Funny! and Sweet.

I heard The UPS Store guy listening to a funny lady on his computer this morning. I went over to watch and she was really funny. I wanted to share the recording with you.



Hope you enjoyed this. Have a great day!

Say, YIPPEE, for the yarn stash!!

You know, sometimes we feel bad for saving yarn, for creating a yarn stash, for hoarding little balls left from projects, for keeping that which is just a tiny amount of yarn. We feel bad when our yarn collection grows, to need a second or third or tenth plastic box. Or we feel guilty that it will no longer fit under the bed, but graduate to a closet. What about when it reaches the point of needing its own room?

You laugh. But, because I have a business of supplying people with roving and yarn, I now have a fiber/yarn room. :) It is small, though.....

I have more than 3 plastic boxes jammed full. BUT, in the end, it is worth the conversation or guilt or, or, or...... Please read on.

Years ago, when I was a beginning spinner, I purchased some merino roving. My oldest was newly married and I had the brilliant idea of making her a handspun, lightweight, lace shawl. It didn't matter that she wasn't into lightweight lace shawls(at the time) and really could've used a heavier weight shawl or even a jacket, since she lived in Montana. :) Nope, mom decided to make a lightweight lace shawl.

So, I figured out how to spin very fine merino yarn, without it falling apart. Which for a new spinner was in itself a task. Then, I decided to knit the shawl. Well, I wasn't very experienced in lace shawls either and this was also before Ravelry, and the wealth of patterns there. OH, actually it was before we even had a home computer! Needless to say, I didn't have a lot of choices for a pattern. Meaning, that I would have to make up something simple enough for a beginner, like myself, to knit in confidence. I took out my tiny little stitch book and came up with, what I guess, was my first design. :)

A couple of weeks ago, the shawl appeared back at my home. She came in carrying it, looking very upset and sad. "Mom, I wore this last night and snagged it. It has a tiny hole."

Much to her surprise, I said, "No problem honey, I still have the yarn. I had some left when I knitted it!" :) YIPPEEEEE for the stash!!!! So, I went to the room, found the right box and upstairs I went with the yarn. :)

Truth be known, it was a bug that attacked her shawl. Yes, she was very careful with this shawl over the years. Stored with cedar balls, etc. But, much to her dismay and mine, there were several holes(not lace holes, but bug holes).


After spending time in solitary confinement, the freezer, the shawl made its appearance to the kitchen table. The holes are all mended and the shawl went home to live with its very caring and loving owner.

This is the same corner, as above, only fixed. THANKS to the STASH!!



Here is a picture of the shawl on the dress form, after the repairs.



The shawl was saved. Not only saved, but saved well. Because, I had the matching yarn from my stash. Don't feel sorry for having a stash. If you don't want to have a stash, then you may wish to give the recipient of your hard work, a small skein of matching yarn, sealed in a sealing plastic bag. They can store it in a safe place with cedar or lavendar, so if ever needed, the item can be fixed.

Truth be known, I don't really think it was moths, because of how careful she is. I think it may have been crickets. You see, living in Texas we have soooo many bugs. Crickets are a real problem and they eat it all, cotton, wool, cardboard, you name it.

Go Rangers!!! and Twisted Sisters' Headband.

Here in Texas, where people live for football games, it is unbelievable that we actually have 2 pro baseball teams. When I say that people LIVE for football, I am truly serious. They show high school football on the major network channels, local college too. One major TV station actually runs a contest each week, to see which high school game they will show.

Now, to make matters worse, we are in the Dallas Metroplex area. Where the Cowboys reside. I am not a fan of the Cowboys, if the truth be known. But, people in this area worship this team! I am truly serious, worship is the word. :) We have major news stories about them ALL year, even when they are not playing or practicing. People have to know about their team and who sneezes when.

So, being from a home where my dad loved all sports, I don't get this singling out one sport thing. I will watch football, I played in the band in high school and played for the games. I don't always understand them, but I will watch them and KNIT.

