Whew! One more day!

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve and I don't feel like it's Christmas. I just am not in the "spirit". Maybe I will by the end of the day, when I get the house all picked up and things in order. The girls and I have to wrap the boys gifts, then tonight hubby and the boys will wrap ours. Every year, we have a Secret Santa gift exchange. The girls randomly draw a name out of the hat for one of the guys and the guys do the same for the girls. Last year I got hubby and the girls got their brothers, this year my youngest got her daddy and I got my oldest boy. My oldest girl got her baby brother. I don't know who the guys have. LOL BTW, there is no fear of anyone from my family reading this and thus spilling the beans. LOL

I have been making scarves like crazy! I no sooner get one done and I give it away and start on a new one. LOL I have made a scarf for every girl (that makes 5) in the Pastor's house (he has 10 children) and one for his mom in law and his wife. I made one for my good friend, Barbara, down the block, another for my adopted daughter (she's actually my next door neighbor girl) and am starting on some more for 3 sisters at church. They only take me a couple of hours each and I am so blissfully happy to do so. I have a friend who keeps saying I need to make them to sell, but you know? I thought about it...if I start making them to sell? Well, that begins to be too much like work and it takes all of the fun out of it for me. So there, that's my final thought on that.

I have been sooooo busy this past week but yesterday and today, I was finally able to slow down. I had a "demonstration/mini class" for our Home School group on handspinning. We had about 15 people show and about that many who wanted to try their hand at the wheel. Well, I have a 2 treadled spinning wheel, which means it has two pedals to move the fly wheel. Everyone with the exception of 3, could make the pedals work. I found myself, treadling with my right foot while they had their foot on the left treadle so they could feel how easy it was. (Actually, I did all of the work, but the children especially felt as if they were doing it themselves). BUT, I had to stand while they sat, bent over, holding the fiber with my hands over theirs (again, mostly me) so they could feed the wool in and make yarn. I was in a total strain and sweat, but if you could have seen the little sweet smiles on the children's faces as they beamed to their mom's, "Mommy! I'm making yarn!" well, that makes it all worth it. I made a special mini class available to them if they wanted to do more. For $5.00 I would give them 2 battings of wool, already washed, dried & carded for them to spin into 1 bobbin of wool. That is enough to do 3 pot holders or 1 scarf. They will have to schedule an appointment with me where I can bring my wheel and help them. I made $50 in "orders and appointments". Luckily, it is for 4 different families and I can just go to their homes and help them spin one afternoon. It is a great excuse to hang out at my friend, Grace's house, and to get to know some of the other Home School families better. There is talk of my teaching everyone a knitting class in the future AFTER the Christmas Holiday.

OH! I found an incredible pattern (FREE!) for a "Sure- to - Fit Cardigan/Pullover". It is supposed to be easy shmeasy for beginners and totally customizable. If you are interested, here is the link.

http://spindling.com

Look for FREE PATTERNS and click on it. It will take you there.

I am currently carding up a whole mess of natural brown/grey wool. Some of it for my friend Grace, but the other is for me! I want so much to make a sweater. I will use store bought first to experiment with. When I think I have it down, LOOK OUT. I will start making one of a kind Handspun yarn sweaters! I also want to use some of the wool for scarves, mittens and hats or toboggins. Lots of plans ... so much yarn so little time!

Well, I have to get back it. If I don't get back to write some more, MERRY CHRISTMAS! Don't forget about God's perfect, precious gift for us; His only son Jesus.

God Bless~
katcha

ALBAQUERQUE

Yeah, it's a "Weird Al" kind a day. Sitting here listening to "Albaquerque" and having menstrual cramps from HELL is an experience few can say they have had.
AHHHH, "TOM" is here and giving me friggin' fits. ACK! I wish the jerk would leave and stay gone for good. BUT then his grandma would come and set up household and turn my body into The Nursing Home of Horrors, where mood swings abound, facial hair springs forth eternal and the night sweats are free. GIVE ME THE HORMONE PATCH AND NO ONE GETS HURT!

Motrin is my best friend right now but I need to start taking water pills. I feel like that scene from "The Santa Clause" with Tim Allen, where he is complaining to his doc about the weight he has gained. "Well, it could be hormones." the doc says casually and Tim Allen replies, "DOES THIS LOOK LIKE A LITTLE WATER WEIGHT TO YOU?!" I can hear my body making sloshing sounds when I walk across the floor. It's horrible, I look and feel like a water balloon. Don't say I don't either, even my husband can tell.

