Monday, June 29, 2009

Nellie's last Chat 'N Sew meeting

Nellie's last meeting was this past Monday(June 22). I wanted to add a picture from that meeting.


One of the other ladies, Rita, made this thoughtful gift for Nellie. She let her unwrap it, and examine it for awhile before offering up this info on it:

It is of the softest fake fur. Rita made a robe out of it for her son, 35 years ago! (So it is well aged.) And no, it isn't a strange looking hat like was Nellie's first guess. It is a mitt for her ICE SCRAPER. "Because, honey - you are gonna need one of those up there!" You just slip your ice scraper handle through that hole, and your hand will stay dry and warm this winter! Modeled after ones she has seen in catalogs. ;)

To which Nellie informed us all, she has already requested NO SNOW in Connecticut this winter! Let's see how well that works! ;)

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Goodbye Nellie

These are a few of the ladies that I have been crafting/knitting with since soon after we moved here, almost 5 years ago. During "season" (Oct./Nov. - Apr./May) we have 20 something ladies attending (now at a church), but summers drop to anywhere between 3-10 of us.

When we got settled into our rental in late 2004, I found a listing under the community section in the local paper for a group called "Chat N Sew", in a nearby town called Englewood. The phone number listed was for Nellie, one of the original members of the group from 20 some odd years ago. She gave me directions to the library where they met every Monday, and made me feel like I was really welcome to come. I thought the 15 mile drive to Englewood would keep us from going every Monday, maybe every other week. But the lovely ladies at "Chat N Sew" took us in as part of their family, and Amber and I have been there almost every Monday since. (DD got a roomful of instant "Grandma's).


Well, after having a heart attack last year, Nellie decided to move back to Connecticut this year to be closer to her kids. This was her "going away party" last month. We met at her condo's club house for our regular Monday meeting, then a potluck lunch, plus we were invited to bring our suits and go swimming after. We all got a big kick out of Nellie's swim suit cover up.


She is a very interesting lady, with a lot of stories to tell, and a great personality, and she will be missed - dearly.


Monday, June 22, 2009

This is so cool, I have got to make one!

DD and I spotted this a few weeks ago, and I love it!

I have been talking with DH about re-doing the counters in our pop up camper in a similar manner, only minus the pictures. But I think I like the black and white pictures and the newspaper clippings they put in this too.



It's a plywood base with sand spread over it all. Small shells, flat shells (like sand dollars and star fish) and some cut conch shells. All scattered between black and white photo's and newspaper clippings. Then Lacquer is poured on about 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick. Those are napkins to the left, sort of a 3D effect.



The blue is the border around the table, and the lacquer is even across the whole table with it.





Don't you just love it?!?!

Friday, June 19, 2009


Woo-Hoo! My Pineapple is getting big!
It's about 6 inches now! I bought the plant in the back with fruit on it, but soon after I planted it (last year) one of our resident critters took a huge bite out of the fruit and left it. Don't think he liked it as much as he thought he would. We picked it up and planted it next to the original plant, and that its the one that is fruiting now. Hopefully they leave it alone this time, and I get to eat it! :) Keeping my fingers crossed!

Thursday, June 18, 2009


These are two of the ladies, my new friends, from my Tuesday night crafting at B.A.M. group (Forward Tinkers), Helen and Donna. Helen and Donna also go to another weekly group, The Linus Project (blankets for kids). Donna has a little issue. She has a hole in her lip. Almost every time we meet, she spills something on her shirt. (Often enough that she bought me replacements for my TIDE stick) She has often said that she needed to make herself a bib.
Well, last week Helen made Donna a gift. It's a bib with PEANUTS (get it? Linus?) material. Isn't it just too cute! I got Donna to model it for me during our meeting. We have a lot of laughs at our meetings. :)

Whew! Done!


So glad to finish moving those old blog posts over here from Yahoo 360*. :p


I didn't want to lose them in cyberspace, they represent a big portion of my life the last few years (and it was my first attempt at blogging). But I didn't want to continue with Yahoo's new plan to replace 360*.


So... thanks to my old friends from 360* for bearing with the "repeat blog posts" that they've seen before, and to new readers: "Don't expect me to post that many times in the next year, let alone 1 month!" (JK) ;)


Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Entry for June 17, 2009

Goodbye 360*!






I am sad that they couldn't find a way for it to continue, as the same 360 we have grown to love. But . . . . such is life.
I hope my 360* friends will stay connected to me at my other addy:
http://knitwithtammy.blogspot.com/
I spent the last month transfering all my old posts over there, and I am now on to new things. For those of you who don't connect with me over there, I will miss hearing from you.
360* has been a big part of my life the past 4 years ( being my first blog), and so have all of you. I've enjoyed "getting to know" all of you.
Take Care!
Tammy/pazzagatto

Entry for March 08, 2009



Been working on a couple of things, this afghan for my niece for one. A shawl for myself is another, will try to get a pic of that up soon.

The afghan is close to being finished (this is an older picture), just a couple more stripes to finish and then have to crochet and attach the stars.

