Best Ravelry links ever

Go here! And here!

The sleeping thing isn't going well yet. I have loads more ideas to work through, so I haven't given up hope.

Now I get it!

I could not for the life of me figure out how so many people were commenting on the insomnia post, when the keyword analysis had no mention of insomnia at all (although at one point 'crochet crap' had been a contender)...

Did you realize that there's a knitting related contest blog out there? Check it out.. maybe you'll find some new and interesting blogs to read, and win a prize in the process.

I designed a cow blanket yesterday

Now, in your imagination, I am quite sure that you just visualized a white blanket with big black splotches. Then, perhaps, you wondered if it was going to be for a baby, or would it be full sized?

In fact, the blanket will be FOR a cow. Well, for Jesus actually. Jesus in the form of a cow.

She's going to knit this blanket on great big needles, and out of Sari Silk Ribbon (which comes in some beautiful colours, and has a sparkly silver strip down the middle), and then she will take it to an ashram in India for a celebration. It's going to have fluffy loops on two, perhaps three, edges. That cow is going to be a thing of beauty. I wonder if it will be in a parade?

That same day I was processing incoming orders, when I saw the colours of two back ordered yarns.

1. Dingle.
2. Berries.

I kid you not.

Just in case you thought that working in a yarn store is boring, I have to straighten you out. It isn't. Sometimes you have cowblanketdingleberry days.

The sleeping isn't dire, but it's not great either. Somewhat better is what I'd call it... but last night I (without a thought) had a piece of organic chocolate. I 'felt' it immediately, and realized that I have a bit of chocolate almost every night, an hour or two before bed. I think that is the end of that.

Aunty Tink bought me tea.

A sleep inducing kind of tea. I had a big mug a while ago.

I didn't eat chocolate, I had one cup of coffee and one cup of tea today. I'm about to press my GV20 and 24.

It's 12:30.

I knit on a plain sock.

Cross your fingers for me..

Shrove Tuesday...

And Mug would like to leave for school early, thank you very much. Graciously, the two other girls I drive to school each morning agreed to leave at the crack of 7:30 as well. Imagine my surprise (not... didn't I say this would happen?) when I looked outside to see 6 inches of new snow. The roads are pretty awful, but we were very lucky to follow a snow plow up the hill, and then again back down. Even though the hill had been sanded/plowed not 5 minutes ago, on the way back home a saw a van totally stuck.. spinning, spinning, spinning tires.

(OH! Mug's award at school yesterday was for Religion. It meant a lot to me, because it's one of the few subjects that she doesn't have an IPP for, so she won it with the same requirements as any other student in her grade. She's doing so well!)

Last night wasn't terribly successful. I tried to listen to the Delta Sleep System on my iPod, but it kept waking me up in a shock.. as though I'd heard a loud, sudden sound. So I took off the headphones, and tried plan M (I went back downstairs and crawled into bed with Mug). The rest of the night went well.

I think that I'm anticipating insomnia and it's causing problems at this point. And, I'm ashamed to say.. we have two dogs that sleep on the bed, and they both have to go. I can't stand it. Being a light sleeper in a standard double bed with one BFML who snores if he's not sleeping on his right side, and two dogs (one of which also snores) is bordering on crazy. I'm partial to the BMFL, so the dogs are going to have to hit the road. Or the floor. Or a crate.

BFML says to pick a day, and we'll get them off the bed once and for all. It'll be a tough couple of weeks, but we'll get it done.

Gosh, that's going to be hard on Rox. She was abused, and totally crate bound when we got her. It borders on impossible to get her into a crate, and I think she's going to be very afraid. She used to be a tiny little waif of a thing, and she's now a big, honkin pony of a dog.. she just doesn't fit on that bed. One of us has to go.

I found the comments on the insomnia post to be fascinating. I'm going to try to compile the information and make my way through it. I was very interested in Sharon's post and her website, which I am linking to in case you too would like to have a deeper understanding of what she does.

No knitting news... I tried to work on the Lady Eleanor, but I was just too tired to knit. I have 1.5 bobbins of a hand dyed cashmere/silk on the go, but that also is on hold. I ought to start on the second Valentines day sock.. a mindless knit would be good (tho, Lady Eleanor isn't far from that).

Meanwhile.. the big, giant Sorrel boots are de rigeur for today, and perhaps a snow shovel as well...

