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| Modified Solar Dye Set up |
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| Lovely Solar dyed Batts |
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| Another batt |
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| Carded Batt Ready to Dye |
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| And another |
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| My New Project - Lined Headband |
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| Finished Hat |
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| Kitchen disaster |
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| Kitchen Success! |
Visit my new Etsy Shop!! http://www.etsy.com/shop/twistedmysteries
Best Friends
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Photos
I actually do NOT have time to write this morning - I must get on the bus for work soon, so I will just post some photos as a reward for anyone who actually slogs through my usual entries.
Visit my new Etsy Shop!! http://www.etsy.com/shop/twistedmysteries
Visit my new Etsy Shop!! http://www.etsy.com/shop/twistedmysteries
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Basement Refinish Day!
8 am
Time for MP’s today because it is my lovely day home from work. Which does not mean I do not have gobbers of work to do. I do. I have to write up notes for lab, that is the most important, because I need to be ready to teach lab tomorrow. I also really need to go over the stats in excel so that I do not look like a complete moron when I go over it with the students. Yesterday was very frustrating, I spent hours, pretty much all afternoon, getting the equipment calibrated. And it was not the calibrating that was the issue, it was saving the calibration in the computer so that it would be there when the computer is restarted today. And it was a matter of clicking on this one tiny thing, but not clicking on this other tiny thing. The prof knew it, I did not, and after trying to figure it out for an hour I finally asked him. He showed me, very easy. Then I went to set up the second computer and damn damn damn I could not. He showed me again, this time I wrote it down (duh) and could do the other 2. Very very frustrating. Still, it was somewhat satisfying to finally get it to work. I also need to write a reference, and set up grade sheets for my lab groups. And I should read the text reading that was assigned, at least skim over it. Enough about work.
The basement guys are coming today, they should be here in half an hour or so. In fact, maybe I’d better get dressed so I am not in my pajamas (such as they are) when they arrive….. done. But I’d also better get down there soon and finish bringing all the darkroom stuff up. I should be excited about all this, I’m hoping it will look great when they are all done. But I hate spending so much money. It’s close to $10,000 and that is a whole honking lot. Well, it is happening, and so it will be great. Then there is the insulation stuff upstairs to happen, and the windows being replaced, lots going on house-wise. And I really really really need to call the chimney sweep guy. But I never got the new cap put on the chimney and I’m afraid he’s going to yell at me. Oh brother. I pay the guy, he is not going to yell at me. He might well reiterate what he said last year, which is that I need a new cap.
Fiber stuff – much more fun! I am all ready to start carding a bunch of white Romney wool, to blend with some nice gray angora to dye. I left some of the other batts dyeing in the solar set up over the weekend, but I don’t think it really got hot enough. I tried rinsing them out and the color was not very dark. So I left them again, and I will see how hot it gets over the next few days. Solar dyeing days may be over, or I may need to get a nice big box that I can line with foil to make a more official oven that I can fit the batts in. I do have a small oven, and I did a jar of angora in it over the weekend, maybe I’ll see if the batts could fit there. It does get hotter than just the black, glass covered bin. I
I finished the hat I was making (remaking) for the woman from Wellesley. I’ll contact her. I think it came out real nice this time. Now I have started another headband, lined this time. And I am going to just knit it, not use a rib, see how that works.
I have been somewhat obsessively looking at other blogs lately. It seems that one way to get blog attention is to read and comment on other people’s blogs. And maybe even become an official follower of some. It can be discouraging because of the whole comparison thing, but I will try to avoid that. You know what is funny – I generally aim for writing a page for my Morning Page(s), and it has gotten to the point where I feel somehow done, then I check and in fact am exactly at one page. Well, not today because of this little end ramble…
Visit my new Etsy Shop!! http://www.etsy.com/shop/twistedmysteries
Time for MP’s today because it is my lovely day home from work. Which does not mean I do not have gobbers of work to do. I do. I have to write up notes for lab, that is the most important, because I need to be ready to teach lab tomorrow. I also really need to go over the stats in excel so that I do not look like a complete moron when I go over it with the students. Yesterday was very frustrating, I spent hours, pretty much all afternoon, getting the equipment calibrated. And it was not the calibrating that was the issue, it was saving the calibration in the computer so that it would be there when the computer is restarted today. And it was a matter of clicking on this one tiny thing, but not clicking on this other tiny thing. The prof knew it, I did not, and after trying to figure it out for an hour I finally asked him. He showed me, very easy. Then I went to set up the second computer and damn damn damn I could not. He showed me again, this time I wrote it down (duh) and could do the other 2. Very very frustrating. Still, it was somewhat satisfying to finally get it to work. I also need to write a reference, and set up grade sheets for my lab groups. And I should read the text reading that was assigned, at least skim over it. Enough about work.
The basement guys are coming today, they should be here in half an hour or so. In fact, maybe I’d better get dressed so I am not in my pajamas (such as they are) when they arrive….. done. But I’d also better get down there soon and finish bringing all the darkroom stuff up. I should be excited about all this, I’m hoping it will look great when they are all done. But I hate spending so much money. It’s close to $10,000 and that is a whole honking lot. Well, it is happening, and so it will be great. Then there is the insulation stuff upstairs to happen, and the windows being replaced, lots going on house-wise. And I really really really need to call the chimney sweep guy. But I never got the new cap put on the chimney and I’m afraid he’s going to yell at me. Oh brother. I pay the guy, he is not going to yell at me. He might well reiterate what he said last year, which is that I need a new cap.
Fiber stuff – much more fun! I am all ready to start carding a bunch of white Romney wool, to blend with some nice gray angora to dye. I left some of the other batts dyeing in the solar set up over the weekend, but I don’t think it really got hot enough. I tried rinsing them out and the color was not very dark. So I left them again, and I will see how hot it gets over the next few days. Solar dyeing days may be over, or I may need to get a nice big box that I can line with foil to make a more official oven that I can fit the batts in. I do have a small oven, and I did a jar of angora in it over the weekend, maybe I’ll see if the batts could fit there. It does get hotter than just the black, glass covered bin. I
I finished the hat I was making (remaking) for the woman from Wellesley. I’ll contact her. I think it came out real nice this time. Now I have started another headband, lined this time. And I am going to just knit it, not use a rib, see how that works.
I have been somewhat obsessively looking at other blogs lately. It seems that one way to get blog attention is to read and comment on other people’s blogs. And maybe even become an official follower of some. It can be discouraging because of the whole comparison thing, but I will try to avoid that. You know what is funny – I generally aim for writing a page for my Morning Page(s), and it has gotten to the point where I feel somehow done, then I check and in fact am exactly at one page. Well, not today because of this little end ramble…
Visit my new Etsy Shop!! http://www.etsy.com/shop/twistedmysteries
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Passivity
8:30 am
Writing at the farm, we got here around 4 yesterday.
I am a terribly passive person. I’ve thought about that before. And one of my strongest motivations is to not annoy anyone. It comes, I think, of being the youngest of 4 sisters, and being thus by definition, annoying. So what it means is that I spend a lot of time gauging others to figure out their needs and wants so I can be sure to comply. I think that is a common female thing, and maybe just more so for me. That really came into play last weekend when my first reaction, on hearing of the trouble with Tigger, was that I had to take him away from there so he would no longer bother anyone. It often keeps me from doing something, because I don’t want to bother anyone. The passivity goes beyond that, though. Like last night. I was knitting and that was ok. I also brought up with me the fleece the ends of which need flicking so I can card it. And I brought my wheel and some stuff to work on to try to make some bouclé yarn. But the idea of getting all that out seemed like too much effort. And before leaving town yesterday we went to the library where I got several book cds. It would have been easy enough to put them into the player here and listened, something I like to do, but it seemed like too much bother and I would have had to clear it with K who was kind of reading, and looking stuff up on the computer. But he wasn’t really reading because he had left his book at home, and was instead flipping through other books he brought but none of them appealed. So he was looking up random stuff on the computer and I don’t see why a book on cd would have been terribly disruptive. But I was too passive to get that set up. So instead I knit a bit, and every now and then would read a bit of Portrait of a Lady which is kind of dull right now. I did glance at the intro and almost immediately read something about Isabel (the protagonist) as fitting in with the world of Becky Sharpe, Emma Bovary, other adulterous women…. Aha! Perhaps it will get more interesting soon. It sure is dull with her married to that creep.
Ramble ramble ramble. We did manage yesterday morning to get the rest of the basement stuff cleared out in prep for the workers coming Tuesday. Today I must get over to Justin’s to get the hay. I think I will wait until afternoon, it being Sunday and all. And it is going to take a bunch of trips – can we fit 5 bales in the car? That would be good – 4 trips. If we can only fit 4 then it means 5 trips. I’m hoping we can leave by mid afternoon. Tonight I MUST make 350 phone calls. As in calls re the 350.org group, not 350 calls! Though it might feel like that many. Especially since, being someone who hates to annoy people, I hate making potentially annoying phone calls asking for something.
I also realize that, since I often lack initiative, it is best to put myself in situations where I just plain have to do things. Thus the advantage of work. And it if had not been for K pushing me, I probably wouldn’t have taken the job I now have, which in many ways is perfect for me. And when I first applied I was so intimidated and hated the interview and wanted nothing to do with any of it. So much for my judgment. Anyway, what I need to do is go through the process of getting that tax number and what not, become registered as a business, and then apply to sell at a bunch of fairs, like the Deerfield one. If I am scheduled to sell at them, it will perhaps goad me to put together more sellable items.
Time to meditate. But, oh dear, what if K comes downstairs and I am meditating? It might really annoy him……..
Visit my new Etsy Shop!! http://www.etsy.com/shop/twistedmysteries
Writing at the farm, we got here around 4 yesterday.
I am a terribly passive person. I’ve thought about that before. And one of my strongest motivations is to not annoy anyone. It comes, I think, of being the youngest of 4 sisters, and being thus by definition, annoying. So what it means is that I spend a lot of time gauging others to figure out their needs and wants so I can be sure to comply. I think that is a common female thing, and maybe just more so for me. That really came into play last weekend when my first reaction, on hearing of the trouble with Tigger, was that I had to take him away from there so he would no longer bother anyone. It often keeps me from doing something, because I don’t want to bother anyone. The passivity goes beyond that, though. Like last night. I was knitting and that was ok. I also brought up with me the fleece the ends of which need flicking so I can card it. And I brought my wheel and some stuff to work on to try to make some bouclé yarn. But the idea of getting all that out seemed like too much effort. And before leaving town yesterday we went to the library where I got several book cds. It would have been easy enough to put them into the player here and listened, something I like to do, but it seemed like too much bother and I would have had to clear it with K who was kind of reading, and looking stuff up on the computer. But he wasn’t really reading because he had left his book at home, and was instead flipping through other books he brought but none of them appealed. So he was looking up random stuff on the computer and I don’t see why a book on cd would have been terribly disruptive. But I was too passive to get that set up. So instead I knit a bit, and every now and then would read a bit of Portrait of a Lady which is kind of dull right now. I did glance at the intro and almost immediately read something about Isabel (the protagonist) as fitting in with the world of Becky Sharpe, Emma Bovary, other adulterous women…. Aha! Perhaps it will get more interesting soon. It sure is dull with her married to that creep.
Ramble ramble ramble. We did manage yesterday morning to get the rest of the basement stuff cleared out in prep for the workers coming Tuesday. Today I must get over to Justin’s to get the hay. I think I will wait until afternoon, it being Sunday and all. And it is going to take a bunch of trips – can we fit 5 bales in the car? That would be good – 4 trips. If we can only fit 4 then it means 5 trips. I’m hoping we can leave by mid afternoon. Tonight I MUST make 350 phone calls. As in calls re the 350.org group, not 350 calls! Though it might feel like that many. Especially since, being someone who hates to annoy people, I hate making potentially annoying phone calls asking for something.
I also realize that, since I often lack initiative, it is best to put myself in situations where I just plain have to do things. Thus the advantage of work. And it if had not been for K pushing me, I probably wouldn’t have taken the job I now have, which in many ways is perfect for me. And when I first applied I was so intimidated and hated the interview and wanted nothing to do with any of it. So much for my judgment. Anyway, what I need to do is go through the process of getting that tax number and what not, become registered as a business, and then apply to sell at a bunch of fairs, like the Deerfield one. If I am scheduled to sell at them, it will perhaps goad me to put together more sellable items.
Time to meditate. But, oh dear, what if K comes downstairs and I am meditating? It might really annoy him……..
Visit my new Etsy Shop!! http://www.etsy.com/shop/twistedmysteries
Saturday, September 11, 2010
8:35
I don’t want to talk about the fact that it is 9-11, so I won’t. Thinking of going to the farm for tonight. Well, the fact is, I have to go at some point to pick up hay. Makes sense to go this weekend and stay over since no one else will be there. On the other hand I feel, as usual, like I have gazillion things to do here. Like: bring the shelves from downstairs up to somewhere, take up the carpet in the laundry room, otherwise make sure things are ready for the basement redo, finish getting the insulation out of the knee walls. Do I need to get it out of the attic crawl space, too? Contact people about easy-up tents for 10/10, contact mhc env group, go over anything else I’m supposed to do for that, getin tough with the woman from Barn 5. Actually, work should be somewhat easier this week. Well, not really easier since I must teach lab wed and thurs, but I will not need to spend time with setting up the equipment. I hope to be able to leave early Monday, after lecture, and not go in at all Tues. oh, damn, but Monday we have the safety meeting, and tues there are student seminars. I guess I will stay on mon and go in at the end of the day on Tues. Then wed and thurs I teach, and fri we have lab conference. Damn there goes the week. Sure would like to have time to card this wool I’ve been getting ready. I put some angora into the dye left over from my solar dyeing, and perhaps this morning I will take that out and set up some more batts to heat and dye while we are gone. I will bring the wool with me, I am finding that I need to flick the tips of a lot of it to get it ready for carding, so I can do that. And bring the hat that I need to knit for the Wellesley woman. The cowl is very nearly done!
