Tag, I'm It

I recently got tagged for a meme by the lovely Sharon of Stitchjones so here is all the pertinent info. 

1)  What was I doing 10 years ago?

I was living in Tujunga, CA, working as a full-time temp for the Kaiser Permanente Sales Dept, taking a Two-Dimensional Design class at Pasadena City College, and participating in the Without Alarm II Art Exhibit which was held in the empty Los Angeles City Jail (also used for a myriad of TV shows and movies).   Oh, and not to be left out:  nursing my poor little Jack Russell Terrier back to health after being attacked quite badly by another neighborhood dog.  All while the Incredible Digit Husband (then boyfriend) and I were getting ready for our imminent move to Oregon.  

2)  What are five things on my to-do list today?  (no particular order)

1.  Pick up a classmate of the Incredible Digit Boy and take both to their preschool class. 

2.  Look for a coffee table for the living room. 

3.  Make and drink very strong coffee.

4.  Shower - because my hair looks like a Nick Nolte mug shot.

5.  Say a prayer for a dear friends grandmother who has been diagnosed with uterine cancer (join me if you like).

3)  Snacks I enjoy?

Punschrullar - a Swedish Apricot Marzipan confection available at your local Ikea

Pan Dulce - Mexican sweet bread available at Su Casa Imports or Grande Foods both in Hillsboro

Any kind of dark chocolate but especially with an orange flavor added

Any kind of cake - I'm not choosy

4)  Things I would do if I was a billionaire?

Buy a house for my mom so she could stop renting.  

Set up college funds for my niece and four nephews.  

Donate large sums of money to art programs for homeless/low income children and teens.

Buy and customize a large studio/workroom for all my craft stuff.  It would by my office :-).

5)  Five places that I have lived (besides Oregon)?

Exeter, New Hampshire; Yuma, Arizona; Paramount, California; Eagle Rock, California; Long Beach, California.

Family Fun Time

We have been having some very warm, summer-like weather and decided that a little family adventure was in order.  The Incredible Digit Husband suggested that we have lunch at BlueFin Sushi near Portland State Univ. in downtown PDX.  This a "conveyor" style sushi restaurant and Saturdays are always a good day to go there since all plates are only $1.50 the whole day.  They have a great selection and the service there has been very good every time we've been.  

After lunch we headed to the playground down the block.   We got some great pics of the Incredible Digit Girl

the Incredible Digit Boy
of both of the munchkins (one of whom was doing a Gene Simmons impression)
and with their Incredible Dad.

After the park, we stopped by Otto's to pick up some German/Euro style sausages (bratwurst/british bangers/danish medisterpolse) for grilling at home.  (Did I mention that my husband was born in Wisconsin?) It was our first time there and we were really impressed by their selection.  They also have a sandwich counter that was turning out some mighty appetizing food.  The big plus:  I noticed that a bowl of ice was provided for a couple's bottle of white wine while they ate their food.  Gotta love that.   

Now by the time we got home it was time for naps all around.  We girls, though, could not sleep.  So I did what I've been saying (complaining) that I'm going to do for quite some time. 

I cut the Incredible Digit Girl's hair.  

It needed to be done but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Her hair goes all the way down her back. 

But I bit the bullet and separated her hair into two sections and measured to make sure it was long enough for donation. 
Then I hyperventilated a little bit and............cut both sections!  No more long hair and some uneven short ends. 
I took my time and really made sure I was even on each side as I was cutting.  It helps that my Mom is a hair stylist from way back.  I must have picked up some skill through osmosis.  Once all the trimming was done, this is how my very patient daughter looked.

She is very happy with the results (thankfully!!) and I am pleased that I didn't make any glaring mistakes.  Even the back came out okay.  

While I am looking forward to not having to comb out tangles and knots, I do miss the long hair a little bit.  I think really, though, I'm just a little overwhelmed by how grown up she looks all of the sudden.  Wasn't she just born?!

Has It Really Been Almost A Month!?!

Clearly, I'm not the most regular of bloggers. The good thing is that I do make up for my lack of quantity with some quality pics and info.

