Spinning Wheel

So exciting news I forgot to share with you this summer. After months of saving, my husband bought me a Lendrum Double Treadle Complete Spinning Wheel for my birthday. I have named her Lily and she is absolutely beautiful! (More pictures will be forthcoming as soon as my camera is working.) I have been spinning on and off since Lily arrived. Right now, I am working some Pot Luck Roving from Paradise Fibers. It is a lovely Caribbean Blue which streaks of Lavender. I have almost two complete bobbins and am about ready to start the third before plying.

I spent most of this week laid up in bed with a terrible cold/throat infection/upper respiratory infection. I did not get much done in the way of knitting mostly because all I wanted to do was sleep. Minor progress was made, however, on a few things. I finished the first Tonks sock, but didn't cast on the second. The Bitterroot shawl is to the point of adding beads!!! I plan to start those this evening after the kids go to bed. I also have completed 16 total squares for Warm-up America. A note on that: I received an email from Land's End indicating that the yarn would be mailed sometime between the 22 and 24 of October. So, hopefully I will get it in time to finish all of the squares by mid-December. Sorry for the shameful lack of photos...hopefully the camera will be in full functioning order soon.

A Time to Give...

Recently, I have been feeling a bit selfish with my knitting. It is all about me and what I want. Rarely have I used it to give to others. So I guess my reaction to a recent email I received is rather surprising. TKGA sent out a message about an opportunity to help complete afghan blocks for Warm-up America. When I saw the email, something tugged at my heart strings, and I couldn't pass up the chance to contribute to making our world a better place. It turns out the Lands End is donating cones of their Feel Good Yarn to the cause, with the understanding that each person who takes a cone will agree to to knit/crochet 51 blocks by mid-December. I hope I didn't bite off more than I can chew, but I said would take 2 cones...or 102 blocks. I am sure that I can find friends and neighbors to help, and what we will be doing will make two people's holiday seasons a little brighter. By the way, 49 7 by 9 blocks make one adult size afghan. In my excitement, I ran to Walmart the other day, and with the help of my daughter, who is 3, picked out 3 skeins of Red Heart so that I could get started. She picked blinding orange, mind-numbing pink, and shatter glass blue. Hopefully bright colors are okay. Since then, I have managed to crochet 10 squares.

In other news, I think that I have decided to put aside my TKGA certification for now. As a mom of two young children, I find that I have very little crafting time, and it was taking the joy out of knitting for me, when it was the only thing I was able to do. My time will come, but that time is not now.

Current projects include:

Bitterroot Shawl (the small size) for my Brother-in-law's wedding

YARN: Blue Moon Fiber Arts Woobu in Beryl

Needles: Knit Picks Nickle Plated US 6

Autumn on Shady Lane

YARN: Ella Rae Lace Merino

Needles: Addi Turbo US 6

Knitmore Girls Vanilla Sock (hereafter referred at Tonks.) These are a quest to knit socks representing characters, items and events in Harry Potter.

YARN: JitterBug

Needles: Knit Picks 2.25mm US 2

Warm-up America Afghan

YARN: Red Heart

Hook: Provo Craft Size G

10 down!!!