I started To Kill a Mockingbird yesterday, so I will be all ready for our meeting in a couple of weeks. There was a big email flurry about our meeting and I finally suggested we go back to our usual Sunday afternoon meet at a café idea. It works way better for me. I really don’t like going to people’s houses for the potluck thing. For one thing, I often can’t eat a lot, and it is more formal, we have to work out who is coming and all that, it is less easy to come late/leave early if one must. I just prefer the informality of the café. Of course there is always the debate of where since we are rather spread out.
Damn, I am feeling really crummy and depressed. Don’t know why, I just want to: go back to bed, sit and do nothing, disappear…… I suppose once I get going I will feel better. Add to the todo list that I must deal with all the farm food that K picked up yesterday. I am very grateful that he did pick it up, as I was at work until 5:30. I hope I’ll be able to do it other weeks and don’t have to stay so late usually. Oh, and I must write a student reference. And deal with L’s Promissory note for her loans. Damn damn damn.
Visit my new Etsy Shop!! http://www.etsy.com/shop/twistedmysteries
I don’t want to talk about the fact that it is 9-11, so I won’t. Thinking of going to the farm for tonight. Well, the fact is, I have to go at some point to pick up hay. Makes sense to go this weekend and stay over since no one else will be there. On the other hand I feel, as usual, like I have gazillion things to do here. Like: bring the shelves from downstairs up to somewhere, take up the carpet in the laundry room, otherwise make sure things are ready for the basement redo, finish getting the insulation out of the knee walls. Do I need to get it out of the attic crawl space, too? Contact people about easy-up tents for 10/10, contact mhc env group, go over anything else I’m supposed to do for that, getin tough with the woman from Barn 5. Actually, work should be somewhat easier this week. Well, not really easier since I must teach lab wed and thurs, but I will not need to spend time with setting up the equipment. I hope to be able to leave early Monday, after lecture, and not go in at all Tues. oh, damn, but Monday we have the safety meeting, and tues there are student seminars. I guess I will stay on mon and go in at the end of the day on Tues. Then wed and thurs I teach, and fri we have lab conference. Damn there goes the week. Sure would like to have time to card this wool I’ve been getting ready. I put some angora into the dye left over from my solar dyeing, and perhaps this morning I will take that out and set up some more batts to heat and dye while we are gone. I will bring the wool with me, I am finding that I need to flick the tips of a lot of it to get it ready for carding, so I can do that. And bring the hat that I need to knit for the Wellesley woman. The cowl is very nearly done!
I started To Kill a Mockingbird yesterday, so I will be all ready for our meeting in a couple of weeks. There was a big email flurry about our meeting and I finally suggested we go back to our usual Sunday afternoon meet at a café idea. It works way better for me. I really don’t like going to people’s houses for the potluck thing. For one thing, I often can’t eat a lot, and it is more formal, we have to work out who is coming and all that, it is less easy to come late/leave early if one must. I just prefer the informality of the café. Of course there is always the debate of where since we are rather spread out.
Damn, I am feeling really crummy and depressed. Don’t know why, I just want to: go back to bed, sit and do nothing, disappear…… I suppose once I get going I will feel better. Add to the todo list that I must deal with all the farm food that K picked up yesterday. I am very grateful that he did pick it up, as I was at work until 5:30. I hope I’ll be able to do it other weeks and don’t have to stay so late usually. Oh, and I must write a student reference. And deal with L’s Promissory note for her loans. Damn damn damn.
Visit my new Etsy Shop!! http://www.etsy.com/shop/twistedmysteries
Thursday, September 09, 2010
More Sleep Issues - Yawn!
8:26 am
I can’t stand this! It is already 8:30. I stayed in bed until 8. And that is after going to bed at 9:30. I also can’t stand that all I seem to write about is my sleep habits. How incredibly dull. I suppose it is because I write just after I get up so that is the most on my mind. Still, how dull. And WHY WHY WHY am I sleeping so much? It of course does not help that even though I went to bed around 9:30 by 10:30 I had not fallen asleep. I was trying counting breaths and it sort of works, at least it keeps me from thinking arousing thoughts, but it didn’t really work. I would doze off enough to lose count, then be awake again. Oh brother. I didn’t read just before bed, but I did read a bunch of the Taking Woodstock book which I am very much enjoying in the evening after supper. Then we watched a Living Earth video, and I did read a tiny bit more. Hmmmmmm. I don’t know if I’ll have time to meditate this morning. I still have to feed buns, and myself, and then at 9 leave for town because I am meeting a friend. Yay!! We’re supposed to talk fair stuff. And I am going to walk in to get at least a tad of exercise, which in general I think might help with the sleep thing.
Yesterday afternoon was crummy. I was so happy at work to think of having the whole afternoon. I went in a bit early and did some work with the computer/video set up, and talked briefly with the prof to get signals straight, then we had 1st day lecture which was mainly logistics. I was able to leave pretty quickly after that because I had to be back for these guys coming to do the air sealing in the house. Only that turned out to be kind of sucky. They got all worked up because the holes I had cut were not sealed. Well how can they be sealed if they need to be open for them to get in. I guess usually someone comes in and cuts the holes then makes the doors to later seal them up, and these guys can put the doors up temporarily. It makes a huge difference when they do their blower thing which involves putting a blower in the front door and sucking air out of the house to find the air leaks. Plus the holes I had made were not big enough for these big hulking guys so I had to cut them bigger. Somehow all this took time, and they are only allowed 2 hours. So they did not finish everything that they felt could have been done. I have some idea of what else could be done, and I suppose what I will do is buy some of that spray foam stuff and do some of it myself. Anyway it was all very annoying and discouraging. I thought it was going to be so nice – they were just going to come in, apply their expertise, make a big difference, and I would not have to pay anything! I guess too good to be true in reality.
What in the world cheerful can I think about? When it comes to deliberately thinking cheerful thoughts (and this often happens at night, too) I usually resort to fiber… So I rinsed out the solar rainbow dyed batts and they look quite lovely. And there was very little excess dye – mostly yellow. I left them to dry, perhaps I can take a photo. Fiber Twist is coming right up, and I got thinking while driving that one idea could be to actually sell batts there. Lots of people sell dyed roving of various kinds. I could sell these kind of dyed batts, plus batts that I card with layers of colors. All with angora in them, which would be different from what a lot of other people sell. It means I have my work cut out for me in terms of carding carding carding for a while. And this weekend we will have to go to the farm to pick up hay.
Visit my new Etsy Shop!! http://www.etsy.com/shop/twistedmysteries
I can’t stand this! It is already 8:30. I stayed in bed until 8. And that is after going to bed at 9:30. I also can’t stand that all I seem to write about is my sleep habits. How incredibly dull. I suppose it is because I write just after I get up so that is the most on my mind. Still, how dull. And WHY WHY WHY am I sleeping so much? It of course does not help that even though I went to bed around 9:30 by 10:30 I had not fallen asleep. I was trying counting breaths and it sort of works, at least it keeps me from thinking arousing thoughts, but it didn’t really work. I would doze off enough to lose count, then be awake again. Oh brother. I didn’t read just before bed, but I did read a bunch of the Taking Woodstock book which I am very much enjoying in the evening after supper. Then we watched a Living Earth video, and I did read a tiny bit more. Hmmmmmm. I don’t know if I’ll have time to meditate this morning. I still have to feed buns, and myself, and then at 9 leave for town because I am meeting a friend. Yay!! We’re supposed to talk fair stuff. And I am going to walk in to get at least a tad of exercise, which in general I think might help with the sleep thing.
Yesterday afternoon was crummy. I was so happy at work to think of having the whole afternoon. I went in a bit early and did some work with the computer/video set up, and talked briefly with the prof to get signals straight, then we had 1st day lecture which was mainly logistics. I was able to leave pretty quickly after that because I had to be back for these guys coming to do the air sealing in the house. Only that turned out to be kind of sucky. They got all worked up because the holes I had cut were not sealed. Well how can they be sealed if they need to be open for them to get in. I guess usually someone comes in and cuts the holes then makes the doors to later seal them up, and these guys can put the doors up temporarily. It makes a huge difference when they do their blower thing which involves putting a blower in the front door and sucking air out of the house to find the air leaks. Plus the holes I had made were not big enough for these big hulking guys so I had to cut them bigger. Somehow all this took time, and they are only allowed 2 hours. So they did not finish everything that they felt could have been done. I have some idea of what else could be done, and I suppose what I will do is buy some of that spray foam stuff and do some of it myself. Anyway it was all very annoying and discouraging. I thought it was going to be so nice – they were just going to come in, apply their expertise, make a big difference, and I would not have to pay anything! I guess too good to be true in reality.
What in the world cheerful can I think about? When it comes to deliberately thinking cheerful thoughts (and this often happens at night, too) I usually resort to fiber… So I rinsed out the solar rainbow dyed batts and they look quite lovely. And there was very little excess dye – mostly yellow. I left them to dry, perhaps I can take a photo. Fiber Twist is coming right up, and I got thinking while driving that one idea could be to actually sell batts there. Lots of people sell dyed roving of various kinds. I could sell these kind of dyed batts, plus batts that I card with layers of colors. All with angora in them, which would be different from what a lot of other people sell. It means I have my work cut out for me in terms of carding carding carding for a while. And this weekend we will have to go to the farm to pick up hay.
Visit my new Etsy Shop!! http://www.etsy.com/shop/twistedmysteries
Tuesday, September 07, 2010
Sleep Advice Needed
9 am
Yes it’s rather late. It’s what comes of lazing in bed until 7:30. And that after I thought I was going to bed early, but then I read in bed and didn’t put the book away until 10:30. Still, 7:30? But that’s because I didn’t actually get to sleep til long after 10:30. It takes me just forever to get to sleep and while I’m working at it, K comes in and that wakes me up more, so then I must start all over. I need some new technique. I think reading before bed is a mistake. It gets my brain all full of stuff and what I need to do is get my brain empty of stuff. Maybe a walk would be good. I wonder if just quietly knitting – no fair listening to a tape – would work.
I already meditated and one advantage of that is – I can eat breakfast while I write. Disadvantage – yes, indeed I did think and think, but then I do that anyway. It seems easy, just sit there for 20 minutes, and it is supposed to be easy, the goal is for it to be easy, but it does take some effort, to keep going back to the mantra. And not get frustrated.
Meeting of the 350 group last night. It consisted of 5 of us. Hardly a group to inspire complete confidence that we can pull this off. But we’ll do what we can. I again must type up notes and send them out. I also need to do some stuff like: contact L about still using the UU church even though A has pulled out, find tents, contact the college group, see if they’ll help, I think there are other things, I’ll have to look at the notes. It will be what it is. Like I said last night, if two people come and learn something, change in some way, it will be a success. There of course is also the concern that some tea-partiers will appear and start spats. I’m hoping we can have some mediators around to keep things cool.
I actually sat with my notebook last night and went through a long todo list. I won’t repeat it here (too depressing). Today I must make fried rice, then get into work to go over the filming stuff. Before that I will go to the department meeting. There is a picnic today after convocation, but I think I will skip it so as not to waste time.
I think being back at work will help with the depression which has been hovering over me for weeks. The “dog incident” at the farm – incident of a dog in the night? Isn’t that a novel? Anyway, the dog situation at the farm fri I think impacted me more than I intended it to. It just left me feeling crummy and kind of split in my loyalties. Tigger? Husband? Sister? Extended family? Me??????? Well, it was actually nice to just be home. I went for a walk with friends yesterday. That part was not so great, not sure why I said it just after saying the weekend was nice. I was in a terrible mood and felt terribly depressed. What was good? Well, I finished carding my batts, I set up some solar dyeing, I read a bunch, I relaxed. I cooked some excellent fried rice which I will repeat for the picnic, I had a nice visit with a friend at her house. So it was fine. I suppose being at the farm would have had its own good stuff, like some spinning and probably a jaunt up into the lovely woods. I may have to go this weekend since I did not get my hay, so I’ll go up to the woods then.
Visit my new Etsy Shop!! http://www.etsy.com/shop/twistedmysteries
Yes it’s rather late. It’s what comes of lazing in bed until 7:30. And that after I thought I was going to bed early, but then I read in bed and didn’t put the book away until 10:30. Still, 7:30? But that’s because I didn’t actually get to sleep til long after 10:30. It takes me just forever to get to sleep and while I’m working at it, K comes in and that wakes me up more, so then I must start all over. I need some new technique. I think reading before bed is a mistake. It gets my brain all full of stuff and what I need to do is get my brain empty of stuff. Maybe a walk would be good. I wonder if just quietly knitting – no fair listening to a tape – would work.
I already meditated and one advantage of that is – I can eat breakfast while I write. Disadvantage – yes, indeed I did think and think, but then I do that anyway. It seems easy, just sit there for 20 minutes, and it is supposed to be easy, the goal is for it to be easy, but it does take some effort, to keep going back to the mantra. And not get frustrated.
Meeting of the 350 group last night. It consisted of 5 of us. Hardly a group to inspire complete confidence that we can pull this off. But we’ll do what we can. I again must type up notes and send them out. I also need to do some stuff like: contact L about still using the UU church even though A has pulled out, find tents, contact the college group, see if they’ll help, I think there are other things, I’ll have to look at the notes. It will be what it is. Like I said last night, if two people come and learn something, change in some way, it will be a success. There of course is also the concern that some tea-partiers will appear and start spats. I’m hoping we can have some mediators around to keep things cool.
I actually sat with my notebook last night and went through a long todo list. I won’t repeat it here (too depressing). Today I must make fried rice, then get into work to go over the filming stuff. Before that I will go to the department meeting. There is a picnic today after convocation, but I think I will skip it so as not to waste time.
I think being back at work will help with the depression which has been hovering over me for weeks. The “dog incident” at the farm – incident of a dog in the night? Isn’t that a novel? Anyway, the dog situation at the farm fri I think impacted me more than I intended it to. It just left me feeling crummy and kind of split in my loyalties. Tigger? Husband? Sister? Extended family? Me??????? Well, it was actually nice to just be home. I went for a walk with friends yesterday. That part was not so great, not sure why I said it just after saying the weekend was nice. I was in a terrible mood and felt terribly depressed. What was good? Well, I finished carding my batts, I set up some solar dyeing, I read a bunch, I relaxed. I cooked some excellent fried rice which I will repeat for the picnic, I had a nice visit with a friend at her house. So it was fine. I suppose being at the farm would have had its own good stuff, like some spinning and probably a jaunt up into the lovely woods. I may have to go this weekend since I did not get my hay, so I’ll go up to the woods then.
