Today was spent getting ready for the Tucson Wool Festival. Yes I did go to knitting today but spent the morning working with lovely hand spun yarn that Kathy Withers not only grew with the help of her lovely farm friends. She also processed, colored and spun the yarn herself, now how cool is that? If you would like some of Kathy's yummy yarn or finished items, here is a link to Kathy's Etsy shop. http://www.etsy.com/shop/uniquedesignsbykathy?page=1
I think various shows are just another way to get craft people to clean up and organize their work spaces. I spent the afternoon organizing and packing what I will need for tomorrow. Some how between this wool festival and the last I misplaced the 96 quart box with all my bags and some of my display materials. How I did that, well those of you who know me well will know, but please explain it to me. I just know it has nothing to do with my motto "I will get it done promptly no matter how long it takes". I know that I am not the most organized person in the world but..
I have a strong hunch that next week should really be the start of a fall cleaning spree. I promise to be very grumpy by next Friday if I get all the work that needs to be done finished. So please put up with me as I get this work done.
That lovely scarf that I knit this morning and of course the stitch markers I have been working on will be available for purchase tomorrow at the Tucson Wool Festival at 4010 West Palo Seco From 9 am to 3 pm. . There will be farm tours at 9 am and noon. If you have ever wondered what a sheep looks like after a hair cut this is the place to go. I hope to see you there.
Have a great evening and enjoy your families.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Crash and Nap
We everyone who knows me knew it had to happen soon. After a very busy week of getting a lot done I had more big plans for today. I was going to spend the whole day doing paper work, making stitch markers, knitting, frogging and cleaning.
My body was on the very tired side today, but I had plans so after getting Eric out the door this morning I thought I could slip in a 20 minute nap and get on with my day. Three and one half hours later still groggy and half asleep I decided to try to salvage what I could from the day.
With my hands being very stiff as of now I have only made a dozen sets of stitch markers. When my hands get stiff , they get very clumsy and I tend to drop everything which might be a good thing for the rest of my body. Everything that is dropped must be picked up, so a lot of bending was going on today.
I picked up one of my favorites for a very late lunch (starting to eat lunch at 2:30 pm is a very late lunch in my humble opinion) from
Samurai
3912 N. Oracle Road #100
293-1963
I had the Teri-Chicken Bento with very light sauce. Which is served with potato salad, fresh veggies, sunomono and rice. The meal was decorated with a very nice slice of apple that had been very nicely carved. Not bad for a quick lunch.
By the time I finished lunch it was time to get Eric off the bus. We sat and I talked to Eric about my day, while Eric held the yarn for my current knitting project.
I might have made a mistake by going for a walk outside tonight. The wind did really kick up a bunch of junk that is now hanging in the air. I hate sniffy noses.
Well it is time to get more done today. So enjoy your families and have a great evening.
My body was on the very tired side today, but I had plans so after getting Eric out the door this morning I thought I could slip in a 20 minute nap and get on with my day. Three and one half hours later still groggy and half asleep I decided to try to salvage what I could from the day.
With my hands being very stiff as of now I have only made a dozen sets of stitch markers. When my hands get stiff , they get very clumsy and I tend to drop everything which might be a good thing for the rest of my body. Everything that is dropped must be picked up, so a lot of bending was going on today.
I picked up one of my favorites for a very late lunch (starting to eat lunch at 2:30 pm is a very late lunch in my humble opinion) from
Samurai
3912 N. Oracle Road #100
293-1963
I had the Teri-Chicken Bento with very light sauce. Which is served with potato salad, fresh veggies, sunomono and rice. The meal was decorated with a very nice slice of apple that had been very nicely carved. Not bad for a quick lunch.
By the time I finished lunch it was time to get Eric off the bus. We sat and I talked to Eric about my day, while Eric held the yarn for my current knitting project.
I might have made a mistake by going for a walk outside tonight. The wind did really kick up a bunch of junk that is now hanging in the air. I hate sniffy noses.
Well it is time to get more done today. So enjoy your families and have a great evening.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Getting Ready
I have been busy getting ready for the Tucson Wool Festival at the Withers Ranch this Saturday. Just in case you need more information. the location is The Withers’ Ranch 4010 W Palo Seco. It is from 9 am to 3 pm. with farm tours at 9 am and noon. Even if you are not a fibre person this is a great learning experience for the family. There will be all kinds of fibre demonstrations. and a lot of one of a kind items for sale. There is no cost to come to the Tucson Wool Festival. There will be a charity raffle and various vendors.
