January Is A Strange Month

 A while back, I asked a photographer why I always have trouble photographing my skeins of yarn.  I know I have a little bitty point-and-shoot camera, but surely there has to be some way to take a good pic of yarn.  My main problem is the glare that comes from the skein.  I don't know if there is something in the fiber or the dye, but it glares.  The photographer suggested I get a portable light diffuser and try that.  So I got one.  My photo assistant had to help me with this.  This first shot is with the sun behind me.  See my shadow?  This one is with the sun facing me, but the camera down facing the light diffuser. 

 We seem to be having a little turf problem in the family.  Noodles has tried to be the dominant one in this family.  Friday night he took over Patty's new bed.  This is Patty's Christmas present and she LOVES her bed.  Well, you can imagine what happened when Patty saw that.  She rolled her eyes and couldn't get up courage to take it back.  So she jumped in my chair and made a nest of the towel I keep in the chair for pet hair.  I took the chair back, straightened the towel, and told her to get up her courage and let him know what she wanted. 

 So she jumped up on the chaise, turned her back, kicked everything off that she could, tried to dig up the quilt that is on the chaise for pet hair, and generally sulked through the evening.  It was  pathetic.

Today, two days later, Noodles ate a few bites of Patty's breakfast.  I don't think he has the teeth to chew such big bites.  But he managed two bites.  This is pathetic.  And dramatic, huh?

So this is my photo of the newest yarn.  There is no glare.  As he suggested I added a black board to absorb light.  The only problem now is washed out colors.  The pink is really coral and the blue is really turquoise.  So I am happy I fixed the glare problem.  Just how to do I get real color?

So what is happening with the weather?  If anyone figures it out, let me know.  I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. 

In knitting, I am working on the semi-gansey I am planning.  I love, love, love the targhee wool I am using.  I am convinced that this is going to be one tough sweater.  It will be an everyday sweater for sure.  No fancy stuff with this sweater.

I am also knitting the ribbing on the Fair Isle vest.  I finally made some decisions on the colors I want in it, and ordered all the yarn Friday night.  I think it will be non-traditional by the time I get it done.  I am using a  k1p1 rib instead of the corrugated rib.  The person I am knitting this for is thin and uses his vests as a substitute for fat stores.  So I wanted a snug rib to hold it close to his body.  There is more stretch there with this rib and I think it is more appropriate for him.  I am also doing the ribbing in a light color instead of a dark color.  He wears khaki pants a lot, and I think the color I chose will go with the khaki pants.  There will be less transition between colors.  Okay, I know that last one is an excuse for using the lighter color instead of the darker color.  But I think it will work just fine.  

I haven't been spinning this week at all.  I finished the stretched merino, and I am so not in love with stretched merino.  I have been knitting like crazy on the two sweaters.  I also taught a class yesterday, and I had to knit my sample pieces and get the instruction sheets copied, etc. 

So what to spin now!?  Well, I think I want to tackle the camel/merino that I bought a long time ago.  There isn't a lot there, but I can always order more if I get excited about it.  I also have a new bit of BFL handpainted that is really yummy looking.  4 ozs is multi-Fall colors of cranberry, orange, green and yellow.  4 ozs is just cranberry.  I like it a lot. 

Has anyone else noticed there is nothing on t.v. any more?  I have my favorite shows, and I suffered through all the Christmas reruns.  I like HGTV, but I don't care about million-dollar homes and how people decorate them.  I also cannot take the sulky, spoiled kids who are buying a home and want two sinks in their private bathroom, a spa tub, a rain shower, and BIG walk-in closets.  And big, beautiful kitchens that have all their wants included.  I was flipping through channels and I caught, "I don't really cook anything at all, but I want to be able to have my friends hang out in a pretty setting.  I need a lot of room to go from the refrigerator and microwave."  Please tell me this is crazy!

Well, it is time to go see if there are any podcasts I want to listen to while I putz around in the studio.  I just finished a good audio book, and I may have to get another one out of the local library.  

Have a good week.  I think we are to have rain tomorrow, and one bad cold day.  But the rest is looking good.  What a strange January this is!!