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Monday, September 06, 2010
More Solar Dyeing
It is 8:30 pm and I am just feeling like posting some photos. I set up another version of solar dyeing. This time I dyed lovely carded batts of wool and angora. I took each batt, saturated it with a mix of water, vinegar and soap, laid it in my black tub, sprinkled a bit of dye on it, and gently worked the dye in. Then I covered that batt with saran wrap, and put in another batt. After about 5 batts I put the glass cover on and left it. We'll see how it is tomorrow, if there is enough sun. Yesterday I did one batt alone, and will add a photo of the result of that. It still needs to be rinsed out. Right now it looks a bit like road kill....
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 |
| here's the "done" one |
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| this is the layers of batts ready to sit in the sun |
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Late!! But not forgotten
Sorry, i did not post this morning, I was in kind of a bad mood. But here are some photos of at least some of what I did today. We are having our house re-insulated (by a program in Berkshire Gas - Mass Save) for which I have to first remove the insulation (such as it is) in the "knee walls" of the upstairs rooms. Last week I cut the holes,
today I suited up
climbed in
waved farewell
and set to work. I have finished one room, one more (the smaller one thank goodness) to go.
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today I suited up
 |
| I look like I'm ready to perform surgery! |
waved farewell
 |
Visit my new Etsy Shop!! http://www.etsy.com/shop/twistedmysteries
Sunday, September 05, 2010
Dog Trouble
9:45
Written from home. I also realize, having started this sentence differently when I was thinking in terms of writing for the blog, that I actually do write very differently for Morning Pages. And I think I will continue to write as MP’s and the blog stuff will just be what it is.
So as I said, written from home. Because of issues with Tigger. I’m not entirely sure I want to write all the gruesome details, but I guess I’ll start and if I get sick of it I will stop (hurray for morning pages, unlike writing, say, a recommendation when I might very much want to give it up, but can’t). So dh and friend were at the farm, with Tigger. Nephew came up Thurs with his dog Molly and left her there while he went to his concert, and that apparently was ok, a few growls here and there, but ok. Then the rest of the gang arrived Friday night and things were still ok. Tigger and Boudah had their muzzles on. I think there were a few more growls and snarls, but with a muzzle on how much damage can a dog do? Then on Sat morning dh left to take friend to the airport. I had said to make sure b-i-l was ok with keeping an eye on Tigger (or if not, he should take him in the car) and that apparently was fine. So off they went, and when he got here a bit after noon, I was still finishing all my stuff and it took a while before I was ready to leave. And we had to figure out dd’s plans, since she had been invited to a friend’s cabin inVT, but they were at a funeral and it was unclear if they were leaving from there, or coming home and thus able to pick her up….very confusing. Ok, fine, eventually everything got settled and dh and I finally left around 2:30. We had to stop at the bank, the PO, the farm for corn and the Frostie for ice cream (I had an entire cone!). We finally arrived around 4:30 and the house was packed and Tigger was relegated to Mom’s sitting room. And several people said oh there was a big incident and b-i-l would tell us all about it. And he did. It involved Tigger snarling at Dove (I think she had a bone), b-i-l yelling at Tigger, Tigger snarling at b-i-l and kind of lunging at him, bil bringing Tigger into the living room, where a bit later when bil walked by Tigger snarled at him again. Bil then yelled at him again and Tigger lunged (for some reason) at another nephew who was lying on the couch. So everyone was justifiably horrified, and Tigger was relegated to the sitting room. What could I do? I had dh take him out to the car and told him that I would take Tigger home after the birthday supper. Of course dh decided he would also come home, so we decided to do that, just bail after supper. It is bad enough for me when the house is so full, way worse for hd and apparently not possible for Tigger. There were 4 other dogs there, all of whom know each other and have worked out their various hierarchies. I was not that terribly upset at the idea of leaving after supper (not feeling terribly sociable after all) but there was another slight problem, which was that supper, scheduled for 7, didn’t end up being actually ready until 8:30. Comes of b-i-l #2 being in charge I suppose. Everyone put on a pretty good face about it, but folks were getting a bit testy and dh didn’t even try. He just disappeared. When the food was finally ready I went to find him and could find neither him nor the car. I decided to totally not worry about it, to just eat supper and figure he would reappear, which he did. I think he went out to get something to eat. The dinner was: hot chicken wings (thank goodness they did save out a bit for me), spicy sweet potato fries and they were making some unspiced ones, but they got mixed in, corn on the cob, broccoli salad (raw broccoli) and another salad with tomatoes and a vinaigrette dressing. And chocolate cake for dessert. All, of course, very carefully planned to be gluten-free. I could eat the chicken (the special plain boring chicken, the corn, and this tasty dressing of mayo, sour cream and blue cheese. I might have stayed and had a tiny bit of cake, but what with all the cleaning up and no one being in much of a rush to eat cake, it was already 9:30 and I finally told ds#2 (the bday girl) that we had to go. With everyone there, things become very much a sister #1’s family world – all the dogs, the whole gluten free thing, all the talk seems to be about weddings. I didn’t think dn#2 would be quite so bad, but that’s all she does is look up wedding stuff now. Oh brother, dd#1 would have died.
So the result – I get to be home!!!! Yay!! I called our neighbor and told her she does not have to feed buns (save $15 right there), I already started another batt, I think later I will call my friend and maybe we can take the dogs for a walk; after yesterday Tigger could probably use something nice. The thing I really “should” probably I should say “must” do is start removing the insulation from the eves. That is going to be a nasty job and of course I should try to do as much of it as possible early in the day before it gets hot. Today I guess I’ll cut the 4th door (and I may have to enlarge the others which sucks because then I will need to buy new sheet rock to replace them instead of just using what I cut out) and get what I need for equipment. I need a good face mask and it would be great if I could get hold of a full body suit – a disposable one. Like what I used in Texas when I insulated a similar area while working for Lynn.
One other thing – I am out of oat bran so maybe I will have toast for breakfast, but I’m not so sure it will work out well (so to speak). I certainly did not feel great this morning after last night’s late supper.
Visit my new Etsy Shop!!http://www.etsy.com/shop/twistedmysteries
Written from home. I also realize, having started this sentence differently when I was thinking in terms of writing for the blog, that I actually do write very differently for Morning Pages. And I think I will continue to write as MP’s and the blog stuff will just be what it is.
So as I said, written from home. Because of issues with Tigger. I’m not entirely sure I want to write all the gruesome details, but I guess I’ll start and if I get sick of it I will stop (hurray for morning pages, unlike writing, say, a recommendation when I might very much want to give it up, but can’t). So dh and friend were at the farm, with Tigger. Nephew came up Thurs with his dog Molly and left her there while he went to his concert, and that apparently was ok, a few growls here and there, but ok. Then the rest of the gang arrived Friday night and things were still ok. Tigger and Boudah had their muzzles on. I think there were a few more growls and snarls, but with a muzzle on how much damage can a dog do? Then on Sat morning dh left to take friend to the airport. I had said to make sure b-i-l was ok with keeping an eye on Tigger (or if not, he should take him in the car) and that apparently was fine. So off they went, and when he got here a bit after noon, I was still finishing all my stuff and it took a while before I was ready to leave. And we had to figure out dd’s plans, since she had been invited to a friend’s cabin inVT, but they were at a funeral and it was unclear if they were leaving from there, or coming home and thus able to pick her up….very confusing. Ok, fine, eventually everything got settled and dh and I finally left around 2:30. We had to stop at the bank, the PO, the farm for corn and the Frostie for ice cream (I had an entire cone!). We finally arrived around 4:30 and the house was packed and Tigger was relegated to Mom’s sitting room. And several people said oh there was a big incident and b-i-l would tell us all about it. And he did. It involved Tigger snarling at Dove (I think she had a bone), b-i-l yelling at Tigger, Tigger snarling at b-i-l and kind of lunging at him, bil bringing Tigger into the living room, where a bit later when bil walked by Tigger snarled at him again. Bil then yelled at him again and Tigger lunged (for some reason) at another nephew who was lying on the couch. So everyone was justifiably horrified, and Tigger was relegated to the sitting room. What could I do? I had dh take him out to the car and told him that I would take Tigger home after the birthday supper. Of course dh decided he would also come home, so we decided to do that, just bail after supper. It is bad enough for me when the house is so full, way worse for hd and apparently not possible for Tigger. There were 4 other dogs there, all of whom know each other and have worked out their various hierarchies. I was not that terribly upset at the idea of leaving after supper (not feeling terribly sociable after all) but there was another slight problem, which was that supper, scheduled for 7, didn’t end up being actually ready until 8:30. Comes of b-i-l #2 being in charge I suppose. Everyone put on a pretty good face about it, but folks were getting a bit testy and dh didn’t even try. He just disappeared. When the food was finally ready I went to find him and could find neither him nor the car. I decided to totally not worry about it, to just eat supper and figure he would reappear, which he did. I think he went out to get something to eat. The dinner was: hot chicken wings (thank goodness they did save out a bit for me), spicy sweet potato fries and they were making some unspiced ones, but they got mixed in, corn on the cob, broccoli salad (raw broccoli) and another salad with tomatoes and a vinaigrette dressing. And chocolate cake for dessert. All, of course, very carefully planned to be gluten-free. I could eat the chicken (the special plain boring chicken, the corn, and this tasty dressing of mayo, sour cream and blue cheese. I might have stayed and had a tiny bit of cake, but what with all the cleaning up and no one being in much of a rush to eat cake, it was already 9:30 and I finally told ds#2 (the bday girl) that we had to go. With everyone there, things become very much a sister #1’s family world – all the dogs, the whole gluten free thing, all the talk seems to be about weddings. I didn’t think dn#2 would be quite so bad, but that’s all she does is look up wedding stuff now. Oh brother, dd#1 would have died.
So the result – I get to be home!!!! Yay!! I called our neighbor and told her she does not have to feed buns (save $15 right there), I already started another batt, I think later I will call my friend and maybe we can take the dogs for a walk; after yesterday Tigger could probably use something nice. The thing I really “should” probably I should say “must” do is start removing the insulation from the eves. That is going to be a nasty job and of course I should try to do as much of it as possible early in the day before it gets hot. Today I guess I’ll cut the 4th door (and I may have to enlarge the others which sucks because then I will need to buy new sheet rock to replace them instead of just using what I cut out) and get what I need for equipment. I need a good face mask and it would be great if I could get hold of a full body suit – a disposable one. Like what I used in Texas when I insulated a similar area while working for Lynn.
One other thing – I am out of oat bran so maybe I will have toast for breakfast, but I’m not so sure it will work out well (so to speak). I certainly did not feel great this morning after last night’s late supper.
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Saturday, September 04, 2010
9:22 am
Late already but too bad. I have a lot of bunny work to do today. I need to move about some cages. I will probably use one for the 2 young white babies, then move Bavarian Cream and her babies to the long cage. I may eventually need the really big cage again temporarily. Then I’ll have to get ready – pack and all – for a trip to our family house. I’m not feeling very sociable and in a way don’t really want to go, but it being my sister’s 60th I must. And, damn, I should have thought of some sort of gift. After all I gave my other sister a skein of angora, though I don’t think she has actually used it. Still, it was a present and I have nothing for ds#2. I suppose, since it is not actually her birthday yet, I could send something next week…. But what????? I absolutely HATE the whole process of gift giving. It is a fear thing – that I won’t find the right thing. And probably part of it is that I actually don’t much like getting gifts since so often they are things I don’t want and then what do I do with them? I don’t like having random extraneous stuff around. So I don’t want to do the same thing to someone else. It seems so wasteful to give them some random thing, that will either end up cluttering up their space, or else that they will need to get rid of somehow. And of course, one feels guilty throwing away what was a gift. That was the glory of our old “crap swaps” that we used to do with the investment club. We could get rid of stuff we did not want and get something we actually might be able to use. The best was when I got chocolate and got rid of the singing turkey! Now I just bring stuff to the Take it or Leave it, and that works.
But back to a gift for the sis…. Earings? Something I have made… but what? I do have that angora purse, it is kind of funky, but maybe she would like it, and if she didn’t well she could give it away…… I doubt that I will ever sell it. I certainly cannot give her anything warm to wear, she would hardly find that useful in Virginia. I don’t really want to think about it. See, this is one of the problems with gifts, I obsess about them.
I went to work again yesterday and it went well except for right around lunch time. I got the worst case of butt burn I think I have ever had. Anyone reading my blog will not have any idea what I am talking about… I suppose I could add an explanation. To keep it short: 2 years ago I had my colon removed (UC and precancerous cells). The surgeon formed what is called a “J-pouch” which allows the small intestine to be reattached to the anus, so I do not have to have an ostomy bag. This is good, but one consequence for me is occasional “Butt Burn” which is exactly what it sounds like… Anyway it really sucked and it really hurt. Usually it does not last that long. I didn’t even want to eat, but I made myself eat just the meat part of some stew with carrots I had brought. I am wondering if the carrots from the night before had been the problem, I’ve had trouble with them before. And I had more psyllium, and after a while I did feel a bit better and then I went upstairs to finish setting up the metabolism monitors and I think it was enough of a distraction and I did feel better.
Last night I went to a friend’s for pizza with several other old friends I was not feeling very sociable then either, and it was kind of wearing. What a total putz I am. Before that I did get some more carding done and that was much more satisfying. I’m about half-way through what will be over a pound of these nice batts.
Ok – meditate and then get a move on….
