learning something new

Welcome back everyone, thank you for coming.  It's great to see so many fibery peeps stopping in to say hey.  Yet another Friday rolls around and it's time for Fiber Arts Friday.  Be sure to stop over and see what Andrea and friends have to show you this week.

I got my Singer 201 back in the cabinet and sewing this week.

 Isn't she a beauty?  Purrs like a kitteh and makes a really nice stitch too.

I'm pretty excited about my estate sale find last Saturday...I went looking for a sewing machine (natch) that they had advertised (like I need another sewing machine) ahem, like I said, I'm cruising around through all the beautiful antique furniture - that I don't have room for in my bungalow - not seeing any evidence of advertised machine...I walk out the door and glance at a box that's sitting on the sidewalk and notice a carding comb...

 hmm, that would be a nice decoration piece in my sewing/yarn storing room...when I get closer to the box I see some thick/thin yarn wound around a spool...a wheel...and a bunch of other miscellaneous parts that I didn't know the names of.  A piece of masking tape said $18 but a big sign by the door said 1/2 off all small items.  I had to walk back in and ask if that box qualified as a small item...yep, it did so for $9 I got a nice old carding comb and a bunch of pieces of a spinning wheel.

 After attempting to assemble the pieces with the main one upside down, it wasn't making any sense...then something told me to turn it over and voila! all those pieces made a bit more sense.

I threw a couple pictures up on a group I belong to on Ravelry, got a bit more info and also found a great website with illustrations showing the pieces and their names and how they should be assembled.  The wheel appears to be very old.  A few parts seem to be replacements as they are a different style than the rest and one of the "maidens" is broken.

Thankfully one of my contacts in the ZPDK knew of someone that refurbishes old wheels and makes replacement parts.  I'll be taking the wheel down to MFF on Saturday so the ZPDKs can all check it out and give their opinion.  Then shop for some fiber to spin on my new fishy spindle that Shannon made.

Learning new things has always been exciting for me, no matter what the subject, eh, except all the new stuff I'm having to learn at work.  This spinning wheel stuff did not disappoint!

Here's wishing you learn something new this week too!

LittleDog has learned that if you lie real still, you won't get so hot...

when it's hot and your person doesn't want to turn on the a/c...pitiful isn't he?

Finished Quilt

Happy Fiber Arts Friday everyone!  Thank you so much for coming to see my work and be a part of my life.  I started this post last night so I could be sure and get it posted early this morning.  I know some of you are early risers like me...

8/12/10:  It is 11:12pm and I just finished stitching down the binding and the quilt signed and photographed.  Tomorrow when there is better light I'll take better photographs but for now here it is.

with the original photo

here's a close-up of the "sprigs of grass"

and all rolled up you can see the back and all the little doggies

I truly enjoyed this project.  I hope the recipient enjoys it too.

Have a great weekend and be sure to do something fibery!

August already

The summer has flown past and my thoughts are turning to autumn with its cool breezes and crispy leaves...my favorite time of year.  It's when we can buy collards by the 5 lb sack at the Farmer's Market and eat tomatoes fresh from our own vines.  This year's tomato plant is an heirloom variety that turns a pretty shade of orange when ripe.  I can hardly wait to taste the first one with some mozzarella cheese, fresh basil and balsamic vinegar.  

And, the Michigan Fiber Festival in Allegan.  It's the weekend of August 20-22 and I can hardly wait to get down there and see what all my fibery friends have in their booths.  I know at least 3 fiberistas who will be plying their wares in the barns this year.  Rita from Yarn Hollow, Rachel from Counting Sheep Farm and Andrea from Wonder Why Alpaca Farm.  I'll be looking for that special something that one of them is sure to have.

Autumn also means we'll be able to sit on the deck in the evening and not have our behinds stuck to the chairs when we get up.  Wearing shoes & socks again, something I cannot stand once the temperature gets up past 75.  I'll make an attempt to finish the Big Ass Sweater...anybody remember that project?  I haven't touched it in months.  Knitting on it is a cold weather activity, much like wearing an afghan, LOL.

There are many reasons to look forward to autumn in my opinion.  I'm sad to see the summer months fly by but I will not miss the endless run of miserably hot and humid weather we've had this year.  I'd like to order some 72 and sunny weather for the next few weeks but that would be asking too much according to the forecast.

My fibery offering this week is a little sock I made for my Zen. I think it's cute.

  And some quilt stitching...up close...

 I also wanted to show you this pretty vase I picked up for a dollar at a yard sale last weekend.

 I do enjoy some cut glass for storing my knitting needles and other long pointy things.  So pretty.

And some crazy dogs...LittleDog thinks he is so tuff.  I missed the part when he was taunting Sam by giving him the stink-eye and jiggling his tail really fast.  Maybe next time...they do this stuff every day.

