Well the family is off out and about again. Today I'm going to finish up the Purplishis socks... they are much longer then the last and thiner and just overall so much better. I have Evenstar clue to finish up and the Birch cashmere shawl on the last repeat and a half then the border to do. It's possible to get them all finished unless the yarn for work comes in the next day or so.

I have been making hats for DD when the family goes away cause I can't help thinking about them and wishing I could be with them. Yesterday DD was spoiled and she loved it. She got this skirt... the purple hat I had done last week and this teal hat I made yesterday. She also got the Annotated and another scholarly book on Alice in Wonderland! Yup she's hooked. :-)

These hats can be worn in several different ways these are a couple that she really likes. We could have stiffened the brim but she likes it floppy. The teal can have a roll up brim, worn like a beret, above or like a snood with the hair up in the back. They are very versatile and took only a few hours to make.

on a cutting board. Then lots of glue and patience. He's got it. This is about 50 buildings and includes Toto, and all the rest. Cute eh? He's talented. These types of items come from books and can be found from Dover.

The kids and Dad went on a hike in the local hills and this is the result. These were taken in Tejon Ranch (pronounced Tehon). The Chumash indians used to live here and they even found a grinding stone with a hole in it! :-)

4/8/10 I am wearing my latest UFO finished... it's Ocala from Goddess Knits Anniversary Shawl 09. One year to the day and I finally have the thing off of the needles. It's warm and snuggly but I made it in all shades of teal and it badly needs overdying as you can't see the patterning. You can see all the beads all sparkley nummy though.

PTL DH was able to get me THREE full months on all my meds so we are set with work (for me anyway) and meds through almost all summer. He's really enjoying his time off of work and needless to say we are enjoying having him. He's been out and about with DS all week. Tomorrow he's taking the children into Tejon Ranch for a hike and a picnic in amoungst all the wild flower. I envy them a little as I would love to be physically able to do that type of thing. I must face the fact that I may never walk again. Hope still springs up on occasion and has to be beat down into submission again. Saturday they are all going to the Scottish Festival in Bakersfield. Then Sunday off to church. So I will have plenty of time to get more spinning done for my hand painted socks in Purplishis from SRP. These will be the last even though I just signed on for 4 more months in the club. I will miss it. Although... my hands get to hurting with knitting 24/7 so I might just sneek a bit of spinning or dyeing in,,, BAD DOG!

DH just came home... yup early! :-( He was laid off again. We knew that there was a possibility that it was coming so he's been preparing for it. I just wrote to the two companies that I used to work for asking for work again. The funny thing is one had already sent me a request to work for them! God works,,, weird, but I'm glad He works.

He's got a job lined up but the guy wants us to sell the house and go move down there. He's got to tell him that can't happen till the market goes back up and that he wants to work and drive. Then too it's nuts to sell the house not knowing if they will like each other and if it will work out. He drove for a year before 2 hours a day so not a problem there. He'd be the regional sales manager type guy for So. Cal. for a family owned company that's been in business for like 20-30 years. I can't remember LOL, I will have to figure that one out to tell you. Anyway, he's going to get unemployment... I will work, regardless of how I feel... and he's going to start selling off our stuff on eBay. HAHA the poor dear has put it off for so long... learning how to list stuff. He's finally willing to learn though. Since we will have to move eventually we will need to cut our possessions in half as well... there's like 2 tractor trailers full at this point.

So we will be ok as always,,, just a real hassle emotionally as well as physically. Just a real pain to be back in this same place again. KWIM? Weren't we just here? and before that weren't we just there? And before that HOLY CROW it's been years since he's had a stable job that didn't collapse under him. Gee, since we left the city... perhaps when we go back it will be till the end of time now. He sure deserves it... he's a great employee, hard worker and a wonderful man. He deserves a good stable job.

Here's DD on Easter Morning in her heavily beaded lace shawl that I made for her. This is Goddess Spring MS10, just got the last clue yesterday at 11:30am, took the photo at 7:30am the next day! I dyed the yarn and when you look close you can see the variations of medium pink to dark. I made the hat and part of the skirt. The shirt seems home made but not by me.

The March offerings from SRR roving club Purplishis is just NUMMY! This is the first bit of it... still have more then half to go but I needed to c/o immediately when I saw what it was doing plied up. YUM

This is my new Sock Shawl... called so as it's from sock yarn. This is the yarn that I got in the Simply Sock Yarn club this month. It's TilliTomas cashmere and man is it ever something! This stuff if so soft and lovely. I knew I wanted a simple pattern so that the yarn would stand out, alone and firmly settled. So I made my own. I used up every bit of the yarn and I just love this thing!

This is the scarf I made for Emily. Althought when EMily's mom saw it she made off with it so it might appear on a few of them. This is the January Split Rock Ranch roving which I spun up and plied back with a fine fingering weight yarn. Then crocheted into this lovely scarf which has motion and activity all it's own.

