posted all the Christmas hats I have been hat bound (orders). So here is the one for Jesse (who is in Maryland) in progress. and I should get this one done this week end. With one more hat order after that to do...this next one for Nadine in Arizona. She wants some of my hand spun done up.

I'm not complaining but I am getting tired of the hat scene.

 Lots other happening since last Sunday...did I mention I got some new furkids? No??? Well that is what my other project is. Getting the over grown pen ready at my cousin/brothers place for the new residents.


I planned on starting out early but then it snowed first thing. And my son vetoed that for today.

 

Late in the afternoon I was feeling a bit panicked again so I went over to my cousins and started work myself.

No one has lived in it for some time and it took me a good 15 minutes to hack my way through those creepy "I'm taking over the world" kind of vines.

Then I hacked my way through some um, pig weed, milk weed or what ever  kind of weed thing my cousin called it.

 

I got a goodly bit finished before I was too pooped to go on. And I discovered a ginormous old satellite dish in the pen. I reckon the previous occupants  (goats) were good with it being there but I said it needs to go. Can you recycle those I wonder?

Now I won't post pictures yet of my new residents, but if you stop by my Facebook Page RaineyDay Fibers  ( that I very recently worked so hard to set up, and yes this is a blatant bid for page likes) you will get the sneak preveiw.

t

I even managed to get my first single for my Golden Fleece Module 7 spun and my rolags made today for the wild side of 7.

 

Did I say I hadn't done diddly? I must have been mistaken because I am even more tired after reading this entry!


This girl is ready to crash so happy fiber-ing

xoxo

poncho-licious

It has been a while but I finally got on the stick and worked on that woven commission piece!


I had been weaving on it from time to time but not steady.  I had some difficulty with it because it was wool yarn on wool warp. Lesson learned, I did not enjoy the making of it. I discovered the wool yarn grabs too much on the wool warp to make smooth motions.

I had actually made three pieces of fabric. The first one was too short (faulty guesstimating), so that one I consider my practice piece. Maybe I will play around with it and some pins and see what it wants to be.

It has been a long time since I sewed a poncho (or anything for that matter), and I was feeling a little rusty and nervous. I think it had to do with it being commissioned. Pressure and all that. I had to hang it on the mannequin for a few days pinned together. 

Then I switched the fabric around and pinned it again and then mulled it over some more. I wasn't liking the stiffness but I was sure it would soften up. Just being my usual pickiness. Yep, yep I think I like it.

 Today I told my son (and myself) I am getting that poncho done dammit!!

I trimmed, pinned and sewed and then I tried it on. Perfect!  Presently it is hanging out on the porch drying after the last nice warm bath. Oh an it is not stiff at all!

I do love how it turned out! I wouldn't mind keeping it myself if she doesn't like it. I kind of have a hard time letting go of my creations some times.

Next project...duh  another Rikke hat! This one was a request. 

Now I must must must get back to my Journey to the Golden Fleece module 6!
 Fibering on Loveies!
xxoo

over the holidays

For me the holiday madness is over! Yay!! And I am over it! No more mad dash to knit gifts. I am still working on the same weaving project, that could take me a bit of time to finish. But that was not on the 'it must be done before Christmas' agenda.

So for the first Christmas in the mountains it was great!! My son and I went to my elderly cousins home on Christmas Eve. It was good to spend time with family. Christmas day was low key. I dvr all episodes of Doctor Who and thankfully they (BBCA) had a week long Doctor Who marathon to add to my dvr! I got to stay in my jammies, eat junk food all day and watch about 20 hours of Doctor Who!!

What could be better? Playing with fiber and 20 hours of Doctor Who!

I did start on another Rikke hat, for myself, which is almost done as of today. This one I made a bit smaller.

This is the first one.

I also painted with fiber, making rolags has become a favorite pastime. I find the process very soothing and exciting at the same time.  I like the creative process and the seeming randomness of design. Very appealing to the nonconformist in me. These happen to be rolags for art yarn.
If you have never seen one before, this is a blending board. It is my artists color pallet. And like paint, the fibers cannot be un-blended once they have been blended.
I'll share that story with you sometime.

