SO EXCITED...

I'm so excited...my KTE package arrived! I'd been wondering since she last contacted me to say my package was on the way...."from very far away"! This is where I needed Bobbi's sleuthing to help me figure out who she was, but then again~I love surprises...so I remained patient!

Here's the contents of the mailer...from New Zealand!!




She did an EXCELLENT job of treating!! "Yarn" magazine~which I've been wanting to get my hands on for some time, Regia sock yarn~in the most perfect color, a HANDMADE necklace in my favorite color~that my daughter wanted but NO...it's MINE--I put it on immediately! I love getting things that are "native" to an area...so my pampering and sweet treats came from NZ and Australia! Kiwi candy~LOVE kiwi fruit, Feijoa fruit chocolate bar~yum-yum, she said customs wouldn't let her send me the actual fruit...darn it! A Dragon Flower Ball...blooming tea, from Australia~I can't wait to use it but then again I want to keep it too! Not to worry, I'll have to see what it looks like! AND....Living Nature pampering goodies...ALL NATURAL body wash, lotion, eye gel & mask~which I'll have to hide from DD! Pal...you REALLY outdid yourself!!
The interesting part about her is she's Irish but traveling with her hubby in NZ during 2007! Go on over and check her blog out, I've only briefly looked but I'll be reading up on her...I hope to meet you when I come to Scotland/Ireland in June 2008!
THANK YOU--THANK YOU--THANK YOU!! I hope your pal is as good to you as you were to me! I look forward to getting to know you better!!
Yet again...having a blog has put me in touch with so many great new friends!

Keep on Knittin' & Spinnin'!!

Miss Me???

I'm back....prepare yourselves~lots of pictures! But I will spare you some misery and put them into a couple posts!!
The weather wasn't the greatest, but when it rains...you knit! or sleep!! Friday it sprinkled after we set up, which is always a good thing. Saturday we left early for the Fort Frederick event and left just before the rains set in...boy the skies were threatening, but no storms hit us...just showers.




Here's a picture just after we set up~~








And here I am in my camping paradise! See, I have everything necessary to keep me quiet...for a little while~~at least until I run out of fiber and finish my knitting!
(enlarge it if you need a description)







And sunset on Friday night...pretty huh?
I have lots to show you, so check back with me for a pirate, purchases, yarn shop reviews and half a FO!

Keep on Knittin' & Spinnin'!!

Tis the Season....

See ya on Sunday!!

Keep on Knittin' & Spinnin'!!!!

Times Past and Past Times...

Another day spent in the past....and a new knitter is born!

This is a shot along the Blue Ridge Parkway...and sort of a 'Bridge to the Past'! The last stone overpass before you pass through arrive at entrance to Explore Park...a portal so to speak.





I enter the park *backwards* because I'm going straight to the 19th century....
This is what you see as you round the corner--The Hofauger Homestead! My living history playground! If you are in the area this weekend it's their big Appalachian Folk Festival, lots of entertainment...even dulcimer music at this site.
No....I'm not headlining! I'm surprised Kimberly hasn't told me I'm hopeless yet! Ben Seymour will be playing.


But in exchange for dulcimer lessons, I'm giving knitting lessons!

A Knitter is born!!

This is my buddy Sherry, she just cast on her first stitches...isn't she just beaming!!










And here she is with her first few rows! Yep...she's gonna be a knitter! Planning future projects already!





Of course, she's gonna hate me but I caught Kimberly while she was talking but her shawl is gorgeous! She's making it from her own handspun...some grey fox she purchased several years ago...and it's amazing!
By the way...she's the *spinner enabler* who started me on the path I'm on today, including being a living historian! I bartered with her for my first spinning wheel!

No pics of me this week!!!!

Keep on Knittin' & Spinnin'!!!

Tranquility Space…

Okay, so you all know me better than I thought…even if I did leave you a very obvious clue in yesterday’s picture!

