Friday, September 28, 2012

Eye candy and F.O. Friday...

...catching up for the week..I hope to get back on schedule next week. This post is picture heavy and word light. :)

First the eye candy. We have zinnias:

More zinnias

a few dianthus:




and a double hibiscus:


I plied three yarns before my surgery. It felt good to get them done!

Lupines and Poppies merino (the second skein):


and the close-up

Lupines and Poppies handspun, close up

Specs:
100% Merino top, approx,2.2 oz  from the Yarn Wench;
Started 9/17/12;
Finished 9/23/12;
128.42 yds, 12 WPI
(Second skein from this top)

Black Alpaca-Silk:


and the close-up:


Specs:
80% Alpaca/20% Silk (4oz) by Ashland Bay;
Started 7/14/12;
Finished 9/23/12;
113.5 yards, 12 WPI

And Peacock corriedale:


and the close-up:


Specs:
Peacock Corriedale (4oz) by Spunky Eclectic;
Started ?;
Finished 9/23/12;
308.94 yds, 17 WPI

Up this weekend: No specific plans. (I know, how unusual!)  I'm just happy to be able to see and drive again!  Have a good one!
.

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Tuesday, post op...

...I'm here. I have a hugely dilated pupil in my right eye, but I'm fine.

The procedure went well. The Husband, bless him, was with me through all the prep until they took me away for the procedure. Love that man!

Things went quickly, so there wasn't too much time to dwell on what what going to happen. The worst thing was not knowing whether I'd see an instrument coming towards me or what during the procedure. All I saw was bright lights, which made me relax a bit. I didn't feel anything except at one point and they quickly added another numbing drop.

I have a metal eye shield that I have to wear at night. I feel a little Borg with it. LOL! Also have lots of eye drops to use for the next several weeks.

I hope that my old glasses will allow me to drive until I can get a new pair. I won't know for sure until the dilation goes down, Right now, they are OK for watching TV, but don't work for the computer or iPad. That might be an issue for work since I can't really get very close to my monitors.

I hope the dilation goes down another day so I can assess my options. I'd also like to get back to crafting soon!

I just need to be patient...
.

Saturday, September 22, 2012

Saturday special...

...yes, I missed Eye Candy Friday. I had a jam-packed day trying to get everything in place so I could be gone Monday through Wednesday,

My surgery is scheduled for Monday morning and I'm just a little freaked. So much so that I'm not sleeping well. Since I can't sleep, I read...I've finished 3.5 books since Monday!

This weekend I'm doing some housework and the laundry so things here are in decent shape.  It also keeps me occupied so I'm not thinking about what's going to happen.

I have 3 yarns that are ready for plying so I'll do a little spinning "meditation" over the next couple of days.

Maybe I need some retail therapy. LOL!

Anyway, send good thoughts out to the Universe for me...
.

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

WIP-it Wednesday...

....in which we find that I had more WIPs than I thought I had.

In the process of organizing things in the studio and searching for fiber to spin for Tour de Fleece and the Ravellenic Games, I came across a few WIPs I'd forgotten about. I decided to finally finish up some of those stragglers.

When I first started spinning, I found it difficult to get through 4 ounces of fiber. About halfway through, I wanted to see what the yarn would look like and then want to move on to another fiber type or color. One of those spinning projects was Lupines and Poppies dyed by the Yarn Wench. I spun and plied 2 ounces of it and put the rest away. This week, I spun the other 2 ounces, so it's ready to ply:

Lupines and Poppies, bobbin #2

I found a partial bobbin of singles and fiber in zip bag with no fiber tag. It's a pretty green and blue fiber that is either Tidal 2 by the Yarn Wench or Peacock by Spunky Eclectic. I am leaning towards Peacock as the dye is coming off on my hands and I had the same experience with Spunky Eclectic greens from 2007; I have not had the same experience with Yarn Wench's greens. Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad thing. It's just a way of narrowing down my choice if I can't find the tag! In any case, the singles are lovely and I can't wait to ply it:

Ready to ply

I also finished spinning the singles for the black Alpaca-silk that I started at the end of Tour de Fleece 012. It's also ready for plying:

Black Alpaca-Silk, ready to ply

The other WIP in play is the Blueberry Thrill Shawl. Twisting the fringe is kind of a boring task, so it's taking me a bit to get through it. It's looking good, though:

Blueberry Thrill shawl, as of 9/17/12

There are a few other spinning WIPs that I uncovered. I plan on powering through a couple more until my surgery on Monday. Spinning and fringing are the easiest things for me to see right now. I can't wait to be able to do some needlepoint ans cross stitch again!
.

Friday, September 14, 2012

well, hello Friday...

...I have no idea how we got to you so fast. This week just flew by! So fast that I didn't get to take any new pictures this morning for Eye Candy Friday, However, I have a few pictures from last Saturday's wedding that qualify, so here we go.

The wedding was in Aptos, CA in Santa Cruz county. If you're local, you know that the weather can surprise you. If you're smart, you go prepared for both hot and cold weather. I was a little worried because my dress was essentially sleeveless and even though I brought a sweater, I was concerned that I might be cold.

