Saturday, August 17, 2013

Let's Catch Up

Okay, it is the middle of August.  It has been in the 50's at night, and only into the low 80's during the day.  How strange is this?  August is usually the hottest and driest month of our summer.  I checked my electric bill from last year, and my last bill I paid is $20 cheaper than last year.  Weird!

Anyway, I am ready for the show in October.  I need to do some last minute things, and I need to check all my labels.  I set the table up and it is fine.  No repairs are needed for any of that stuff.  So just last minute fiddly kind of stuff.

I have been slogging along with my colorwork sweater.  Actually this week motivated me to move a little faster.  With the cool evenings, I picked up the shawl I had put aside.  I am on the homestretch with it.  It felt really good laying across my legs as I knit. 

We have also been having a deluge of rain.  It seems everyone is having rain, so nothing new with that.  Just why 5-6 inches a day is the question?

I bought some yarn at HandHeld to make some gloves.  I cast on, started the ribbing, and I put it down.  I don't need another pair of gloves.  What was I thinking?  Okay, now I have this expensive sock yarn, and I don't want gloves or socks.  I'll have to think on that one.

I was without my computer for three days this week.  I felt adrift without a lifeline.  I guess they are addictive.  I got some mending done, I did my ironing, and I mended a quilt that was damaged.  I finished sewing the strip quilt top.  So lots of things got done; just stuff I put off and put off and put off. 

Patty has had another bout with her pancreatitis.  I guess this is going to be written up as a chronic condition now.  It is so lovely to wake up at midnight with a puking dog.  After I got her outside and cared for, I had to clean all that mess up.  I go on hyper vigil after that and one time I was aware that she was in the "stance" to puke, so I grabbed her and started running down the hallway.  I stumbled and fell, and she went skittering across the wood floor.  In my half-sleep stupor I said, "Damn, I fumbled the football."  She, of course, threw up all over the floor.  I did skin my knee and elbow, but I was more concerned in getting the hallway cleaned up. 

My single roadrunner is getting to be quite friendly.  It comes up on the deck and clacks its bill.  I talk to it and it flies up onto the rooftop and goes to the front porch.  Once while I was sitting on the screened porch, it clacked it's bill to let me know it was close by (probably that it was aware that I was near), and then it flew up on the stair railing.  I have never seen them so close up.  The plumage is such a gorgeous color of deep purple.  It looks black from a distance.  Then it has turquoise eye liner.  So pretty. 

The birds are eating seeds like crazy.  I know the poor things are so confused by the weather.  I only have two hummingbirds, and they defend the feeder vigilantly.  While they are attacking each other, the downy woodpecker sits there and slurps up sugar water.  Too cute!

My neighbor came over to remove the last of the dirt from my dirt pile.  He always has yard projects, and I donated it to him.  He used his son's big tractor, and he made quite a mess in my yard.  It was that night that the rains started.  So, of course, I have a big ole muddy mess in the back yard.  I am sure the Johnson grass will grow just fine through that. 

I finally got to mow this week, but now I have a hay field out there.  I think with the dryer weather and coolness, the grass will quit growing so rapidly. 

I am dyeing some BFL today with turquoise.  I was standing at my stand looking at my handspun on the rack.  I need some color.  I stood there for a long time and finally thought "turquoise".  So I am soaking the wool, and slowly heating the pot.

I am expecting a package from GK within the next coupla weeks.  She says she has four more bags for me.  I asked her to put some of her fiber into the box.  I specifically want the alpaca that she bought in Taos when we went.  I have some yarn that I spun that I love, and I blended the fibers with the alpaca.  If I get hers, I can get two more skeins, and I think I could make something really nice with that.  She is having a hard time struggling with money issues.  I wish I could help her out more, but I don't have the ability to help her much.  I make up things-like the bags-to give her projects and to help her.  It has really been a struggle for her just to sew the bags.  She is so depressed, and her mind is befuddled. 

Well, I guess that is my catch up report.  Not a lot to talk about, but I am slowly getting things done around here.  I am just so thrilled to have things together for the show. 

Stay cool and dry.  Enjoy the weekend! 

Friday, August 9, 2013

Still Raining!

