Merry Christmas one and all...
Yes, I'm a few days late in posting this but as we all know the build up to the holidays leaves some things on the back burner!
Santa was very good to me, of course...I got things to promote my hobbies...a brand new spinning stool and a beautiful wooden swift (now Jack's arms are free to persue his hobbies..HaHa!). Being the Dallas Cowboy fan that I am I received a "Roger Staubach" jersey...#12!!, XM Radio, a book that we can use to enhance our travels, a beautiful sweater with matching turtleneck, Jack made me a beautiful salad tong set from Dogwood, there are many other things that are just as wonderful...there's just not enough time to list each and every one of them. I hope everyone else had their wishes and dreams come true. We have family coming in tomorrow, this is the first time since our wedding that they have been here. They've never come for this Christmas before so we are both really excited about this time with them.


Again...Merry Christmas to all and have a Happy New Year! I need to start thinking of my New Years resolution (besides losing weight).

Great Holiday Cartoon!

Our cat Ace would do this if he could!

Wristwarmers made from my own handspun North Ronaldsay wool. Now...these are for ME!!

Christmas is Coming! Christmas is Coming!

Okay...all completed Christmas gifts are being posted! I'm not naming who they are all for since family may see this!

I love this time of year. I love making gifts for those I care about. Some are easier to make for than others…the men in the family are a little more difficult, so I usually go ahead and buy for them. I’m still working on some gifts for those last minute…OOPS! I have so many things I want to make for myself…I need more time! Funny how work gets in the way of those important things in life.

Rant:

Yes, Christmas time is here and more and more I see the TRUE meaning of Christmas being removed from every aspect of the season. Here lately it’s the controversy of whether it’s a “Holiday tree” or a “Christmas Tree”. There are people out there who want to remove every shred of moral foundation out of this country.
Our country was founded on Religion, prayer and freedom. I don’t need to give a history lesson on why the Puritans left England. In recent years the prayer has been eliminated from our schools (which I understand the separation of Church & State BUT there should be a choice for children to make a choice to pray or not), the Ten Commandments have been removed from courthouses…now, they want to remove “In God We Trust” from being printed on our currency. What next remove all related words from The Constitution?
When I was a child (and I won’t say how long ago that was) my Grandparents pointed out the fact that on Christmas tree stands in order to make a “condensed” sign they would write “Xmas Trees For Sale” taking Christ out of Christmas.

My statement is: *****JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON*****

Wristwarmers made out of Peruvian Alpaca
Thanks to "Indigo Muse" for her pattern taken from the Irish Hiking Scarf design.

Felted Tote bag

Merino & Fluff Scarf

Red Hat Society purse

Felted purse

Maggie's Sweater design by Maggi Jackson...yes, I stated who this gift is for! I don't think my 3 year old niece is going to be on the internet.

Felted Clogs

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Giving Thanks....I'm so thankful for my wonderful husband, 3 beautiful children, 2 great step-daughters, and my family & friends and good health. Oh, and I can't forget my little buddy...Ace, our 13 year old cat...very spoiled cat I might add.

This is a time for family and togetherness BUT, (I bet you knew that was coming) there are certain family members who one just seems to not be able to get along with or does everything in their power to irritate the crap out of you, it would be hard for me to believe that there is one person out there who can say "I get along with everyone in my family!"
When we lost my beloved grandmother this past February my dream was for each individual "sept" of the family to do their own Thanksgiving...nope. There is that one who scopes out the free meal! I know, I know this is Thanksgiving and you are supposed to help the undepriviledged...believe me that is NOT the case here.
SO...I will have my knitting in hand, pun intended, while watching football (which she doesn't like) so as to ignore her.

I'm still working on my Christmas presents...getting closer and closer to getting them finished. It's probably the first time in my life that I have more than one project going at one time. In the past I have always tried to complete what is on the needles before I start another. This method is kind of fun...when you get tired or stuck on a particular pattern you can change to something else. My spinning has been a little ignored lately, I miss it too...another reason to get all these projects done.

Our trip to Asheville was wonderful. I found 4 knitting shops and bought yarn from all but 1, I have a personal protest that I make when I'm ignored upon entering a store. Now, I don't like getting mobbed and followed either but, it's a simple acknowledgement of my presence and wanting me to know that if I have any questions they will be available to help. I am this way because I used to work at a yarn shop that treated people this way, and I'm very proud of the fact that when I began working there I gave customer service! This yarn shop was started by 4 rich businessmen looking for a tax right off and a way to get their wives out of the house. So they would knit all day and could care less if someone came in or they sold a single skein of yarn. This yarn shop is still in business today and the only one in our town...I refuse to go there, I'll buy mailorder first.

Well, this is taking away from my knitting time so again...HAPPY THANKSGIVING...and Remember Our Troops!

Countdown to Christmas begins...

The countdown begins...I'm only counting in weeks for now...6 weeks...and my needles are going faster than I ever imagined! Last night for the first time in a couple of weeks I had to spend a little time with my spinning wheel, it was feeling a little neglected! We are getting ready to go out of town for a few days so I'm busy getting all my projects "ready for travel" making sure I'm not without something to work on AND of course, I've mentally marked all the fiber shops in the Asheville area! My books and camera will be along as well so I hope to have pictures posted later on.
It's very hard to believe how Christmas is pushed further and further ahead of Thanksgiving every year. My father plays Santa at the local mall and believe it or not he started a week ago! I can remember as a child it was the big thing to go the day after Christmas to see Santa ride in either on a helicopter, fire truck or horse carriage...now days it's no big thing. The day after Christmas is 'The Big Shopping Day' which I could do without. Having worked in retail before...it SUCKS! I won't even go near a mall for at least a week after Thanksgiving...my own way of boycotting. The sales don't get any worse...in fact, I have found some things at the same price or better than the "Day after Thanksgiving." The real meaning of Christmas has been forgotten, our societies values are crumbling.

