A Big Leap of Faith

I was notified late on Friday that I've been selected to be a vendor at the DFW Fiber Fest being held at the Irving Convention Center, March 28, 29, and 30, 2014.  Yup, that is right a three day show.  This is a huge step for me.  A somewhat scary step but a wonderful leap to my future.  And the added benefit?  WE ARE COMING BACK TO TEXAS!  smile...we haven't been "home" for two years so we are all overdue for our Texas fix.

I'm working out my spinning schedule in my head, I have seventeen weeks to spin.  When I'm not at work?  I'll be spinning.  When I'm not at one of the girls' events?  I'll be spinning.  When I'm not spinning?  I'll be knitting just a couple more samples.

I'm so happy to be given this opportunity.  I've worked really hard the last six months to build more time in my life for me.  This is me taking a leap into the unknown.  If anyone is near to Dallas/Fort Worth the end of March?  Come see me and help me celebrate!

I'm also going to commit to writing more, which frankly shouldn't be hard!  I'll try my best.  Stay tuned to pictures of the glorious yarns I'll be churning out to bring to Texas.

Being Nice

Of the many blogs I read, Mason Dixon Knitting is one of my consistent favorites.  And tonight I just read the latest installment.  About turning 50 and feeling liberated and becoming more frank.  And to stop trying to be liked all the time.  To stop being Nice.  Lord, that is me in a nut shell.  I've always tried to please, to be liked.  I've been in the middle of many a family dynamic, both growing up and now.  My 81 year old mom and I share a home with my two girls, 16 and 11.  Now isn't that an interesting dynamic right there!  Talk about being in the middle...between my girls and my mom I'm usually trying to negotiate family peace.  Sometimes with good success, other times, not so much.  And frankly it is exhausting.  At work I support a team of people so even there I'm helping other people. Which I'm usually good at.  But I'm to the point of wondering how much longer I can carry this load.  I love my girls.  I love my mom.  I won't go so far as to say I love my job, but it is a good job, I like it, I like the people I work with.  I'm just struggling with boundaries right now.  Trying to "make everyone happy."  While it may work for them?  This usually means I'm the one not so happy.  My mom is aging.  Brings more issues all the time.  My girls are growing and pushing their boundaries.  Nothing that isn't normal or common.  My girls are good and funny.  They are just teenagers (nothing you say will persuade me that my 11 year old is NOT a teenager yet, just ask her).  Just a tough combination at times.  I have been silent here more than not simply because I struggle to just keep up my happy face right now.  I'm a kind person and won't be cruel but man lately I've been short with people.  Some may call it being "frank"  I'm not sure what to call it.  But it isn't who I want to be.  Right now the only thing in my life that I feel any true sense of control is my spinning/knitting!  And even they try and push me around at times.  smile...I'm here.  Just trying to find a balance in my life right now that seems so out of reach.

Fast Summer

I swear summer has just flown this year.  It may have something to do with our long winter, little to no spring and a delayed summer, but I was so surprised that tomorrow is the first day of school activities.  Anna will get her class schedule tomorrow.  And that will show how our year will unfold for her.  Emily goes for her new orientation in a couple weeks as she transitions to middle school.  So we are busy with school stuff already.

I've set up a few yarn events for me this fall.  I'll be at Needlework Unlimited on September 21 for a free spinning demos.  I'll have some free samples of my handspun.  I really enjoy these spinning demos, I remember when I was thinking about getting a wheel, I would have given a lot to simply talk to someone who knew about spinning and to get to watch someone and ask questions?  Heaven!

In October, I'm heading back to Yarn Harbor on October 19 for a spinning demo there.  Again it will be a great day, I've got a nice group of knitters who enjoy my yarn.  Heading to Duluth for a day of fiber goodness is all good in my book.

And finally, I'm going to be a vendor at the Upper Midwest Fall Fiber Festival.  This is being held in Hopkins, MN on November 2 from 9-4.  It will be my first time as a vendor at this event and I'm looking forward to it. 