So what's the word? Well, it is freezing here today in our neck of the woods. Snow is being forecast for the low foothills surrounding our little valley area and it was a whopping 34 degrees this morning when we checked the weather forecast. This is in sharp, sharp contrast to last Saturday which was almost 80 degrees for the high. A beautiful, sun-filled, cloudless sky kind of 80 degrees. The Incredible Digit children were particularly enjoying themselves in the backyard.

And I got some very pretty pics of flowers from our garden and trees.  

And while the Incredible Digit husband was working in the front yard getting it in order, I got to do this.

The wonderful Sharon of Stitchjones dyed up this beautiful roving, Emerald & Spruce.  I wound up splitting it into three sections.  The first I spun up and plied end-to-end for 2 ply.  The second batch I spun up with a little Angelina in the the same color family to give it a little sparkle.  The third batch I'm thinking of spinning up as thin as possible and plying with transparent or metallic thread per the excellent suggestion of Bobbie at Tiggywinkle Knits.  

I also visited Abundant Yarn and Dyeworks in Sellwood.  What a great place.  There's an overflowing supply of yarn and fiber and a great little cafe.  The Incredible Digit children especially enjoyed the bubbling foot soaking fountain in the corner of the cafe.  It took all of about two seconds for each of them to have their shoes & socks off and their pant legs rolled up.  While there, I picked up this roving.  

I've gone and lost the label so I can't say who created this luscious stuff, but the color combinations are so pretty.  

This pic shows the two different plying methods that I chose.  Looking to your left, my friends, is a batch that has been Navajo plied to maintain the color changes and create a thicker yarn.  The batch to the right has been plied end-to-end for 2-ply and the colors "barber pole-d" for a little more texture.  

On the knitting front, I've been lucky enough to get a few test knits.  I've already finished two for a pattern company based in Portland and I've got another small project for (wait for it).....KnitPicks!!  For all you non-knitting people, KnitPicks is basically Target for knitting/crocheting/yarn people.  Once the patterns/images are available to the public, I will post my versions here.

  

Before I sign off, here are a few pics from Easter.  My kids "clean up good". 

You Put Your Left Foot In........

......and you spin it all about! 

That is what I've been doing for the last few weeks - besides all the other Easter/dance recital/soccer/swim craziness.  I've been trying to improve my spinning skills on my "new-to-me" castle-style spinning wheel.  

It's a lovely, lovely wheel made with beautiful birds eye maple.  

Now I would not have this wheel if not for the wonderful Bobbie of Tiggywinkle Knits and her husband Toolman.  They were going to sell this wheel and knew that I had been eyeing the Craigslist and eBay postings for a reasonably priced model.  Needless to say, they made me an offer I couldn't refuse and this lovely wheel came home with me.  I can't say enough about their generosity.  Thank you so much for thinking of me to be this wheel's new mama.  This isn't just a used wheel....it is a hand-made piece that Bobbie and Toolman bought from the grandson (!) of the person who made the wheel.  It's notable to mention that this grandson was in his sixties when he sold the wheel.  It wasn't in this good of shape when purchased, though.  Toolman worked his woodworking talents to bring it back to its glory.  And it spins like a dream.  It really, really does :-).  And I have proof (click on image to enlarge). 

First off is two shades of Corriedale roving blended together and then spun.  This, and the rest of the yarn here, was plied end-to-end into 2-ply. 

Next is 100% Merino wool pencil roving in shades of green and turquoise. 

I found some undyed Blue Face Leicester at the Knitting Bee and......

hand dyed it in honor of one of my favorite singers, Mr Robert Plant.  He of the flowing blond locks, faded denim and flower-y man-blouse.   

It spun up and plied very nicely but I think next time (I still have some of this fiber left) I will Navajo ply it to keep the colors truer.  

I have also paid a visit to Northwest Wools in Multnomah Village in SW Portland.  Great, great store with a good variety of fibers.  This little gem is a mixture of bamboo (dark teal and turquoise), Merino wool (chartreuse green), and Angelina sparkle-y fiber (yellow-green).  I mixed all the different fibers by hand to get the colors as evenly dispersed as possible.  
It spun up well but was a little slippery because of the bamboo.  I had enough done to knit this little coin purse.  It's basically a rectangle knitted up in stockinette stitch with decreases on one short end to create the point.  I'm sewing it up the sides and will add a button for the closure.  I think a visit to the Button Emporium is in order. 