It's going to be awesome, if I do say so myself.
October 16, 2008

Update on Study Group



One of the ladies blended and spun up all her dyed roving to make her color wheel, including the shading and toning with the white and black blended in.

I think this is so cool! What a clever idea! She said she used EZ's Pi Are Squared pattern.
August 6, 2008

My part of a study group on color



Some of the members from my Spinning Guild decided to pursue a Master Spinning Certificate. The number of participants grew, and it changed to just completing the requirements but not pursuing the certificate. (Don't ask me why, I'm still confused on that point)

Anyhow, we purchased three pounds of roving apiece, and proceeded to start dying- leaving one pound plain. Each person taking on one of three primary colors (mine was red). Then the idea is to split the colors between the 7 members, so each of us can blend with cards to get our own color wheel. (seventh member dyes black for tones - to be blended later)

This is a picture from my dye day with my friend Laura, we decided to dye together - more fun that way. Have pics of the dividing day too, but only know how to add one at a time on 360. Will do a blog and add a few pics on blogger later.
July 30, 2008

Vacation Souveniers :)



Some people bring home knick - nacks, some post cards. I usually get a shot glass, and FIBER!

I don't have a picture of the shot glass, but I do have one of the fiber love. Rovings to spin ,cottons for washcloths and sock yarns to knit .

What more could a girl want?
July 29, 2008

Matching Tattoos



Little sister and I got matching tattoos while I was back home this time. Lotus flowers, with the chinese symbol for sisters underneath.

She has a friend that does tats, and he did them for us for free.
May 27, 2008

Memorial Day BBQ




Hope you all had a great Memorial Day weekend.

It was a beautiful weekend here; no rain, lots of sunshine and low humidity.

We had a BBQ with DD's boyfriend's family yesterday. It was a great day! Good food, good company and a nice view. (we spent the day at DH's parents new house - they just purchased it last month, but haven't moved down from Michigan yet. So we fish in the canal off their pier, and play in their pool - to help keep the bacteria down ofcourse! )

We chose to wait until next weekend to go camping, because all the state parks in this area were fully booked already. (and I didn't want to spend twice as much at an RV park) We haven't been since November, so it should be fun.

hhhmmmmmmmm . . . . what knitting to bring? (Besides the carousel sock, Bobbi)
May 13, 2008

Spiffin' up the back yard . . .



We put up a gazebo (from Home Depot) yesterday. When we got it finished we knew it was time to landscape the back yard - who wants to sit around in a gazebo and stare at an ugly yard? We landscaped the front over the last two years, now it was time to get to the back.

We picked up 4 Areca Palms for shade; four more Hibiscus, two of one kind - one hot pink and one peach, plus two of a different kind that haven't bloomed yet - mystery flowers! - (we have eight others put in by the builder - four with red flowers and variegated leaves in the front yard, and four with solid green leaves on the side of the house around the water softener - think they were orange flowers); Portulaca in red, orange and yellow to add some color under the palms; and a Meyers lemon tree for a pot on my porch, it's all of 1 foot tall right now. I am going to get three more desert roses (have one in the front yard) to put between the hibiscus.

I am pretty happy with it all.

We already had three rose bushes (in the back corner, around the well); and four oak trees. But that was the extent of our backyard landscaping.

We are going to add small rocks or crushed sea shells in front of the slab to put the lounge chairs on.
May 7, 2008

My Discount Store Haul . . . .




After reading (on Ravelry) of someone's great find at Big Lots a few weeks ago, I decided to give our local BL a looksee.


Well, this is what I came home with - all for $1 or $1.50 a skein! Good thing I controlled myself! Some Lionbrand yarns, and some never heard of brands.


I came home with:

7 skeins of LB Chenille Thick n Quick

2 skeins of LB Boucle

2 skeins of LB Fancy Fur

2 skeins of LB Suede

2 skeins of a turquoise eyelash

6 skeins of a blue acrylic

12 skeins of varigated wool - 6 each of two colorways


The blue acrylic and the Thick n Quick are both for the Comfort Shawl Ministry at my church. The others are for personal stash enhancement.

Woo Hoo - quite a haul!

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Entry for April 02, 2008

I have an issue I could use your help with. DH and I are considering opening a yarn/fiber shop in our area. I am having a hard time coming up with a catchy name. Any suggestions?

We live in SW Florida, if that helps with any ideas.

Any help would be appreciated. Contact me however you want, comment or send a PM. I will add a poll at the bottom with the (few) ideas I've had - but please send me more ideas! And if you mark the "other" box, please leave a suggestion - or two!

Thanks!

Need a catchy name for a yarn shop - what do you think of these?
Y Not Knit - with Tammy? (my classes at Michael's were called "Knit with Tammy") Forward Tinkers
Florida Fiber Folks
Spinning My Wheels in Paradise
Other
Entry for March 23, 2008



This is from the Altu Han, Mayan ruins in Belize. It was a really cool place.

We were told by our guide that the really awesome ruins were about 40 miles farther west, closer to Guatemala. Maybe one day we will go back and spend a few days in Belize for a closer look.

