Interesting things at the fair . . .

This is an old SINGER that has been re-engineered into a scroll saw! Isn't that cool?!

And this portrait of Abraham Lincoln, was made by a 14 year old boy! He used 3002 pennies, and it weighs 75 lbs.

The cool things you see at County Fairs!

Where does the time go?

My DD turned 18 on Monday. I'm still in a bit of shock.

Where does the time go? I swear it wasn't but last year she was talking about being "old enough to drive soon".

About a year before that, she was excited about being a teenager soon...

It's FAIR time in SWFL!

Did some demo time at the local Sarasota County fair this past week, with some of the ladies from my local weaving and spinning guild.

DD came and did some knitting too (between walkabouts and cotton candy runs!) She even brought a friend one day to knit with her.

I love doing demos! I really enjoy explaining to people who show interest in the wheels or the yarn.

I was there, honest. Just not in any of the pictures because I took them all.
:)

Did I tell you my cat was musically inclined?

Latest Project

This is the first half of an afghan I am making for one of my nieces. She wants to do her new place in "Old Americana". I couldn't resist. When I was there over the summer she sweet talked me...

"Aunt Tammy... I still have the baby blanket that you made for me... (big smile, fluttering eyes) I would LOVE a full size afghan." How can you resist that?!

Anyhow, this is the most recent picture I have taken. I am almost done, having added three and a half more stripes. I still have to crochet the stars and sew them on too. Am thinking I will only do thirteen. More authentic "Americana". I am quite pleased with it so far.

It's been awhile (again). Sorry. Things got a little crazy over the last few months, and I have been very distracted.

But, I want to try to get something posted on here more regularly. So here goes.

Have you heard of ROC DAY? Also called Distaff Day, here is the definition from Wikipedia:

Distaff Day, also called Roc Day, is 7 January, the day after the feast of the Epiphany. It is also known as Saint Distaff's Day, since it was not really a holiday at all. In many European cultural traditions, women resumed their household work after the twelve days of Christmas. The distaff, or rock, used in spinning was the medieval symbol of women's work. Often the men and women would play pranks on each other during this day, as was written by Robert Herrick in his poem "Saint Distaffs day, or the Morrow After Twelfth Day" which appears in his Hesperides.
Some modern craft groups have taken up the celebration of Distaff day as part of their new year celebrations.

A guild North of us (about an hour and a half) put on a ROC Day celebration this past month, on the 10th; and my DD, a friend and I all joined them. DH had been wanting to go to the beach, so I convinced him to drive us up there and drop us off, then go to the beach for a few hours. :) Such a good guy!

It was held by the Pinellas Weaver's Guild, at the Heritage Village in Largo. We had a blast! It was a beautiful day and we sat outside next to the porch, right next to . . .

This Model T!

The gentleman who owns it was right there answering questions, and allowing people to sit in it for pictures. My DD HAD to get in on that!

We walked around a bit after, and took a few pictures. This register was over 100 years old, and still works!

It was a GREAT day! There were spinners and weavers and VENDORS - GREAT day!

Isn't this awesome? My good friend Bobbi sent me this beautiful Kauni yarn to make a Jeanne Townsend shawl along with her. I haven't started it yet, but I have showed it off a lot and admired it more. :)

This is sort of a blurry picture. But it shows the colors in the yarn ball.

I am displaying it (as per Bobbi's instructions) on my new bookshelf DH made for me recently for my craft room. She also sent me the proper size needles to do the shawl, and in this way got me to try the Knit Picks Harmony interchangeables.

DH lost his job at the end of September - boy this economy really sucks!

But it has given him time to rearrange all the furniture in the house, go through all of our possessions and purge (since he is a minimalist and DD and I are pack rats!), and make me a bookshelf for my craft room!!!!!! Yay!

Happy Thanksgiving !

Contest!

The Nautical Knitter wants your opinion on which project to knit next. Pick a numbered bag, and enter to win. :) http://www.nauticalknitter.com/

Close up of the border

Here is a close up of the border we used on our bedroom walls. Isn't it cool?

I LOVE IT!

Has it really been 2 months?!

OMG! August 13th?

