Happy Birthday my baby girl! Today is a special day in many girls lives, her sweet sixteen. Well this is an extra special day because she turns 16 and 4 today. Yes my baby is a leap year child. Less than 187,000 of the 301,000,000 in the USA and less than 4 million in the world of 6 and a half billion people.
She used to dislike her birthday until she went to school and realized that she was the only one in her school with her birthday. She never had to share her day.
Her Mom and I had the option when she was due to pick the day and induce labor (she was a week late). We talked and thought, why not let this be a special thing about her. When she was younger and it was a non-leap year it would be a week long birthday because she didn't have a birthday that year. 7 days of birthday madness. Well that eased off after her second birthday (8 years)
A little history for some of you who like this kind of stuff. Julius Caesar enacted leap year in 45BC.
Famous births:
Gioacchino Rossini 1792-1868 Italian Composer
He wrote the Barber of Seville in 1816
Herman Hollerith
Austrian born Inventor while living in NY worked at the census bureau conceived the system that eventually became computers. He formed his own company and invented the tabulated punch card machine in 1896. Through acquisitions and mergers this company became IBM.
The Most important birth on this date was in 1992 @ about 4:00 PM :)
I know this evening my sweet daughter is going to have her 4th birthday with her Varsity Softball Teammates . They are taking her to Chuck E Cheese for her official 4th birthday after a stop at build-a-bear. One of the fringes of this day is that she gets offers to go places. She gets a coupon for a free build-a-bear each birthday and a t-shirt.
I wish I was there with you celebrating today but have fun in the tournament this weekend (Go Mustangs) and have a Happy Birthday.
I love you!
Dad
Friday, February 29, 2008
Monday, February 25, 2008
Spinning, Roving, Sienna, and more
Hi all, The end of another weekend in not so sunny California. We had a little light rain but the Ark wasn't needed.
Saturday morning was the spinning guild and I was really looking forward to this because I had some questions about spinning the camel roving I purchased a week or so ago. Many thanks to Janel for her tutelage.
Here I am before the meeting spinning and watching them set up for the talk about wheel mechanics. Just zoning out and spinning away. I noticed how large my feet were when I saw this picture. Mrs. Twisted came with me this time and worked on her sweater. More about that in a little while. I brought the hank for show and tell. It feels like first grade all over again but some of the other projects were amazing. One was hand spun lace and some needle felting. I saw my first Cormo fiber also. They had spun sock weight and knit natural colored socks. Kim Burk was sitting next to me and took this of me after I talked about the roving and fielded questions about my new wheel.
My hank laying on the show and tell table. Nods to Lori Lawson for the fiber.
While at the guild I purchased two balls of roving. 8oz of Merino in colorway Midnight. This was hard to photograph but here is the shot. It's more black than it shows...
Also 12oz of Purple Merino/Tencel
Ruth AKA Dizzy Ewe had a good selection of fiber at a good price so how can I resist? :)
Mrs. Twisted has been very busy in the last few weeks. You saw the socks recently, here are the other FOs she finished. One completed today and the other had it's buttons put on.
The first one is the Sienna cardigan from IK Fall 2007
The yarn is Karabella Aurora 8 on size 9US Knit Picks circular
Notice the wonderful fagot lace stitch pattern on either side of the button band.
She went with my choice of buttons this time. A lovely vintage reproduction pewter design.
The other one is from Big Girl knits
Sexy Ribs Pull Over in RYC Silk Wool colorway Clay. She made a modification to make it a tank instead of the full sleeve. This was completed just minutes earlier.
Saturday morning was the spinning guild and I was really looking forward to this because I had some questions about spinning the camel roving I purchased a week or so ago. Many thanks to Janel for her tutelage.
Here I am before the meeting spinning and watching them set up for the talk about wheel mechanics. Just zoning out and spinning away. I noticed how large my feet were when I saw this picture. Mrs. Twisted came with me this time and worked on her sweater. More about that in a little while. I brought the hank for show and tell. It feels like first grade all over again but some of the other projects were amazing. One was hand spun lace and some needle felting. I saw my first Cormo fiber also. They had spun sock weight and knit natural colored socks. Kim Burk was sitting next to me and took this of me after I talked about the roving and fielded questions about my new wheel.
