Happy Friday

Yesterday was the funeral, I went and things turned out surprisingly well. I got to see some friends who I had not seen in almost 10 years, and strangely enough it felt like I had never stopped talking with them. I didn't get in until very late, which was not good because I had stayed out late on Wednesday as well. Wednesday was pretty gross, I had a corporate event and somehow wound up partying with the traders, and their high speed lifestyle. So today I'm dragging my feet and eating greasy food, which is not great for my diet. I seem to have abandoned this one but I'm fighting to give it a chance. This week my weight is 135.6 which means I lost 0.8lbs since last week (woo-hoo) I probably won't loose any weight this week but I know that I can loose it if I try.

I just signed up for the IPY swap at craftster. I'm a bit nervous since this is a big deal. This is the swap that people create insane things like quilts and clothing for eachother. I hope I'm up to it. In other crafty news I bought a drum carder this week (another woo-hoo) from Spunky, she had the best prices I've ever seen and I'm itching to play with it. To paraphrase Veruca Salt "I want it NOW NOW NOW!"

Here's to sleeping in on Saturday have a happy weekend!!

Like a Record Baby

I started the batts last night and since I've never spun fine on the Louet before it was a learning experience. Moving from the Babe, who is temperamental yet easy to work with to the Louet who is fine tuned and very precise left me frustrated. If my tension was too loose the wheel groaned like an old plane getting ready for takeoff, too tight and the yarn snaps. So after much fiddling I settled in on a proper tension and spun in the long draw. I didn't want the yarn too thing because I think I may keep it as singles.

I received my magic roving ball package from my partner last night, I decided this was the motivation I needed to work on her package and began dying up some merino/mohair blend. I was using the big pot for pasta so I thought I could use the Wilton's dye method with the microwave. It wasn't as great as the stove top method but it worked none the less.

Wilton's Icing Dye / Microwave Method
Step 1: Soak roving/yarn in a mixture of 2 tablespoons vinegar to 1 cup water (so if you're using 3 cups water use 6 tbsp vinegar) for at least 1 hour
Step 2: Find a microwave safe vessel and prepare dye bath. I used the following method for 6 oz or roving I used 4 cups water and 1/2 vinegar and then added 1 tsp maroon dye. I mixed dye bath and placed roving on top. Then I dotted the top of the roving with blue dye in spots and slightly agitated dye and roving until dye dissipated.
Step 3: Microwave on medium stetting (uncovered) for 4 minutes, take out and stir roving to ensure proper coating with dye and microwave for 4 more minutes, take out and stir one more time and microwave for 2 more minutes.
Step 4: Place hot roving in cold water bath. Drain water and refill roving bath. Repeat this until drained water runs clear
Step 5: Allow roving to drip dry in shower or outside

I goofed and put the hot roving into a cold bath into my bathroom sink. Porcelain and dye love each other to death because they refused to separate no matter how hard I scrubbed. I had to resort to Ajax to de-pinkify the sink to Rob's approval.

I tried drilling some holes in the resin pendants I made this weekend and realized that in the future fresh flowers and resin really don't mix. The pendants won't get hard enough because of the water in the flowers. Oh well live and learn.

Long Weekend

I spun up some more superwash from the sheep shed to finish my clapotis and I realize I'm still about 50 yards short. Oh well, back to the spinning wheel, I really want to finish this project already, of course it's now 90 degrees out and I probably won't be able to make use of it until the fall months roll around, but it was a quick knit and fairly mindless.

I did some wet felting this weekend. It's fun, messy and soapy but fun and good for getting frustration out. It was my first time trying a flat wet felted piece and though I don't think it will become my craft of choice I had a good time.

I'm going to lose weight. I've told myself that many many many many times before but I mean it this time. I bought the "volumetrics" weight loss book and I have the newer one in the mail. I've tried WW before and though I had success in the past it just doesn't seem to work for me any more. My only issue is that the author doesn't reccomend going below 1400 cal a day, I'm a teensy beanser (5'1") and I don't think I'll loose much weight if I eat 1400 a day. I will work out as much as possible and I will be earnest with myself, starting by posting my current weight. I'm 136, I tell everyone I'm 125 and they believe me, but I'm not and I have to face the fact that for my height I'm officially overweight. I will post my weight each Tuesday and I will let you know how this works out.

I handcarded some batts this weekend, about 3 oz of pink, blue, yellow, brown, and green firestar. The finished result is a sparkly peach with flecks of the other colors through out. I can't wait to see how it spins up.

I finished my last mini skien for the H&H3 swap and I will tkae my pics and package it up tonight. I can't wait to see if my partner likes it or not.

