A Sheep In Wools' Clothing

Wooly Countries - Knitting Friendly

Soon, the bags will be packed, the passports clutched, and the flying will begin.  Touch down here for nine days.  We will be in the Orkney Islands, but not the Shetlands or Fair Isles.  Perhaps we can meet a North Ronaldsay sheep, though.  The question is, will DS1, DS2 & DS3 (Kille's brother Alpha, Kille's brother Beta and Kille's brother Gamma) get kilts?  Are there bagpipes soon to appear on my walls?  DD (Kille) and Kille's Brother Gamma are going with, or is it that I am going with them since I am one of the chaperones for this trip???

Spindling

As a Spunky Junky , some of this made it to Florida with me.  I opted against trying to take a wheel, and took spindles instead.  Easier to pack.  Enforced practice with the spindles, too.  With my wheels, I do less and less predrafting before spinn ing.  With the spindles, I find it absolutely necessary to do a lot of fiber prep before starting to spin.  My arms got quite the work out!  I can see why Stephanie  has a growing collection of spindles she picks up on her book tours as she forgets to pack one.  That way, she can keep up with Spinning Tuesdays while on the road....

Tornado Building

This building I didn't have time to set up a good shot without signs, window reflections, etc.  It is built to appear as though a tornado picked it up and dropped it upside down.  The dirt and upside down palm trees at the roofline, the upside down window adornments, the columns starting from the roof instead of ground, etc  Only in Florida or California would one see something like this.  Here in Maine, the poverty level and taxation rates dictate a much more practical approach to architecture....

I just returned from a conference for work in Orlando.  Not fun without kids or companion.  I missed Hero and the other dogs.  I missed my kids.  I missed my woods and even the snow.  It is good to be home.

Close Call

I've been in absentia this week - for a good reason.  My dearest canine, Hero, my faithful companion, protector and friend, decided to open my bedroom door (it was completely closed), and helped himself to almost a full bottle of Duramax, a Cox-inhibitor drug for his arthritis.

The problem with his little snack is that Cox inhibitors can cause renal failure, liver problems, and/or gastric perforation.  So, my dear Hero had to spend two nights at the vet's.  That really translates to spending nights at the emergency vet and spending days at his regular vet's.  Most of the transport was done by us, but one night when I was working, the vet's office had to do the transport.

Hero's Houdini act didn't stop at home.  While at the vet's they discovered he could let himself out of their cages and tour the back rooms of the clinic.

Much worry has transpired, but Hero thus far is okay.  He did vomit a bit of blood, but that has resolved.  His renal functions are normal and his follow up labs are tomorrow.  In the meanwhile, he gets a soft, bland canned dog food diet, Pepcid AC and Carafate for his stomach.  And lots of belly rubs!  When he came home, he slept the entire first night on my bed.  Usually, he starts there, but spends probably 90% of the night on the floor or in his crate next to my bed. 

Hero's vet's office staff seemed to be impressed with him and his training.  He is a Dutch import, and was well trained by Ron Markley of Camelot K-9 Academy in Colorado for personal protection for me.

Spunky Addiction

I've received the latest installment of the Spunky Junky addiction dose.  It is February's Fiber Club and Sock Club mailings..... the colorway is called "Forecast" and it does appear that mud, snow and intermittent blue skies are in Maine's forecast as we gear up for mud season in April.  I'm not sure if that is what Amy intended, but it seems appropriate for our climate.

And the extra bit of knitting equipment this time I had requested is a row counter, handmade by
Amy herself (this woman puts the rest of us non-muggles to shame - she knits, spins, dyes, cooks from scratch, sews, is a potter, home schools her DD AND makes row counters!).  And yes, I did pick up my Spunky Junky pin at SPA while playing with her fiber and spindles!

Like most people, I took a lesson on a drop spindle and never figured out drafting, and got the over-twisted thick and thin stuff most of us do at first.  Then I lounged around for years thinking about it, but not knowing if I'd really like it enough to make the investment in a wheel.  I didn't bond with the spindle well, but now I realize it was because I didn't grasp the concept of drafting it out.  Nor did I recognize that each spindle will dictate to us what sort of fiber it wants to spin - too thick a yarn, and it will backspin.  Too thin a yarn and the fiber will break under the weight of the spindle.  So, I eventually turned to the wheel and "got" "IT."

And so, now about 18 months into spinning on a wheel, I am backtracking and learning how to spindle because I was suddenly driven to add that bit to my knowledge bank of spinning.  This time around, it seemed easy, but then this time I also knew drafting.  And so, I am playing with my new spindles I acquired at SPA and some more of Amy's fiber, and having fun.  Now I need yet another clone of me - one for wheel spinning, one for spindling, one for knitting, one for working to support the fiber habit, one for mothering the residual offspring, and one of me to sleep and clean and cook and all that other junk of life.

We Call Them Pirates

I have had requests from three offspring, a DIL and a grandson to make Adrian's  We Call Them Pirates hats.  Fortunately for me, I have an abundant wonderful stash of Dale Heilo yarn which is perfect for making caps and mittens, made warmer with two-color knitting.  In this case, I made the hem using Big Sky Alpaca's silk and alpaca blend yarn in a wonderful blood red color.  It received a resounding stamp of approval from Kille's Brother Alpha (DS#1), who actually consented to model it (with just a slight amount of prodding).

Specifics:
Pattern:  We Call Them Pirates, Hello Yarn
Yarn:  Dale of Norway Heilo, black and white
Needles:  Knit Picks circulars, Size 2 and 0

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