I (as well as most of my neighbors) spent all of Saturday cleaning house and working in the yard just so I could spend my Sunday doing what I wanted to do!

Spinning calms me, it’s almost hypnotic…
Come with me…as I take you to my tranquil…spinning…knitting space ~~ the weather has finally turned for the better, it’s warm…the birds are singing (with an occasion territorial squabble-I have lots of birds houses)…hear the gentle trickle of the waterfall in the pond—see the fish begging for their breakfast…the gentle breeze brings my wind chime to life…hubby is tuning his latest flute creation...

THEN…

The abrasive sound of a lawn mower—like fingernails down a chalkboard! The ONE neighbor who didn’t mow on Saturday…JEEZ!
Not to worry...I patiently waited him out, I knew he would either run out of gas--or grass!! At any rate, I had a GREAT day of spinning!






Here’s hubby hard at work…



Keep on Knittin’ & Spinnin’!!

Earth Day 2007

Hope everyone has had a peaceful Earth Day...

Can you guess what I did today??

Keep on Knittin' & Spinnin'!!!

On the Road to Healing...

Orange and Maroon Effect....
As many of you are already aware today was "Hokie Hope" day, a nationwide effort to band together as one. Salem attempted something today that was pretty amazing, on one days planning I might add. At noon the City's bell rang out 32 times for each victim of Monday's tragedy and those who assembled joined hands to make a human chain of support for Virginia Tech. A pretty amazing event...and I forgot to take my camera! If I find any pics on the web or links to it I'll pass them along your way.


On Monday I was just getting ready to post a surprise my buddy Krafty1 "popped" on me in an effort to relieve me of my "virginal" state...but Nikki beat her to it just a few days prior. But as you can see I've been side tracked from knit blogging this week.
More STR has been showered upon me...this colorway is called....are you ready?
Henpecked!! With the help of Krafty1 I hope we can come up with an appropriate "chicken footed" pattern! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!

I'm still plugging right along on my Civil War Shawl, toe socks and baby blanket...and of course, playing with my fiber!

I'm getting ready to mail out my Knitters Treat Exchange package...I'm just waiting on one item to arrive before I ship it! My pal and I have much in common yet live very, very far away from each other!


On Wednesday to escape watching the news and to generally get my mind off current events I visited the 19th century at Virginia's Explore Park...and getting a few dulcimer playing lessons while giving some knitting lessons!
I must learn to rub my head and pat my stomach at the same time because strumming the dulcimer is coming very hard for me! See my concentration??
GourdonGirl...my shawl is perfect!!


The weather has turned for the better...so I must go enjoy it as much as I can! Who knows when it might snow again!!

Have a GREAT weekend!

Keep on Knittin' & Spinnin'

Hoos with Heavy Hearts...

My son's girlfriend sent this today...it's on the UVA student website...here's the letter that was also written...

As I'm sure everyone knows I'm a WaHoo...and for those who have no idea what that is...I'm a UVA fan (2 major State Universities in VA)...rivalry set aside I'm feeling the TOTAL sense of community here. I have many friends who either are alum, their children attend-even my cousin's daughter (who's having a very rough freshman year), I have friends who are on staff and my daughter has friends she graduated with who are in their freshman year....Sure, during football season the air gets very thick with the BIG STATE rivalry...but we've all come together to support the families, friends and students experiencing this tragedy first hand.

Check out this cartoon....

Some of the State Universities mascots are consoling the Hokie Bird.

Remember my Clapotis? Well, it's finished and little did I know that I would become a prayer shawl...as I finished it each and every stitch a prayer or thought went out to ALL those who have been so changed by these recent events.

I would love to write more but blogging just doesn't seem so important at the moment...I do have some other things to share but feel that I need to sign off and change my salutation to....

Keep on Prayin'!!!!!

Tragic Monday...Part 2!

