Alpaca farm visit

Today I went to The Enchanted Alpaca Ranch in Parkersburg Iowa with my friend Lisa. We had a tour of the barn and out to see all the alpaca's and boy she sure did have some really beautiful animals. Then we went to see her studio and look at some fleeces and I have to say that I had a really hard time deciding what I want to buy. So after looking and oogling and much talking I decided to purchase this........







1# 3 oz of Selena's Cria coat. I love this fiber and she had some of the most beautiful fleeces that is was so hard. My availability of money was a determining factor since I spent so much yesterday purchasing a gaming system for the kids for Christmas that I was kind of tapped out. But, now since I know where she is I know that I can always get more when I want.

Now let the spinning begin.....

Broccoli anyone!

fleece

I purchased these at the Iowa sheep and wool festival and I just got done messing with the 9# Rambouillet so These two will me my next projects.

A shawl for Autumn

I finished my Ruffles & Ridges shawl and personally It's to short for my liking as a shawl. So I decided to let my oldest daughter have it.

Here are some pictures of it






I made the larger sized shawl but used size US7 needles. The Yarn is Wollmeise and in the color Spice market.

I'm all warm and fuzzy!

Well, I'm all warm and fuzzy because of this.......























Lots of soft Rambouillet wool. I had purchased this in June at a wool festival and I have been working on getting it all washed and carded for a very long time and finally it is done. Now I just have to weigh it all and see how much I really have. That will be done on another day.

Back off you bad dog!

My 4yo who thinks she is a cat is pointing her tail at our german short hair dog that is not pictures and she was yelling " back of you bad dog, I'm a cat and your not going to eat me". I couldn't help but bust out laughing after I got the camera and caught her doing it a second time. This is what I love about being home with my children..... All the weird and fun stuff that come out of there mouths!

Blogtoberfest day 10 Work

Work, work, work, work, work, work. That's what I do all night long. Work, work, work, until I go home then I get to Play, play, play all day long with my beautiful family. See you latter. I got to go to work.

Blogtoberfest day 9 Time consumer......

Netflix! is consuming my time today. I finally decided to order it and all I have to say is this..... Why in the world did I not order this sooner.

Pie!

When it rains I like to bake because it takes the dampness and chill out of the air. So today I decided to make apple pie.



So what is your favorite food to make when it rains?

You know fall is here when.......

You know fall is here and winter will be quickly approaching when the garden stops producing produce and the dog starts to whine that it's cold out.




There are only a few habanero peppers and Cayenne peppers left in the garden now for everything else has either been blown over or sat on by this beautiful creature.




So in the end I started to do this......






I can only do a little bit at a time because my wrist just rebels and then that takes precious time and strength away to do the things that I really want to do and that is knitting!

so what kind of things do you have to do or want to do before winter comes knocking on our doors??

Day 6 Brrrrrrrr

This is what today has been like all day. Cloudy, windy, cold and rainy. So what do we like to eat on a day like today?????








Minestrone Soup!


So, what is your favorite cold weather soup or meal??

Blogtoberfest day 5 YAAARRRRRRNNNNN

It's mail time. This is what I have received from my mailman lately



Top row is Araucania nature wool in color 415
next is Araucania Aysen in color 806
next of the bottom row left is Tempted Luxe grrl in color Foliage and right is Creatively dyed yarn calypso in color seven

So what do I intend to make with all this yarn. Well the nature wool I want to make a simple cardigan for myself, the Aysen I'm not 100% sure what I want to make so does anyone have any suggestions? The Tempted Luxe grrl is going to be a pair of socks adn the creatively dyed yarn may be Damson.

Day 4 Airborn

Airborn is my youngest daughter. I just have to say that was a really nice day and now that Spring has turned to summer and summer to fall I will miss this come Winter.

