Fiber Fanatiks Party

Come ye Merry Fiber Fanatiks, come enjoy the time...
with gifts of wool and yarn and stuff, good thing it's not a crime.
We gather with our kindred spirit...Ok enough with the Carols..as the photos to the right will reveal we had an awful time...awful fun time that is. Once again eating and laughing and just having a good time. I do want to Thank all of the women that come from so far..it would be a loss with out all of you. Everyone exchanged gifts and this time we had poetic justice...for all of our Susan fans...a few years back at our Christmas gift exchange it was my turn to pick a gift. I approach the table full of beautifully wrapped gifts and the excitement was overwhelming me...I carefully look for the perfect gift...the cute one..that one over there behind all of the others...that's the one. With great anticipation..I pull out the tissue paper on the top of the gift bag and gently put my hand deep into the bag so not to break anything that could break and my hand automatically recoils in a panic...it was cold and wet. What the heck was it? It smelled good? I tip the bag to peak in, and lo and behold in the bottom is a felt covered bar of soap that I'm sure Susan was felting while she was driving on her way there, meanwhile talking on her cell phone and going to the Post Office and putting in her contacts, balancing her check book and painting her toenails. She is one multi tasker..... We never let Susan forget that one...well ,guess what Susan got ? the damp felted bag made by Eugenie....!!! Awww Poetic Justice!!! Those little aliens pictured above are long lost toys that my DSIL had as a child. We found them on ebay and they are Little Kiddles Kosmik Kiddles? She thinks we were weird when we were kids...she used to chew on their feet? Hhmmmmm so Cheryl is very happy to have them in her hands. Tonight they are walking all over her kitchen table and their weddings (Kozmik Kiddles) are being planned as soon as they can find suitable housing...she married into the right family? Thanks again to everyone it was a great time and now for a cup of coffee and a nap.

Fiber Fanatiks Party

Come ye Merry Fiber Fanatiks, come enjoy the time...
with gifts of wool and yarn and stuff, good thing it's not a crime.
We gather with our kindred spirit...Ok enough with the Carols..as the photos to the right will reveal we had an awful time...awful fun time that is. Once again eating and laughing and just having a good time. I do want to Thank all of the women that come from so far..it would be a loss with out all of you. Everyone exchanged gifts and this time we had poetic justice...for all of our Susan fans...a few years back at our Christmas gift exchange it was my turn to pick a gift. I approach the table full of beautifully wrapped gifts and the excitement was overwhelming me...I carefully look for the perfect gift...the cute one..that one over there behind all of the others...that's the one. With great anticipation..I pull out the tissue paper on the top of the gift bag and gently put my hand deep into the bag so not to break anything that could break and

Kro`sha

What a full day I had!!! I met some friends for breakfast and then I met some other friends for Fiber!!! Not the kind you eat...no sir the kind you yearn for...lust after...have to have....need to touch!! Increase your stash I say!!!! Insulate your homes!!! She who dies with the most fiber will flabbergast thier family!!! Where did all of this fiber come from? Did she secretly own a store? Do you know how much money is here in "String" and "Thread" ? aaacckkkk those words are like nails on a chalkboard to the avid fiber addict. So anyway I spent the day with more friends that are totally in denial of their addictions....and then there were snacks...will it ever end? Ok so I have been eatting entirely too much this week.year..lifetime? But after eatting dinner with the addicts...as I was walking, the button on my jeans was under a stress test....squeeking under duress....I can read the headlines now...Woman gets killed on Vliet st. walking, minding her own business...when overstuffed woman ,behind her coughs, and the button flys off of her jeans and imbeds itself into unsuspecting victim's back. How on earth could I explain the Levi bullet? So after a day of eatting and spinning and a nip of knitting...I am ready for a rerun of "Lost" and a trip to the feather bed Ball...only to do it again tomorrow!!! I need to go back to work...did I really say that?

Shopping Mania

Fave things...fiber/sudoko and knitting a pair of socks from Mountain Color weavers wool.
I finished another present, not too soon either...I think yesterday was Christmas? I had to go shopping but first I waited till the nutso crowds thinned. I went to Target...no one was there...they are closing Jan. 7th for 10 months to build a new one. Is it me or where ever I go there is closings? No one remodels anymore, they just tear down. The shelves were all empty, so shopping was easy...the money saver store? I did get what I wanted, telephones. I am getting a land line once again, ahhh it's part of deal that goes along with the cable. It will take me another month to figure out the remote and how to turn on and off and record....technology is such a great thing but it sure can set a person back for a bit. I also took a ride west of here and they are clearing all the beautiful trees on the side of the road to make it wider? Urban sprawl, huge homes and yards and I wonder how they pay their heat bills. Where do all of these people work? What do they do for a living? Well enough analyzing and back to my knitting.