Okay...so everyone knows about the tragedy at Virginia Tech today. I live a mere 25 miles from this campus...and my city is a College town, Roanoke College is right here with in shouting distance...this could happen here or anywhere for that fact! I've watched the news all day....yeah, just like a train wreck--stupid me I couldn't stop watching. I know people who are on staff and plenty of my daughters graduating class are freshmen there. But I'm angry right now, not only because of what happened but because the National media is doing it again! Pointing fingers and forgetting about the families who are grieving their losses. If you watch the reports you'll see what I'm talking about....
Come on Katie (and all others) hind sight is 20/20...point your fingers and ask your questions at an appropriate time. Don't make the families feel worse. Yeah-yeah, we know there's going to be plenty of lawsuits out of this...You can't control or predict what crazy people are going to do!!!
BUT THESE FAMILIES ARE GRIEVING!!

Sorry...please forgive my rant...I've gotta go knit for a while!

Tragic Monday...

You know how much I hate Mondays....

Today's a TRAGIC and Deadly one here!

Read this article.

My cousin's daughter is safe! I do wonder about a couple of my spinning friends who are professors!

Keep these families in your prayers!

Sedalia~~2007!!

Another year and we awoke to basically the same weather as last years event! Rain-Rain and more Rain! At least it was NOTHING like Mudfest! Funny thing though...we arrived early...while it was raining. The event was due to start at 10am--at just about 10am...it stopped raining!! But it was still chilly!
We kinda sat around in the parking lot (since we arrived so early), I hate going through peoples stuff while they are trying to set up! While waiting I met my first blogger....Dianne rolled in with a couple of her friends and parked beside us. Then promptly ran into Nikki! So, Hubby aka-Official Photographer and I decided to go ahead and poke around (find a bathroom), at least get under the pavilion for a while!

I could give you a minute by minute update on the goings on but I think I'll spare you. I did arrive with my shopping list in hand, I was able to check off all but one item, but that's okay. I made myself a promise that I WOULD NOT buy any fiber...since I have plenty to keep me busy, and I kept that promise! I did come home with some fiber...angora! But I didn't buy it! I won it as a prize for my handspun yarn I entered at Mudfest/Montpelier last October.

I did see a lot of my Blog Buddies; Dianne, Nikki, Robin, Mary, Emmy, Tanya, Sallee, Pam...and the blogless ones Nancy, Pam, Linda, Michelle, Laura, RaeJean, Debbie and Rae...please forgive me if I've left off someone, remember from my previous post that I go brain dead around yarn/fiber! I heard Krista was there but I didn't see her (sorry, I really wanted to meet you).

When we arrived I really felt sorry for the animals and their handlers. I'm so glad that it did clear off...for all of us!







There were Alpaca's...













Lambs...










and...
Shearing Demo's.

It's truly amazing how these sheep just become ragdolls while being sheared...if I were this one I'd be running to keep my coat because it was so chilly! But like the shearer said..."he hasn't missed too many meals, there's plenty to keep him warm!" In case you were wondering, this is a Suffolk breed.









Wanna see what I bought?





Not all is for me...but notice I bought sock yarn! Yeah...I need more sock yarn like I need a hole in my head!

When I got home see what was in the mail....yipee!! No silly....not the sheep~~THE YARN!
Talk about fast service!

Mary...this is for you---

The larger sheep are in the previous picture! Think I have enough?

Keep on Knittin' & Spinnin'!!!!

Ask and Ye Shall Receive....

THANKS TO ALL THE POSITIVE VIBES!

The skein of yarn I need to finish Clapotis has been found! Next time you are in Gettysburg, PA...stop in at The Mannings! GREAT people to deal with...their customer service, class schedule and stock are TOPS!

Whew....back to your regular scheduled knitting....

Keep on Knittin' & Spinnin'!!!

Houston....We Have A Problem!!!

Here's Clapotis....


Pretty~huh?

Take a look at the pattern for it on Knitty....I printed my copy a couple years ago...and bought the yarn! Apparently they've corrected the amount of yarn...AND DIDN'T CALL TO TELL ME!

