Socks for Soldiers

This is my first pair of Jolly Green Socks to send to Iraq.  I have joined the Socks for Soldiers yahoo knitting group and have been making socks for soldiers fighting overseas.  This is my first pair and it took me quite some time to finish them.  Partly because they are so big, knit with size 0 and 1 needles and fine yarn.  But they turned out pretty well in my estimation.  I have yet to get the blessings from the groups "Sarge" Kim Opperman.  

I have had one member offer to make me legs on her CSM sock machine so I am excited about that because that will save me some time and allow me to up my production.  In the absence of those, I am casting on yet again to start the next pair.  I don't have much time to do anything fibery lately though because finals are next week and I am frantically coding my senior project.  I seem to have a few group members who can't spend the time needed so I am ending up with the bulk of the work.  (sigh)   But it will be over in a few weeks and so I am trying not to stress over it.   It will be done and I will graduate, and then on to more fun things!

I will be spinning in a few weeks, for sure.  I have all that new mohair to play with and have a desire to do some funky new novelty type yarns just to see if I can do it.  Some coiled stuff and more spinning singles from the lock, and the like.  I have been yearning to have some spare time, so if I can just hang on 2 more weeks, I will be more free to play.

In Memory of Rocky

Our little buddy Rocky died today.  He was a sheltie rescued by my brother 5 years ago or so and had obviously lived on the road a while before Kevin found him.  We didn't know how old he was but he had a brave spirit and was always sweet no matter what happened.  

He had lived with my parents and his step-brother Rowdy for a few years and had been struggling with his health the last 4 months or so.  He suddenly lost ability to be able to breathe properly and we lost him this morning despite the vet's best efforts.  My mom and dad are heart-broken and it has not been a good day.  We will miss Rocky and hope that he's up in doggie heaven playing with his beloved soccer ball.  

Fun at the fiber farm

I had a wonderful day today visiting Kathy Wither's ranch here in Tuscon.  I am so lucky to live fairly close to her and have been out to visit several times.  She has Angora goats, sheep, llamas and alpacas plus a few stray bunnies and geese.  She is a fiber artist and teacher that is fairly well known here in the area and has some wonderful things in her shop out at her ranch.  Her URLs are http://www.uniquedesignsbykathy.com for her ranch website and her blog is at http://uniquedesignsbykathy.blogspot.com  She is always very generous with her time and attention when you go out to see her and will show you around and talk about her animals.  I bought some red mohair the last time I went out and fell in love with the color and texture of the fiber.  It's so beautiful.  I will take a picture of some yarn I did soon.  

So today she had open house and was shearing some of her flock.  So I just had to go out and gawk at the shearing, and maybe score some more of that red mohair that I was addicted to now.  She had a shearer there named Penny who did an amazing job of shearing and handling the animals.  She told me she had been shearing sheep since she was 9 years old.  She apparently has a farm in the area and I can't wait to go visit her and her flock.  Here is a picture of Penny and her volunteer sheep wrastler Chris.  

Now to the important part.  Kathy let me pick which red mohair goat I wanted to have shorn and I choose the most beautiful one as we all agreed.  I only feel slightly guilty that Kathy was partial to this fleece herself because I am so happy to have it.  Besides, she said I could.   So I watched them shear Creme de Menthe a red angora goat and then I took the whole bag home with me!  Oh delight!  I must post the before picture of Creme de Menthe who gave up her yearling fleece to me.  She was gorgeous, to be sure. 

Kathy has over 20 babies right now at her farm as all her mommas are giving birth within the last few weeks.  I can't imagine taking care of so many little ones.  In any case, if you are in the area you should visit her place.  It's amazing.  What a fun day for a fiber addict!

The beautiful Creme de Menthe.  She did not like being sheared one bit.  

Our treasure from the gem show.

OK, I took pictures of my new bead stash and my mothers.  This first one is hers.  She creates wonderful beaded necklaces which she hopes to sell once their website works properly.  Most of her work can be seen at Greene Studios Of Tucson   She does great work and I love her sense of style and creativity.  She uses all kinds of materials from metal and glass to natural stones and pearls.  

I use mostly natural stones and tend to prefer semi-precious gemstones and beads.  I love the natural look and feel although it makes things heavy if I'm not careful.  I also got some lovely silver and moonstone pendants from Tibet.  I didn't get pictures of those taken yet.  I also love silver and stone earrings and I got a goddess pendant with rose quartz in it to make a necklace with.

I spent way too much money but still have more things that I'd like to get.  Maybe this week we will go over and do some more shopping.  

The Gem Show!

Oh man, I went overboard again at the gem show.  I have a whole pile of loot and so does mom.  I will have to get serious and actually made some pieces up to sell on Etsy or something.  Otherwise I have to quit buying beads and stuff.  

I'd like to make some chakra necklaces again and some Malas along with other spiritual type jewelry.  

It is so nice here compared to Chicago.  They have been getting hammered for months with snow and cold and rain and ice.  It's crazy.  I am so happy to be here in Tucson rather than in Chicago.  I will have to think twice about where to live next after I get my degree.  Swamped with school work so I haven't done much more than work on my socks a little bit in my spare time.  Hopefully I will get on top of the work soon.

Sunny Tucson

Well, I am in Tucson now going to school full time.  I shipped my new wheel ahead so it was here about the same time that I was.  It's beautiful here.  It's somewhat cool but the sun is usually shining and it's way nicer than it is in Chicago.  They just got another foot of snow!

I have been knitting socks and having trouble with my gauge.  I have also been spinning with my new Lendrum and it is a dream to work with.  I have spun up some Merino laceweight and am now doing some Mohair which is so soft and shiny, not at all scratchy like I expected.  I'm spinning it up laceweight.  I now wish I'd brought dye and some other things.  But school is really keeping me pretty busy too so I don't want to get too carried away.  School comes first for now.

I bought some more bamboo sock yarn and I may do that next.  I also have plans to make shawls for people and for myself.  I need a good meditation shawl, big, soft and warm.  

Also, the Gem Show started here in Tucson today.  Mom and I have plans to go this week and see what we can find.  She has a wholesale number now so that is pretty cool.  I want to get things for myself and for friends.  Christmas shopping for next year.  :-)  I want to work on some knitting jewelry and maybe post it on Etsy.  I'd like to do some small things for sale just to try it out.

Christmas Project

My daughter decided she wanted a sweater dress which is all the rage now.  Since she thought the yarn was expensive, I decided to take some of the copious fiber sitting around my house and make her one out of it.  So I spun it up, chunky, I'm proud to say.  Then we dyed it and I knit up a pattern that I adapted to fit her and added sleeves.  And I got it done in record time!  It was lots of fun to have a model to fit the sweater to and of course, she looks great in anything.  And since I got a new camera, I am posting my beautiful daughter in her new sweater.  One object finished.  And I finished the boy's hats also.  I need to get a picture of them.  But for now, here is my baby girl.  :-)

Oh, and my Christmas present to myself?   A new Lendrum!  It is so pretty and spins like a dream.  I love it!  I've been wanting one for 2 years and I treated myself.  It was one of the few presents I got this year but well worth the wait.