Holy crappola Batman.. That's a LOT of ideas.

It's gonna take me a while to work through them. But I'm going to try everything I can until I get this figured out.

Tonight I'm going to flash up my iPod to listen to the Delta Sleep System. I have been pressing my GV 20 and 24, and I have to say that it feels good.

Wish me luck... and thank you!

4am, and a CONTEST

you come up with a solution to my insomnia, and i will reward you with some annie-dyed, handspun.

this solution may not include blue pills of any sort. even pink or white pills. no pills at all would be optimal, unless they are drug free kinds of non habit forming goodness.

i am SO not kidding.

I'll tell you some stuff...

Then, you then tell me some stuff.

Tomorrow morning at 9am Mug is getting another award at school. I don't know what for, and neither does she, but I'm super excited and very, very proud of her. This time last year she got two, and last semester she was on the honour roll. Her hard work is acknowledged, and I am.. well.. the happy/proud thing (x1,000,000).

This time next month I'll be in Mexico. I'll be finding out what bunk I'm sleeping in, and sure as heck something will be making me nervous as hell... but it will be great once the tools flash up and I'm back in my comfort zone. I miss sawdust.. I really do.

My Lady Eleanor of the Targello is 70% complete. I really love it, and part of me would like to keep it, but I probably won't. I might save it for a back-up Stampede submission, but it isn't perfect so it wouldn't win anything.

I finally found the pattern/yarn that I'm going to use for Stampede this year. I ordered everything this weekend, but I'm not telling anything about it. If it works out, it's going to be great. If it doesn't.. I'm in a big, fat jam.

I have another big secret, and I am not going to tell it.. but I really want to.

I am so sick of winter I could scream. I feel like this every February.. spring feels so close, and then sure as heck it snows.

I have fallen on ice 3 times this year. Next winter I am getting rid of the Emu boots. They don't have tread. I don't think people in Oz need ice-tread; but we sure do.

Nini called tonight, but she didn't want to talk to me, she wanted to talk to Mug (aka: anz). So she did. I have a telephone message that she left me last week, and it's pretty darned cute. She's all about the zoo right now.

I'm very happy, and when all the yarn is put away at the shop, I will be happier still.

There is a super-adorable dog at the pound, and I would love to find a way to have him.. but it is totally impossible. Also, I don't want to become a dog collector (2 dogs, 2 cats, 6 people.. that's enough in this little house).

Spike thinks that if he goes outside to pee that somehow we will go to bed. He must be about peed out, because this is his 3rd or 4th try.

I drank most of a Framboise tonight. I didn't do as well at sharing as your average 5 year old (if 5 year olds shared beer, which they don't). I drank 1/2, then split the second 1/2 with BFML. Frankly, he is lucky he got that. ;) Gale, you are correct.. the peach is darned good. Most of you who know me also know that I don't really drink. Lately I have found 2 kinds of beer that I don't seem to react to, so it's been great!

Got the Debbie Bliss mag today.. and almost bought French Girl Knits, but decided to hold off because I have too many other projects on the go. I owe BFML one Valentine sock too.

I did all the laundry today, and also had a shower (sorry goils... HAD to go home and have one.. couldn't be seen in public - by people I know - with hair like that). I love the combo of freshly showered me and clean sheets.

I also hand washed 25 socks today. It wasn't that hard, and I really like how they looked all hung up. I would have washed 26, but I had one hand knit sock on (and one black sports sock). That's how I roll.

Jacinda, meet Jocelyn. Joce, meet Jacinda.

IK, I was wondering if the gunk in the lint trap of my washer is anything close to as gross as the stuff in the gunk trap of your dishwasher.

If you'd like to 'button' your eyes, a la Coraline, go here.

Eckhart Tolle rocks the free world. You should read his books, you really should.

Three times on friday someone talked to me about EMDR. I think that the universe is telling me that Gigi should come here. Ok.. it's possible that I manipulated the message somewhat and the universe thinks that I ought to try EMDR.

Have you heard about Tellington Touch? It makes me feel faint it's so wonderful. I wish I was a horse.

Someone recently found my blog by googling: crochet crap

Now.. its your turn. Go!

Pssst

Framboise
Originally uploaded by spinknit

It's here. I have some.

Big.big.smile.

Note that it's Belgian; therefore brilliant.

