Errata!

I put this down to getting the call in the church parking lot after a Girl Scout meeting, but I got the ribbons wrong. I have since seen them for myself and here are the corrected places:





I did in fact ribbon on all the yarns, just only one red. I'm very proud of this array, though. I hope I will have more to choose from that I like next year and don't go into a frenzy right at the last minute! I do need to work more on laceweight (among other things) and will do so.


I would be interested in hearing anyone else's opinion of the Best in Show yarn. I will give mine privately if asked. What did you think?


Star's yarns were beautiful, as usual, and also won ribbons!


The knitting from handspun was small, hats, and both were nice, but I felt like I should have made more of an effort to get something in. This is the last year that I will not enter knitting from handspun. So there!


We've just returned from church camp and I will post some pictures from that tomorrow or the next day, but right now I'm exhausted. Let's all hope for a better week for democracy and some transparency somewhere. Let us try to bring the light of the world to shine on all over which we can have a good influence and take the time to listen to that still, small voice that helps us find our path to it.


Peace.

Two weeks is too long

Not to post. But, man, all this free time is just not leaving me any time to blog!

What I mean to say is, all this free time is a bit of a...crock? I have more time, yes, to do the stuff I was freaking out to do before. But it still gets used up and then where am I? The fact of the matter is we're all very busy and I'm pretty much doing things in a more relaxed way, but not doing all that much more, except the natural progression of things the kids do. DS is starting Cub Scouts. DD's homework takes longer. I'm going camping twice this month. I have almost finished DS's new sweater (and will finish it before camp). But I haven't done another dye run or finished up the first two ounces of the Kauni sock yarn.

Part of it, of course, is I'm trying to work more, which is both good and bad. And I am moving at a more leisurely pace, which is nice. Finding more peace within the day, instead of waiting (unsuccessfully) for it to find me.

So, anyway, photos soon of yarns and such.

Oh, the real news! All of my yarns ribboned at the fair!!! A very kind soul from camp called from the display and let me know what they were:

Going myself tomorrow so I KNOW there will be pictures!!

Peace.

Again, with feeling!

We're having a crisis, not a knitting crisis more's the pity, but an actual crisis. Health insurance may be going away because, get this...WE MAKE TOO MUCH MONEY. How that happened I will never understand. So I'm deep in the throes of trying to get paperwork together to show that although we made a bit more in the first half of 2006, we are back to the regular place now and have been for the past year and change. Please say a prayer. Having health coverage is the difference between being okay and not being okay. Poor I can handle. Poor with sick kids, not so much.

On the knitting front, I ripped the Wallaby sleeves. I was reading "Knitting in the Old Way" and it sure looks like the sleeves should be 50% of the body circumference. Body is 92 stitches. Sleeves were 32. Casting on this time at 40 for ribbing and increasing to 46 for stockinette. They did look awfully skinny. However, I am at the underarms on the body, pouch pocket done and everything, so it's not earth shattering.

Still spinning pseudo-Kauni sock singles. When I stop shaking, I will get back to it. And I'm going camping this weekend and teaching a spindling workshop. Will also bring the wheel and should have time to make some progress, I hope. Girl Scout camp with no children!!

Please, please send us good thoughts. It really should work out, but any help from anyone would be greatly appreciated!

Peace.

Six Long Years

I was going to repost last year's entry, but I don't feel that way now.

As depressing as the habitual capitulation of our leaders is and as depressing as the PR from Patraeus and Crocker has been yesterday and today, I have more hope than last year.

I have hope that oversight and transparency are coming back to our political process. That people are no longer willing to swallow the swill we are offered as truth which is only truthiness. That someday, perhaps someday soon, we will have responsible, adult people in charge of our country who know and care what America is truly about. Who care about the common good. Who are not filled with greed for money and power to the exclusion of all other commodities. Such as love, compassion, gratitude, grace. Things that are not tangible but are more important than stuff and cars and minions.

I have hope. And I remember.

Peace.

Good news!

Star has gone to the fair and brings the news that I won a blue ribbon on one of my yarns, woo-hoo!!

I won't make it there till the 21st so if anyone else goes, would you please let me know? If you're going to Needle Arts, I mean (as if anyone reading here wouldn't go see Needle Arts!).

That is my first blue ribbon on yarn rather than a knitted item and makes me feel all warm and happy inside. Wonder which one it was...

Have been watching the Patraeus hearing all day. Depressing. This is a faith-based war policy. We are hopeful, but have no actual evidence that staying will improve the situation. However, staying will definitely kill more Americans and Iraqi's, jerks. Perhaps it would be better not to waste those lives, eh?

Peace.

Finally with pictures! [UPDATED]

Well, a couple anyway.

Is anyone else out there getting the new AT&T U-verse cable stuff? Our poor (very nice) installation man was here from 10:30 a.m. to at least 5 p.m. putting it in and still couldn't figure out how to get my laptop working off the new router/modem thingie. They are sending a manger tomorrow...shall we pray together? UPDATE: New AT&T installaton manager came and fixed everything. We needed a newer wifi card for the newer encryption. I am back online!!

I am so addicted to having the laptop online (already) wherever I want it in the house, I can hardly stand not to keep fooling with it into the night. The only thing stopping me is the fact that I've already tried everything I know (which isn't all that much). Ho hum.

On a lighter note, some photos of children: DS jumping off the HIGH DIVE last weekend!!

First day of first grade (no, I didn't go out for bloody Marys but I would have...)

First day of third grade for DD. Looked at her picture from last year and it's not that different. Must be the squinting 'cause she sure looks older to me in person.

Finally put some more pix up in Ravelry this morning (got new batteries for the camera) and feel better about that. I haven't been lurking there as much. It seems like having more time means I will fill it up with stuff other than sitting in front of the computer, who knew?

DS's Wallaby sleeves are at about 9 inches and I'm on the ribbing of the 2nd (4th) Bellatrix sock. Trying oh so very hard not to cast on anything new and today I started spinning the self striping Kauni-type sock yarns. Will start blogging that project on Monday, most likely, as we have our first Junior Girl Scout meeting tomorrow and that will take it out of me.

This is very rambling and I am very tired. More later. Hope yours are having a good time at school!

Peace.

Time enough for...

Dyeing, knitting, thinking, reading, mixing, cooking, napping...

but apparently not blogging. As soon as I get some batteries for the camera!

I am more than half done with the sleeves on the Wallaby already (at 3 spi it's going quickly, yay!

Haven't worked much on the 2nd Bellatrix socks as it's generally too hot to knit. However, it did cool down to tolerable today, hence the sleevage.

Did a dye run of samples for the Kauni spinning and as soon as I have enough energy to sit down and spin them, I will do some sock yarns to play with. The light indigo, orange and red need tweaking. Love the blue, green, gold and violet, though. No pictures (no batteries, remember).

In non-fibery news, friends and I are reconstituting an Andrew Sisters type group for a gig on the 30th and I will be doing a (maybe French art song, maybe Brahms) short recital in January, very exciting and not too stressful that far away.

We had fun camping out in A&M's back yard last weekend, regardless of the mosquito that made it into the tent (and ate the children but not me!). Thanks to our lovely hosts for all the fun and food!

We are gradually getting back into our routine, but I must make the blog part of it. Perhaps Monday, Wednesay, Friday or something. I'm just having so much fun having some time off, I've been taking it rather than filling it up. Hope your September is going well so far!

Peace.