Visit my new Etsy Shop!! http://www.etsy.com/shop/twistedmysteries
Late already but too bad. I have a lot of bunny work to do today. I need to move about some cages. I will probably use one for the 2 young white babies, then move Bavarian Cream and her babies to the long cage. I may eventually need the really big cage again temporarily. Then I’ll have to get ready – pack and all – for a trip to our family house. I’m not feeling very sociable and in a way don’t really want to go, but it being my sister’s 60th I must. And, damn, I should have thought of some sort of gift. After all I gave my other sister a skein of angora, though I don’t think she has actually used it. Still, it was a present and I have nothing for ds#2. I suppose, since it is not actually her birthday yet, I could send something next week…. But what????? I absolutely HATE the whole process of gift giving. It is a fear thing – that I won’t find the right thing. And probably part of it is that I actually don’t much like getting gifts since so often they are things I don’t want and then what do I do with them? I don’t like having random extraneous stuff around. So I don’t want to do the same thing to someone else. It seems so wasteful to give them some random thing, that will either end up cluttering up their space, or else that they will need to get rid of somehow. And of course, one feels guilty throwing away what was a gift. That was the glory of our old “crap swaps” that we used to do with the investment club. We could get rid of stuff we did not want and get something we actually might be able to use. The best was when I got chocolate and got rid of the singing turkey! Now I just bring stuff to the Take it or Leave it, and that works.
But back to a gift for the sis…. Earings? Something I have made… but what? I do have that angora purse, it is kind of funky, but maybe she would like it, and if she didn’t well she could give it away…… I doubt that I will ever sell it. I certainly cannot give her anything warm to wear, she would hardly find that useful in Virginia. I don’t really want to think about it. See, this is one of the problems with gifts, I obsess about them.
I went to work again yesterday and it went well except for right around lunch time. I got the worst case of butt burn I think I have ever had. Anyone reading my blog will not have any idea what I am talking about… I suppose I could add an explanation. To keep it short: 2 years ago I had my colon removed (UC and precancerous cells). The surgeon formed what is called a “J-pouch” which allows the small intestine to be reattached to the anus, so I do not have to have an ostomy bag. This is good, but one consequence for me is occasional “Butt Burn” which is exactly what it sounds like… Anyway it really sucked and it really hurt. Usually it does not last that long. I didn’t even want to eat, but I made myself eat just the meat part of some stew with carrots I had brought. I am wondering if the carrots from the night before had been the problem, I’ve had trouble with them before. And I had more psyllium, and after a while I did feel a bit better and then I went upstairs to finish setting up the metabolism monitors and I think it was enough of a distraction and I did feel better.
Last night I went to a friend’s for pizza with several other old friends I was not feeling very sociable then either, and it was kind of wearing. What a total putz I am. Before that I did get some more carding done and that was much more satisfying. I’m about half-way through what will be over a pound of these nice batts.
Ok – meditate and then get a move on….
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Friday, September 03, 2010
Farewell Mousita
I just want to post these photos of mousie as she was being released. Good luck Mousie:
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Visit my new Etsy Shop!! http://www.etsy.com/shop/twistedmysteries
Work Begins
8:10 am
All alone. Rather nice actually. Dh and friend are at the farm – dh will drive him back to the airport on Sat so we don’t have to deal with finding space for him in a full house. Then dh will come back through here and we will all 3 go up to the farm together. Dd is off at school. Woo hoo senior year. Now my big thing to think about is how to get her to Macaulister and Carelton (neither of which have I probably spelled correctly). I’m going to obsess about it for a while. It is great that she has taken the initiative to say she wants to visit them; I just wish she had done so over the summer which would have been a lot easier. Well, maybe not a lot. In any case they are far away and to get their either takes a really long time (drive), is expensive (fly) or both (train). And if she flies out by herself then things have to be all carefully arranged to get her to and from the campuses. Is there anywhere else she will decide she wants to visit?
I went into work yesterday – oh I guess I wrote that. It was good. I’ll go in today for a while to finish setting up the metabolism equipment, and to try out the video stuff for the jumping lab we will do later in the semester. Last year I was getting into arriving much earlier than I used to so I could do all the prep stuff. So I would take the 8:30 bus. Now lecture is 11-12:15. That will take getting used to. And I could potentially get into a situation where I show up quite late…. I’ll just have to see what is required for setting up each week. It means there is a lot less of that potential “dead” time between 11-1:15. It also means less time to feel prepared. And a long lecture. I hope I don’t get drowsy… and it is late so I will probably get really hungry. I will need to eat something before lecture. It is nice to have just 2 lectures and “4th hour” on Fri, instead of 4 basic lecture days.
I managed to do more carding last night. Let’s see, I got home around 4:30, then biked over to my friend’s to swim. Another friend came with her daughters and - miracle of miracles – dd and her friend appeared! We swam and sat around and left about 7. I got back, fed the buns, ate some delicious rabbit stew, and carded a few batts while listening to the strange management tape I got from the library. I keep listening trying to think of ways that it might apply to teaching. Not sure if that works. Oh well.
What else to possibly say? Not much. I have about an hour before I must leave. Bunnies are fed, exercises done, mp’s nearly done, I must shower and dress, meditate and pull together some lunch and eat breakfast, but beyond all that I think I can get in a bit more carding. Don’t know when I’ll be able to dye the stuff, but at least it will be ready. It’s been so very hot these past few days that it would have been ideal for solar dyeing, but I just don’t have stuff to dye yet. I have a lot of dyed uncarded fiber, so I don’t feel the need to dye more just to use the warm sun.
All alone. Rather nice actually. Dh and friend are at the farm – dh will drive him back to the airport on Sat so we don’t have to deal with finding space for him in a full house. Then dh will come back through here and we will all 3 go up to the farm together. Dd is off at school. Woo hoo senior year. Now my big thing to think about is how to get her to Macaulister and Carelton (neither of which have I probably spelled correctly). I’m going to obsess about it for a while. It is great that she has taken the initiative to say she wants to visit them; I just wish she had done so over the summer which would have been a lot easier. Well, maybe not a lot. In any case they are far away and to get their either takes a really long time (drive), is expensive (fly) or both (train). And if she flies out by herself then things have to be all carefully arranged to get her to and from the campuses. Is there anywhere else she will decide she wants to visit?
I went into work yesterday – oh I guess I wrote that. It was good. I’ll go in today for a while to finish setting up the metabolism equipment, and to try out the video stuff for the jumping lab we will do later in the semester. Last year I was getting into arriving much earlier than I used to so I could do all the prep stuff. So I would take the 8:30 bus. Now lecture is 11-12:15. That will take getting used to. And I could potentially get into a situation where I show up quite late…. I’ll just have to see what is required for setting up each week. It means there is a lot less of that potential “dead” time between 11-1:15. It also means less time to feel prepared. And a long lecture. I hope I don’t get drowsy… and it is late so I will probably get really hungry. I will need to eat something before lecture. It is nice to have just 2 lectures and “4th hour” on Fri, instead of 4 basic lecture days.
I managed to do more carding last night. Let’s see, I got home around 4:30, then biked over to my friend’s to swim. Another friend came with her daughters and - miracle of miracles – dd and her friend appeared! We swam and sat around and left about 7. I got back, fed the buns, ate some delicious rabbit stew, and carded a few batts while listening to the strange management tape I got from the library. I keep listening trying to think of ways that it might apply to teaching. Not sure if that works. Oh well.
What else to possibly say? Not much. I have about an hour before I must leave. Bunnies are fed, exercises done, mp’s nearly done, I must shower and dress, meditate and pull together some lunch and eat breakfast, but beyond all that I think I can get in a bit more carding. Don’t know when I’ll be able to dye the stuff, but at least it will be ready. It’s been so very hot these past few days that it would have been ideal for solar dyeing, but I just don’t have stuff to dye yet. I have a lot of dyed uncarded fiber, so I don’t feel the need to dye more just to use the warm sun.
Thursday, September 02, 2010
Word from the Work World
9-2-10
Here’s a new and interesting idea: write “morning pages” at work. I have just met with the prof and we set up one set of the spirometer and 02 meter equipment. Now I have taken a break to eat something (I only brought cheese and crackers). In a minute I will go back up and try to set up at least one more, maybe all 3 more. Tomorrow we will meet to try out the video equipment that we will use later in the semester. Of course part of me wanted to just stay home today….but reality: it is very nice to be here, I am thrilled to be working with this prof, and I think I need this kind of stimulation. Unlike the “stimulation” of last night when the dh and I drove to the meeting about the windmills and I heard 3 hours of Woodstock lore from the current Woodstock expert. Well – it was nice of him to agree to go to the meeting & some of the lore was in fact interesting. I just have no idea how he can hold all those details including dates and all in his head (to repeat them all to me!).
I got started carding a nice batch of fiber that I hope to rainbow dye. I am blending some white Romney, dark shortish stuff and tangled brushed white angora. My only real concern is that the Romney is so long, the dark is short, and the angora has lots of little short tangles. I will have to spin it fairly tight so all those bits don’t pill out. I will probably try to spin it and ply with plucked angora. I have 16 ounces of it so it will take a while. I wonder what I should bring to the farm with me. The cowl, and maybe even finish it and give it to my niece. The hat I must make for the woman from Wellesley. I guess some small skeins and small project ideas and work on them. And maybe even the wheel and spin some angora. I need to contact my neighbor this afternoon to see if she would be willing to do some bunny care again.
Visit my new Etsy Shop!! http://www.etsy.com/shop/twistedmysteries
Here’s a new and interesting idea: write “morning pages” at work. I have just met with the prof and we set up one set of the spirometer and 02 meter equipment. Now I have taken a break to eat something (I only brought cheese and crackers). In a minute I will go back up and try to set up at least one more, maybe all 3 more. Tomorrow we will meet to try out the video equipment that we will use later in the semester. Of course part of me wanted to just stay home today….but reality: it is very nice to be here, I am thrilled to be working with this prof, and I think I need this kind of stimulation. Unlike the “stimulation” of last night when the dh and I drove to the meeting about the windmills and I heard 3 hours of Woodstock lore from the current Woodstock expert. Well – it was nice of him to agree to go to the meeting & some of the lore was in fact interesting. I just have no idea how he can hold all those details including dates and all in his head (to repeat them all to me!).
I got started carding a nice batch of fiber that I hope to rainbow dye. I am blending some white Romney, dark shortish stuff and tangled brushed white angora. My only real concern is that the Romney is so long, the dark is short, and the angora has lots of little short tangles. I will have to spin it fairly tight so all those bits don’t pill out. I will probably try to spin it and ply with plucked angora. I have 16 ounces of it so it will take a while. I wonder what I should bring to the farm with me. The cowl, and maybe even finish it and give it to my niece. The hat I must make for the woman from Wellesley. I guess some small skeins and small project ideas and work on them. And maybe even the wheel and spin some angora. I need to contact my neighbor this afternoon to see if she would be willing to do some bunny care again.
Visit my new Etsy Shop!! http://www.etsy.com/shop/twistedmysteries
Wednesday, September 01, 2010
Discouragement, happiness and esthetics
10:30 am
I have been feeling discouraged with my blog when I go on it and have no comments. I must remind myself that the point is morning pages, the blog entries are an additional “benefit.” Maybe someday they will become something else, for now, they are just there as kind of a place holder and if anyone reads them or is interested, well cool. Of course if anyone DOES read them, wouldn’t it be great if they could comment….hint hint hint…..but I will not base my happiness or feelings of self-worth on that.
Went to a concert called Transformations last night and it was quite fun. Went a little too long for my complete happiness, though the last act was Spinal Tap and thus the funniest. It was a very pleasant scene, outside, really nice temperature since by the time we arrived the sun was getting behind the trees, lots of interesting families and kids. There was one very sketchy looking guy wearing what could only be described as a leather collar and leash. It was somewhat disturbing, but I decided that, this being after all, Northampton, I would go with it, live and let live, reserve judgment, whatever floats your boat, all that. Then Spinal Tap got on and it turned out that he was the crazy drummer and the leash was part of his costume! It was a bit of a relief, but I must remind myself that if someone wants to really walk around with a collar and leash (as my friend said before we understood the context – he was probably not the dominant one…) then they certainly should be able to.
My friend came over yesterday and that was very nice. We arranged to meet next week on fair business. And meanwhile I MUST call the Barn 5 woman to start discussing that. I showed her my wrist warmers of the brown/purple stuff, the stuff that she has seen as it went through many of its manifestations and peregrinations from nasty pale purpley-pinkish stuff to all sorts of attempts to get something pleasing. And she liked it! Mikey liked it! In fact she said she really really liked it. That was very affirming. Somehow I have a strange relationship with esthetics. I like many things, but they do not necessarily have to be things that others would consider beautiful. And I have trouble with color. I love looking at things and being aware of the shape, texture, form, placement in space. A color and whether it goes well with another color I have more trouble with. Kind of comes back to the difficulty I used to have with the carpets downstairs and never remembering if the green one was in the west room, or if that was the red one. Not that I am color blind, I can tell colors apart, and I certainly have opinions about colors, those I like and those I do not, but even a color I don’t “like’ I can appreciate perhaps in a certain setting. It is complex.
I did more plucking yesterday and only got through with Blizzard. He is a hard one to do because his coat is so dense and it had gotten very tangled so I did a lot of detangling and not just plucking. It also was really too hot to pluck, as today will be, also. I did finish the purple/brown and will now wind it off, wash it and it is done! I started flicking the ends of some nice white Romney that I will blend with angora and make many batts that can be dyed. I will try the solar technique. The other thing I have to do today is be around to go over to the rental house to get people keys and to open the garage so a former renter can get his stuff out. I have a feeling that will make the day very disjointed.
Visit my new Etsy Shop!! http://www.etsy.com/shop/twistedmysteries
I have been feeling discouraged with my blog when I go on it and have no comments. I must remind myself that the point is morning pages, the blog entries are an additional “benefit.” Maybe someday they will become something else, for now, they are just there as kind of a place holder and if anyone reads them or is interested, well cool. Of course if anyone DOES read them, wouldn’t it be great if they could comment….hint hint hint…..but I will not base my happiness or feelings of self-worth on that.
Went to a concert called Transformations last night and it was quite fun. Went a little too long for my complete happiness, though the last act was Spinal Tap and thus the funniest. It was a very pleasant scene, outside, really nice temperature since by the time we arrived the sun was getting behind the trees, lots of interesting families and kids. There was one very sketchy looking guy wearing what could only be described as a leather collar and leash. It was somewhat disturbing, but I decided that, this being after all, Northampton, I would go with it, live and let live, reserve judgment, whatever floats your boat, all that. Then Spinal Tap got on and it turned out that he was the crazy drummer and the leash was part of his costume! It was a bit of a relief, but I must remind myself that if someone wants to really walk around with a collar and leash (as my friend said before we understood the context – he was probably not the dominant one…) then they certainly should be able to.
