Magic Yarn Ball Received

If it's not fun, you're not doing it right.
Bob Basso

I got my magic yarn ball in the mail! Didn't she do a wonderful thing, here...I want to do this again! Stop over at her blog and take a peek, she is a wonderful photographer. This ball of wonder will become a Be Squared Neck Warmer. There was a bar of Cadbury Dairy Milk in the box, but since I am not sharing that with anyone (mine, all mine) I will not tempt you with a picture. It is absolutely my favorite, barring none. The true moral in all this is never desecrate chocolate with nuts and never, ever share! Sharing yarn is good, but Cadbury is not a team event!

Magic Yarn Balls

Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one.
Dr. Seuss

I joined an online swap started by T Does Wool. I am usually tempted, but seldom join. Magic Yarn Balls. If you are interesed in taking a peek, we have a Flickr site. My swap partner has already received her package so I can show you now what it looked like when she took it out of the box. The premise of the ball is that you take a skein of yarn, alpaca in this case, and wind it into a ball, winding little trinkets and bobbles into it as you go, starting with something somewhat round in the center. That way, when your swap partner is knitting from the ball, little things begin to appear. Sounds like great fun, doesn't it? I had a blast putting this together, I hope she likes it as much as I did. Even my friend, Penny, got involved and found me a tiny pair of wooden knitting needles to wind in.

"So Long, January" Sunday

"A new British survey has revealed that 9 out of 10 people like Chocolate. The tenth lies."

- Robert Paul

Last weekend was spent with a good book, great tea and new yarn. I am loving the way the Bamboo feels. It does split a little more than Superwash Merino does, but with a little care taken, it is well worth it.
And they came out so cool!!
This beautiful yarn is, I believe, destined right now for the Evenstar mystery shawl on Ravelry. I have signed up, but I haven't finished my sweater yet and I may put the pattern with the yarn for another time. I still wind all my yarn by hand, I am a very tactile person that way.

Icy Wednesday

Before God we are all equally wise - and equally foolish.
Albert Einstein

One of the many joys of living in the heart of the Midwest, is dealing with the crappy weather. Can I use that word on Blogger? Believe me, it is much better than the word that came to mind this morning when I got up and could hear the ice tinking off the windows. There is no let up in sight. There are accidents everywhere and semi trailers in the ditch off the Interstate and some of us still need to try and brave it to go to work....

I found a necklace thrifting that had the most interesting elements....they all came apart to make row markers for knitting. Do I really need so many row markers, you may ask? Well, of course not, but now I have some to share with friends! I love that part of it.
I have been dyeing yarn again and it is wonderful to see it come together. This yarn was dyed very quickly in lime Kool-Aid, heat set and allowed to dry before three different sessions in tea. The color is as close as i am going to be able to get to the color in my head. It is destined, one day (probably not anytime soon) to be Anne Hanson's Honeybee Stole.

And this lovely table mat was made for me by Cathy of Cath's Pennies Designs. If you have not been to her blog, she has begun selling her patterns of some of the most whimsical designs. I just love her Love Ewes pattern, a sheep candle mat that has buttons to accent the little feet. This is one talented lady. I am expecting her newest pattern, Scarecrow Jack in the Pumpkin Patch, in the mail almost any day. She does tutorials on her blog to show you how to put her patterns together.

Holiday Mondays are Wonderful!

“Waste your money and you’re only out of money, but waste your time and you’ve lost a part of your life.”
― Michael Leboeuf

My very smart Daughter-In-Law and Son contacted my favorite yarn dyer, Qutecowgirl, for my Christmas presents. These yarns were dyed with me in mind. The yarn in the foreground was hand-dyed, the dark you see throughout the skein was the word "Health" spelled out during the dyeing process. The yarn in the background was her daughters first yarn. She knows how much I love her daughters yarns. My Son and his Wife sure put a lot of thought into this. Thank you so much, Perry and Kim!
The new sock project bag has been going everywhere with me. It was included in the gift. There is a small pocket inside, just the right size for a little something else. Something like, oh...I don't know, the gorgeous stitch markers that also came along with the gift. All I can say is WOW. I was thrilled to open this package Christmas morning.
Have you ever knitted with bamboo? Well, until this month, I never had. My Dad gets my next pairs of completed socks and I wanted him to have something soft. These feel like chenille.
It is no secret I love hand-thrown pottery. I thought I would show a couple of pieces I collected over the summer and have put to good use. I can never walk by a pair of knitting needles at a yard sale or a thrift store. You never know when you or a friend will need just the right set. And they look like little bouquets!

I have more to show you, I got some beautiful soy yarn from a dear friend....stay tuned.

Sunday Without Football

I love deadlines. I especially love the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.
Douglas Adams

One of my passions is thrifting and finding a great piece of discarded jewelry that I can turn into something new that will be loved and used. These little stitch markers, all 30, came from an ankle bracelet. they will be perfect for lace. They happen to be laying on my current sweater. The sleeve is progressing. I had to put it down for a while to get my Christmas knitting done.
How about a hand thrown pottery bowl and plate (reclaimed from a thrift store) with some pretty, blue, reclaimed wool, all beautifully wound by the woman who reclaimed it, forgottenfleece. She generously offered to wind ths lace weight for free. There are hundreds of yards, plenty for about any shawl I choose.
This cute little pillow was made by a good friend named Blyn several years ago. So wonderful that I thought you might like to see it. It is special to me because my Grandmother had a pear tree in her yard and I remember her pear jam very fondly. It is my brother John's favorite.

Why no football, you ask? We no longer have TV. We gave it up about 6 weeks ago and really haven't missed it very much.....well....except for my Eagles.

"Out of the strain of the doing
Into the peace of the done."
Julia Louise Woodruff

It has been an interesting week. I learned to do something I never ever thought I would have to do, and hope never to do, and suffered the side effects. Luckily, they only lasted 24 hours and I only have to do it once a week. So, into the peace of the done lasts 2 more days before I get to experience the pain to the doing again....a very fit quote this time.

And now for something I really like (imagine my best Rocky voice here):Three of my favorite things, felted wool, hand thrown pottery and beautiful wool yarn for a scarf...eventually. These must be favorites of the many because two cats kept trying to help me take the picture. Apparently the yarn had to be just so in the bowl....critics everywhere.