Hello, after an extended absence...

Perhaps I'm screaming into the void?

Written but not posted on 3/29/16...

Seems like FB takes up way too much of my time these days. I'll have to remedy that.

This morning I was looking for some information that I knew I could find on my blog. After searching around for several minutes I realized that there is a wealth of information here regarding my crafty life. Since it's such a great resource I should probably keep at it as long as I can. Perhaps it will all be valuable to someone someday.

Life flows by so rapidly that the days are a bit blurry at times. There has been illness at our house the past couple weeks. Once I began feeling better it was necessary to clean all the things around the house. To finally have the dining room table cleared off has given me a new lease on life. Do you have a place that things pile up? Does it mean that there are mounds of crap right where you want to put your elbow? It gets annoying after awhile and makes me cranky. Not sure why I don't clean all that clutter up more often. I guess I'm too busy knitting and keeping up with my social engagements.

At this point in life I find it a bit scary to become ill. I can usually keep everything in a good balance. Being low of energy and feeling poorly points out how fragile that balance can be. James and I are like a couple of leaning towers holding each other up. If one doesn't lean enough the whole thing starts to tip a bit too far on one direction or another.

And today is 11/28/23...seven years have passed since I posted here. It's like a lifetime has passed. So many knitting projects have flown off my needles and then counted cross stitch poked it's head in and I fell down that rabbit hole...where I remain.

In January 2023 James became ill and suffered nearly 10 months thru radiation and chemo, lost the use of his left side, half his sight then made a slow downhill slide due to Glioblastoma.  The filthy bastard of a disease took his life on October 6, 2023, leaving me to live a new and different life without him.  I'm adjusting to life alone, mostly figuring out what's for dinner for one. The dogs keep me on schedule. They think they need to eat at 7am and 5pm every day. I guess this is a good thing as I may tend to sleep half the day away without them pushing me.

I'm going to attempt to post here regularly again. I enjoy looking back on things that make me happy.

So much to talk about...

I know it's been a while since I've written but there was this thing and then another thing and before I knew what was happening it just totally got away from me.

Regardless, I haven't forgotten that some folks like to check up on me so here goes...

If you enjoy this post you might be interested in others on the Fiber Arts Friday gathering at Wisdom Begins in Wonder. All photos below can be biggie-sized by clicking on them. Thank you for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

There has been a lot of knitting...
Moss Garden

basic socks for The Saint (size 13!)

TGV #2

skulls

spinning...there was a Spinzilla competition that kept me pretty busy for a couple weeks (link is for the 2015 event

x-stitching...2014 The Frosted Pumpkin Sampler

a holiday...I hope everybody had a Merry Christmas!

a new Grand dog...DeDe is the sweetest little doggie. She's turned out to be a great companion for Bear.

and a new puppy...

Duke is an amazing pup. Chesapeake Bay Retreiver/German Shepherd...vet says he'll be 80lbs on the low end. We picked him up at the prison in Ionia after he completed an 8 week basic obedience course. He's got huge feet (already as long as my hand) and he's super smart. He is learning how to retrieve and likes to steal LittleDog's blankie off his bed. I picked up puppy teeth a couple nights ago. He's been teething so seriously chewing the daylights out of the Nylabones.

Sam and LittleDog are slowly adjusting to having a rambunctious pup around the house.

If you'd like to know more about any of these things be sure to leave me a comment and I'll see if I can't elaborate.

My new yarn storage

Hello! I spent a couple weeks working in this little cabinet to stash yarn in.

I got it from a friend that gave up on it. 

I brought it home and slopped a few coats of chalk paint on it. Now it's snuggled into the only free space I had in the "studio".

I stuffed it full of yarn and added a couple bars of Yardley Lavender soap and it's perfect!

Now I can see what yarn I have and be motivated to knit some up. The top shelf is for my handspun. I'm hoping to have more on that shelf than the other to some day. 

Thank you for stopping by. 

LittleDog says hey!

Hop over to Andrea's blog for more creative stuff on Fiber Arts Friday.

I knit another hat

and the model was so stinking cute I can hardly stand it. What do you think?

Isn't she perfect? This project is one of those that everyone wants one.

I'm making slow progress on a baby blanket with a Dragon Skin stitch pattern.

LittleDog had a trip to the vet to see about a UTI and is doing much better a couple days into the ridiculously expensive antibiotics. 

