When I look at the last time I posted....I think I am lost!!

Why is there so much time between posts...it is because time gets away from me...trying to do too much at once?? I do not know...but the good thing is...I think that summer is actually here. I have been sorting and washing alpaca fleece..trying to catch up as it is time to shear again!! I sorted and washed a grey fleece, a white fleece and a beautiful tan colored fleece...the tan (I know tan is not the color to describe it but it is after midnight and I have very little brain function at the moment!) was a baby fleece and had so much debris in it but now it is clean it is so beautiful! Now to find some time to spin a bit of it. For my birthday I bought myself two yearling geldings...one is white and one is the tan color, they are so cute, hopefully will get them sheared this week, can not wait to start processing their fleece, it is so clean as compared to what I have been working with. Have not thought of names for them yet. Meanwhile we have been trying to get some landscaping around the house finished and I planted some of the garden today, hopefully I can get some more planted tomorrow as we are supposed to get some rain, it has been so dry lately. can not wait to see things growing...besides weeds that is...why is it...even when it is so dry...weeds just keep growing.....

I am Crazy!! and I have run out of Chocolate!!!

I have spent weeks trying to get my sewing...spinning...weaving...whatever room organized...cabinets put together and almost full...and I decided I better get out another unfinished article to work on...have lost track of the rule I made not starting anything new until I had finished some of the started but not finished articles but thought it was time to get at it. So....you would think...that what I was looking for would be in the cabinets...right??? I was sure it was....I looked at least three times...was thinking of having a good old lay down on the floor head banging tantrum.....but knew at my age....it would be a job getting back up and I really do not need to lose anymore brain cells. Plus I was interrupted by RH who was also looking for something he could not find, got him sorted out and on his way... thinking this is stupid...why do I need just this one unfinished item as I could just stick my hand blindly into one of the cabinets and come out with another one...but could not stop thinking about it.....and I did not have any chocolate in the house....then I thought...maybe I should look in my closet....maybe I did not get all the fibre stuff moved that I had stored there...and yes here it was... I had started this cute scarf just before Christmas but had to put it aside to knit some sock orders, so now am going to get at it and see if I can find where I left off, it should be cute when finished. Here is a picture of my working area almost sorted out I finally got my cutting table assembled and got the padded top put back on, it is so great for cutting out items... ironing large items and blocking my items etc...am so happy to have her back. so finally got the crochet scarf washed and blocked out on the table, I love it and want to start another one with the same alpaca silk yarn that I have in purple shades...might change the center stitch but will do the same ruffle around it as it came out so great. That is really what I would have liked to start today...but....have to finish something first! I am slowly getting everything organized and it will be so great to be able to just go work at something instead of searching through boxes and working in the mess. We are still getting the winter weather with snow one day then the sun and warmer temps the next day...and sometimes a bit of everything in one day...I so need spring...it is coming slowly but not fast enough for me...sun was out this morning but now everything is cloudy but I did snap a picture of this beautiful Robin sitting in the tree sunning himself this morning...hope he is not busy having a good old lay down head banging tantrum now the sun has disappeared.....Off to get working on my fancy little scarf.....but before I do....will search the pantry....in case...I have some misplaced chocolate.

Am slowly getting there...am so the Crazy Lady.......

I really think I am a crazy person some days...well to tell the truth...most days....have not got the alpaca scarf blocked as yet, trying to find somewhere large enough to lay it out where the resident cats won't take up residence on it. Have been trying to get my area downstairs organized, have all the cabinets moved in and have been unpacking boxes and getting things put away, some days are like Christmas...finding things I forgot I had...a book I had just got before starting to pack things up to move...then there are the OMG items that makes you wonder why on earth you did not rehome them or toss them and why take up space packing them, sorting things out for maybe garage sale or gifting them elsewhere. Have made a rule that I can only keep what I can fit into the storage cabinets and the storage room...have told the kids that they better hope we live long enough to get this stuff sorted out they will have to do it. I have all my fibre stuff plus...have I mentioned....I used to own a fabric store.....also was a seamstress for a few years....do not want to say how many sewing machines I own....We moved the big cutting table in and got it all reassembled and unpacked a lot of my sewing supply's and got them stored in the area under the table and yesterday we got the padded top put on it. Have the big sewing desk put together for the sewing machine and serger but when! when! can I find some time to do anything. But it is great to see things getting organized and being able to just open a door and get something off a shelf instead of trying to figure out what bin or box they are in. And the best thing is getting all my books unpacked and on a book shelf. I also have to remind myself that the farmers markets are going to be starting in a couple of months so have to make time for getting items knit for the markets. I have been knitting some fingerless gloves and some lightweight ladies socks out of some alpaca/wool yarn. And someday the weather will be warm enough to get out in the yard, keep looking for signs of little green shoots on the perennials but so far nothing, we had a few nice days but now cold weather for a few more days. Am so looking forward for the green...green....