That dark rainbow sweater I made (scroll down) from lace weight. WOW I LIVE in the thing. So I figured... size 5's with sock yarn and I can make an endless amount of sweaters... probably one a month if I were monogamous. I love that sweater. So for the Technicolor Dream Coat... I'm thinking I take all the scraps of sock yarn I have... sort it out into a pile of green, blue, purple and just keep hot split plying it and knitting the same style with the shawl collar! EH!!! What do you think? I'm thinking it's going to be SMASHING!!!!! Currently I'm working with that Nyoni from Fleece Artist... remember when they were selling massive amounts? I bought 2 of two colors and they are gorgeous!!! The one I'm working iwth now looks like the above roving. So you can see I reallly love that roving if I bought yarn like it ages ago. The Nyoni is a bit on the crunchy side so I made a swatch... washed and dried it and man it washes up lovely! I will get you a photo when there's more to see.

Finshed Goddess Spring KAL clue 2 but Evenstar 3 wow what a mess. I think I might have it all back on the needles after the ruthless rip back. STUPID to take it off... should have frogged the six rows.... but come on it was six whole rows.

3-16-10 What a waste of time this last run of doctoring has been. They all throw up their hands and can't find a reason for my muscle spasming/lumbar straightening which is why I can't walk. The last doc said you need to get help to accept what has happend, but here's a referal to a back doc (finally!!). :-( So that's probably what will happen.

After we loose the house (bad market) as we believe DH might loose his job shortly. The upside is that he's got a better paying job waiting... only we have to move back down into the city. Which will be good cause I might be close enough to a store or PO or something so that I can wheel down there and at least get out of the house. What with closer neighbors that's a good thing too, leastwise this is what I'm trying to tell myself.

Anyway, they are now sending me to the back guy FINALLY! and I'm chatting with my old Chiro whom I REALLY trust. We all do and if there's changes to be made DH says we might be able to do it living in the city. Organic produce just doesn't like the hour long drive it takes to get home here. We'd have to figure out how I'm to take care of myself when they all leave for the day as I can't wash, chop whatever to feed myself. Goes back to the whole can't stand or walk thing.

Today I had to go back down off of the hill to give blood (6 vials the boogers!) as the GP had a thought that it might be Cushings. Which if I'm lucky will have a tumor that might set me free. YUP sick and tired of sick and tired and no answers and the run around.

Wait till you see the two other projects I have been working on while knitting on the Goddess and Evenstar KALs. LOVIN me some Tilli Tomas that I got in a sock yarn club. Couldn't see walking on it so it's become a shawlette which I only have to pick out the pattern for the edging now... which is BEADED cashmere yarn!!! WHAT A SOCK CLUB this is Allison from Simply Socks. (photo below) it's sooo me! I have a few skirts it will go with. Can't you just see me toddling down the street in my electric wheel chair... lime skirt and shawl!!!! I can't wait to show you all this puppy. The other project is a last minute scarf for a b-day, day after tomorrow. It's hand spun... just have to block it now. OH and I got the fair isle jacket blocked... just needs buttons. ;-) So many items are right around the corner to share, can't wait!!!!!. DD turned 13 and with all the partying and all the doctors appointments the last few days... I'm just flat out. BUSHED !!

Oh DD LOVED all her hand knit items. She got the brown bamboo top, light brown and colored alpaca knee high socks and a purple, yellow, green pansy shawl. The last of which all the girls at the party tried to walk off with!!!! :-) They had a great time.

The first thing I noticed was the color... I have a few skirts this will match perfectly. Immediately I thought TwoUppers with a beaded cuff cause the 2nd thing I noticed was the beaded skein and thought HOLY CROW these would have cost me a fortune! Good thing I'm in the Simple Socks Yarn Club cause I would never have bought this on my own. So the last thing I saw was CASHMERE!!!! CRACK for a Yarnie like me. I'm so all over this! So then I thought... you can't walk on these! They really should be gloves! but then I know I wont wear gloves so we are back to the Two uppers with a beaded cuff LAAAAAAAAAAA the Holy Grail of knitting. WHOPPPIIEEEE all knits are put aside in place of this nummy goodness. All KAL's are off till these are OffTN! YUM YUM YUM

Say hello to Imbolic from Goddess Knits. I have many of her patterns and was having a problem waiting for the 2 lace KAL's to give up the next clues so I have been working on this in the meantime. I'm really enjoying the knit. This is in Knit Picks heather, I believe it's gloss whatever it is I do remember that's it was discontinued.

FINALLY!!!!! Finally I have a fine enough 2 ply yarn to make socks with. I'm so excited about this project. This is roving from a club I'm in from Split Rock Ranch (find Brenda on Etsy and on Ravelry-she's wonderful!) This color is What Wendy Wants... YUP sooo spoiled! :-) Now that I can't get around so well I have taken to enjoying the fruits of others labors. I don't have a photo shop type of software on my laptop so the balls a bit out of focus but the point of the photo is clear... the penny!!! Can you believe it? I FINALLY got a fine thread. Under the penny is the two ply! I'm so excited to start my TwoUppers that I almost didn't want to get over here to share but rather to get right to knitting! LOL This will be enough for at least some anklets. There's more to spin too so we will have to see where I end up at. :-) beaded cuffs might be nice. Time will out... just having fun in the meantime.