I have been making stitch markers like mad. I hope to have at least 1 more gallon zip lock bag filled with finished products by late Friday. I have also been knitting a few items to show case using wonderful hand spun wools and mohair. The great thing about buying a handmade item from hand spun yarn is that you can sometimes track the wool or mohair back to the ranch were the yarn is produced. In this case I will have a number of items ready that are totally local. Kathy Withers raised the animals, had them sheared, processed the fiber, dyed the fiber and spun the yarn. How lucky am I to be able to say that I actually got some of this fabulous yarn to knit with.
In case you can not make it to the Tucson Wool Festival I will include a link to Kathy's Etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/uniquedesignsbykathy
Well I have to get back to the stitch markers. Have a great evening and enjoy your families.
I have been making stitch markers like mad. I hope to have at least 1 more gallon zip lock bag filled with finished products by late Friday. I have also been knitting a few items to show case using wonderful hand spun wools and mohair. The great thing about buying a handmade item from hand spun yarn is that you can sometimes track the wool or mohair back to the ranch were the yarn is produced. In this case I will have a number of items ready that are totally local. Kathy Withers raised the animals, had them sheared, processed the fiber, dyed the fiber and spun the yarn. How lucky am I to be able to say that I actually got some of this fabulous yarn to knit with.
In case you can not make it to the Tucson Wool Festival I will include a link to Kathy's Etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/uniquedesignsbykathy
Well I have to get back to the stitch markers. Have a great evening and enjoy your families.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Halloween Candy
As of this morning I had still not bought the Halloween candy to pass out to the kids in the neighborhood. The house was not festooned with the usual Halloween decorations. All this had Eric very concerned. So John and I went and got the decorations out and got them ready for placement tomorrow.
While we were out we did finally get some candy. The good news was that it was half price the day before Halloween. I will have to remember this for next year. They even had coupons at the store for some of the candy. The even better news was that they had sold out of the candy that I liked so that there is less chance that I will be eating any of it.
OK we are ready bring on Halloween.
So have a safe Halloween with your families. Please remember to be safe and wear bright colors. Bring your flashlights. Only go to houses with the lights on. But most importantly inspect your child's candy and throw away anything that looks odd or is opened. Feel free to buy back your child's excess candy, most children don't want all that candy and like a little extra money.
This year we are doing something different with the left over Halloween candy. We are sending it to Operation Gratitude to go into care packages for our service members. You can find out more about Operation Gratitude at the following web site http://www.opgratitude.com/index.php .
Have a great evening and enjoy your families.
While we were out we did finally get some candy. The good news was that it was half price the day before Halloween. I will have to remember this for next year. They even had coupons at the store for some of the candy. The even better news was that they had sold out of the candy that I liked so that there is less chance that I will be eating any of it.
OK we are ready bring on Halloween.
So have a safe Halloween with your families. Please remember to be safe and wear bright colors. Bring your flashlights. Only go to houses with the lights on. But most importantly inspect your child's candy and throw away anything that looks odd or is opened. Feel free to buy back your child's excess candy, most children don't want all that candy and like a little extra money.
This year we are doing something different with the left over Halloween candy. We are sending it to Operation Gratitude to go into care packages for our service members. You can find out more about Operation Gratitude at the following web site http://www.opgratitude.com/index.php .
Have a great evening and enjoy your families.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Life As We Know It
I had one of those humours moments yesterday. We are planning a surprise for Eric. No I can not divulge much to you except to say it involves a lot of planning. I was talking to the reservation clerk telling her what we needed to make the surprise happen for Eric.
To me it is normal to travel with an IV Pole, feeding pump, percussion vest/machine, nebulizer and assorted medical supplies. After all aren't we know for packing the entire house for any excursion. Clothes are usually an after thought and packed in over night bags no matter how long we are gone. Well I think I heard her jaw drop as she tried to regain her composer after we started discussing beds and bed rails. I tend to forget not everyone has a real hospital bed in their child's room. No, the surprise place has no hospital beds available for guests. Really!
But that lead to a very funny dinner conversation with John about what we consider normal living with Eric and what the rest of the world must think of us. After all doesn't every one take a car full of medical equipment and extension cords on vacation?
It has also occurred to me this morning that Teri and I had a very similar conversation this summer. Doesn't everyone plan their trips around where there are children's hospitals? And that I might actually inadvertently be scaring people with young and healthy children.
I find it amazing how we can get caught up in our own lives and forget that the rest of the world does not live just like us. Well it is time to get my day started. Have a great day and enjoy your families.