Merry Christmas

I am home and relaxing with a cup of coffee and it's time to blog. We exchanged a few gifts some home made some bought. We made a rule quite a few years back..we don't exchange gifts, it has taken the stress totally out of Christmas. Besides the fact that we all pretty much buy what we want for ourselves when we want it. So none of us really need anything. We all seem to have "enough". I did make my sister who's birthday is New Years Eve a pair of socks. None of us have room for more junk and not to sound ungrateful but gifts that were bought just for the sake of giving something...We instead will buy something for each other, when we see something that would be totally delightful ...no matter what time of year. For no reason vs. a have to buy!!! I am off of work this week and am looking forward to getting together with some old friends. Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas!!!!!!

Par tay!!!

I'm sure a good time was had by all!!! Ok a few heads up...check out the bathroom attendant on four legs!! That is Max and he is one huge Rottweiller, but extremely gentle and sweet. He watched the snack table and the bathroom, with occasional strolls through the groups. Next, Lois does not cook or spin.....she knits like crazy, but no ,to the cooking. So what present did she pick in the gift exchange?....yeah...a cook book and fiber!!! Susan brought some really cool glass knitting needles, we thought she brought them for handouts..haha just kidding Susan!! So good food, good friends and good wishes!! So we got to my house about midnight and this morning I had to pry my eyes open and after 4 cups of extremely strong coffee. and a mushed wad of raspberry fudge Janyce shoved in my pocket...I didn't feel too bad!!! My voice is hoarse from singing Carols on the way home..and Janyce and Anne need to brush up on thier Carol words

Painting rocks

Did I ever mention the seaglass project? Well I am painting rocks now...I am bored with what else I have to do. If you caught that "have" to do!! I will check previous postings before I go into the seaglass project. Actually this has not cost me anything, because I have all the paints one could need and I have rocks, they were free, so you see this isn't too expensive..yet. Well I do need a new paintbrush, a fine line brush. That will be about $30ish for a good brush, one that doesn't paint two lines at once. This is one of the rocks..I am learning what I am doing wrong...starting for one? Tonight is Michelles Christmas party and there is no snow in the forecast, very unusual for Michelles party. Each year on her party night we get snow!!! One year, I drove alone and it was the first time I was to her house and it was a blizzard. This is about an hour trip and half way there I figured it was too late to turn back. As I left the freeway to embark on country snow driving, I realized there were no lanes...also no vehicles...pretty much only me!! I was hoping the mailboxes were a good guide to the side of the roads and they were far and few between. Slowly I made my way to the highway I needed to turn on and go two driveways on the left. Ok? I think I saw one? Well did that indent in the snow count? AAhh this looks like it an old farmhouse with lights on....I did tell you I was in the country and all the houses are old farmhouses? I make my trek down the long drive going downhill all the way, only to realize I was the first person to this party. Actually I was the only one, as I took my plate of treats up to the door I looked in the window and saw a strange woman heating a baby bottle...umm Michelles has no little children and that didn't look like her...I figure they have to wonder who drove up so I knocked. A very nice young man came to the door and told me I was one driveway too soon, it was the next one on the left. I thanked him and apologized for bothering him and got into my truck with my treats and attempted to leave graciously. on ice!! Spinning the tires for a good five minutes I look to my left and here is a dark warmly dressed man, it was the young guy from the house? I think?. I opened my window and he said let me show you the back way out of here, I can't get up this here hill even with the dooly? What the heck is a dooly? I thought? (dual rear tired truck) so I let him ride shotgun and around the back of the barn we head away from the road I am so yearning to be on....eww was I too trusting to let some strange guy in my truck, in a snowstorm to "help" me get out of his yard? Have I watched too much TV? Was he going to steal my treats, rape and pillage? (he'd be sorry) Cut me into little pieces and throw me in the loft? My life was passing before me as I figured how I would throw the rock hard frozen rice crispee treats at him to ward him off. We made a turn to go around the barn and then towards the road, turns out we were on gravel so there was more traction. I let the kind young man out on the road and back into his warm dry house he ventured and me on my way to the next driveway. He was just a kind country boy helping this foolish city girl out. I did make it to the right driveway and stayed till they plowed the roads, something they don't do as well and fast in the city!!! A good time was had by all....I'm off to the party tonight again

BBBrrrrrrr

I am cold...to the bone. I turned up the heat with frostbit fingers and I am still chilled. Two cups of coffee and one cup of hot chocolate later, I am wired to the point of not being able to hold my hands still enough to knit....oh oh over dose? Out of the corner of my eye, lurking against the wall...my rug weaving... no I haven't done anything on it. I have been knitting on a sock and a scarf. The crippler is on my loom resting till it decides what it wants to be. The football game is on tonight so I won't be doing much of anything...maybe napping, I could use a little nap. Ok so I will have to sell some of my stash in order to pay the heat bills, I 'm cold and I'm turning up the heat!! Did I say that? Check out how mom dresses when she is at my house....hahahahaha No yarn this month...just heat!!!

