Time to Pick Up the Pace

It has been said the time it takes to complete a project will expand to fit the time allotted for it. Around here it seems, projects just expand and multiply. All of a sudden I find myself busy. Really busy. Again.

I signed up for the Mystery Stole 4 KAL. Since I convinced a couple beginning knitters to sign up as well, I feel I need to work on the project myself. That is the only way I will know enough to help someone else if need be. I cast on and worked my foundation rows on Saturday and started knitting the stole Sunday evening.



I really like the pattern so far and hope it will remain intricate. We are going to be knitting 2 sides exactly the same and joining them together in the middle. I've been knitting 2 socks at the same time on 2 sets of circular needles for some time now and decided to do the same for the 2 stole ends (though I only need one set of circular needles). If I can keep my yarn from becoming hopelessly tangled, it will be nice to finish both sides at the same time.

Before starting the MS4, I finished up the heart socks I started last year and then ripped out and started again a few weeks ago.



I like the socks. The yarn however, remained a problem throughout the knitting. I found it broken every few yards throughout the skein and so both socks have multiple joins. I really hope the socks don't disintegrate in my drawer, or worse, on my feet one day. I've never seen yarn so bad before and really don't have a clue what could have happened.

In the meantime, my brother David started his 3rd semester in bible college. Last semester he studied in Israel. This semester he is in Germany. It turns out Germany is cold. Very cold. He will be riding a bicycle the mile to school and back every day this semester. Not only is David 20 years younger than me making him young indeed to my mind, but he is from southern Nevada where it doesn't get cold. At least not cold like Germany. Apparently, it is already getting cold in Germany. And it rains a great deal. Of course the combination of young and from the south has me convinced my brother cannot be properly prepared for the German weather.

Needless to say, I have started knitting the contents of a care package for David. My plan is to make as much as possible in the month of September and then send it off in October in time for the really cold weather.



I started working on a watch cap for David yesterday while we drove back and forth to Fairhope. I'd like to finish this one, a size large, and then make another in the next size up, just in case. If possible, I'd like to knit a pair of fingerless gloves too. Of course since I have been trying to justify starting up another weaving project despite our impending move, I figure I must weave a scarf for my brother too. And I found the perfect pattern since my brother is attending the Calvary Chapel Bible College. It is a modified twill pattern available for free at Heritage Yarns called "Calvary." I love it! I'm hoping to do my figuring in the next day or two and then wind my warp.

And speaking about weaving, while I have been plotting and planning all the new weaving projects I am going to do now that I've gotten started, look at what turned up in the mail a couple of days ago.



A couple of beautiful skeins of Serenity yarn hand painted in the Gulf Breeze Sunrise colorway! It is so beautiful! I've set the yarn on a table in the living room where I can gaze at it for inspiration. Honestly, I don't know how I'm going to manage all of the housekeeping required by the fact our house is up for sale with so much beauty before me.

I'm still spinning on occasion, though not as much as I had been. Right now I am working on the prettiest fiber.



I'm thinking this would make some great socks. I just LOVE these colors! This lovely fiber arrived mysteriously in the mail about a year ago from Denise, one of my Christian Artisan friends. I think she dyed this fiber herself. Very impressive.

I am not the only creative one in my family. Gregory has been back to his weaving and Gabrielle has learned to sew. With a little guidance from me, Gabrielle made her first skirt.



She really did a great job. Gabrielle had been hand sewing for awhile and doing a good job. So we started talking about a sewing machine. Gabrielle had some money saved and we put in the money we had set aside for her Christmas present and the Lord provided a GREAT deal on a used Bernina.



Within a couple of days Gabrielle mastered the use of her sewing machine. A little over a week ago we stumbled upon a 75% off sale on fabric at our local Wal-Mart (they will no longer be carrying fabric). Gabrielle stocked up on fabric. She bought enough to make at least 7 skirts and other things for only $15. What a blessing! I've promised to help walk her through her first few projects. It would be great if Gabrielle could eventually help make her own clothes.

This morning, I found a lovely surprise from Theresa.



I've not done one of these before and it was very difficult to narrow down my choice to 4 of all my favorites. But first, here are the rules:

1. Post this award on your blog.
2. Add a link to the person who awarded you.
3. Nominate at least 4 other bloggers, and add their links as well.
4. leave a comment at the new recipients' blogs, so they can pass it on.

I decided to choose blogs from among my favorites that are newer or outside of the mainline knitting and spinning circles. Here is my list in no particular order:

1. Ginny's Blog
2. Margaret's Blog
3. Loztnausten
4. Tabitha's Blog

I hope others will discover these blogs and enjoy them as I do.

Spinning and Waiting

Spinning gives peace and relaxation. Everyone says so. So while I am waiting for our house to sell, I figure spinning will help.



I resumed spinning some fiber I received in a Christian Artisans exchange long ago. I spun one bobbin of "frog hair" and never spun the second. It has been a couple of years so the time has come. This seems like a nice, long term project and I don't know how long this waiting for the house to sell phase of my life might last.

And when I say waiting for the house to sell, I mean waiting for the telephone to ring with news that someone wants to LOOK at my house. The housing market is slow right now. Really slow. We're going to need a miracle.

Speaking of miracles, I got my Wyatt Pegasus miracle. Apparently, Federal Express destroyed the mailing tube containing the parts to my spinning wheel. They eventually found the contents of the box and taped them into the remaining part of the mailing tube and forwarded it to me. The box was a wreck, but Mr. Wyatt knows how to pack and the parts survived. My Pegasus is up and spinning once again.



And since no one has bothered to look at our house so far, I went ahead and moved my Pegasus right into the middle of my living room where I can spin on it daily. When a buyer comes around, I might move it back to its place in the dining room. It depends on how long it takes for a buyer to come around. The way things appear, I might be too old to move it then. But then, the Lord is in control and Jesus has impeccable timing. That has been a recurrent theme in my bible study lately. It must be a lesson I need to learn. Waiting is not one of my strong qualities, unless we are talking about the kind of waiting one does in front of a microwave. And even that can be too slow for me most of the time. . .

I finished the silk I was spinning on my Journey Wheel.



I love Silk Worker silk. I got the urge to try some Navajo plying again. It started badly, but ended up better than normal in the long run. I usually over ply using this method. This time the skein looks good. Well, after I got rid of the first couple yards it does.

I have actually been knitting. On the same pair of socks I started back in December or there-about.



I don't know why some projects languish. These are a gift so enough said. I'm hoping to get them finished soon. At least before 2008 ends.

Lately I have been an equal opportunity procrastinator. I started an Easter dress for Gabrielle a couple weeks before Easter. It is still not finished.



I actually worked on it yesterday though. I got the sleeves done. All I have left is the skirt and the zipper. (I like zippers, even on heirloom dresses. They are so much easier to use.) Gabrielle probably won't like this style of dress too much longer so I need to get it done before she outgrows the idea. I'm just not sure what I want to do with the skirt. Gabrielle said to make it plain and be done already, but I'm thinking of scalloped puffing and a ruffle. And some embroidery. What to do, what to do. . .

After letting the garden go to weeds while I did the pre-market house cleaning, I finally got back into the garden to deal with weeds. I also picked some pink eye purple hull peas.



I love these things. I'm experimenting with drying the peas this year so I can store them in my pantry rather than my freezer. I need to store what I can in the pantry so I have room for the turkeys rapidly growing in our second coop.

Since things are going a bit slow on the house sale end of things, I got some chipped and shredded brush from the power company and am going to till that into my garden soil to improve it. And I am thinking about planting a Fall garden if I am still here. I just love fresh produce too much to wait until after we move, especially if this is going to take awhile.