Thought I'd better show something .....

uplifting after my last post and my frustration with Shetland roving.

The delphiniums are in full bloom.

The nasturtiums are going bonkers with the greenery.

With just a few of the blooms showing. They need more sun which hasn't been happening here. Just rain and more rain.

It's that time of year for the lilies. I've been waiting all week for these buds to open.

Their beautiful colours show up so well when it's overcast outside. On a sunny day the camera seems to over expose them.

In other parts of the country they're experiencing a heat wave. Not here in Alberta. Send some sunshine our way please.
Have a good one!

Life is too short........

to be spinning fibre that's not going to be used for knitting. So this Shetland that I bought a couple weeks ago is going to be used for stuffing pillows, handknit toys, teddybears, etc.By looking at this picture of the top spread apart you wouldn't think there was anything wrong, but upon spinning I knew this was going to go extremely slow. In between pulling out nubs, nups, or whatever you call them, the spun singles felt awful.I first started spinning some Alpaca which is sitting resting on the bobbins right now. Then I started on this Merino/Tencel blend and it was like spinning heaven. This is a bobbin of single ply. I'll spin up another one and hopefully ply it up for sock yarn.

So that's the progress for Tour de Fleece so far. I've come to the conclusion that I'm a very slow spinner, but the thing is I'm totally okay with that. When I get to finally sit at the wheel it's quality time for me, and I don't want to rush that.Have a great weekend everyone!

We're still babysitting our Grandkitty Monty......

We've had him since June 17 as my DS left for a weeks holiday in Vancouver visiting our DD. Well his one week holiday is looking like it's going to be more like three weeks. He's had the unfortunate luck of breaking his right leg just above the ankle.The Tibia and Fibula both broke, as well as ligaments and tendons tore. This above picture was after trying to set it twice, and then surgery to implant a pin, plate, and half dozen screws. Tomorrow afternoon he'll have day surgery to remove a couple screws, and then hopefully get the okay from the doctor to fly home.

So in the meantime Monty (who's all of five months old) has been a rascal, which leads to getting some timeouts in his room. The thing is he's just so darn cute, and I had to post this latest video of his obsession with anything paper.....

So there in lies the reason why we've put this Christmas bell thingy around his waist. He doesn't seem to mind it, and it really helps to let us know where and what he's doing in the house. Like when he's getting into paper towels and he's kicking and wrestling with that those bells really start jingling.Oh Monty........you're such a sweetheart xoxo

Kind of feeling lazy after this long weekend.......

Sat out in the backyard and visited with friends.New pictures of what's blooming in the yard.

When we were busy working around the yard, the girls got their couch time outside.

Went to see the Canada Day fireworks.

Saturday went to the downtown Farmers Market. Bought some cinnamon buns, and was looking to see if there was anything for sale fibre related.So Sunday it was the start of Tour de France. One of my favourite things to watch in the summer. In my last post I mentioned I started up with Tour de Fleece, Ravelry group Team Canada for spinning. I'm hoping it will get me back in the habit of spinning more frequently.
Here's a few pictures of fibre from my stash of which I'm hoping to at least get a couple bobbins of 2 ply each.

The above is super wash merino/tencel destined for some sock yarn, and the two pictures below I'm hoping to get a consistant 2ply in a DK weight, 12-14 wpi.

100% Black Alpaca top.

For now, I'm starting off with a partially filled bobbin with 100% Alpaca bought in roving form from my local yarn shop.

Happy Spinning!

Come Join......

It might be fun. I'm looking forward to it.
Find me on Ravelry in the Tour de Fleece Group, look for the Wild Card Groups and join up with Team Canada.

The end of another year of fibre festivals in my area.....

DH and I headed 2 1/2 hours south to the annual Olds, Alberta Fibre Week 2010. Such is life that I haven't been able to take a week to attend any of the classes at this event, but someday I look forward to it. In the meantime we head out to see what the vendors have for sale.

Lovely, lovely fibre of many colours.

The above picture is one of my favourite vendors Twist of Fate from Kamloops British Columbia. The shop owner is the lady standing to the far right. I didn't catch her name, but she's on the ball with what's new in the knitting/fibre market. Last year I had picked up a set of Addi Turbo dpn's (double pointed needles) and loved them. So I was on the look out to see if I could find another set.

Instead what she had was some Hiya Hiya dpn's along with some wonderful yarn from Fleece Artist, Hand dyed Peter Rabbit, 70Angora/20Nylon/10Wool. It feels sooo soft. Definitely will knit something to be worn close to the skin with this stuff.

Which brings me to ask......does anyone know what that little blue picky like thing is that came with the Hiya Hiya dpn's? I haven't got a clue, and I'm hoping someone in blogland can tell me.