My friend came over yesterday and that was very nice. We arranged to meet next week on fair business. And meanwhile I MUST call the Barn 5 woman to start discussing that. I showed her my wrist warmers of the brown/purple stuff, the stuff that she has seen as it went through many of its manifestations and peregrinations from nasty pale purpley-pinkish stuff to all sorts of attempts to get something pleasing. And she liked it! Mikey liked it! In fact she said she really really liked it. That was very affirming. Somehow I have a strange relationship with esthetics. I like many things, but they do not necessarily have to be things that others would consider beautiful. And I have trouble with color. I love looking at things and being aware of the shape, texture, form, placement in space. A color and whether it goes well with another color I have more trouble with. Kind of comes back to the difficulty I used to have with the carpets downstairs and never remembering if the green one was in the west room, or if that was the red one. Not that I am color blind, I can tell colors apart, and I certainly have opinions about colors, those I like and those I do not, but even a color I don’t “like’ I can appreciate perhaps in a certain setting. It is complex.
I did more plucking yesterday and only got through with Blizzard. He is a hard one to do because his coat is so dense and it had gotten very tangled so I did a lot of detangling and not just plucking. It also was really too hot to pluck, as today will be, also. I did finish the purple/brown and will now wind it off, wash it and it is done! I started flicking the ends of some nice white Romney that I will blend with angora and make many batts that can be dyed. I will try the solar technique. The other thing I have to do today is be around to go over to the rental house to get people keys and to open the garage so a former renter can get his stuff out. I have a feeling that will make the day very disjointed.
Visit my new Etsy Shop!! http://www.etsy.com/shop/twistedmysteries
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
random
9 am
I had been thinking rather haphazardly that I might send in an application to sell stuff at the SPA in Maine in Feb, but I just checked and the application has to arrive by Sept 1, not be postmarked then, so I guess that solves that issue. Many issues get solved by just waiting until it is too late to do anything……
I had just sat down to write when *sniff sniff* I caught a whiff of something awful and realized the dog had rolled in something while I was doing bunnies. Not enough for him to gorge on bunny poops, leading to gas issues, but he also has to adorn himself with revolting substances. So that meant a quick bath for him just now. And as soon as that was done, the fellow from CET (the Center for Ecological Technology) arrived to measure for insulation which they will install with a big state grant covering a large portion. Next week someone will come to do a sealant meaning I guess that they will seal any air leaks in the places where the insulation will go. For the sealing to happen I had to cut 12” square openings in the short walls in the upstairs bedrooms (we have a cape, and the upstairs rooms have short walls and sloped ceilings if that makes sense). I did that last night, well, one more to go. It was pretty tedious, but kind of fun too. Now I will have to figure out how I am going to get those openings closed back up when all is finished. There is actually quite a bit of unused space in those areas, and once they are insulated I wonder if they could actually be used for a bit of storage…. Meaning I would make the little squares I cut out be removable, make them little doors. I’ll have to think about that.
Our “leader” from the Webs spinning group sent a message about someone who wants 5# of wool spun up. I answered and asked about the quality of the wool. But even if it is really primo and lovely and easy to spin, we’re still talking like an hour an ounce, and I’m not so sure anyone would want to pay 16 X 10 x 5 =1600/2 = $800 to get their wool spun. I think they’d better send it off to Green Mountain or somewhere. Of course, once washed it will be < 5 #, and they could send it off to be carded. Still, I wouldn’t want to do it for < $10 an hour. Speaking of which I need to get going on the dog hair I have to spin.
Right now I am really hungry. What will the rest of the day bring? Oh, for one thing I must type up the minutes from last night’s 350 meeting. It was interesting and I’m glad the dd came. Maybe a bit of an education for her – how frustrating meetings of this kind can be. We will meet again next Monday. Not sure how it will all turn out. There were all kinds of interesting ideas thrown about, and a couple of sourpusses that didn’t seem to like anything suggested.
Ok, time to eat since I won’t meditate with this CET guy here.
Visit my new Etsy Shop!! http://www.etsy.com/shop/twistedmysteries
I had been thinking rather haphazardly that I might send in an application to sell stuff at the SPA in Maine in Feb, but I just checked and the application has to arrive by Sept 1, not be postmarked then, so I guess that solves that issue. Many issues get solved by just waiting until it is too late to do anything……
I had just sat down to write when *sniff sniff* I caught a whiff of something awful and realized the dog had rolled in something while I was doing bunnies. Not enough for him to gorge on bunny poops, leading to gas issues, but he also has to adorn himself with revolting substances. So that meant a quick bath for him just now. And as soon as that was done, the fellow from CET (the Center for Ecological Technology) arrived to measure for insulation which they will install with a big state grant covering a large portion. Next week someone will come to do a sealant meaning I guess that they will seal any air leaks in the places where the insulation will go. For the sealing to happen I had to cut 12” square openings in the short walls in the upstairs bedrooms (we have a cape, and the upstairs rooms have short walls and sloped ceilings if that makes sense). I did that last night, well, one more to go. It was pretty tedious, but kind of fun too. Now I will have to figure out how I am going to get those openings closed back up when all is finished. There is actually quite a bit of unused space in those areas, and once they are insulated I wonder if they could actually be used for a bit of storage…. Meaning I would make the little squares I cut out be removable, make them little doors. I’ll have to think about that.
Our “leader” from the Webs spinning group sent a message about someone who wants 5# of wool spun up. I answered and asked about the quality of the wool. But even if it is really primo and lovely and easy to spin, we’re still talking like an hour an ounce, and I’m not so sure anyone would want to pay 16 X 10 x 5 =1600/2 = $800 to get their wool spun. I think they’d better send it off to Green Mountain or somewhere. Of course, once washed it will be < 5 #, and they could send it off to be carded. Still, I wouldn’t want to do it for < $10 an hour. Speaking of which I need to get going on the dog hair I have to spin.
Right now I am really hungry. What will the rest of the day bring? Oh, for one thing I must type up the minutes from last night’s 350 meeting. It was interesting and I’m glad the dd came. Maybe a bit of an education for her – how frustrating meetings of this kind can be. We will meet again next Monday. Not sure how it will all turn out. There were all kinds of interesting ideas thrown about, and a couple of sourpusses that didn’t seem to like anything suggested.
Ok, time to eat since I won’t meditate with this CET guy here.
Visit my new Etsy Shop!! http://www.etsy.com/shop/twistedmysteries
Monday, August 30, 2010
waffles
9:30 am
Better and better time wise. I very cleverly slept downstairs last night and even though I still took forever getting to sleep, and yes, I still woke up several times, it was better.
Yesterday I only plucked one other bunny and got started on Blizzard. He’s going to take forever because he has bad tangles on his sides. What the heck else did I do all day????? I wrote here. I meditated. I cooked ratatouille; I spun which was very nice. I guess that’s about it. Then in the evening I cooked some of the pork ribs from the meat csa. They were fabulous. And after supper I added lots of photos to my blogger pages.
It’s already 10. I need to meditate, then I want to do more plucking. And I really do have to pay bills. I think I’d better do that first. And eat some waffles after I meditate. I must cook the rest of the batter and then freeze them. The freezer is getting very full.
Visit my new Etsy Shop!! http://www.etsy.com/shop/twistedmysteries
Better and better time wise. I very cleverly slept downstairs last night and even though I still took forever getting to sleep, and yes, I still woke up several times, it was better.
Yesterday I only plucked one other bunny and got started on Blizzard. He’s going to take forever because he has bad tangles on his sides. What the heck else did I do all day????? I wrote here. I meditated. I cooked ratatouille; I spun which was very nice. I guess that’s about it. Then in the evening I cooked some of the pork ribs from the meat csa. They were fabulous. And after supper I added lots of photos to my blogger pages.
It’s already 10. I need to meditate, then I want to do more plucking. And I really do have to pay bills. I think I’d better do that first. And eat some waffles after I meditate. I must cook the rest of the batter and then freeze them. The freezer is getting very full.
Visit my new Etsy Shop!! http://www.etsy.com/shop/twistedmysteries
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Plucking
10 am
I managed to pluck 4 rabbits yesterday,
quite an accomplishment. Only…11 to go…. Well, at least I like doing it.
Lousy night last night because mainly of dh’s cold. He kept coughing and hacking and getting up. It’s bad enough when there is nothing external to wake me up, I wake up plenty just on my very own, and every time I do it seems to take forever to fall back asleep.
Today I will pluck more bunnies. And spin. I spun half of the last batch of brown/purple. I’ve been looking up small project ideas from the stuff posted on Ravelry (I’ll put the link here again)
http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/simply-simpleknits/364225/1-25#11
http://simpleknits.blogspot.com/2008/03/500-patterns-to-knit-with-1-285-yards.html
and there are a few good ones that I must try. See if 1 ounce is enough – most of them are about 60 yards so I am focusing on projects of about that size.
Visit my new Etsy Shop!! http://www.etsy.com/shop/twistedmysteries
I managed to pluck 4 rabbits yesterday,
quite an accomplishment. Only…11 to go…. Well, at least I like doing it.
Lousy night last night because mainly of dh’s cold. He kept coughing and hacking and getting up. It’s bad enough when there is nothing external to wake me up, I wake up plenty just on my very own, and every time I do it seems to take forever to fall back asleep.
Today I will pluck more bunnies. And spin. I spun half of the last batch of brown/purple. I’ve been looking up small project ideas from the stuff posted on Ravelry (I’ll put the link here again)
http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/simply-simpleknits/364225/1-25#11
http://simpleknits.blogspot.com/2008/03/500-patterns-to-knit-with-1-285-yards.html
and there are a few good ones that I must try. See if 1 ounce is enough – most of them are about 60 yards so I am focusing on projects of about that size.
Visit my new Etsy Shop!! http://www.etsy.com/shop/twistedmysteries
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Ugly Hat, Adorable Bunnies and the usual griping
9:45 Slightly better than yesterday…..
We amazingly went to a movie last night, me who does not like going to movies and was not wanting to go anywhere. Kind of an involved story: I went walking in the afternoon with a friend who mentioned that she and her husband were wanting to go to see The Girl Who Played with Fire (if that is the right name) and I said I would probably not want to see it, not my kind of movie. She said something about not really wanting to see it either – kind of violent and all that. So I jokingly suggested that the husbands should go off to see it, leave us home. Well, the result of that was that at 6:25, about 5 minutes after dh got home, my friend called to invite him to go to the movie with them. I know her intent was to take him out, give me a nice break, but what she did not realize (I think she does now) was that he would no more go out to a movie alone with them than go out for tea with her. I think he thinks of them as my friends, so going alone with them would be just weird. Long story short (sort of) – we all went. And I had just finished making supper, was just putting it on the table. Damn. Ok, we’ll have that tonight and I won’t cook. And as it turned out, the movie we had planned for was not actually playing at 7, so we went to see Mao’s Last Dancer instead and it was quite a nice movie. I’m sure I liked it much better than I would have liked the other one.
Right now the camera is uploading all the photos from the OR trip
and a few I just took. It’s taking forever because of all the movies dh took of corgis. I’ll probably just keep those I actually want on my page, and then let him upload them again to his page.
I managed to take photos of: adorable baby bunnies,
the chocolate with the floppy ear,
my hat I don’t like
(I took it first on me, and boy did I look awful. I don’t look too bad when I’m smiling, but my “natural,” unsmiling look is really ugly ugly really ugly. I just look so dour and miserable), and the cowl.
So I will post those.
I honestly cannot think of anything else to say. Or anything at all cheerful. I guess I’m feeling pretty dour right now. Which is probably why I look so dour, because I feel that way so much. Just a miserable blah. I’m feeling very worried about money these days, anxious of course about work starting up, discouraged about fiber stuff, generally blah. And though in some ways I like Portrait of a Lady that I am reading, it is not exactly uplifting. It is laborious to read, and at least at this point in the story (if story there is) no one is particularly inspired.
I guess I’d better meditate so I can eat and get on with things – plucking bunnies is a big job for the next few days.
Visit my new Etsy Shop!! http://www.etsy.com/shop/twistedmysteries
We amazingly went to a movie last night, me who does not like going to movies and was not wanting to go anywhere. Kind of an involved story: I went walking in the afternoon with a friend who mentioned that she and her husband were wanting to go to see The Girl Who Played with Fire (if that is the right name) and I said I would probably not want to see it, not my kind of movie. She said something about not really wanting to see it either – kind of violent and all that. So I jokingly suggested that the husbands should go off to see it, leave us home. Well, the result of that was that at 6:25, about 5 minutes after dh got home, my friend called to invite him to go to the movie with them. I know her intent was to take him out, give me a nice break, but what she did not realize (I think she does now) was that he would no more go out to a movie alone with them than go out for tea with her. I think he thinks of them as my friends, so going alone with them would be just weird. Long story short (sort of) – we all went. And I had just finished making supper, was just putting it on the table. Damn. Ok, we’ll have that tonight and I won’t cook. And as it turned out, the movie we had planned for was not actually playing at 7, so we went to see Mao’s Last Dancer instead and it was quite a nice movie. I’m sure I liked it much better than I would have liked the other one.
Right now the camera is uploading all the photos from the OR trip
 |
| very nice waterfall |
and a few I just took. It’s taking forever because of all the movies dh took of corgis. I’ll probably just keep those I actually want on my page, and then let him upload them again to his page.
I managed to take photos of: adorable baby bunnies,
the chocolate with the floppy ear,
my hat I don’t like
(I took it first on me, and boy did I look awful. I don’t look too bad when I’m smiling, but my “natural,” unsmiling look is really ugly ugly really ugly. I just look so dour and miserable), and the cowl.
So I will post those.
I honestly cannot think of anything else to say. Or anything at all cheerful. I guess I’m feeling pretty dour right now. Which is probably why I look so dour, because I feel that way so much. Just a miserable blah. I’m feeling very worried about money these days, anxious of course about work starting up, discouraged about fiber stuff, generally blah. And though in some ways I like Portrait of a Lady that I am reading, it is not exactly uplifting. It is laborious to read, and at least at this point in the story (if story there is) no one is particularly inspired.
