Saturday, November 28, 2009

Plans, Yep, I had plans

Yep, I had plans of photographing the entire arrival of my prize from Lina’s giveaway.  I was going to photograph the pkg in the mail box, me removing it from the box; then a pic of the pkg, me opening it - - - - - you know the plot.  Well, that didn’t happen.  I got it out of the mailbox at the mall and tore into it.  Oh, Oh, Oh, oh.  Looky what I won ! ! ! ! ! ! GiveawayYarn

Yarn Dyeing

If you want to learn how to dye yarn the easy way and want it shown and explained simply.  You really need to go to Melody’s blog.  She’s one creatively talented, smart gal. So, click outta here and check her out.  Fibermainia's Yarn Dyeing

Friday, November 27, 2009

If you want your own

copy of Cath Kidston’s Christmas catalog you can request one from Cath's Christmas Catalog it should arrive in a week or so.     Lovely items and de-lishy colors.

Our Thanksgiving Dinner was pretty much traditional.  Turkey, Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes and Gravy, Candied Sweet Potatoes.  We also had Hickory-Smoked Ham and Cornbread.  Pumpkin pie with whipped cream topped off our meal.

Telephone conversations with sons and brothers added to the day.

A Pink Thansgiving Meal

Perhaps just ‘a bubble off’ with the PINK table decor.

[So, maybe I am under the influence of blogging.]

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Look ! ! ! ! I’m a part-time gardener . . . . . .

Part time gardener 001

Some of you may remember

my post in August of ‘07

here’s a photo of my garden from that summer.

My Flower Garden

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Blogiversary WINNER ! ! ! !

Oh, gee, guess who won

 PHOTO.KNIT.DOG ‘s Blogiversary Giveaway ! !

You bet I did.  I won Lina’s soooo generous giveaway.  Am I lucky or what.

Yes, . . . . . I FINALLY FINISHED my

Neck Warmer. 

Finally! !  I knit and I knit and I knit, knit, knit. 

Yep, yessir, it’s finished

How could something so simple take me so long to finish?

[After all it’s just a triangle.]

And, of course, it is well worth the time.

I just can’t wait ‘til that north wind tries to seep down the neck of my jacket.  No way, Jose.  It ain’t gonna happen.

Neckwarmer

My neckwarmer

Melody is right!  It is hard to take one’s own pic. 

So, that’s it, my neckwarmer.  Thanks Melody.

Friday, November 20, 2009

Blog-hopping

You guessed it, I’ve been blog hopping and enjoying every click of my mouse.  I’ve met more creative people in just a few short weeks than I could ever imagine.  This world of blogging is an eye-opening experience.  It’s putting the world of crafters at our finger tips.  These crafters are from every corner of this world and doing so many creative things.  Some you could never dream up on your own.  While all their activities may not be your cuppa you can discover a diverse community of talented people.

A new wave in blogland is the . . . . . Giveaway.   I’ve found so many interesting blogs because of this.  AND, as you may remember, I did win a Giveaway and I love my Cork Necklace [made of sustainable cork] .

So, here another opportunity to take advantage of The Internet and Blogland.

A Sugar Kissed Christmas picnik

A Sugar Kissed Giveaway

Happy Blog-Hopping.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

A couple more pages . . . .

This past week’s dreary, cloudy, over-cast, damp, drizzly weather has made a few hours of fantasy a necessity. These two magazines have filled a few hours for me. 

Our gauge shows 2.28” of rain since Sunday.  No a record amount but still . . . . . . .

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Pages for dreaming . . . . .

We have another opportunity . . . . .

Marydon at Feedsack Fantasy & Blushing Rose Boutique is continuing  her wonderful dream giveaway ! ! !  We have four chances to win some unbelievable gifts.  Check it out.

Monday, November 16, 2009

Wooliebullie Giveaway

Check of the Orangey Handknitted Hat with Handspun Trim at

Wooliebullie

then go to Phat Fiber Giveaway to see the big giveaway, of course, I plan on being the winner this time ! ! ! !

Painting Poinsettia Petals Pink

pointsetta petals before

Here they are as they came home from the store. .

pointsetta petals after pink

Now they’re dressed for the holiday ! ! ! !

I had an unsuccessful try at adding glitter to these petals – failed miserably.  Have yet to add a few glue-on ‘crystals’ to attempt to add the sparkle I was looking for when I began this project.

Finished a couple of more crocheted items while waiting for DH’s physical therapy session.  A productive way to spend that time.  I guess DH felt we needed a little pick-me-up afterwards, we stopped at the bakery shop to have a cup of free-trade Kaldi’s decaf and a lemon bar [made with fresh-squeezed lemons, no less].

We’ve had yukkie weather the past couple of days.  Yesterday it rained all day – we measured 1.94” of the stuff.  Today is a little better as it is not quite raining just a heavy mist.  Plus, the temp is just mid-40s.  No doubt a tease of the colder temps to come the next several months.  Glad I finally finished my neckwarmer.  Haven’t taken pics yet, but will post the danged thing soon.  I took soooo looonnnggg to knit.
Don’t forget you non-bloggers, you too, can Comment by choosing one of the sign-ins listed.  If you chooseAnonymous don’t forget to sign you name so that I’ll know who to thank for commenting.  Hope to hear from more of you. 

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Monday, November 9, 2009

Sewing Fanatic Cork Necklace

Yes, I really did win that giveaway.  It’s just taken me forever to get to the point of posting photos.  If you remember my gift was through the generosity of two very wonderful gals.  My new necklace titled ‘Sewing Fanatic’ was designed and created by Cat.  You can see more very cool items at

I read about the Giveaway on Jen's blog Haut Whimsy
 
 
 

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Vinegar Bath

The Garden Bell asked about a vinegar bath/rinse “to help set the color and brighten” the newly dye yarn.

The Berry Blue that I did in class did not have the vinegar treatment - the instructor did not include that in her class.  However, I did add vinegar to the Orange and the Lemonade and will with the Lemon-Lime I’ll do after dinner tonite.

In addition to the bright colors, a yummy scent the yarn retains afterwards is a pleasant surprize.

I was going to knit a hat and scarf with the class-provided yarn but found that it was waaasy too itchy for me.  Thought the Fishermen’s Wool might be better because when I felt  it  in the store it felt so much more softer than the wool-mohair did. 

But, it too feels scratchy.  Guess I’ll have to go for some of the Knitpick's Superwash Wool Garden Bell mentioned.

Kool-aid Yarn Dyeing

I may have mentioned that I took a class at Hillcreek Yarn Shoppe in Columbia a couple of weeks ago.  Great class ! ! !   Look what I did - - - - - -   this is Berry Blue                                                                                                                                      

Kool-Aid Dyed Yarn Berry Blue

I came home with a skein of the wool/mohair yarn to try my hand at home.  In the meantime, I picked up some Fisherman’s Wool from Hobby Lobby and  more packets of Kool-aid.

kool-aid 003 yarn wetting

kool-aid 004 yarn soaking

The yarn needs to be thoroughly wet so that all the fibers will have an equal opportunity to soak up the dye in the Kool-aid.  Then I gently squeezed out the the excess and blotted with a bath towel.

kool-aid 001 prep 11-6-2009 10-57-39 AM

Ready for prep – I used ten packets of the Orange  Kool- aid for approx 100 gms of the Fishermen’s Wool

kool-aid 005 mixing powder

 

I want to make certain that all the powder is dissolved before I immersed the damp yarn

 kool-aid 006 ready to emerse

I made sure the yarn to covered with the dye-water [well as best I could]

kool-aid 007 cover completely 

You can see that the Kool-aid was pretty darn orange - - can’t see my gloved fingers.  I swirled the yarn around gently so as not to ‘felt’ it.  After several minutes you can see that the water is becoming less orange.  However, the interesting thing about the Orange in comparison to the Berry Blue is that the BB turned clear while the Orange lost it’s orange and left a milky solution.  Hmmmmmm. You’ll see in a minute.

 kool-aid 008 desnity

Then it was time to nuke it in the microwave enough to set the dye but not to felt it. 

kool-aid 010 microwave

 

kool-aid 012 timed

I used  two-minute increments.  In between I let it sit for approx five minutes between nuke cycles then repeated until the water felt pretty darn warm to my gloved finger.

kool-aid 014 dye absorbed 

See what I mean about the color of the water when all the dye had been absorbed?  Milky.  I drained off the liquid and waited until the yarn cooled and then thoroughly rinse ‘til the water ran clear.     

                                                                                                                               kool-aid 016 drying

I gently squeezed the water out, rolled in bath towel to rid it of any remaining water -  laid it out on the table to dry.                                                                                                                                     

kool-aid 017 wound into cake

Wound it into a yarn cake and added it to my new stash of Kool-aid dyed yarn.

The Lemon-Lime beckoned . . .   -- -- --  . . . 

kool-aid 018

Friday, November 6, 2009

Blogiversary – Giveaways - - -

Photo.Knit.Dog is celebrating her blogiversary with a very generous giveaway.  If you don’t play, you can’t win  ;^D

Midwest Knit Girl  is another generous knitting blogger who is having a giveaway.  She’s a self-professed yarn snob so we’re in for a neat yarn prize.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Marydon is having a DOUBLE Giveaway

Feedsack Fantasy

is the blog to visit to find out the details

AND you’ll be visiting a pretty neat blog to boot !