Check out that tongue, LOL Sorry for the blurr but it was tough catching him with my phone. He really didn't want to be there for one more second.

It was a great mail week. Vivian sent me a pretty scarf she knit and her Mom sent me two pretty hand made beaded necklaces along with a little pair of socks that she'd knit. Such a nice surprise.

Hope you're having a great week. Remember to check out the other creative peeps around the blog-o-sphere. You'll find a few at Wisdom Begins in Wonder and in a gathering at Natural Suburbia. Thanks for stopping in.

Allergies...ugh

This past week I was reminded how important it is that I ask a yarn donor if they have cats in their home.

I'm ridiculously allergic to cat dander. Doesn't matter how well sealed the yarn has been. If said yarn has been in the same house as cats I cannot touch it...even for 10 seconds. You see, cat dander travels in the air like microscopic dust particles. A forced-air heating system can propel the dander to every corner, crack and crevice of a home.

A friend had kindly given me several balls of nice wool yarn. I moved the yarn, extremely carefully, from the bag it was in to the shipping box. There was no waving it in the air, squishing it or rubbing it. Despite my caution within 5 minutes I was digging through my bag to find my inhaler.

I tell you this in the hope that if you have pets in your home and you are generous and donate yarn to anyone...please give it with a warning. And pretty-please don't be offended if we decline your offer. It could be a matter of life and death to the person with the allergy.

And if, like me, you're allergic to things that could get into yarn or fiber be sure to ask if it's been in contact, no matter the amount of time, with your allergen.

I know you want to see some knitting...

another Bear Cowl

and a finished sock

and LittleDog in his new blankie

Thank you for reading my PSA. Have a great weekend. Be sure to check out the gathering of creativity at Wisdom Begins In Wonder and Natural Suburbia.

With a little encouragement...

I'm putting this post together. Thanks Vivian for giving me a push.

I think that since I post pics of the stuff I'm working on over on FB and Instagram that you'll all be tired of seeing my stuff. True? Please let me know if you still like to see it here.

Yesterday LittleDog had his dental cleaning and general maintenance. He's 8 yrs old now and the anesthesia makes me a bit nervous. He did great though and now has fresh breath again. It's nice while it lasts LOL.

He decided he needed to guard the pile-o-socks that was waiting to go in the laundry. Would you attempt to take a sock from this dog?

The Saint has been in recovery mode again. Ankle debridement this time. They removed some stuff that was floating around in there including the end of his tibia...owie!  Here he is, looking handsome in his hair net.

I've done a bunch of knitting...

Burton Bear Cowl

My new winter hat. My own design.

Chemo hat for my brother-in-law

Sock I'm currently working on.

I hope you're all getting some knitting done too. Thank you for stoping in to see what I'm up to

Be sure to check out the creative peeps at Wisdom begins in Wonder and Natural Suburbia.  Have a great week.

I've got some catching up to do...

whoa, it's been a while since I posted here. Seems as though Spinzilla must have killed me. No, not exactly, but it was a near death experience for my shoulder.

How've you all been? I need to get out and do some blog visiting this weekend. Judging by the weather forecast I should have plenty of time to do it. Rain on all this snow is going to make for some rough travel this weekend.

It was so much fun and I cannot believe how much spinning I got done, despite my slow start. I spun over 900 yds of singles in a week. All dark brown Corriedale from a sheep named Java.

I haven't spun much since then except with my Trindle. I love that little tool and it spins some pretty nice singles. I also did some Navajo ply on it last week and it was actually lots of fun.  Here's a pic of the finished yarn...the bigger skein is a 2 ply and the smaller one is Navajo plied which makes for a 3 ply. I like the 3 ply much better. What do you think?

It's been pretty busy here, with work and knitting and snow and ice, ugh. The Saint didn't let the snow and cold stop him from burning some meat for Christmas Eve...

I've been spending way too much time playing with this...

I have managed to get most of this sock finished...I'll be finishing the toe tonight, I hope.

We've been to a few basketball games to see the grandkids play, I knit a few gifts for friends and LittleDog has been working hard at getting enough sleep and keeping warm...

If you'd like to read about more creative folks hop on over to Wisdom Begins in Wonder where Andrea shares lots of other folks blogs for Fiber Arts Friday.

Sam wanted me to be sure and mention that after 3 months of coaxing he's finally sleeping on his new fangled dog bed.

It's great to be back again and I'll try not to be gone so long. Have a great week!