The hard part of a cruise is only having a few hours on shore to see things before you have to get back on-board and sail away again. When you hear about this cool place to check out, you probably don't have the time to find it. But then, you have the opportunity to get a taste of four places in four days.

It was quite the experience.
March 19, 2008







Happy Easter Everybody!

Bobbi mentioned in a chat that my shawl yarn looked turquoise to her. So, I wanted to add a picture of it up close - so you could maybe see all the colors in it, the blues, turquoises, and the greens. I hope it shows up well. It's so pretty.
March 17, 2008

First of all . . . .Happy St. Patty's Day!



Here is my "cruise" shawl as of the other day. Like I said, I didn't get too far. But that's ok, there is no rush for it. It is still fun and I enjoyed all the stuff I did onboard instead.
March 14, 2008

We had a fantastic time!



We had a really good time on our cruise! DD started feeling better by the second day, and spent a lot of the time running all over the ship with new found friends. I only got the head cold part from her (knew I would, I always get it) and was able to still do most of what I wanted. (had to bow out for the midnight comedy show the first night - no way I could make it to that and be up for the shore excursion the next morning)

We enjoyed the ship part and the shore part , and would love to do it again some day. But we have some great pictures and fantastic memories from this trip - not to mention lots of souvenirs!

There was always something to do, and I had to take a couple of naps along the way - I was sick! - so I really didn't get very far with my shawl. I will post a picture of it soon.

PS: sorry it took so long to post, we have all been sick since returning! I am almost over it and ready to blog, blog, blog!

Sunday, June 14, 2009

February 22, 2008

I found my cruise knitting!



Well, I finally decided. (No, I haven't finished packing yet - but I DO have my knitting picked out!)

I purchased this yarn just after Christmas, after searching RAVELRY for what yarn others had used for a certain pattern (the Making Tracks Shawl). I did this shawl for my DD 5 or 6 years ago with Lion Brand Jiffy, and thought I would like to make one for myself in a nicer yarn.

When I saw one in this yarn, I was hooked! It was perfect! I am usually really good at thinking through my knitting purchases - especially with nicer more expensive yarns (but I have been known to go crazy in Michael's or JoAnn's when yarns are on sale! ) - but this one had me in a frenzy. I googled for it immediately and found it on sale! It was meant to be! I purchased it right there and then. Then spent the next couple of weeks (while waiting for the yarn to show up) wondering what happened . But when it finally showed up, I was glad I did it. It's Blue Heron Beaded Rayon in Deep Blue Sea.

I also picked up a couple of goodies at a LYS a few days ago. A stitch marker that I thought was too cute - yes that is a scrabble piece! And a measuring tape I have been thinking about for around 2 years ( I told you I contemplate my knitting purchases!)

Now, everything will be GREAT! IF . . . I finish the laundry, finish the dishes, finish cleaning the house, finish packing AND if DD gets over the flu which she just came down with yesterday!!! All in the next day and a half!

AAAAHHHHHHH!!!!

Wish me luck!
February 13, 2008

Another bummer . . .



Isn't this cool?! A friend in San Diego made a pair of these for me, as a going away present. (Hi Colleen!)

I have worn them to every one of my knitting classes at Michael's, and every knitting guild and group get together I have been to during this time also (in the last 2 1/2 years). As a matter of fact, I was recognized by them at the guild and I was just thinking it was time to give them a hand wash.

Then . . . IT happened. AAARRRGGGHHH!! I lost one at work two weeks ago! Of all the sucky luck! It hasn't turned up, and I don't know if someone found it and liked it or if was lost in the parking lot and washed away. AAAAHHHHHHH!!
February 12, 2008

Very Sad . . .



Sorry to be a big downer today - geez, I have a lot of whinny posts lately!

But, I am totally bummed today because we had to have our dog put down. She was almost 14, and having a lot of troubles. So it was a hard decision, but the one that needed to be made. She had a poor quality of life the last few months, and I couldn't put her through that for my/our sake.

She was like my other kid. She came into our life when I was still trying to have a second child, and having no results. So she became my second child. Through the years, she has been my baby, my buddy, my protector and my friend. I will miss her dearly.

I LOVE YOU JASMINE!
January 24, 2008

Pay it Forward



With recovering from the holidays, this last month has gotten away from me and I forgot to post my Pay it Forward exchange offer. I signed up for Riley's around mid December, and forgot to re-post the offer here. So . . . here it is :

I will send a handmade gift along with a couple of "surprises" to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange. I don’t know what that gift(s) will be yet and you will not receive it tomorrow or next week, but you will receive it within 365 days, that is my promise!

The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog.

Want to participate? Be one of the first 3 people to leave a comment on this post and make the same promise on your own blog. Be sure to comment on a later blog who your first three people are to sign up.

Not So Random Acts of Kindness. And 365 days to do it in!!! I like this idea a lot!
January 22, 2008

The SAGA of the gloves




Here is my tale of woe . . . .

