Time to Pivot

 For Spin Together 2025, I had originally planned to master the supported spindle spinning.  My body however had very strong reservations on the subject. So today I did a major pivot and  looked in my fiber stash and choose 2 color coordinated roving’s that I bought at my favorite Local Yarn Store, Grandma’s Spinning Wheel . By the way I am on the Grandma’s Spinning Wheel team  for Spin Together 2025. 

I switched to my Hansen mini pro e-spinner. Since I was not planning to use my e-spinner this week, I spent the morning finishing up some quick plying and skeined in the yarn off the bobbins.  I do not have enough bobbins to cover unplanned projects. Of course the four skeins had to have a bath and are now drying in the garage. You can find Hansen Crafts at this link.  I do love my Hansen e-spinner.  One of the best things about it is that I can use it when I am in a flare up and can’t use my Louet Victoria or Lendrum DT.  It’s the whole bit that I must rest as much as possible during a flare up. But as long as I am not treadling I can still spin.  

I am a little over 1/3 of the way through my first roving.  This is my spin from this afternoon. 

Spin Together 2025

 The first day of Spin Together 2025 was today.  I chose to challenge myself with learning to spin on a supported spindle. The first spindle I tried I did not get the knack of it. After an hour I changed spindles.  Maybe I need a little more practice before I go to something like that again. So I picked up another spindle, yes, I brought several with me to spin in public day. This Spindle was made by a Navajo artist. It was a better spin experience for me. The spindle was more balanced and easier to use. I wish I could find his card because I’d like another one. Alas I am getting ahead of myself.

With the second spindle, I spun until my hands were too tired to work. I think I did a pretty good job on a brand new to me spindle. I was also trying out different fibers in 1 ounce fiber samples. The picture below shows about a quarter of an ounce of hand spun yarn.  I think it will ply to a DK weight. I have a bunch of other spindles to try so once I get this spindle full, I will go to the next. I will put aside the ones that I’m finding difficult and then decide what to do with them. If they don’t work for me after several tries, it might be time to thin the herd again. I think I might have another spindle de stash.

The above spindle is a keeper.  

Completed Projects

 These are my completed projects for the week as of yesterday.  The 4 blue skeins of yarn are going to my sister. The 2 small skeins are going into my hand spun yarn stash.  The 4 skeins of pink were responsible to compress some of the air out of the yarn to make it more suitable for weaving.  The green skein of yarn is going into a new pattern design.  The hat is part of my holiday knitting for the kids clothing bank here in Tucson that I am supporting.  That would be 6 more completed projects for the year.   

Now to pit everything away or get it ready for mailing tomorrow.  I hope to have a big stack to bring to the post office.  It’s always good when things leave the house.   

The End Is Insight

 This scarf has been on the loom since early last year.  The end is finally insight.  The color combo was not that inspiring to me. But I need the loom so it has to be finished.  

Lace Weight Yarn

 I managed to spin lace weight yarn on something besides a drop spindle. I spun it on my Hansen Mini Pro e-spinner.  I got 493 yards out of 4 ounces of roving.  I am really proud of my accomplishment.  It’s not like I have not spun lace weight yarn before, but it has always been on a drop spindle.  

I spun 4 ounces of Targee Wool plyed with Ashford Caterpillar cotton.  It should have a definite artsy look when it is finished.  The roving was a fairly fun spin, but it took a long time. I also found that it was easier to sit on the left side of the e-spinner. With the e-spinner on my left side instead of the traditional way of being in front of the orifice. I set up the yarn in multiple skeins so it would dry faster.  

I also put so much plyed yarn on the first bobbin that the end popped off when I took the bobbin off.  Well there is a first time for everything.  Note to self: don’t over fill the bobbin ever again. 

Don’t worry. It is not being added to my yarn stash.  As soon as I give it a hot water bath.  Thwack it.  Then line dry it. It will be leaving the house with other yarn in a big box.  

So Many Projects

 I have so many projects that I want to work on: however, this little energizer bunny has run out of batteries. I spent the day resting.

That being said I decided to do something different for this year’s Spin Together event. A no pressure spinning project.  I decided that I am going to finally tackle the supported spindle.  I will gather my supported spindles in a basket and get a sampler of different fibers to try out.  At least from a Navajo spinning class that I took several years ago, I already know that I will spin to the left which means putting everything on the right, I think.  I will have to look that up. 