To me it is normal to travel with an IV Pole, feeding pump, percussion vest/machine, nebulizer and assorted medical supplies. After all aren't we know for packing the entire house for any excursion. Clothes are usually an after thought and packed in over night bags no matter how long we are gone. Well I think I heard her jaw drop as she tried to regain her composer after we started discussing beds and bed rails. I tend to forget not everyone has a real hospital bed in their child's room. No, the surprise place has no hospital beds available for guests. Really!
But that lead to a very funny dinner conversation with John about what we consider normal living with Eric and what the rest of the world must think of us. After all doesn't every one take a car full of medical equipment and extension cords on vacation?
It has also occurred to me this morning that Teri and I had a very similar conversation this summer. Doesn't everyone plan their trips around where there are children's hospitals? And that I might actually inadvertently be scaring people with young and healthy children.
I find it amazing how we can get caught up in our own lives and forget that the rest of the world does not live just like us. Well it is time to get my day started. Have a great day and enjoy your families.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Tucson Wool Festival 2010
The great news is that another Tucson Wool Festival is coming up on November 6. From 9 am to 3 pm.
The Withers Ranch will once again be open to the public for shearing and all sorts of fiber related demonstrations. Vendors from the southwest will be showing their craft and hopefully developing new fiber addicts.
Raffle Shawl 2010
A Freeform Shawl spun, woven, knitted, and crocheted with a more scientific slant will be raffled off with the proceeds going to the Casa Maria Kitchen.
The Withers’ Ranch
4010 W Palo Seco
(520) 572-3758/401-6117
Make sure you fill out an entry form to get in the drawing for great prizes. There will be one for knitters & crocheters, one for spinners, and one finished item to give away.
ONGOING EVENTS
TOURS of the animals will be given at 9 A.M. and 12:00 P.M.
Shearer: Danny Smith will be coming from Missouri to shear. If you are a breeder in the southwestern part of Arizona, he is willing to add you and your animals to his list to do around the November 6, 2010
PARTICIPATING ARTISTS AND SHEPHERDS
Rae's Wood, harryrae@vtc.net
Inkle looms, regular size and mini's, stick and inkle shuttles, pick up sticks, niddy noddys, loom benches, inkled items like hatbands and shoelaces, and bowls.
Campe Verde Llamas: Chris and Nancy Wilson, spinllama@msn.com, will have llama, alpaca, and Shetland sheep rovings from their animals. They will also have blends of llama and soy silk, alpaca and soy silk, llama blended with Shetland wool and mohair, and alpaca blended with Shetland wool and Firestar. Other items include books, knitting and crocheting patterns, Eucalan wool wash, Gaywool dyes, and the new bamboo carbon top from Southwest Trading Company.
Sara Sacks: Woolies - hats, kids sweaters and toys, and shawls. www.woolies.etsy.com
Alpacazona Farm: Claudia and Brian Klaus, www.alpacazonafarm.com. Fiber from start to finish. Alpaca fleece, roving, and yarn. Exotic fibers including cashmere, yak, camel, silk, and silk blends. Both commercial and hand spun yarns. A wide variety of finished products: commercial and hand woven.
Canyon Wren Ranch: Cathy Gorman will be selling fleeces, rovings and yarns from her Natural Churro Sheep. cgorman@wildblue.net
Acres of Blessings: The Smiths from Missouri will have raw fiber, rovings and yarns from their Merino and Romney and sheep crosses. Danny will be shearing. He also makes and sells drop spindles.
Karen Herhold designs - Artistic Fibers and Felting
kherholdtucson@aol.com
Chamomile Connection - Lynnae Mcconaha, specializing in organic cotton and silk, spinning fibers, handpainted sliver and yarns, http://www.chamomileconnection.com/
Handmade~by~Sheri - Me - I will have a large selection of stitch markers in all price ranges.
Rita Blocksom - wet and needle felting artist. Demonstrations throughout the day and mini classes. www.ritablocksom.com
9:30 Making Cosmic Spirals
11:00 Creating Silk Paper for Embellishment
12:30 Beads, Baubles and Bling
2:00 Crazy Felt
Karen Samson: Feltings Karensamondesigns.com
Celestial Designs Fiber Art from Minnesota: custom carded batts, original patterns, needle felting kits, hand spun yarns, and handmade knitting bags. Books, looms, and other fiber accessories. celestialdesigns@charter.net
Dove Mountain Alpacas: Donna Smith with Suri and Huacaya alpaca products.
WORKSHOPS
Drop spindling: Amy Shimel of Electric Sheep Fiber Arts will be giving mini lessons throughout the day.
Nuno felting with Karen Herhold - make a small scarf that can be used as a
hair bow or belt. $25 includes the cost of all supplies. Class will begin at
approximately 10 a.m.