Alpaca scarf is finished!

Just finished the scarf tonight! Will get it washed and blocked tomorrow! The yarn was better suited to be crochet rather than knitted. The pattern I used was Emerald Scarf by Tracy St. John, I should have taken a picture of the pattern but will do it tomorrow. I did not follow the pattern for the center of the scarf but did follow the pattern for the lace trim around the outside and I like the way it turned out...guess I should not say that until I get it blocked. I have a couple more skeins in this color and think I will crochet it into another scarf, I think I will make one similar to the blue one, will have to decide on that when I start it. But the thing I know I am not going to do.......is crochet it with two large lazy cats on my lap !!! I have had to crochet the blue scarf while holding it in a plastic bag so cat claws do not get hooked in it! I might have to lock myself in the bathroom or another thought is...I could lock the cats in the bathroom. It had been nice and warm for a few days but now temps have dropped and it it cold outside so the birds are enjoying the seed bells and have emptied the feeder....looks like most of it is on the ground so am sharing the pictures I took today...love my birds!!

Decided to Crochet a scarf from the frogged shawl!

I have decided to crochet a scarf out of the frogged shawl, I am going to work in this shell stitch for how long I want the scarf to be then am going to crochet a lace border all around the outside...have not decided the border yet...will wing it as I go. This yarn is crocheting up much better then knitting with it...unless I have to rip back then it is sticky which might be because it has been ripped back and reknit so many times it is well worn. Remember I had decided I had to finish ...I think it was three unfinished items before I could start something new....now what is this scarf....is it something new...or is it a unfinished item?? I decided as I made the rule...I can decide it is an unfinished item.....I did take a vote of everyone in the house at the moment and they all agreed...it is an unfinished item!!

I finally got the Message...and frogged the Shawl !!

I have been knitting on the little blue shawl for I am sure three years!! The lace on it had been ripped back many times after I had to tuck it away to knit items someone ordered and then when brought back out I had forgotten where I was in the pattern so then rip back and start the lace again. Was not the right yarn for the pattern as the stitches would stick together and if I was not being very careful I would find I had knit two together...then it was take the row out again, when I took it out this time I was going to finish it no matter what and finally was putting a lifeline in occasionally so I did not have to rip it all out, it was going great and I was so careful,only had eight rows left to knit but had to sit it aside for a couple of days as RH had started moving my storage cabinets that had been in storage into my work area downstairs so I was helping it that sorted out. I had my knitting sitting on the dining room table so when I had a bit of time I could knit a row...well the other day I picked it up to knit.....could not believe my eyes.....there were stitches pulled in a few places on it...only thing I could think of was one of the cats had been on the table and got their claws caught up in the stitches...and although when asked no one is owning up to it! Well I have decided it was the last straw for the shawl. It was not meant to be! So here she is having a time out until I can decide what she is going to become. Am off to bed and will decide what to do tomorrow!!

Still Knitting and so Wanting Spring to be here!

Have the scarf blocked and ready to be worn, it is handspun and is so funny that it looks like it was knit on the bias but it wasn't. I had said I would finish three UFO's before I started a new knitting project, scarf is one down and two to go, I finished the bulky sweater I had started a couple of years ago but have to get it blocked and sew a zipper in it, so it is not quite done and then......I pulled out the shawl I was knitting....I am sure it has been a couple years since it was started, had just started on the lace pattern but with packing and moving etc. etc.i know this is not going to be a fast knit but decided to just get at it. Well although I thought I had marked where I was in the pattern I had too many stitches on the needle, tried to rip back a few rows to figure out where I was but just was not working...why oh why did I not put a life line in??....well had to rip it back to the solid knitting and this time I did put a life line in!! And will after every full pattern...I can see that is the only way I am going to get this shawl finished. I am knitting it out of a yarn from Knit Picks that is a lace weight alpaca/silk and I have to be so careful not to knit two stitches together at times as they stick together And here it is...in a blue colorway...always blue...I think I had got a skein in a mauve/purple colorway too, will have to check. The pattern is Holden Shawlette by Mindy Wilkes and I am going to stick with it and try to get it finished before I have to tuck it away again...but if I have to tuck it away it will have a life line so I will not have to rip all the lace back again...I have so learned a lesson!!