Here's all the yarn I have left!

Oh...I bought enough, or so I thought!

Now...because Wool in the Woods are pretty much limited edition colors (not all of them but I can understand when a color sells out)...the yarn shop doesn't have this color listed on their color card!

Let the search begin...

Anybody out there have Wool in the Woods~Ladera in the color Rainforest? I only need 1 skein!!

Oh me...

I guess I'll get on some of my other knitting!

Keep on Knittin' & Spinnin'!!

No Longer A Virgin!!!

As promised yesterday...Fibery Good News to share!

Remember when I was trying...and trying....and trying to win that STR (Socks That Rock) yarn and relinquish my virginal state of never having knit with this mysterious yarn? Well...I now have some! Back in January my knitting buddy Nikki had a contest...well, one thing and another kept me from Knit Night until last Thursday. She arrived with a goody bag for me, which not only held my prize but a toy for Ace...unintentional, of course. The mylar wrapping paper gained his complete fascination!

The little lamby is to add to my rapidly growing collection of sheepies!

I LOVE this yarn...and this color is fantastic!

We think he's trying to get at the "kitty" in the paper!
He can make a toy out of anything!! Have you seen his rubber roach? Yeah...it freaks everyone out when they see it. Even I have high stepped it early in the morning when I'm still half asleep!

AND....

On our trip this weekend I managed to stop by TYL while traveling back through Richmond! You know....I love going to yarn shops but I go TOTALLY brain dead once I walk through the door! I forget the items I'm looking for....I fall into a trance while fondling the yarns...Please tell me I'm normal! I've been reading on their blog about all the new yarns coming in! And knowing that Sedalia (GourdonGirl I have you on my shopping list) is coming up on this Saturday I had to reduce my purchase....greatly! I could only choose one yarn to buy...


So I bought Blue Sky Cotton...and the color?! Yep, you guessed it~Turquoise!
And before you ask, I have no idea what I'm going to make with it yet....just had to have it!

The little lamb I found at Barnes and Noble...cutie huh? Another addition to the collection.

Knitters Treat Exchange has started, I received my match ups! This is going to be so much fun...no suspense, well a little but it doesn't go on for months. A one time exchange at which time we reveal our identities to each other.

I hate Mondays....means going back to work! With all the traveling we did I don't feel like I stopped long enough to sleep!

Keep on Knittin' & Spinnin'!!!!

Happy Easter!

Happy Resurrection Day!!



John 11:25~~

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies;

and

John 3:16....everyone should know this one! (click on the scripture if you need a refresher)



Yeah...I'm back!! What an amazing "splash" of weather we are having! I have a lot to blog about but very little time, so I will tell you about my trip today but come back because I have some goodies to show you...


I swear I think Krafty1 has put it on me for all my flower pictures! She posted about the snow up north, well...guess what!


You guessed it! We got up Saturday morning to this...
(even though the river here is about 5 miles wide you can't see very far off the island)
It doesn't look like it from this shot, but the snow was blowing sideways and hard!


We had a great visit...just a long trip for just a short time!

I need some help with one of my BIL's anyone need a date? The other BIL thinks that since I was so successful with my friends BS & SP that I should be able to do it again! Rigghhhht!

These are the Osprey living near the island, now...in case you didn't know this they mate for life and return every year to their former nest to rebuild. Wonderful creatures to watch! In this case, their duck blind was taken by Hurricane Isabel and the small remainder of the structure was finished off by Hurricane Ernesto last year.


Are they fighting for the same pole or foreplay? BIL said they were "dating"...Hubby got a couple shots that would have some great captions or word bubbles to add! Nothing is going on....yet! The would just sit this way until a gust of wind would knock the one on top off balance!

What is so amazing is the fact the wind was blowing at a constant 30 mph or so!

