bravo!

DS Chris went fishing last week and look what he caught!!  Bravo!

mmmmm... fibers!!!

this lovely collection of fiber is mostly from Lori 

and includes bundles of Merino/silk, Merino/alpaca/silk and BFL in various similar colors.  There is also a bundle of Merino/soysilk from Janice Thompson in Eugene.  The plan right now (always subject to change!) is to mix 'em up and ply each single with one from different bundle.  There will probably be some plyed to itself, tho.... we'll see.  it is all luscious!!

There seems to be a color theme going on here!

This is Merino/bamboo purchased from Patti at Sweet Grass Wools in Montana.  After going back to her booth several times to fondle this yarn, it became obvious that it should come home with me!

Kate and I also spent some time looking at sheep and goats.  the Shetlands were especially interesting to Kate.  We threw a bit a sanity into the mix and decided that this adventure will wait til there are fences in place to contain critters.  and i'm not so secretly hoping that angora goats will be part of the scheme!  My plan is to be the advisor/consultant... NOT the owner/keeper!  no more barn duty for me, thanks.....

While i was in Duvall, Zylie started my day with a harsh observation.  I was having morning coffee and she was sitting beside me, and said in her sweet little voice "gramma.... you look very old".  oh... ok...  ah, the sweet truthiness of a 5 year old!  When i told Kate, she passed on another "zylie-ism".   Seems Kate was told:  "Mommy, when i grow up, i want to look just like you!!  only prettier!"   

Black Sheep Gathering!!

Jane admiring her newest yarn.  In case you have any doubts... she was delighted with it, and with good reason.  it is lovely!!

Kate fiddling with her camera

Laurie wearing her gorgeous shawl

Laurie and Gail at Ocean Sky in Eugene

Lori in our shared booth at BSG.  it looked fabulous!

for now, i'll just say that Black Sheep Gathering was true to form... fabulous!  i'll put up some photos and fill in text later.  gotta get ready to leave with Kate this a.m. to drive to Duvall today, then tomorrow look at the house/property we might want to buy if we can work out all the details, then take Amtrak back home on Wed.

Tuesday:  well, i'm ready to start packing to move to the place we looked at today!  it's really, really nice and would work SO well for us all.   it's on 5 acres with a lovely 4 bedroom house with wrap-around porch, lots of living space inside and out, huge kitchen and a finished basement which Kate thinks would make a wonderful space for spinning, sewing, fiber stash, dyeing... and whatever.  i totally agree with that.  and then there's the barn which isn't really so much a barn... 3 car garage on one end and residence on the other end, with loft which could be easily finished as bedroom/office/den kind of thing.   the living space is the opposite end from where the house is and the entrance and porch face the woods.  there are fenced pastures and some sheds and even a small building with a "man cave" which Chris has already claimed.  there's just too much there to go into detail.  if we can eventually sell our 2 houses and get some issues worked out, i'll put up pics and go into more detail.  looks like C&K will list their house beginning of July!  so, the whole adventure is beginning to look like something that will happen.

and BSG was a 3 day high of fondling fiber, spinning with friends, seeing and hugging lots of friends, carrying on tradition such as dinner at Ocean Sky with 14 twisted sisters and friends.   and i did come home with fiber... lovely luscious fiber from Lori (photos later when i can find it again in my still packed fiber bins) and some merino/bamboo sock yarn from Patti which has already been cast on and is a sock in progress!!

taking amtrak back to portland tomorrow.

time flies.. yadda yadda

well, some people are absorbed in navel contemplation; however, i have spent the last 3 weeks in purple piggies contemplation, and i'm happy that toes nails grow so slowly and the pedicure is lasting!  oh... get over yourself.....

ok, what i've really been doing is spending time getting fibers dyed and organized for the booth at Black Sheep Gathering... and i swear to goddess that this is the last final year i'm going to do it!  yes, i was tempted by that siren call last year and had a booth with Lori Lawson (Capistrano Fiber Arts in LA) and we'll share again this year, but she will have the majority of the yarn and spinning fibers in the booth, and i plan to sleep late in the mornings and then play... mostly.  and then i'll retire and move to Duvall, WA and not have a dye studio and have a huge stash reduction before i go.  really, i will........

also, have become addicted to MSNBC and following politics.  have been inspired, bored, infuriated, amused, appalled... and gotta say, i'm tired!  i am totally in the Barack Obama camp and i do have hope and am willing to do what i can to make the dream come true!

I finished Chris' quilt in time for his birthday, which is today.... 37 years ago today he began his earthly journey, and i could not be prouder of who he is!  he is a mother's dream for sure!  and now that the quilt is finished, i've started on a ring pillow for Rachael's wedding, just kind of wingin' it.  so far, i like it and will show it to her while we're in Eugene.  there's plenty of time to start over on it if there's anything about it she doesn't like!

what else i've been doing is staying busy enough to procrastinate on any huge projects of getting rid of stuff so we can move outa here.  some small corners are purged and things given away and taken to good will and the dump... but there is so damn much left to do that it's over-whelming.

and i've got the fluey cold from hell with the huge headache, snotty nose, raspy-to-no voice and Jim's been gone with my dad to NC to DeDe's family reunion, which Pop hasn't missed since he and DeDe got married.  he's back now so the dogs got their 3 mile walk this a.m., which they don't get when he's not here because i don't do 3 mile walks.. or 1 mile walks... 1/2 mile, maybe, but they miss that and being out in their huge fenced yard just doesn't make it... 

rambling?  me?  must be caused by the cold.

celebrating a first!!!

OK, I know that to many this would seem very trivial... but it's a first for me.  I got a pedicure today for the very first time ever and i loved it!!  look at that... who could not love frosty purple with an attitude on their little piggies???  and who would not love being perched up on that throne with feet in warm, soapy water, and have a sweet young thing diligently fixin' up your feet to be ready for summer nekkidness in sandals?   mmmm... what decadent-ness.  This was the first and it won't be the last.  Also, i had a massage.  this was all thanks to a gift certificate at xmas from my very dear DH.  i've been savoring the anticipation for 5 months and oh my it was sweet!  sigh... 

close to finished!!

the end is in sight for getting this quilt finished in time for my DS's birthday!  wheee... I'm almost positive he never reads my blog, so the surprise won't be spoiled.  There are no 2 squares alike, which made it fun to make.  The actual quilting stage began today, and i'm hoping to get it done this week.  It is a little less than single/twin size, so is intended as a nap blanket and is Portland Trailblazer colors (well, the red and black...).  surely do hope he likes it!!

the colors aren't exact... it is red, not pink and black, not gray!!

more fingerless mitts

I had some really soft yarn (alpaca, i think) that was perfect for mitts, so this was my take-along travel project.  I started with a free pattern I found through Ravelry and improvised a bit (as usual).  the photo looks a bit goofy as i couldn't model both mitts and take the photo, too.  oh well...