The merry month of May ??

Hi Alene, hope things are good in AZ. The month of May was not so merry here. It took me about 3 weeks to feel like myself after my "dependix" (as DD calls it) and by then, I was in the midst of a bad cold. Arrgh. Not so terrible in the scheme of the things but enough to throw the whole family off-stride. We hoped to be further on the garden, I hoped to have a bigger garage sale (we had a little one in mid-May as part of a whole neighborhood thing), and well, I'd hoped for a lot of things. Anyway, I'm glad for a new month because I am ready for a fresh start.

I did get a fair amount of reading and crafting done during my recovery and want to get pics of that up soon (I'm behind on figuring out my digital photos ;) Will be in touch soon about The Project as well (certainly not forgotten!!) Love, Cindy

Pandora's box

Hi, Alene, thanks for the care package of sweets. Chocolate is much more beloved to me since DD's birth so I kept the Dove bars & the magazine and shared the rest ;)

My recuperation gave me time to do something I've been avoiding: go over to YouTube to check out the spinning content. [remember, silk, the alleged reason for starting this blog ; clearly mine needs a lot more twist] Wow, there's some good stuff. I also looked into the Portuguese style of knitting which some say is easier on the body and have been experimenting with it. Fun!

I started a new sweater, knit about 1.5 inches, and frogged it even though it was looking fine and was a good pattern. I want to start a bigger project but just am not in a sweater mood. I am thinking about a Sonoma Mountain Wrap but am not sure if my stash has enough different colors . . . also friend L rightly wonders if a big rectangle won't be a bit boring after a while. More soon, I sincerely hope, love, Cindy

Get Well Soon!

Hi Cindy!

I heard from your DH that you are under the weather. Hope you get feeling better soon! Here are a few snuggy kitteh pictures to make you feel better! Margi and Ted (Abby too!) send their healing vibe in you direction! Spend your resting time with some good fiber in your hands!



My co-work C made this knitting purse for me. She found the messenger bag some where and added the fabric to the flap and then added pockets to the inside. I'm sure she intended it as just a knitting bag but I've been using it as a full time purse. It's bigger than I normally use but holds my knitting, wallet, and a water bottle for when I go to yoga class.

And finally, a funny picture I found in the LOLcats group on Ravelry.

Feel better soon, A

Books 'n all

Hi Alene, yes, we did have a few flurries on Nov. 5 (hmm, guess time is flying by again). As one of those odd people who love November, I was good with that despite us all getting colds here over the last few weeks and me having an achy forearm for a while.

That got me off the computer and needles for a few days, so back to reading! Thanks for sending Back To Blossom Street, which I really enjoyed. Except for Blossom Street and Elm Creek novels, both of which I really like, I don't read anything set in "real life" these days. I read a lot of non-fiction (there's where reality comes in, I guess) about a variety of things (esp. crafts :), the newspaper, various magazines that cross my path, and of course things like HP. Musically I'm still largely ignorant, able to listen to most things for while, but wandering if I have to chose on my own . . . classical, folk, rock, world music. We all love those TMBG kids CDs! I loved the sound of your Decemberists but found the lyrics too dark for me; I did make sure the CDs you sent me got an appreciative home with a co-worker cooler than me! Found and enjoyed an old REM cassette in DH's car a few weeks ago. I know a lot of people listen to music when they spin but I still crave silence then. In the mini-van? NPR usually!

I also did some spinning since I'm gentle to myself with that. I was getting thread instead of yarn when I tried the silk top spun from the fold (holding on too tight I guess) so I switched to my usual spindle spinning technique (worsted) and am now getting yarn! Arm good now! Out of time, gotta get the kids up, more soon. Cindy

P.S. Back from school. DH has asked for a vest from the Timber Frame pattern (Philosopher's Wool Co.). I'm getting yarn from Blackberry Ridge for it. Picture of the sweater version of the pattern above.

Things are looking up

Whew, kind of a tough reentry to the non-vacation. But I've had a good peek at Book 7, read the first 2 chapters, and finished spinning the Wensleydale singles while watching Doctor Who. My Tour has been mixed; I didn't got as much spinning done on vacation as I hoped. I did get a lot done on Not-Hedwig. Pictures and more soon, I hope.

Hollywood, pt 2

Hi Cindy!

Hope the vacation is going well. This week has flown by although some of the minutes were actually quite slow. Not much knitting this week. I've been trying to re-read HP:HBP in prep of the new one coming out next week. I also watched Goblet of Fire the other night, it's been a while since I've seen it.

Here are a couple of pictures your DS will like. They are located at Cabazon, CA, about 15 minutes west of the Palm Springs exit. They are in a narrow pass that, as you can see in the pictures, is quite windy. Just east of these guys is where the giant wind farms start.




Let's see, I think I said I'd write about yarn stores in LA. I actually only got to visit one in West Hollywood on Melrose. It is the Knit Cafe. It was a nice little place, rather high-end. I probably would have bought something there but I had DH trailing along. Nothing like a spouse to dampen your yarn buying excursion. They had a nice little selection of yarns. They even had the brightly colored cotton yarn I bought in your store for GMIL's hat. Afterwards we walked down the street to the Bodhi Tree Bookstore. DH wanted to look at the zen books.

On Sunday afternoon we also walked around in Hollywood looking for Black Sheep Knittery on Yucca near Vine but couldn't find it. It looks like they're not open on Sunday anyways so it was no problem.

Sunday morning while DH was at the zendo I went to the Farmers' Market to drink coffee and knit. While there I noticed the pinkie on my right hand was bruised. It is hard to see in the picture but it was definitely bruised. It made knitting a little sore. I'm not quite sure how I did this but I think it was yarn induced. I don't do the thing with lacing the yarn back and forth over the fingers of my right hand. I just look it around the pointer and then hold the tails with the pinkie. I think I must have been holding too tight and almost strangled the little finger. It hurt on the way home too but has healed by now.

While heading to the Farmer's Market after dropping DH off, I notice a rather scuzy pond next to the road behind an iron fence. It took me until I was almost past it to realize it was the La Brea Tar Pits, not just an algae covered puddle. I would have liked to visit but we didn't go back by there. Something for the next trip, one of many.

I guess I should close this up and head to bed. DH has been asleep for at least 2 hours. Tomorrow or sometime this weekend I'll post about spinning class. And I've got to dig out baby patterns again, my friend L called this morning to say she's expecting. Her DD is about a month older than you DS so it's been a while for her.

Take care, A