DEMOS
Rectangle Loom Weaving: Judith Segel will demonstrate the continuous strand weaving technique to make a woven rectangle. The continuous strand weaving method means you do not have to "dress a loom."
Please stop by and show support for Kathy and the other fiber artists.
The Withers Ranch will once again be open to the public for shearing and all sorts of fiber related demonstrations. Vendors from the southwest will be showing their craft and hopefully developing new fiber addicts.
Raffle Shawl 2010
A Freeform Shawl spun, woven, knitted, and crocheted with a more scientific slant will be raffled off with the proceeds going to the Casa Maria Kitchen.
The Withers’ Ranch
4010 W Palo Seco
(520) 572-3758/401-6117
Make sure you fill out an entry form to get in the drawing for great prizes. There will be one for knitters & crocheters, one for spinners, and one finished item to give away.
ONGOING EVENTS
TOURS of the animals will be given at 9 A.M. and 12:00 P.M.
Shearer: Danny Smith will be coming from Missouri to shear. If you are a breeder in the southwestern part of Arizona, he is willing to add you and your animals to his list to do around the November 6, 2010
PARTICIPATING ARTISTS AND SHEPHERDS
Rae's Wood, harryrae@vtc.net
Inkle looms, regular size and mini's, stick and inkle shuttles, pick up sticks, niddy noddys, loom benches, inkled items like hatbands and shoelaces, and bowls.
Campe Verde Llamas: Chris and Nancy Wilson, spinllama@msn.com, will have llama, alpaca, and Shetland sheep rovings from their animals. They will also have blends of llama and soy silk, alpaca and soy silk, llama blended with Shetland wool and mohair, and alpaca blended with Shetland wool and Firestar. Other items include books, knitting and crocheting patterns, Eucalan wool wash, Gaywool dyes, and the new bamboo carbon top from Southwest Trading Company.
Sara Sacks: Woolies - hats, kids sweaters and toys, and shawls. www.woolies.etsy.com
Alpacazona Farm: Claudia and Brian Klaus, www.alpacazonafarm.com. Fiber from start to finish. Alpaca fleece, roving, and yarn. Exotic fibers including cashmere, yak, camel, silk, and silk blends. Both commercial and hand spun yarns. A wide variety of finished products: commercial and hand woven.
Canyon Wren Ranch: Cathy Gorman will be selling fleeces, rovings and yarns from her Natural Churro Sheep. cgorman@wildblue.net
Acres of Blessings: The Smiths from Missouri will have raw fiber, rovings and yarns from their Merino and Romney and sheep crosses. Danny will be shearing. He also makes and sells drop spindles.
Karen Herhold designs - Artistic Fibers and Felting
kherholdtucson@aol.com
Chamomile Connection - Lynnae Mcconaha, specializing in organic cotton and silk, spinning fibers, handpainted sliver and yarns, http://www.chamomileconnection.com/
Handmade~by~Sheri - Me - I will have a large selection of stitch markers in all price ranges.
Rita Blocksom - wet and needle felting artist. Demonstrations throughout the day and mini classes. www.ritablocksom.com
9:30 Making Cosmic Spirals
11:00 Creating Silk Paper for Embellishment
12:30 Beads, Baubles and Bling
2:00 Crazy Felt
Karen Samson: Feltings Karensamondesigns.com
Celestial Designs Fiber Art from Minnesota: custom carded batts, original patterns, needle felting kits, hand spun yarns, and handmade knitting bags. Books, looms, and other fiber accessories. celestialdesigns@charter.net
Dove Mountain Alpacas: Donna Smith with Suri and Huacaya alpaca products.
WORKSHOPS
Drop spindling: Amy Shimel of Electric Sheep Fiber Arts will be giving mini lessons throughout the day.
Nuno felting with Karen Herhold - make a small scarf that can be used as a
hair bow or belt. $25 includes the cost of all supplies. Class will begin at
approximately 10 a.m.
DEMOS
Rectangle Loom Weaving: Judith Segel will demonstrate the continuous strand weaving technique to make a woven rectangle. The continuous strand weaving method means you do not have to "dress a loom."
Please stop by and show support for Kathy and the other fiber artists.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
This Weekend
This weekend was fun but busy filled with cleaning. Laundry - when is there not laundry? Knitting. Shopping for new glasses for me they should be in sometime in the next 10 to 14 days. I also made time to work on stitch markers for the special packages of stitch markers that I will have at the Tucson Wool Festival on November 6 from 9 am to 3:00 pm at the Withers Ranch.
Well its getting late so I will write more tomorrow.
Well its getting late so I will write more tomorrow.
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