Twisted Sisters & Co. Fibre Mill & Store was one of the vendors I visited at the HWSDA conference at the beginning of June. I found some wonderful Alpaca/merino/Nylon sock yarn that I absolutely have been enjoying knitting with. Blogged here. They're located in Alberta so I'm hoping one day to do another road trip and visit their store.

It was a little confusing, but there were three separate vendors at the Wild Geese table. Thank God for receipts because I wouldn't have remembered all their names. The one vendor Knitopia (White Rock B.C.) had something I've been looking for, but couldn't find, a merino/tencel hand dyed roving. I was wanting to spin a mix that would be strong for sock yarn, and I finally found it. I bought a total of 223gr/7.87ounce. I'm not sure how far that's going to take me in making a pair of socks. It'll be a learning experience.

Above is the mother/daughter team of Rabbitworks Fibre Studio in North Vancouver, B.C. Their corner of this booth had some wonderful hand dyed yarn which I snapped up a couple skeins. Toe Jam Sock Yarn, Colourway: Black Orchid, 60Alpaca/20Nylon/20Wool.

I couldn't stop touching this stuff and I started winding a ball in the car on the way home, and knitted up a swatch. She also had these lavender filled bags that were an excellent price, and are now sitting on my nightstand where I can grab and sniff. The lady in the centre in the yellow tank top (couple pictures up) is Barb Brown from Wild Geese Fibres in Cold Lake Alberta. Barb has a book coming out this fall Knitting Knee-Highs, and will also be in this Falls issue of Vogue Knitting.

Sharon Wickstrom (in the purple vest) from Homespun Haven in Armstrong, British Columbia(no website). I've been to visit her home/store in B.C., and have stopped in to see her at the last two conferences. She has an amazing amount of stock for anything fibre related.

More fibre from Custom Woolen Mills. 1 lb each of Icelandic (left), and Grey Shetland (right). This Icelandic is very different from the Icelandic I bought from Paradise Fibers, blogged here. I asked if it maybe was a blend as it's much softer, but she said no. So go figure. I didn't know that there would be that much difference in texture in Icelandic fleeces. I'll have to do more googling on the subject.

Wide shot of the Merchant Mall at AG-Mech hall at Olds College. Click to make bigger.

On the tables were bags of fleece some cashmere, alpaca, sheep. Sunday was scheduled for judging of fleeces.

A classroom where they were setting up for judging some Alpaca fibre. I think. Don't quote me on that. It's serious business and I didn't want to interrupt anyone to ask.

After all that fibre/knitting/stash building DH and I couldn't believe the weather was cooperating so we went for a walk through the gardens at the college. Just gorgeous.

 A little late in posting this.......

 My Mother's Day gift came in the mail last week from my DD.  She mailed this along with her Father's Day gift to Dale.

 What an awesome card!  Nicole, you've got the award for 'Amazing Card Finder-er' ;)

 You can see the tissue paper was torn at the corner already in this picture.  It was at this point that I thought I better get the camera going.

 Every stitch was made by her hand.  Self taught. 

 There's a whole week of them!  Bright and sunny!

Also included was the second season of '"I Love Lucy."  I have had the first season for a couple years now, and absolutely enjoy it.  When I'm sewing I'll have it playing on the laptop, and it's amazing what a comedienne Lucy Ball was.  

Thank you Nino!  I'll think of you now when Lucy is playing and I'm drying dishes.

The first blooming thing in our pond......

This is an Iris that was split from a friends plant, and the thing was stuck in a pail and then jammed into the rocks in our pond, and it's growing! I have had a pond lily that I've been babying for a couple years now, and the thing still hasn't bloomed. I was told that I'm not fertilizing it enough so I remedied that and I'm hoping I'll see some blooms this year.

In the meantime DH and I are babysitting our grandkitty Monty.

I can't say that my two old girls (two female cats, 17 &18 yrs) are enjoying the experience, but they're dealing with it. To give them some peace at night Monty goes into one of the bedrooms where we've set up his own little bachelor pad.

I wish I had a bachelor pad to go to. Who knew keeping the peace was so exhausting. :)

My knitting has been going slow, but of course I love the close-ups so here is a couple pics of the Birch Leaf Socks and what I've done so far....

The front design.

The above picture shows the blue dye in this brown alpaca sock yarn. Whereas the picture below you would never know there was a speck of blue.

I'm loving this sort of cabled rib pattern on the back of the leg. It's meant to be used for just the cuff, but I'm wanting to carry it down the whole back of the leg before starting the heel flap. Very stretchy.

And finally .... I finished one slipper that will be felted and I'd love to do some needle felting on it after. Maybe a flower here and there. Gotta make the mate to it first.

Have a great weekend!!
P.S.: An after thought......Have a great and relaxing weekend! Monty sure knows how ;)