Now I'll just have to take my foot off the treadle more often and post more progress.  Luckily, the next several days we'll be home for spring break.  Yea!

See That Girl, Watch That Scene.......

......check out our Dancing Queen!

The Incredible Digit Girl had her first ever dance recital last night.  In the video clip she is the second dancer to come out onstage and is dressed in a purple top and red pants.  It was a little hard to get more detail in the movie but she was very happy and smiling through the whole performance.  The instructor for the class, Katrina O'Brien, is so great with the kids and really helps give them a sense of "having fun" onstage.  

I'll update with more pics soon!

Meet-Ups and Milestones

The Meet-Up

I've waited far too long to write about the new yarn store I visited recently with other PDX Knit Bloggers.  A group of us went to Yarnia in SE Portland (thanks to Tiggywinkleknits and Toolman for driving!).  Yarnia is unique in that you don't just find a couple of skeins to buy.  You find dozens upon dozens of these cones. 

You can then combine up to six of any cones to make a completely unique yarn that includes all the fiber types, colors, and weights that the purchaser prefers.   The bookcase above shows only a small, small variety of what the store has to offer.  Definitely check their website for more pics and info.  The basket below contains my choices. 

The two magenta pinks and the purple lurex (shiny strand) became this bulky weight yarn.  It's a combo of a silk blend, an acrylic boucle and the lurex for a little dazzle.  It kind of reminds me of Indian Sari Silk yarn.

The other three cones plus one I added after I took the picture became this blend.  It is four strands:  one light pink linen/cotton, one ecru linen/cotton, medium pink rayon and one pink lurex strand.  The overall effect is a light lacey type of yarn that will one day become a lovely summer shawl/wrap......once I figure out the pattern, that is.  I've been combining lace edging and insert patterns but haven't hit the mark quite yet. 
That's okay, though, 'cause I've got a few projects this month that I am really very excited about.  For one, the above mentioned Tiggywinkleknits sent out the call to the PDX Knit Bloggers for donations for a charity auction benefitting a very brave young boy named Thomas who is battling cancer.  I designed a not too complicated pattern from my stitch dictionaries for an evening wrap that hopefully will bring a few dollars for this boy and his family.  This family needs all the support it can get.  If you're in the area and want to attend the dinner and auction, click on Thomas' name for his website and check the "Events" section for all the details.  

Secondly, I'm also really excited about my first venture in test knitting for a local pattern designer.  Not gonna say who, not gonna say what.  Suffice it to say that I think the buying public will really like this pattern when it finally comes out and that I will be posting photos galore at that point.  

Soooooo......back to the needles for me.  I've got some work to do :-)!

I Blog In My Head Every Day

I was having that conversation with Tiggywinkleknits at Knit Night last night.  During the course of any day, I'll usually see/read/hear something that I feel is blog-worthy.  Unfortunately, with two small children, sitting down and completing that process can be a little challenging.  But, in my head, I blog every day.  

So, what have I learned recently?  That there is a small price to be paid when one joins a knitting group that includes several spinners.  While you may steadfastly announce that spinning is of no interest to you, after watching others in your group create lovely yarn in beautiful colors you may find yourself in a daze standing in front of the drop spindles and roving in your local yarn store.  I now own three drop spindles and have been drooling over the spinning wheel in my favorite antique store.

My first attempt at spinning was less than successful.  While I spun up a couple of thick single yarn strands with okay results, my attempt to ply them together resulted in this tangled mess.
Luckily, with practice, I got better. 


This hank was particularly satisfying.  I started by separating the roving into two equal batches.  The first batch was relatively thick but the next batch came out so much thinner that I could actually ply three strands.  The color combinations really worked out well.  If I'm lucky, I'll be able to get a hat out of this amount of yarn.  
 And for my final thought........Happy Valentine's Day to you all!  May it be filled with goodness and lots of chocolate.  Oh wait, chocolate and goodness are the same thing.