Back on Blogger

Since Mac's move to iCloud is putting an end to my my iWeb blog, I am back on blogger. It is crazy how much life has changed since I posted last on this page. Please be patient, as I am updating the layout and trying to customize everything. Scott and I took a recent trip to Hot Springs. We only spent two days there, but had a blast. Scott's favorite part of the trip was our ride on the Duck Boat. Last year, or even six months ago, I wouldn't have dreamed of taking him on Duck Boat ride, but it is now a non-issue. He has no idea how far he's come, since his memory is still partially affected by the TBI. We stayed at the Park Hotel, about a block from downtown Hot Springs and directly between the two hills that form the national park. The Hilton it is was not. Park Hotel is historic hotel and has a beautiful lobby, but the rooms were Spartan. I wouldn't recommend staying there if you want luxury and comfort. But we will probably return. It is a dog friendly hotel, and its location offers easy access to the many trails around the national park.

We both had a lot of fun. We went on numerous hikes, so much my legs and hips ached the next day. Scott kept up perfectly. I no longer have to wait for him as he lags behind. His endurance seems normal and his sense of adventure has returned. We can now return to one of our favorite hobbies--hiking. I am mulling over all kinds of plans for the summer, all the miles of trails we will hike in beautiful locations with our pups.

I say this over and over, but Scott continues to improve with each passing week. He will always have some issues to deal with. And new issues arise as improvement continues, but I can't complain. So, if you don't mind his asking the same question over and over and can tolerate his occassional lack of etiquette, he's pretty much "okay". But I notice that some are uncomfortable around this new Scott. I assure you the he's the same guy, but he goes about being himself a bit differently than before. And remember that he is a fairly rapid state of improvement. What you see today, will not be what you see a month or two down the road. He is like a child, somewhat, as he has to relearn things that he lost when he brain had to reboot. But some people are just more uncomfortable with the differences than others. It continues to be something I worry about, friendships have always been important to Scott. But there is not much I can do about it. And increased distance between us and long time friends, makes it more difficult. Scott doesn't seem bored or depressed though. He has a favorite DVD collection that includes Star Trek and Jurassic Park films. He has a pile of books that he reads regularly. He absolutely adores our two spaniels and takes great care of them while I am at work in the mornings. And he loves to cook and eat, which unfortunately has gone a bit to his middle. Hiking this summer will help that. Please look for me over here at Blogger in the future. I hope to post about our adventures, and even some boring artsy/poetry/crafty stuff like I used to--as life returns to some sort of new normal.

I've Moved Again!

You can find me over at iweb. Here is my blog link: Alum Creek

I've Moved!

I have a trial membership to typepad and have moved my blog to http://alumcreek.typepad.com/alum_creek/. It will most likely stay there. I am already really enjoying the features that typepad offers. Please update your links so you can find me.

See you there!

Dye-O-Rama Socks and Some Jewelry

Sorry I have been scarce lately. School is starting soon. And since I am a teacher, I've been rather exhausted with getting my classroom ready and writing lesson plans. These are my August socks for Sock-a-Month. Of course, I am not finished with them. I love the way the yarn is knitting up. This yarn was hand-dyed by Penny and sent to me for the Dye-O-Rama swap. It is beautiful yarn. I've been working on Bobble Blue. The right front side is almost done. I will post pictures soon. I hope. I would like to set up an Etsy shop. I used to make and sell jewelry on Ebay, but got burned out with it. It took a lot of time to make the jewelry and it didn't sell for very much with all the competition from mass producers. I thought Etsey might be a good place for doing this. Here is one of my designs. It is called The Dew Drop Dangle.

Well, I have lots to do today and orientation for school is tomorrow. I better go! 

Amazing Lace Challenge #5

Where's The Not Knit Round Scarf?

Amazing Lace Challenge #5

Is it in the scarf drawer?

Is it on the sweater shelf?

Is it hanging in the closet?

Mmmm? Where IS the Not Knit Round Scarf?

Belated Amazing Lace Challenge #4

If I were to stop knitting the Iris Warp at this very moment and find a use for it, it would become....

Penny Royal!