Veterans Christmas Party

This is a photo of the box of 31 socks that were made for our Veterans Christmas Party. We collected $638.00 throughout the year at different events. I put the money into small bills, because they use the money for Bingo prizes. I had another Veteran , thank me for the socks and claimed they were the warmest ever. That is always a welcome compliment. I want to Thank California, Illinois, and Michigan for helping in the donating of socks and of course my core group here in Wisconsin.
We didn't get nearly as many socks as we have in the past but it seems the farther away 911 gets the more the patriotism wanes. But thanks to the red, white and blue scarves from Lois and the socks we sold that the Wisconsin girls made, we donated a nice chunk of change. A Merry Christmas to our Veterans!!!

Cranky Presents

I decided today that I am going to crank some socks out for presents. The picture makes the legs look like they are for a football player. They really aren't that bad. This week has flown by and I have done nothing creative. I did make Tiramisu for a Christmas party at work and I took my mom to the hospital for a scheduled stress test. I started a hand knit sock to do while I was waiting, that and my faithful Sudoku puzzle book. The book I love to hate. It is snowing again and the snow blower better work tomorrow, if I need it!!! I missed Greys Anatomy because I set the DVR to record it, seeing as though it was not at it's usual time, due to the Packers late game. I started to watch the recording and right in the middle of it, just like Murphy's law, the recording stopped ...the hour was up ...The football game went into overtime...so I have searched the net to find the transcripts, I have found nothing...now I have to wait for reruns...

ET revisited

I am not extremely bored but I had to play a bit with Billy Button I think that's his name? I defurred the house today, not a total defurring after all it is winter and we don't want to freeze. The Christmas Party's are starting to pile up...I am not good at a stressful calender. My friend Lois, loves to run around, I think she is probably running in her sleep. Contrary to her I am a homebody. A really good day to me is not getting out of my jammies and the truck never leaving the driveway. AAACCCkkkk, I just looked out the window and it's snowing...flurries, is this a curse because my snowblower is broke? What have I done? I need chocolate...creamy rich milk chocolate. I wonder if Nestles delivers? Hey I wrapped four presents today. I am the worst wrapper in the world...it looks like a two year old wrapped them. I love gift bags...they rock!! I think I need to scour the kitchen for some chocolate chips....!!

Dead in the snowbank

You know how I said it was snowing beautiful and white and how lovely it looked. Well Friday after work I was going to fire up the snowchief and plow the drive. So I left the truck parked on the road, let the dog out and put on a hood, took off my glasses and comenced to start the snow blower...it started alright but wouldn't keep running...hhhhmmm choked it a little more, a little less. Now to back up some I started this snow blower twice this year earlier...in Summer and once again in Fall. that little puppy, started up and ran like a fine tuned engine. I plowed the last snow and it ran fine...now what possesses a motor to quit for no reason? So my Saturday job is to overhaul the snowblower....Out comes the tools, but first I tried to start it once more for grins and I even shook it a little for good luck. No luck. I started taking the housing off and now it looks like some sort of vehicle from Mad Max. I should let you know I am doing this outside because I can't see very well in my garage..not that I can walk in my garage but it's kind of dim. So now I am kneeling down in the snow fiddling with the carburater and it begins to snow..how ironic. I am not to be beat...! I pull my hood tighter around my face, because I can't find a hat to wear...you heard me right, no hat!!! Now I have an exposed carburater hole and the little float and pin fall out into the snow with the gasket...such luck I recover it all and now I can't see because it is blowing snow and the sun is gone. I have had it....I will throw all the parts into a box and bring it over to my brothers garage. He is up north fishing but he won't mind me working on it in there. So I tip the snowblower on it's wheels and gas comes gushing out of the exposed hole, I quickly tip it back....how am I going to get it into my truck to work on it? So now it is sitting in the garage, handle staight up in the air and a gaping hole in it's side. It stopped snowing..(as I breathe a sigh of relief) So now when I drive into my driveway I just have to 4 wheel over the hump at the beginning where the plows left ice burgs of snow from all the streets around the city!!! HHHhmmmm and tell me why it's so fun owning a home!!!!

Schnowing out!!