Who's up for a party?

Fricken Fracken lacken of sleepen.

2009 Mexico Mission

Tonight we received a link to our families in Mexico. I don't know which project I will work on, but if you scroll down to the two 'Unity Baptist' houses, there are short videos on the two families we will build for.

Thank you all so much for helping me fund 100% of my mission trip and accommodation at YUGO. Through sales of fiber and yarn, I was also able to contribute towards Katie's trip. It'll be a life expanding experience for all of us.

Only a few short weeks away... it's starting to get real.

Where in the world is Jocelyn Sandiego?

I'm just askin.

While we wait - The Bacon Explosion.

Needs cheese:

It was a dark and guildy night...

prior to which, I drank a coffee and a coke. What I was thinking of is beyond me, because now it's something like 1:26 and some seconds, and I'm not asleep with BFML, I'm here, writing to you.

Run-on sentences and a lack of spelling to boot.

I love the knitting guild. I am currently winning the competition to get the most new members in the history of the guild. The fact that I invented the competition, and I'm also the only competitor is moot. (I secretly believe that it is GAME ON with mrs. dumpty - we'll be neck 'n neck by March, latest). Tonight's snacks were not as interesting as most months, but I did have a cheese cracker that was pretty darned good. It was no grated velveeta mixed in cheez whiz tho... it'll take a lot to beat that one.

While I was guilding, I tried to knit on Lady Eleanor of Targello, but I kept zigging when I should have been zagging (because I was yapping), so I rolled it up and stowed it in my brand new, fantabulous Lady B bag.

See.. Lexie Barnes has incredible customer service. I wrote them to say that my bag was fraying at the piping on all 4 corners. I didn't ask for a thing and told them that the bag is in use at least 5 days a week.. They asked if they could send me a replacement bag, and I chose one that was a year older and piping-free. They sent me one in that crazy, wonderful Bali Hai print.

Here's a link to the pattern, but it's not the same bag.

I lurv it, but not as much as the Targello.. that thing rocks the free world. If you're going to Targello yourself, please choose Noro Silk Garden 211j. You won't be disappointed.

If you're bored, try googling your first name, and the word: 'needs'. It's going to be fun. For example:

"Annie needs to be rescued by the armed forces (displaying male power), the entire rescue mission having been set in motion by the preeminent father figure, ..."

And no. I did not put Baileys in the coffee.

Those Belgians are brilliant

To quote BGA when I made him chocolate chip waffles for breakfast.

Me? Blech. I never want sweet for breakfast. If those waffles had ham and cheese in them, I'd be all over them.

This has been a very unorganized Family Day weekend. I had some plans that have panned out, and some that have gone completely awry due to the fact that I didn't factor MY FAMILY into my plans. For example... I was going to spin at Make One on Saturday. I committed to being there. My family thought it would be a much better idea if they ate.. so instead BFML and I went grocery shopping and did errands. Sunday/My plans: Have Lorraine over to look at a wheel. Family's plans: Turns out BGA has a hockey game (which he played forward for the first time, and did very well). I did make it to Bess' Sunday Afternoon Guild meeting and learned about nalbinding (next I'll learn how to spell that). Today I was going to try to meet with Lorraine, but it's looking more like a trip to Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump or Drumheller.




Between all of that, and Valentine's day, I've been knitting a Lady Eleanor Stole. My understanding is that it will suddenly become the world's most boring knit.. however, at this point I'm still really enjoying it and I'm closing in on 50% completion. I had almost completely lost my knitting mojo, and I have to call it restored at this point.

I think it's brilliant.

Vair charity verk can be compensatory to underlying personality disorders

A little background.. I've been speaking about getting a tetanus shot. I might have received one in 2006, but I can't recall. So I went to my doctor, and he had run out of serum. Today I went to a neighborhood clinic where I had received my Hep shots in 2006. I asked if I had received a tetanus shot in 2006, and the nurse said the doctor would let me know.

Two hours later....

Dr: I can't read this file. (hands it to me)

Me: I can't either, it's illegible. If I did have a previous shot, will a second cause problems?

Dr: Purely psychosomatic.

So.. you're a Ritter. Funny, you look like a lady to me.

Me: My grandfather was German. My Father-in-law is Austrian. I have heard the joke before.

Dr: Oh really? Vut does it mean?