We draw names at Thanksgiving with Dh's cousins (whom we do all the holidays with) for Christmas gift giving. I picked his cousin Phil.

Phil works for a company that sends him to NY every other month for 2 weeks. Since he has lived in SW Florida for many years now, I guessed that he probably doesn't have winter dressing stuff : hat, gloves, and scarf.

I had DH ask his sisters what color his winter coat was. Then I picked out some luscious alpaca, in a very handsome green color, and searched on-line for a nice glove pattern. Found a good looking pair, and then came across a magazine with a hat pattern that went well. (Must have been meant to be - it was published at just the right time and was in the bookstore the week after picking out the glove pattern to find it!)

Started on the gloves, then received an email from Phil. (We send our "picker" a list of things we are in need or desire of, so they have an idea where to start.) Well, his email said gift card to Penney's, gift card to Home Depot, gift card to . . . you get the idea. He did say that he probably needed a hat and gloves (DH asked him about these things, so I could be sure he didn't have them already) but that "These are such 'personal taste' items" that he couldn't see anyone picking them out for him. (big sigh)

His older sister (whom I knit with occasionally, and share projects with every time we are together) told me (the next time we got together) that she and one younger sister had been agonizing how to tell me that Phil is SUPER picky and they hadn't bought him any clothing items since he was a teen for just this reason. She said she would never even think of knitting him anything!ARRGGHH!!

DH saw how disappointed I was, and tried to make me feel better by saying he had a business trip to Dallas, coming up in January, and that he was sure he would need gloves. But then the following day his business trip got postponed until March.

Well, I managed to get a few rows farther than this picture, but am planning a trip to the frog pond with these for good!
January 4th, 2008

Goin' on a Cruise!



Woo Hoo!

We've been planning this for a few months, but now it's less than 2 months away, and I am sooo excited! This is the first cruise I have been on. We don't usually do what some would call "real" vacations. When hubby takes a week off of work, we usually:

1.) camp somewhere near by OR

2.) hit a local theme park for a day or two OR

3.) more often than not, sit at home and work on the house or take care of stuff that has been put off for too long.

We don't go to vacation spots and do vacation things . . . so this will be cool in many ways. Hubby has been on many cruises (having been in the Navy for 20 years), but none as much fun or relaxing as this.

There is a couple from our church who arrange this every 2 years. They get a good group rate from their travel agent, and arrange to have a bus pick everyone up at their house. And this year, we decided to go along.

We are going to stop at four spots : Belize, Cozumel, Isla Roaton, and Grand Cayman. I am getting so jazzed! We are taking DD (many have asked, so I thought I would add this), and we will be going on my birthday! How cool is that?!

Now, what knitting to bring . . . .

(FYI: the beach picture here is of DD, Godson, bestie and I last Thanksgiving, when they came to visit us in Florida. It has nothing to do with this cruise - it's just a good sunset beach pic! )
Entry for December 30, 2007



Happy New Year Everyone!


I tried to leave everyone a Merry Christmas message on here last week, but Yahoo didn't think I should. So . . . I am hoping this will work.

This is a picture of my Amaryllis that I just found out wasn't an amaryllis. It's a Hippeastrum. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippeastrum ) It's is a 3rd generation plant. DH's grandfather gave a bulb to MIL, and she gave us a few from her plant (well . . . 4 or 5 actually) at the end of this summer.

Anyhow, one of them flowered already. Didn't expect any flowers from this planting until next year. I was happily surprised.
Entry for December 07, 2007

No picture yet, but I am working on gloves and a hat for one of DH's cousins.

http://www.freevintageknitting.com/mittens/617-gloves-pattern.html

and the hat pattern I think I'll use is in the Holiday 2007 'knitsimple' (a few other nice patterns in this issue too!)

We do a gift exchange every Christmas, that we draw names for on Thanksgiving. Well, I got the cousin who has been working a couple of weeks every other month in NY state. So what better gift for a Florida boy working part of his time in cold NY?

The yarn I got is Inca Alpaca in a heathered green color - gorgeous, and yummy soft! Online the color number says it's Juniper Berry Heather - blue, it's listed as a blue! It doesn't look like any shade of blue, it's more a spruce or forrest green!

Anyhow, hopefully I will have a picture to show soon with much progress.
November 29, 2007

Memorial




I wanted to show off the memorial tattoo that I just got on my ankle.

My younger sister has one that she got a few years back for our mom, and I wanted to get one similar. I have been thinking about it for around three years and decided after dad passed that it was time.

Yesterday was the day. I changed it a bit, got a yellow rose instead of blue (she had wanted yellow - since it was mom's favorite color of rose - but the guy who did hers said it would fade to a nasty color in a few years. My guy said that was ridiculous - take care of it as it heals and it will stay bright for many years), for some reason her guy colored her teardrop red instead of blue - so mine is blue, I added an extra star for our dad and some stardust so they would resemble shooting stars (after dad passed and while we were back at his place hanging out for awhile my daughter saw two shooting stars. She immediately felt at peace, as this was a sign for her that "Grandma Tina" was leading "Pappa Pete" to heaven.) and my heart is a little brighter and "happier" - if that makes sense.