And for more ranting...(just something I need to vent on)

For the most part children are not being taught values. My daughter works in a local retail store...a young lady she goes to school with was hired 2 weeks ago, she was fired Saturday for not showing up to work on 2 occassions. In my opinion this reflects on the fact that children are given everything these days and not taught to work for things they want. I was not given a car...nor has any of my children, they have had to buy their own...and you know what! They have appreciated that first car, so many of the kids these days will wreck their first car because "mommy & daddy will get them another one." I better quit while I'm ahead....Okay, enough of that rant!
Better get to knitting...

Colors of the Rainbow

Dyeing the Rainbow

Okay....finally some pictures of what my blog is all about! Yes, I'm "digitally impaired" I take photos the old fashioned way...film! I just picked up some of my pictures and this is the one I was hoping for.

Taken during the weekend of the Appalachain Folk Festival September 24 & 25th of this year at Virginia's Explore Park (http://www.explorepark.org). I put on a natural dyeing demonstration and learned a few things in the process...I always learn something when participating in these events. On Sunday Kimberly showed me the process of Indigo dyeing, which of course, I have never done. On Saturday I dyed using Osage Orange and Madder, then on Sunday I top dyed a few skeins with the indigo.

Fantastic Fall Weekend

I wanted to post this before I left on Friday but with all the preparations for our camping trip there was no time!! What a wonderful weekend! The weather was beautiful…the leaves were at peak color…the camping was perfect! I was able to get a lot of knitting (and reading) done, I wish I could be two people at once so I could do both at the same time. I found out just how out of shape I really am! We attempted a hike to Molly’s Knob in Hungry Mother State Park…well, we didn’t make it all the way. The direct hike was 1.8 miles and rated a HARD hike, so we decided to take a round about route giving ourselves time to work up to the HARD part. After hiking (me almost losing a lung in the process) the Moderate trail to the junction of the Molly’s Knob trail we found out there was a mile left! Oh well, we were able to get some great pictures along the way so it wasn’t all a loss.
So far I have finished a Maggi Knits sweater for my little 3 year old niece (pictures to come later after it’s sewn together), a mobius wrap, and 2 felted purses. I have a couple more felted purses left.
I have been reading about this recycled Sari Silk, so I bid on some on Ebay and won. It's beautiful I plan on making me a jacket out of it I just need to get past Christmas first. There are so many projects I want to knit...I just need to find the time to do more!

Till next time.....

Giving myself a pat on the back

I'm giving myself a pat on the back today...I went for my annual mammogram today!! For those women who have not done so or are "afraid" to go....Just Do It! I'm so glad I went last year, the technicians are so wonderful, warm and very understanding. They understand your fears and really go all out to make you comfortable (as they possibly can at that point). ANY woman can get breast cancer, family history has nothing to do with it and so many strides have been made to find a cure. This past Spring we had a scare...my mother had a biopsy on a "nodule" which was smaller than the head of a pin, amazing that they could find something so minute. It was nothing...Thank God! But the fact remains that if something that small can be found it can be cured!

Enough preaching...on to Knitting and Spinning! I'm currently working on Christmas gifts (knitting) the ladies in the family will be getting felted purses the guys...I'm not sure yet. In between I spin...I'm currently working on some Llanwenog I purchased at the Montpelier Fall Fiber Festival. This summer I finished up some beautiful Alpaca, chocolate brown...I know what I want to make out of it I just need to get past all the Christmas projects first. One thing I have started for myself, that I've had to put aside is the Oat Couture Celtic Cardigan, which I can't wait to get back to.

Well, the knitting is waiting....more later!

Julia on her first birthday...

Happy Birthday Julia!

My baby girl turns 18 today...boy, how time flies! The last of my babies! It's so hard to believe that it's been 18 years, what a lovely, sweet young lady.

All grown up!

Spinning with the Widow Baldwin

Martin's Station

Me & Jack at Martin's Station earlier this month.

And Away We Go...

Well, I never thought I would do this...but here goes! Stay tuned as I create this blog, adding pictures and information about me, my family and friends.

A little background on me...I learned all my "craftiness" at my precious Grandmother's knee. Today would have been her 81st Birthday, we lost her this past February and I miss her greatly! I learned to quilt at the age of 5, my great-grandmother taught me how to crochet at the age of 6, I learned to knit with pencils at the age of 8...I could continue on but I think you will get the picture! I've sewn for more than 30 years, it started out of necessity and became a business which I had to stop in the last year. Carpal tunnel has reared its ugly head. In all these years I have never given up my love of knitting, it's always been there and in the last 3 years I've learned to spin (yeah, one more hobby).
My husband and I are Living Historians, we've become time travelers, going from the 19th to 18th Century this past year. We frequently volunteer at Virginia's Explore Park (www.explorepark.org) where we split time between both centuries and now we've added Martin's Station in Ewing, Va. as one of our venues. I'll be posting pictures soon...stay tuned.
We love camping and photography...and watching sports together. I'm a very different sort...I tell people that I was my father's first son, 4 years later my brother came along, but they still couldn't get me into a dress! I love old cars...not just looking at them, but working on them too!

Well....the World Series is on and I'm going to miss something...not to mention this is taking time from my knitting!!!!

Stay tuned....More to come!!!