Thank you so much for coming, I hope you enjoyed your visit.
Be sure to check out my friends who also celebrate Fiber Arts Friday.

Playin at Rena's

Hey everybody!  LittleDog dog here, I loves a car ride...

especially when the destination is Rena's big back yard.  Mom actually remembered the camera today.  And figured out how to shoot video with it.  Here's my first attempt at motion pictures, they're a bit blurry but I hope you enjoy them.  The first video is LittleDog (that's me!), Sam and Max.  The second is the three of us with Winston the resident dog at Rena's.  Thanks for the water Rena, it was kinda hot out there.

It's been a fantastic day, we hope you all had one too.

Some pretty flowers for you to enjoy also...

we love some marigolds!

It finally cooled off today

and work is slowly progressing on my two current projects.

The grass is growing like the weeds in our backyard on the quilt.

 I'm liking the look of it so far.  I hope I can sit still in front of the frame long enough to get it finished this weekend. The urge to sew quilt blocks is coming on strong and I have to resist til this piece is done.

The pink sock is progressing at a slow pace, the weight of the yarn is making it less than desirable for me to knit.  1 sock about 3/4 done...

We've had some pretty lazy days around here the past couple weeks due to the heat and humidity.  Today house has been open, the a/c turned off ($215 electric bill this month, gah!) and a nice breeze is moving through right now.  Nothing better than open windows.  The dogs aren't thinking it's cool enough for open windows though, they all look exhausted this evening.

LittleDog really prefers the a/c, the colder the better.

In the close-up you can see what he thinks of the hot weather.

Have a super-swell weekend and be sure to check out the fibery goodness over at Wisdom Begins In Wonder as we celebrate another Fiber Arts Friday.

A Fishy Fiber Arts Friday with a spin.

Once again I arrive at Friday wondering where the week went.  To make it even worse, I will be working tonight and most of tomorrow at Taste of Grand Rapids.

In the interest of all things fiber be sure to jump over to Wisdon Begins in Wonder and check out all the great peeps who participate in Fiber Arts Friday.

Speaking of great fiber peeps, I got the nicest package from Spinsanity this week.  When I opened it I found this little lovely...

Shannon makes some awesome hand painted spindles...check em out!  Now if I can keep The Saint from playing with it...or maybe I should encourage him.  It would certainly be more productive for him to learn how to spin yarn that I could knit than what he does now...play games on his cell phone.
I've been knitting like crazy on these pink anklets...

I'm planning to wear them at work when the a/c is freakin cold which is almost every day!  Maybe I better make more than one pair.
The dogs have been suffering in the heat...and the lawn is showing some signs of heat exhaustion.

Speaking of dogs, I'm making progress on the quilt.  All the clouds are quilted (I hope it doesn't look too much like toilet paper, LOL) and I've started the grass.  What do you think?  Does it look like grass to you?

These grass tufts will certainly go faster than the round clouds did.  I can hardly wait to get this finished. 

Everybody have a great week and remember to do something fibery!

Thank you for stopping by and please do let me know what you think of the quilted grass.

Fiber Arts Friday...on Saturday

I guess I lost track of time while on staycation this week.  Better late for Fiber Arts Friday than to miss it completely.  It's been a nice week with knitting and quilting a part of every day.  I finished the socks that daughter Rena started...she doesn't like to do the heels so she passed them on to me for that part and I just kept on going.

Cookie A's Monkey is one of my favorite patterns, these are done without the purl stitches.

I've got ideas swirling in my head for what I want to start.  It's always a bit of a challenge as I like to have a sock and something else going at the same time.  I'll be hanging with my knitting buddy, Kim, today.  We'll be checking out Fabrications in Richland today along with a place that's supposed to have some pretty good food.  I wanted to start a new sock today so will give this a try...

if I can't find some white or pink cotton yarn at Fabrications I'll use a skein of sock yarn I pulled out of my stash last night.  The color is 220.  The other project I'd like to get started on is the One-Button Cardigan from the Fall 2010 Knit Simple...

and I won't be wearing it with a plaid blouse!  LOL

I've done a bit of yard work, but not much.  Yesterday I was forced to pull up some of our pepper plants thanks to this guy...

don't know where he came from but he went straight into the trash bin when I found him.  He ate all but one pepper and all the leaves in the blink of an eye.  Stinkin horn worms!

And now, a message from LittleDog:

Hey evrybodee!  Check out my newly washed self.  She gave me a bath yesterday and I'm clean and shiney!  Just ignore the devil dog eye reflection.

It's only 6am and I'm a bit sleepy but she insists on snappin that flash anyway.

Whatever!  Thank you all for visiting and for the anniversary wishes.  Be sure to check out the other great fiber artists that participate in Fiber Arts Friday on Andrea's blog.  Have a great weekend!

Toodle-loo!