Me: Knight. The name was originally Von Ritter, but was changed when the family came to Canada.

Dr: Now, that is overkill.

Dr: 1 cc. Yes, that says 1 cc Tetanus. You don't need another shot today. Do you have more questions?

Me: Does memory loss and insomnia pass after peri-menopause is complete?

Dr: You are depressed.

Me: No, actually, I'm totally fine.

Dr: Vell. (pause, pause, pause) Charity verk can be compensatory to underlying personality disorders such as depression. {I swear that is a quote}

Me: Still fine. I am wondering if these symptoms of peri-menopause will pass in time.

Dr: (pause, pause, pause, pause, pause). Vould you like sleeping pills?

Me: Thank you (shakes hand). I'll be going.

Dr: Come back if your symptoms persist.

Me: If I remember.



On the bright side... I knitted to the toe of a sock while I was there waiting, and also fixed some lace for a very, very nice lady. So all is not lost.

Dear pets,

As much as I love you (and I really do love you), there have to be some immediate changes or I'm going to have to move out. Honestly, you can keep the house.

Rupert, I do appreciate your mouse catching prowess, but you do not have permission to bring the mouse into our bedroom and play with it. And, having kicked you out, but not having realized that there was, in fact, a dead mouse beside my bed, I have to admit that I was surprised to hear you were back, and now crunching on something.

Dead. And 50% mouselike.

I just can't wrap my head around cleaning up that kind of mess at 4am.

And Roxie, gosh you are adorable. You are a big, lumpy kind of adorable, and we consider getting you to be one of the finest decisions we've ever made. But Rox, you just exploded last week, and I would so appreciate it if you would stop eating cat food (yes, it was an oversight on my part that you could get to it) and upsetting your stomach. I ache from head to toe tonight, and because everyone is at BGA's hockey game, I thought I was going to have some time alone to spin... and then make some dinner. Instead I had the ever-exploding dog to clean up after and then bathe.

Gag me.

You other two pets? Please be on notice that this letter does not imply permission for you to do anything that wakes me up or makes me heave. Or both at once.

Yours truly,
Mom

Ps: Rox? There is NO CHANCE in the world that I'm going to let you out right now. No chance at all.

Me and my wimple went to Banff

Today we drove to the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel to take the kids skating on the small rink behind the hotel. We'd stopped in Banff briefly to pick up some Qivuit (none available!), and some fudge (too much available).



Despite the ice and snow, I spent the day thinking about fires in Australia, and how close they are to Mandie (she and her family are safe). Over a hundred have lost their lives... the numbers crept up terribly as the day progressed.



Our prayers go out to Australia.

Better?

Originally uploaded by spinknit

Here is the actual colour of the purples... BFML's camera is much more effective at capturing colour.

Remaining are:

None! Thanks everyone!

I have silk!

An example of silk hankies spun on a Tibetan spindle.

I also have a wheel for sale! It is a Louet S-75 single treadle, quite old but still very spinnable. Comes with 3 big bobbins, and a bobbin holder (not shown); all for $225.00 cdn. I am not willing to ship the wheel, but will deliver within Calgary.

These “hankies” or “mawata” are great for spinning, felting, needlework, pulling thin and knitting straight from the fiber or many other projects. These, and all other items that have been for sale on my blog of late are in support of my trip to Mexico in March to build houses with a group of other missionaries.

Items are listed in Canadian dollars, and do not include shipping (mouse over or click on images for item numbers, weight, and price). Please leave me a comment or an email (to spinknit@me.com) if you'd like to make a purchase.

silk1 - SOLD (darch)

silk2 - SOLD (darch)

silk3 - SOLD (mrs.robinson)

silk4 - SOLD (darch)

silk5 - SOLD (mrs.robinson)

silk6 - SOLD (jacinda)

silk7 - SOLD (edlyn)

Silks 8 though 16 are much, much darker and richer in colour than shown below. Because of their reflective nature, I cannot get an accurate representation of their colour or shade.


silk8 - SOLD (jacinda)

silk9 - SOLD (kourtney)

silk10 - SOLD (jacinda)

deleted the poor ugly picture

silk12 - SOLD (edlyn)

deleted the poor ugly picture

deleted the poor ugly picture

deleted the poor ugly picture

silk15 - SOLD (edlyn)

silk16 - SOLD (darch)