Friday 23 April 2010

Multi-tasking

I think I am loosing my ability to Multi-task. I was putting Dear Jane blocks in my album when I ran out of pages so................
I head for the ROOM to get my other DJ binder. Going through the kitchen I notice Charlie wants out so I let him out and while I am at the door I notice the re-cycling needs to go out. I take the re-cycling out and am bugged again by the dryer lint
stuck to the steps................... go in get a knife ............... scrap the lint off the steps. ................Charlie and I go back in the house. I notice the dryer is not running but the washer is.................... now there are clothes in the dryer but not in the washer.....................the dirty laundry is in the laundry basket in the kitchen........I turn on the dryer........put the clothes in the washer ........................ go into the living room and sit down to write on my blog about this........... I STILL HAVEN'T GOTTEN TO THE ROOM FOR THE DEAR JANE BINDER

I THINK I AM LOOSING IT......................... I am going to get the Dear jane binder now.

Thursday 22 April 2010

Desert Mesa

Well I guess it is time that I told you about the Spinning Retreat. Gail was in Las Vegas so Sharon and I went on our own. Sharon's van needed a good run so she wanted to take it. Thursday I start to get ready. I am tired of looking at grey hair in my mirror so I colour my hair, then I see this "Chocolate Mask" that Margaret gave me so I try it out................ attractive or what??

Time to decide what to take................. if I take several different small projects of different colours I won't be so tempted to buy anything .............at leastthat is my theory............what to take....what to take. How about some orange fibre (merino and silk) , some green monkey fibre (BFL), the neutral topknot and my spindle with the grey fibre. That should be enough. I pack the little Louet S-45, niddy-noddy, ball winder, gift for exchange, gift for Sheila, gloves for Toni, pattern for Sheila, Don't have Sharon's Birthday present ready so it will have to wait until Knit Night. Clothes, pills , other stuff and I think I have everything ............oh yes don't forget the Hawkins Cheezies (the only kind)...........OH my green yarn I spun last time and the shawl I have started with it........ ALREADY
Friday morning 10:30ish Sharon arrives eating an "egg macmuffin". I start taking things out to the van and Charlie gets out. Bill is yelling for him to come back but he is ignoring Bill as usual. I tell Bill not to worry "Sharon has food". By the time we have everything out, Charlie has conned Sharon out of 1/4 of her Macmuffin and several dog biscuits. Innocent looking isn't he?

Time to hit the road , driving along , chatting, and I am knitting we totally miss the turn off for the Canyon and end up on the Cocahalla. We decide to take it to Merrit what the heck it's a nice day and we have time. Where the toll booths used to be we stop for a pee break and lunch. The day is sunny and warm, very nice for travelling. From Merrit we go to Logan lake and then to Aggisi andturn right to Cache Creek. Haul everything in, say hello to everyone and Oh OH I have a problem, Melody asks me to sit with her and then Lynn asks me to sit with her. Decisions, decisions....... I haven't seen Melody for Months and she did ask first. I will see Lynn again in June so I go sit with Melody and visit with Lynn later.
Well we spun and ate and laughed and spun and ate and laughed all day and part of the night. Did a lot of visiting and had a really great time. Sheila gave me this great sheepy note book and pen

Saturday we had "Show and Tell" ...................... OH MY GOSH but there are some very talented and skilled ladies in our group...
Saturday was the draw for this huge basket of goodies and Sharon won. Toni, my roommate went downstairs to get her and Sharon wouldn't beleive that she won. As Sharon went through the things in the basket she put aside the items that she already had or would not use. She had Donna draw more raffle tickets for these items. THEN SHE MADE ME SPEND ONE OF HER GIFT CERTIFICATES. What a sweetheart she is under that gruff exterior. So I came home with this haul.....................

The little package of knitting needles is from Lynn they are size 000000. Lynn also gave me some knitting magazines I didn't have. She is a very generous soul....
Saturday evening was the gift exchange and I got these goodies in a lovely bag.

To top it all off Toni gave me her "Sheep Tea Cozy" it is just too cute...... Toni is a weaver but has startedknitting what she calls small things. She has this book of Knitted Tea cozies and are the patterns ever cute....... makes me want to knit tea cozies.



Sunday , after lunch everyone packed up and headed home.......... who is coming in the fall again??? ...... who will be back next spring???? OH DEAR I forgot to memtion Julie came with her harp and played lovely music for us while we spun.
Ariived home safe and sound after a nice trip through the Canon.
Yesterday the post man brought me a lovely parcel from Sherri Harrison. We were swap partners in the wee tiny sock swap
and look at the haul I made....................