I am very happy with it.

Friday, June 12, 2009

Entry for November 14, 2007




Thank you to everyone who sent thoughts and prayers for my dad and my family.

Dad passed quietly on Tuesday morning at 12:12 am, just after DD and I left for the airport. My sister was the only one of us kids left (he insisted he didn't want us there, but gave in to youngest sister staying to help his wife) and she called me right after. DD and I turned around and went back for a couple of hours (we didn't have to fly out till almost 8, and only had a 1 1/2 hour drive) to comfort my little sister.

He got a chance to see all the kids, and grand kids one last time. That made his time easier.

It is a very sad time for us, but he is no longer in pain. He has had a lot of trouble since his heart attack 3 years ago. Plus, he is now with my mom - where he has wanted to be since her passing from cancer almost 17 years ago.
Entry for November 08, 2007


Hi my friends.


DD anad I are visiting my dad in Arizona who is in acute kidney failure. They don't give him more thn 4 weeks, so we flew out in a hurry. I will be back on at the end of next week.


Be safe and tell someone you love them, before it's too late.
Entry for November 02, 2007




Wow! Has it really been two weeks? Boy, time just gets away from me sometimes . . . . but I have been reading other blogs and commenting, just haven't written anything in my own.

Today I'm sharing with you . . . the lovely flowers I recieved while in the hospital.

I have been feeling a little better and trying to pull the house together a bit more. (I didn't realize just how bad I felt the past two years, until I started feeling better)

Also, my in-laws are in town for a bit - looking for land to build on for their retirement move down this way (from Michigan) in the spring. So we have spent a few nights with them - and went camping with them in our "new to us" pop up. (well, semi camping. . . . we stayed in an RV park next to them. )

Plus, church meetings and schooling has taken a lot of time lately.

But I miss blogging regularly.

Like many of you, I am getting worried about the future of my yahoo 360 blog. But have seen many of the blog sites out there, and chose not to start a blog until I saw 360.. I will probably break down and join multiply just to have a back up plan. Because even though DD talked me into getting a myspace, it's not really my "thing". I will post an update here.
October 19, 2007
Small rant . . .

I don't believe a restaurant should call itself "Maine's Best Seafood and Steak" if they don't serve MAINE LOBSTER!

That's where we went for our anniversary dinner - my choice - and I never dreamed they would only have rock lobster. Our steaks were not bad, but I'm not a big fan of rock lobster (it's OK, but doesn't really compare to the Maine lobster) so I didn't order them. We should have left when I read the menu. harrumph!


and that's my opinion!
Entry for October 17, 2007



These yarns are so neat.

The cream (looks white here) and purple yarns are soft and fluffy and have clear seed beads throughout. The black yarn is eyelash, and has the beads too. The red in the back, and the multi colored ones (second from the left and last one in the line) are ribbon yarns.

(The bamboo dp's are only 5", and I haven't seen any that length except in yarn stores and catalogs.)

The latest Vogue Knitting has a pattern for a knitted Christmas ornament (pg.10) using a foam ball and sock yarn. Well, I am going to give it a try with the ribbon yarn. Maybe use the cream colored fluffy stuff and some ribbon on one.

The purple and black are for DD's scarf. I was thinking something simple like holding the two together, garter stitch on 15's. Or, maybe just add the black to the last six inches on both ends. Hhhhmmmmmm. ?????????????????

How about a poll? Never done one. Let's give it a whirl!

How should I use the purple and black yarns for DD's scarf?
Hold both yarns together throughout? Use the black alone, or with the purple - just for the last 6" on each end? OTHER - if you answer this one, you HAVE to give ideas to go with it!
October 16, 2007
I couldn't control myself!



I went with my friend to a new Weaving and Spinning Guild meeting today. We live in a fairly small area, and the two big cities to the North and South of us have guilds - where as our area doesn't. We have both been members of the guild to the North for a couple of years, and wanted to check out the guild to the south.

Well, it was very nice.The members who where present were all very nice - and their spinners meet every Tuesday! That is a big plus right there.

Now, this could be a plus or a minus - depending on how you look at it! (like killing my budget!) THERE IS A SUPER JOANN'S BETWEEN THERE AND HOME! Now this is a BIG thing, since our nearest Joann's is very lame.

We stopped by on our way home and I got all these goodies - on sale! The yarn was only $1.57 a ball! I picked up some for a scarf for DD, two Christmas ornaments, and that pretty coral is probably a sweater. I got some black and white FIMO at 50% off, lighted needles in size 6 for dishcloths (just for fun! at $6) A set of bamboo dp's for socks in size 1, head pins for more stitch markers, and foam balls for the Christmas ornaments - my only full priced purchases. (and actually the only things I went in for in the first place)

I had a ball! Now I need to figure out how many days we may need to eat PB&J to make up for it . . . .
October 11, 2007

18 years later . . .





DH came home with a gigantic card and a dozen roses last night. Then we went out for dinner and a movie, and I had DD take a few pictures of us before we left.

