A Strange Week So Far

 This has been a very strange week for me so far. Somethings I will talk about, some things not so much.  Well here goes.  

I was at Whole Foods this week when a lady stopped me in the parking lot and wanted to buy my car right there on the spot. I suggested that she go to the dealership to see what they had. 

She said she did. However she wanted  my make and model which they did not have.

  I kept saying no.  I really have to learn to be ruder. 

She thought it was brand new. I reality my car is about 2 years old. It was bought just before the COVID19. Since it don’t go out much it sits in the garage a lot. It still looks new. I am about to cross the 5,000 mile threshold too.

She told me I could buy a Tesla and I said no, why not buy one for your daughter.  Maybe next time since the are in short supply I should just say I will sell it for some outrageous price like $ 1.5  or $2 million and if they are will to fork over that much cash, no financing, I would think about selling it.  I think I should be able to buy something suitable and add a little money to savings.  

I am finding that my hands are good for about 2 hours a day of crafting. Then they get too tired to move.  So I am rolling with the punches.  I decided to hand off 2 charity knitting projects at the next knitting guild meeting.  I am no longer going to finish a project for the sake of finishing a project.  I must love it or it will be handed off or tinked.  I must use my limited time wisely. 

I have a little more energy so I am very slowly trying to catch up with housework.  Well I am running out of battery and it’s time to plug in and turn in for the night. 

Using My Wheels’s Again

 I found that using my spinning wheels, yes I have 2 spinning wheels. Has helped ease the arthritis pain in my foot. Some exercise is good. So today I finished filling up one bobbin. It was so full John could see it from the couch.. I don’t think I really could have gotten any more yarn on the bobbin if I tried.  I found more roving in the same color way in my stash and started another bobbin.  Yes, I did some stash diving. I also found some nice silk to ply it with from Ito.  I hope I have enough, because Ito Japan, sold out to a company in Europe which does not like to work with American yarn shops.  

Since pictures are worth a thousand words, I thought I would save you some time.  Today in pictures.  The top picture is the really full bobbin. As you can see it is just about to go over the edge which is not a great thing. The second picture is about 8 ounces more roving. That bag should fill 2 more bobbins.  

Depending on how the yarn turns out it will either be woven into a shawl or knit into a sweater. Yardage will help make the decision. 

Today’s Balance

 Today I found out that I could only knit a row or 2 before I needed to take a break on my new shawl.  The rows are getting incredibly long. I increase by 6 stitches every other row.  I am almost back to we’re I was before I had to tink 10 rows.  It is going to be the perfect summer shawl. It just might be next summer before it is ready.

Ok, so I said I found balance today.  It was in the form of one of Mr. Golding’s drop spindles.  The spindle is so incredible.  It is perfectly balanced.  Spins like a dream.  With the weight of the spindle I was very surprised to find out how thin I could spin the 50/50 combo of Merino and Silk.  I don’t know why I can’t spin this fine on either of my spinning wheels.  I can’t wait to see what it looks like when I ply the yarn . It definitely needs to be a 2 ply yarn. Definitely for a one of a kind project.

In the rush to make yarn to sell, I forgot how much I love my drop spindles. I learned to spin on drop spindles.  Kathy Withers’s is a great teacher  if you want to learn to spin on a drop spindle and are on the East Coast you should really try and take her classes. She also teaches other forms of fiber arts  if you want to support a small farm and just knit or Crochet you need to try Kathy’s yarn which is available on line.

I decided today that I will no longer be taking commission work or repair jobs.  This is all me no outside influence.  I do know a few wonderful fiber artists at Grandmas Spinning Wheel here in Tucson who would be happy to help you out. Stop by during regular business hour’s for help. 

The picture does not do the roving, yarn or spindle justice.  I hope that you can see how fine the yarn is coming out. Yes it really is that thin.  

The Good and the Bad News

 The good or great news is that I don’t need hand or elbow surgery for now.  

The bad news is that I can only knit for a couple of hours a day.  

So I have been binging on audiobooks.  Reorganizing a house that has been reorganized way too many times since COVID19 hit.  

I need to come up with other relaxing activities like jigsaw puzzles, I currently do about 2 a day. I am not buying that many puzzles to clutter up the house, I have an app for that.  I also color occasionally using my left hand just to sharpen my fine motor skills.  

I am trying very hard not to shop. So far so good. I am only replacing worn out items and grocery shopping.  I really have to start cooking more too. 