This is August 9.  August is always a very hot, very dry, very air conditioner kind of month. 
It has been raining for about a week now.  I mean we have had lots of thunderstorms with lightening and thunder and wind.  I pick up dead limbs out of the yard every morning.  By mid afternoon the sun will peek out a little bit, and the humidity zooms to "air you wear".  I turn on the a/c at that point.  Until then I can tolerate the warmness and moistness.

Well, we did have snow in May!  Why not rain in August?

I have been spinning the BFL blend that I bought in Kellyville.  It works up fast, it looks gorgeous, and I love it.  I am on the second bobbin of the second skein.  I started on Sunday.  Wow!  It is nice.

I sold my little Norwood loom to a new weaver in Cabot.  I am delivering it in Russellville tomorrow.  I am sad at my decision, but it is a good one.  I don't know why I am grieving so much.  I haven't really woven anything in a long, long time.  It just means I have to move on.

I do spend most of my time with my spinning and knitting.  Occasionally I wander into the back room to sew. 

I hate being a grown-up!  I have to make big decisions and then I move on.

My neighbor has been using his son's tractor to move dirt from my pile to his yard.  Now I have a muddy mess in the back yard.  I try not to think too much about it.  The rain has kept him from finishing up the job.  I know he will clean up the mess once it is dry enough.  It is just awful to look out there first thing in the morning.

I have been watching movies on Netflix this week while spinning.  I finished one yesterday that was Australian.  I would never go to the movie theater to see it, but it was good.

Well, I am off to the grocery store for my weekly shopping.  Just wanted to grouse some about the weather.  I am beginning to get used to the idea of rain every day.  Feels really tropical around here. Where's the beach?

Sunday, August 4, 2013

Okay! I have a problem!

Well, yesterday I awoke with no internet connection.  I missed it.  It threw my whole normal morning routine in a tizzy.  We were having a thunder storm and it was raining hard.  So I sat in my nest and knitted and listened to Pandora on my IPad.

Finally late morning nearly noon, my friend CJE came over with a huge amount of stuff.  She finally got herself set up with her spinning wheel.  She said it is a really sad day when you notice there are cobwebs on your spinning wheel.  So I gave her a cloth and some oil and she cleaned it up before starting.

So the afternoon was productive with me knitting and her spinning and talking about things. 

After she left the young man from Cox came over and worked on my mess again.  I ended up buying a new router at Office Depot, and I am online again.  Unfortunately, the original problem is still there.

I can get connection, but suddenly it goes away.  Sometimes it comes back immediately, and sometimes it takes a while to reconnect. 

Weather is crazy and no one can figure out what is happening.  We never, ever get so much rain and I never, ever have to mow so regularly.  Sigh!  At least I don't have to turn on the air conditioner until later in the afternoon when the sun comes out and the humidity rises.  It is coolish and dampish in the evenings.  Weird for the first week of August.

The stupid mockingbird is staking out his territory for the pokeberries.  They are not ripe yet, but he is definitely taking over his spots.  Noodles happens to be around these spots, so there is a lot of screaming from the bird and a lot of Noodles doing the weird chirpy, raspy things cats do with their lower jaw.  I am sure when the berries ripen, he will have to be on the screened porch and out of reach of the beak.

I finished the English Babydoll Southdown wool.  I have tried it, and I don't want to do it again.  It did soften some when it was washed.  I am now going to spin some BFL that will spin easily and quickly and will be a joy to spin.

I did dye with the weld I bought at the fiber show last weekend.  I didn't have a lot, so I planned two skeins of commercial sock yarn.  One skein I used copper sulfate, and it is the prettiest, softest green and is gorgeous.  The other one was dyed with alum and cream of tartar and is the prettiest, softest yellow and is gorgeous.  I love both of them.  I think they would be pretty together in a subtle colorwork pattern.

Oh, that is the other problem I have.  I started to take a picture of them, and the camera said the batter is exhausted.  So I plugged in the charger, and nothing is happening.  I guess I have to get a new battery.  Sigh!  I can't take all this crazy electronic stuff going out all at the same time.

Have a good first week of August.  I hope you are dry and cool and getting work done.  Later.