My hank laying on the show and tell table. Nods to Lori Lawson for the fiber.
While at the guild I purchased two balls of roving. 8oz of Merino in colorway Midnight. This was hard to photograph but here is the shot. It's more black than it shows...
Also 12oz of Purple Merino/Tencel
Ruth AKA Dizzy Ewe had a good selection of fiber at a good price so how can I resist? :)Mrs. Twisted has been very busy in the last few weeks. You saw the socks recently, here are the other FOs she finished. One completed today and the other had it's buttons put on.
The first one is the Sienna cardigan from IK Fall 2007
The yarn is Karabella Aurora 8 on size 9US Knit Picks circular
Notice the wonderful fagot lace stitch pattern on either side of the button band.
She went with my choice of buttons this time. A lovely vintage reproduction pewter design.The other one is from Big Girl knits
Sexy Ribs Pull Over in RYC Silk Wool colorway Clay. She made a modification to make it a tank instead of the full sleeve. This was completed just minutes earlier.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Re-organization required
The hobby/craft/fiber room was getting a little messy with stuff all over the floor. So we headed back to Ikea for another Billy Bookcase. Buying a spinning wheel = bags of roving all over the place.
Much nicer now. We may move wall units right and slide the table on the left side. This is where the winder and swift reside. This would let me spin in front of a south facing window or read with some music playing. Hard to believe that we drove to Ikea, came home, assembled the unit, and re-arranged the fiber and roving in just a few hours.
Top shelf is dyed roving. Corriedale, Silk, Merino/Silk, Falkland, Merino/Tencel, and Romney.
2nd shelf is Jacob/Alpaca, Silk/Merino, Camel, Cashmere, Australian Merino and Falklands.
3rd shelf is Merino and BFL along with a few spinning books.
4th drop spindles and extra bobbins.
5th is the bags of yarn. Approximately 1,200 yards or more of any one yarn (project amounts)
6th is cones of DK and lace weight yarn.
Top left, Malabigo, right are the Silk blends
2nd left side is various wools and 2nd right is all cashmere
3rd left is books except socks and spinning, right are the silks
4th left is merino blends and the right is indie sock yarn #1.
5th left side is merino and Alpaca blends, the right side is all sock books, indie sock yarn #2 and a few commodity sock yarns.
6th left is periodicals and right is various yarn.
This was out latest purchase. A little mid day excursion to Purl Soho Wednesday and this was just begging to come home. It's sock yarn so it's ok. Fannies Fingering weight by Farmhouse yarns. The softest merino nylon sock yarn we have ever felt.
On a knitting note Mrs. Twisted finished the Lily of the Vally socks in Colinette Jitterbug colorway Marble.
I'm making slow progress on my Malabrigo Vee-Neck sweater but not far enough to justify a picture yet.
Men's knitting Group on Friday night and Spinning Guild Saturday Morning.
Life is good.
Much nicer now. We may move wall units right and slide the table on the left side. This is where the winder and swift reside. This would let me spin in front of a south facing window or read with some music playing. Hard to believe that we drove to Ikea, came home, assembled the unit, and re-arranged the fiber and roving in just a few hours. 
Top shelf is dyed roving. Corriedale, Silk, Merino/Silk, Falkland, Merino/Tencel, and Romney.2nd shelf is Jacob/Alpaca, Silk/Merino, Camel, Cashmere, Australian Merino and Falklands.
3rd shelf is Merino and BFL along with a few spinning books.
4th drop spindles and extra bobbins.
5th is the bags of yarn. Approximately 1,200 yards or more of any one yarn (project amounts)
6th is cones of DK and lace weight yarn.
Top left, Malabigo, right are the Silk blends2nd left side is various wools and 2nd right is all cashmere
3rd left is books except socks and spinning, right are the silks
4th left is merino blends and the right is indie sock yarn #1.
5th left side is merino and Alpaca blends, the right side is all sock books, indie sock yarn #2 and a few commodity sock yarns.
6th left is periodicals and right is various yarn.