I guess I’d better meditate so I can eat and get on with things – plucking bunnies is a big job for the next few days.
Visit my new Etsy Shop!! http://www.etsy.com/shop/twistedmysteries
Friday, August 27, 2010
Grumpy
11 am!
Well. Let’s just chalk it up to the time difference east/west coast, the fact that I woke up at about 10 this morning! And I had nightmares all night, well, one ongoing one about somebody that murdered someone and was out to get me, and I was trying to call 911, all like that. Dh even said that I was singing in my sleep, but it was me trying to scream as this person was attacking me. Kind of creepy. Good news, we got him in the end!
Back to the pleasant home routine today. I don’t know how long it will last, once work starts. But I was actually able to do my stretches, and now morning pages, and soon I will meditate. I guess I’d better hurry if I want it to still be considered a morning routine. Man the flight back from OR was AWFUL! We took a “red eye” that left at 9:30 pm and got to Newark at 5 local time, then we waited there for a few hours and got into CT at 9:30 am. It would not be so bad if one could actually sleep on the plane, but they now pack so many people onto each flight that one can barely move. The seats go back about 2 inches, and the seat in front is so close that I could not even reach down to get anything from my bag without really annoying the person next to me. So I just sat there. I did sleep some, just not much and not well. Thus the late morning today. I did nap a bit once I got home yesterday, but it was one of those odd naps where everything’s kind of buzzing if that makes any sense.
So now, having seen Reed and Lewis and Clark, I’m afraid there is the decided possibility that we will be dealing with a daughter going to college across the country. She did not like Reed so much, but I think she did like L&C, an opinion I agree with, as far as the buildings and grounds are concerned, which is pretty much all dh and I saw. So does this mean that I will have to think about taking this lovely cross-country trip again? And again? Not that we’d have to go in order to get her there, obviously I would stick her on the plane and goodbye. But it would probably mean fewer trips home which is very sad to think about (well, for me, probably not for her). And it would give us an “excuse” to go back there which would please dh but not so much me. Ok so if we do go back out, I will insist that we take day flights and build in recovery time. Or else take the train…. Or the bus…. Or hitch-hike…. Or drive…..
Since I’m on such a grumpy note, I’ll add some grumpy fibrous news. I knit a hat while there; it was supposedly an “order” from a woman that came to my booth in Wellesley. She liked one hat, but not the color, so she wanted me to knit her one with different yarn, which she chose out. I told her she should contact me in a couple of weeks. I finally decided to knit it up, but it has been more than 2 weeks and I have not heard from her. That is not actually the thing I’m grumpy about, though it does reinforce my thinking that making stuff for order is not something I so much want to do. What I am grumpy about is the hat itself. I made the decision to start with a row of double thick angora to make a nice edge. It was also double number of stitches, since I was doing double knitting with angora lining inside. But that was a mistake (the double thick, not double numbers). It seems to have made that very edge really wide and impacted the whole shape of the hat. End result: I do not like the hat and I think I will just frog the whole thing (eg rip it out). Well it gave me something to do with my hands while driving around Oregon. And I did make another hat that I gave to my friend’s husband to take hunting. And I did a bunch more of the cowl which is getting close to finished.
Then when I got home, I found that one of the mixed color babies, the lovely chocolate one, has a droopy ear. It’s actually kind of cute, but is, after all, something of a defect. None of the others in the litter have the trouble.
So now it is time to meditate, then I will hang out laundry (lots of it!) and look over the massive ToDo list I made up yesterday. It includes a major cleaning of the bathroom, it’ll be interesting to see if and when that actually happens!
Visit my new Etsy Shop!! http://www.etsy.com/shop/twistedmysteries
Well. Let’s just chalk it up to the time difference east/west coast, the fact that I woke up at about 10 this morning! And I had nightmares all night, well, one ongoing one about somebody that murdered someone and was out to get me, and I was trying to call 911, all like that. Dh even said that I was singing in my sleep, but it was me trying to scream as this person was attacking me. Kind of creepy. Good news, we got him in the end!
Back to the pleasant home routine today. I don’t know how long it will last, once work starts. But I was actually able to do my stretches, and now morning pages, and soon I will meditate. I guess I’d better hurry if I want it to still be considered a morning routine. Man the flight back from OR was AWFUL! We took a “red eye” that left at 9:30 pm and got to Newark at 5 local time, then we waited there for a few hours and got into CT at 9:30 am. It would not be so bad if one could actually sleep on the plane, but they now pack so many people onto each flight that one can barely move. The seats go back about 2 inches, and the seat in front is so close that I could not even reach down to get anything from my bag without really annoying the person next to me. So I just sat there. I did sleep some, just not much and not well. Thus the late morning today. I did nap a bit once I got home yesterday, but it was one of those odd naps where everything’s kind of buzzing if that makes any sense.
So now, having seen Reed and Lewis and Clark, I’m afraid there is the decided possibility that we will be dealing with a daughter going to college across the country. She did not like Reed so much, but I think she did like L&C, an opinion I agree with, as far as the buildings and grounds are concerned, which is pretty much all dh and I saw. So does this mean that I will have to think about taking this lovely cross-country trip again? And again? Not that we’d have to go in order to get her there, obviously I would stick her on the plane and goodbye. But it would probably mean fewer trips home which is very sad to think about (well, for me, probably not for her). And it would give us an “excuse” to go back there which would please dh but not so much me. Ok so if we do go back out, I will insist that we take day flights and build in recovery time. Or else take the train…. Or the bus…. Or hitch-hike…. Or drive…..
Since I’m on such a grumpy note, I’ll add some grumpy fibrous news. I knit a hat while there; it was supposedly an “order” from a woman that came to my booth in Wellesley. She liked one hat, but not the color, so she wanted me to knit her one with different yarn, which she chose out. I told her she should contact me in a couple of weeks. I finally decided to knit it up, but it has been more than 2 weeks and I have not heard from her. That is not actually the thing I’m grumpy about, though it does reinforce my thinking that making stuff for order is not something I so much want to do. What I am grumpy about is the hat itself. I made the decision to start with a row of double thick angora to make a nice edge. It was also double number of stitches, since I was doing double knitting with angora lining inside. But that was a mistake (the double thick, not double numbers). It seems to have made that very edge really wide and impacted the whole shape of the hat. End result: I do not like the hat and I think I will just frog the whole thing (eg rip it out). Well it gave me something to do with my hands while driving around Oregon. And I did make another hat that I gave to my friend’s husband to take hunting. And I did a bunch more of the cowl which is getting close to finished.
Then when I got home, I found that one of the mixed color babies, the lovely chocolate one, has a droopy ear. It’s actually kind of cute, but is, after all, something of a defect. None of the others in the litter have the trouble.
So now it is time to meditate, then I will hang out laundry (lots of it!) and look over the massive ToDo list I made up yesterday. It includes a major cleaning of the bathroom, it’ll be interesting to see if and when that actually happens!
Visit my new Etsy Shop!! http://www.etsy.com/shop/twistedmysteries
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Last Day in OR
I am not at all thrilled with this set-up, sitting at my friend’s dining room table to write on our computer. I would much rather sit outside, it is quite lovely out. But I should hardly complain, this is the first chance I’ve actually had to write anything resembling morning pages all week. And I have not hardly meditated at all, nor have I done my stretches. I haven’t really had much alone time at all. The dh went off this morning to get dd#2 from McMinnville. She spent last night in Corvallis with dd#1, and they are meeting in McM because it is closer and that is where dd#1 gets on the van to go to the Trask watershed where she will work for 4 days. Mostly our “vacation” here has involved driving around, which is what I was afraid it would be. We drove out to the coast, then came back to Portland so dd could see it and so we could go to Reed. Neither of them liked Reed. Then we drove out to Corvallis, then back here, soon we’ll go see Lewis and Clark. Oh, except that we decided we should go to the tour at 2 and info session at 3, so I don’t know what we’ll do until then. Well, the good news is that within about 24 hours I will be home! And more good news, my friend called just before we left and left a message about getting together when I get back. We’ll get back thurs morning, but I imagine Thursday itself will be a wash since I will be exhausted. The ds had talked about doing a KnitWits at the farm next weekend, I don’t know if that will happen. I did manage to email stuff to work, so that at least is getting started.
Once we get back I have one lovely week, minus thurs and Fri since those days I must go into work to start getting ready. Then Wed lectures start and the week after is the first lab. At some point I suppose I should reread To Kill a Mockingbird since that is the bookclub book. But I am really enjoying Portrait of a Lady, and there are many other things to read after that. Still, mockingbird will not take very long.
I wasn’t able to finish the cowl since I have the wrong yarn, but I did make a hat/neckwarmer out of the angora/alpaca/wool stuff for my friend’s husband. He seems to like it a lot. And I started the light orange hat that the woman ordered at Wellesley, but I have not heard a word from her, so I don’t know if she will actually buy it. Oh well, it’s pretty nice. I sat and knit on it for a long time yesterday while the girls were at the Goodwill in Corvallis. Finally dd#2 was happy! She found a whole bunch of things to buy. I guess I will finish the hat on the plane, and I can also start something else with the brown stuff since I have a couple of skeins of that.
Visit my new Etsy Shop!! http://www.etsy.com/shop/twistedmysteries
Once we get back I have one lovely week, minus thurs and Fri since those days I must go into work to start getting ready. Then Wed lectures start and the week after is the first lab. At some point I suppose I should reread To Kill a Mockingbird since that is the bookclub book. But I am really enjoying Portrait of a Lady, and there are many other things to read after that. Still, mockingbird will not take very long.
I wasn’t able to finish the cowl since I have the wrong yarn, but I did make a hat/neckwarmer out of the angora/alpaca/wool stuff for my friend’s husband. He seems to like it a lot. And I started the light orange hat that the woman ordered at Wellesley, but I have not heard a word from her, so I don’t know if she will actually buy it. Oh well, it’s pretty nice. I sat and knit on it for a long time yesterday while the girls were at the Goodwill in Corvallis. Finally dd#2 was happy! She found a whole bunch of things to buy. I guess I will finish the hat on the plane, and I can also start something else with the brown stuff since I have a couple of skeins of that.
Visit my new Etsy Shop!! http://www.etsy.com/shop/twistedmysteries
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Still in Oregon
We are currently in Newport at a great place called I think the Sylvia Beach house. And spending time with both daughters which is lovely. Tomorrow will bring ever more driving and maybe some college visits and what-not. And finding places with ethernet is always a challenge. I'll write more when things are more stable.
Visit my new Etsy Shop!! http://www.etsy.com/shop/twistedmysteries
Visit my new Etsy Shop!! http://www.etsy.com/shop/twistedmysteries
Friday, August 20, 2010
Hello from Oregon!
I am currently in Powell's Bookstore in Portland OR. This will be a short post, just to let all my hordes of regular readers (...) know that I still exist, but have limited internet access while on this trip to see the dd #1, my excellent college friend, and to visit Reed and Lewis & Clark with dd#2. And on top of that, my MIL is not doing well and has gone into the hospital with an inoperable gall stone and a tumor. So that may make a sudden change in plans.
Meanwhile, Powells is very nice, and we had a great hike at a place called Silver Falls.
Visit my new Etsy Shop!! http://www.etsy.com/shop/twistedmysteries
Meanwhile, Powells is very nice, and we had a great hike at a place called Silver Falls.
Visit my new Etsy Shop!! http://www.etsy.com/shop/twistedmysteries
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
The Difficulty of Being Human.....
It’s late in the morning 9:20 and late in the summer. And late in my life I suppose I could add, me about to be 54! Well that’s silly. But I don’t have much time today as I must go to work at 1 to meet with the Prof. I don’t need to cook supper since I made 2 quiche yesterday, which is good, but I’m actually thinking I might make 2 more quiche to freeze since we leave tomorrow for OR and I have all these eggs, milk and tomatoes. Also I’m thinking that I really should pluck some bunnies before we go, there are several that really are ready. I asked my neighbor yesterday if her daughters could feed the buns after my dd leaves on Fri. She said she’d tell me this morning after she figures out if they are going to see her sister. Boy I sure hope they can do it, otherwise, I don’t know who will and there is not much time to figure it out. My usual helper can’t because it is Ramadan and she is fasting and doesn’t want to take on anything that might be too hard (it is only her second time fasting). I could ask a friend’s son, but it is so far for him to come and it would mean my friend would have to drive him over. Well, I’ll keep fingers crossed about my neighbor. Of course, if she can do it, it still means I must show her what to do and then hope it all works out ok. This is one big reason why I do NOT like going anywhere.
I stayed up to watch The Apartment which I had rented on Netflix and it was kind of a waste of time. I think I am too movie-d out, since I also went to see Eat Love Pray with friends yesterday. I didn’t really want to go, not having really liked the book, and not wanting to take the time, but I felt pressured. My friend really wanted me to come. She loves movies. Another friend could not come because of work stuff. I feel sometimes like I get pressured into things that I don’t want to do, and me being who I am I give in when others hold firm. It’s really different because my friends love going out to things, but if it is something they do not want to do, they are much better at just not doing it. I guess the difficult thing is that, though I like and value my friends, I often do not want to do social kinds of things. I don’t especially like parties, I don’t love movies, I do enjoy going to get tea, to get together to write (except so often we don’t actually write). Oh brother. It is complex. Oh, and to add to the movie story, Sunday night the dh and I went to see The Other Guys which was the absolute dumbest movie I have seen in a very very long time. So no more movies for a long long time.
Which brings up OR and what the heck we will do there. If it was just me and the dh the whole time it would be easier. The day I am concerned about is Wed when it will be the 2 of us and the dd #2 since dd #1 will have gone off to work Tues. I think I will look up things to do in Portland, but I can’t imagine that she will want to do any of them.
I have said nothing interesting in a fibery sense. I finished the wrist warmers and they are very nice.