Some peeps have asked how I'm doing. Ya'll know I don't like to talk about it so I will just shortly tell you that I have a Neurology exam scheduled for Friday. I'm just really wanting some answers. I don't even have to walk again (since 11-08!!!) I would just like to know why and what's happening. I really don't want to go to more doctors since it takes so much out of me. This exam has been pending since the Fall it's difficult to get hope up to have answers and then only have them dashed again. Not to mention how much I will pay next week for being out of the house.

Kate's turning 13 on Monday and we are having her friends over on Sunday with one spending the night. I know I will have to pay for this too but it will be so worth it. I really want her to have a good time as she and DS are my caregivers, I know she needs a break so I'm happy to have her enjoying herself. She has a wonderful friend who's supposed to go shopping with her here shortly to get goodies for the party. They have a great time talking about it and they really have fun when they are together. I hope that I can at least sit at the table and do beading with them. It's to be a craftual party. :-)

Things are really different which is why I'm not writting much any more. So many of you have written to say such nice things and ask me to write but it's just not there. It's not something you can force either so I'm still in a dry spell. Hey you got alot out of me today, eh!

3-4-10 Listening to Podiobooks.com with DS and finishing stuff. Made DD another present of a Mango Moon silk ribbon scarf that I designed for her. When she opens it I will have to get a photo as I didn't get one for you. I also finished my Classic Lines Rainbow Cardi. I LOVE my shawl collar.

You can tell I didn't bother to block it... I was too happy to show it to you. The rolled hem will flatten with blocking as it's really hemmed and the front ripple will settle down too. I LOVE IT! It's sooo me. I might or might not add pockets to it at a later date.

Now I have moved back to the Blue Pine Jacket... really need to finish that. Bottom up, sleeves are done and on... I'm changing the neck to decrease rounds and putting more fair isle up there just for the fun of it.

My lace base came in just in time for me to dye it. I can't wait to show you the love Spring pink that's drying. It was a pale pink then I flecked it with hot pink and the melded colors soooo nummy... came out somewhere in between which is just perfect. No... really... what I can't wait for is for it to dry and Saturday to get here and the Goddess Spring KAL to start. Open Open Open. LOL

Split Rock Ranch roving club from January. I love this colorway and needed more purple as I don't have any purple socks... me! a total purple freak! I spun half of it and Navajo plied it which is the ball you see. DD had the great idea to stretch the yarn with toes and heels in purple. Good on ya Kate! I might 2 ply the leg with a ply of the purple... not sure yet I'm just hoping that there's enough of the Navajo for the feet. I have c/oed the toes in the purple already.

This is the other thing I'm working on ... the Piecemakers Calendar quilt from 2000. I'm doing it with a good friend. She's doing the top half (double) and I'm doing the bottom half, one for each of us. It's fun. So far I have the covered bridge and the house to the left of it. Currently working on the one on the left. The backgrounds finished and I've got all the tiny pieces cut out for both blocks. Just need to get cranking on houses. It's a nice change of pace from all of the knitting.

This is the Goddess KAL in the Kauni I really like it and can't wait for the last clue this Saturday. Can't WAIT to wash it and see if I can't make it nice and snuggly. I'm not going to block it hard but just get it less rustic is my plan. I have been very careful to pick out all the VM in the yarn as it came up so I'm pretty sure it will go really nice after washing it a ton. ;-) There's lots of lanolin in the yarn too. Before I bought the yarn I got a small sample of it and made a beaded bracelet... washed it really good and I can wear it without feeling it so I know it's possible and I can't wait to wear it. I find that many of my shawls are nicer not blocked... rather just gently draped over a chair and flattened well.

Here's some stuff I just got in. The yellow is a DK weight merino/cashere for a Spring sweater. In the middle is the Poet sock club from Kangaroo Dyer and it's silk/merino I really like the colors and it's soooo soft. On the right is a TwoUpper for DD as her b-day is 3-15 so I wanted to make something nice for her. This is the gingerbread yarn from KP. On the top is the Peacock shawl that I started years back. Finally got that out- year of the UFO's. I also got out the Pansy shawl from the SchoolHouse Press KAL years back again. This shawls in purple, yellow and green in honor of the pansy. I am half way through with that one and am hoping to get that done for DD as well. I'm only working on that one at night to surprise her.

My first hand spun socks. These are out of Optim from Conjoined Creations a stretched merino which is the softest thing I have felt. They are knee highs, I still have a good bit of the yarn and am tempted to make them thigh highs. We will see. The stretched fiber doesn't seem to have memory I will have to wear them again to see if they fall. If so they are done. ;-)

Bejeweled by BMFA in their Sheep to Shoe kit. It's really wonderful, soft, nummy merino. I can't wait to set and spin. Their instructions call for a sport/worsted weight but that wont be practical so I will be spinning finer to get a heavy fingering yarn out of this.... and will probably have a good bit left over as they sent a ton of it. LOVE IT! SO ME!