It is beautiful, it is snowing, pretty heavy too! It warmed up some and here comes the snow. I can only hope we get 10" so the roads are closed. Not that they ever close work...but I can hope for the day anyway!!! I am not working on anything. I need to do so much and I am doing nothing. I think I will spin a bit or maybe weave on my rug that is a lifetime project. I think I started this baby about 4 years ago now? The moths will have it before it's finished. I guess I just figure there is so much more to do and I like looking at it on the loom. One incentive is a nice spot for it above the TV....hhhhmmmmm Tomorrow is Friday!!! yaaaaayyyyyyyyyy

25 Years

Last night was my anniversary party, not mine alone but with about 50 other Steamfitters, that had anniversaries also. I learned a lot of things from this party. One-this was a large group of retired steamfitters (smelly old men) Two-never lament over what you are going to wear to a Union award dinner (flannel shirt with suspenders optional) Three-never ask "How are you?, if you are not prepared to hear in detail about hip replacements, prostrates, emphesema and peeing all night!! Four-no matter what I will always be a rose among thorns in that group!!! I was however very humbled by a woman steamfitter that has been in the trade for 10 years, she is the educational directer after serving an apprenticeship. She came over and Thanked me for breaking ground and making it easier for her. I ....me....was at a loss for words!! I thanked her and my head swelled and I actually felt very special. She is now my new best friend.!!! It was a good time and nice to see a lot of the old timers. Make note of the wonderful "Tie tack" I got!!! any ideas?

The Crippler....

The worst part about knitting is after all of the work you put into it the final product looks like crap!!! I am stuck on the Crippler? I put sleeves on and took them off...So for now I have a large, long, vest!!! I kind of like it like a vest...and I am always hot? I am throwing it into the corner...using it as a throw....I guess one of the mistakes we all make is looking at the model wearing the clothing....I really hate to admit it but I am not 6'2" and 125# and while I'm at it, I am not blond and 25 years old either. So what in the hell did I think an oatmeal colored oversized, large stitched, knitted coat would make me look like? Is this a magic coat? Maybe that's it, if I put it on I loose 100# and wrinkles and grow a foot taller. I win the lottery and don't have to work anymore...I build my dreamhome and there is world peace, no hunger in the world and the whole world is laughing....at my coat....maybe? Poor Woolie was the brunt of many jokes for years and now he has a twin...I am not going to knit again? I resign myself to the fact that I shall knit socks and mitts and mundane projects from here on...no more fashion plate...Next Stash bash I'm getting rid of all of my knitting books. Ok so maybe I'm being a little hard on myself...I hear chocolate chip cookies calling me...

Such Decisions?

It's early Saturday morning....I love Saturdays!! I am sipping on my fresh ground, french pressed coffee from my most favorite coffee shops..Alterra!! I tried a new coffee and it's something like Voltares passion? It's Ok, I may have to have a few more cups to decide!! I was working on the snowmen face and ran out of DMC thread in Black....I'm sure if I dug around this house I could find 3 new skeins, but I need it now so I will have to buy some "Now". I'll find the others when I am done using it. I have some major decisions to make today, what to do? I have no deadlines...no pressing issues...Oh yeah Christmas but that doesn't come for a few weeks. I'm talking now!! I may go fool around with my knitting machine, but something tells me that I will get sidetracked, which could even be vacuuming or something totally stupid! I am painting a rock....I know I have vowed no new hobbies but I wanted to try it. I do have a canvas gessoed and ready to start painting. I want to make bread pudding...oh what should I do first? I better hurry and decide before I want to just take a nap!!

Making Ice

My brother loves to fish...more than anyone I ever knew. He keeps my freezer in fish and his own. He can put down one heck of a lot of bluegills and is an excellent fish cook! This year he has all new ice fishing clothes, new boots, outter suit, right down to new undies. Last year we worked on fingerless gloves, him telling me what he needed and me trying to oblige his wishes. He just wanted the tips off and so I tried to serge them, which caused mushrooming around the finger tip..(fish hooks get caught in flared tips) so this year we needed to tweek the gloves. He came over with a shopping bag of alterations. I altered the polar fleece pants to slim down at the ankle to fit snugly to the leg allowing the boot to fit smoothly over the pants...(I was given specific directions) Then we moved on to the gloves. I think he had a ream of them...or a gaggle? Anyway, I use lycra like a bias tape and split the $1.50 pair of jersey gloves at the fingers and sewed them back closed on three fingers of each glove. We had perfected the tipless fishing glove!! As far back as I can remember, we were always very close...I won't go into the tortures I invented to make him tough, but? When I need help, I can count on him to be there for me and in all of my bad life decisions he never judged me (to my face anyway)!! We get along fantastically and he has much better taste in mates than I ever will!! I can't ever remember making him so happy as I did altering those silly gloves....He is going to wear them out trying them on and taking them off. He has called me minimum of three times in two days to tell me how great they are...and he hasn't even used them. To fish anyway!! Hopefully they will assist in catching lots of fish this winter!! I think I know what to give him for Christmas!!