Thankful Thursday on Friday

I noticed some of my blog friends started "Thankful Thursday". I thought it was a great idea to reflect on the positive in our lives - especially with so much negativity and depressing things in the news lately. I missed the Thursday so I bring you Thankful Friday (isn't that typical of me?).

I am thankful for my family

As silly as they are. They make me laugh and not take life so seriously all the time.

Living near the water and being able to enjoy this every day


My puppy dog


I only wish I could be as great a person as he thinks I am!

Spindles

When I first had a try at spinning years ago (I lost count - is it 5 years already?) I bought an inexpensive Ashford spindle for about $12. I had gone to the NH Sheep and Wool in search of some yarn and found myself wanting to learn how to spin. I had nobody to teach me and I just kept at it for a while. And got extremely frustrated. I didn't pick it up again for another 6 months. At that point I had found some people online who connected me with a spinning group in my area and went to a spin in. I saw all the wheels and I was hooked. I came home and told hubby I wanted a wheel. Now this was 3 weeks before Christmas so I was hoping he hadn't bought me anything yet! The rest is history, but I did come back to my spindle and wanted to be able to make some nice consitent yarn with it. I heard from alot of people that the trick to spindle spinning is in the spindle. The better the spindle, the more it will turn and therefore, easier to use. I bought my Golding at Rhinebeck in 2008 and haven't used another spindle since.


I spent some of Sunday spinning some Shetland I had gotten a few years back at Adams Family Farm in VT. It is another nice soft yarn and is a pleasure to spin on my spindle. I am strange - spinning to me is a way to relax, as I sure it is for alot of people, but I won't sit down to my wheel to spin unless I have completed what I need for the day around the house. I just can't spin with chaos around me. Weird? I can, however, take my hand spindle and spin for a bit and get very relaxed. It takes the stress away.

Speaking of chaos - how do you like that mess in my back yard? That was what was left of my gazebo after last weekend's windstorm. The good news is that hubby can fix it so I will have it back next year. One of the pitfalls of living on the bay is the fierce wind gusts we get. I always say that it's a good thing we have a great water view because I can't hang anything else outside to make it look pretty!

More Weekend Productivity

I was going to sing the praises of my spindle today but I realized that I didn't download the pictures I wanted to use. So that will have to wait again.

Besides finishing my Yak fingerless gloves, I got some more carding done on my Jacob fleece. It was so beautiful outside that I couldn't resist bringing the carder onto the deck. The only problem was the wind. I did have some fleece blowing around, and even though my hubby complains about having white puff balls all over the yard (well, he doesn't complain, he justs makes silly comments about it) I insist it will be used by the birds and squirrels for nesting material. Sounds good, huh?

Speaking of the husband, today is a rather large milestone for him. It's his 50th birthday! He has never been one to celebrate birthdays in a large fashion - unlike me, who celebrates for the entire month of May and sometimes into June - so there will be no party. We are going out for dinner tonight at a new Japanese Hibachi Restaurant with the family. I'm sure there will be more celebrating over the weekend!

I also got some knitting done on an old sock I had laying around. I love the Autumn colorway. And I can't honestly remember what the yarn is.


The biggest problem with picking up a project from long ago - getting guage! I think I have it under control though.

I really have to remember to keep my camera in the car with me. Last night my daughter and I were dropping her boyfriend off at home and we drove past a cemetary. My daugher yelled "Look! Look at all the deer in there!". We drove into the cemetary and they practically came up to the car. She was so excited because she had never seen a deer that close before. Nature is awesome.

Weekend in Productivity

It was a beautiful Halloween weekend. I don't think the kids could have asked for better weather. Here in New England it was almost 70 degrees during the day. It was windy (what else is new) but it never felt cold. Even when the kids went out trick or treating around 7 it was great.

I had some treats of my own. I finished my fingerless gloves



I just use a simple rib pattern that I made up myself. With the weather turning cold this week (we haven't even turned the heat on in the house yet, although we have used the woodstove) I know they will be put to good use in the early mornings. They are great when I get into the office early and there is still a chill in the air. I can get on my computer and start working without my hands going numb.

The yarn is hand spun yak that I had gotten at Rhinebeck last year. Talk about SOFT. Oh my gosh. Words can't describe it. I spun it on my Golding Spindle. Did I mention how much I love that spindle? Yeah - more about that tomorrow.

The Joy of My Socks

My comfort knitting is socks. When I want to zone out it's my socks that I turn to. My usual pattern is a knit 3 purl 1 rib. They always fit no matter what. My second favorite is the plain vanilla sock with a picot edge ala Carole. Over the summer I picked up a skein of Berocco Comfort Sock at Bella Yarns. The price was awesome and I loved the colors. It didn't take long and they were done.




I have two pairs of socks I am working on now. I have to have two pairs going at a time. Don't ask me why. Again - it's a comfort thing. Hmmm - maybe I can switch my love of comfort foods to comfort socks.

So What Did I Get?

With the missing of Rhinebeck I went to Stitches with a mental list and no guilt about buying anything: Find Socks That Rock, buy another set of those dp square needles, knit on the big sock, and possibly get some yarn for the Spiral Wrap (rav link).
Socks that Rock - check. I am thinking I will make my usual simple ribbed socks. I have to finish two other pairs first before I sink my teeth into this. I will, however, be using these:

I bought a set in 5" length. Not long enough for my liking. I bought the longer ones this weekend. Awesome I tell ya. Thanks for the suggestion Margene.

If I could marry this yarn, I would. It is Blue Moon Fiber Arts BFL Sport. It is so soft and it will be beautiful for my Spiral Wrap. But I can't start that until I finish Tasha Tudor. The shawl is easy to knit up. Till you get to the edging. Oh. My. Gosh. It is like cutting the lawn with cuticle scissors. Slow is all I can say.

Check out this little extra:

I had got the Zuma bag to use as a handbag as well as a regular knitting bag. I ended up not using it so much because it didn't have a shoulder strap. Loved the bag, but it didn't work for me. I caught this wallet at Stitches and had the great idea to use the strap for the bag.

I have used the bag every day since.

Text Between Friends

I love texting. I don't spend my day doing it, and I certainly can't beat my daughter's average (about 6000 a month),but I like that I can have quick conversations with friends and family throughout the day without interupting my work flow. I think it's a great invention. During my workdays I talk to Lisa and we keep each other sane. Imagine both of our surprises when I found out I would be having to take a little work trip - and Stitches East was in town! Texting immediately commenced and in the car we went. And then we landed.


Yarn overload is all I can say. I don't have many pictures - they are very strict about their "no photo" policy. One of the only places we were allowed to take pictures was at the big sock booth.

Yes - this geek did knit on it. I even got my button. I'm like a kid. But I mean, how cool is it to knit on what will hopefully be the biggest sock in the world? The sock will be coming to Rhode Island for anybody interested! You can get details on Ravelry.

So did I use restraint or did I buy lots of yummy stuff?