I started out with a few lashings of a merino blend roving (the aqua). Then added some SoftSilk which is some shredded up sari silk. Some purple stuff ( stuff because I don't remember what animal it came from) that I dyed myself, and them some random hand dyed green and yellow curly locks for some added texture and contrast.

Then I take my two dowel rods, and starting at the bottom I place the fiber layer between the rods, gently draft and roll until I have rolled half of the fiber off of the giant doggy brush as my son calls it.  Then I repeat the process for the next half. Two for one :)

I have been participating in the Journey to the Golden Fleece  since February, if you are not familiar it is a fiber spinning creativity course, and really a journey of self discovery.  (More information can be found at Fiberygoodness). I have learned a lot of different techniques, fiber preparations, and in general have reached out more to my creative side.

These I made for my Module Six yarn. I am afraid with the moving of across several states, I got a little bit behind ( Suzy and Arlene just sent out Module Eight-yikes!).  I have some journaling for 6 to do ( and frankly that is not my strong suit) And of course I would rather have spun them on my Aura wheel...but sadly I am still waiting. :-/

Now that the Christmas knitting madness is over I can get caught up on my modules. I so don't want to miss my graduation.  

Oh and I thought I would share with you this, only one out of four of my mother's Christmas Catus' bloomed. It happens to be the one next to the salt lamp. Who knew.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas, or what ever holiday you celebrate.

happy fibering xxoo

just one more

Before I took up blogging again, I gave careful consideration on picking up where I left off here, albeit two years ago, or starting from scratch. 

You see my choice. It seemed like a waste since I already had my stuff here. It is hard work doing all those little side bars and links and what nots. So I here I am, I hope you enjoy it. 


I have spent the better part of the weekend trying to get the rest of my "Emergency Christmas Knitting" finished. So it comes down to this. If make for one, I have to make for all or somebody will get their feelers hurt. Well pooh, my little fingers hurt!

Since all of the hats are easy stockinette, I decided today it was a good time to practice continental knitting. Even though it is awkward for me I think eventually it will make it faster. If I can stick with it.

So far today I have practiced on two hats. Hopefully it will become more natural to me. It has been on my learn-to-do list for many years.

But right now...my left hand aches as much as my right!

I don't know about you guys, but I really like the yarn from Hobby Lobby. Not that I have a huge choice here in the sticks, but Yarn Bee Effortless is so soft and mushy and makes two hats from 1 skein most of time. It as 20% alpaca so it makes it nice and warm.
My girls really enjoy that lemme tell ya, especially as they live in Wisconsin. The other plus is that I know they won't wash them with care so my efforts won't be wasted.

and here is one more.

And every time I think, yay this is the last one...I think of one more boy in the family that needs one.
It always seems to be just one more.


I managed to squeeze in a cheater loaf of bread today too!

And little Brodie did this all day!

happy knitting xo

finally getting my spin on!

but first, lemme take a selfie...

So since moving, things have been, well a bit chaotic scattered.

Here is brief synopsis, Johnny (son) and I moved one and a half houses. He says I have a lot of crap, as did my friend Rick who loaded the truck.  So I drove a 26 foot truck, because apparently I do have a lot of crap, pulled a trailer with Johnny's car behind it (packed to the gills) while he drove my truck (also packed to the gills), from Sarasota, Fl to the Smokies Tn. I was feeling pre-ty BA by the time we got here.

A brief two and half weeks later I drove back to Sarasota, Fl to attend a weekend workshop on photography with Sara Norine, which was soooo worth it! I truly did intend only to stay 4 days (Florida Power and Light needed to do the blah blah blah to the blah blah blah - what-ever) so that was the extra day. Then tragedy struck, I had an accident and was STUCK IN FLORIDA for 10 DAYS!

You don't even want to see this...BAMM!

We just don't look at this side :(

Moving on.
Finally I get home and I have one day to race through the house unpacking (because I really do have a lot of crap and I am a mad woman) make the house look presentable so that we can leave the very next morning at the crack of dawn (earlier even) to go to Chicago for Thanksgiving with my family. Made it! Loads of fun! Glad we did it!