What really bites, is that our Anniversary is Saturday; tomorrow hubby is taking 1/2 a day off from work to come home early and take me out...movie, dinner, shopping. Usually, we come home and well....have some "quality time"., BUT KANK THAT! Well, he might get a little something out of the deal but not me, I will have to pout and ride out "TOM". It so rots! It is so not fair. WHYYYYYYYYYY MEEEEEEEEEEEEE????
- ok tirade is over- You may move freely around the cabin and thank you for flying with Overeactive Hormone Airlines.

*sigh* I think the Motrin has worn off so I need to take another hit and maybe a nap. Hard to sleep to "Weird AL" singing "Yoda" to the tune of "Lola". The kids can't figure out why I have a hard time with that one; of course they don't listen to secular music and I grew up listening to the stuff. I'll catch up with everyone later. Bye for now.
katcha

I have started on my felted bag. Right now I have to tell you, it is butt ugly. But I have high hopes. LOL It's so dern big and loosely crocheted...yeah, I was going to knit it but I work so much better and faster in the round with that crochet hook.
I used the 2 plyed handspun wool for the base or bottom of the bag. It will be heavy duty and perfect for the bottom. Then I found all the balls of handspun wool I could and have begun to crochet. I am using leftovers of the fun fur novelty yarn in it. I think it will look really great. I started on it yesterday but have not gotten to work since then. Housework, schoolwork and a project with my youngest daughter.
She has been bugging me for a rag doll forever. So, since she was done with her schoolwork for Christmas break I helped her use the sewing machine and we made a doll. It is Amish style right now (meaning it has no face) but we will make one for it soon. Probably Friday.
Oh and on that note, my hubby and I will be celebrating our 17 th wedding anniversary on the 17th! Ha! Can't do that ever again now can we? I think we will go to the Olive Garden and catch a movie and then a little Christmas shopping.
I have some more housework to do before church tonight so I need to go for now. I'll write more later.
katcha

Another view. 

Here are 2 scarves made from handspun yarn & a novelty "fun fur" yarn. Both are koolaid dyed wool...lime green and grape. 

A New Day

The sun is shining (it's still cold) but it is not a rainy, dreary day here. I have all of the blinds open and the sun is shining in! I love the sunshine. Even though I am still sportin' a cold but my disposition is considerably nicer.

I finished my youngest daughters scarf this morning. (I was pretty much done last night by a few inches) And it looks pretty nice. I handspun the purple wool and knitted it together with a novelty yarn. I will post a pic later. I am getting ready to card the "strawberry red" dyed wool, so I can spin that up. I am really pleased with the colors and how they are working up so far.

I have a bunch of little balls of handspun wool in different colors that I am thinking about making myself a felted bag. You have to first knit the bag like 3 times bigger than is imaginable. I mean, when it's done it would look like a super large shopping bag. LOL But then you wash it in hot water in the washer machine then dry it in the dryer on high with some tennis balls. Voila, you have a nice sized handbag! So, I am saving up all of scrap yarn for that purpose. The only thing I am lacking besides tons of wool yarn (which I am amassing slowly) is extra large circular knitting needles. I think I am going to have to break down and order them for myself. I have time though, I am not quite ready to start that project.

Well, the children need my help with their studies and I need to take a nice, long, hot bath and rotate laundry. Today is going to be a bit busy. So, ta-ta for now and God Bless.
katcha
P.S. Thanks drummerguy for the compliment! The hardwood floors are going to make the room look awesome! Thanks!

The Lion, Witch & The Wardrobe

Ok, who is dieing to see The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe? I can NOT wait to see the movie. The trailers I have seen thus far have been wicked! I have read ALL of the C.S. Lewis books to the children. They are all absolutely wonderful and imaginative. Now the LWW was written first, then The Magician's Nephew, BUT I would read The Magician's Nephew first. It is the absolute perfect picture of Genesis, right down to the sin in the garden. The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe is the Gospel. Thanks to my wonderful in-laws, who I truly love dearly (everyone should have such great inlaws!) we will be taking the children and going to see the movie. It might be after opening weekend though. We have so much going on this weekend I can't see when we would have a chance to but I would have liked to have been a part of the opening night numbers!

Anyway, all the children have their deadline to be finished next week and so need my help with their studies. If you got caught in the snow, keep warm and be careful. We just missed it here but have a bitterly cold rain falling. I need to check the fire in the woodstove.

Bye for now and God Bless!
katcha

We have Paint!