Still Exhausted

 Yesterday I started a new medication.  I am still exhausted. I spent a good part of the day sleeping.  I am, however in less pain. Which is wonderful.  

Just in case you are wondering about today’s race, the snail won by several yards.  Autoimmune diseases really are awful.  

My Creative Energy is Back

 I am starting to feel better after my bout with food poisoning.  I have got my creative energy back. Now I just need my body to catch up with my creativity.  I am on day two of winding yarn for various projects.  I also managed to find room in some bins for yarn.  That might have something to do with pulling out yarn for projects from the bins.

I have also found that if I sit to the left side of my espinner it has some definite advantages.  The first being no sun in my eyes during afternoon spinning sessions.  The second being that I get a smoother thinner yarn. I can also see the yarn at a better angle. Did I mention that is also easier to spin that way?  If it is written in stone that you must sit facing the orifice of the spinning wheel or espinner, I have just broken that silly stone.  However if you must really have it written in stone the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show is going on until February 14th. 

Just Reading

 With one hand out of commission due to tendinitis I spent the day reading.  I almost finished a book that I started in December 2008.  We will file this under no book should be finished before it’s time.  It’s a really good book.  Let’s just say I had a lot of distractions at the time, I am not mentioning any names, but that is a period in my life where sleep became a luxury.  If sleep was a luxury reading fell further down the list.

The book is called Deep Blue by Meir Uri Gottesman.  A little warning there are a lot of Yiddish phrases and transliterated Hebrew phrases.  So either keep a Yiddish to English dictionary on hand and use google translate.  

Two More Done

 So far I have completed 2 projects this week.  I will show you my spinning. It’s a huge skein.  It came out perfectly balanced too.  It is a wool for the first spin, plyed with a darker silk yarn.  This is a one of a kind spin, so I will not spin more of this.  I will show you the picture.  It is already in the box to mail out. Just one more skein to spin and ply before I mail it.  

The next one I will not show you because it is a new pattern.  I have two more to knit. Pictures to take and a pattern to type up before I send it to my test knitters. Whew, it sounds like a lot of work.  Since I am using larger knitting needles it goes fast.  

I have also made the decision that I will no longer knit with a double strand of worsted weight cotton  it is just to hard on my hands. 

I am a Book Dragon

 Let’s face it.  I am a book dragon.  I tend to collect books faster than I can read them.  Once read I hate to let them go.  This is the pile I have on my nightstand waiting to be read.  I find it a bit overwhelming and daunting at the same time.  

So with some clever organizing I was able to clear one bookshelf off by rehousing everything on the shelf.  John then graciously dusted the shelf and moved a shelf of books for me to the higher shelf.  He then dusted the lower shelf too.  

Then it was my turn to prioritize which books to leave on the nightstand and which books to move to the shelf.  Then I went and gathered books off my dresser and some from the knitting room.  The empty shelf is now almost full with knitting books on the left and smaller fiction and nonfiction books on the right.  With the taller knitting books on a different shelf.  It feels good to get more organized.  

One of the books that was waiting to be read got started tonight.  I really love the ease of reading in short bursts.  The book is very spot on about our hectic lives.  I would highly recommend reading this book.  “ I’m not too busy “ by Jodi Hills. No, this book will not be leaving the house when I am finished because I managed to snag an autographed copy. This book you will have to find on your own.  

TTFN

Life in the Slow Lane

 I am having trouble adjusting to a slower pace.  I am having trouble just sitting still and resting.  In this endeavor practice does not make perfect.  

Oopise

 Oopise. The pattern that went wrong in so many ways will be going to a kids clothing bank. This goes under waste not want not.  A child will have a one of a kind winter beanie for next Christmas. 

Repeat after me. 

 Never ever try to write a pattern during brain fog. 

Never ever try to knit a sample during a really good television show.  

It never turns out well.  

I started rewriting the pattern and making the new sample tonight.  I foresee many, many changes along the way. 

I am still counting this a a completed UFO. 

An Empty Project Bag

 I did not complete any projects today.  This is even better.  I emptied one project bag.  I can now transfer a work in progress to this empty bag.  I do think the project will easily fit inside.  It has a shoulder strap so I don’t have to leave it anywhere if I have to get up.  Even better, I can put my wallet, car keys and glasses in the bag too. Less stuff to carry. 