They took precisely 1 ounce. I have started the Knitty Calorimetry headband
lhttp://knitty.com/ISSUEwinter06/PATTcalorimetry.html
and want to see how much that takes. It calls for casting on 120 stitches, but that is way too big and is based on a gage of 5 stitches per inch, while I got 4, so I cast on 96 stitches and hope that will work. I have also been working a bit on the scarf, and will add a photo. It is very nice, the only problem is that I must count as I knit so I can’t just do it anywhere. I think while I’m at it I will also take a photo of the baby buns – day 3
and of the display board I put together for my booth.
Visit my new Etsy Shop!! http://www.etsy.com/shop/twistedmysteries
I stayed up to watch The Apartment which I had rented on Netflix and it was kind of a waste of time. I think I am too movie-d out, since I also went to see Eat Love Pray with friends yesterday. I didn’t really want to go, not having really liked the book, and not wanting to take the time, but I felt pressured. My friend really wanted me to come. She loves movies. Another friend could not come because of work stuff. I feel sometimes like I get pressured into things that I don’t want to do, and me being who I am I give in when others hold firm. It’s really different because my friends love going out to things, but if it is something they do not want to do, they are much better at just not doing it. I guess the difficult thing is that, though I like and value my friends, I often do not want to do social kinds of things. I don’t especially like parties, I don’t love movies, I do enjoy going to get tea, to get together to write (except so often we don’t actually write). Oh brother. It is complex. Oh, and to add to the movie story, Sunday night the dh and I went to see The Other Guys which was the absolute dumbest movie I have seen in a very very long time. So no more movies for a long long time.
Which brings up OR and what the heck we will do there. If it was just me and the dh the whole time it would be easier. The day I am concerned about is Wed when it will be the 2 of us and the dd #2 since dd #1 will have gone off to work Tues. I think I will look up things to do in Portland, but I can’t imagine that she will want to do any of them.
I have said nothing interesting in a fibery sense. I finished the wrist warmers and they are very nice.
They took precisely 1 ounce. I have started the Knitty Calorimetry headband
lhttp://knitty.com/ISSUEwinter06/PATTcalorimetry.html
and want to see how much that takes. It calls for casting on 120 stitches, but that is way too big and is based on a gage of 5 stitches per inch, while I got 4, so I cast on 96 stitches and hope that will work. I have also been working a bit on the scarf, and will add a photo. It is very nice, the only problem is that I must count as I knit so I can’t just do it anywhere. I think while I’m at it I will also take a photo of the baby buns – day 3
and of the display board I put together for my booth.
Visit my new Etsy Shop!! http://www.etsy.com/shop/twistedmysteries
Monday, August 16, 2010
more FAQ's
I decided I should continue with the FAQ's so here they are:
12. What can angora yarn be used for?
Angora yarn is amazingly warm and soft. It can be made into fabulous hats, scarves, wrist warmers for example. It can also be used to line other knit items for added warmth. I like to add stripes of angora to projects to provide some special texture and interest.
13. Does it shed?
Angora yarn that is spun from plucked fibers sheds very little. Commercially produced angora yarn often sheds because when the fiber is clipped off the animal it includes short bits along with the long hair and those short bits are what sheds out.
14. Does it shrink/felt?
Yes, angora items will definitely shrink and felt if subjected to warmth, moisture and agitation. For this reason, I do not recommend pure angora for socks or for gloves and mittens (unless they are house socks – worn just to bed or around the house). It does make lovely lining for mittens.
15. How should it be washed and cared for?
Angora items should be washed in cold water with no agitation. Just soak them, squeeze the soapy water through a few times, rinse the same way and let them dry flat on a towel.
16. Is angora fiber hard to spin?
It can be tricky to spin at first, but once you get the hang of it, spinning angora is very easy! It is slippery, and the fibers do not “grab” as readily as wool, so it requires a lot of twist, and very little pull-in. One of the things I like best is that plucked angora can be spun right off the rabbit with no washing or carding. Now by that, I do not mean that I spin directly from the rabbit. It can be done, and you will often see that at fairs because it is such a novelty. I find it hard to get up any speed or be really consistent that way. Instead I pluck the rabbit, then I can take that plucked fiber and spin it immediately.
17. What does “prime plucked” mean?
Prime Plucked fiber has been carefully harvested from the rabbit by gently pulling it out when the hair is ready to shed. It is smooth, untangled and all the same length which makes it lovely and easy to spin.
18. How do you create your yarns?
Do you do your own dyeing?
Yes, I dye at all different stages of the process: raw wool, unspun angora, carded batts, or spun yarn. I love playing with color and I am experimenting with solar dyeing, as a way to eliminate the need for CO2 producing fossil fuels from yet another stage (all my carding and spinning are done under my own power!). I regularly use two main sources of natural dye – walnut for lovely rich browns, and lichen for eye-popping purples.
Where does the wool you use come from?
Most of the wool that I use (sometimes alone, more often in combination with angora) comes from local sheep. I either buy it directly from friends, or find it at one of the local fiber fairs in the area.
What is the difference between sheep’s wool and angora?
Angora from rabbits is softer silkier and much warmer (7 times warmer!) than wool. It also does not have the elasticity of wool, which is why I often combine the two.
What can I do with small skeins of yarn?
http://simpleknits.blogspot.com/2008/03/500-patterns-to-knit-with-1-285-yards.html
Visit my new Etsy Shop!! http://www.etsy.com/shop/twistedmysteries
12. What can angora yarn be used for?
Angora yarn is amazingly warm and soft. It can be made into fabulous hats, scarves, wrist warmers for example. It can also be used to line other knit items for added warmth. I like to add stripes of angora to projects to provide some special texture and interest.
13. Does it shed?
Angora yarn that is spun from plucked fibers sheds very little. Commercially produced angora yarn often sheds because when the fiber is clipped off the animal it includes short bits along with the long hair and those short bits are what sheds out.
14. Does it shrink/felt?
Yes, angora items will definitely shrink and felt if subjected to warmth, moisture and agitation. For this reason, I do not recommend pure angora for socks or for gloves and mittens (unless they are house socks – worn just to bed or around the house). It does make lovely lining for mittens.
15. How should it be washed and cared for?
Angora items should be washed in cold water with no agitation. Just soak them, squeeze the soapy water through a few times, rinse the same way and let them dry flat on a towel.
16. Is angora fiber hard to spin?
It can be tricky to spin at first, but once you get the hang of it, spinning angora is very easy! It is slippery, and the fibers do not “grab” as readily as wool, so it requires a lot of twist, and very little pull-in. One of the things I like best is that plucked angora can be spun right off the rabbit with no washing or carding. Now by that, I do not mean that I spin directly from the rabbit. It can be done, and you will often see that at fairs because it is such a novelty. I find it hard to get up any speed or be really consistent that way. Instead I pluck the rabbit, then I can take that plucked fiber and spin it immediately.
17. What does “prime plucked” mean?
Prime Plucked fiber has been carefully harvested from the rabbit by gently pulling it out when the hair is ready to shed. It is smooth, untangled and all the same length which makes it lovely and easy to spin.
18. How do you create your yarns?
Do you do your own dyeing?
Yes, I dye at all different stages of the process: raw wool, unspun angora, carded batts, or spun yarn. I love playing with color and I am experimenting with solar dyeing, as a way to eliminate the need for CO2 producing fossil fuels from yet another stage (all my carding and spinning are done under my own power!). I regularly use two main sources of natural dye – walnut for lovely rich browns, and lichen for eye-popping purples.
Where does the wool you use come from?
Most of the wool that I use (sometimes alone, more often in combination with angora) comes from local sheep. I either buy it directly from friends, or find it at one of the local fiber fairs in the area.
What is the difference between sheep’s wool and angora?
Angora from rabbits is softer silkier and much warmer (7 times warmer!) than wool. It also does not have the elasticity of wool, which is why I often combine the two.
What can I do with small skeins of yarn?
http://simpleknits.blogspot.com/2008/03/500-patterns-to-knit-with-1-285-yards.html
Visit my new Etsy Shop!! http://www.etsy.com/shop/twistedmysteries
Sunday, August 15, 2010
And the Winner is..........
First things first:
The way I figure it, there have been 5 separate folks commenting, so I have written the 4 names on slips of paper, folded them up, and put them (appropriately) into a feed bowl sitting here. I will now shake them up.... and randomly choose one.....OK.... now I will open it ..... (drum rolls, please).......
IT IS KATIE - THE WINNER!!!!!!!!!
So now, Katie, you must email me your address and I will send you your present. I will have to ship it special delivery and I hope you have a tiny cage and some sunflower seeds to feed it when it arrives...
no just kidding!!!! This pressie will not require any special middle of the night feedings. I think you can see my email address on the blog page, if not, let me know and we'll do it through ravelry or something.
Well that was fun and exciting. I think I'll do it again sometime.
On another note, I am going to use the pages today to write up something that I think I will put on one of the Pages that I just recently discovered (see “testing testing testing” above). My friend suggested this – a set of Frequently Asked Questions – and I will also try putting in on Etsy if I can figure out how. I already came up with a bunch of questions, now I just have to answer them. And I probably won’t get through them all.
FAQ
1. Does ”angora” always come from a rabbit?
Yes, angora fiber and yarn are from angora rabbits. There are also angora goats, but they produce mohair (go figure).
2. Must you kill the rabbit, or does it hurt the rabbit to get its hair?
No! The hair can be removed in several ways: by clipping it off with scissors or shearers, by brushing it out, or by “plucking.” When the hair is ready to shed it pulls off readily and does not hurt the rabbit.
3. How much fiber do you get from one rabbit?
That depends a lot on the variety of angora, and the individual rabbit, but I generally get 2-4 ounces every time I harvest it, and I do that four times a year, making a total of 8-16 ounces a year. That is certainly enough for a hat each time I harvest, and even a sweater once a year!
4. How big are the rabbits?
My rabbits are about 6 – 8 pounds. Giants can be 10 pounds or more, Jersey Woolies are much smaller.
5. How many rabbits do you have?
The number is always changing as rabbits have babies and babies go to new homes. Currently I have 13 adult rabbits, 3 “teenagers,” and 12 babies.
6. How long do they live?
I would say 6-8 years is a good life span for an angora rabbit. They are susceptible to problems and diseases – for example wool block and pasteurella which can shorten their life span.
7. What color are they?
They have a wide range of colors: pure bright white, fawn or orange color, brown, gray and black. Most get lighter in color as they become adults, so a black baby will end up being a dark charcoal gray as an adult.
8. Where do they come from/ where do they live in the wild?
Angora rabbits were bred from domestic rabbits. One theory holds that they originated in Ankora, Turkey, thus the name. The long hair is actually due to a genetic mutation that causes the hair to grow for a longer time before it sheds. This mutation was selected for by people who wanted the long hair, and animals with this feature would not be able to survive in the wild. The hair would get terribly tangled and caught in branches, and it would probably cause bad wool block in the rabbit’s digestive system, so angora rabbits are not found naturally anywhere.
9. Do Angora Rabbits make good pets?
They make wonderful pets for fiber artists who want to make use of their lovely fiber! In fact, they are the perfect fiber animal for people who live in the city or suburbs since they take up little space. I do not recommend an angora rabbit as a pet for children, or even for an adult who just wants a pet rabbit, since they do need to be groomed frequently to prevent terribly matted hair, and care must be taken to prevent wool block. That said, anyone who is willing to take that care and put in the effort, will be rewarded with a beautiful, unusual, and often quite affectionate pet.
10. Do you ever sell your angora rabbits?
Yes, certainly, I sell babies and adults for $35 each. A registered angora rabbit from a show breeding stock will cost more.
11. What kind of angora rabbits do you have?
My rabbits are mostly a mix of Giant and French breeds.
Time to stop for now. I will welcome any thoughts anyone has on these questions and answers, and write more later. Here's your reward for reading all this:
Visit my new Etsy Shop!! http://www.etsy.com/shop/twistedmysteries
The way I figure it, there have been 5 separate folks commenting, so I have written the 4 names on slips of paper, folded them up, and put them (appropriately) into a feed bowl sitting here. I will now shake them up.... and randomly choose one.....OK.... now I will open it ..... (drum rolls, please).......
IT IS KATIE - THE WINNER!!!!!!!!!
So now, Katie, you must email me your address and I will send you your present. I will have to ship it special delivery and I hope you have a tiny cage and some sunflower seeds to feed it when it arrives...
no just kidding!!!! This pressie will not require any special middle of the night feedings. I think you can see my email address on the blog page, if not, let me know and we'll do it through ravelry or something.
Well that was fun and exciting. I think I'll do it again sometime.
On another note, I am going to use the pages today to write up something that I think I will put on one of the Pages that I just recently discovered (see “testing testing testing” above). My friend suggested this – a set of Frequently Asked Questions – and I will also try putting in on Etsy if I can figure out how. I already came up with a bunch of questions, now I just have to answer them. And I probably won’t get through them all.
FAQ
1. Does ”angora” always come from a rabbit?
Yes, angora fiber and yarn are from angora rabbits. There are also angora goats, but they produce mohair (go figure).
2. Must you kill the rabbit, or does it hurt the rabbit to get its hair?
No! The hair can be removed in several ways: by clipping it off with scissors or shearers, by brushing it out, or by “plucking.” When the hair is ready to shed it pulls off readily and does not hurt the rabbit.
3. How much fiber do you get from one rabbit?
That depends a lot on the variety of angora, and the individual rabbit, but I generally get 2-4 ounces every time I harvest it, and I do that four times a year, making a total of 8-16 ounces a year. That is certainly enough for a hat each time I harvest, and even a sweater once a year!
4. How big are the rabbits?
My rabbits are about 6 – 8 pounds. Giants can be 10 pounds or more, Jersey Woolies are much smaller.
5. How many rabbits do you have?
The number is always changing as rabbits have babies and babies go to new homes. Currently I have 13 adult rabbits, 3 “teenagers,” and 12 babies.
6. How long do they live?
I would say 6-8 years is a good life span for an angora rabbit. They are susceptible to problems and diseases – for example wool block and pasteurella which can shorten their life span.
7. What color are they?
They have a wide range of colors: pure bright white, fawn or orange color, brown, gray and black. Most get lighter in color as they become adults, so a black baby will end up being a dark charcoal gray as an adult.