I can't believe it has been that long since my last post here! Geez! It just seems that one thing after the other has come up, and I keep thinking I'll get to it later.

WOW! I didn't expect it to be this much later!



In the last couple of weeks we have been working on finishing the painting of the house and puting stuff up on the walls.






















Our room was the last to get painted - we quit last year after the front living areas and DD's room. I'm glad we got back to it, I love the way it turned out!

I'm outta control!

OK. I can't seem to pass up a craft sale. Even when I really don't have the "extra" money - I squeeze it out of the grocery money . . .

OK . . . Enough guilt. I got ALL of this for under $35!!!!!!!!!!!

Five pattern books and pamphlets, three single pattern leaflets; . . .



'Please Notice' - only one ball of yarn! - be proud of me; four cable needles; four circulars - 2 of them ADDI's TURBO'S!; four sets of double pointed needles; three sets of straight needles; a small bone crochet hook; a needle threader ; . . .

cross stitch cloth; yarn bobs and thread bobbins; book markers to cross stitch; project card for floss control; and embroidery needles.

Whew!

I think this prize was worth eating peanut butter and jelly a few extra days this month!

Taste the Rainbow . . . .

A few of us from my Spinning Guild (OK, the Weaving Guild - those of you involved in one pretty much know that the spinners are the "redheaded step-children" of the guilds) decided to follow a 'Master Spinners Certificate Program', only without the certificate. Someone found something online for us to follow - however loosely.

There are 7 of us, and we got 3 lbs of wool each. Two people each dyed 2 lbs. of one of the three primary colors, and one dyed 2 lbs of black. Then we saved 1 lb of the white to do tones and shading along with the black. (Red, Yellow, and Blue - we debated which color wheel to follow, and actually had chosen Yellow, Magenta, and Cyan before I left for Oregon - but somehow that changed while I was gone, still not sure who or how . . . ?)

Anyhow. . . . I did my dying with my friend Laura, much more fun with a friend!! I had the red and Laura had the blue. Laura is rinsing the red out for me while I took the pictures.

Then we had a meeting where we divided our colors among the group 4.5 oz apiece. (my red is in the chair, it took better than the other lady's for some reason - standing on the right - hers came out sort of pink)

Then we went home with our "stash" and carded our own color wheel, before our next meeting this Saturday. Here is mine. I'm thinking my green is too blue, and maybe my purple too. May re-card those two.

Craft store closing . . . . had to do my part

'The Craft Depot' , our biggest craft store in the area next to Michael's, is closing it's doors. :(

I was able to get a couple of good deals, but geez!, I would rather have them around for the next time I can't find that needle or need a certain color of yarn or beads.

I was able to pick up some yarn for an afghan for my niece - not all of it though, many people got there before me, so I need to get the rest online. Yarn for a sweater for DH's cousin's baby, some gorgeous beads for my wire wrapping and stitch markers, a bucket of foam shapes for our Homeschool Group Christmas party, and a few other odds and ends.

Plus . . . . . Easter egg dying kits! For only 20 cents apiece! I LOVE using these to dye rovings to spin.

Now, I just need a few more hours a day to get all the knitting and spinning I want done!

I'mmm Baaaaaaaack!

Dorothy figured it out . . . "There's no place like home".

I love to visit with my family and friends (I miss my sisters and my BFF Rena -from grade school!- real bad), but it's really sooooooo nice to be home.

I did get a chance to hit FIVE - yes you heard me right! FIVE! yarn shops while in Oregon. Two in Bend and three in Sisters. It was GREAT!!


Here is a picture from my S.E.eX.

The first four on the top left, and the red below them, plus the two bottom corners are sock yarns. Left to right; Regia Multi Effekt Color, Fortissima Colori Socka Color, Plymouth Yarn Rockin' Sox (confused this with "Socks that Rock"), Lane Cervinia Forever Jacquard, Wildfoote in the middle,and on the bottom corners Dream in Color SMOOSHY, AND Araucania Ranco.

The right corner is Blue Face Leicester, blue ball is mixed, pink and black is cotton, and green merino are all rovings.

There are four balls of Sugar and Cream for dishcloths, and in the bottom left (next to the gorgeous burgundy sock yarn) are two bars of felted soap (for gifts).

WHEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!