December 2, 2008

Weather….Christmas Weather. …My idea of a perfect Christmas time weather would be snow falling on Christmas Eve. Big fluffy flakes slowly drifting down from the sky on a dark night, slowly making the ground turn white so perfect and clean. There would be no wind and just a quiet peaceful looking landscape. Since it is Christmas, there would be no reason to go anywhere so we could just look at it from a cozy warm home with all of our children there, enjoying their gifts, and us just enjoying the moment of being together. I think that is the best no stress or worries for one day out of the year. Just enjoying the moment. Because these moments are going to change in the years ahead as the kids grow up and leave for their own lives.

December 1st, Christmas Journal

The last few years I have done an online class about Christmas. I get sent a prompt by email each day until Jan 6th. I usually try to do a scrapbook page or writing etc every day. It does get hard with all the running around that we do in December. But I will try to share it with all of you. It has made the Christmas season something I look forward to because it causes me to step back and see the real reason behind the commercialization of todays season.

MY MANIFESTO

Starting today, December First, I will keep a Christmas Journal.
In it I will write something every day to reflect the holidays of my past,

enjoy the holidays of my present, and dream about the holidays of the future.

To some this would be a stack of papers and trivial scribbles, but not to me.

I am taking back my Christmas.

I am letting something important I relish
and more importantly, I am giving fifteen minutes to myself, every day, no
matter how crazy this season becomes. This Christmas I will make
something with my own hands, my own words, and
my own memories.

Please stay tuned to my blog for more special Christmas lists.

God gave us a gift

Last night we got home from doing a bimonthly shopping trip(groceries etc). It was one of those rare nights that were clear and quiet. Usually when we get home at night the first thing I do is look up at the night sky. Sometimes there are few stars and moon but last night was a awesome. It was full of stars. Here usually in the winter when it is -20 and it looks beautiful but all you really want to do is go inside to get warm. After we brought all of our groceries and such in the house. We all went outside and enjoyed the simple pleasure of looking up at the night sky. Trying to find what constellations we could remember and see. I wish I could have gotten a picture of it. It is always so inspiring to look at how small we really are here in on this Earth. Makes the problems of our little world seem so insignificant somehow. It was really just nice to be with my family and enjoy the simply being together.

This past few weeks have been trying to say the least. The elementary guidance counselor at the school died of colon cancer which she had been battling for about a year. Her family will never be the same and will always be missing someone. Another family lost their daughter in a car accident. She was 17. This is the 3rd girl that has been killed in a car accident in the last four years. So that is another family who will be missing someone for the rest of their lives.

So last night I think was God's gift to us to make us appreciate the family we have right now. We made a few memories especially when Seth said Look there is star orange one right over there.(pointing across at our neighbors property.)..When told no that is just a light Seth says: Our darn it!

The other highlight was there were shooting stars. I saw at least 3. It is always so neat to catch sight one but last night I think most of us saw at least one. So there were wishes made. I just hope God heard them.

Mom's Birthday

Yesterday was September 24, which was my mother's birthday. She would have been 84. It has been 3 years since she left this world. It has been hard some days when I have had the need to talk to her about something. She wasn't a perfect person but someone who shared many memories with me. She chose a different path than I might have but I learned from her mistakes. I know what kind of person I want to be and know what would have made her proud. I learned to volunteer my time even though I am busy with my kids. I learned that kids want to know what is expected from them. I learned that I want to happy with myself always. I learned you can be strong and still be loved. I feared my mother, I loved my mother. She was a person who get anything done. She wanted the best for all her kids. She also expected so much more than I think we did of ourselves. I would like to think she was proud of all of us. We all took different roads to get where we are now but I think we turned out okay. She made me a stronger person and able to stand up for myself. If I could stand up to her then I could make it in the world on my own. I took care of her for nine years doing many things that kids at my age never would have to do but I loved her and wanted her to be happy.
She gave me the love of crafting. I have all of her knitting things. I taught myself to be creative from cross stitch, crochet, knitting, scrapbooking and spinning yarn. If you don't know something you learn. Well, anyway....Thank you, Mom for giving me the strenght to speak my mind and be giving of myself to others.

Happy Birthday!!!!

