Tuesday, March 27, 2007

I think I'm in Love.....



This I think... No I know I'm in love with!!!! This is my first spun yarn after buying my wheel and receiving it 3 weeks ago. I went to have a class with the lady I bought my wheel from last thursday and she said " you don't need to be taught anything, Your a natural!" WOW what a compliment!. This is 100% alpaca. there is approximately 682 yards and weighs about 8 oz on my kitchen scale. This yarn is a bulky yarn I would most likely knit it with size 9-11 US needles. I'm not sure what I will use this for as of yet but, I'm sure something with be calling it name/



this is some wool that I tried to make into lace weight, but It does not have enough twist. I guess I will have to spin faster!!




These two pictures are of clue 1 of the mystery shawl KAL. I spun this myself!!!! I'm so impressed. this is a 50 merino and 50 silk from the Copper Moose in black cherry. There is about 840 yards in the ball and skein that needs to be wound up. I think I will do one more skein but just a little bigger and we'll see if that will be enough for the whole shawl. I'm not sure but I don't want to spin more that what I need. I'd like some left for some lace weight. I am using a size 7 needle.



OK, well that's all for knitting at the moment. I need to get to bed tomarrow Hunter has a appointment at the University of Iowa for testing for ADHD and Autism. We have to leave at 6:00 am and hopefully will make it home by 6:00pm. So, I need to try to sleep but I don't think I'll get much. To much on the mind:((

Happy Knitting

Thursday, March 15, 2007

Now we can see what I've been up to



This is my Ashford Traveller. (and my messy kitchen. Who wants to clean when this arives!!!!????). Well, now I just have to figure out what to name her. I know there are several people who have named there wheels. Any Suggestions????? Doesn't hurt to ask!!



OK, does this not look like a purple nightmare?????!!!! This is my first spinn on my wheel on Wednesday night. I actually don't think the the spinning was all that bad. But, I tryed to ply it and I have no idea really how to do that so that just might be the issue. Of course it's was a freebie so that's ok.


This is 3.2 oz of suri alpaca form Alpacas D'Auxvasse. I think I'm in love with this fiber. It is easy to work with and just so soft that you want to use it as a pillow. The only thing that I noticed is that it is a fuzzy yarn. I'm not sure if this is due to my inexperience or just the way it is supposed to be. I have not plyed it yet for I am waiting to have my first spinning class with the lady I bought my wheel from. I'm hopeing this coming Thursday.



This is what I am currently working on. It is a deep red superwash wool from The Sheep Shed Studio. I just have to keep reminding myself.... thin but not to thin. It's going well so far.

I would love to hear feedback from all you spinners out there, when I get back on Yahoo, You'll know because you'll actually get an email from me asking you to take a look at this.


As for Yahoo, I have not heard anything from them yet. I guess yesterday I couldn't firgure out pictures for this blog and today my Yahoo issure. I guess there always has to be something going to crap or it just would not be my life.

Keep spinning

Yahoo deactivated my account!!!!

I can't belive it I email 5 of my yahoo groups requesting help with the whole not being able to put a picture on my blog and I get 35 undeliverable emails back to me. Then latter I find out that they deactivated my account. Now after talking to custermer service I have to wait for 12-48 hours for them to review my case and determine it they are going to reactivate it. I can't believe this shit. Oh well I guess I will keep spinning. I already have one spool full of some beautiful alpaca.

I got my Ashford Traveller and look what I've got so far

UGG I cant stand this. I finally found my camera and now I can't upload pictures to my blog for some odd reason. I'm doing exactly the same as I did before and it just keeps telling no file was sellected after I hit the upload button. I wish someone could tell me what the heck I'm doing wrong. anyway I guess I will spin some more. I love this.

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Hunters OT sessions and some knitting

I know it's been a few weeks since I posted about Hunter, they have been some very busy weeks. Hunter has has thus far 4 OT therapy sessions and thus far. I have seen some much needed and suprisingly quick changes in Hunter. Here are some of the things that I have noticed from before starting therapy to present.

1. hunter would not eat until 9:00 pm. now he eats when we do. He still is a little vocal about not being hungry but then decides that he is indead hungry. He is still picky about what he will eat but we give him two options and he picks one.
2. before therapy Hunter would not go to bed until around 11pm. Now he is usually asleep by 8:30-9:00. this is a nice little treat. He seams to be actually getting enough sleep now.
3. Before therapy Hunter would hit, punch and throw things at his younger sister and frequently say that he hates babies. He would also say the he hates us (his parents). Now he will go for days or sometimes weeks before he says I hate you and I cant recall the last time he said he hated Trinity. As for the throwing and hitting it is also on the decline.
4. He actually now says Please and Thanks you!!!!! before threapy he wouldn't.
5. before therapy he would always make us carry him in/out of school complaining that his legs were to tired. He no longer does this.
6. he would not ride his bike. Now today since it was around 70 degrees. He rode it slowly for several hours and never once complained or go angry. He actually was outside playing with his sisters for more than 4 hours. This is something that he would only do for about an hour this last fall because he said he was to tired.


Those are the ones that I can think of at the moment and I am really pleased with his progress. As for what he has been working on at therapy....
1. brushing and joint compressions
2. laying on his side and spinning around 10 times in both directions to music with his eyes closed
3. having his arms cross midline and touch the opposite leg in a marching rhythm. This last time was the first that he has tried and it was very intersting to see him try this.
4. music therapy
5. following a flash of light with only his eyes. This is very hard for him, he actually ends up moving his entire body.
6. wheel barrel walking.
and some others that I can't think of right now.

as for at home his sensory diet consists of the following
1. music therapy for 30 minutes two times a day
2. brushing and joint compressions every two hours
3. wheel barrel walking.

Hunter will have his appointment at the University of Iowa hospital for further testing including autism on the 28th of this month. It is an all day evaluation with several differnt people. It will be intersting to see how well he does. I will let you all now afterwards.

OK now for some knitting.

I have purchased a spinning wheel and still await its arrival. In the meantime I have been busy researching differnt fibers and having fun ordering some. I also purchased a drop spindle starter kit from someone on ebay and that arrived to day. I had a few minutes to play with it and spun a little just to see what I could do and well a spindle is not as easy as it sounds in the instructions that came with it. I wish that I could find my digital camara, it has for some reason disapeared. I hope I find it soon so I can get some feeback on my first attemps. In the meantime I'm working on a sock that I hope with fit Autumn, If anything it will be to big but not by much and I'll probably end up saving it for this next cold season. So regardless It will have a pair of feet in which to travel on. Well that's all for tonight, I'm going back to searching for the camera or just simply go to be for once early!!!! If you call 11pm early.

Tuesday, March 6, 2007

NEW ADVENTURES IN FIBER

Ok, so I've been thinking about buying a spinning wheel and today I went to look at the Ashford Joy and the Ashford Traveler. I fell in love with the traveler and just didn't want to leave without taking one home with me. But, It had to be ordered. I should receive it next week around Wednesday. I can't wait. Now I just have to figure out where my wheel will be stored. I think that I will clean out my bedroom closet and store it in there when I'm not using it so the little ones won't get into trouble. As for fibers, I have a few ordered and hopefully they will arive around the same time next week. Wouldn't that be sad..... A wheel and NO fiber!!!!!! When I get it assembled and get a little bit of fiber spun I will post a picture. What an adventure this will be!!!