Secret Desires!

Ah, the object of my new affection! A Fidelis spinning wheel by

http://www.heavenlyhandspinning.com/ . I have decided that I just simply must have one. I've been studying all the different wheels, and wow! They are expensive! This one is under 2oo$, and has all the features I want. Large bobbins, Irish tensioning, good spinning ratios, and it's solid unlike some wobbly/jerky pvc models I've seen. It's through the same family owned, American made company that made my Little Meggie kick spindle.

While I love my kick spindle, and will always love my kick spindle...alas, she just doesn't spin fast enough by the time you have to stop and unhook your yarn, wind it onto the spindle, and then hook your yarn again. Very time consuming. With about 3lbs of combed top left to spin, and future fiber purchases, I need speed!

After knitting my very own hand-dyed,handspun BFL yarn...it has taken yarn snobbery to a new height! No longer do I look at pretty yarn...it's fibers now that fascinate me. The thought of taking a puff of plain fiber, coloring it, and spinning it into a yarn of your design/choice... awesome! I now know how Michaelangelo felt as he completed the Sistine Chapel. Being able to spin your own yarn is like a painter having all the brushes, and all the paints he could ever want. It like being complete as a knitter. You have every color, every fiber available to your artistic desires.

10:38 pm...what cha doing?

I just bet your getting ready for bed and your thinking,"Daffy broad, aren't you?" Well, no. I'm wide awake and just finished making Broccoli Quiche.(Night shift nurse!) Aidan is asleep, and I made it for him in a subtle attempt to sneak him some veggies! (Second time I've had to deal with a kid who won't eat veggies. His mother still gives me grief over veggies!) Usually he's still awake. (Oh horrors, you might say...but chill. Aidan is a night owl, as his mother, as his NaNa.) Anyway, he pooped out early, so will have to have his quiche tommorrow. I only hope my plan succeeds. I buried the broccoli in mounds of cheesy goodness. I snuck some carrots in there for good measure. It is yummy if I say so for myself. It worries me when a kid won't eat veggies. I mean, how could you not love veggies? All the rest of my kids do. They love squash, broccoli,eggplant,okra,carrots,and everything the veggie kingdom has to offer. We've even tried to feed him his veggies in the presence of Yo Gabba Gabba. You know, the Nics Kids show where strange critters oddly resemble sex toys? (I'm not exagerating either. When I first saw the show...I kept my mouth shut. My daughter is the one who first brought it up!) Anyway, if you could picture 3 grown women singing,"There's a party in my tummy, so yummy.", trying to get Mr.Aidan to eat some veggies. Well, there's certainly no party in his tummy. He shakes his head noooooo! Then he spits it out and clamps down like a steel bear trap. If it isn't in pizza form, chicken nuggie form, or ravioli's...forget it! My next adventure is to figure out how to make veggie laced chicken nuggies. Geez...I thought being NaNa was supposed to be easy?

Drop Stitch Scarf and other projects.

I found a dropstitch pattern for my handspun yarn. It's the Easy Drop Stitch Scarf pattern by

Christine Vogel. I really love how this is knitting up, and it's a quick knit. I have half the scarf done the first day! I love how the colors look in this pattern.

I also have been working on my Sante Fe Ruana and making progress. I really shouldn't start another project with so many on the needles...but, that's me. Pure Gemini! Anyway, the first panel is almost done. I just might finish by the time it gets cold around here.

I am also making slow progress towards my Fibonacci numbers throw. I have one panel finished, only 4 to go! This is the project I take around with me for the mindless knitting. I suppose it'll take a good year to finish.
And this is Aidan feeding the ducks! He was trying really hard to get a duck to take the cracker from his hand. One almost did! Aidan likes feeding the ducks.

Homemade Lazy Kate

Here's my homemade Lazy Kate! It cost me less than $20 to make it. Here's how I did it.

I bought at Home Depot:

1- stair case post cover in the deck dept.

2-3/8" dowel rods cut into 3-1 foot sections, and 1-six inch section.

1-4' section of 1/2" PVC pipe cut into one foot sections.

I used a 3/8" paddle bit to drill 4 holes in the four corners on top of the post cover, and glued my dowel rods. Once dried, I stained and varnished the whole thing. I just used yarn to make a tensioner. I just use the pvc peices to wind my yarn off my kick spindle, and slip it over the dowel rods.

I also made a knitting noddy out of pvc, but it's pretty basic, so I won't be posting a pic.

The cute boy, modeling my lazy kate is none other than Aidan! He likes to get his picture taken so he can see himself! Isn't he a cutie!

1st of the BFL hand-dyed!

Here's my first skein! Double plied, 4.5 ozs, and about 120 yards of

soft yummy goodness! Still have to work on getting the yarn more consistent though. This varies between fingering and DK weight. The next round is spinning more consistent though. I'm pulling off thinner strips of the top, and pre-drafting a bit more. I'm shooting for more of a fingering weight overall.

Wow, looks like I'm going to get quite a bit of yarn from the 1 lb top! I can't even imagine how much yarn I'll be getting from the 2lbs of merino I have. I'm thinking of dyeing it in colors to remind me of Sedona, Az. Reds,browns,golds.

I also made a homemade Lazy Kate, and a Knitty Noddy. I'll be posting pics of it and instructions next time.