8. Where do they come from/ where do they live in the wild?
Angora rabbits were bred from domestic rabbits. One theory holds that they originated in Ankora, Turkey, thus the name. The long hair is actually due to a genetic mutation that causes the hair to grow for a longer time before it sheds. This mutation was selected for by people who wanted the long hair, and animals with this feature would not be able to survive in the wild. The hair would get terribly tangled and caught in branches, and it would probably cause bad wool block in the rabbit’s digestive system, so angora rabbits are not found naturally anywhere.
9. Do Angora Rabbits make good pets?
They make wonderful pets for fiber artists who want to make use of their lovely fiber! In fact, they are the perfect fiber animal for people who live in the city or suburbs since they take up little space. I do not recommend an angora rabbit as a pet for children, or even for an adult who just wants a pet rabbit, since they do need to be groomed frequently to prevent terribly matted hair, and care must be taken to prevent wool block. That said, anyone who is willing to take that care and put in the effort, will be rewarded with a beautiful, unusual, and often quite affectionate pet.
10. Do you ever sell your angora rabbits?
Yes, certainly, I sell babies and adults for $35 each. A registered angora rabbit from a show breeding stock will cost more.
11. What kind of angora rabbits do you have?
My rabbits are mostly a mix of Giant and French breeds.
Time to stop for now. I will welcome any thoughts anyone has on these questions and answers, and write more later. Here's your reward for reading all this:
 |
| Peach-Fuzz Age (1day) |
Visit my new Etsy Shop!! http://www.etsy.com/shop/twistedmysteries
Saturday, August 14, 2010
LAST CHANCE!!!!!
This is your LAST CHANCE (shouted loudly to the world) for all you hoards of avid readers to add a comment and get in on the BIG DRAWING. I will give it until whenever I write tomorrow morning, then THAT IS IT.
DON'T MISS OUT!!!
ONE TIME ONLY!!!
BLUE LIGHT SPECIAL!!
yadda yadda yadda and all like that.
Now the dh and I are going out to a movie.
Visit my new Etsy Shop!! http://www.etsy.com/shop/twistedmysteries
DON'T MISS OUT!!!
ONE TIME ONLY!!!
BLUE LIGHT SPECIAL!!
yadda yadda yadda and all like that.
Now the dh and I are going out to a movie.
Visit my new Etsy Shop!! http://www.etsy.com/shop/twistedmysteries
The Usual Ramblings, and NEW BABIES!!
I am sitting outside again which is lovely. The dh loaned me his work laptop so I can sit out here. It is actually a laptop meaning it is small. But I have zoomed the page so I can actually read what I write. And it is cool out here! How nice. Soon enough I will be longing for warmth…. I already did my stretches, and even though I was feeling lazy I managed to do all 80 crunches and all 25 push-ups (the woosie kind) so I feel accomplished as far as all that goes. And I fed buns, but for some reason was distracted enough that I didn’t do their waters. Well, I will do that after I write. Yesterday a girl and her mom came to look at the bunnies because her rabbit died and she wants to get another one. She’s never had an angora, so I was trying to be very honest about the difficulties. She was enamored and all set, but Mom insisted they think it over and look up some info on line overnight. I won’t be at all surprised if they decide an angora is not for them. And that is ok because really, I usually discourage kids who just want a pet. They told me that they had looked at the pet store, but that there is a new requirement that rabbits must be neutered, so the pet store no longer sells them. I don’t even want to find out if that is supposed to apply to someone like me. Well, too bad. Oh, but part of where I was going with all this is that, in showing her the rabbits, I rechecked the fawn “female” baby of Amber, and surprise surprise, “she” is really a “he.” I checked long ago and haven’t checked since and obviously got it wrong long ago. He’s about 8 weeks. So then I felt I needed to check the other babies, who are still young, but I feel pretty confident about the black and brown babies. I didn’t recheck all the white ones, because I have so many that I assume some are male, some female. I think that was why I was so distracted and forgot the waters.
Mousy is back! Oh so cute and all. And – here’s some good news – he seems capable of eating from a little dish and so no longer needs to be fed every 2 hours. The dd is very pleased about that. He may even be ready to be released (far far from the house) by the time she leaves for OR next Fri.
Yesterday involved a lot of dull work – paying bills, entering checks, balancing the account – and a bunch of errands – to the library (which was not dull, I got several new books on cd), to the bank, to the Salvation Army, to the CSA (Next Barn Over, I really hate the name, so I call it things like Barn Farm, Food Farm, the Barn) and, which to be completely honest was dull also, lunch at the French place in town. I had calves liver and it was delicious, but the conversation kind of lagged. We do better conversation-wise when we are walking or hiking, rather than when we are sitting there waiting for food. Anyway, it was good to do. We’ve been wanting to check it out, and decided lunch would be far more economical, which I’m sure it was. Dh had Bouillabaisse, as it turns out, because he had to compare it to his memory of the fish soup he had in Tunesia. It seems such a snobby thing to do, very typical. Well, I suppose one has to have reasons to do anything, and that is as good a reason as any. Why did I choose calves liver? I suppose because it is something I don’t have at home, because I have had trouble with anemia, because I assumed it would not be spicy (it was not).
Today I really should type up those notes for work and then email the prof to find a time when we can meet. I don’t know if we’ll be able to before we leave for OR, if not then we’ll have to hop to it as soon as we get back (if he is around) because classes will be starting soon very soon. It will be good to have classes start up – it will help me get away from my own brain and neuroses for a while.
Besides writing up those notes, I must do a bunch more laundry work. It should be an ok day to hang laundry out, which yesterday was also, so perhaps I can get through the pile that has accumulated for days and days. I have about 2 more groupings of 4 one ounce skeins of the stuff I’m spinning to get through.
Oh, and here’s more exciting news. I can’t believe I waited til last, I suppose because it has become pretty commonplace. New babies!!!
Cream finally had a successful litter, after several where it didn’t take, and one that produced just one dead baby. She had 8, 6 survived. They appeared yesterday and seem to be doing fine. Blizzard is the dad, so they are all albino. That is it for this year. I do not need to breed any more.
Ok, time to meditate – I got up really really late today – it was 9 o’clock, so now it is after 10!
Visit my new Etsy Shop!! http://www.etsy.com/shop/twistedmysteries
Mousy is back! Oh so cute and all. And – here’s some good news – he seems capable of eating from a little dish and so no longer needs to be fed every 2 hours. The dd is very pleased about that. He may even be ready to be released (far far from the house) by the time she leaves for OR next Fri.
Yesterday involved a lot of dull work – paying bills, entering checks, balancing the account – and a bunch of errands – to the library (which was not dull, I got several new books on cd), to the bank, to the Salvation Army, to the CSA (Next Barn Over, I really hate the name, so I call it things like Barn Farm, Food Farm, the Barn) and, which to be completely honest was dull also, lunch at the French place in town. I had calves liver and it was delicious, but the conversation kind of lagged. We do better conversation-wise when we are walking or hiking, rather than when we are sitting there waiting for food. Anyway, it was good to do. We’ve been wanting to check it out, and decided lunch would be far more economical, which I’m sure it was. Dh had Bouillabaisse, as it turns out, because he had to compare it to his memory of the fish soup he had in Tunesia. It seems such a snobby thing to do, very typical. Well, I suppose one has to have reasons to do anything, and that is as good a reason as any. Why did I choose calves liver? I suppose because it is something I don’t have at home, because I have had trouble with anemia, because I assumed it would not be spicy (it was not).
Today I really should type up those notes for work and then email the prof to find a time when we can meet. I don’t know if we’ll be able to before we leave for OR, if not then we’ll have to hop to it as soon as we get back (if he is around) because classes will be starting soon very soon. It will be good to have classes start up – it will help me get away from my own brain and neuroses for a while.
Besides writing up those notes, I must do a bunch more laundry work. It should be an ok day to hang laundry out, which yesterday was also, so perhaps I can get through the pile that has accumulated for days and days. I have about 2 more groupings of 4 one ounce skeins of the stuff I’m spinning to get through.
Oh, and here’s more exciting news. I can’t believe I waited til last, I suppose because it has become pretty commonplace. New babies!!!
Ok, time to meditate – I got up really really late today – it was 9 o’clock, so now it is after 10!
Visit my new Etsy Shop!! http://www.etsy.com/shop/twistedmysteries
Friday, August 13, 2010
Solar Dyeing
Well my attempted contest on the blog seems to be failing, probably because only one faithful follower actually reads it. Well, I guess that is ok. After all, if it is kind of a morning pages thing, then I don’t really want anyone to read it. And the fact that I have made only 2 sales on etsy is ok too, since the idea was to have it there so people that saw me at a fair could find me on the internet. Maybe there will be more activity once I am at more fairs. Meanwhile, I will post about solar dyeing. But first I will talk about Mousie, who has gone on an overnight to a friend’s, and I feel like when the girls went on their first overnights… I hope he is ok. I hope she can figure out how to feed him ok. Hmmm. I guess I have gotten kind of attached to the little bugger.
I’m feeling pretty dull and unsuccessful today. I suppose it will be better once school starts because I will have all that stuff to keep my brain occupied. I am enjoying reading Balzac, just the short novels. I will have to return the Chaucer since it is over due. I’m also enjoying listening to Dr. Ellis lecture about the American Revolution, and I hope to get it some solid spinning and listening today. And I have nearly finished the brown/purple wrist warmers.
Now to something more interesting: SOLAR DYEING! And I cannot take credit for this, I hear about it from a workshop long ago at Nutmeg Spinners in CT. I wish I could remember the name of the woman who presented it, but I can’t.
Here’s what I have done:
I bought a black bin at a hardware store. It is designed for collecting oil when changing oil in a car. I looked up bussing bins in restaurant supply stores, and they looked very nice (probably tougher), and not very expensive, but the shipping was a lot, so I went with local.
Next I got an old storm window out of the basement where they all have sat since the new multipane windows were installed here before we bought the house. Any pane of glass the correct size would work fine. We happen to have these old storms.
I put water in the bin, added a big glug of vinegar and a small squirt of dish soap, swirled it together, and added the clean wool to that, to soak for a while (without the glass cover). The wool was wet, but not completely covered by the liquid
I have a bunch of wool dye, most of which I got from Pro-Chem, some from other places. I took one, mixed it in a jar with very hot water (maybe ½ cup), then I poured that over the wool in the bin (still with its vinegar and soap). Some sections got really saturated with the dye, some had just a touch, some none at all. I did squish it around a little.
Then I put the glass cover on, and left it in the hot hot sun. I think I left it for 2 days. It got pretty hot – but certainly not boiling. Maybe to 150 degrees or so. And at night it cooled down, but I didn’t worry about it. In the morning, after a couple days, when it was cool, I poured off the liquid (saved it in a bucket), rinsed the wool (put the rinse water in same bucket), and let it dry. I used the not-yet-exhausted dye water again by putting it back in the bin, adding more vinegar and soap, and adding more wool. This time I didn’t bother presoaking it. Back went the glass cover and I left that for a couple of days. Voila!
Now the wool in yesterday’s photo was another batch where I used red and yellow dye in the same way so it came out more variegated. I like the results!
Visit my new Etsy Shop!! http://www.etsy.com/shop/twistedmysteries
I’m feeling pretty dull and unsuccessful today. I suppose it will be better once school starts because I will have all that stuff to keep my brain occupied. I am enjoying reading Balzac, just the short novels. I will have to return the Chaucer since it is over due. I’m also enjoying listening to Dr. Ellis lecture about the American Revolution, and I hope to get it some solid spinning and listening today. And I have nearly finished the brown/purple wrist warmers.
Now to something more interesting: SOLAR DYEING! And I cannot take credit for this, I hear about it from a workshop long ago at Nutmeg Spinners in CT. I wish I could remember the name of the woman who presented it, but I can’t.
Here’s what I have done:
I bought a black bin at a hardware store. It is designed for collecting oil when changing oil in a car. I looked up bussing bins in restaurant supply stores, and they looked very nice (probably tougher), and not very expensive, but the shipping was a lot, so I went with local.
Next I got an old storm window out of the basement where they all have sat since the new multipane windows were installed here before we bought the house. Any pane of glass the correct size would work fine. We happen to have these old storms.
I put water in the bin, added a big glug of vinegar and a small squirt of dish soap, swirled it together, and added the clean wool to that, to soak for a while (without the glass cover). The wool was wet, but not completely covered by the liquid
I have a bunch of wool dye, most of which I got from Pro-Chem, some from other places. I took one, mixed it in a jar with very hot water (maybe ½ cup), then I poured that over the wool in the bin (still with its vinegar and soap). Some sections got really saturated with the dye, some had just a touch, some none at all. I did squish it around a little.
Then I put the glass cover on, and left it in the hot hot sun. I think I left it for 2 days. It got pretty hot – but certainly not boiling. Maybe to 150 degrees or so. And at night it cooled down, but I didn’t worry about it. In the morning, after a couple days, when it was cool, I poured off the liquid (saved it in a bucket), rinsed the wool (put the rinse water in same bucket), and let it dry. I used the not-yet-exhausted dye water again by putting it back in the bin, adding more vinegar and soap, and adding more wool. This time I didn’t bother presoaking it. Back went the glass cover and I left that for a couple of days. Voila!
Now the wool in yesterday’s photo was another batch where I used red and yellow dye in the same way so it came out more variegated. I like the results!
Visit my new Etsy Shop!! http://www.etsy.com/shop/twistedmysteries
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Contest!
So here's the official contest, as I started to think about yesterday: between now and Sat night (eastern us time) anyone who leaves a comment will be entered, Sun morning I'll draw a name randomly and send that person a nice fuzzy gift. It won't be yarn, so you don't have to be a knitter. And I promise it won't be anything made from the brown/purple stuff.
Is this entirely lame? Extremely possible, but when did that ever stop me from anything??
Here's some photos to keep things interesting:
Visit my new Etsy Shop!! http://www.etsy.com/shop/twistedmysteries
Is this entirely lame? Extremely possible, but when did that ever stop me from anything??
Here's some photos to keep things interesting:
 |
| Adorable little Mousy snoozing |
 |
| orange solar-dyed |
 | |
| red and yellow solar-dyed |
 |
| the solar-dye set up |
Visit my new Etsy Shop!! http://www.etsy.com/shop/twistedmysteries
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