Yup it's true! We are done. Now ignore the yuk green old carpet. We are going to put down hard wood floors next spring...like March or April. I don't have anything on the walls in the way of pictures or mirrors or window treatments....*sigh* those will come later. We pretty much decided that we would do the detail stuff after Christmas and new cieling fans and light fixtures when we put down the floor.

Now to move on to the dining room. A beautiful light gold color will be used in there as well with the craft white trim and I think an antique white will grace my small kitchen. That will make it appear, brighter and bigger. Lots more to do, but I have been waiting on this for like how long now? Oh, say maybe, about 7 years now? LOL! So I am thrilled beyond words!

I have started decorating the house and discovered we are woefully decoration poor. I lost a lot of stuff to mice last year and just haven't been able to replace things. I need new lights, garland & greenery etc. I will just have to keep an eye out for that stuff. One thing we plan on doing is buying a Christmas tree after Christmas. We have a puny one now but we plan on buying a 7 footer when they go on sale for cheap, cheap, cheap. Oh, and I am still pining for a Christmas wreathe I saw in Target a couple of years ago. It looked like holly berries all over it, red, bold and so elegant. *sigh* I will look for one of those too.

Well, it's getting late and I have things to do before bedtime. It will be a busy day tomorrow, the kids have tests etc. Enjoy the pics and goodnight!

katcha

This is gorgeous! This will be used to make a scarf for my youngest daughter. See how the purples vary? I can't wait to card this up. 

It looks like cotton candy, the pic does not do it justice at all. This was the wool I washed in the washer machine. It was ok, but I actually get it cleaner when I do it by hand. 

What Day is This?

I think that I live in a veritable vortex of time and space. It's Friday. Pay Day for hubby and that means running errands for me today. Yuck!

I am still battling Entergy over our electric bill. They have billing issues, which somehow put us a month behind and they have conveniently gone up on their rates. I am so angry about the whole deal. Is it my fault that they did not process my payment for almost 4 weeks and they didn't send me a bill at all for September? When I finally recieved a bill it was for over $400.00 and with a cut off notice! I have been going around and around with these goobers for 3 months now. Bottom line, I am a month behind and will probably stay that way for a while. (Mostly out of principle and stubborness!) So, I am going to pay on that today.

Another stinker is the Sam's Club bill. About a month ago, my DH went in to pay it completely off for me. All $700.00 of it. But the next month, lo and behold, they sent me a bill for $15.55. I called up and they said, "well, it was late when he paid it. So, that was a late fee you incurred." Well, ok, fine, but why didn't you tell him it was late so he could pay the late fee. "Well, did he call for a final balance?" No, he was at the store and paid there. (You would think the store would have this information, right?) You would think the final balance would be right there on the records so we could pay you. "OH NO. He is not the primary card holder and not authorized to access that information." HUH?! Ok, I had to repent from this next comment I made for being a potty mouth and thinking hateful things. I said,"Not authorized? Well, you sure as hell took the $700.00 as payment from him. You would think if he had the authority to make that kind of a payment you would disclose that there was a $15.00 late fee. Ya'll are idiots and dishonest. You'll get your $15.55 and I better not get another bill or late fee from ya'll again." I got a very cold, "Is there anything else you need help with today." "NO!" I all but yelled, "you have done QUITE ENOUGH for one day!" and hung up. Yeah, I felt ashamed of myself for it. sorry ya'll...but grrrrrrrrrrr!

Then there is groceries and the P.O. and the Library. I know there is something else, but can't think of what. I'll remember after the day is done, we are finally home and I am frazzled. LOL

All in all though, I can't complain. The budget is tight right now and will be for Christmas, but I have my health, my family, a roof over my head and things can only get better.

I have been knitting like crazy lately. I have made several scarves with that lovely fluffy stuff and giving them away as gifts as soon as they are off the needles. Yesterday I dyed a whole mess of wool. Itried something very different. I actually washed part of a fleece in the washer machine on delicate/cold water. I am seeing if I like this or not. I used Dawn dish detergent to cut the grease and dirt in the wool. I didn't do the whole thing because I didn't want to ruin it but it seemed to work pretty ok. I know of a lady who washes her WHOLE fleeces like this. I then took the wet, cold wool and dyed it purple and another a pinkish color. The pink looks like strawberry and cream, because of the variations. And the purple looks varigated as well, some of it is a blue purple, some is a little reddish and some is a royal, dark. It will spin up beautifully. I'll take pics so you can see what I am talking about.

I need to go check the fire in the wood stove (also where my wool is spread out nearby to dry). We let it burn down over night to coals,but keep it stoked during the day to knock and keep the chill off.

Gotta Go and have a great day. (I'll post those pics in a while)
katcha