This is because of a recent incident.  Some went into my project bag while I stepped away from my seat and stole 1/3 of my projects yarn.  A friend said that I had to stop trusting people so much.  Stop giving everyone the benefit of the doubt that they will do what’s right.  I have heard from several other fiber artists and they have had the same experience.  So now I will never leave my project bag alone on a table again, unless it’s a charity project. I tend to use less expensive easy to replace yarn in charity projects. A cup maybe, those are easier to replace and will not put a project on hold. 

I really don’t know what to make of this 2 year old mentally in older women.  If they wanted white yarn so badly they could go to a local yarn shop or buy from an Indy dyer on line. It is not necessary to steal my yarn. Also there was a lot of white yarn on the stash table that day. So I am cutting them no slack. If I do find out who did this, I will demand that I be reimbursed for the cost of replacing the 2 skeins of yarn. I am really getting tired of the entitlement that some people think that they are owed. 

Low Hanging Fruit

 I managed to finish 2 projects today. I just did the easy work of finishing weaving in the ends on a wash cloth.  Then I pick up a hat that had been on the back burner for 2 years.  All that needed to be done is finishing the crown and weaving in the ends.  

I am also thankful for my for my Hanson Mini E-spinner pro.  I don’t think that I would be able to do much spinning without it right now.  

I know that I am making more Tunisian crochet washcloths than I need. I have been teaching Tunisian crochet to a group of friends.  So I keep starting new ones to show various aspects of the stitches.  

The Blanket Reveal

 Since the blank has been gifted, I think it’s ok to show the whole blanket now.  

Another Finished Project

 Project number 5 for the year.  A gradient spin with 5 different yarns from the same 8 ounces of roving.  This roving was thinner then pencil roving. Yes, it is possible.  It was a tricky spin until I got my rhythm down.  The biggest skein was a two ply of the yarn.  The 4 smaller skeins were plyed with commercially produced yarn. This will be off to a new home as soon as it is packed up. 

Finally

 I finally got 3 low hanging projects completed.  One project in each of the following categories: knitting, Tunisian crochet and quilting.  I added 3 more stitch markers to the counting vase.  Without further ado here they are.  The quilt is a present so I can’t show you the rest until the quilt is given.  The scarfs are a head start on next year’s holiday gifts.  

Projects by the Dozens.

 This is the year to complete as many UFO’s as possible.   Every where I look in the sewing and knitting rooms I  seem to find more UFO’s without even looking.  I just seem to be scattered trying to finish everything at once.  Right now I have one on the sewing machine with two more lined up, meaning under two hours to finish each project.  One on the espinner, a little over halfway done with the first spin, then plying, hot bath and thwack. Too many on Tunisian Crochet Hooks and knitting needles to count. 

Did I mention I still have to write the directions for a beginner weaving class on mudd rugs?  That will be two different pdf’s. 

Now if I could only be more organized.  Wait a minute, if I was more organized I would be able to complete one project before starting another project.  I don’t think that is going to happen anytime soon.  

Spinning Yarn Right Handed

 I did not realize how hard it is for people to spin right handed.  I started trying to spin right handed when my left hand started to get sore.  I am ambidextrous and try to learn everything with both hands. I have been spinning left handed for over 15 years. I guess by now the sensation of the spun yarn going through my left hand is ingrained. So it might take me a while to learn spinning right handed. 

On my e spinner I am currently working on a project for my sister.  The roving is thinner than pencil roving. If you can believe that.  The rolls are huge 270 meters per 100 grams plus or minus the industry standard of 5%.  Which translates into United States measurements as 295.276 yards and 3.527 ounces plus or minus 5%.  With any luck the first roll will fit on one bobbin. I am approximately half way through the first roll. As you can see from the bobbin this should ply into a Worsted or Aran weight yarn.  Once I finish spinning this roll and the second roll my sister will get 2 to 3 skeins of  plyed yarn. Since she has a skein winder at home I am going to give her huge skeins and not break it down to 100 yards per skein.

Time to Wash the Mittens

Hand knit woolens don’t have to be washed very often.  When mine do I use cool or cold water with some Soak Wash.. The soak label says that you don’t have to rinse, but I rinse anyway.  Today since it was nice and sunny I hung the mittens on the fence to dry so that they would be ready for bed time.  

After I brought them in I shaved off the little balls of yarn that happen with very frequent use.  My sleeping gloves are now ready for use again.  