Sheba has gone to a better place

Sheba was our dog for almost 15 years. We got her as a puppy from a farm a few miles from our home. She was a black lab and german shepard mix. She was very loyal and loving. She grew up with all the kids. She also tolerated all the other dogs we have brought home. She was smart and helped keep the kids safe. She loved roaming our 11 acres and making sure the place was safe. She was afraid of the coyotes but what dog isn't. She would sit for hours waiting for the squirrels to come out of the trees. She hated the squirrels or maybe she loved to chase them. The last few years she couldn't do so much patrolling but she loved to sit outside and listen to the traffic going by so she could bark. Even though she had a hard time seeing, hearing and walking she lived for those few moments of laying in the sunshine and rolling on the grass. We will miss her but she was not enjoying life as much lately. So it is a blessing that she is now passed on.

Thoughts on why I spin and knit

Lately I have been contemplating why I create/craft things. I learned to knit because I thought producing a knitted fabric would be cool. It is rather neat to take to sticks and some string and create a fabric that stretches and returns to an unstretched state. I crocheted for a many years and the fabric that creates is just so solid, I guess. It is great for blankets I think. Knitting you can make so many more things that are great and useful. Well, once you get to know knitters many turn out to be spinners too.

Once a few years ago, our women's group hosted a lady who spun yarn. She demonstrated how she did it and it was just fascinating to watch a piece of fluff become some else that was useable and helpful. For some reason what she did always stuck with me. The only place I heard about spinning was in the Bible and fairy tales. But it always seemed like magic. In this day and age of computers and other technology to make our lives easier; it is sometimes nice to return to a craft that makes you appreciate what you have. I don't have to spin and knit to provide warm clothing for my family. But I can do it as a way to remember that once this was the only way to have any clothes at all and thus appreciate that I can go to a store to get what I need.

Now, I have 2 spinning wheels and 5 spindles, not mention alot of wool and other fibers around the house. It is a hobby that I can do just about any where and do too. I take my knitting everywhere. The other day I was knitting at our local pool and a little girl came up to me and asked what I was doing...I said "making socks" She said "making socks....I have never seen anyone making socks" She watched for bit but went on her way. It makes me think that I am sort of an ambassdor of knitting to people who may have never seen a grandmother or mother knitting anymore. It makes me sad too that not many people know someone who knits. If we don't pass this craft on to the next generation it may be lost.

All I know is I can happily amuse myself without electricity for many hours at a time. I produce something at the end of that time that is unique and not perfect. My kids ask about what I do so they at least know how something is made. Autumn is saying she knows more about fiber than she wants to know because of me. Jacob enjoys learning to spin. He likes the mechanics of it. Seth just likes watching the spinning. Even David is interested in the process too. He helps me with my wheels and when I ply he helps with the tangles.

I would love to go a retreat and learn more about knitting and spinning but that is a great cost and time is also an issue between work and the kids. But someday I will do that. So when you see a sheep, alpaca, or goat or see that cashmere or wool sweater think of me. I will spinning and knitting something I think.

Left: handspun Alpaca Right: hand knit lace shawl.

long time no blog....not original but true

It has been a long time since I have blogged. Not much going but then again a lot. DD is off having an adventure getting to know some new people from around the state. Ds's are here being busy and bored all at the same time. Who knew that could happen. ...

I have been keeping busy with work and knitting and spinning. Throw a little yard work in and that is my life. I went on vacation to Ohio to see family and also got to go to a fiber festival. DD went along as to keep me company on the two hour drive. It was great fun and I got alot of new fibers that I can't wait to see how they spin up. Here is a sampling of what I got.

I also knitted a shawl in about six weeks for my daycare provider.

It came out really nice. She cried when I gave it to her.

It is called Angel Lace Shawl by Evelyn Clark. It was an easy pattern to follow. The yarn is

Laceweight Malabrigo in Jade Sapphire. I loved the way the varigation turned out. Here it is blocking. The detail was just great.

All right that is how my summer vacation has started out...How is yours?

Spring snow and Robins....

If you could looked around yesterday you wouldn't have guessed it was spring. It snow about 4 inches yesterday some places got 8-9 inches some got less. We were kind of in the middle. It did melt but it sure was pretty but I could have done without it. School closed because it just kept snowing. We did make it to GF for DD's foot appointment. Then went and got here nails done and did our grocery shopping for the next two weeks. Today is prom! I have to clean the house, get DD to her hair appointment, finish a shawl/wrap for her, and generally be ready to take pictures at 3:30. It is going to be a long day.

