Livin' La Needle Loca

...if this darn cough would go away, I'd be OK! Man, this stuff was way yucky! Fever, chills, headaches, congestion, and coughing...just loads of fun. I started to feel better Friday, but then the coughing kicked in. I been sleeping sitting up for the last few nights so I don't cough as much...it helps, but I still cough at night. I've developed a new appreciation for Jell-o and Fudgesicles—they both soothe the throat. Most of the time, I was camped on the couch. The two cats kept me company, so I saw a lot of these: They didn't seem to mind the coughing too much, although Sombra would yell at me from time to time. Once I started feeling better, I was able to knit again. I finally finished the Queen of Beads socks. Just in time, too, as the next club installment arrived today! Here they are: ...and another view: Specs: Finished : 3/28/2009 Blue Moon Fiber Arts Rockin' Sock Club, January 2009 installment Socks That Rock Lightweight in "My Blue Heaven" N...

...no Eye Candy Friday for me.

...have to thank The Husband for sharing his cold with me. (Thanks, dear...) I was out of commission most of yesterday—big time fever and chills. I even skipped the gym and Pilates, which I rarely do. I feel good enough today to come to work, but we'll see how long I last. I'm drinking a humongo Coldbuster from Jamba Juice (immunity booset, antioxident boost, and added vitamins) to let this cold know I mean business! Anyway, sorry there are no pictures today. Not much to show since Monday.

...it was a spinning weekend. I didn't even touch my quilt or sewing at all! First, I finished the first bobbin of Chocolate Covered Raspberries seawool from Creatively Dyed . This represents a little under 4 ounces; I still have another 4 ounces to go. Then I spun the second bobbin of Andromeda from The Yarn Wench : The second bobbin is a little darker than the first, so I may end up with a two-ply on this one just to even out the color. And then, because I've been wanting to spin this ever since I bought it at Stitches West, here is some naturally dyed gray alpaca in Pomegranate from Tactile, a Fiber Arts Studio : It was a dream to spin! Here's the close-up: Specs: Started and finished 3/22/09 Naturally dyed gray alpaca (2 oz) in Pomegranate from Tactile, a Fiber Arts Studio Spun and Navajo-plied on Lendrum DT wheel Yield : 113 yards; 16 WPI The color variations in this yarn are so subtle...it was a nice change from spinning fiber with long runs of color. I did get a l...

...for Eye Candy Friday. First, a freesia: ...apricots in the making... ...and some tiny white and blue flowers (name unknown). It was foggy and cool when I took the pictures this morning, but it's mostly cleared up now. Looks like it will be a nice day! Last night I finished the sock legs for the Queen of Bead socks and immediately started on the heel flaps. These socks are shaping up well. Gee, maybe I'll finish them before the month is out! The beads are growing on me... Up this weekend, work on the socks, spin more of the Andromeda Merino-silk, and maybe do some sewing. Now that it is officially Spring, I feel like finishing my "Flower Power" quilt that I started a few years ago. The top is done; it just needs to be sandwiched and quilted. I also have a new idea for a spindle bag that I want to try...just need more hours in the day!

...my Queen of Beads socks are coming right along. I have about 7 rows left and then I can start the heel. Yay! I haven't quite decided where to stop using the beads. I guess it will depend on how annoyed I am with moving beads when I finish the heel. I've been selling a few copies of my sock bag pattern after posting a picture of my Knitmare on Elm Street bag on one of the Ravelry forums. I'm happy that people are finding it useful! Since this is generating a little income, I decided to use it to treat myself to another Namaste bag. I've been dreaming of the eggplant Zuma bag every since I saw it online. Yarndogs had a teal Zuma bag at Stitches West that tempted me, but I decided on the Malibu bag instead. But the eggplant was calling my name! I've been wanting a smaller bag to use when I don't need a lot of tools and maybe to double as a purse. This bag meets those needs. Here's what it looks like inside: This bag holds a lot of things without looking st...

...that's pretty much what I did and it was great! I had a wonderful time at the spin-in on Saturday! (Thanks, Mary!) I made some new friends and got a lot more spun than I normally do at home...it's so good to be with people who understand your addiction craft. Sirena made the transition from home to the spin-in location just fine. (OK, one minor user error...) I converted her cover to a drawstring bag by inserting cord into the hem area and adding a cordstop. This protected her from the dirt in the back of the Husband's car. Even though I already had the Chocolate-Covered Raspberries seawool in progress, I decided to spin something new. I've had Andromeda in the queue since Ravelympics and it seemed like a good time to start it. Here's bobbin #1: I split the top width-wise into 8 pieces for longer color runs, and then separated it into two 2-ounce groups. I'll spin one bobbin of each 2-ounce group and ply it using the chain (Navajo) method. I finished t...