This was out latest purchase. A little mid day excursion to Purl Soho Wednesday and this was just begging to come home. It's sock yarn so it's ok. Fannies Fingering weight by Farmhouse yarns. The softest merino nylon sock yarn we have ever felt. On a knitting note Mrs. Twisted finished the Lily of the Vally socks in Colinette Jitterbug colorway Marble.
I'm making slow progress on my Malabrigo Vee-Neck sweater but not far enough to justify a picture yet. Men's knitting Group on Friday night and Spinning Guild Saturday Morning.
Life is good.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
The world kept spinning while I was away spinning yarn.
I've been a neglectful blogger lately.
Yes I have been spinning everyday. Some days only 30 minuets some much more but at least a little each day. From my last post you saw some of my singles. This is the first real plied yarn. Dyed merino roving that turned into 110 yards of soft 2 ply purpley success.
It worked up to lite sport weight. I have to keep working at it to get fingering weight. I know it's getting there. About 15 WPIs
Mrs. Twisted has been knitting like crazy and she finished the 2nd Pomatomus sock.
She finished a sweater last week but I don't have pictures yet.
She cast on another sock last Wednesday and finished it after a few modifications to the pattern. Lily of the Valley made from Colinette Jitterbug.
Next was the shipments of two sock clubs.
Jen from Woolgirl sent Zen sock yarn this time that looked a lot like the yarn from the Semi-solid yarn I wanted from the Zen club. Two patterns, a heart stitch maker, hot chocolate, a project bag, and some candies.
The other club is the Yarn Tree sock club. This month came from the Thirteen Mile Lamb and Wool Co. An organic yarn from 50% Moorit and 50% white sheep dyed with cochineal dye.
Soft as buttah and so rich in color.
Today we took a little scouting trip today (Saturday) "The Button Store" in West L.A. We were looking for a source for buttons and this was just what we were looking for. Vintage buttons in every style you could want. They had modern as well as vintage but the enameled and specialized buttons will entice us to return again.
.
I also bought this WPI gage on Etsy last week. I named her Vicky because I know she wishes she was a Vicu~n~a.
I cast on and did a few rounds of my sweater and Mr's twisted in in the middle of another sweater herself but no pictures of either yet.
Yes I have been spinning everyday. Some days only 30 minuets some much more but at least a little each day. From my last post you saw some of my singles. This is the first real plied yarn. Dyed merino roving that turned into 110 yards of soft 2 ply purpley success.
It worked up to lite sport weight. I have to keep working at it to get fingering weight. I know it's getting there. About 15 WPIsMrs. Twisted has been knitting like crazy and she finished the 2nd Pomatomus sock.
She finished a sweater last week but I don't have pictures yet.She cast on another sock last Wednesday and finished it after a few modifications to the pattern. Lily of the Valley made from Colinette Jitterbug.
Next was the shipments of two sock clubs.
Jen from Woolgirl sent Zen sock yarn this time that looked a lot like the yarn from the Semi-solid yarn I wanted from the Zen club. Two patterns, a heart stitch maker, hot chocolate, a project bag, and some candies.
The other club is the Yarn Tree sock club. This month came from the Thirteen Mile Lamb and Wool Co. An organic yarn from 50% Moorit and 50% white sheep dyed with cochineal dye.
Soft as buttah and so rich in color.Today we took a little scouting trip today (Saturday) "The Button Store" in West L.A. We were looking for a source for buttons and this was just what we were looking for. Vintage buttons in every style you could want. They had modern as well as vintage but the enameled and specialized buttons will entice us to return again.
.
I also bought this WPI gage on Etsy last week. I named her Vicky because I know she wishes she was a Vicu~n~a. I cast on and did a few rounds of my sweater and Mr's twisted in in the middle of another sweater herself but no pictures of either yet.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
70 deg Saturdays are nice!
Friday night I went to the bi-weekly men's knitting group at Alamitos Bay Yarn shop (in the annex). We had a new knitter this week and we hope he returns in a couple weeks. I brought Lorelai because one of the guys was very interested in seeing my wheel when I finally received her. I was trying to get one of the guys to take my wheel for a little test spin but I think he was a little uneasy but he wanted all the info because he was implying he wanted to purchase one too.