The yarn is by Merino-y-Vino on Etsy.com.  She does a fabulous job. Her color combinations are delightful.  She is a one woman show. The gloves below are a little over a year old and are used nightly. 

The Soak Wash can be found in some local yarn shops or www.soakwash.com or www.soakwash.ca

The pattern is on www.ravelry.com under Sheri Karobonik. The pattern name is Maxi Fingerless Gloves.

*I do not make any commission from Merino-y-Vino or Soak Wash. I do however try to recoup some of the cost of the yarn for my designs from pattern sales.  

Happy New Year 2025

 I am wishing everyone a happy, healthy and prosperous new year.   Happy 2025.  

And It’s a Mixed Day

 I had a very good start to my day. I got a lot of work done.  Sadly I ran out of spoons before lunch and spent the rest of the day resting.   

Number One Finished

 My first finished UFO.  Now I only need to complete 9 more before I can start another project. I did find that my drop spindle from Ankerworks broke on the top of the whorl, but the 3D Turkish spindle that John made for held up.  The stitch marker has been put in the the small vase.  

This is a mini skein of wool yarn.  I spun the wool on the Turkish spindle starting with the pink then adding the green. I plyed them together.  It will be washed thwacked,then put in a box for coasters or embellishments.  

One Amazing Man

 My amazing husband can go from chopping the vegetables for tonight’s soup to heading to the workshop to trim down ridged heddles that were meant for a 20 inch loom and cut them down to fit my 15 inch loom.  

Now on to the less amazing part of my day.  Who would have thought that all the slippers in my size that I wanted would be sold out.  On the day after Christmas, no less.  Not available until next fall.  Seriously I was not ready to buy winter slippers when the outside temperature was still in the 100’s.  I am definitely not looking for warm and woolly slippers then.   Today it’s in the 60’s the perfect weather for warm woolly slippers.  I want to buy them now when they will be immediately useful.  Apparently it’s to much to ask for.

Now to finish the scarf on the loom so my husband can do his final check of the heddles.  

The Unintentional Gift

 I gave John the most unique gift for the holidays this year.  This morning I went through the desk shelves that I stored paper and other stationary.  I divided the items into four separate piles.  They were Goodwill, keep, donate and recycle.  By the time I was done there was a large pile for Goodwill and donate.  A bit for recycling and less than half was put back.  

There were duplicates and even triplicates of some items.  In my defense most of the duplicates and triplicates were at the very back of the shelves where I find it difficult to get to.  I then put back the keep stuff.  Had John move and pack up everything leaving the house. 

I then gave him a pile of John type stuff.  Not surprisingly most was recycled.  

After all that I told him I had a unique holiday gift for him.  I told him the bottom shelf was his, but he was responsible for dusting and polishing it.  He promptly took his 3D toolbox and put it on the shelf.  It fit perfectly.  Also added were two additional tools in their own boxes.  Apparently this was on of the best gifts that I have ever given him.   Who knew it could be this easy?  

I hope everyone is having a very happy holiday season.  

Random Thoughts

 The recovery from food poisoning has been very slow.  The good news is that I am able to eat again.   I am letting my body decide when it wants to eat. Also what it wants to eat.  So far so good.  I am also getting some energy back.

The real reason for this post is really random.  When I was younger and everyone seemed to smoke everywhere, the were always free books and boxes of matches.  I would take them if I wanted to remember the name of the restaurant. I kept them in a little fish bowl that still holds the matches to this day.  Today while getting ready for the holiday, I noticed that the bowl was starting to look a little bit empty.  Meaning that I have not picked up matchbooks in quite awhile.  

Which brought up the question of where does one get matchbooks and boxes in 2024.  I know that I will have a few more years to work this one out.  Since I don’t smoke, I can’t get them with purchase.  Are these businesses who use to give out free matchbooks still in business? Was it a really good form of advertising? Was it a liability issue for giving them out?  Did it just fall out of favor along with smoking? I could ask an AI chatbot, but the companies might get mad if I break their bots with such an irrelevant issue.  

Since there is no one else in this room, I think bringing up 6 relevant points is enough of a start.  If you have any other relevant points please let me know.  

With a blanket Happy Holidays to everyone, because there are just too many holidays and special occasions to keep track of in the next few months.  Before I forget Happy National Eggnog Day.  