I am so mad at my team partner, the Iris Wrap, that she has been fired and frogged. My new team member has been chosen. It will be Penny Royal from the latest issue of Knitter's. A temporary member, The Not Knit Around Scarf, will be filling in until Penny Royal is up to speed.

The details of the estrangement are not necessary, lets just say that the team members--the Iris Wrap and Jenni--were in over their heads.

Fiber Arts Museum in Goliad

On the way to the coast a few weeks ago we stopped off at Goliad State Park, where a historical Spanish mission still stands.

It was nice surprise to find a whole area of the mission complex dedicated to fiber arts! Here are a few pictures:

This first one is off some various fiber implements. I was especially interested in the spindles on the right.

This one is my favorite. Each one of these skeins is dyed using natural dyes. They are in direct sunlight for most of the day and have been there for about 5 years and haven't lost their great colors.

Also, here is a loom and some woven fabrics...

And some spinning wheels.

One Skein Swap

  Here are the two fabulous skeins of Plymouth bamboo yarn that I received from my One Skein Swap pal. I love them. They are so shiney and smooth. I am going to use them to crochet the Racing Scarf from the latest issue of Crochet Knits. My Isis Wrap for the Amaziing Race is not going well. I thought I made a lot of progress today. I bound off the ride front side and then found that it was too small and doesn't match up with the back. There are so many wierd increases done all at the same them, not to mention keeping track of the lace pattern and working it into the increases. I missed something somewhere...or there is a major mistake in the pattern (which is usually not the case). Either way, I am going to have to frog everything I knit today--YUCK! This is very silly--but you may have noticed that Gretchen the Bun has a liveJournal. You can visit it at Gretchen's Live Journal (Creative title isn't it?_ 

Dye-O-Rama Crocheted Socks

  I used one of the skeins of yarn that my Dye-o-Rama pal, Penny, sent me to try crocheting a pair of socks. I have knitted socks before, but I have never crocheted any. I was inspired by Amanda's crocheted socks. I really enjoyed it, since sometimes I am not in the mood to deal with all those needles. To make these, I only had to use a hook. I am not very experienced with crochet, however, and the directions are sometimes not all that clear. I have since ordered a book on crocheting socks and hope to learn more. I was also very surprised how fast these were done. I did both socks in about 2 evenings--WOW! 

Going Fishing

  I don't want my first fur-child to feel left out now that Gretchen has arrived. Beamer gets to go on outings, while Gretchen the Bun does not. Here is Beamer and he is going fishing. You can see my rod case under his chin. We didn't catch anything. The pond that we went to was about 10 feet below normal level. 

My 1st Drop Spun Skein.

  Here is a picture of a yarn skein that I made on my drop spindle--my very first one. It is only 50 yards, but I love the colors. I spun it from some silk and wool roving that I got as part of my beginning wheel spinning class. I think I am hooked. I am working on a blue skein now. 

Gretchen Update

IMG_3447, originally uploaded by lilfawn.

Don't be alarmed by the picture. She is not dead. Gretchen is almost back to her spunky self after her spay surgery. She had just done a bunny flop before this picture was taken. For those of you who don't know rabbits, that's when a rabbit suddenly flings itself to one side and falls down right where it had been standing. Usually they only do this when they are relaxed and comfortable. You can see her shaved tummy and stitches--poor Gretchen. She has been confined to her cage for almost a week (except for her great escape last night when she ran up and down the stairs). She won't be able to come out and play for 2 more days. I miss her.

Dye-o-rama swap

I never showed y'all how I scored in the Dye-o-rama swap. A package full of these goodies were waiting for me when I got back from my trip. My swap partner sent me a beautiful skein of violet and yellow sock yarn, a blue skein of sock yarn, a tube of lotion, and an adorable hand-knitted sheepie. I was overjoyed when I opened it. Thanks again Penny for the lovely package!!! 

Catherine's Cami

This is my Wuthering Heights project for KTC. It is a romantic post mortem wedding gift for Heathcliff and Catherine. I hand crocheted the edging and straps. I did this on my trip to Yellowstone. Once I got the hang of it, I was able to crank the crochet lace out quickly. I made a mistake with the buttonholes however. When I sewed them on my machine, I made them too small for the buttons. Luckily, the cami can be slipped on over the head, so the buttons and buttonholes are purely decorative. This was also my Sew? I Knit project and my Sew Retro project. A three for one seems like a pretty good deal!