I finished a new sample last month, I knit the Biscuit Cowl, it is currently at Yarn Harbor.  It is long enough to double up or leave in a long loop.  Nice options.  It is knit from my handspun, Pink Lady.  It turned out very soft and snugly.  Something that will come in handy come winter.

If you are afraid of knitting lace, this may be the item to dip your toes into the lace pool.  It is a simple lace pattern and after completing it, you get to knit some mindless stockinette and garter stitch.  Lately mindless knitting is a must for me.  This had just enough pattern to entertain me yet not tax the remaining brain cells I have at the moment.

 

The next thing I decided to tackle is the Color Affection Shawl.  I started with some beautiful brown merino silk yarn I already had spun up.  This soft yarn came from roving I bought at Shepherds Harvest.  It was amazingly easy to spin. But then I needed two more colors.  Dipping into my fiber stash, I came up with a semi solid blue from All For Love of Yarn.  It too has a blend of merino and silk.  Finally add some luscious white silk blend from Shepherds Harvest and I found my Color Affection.  But since I wanted the white at the top, I had to get busy and spin.

 One week later, I spun both the white and blue and started knitting.  I'd like to have it finished in time for all my fall events, so that is the next challenge.  Find enough time to knit without impacting the spinning schedule.  Lovely problem to have. 

Thanks for reading, I know some people are still hanging around. I'll be back!

 

Spring? What Spring

OK, I'm a hardy midwestern woman.  I can shovel snow with the best of them.  I drive through sleet, rain, snow and ice (and I'm not affiliated with the post office in any way).  I even LIKE winter (most of the time).  I am a knitter after all and where better to knit than in a place where temps range from 100 in the summer (ok, not frequently, but still!) to a minus 40 in the winter.  I DO.  But this year?  Ya, winter lasted two months longer than last year (and I'm talking snow on the ground winter, not just a cold wet spring).  Spring?  well that has just decided to roll over and make way for summer.  But here we are, June 10 and we have had weeks of gray skies, fog, and rain.  Temps barely cracking the 50s.  ENOUGH I say.  sigh...they promised this week was going to be sunny and in the 80's, well I think they are lying!  Today was gray and gloomy yet again.  Finally at 5ish I saw the sun and the temps crawled into the 70's and I nearly wept for joy....maybe there is hope yet.

So enough of the weather report.  I brought a new sample to Lila and Claudine's this weekend, meet the Trellis Rose Shawlette. 

 It is a beautiful shawlette with the best border on it.  I used my handspun, Giselle for the body of the shawl and a no name brownish gray for the glorious border.  I also recently received a new shawl pin.  It is carved from a sea shell and is so pretty.  I found them at WC Mercantile, I emailed them, ordered two and they were shipped out so quickly.  If you are looking for unique shawl pins, check them out!

One of best things about this shawl was the knitting fairies were looking down kindly at me.  I did not manipulate my yarn in the body of the shawl at all, I simply started knitting from my skein and the gray of the main part of the shawl flew off the needles, when I started to transition to the edges, the reds, pinks and hints of brown slide through my fingers.  Once again, my yarn makes me look like a much better knitter than I truly am.  I'll take the luck!

 

 

Happy birthday emily!

Today my daughter is 11.  Her morning started with a gift from Anna.  What could be better than makeup for a newly minted 11 year old.  The glitter eye liner was a big hit.  Smile.  Toss in the afternoon and evening event of a family wedding and it is a jam packed day.

Yarnover

Another wonderful day at yarn over.  An early start and both girls chose to come.  They tend to come every other year. I think they forget how bored they get after a year so this was the year.  The day was great.  My table was full of yarn and roving.  My samples were all displayed.  Turns out the biggest hit was the lefties scarf.  The morning was crazy busy.  Lots of Ginny's roving sold and plenty of my yarn.  I laughed and talked with others who love yarn like me.  Thanks to all who bought my yarn as well as those who brought back beautiful items made from my yarn they bought from me in previous years.  Hope to see you all again soon.

Colors to dream of

I got a new phone so am playing with the options.  Makes posting a bit easier!