Well, the weather was gorgeous--hot and sunny. So much so that we were all looking for shady places to sit or stand. They thoughtfully provided iced tea, lemonade, and cucumber water to drink, which was much appreciated. And the sweater? It did not go to waste because as soon as the sun set, it was cool and I appreciated the sweater!

The bride recruited friends and family for the table settings, flowers, photographs, etc., making the wedding very personal and very special. I saw various family members of both the bride and groom doing final touch-ups and making sure everything was perfect.

Anyway, on to the pictures. Every other aisle had bouquets of hydrangeas in metal hangers:

Aisle flower detail

The canopy was simple and elegant. Here are the bride and groom (in the background is the bride's brother who was the officiant):

Presenting the married couple

The tables were laid out family-style, which meant that large family groups could be seated together. (See how clear the sky was?)

Reception sky

The table centerpieces had more hydrangeas and some clover flowers:

Table centerpiece

The bride's dress was a cascade of ruffles that shimmered in the sun:

Ruffle detail on the bride's gown

And the cake was made by the bride's sister-in-law:

Wedding cake, side view

and a close-up of a flower on the cake:

Wedding cake detail

It was a happy day for all!

Up this weekend: I finished weaving the Blueberry Thrill shawl. I need to wash it and twist the fringe before I can declare it done.

In the studio: I have a few more drawers to label and I want to move things around a bit to make better use of the space. I want to see if I can get the catch mechanism to work properly for the IKEA panels. I found a great blog that had detailed instructions and photos--I now know where I went wrong. )I was also glad to see that it wasn't me...others have had problems with this too!)

I'm itching to start another project, but I already have so many in progress that I can't work on because of my wonky vision. I think I'll look at some of the spinning WIPs and see if there are any I can finish.  At least I can still spin!

Only 10 more days...
.

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

August 2012 recap...

...later than normal...oops!

Finished:
  • 8/2 Godric handspun [Ravelry]
    Falkland (4.0 oz) in Sunglow from The Yarn Wench
    221.5 yds. 2-ply; 14 WPI 
  • 8/5/12 Eric Northman handspun [Ravelry]
    Falkland (3.8 oz) in Garnet 1 from The Yarn Wench
    167.5 yds. chain-ply; 12 WPI 
  • 8/6 Adele Stackhouse handspun [Ravelry]
    Merino-Silk (3.9 oz) in Arcadia 1 from The Yarn Wench
    124.7 yds. chain-ply; 11 WPI
  • 8/9 Sam Merlote handspun [Ravelry]
    Falkland (3.8 oz) in Newly Minted 1 from The Yarn Wench;
    124.7 yds. chain-ply; 11 WPI
  • 8/11 Bill Compton handspun [Ravelry]
    Smoke and Mirrors Falkland (4 oz) from The Yarn Wench;
    115.4 yds chain-ply, 10 WPI 
  • 8/12 Sookie handspun [Ravelry]
    Mother of Pearl (4 oz) SW Merino from The Dyeing Arts;
    150.75 yds, chain-plied; 12 WPI;
  • 8/26 Decoupage project - covering all of the boxes and containers with the same paper
  • Books:
    1. Once Bitten, Kalayna Price
    2. Twice Dead, Kalayna Price
    3. The Care and Feeding of a Stray Vampire, Molly Harper
    4. Kindling the Moon, Jenn Bennett
    5. Deeper Than Midnight, Lara Adrian
    6. Some Girls Bite, Chloe Neill
    7. Friday Night Bites, Chloe Neill
Started:
  • 8/2 Eric Northman/Garnet 1 (3.8 oz.) from The Yarn Wench (Spinning) [Ravelry
  • 8/5 Adele Stackhouse/Arcadia 1 (3.9 oz.) from The Yarn Wench (Spinning) [Ravelry]
  • 8/6 Sam Merlotte/Newly Minted 1 (.3.8 oz.)from The Yarn Wench (Spinning) [Ravelry]
  • 8/9 Bill Compton/Smoke and Mirrors (4 oz.) from The Yarn Wench (Spinning) [Ravelry]
  • 8/9 Sookie/Mother of Pearl (4 oz) SW Merino from The Dyeing Arts (Spinning) [Ravelry]
  • 8/28 Blueberry Thrill shawl (weaving) [Ravelry]

Worked on:
  • Mediterranean Mermaid by Mirabilia 
  • Misc studio tasks

Works In Progress, did not work on:
  • Anasazi by Susan Portra (needlepoint)
  • Carousel Socks  (knitting) [Ravelry]
  • Cazadero Mist handspun (spinning) [Ravelry]
  • Seaweed Cardigan (knitting)  [Ravelry]
  • Happy Pumpkin Scissor Fob by Shepherd's Bush (cross stitch)
  • Isonzo Merino-Bamboo top (spinning) [Ravelry
  • Jungle Songs quilt
  • Natural Dyes batts from Yarn Wench (spinning) [Ravelry]
  • Oriental Dragonfly, Dimensions kit (embroidery)
  • Peacock Pomatomus socks (knitting) [Ravelry]
  • Recipe for Summer by Pine Mountain Designs (cross stitch)
  • Royale top, 2 oz (Merino-Yak-Silk) top from A Verb for Keeping Warm [Ravelry
  • Sea Foam Wrap (knitting) [Ravelry

UFOs:
  1. Chasing Rainbows Heather--one Merino-Bombyx (2 oz) and one Merino wool (2 oz) (spinning)
  2. Peacock Majesty by Just Nan (cross stitch)
  3. Violet Needle Roll (cross stitch)

Friday, September 07, 2012

Eye Candy Friday...