So finally we are now home and pretty much settled, sort of. Enough for me to start to get my spin on.

I took a blue/pink/purpley art batt by Batts in the Belfry fluffed it up -hand picking- with some raw alpaca, and some camel and maybe a little cormo -it was just whatever I could drag out of the space bags in the work shed (hehe I have a work shed ).

And got my spin on!

                           

I also managed to squeeze in a couple of emergency Christmas gift hats this week. And by a couple I really mean four...so far. 

Boys...

skull cap and watch cap

slouch

And girl. Somebody had to put in a special order...

alliecat

Phew... I am making myself tired just reliving all that again. (drivers butt...big time)

I think I have only one more to do. Sarah and Raine have soooo many they just are not getting new ones this year! Saw-ry.

Finally... some small measure of control back in my life.

Easy Peasy re-visited

....Please pause for a station identification break


A long long time ago, (2007) I posted a hat pattern here on my blog that I use for charity knitting. It is quick and easy and pretty much mindless so you can knock out a whole bunch of 'em in a short order of time.

 I have noticed an increase in the number of searches for it, so since there has been such a renewed interest in it and ... since winter is on it's frigid way...somewhere, sorry - not here by my definition anyway, I thought I would re-post this one for everyone who has taken an interest, here is it...Ta Da....my Easy Peasy Charity Hat Pattern re-visited.

There are a coupley of ways to get this pattern. You can click on the link above or to your right if you're a Ravelry member and get it as a PDF file. You can click here and it will take you to the original post.

Or you can shoot me a note and I would be happy to send you the PDF file if you do not belong to Ravelry and are unable to download it.

I also want to thank everyone for your continued interest in my hat pattern and my silly meanderings. It really does give me the warm fuzzies when I see another search for it. I love seeing where everyone is from!

And now...back to that damn wimple... or maybe that footie sock I am really working on.

Got my toes in the water...

And my ass in the sand.         Thank you Jessie for making that song stuck in my head!

Somebody told me the other day that I look like a Floridian. What exactly does that mean?? What? I'm fat? Ugly? Dress funny? Frizzy Haired (hehe)... Okay, I am guessing they are referring to that perpetual mango-ey color my skin has now become from my frequent "day off at the beach" sojourn. 

Some people call it red but I like to call it mango...my son's word, I used to call it apricoty. I'm trying to be careful with my skin so I don't end up wearing shoe leather on my face. That would be a serious tragedy!

My friend Rick, back home thinks I spend all of my time there, All of his phone messages start with " are you at the beach?".  But the reality is maay-be once a week is about all I go.  

The other day there was a guy who was flying a kite at the beach. Now I have seen people fly kites but never quiet like this. This kite had two strings and two handles.


Kite Dude was would let the kite fly high in the sky then swoop, low over the water and just make it hang there.

Pretty dern cool to watch while I walked in the surf and tried to take pictures.

It was kind of funny to see how the "real" birds reacted to the kite bird. They didn't like this large "bird" so much.

This is Kite Dude, playing with his bird and getting in the way of my sailboat shot.











More Kite Dude getting in the way...

Since I couldn't keep Kite Dude out of my picture  I finally decided to crop him out! 

However- after taking another look, I thought to post this original just because I think it looks kinda cool.

Here is the sun hat I keep thinking I am going to work on while I sit on the beach...Oh yah, like that was really going to happen! I keep bringing it and thinking about it. Sometimes I may even crochet a couple of stitches.

But then I realized I had this birds nest and said Eff it and put it away.

I have an LYS!

Or rather- I found two! Eye Of The Needle and Picasso's Moon Yarn Shop! I think there are some more in the area but these are the two that I have been to.  Eye of the Needle had more embroidery floss and needlepoint stuff than anything, but still I managed to find some cotton yarn there, which was what I was looking for. Picasso's Moon is definitely more my style of hang out, very artsy and very eclectic. I spoke for quiet a while with the owner Debra who spins art yarns did tell me she would teach me how to spin. I am pretty excited about that prospect but haven't yet taken her up on it. Maybe now that "cooler" weather is arriving I will make the effort.
There are a couple of more places in the area that I haven't discovered yet, but I'll get around to it.