Amazing Lace Challenge #3: Poetry

My Love

Your skin glows like the strawberry,

blossoms lacey as the rose in the purest hope of spring.

My heart follows your flute voice

and leaps like a bunny at the whisper of your name.

The evening floats in on a great cardinal wing.

I am comforted by your Isis Wrap

that I carry into the twilight of knitting needle beams

and hold next to my hands.

I am filled with hope that I may dry your tears of wine.

As my smile falls from my shawl,

it reminds me of your yarn.

In the quiet, I listen for the last tweet of the day.

My heated eyes leap to my lace.

I wait in the moonlight for your secret yarn-over

so that we may knit as one, eyes to eyes,

in search of the magnificient merlot

and mystical ribbing of love.

(Please forgive me Waterhouse)

A Big Day for Gretchen

1. Gretchen's spay surgery is today. I just dropped her off at the bunny vet. She is being operated on by a vet who is very experienced with rabbits, but I am still a little nervous. It didn't help when the lady at the counter called her a kitty when she took Gretchen into the back. I wanted to say, "You do know she is a rabbit don't you?" I think that would be vet technician 101 stuff. This picture is a little old. She is sitting in her food dish. I think she is too big to do that now. I have missed Amazing Lace Challenge #3: Poetry. I couldn't think of anything and then it sorta passed me by. I guess that is pretty pathetic, considering I am an English teacher. I actually think that is part of the problem. I do not want to write no stupid poetry unless I can do it like Shakespeare. Mmmm? I think I have an idea. Maybe I'll go ahead and do it and just post late. I am starting to become overwhelmed by projects. Here is a list of what I have going on. I think I need to prioritize and start knocking some of these out. Bobble Blue The Isis Wrap The Mini Sweater Wuthering Heights Cami Best Friend Sweater Recycled Bag EDIT: Gretchen breezed through her spay. It went very well, and although she was uncomfortable and drugged for the first 12 hours, she is eating like a pig tonight and tried to escape from her cage. 7/4/06 9:30 pm

Bye Bye Blue

I had a lot of blue adventures this month.

I crocheted a blue bag.

I made a baby hat for charity.

My Dye-o-rama partner sent me a great skien of blue yarn. (I'll soon post more goodies from my swap partner. I had such a wonderful swap buddy!)

And I died some roving for my new spindle.

I can't wait to get started on Project Spectrum July.

Stash Sunday

I wasn't able to publish my stashalong updates while I was on my trip. I knitted madly on the Isis Wrap while I was gone. I will post a picture of that soon, although it is still not finished. I did make my one planned stashalong purchase at the Estes Park Wool Market. I have been very good at not buying any yarn and that was part of what helped me. I was so looking forward to the wool market! I was overwhelmed once I got there! There was so much great fiber. I bought 500 yards of a wool/mohair blend that I plan to knit into a shawl and a bag of fiber to spin on my new drop spindle! I got a spindle instead of a wheel. I thought that I would practice drafting with it and if I really caught the bug I'd get myslef a wheel for Christmas. I am almost done with my 3 months of the stashalong!!! 

Don't Laugh

Here is the skein that I spun in my beginning wheel spinning class at Estes Park. There are parts of it that look alright--I guess. Maggie, my teacher, insisted that it was a good first skein. My husband laughed at it when he saw it. 

Lush Hat put to Good Use

I am almost home! I think I will fly next time. It's been a long way. I am at my parents' today, picking up my bunny. Here is another knitting-related vacation pic. This is me at Mammoth Hot Springs. I am wearing a hat that I knit from Classic Elite Lush. The pattern comes from a knitting magazine that I purchased on a vacation five years ago. I didn't know how to knit at the time. Who knows why I bought it, but that magazine is what got me into knitting. The wind was so bad on the day this pic was taken that it actually blew the hat off my heaf a couple of times! On this hike, it sleeted on us. It was about 35 degrees! It wasn't very pleasant, but the storm made for some great pictures!