...and it's going to be a busy weekend.

For today's eye candy we have, Wendy's Wish salvia:

Wendy's Wish Salvia

some sunflowers:

Sunflowers

and Voodoo Star verbena

Verbena Estrella


I have been spending most evenings weaving the shawl. At this point, there is no way I'll finish it by the weekend, so I'm just going to take my time and enjoy the process. One thing I've noticed with this yarn is that it has a lot of stretch. There is one section of the warp that has stretched so much that I have to hang a weight on it to make it taut. I hope it tightens up a bit when I wash it.

Up this weekend: The wedding is tomorrow! I'm a tiny-bit sad that I'm missing Spin-In, but it's one of my "kids" who is getting married—I wouldn't miss it for anything. It should be a great party!

Of course that means that Sunday we have to do everything we normally spread out over the entire weekend...guess we'll be busy on Sunday!
.

Thursday, September 06, 2012

wrapping up my birthday...

...I'm still coming down form the chocolate high of my birthday desserts! The Husband bought 4 mini-desserts as my birthday "cake" and it took us 2 days to eat them! They were super rich and super good!

So I got a few things for my birthday. :)

Here's the plant that the Daughter gave me:

Bromeliads with ivy

and the flowers my mother sent:

Flower arrangement

The Husband went to the Kings Mountain Craft Fair on Saturday and he bought this fiber for me. It's from Schafenfreude Fibers. It's 4 ounces of  Polworth in the Preppy colorway:

Preppy Polworth top

That was icing on the cake as he'd already given me this for my birthday:

New toy

My new iPad! I spent part of Saturday setting it up. The retina display is amazing and I love watching movies on it! I was already a big fan of the iPad, but this is off the charts. Yes, I am spoiled! (...and your point is? Lol!)
.

Tuesday, September 04, 2012

welcome to September...

...and happy birthday to me! I've already been out to lunch with the Daughter and am looking forward to dinner with the Husband. I haven't accomplished much at work today, which means I need to play catch-up tomorrow. However, I got a lot accomplished over the weekend.

I found a dress for the wedding. I'm OK with the dress...I just don't wear dresses that often any more. It's sleeveless, which could be an issue given that the wedding is in Aptos (Santa Cruz area) and it could be cold. I have a sweater I can wear with it, and if I finish it, the new wrap I'm weaving will go well with the dress.

I'm making good progress on the wrap. The yarn color is called Blueberry, so I named the wrap project Blueberry Thrill. It's looking good so far:

Bluberrry Thrill shawl, in progress

We turned the work table around in the studio and I like the orientation much better, The only disadvantage it that you can see what I'm storing under the table (the spinning wheel, the stitching stand) when you walk into the room. I'll have to see if there's anything I can do about making them less obvious.

I got most of the little things put away that were on the studio work surfaces. I reorganized some of the drawers and labeled a bunch of them I still have quite a few to label, but I'm getting to the point where most of the remaining drawers are "Tools" and "Misc." I don;t have too much a problem withe tools because I have lots of them. It eh "Misc" drawers that bother me!

We finally hung the IKEA panels to hide the washer and dryer. We hung the rail without too much of a problem. However, the panels were a giant PITA. I chose rice paper and bamboo panels because we wanted shoji screens, but could not justify the cost. The panels were very reasonable priced. Now, I am a very experienced assembling boxed furniture...I cut my teeth on RTA Danish furniture in the 70s. But these panels, kicked my @$$.

The panels are 118-inch long--you cut them to the length you need, and you need make sure to cut them square. Then you attach a flat bar to the panel end and push that into the panel rail. Except that if your panel has a bamboo piece (round and almost the same diameter as a bamboo skewer) that ends up on the part that must go into the panel rail, you're hosed. There is no way it will fit. I had to figure out how to remove the bamboo from that piece of the panel without ripping the paper and wrecking the entire panel. Fortunately, a few wet paper towels applied to the back of the bamboo piece loosened the glue so I could carefully remove the bamboo. Then I had to wait for the piece to dry before I could continue.

Once I had the panels ready, I couldn't figure out how to make them work together. It was at this point I wanted words on my instructions...the pictures totally failed me. I gave up and hung the panels. They work on the track independently and I think they look good.

IKEA panels hide washer & dryer

and view showing the craft alcove:

Studio alcoves

I'll attack that working together thing after looking at some of the videos and when I have more patience!

OK...a little more work and then it's home for my birthday dinner!
.

Another Finished Object...

 ...yay! I finished the first yarn on my new Lendrum DT. I tried a 2-ply and it turned out OK. Using the plying head was not as smooth...