Mother Of All Giveaways!

Check out the Rochester NY Street Team. They are having, as the title of today's blog might suggest, the Mother of all Giveaways!! Before they get to the big giveaway, Lauren's Lovelies (you will find a lonk to her on the sidebar) is the guest host this week.

Wool & Alpaca & Silk...Oh My

“The thankful receiver bears a plentiful harvest.”
William Blake

Yesterday, in a dim moment, I received a box. A plain white box. When I opened it, a bounty of colorful fiber sprang forth. They appear here in no particular order, as I could not select a favorite if I tried really hard. The first three were dyed specifically with me in mind.
During the dye process, my name was written on each loop of yarn. That story made me cry. The absolute best yarn dyer in the world, Qutecowgirl (and no, I didn't know her before purchasing my first skein of yarn from her and no, I couldn't tell you how many I have purchased from her...let's just say a lot), knew I was going through a difficult time and look what she did:

These first three will stay with me, as socks or mittens or.....whatever. They are mine.

I asked her if she could recreate beach glass. Bruce and I love to walk on the beach.

This alpaca is truly wonderful to just sit and touch....

Black Cherry.....wow.

"Every Color" & "Monet" are really quite incredible in person. Remember my favorite yarn dyed by a five year old young girl not too long ago? She and her sister had a hand in these. They can dye for me anytime. And I am sure they will be asking to....:)

And now, for what I have really been getting to, the caramel colored yarn I asked her to dye. I want to knit Anne Hansen's Honeybee Stole. Of course, being female, I may have changed my mind. I also have fallen in love with her Dovecote Shawl. Take a trip through her shop and see what you think. It really is hard to decide.

Ladies, I don't ever leave many skeins in Qutecowgirl's Etsy. Go often and take a peek, you just might beat me to a beautiful gem. Tell her I said Hi!!

Much To Be Thankful For

A happy life consists not in the absence, but in the mastery of hardships.

Helen Keller

We all have our challenges. It has been a grueling two months of MRIs, a spinal tap, evoked potentials, EMGs, nerve conductions, being poked and prodded and blood letted. We won't count the falling down and the light-headedness, the dragging my left leg. Switching one neurologist who was too busy for me to one who cares and who has a staff who is amazing. Yesterday it became official and definite. I am the first person in my family to suffer from MS. I am so thankful I am not in a wheelchair and that I will soon begin a medication regimen that will hopefully prevent that. I am thankful for a good Doctor and a good Neurologist. I am thankful my family loves me. I am thankful Bruce does. I am thankful Penny does and we will all get through this together. They are very accepting and supportive. Now, I need to learn to accept help, plenty hard for a control freak.

On a much brighter note...I got the best box in the whole world in the mail today....I think it came from a little slice of heaven. I know the best yarn dyer in the world and her daughter's helped. You just have to see what I got...you just have to. I will drag out my camera tomorrow and start taking pictures...just wait until you see......

Do You Eat Jellybeans?

You can tell a lot about a fellow's character by his way of eating jellybeans.
Ronald Reagan

The eBay gods have been kind to me. I walked away with my new toy for a song. I now have a new way to show off my completed socks.
Inside this cute little bag that I knitted on Magic Loop toe up, is my daughter's IPod! I got the idea from Bells Knits. No seams. Thanks, Mary!! You taught me well. I have made four of these little bags now, all from leftover sock yarn dyed by a 5 year old. I dearly love this yarn and it is almost all gone, just a few yards left.

A Global Force For Good

I have never posted anything political, other than footbal, here before, nor will I get in the habit. And who doesn't love them Eagles. Okay, today is probably not the best day to ask that question. This is definitely worth sharing, it is moving in the direction of showing the world what the Navy really does in times of peace and war.

Wordful Wednesday

HAPPY

VETERANS DAY

To all the heroes in my life:

My Father,

My Sister and her Husband (the best darned martini artist in the world),
My Brother,

My Son and his lovely Wife,

My Bestest Friend Forever, Penny,

The brave young men and women I have the honor to work with everyday.

Each and every one of you make me humble and proud.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO OUR AWESOME COUNTRY!

MAY GOD HOLD YOU IN HIS HAND.

Magnificent Monday

"You will never reach your goal until you start to take action, any action."
Byron Pulsifer

My KoolAid socks are finished!! I really love the way they came out. You just never know what you are going to get when you take a chance. I need...I need to dye more.....more colors...
I am trying something new. Qutecowgirl mentioned to me how she could knit like the wind with her 9" circulars. I saw Judy at Athena Fibers knitting with 8"ers and had to try them out...wow, I love them. It didn't take long to get used to them either.

They are super affordable and definitely worth a try. I bought a second 9" today, you know, just in case. They have them in metal (my personal favorite) and bamboo.

Sorry for the blur, i thought I could get you up close and personal...ask you to take a few stitches to see if you like it.

Look at these beauties I found on Etsy!!! MadeForFun has a real treasury of beach finds. These buttons are to die for and will be just great on my next sweater!!

And now for something you will really like. Cathy over at Cath's Pennies has listed her very first pattern for purchase. Her pictures and tutorial is much better than my picture. Pop over and take a look. She is getting her second pattern ready for it's debut...I will try to be first in line again....

Take care and God bless.