So ideas that don’t use my right hand would be wonderful.  

Waiting

 We are currently waiting for our summer rains.  I think it is getting closer because I can smell the moisture in the air.  I am still waiting for the smell of the wet creosote bushes. That is the smell most people think about when they think of the after rain smell in the desert.  

I did get a bunch of errands done today too. The paperwork will have to wait for tomorrow.  I am glad it is cooler this week too.  Yes, I have hit the summer doldrums on the first day of summer. How is that for perfect timing.  

A Break from Cleaning

 I took a day off from the kitchen reorganization to do a bit of spinning.  This is a really nice and relaxing spin. The wool is merino which will be plyed with Ito silk from Japan.  I bought both from Grandma’s Spinning Wheel here in Tucson.  

This will be part of a shawl for me.  Now it’s time for a quick nap before dinner.  

Changes and Progress

 Today I decided to reorganize the kitchen including but not limited to moving things around on the counters to make room for my birthday present from John.  He got me an air fryer.  I am hoping to make things like taquitos and sweet potato fries.  There are just so many things I miss on a low fat diet.  I also flipped a couple of cabinets around, no not the cabinets themselves, but the contents.  Some things went to the trash. Other things made it to the Goodwill box.  I hope that the countertop will give good visual clues as to where things have moved.  

I also finished up plying the yarn left on 4 bobbins from Tour de Fleece 2021.  The art yarn all looks good.  Tomorrow I will skein it. Wash and thwack the yarn before I leave it in the garage to dry.  

Maybe the above activities will inspire me to get more projects finished.  Speaking of projects, I really need someone to remind me to call Vicky about ordering a new drive band for my Louet Victoria.  Who is going to volunteer.  It is for the large plying band.  I should also order a smaller drive band too. Also none of the above was on my to do list, so that was only half done today.  

See if you can spot one of today’s major kitchen changes.  From left to right our toaster, my beloved Kitchen Aide K-5 bought in 1977 as a present for myself, our tea set up and John’s MK.  The colorful squares on the counter are my hot pads from Trader Joe’s.

It's an Open Secret

 I have decided that John needs some new towels for Father's Day. First I checked out the mall and found nothing. Then after searching the internet for a couple of hours and finding nothing, I went to Costco.com and found just about the same ones we bought years ago from our local Costco. So the open secret is John is getting 2 new towels for Father's Day. Yes. he already knows that they will not be delivered until after Father's Day.

Just in case you need any new towels here is the link, Turkish Bath Sheets. I am not getting any commission off this link. I just thought that they were good towels. The price might be higher for non Costco members. 

By the way, I noticed a new feature at the nearly empty mall. The mall now includes armed Tucson Police Offices in Tactical Vest. I know its suppose to reassure me that things are safe. I have to tell you it had the opposite effect.  I mean the officer was friendly enough, but still....

In other news, John taught me about right clicking on the mouse for spelling corrections. This is my new skill of the week. 

My Sjogren's is still kicking my behind this week. So I have been super tired. It's got to get better soon.  

It’s Summer Hot

 Today was a hot day in the Old Pueblo. So we took it easy.  A little picking up, knitting and spinning.  John brought in dinner so we did not have to heat up the house.  My body needed a quite day.  

The Real Reason

 The picture below is the real reason we went to Flagstaff for vacation.  I would like everyone to know that I showed great restraint in my purchases.  I really, really did. I could have bought so much more.  Knowing full well that I could have filled 3 or 4 booths with my stash alone.  So here is my list.  

1. A small Takai Spindle and bowl from  The Natural Twist in Albuquerque,New Mexico 

2. Hand-Dyed Fiber by Kimberly Perkins of Colorado. A pack of minis and a skein to go with for a shawl.  You can find her at yarngalleryonline.com

3. Some Hematite balls from a shop near a restaurant we ate at.  I might need some squares or rectangles to properly play with them.  

4. Some lovely comb covers by Mrs. Aragon, mother of Artie Aragon who made the weaving needles.  From Dine Weaving Textile & Looms  From Farmington, New Mexico 

The whole lot fit neatly into one bag.  

Vacation Part 1

We were to busy having fun to take many pictures. We took more on our second part in Sedona Arizona.  This was our first vacation since the end of 2019.   I lost 5.5 pounds because I was limited to outdoor dining, low fat and carbohydrates meals. I hope that I can keep the trend going.  We also walked an awful lot.  No days of less than 10,000 steps.  

Vacation