I filled the bobbin with the yellow Corriedale fiber and will probably ply it Sunday. I've had some roving in my stash for a long long time. I looked back into the history of this blog and found out I bought this roving January 28, 2007. Hand dyed by Lori Lawson of Capistrano Fiber Arts.
This is Merino that looks much nicer than I thought when I first bought it.
It's still a little over spun but that will straighten out when it's plied. The colors are more purple than I expected but I love purple so no problem here. My singles are getting better each time I spin but I'm seeing the plying as being the 'blocking" of spinning. I put it off even though it's not hard and it will free up some bobbins. You other spinners out there, do you prefer spinning dyed roving over spinning undyed roving?
I still haven't cast on for my sweater even though my gage swatch was ok. I should have swatched in the round.... Maybe tomorrow? :)
We have a friend who just received a wheel last week and through a few e-mails found out she is joining a spinning guild and made contacts with a few spinners who offered to help her get started. I can't wait to see when she has her first hank of hand spun.
Hard to tell it was Winter this weekend. We had sunny mid 70's today with a slight breeze and Sunday is looking just as nice. Maybe we'll go towards the shore tomorrow. Hope all of you in the snow country are safe and warm.
I filled the bobbin with the yellow Corriedale fiber and will probably ply it Sunday. I've had some roving in my stash for a long long time. I looked back into the history of this blog and found out I bought this roving January 28, 2007. Hand dyed by Lori Lawson of Capistrano Fiber Arts.
This is Merino that looks much nicer than I thought when I first bought it.
It's still a little over spun but that will straighten out when it's plied. The colors are more purple than I expected but I love purple so no problem here. My singles are getting better each time I spin but I'm seeing the plying as being the 'blocking" of spinning. I put it off even though it's not hard and it will free up some bobbins. You other spinners out there, do you prefer spinning dyed roving over spinning undyed roving?I still haven't cast on for my sweater even though my gage swatch was ok. I should have swatched in the round.... Maybe tomorrow? :)
We have a friend who just received a wheel last week and through a few e-mails found out she is joining a spinning guild and made contacts with a few spinners who offered to help her get started. I can't wait to see when she has her first hank of hand spun.
Hard to tell it was Winter this weekend. We had sunny mid 70's today with a slight breeze and Sunday is looking just as nice. Maybe we'll go towards the shore tomorrow. Hope all of you in the snow country are safe and warm.
Friday, February 08, 2008
Friday Fill-ins
I read this each week on Mary Lynn's blog
Just thought I would play along too with Friday Fill ins
1. I'm looking forward to spending a quiet weekend.
2. Bora Bora is a place I always wanted to visit and haven't made it there yet.
3. I've fallen in love with another craft, spinning.
4. Six of one, half dozen of another.
5. Addiction is just another form of obsessing.
6. The old SNL skits crack me up!
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to Men's knit group, tomorrow my plans include clean the balcony and Sunday, I want to snuggle on the couch and watch movies!
Just thought I would play along too with Friday Fill ins
1. I'm looking forward to spending a quiet weekend.
2. Bora Bora is a place I always wanted to visit and haven't made it there yet.
3. I've fallen in love with another craft, spinning.
4. Six of one, half dozen of another.
5. Addiction is just another form of obsessing.
6. The old SNL skits crack me up!
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to Men's knit group, tomorrow my plans include clean the balcony and Sunday, I want to snuggle on the couch and watch movies!
More roving arrived today.
The other package of roving arrived today. This will be the last shipment of roving for a little while.
Three pounds 5 ounces of lovely fiber.
One pound of Falklands wool.
One pound of Australian Merino. This feels amazing and so soft.
One pound of camel in a caramel color.
A third of a pound of Mongolian cashmere.
I thought I would blend the merino and cashmere for some luxury sock yarn when I get a little better at spinning. Did you see that most of this us natural colored meaning I will get to dye it. Not sure if I want to dye the roving or dye the hand spun yarn.
The Yellow corriedale is filling my bobbin right now, well almost. I'll ply it this weekend.
Three pounds 5 ounces of lovely fiber.