I did get my new wheel. It is a Sonata. It is very light and pretty. It spins pretty good and easy to adjust. I can't wait to do some more on her though. I am coming along with my Angel Lace shawl. Very easy pattern and quick so far.

Well, better go and start the day. Right after I finish my coffee.

What I have been doing these last weeks

Well, lots of things like staying warm with below zero temps for most of it. We are at least warmer today 30 above but snowing and blowing. Can't have everything I guess. Hoping this is getting the last few things of winter and spring will start to spring....

I am NOT looking forward to getting up an hour earlier (thank you daylight savings time) whose bright idea was it anyway. Getting little sleep as it is and we not get one hour less well, not really but it feels that way so for the next week I will be out of sorts because not only are getting less sleep we have to get the kids to bed at the same time but it is still light out here like really light.... So the kids then put up the fight of it is not bedtime because the sun is still out.....ugh...

This is my first real kind of know what I am doing yarn. I got the roving from a fiber club Spunky Eclectic does. I loved how it drafted so smoothly and quickly. Loved it... want more. (have to work on the plying part though but that is coming along.

I still have Jan and now Feb fiber to spin up plus some more corriedale that I ordered in my high school colors...purple and gold. Here is the purple I have 8 oz so maybe a shawl or stole that is pretty simple.

I am finally putting a my picture of wheel up here too.

I have Schipperjte wheel. I need to get more and newer bobbins for it. I just have to start emailing for dimensions I guess. I haven't giving her a name yet. Just haven't thought about it too much I guess.

She came all the way from the Netherlands. It is not perfect but I have got to where I am able to spin fairly consistently on her. I need to make some more adjustments but I am reading Alden Amos' book, The Big Book of Handspinning I am finding it very interesting reading. I am learning lot about what things mean and why and to me that is important puts things in perspective.

Well, that is what I have been doing besides family stuff DS#1 wrestling events, getting DD ready for prom and understanding boys, and DS#2 well, just keeping him out of trouble...

I should blog more I need to update the sidebar a bit with different things that I have been doing. I am still knitting my 3 shawls. I put one away for a while(Aspen Grove). I WILL finish the Secret of the Stole ii and Swan Lake before I do any others.

That is the next post shawl time. I will try to do it next week.

My first plied yarn

I finally got my wheel fixed enough to make a plied yarn. It went very well. I don't know if I will knit with it or not as since it is some of my first spun yarn and it isn't the greatest as far as being a great knitting yarn. I still have to get it off the bobbin and set the twist but it is done. I spun up part of my Party dress from Spunky ecletic. But need to free up a bobbin to finish the second half. Can't wait to do this month's shipment, Icelandic wool and great colors.

I have to find some bobbins for this though. Since it isn't a common brand I am going to have to have to find what will fit it.

Knitting, I am doing the SOTS ii, I had to frog a bit and that didn't go as well as I had hoped but I am just going to continue from here and try to get as close to clue 3 as I can. I am still working on my cardigan and Swan lake too. I am so close to finishing my socks that I if sat down for about a half an hour they would be done.

Trying to learn Magic loop but haven't taken the time to just do it.

I think I need a snow day all to myself to just do what I want without all the things wanting attention.

Today we have a basketball game and sometime this weekend we have to get groceries. Also it is the BIG football weekend. Maybe we will have to time that day to catch up and knitting or spinning.

A new Year.....2008

It is hard to believe that it is already 2008. I am almost 39...(friday). I don't know how I will take 40 some say it is hard and others say it was just another birthday. Well, I have a year to figure that out. Right now, I keep pretty busy with the kids their activities. I just don't have time to dwell on such things. Dh is already 40 and he just complained about it all the time.

Well, I am just going to stay busy and see if I can't lose those pounds I have added over the years and do things I can enjoy. I am enjoying figuring out my knitting and spinning and trying to scrapbook too some day. I really need to clean my craft room as it is just piles of stuff in there. I just don't feel like doing any cleaning in there. I am going to have to keep up with my photos since I got a new camera and all. I have to learn to reduce the size though and do it faster.

I am looking forward to basketball being over soon so I can have my weekends to myself again. Then I will clean my room.....

Just thought I would let people know that I do use this blog occaisionally will have photos soon of what I don't know but something.