Day 4

 I am on day 4 of recovering from food poisoning.  My best guess is it was either the chicken or the salad, since I have not heard of any recent outbreaks from pecans or dried cherries.  I am doing much better than Thursday or Friday.  My ribs are still sore from all the wild eyrping.  I am still on the bananas, rice, applesauce and toast diet. Although the rice hit very hard today so I am backing off for a bit.  

Is am not sure if this hit me so hard because it is the second time in a few months that I got food poisoning or that I got a stronger dose of the toxin.  

My 10 ounce Welly: cup is perfect for laying in bed and drinking.  No more drenching myself with a 30 ounce tumbler.  

I was able to do 2 very small chores today. This comes with a caveat of a rest was required after each chore.  I am also ignoring my Fitbit request that I move more. I have gone into snail mode.  

I am very sad that I am missing the Mercado Christmas Market this weekend.  I have been looking forward for this for a while.  

*my usual disclaimer.  I bought the Welly: cup.  I am not receiving and compensation for mentioning it.  I like it therefore it got a mentioned.  

The Next Step

 90 percent of the deep house cleaning is done.  It’s just things like the pantry, filing cabinet and curio cabinet that need my attention.  

So I am turning my attention to UFO’s problem. I currently have 4 baskets of UFO’s that need to be completed. UFO’s are projects that are in various stages of completion.  Last year I tried a log book to keep track of my UFO’s.  That was a terrible failure.  So I am going for a straight numbers thing.  For every 10 projects I completed, I have given myself permission to cast on another project.  The only exception to this rule will be charity knitting for the kids and some family members.  

To keep track of all this I plan on dropping a stitch marker in a jar for every completed project.  This should be totally doable for me.  It’s not like there is a shortage of stitch markers in this house.  I am also sure that I can find a see through jar or vase.  With a limited amount of hand time per day it will take longer than in the past. I have started this project today with a random project. I got 2 inches completed today.  Pictures for you of my progress when the items are completed. 

My goal is to get rid of my PhD in knitting. Projects half done.  Wish me luck.  

How to Fix a Leather Slipper

 Let’s face it, it has become common practice to repair anything useful again.  That includes leather slippers.  Things just don’t last like we think they should.  One scissor company has decided a lifetime warranty is now not my lifetime but 10 years. So that when a blade starts going wonky and I bought the scissors in 1984 they are not going to replace them. The cake slicing knife I bought in 1975 is out of its lifetime warranty because the company went through bankruptcy. But I digress. We are here to talk about slippers. The seeming work is not done as well as it used to be.  The knots are not made to stay in place.  The knots are put in wonky places. You are lucky to make it one whole season without the slipper falling apart.

This is where you have to get creative. You will probably need a darning needle, a needle threader, a smaller crochet hook, toothpick and either Fray Check or Krazy Glue.  For this repair they can be used interchangeably.  These are both under a registered trademark, but I do not know where the symbol is on my iPad keyboard also under registered trademark.

The first thing you will do is run the remaining thread, which was cut to short to tie off properly, through a hole with the darning needle to the outside of the slipper.   Then you will run it through a stitch a couple of times.  As you are running out of thread run the crochet hook through the wrap that you just made. Twice if you have enough thread.  For this repair I used Krazy Glue because the Fray Check is playing hide and seek in the knitting room.  I like to keep a four pack of Krazy Glue around.  That way it is always fresh when I need it.  With the toothpick gently dab the Krazy Glue on the repair being careful not to get any on your hands or the leather.   It is only for the thread. Let dry in a safe place over night to dry.  

As a word of caution.  Please don’t attempt to do this anywhere but at a table with good lighting.  Things like the darning needles and threaders like to play hide and seek.  They are very good at hiding.  Almost as good as the Fray Check in the knitting room. The person you send hunting for the hidden items will not be happy with you.  Below is a picture of my repair attempt.  It’s not perfect, but it is not going anywhere soon.  The dark brown spot is where the glue is drying   

Also I regularly purchase both Fray Check and Crazy Glue.  I have not been paid to endorse these products. They have been in our home repair kit for years. 

My Navajo Style Tapestry Weaving

 I have finally finished my Navajo style tapestry weaving class with a little bit of help.  Ok, a lot of help at the end.  That much sitting and weaving was very hard on my body. I usually do not weave for more than 1 hour in any 24 hour period. My hands were useless the day afterwards. I hurt down to the bone. My body is still not happy with me.  If I ever under took making a second one, it would take at least a few weeks.  