But, I really, really like baseball and I really, really, really like NASCAR. But, I am trying to talk about baseball today. I grew up in New York, specifically on Long Island. So, I am not a Yankee fan, I am a Mets fan and now a Rangers fan.

I must confess, though, that I don't often get to see a game on TV. But, I try to keep track of their progress and have been very excited for them this year.

Our Rangers, have had a tough year. But, it apparently has been good for them. Because these guys, who didn't know what was going to happen to their team, are in the PLAYOFFS!! The UPS STORE guy has decided to show support, they are wearing hats in the store to show support!




Here is one of my new knitting projects, meet Twisted Sisters' Headband. A winter headband. This pattern was inspired by one that I saw in a fashion magazine. The designer label one was listed for $100. :) I thought, that as knitters we could make these. Mine differs just a bit in the cable design, because I wasn't sure how close to get to the designer's. I have the pattern listed on etsy and listed on Ravelry.

Happy Knitting! And GO RANGERS!

First Saturday Dye Days

The sun wasn't up yet, but I was. I was sooo excited, because I was going to go to First Saturday Dye Days at Fancy Fibers Farm. This was a real treat for me. On Friday night, I had put some water and vinegar in a bucket and soaked my yarns. Then this morning I squeezed out the extra water and put my yarns in a plastic bag. I drove to The Colony, where I met up with my friend Liz, and rode with her over to the farm.

We had quite a drive ahead of us. But you know how it is, when two women are in the car chatting, time flies by. One hour later, we were there.

I brought two sock blanks to dye and one skein of very bulky and slubby yarn to dye. Others brought yarn and spinning roving, while others purchased roving and yarns, from Mary, to dye.

I took one of the sock blanks that I had dyed during this past winter. I had actually done two sock blanks the exact same colors. Don't know why, guess it was just "brain fade." When you think about it, who wants 2 pairs of socks the same color???? Not me. AND my kids are past the "Let's match Mom faze of life." So, I decide to over dye one of the blanks.

To over dye, you just put new colors over the old. You do need to think about what your new color will be, when you do this. You don't want to end up with mud and you want to end up with a color you like. So, if you have yellow and over dye it with blue, you will have some shade of green.

I love jewel tones and look best in jewel tones. I know, this will be on my feet, but they will go with my clothes.

Here is the pretty pastel, dyed with Easter egg dyes, sock blank. The BEFORE.


After much discussion and thinking and help from my friends, I used black on one half and then used Teal, Purple and Aztec Gold on the other half.

Ta Da!!!! How about that? The wind was blowing, sorry it is blurry. THE AFTER.



The teal/blue color on the end is what is called waste yarn, it will be unravelled and not used.

Here is the second sock blank. I used Crimson, Black and Aztec Gold. (I like the gold color!)




Below you will see, my skein of very bulky yarn all the way to the left. I used Chestnut Brown, Golden Ochre and (you guessed it) Aztec Gold. :) Then you see my two sock blanks and some rovings from the others there. Oh, notice the farm in the background. What you cannot see are the beautiful chickens roaming around behind the fence, because the yarn is blocking the view.

Last, but not least, there is clean up. Many hands make light work. Here is Kay busy at work cleaning and rinsing out all of our dye cups, brushes and applicators. Thanks Kay!

A Christmas Ornament

I wanted to let you see something that I have been working on. I have been asked to test knit and sort of help edit a pattern for my friend, Deb. She will be holding a class for knitting this ornament at a yarn shop close to her home.

I really like this ornament and it doesn't take any time. Well, it does take some time, just not a lot. It is a great gift.

Those that live in the Anoka area of Minnesota are very blessed with the fact that they can take a class from Deb. She is a wonderful inspiration and a great knitter and teacher.

Deb has designed the ornament, so that different fair isle patterns can be used on it.

Below is my ornament.