Well that's all for now folks. I am off to play with my new stuff.

Friday 9 April 2010

Shawl photos



When I went to Jackie's to quilt on Wednesday, Marilyn took photos of me wearing my shawl.
Quilting: I finished blocks one and two of the trangles BOM. had to leave at 3:00 so I could pick Miss Grumpie up from school.
Wednesday evening was Knitting at the Pool Hall only I didn't get much knitting done. I ended up frogging my socks as they were too big and I didn't have a lot of yarn. Now to start over and do them toe up so I know how long to make the leg.

Tuesday 6 April 2010

Yes I know

It has been a couple of weeks since I last wrote anything. Life is busy. There is the DGD I look after when her Mother works. Then I HAD to go to Fibre Fest but that was after the retirement lunch for one of my former co-workers., There was the GIRLS NIGHT sleep over at Lisa's where we drank Martinis and wine and generally visited. We didn't even eat very much junk food.
Last week was Springbreak for DGD and one day Jill, Shelby and I went to see "The Quilt of Belonging". If you ever have a chance to see it GO................................. the book doesn't do it justice ................ the vibrant colours , the exquisite workmanship. What an absolutely wonderful experience. Here is a link to the website so you can get an inkling of what I am talking about.
http://www.quiltofbelonging.ca/

This quilt is 120 feet (36 metres) by 10 feet (3 metres) with 263 individual patches. Words do just not describe it.

Then my income tax return came so we decided it was time for Charlie to have his eyes fixed. He has something they call "Cherry eye". The tear ducts come up above the lower lid and need to be stitched back in place............................. so I phone the Vet and book the surgery. Thery are going to clean his teeth at the same time. Saturday comes ............ da da da dah (scary music in case you didn't recognize it).............. off Charlie and I go to the Vet's for 12:30............................. I fill out the necessary forms, tearfully put Charlie in a kennel ................OH MY GOSH................... this is worse than when I had to go for surgery.......................... It is almost like taking one of your children in for surgery................ more kleenex on my way out. Have to do the shopping for tonight's dinner. John and Jackie are coming for dinner and we are doing a fondue at Johns's request. Half way through the afternoon the Vet's office phones ................ Charlie is fine........... okay I worry a little less but not much. His surgery is at 6:30. Okay I can handle this (worry, worry). John and Jackie have 5 dogs at the moment so they fully understand my worrying.
Dinner goes well, we have a good visit. About 8:30 the vet Phones ...................... the surgery is over and Charlie is fine....... I can come and get him in the morning. John and Jackie go home about 10:00. I worry some more before going to bed.
Next morning I phone the Vet ................... when can I get Charlie....................sbout 11:30. Okay drink coffee, have breakfast, worry a little, more coffee. At 11:00 I get dressed and head off to the Vet's.
AAAAAAUUUUUGGGGGGHhhhhh
Charlies looks awful................................. his eyes are red and it looks like the tear ducks protrude even more. I want to cry but Charlie is so happy to see me he is trying to jump up, trying to rub against me and making the funny little noises that mean where have you been and I am so glad you are back. The Vet says to his assistant:" Now I understand why she (meaning me) was so upset. He is such an affectionate dog."
There is a cone around Charlie's neck and he has had 4 teeth removed. One of them was abcessed so he is on antibiotics 2X a day and some cream for his eyes 4 times a day. The Vet said it would be three weeks before his eyes are back to normal as they had to do a lot of work. Apparently they made a pockets to stitch the tearducts into as just stitching them down was not going to work well. His eyes still look very red and sore and I want to cry when I see them but Charlie seems okay. Sleeping a little more than usual and very happy to have me put the cream on his eyes.

Sunday the family came for dinner and we had lots of food and a great visit. Cory and Aaron brought their dogs as I forgot to tell them about Charliebut it worked out okay. Aaron requested slippers so that is great. Now I have some one to make those felted clog slippers for.............. that is poor grammer.......... what is the correct way to say that.......Now I have someone for whom I can make those felted clog slippers.

Welll on a crafting note I have finished my "Luna Moth Shawl". Here it is drying. I used about 680 yards of fingering weight Shetland Wool. This is some of the wool I dyed during the Olympics using Wilton food dyes.



In 2 weeks it is the "Desert Mesa retreat" must finish that plying I have to do and figure out something for the gift exchange.
Two weeks after that is the quilting retreat. April is a busy month and now May and June are starting to fill up. Life is good..