We had a decent steak at a local place - the rest of dinner was so-so to sucky, and then saw The Heartbreak Kid:

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1809769000/video/2885498/20070531/150/2885498-1000-qtv-s.37679128-,2885498-700-wmv-s.37678819-,2885498-100-wmv-s.37678810-,2885498-300-wmv-s.37678813-,2885498-1000-wmv-s.37678821-,2885498-700-qtv-s.37679123-,2885498-300-flash-s.37678830-,2885498-100-qtv-s.37679115-,2885498-700-flash-s.37678831-,2885498-100-flash-s.37678824-,2885498-1000-flash-s.37678832-,2885498-300-qtv-s.37679118-,2885499-10300-qtv-s.37678844-,2885499-2700-qtv-s.37678838-,2885499-6800-qtv-s.37678839-

It was funny. Kind of crazy, but funny. It was good to laugh like that. We had a good time.
October 10, 1989 . . .



Can it really be 18 years ago?

Wow! It really doesn't seem that long ago (well, most of the time. then there are those times when it seems like longer)

One of my older sister's was my MOH, and one of his Great uncles was his best man. We were married in Michigan, with his family there (mom, dad, sister, and grandma) had a dinner at their house; spent the night at the Hampton Inn; then headed for Oregon to have a reception with my family and friends.

That trip convinced me we could make it through almost anything together:

We drove cross country in a little Ford Ranger (custom purple paint job, with hot pink and turquoise swoops on both sides - it was SWEET!) The bed filled with some furniture and boxes of stuff his parents had stored.

We were young and broke, and couldn't afford motels. So we slept in the cab, heads in opposite directions (and feet in each others faces half of the time!) at rest stops along the way. Then we would wash up in the COLD water there before we start off again. (I remember wetting down my head in a sink going over the Rockies- boy was that cold! There was a sign posted about NOT washing your hair in the sink - due to a hypothermia risk!) It's OK, I was young and invincible!

We spent a week at my folks house, most of it packing up my stuff to tote back to Florida (where we were living at the time), and had a reception at the local VFW. The trip back was the about the same- only we had an '81 4 door Datsun 310 towed behind the truck- and the rest of the bed of the truck packed sky high with my boxes and the back of the Datsun was filled too. The front seat had my two cats and their litter box!

Anyhow. . . by the time we finished this trip, 3 days each way, I knew we would be together for a LLLLOOONNNGGGGGG time. If we could make it through that, we could make it through just about ANYTHING!
October 9, 2007

My latest crafty endevor



I've been wanting to make some of these stitch markers for a long time but don't use the fancy ones myself really, so I have been putting it off. Then it occurred to me that I could make a set and give them to someone - duh!

So I made a set for my "cousin-in-law" Laura, who drove us to Cocoa Beach for the Fiber In. My sister in LA taught me how to wire wrap a few years ago - she teaches it at the local Adult Ed's in her area.

I enjoyed this and will probably make more. Maybe sell them at a craft fair.
Octobr 9, 2007

"One more" Fiber In post . . .



I forgot to mention the group knitting project from the Fiber In. Three at a time, working on circular needles, with a dk cotton yarn. End project is to be a circular shawl. Pretty neat, huh?

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

October 4, 2007

My "Yard Sale" purchase from the Fiber In



Sorry, been a little busy and haven't made it back to post. Here's my last Fiber In post (maybe) :

At the end of the Fiber In they have a "yard sale". Where any of the participants can bring some stash, bagged, tagged and ready to sell.

I paid $10 for this lovely bag of: 60% acrylic,25% wool, 10% mohair, & 5% cotton - approx 955 yards. 5.5 st per inch. The color is Velvet Teal, with multi colored flecks. YUMMY!

Not sure what I'll make with it yet, but I love it!
Entry for September 25, 2007




Well, I received a few questions about the needles so I thought I would make an extra post with some answers.

Well I am not good at estimating weights and measurements, but I'll try. I'm thinking under 100 grams. Because when I hold a pair of the needles in one hand, and either of these skeins in the other - the needles are slightly lighter.

The way we made them was interesting too. First we conditioned small pieces of polymer (1/2 inch by 1/2 inch is what I used, except I used twice as much of the white) in different colors, (DD used 3 colors, I used 4) flattened them into little pancakes and stacked them. Then twisted them quite a few times. Shaped them into little cubes, then cut thin slices.

Second, we took chopsticks and sanded the ends into points and lightly sanded the rest of them. Then lightly covered them with liquid polymer, to help the clay adhere. Then connected the slices to the sticks, smoothing as much as possible. DD added balls of the same mix to the tops, I used two slices each and made more cylinder type tops - We ran out of time so they don't match as well as I'd like, but they'll do. Then they were baked for 20 minutes while we had dinner.

Our demo instructor said to sand them with a super fine grit, under water. She said that makes for a smoother finish.

I haven't sanded mine yet, so I'll post when I do.
September 23, 2007

We did a polymer clay demo . . .



Do you like our knitting needles?