On Saturday morning she was looking at the nest as if to say "You want me to lay eggs THERE!" The nest was full of snow!

So...BIL told the story of watching them try to figure out where to build, they hung around and hung around, then on last Wed he came home to this...
This is the walkway that lead to the duck blind! Can you imagine what was going through their minds when they came back and but structure was gone??? BIL said that when Ernesto hit~all had left the nest (including the new babies).

This is the new house on the island...looks a lot different from the last picture I posted! Island Living Mahn!!

AnyHoo....gotta go do the dishes (YUCK)!

Keep on Knittin' & Spinnin"!!!!

Art on an Egg Shell...

I learned a new skill last night...Ukrainian Egg decorating or Pysanky! Not only are they beautiful...but just like spinning or knitting it's SO meditative and soothing!

Now my egg is from a "primitive" hand but I think with practice I could get much better!

Here are a couple views-front & side, it's really hard not to get the flash~flash on the egg...

Stop laughing....I know I draw like a 1st grader! I'll get better I promise. I screwed my instructions up from the *get go* so I free handed it...not bad?!

I came straight home and ordered me a kit! I believe Hubby will love doing this too! After all, he is the official egg decorator at Easter!

In his family they played a game called "Egg Popping"?! I have no history on this game so if anyone can offer any stories I would appreciate it.

I believe it's German in nature since his Grandfather who introduced the game every Easter was of German descent. Anyway, everyone takes one of their decorated (hard boiled...no cheating here) eggs, finds someone who's ready to play...you pop one end of their egg with yours the one that breaks is out of the game (if you really liked hard boiled eggs you could take each broken one as a prize). Hubby's grandfather was a master at this game he ALWAYS won! My family tried it one year...it just wasn't competitive enough...no one got hurt, unless that is if the winner was beaned by all the broken eggs! So we play full contact basketball...or baseball! Probably no games this year....gonna be cold!

Cold weather is returning and I'm VERY worried about my plants who's tender buds are probably going to freeze off. I have plastic and sheets at the ready for putting them to bed at night...keep your fingers crossed for me! My lilacs are blooming and since I can't really cover them I cut a bouquet for the kitchen.

Well, I'm off to get ready for Knit/Spin Night and pack for *The Trip*! At least my mind will be in a happy place for a while....

Keep on Knittin' & Spinnin'!!!!

Opening Day 2007!!

HAPPY APRIL!
BASEBALL SEASON IS HERE!!! WaaHoo!! PLAY BALL!!
I let my son talk me into Fantasy Baseball, oh boy~~
Go Birds...okay, enough of that!

And I'm still here...my allergies are in high gear, today I've felt as though I'm recovering from a Benadryl hang-over~(everything seems to move in slow motion). I LOVE Spring but it doesn't love me!

I've been playing with my fiber so much...not much knitting to talk about. I had to *tink* back a few rows of my Civil War Shawl (what a pain in the rear) because there was an error I didn't "read" about....
*Tinking* lace sucks! Lifelines are a good thing but, why go back more rows than needed to fix the problem?!? Anyway...

Getting ready for "The Urbanna trip"...hoping to stop by The Yarn Lounge on my way through Richmond...we'll see! It'll be good to see my BIL's and maybe get some fishing in! My BIL lives on an island, yes, you heard me right...an island in the Rappahannock River! It's an oystershell island their grandfather created back in the 40's!

This picture is of the island as it sat prior to him building the house on it (2000)...what you see in the picture is the old office building (which was torn down before construction began), the oyster house was destroyed by Hurricane Hazel. Hurricane Isobel hit right after the completion of the new house...it survived however, the jetty is gone along with the old boat shed and both duck blinds.
Hurricane Isabel also was the end of the family business! Three generations...gone! I must say a waterman's life is a hard life! I've never known work that is so grueling as a waterman's...maybe it's because I a "landlubber" as I'm told!

Well...I've got some fiber calling to me...

Keep on Knittin' & Spinnin'!!!