The reason I am calling it my Navajo Style Tapestry Weaving is that I am obviously not Navajo.  You have to be a registered member of the Navajo Nation to make a genuine Navajo Tapestry Rug. This skill is handed down through the generations.  The tapestries are definitely worth the price, with the amount of work that goes into even the smallest pieces.  If someone claims that you don’t have to be Navajo to weave a Navajo rug just don’t believe them and move on. I personally feel that it is not ethical to profit off of someone Else’s culture and heritage.

I would also like to clear up another misunderstanding about Navajo fiber arts.  The Navajo do not ply their yarn. That would add too much time to the project. They could also not compress the yarn as much as is required,  please believe me there is a lot of pounding the yarn to compact it well. Also when rugs were made for the trading posts for sale, they were paid by the pound for rugs.  It was a family affair with the children doing a lot of the carding of the fiber as per my friend Louise. They also took care of the sheep.  

That being said I really enjoyed taking a class with world class instructors.  I would recommend taking a class with Barbara Teller Ornelas and Lynda Teller Pete.  By the way they have 2 books on Amazon or at Barnes and Nobel that are worth reading. You should be in very good physical condition to do this class.  There are so many new skills that I learned.  I am very grateful  that Vicky and Michael Konecky of Grandma’s Spinning Wheel in Tucson Arizona made this class possible.  

I am also grateful that my daughter and son in law gave me a portable hand massager.  My hands would be much worse off.  At least I can do non intricate work with my hands today.  I even emptied the dishwasher without dropping any plates today.  I also folded 3 loads of laundry too.  Then it was seek, toss or put away.  This was followed by a gourmet dinner of a duck egg omelette with mixed vegetables and fresh fruit.  I even managed to flip a 4 egg omelette without breaking it to pieces.  

My tapestry is below.  Louise helped me pick the colors out.  I picked out the design from a deck  of patterns.  The Teller sisters helped with the technical difficulties. 

Navajo Tapestry Weaving

 I started my Navajo tapestry weaving class today.   This is just before my first color change.  I am having a wonderful time.  I am learning so much.  There is a small difference between each of the weaving styles that I have learned.  It is easier than I thought.  

Slowing Down

 I have been in high gear for a few weeks now.  Being the proud owner of a couple of autoimmune diseases does not always allow me to do what I want. When I want to do things.  

I really have enjoyed doing massive amounts of decluttering the house.  Filing up the recycling bin almost to the top. Sending huge boxes to Goodwill instead of having a garage sale.  Sharing extra fiber related things with my friends.  Emptying cabinets to the point of having not one but two empty shelves.  Leaving books in the little libraries around the neighborhood. 

Tonight my body gave me a stern warning.  Slow down right now or else.  So if I have enough spoons I will do one project a day.  Then rest by listening to books, spinning, knitting, weaving, Tunisian crochet and watching rom coms or documentaries on television.  Pay more attention to my body instead of wishful thinking that I am 30 again with only one autoimmune disease and all the energy in the world.  

My Shark Multi Functional Wasp Eliminator

 I feel that global warming is very real.  Why else would I have to have to use my Shark multi functional Wasp eliminator on this the 5th day of December, 2024?  I spotted the wasp on the window. By the time I got back the wasp was trying to hide in the dark brown carpet.  

I was prepared with my wasp eliminator and a fly swatter for a little extra protection.  How the wasp eliminator works is very simple.  Put the D shaped opening over the wasp and turn the wasp eliminator on.  Once the wasp is safely inside the Wasp Eliminator, you walk outside with the Wasp Eliminator still on.  Find a place very far away from the house.  Make sure the wasp is not moving, because they can be tricky.  Turn the wasp eliminator off. This is a must because you can’t open the elimination door with the machine on. Make sure you are away from foot traffic.  Open the trap door and shake out the machine.  Walk away very quickly.  

Everyone who is allergic to wasps should have one of these handy devices available at all times. Because sometimes our knight in shining armor is on a grocery run.  This machine allows me to be a self rescuing princess.  Albeit a very shaky self rescuing princess.  

I would like to thank the wonderful people at The Shark Corporation for making this wonderful Wasp Eliminator aka the Shark hand held vacuum.  The Shark hand held vacuum was a present from my husband.  No advertising has been accepted.  I also did not ask The Shark corporation for permission to write about or repurpose their hand held vacuum.