One pound of Falklands wool.
One pound of Australian Merino. This feels amazing and so soft.
One pound of camel in a caramel color.
A third of a pound of Mongolian cashmere.
I thought I would blend the merino and cashmere for some luxury sock yarn when I get a little better at spinning. Did you see that most of this us natural colored meaning I will get to dye it. Not sure if I want to dye the roving or dye the hand spun yarn.
The Yellow corriedale is filling my bobbin right now, well almost. I'll ply it this weekend.
Monday, February 04, 2008
Cotton Candy or Roving?
Spin spin spin
My mind has taken a little shift to the spinning lately. I met with a new group Monday night. Yes yet another group... The Orange County Night Spinners meet the first Monday of each month in the homes of it's members. It's a spinning group but all fiber arts are welcome. What a warm friendly group who welcomed me with open arms and helped me get off to a great start. A few of the members I met previously or at least saw at the Los Angeles Spinning Guild a couple weeks ago and they were not guarded or closed to a stranger in the group. I brought my colored roving that arrived that afternoon.
Maybe this is the future ...
It looks lke scoops of sherbet.
Or flavored cotton candy. Two pounds of fun in those bags.
OK back to the evening, after an hour of conversation one of the lovely ladies brought out some show and tell. A scarf and hat she knit in the hospital while recovering from a broken hip and then she offered up some roving that was raffled off. This was my first meeting and look what I brought home...
It's about a half pound of silk.
Here is the fruits of my labor for the evening.
A half a bobbin of yellow corriedale approx 1 oz worth. Much better, thinner and more consistent fiber than a few days ago. I can't wait to fill the a couple bobbins worth and have enough to ply.
Oh I also received the pound of Blue Faced Leicester that will become Twisted Knitsters hand spun hand, dyed yarn.
I looks like we are swimming in roving already but their is some camel, merino and cashmere due here any day.
On a knitting note, I'm going to cast on for my first guy sweater. Made from Malabrigo Emerald colorway.
I saw this on a few blogs and wanted to see what yarn I was and how funny, It says I'm not just cashmere but it's purple cashmere.
What kind of yarn are you?
You are Cashmere.You are sophisticated and luxe. You can often be found in high-end boutiques and hobnobbing with the upper crust. You are one of the beautiful people and you don't let anyone forget it!
Take this quiz!
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Join
| Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code
My mind has taken a little shift to the spinning lately. I met with a new group Monday night. Yes yet another group... The Orange County Night Spinners meet the first Monday of each month in the homes of it's members. It's a spinning group but all fiber arts are welcome. What a warm friendly group who welcomed me with open arms and helped me get off to a great start. A few of the members I met previously or at least saw at the Los Angeles Spinning Guild a couple weeks ago and they were not guarded or closed to a stranger in the group. I brought my colored roving that arrived that afternoon.
Maybe this is the future ...
It looks lke scoops of sherbet.
Or flavored cotton candy. Two pounds of fun in those bags.OK back to the evening, after an hour of conversation one of the lovely ladies brought out some show and tell. A scarf and hat she knit in the hospital while recovering from a broken hip and then she offered up some roving that was raffled off. This was my first meeting and look what I brought home...
It's about a half pound of silk.Here is the fruits of my labor for the evening.
A half a bobbin of yellow corriedale approx 1 oz worth. Much better, thinner and more consistent fiber than a few days ago. I can't wait to fill the a couple bobbins worth and have enough to ply.Oh I also received the pound of Blue Faced Leicester that will become Twisted Knitsters hand spun hand, dyed yarn.
I looks like we are swimming in roving already but their is some camel, merino and cashmere due here any day.
On a knitting note, I'm going to cast on for my first guy sweater. Made from Malabrigo Emerald colorway.
I saw this on a few blogs and wanted to see what yarn I was and how funny, It says I'm not just cashmere but it's purple cashmere.
What kind of yarn are you?
You are Cashmere.You are sophisticated and luxe. You can often be found in high-end boutiques and hobnobbing with the upper crust. You are one of the beautiful people and you don't let anyone forget it!
Take this quiz!
Quizilla |
Join
| Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code
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