Project Monogamy

I can't do it. I start a project with the best intentions. Loving the pattern or the yarn, then out of no where a new project enters the room. It buys me a drink and whispers dreamy nothings in my ear tantalizing me with new stitch patterns or even better a new craft entirely. At this point I have four projects on needles. A half spun skein of yarn and two cut patterns waiting for their fabric. I go to the craft store and see things I don't need and probably won't use, but the idea that I could use them is enough for me to purchase and regret later. My living room had become overtaken with craft odds and ends and really I don't know how Rob can stand it anymore. Part of me wishes that Dessie-pup was a chewer so then I would have an excuse to throw things away.

Rob told me on Sunday that his mothers birthday was coming up.
"How soon?"
"Friday"
That left me with less then a week to pull together a present for a woman who will more likely then not wind up as my MIL. Thing's have been rough the past month or so with Rob and I and his parents have gotten involved. It's a long story but it boils down simple enough. His parents have been rather lovely to me lately and I really wanted to thank them for their kind effort and words.

Thinking of her birthday in a panic I reached into my stash and pulled up the two skeins of "Portofino Corridor" I had spun up after the Italy trip.

I named it such because it reminded me of this photo Rob took in Portofino

I hope I'll have enough. I'm already finished with the first skein. It's lovely hand painted superwash I got from Sheepshedstudio.com , and I have more roving so if necessary I can spin up some more.

I also ordered a lovely teapot from Redcrowarts on etsy and will crochet up a cozy for it. I'm thinking of buying some special tea blends and either stamping or embroidering some tea towels to complete the set. Seeing how it's already Tuesday I better get cracking.

Ramblings

Rob is sick, he gets sick a lot, working with small children can be hazardous to your health. He thinks it's strep, and well he's probably right. I kind of feel bad for not babying him, but he gets sick so often I just can't coddle like I used to. He's been out of work way way way to much this year and I'm not sure he'll have a job for next year. It sucks, but it happens.

I went to the dentist yesterday, I know this is an odd thing to say, but I love my dentist. He is such a nice man, so patient and smart. I got my cleaning, no major surprises (thank god) I have to have an old filling redone, which I'm not looking forward to, my dental insurance sucks ass, but it has to be done. On the way home I stopped in Urban Outfitters. I know a lot of artists have issues with that store because they steal ideas from indie artists and mass produce them, but they were having a sale and the bargain hunter in me couldn't say no. I picked up a pair of maroon tight pants with a tapered leg, they look very 1950's, and they also make my hips look HUGE!! I'll probably have to whip up some longer tops that hide the hugeness so I can wear the pants. I also got a retro flowey top that looks very Wonder Years and a cute pair of espadrilles in bright red with rattan heels. I spent under 40 bucks for everything and was quite proud of myself.

I had purchased a bag making kit from wal-mart over the weekend while at my fathers weekend house and sat at the sewing machine to construct it. It really wasn't worth the money, much cheaper to buy a yard of quilted fabric and figure it out myself. Oh well live and learn. I'm at the second row of decreases for the IK Josephine top. I really hope I can finish this sweater, I have a nasty habit of leaving UFOs all over the house. And I'm working on finishing the roving from Spunky Eclectic, long draw spinning generally takes me a bit longer to do. I'm impatiently waiting my new wheel. I love my Babe, but I need something better. The Babe will be relegated to plying and travel when the Louet S10 shows up. Still no flowers in the garden, I'm think I'm going to have to swing by the garden center to pick up some marigolds to keep the bugs away. Jersey City mosquitoes are lethal.

Ribbit Ribbit

I had to frog about 4 inches off the Josephine top I was knitting from IK summer. I was so sad because I hate frogging to the point where I've completed entire pieces knowing there were errors and not caring and then getting depressed when the FO looked like doo-doo. So in an effort to be a better knitter I closed my eyes and started ripping away and that yarn.

Here's where I'm at now.



Its the same as where I was before I devoted some serious knitting time this three day weekend. I'm working this in redheart luster sheen, (yuck) but it's keeping with my stash busting promise.


Speaking of the weekend it was so lovely and sunny up at my dad's weeked home in CT. Friday I went drinking with the girls and my sister and the city was empty. Well almost empty, it was full of sailors (here for fleet week) and Long Islanders (here because when the cat's away the mice will play.) And Saturday Rob and I had a lovely outdoor lunch/dinner at this cuban place in the hood we've been dying to try.

I took my drop spindle to the house, I would have brought the wheel, but its cumbersome and we were in a rush to escape the city, and about 1 1/2 - 2 oz of the silk hankies I got from wollymanorcom on etsy. I plied them and dyed them with grape kool-aid in the microwave. Dying with kool-aid has got to be my favorite way to dye because the fiber takes on the smell of lollipops. I'll post pics later in the week, sadly I can't keep the finished product because it's going out to spolowitz for the Handspun Handcrafted 3 swap.

On a side note I picked up my new blythe from the post office on Friday. She needs a new outfit and a good hair washing but I present Lola: