At Yarn's End

Year of the Dragon!

2012-02-02T18:12:00.000-08:00

It's 2012 already!!!! Wow! I totally can't believe how fast time flies and with the year of the dragon upon us, let us hope that everything will turn out great for everyone! I haven't been updating anything around here in a while, primarily because I spent the last month and a half just hanging out with my little one, and enjoying the time off from teaching.

Here he is in his favorite toy of all - the box from a jogging stroller I purchased (see why below) - from which I cut out a square for him and padded it inside to make him his very own space ship/race car/hideaway.

Here he is hiding inside his box with his iPad, which I purchased from a fellow Raveller (it was an excellent, can't-say-no price, too)

Speaking about vacations, I totally get the summer vacations for teachers, and though I'm a year round kind of teacher working as an independent contractor for the community education area of a community college, it feels like a full time job - just without any benefits. Boo. And some students can make you batty. And since I have adult students, it's a different vibe, too. Some are there because they really want to be there (second career, life change, bucket list, etc) and some, well, just want to kill time or mom or dad are paying for the education so no loss there if they don't put in any effort. So this year, I finally failed my first student in Pathology and how I wish I could have failed a few more last year.

Anyway, I hardly had any time to do any spinning during my time off. The little one demanded most of my free time and he is growing up so fast! He is now 27 pounds and is climbing over everything. As one of my friends said, "The water level has risen" - pertaining to the height which we have to move everything we don't want him to get higher each time.

When I did get time to spin, it was mostly simple vanilla type yarns - navajo plied or andean plied worsted to bulky hands puns that will probably be destined for small projects like cowls or hand warmers. But even knitting has been difficult to do as the little one again seems to have a radar set for knitting needles and promptly demands I let go of them and play with him instead.

Oh well...spinning and knitting can be set aside anytime. I want to watch my little one grow and be there for him as much as possible.

My hobbies have been also left in the wayside because it turns out that I'm really really unhealthy - like, really. My cholesterol is up, triglycerides are up, and I'm pre-diabetic as well. And my liver enzymes were also elevated. My doctor wrote on her note, "Cut down on alcoholic drinks," and I thought to myself, "gee, I haven't drank anything since 2006 - not even wine." I looked it up and saw that one of the causes, if not alcohol, is obesity, and I'm definitely on the obese side now.

The days of telling myself that I can lose the weight quickly are gone. Age makes all that a bit more difficult. I guess it's true when people say that everything seems to slow down as we age, and most everything that lasts a minute on the lips, ends up on the hips :)

So I made the decision to stop the hobbies for a while and concentrate on my health. Instead of spinning or knitting, I now place Lucas in the stroller and we take a long brisk walk. When I drop him off at the in-laws before class time, I try to make it to the gym and do 30 minutes of circuit training and cardio (yup, Curves, here I am!) instead of using that time to spin, knit or process fiber. Which means that I'm also in destashing mode right now - destashing fleece that I don't see myself processing this year, especially since I didn't have the time to do it last year.

It does feel good to make new priorities for the year, especially when it comes to putting my health first. Without my health, I wouldn't be able to do much of anything, much less spinning, knitting, and most of all, being there for my little prince.

I still find the time to do the hobbies, of course, after all the working out and caring for the little prince are done. Sometimes you may find me spinning or knitting or crocheting in semi darkness though. Spinning still does make me feel so calm and collected, and I get to meditate a bit as well.

The first handspun for 2012 is pretty vibrant. Here's how it looked on a Louet Victoria bobbin, all 4 ounces of it. The Victoria is such a sweet wheel, by the way, and I am renting it from Nancy of Nancy's Custom Handweaving.

Here is it all navajo-plied:

Here's another one from the same fiber dyer but the colors are so muted and terrible that even spinning it became such a drag and I had a hard time plying it. I ended up having to re-ply it on the wheel but it didn't change how awful the colors were to begin with.

I still have 4 more rovings, I think, in the box that it all came in but I'm not so thrilled to spin them as the dye job is splotchy. I'm keeping my fingers crossed though that maybe if I let it sit awhile, I might forget all that and like the end result of the rovings.

And here's a crocheted hat I made from one of my handspun yarns spun from a Loop self-striping roving:

And as if I didn't have enough fiber and have been destashing some of them (only the ones that require more processing than long locks!), here's a few "Kitchen Sink Bags" from Natalie of Namaste Farms. The bags are filled with an assortment of dyed mohair, wensleydale and other wool - and even a feather!

And Now We're Weaving!

2011-11-22T23:52:00.001-08:00

Yup, I just added a new item on my list of hobbies - weaving! Specifically triangle loom weaving, that is.

Last Sunday I attended a triloom weaving class with Gale of Weaver's Cupboard and after weaving 2 samples on a 16" loom or so, I decided to get a 48" walnut loom from Gale and upon arriving home, immediately set out to weave my first official shawl.

I picked a handspun yarn from my first forays in spinning. I think it's from a Crosspatch Creations batt and it has such a lovely luster! After 2 hours of weaving, and another hour of attaching the fringe, I ended up with this, which I've worn twice already even though it needs a soak:

The following day I started weaving my second shawl using some handspun using Pumpkinhaus fibers as well as another handspun that I carded from Studioloo. This one probably took me a total of 3 - 4 hours to do and I love it!

I am officially addicted to this!

Have A Wonderful Day!

2011-11-12T12:31:00.001-08:00

It's rainy (or is overcast) today in SoCal and while the daddy and kidlet are out and about (tumbling class and who knows where else the grown up will take him?), I'm enjoying some quiet time at home with a cup o' joe and this awesome pic:

Good Bye Wheels...Oh Wait, Here's Another One!

2011-11-08T23:28:00.000-08:00

So I said good-bye to two wheels this past weekend and though I had second thoughts in selling them at first, meeting their new owners made me feel so much better about my decision. The Clemes went to a young mom of 2 beautiful girls who now has 3 wheels in her stable.

Fricke went to a wonderful man who had never spun on a spinning wheel before - like, ever! But he sure had a lot of fleece! He said that he started knitting a year ago and just loved it. Then he started buying raw fleece on Etsy and he's hooked. It's like taking the red pill...

Anyway, I found myself really having major second thoughts as I showed him how to spin on the Fricke, but I had to remind myself again and again that I didn't have enough time in the day to spin anything. Much less on 4 wheels in the house. So off the Fricke went and I know they will be well-loved and at best, used a whole lot more than I ever have in the past year and a half.

Then I found myself with a Louet Victoria in tow, on loan for a month as I decide what wheel to complement my Matchless which is too darn heavy for me to take outside the house. I've spun on the Vicky once so far and so far I am liking it. I do have to change the brake band and spring with fishing nylon string and a rubber band, respectively because its current set up is driving me batty.

I am currently spinning some lincoln roving on it from Sandy of Homestead Wool and Gift Farm. If you haven't heard of Sandy and her wonderful sheepies, do stop by and check her farm out. She makes awesome tailspun yarn and has wonderful sheepies who love fruit loops!

Some Handspun!

2011-11-06T00:00:00.000-07:00

I have actually found some time to spin and although it's not a lot, it's pretty much enough for me right now with a full schedule! I recently bought a Cricket loom and I'm hoping to find some time to warp my first ever project on it and weave something awesome using my own handspun!

So what yarns did I finish and actually get to take pictures of? Well, I finally got to spin Pumpkinhaus' awesome "What's your fairy name SAL" complete with feathers and here it is!

Pumpkinhaus' Fairy Name SAL corespun with feathers!

A close up of the corespun with feathers

Hobbledehoy corespun yarn

Even dyed up some colorful wensleydale!

Even managed to knit up a pair of Monkey socks!

Yup, you could say I got to steal a few hours here and there! And it sure felt good! I did have one week off from teaching but never got to dye any fibers since I was so busy making up my student manuals for the upcoming class instead. I can't wait till holiday break!

I did end up selling 2 of my wheels just recently - the need to make more room is getting more dire with each passing day as my little prince needs the room to run around and just play. With all my fleece and wool and spinning wheels sitting around, or hiding in the closets or in the garage, I had to make a choice and so 1 wheel left for its new home today, and another wheel goes to someone who's never spun on a wheel tomorrow! I'm very happy that they will be with new owners who can spend time with them and spin tons of yarn with them!

So what wheel do I have left for myself? Why, it's the Matchless DT - although I just realized I did not put the possessive 'my' in that sentence so it means that it's probably destined to go, too. I have been considering getting a Fricke DT 160 instead, as I kept the bulky flyer and bobbin for it, and really love that everything I need ratio-wise and portability and bobbin capacity can be found in one wheel without having to change this whorl or that flyer - except for the bulky flyer, that is.

But for now, it'll be the matchless for awhile. We both need some spinning to do and besides, I'd rather get myself a new macbook anyway. The little prince has taken over my iPad.

At the pumpkin patch having a blast!

Looking over my shoulder

A recent pic that's as close to a formal pose as we'll ever get these days!

Remembering Pam

2011-11-05T23:31:00.000-07:00

Yesterday last year my best friend lost her battle with ovarian cancer. I kept thinking it was the 7th, but as I read through my blog tonight, I realized that I had been notified 2 days after - so the 4th was the day my dearest Pam crossed over to the other side.

I still think of Pam a lot, and just today, as I was cleaning out my garage office, sorting books into boxes destined for the library or Salvation Army, I pulled out a book and thought, "Wow, Pam sure tolerated me with my whimsies - whether it be writing or spinning yarn."

That's Pam. She was always ready to listen to my latest story, waiting to hear when I was done writing my great fantasy novel (which, I just realized, is still sitting in the far reaches of my brain), or hear about my latest spinning wool adventure. She always made that call whenever I forgot because, well, I was just too forgetful.

I was always happy she remembered. Every month, she'd call to catch up and let me know how she was doing, and even when she was not doing well, you'd never know it. She always kept herself busy, raising money at the L.A. Marathon to benefit her favorite place to heal in the South Bay.

When I last saw Pam, I had gone to her house to pick up our old massage school manual which she had saved. She was lending it to me, but when I got there, she said that she wouldn't be around anyway, and she wanted me to have it. She was so happy to hear that I was teaching massage at the local college, and she hoped that by her saving the manual (she said she saved everything - though seeing her house, you wouldn't know it, like, say, my house, where you see remnants of last week's dinner, probably saved by accident under the couch) it would benefit me and my students.


Pam and Michael

I remember I trimmed some beautiful flowers that had wilted in the heat of the Southern California sun (yes, even in October!) as she guided me through which flowers to throw and which ones to keep for she loved to look at them. I wanted to hold her forever, but she had to take her nap. Her husband, Michael, came in to remind her that she had to rest (she had to breathe with the help of oxygen so the tube trailed around the house behind her), and so I left, promising to see her again soon.

Four weeks later, Pam was gone. And less than a year later, Michael followed and I hope they are together now, watching over me as I think about both of them and wondering what she'd say of my latest efforts at cleaning up the messy house, or setting aside books and stuff to give away to charity. Or about my latest Duffers, knitted felted slippers that I made 3 pairs of which one of them I thought would be perfect for her - before I caught myself and realized that she is no longer around to wear them.

But I'm sure she would have liked them.

Tiny Tots on the Firing Line

2011-09-30T14:10:00.001-07:00

Every Friday morning I try my darndest to get my little tyke to the local library for Tiny Tots reading and play time. Some days are more successful than others, but each time we walk through the library doors, my teacup human heads straight to the playroom - where he then stands just outside the door debating whether he's going in or not. He eventually does and plays.

Today the woman who supervises the reading and playtime announced that the city has decided to no longer fund the program at the local library. Maybe the "oil money" may pay for it, but only if the city or council decide to give some of that to the library.

It makes me sad to see libraries hit the hardest during these trying times. Libraries are an integral part of a society and I don't give a shit what you say about there being the internet, Google, and Wikipedia. Oh, and Facebook. Seeing a child look through books in the children's section at the library will tell anyone that the benefits of having a library can be viewed on that child's face. The wonder of counting butterflies on the page, or reading about Elmer, the fish's adventures in and out of the coral reef, or pointing to the letter "W" and knowing how it sounds like - if you're still reading this, have you ever thought how we ever started reading "back in the day?"

It's That Time of the Year Again

2011-09-28T03:38:00.000-07:00

I'm back teaching and it's going to be a hectic quarter for me as I teach a total of 3 classes. Two are ongoing and one starts in November. This means that I do not have the time to spin my yarns or scour or dye my fibers. So add another year for my fibers to sit around in their bins. Oh well...

Which brings me to the issue of spinning wheels. If I don't have the time to spin, what am I to do with 4 wheels? And of course there's the issue of a toddler who needs more space to move around.

So if you're looking for a wheel, check in on me, will you? I just may have a wheel (or two) for you! Up for consideration may just be a Fricke single treadle folding and a Clemes modern wheel - both of these wheels have their corresponding bulky/jumbo flyer/bobbin, too!

So what do I do in the sparest of times that I do have? Besides blogging at 3:43 am?

Playing with my teacup Darth Vader!

Home Again

2011-09-01T00:24:00.000-07:00

We've been home about 3 weeks now and in hindsight, that 5 day vacation was S.H.O.R.T. Even though I had originally planned on being away for 7 straight days, things just happened that prevented us from doing so. But isn't that how life is?

I can't keep regretting this and that. It gets tiresome after some time.

Anyway, I do have some yarns to show off. These are just some yarns that I finished a few months ago but never got around to show since I've been too busy to even blog sometimes. Not that it's intentional, mind you.

Here's some fiber batts I got in the mail as well. One from Hobbledehoy and another one from Dani of Pumpkinhaus, a fairy name spin along, which, unfortunately, missed the whole SAL thing...

Hobbledehoy Batt

What's Your Fairy Name SAL

Anyway, I do have lots of fiber to keep me busy spinning in years to come. I just need to find some time do it!

Well, remember when I wrote about us being new owners of timeshares when we were back in Vegas? Well, now we're former owners. Instead of being saddled with an 18k loan that would have ended up to be 32k after the loan was paid off, I whisked off a cancellation letter, crossed my fingers, and as of a week and a half ago, we are officially 'former' owners. And boy does it feel good.

But that doesn't mean I'm totally turned off by timeshares, mind you. We both loved this one, and we've seen others as well since my good friend owns one and I've stayed in them. However as my friend suggested I do before we sat through the presentation, we had better wait for the perfect 'resale' price to come along as there seems to be a thriving resale market online. And you bet I'm keeping an eye out for the perfect one!

Viva Las Vegas, Baby!

2011-08-31T14:41:00.001-07:00

My, this place is huge! And not a single skein of yarn or fiber fleece in sight!

We're on our first ever family vacation with the infant in tow. Las Vegas in the summer can be miserable but this week even though temps are in the 100's there is slight breeze blowing (albeit hot) which makes the heat a bit more bearable than the last time I was in Vegas in the summer. That was years and years ago but no one in the party could ever forget the uncomfortable temps of 116. Yuck.
Anyway, this time we are also staying at a timeshare hotel on las Vegas boulevard about 4 miles south of the strip. I love that we don't have to breathe in cigarette smoke in the lobbies and hallways. There are 3 pools, including a "slow river" that looks mighty fun to jump into. Or float along as you lounge on your personal inner tube.

We have got 2 more days before we drive back to L.A. and today we are going to hit the Strip and maybe check out the cool hotels. Maybe have some crepes at Paris. And some gelato at the Venetian. And before we make the trek back home, I'm going back to the Woolly Wonders, the LYS I discovered yesterday.

Yup, I'm not about to miss out on the local LYS experience. Now I've been to Vegas more than I can count but each time I've been here in the past, it's been to drive friends and family around the hotels, see the sights, take pictures, indulge in the buffets and...well, the list went on ad on. There was always an Itinerary to entertain everybody.
This time, however, there is no itinerary other than to relax and have fun.

This is an update since it's been almost 3 weeks since I last wrote the above post...and I was still on vacation! Sigh, the wonders of running and keeping up after toddlers...

I found Wooly Wonders along Pecos and Tropicana Avenue and it is located in a small strip mall on the south east corner. There were three wonderful ladies there who helped me find some coordinating yarn for an unnamed merino silk yarn I was knitting to make Isolda's Liesl and I was running out just as I cleared the arm holes. Each woman cntributed to the pile of yarns that looked like a great match but in the end I had to pick only one. However, thank you, ladies!

I also found some other fabulous yarns as the store is a treasure trove of pattern magazines, yarns of just about every weight and in the back room, 2 spinning wheels and a weaving loom - and some fiber! I ended up purchasing 2 more skeins of yarn and 2 1-ounce bags of rust and gold angelina type fiber.
Besides having some time to knit, we spent a lot of time in the pool and just hanging around in the 3-bedroom suite all by ourselves!

On our last day we decided to attend a presentation at the timeshare and as much as I had warned Leo not to say yes (I wanted to learn how timeshares work as this suite we are in is pretty sweet and with Lucas just having a blast being here, I thought it was worth looking into), we left that presentation as the new owners of a "perpetual deed". Uh oh is what I said, too.

Ice Queen Scarf

2011-07-10T14:11:00.000-07:00

I posted this pattern awhile back in another blog but am posting it here as well. It's my Ice Queen scarf knit from my own handspun yarns. The base was corespun from a Loop cloud called "Black Tie Affair" (or something like that) and the locks are from Namaste Farms and they are just heavenly!

Now I'm not a pro when it comes to pattern writing but this is a simple enough pattern and if you have any questions, just holler.

Here's the pattern:

ICE QUEEN SCARF

You will need:
100 yards of bulky weight corespun yarn, or any lofty bulky yarn - This will be "A"
About 8 - 10 yards of tailspun yarn (the longer the locks, the more oomph! for your project!) - This will be "B"
Size 15 circular needles

With A, CO 125 sts
Row 1: K1 *YO K1, repeat from * to end of row
Row 2: K1 and *slip EVERY YO that you did on the previous row, K1 - repeat from * till the end of row
Repeat row 1 & 2 about 3 to 4 more times, depending on how wide you want your scarf. Cut yarn, leaving a 6" tail for weaving in later.

Next Row: With B, knit the tailspun yarn onto every stitch to the end of row, taking care to pull out any locks that are trapped between the stitches to they hand freely.
Next Row: Loosely BO with A.

Weave in the ends.

Be Careful What You Wish For

2011-07-08T14:51:00.000-07:00

So Tour de Fleece is here and I've managed to spin a bit each day. Many of the yarns are currently waiting for wash day and then they're off to dry and maybe then, I can find the battery charger to my new camera and take pics of them. However, until I find it, blurry phone photos will have to do.

About a year and a half ago, I was busy taking care of my little munchkin and wondering what the heck I was going to do with my life? I wanted to spend as much time with Lucas and didn't like the idea of sending him off to daycare so I could make an hour trek to my office, see clients, then drive another hour back home. Some days I would have to drive to my studio for only one client, and that didn't sound practical.

So I decided I'd work one day a week at the studio (or maybe two days, depending on in-laws' availability) and spend the rest of the time working with fiber. So I started stocking up. Rovings here, fiber there, lots of locks and fleece as well. Two drum carders - one 46 tpi and the other 21 tpi - and 4 spinning wheels. Looked like I was good to go and my little craft room was all stocked up.

Then one day in January, my son returned home after losing his job in November and he promptly moved into the craft room and my craft supplies, well, had to move out. In August, I was asked to take over some classes at the college which were scheduled at night and weekends, and I accepted the offer. When they later offered me the main instructor position for the massage program, I accepted that, too.

So now our little cottage is full. Books and student papers lie about, boxes of fiber and yarn are tucked in the corner but they manage to creep into the main living space now and then. And the closet - well, at least my closet houses 2 spinning wheels besides my clothes. The kitchen table is now a mini-office, with a laser printer sitting on top of it and tons of books and papers as I try to design the curriculum for ongoing and upcoming classes.

I look back at the time when I wondered what I needed to do with my life and earn a decent income being self-employed, and well, I got my wish - though not the way I planned it. Fiber has to take a back seat and even though I'd love to wash, dye, card and spin some lovely fleece and yarn, there just isn't enough hours in the day (or night) for me to do that.

Am I busy? You bet. Am I exhausted? You betcha. Does that leave me with no time for fiber? Well, to be honest, it doesn't. But that doesn't mean I don't sneak it in here and there.

So, I could post pictures of the house in its present state with all my boxes and bins of fiber, and books lying about, but if you're a crafter, a mother, a wife, a teacher, and a massage therapist, you'd probably understand why I wouldn't need to :)

Has It Been, Like, Forever???

2011-06-23T01:27:00.001-07:00

Wow! It's been a long time between blog posts and I can't believe time has just flown by sooooo fast!

Ever since my last post I started teaching more at the college and for my first class I ended up with 23 students which also included tons of stress. Needless to say, most of my spare time has been spent raising my little munchkin of a a baby who is now 17 months old and is climbing everywhere.

>My fiber has been sitting idle although now and the when I actually find some spare time I will find myself spinning a little bit or knitting a little bit. However I haven't been too busy to ignore the stash building aspect of my fiber addiction. I have been stocking up with some fiber from Namaste farms, Funhouse Fibers and Studioloo - to name a few. I even got to attend a few hours of Jacey Boggs' Insubordiknit class during memorial day weekend.

I also got to finally finish a few pieces, most of all my Legolas kerchief that had been destined for a dear friend who passes away from ovarian cancer. I just finished blocking it and will take pictures before I send it on it's way to my dear friend's mother.

I'm in the midst of a crazy teaching schedule in addition to maintaining a private practice and so I've been stocking up on my fiber more than actually spinning it down but I'm optimistic. I may have some down time in the near future and actually get to spin a bit :)

Here's an awesomely soft teeswater tailspun yarn that I spun while back. Love the colors and can't wait to spin some more!

A handspun hand knit shawl I finished from washed Cotswold locks from Sandy of Homestead Wool And Gift Farm.

One of my extreme tailspin yarns that's currently waiting for the right project...

And, oh yes! A new-to-me Schacht Matchless wheel that has come to live at my house. Were currently trying to establish a working relationship at the moment and so far were doing okay :)

One Year Ago...

2011-01-09T00:01:00.000-08:00

One year ago today, I gave birth to a beautiful baby boy.

Now he just turned 1 and his grandparents gave him a big party where family and friends came to celebrate his special day with him. It was an overwhelming day for the little guy, with so many people coming to say hello and all the chatting about that goes with a gathering.

My little prince is now 1. Hard to believe that a year ago, he was like this:

I am truly blessed. And I am forever grateful...

A First!

2011-01-05T01:34:00.000-08:00

In a few days, my baby officially becomes a toddler and I'm feeling a little sad.

So much has happened in the year that's past and although I'm enjoying every minute of him crawling and cruising around the house, I'm going to miss the time when he was just a little wee bundle in my arms, always sleeping and pooping and nursing.

But I'm loving every minute of being with him and I wouldn't trade anything for the world right now. I love being a mom!

Lil Sunshine wearing his handspun handknit hat!

New Year, New Shop!

2010-12-27T17:23:00.000-08:00

For the new year, I'm opening my Artfire shop! Please do stop by and check out the fiber and yarns!

Gypsy Caravan Fibers on Artfire

The grand opening isn't till January but you're more than welcome to take a look around.

As a matter of fact, here's just a sampling of the latest batts in the shop right now!

Merry Fiber-y Christmas!

2010-12-24T18:41:00.000-08:00

It's my baby's first Christmas! It's so hard to believe that almost a year ago, he was born and now it's his first Christmas and in two and a half weeks, he turns 1!

We're pretty low key this Christmas though. I had such grand plans - a real tree, lots of lights and ornaments, and in the end, after 5 days of straight downpour (which is quite rare in Southern California), by the time I got to the tree lot yesterday, the only ones left were the giant trees, which were not a god fit for our little cottage. So, this year, even though I've got the ornaments and the lights and the tinsel, there's no tree. But we're having a great time anyway! And that's what matters, right?

This year, for Christmas I decided to get Leo a cheap imitation ipad, the Maylong M-150, which was sold through Walgreens but I bought it from an Ebay seller and when it arrived, I opened it so I could check it and make sure it worked fine. He walked in just as I was powering it up and asked what it was. When I told him it was his Christmas present, he said, "Hmmm...I really wanted a leaf/twig mulcher for the yard."

So now I have a cheap ipad-killer and he's getting the leaf mulcher.

So what did Leo get me? Remember that Fricke coarse drum carder I had wanted to buy? Well, after finding out that I was 'waffling' over buying it because it wasn't in my fiber budget, he said if I wanted it, "it's your Christmas present from me."

That settled it. In a week, I was the new owner of a vintage Fricke coarse drum carder from someone whose grandmother used it to card batts for her quilts. I've carded 2 batts on it and so far it works great! Now I just need to incorporate locks in it and see if the carder can retain its lock structure and not straighten the crap out of it.

My first coarse carded batt predrafted

Speaking of locks, I've also been washing my first fleece. Well, it's not exactly my first time washing fleece so maybe saying "first" isn't exactly true. I did receive a small box of mystery locks last year which I promptly washed and then almost gagged after seeing all that brown water - in my washing machine!

So what's made me brave enough to try it again? I've fallen in love with long wools like wensleydale, that's why. I got 2 ounces of awesome wensleydale locks from Namaste Farms two weeks ago and I've been too scared to dye or spin it. I want to try out other locks first before I tackle such awesome locks as these:

So I took the plunge during a moment of weakness and ordered my first fleece. I think it's about 5 to 7 pounds of raw wensleydale fleece that's supposed to be averaging at 10". When I first received the box this is what I saw peeking as I flipped the box open.

So I started washing the locks in medium bunches. I've done it twice now and each time I tried a different method. The first time was done in the tub, however I used 2 Costco sized detergent buckets filled with hot water and then dunk the locks in to soak. The water wasn't as hot as I would have wanted though and I ended up doing more than 4 washes and more soaks than I wanted. I was also very stingy with the Dawn, which was one mistake since Dawn, along with really really hot water, is what pulls the lanolin from the locks.

Today Leo pulled out 2 of my roasters dedicated to dyeing out of storage, and after heating the water at 350 degrees F and a generous amount of Dawn, I placed another bunch of locks (probably 2/3 so I've got one more 'bunch' to scour tomorrow) in a laundry netting bag and dunked it in. After about 10 minutes or so with the water soooo brown, I pulled it out, let it drain and then dunked it into the second wash in the second roaster with hot water. Empty out the first roaster and heat some water in it for the rinse and after 10 minutes of second-time soaking with a huge glug of Dawn, I pulled the net bag out, drained it and then dunked the bag of locks in the first roaster for its first rinse.

I ended up doing 2 more rinses in the washing machine this time and then spinning it dry. The locks from both attempts are not greasy at all. The locks are matted in some areas, but what can you do, right? I guess now I've got to do some handpicking vegetable matter (or vm, as fiber lingo goes) to do during the Christmas break.

In the meantime, here's the fleece drying inside the house.

Boy, it sure feels like I've gotten much deeper in the rabbit hole now...

Well, Merry Christmas everyone and have a safe holiday! You'll find me next to the Madd Hatter saying, "it's pretty crowded in here, too!"

Finding the Time

2010-12-17T00:04:00.000-08:00

Today I got to sneak in a few minutes of carding some fibers and got 2 batts carded in half an hour or so. Although it could have been longer - sometimes time just flies when we deal with fiber and yarn, right?

Anyway, here are my Autumn Sunshine Batts just carded.

I love these! They're carded using some farm fiber - merino cross, cotswold locks and some romney thrown in, as well as angelina, firestar, and soysilk for bling. They are such textured batts, too, as I tried to maintain some of the lock formation as I carded.

I have a few more batts but they need to be photographed again since the previous shots didn't turn out too well.

I love carding and spinning but even with myclass over for the year, I've found that it's difficult to find any free time with DH working long hours and not exactly that enthusiastic to give me 2 - 3 hours to myself after he comes home from work. And weekends aren't any better either.

Here's hoping that I'll find more time to do fiber stuff in 2011!

Batts! and More Batts.

2010-12-10T17:57:00.000-08:00

I've been on a secret shopping spree lately - buying batts online from wonderful fiberistas like Pumpkinhaus, Bohoknitterchic, Loop and Pluckyfluff (I'm sooo late to her party - people have been buying her batts for ages and now she doesn't offer them from her website anymore - at least after I bought mine!).

I am still waiting for a few of them but here are two so far.

Bohoknitterchic - for a SAL that ends in January with a FO to go with the project bag made by Craftpuppylover

And the next one from Pluckyfluff's Lexi Boeger! It's a crazy carded batt and so far it looks amazing!

Of course even with all the batts that arrived this week, I barely had any time to spin. I did finish a fingering weight single on Monday night, after it was languishing on my wheel for weeks. I had started spinning it short draw but by the third week, I'd had it and spun the rest of it (about 1/3)
long draw, so my finished yarn will seem different in places.

Holidays Already?

2010-12-04T16:44:00.000-08:00

That's definitely how I feel these days - constantly behind on everything and wondering where I can find time to do things I want to do.

This morning I woke up at 3 am because I kept dreaming I was drum carding some colorful luscious fiber. Each time I went back to sleep, the same dream would start again and I was always carding, carding and carding. Come to think of it - how I wished I could card last night.

Plus, I'm totally drooling over some guy's grandmother's carder with 21 tpi (really coarse cloth!) and wondering if I'm willing to pay $350 to get it. Unfortunately, since I am not teaching the pregnancy class I was scheduled to teach today and next Saturday, there is no extra drum carder budget.

Fiber just makes me smile, and I don't mind dreaming about it one bit - even if I can't go back to sleep because really, all I want to do is go into the freezing garage and card and spin me some lovely yarn!

Like this one:

Or knit myself a really cool neck warmer like this one:

Or card some funky batts:

Anyway, about the holidays - we haven't gotten any decorations up yet. We'd like to get a real tree this year but I have to get my butt to the store to buy some decorations and then a small table to put the tree on since Lil Sunshine is now so mobile it's so hard to catch up with him - and he's still crawling, not even walking yet. However he is standing on his own for a few milliseconds so I know walking's coming soon, in like, two weeks or so.

I hope your holiday plans are going as planned. I guess I'm just an airhead these days, with so much to do constantly and finding no time to do it. But it will be a wonderful holiday no matter what!

Pam

2010-11-06T12:50:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago I spoke with my dearest friend, Pam, on the phone. She had been fighting ovarian cancer for the past 2 years or so and this day she told me that a tumor was growing in her esophagus which made her voice raspy. Her cancer had spread throughout her body and so at this point, there was nothing anyone could do.

She talked a long time that morning and I remember thinking that I didn't want her to stop talking even though I had appointments to keep that day because a part of me realized that this could be the last time I'd be hearing her voice.

And so it was. Today, her sister told me that Pam lost her fight on Thursday, just two days ago.

Four weeks ago, I was fortunate enough to have visited her at her home. We spoke about flowers (how she loved them and asked me to help her sort out the floral arrangement given to her that had wilted during a heat wave the day before), our massage careers (she loved loved loved massage - and would do it even without payment), and our futures. She still had plans through the end of the year, and I just loved every minute of my visit. Her husband came in to remind her gently that she had to rest in bed - time had flown and I had been there almost 2 hours.

She told me she had wanted her and her husband to get into their mobile home and drive to the coast of Mexico, park, and just stay there - facing the rolling waves and feeling the gentle breeze.

Pam, I hope you're right there right now, enjoying the sea breeze and knowing that as greatly as you loved us, you are so loved back.

In this photo, she was modeling a simple slouch hat I made for her. She had asked me then if it was knit from my handspun yarn, and since then I've been busy spinning the yarn and now knitting the shawl. Her favorite color was purple, and I've got a project sitting on the table that's only 1/3 of the way through.

I had thought that, just as Pam had planned so many events and vacations through the year end, I'd have just before then to finish it. I was wrong.

At the moment, I guess I'm at a loss for words I don't even know what to write...or do.

Been Busy...

2010-10-13T01:25:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've posted about my adventures and though I haven't had any lack of that, they sure have kept me away from my blogging duties. Three weeks ago I got a call from the local community college to see if I'd be willing to take over teaching 4 massage classes. The teacher who'd originally scheduled to teach them had conflicting duties (basically a "full time" opportunity elsewhere doing exactly the same thing - like, not till next year) and decided to bow out of the said classes - while still continuing to teach one class till mid-November.

I figured - I really don't want to know the details, but I agreed. It's weird how I always felt "ready" to do this more often than I've been doing so - which was always just one or two classes per semester. The job started less than a week later and since then I've been playing catch up with "life" since I had no materials to begin with. The teaching gig is two nights a week and they're the first nights that I'm away from my little 9-month old munchkin - who ended up having a crash course on "How to Sleep Without Mommy Around".

Interestingly I assumed I'd be needing to supplement my slow massage practice (with only a 1 to 2-day a week availability schedule your client list gets pretty limited) with some other form of income and so a few weeks ago I went ahead and bought lots of yarn so I could knit and crochet some scarves for my Etsy store. Now I barely have time...be careful what you ask for, right?

Anyway, some nights I still drag out the spinning wheel that's inside the bedroom and, in light of having a very mobile 9-month old - always stored in its proper upright non-used state (a 10-year old Ashford Joy) - spin only in the dark of night. That's usually around midnight to 1 am. The other night I just finished one bobbin of luscious roving from Abbi of High Prairie Fiber.

This is a single that I spun from one of Abbi's batts - although this one was spun on my Fricke ST-160 - a 4 ounce bat all fits into 1 bobbin and I love that!

Some nights I knit. I did get to finish this really cute neck warmer a few weeks ago and just now got to forward the image that's been sitting in my phone all that time to my mac:

Interestingly even though my time is so lacking when it comes to knitting and spinning, I still find fiber and yarn cropping up in the most unexpected of places - my front door, usually in a postal box, from the outside world! Don't you just wonder how that happens?

And as if I wasn't already drowning in fiber and yarns and spinning wheels, I found a new yarn store close to my massage studio! It's called Dabble Studios and it's really small but comfy-homey - and it's got Noro and some other yarns that I like! They also do quilting and even jewelry classes. It's owned by a mother and daughter team and I'll be sure to check out their stuff on a regular basis. I got myself some Hiya Hiya needles for the first time and two balls of Perfection from Kraemer Yarns.

Well, it's about 1 am and it's time the mommy gets back to bed to cuddle with the wee one. The days that I teach are the longest days I am away from him since I leave him with his grandparents before noon so I can see my private clients, and don't get to see him till he's in bed after 10 pm (yes, it's a very long day!). Thank goodness it only happens twice a week (which is twice a week too many, let me tell you!). The rest of the week...well, he's all mine!

Before I let you go, here he is checking on my spinning progress one balmy afternoon!

Are you done yet?

Prayer

2010-08-08T23:59:00.000-07:00

Today's post bears a recycled photo I posted back in 2004, when I first logged into the blogosphere - and while I had made it back then as a reminder to myself how I would like to live my life, I am posting it again now to remind me how to live life for myself - and for little munchkin, who's growing up so fast...

Today Lucas pulled himself up from sitting all my himself. He did this while I was putting the laptop away on the bed and he pulled himself up behind my back and succeeded - then fell down on his side as he lost his hold of me. Then it hit me - he just pulled himself up!

He is 7 months old today - can you imagine that? He wants to bypass crawling and is determined to walk soon - he loves his walker, which we help him along with as he walks from one point of the house to the other, sometimes tripping along, but always with the look of sheer determination (with a huge smile) on his face. It's especially fun when he's making his way towards me.

Watching him growing up so fast makes me recall the days shortly after he was born and so this morning, I dug up my old cell phone where all those videos were still hibernating in and downloaded them all into my laptop. This one has him at 2 days old and although it's just of him sleeping, I can watch it for hours and marvel...wow, he's growing up so fast!

Well, if you're still awake at this point, thank you for indulging me and my baby reminiscing and gushing. I'll touch on the spinning and the knitting on my next post!

It's August!

2010-08-01T17:12:00.000-07:00

Wow! Time sure flies, doesn't it?

That means that in a few days, Lil Sunshine will be 7 months old - count it, SEVEN! Wow! It also means that I've failed in my quest to lose the weight I gained during the pregnancy - well, I've failed to tone the muscles I lost during my pregnancy. Sad to say that I'm around my pre-pregnancy weight, but my body is so much more different now. There's a lot more rolls than before and because of the c-section, somehow I've got more 'hanging' (if you know what I mean).

Anyway, not to sound so down and all - but I think that it just means I have to try harder at losing weight - whether it's exercising more or cutting down on my carbs (like those oatmeal cookies I eat at night while drinking my tall glass of milk). Since I'm still nursing, diets like Nutrisystem or Jennie Craig aren't recommended.

However, I'm really not complaining - I have a gorgeous baby who's the apple of my eye, the love of my life!

Here he is wearing a handspun crocheted hat I made in a few hours. I'm so much a fan of crochet these days, especially for some of my handspun singles - they're quick to whip up and the yarn really pops! Well, knitting handspun also does show off the yarn more but I'm a slow knitter.

I've been trying to spin though - even for just a few minutes a day or night. Sometimes Lil Sunshine is on my back in his Action Baby Carrier (I love love love this carrier - so perfect for summer!) and sometimes he's in bed with me asleep and I'm lying on my pseudo-side and actually spinning (I won't shock you with a photo although Leo did take one last night and well, suffice it to say, imagining it is so much better!).

This is heavenly Polwarth yarn that I spun from Bohoknitterchic roving. I wish she had more than one 4-ounce roving of this one - it would totally make a great long manly scarf!

I also have a few finished items to show off - first, a reddish scarf knit from mixed fiber yarn I found at BigLots a few months ago. I love it - the pattern is from Yarn Harlot called One Row Handspun Scarf - however, I messed up the bind off and now while the cast on edge looks so tight and neat, the bind off edge just sorta flares. I wonder what I can do about that. I wish I could do it all over again maybe with smaller needles. Any suggestions?

Then there's the shorties I knit for Lil Sunshine using Elizabeth Zimmerman's pattern for Baby Leggings. Being that we live in Southern California, I didn't think longies would be necessary so I made him a pair of shorties that, when I finally did put them on, were a tad smaller now since he outgrew them really fast.

I mean I could use them over disposables, but not over cloth dipes. So it kinda defeats the purpose for using woolies I think. At least he loves to chew on it though...so it's not for naught.

It' Not Even That Hot Yet!

2010-07-15T11:17:00.000-07:00

But boy, is it hot - at least inside our little house!

I'm not ready to turn on the a/c yet though so for now, it's fans galore in just about every corner. Last night I spent about five minutes spinning on the patio where it was really cool but the moment Lucas saw me (Leo was carrying him), he wanted mommy so my spinning retreat was soon over and it was time for bed.

Remember that unintentional Lakers-inspired yarn that I spun a few weeks back? I just realized that I had never shown a photo of it. Well, here it is:

It's a navajo plied yarn and you can see some of the bumps where some of the chains begin. I think my n-plying needs some practice and so I think some practice sessions may be in order one day. I don't know what to make with it. I think there's less than 150 yards or so of sport weight yarn - maybe some handwarmers? A hat?

Did I ever mention awhile back that I wanted to have only ONE wheel in the house? Why is it that each time I say that, another wheel pops up? Two months ago, it was a Lendrum DT which stayed in the house for a month before I decided that aside from looking aesthetically more beautiful than my Fricke, they both had identical ratios and with the Fricke there was no need to change the flyer and the band if I were to spin bulky yarns. And so it went to a wonderful Raveller who lives a few cities away from me.

So I said to myself, this is it. I'll just have my Fricke wheel in the house. Then someone whom I had once wanted to buy a Clemes wheel from a few months back but backed out on, emailed me and said she'd lowered her price and the new price included shipping. So I said...YES.

It should be coming next week.

And guess who's living in the bedroom right now? The Fricke stays in the library, btw. The Clemes wheel? I have no idea where it will stay but probably the library, too - I'm pretty ambitious about it - I want to sand it and paint it. Well, in the bedroom, there sits a first-generation Ashford Joy wheel that my friend fiberfreek offered to sell to me last week. His wheel is the first wheel I had ever fell in love with - at my first World Wide Knit in Public Day two years ago.

It was also the first time I had seen my first spinning wheels out...anywhere, and meet people who loved fiber the way I would soon love it. So as I sneak to spin a few yards here and there of Polwarth roving that I bought from bohoknitterchic on the Joy while Lucas sleeps or plays, I think that I've come full circle (I hope). This is it.

Cross my fingers...

Growing Every Day!

2010-07-04T19:58:00.000-07:00

First of all, happy Fourth of July to all! This time last year Leo and I watched this with my brother:

The little one is growing each day - and last week, he finally started eating his first "solids" (my brother wondered if mashed foods count as "solids" and I told him, "yeah, I think so - since breast milk isn't a solid." - I'm as much in the dark as he is, but I guess it's one of those things I should know, right?). Lil Sunshine is now almost 6 months and although my next door neighbor has been feeding her granddaughter just about anything (this week it was spaghetti sauce, some fish soup, dried fish, in addition to the usual gerber baby foods) since she was about 3 months old, I've decided to wait till Lil Sunshine expressed some interest.

Well, he's been watching us eat with interest for the past few weeks and doesn't have the tongue thrust reflex anymore. And boy, does he put just about anything in his mouth. Last Monday night was THE day - or rather, night. He was fussy at the breast and kept crying even when I was holding him. Then at around 10 or so, I decided to make myself a bowl of cereal and while I was eating it, he grabbed the spoon and brought it to his mouth! Eureka! Mommy finally got a clue!

His first meal? When technically, some bland rice cereal that I had bought that day, but after two mini-spoonfuls, we mashed some avocado with breast milk and Lucas could not get enough of it!

Which brings me to my next topic - poop.

Feeding him solids also means that I can no longer just toss his diapers into the washing machine since breast feed poop - well, you can do that. Now that he's eating, I now have to rinse the diapers some way and get them clean of that poop before it makes it into the washer. But at least I had 2 days to think about it because the poor guy was constipated for 2 days and when he did go - well, it looked different. More like peanut or almond butter, the organic kind.

So I do my best to rinse it in the toilet using the peri bottle I got from the hospital, and then finally finished rinsing it off in the shower using the shower spray. Then this morning, I took a gadget called Wonderwash from storage (it's been hidden away for at least 3 years, since we moved out of the apartment and into this little cottage - thank goodness it was spared the craigslist fate!) and proceeded to wash the diapers in the machine.

What exactly is a Wonderwash? Well, it's a bucket looking thingymajiggy that does not require electricity to wash clothes using less water and less detergent - just some patience and arm power (hey, if it helps me loose some arm fat, I'm all for it!) to turn the handle, what, like 60 to 90 times (about 60 to 90 seconds). According to their website, here are some reasons to use the Wonderwash:

Washes a 5-lb. load super clean in just a couple of minutes.
Has a patented pressure system that forces detergent into the fabric at high speed for a fast, efficient, economic and very easy wash
Is ideal for campers, single persons and even for the housewife with small frequent loads like hand washables and diapers.
Is ideal for delicates such as woolens, silks, knitted dresses and cashmere garments.
Uses far less water than even hand washing.

I've had the Wonderwash for years when we lived in an apartment and I hated having to go down to the laundry room to do just a few delicates. I remember Leo laughing at me as I cranked that handle to wash some undies and after that I ended up just putting it away but always thinking that one day, I'd get to use it. I love that fact that you don't use as much water, especially since we live in California which has its own water troubles and we are on some kind of limited yard watering schedule right now.

So the verdict? Well, the diapers came out clean! I threw them in the washing machine for a rinse/spin cycle and then laid them out to dry on the drying rack outside. I have only washed the Bumgenius OS and AIOs but I told Leo that from now on, diapers and the wipes will be washed in the Wonderwash. Oh, did I mention that it's fast, too? I can get it all done in less than 15 minutes!

Okay, I'm done with my infomercial. Hope you have a wonderful 4th of July, everyone!

Knittin' and Spinnin'...

2010-06-16T19:13:00.000-07:00

And staying seated!

Lil Sunshine was able to sit upright for a few moments yesterday. Then...

Down he went! But it was fun and he landed on his side still smiling - he is such a charmer though! He's been growing fast and already weighs about 17.5 lbs (about 65% percentile) and is 75% percentile in height. He's very talkative and loves to test his voice by screaming or shrieking about. I'll probably be deaf by the end of this year...

Okay, so what else has been happening? Well, there's been a lot of sewing, knitting and even some spinning! First, the sewing - well, I've decided to try my hand on making some diapers for Lil Sunshine and so I bought a yard of Curious George flannel (can you believe that I knew nothing about George and the man with the yellow hat till a few weeks ago? Now, I watch their adventures every day!), some polar fleece, and PUL (some fabric that's basically been laminated to make it waterproof).

I dug out my sewing machines, had them serviced, and started sewing. I made 4 diapers with the Curious George fabric and this is just one of them - no point sewing you each one since they're the same design, right?

So far it works great, except it's missing the elastic at the back so Lil Sunshine often ends up with 'plumber's buttcrack'. I wish I could sew a whole lot more but it's been difficult to do so unless it's really late at night...like 1 am.

So, what about knitting? Well, that's more do-able since you can take needles and yarn just about anywhere. So I've been knitting soakers in the hope that maybe someday I could even start selling them. But I digress...

Now every soaker I've made for Lil Sunshine have been a day late and a tad smaller, especially since Lucas has pretty pudgy thighs. So I went about knitting one that would fit him, especially around the thighs, and look cute, too.

I'm pretty excited about knitting soakers and longies - or shorties - I'm in SoCal after all and it's gonna get too warm for wool. There's so much to learn in knitting, too - short rows, invisible increases, and so much more. Can you tell I'm having fun?

What about spinning? Well, I have been spinning, too! I got a new wheel last month for my birthday - a Lendrum DT - and it was beautiful! I spun a few yarns on it but it went to a new home today after I noticed that the Lendrum and my trusty old Fricke had almost identical ratios (and you don't need to change flyers or bands to spin bulky like you do with a Lendrum). And there was no justifying another wheel in a tiny house...but he went to a wonderful local Raveller so I don't feel bad.

Here I am spinning my last yarn on the Lendrum - a Jazzturtle batt.

If you're wondering why I'm not as chatty as usual - it's called one-handed-keyboarding-while-holding-the-baby! So here are the yarns!

Turquoise Trail
From a Jazzturtle batt with colors that reminds me of New Mexico!

Hobbledehoy batts-into-yarns!
The left one was from a batt called Tanzanite, while the right one is one of her Gemmy batts.
Liz's batts are made of uber-soft merino and they've been a joy to spin!

Two lavender yarns - merino silk blend from Alpaca Direct (left)

Grafton Fibers 407 (right) batt from a Fricke swap - corriedale fiber with wonderful colors and a joy to spin!

It's been pretty interesting adapting my spinning with a baby in tow, but I've somehow managed to spin while nursing, and when spinning while Lil Sunshine is on my back (in his Action Baby carrier - highly recommend!), when he wakes up, it must be an interesting sight to watch me spin and sway to and fro to calm him down.

But you know how it goes - you gotta do what you gotta do! So that's it so far - right now I'm drying the latest navajo plied yarn I just finished spinning, using fiber that I received from a nice fiber person online, that I washed and dyed myself. I can't wait till it dries tomorrow and I can take photographs of it. It's not much - about 108 yards only, but for fiber that I managed to scour and then dye by myself, it's an impressive feat, at least for me.

Day In The Life...

2010-06-01T19:22:00.000-07:00

I am terrible when it comes to coming up with titles, hence the title of this post. However I will briefly list the things that happen each day now that I'm what people would call a SAHM (stay-at-home-mom).

Wake up - usually with my left arm and shoulder sore from making room for Lil Sunshine to co-sleep with me, and usually he ends up right snug up against me and I'm on the edge of the bed.
Grab breakfast, usually a bowl of cereal, or grab a quick shower (usually this doesn't happen some days, since I shower at night)
Change diapers and then back-carry LucasLil Sunshine and walk around the house. Or walk around the block with Truffles, the chihuahua, in tow. Actually it's her walk, so she tows us.
Sit and coo with baby.
Grab lunch, sometimes with baby on my back in a back carry taking a nap.
Sit and coo with baby.
Sit outside the patio if it's not too hot or it's cooled down in the afternoon to spin with baby either on my back, or in a ring sling over my shoulder.
Sit and coo with baby till Daddy gets home.
When Daddy gets home, I then realize that I never got around to make plans for dinner, or make dinner at all.
Sit and coo with baby and Daddy and Truffles all in bed.
Sleep with my arm and shoulder all crooked to accommodate baby who refuses to sleep without me.

So, how goes your day?

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-12T22:48:00.000-07:00

First of all, belated Happy Mother's Day!

I hope you all had a wonderful relaxing day! My day was pretty slow - just the way I liked it. Leo took Lil Sunshine and Truffles over to his parents for a while and that gave me some time to do stuff around the house...like washing dishes and doing a load of laundry. It was just really nice to have nothing to do for a change though.

Leo helped figure out what was wrong with my wheel. The screw inside the rod holding the wheel and the footman were loose and so with the right size allen wrench, he tightened it and now it spins like buttah! I re-plied the bfl/yak blend I received from my Fricke stash and came up with this:

Then I spun up one of my jazzturtle batts into this:

And my final favorite project - my Hobbledehoy batts (which I never got to photograph prior to the spin) came out as this:

Liz's batts are just so divine! Ultra soft merino with just the right amount of sparkle and a few neps for texture. I had debated corespinning this one then opted to do a single ply, then in the end, decided to do a 2-ply. Maybe my next hobbledehoy batt will be corespun. For now, I totally enjoyed making this into a 2-ply.

Getting Back Into Spinning

2010-05-09T00:50:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've posted but can you believe it, I'm actually spinning!

I only get to spin late at night, when the baby is fast asleep (I nurse him to sleep so this means I'm often stuck in bed and sometimes I fall asleep myself) but at least I get to spin, right? The other night, I over-dyed some merino that came out in pukey turquise and red (those colors totally do NOT go together) and although the colors came out great, I ended up felting the fiber a bit.

So I decided to create some roving balls on my hackle and came up with these beauties. I did spin some up and they spun up so elegantly - the colors are just so intense!

A few weeks ago I participated in a fiber swap with some members of the Fricke group on Rav and I received such an amazing box in the mail. I received batts of bfl and yak fiber which I spun up into singles and started to ply only to encounter a plying problem - I can't seem to get my wheel to spin counter-clockwise! Guess that goes to show how long it's been since I've spun, eh?

So I started plying my yarn on a spindle and don't you know it? I had to pick the smallest drop spindle I had and now I'm stuck with a full drop spindle and only half of the bobbins plied! I'll probably end up starting a new bobbin of plied yarn on the wheel and hope for the best.

My wheel woes have led me to start looking around for another wheel though. And though I've had my share of amazing wheels, only to sell it for this reason or that reason, I'm hoping to find THE ultimate wheel and I've got my eyes set on a Lendrum. Don't get me wrong - I love my Fricke and it is a workhorse but I need to get a double treadle this time. I do have a to wait though because since I'm mainly a SAHM these days, there is a strict budget to follow.

Speaking of baby, he's now 4 months old! We had a photo session with my brother today and after an afternoon of cooing and laughing and just getting Lucas to smile, we came up with these pics:

I've got lots of plans for 2010 and though caring for my little prince takes precedence over all, there's a few things up my sleeve in the fiber department. Stay tuned!

He's Growing Fast!

2010-04-15T22:55:00.000-07:00

This is what my day looks like every day - filled with baby smiles and laughter. There's hardly any time to spin but that's okay - spinning can wait.

But just in case you don't believe me, here's a box of jazzturtle fiber all ready for spinning!

Inside Out

2010-03-18T12:59:00.000-07:00

My brain is now inside out - I'm officially fried.

First of all, I have a nasty cold and Tylenol isn't exactly helping with the congestion. And since I'm breastfeeding, I can't take antihistamines unless I don't mind my milk drying up temporarily. It would be fine but still...

The other day Lucas had to go to the hospital for some tests to check how well his one functioning kidney is doing and boy, he wasn't a happy camper. For the ultrasound, although it's an easy test and all he has to do is lay there, he was hungry but would not accept the bottle from me. He's definitely a boobie man. Luckily, the tech told me that I could nurse him in the room as long as I wanted after the test.

Then came the nasty test - where they first put on a IV on the little guy's little hand and then strap him down on the table so they can inject some isotopes (that's radioactive!) and then some lasix into him so in a span of 40 minutes, they can track down how well his urinary system is going. When it was all over, he'd cried himself out and it broke my heart. Though I was right there to comfort him, all the little guy wanted was for me to hold him.

Then they ask you to change his diaper and dispose of the diaper in their trashcan because it's radioactive! Boy, does that make me feel better or what? I hate these tests, but I understand why they're important. I find out tomorrow what the results are.

His regular pediatric visit went well - he's now 12 lbs 9 oz (in the 75th %) and the doctor was amazed. I guess mama's milkshake is doing him quite well.

I haven't been doing well in the cloth diapering department though. All I do is look at my $400 stash of cloth diapers and shake my head. I wish I were my courageous but by 5 pm each day, I whip out the disposables although each morning I resolve to do better. Who knows? I may even cd through the night - although I'm not all that sure just yet.

Home front is getting a bit more organized. I still haven't been organized enough to find all my tax stuff but I know that time is running out. I have to do it sooner or later!

In the midst of all the organizing, I've managed to put away the fiber in dedicated cubbies in the garage and the yarn in the same place. There's just two bags sitting in the living room to find some room to stuff them in. This fiber thing...it can be dangerous.

Some Spinning, Some Knitting, Some Napping

2010-03-03T09:52:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, I actually found time to knit 2 hats for Lucas using my first handspuns. Unfortunately, he's growing so fast it's now a bit too snug for his noggin! Fiber was from copperpot on etsy and pattern was my own, just a simple hat with ribbed edge and then stockinette all the way.

I've also found time to spin in the early mornings when Lucas is still asleep. It's been a few mornings, and sometimes a few stolen minutes in the late afternoons, but spinning still calms my nerves. I just with I had another batt of the same colorway to spin another bobbin full so I can ply them later on and knit myself a shawl.

My days lately have been filled with nothing but baby, baby, baby. Lucas is now going on 8 weeks old and already everyone can see that he has an explosive temper, just like his daddy. But then he can also be the most patient baby as he deals with infant gas explosions calmly. Poor thing!

Truffles, my little chihuahua, on the other hand, has found her calling as Lucas' guardian. She's there right next to you when you have Lucas and she'll sit by Lucas if we happen to step outside the room - or in this case, nap right next to him.

Baby Massage

2010-02-15T14:52:00.000-08:00

Each night, or when we remember, which is probably every other night or so, Leo and I massage baby Lucas with chamomile oil called "aceite de manzanilla". It's fun watching Lucas enjoy his massages and it's definitely a whole lot of fun doing the massages, too.

A Pea In a Pod

2010-02-04T12:37:00.000-08:00

Pods are so quick to knit! And so cute!

Finally finished Lucas' first photoshoot and among the over 200 shots my brother took, this one was one of his favorites. I had knitted the pod the night before but had cast on a few more stitches than necessary, which didn't allow for a snugger fit so his legs could fold up higher (and hide the diaper) - but then who cares?

I think it's cute - and at least now, four weeks later, I'll have an official birth announcement to send out to everyone!

When Humans Aren't Looking...

2010-01-27T19:36:00.000-08:00

To Irene, Here's To You...

2010-01-20T04:30:00.000-08:00

It's four in the morning and I just finished nursing Lucas and put him back in his bassinet to sleep. The house is still except for the sound of my typing and the breast pump running a cycle to clear the rubber tubing of any moisture. Outside, the rain is lightly falling.

For the last few nights since coming home from the hospital where Lucas and I roomed in post partum, I've been thinking of the wonderful nurses at Women's Miller Hospital, especially the night nurse named Irene.

Even though I already have a 20-year old, going about having another one is a totally new experience for me. Besides, I had Lucas in another country, where laboring mothers were put in one room, all in a row to labor till it was "time" to be wheeled into the delivery room where they administered something that allowed you to labor till you delivered, but have no clue whatsoever later on whether you were conscious or not throughout the procedure. To this day, I have no clue.

This time around, Leo and I were wheeled into a special labor and delivery room reminiscent of a hotel room. It had a nice recliner for Leo to sleep in, as well as other chairs for visitors, and it was very spacious. We also got our own dedicated nurse named Margaret who explained every procedure to me, and treated me with such compassion.

Night time can be such a scary time for anyone. I've heard horror stories of patients hitting the call button for help, only to be ignored because the nurse wa too busy taking care of twenty other patients on her shift. Being alone with no one there to help you is a scary thing and when I ended up in the postpartum wing and rooming in with Lucas, night time was especially scary because now I was alone with my baby right next to me. How on earth do I nurse him? How do I change his diaper?

My night nurse for the three out of four nights postpartum was Irene, a Filipino nurse who was softspoken and by the way she treated the new mother with whom I shared my room with, and myself, loved her job. She came to check on me whenever I rang the buzzer and helped out as much as she could, seeing how exhausted I was. She urged me to lay Lucas in the bassinet and go to sleep.

On the third night, when Lucas was screaming at around 3 am, she took one look at him and said, "He's hungry." She returned with a bottle of formula and Lucas quieted down. However she stressed how important it was to nurse first, and then use formula if the first flow of breastmilk didn't seem like it was enough.

I hope new nurses take a note of Irene and her attitude, and her compassion and empathy for new mothers like me. I truly felt lost and alone during those first few nights at the hospital - so many people go in and out of your room, telling you to get up, walk, sit here, stand there, hold the baby so they can prick his heel for some blood and you have to sit there and listen to the poor baby scream - that knowing that someone actually cared in the true sense of the word, and made you feel special made me realize that if I ever decide to be a nurse, that's the department I want to be in - and be as compassionate as Irene.

Goings On...

2010-01-19T21:01:00.000-08:00

Nothing much has been going on in the home front today. We've been lying low since the delivery and enjoying little Lucas each day. He's a little rascal and I am grateful each day for the blessings I have been given.

My little chihuahua, Truffles, has been a litle verklempt lately though. Ever since Leo's brother came to pick her up so she could stay over at their house while Leo and I stayed at the hospital to deliver Lucas last week, she's been more timid and unsure of her place in the house since we all got back. It didn't help that I was gone for four days and Leo said she was depressed, waiting by the door each day for me to come home. And of course, when I did come home, I had someone new in my arms and the poor thing was bereft.

For two days, Truffles was looking really sad and it bothered me. I've heard of people giving up their dogs when a baby comes in, but I was not about to do that. Leo and I had talked about it long ago that no matter what, we were keeping Truffles. She'd been our lifesaver more times than I can count.

So on the third day, Leo and I made an extra effort to include her in everything, and each day has shown an improvement in her attitude. She's got more confidence now and is more herself each day. Whew! Here we are this morning in bed...

I usually have my hands full with both "babies" - Lucas sleeping or nursing on my left and Truffles wanting to be petted or sleeping on my lap on my right. It's a juggling act, but I'm not complaining.

Today is the second of three storms to hit SoCal and so we've decided to stay home and wait another day to run errands and just enjoy doing nothing. That is, until the rains came.

It rained so hard that the yard flooded and even made its way into the garage. Leo had to move stuff above the water line, and that included my yarns and fiber. My vintage spinning wheel was moved into the gazebo a week ago by my in-laws and already, I had to let that go. It's been battered by so many people handling her that I'd given up worrying about it. At least my Fricke made it back into the house yesterday...

On the knitting front, I've been busy knitting a Wager Hat using Lamb's Pride Bulky yarn, with a few changes in the decreases for a much slouchier hat. This is probably going to go to my Etsy shop, which has been neglected these past weeks. Having a baby is a full-time affair, I tell you!

It took me about three days to finish the hat - what with having a baby to nurse and tons of other things to take care of, I had to make an effort today to finish it. The pattern is similar to the Wager Hat but with a modification in the decreases to reveal a more abrupt bind off, resulting in a much slouchier hat with not too much tapering at the end.

February Sweater in January

2010-01-16T18:10:00.000-08:00

Hard to believe that just over a week ago, I was waddling around town with my 36 week belly and wondering when I was going to deliver. I was also busy finishing my first February Sweater, also known as Sweater on Two Needles by Elizabeth Zimmerman.

This was knit from one of my first handspun yarns, from fiber by Gale's Art and though it's not meant for my little Lucas, maybe some lucky baby girl will score this one in the near future.

Next time I think I'll knit the arms in the round and remember to put buttonholes. This one actually doesn't have any because by the time I realized it, I was past the yoke already. I think I'll attach one of those snaps by the neckline, where the front will be a little bumblebee button.

This is in its pre-blocked state so hopefully I'll get a photo of it after it's all blocked and pretty!

Ready or Not Rasta Hat

2010-01-15T14:42:00.000-08:00

When the contractions began in earnest, I distracted myself by knitting a hat, wishfully thinking that it would help me weather the labor pains. It did, until we got to the birthing center...

But there is a time for everything, and so after I birthed my baby, I birthed this hat seven days later!

READY OR NOT RASTA HAT

Yarn: Lamb's Pride Bulky (Brite Blue) 160 yards or so, about 1-1/3 skeins
Needles: US 10 16-in circulars or DPNs
US 11 16-in circulars or DPN

Using sz 10 needles, CO 60 sts
Work 1X1 rib (k1, p1) for 5 rows
On 6th row, change to sz 11 needles, k1, p1

INCREASE ROW:
7 - *K1, M1 Repeat * to end of row, M1 (120 sts)
8 - K all around

PATTERN ROWS:
9 - *K1, YO, K3, YO repeat*
10 - K
11 - K2, SL1, K2TOG, PSSO *K3, SL1, K2TOG, PSSO, repeat to last st, K1
12 - K

Repeat 9 - 12 7x or until desired length of hat

DECREASE ROWS:
13 - *K2TOG all around (60 sts)
14 - K
15 - *K2TOG all around (30 sts)
16 - K
17 - K2TOG all around (15 sts)
18 - K2TOG and BO. Weave in ends.

A Baby and a Hat...

2010-01-15T07:32:00.001-08:00

Well, I done it - got myself a baby!

Lucas is now a week old and the labor and delivery are but a distant memory. What I do remember though is that I was cranky on Wednesday after seeing one of the doctors in the OB/GYN group I go to and thought she was a bit rough there. I was spotting soon after and crankier as hell.

Then the bloody show began and at this time, around midnight, I decided to knit myself a hat. I figured, "If I'm going to go into labor, I might as well do something productive at the same time." I was hoping that maybe, just maybe, it would distract me from the discomfort.

So all night I knit and frogged and knit again, till at some point I woke Leo up and said, "I think I'm in labor now."

To which he promptly said, "really?" and rolled over to continue sleeping.

At around 7:30 we went to the birthing center where they put us in triage to observe how far along I was (I was only 2 cm dilated, 50% effaced) and after three hours, they sent us home with orders that if the contractions were 5 minutes apart or if it felt as if "God hated you," it was time to either call them or come over.

Back at home, we had the in-laws building a room in the garage that could become either Matt's room when he decides to stay some nights, or my massage room, should I decide to do some sessions closer to home besides my office. It's a bit difficult to carry on a conversation while going through a contraction, but somehow I managed, till about 6 pm.

From then on, it progressed to full on labor till about midnight when I couldn't stand the pain anymore and wondered how other women could last till the end. I'm not one of those women - and so the epidural was requested, done, and I was one happy camper. Every time a contraction came along, all I felt was the urge to pee.

By 4:30 am, they decided to pop the bag of waters and when they did, the baby's heart rate dipped so low they then decided after a few minutes of discussing with one another what to do, that either a) I was going to the delivery room to deliver the baby, whether or not he had descended and whether I was only dilated 7 cm, or b) should the baby's heart rate continue to dip low, it would be the OR for me and oh, by the way, here's the form to sign in case you do end up with surgery and an infusion...

At 5:17 am, Lucas was born and when the oxytocin kicked in, all the pain and the fear was a distant memory. If you were to ask Leo what he saw in the OR as soon as he was ushered in, he would most likely say, "It was brutal." He walked in just as the doctor was pulling Lucas out...

Anyway, to make a long story short, Lucas was born healthy and beautiful and one week later, my "labor hat" is done. I tried working on it in the postpartum room where I roomed in with Lucas but with all the nurses coming in and out, giving you this and that, taking this test and that test, it was difficult to get anything done.

One thing that I always kept hearing though was that they wished they knew how to knit, or that they had the time do so. One women, Cece, actually admitted that she only knew how to make things on the Knifty Knitter. Girl, I've been there..

So now one week later, the hat is completed and it is dang heavy - being knit from 1-1/3 skeins of Brown Sheep bulky wool/mohair blend in blue. The picture shows it in its pre-blocked stage, but so far, I think I got myself a rasta hat!

Bundle of Joy!

2010-01-12T00:01:00.000-08:00

I've got nothing to do at the hospital other than heal from the C-section and stare at this little bundle of joy all day...

I Haz My Fingerz!

2010-01-10T17:01:00.000-08:00

Welcome Lucas!

2010-01-08T12:07:00.000-08:00

A Pattern!

2010-01-03T19:16:00.001-08:00

I've gotten a few requests for the Wager's Hat I made for my friend Pam for Christmas and so I'm going to post it here - the best I can remember. I think I wrote it down somewhere (how many stitches to cast on and then increase but as usual, I can't find it!) but I'll give it a go!

I think the stitch is based on Barbara Walker's Wager's Welt pattern but I'm not so sure.

Wager Hat
You will need:
Bulky yarn (about 140 yards) I used a little more than half a skein of Lion Brand Homespun yarn since I didn't want Pam to have to worry about washing wool when she's got all that chemotherapy to worry about!
Knitting needles Size 9 AND 10 16" circulars
Size 10 DPN's
Stitch Marker

Using #9 needles, CO 56 sts and PM, join, making sure not to twist the stitches
Work 1X1 rib (K1 P1) for 6 rows (I like 1X1 rib because it is just a bit more elastic than 2X2, however you can also use that if you want)
Increase row: Using #10 needles, K1, M1 all around (112 sts)
Pattern rows:
1: K all around
2: K all around
3: K all around
4: P all around
5: K all around
6: P all around
7: K all around
8: P all around

Repeat Pattern 3X, ending with Row 8

9: Knit
10: Knit
11: *K14, K2tog, rep*
12: Purl
13: *K13, K2tog, rep *
14: Purl
15: *K12, K2tog, rep *
16: Purl
17: *K11, K2tog, rep *
18: Knit
19: *K10, K2tog, rep *
20: Knit
21: *K2tog, rep *
22:Knit
23: *K2tog, rep *
Gather and BO, weave in the ends

Pam sent me an email a few days after we met and she says she loves her hat! I'm so glad I made her a hat this time instead of the scarves I normally make her each year. I'll update my photos to show the same pattern on some pretty nice wool yarn!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T17:44:00.000-08:00

Here's to a kickass 2010 for us all!

We spent New Year's eve quietly at home enjoying the Christmas gift we gave ourselves - an LG Blu-Ray player that also streams Netflix and youtube. So Leo picked out Lord of the Rings Return of the King extended edition that ran 4 full hours! He loved the high definition and now wishes for a larger flat screen tv!

Though the holidays have been quiet in our household (other than my runaway 20-year old son resurfaced on Christmas day by calling me on the phone to wish me Merry Christmas and him spending Boxing day with my brother and cousin while I spent it with Leo's family), it's been good. I've been making myself busy on the knitting front.

I'm going to run through my FO's from the latest project, the first FO of 2010, to the the ones I finished on Christmas day.

First, let me present to you my nth wool soaker - only this pattern is my favorite! It's from Buttknits.com and is called the traditional wool soaker - a pattern gifted to me by a generous Raveller last week. It's knit from the front crotch up to the top, then you either add an elastic or an i-cord. It was my first time making an i-cord and boy, was it fun!

I actually made two of these - the first one, modeled on the training baby doll my friend Sheri convinced me to buy to train Truffles to recognize that I'm going to have a baby in my arms soon instead of her, should be bluer than in the photo. It doesn't have the i-cord attached yet though although it's all completed as we speak.

The second traditional wool soaker is done in blue with green trim since I finished off the blue skein from the first woolen soaker and when that ran out, used the green as trim and for the leg cuffs. I'm totally loving this pattern because the leg openings are generous enough and stretch! I still have to make a few larger sizes since the ones I made are the smallest ones.

Then of course there's the finished (well, minus the buttons which are still in the shopping bag they came in) BSJ with collar! I think it's cute but he's gonna wait till he's almost a year old to wear it. It's pretty huge.

Then there were these 2 skeins of Poems yarn that I had scored at my local Tuesday Morning, which became these two scarflettes - one is a loop through scarf and the other, well just a button up scarflette with its pattern belo

One Button Scarflette Pattern

Yarn: Poems yarn - Aran 10ply 8wpi (I used 1.4 skeins but you can use less since this scarflette is longer than usual)
Needle size: Size 7/4.5 mm

CO 2
Row 1: (RS) Sl1, M1 (I used a bar increase), K to the end
Repeat Row 1 on the right side till I got about 24 or so stitches
Row 3: Continue in garter stitch (knit every row).
I estimated the location of the button and then made a 4 stitch-wide buttonhole in one row:
One Row Buttonhole at Knittinghelp.com
Then continue about 5 - 8 more rows before decreasing on the RS:
Sl1, K2tog, K to end of row
Continue on RS till you have only 2 stitches, BO and weave in the ends.
Find a large enough button and sew along the spot you want the button to be!

Chicken Tortilla Soup! Yum!

2009-12-23T12:38:00.000-08:00

With my gestational diabetes sorta still out of control (the older endocrinologist isn't too happy with my current numbers and put me on fast acting insulin before dinner and slow acting insulin for right before bed to control my fasting numbers), it's been a challenge to figure out what to cook.

So last night, I made Chicken Tortilla Soup using shredded rotisserie chicken and a big can of enchilada sauce in the crock pot. It was so good I ate too much and ruined my glucose sugar goal all over again...oh well

No Knitting For Awhile

2009-12-21T09:41:00.000-08:00

So I've finally finished my second BSJ although it's just missing the right buttons. I did add a collar and it is so cute!

I was working on a simple scarflette the other day and yesterday both my forearms started hurting - really hurting! I used some Biotone roll-on over the sore areas and it helped me get some sleep.

I thought and thought about why this should happen since I've been knitting for a while now, and then it hit me. I'm pregnant! Ligaments swell up and sometimes, carpal tunnel syndrome happens!

So, for now, last minute holiday presents are on hold and everyone's just going to get a Pannetone for Christmas...

My Latest Toy!

2009-12-19T21:54:00.000-08:00

Last week, my aunt gave me this for Christmas. She had won this in a raffle but didn't want it and so it sat in her garage for a few months.

And now it's mine!

It's a great little machine. It brews individual servings of coffee (Gevalia, Starbucks, and other brands), capuccino, hot tea, and chocolate (using syrup, not powder), which unfortunately for someone like me who's supposed to be on a budget, can be quite expensive. Each serving can cost about .50 to almost a dollar a pop.

And so I spent some money on different types of coffee, capuccinos and hot chocolate. Leo wasn't too convinced. He likes his coffee weak and so the first cup I made him was too strong for him. And because I swore off coffee while I'm pregnant, I can't test any of them...except for the hot chocolate!

So now each day I have at least 2 cups of hot chocolate and already I need to return to the store and get a few more boxes.

Oy vey...

A Productive and Fun Week!

2009-12-18T20:15:00.000-08:00

Fish alive!

Well, he'd be alive once I add his eyes in. I dug through my wool felt stash and couldn't find a single white piece, so I ended up having to stop by Michaels and buy some synthetic felt instead. His eyes should be done by tonight - I swear!

I've finally picked up the second BSJ that I was working on about 2 months ago before I got sidetracked by all the woolen soakers and calorimetries and so far, I'm doing pretty good. This is how far I've come so far and maybe in two days, I'll get it completely done. Wish me luck!

Speaking of wool soakers, I finally got the ribbed leggings done on them and here they are! I still have one more to go and then a few more soakers to knit, too. I've found that while my cloth diaper stash is growing, my checkbook is getting pretty thin. But it's all for a good cause anyway - an investment really.

I finally had an FO to gift as well! Remember my wager hat? Well, they were knit using my friend Pam's colors and she loved it! Here she is modeling it while we were having dinner at the local Islands.

Pam has been fighting stage 4 cervical cancer for the past 15 months and I am so grateful that she is/seems doing well. She refuses to let anything negative enter her life and even after being told that her cancer has metastasized to her lungs, liver, and axillary lymph nodes, she still walks 2 - 4 miles a day, does tai-chi and yoga each week, and has returned to working as a massage therapist 3 days a week...even while undergoing chemotherapy that has basically killed off her bone marrow.

She is just amazing.

Anyway, today Leo's coworkers surprised us with a baby shower and it was a wonderful suprise (well, not really, but they asked us to act surprised). That would be my third baby shower and we couldn't be happier. Pam actually told me that I had the most boring registry she had ever seen because everything I had put down was so practical.

Well, practical is true, but I honestly have no idea what to pick out. Thank goodness today, his coworkers got us a swing that everyone swears will be a "lifesaver" when the baby comes.

All in all, it's been a great few days and it's going to be a wonderful Christmas!

Almost There

2009-12-15T18:14:00.000-08:00

I'm now 33 weeks pregnant and in 3 more weeks, I'm considered "full term".

I'm pretty excited and tomorrow, I go in to have my ultrasound to check on Lucas' size and his normal kidney and the rest of his urinary system to make sure that everything is doing okay.

My gestational diabetes is still there, and I'm hanging on for dear life with my blood sugar numbers. Sometimes they're high, but most of the time, just barely over the limit (which my endocrinologist says is okay). It's the morning numbers that worry him and so I'm on insulin at night - which means I get to stick myself with a needle before I go to sleep (actually not too bad - I keep telling myself if I can handle over 20 acupuncture needles, one tiny needle shouldn't be too bad).

These days I find myself figuring out what I need for the nursery. I've had to buy 2 boxes of newborn diapers upon the recommendation of a cloth-diapering mama who said that since I'm still building up my stash of cloth diapers, all-in-ones (AIO), covers and such to see what works or not, having disposables on hand isn't such a bad idea - in the beginning.

I've also been scouring the internet for diapers, covers, AIOs - brand new and slightly used and I'm pleased to say that I'm learning something new each day. I'm actually getting more and more confident about my CD decision as well. Sure, the investment can be a lot in the beginning, but knowing that I won't have to run to the store (or send Leo to do that) to get disposables throughout the years is pretty comforting.

I've been buying CD related stuff left and right, too, and I'm watching the coffers run dry. I just purchased three diaper covers from KDBspace on Etsy as well as lanolin from Katidids for the wool soakers I've knitted, and will be knitting from recently purchased Brown Sheep yarn destashed by Escavations, also on Etsy.

Tomorrow, or Thursday, I'm meeting someone from Craigslist at the mall to buy some of her hardly used CD stuff that she found she didn't particularly like - like Thirsties, Bumgenius and Fuzzibunz. Leo has been pretty patient about it, considering he is against buying used items for his firstborn. But so far, when it comes to clothing and diapering, he's been pretty cool about it - thank goodness, you can wash them all prior to use, right?

All these preparations have made me realize that we haven't even taken out any holiday decorations! There is not a single holiday related item in the house! We've been so wrapped up with baby Lucas that we haven't even taken out the decorations from the garage!

Oh well...

Parties, Showers and Disagrees

2009-12-14T09:20:00.000-08:00

A few days ago, someone asked a question about drop spindling on a Rav forum that I had just joined in a week ago. So I went ahead and gave my two cents, complete with a photo montage of HOW I DROP SPINDLE, not HOW TO DROP SPINDLE. I even added some youtube links to how other people do it.

Now I don't know if it's the preggo hormones working or not, but having 9 Disagrees on a post that the original poster commended actually helped her got to me. It was annoying.

It would have helped if these 9 people said something as to why they disagreed instead of hiding behind the damn button. But then that's Ravelry for you. Oh well...at least it won't change the way I drop spindle. Whether purists are horrified that I'm doing it wrong or not, it's their panties that'll be in a twist, not mine.

Anyway, I had my baby shower last weekend and it was great to have 30 plus family and friends brave the rain (in SoCal it never rains, but we complain like it always rains when it actually does rain) to attend it. It was a lot of fun - lots of good food, desserts, and a couple of baby shower games.

That morning, I got up early and decided to make a 'diaper cake' from gifts I'd already received. However, it isn't really a diaper cake as much as a blankie cake since the only diapers in it were two Bumgenius AIO diapers, and three wool soakers I had knit a few weeks ago gracing the outside of the cake.

Since I had decided early on to cloth diaper, I hadn't stocked up with any disposables or even cloth ones. Luckily, the cake came out okay. I did dress up the bear with a handknit handspun sweater, too.

While we were opening presents, one of the last ones I opened had cloth diapers and I was so excited to receive them. When they heard me say that I was going to try out cloth diapering, it looked as if I had sprouted two heads! Then Leo showed them the wool soakers and while they all thought they were cute, they still couldn't get over the cloth diapering plans.

The following day, my mother's side of the family held their annual Christmas party at a nearby Chinese buffet and they had the family tree up on the wall. After most everyone had eaten, one of my aunts did a fun and informative presentation of the maternal family tree that spanned four generations.

It included incestuous scandals, land grants, land grabbing, and even arms dealing by an enterprising great aunt who traded machetes for land. A branch actually joined with a neighboring branch because of marrying first cousins. One uncle was so prolific in his "pollination" (as my aunt called it) and probably determined to father 26 children that he named his children with his wife from A to N and with a mistress, from Z to O!

My aunt then said, "I decided never to marry a Filipino because I may be marrying my cousin."

Seeing the family tree that didn't even include illegitimate offspring, I couldn't agree more. But then again, I did marry a Filipino - and no, we're not related!

While it was a very busy weekend, my legs didn't fare so well. With me on my 33rd week, being on my feet led to swollen legs and ankles for both days to the point that when I removed my shoes or boots or socks, it felt as if I was walking around with some kind of a balloon attached to my cankles!

Luckily, Leo has been on top of things - he gives great foot massages!

A Pair of Hats

2009-12-02T20:31:00.000-08:00

A few days ago, while cleaning out my yarn stash, I found a bag filled with unused Lion Brand Homespun yarns of varying colors (mostly blue) back in the day when I was either a) learning how to knit and for some reason, everything I wanted to make was using Homespun or b) for a feather and fan afghan that's been a work in progress for over 2 years now.

Normally I'd post on the local Freecycle board offering free yarn but after the last two times of doing that, I figured that this time I'd keep them for a while and knit some small project here and there in time for the holidays.

So I came up with slouchy hats...the first one is based on Barbara Walker's Wager Welt stitch which is just alternating knit and purl rows to give the yarn some texture.

The next one is a simple blue stockinette stitch slouchy hat that's just screaming for an accessory - like a crocheted flower or something.

Movie Night - Brothers

2009-12-02T18:51:00.000-08:00

I know we really should be viewing much happier fare but I can't resist good acting and a riveting script...

A Cool Corespinning Tutorial!

2009-11-25T12:26:00.001-08:00

These are the latest projects I've done this week - roughly one soaker per day. It takes me only half a day but sometimes I find myself putting it down to do chores around the house or work at the office, but I find myself getting better and better with it. The only thing these soakers need are to have the leg cuffs knitted.

First I have to pick up the stitches though and for that I'll need to either surf the web to find which stitches I pick up, or wait till Sunday when I go to LisCat and someone can show me. I have also been thinking that maybe I could pick up the stitches doing crochet and using chain through the back loop to create ribbing...guess I'll need to experiment. I just find that I'm too lazy to pick up stitches and then do ribbing all over again with DPNs.

I haven't been spinning much the last three days since my wheel is in the garage while we get the bedroom and nursery painted and aired out. I think tonight, Leo gets to move all the furniture back in its proper spots and the living room will be cleared out. This means that I can take my wheel back inside and maybe start corespinning again!

What's corespinning? you may ask. Well, it's having your fiber wrap around a core thread like crochet thread or a sturdy single like this pink yarn I spun a while back called Cupid's Kiss (or something like that - I think it's called Pink Ballerina now since I keep forgetting what I've named yarns from the time they come off the bobbin to the time they're done with their soak and are all dry and presentable!). This yarn was spun from a wonderful crazy batt from Homestead Wool and Gift Farm (link).

Corespinning is a pretty cool way to spin fiber, a great way to allow a little fiber go a long way and because air is trapped between the core and the fiber as you spin, it's said to be a whole lot warmer, too. However, I like its look when it's woven more than when it's knitted, which is why I acquired myself an Ashford Knitter's Loom a few months ago and maybe this weekend, I'll have Leo help me warp it since it's been sitting inside the closet for months!

This corespun yarn, Mellificent, was spun from a drum carded batt and it feels so fluffy and so soft!
I like the way this came out when I test wove it on a simple loom and can't wait to get it all woven into a scarf sometime.

The reason I'm talking about corespinning today is that Jazzturtle (there's a link here somewhere as you hover your cursor!) has come up with a cool 5-part series of video tutorials on her blog that shows you how she does it! She's a wonderful spinner and an equally wonderful teacher - her tutes are very clear and concise and easy to understand. All you need now is to drag your wheel to a spot where you can't be bothered and give it a try!

I know this weekend I will be doing just that - I have two of her wonderful batts just waiting to be spun!

With Thanksgiving upon us tomorrow, there are so many things I am grateful for - first and foremost my pregnancy and my upcoming babykins, and all the supportive people in my life! I was never into Black Friday though - especially these days with my baby belly just getting squished in the mad dash for a $20 discount - plus I like to shop in peace, so I'll wait and maybe just knit everyone a little something out of my growing stash.

I hope you have a great Thanksgiving and remember that "stressed" is just "desserts" spelled backwards!

Spinning to Preserve My Sanity

2009-11-19T15:01:00.000-08:00

Found a drop spindle that escaped Leo's moving of my craft stuff into the garage and started spinning last night. Probably the only thing that saved my sanity - even if spinning on the wheel may be much faster...

Colors To Brighten My World

2009-11-18T15:04:00.000-08:00

Today I need some colors to brighten up my day.

I just learned this morning that my baby has unilateral multicystic dysplastic kidney (MCDK), which means that one kidney is filled with cysts (they counted about 12 of them) and is non-functioning. This probably happened during the 14th week of development and probably caused by a blockage somewhere. Thank goodness the other kidney seems normal and so does the rest of his urinary system.

While the news was shocking, it's not time for me to crumble and give up. He has been moving about lately, after being a bit quiet during the weekend. The last two days have been pretty active inside, like there's some kind of a party going on - and he's also turned from being in breech (head up) to what they term as cephalic (head down and raring to go!). He's a feisty one - which means that I need to be positive about this recent discovery, at least for his sake, and be grateful that they found it soon enough, which gives me time to find a pediatric urologist to be on hand during delivery, and learn about the disorder a bit more.

When I got home all bummed out, I found a big box waiting for me. It was a box filled with 3 pounds of "ugly batts" - not my term, mind you, but the term Abi of High Prairie Fibers uses for batts that are carded with all the leftover stuff.

Here's the first one.
Then the next one whose colors remind me of fall and the falling leaves on the pavement as I walk Truffles each day.
Then there's this one which is primarily blues.

That's a lot of batts to spin and so I'll take my time. I've already set aside the blue one to brighten my day. Probably spin it into a DK weight so I can make a baby jacket for the little one.

After finding out the news and after much (well, not much really) deliberation, I've decided it's time for me to start knitting for Lucas instead of for everyone else BUT him. So this means baby blankets, booties, hats, and jackets.

After all, I have barely two or so months to go and me being a slow knitter, well, I need to get crackin'

All That Sugar's Not Good For Ya

2009-11-16T16:38:00.000-08:00

Well, it's official - I have gestational diabetes - a type of diabetes that develops when one is pregnant. That's when hormones cause everything to go haywire and before you know it, you're peeing too much and drinking too much water (among other things).

This week started with the first 2 doctor visits out of 6 - first to a diabetic educator who gave me my glucose testing meter and educated me about diabetes and a little bit about my diet. Now I need to keep an eye on carbohydrate counts on everything I eat. I also have to test my blood 4 times a day - first thing in the morning before I eat anything, then 1 hour after breakfast, lunch and dinner.

So today she tested my blood before lunch and it came out an impressive 87 or something - which made me really happy. "Anything under 130," she said. Then I stopped by at Yoshinoya for lunch before my next appointment at my OB's office, and an hour later, figured, hey, I need to test my blood sugar.

Guess what?! A small bowl of Yoshinoya's beef bowl netted me 269 (what the hell happened to that target 130? Not even close!)! Wowzer! Guess I should have heeded the dietician about portion control - even the small Yoshinoya bowl is huge in diabetic standards, I guess - especially when my rice portion should only be 1/3 cup.

So off I went to my OB and the ultrasound showed a normal sized babykins with (upon second look) a slighlty enlarged left kidney - which will then take me to another more specialized office to do another ultrasound on Wednesday! Keep fingers crossed that maybe little Lucas just hadn't peed yet - that's why it was big. One can only hope.

So tomorrow is a blood test, Wednesday the specialized ultrasound, Thursday the dietitian and Friday the endocrinologist and the OB! Even the woman on the other line at the ultrasound office asked, "Well, what day ARE you free?"

I've never had this many doctor visits in one day, much less a month or a year to be precise. But they said that since I belong to a "high risk group" it's better to be safe than sorry.

So, in other news, I got to hang out with spinners and knitters yesterday at LisCat and Janice's hubby took my vintage wheel home to test drive and tweak till next week. We'll see what he comes up with. Thank goodness I'm not too attached to that wheel! I still have my trusty ol' Fricke ST-160 at home, although right now it's in the garage while we continue working on the bedroom and nursery with carpeting and painting.

I also finished the scarflette - actually finished it and attached the buttons, that is. It helps to find the button bin - which had been sitting in front of me all this time but I had it in my head that all my buttons had been in some tin cans that, when I did find them, were empty. The scarflette is pretty simple - knit in brioche stitch.
But I've been knitting though - right now I'm working on a few projects at the same time - a handspun cowl in simple knit-4-rows-then-purl-4-rows design to show off the yarn, the knitting board scarflette that needs a new skein of yarn to be attached before I can finish it - maybe tomorrow I can get a skein and finish it, and then there's the baby surprise jacket that's tucked away in my knitting bag that's tucked away in some corner.

Staying home has been driving me batty - my practice is slow right now with clients holding off seeing me since I am huge and they swear that I look like I can deliver any day! I'm still in my 7th month (29 weeks to be exact) but I'm all belly, as some people have said. The sonographer said that I look big because the baby's breech (head up) so the head is up along the upper right hand quadrant, which makes me really stick out at the moment.

I don't have any idea how long I can work and already two of my regular (annual) onsite massage corporate clients have been calling to schedule me for December - 3 days for one (4 hours a day), and 2 days (4 hours a day) for another. Leo's adamant about me not working anymore by then and I'm pretty disappointed because those jobs net me a pretty nice $1400 paycheck.

While I may really want to do it, I don't know how comfortable receivers will be when they see me workin straight for 4 hours though, even with a break in between. Then there are the bathroom breaks and cankles...hmmm, I'm stumped. What do you think?

Loom Knitting Isn't Exactly Cheating...Right?

2009-11-14T20:43:00.000-08:00

This week marks my 29th week of pregnancy and there's less than 2 months to go! It's an exciting time - and already I'm running out of time to knit everything I want to.

Unfortunately one of the banes of pregnancy is swelling, whether it's getting cankles or carpal tunnel syndrome (which causes the ligaments surrounding the wrist to swell up and cause pain, numbness or tingling). Lately, knitting with smaller needles causes pain in my hands and while there isn't any swelling visible, it makes knitting uncomfortable sometimes.

And so I went ahead and ordered a 10" knitting board from Authentic Knitting Board. I used to have the 28" knitting board about 2 years ago but destashed it when I found that all I wanted to knit then were scarves and having a 28" board that you needed to turn again and again on short arms became annoying. So, fast forward 2 years later and here I am with my 10" knitting board and I'm now working on a test scarf with some leftover yarn, which I'm probably going to end another skein of when I run out of the leftover yarn because I have no clue what to do with a less-than-a-scarflette-length-scarf hanging around.

It's not exactly cheating though, right? It's still knitting!
One thing that's pretty cool is that the scarf is so squishy soft because knitting boards create a double-knit fabric. I'm using a bulky yarn and I find myself admiring and squeezing the darn thing again and again it's so squishy soft.

I'm actually planning on knitting my adopted brother a thick dark scarf since he starts work at 4:30 am in Manhattan (brrrr!) and he needs a thick long scarf for sure! So hopefully I'll get a loomknit scarf to him before Christmas.

While I'm still on the subject of knitting boards, while I was at Nancy's house last week, she had an old copy of Interweave Knit which had a page devoted to teaching rehabbing WWI soldiers at Walter Reed Hospital how to knit. It featured a photo of some soldiers knitting with needles and with the knitting board! It was awesome - wish I could have had her scan it since I can't find anything like it online.

One thing that I did finish last week was this brioche-stitch scarflette (missing buttons since I have no clue what colors to buy) made from some acrylic yarn. I've been on an acrylic-yarn-kick lately since I don't have any bulky handspun (well, I do but not your normal scarf material - more like art-scarf material) and I figure, with my painful wrists, maybe bulky isn't as bad as fingering weight yarn...

Being an expectant mom has also made me more thoughtful about my decision to use cloth diapers. Leo thinks it's a great idea - until I told him how wool soakers don't need to be washed everyday since lanolin + pee = organic soap (for a time...it does stink and need a good wash and lanolizing eventually).

His family is into everything convenient, which means baby formula and disposable diapers. They think I'm crazy for considering cloth diapers but I am the one having the baby, right?

And I do think about the mountains of diaper waste hanging around for generations in landfills or oceans somewhere and don't exactly want to contribute to that any more than I need to. If I need to use disposables occasionally, I don't think it'll drive me to the edge, but while I am going to be a SAHM (who needs to see clients probably 2 days a week half the day some times), I think I can handle cloth diapering.

It's just a whole different world filled with so many abbreviations that make my head spin - AIO, TIO, PUL - terms I occasionally have to look up still while I explore this not-so-common world. Today, while browsing some patterns for soakers and reading about how to use them (this is where the wool and lanolin come in), I decided to make one diaper cover, sort of jumping into it instead of just looking and thinking about making one.

Here's my first ever diaper cover! I have no baby yet to model it on, but it's missing some buttons and it's made with acrylic super bulky yarn that I had on hand. But at least it gave me the idea on its construction and how it would work even better on double-knit (using the knitting board) using 100% wool yarn!

Purple Yam Tam

2009-11-12T17:56:00.001-08:00

It's corny, I know, but with the hat on its way to Sacramento for this Sunday's dance/dinner/silent auction event, it didn't come with the mannequin so hopefully, this little "poster" can be printed and presented along with the tam!

This was actually destined for my etsy shop and had already been added but then I remembered that the event was this Sunday! Me and my mommy brain...

The event is to help my friend's husband raise money towards his upcoming kidney transplant. He's been waiting for 17 years and now it's so close that he (and we) can taste it! Unfortunately, out-of-pocket expenses are in the $30k range and so they have to raise money to help him with the costs, especially the ones associated AFTER the operation since he has to stay close to the hospital here in Los Angeles for about 3 months while he recuperates and gets his body all acclimated to the donor kidney.

Oh the things we take for granted, eh?

My Stuff's on Etsy Treasury!

2009-11-09T15:53:00.000-08:00

I don't even know how to start my own treasury on Etsy but today I received an email from GoodLookinTreasures telling me she had included my Oatmeal Knitted Earwarmer in her treasury. So cool!

Sunday Playtime With My Wheel

2009-11-08T10:43:00.000-08:00

I must need help.

I woke up early this morning (like, 6am on a Sunday!) and went to the garage to play with my antique wheel - the one I snagged yesterday from a thrift store.

Someone on Rav said that the flyer set up is on the wrong side of the maiden and so I switched it to see if she was right. Right or not, this causes the drive band to become too loose as the mother of all doesn't go far enough to give it tension. It turns out that the best position for it is the way I had had it - with the flyer facing away from the wheel instead of towards it.

The treadle needs to be attached and Leo will be drilling a hole in the front peg leg to accomodate a metal rod so I can connect the treadle. Then the next thing on the menu will be to find or fashion myself a footman for it and once that's done, and the baby is oiled up, then it should be ready to go.

I have been spinning up some fiber to test it - just have to manually turn the wheel but it spins something fine! Can you tell I'm loving it?

When I first learned about wheels, I wanted a saxony, found a castle wheel missing the flyer and bobbin instead, and then settled for modern wheels like the Fricke, Louet, Ashford and a Babe after a spinning teacher said that modern wheels were just more efficient than old style ones. But I guess my first love will always be the saxony wheel.

An antique saxony wheel at that. I love the history part of it. Makes me wonder what the previous owner spun with it, and maybe what was knitted with it. Also makes me proud of the ecological aspect of it - reusing old wheels instead of having new trees turned into modern or reproduction wheels.

Besides, it's hard to take the image out of your mind - that first wheel you ever saw in Sleeping Beauty (the Disney movie) and then most of the old photos and sketches from times past. It's like a first love, after all.

I was planning on visiting the spinning group over at LisCat, my LYS for an hour today to show off my wheel before Leo and I go to attend his parents' 50th wedding anniversary party but that'll be for another day. Can't miss the party! Maybe by the time I bring it over there for show-and-tell, it'll all be complete and spinning.

Anyway, wonderful Raveller Nancy (link) just blogged about her (and my) Calorimetry earwarmer! When you have the time, do stop by her blog and see the latest knitting pattern she's done! I love the easy cowl she wrote about a few days ago and may just add it to my knitting to-do list!

Just When I Swore Them Off...

2009-11-07T15:14:00.000-08:00

one of them caught my eye as I drove home yesterday from work.

It stood by the glass window of a local thrift shop and this morning, I remembered it and called to inquire if it was still available.

And if it was within my price range (after all I'm under a strict budget these days), and lo and behold, it was!

So off I went for a little drive back to the direction of work to check it out, and after twenty minutes of deliberating and figuring out whether everything was there (it was sorta disassembled and masking-taped together), and after a quick text-back-and-forth with fiberfreek about it ("buy it" - of course, what else would he say??? He has, like ten wheels or something!) I handed them the money (it all goes to various charities anyway so I was doing something good - right?) and packed the thing in the SUV.

One of the things that was interesting was that the little old ladies who volunteer at the store were talking about the spinning wheel and it went like this:

"They're collectibles, you know. I think for the price, it's a good buy." One of them said.

"We had to change the price after we checked on the internet that people collect them," added the manager. "I think this is from the 60's."

"I don't think people spin anymore." Said the first woman.

"Oh no," I said. "People do spin."

"Do you spin your own yarn?" Asked the manager.

"Of course," I replied. And at this point I had to tell her that I may be getting the wheel since it looked like she now thought the asking price was a tad bit low.

Leo, who's been breathing a sigh of relief each time I destashed an extra wheel to make room for the baby, surprisingly was very positive about my purchase. I think the price helped. He helped me load it off and while he tended the garden, I got it all assembled and found that it indeed was missing the footman as I had thought back in the store.

So without further ado, let me introduce my new wheel!

The flyer and teeny-tiny bobbin. Which means that once I get it oiled and working (and it does spin!) with its missing footman, I may have to find someone to make me a few more bobbins just like it.

The flyer does look inverted (most wheels have the flyer facing the wheel, not facing away from the wheel like this one does) but when I try to do it the other way, the drive bands fall off because it's way too loose and I really don't want to mess with drive bands right now.

With this wheel now taking residence in the garage or the house (to avoid it getting dinged in the garage!), it means we have to move stuff around again since the house is small!

Speaking about "small", this morning, while having breakfast at a local restaurant, I read about an Echo Park couple who live in a 390-square foot place with their 9-month old toddler. If they can do it in a place that small, I thought, it shouldn't be too difficult to do the same in a 1000-give-or-take-square-foot "mother-in-law" house, should it?

On the pregnancy front, I'm now 28 weeks pregnant and recently diagnosed with gestational diabetes (which sucks because now I can't have anything sweet, like those yummy chocolates and cake that seem to crop up everywhere during the holiday season!). The baby's moving like crazy and it's fun to watch my belly move - talk about belly dancing, right? I don't even have to work my own belly muscles for it to move...

Life Musings

2009-11-05T10:37:00.000-08:00

It's been one interesting week so far.

On Monday my best friend announced on FB (it was the only way to do an announcement to everyone without having to be on the phone with each and every person) that her baby sister was killed instantly in an accident in Portland (she was crossing a crosswalk with her roommate and a car didn't stop) while her roommate remains in critical condition. I remember Lindsay, her baby sister, as a little girl so bubbly and happy and although I have lost contact with her since she moved to Portland for college, my memories of her are always of one smiling happy kid.

To see my friend so devastated is equally devastating and although today is the memorial in Portland, I elected to stay and wait till my friend comes back. When she's ready to talk, I'll be there.

Such things remind me of how life is so fragile and how important it is to make a choice on how to live your life from day to day. My friend Pam who's battling stage 4 ovarian cancer is always smiling, always positive even though she's lost her hair and has found out that the cancer has metastasized to her lymph nodes. She refuses to hear anyone say anything negative and I am so proud of her. She greets me with a smile in person or over the phone - even her emails bear her always positive disposition.

So I hope to face each day with a smile and positive vibrations, although sometimes it's not as easy as it looks. But it truly is. So business is slow - there are so many things that the universe has given me to do and be prosperous. Sometimes we have to simply remove the negativity to allow the positive to enter.

So...what else is new? Well, we're painting the nursery. Leo already finished painting the backdrop - blue for the sky, brighter blue for the horizon and green for the grass. Next up is adding some whimsical animals freeform. So far we've come up with this mural as inspiration.

I don't plan on adding every single thing onto our walls, but we definitely love the colors and the spirit it brings!

I'm also busy knitting. Since my drumcarder is out of commission and I've managed to destash most of my fiber last month and of course, these days, I'm asking myself - why on earth did I do that? I've figured that I might as well be knitting some little things for my etsy shop or for the holidays, as well as a prayer shawl for my friend Laura.

Then there's also the spinning. I still have two jazzturtle batts to corespin as well as a few more colorful roving to spin into bulky yarn for some upcoming projects.

So basically I'm busy :)

Happy Halloween! Or Shall I Say...Happy New Year

2009-10-31T20:22:00.000-07:00

...if we were pagan or Celtic, that is.

Halloween, All Hallow's Eve, or Samhain - the ancient practice of welcoming the new year and saying farewell to the old, according to the earth-based religions, which is now categorized as "pagan".

Did you know that the word "pagan" originally meant "country dweller?" Someone who recognizes the seasons and feels connected with the earth. Samhain is the last day of the pagan year, when the crops are harvested and brought in for storage during the cold dark months of winter. This is when the fires are lit and people gather around the fire to rejoice the company and a bountiful harvest. This is when we sweep our house of the old to make room for the new.

And out of the blue, an old friend sends you a photo of what you wore during a Halloween party of old. And you wonder...? Who'd want to dress up as a nun?

Anyway, I just realized that tonight is also a full moon and it's beautiful out there! So why am I staying indoors instead of being outside and watching the beautiful moon glow?

Why, knitting, of course! A few days ago, I finished my first Baby Surprise Jacket by Elizabeth Zimmerman. I used Lamb's Pride worsted in yellow, teal and gray - some truly retro colors, or if you're a Miami Dolphins fan (which I'm not) - and finished it in two weeks, with some breaks in between. Knitting garter stitch day in and day out can be pretty tedious, but once it's all done, it's one amazing contraption!

Which way is up?

Once it's folded up, this is what unfolds (or rather, folds up) before your eyes! Truly a surprise!

There are literally thousands of these jackets floating around on the web and they all look adorable. So instead of knitting up booties and caps for my lil' bun, this has been what I've been wanting to knit the entire time. I've yet to make one little baby hat!

Well, I'm knitting up my second BSJ (I'm currently frogging three rows though - got carried away with all my double decreases), and when I get tired of that, probably finish loom knitting a baby cocoon with some of the only ten Lion Brand Homespun yarn I found in the garage. Why on earth do I have 10 balls of this stuff?

I still have some fiber to spin but that'll be for later. For now I'm buried in my stash of yarn - both handspun, expensive and cheap yarns. I used to give yarns away, but then I found myself buying more when they were gone. So now I'm hoping to slowly work through my current stash for the holidays - knitting little things for friends and family. Even for a silent auction to raise money for a friend who's undergoing a long-awaited (try 17 years) kidney transplant.

So happy new year, everyone! And may we say farewell to the old (just not my stash) and make room for the new!

Deep in Thought

2009-10-26T18:02:00.000-07:00

What should mommy spin next?

One Productive Week

2009-10-26T10:37:00.001-07:00

I've got two handspuns to share...finally! There's been such a long dry spell lately that it was a relief to see myself spinning again. Of course, I'm feeling tightness in my forearm muscles again from overuse since I just want to finish spinning a skein overnight! But I am learning to take my time, now that the dry spell is over and it seems I've gotten my spinning mojo back!

The first one I spun was andean plied around my wrist and of course, after losing circulation on my finger, it was time to ply! Unfortunately, since andean plying was probably invented for spindle spinning, on a wheel it's not that intuitive and so I have tons of underplied segments. Oh well...

There's a hand in there somewhere!

Rosings handspun

I then dug up more batts sitting in my stash that somehow managed to evade my destash craze a month ago and spun this one!

Remind me of a nebula - hence it's name!

Yesterday Leo and I saw Cirque du Soleil - Kooza at the Santa Monica pier and it was amazing! It was Leo's first Cirque show while it was my fourth. The music was so loud that the lil bun in the oven was kicking like mad the entire time. Then he'd quiet down when the music would die down, only to start up again when it began again. All in all, I think it was his nap time and so he wasn't too happy about it.

But Leo had a blast (I did, too - the Wheel of Death act was amazing) and would like to see either "O" or "Ka" in Las Vegas one day soon - which probably means it should be soon because once the lil bun in the oven is all baked and out of the oven, there won't be any time to go to Vegas...or anywhere for that matter.

After the show, we had some early dinner (we were actually starving, having had a late start during the day and getting stuck in traffic...you know the drill if you live in L.A.) and then ice cream (for me) and coffee (for him) while walking up and down the pier.

Then we spied this anti-war installation:

Pretty powerful sight...

Another FO! I Must Be On A Roll...For Now

2009-10-20T13:27:00.003-07:00

You're looking at my second calorimetry done! This time I didn't use any of my handspun though although god only knows I'm drowning in them. But I'm also being overwhelmed by my yarn stash, which I've promptly dragged into the living room (there's still a few bins sitting in the garage beyond my reach because my belly gets in the way when I reach over!) to organize.

Maybe it's time for me to give away certain yarns that I'm not going to be using - but then a time will come for sure when I'll have a project in mind and can't find the darn yarn because I had given it away. Oh well...this must be the life of a stasher...

For now I've got projects crowding my to-do list as I'm wondering what I'm going to do when I can't work anymore. I am getting pretty huge and I'm only 25 weeks along. Pretty soon I won't be able to reach across the massage table! But it happens, so why complain, right? I'm sure with my growing stash of fiber and yarn, I'll find something to do...

First Calorimetry Done!

2009-10-18T14:38:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited to have finished my first ever calorimetry pattern from Knitty! It's also my first actual finished object since my dry spell started after finding out I was pregnant - that would be about 4 months or so.

I have about 5 WIPs languishing around the house but having one finished one definitely inspires me to finish all of them. After all, with my craft room/office now turned into a nursery, all my yarn and fiber have been turned out to the garage, while some bags of yarn have been sitting in the living room for the past week or so awaiting their respective projects.

Without much ado, here's the first calorimetry of many that I hope to make for friends and clients! I'm currently working on the second one using smaller needles and some wonderful Poems yarn!

Fashion in a Cathedral

2009-10-17T08:37:00.000-07:00

First, my BSJ is sitting in a corner of my couch right waiting for me to finish the last 10 rows. Last 10! And here I am procrastinating! I can see it take shape now and can't wait till I'm done - maybe this afternoon it will be all finished. Tomorrow, blocked even!

One can only dream...

Anyway, last night, Leo and I went to the last night of L.A. Fashion Week, which was a show featuring three Filipino designers - Philip Rodriguez (Filippo of Cebu City, my hometown), Alexis (Bong) Monsanto who's L.A. based, and Furne One (Oh-ne) who dresses the uber rich of Dubai - called Passion...Revealed.

At first Leo didn't want to go - he said it just wasn't his cup of tea. So I told him that I was going to take my client with me - a client who happens to love parties and women (and boy, there'll be women there, right?)

"But people will think he's your husband if you get photographed," he blinked.

"Well, I'll send him away to meet women. After all being seen with a huge pregnant woman can cramp any single man's style," I replied.

"No," Leo said. "That can't happen. I can't let you go all alone."

And so, according to my original plan, he went along. And whether it was his cup of tea or not, he had fun. I had fun, too, of course. Nick Verreos of Project Runway was there (Leo commented that he was wearing really tight jeans that revealed his, um, package - but I reminded Leo that this was a place to be seen, so...why not? Besides, most young people there were dressed like that - which was a reminder to me that I am definitely getting old - who of us never went out to be "seen" eh?), as well as Project Smile artist Bren Bataclan whose paintings literally make one smile. I never got around to meet him because I ran into so many old friends I used to party with before I could.

Overall it was a great fun night. The first designer featured was Philip Rodriguez, whose fashion I grew up with because my mother used to visit his mother's store to have clothes made, which at that time he was managing. He's been around in the fashion world for 25 years, at which time I also developed my, um, fashion skillz (which are glaringly missing these days). Can you believe it? I actually took classes on dressmaking, beading, and tailoring (there's a suit missing a left sleeve somewhere in Manila) before I permanently moved to California! I loved his collection! I just have to deliver the little bun in the oven first and then lose like 70 pounds before I can fit into a single one!

Next was Alexis Monsanto and it was great to see an old friend model three months after her twins were born! Then came Furne One, who flew in from Dubai, Saudi Arabia to showcase his intricately beaded (and blinding) gowns. I had to remind Leo that his was a "concept" collection because he was constantly distracted by the models' white curly French style wigs and outlandish "hats" and their entire heads encased in tulle, and that while one can truly wear those beautiful gowns, that's not all Furne makes.

This was after all Leo's first fashion show.

Anyway, here's some of the highlights of the show. I didn't get to film Philip's dresses because I was too busy looking at the designs - reminds me of the judges on Project Runway, the way we all looked like we were truly judging everything that walked past us.

This brings me to a little rant, if you don't mind. Not about the show, but about the venue. First of all, I was raised Catholic but I wouldn't call myself religious about it. I'd call myself spiritual first. But this isn't about me but the location.

The location was the former St. Vibiana cathedral, a 130 year old structure said to be the oldest cathedral in L.A. This was considered the "mother church cathedral parish" of Los Angeles. After the 1994 earthquake however, the gods apparently smiled upon the Catholic diocese and gave them a reason to, instead of retrofitting this landmark, build a $45 million L.A. cathedral. They claimed that the damage from the earthquake wasn't worth repairing the cathedral, so they figured they had every right to demolish it - historic or not.

In fact, without waiting for permits, the catholic church started demolishing the site, starting with the bell tower in 1996. After a frantic campaign by preservationists, the demolition was halted and the city swapped the St. Vibiana cathedral land with one much bigger for the church to now build their "Cathedral of Angels" right by the 101 freeway - it's that beige monstrosity of a church you see when you look up instead of watching where you're going.

If I offend some people, I apologize. My idea of churches is pretty simple - I have to admit I am in love with the historic designs of cathedrals with their arches and alcoves, stained glass windows (reflecting actual natural light, not fake light because it's installed in the basement) and dark corners - the new cathedral is cold with too many sharp angles and when you go in you wonder where the hell the altar is...until you see the throne where the cardinal sits while conducting mass.

Anyway, these days, the former St. Vibiana Cathedral is simply called Vibiana and is owned by a private contractor. It is available for events like Emmy after award parties, weddings, and fashion shows. The stained glass windows and sarcophagus of St. Vibiana were moved to the new cathedral but relegated down in the basement.

Who ever heard of stained glass windows in the basement?

On Babies...Possums and EZ's BSJ

2009-10-14T18:50:00.000-07:00

I've been gone from this blog lately although I keep hoping to have something to write about that isn't about my pregnancy or ultrasounds. So when I did find something to write about, it turned out to be another baby story!

"Baby" as in baby possums.

A few weeks ago, I was looking out the bedroom window when all of a sudden, I see two tiny animal faces peering at me from the bushes. I thought they were rats coming down from the roof (Leo's mom has been telling us to trim the plants around the house - she says it's not safe to have them grow higher than the roof) but by the time Leo went outside to check, they were gone. I was wondering though why those "rats" were moving a tad bit too slow...

So a few days later, while Leo was trimming the branches, he spots two faces peering at him from underneath the eaves:

The younger one who's a bit more timid than the other one below...

With one more branch left to trim, Leo felt sorry for the little critters, and we agreed to leave that lone branch so they can come up and down their little nest. Unfortunately their little "nest" is right above our bedroom and so at night, we hear them scurry about as they leave, and right before dawn, they come right back in.

Seeing the baby possums remind me of my friends' recent trip to New Zealand where they excitedly announced to me on their return that they found some scarves made from merino and possum fur. They said it felt soooo soft and were about to buy a scarf when they found out that the possums are killed as a means to reduce their population. Don't worry - I'm not planning on killing any possum just to get some fiber...

Instead, we're planning on waiting till they're all grown up and gone from the nest before we clean it up and seal it. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they do leave soon as having critters, albeit America's only marsupial, living in your house isn't exactly a safe or hygienic situation. As for the mother, I think she used to be the one who used to come and visit our little 'vineyard' come harvest time.

For years, we have had grapes blooming by our fence and we've been used to seeing all sorts of critters feed on the grapes that we hardly touched. In the mornings, the resident squirrel has a blast munching on them, but at night, we see raccoons and possums, and once we spotted this possum still feeding on the grapes in the morning.

Must have been the momma possum above the bedroom now. I think back then, she used to live under the gazebo right next to the grapevine, but ever since Leo pruned it almost to extinction in the summer, we haven't had any grapes this year. And I think the regular guests are pretty pissed.

Oh well, maybe next year.

On the fiber front, I have been destashing a bit of my fiber stash to make room for the baby. Since I can't dye anything while pregnant, I destashed my undyed fiber first, followed by loose locks and sari silk, and now I'm left with some farm fiber and batts that I'd rather keep because I just have to spin it, not have to worry about colors and texture and carding them.

I also started thinking about why I had to have three wheels when I can only spin on them one at a time. And so I destashed two of them and am now left with the original go-to wheel for me: my Fricke ST-160. At least now, the craft room is slowly turning into a nursery and in a few weeks, Leo will be painting it and then installing carpeting to further insulate the coldest room in the house.

In case you're wondering, I haven't abandoned my love for fiber though. Just need to make room for baby - you know the drill. But I have been knitting as well. I've started on Elizabeth Zimmerman's Baby Surprise Jacket in some retro teal and orange colors, and hopefully I'll be done within the week.

With an upcoming glucose tolerance testing due next week where I have to stay in the lab for 3 hours while they take my blood before, during and after I drink this glucose drink, I have to figure out what to knit for three hours. Maybe another BSJ, or maybe finish the baby blanket I started out a year ago for a friend's baby, which now will become my baby's blanket...if I finish it.

So really, I haven't abandoned anything at all. I just have baby on my mind - possums and jackets!

It's A Boy!

2009-09-18T20:36:00.000-07:00

Finished!

2009-08-04T14:42:00.000-07:00

I actually finished Tsuya's handspun yarn yesterday! Got it all navajo-plied, soaked and dry and ready for its close-up, too!

While we're here, let me show you one of my latest handspuns from one of my last kettle dyed rovings (since I can't dye anymore while pregnant).

Some Spinning, Some Knitting...Some Music

2009-08-03T12:29:00.000-07:00

No pictures yet, but I have been knitting the past few days - although my attention span is such that I do a few rows, get sleepy and put it aside...for a few days.

However, thanks to Jamie's invitations to spin with some wonderful people at my favorite LYS, LisCat, on Sundays, I've started spinning!

On the bobbin right now is some Crosspatch Creations' Little Lassie which I had promised to spin, like 6 months ago, for my friend Tsuya's birthday. Well, turns out her birthday is TODAY and so this yarn is going to be totally late.

But I'm making headway - probably just another half ounce to go and then I'm off to navajo ply it, give it a warm soak and then once dry, it'll be on its way along with a belated birthday card to New Mexico!

I'll definitely post pictures later - turns out that since I always took pictures of my fiber and yarns on the floor...with my 4 month belly, it's not that easy to get up and down off the floor so I have to get creative with a table on the patio on a nice cool day. However with temps still in the 80's outside, you won't be seeing me out in the open yet - maybe after 5 or something...

I just discovered this nice live video on youtube of one of my favorite singer-songwriters and just absolutely love love love him!

Is This Still a Crafty Blog or What?

2009-07-16T20:32:00.000-07:00

Well, kinda. At least give me another week or so.

For now, there's the latest ultrasound I had today and there's another one tomorrow (but don't worry - you don't need to see that one, too!). I'm now 11 weeks and for a brief moment today, I actually checked out some baby patterns to knit!

The finalists so far include Nikki Van de Carr's Autumn Leaves sweater and Holly's Jacket.

Really, looks like there's hope for me yet!

Epic Fail

2009-07-10T16:41:00.000-07:00

Yup, it's official.

My Tour de Fleece is an epic fail. Despite my good intentions, Tour de Fleece never made it off the ground in this house. Blame on the hormones a-raging as my little munchkin continues to grow and give me that infamous "pregnancy brain".

Maybe next year, I'll at least get to spin at least a few inches. Or two.

Happy Fourth!

2009-07-05T17:50:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Leo and I spent a wonderful afternoon with my brother Paul at Shoreline Village in Long Beach overlooking the Queen Mary. We stayed till the fireworks started and it was a blast - as you can see!

My brother is a professional photographer and so when he's around, I usually put my camera away. He ends up with much better photos anyway.

And that bright spot on the upper left of the pics? That's the moon, of course, one day short of being a full moon - but so beautiful just the same.

Maybe I'll Spin Today...Or Maybe Talk About Movies

2009-07-04T10:28:00.000-07:00

Since my 'lil peanut' surprise, I haven't been spinning or knitting much. Just too darn tired and not focused enough to sit that long enough in front of a wheel.

However, I'm not about to let all that pregnancy exhaustion stop me from spinning today. I'm going to spin today, even if it's only a few minutes. I've got lots of yummy fiber lying around waiting to be spun, and if not today, there's tomorrow, where I'm planning on joining Fiberfreek and Janro for some spinning (fingers crossed, of course)!

Yesterday I spent a wonderful day with my BFF Pam who's going through what she's termed "endstage ovarian cancer". We started the day walking along Little India in her search for a certain Chandrika brand soap, which we eventually found at the last store, Ambala Cash & Carry, which had been my first choice to take her to because it's been around the longest in the neighborhood - and a local favorite.

She'd never tried mango lassi and so I took her to Ambala Sweets & Snacks, a lovely vegetarian 'hole in the wall' that's just the best place ever! We each got ourselves a glass of fresh mango lassi (no powdered mangoes here!) and a plate of yummy spinach pakoras - which became the first of my 5-small-meals-a-day pregnancy diet. I'm not supposed to have spicy food, but it was too yummy to resist!

We then had some soup and salad at Mimi's Cafe before seeing the movie, Away We Go. Lovely movie - totally independent, and totally something I would choose over the latest Transformers movie. I'm such a sucker for movies with awesome soundtracks, and this is definitely one of them! Maggie Gyllenhaal is a hoot!

One of the cool things about watching independent movies is definitely the trailers! Remember Third Rock from the Sun? Well, the youngest kid has grown up and he looked pretty cute in 500 Days of Summer, with Zooey Deschanel. Then there's one powerful movie that I can't wait to watch - although I may wait till it goes to video because I hate crying inside the theater - it's called "Precious" and it's based on the novel "Push - by Sapphire", and while it features an amazing unknown named Gabourey Sidibe and a powerful performance by Mo-Nique, it also features - get this - Mariah Carey, who actually is an amazing actress herself!

After the movie, we parted ways wishing we didn't have to leave so soon. I've known Pam since 1997, when I first started massage school and she is one of the most amazing women I've ever known. Full of life and love, she is now fighting for her life against ovarian cancer and after almost a year since she started her fight with surgeries and chemo, she finally lost her hair. But she is still so vibrant and positive, and I love her so much. It reminds me each day to remain positive and always look at the bright side of life - no matter how bleak it may seem...

What's Going On?

2009-07-02T20:19:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been too exhausted to spin or even think fiber! I haven't finished the fish hat I had been working on since WWKIP Day (June 13), and I haven't dyed a single ounce of fiber in, like, 2 weeks.

It's worrying me.

I did get to spin some ultra fine yarn a week ago, and wondered - since when did I only spin lace weight? I miss the novelty yarns I used to spin - these days all my yummy fibers and batts (from Jazzturtle, Loop and Crystal Creek Fibers) have been sitting forlorn and unspun. Not even a sliver!

Oh well, maybe it's because of this litle peanut I discovered at my doctor's appointment 2 weeks ago. What do you think?

Baby Names

Girl Names

Parenting

I'm Ready for Some Intelligent Fare

2009-06-24T22:56:00.000-07:00

Last week, I visited my local Salvation Army in search of some reading books and found Stephanie Meyer's sequel to "Twilight", "New Moon" for two dollars. I figured, what the hell - why not? Then I found the prize - Joseph Campbell's "The Power of Myth" by Bill Moyers, the written transcript of Moyers' last interview (which took days and was broadcast years ago but you can watch it on Netflix!) with Campbell prior to Campbell's death.

If you haven't heard of Joseph Campbell, you may have experienced the results of his writings through modern movies like the Star Wars trilogy which feature hero archetypes from his books, and through many other movies and books. It's a kind of formula, but it works, and most books that I've read and movies that I've seen (and loved) follow Campbell's "hero's journey" - which most of us follow in our own lives as well (though we're not aware of it). Harry Potter, Bilbo Baggins, even Wesley Gibson of Wanted (the movie).

Unfortunately "Twilight" does not follow such a formula. Instead, I spent a few hours each night struggling through the first book, and its recently acquired sequel, till I finally set it down without finishing it. One more "No, don't leave me," and I'm gonna puke.

There are no archetypal heroes in this damn series. I wouldn't want my kids to follow Bella's example of whining, whining, whining (teen anst or not - er, do you want cheese with that?) and the more I read the book, the more I wished Victoria would just show up and kill her already and end my misery (alas, this does not happen).

Don't worry - I'm not about to spend the rest of my post to rant about the Twilight series. I know friends who love it, and I also know that the people who do range in age from 9 to 90, so I guess there is something there (though not much). I do have to admit that I liked the movie - it took me two viewings to get into it, but it was okay. I liked the soundtrack and I found that I liked Cam Gigandet who played James.

But I'm done with needy girls, and lame plots. I'm ready for some strong, intelligent women (and men). I'm ready for some real heroes (and heroines!).

A Fiber Anniversary!

2009-06-19T13:10:00.001-07:00

It's been an interesting couple of days around here. There's been one huge development that I'm going to get confirmed this afternoon, and after that, I guess you could say that my life will be changing!

I'm still spinning, although a whole lot less than I'd like to. My three wheels are feeling a bit neglected and it makes me realize that when I am after a wheel (or anything for that matter), I love the excitement of the chase more than the acquisition of the prize.

The wheel least use in this house has been the Babe. I just haven't been in the mood to spin uber-bulky yarns these days although that's partly more because of the fact that I like to savor the feel of yummy merino in my hands as I'm drafting it out instead of watching it go so fast as a bulky or super-bulky yarn through the delta orifice and onto the nether world of the bobbin. Where's the fun in that? But really, I guess I've been spinning lots of bulky yarns in the past so I could say this is just a little break...

So the Babe has been sitting in the garage while I've been splitting my time between the S-45 and the Fricke, spinning pretty fine singles on both. On the Louet, I'm enjoying the feel of Lisa's merino roving from Poppy Flower Fibers, and on the Fricke, I'm spinning some merino silk blend from Alpaca Direct that I've had for almost a year now. Come to think of it, June is also my first year anniversary when it comes to spinning! Woot!

This time last year, I had ordered my first drop spindle starter kit from Maine Woods on Etsy, spun (or attempted to spin) while watching Stephen King's "The Fog" and then attended a class with Nancy of Custom Handweaving so I could learn how to drop spindle properly before finding myself at the park facing Ann and her lovely spinning wheel!

This year, the event was held at the same place, El Dorado Park, and this time there were over 70 attendees! There was lots of wonderful food, great people, yarn and fiber everywhere, and of course, wheels! Seven, the alpaca from last year, even came down to visit along with her little sister!

Since then, I've had about 7 wheels come and go, from a Hitchhiker, Louet Julia, Ashford Joy, an antique wheel (missing a bobbin but I didn't even know that then!), Fricke ST-160, Babe novelty bulky spinner and finally the S-45! Whew! That's a lot of wheels! Not to mention the accumulation of fiber!

Anyway, what a year, eh?

One Wicked Hat & One Sneak Attack!

2009-06-09T17:09:00.000-07:00

Yup, my first hand-dyed, handspun, handknit FO to share (on second thought, it may not be the first, but definitely still fun!)!

I started with some Sheep Shed Studio mill ends in black and white, which I kettle dyed (just threw in the colors in layers and prayed), then navajo-plied, and finally knit into this hat that I hope isn't too big for Leo's head.

I usually use the Yarn Harlot's notes for knitting generic hats and socks, so this was pretty easy!

In other developments, I was sneak-attacked yesterday from The Handmade Movement (thank you so much, Heather!) and my shop Liz and Leo got its first seven sales (that's what happens when one has too many shops to begin with - but Liz and Leo on etsy has proven to be most representative of Leo's and my my work) so basically my earlier shops are going to fade away soon.

So all in all, it's been a good day! It's been slow for my practice but it works out because I'm helping Matt, my son, get all his stuff together so he can find himself his first job (he's 19) and today we went to DMV so we could get him his drivers, er, identification card. He says he's not driving yet because he doesn't want to be saddled with the expenses tied to owning a car. Good for him!

At least, he's going to look for a job locally so he can take the bus and the metro easily. Thank goodness we live in a central area with transit within a block or two away...

I have to constantly remind myself to be more patient with him since he's only 19 and being raised overseas where he had everyone doing everything for him, coming the US is a huge leap - especially when there are no maids here. Hehehe...heaven knows I need one in this little house as it is to control my fiber and yarn stash that's spilling out of every nook and cranny!

Supporting Local Businesses

2009-06-08T09:08:00.000-07:00

The other day, I saw my Kiva widget feature a Guatemalan man in need of a micro loan to purchase weaving looms for his business (oh, be still my heart! I love me a weaving man!).

But before I go on though, "Kiva is the world's first person-to-person micro-lending website, empowering individuals to lend directly to unique entrepreneurs around the globe." (that's from their website).

You can help someone build a business by lending him a minimum of $25. Let's say he needs $100, three other people would be joining you to complete his loan request. The money is funneled through a local microfinance company managing the entire affair and as the loan gets paid, you get your investment back in no time. You can then lend it out again to another entrepreneur, and even add more money into the pool to help more people.

I started with Kiva last year to help a single mother set up her little store in Africa. Got my investment back a few months alter, and the other day, I re-invested it into this man's weaving business. The photo of him with his loom was enough for me - he needed to buy more looms so he could weave more.

You can browse through many of the people around the world in need of micro-loans and help out. Twenty five dollars is all you need to get started. I can't wait to see how this man builds his weaving business - we're into fiber after all and need to watch each others' back, eh?

Hooked on Romney

2009-06-07T00:51:00.000-07:00

This just finished drying and I am hooked on romney fiber! It feels so wonderful and I can't wait to order a whole bunch of them and get started dyeing them all! I don't know what to do - sell it or spin it.

In the meantime, yesterday I started reading this really awesome book, "Let The Right One In" by Swedish writer John Ajvide Lindqvist. Read it last night and finished it this morning! It is amazing!

It's a vampire novel and it is captivating. They did come out with a movie last year that is said to have garnered some awards at the Tribeca Film Festival and tonight Leo and I watched it on Netflix. It's a good movie, but I love the book way better. The book is always much better in most cases...

I've also finally given in. Got myself a copy of Stephanie Meyer's "Twilight" yesterday - got tired of the book 'the other Nancy' promised me in March. While Sherri and Craig were visiting here this week, I kept picking up her book and flipping through the pages (and not in any particular order, too, each time I picked it up!) So yesterday, I finally gave in and got myself a copy.

I'll let you know how it ends tomorrow...

I Got Something Done!

2009-06-05T22:19:00.001-07:00

Yup, I actually got to spin an entire yarn in 5 days! It's from my Fae kettle dyed roving that I stole from the shop and then spun into a not-so-thin single, before navajo-plying the entire thing to produce 210 DK-weight yards! I think it's going to be a manly hat, don't you think?

I also got some beautiful fiber! Two days ago, my Sac friends, Sherri and Craig, came down here for an interview/evaluation for Craig to get a kidney transplant (and we think we have problems!).

Craig has Alport Syndrome, a genetic disorder that manifests early in males and later for females. It has something to do with the cell membrane lining around the ears, eyes and the kidneys that do not develop correctly and thus create scar tissue which, if you're a kidney and need to filter just about everything for the body to work right - you can't because the cells have scarred up to the point that no filtration of whatever-stuff-the-kidney-filters ever is filtered - just about renders the kidney unable to work.

Anyway, when I was in Sacramento last year, Craig drove me to this awesome store - Rumpelstilskin - and exercising a rare feat of self-control, I left there with only a skein of hand painted yarn. No roving, no wheel! Well, Craig brought Sherri there before their trip down here and she said the moment she ran her hands on the baby camel fiber, she was hooked.

Craig was eyeing the huge bag of fleece actually but wasn't sure if I could process raw fleece or not (I do! I do!). This is one divine set of fibers! I just love it and can't wait to start spinning it - maybe ply them together and then knit a scarf with it! What do you think?

Today I got to dye a small batch of 4 ounces of romney fiber that Fiberfreek had given me last year. I added a dollop of silk noils and now they're currently drying. I also got to give some merino I had lying around that still had a coat of lanolin on it a good soaking. It's drying, too! I can't wait to card it, or even try spinning it directly!

By the way, in case you haven't heard, June 13 is WORLDWIDE KNIT IN PUBLIC DAY, otherwise known as WWKIPD! If you happen to be in Southern California, come on over to El Dorado Park (off Spring Street and Studebaker Road) by the archery range and join us for a beautiful day knitting, spinning, and hanging out with friends! Last year, someone even brought a young alpaca named Seven!

Just Can't Help It

2009-06-02T09:46:00.000-07:00

I've turned into a grouch these days. So to counter-act this grouchy phase, I've resumed knitting. A lot. I'm actually working on an afghan that's been in progress for about 1-1/2 years.

Of course, it doesn't hurt to receive my black Nantucket Bagg in the mail and stock it up with my knitting essentials. It's quite inspiring actually. I can place all my knitting needles, my current WIPs and still have room for the bulky feather and fan afghan that I've been working for, like, years.

It's an amazing bag and now Leo wants one for his tools!

These days, I find myself knitting in my knitting/spinning chair that's been now moved into the bedroom because my son has taken over my knitting/spinning space in the living room. And these days, that's where you're gonna find me.

Or in the garage, drumcarding - which I've been doing as much as I can, only to realize that when one drum cards, one also needs more fiber! So...guess I'll be prowling for more fiber online as well.

In the non-spinning front, I spied this teaser trailer online and am quite enthralled (I need distractions!). I've never read the books (well, read a few pages while browsing at Borders but ended up buying City of Bones instead - which turned out to be another teen novel), and preferred James (muy caliente!) over Edward in the first movie.

But this actually looks good.

Putting Some Color In Here...

2009-05-31T17:18:00.000-07:00

Just carded some batts for our store Liz and Leo on Etsy!

Other than that, major life changes are going on in da house, but I think I'm gonna make it!

Back to Regular Programming...For Now

2009-05-26T21:53:00.000-07:00

Before I say anything else, let me introduce you to my new DRUM CARDER! Yes! It's a full size Fricke 205 drum carder to go along with my Fricke wheel. The Fricke line of drum carders has since been purchased by Otto Strauch but this one is still a beauty! I picked her up today from Betty, a Raveller who was driving down to San Diego from Central California (saved me on shipping), and we had a wonderful hour spent talking about - what else? Fiber!

I haven't given him a name yet, but at lease I know it's a male. I did end up destashing my Petite and it's en route to New Jersey as we speak.

I also started dyeing again today. I started with two 4-ounce braids which I kettle-dyed and then added in some tussah silk noils to the dye pot to exhaust the rest of the dye. I was pretty pleased with the result, considering that I'm scared to death of mixing or blending my colors. This time I told myself that it wasn't rocket science and no life depended on it. It's simply called 'creativity'...

End result? Not bad at all. Guess this is something I'll be doing more often.

Then Leo came home and said that we should go out to dinner (it's my birthday after all), and after deciding on some T-bone steak, he ended up with sushi. So here's my 'full' plate before I attacked it.

Knitting With Friends Over Coffee, Eyeballs, and the Best Knitting Bag...Ever!

2009-05-24T22:36:00.000-07:00

Today was the day to knit and catch up with awesome friends, Jamie and Abraham, and new knitting convert, Meka at Coffee Bean in Bixby Knolls, a quaint little Long Beach area right next to Trader Joe's where I promptly went shopping shortly after we were done knitting almost six hours later! Wow, how time flies!

Meka, a new knitting (and spinning) convert, needed some Knitting 101 tips from Jamie and so he presented her with the Reversible beginner's hat pattern using straight needles. Meka doesn't feel ready for DPN's and I don't blame her - it too me years to brave those darn things myself! I had to convince myself to try out circular looms only to find out the DPN's were way faster and didn't challenge my fading eyesight finding those darn pegs.

Jamie showed off his Vitreous Humor yarn from Jacey Boggs of Insubordiknit and it is just so soft and amazing. Next up was a matching pink 'manly' yarn from Manspun, and it even had some sparklies in it! That's the new age manly for ya!

Of course, Jamie had to show off his latest acquisition - no, not the Spinolution Bee wheel (although that is amazingly portable and on-so-cute!) - but his Nantucket Bagg! It has pockets for everything a knitter should ever need! It can unzip so that it lays flat; zips up so it becomes a bag; and by pulling the top straps tight to close the top, use those straps to turn your Nantucket Bagg into a backpack! You can also use this bag inside out, or outside in - they're amazing either way! I consider it the Best Knitting Bag...Ever!

In fact, I just ordered one for myself - and the coolest thing is - help the company publicize the bag, and you get a free one! I could sell these to non-knitters! It's for everything but the kitchen sink, I tell you! So head on over to the Nantucket Bagg website and order one for yourself! It is one amazing, sturdy, carry-everything bag!

I'm so glad I spent most of the day with comrades in arms (and needles) instead of staying home and wondering if Leo was ever going to remember that two days from now would be my birthday - he's only managed to forget it the entire time we've been together (um, four years). It can be depressing, but what can you do? I could hire skywriters, but in this economy, it's out of the question.

But I'll live...

Spinning and Knitting!

2009-05-23T21:10:00.000-07:00

I actually spun today! I set out my Babe wheel out on the deck and in between cooking rice and chicken (with some pork simmering in the crock pot as well), I finally started spinning some of the batts I bought from Grittyknits.com a few months back!

Imagine me on that white chair - I can't very well be in two places at the same time!

I spun in some shredded fabric from a beach top I bought while I was in Boracay last year. Boracay is an island resort in the Philippines that boasts many sights and is a place to have fun. The blue and pink top went perfectly well with Natasha's aqua blue fiber and off I went spinning along.

I'd honestly be spinning more if it weren't for the fact that my right calf easily cramps up from treadling on the heavy Babe. The flyer's heavy and so treadling is heavy. Haven't really figured out what's wrong yet - I still have it only as a right treadle since I end up spending more time cursing and fixing the left treadle when it's set up as a DT than actually spinning on it. Maybe one day I'll figure it out.

While we're on the topic of spinning, I've been totally honored by an awesome spinner/knitter/artist extraordinaire Cindy of Studioloo who added me on a Time Capsule Fiber Art Panel! I'm known as "caecolamys phavatius velvetinna"! Check out her latest website, Spin In Public!

It being 10 days since I last posted (the horror!), I've actually been spinning some in the midst of making preparations for my son's arrival to the US. I'm constantly amazed to discover that I have TONS of stuff! I need to get them out of the house so I can make room for my son and my 4 wheels! Here are the other two yarns I've spun the last 10 days:

Far Side of the Moon

Lilacs (yet to add in some lavender flowers later)

Guess what?! I've also been knitting! I found some interesting $1.50 yarn at Big Lots and figured it wouldn't hurt to get a pair. I'm currently making a garter stitch scarf and hopefully I'll get done before Fourth of July!

Pooped

2009-05-13T20:38:00.000-07:00

I'm pooped! For the past two weeks, I've been busy doing chair massages and Thai Yoga - which is excellent as the last few months have been slow. Today was the last of the 4 - 5 hour chair massage sessions and I am just exhausted. I'd love to spin some of my batts, but my legs have been standing up for hours and the last thing I need to do is spin.

So I'm just going to show off my latest Woolly Buns! This one is the most colorful one of all the batts I've made. It's 5 ounces and I can't wait to spin it, however it is for sale in my etsy shop!

This one is another batt that I carded and I only wish you could reach into the screen and touch this baby! It's what I call a "Lambie Bun" because it's from lambswool that is just too divine for words! I didn't want to card it with anything else because it just felt too precious and soft and fluffy!

In the garden, the first sunflower has bloomed and it is huge! And to think that Leo started this one from seed in our kitchen last March (I think). I just love how the garden is all a-blooming thanks to all his hard work!

And finally, one of my finished yarns. I have a few that have yet to be photographed but I think this one is a really happy yarn! I have the Guatemalan worry doll there just for show - she's not really spun up with the yarn. I think I'll be adding some silk flowers to it though!

Weaving, Woven...Done!

2009-05-02T23:44:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy few days - work has picked up and I got to spin a little bit, and even crochet a little bit. Then I received my vintage Easy Weaver in the mail today and I wove a little bit. I used my Mellificent corespun yarn and some of my supercoils alternated with leftover Enchanted Knoll sock yarn.

Maybe I'll make it into a wall hanging or probably a purse...don't know yet. By the way, this is so soft! Now I really want an Ashford Knitter's Loom!

So Much Better Than TV!

2009-04-22T20:35:00.001-07:00

Today, we got this three page letter from a granddaughter of the original owner of our house. Before I share this piece of history, let me tell you a bit about our connection with this particular house.

Leo's family bought this house in 1985, and as a couple, Leo and I have lived in the back house since mid-2007 and rent the main front home. So, knowing that, here goes the letter:

"...while visiting last Christmas, I took a walk to you house....I had not seen it in years. You have beautiful landscaping in front (ehem - that's Leo's handiwork), and I can tell that you have made some improvements.

"You see, this house had been in my family from about 1924 to 1975. The house was owned by my grandparents. Enclosed is a picture of my dad, taken in front of the house in February 1944, shortly after he graduated from the Navy's boot camp and was shipped off, first to Hawaii, then to the Japanese theater at the conclusion of WWII.

By the way, this is the sweetest letter, and it brought tears to my eyes. A year and a half ago, we actually got a visit from either this writer's aunt or mother, who stopped by to see how the house had changed. Leo actually gave her a tour of our back house (the front wasn't available for viewing exactly) and she explained to us where the "Murphy bed" had been, and how big the original house really was - turns out this back house has been added into twice since her father, the writer's grandfather, had built it.

"My grandparents met in Bavaria where they were born in 1890 and 1892....my grandfather got a job as a baker on a ship between Hamburg and New York. He jumped ship - literally - in New York around 1910...He encouraged my grandmother to come for a visit to New York. She saved her money, and she almost had enough saved to sail on the Titanic. She was disappointed she couldn't afford it, but later of course, it was a blessing in disguise.

"They got married and...migrated the "Wild West" of Montana...and moved farther west to Long Beach in about 1923. My grandfather opened a bakery (long since torn down) and from the profits of his thriving bakery, he bought the house around 1924 for $1000.

"Before refrigerators, the lower kitchen cabinets had a metal mesh screen to allow the cool air to circulate. This is where they kept perishable things such as milk, eggs, butter, etc. One cabinet was converted to an old fashioned ice box. An ice box was delivered daily and placed beneath that one cupboard, under the house. Also, especially during Prohibition, my grandfather loved his beer, so he made his own. My grandmother and the kids helped cap the bottles of "green beer" and they stored (perhaps "hid" is a better word) them in the ice box under the kitchen.

"I was told stories about bottles blowing their caps at odd times, especially during the warmer months, which sent everyone into a panic worrying about being discovered!"

Isn't this the sweetest letter? I definitely can't get over the $1000 part. I just totally love the photo, too! Wait till I get Leo to pose the same way (sans the navy uniform) right in that same spot!

The letter actually was dropped at the house while Leo and I were in the garage and he was putting up MY shelves! Yes, they are for me! He put them up using brackets and some pine, and after everything was set, I went ahead and put up my little "island" lights!

And then I dragged my mac in there to complete the transformation - but only for an hour or two. Since the garage is partially insulated - only one wall is 3/4 insulated, it is COLD in the winter and dang HOT in the summer. And right now, since the temps dropped really fast after the 98 degree days we just had, it's cold!

Guess I'm Getting Better At This...

2009-04-17T15:49:00.000-07:00

I'm getting buried beneath a pile of handspun yarns - vanilla yarn, novelty yarn, art yarn (that often makes me scratch my head, wondering, "Now what did I have in mind for that...thing?"), you name it - it's spilling out of every nook and cranny in our little house.

So this morning, I figured that I might as well get started knitting something. So I knit this hat, added some green banana silk yarn (you'll see a lot of that in the future since that's all the banana silk yarn I got - all green!) to it so I could complete a hat.

It's a funky hat spun from some handspun yarn that was carded using my leftover fiber from various carding sessions. So it's called CrazySpunSpring Hat. It is pretty wild - too wild that I had my model wear it for the photo shoot since me sans makeup on a Friday off wasn't about to grace the pages of the world wide web with it.

Anyway, I've managed to spin a little the last few days. I bought some pretty nice roving from Enchanted Knoll Farm and without photographing it first, started stripping it and then spinning it. I tried to time myself each time - and I guess I can guesstimate that spinning 260 yards of 2 ply fingering weight yarn took me about 4 hours total. For me to calculate my hourly rate would be depressing so let's just say that I had fun spinning it and that's that.

Right now it's currently drying so maybe tomorrow, I'll have it within sight of the camera lens.

Also, remember that yellow roving I overdyed? Well, I forgot that I hadn't posted a pic of it but it didn't come out too bad, Jamie - here it is:

Twilight Knitting

2009-04-09T11:49:00.000-07:00

Yep, I actually knitted something useful!

I knitted this hat using some of my novelty yarn spun from Homestead Wool and Gift Farm fiber and banana fiber (the green yarn) while watching the dvd "Twilight" last night. Since I can't knit and watch a movie at the same time, I ended up having to watch the movie again this morning and I have to say, the darn movie (and Robert Pattinson*) grew on me!

I've never read the books but now I'm curious to see how someone who had never written anything before simply woke up from such a vivid dream of a boy and a girl talking in the woods (and he glowed) and couldn't stop writing till she captured the essence of that dream. Reminds me of a dream I once had over five years ago which involved Chris Noth and I sitting under a tree bedecked with ribbons - and he was pregnant! Talk about dream interpretation, right? That scene sure is ripe for it!

Anyway, finally got my spindle-spun yarn for the Celebrate challenge on Rav's Spindlers group all soaked and dry!

Bellarosa 2-ply handspun. I ended up with 204 yards. Not bad. However, I'm taking some time off the drop spindling...this was a fast spin, and next time I really should just spin on my wheels.

ETA: Now, Cam Gigandet's James has grown on me, too!

If Da Vinci's Design Were the Norm...

2009-04-08T11:18:00.000-07:00

We'd be spinning like this...

Back In The Spin of Things

2009-04-07T10:55:00.001-07:00

So I'm back in the spinning groove and loving it. Last week, Nancy gave me some Brown Sheep superwash roving in turquoise, beige and black.

I had originally carded them into stripes but after throwing in some of the rest of the mismatched fiber into the drum carder after my striped carding session and spinning the batt, I found tha I liked the blended look so much more. Blending the three colors again and again on my carder gave the batt a heathered look and the end result looks wonderful. I managed to get 230 yards out of 4 ounces which isn't bad. I still can't see how spinners can get 400+ yards with the same 4 ounces...

I was planning to use this yarn to knit socks with, but probably will reserve it for something else instead since it's not as tightly plied as I would have liked. Somehow my plying skills have slackened a bit...

Besides spinning on my wheels, I've also picked up my handmade drop spindle and started spinning some of my own hand dyed roving as well. This one is for the the Rav Spindlers' April challenge called "Celebrate".

Now I don't really need a challenge to get spinning but it seemed a good reason to pick up a drop spindle and give it a few spins...and then a few more. I ended up spinning on the drop spindle till midnight, all the time wondering why the hell I was bothering with drop spindling when I was surrounded by three wheels. But what the heck, right? Somehow I like drop spindling as much as I like spinning on my wheels.

The "Celebrate" challenge yarn is being spun from one of my first attempts at space-dyeing 4 oz rovings in my crock pot. I'm a pretty slow dyer these days since I'm using the crockpot method but right now, it's just the way I like it. I called this colorway "Rosie" because I'm just running out of names.

This one was dyed using what I call the "dry-powder" method. I layer fiber, dye powder, fiber, dye and so on, and then pour hot water over it all to cover. I then add the vinegar by pouring it along the sides. I then dye for about 90 minutes or till the water runs clear. You never quite know what you'll end up with and I like that unpredictability.

Talking about unpredictability, this one came out too yellow when I really wanted a greater concentration of lilac so I over-dyed it with more lilac and kelly green - but instead it's come out totally dark green. I do like it though - the color immediately game me its name - "Eden" (picture to come!).

Time For Some Spring Cleaning...

2009-03-30T09:30:00.000-07:00

Yup, that's the story of my life.

This weekend, while I was helping my brother move, driving the 14-foot Uhaul truck up and down hills, forwards and backwards (note to self: do not volunteer to drive a truck when you can barely touch the gas pedal without having the steering wheel up against your boobies!), and trying my best to practice compassion after seeing what his roommate had done to some of the furniture in the apartment (can you say 'vandalized'?), Leo was hard at work at home cleaning up and redecorating my office/workshop/stash! He did such a great job that I didn't even recognize the room (yes, it was immaculate!) when I got home and staggered inside.

We still have more moving around to do in the coming months since my son is moving in and we need to get creative in our one-bedroom home to accommodate him (Design on a Dime, anyone?). The bedroom had been extended long before we moved in, and so I actually had the extended section as our bedroom and the original bedroom as my workroom/storage (it happens). Now it's going to be his bedroom and so my stash has to go to the garage, which is now going to be my workroom.

Because of all the impending moving-around yet to happen, I need to destash a few things. One of them is my oh-so-delicate-Spindlewood-drop-spindle. Don't get me wrong - it isn't that delicate, but to me, it is. It's the most beautiful spindle I own and because of that, it's actually spent most of its time "posing" for drop spindle photos (like the one on the left) and has never ventured outside the house. I usually take my toy wheel spindle when I travel because I'm just too scared to break this pretty thing.

I'm also going to be destashing my large Ashford top whorl drop spindle which I last used in August of last year. I bought it in June, so it's only been used for 2 months because after that I accumulated a series of wheels. These days I have 3 wheels and even from those 3, I have to destash one so we can walk a straight line through the living room.

If someone had warned me just how addictive and potentially stash-liable spinning can be, I probably would have had second thoughts before starting it as a hobby. Already the garage has bins and bins of fiber and other fiber-related "stuff". I can't seem to help it. There's just something about the act of spinning, or actually the operative word is creating, since now I am returning to the arts I used to do - from decoupage to painting! Thank goodness I'm with someone who actually supports me through it.

So in two weeks, I will be desashing stuff - including some commercial yarns and craft books. Then for the rest of the non-craft stuff, it'll be a garage sale. Wish me luck! Somehow like most crafters I know, it's also difficult to let go...

Fabric of Freedom

2009-03-27T18:47:00.000-07:00

Simply beautiful beyond words...

Carding Session

2009-03-23T12:12:00.000-07:00

After a few hours of carding and carding and carding - this is what I came up with. About 6 batts of Sandy's (from Homestead Wool & Gift Farm) "Cool Beans Romney blend.

It looks all fluffy and nice but the longer I stare at it, the more I think I need to run it through again, and this time add a few more colors to "pop" up the entire set. Like purple, black and some bling...

What do you think?