Blogtoberfest day 3

The Socks from the toe up KAL for October is underway and we have some awesome prizes. I decided to cast on the Peace socks first since they will go quickly using sport wt yarn and I have way to many other things going on this month and need a quick pair of socks.
Yarn: Earthly Hues
color: Smoky Rose Quartz
Needles: Crystal palace bamboo circulars using 2
toe: JMCO and I knit it longer than the pattern states to because I don't like my little toe to stick out.
started: Oct. 1st.
Finished: ?????

Blogtoberfest day 2

Blogtoberfest Post 1

So what is Blogtoberfest you say???? Well, basically it is a challenge to see if you can post every day in the month of October. So as crazy as I am I decided to join in the fun and give it a try. I guess the worst thing that could happen is that I forget to blog and well then the world will continue to go round and I will just have to stop thinking that I have all the time in the world to do everything that I want to do. So here we go.....


Today on this very Rainy October day I am attempting to get my camera to connect with this lovely iMac that I own. Ever since I added Snow Leopard I have not been able to get my camera to upload pictures so today is the day that I hopefully fix this issue. Thus there will be no picture today. Sorry!

I have also assigned all the prizes for the Socks from the toe up KAL on Ravelry and sent out the notices. So for those of you get me your info so I can send it on.

I really should be doing laundry and cleaning but it always seems that the 1st day of the month lands me in front of the computer for the day and I don't seem to get anything done at all. But, I did get the semi felted roving that Lisa dyed fixed so that is is once again able to be spun. I will take a picture but I will not promise that I can get this dang camera to work. We shall see. Well, off to do the laundry and dishes and knit the test knit patterns that I should be farther along on and, and, and, and ,and, and. Well I guess you'll have to come back tomorrow to see what's new.

Until then, knit on crazy girl... Knit on.

A Fun Freecycle Find (very heavy with pictures)

A couple of weeks ago I saw a post on my local Freecycle site that a lady was offering a large box of sewing patterns so, being the crafty nut that I am I jump on the change to see what was in the box. Well I have to say that there were many that I will never make, some that are just pure funny to look at and some that are classic treasures that I am proud to have. So.... this posting is very heavy with the pictures to please if you have dial up I'm sorry but this will take forever. So on with the showing of my treasure.


I can now make a vest or several differnt ties for my hubby but the only problem with that is he'll never wear it. People actually made ties???!! Oh yeah, this was made in 1970!



This pattern is for little girls pajamas or nightgown from 1964. I just think there cute as ever.




This one just make me laugh and think of Richard Simmons..... That's all I'm going to say. Take a look.




Little boys jumpers from 1965




Can you say "Hammer time!" 'nuf said!




I'm assuming since I was born in 1973 That I would have worn something along this line as a one year old. Pattern from 1972 and I want a ruffle butt because they are so cute. Ok, maybe not now but when I was little they would have been.




I remember my older sisters wearing tops like these. I do believe my oldest sister wore the ruffled collared one for here senior pictures! Pattern is from 1978




Suit Jackets from 1971 Just makes me laugh just because.




A Miss pajama pattern (oops they called them nightgowns back then) from 1972. Take a look at the blue on.... That style of top is back. I've seen many tops in the store and some knit pattern on Ravelry as well.




Girls pajamas. Pattern copyrighted in 1948!




OMG this next one just makes me bust a gut laughing. Take a look it's from 1975. Who does the one in the solid brown suit remind you of??




Ok, this one will be used lots.





Little girls pattern from 1972. I could see my girls in these with some modifications.





Not sure on the date of this pattern but late 50's into the 60's?? Very functional apron in that time.



No Date on this one but it was only $0.60. They call this a Beach dress.





I really like this skirt and may just make one. Pattern is from 1962.





Here's a classic jacket and skirt style. I can do without the plaid though. From 1976





Bloomers anyone!?? From 1971







Anyone deal with this interesting garment?? Pattern from 1971, I probably wore something like this as well as a baby.






I did this picture as big as I could because I just wanted to show you the style from 1975. Check out those shoes!! Do they remind you of some????