They were a lot of fun to make. Can you guess which are DD's, and which are mine?

They need to be water sanded still. I'm interested in how they will work/feel when they are done.
September 23, 2007

This was my spinning purchase



The pinkish one on the left is for me, and the blueish one is for DD. Sorry the pic is kinds dark. The middle thing is an orifice hook that was free with my purchase - very pretty.

She was looking for the perfect fiber to learn to spin with, and this is what she chose. I believe it was a merino and mohair blend. Mine is a merino and silk blend - and it is luscious!

I looked for a nice spindle too, I thought that would fill in for not being able to use my wheel right now (still not ready to use those stomach muscles), but didn't find one I liked.
September 21, 2007

This is my "SPECIAL" purchase



I have been ogling this shawl pattern for a few years now, and keep talking myself into waiting. I mean, I already have the Pacific Northwest Shawl waiting to be cast on http://www.fibertrends.com/viewer/patterns/S2000.html , in a gorgeous teal green lace merino.

But it was right there, on a table, screaming - oops! I mean "calling" out to me, so I caved. Then, the next day a new vendor came in - who wasn't there on the first night - and she had the yarn! The JaggerSpun Zephyr Wool-Silk, just like in the pattern. (I have heard so many wonderful coments about this yarn, and wanted to try it sometime.) I picked the color JADE, but it reminds me of an AQUA, a nice sea green shade. So it must have been meant to be.

I can't wait to start this, but have sworn to complete a couple of projects already OTN first.

Monday, June 8, 2009

~NEW POST ALERT~

Hey everyone, check out this blog contest:

Knitting Garden
September 20, 2007

Ofcourse I got sock yarn!




Bobbi asked "What, no sock yarn?" And THIS is my answer.

DD bought the Hot Pink sock yarn. It's called "The Sock - creatively dyed just for you" - and this color is SOOOO her!

I saw someone using the yarn I purchased just before the vendors opened, and fell in love! I'm not sure if the socks will be for DD (like she hopes) or me! But it is Colinette Yarns JitterBug, colourway Popsicle. It is so bright, and lively, and so soft! (always wanted to use some of their yarns, but it's sooo expensive! Like their 'Absolutely Fabulous Throw' Kit - at ONLY $195)

I also got a Port a Pocket from Circular Solutions to carry my SIP. (She comes to the Fiber In each year, and always has lots of neat stuff)

I will post more pics in the next few days of other goodies I picked up this weekend.
Entry for September 19, 2007



I was asked if I found anything unique at the Fiber In, and thought of this cool "cell phone fob" (for those of us not up on the lingo -DD had to tell me what it was- it's a charm for your cell phone)

Anyhow, this one has a yarn ball with needles on the bottom and an I "heart" 2 knit at the top. Made with Polymer clay. cool huh?

DD and I both bought one.
September 18, 2007

Florida Fiber In Fun



We had a really good time this past weekend. The event was held in Cocoa Beach this year and it was really nice. Unfortunately, I wasn't up for walking the beach. But my "cousin-in-law" (one of DH's cousins - and my fiber buddy) said it was awesome. She said the sand was sort of a cocoa brown color. (Must be where they got the name from!)

This is a few of us hanging out in the lounge area, between demos we were interested in. Knitting, crocheting, spinning - it was great!

We had demos on Bobbin Lace, Hairpin Lace, Kumihimo Braiding on a card, Getting Published (getting patterns into mags and books), Card Weaving and making Polymer Clay Knitting Needles. A LOT of talented ladies sharing knowledge - it was pretty awesome!

I did a bit of shopping with the vendors too. I will post a picture of my goodies later.

All in all, it was a good weekend. I did over do it a bit, and came home completely exhausted. But . . . it was worth it!

PS. I forgot to mention that I taught DD to spin this weekend too! That's her at my wheel.
September 11, 2007

Going to the Florida Fiber In!




Getting ready for the Fiber In this weekend! (www.floridafiberin.org) This is the third year for DD and I, and I love it. It's a blast! The last two years it was in Orlando, and this year it's in Cocoa Beach. Luckily for me, DH's cousin is going along again this year (she came with us last year and had a great time too) - but this year, she's driving! We made the reservations before my surgery, but I warned her I didn't think I'd be up for driving. Not sure if I'll be bringing my spinning wheel along this time or not tho.

I have been a bit rough this last week. I developed a bad chest congestion, I'm not sure if it was a virus or left over effects from the surgery. The coughing has been awful. I went to my family doctor and got an xray plus antibiotics, prescription cough syrup, and some asthma meds - an inhaler and singulair. I am feeling much better now, but still have a bit of a wheeze and a cough. Hopefully it's all gone before the weekend!

It's wearing me out. I've been too tired to even knit!
Entry for August 29, 2007



Hi everybody, I'm back! Actually got home on Saturday afternoon, but haven't been real interested in sitting at my desk and posting - the recliner is a more comfy position right now.

Thank you everyone for the well wishes and prayers, they help carry me through.