I made this hat when I first came here. Some sort of sunhat is essential in this state. In fact I see a lot of people that walk around with umbrellas even when it is not raining. I wonder why we ever gave up the parasol. (ignore the horrible grainy picture)

Mostly I just use this hat to wipe the sweat salt water from my face when I'm at the beach since I have a straw hat with a brim to shade me.

This yarn was my Picasso's Moon purchase. My Sun Hat is based on Drops 99-23 which I tried to follow, no really I did, however I ended up ripping it out several times and making modifications to make it smaller. My hat sooo did not turn out like theirs!

Every time I followed their pattern with yet another smaller hook I looked like Dumb Donald from the Cosby Kids.

 Part of the problem is, I'm sure the yarn, I used Cascade Yarns Sierra which is a soft worsted weight cotton. They use their own Garnstudio DROPS Paris, which I have no clue how it feels but it seems to me it might be a firmer- tighter spun yarn. I think I'd like to try it with their yarn to see if I can make a better hat.

Now THAT hat is way cuter!!

Happy Halloween!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Here I am!!! I dressed as a freelance photographer for Halloween, could you tell?? Ok maybe not really freelance since the Chief requested my presence at the annual Hot Dog Roast to take pictures, but hey, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Note that I am all bundled up in my newly completed Noro Beret and Noro Stripe Scarf and my new fingerless gloves. Not so much a fashion statement since the gloves don't match my hat and scarf but it was darn cold here today!! And of course I had to stand outside (miss going trick or treating a-gain!) freezing my patutie off taking pictures of the hordes of masked masses coming for their free hot dog and chips.

When all that was said and done, go back home so I can sit and veg for a couple of hours before going back to work for my regular shift and ermmm that extra hour while ya'll got to sleep that I got to work.

As you can see, I am on a Noro kick. I picked up some Noro sock yarn on Ebay about a week ago and I am naturally diving right into yet another pair of socks. I don't want to get to crazy or anything but I am trying to be more like TN Dawn and shakin' up my sock knitting with a little stitch pattern. True to Jeanne fashion however, this Twisted Sock pattern (Rav link of course), had to have change up in it. I didn't care for the cuff so I used my standard cuff, I also found that the first few stitches in the pattern aggravated me. It had some purling in the set that make it look like it has a seem...um no! Isn't that the whole point of knitting in the round? Anyway I took out the seamy purls and continued in a smooth twist ;)
Here is my completed Beret

Pattern Scoop:Pattern:Last Minute Purled Beret
yarn: Noro Silk Garden (worsted weight)

Needles size 6
(I used 80 stitches to cast on but I think in this yarn I could tighten it up a little for my head)

Poor Sarah had surgery on her ears A-gain! The poor kid has been chronic with ear problems since she was about two and her right ear was severely damaged. So on Monday we all spent 11 hours waiting in the hospital (fun times) for the doctor to work his magic on her - while I knit away on my wimple...slow going for me and slow recovery for Sarah.

A marathon audio book session seemed to be the ticket after that ordeal. I downloaded Nora Roberts Sign of Seven trilogy for my little lazy fest. OMG! That series was so intense that I could not make myself turn it off to go to sleep! I went right from one to the next, and was damn annoyed when I had to stop to take a nap before going back to work. Usually Nora Roberts books don't intrigue me but this was these had me from the first.

So while I had the crap scared out of me I managed to finish my no name slip stitch sockies. Pretty pleased with how they turned out I might add.

Project Scoop

Pattern: My own no name socks... ;)

Yarn: Zen Yarn Garden Art Walk sock yarn - Petunia (very very nice to work with)

Needles size 2

I gotta tell you- I have had more trouble getting this post out. Is it me...or Blogger?? 3 times I have had to re-up load my pics...WTF! Lost all of my links I pain stakingly put in, had some wonky stuff happen with the font formatting....and lost my sig!!! It has taken me two days but here it finally is sans sig ;)