Here is a Cape and Skirt pattern from 1967



And FINALLY a pattern from 1986 God help me if I ever wore anything like this.




Ok, so that's just a small sampling and I know your probably thinking that small is not the word for it but here is a picture of the box and all of the patterns.







I think I have tortured you all for today. Till next time...............

Ruffles & Ridges shawl and Design 11 sweater

Since I has Friday night off of work I decided that it was time to get a few projects finished so that I can move on to some of the others that I still am working on and possible cast on a new project. So I worked like mad to get the Ruffles & Ridges shawl finished first because it was the easiest to do. I use Wollmeise 80/20 in spice market and only used 1 skein plus maybe 10-20 yards of the second skein I had. I went down to a size 7 US needle instead of the 9 that the pattern called for because I just didn't want this huge shawl and I love the way it turned out. It's just right to keep my arms warm and it is small enough to wear as a scarf in the winter as well. So here is some pictures of my oldest daughter Autumn modeling it for me. Oh, and I'm going to appologize now for the crappy pictures because I had to use my camera on my phone for my digital just doesn't want to upload after I installed snow leopard on my computer. I'll just have to figure it out some time when the kids aren't home.








Now I also finished Autumn's Design 11 sweater out of the Noro Flowers book. The yarn I used was handspun on my Ashford Traveler, The fiber was from Spunky Eclectic Coripaca in colorway Thunderstorm. I actually spun this about 9 months ago and just could not find a project that suited the yarn for it until I saw this book and thought it would be perfect for this yarn. I didn't have enough yarn to make myself a sweater so that's why my very lucky and spoiled 9 year old daughter was the lucky one to get my first handspun yarn for a sweater.

Here are some pictures.

Wow! It's been a really long time since I had blogged last. It was mostly due to a crazy summer with the kids home and lots of gardening and canning. But, since they are back at school I have actually had more time to knit and I finally got all the pieces to my Noro Flowers Design 11 finished last night and blocked them out this morning so I won't have such a hard time seaming them together. Here they are.......







I still have the front edge to do but I wanted to give the peices a little more form before doing that. Originally this was supposed to be for my daughter but well...... It's going to fit me instead. So, I guess I'll have to let her pick out another pattern that is more her sizing and then off I will go on that one.

The yarn was spun by me and I purchased the roving from Spunky Eclectic. It was some of the last Coripaca that she had available. Colorway is Thunderstorm.

Hopefully I will piece it together tomorrow and have the edging done by Thursday. Well that's my goal anyway but things always seem to change and not go my way such as all the pain that I have been having in my neck, shoulders, hands and wrists. I am blaming it on the 2 car accidents that I was in when I was 10 and 14. I was told last year that I have some significant narrowing and beginning arthritis in my neck and back which does not help the fact that I have several large knots in my trapezius muscles as well and they have been giving me some major fits lately so that's causing most of my pain. Well at least now I can officially say my children are a pain in my neck!!!

Ok so since I canned all this food I had to find a place to put it all..... I thought where in the heck will it fit that is a fairly cool room in the winter (we heat with wood and the house can get darn right hot sometimes) so I found a space in my office/junk room that would work perfectly. I purchased a 48" wide shelving unit and then had to clean out the room. Well at least I can find the floor now but I still have tons of paperwork to go through. The self is also about 6 1/2' or taller. So here is a picture of all the goodies.....



Ok I'll start on the very bottom self... That's all the Bread and butter pickles. Next shelf up is all spicy dill pickles which are my family's favorite. Next shelf up on the left side is all the salsa and the pickles on the right are Kosher dills. The Next shelf up has the following from right to left......... Gooseberry jam, pickles beans in the following flavors.. dill, sweet and tangy, spicy and mustard,pickled beets are next and then the sweet pickle relish.

That was a lot of work and I am pleased to see that I still have the very top shelf to put some stuff on for storage but you can't see that in the picture. Well that's enough for today and hopefully I will be more of a regular blogger now.