I used DD's laptop to read all your blogs the last couple a days, and make a comment here and there. But am feeling a little better this morning, so thought I would write a little before my nap. Please keep in mind that I am on drugs, so if I ramble on a bit . . . . or make no sense, I have an excuse of sorts. (not sure what my excuse is the rest of the times, but hey!)

I feel a little better every day, but still feel like a truck hit me. Everyone swears I will feel soo much better (better than now AND better than the stuff that sent me in to have the surgery) after about a month - I am holding on to that thought. tightly.

This is one of my favorite pictures of our Jasmine. I think it's the second year while we were in Italy, so she is about 1 1/2 years old. The people who sponsored us (showed us around and helped to get settled) turned out to be great friends, and we would trade off doing dinners and barbecues at each others places. Well, Dean (the DH of the group) LOVED Jazzy, and as you can probably see, the feeling was pretty much mutual.

In general, she was a pretty hyper dog. I used to wonder how I ended up with a kid AND a dog with ADHD! But I digress, the point was she would run laps around the house when she was excited - and people coming over to see her excited her very much! (It's still that way, a little slower now. But still running laps! And she is convinced that EVERYONE who comes to the house is there to see her)

When Dean and Lorna would come she'd get extra excited, Dean would encourage that, and her laps started to include a bounce off the couch too. If he didn't catch her on that bounce he would then get her to jump up on his lap to play, and many times she ended up around his neck. I was glad we managed to get a picture of it one time. (that's my handsome DH on the left)

Wanted to share a smile with ya'll.

Peace - Tammy
Entry for August 21, 2007




My surgery is tomorrow so I will be away from my blog for a little while. I will get back on as soon as I am feeling "froggy" - no pun intended.

Take care everyone!

Pic is of my favorite Kitty - Spooky.

She was 1/2 Siamese and 1/2 calico Manx. She was a very cool cat, and that was her favorite place to sleep during the summer. (and the flash reflected in her eyes so you can't tell she had beautiful crystal blue eyes)
Entry for August 15, 2007



This is my OTHER baby, Jasmine. Sort of a dark picture, but I can't find the one I wanted to post.

She is a Keeshound/ German Shepherd mix. Over 13 years old, and many days still a puppy at heart - even with the arthritis and poor eye site.

We got her on the fourth of July, in 1994. Just before we went to Italy. She was suppose to be the family dog, but mainly for DD - who was 3 at the time (I need to find one of those pics! the two of them were SO cute!)

It's an interesting story on how we got her. . . When we started the puppy search, we had barely agreed on a size but had no idea about a breed. See, DH had grown up with a Saint Bernard and wanted one of those. I had grown up with lots of different dogs; black labs, a boxer, a great Dane, a Pomeranian mix when I first went out on my own. But my favorite dog was my first - CHICO, a little Mexican Chihuahua mix, so I wanted one of those. Well, we compromised on a knee-high dog. We went to the local shelter, and the only knee high dog that interested us both was a blond cocker spaniel. We were ready to adopt right away, but we were turned down when they learned we had a small child at home. I guess cocker's have a reputation for biting/being aggressive with little ones.

So we took this as a sign that we needed to research our prospective new dog's breed a little closer. We checked out some books from the library and started reading, we settled on a Keeshound. They were said to be good with kids, and great family dogs. We wanted to find a dog that would be protective of DD and I, while DH was out to sea. But not so protective of either of us that when DH came home after months out to sea that the dog would try to attack him, when he started his usual tickle attacks! We decided to get a Keeshound.

A little background info here; we had only been married for about 5 years, and DH was still early in his military career. So needless to say we didn't have a lot of extra money (IE: we could barely pay the bills AND pay for food at the same time) SO, when we went to the pet store and found a Keeshound puppy, and then saw the (at that time) $500! price tag, we about died! Needless to say, we could NOT afford that. That was one full month's lot rent AND one whole month's groceries! We were heart broken.

Well, that following weekend I was looking through the Sunday paper pet section (maybe hoping to find a Keeshound for free?) and came across an add for "Puppies - $25". That was all the info they gave. I had a very hard time trying to convince DH that we should at least call and check them out. But we finally did.

AND . . . the mom was a pure bred Keeshound! Daddy was the German Shepherd that lived next store, and they were charging $25 in hope of finding better homes than if they had just said "free puppies". They were planning to breed her with another pure bred Keeshound, but she had other ideas! She liked the "boy next door"! So that is how we got our Jasmine.

And if you are interested in the naming . . . We told our DD to name her. She was just over 3 yo. Her favorite movie in the whole world was Disney's Alladin. It went something like this:

DD: What's the doggies name? Us: She doesn't have a name yet. Why don't you give her one? DD: OK, but what's her name? After this went on for awhile we got the point across. Then it went, US: Well, what do you want to call her? DD: Alladin! US: But Alladin is a boy. Our puppy is a girl. So, what should we call her? DD: Alladin! After this went on for awhile more, we shamelessly coached her. "Alladin is a boy, our puppy is a girl. So what if we named her . . . Jasmine?!" DD: YEAH! Jasmine!

And there you go!