A Difficult Choice.

We went to the Wisconsin Dells so the C.s could have some waterpark fun. They loved it. I packed plenty of knitting and a magazine and figured I'd have some good lounging and make a great deal of knitting progress.

I am not in crowds very often, and I rarely have the opportunity to people watch, and there was some very interesting people watching at the Dells.

Such difficult choices to make! Knit? People watch? Knit? People watch?

So what DID I do?



Do you see any FO photos here?

Goodies from the Michigan FIber Fest

Here it is. This is all the stuff I bought at the Michigan Fiber Fest.



Details? Okay, here we go.
After staring at this at Midwest Fiber & Folk, I knew I had to buy this! I saw the Fold right away and even though I would have preferred the midweight, they only had lightweight and I had to have it immediately!


Socks That Rock, color Boobie 2

I saw the knitted samples for these and thought they were very cool, after D. so thoughtfully pointed out this lovely yarn.


Gypsy Girl Creations

Ollie was feeling a bit neglected and thought the photos would benefit from his presence...this is a lovely yarn that had a wonderful color selection and I think will use these for Norwegian style stranded mittens...we'll see. I can't remember whose yarn this is, and I'm too tired to look it up now.



Soap, I love a nice smelly soap! Natural fragrances only though.



No details, but I also got some alpaca socks to send to Mama and Papa Y. in Japan, and a felt dryer ball.

I didn't go wild, but I feel like I got some very nice yarn that I will definitely use.

Michigan FIber Fest

My alarm went off early in the morning to get on the bus to the Michigan Fiber Fest. I hit snooze a few times and then finally dragged myself out of bed - a real bed! (We got to re-assemble our bed and actually sleep in a bed instead of a random sofa or child's bed.) The point is I slept like a log and couldn't get up on time.

I figured I'd better print out directions just in case, so as I was at the computer I noticed the time was 6:30am. Now I know there are many things that my computer lies about, but sadly time is not one of them. Yep. I was officially late! I hustled around and got to the pick up right at 7:00am - the time our bus was supposed to leave. There was last minute fussing and packing, etc. and we were off!

Did I take a photo of the bus, or the happy bus riders? Ahem, moving on...I sat in the front seat and tried to knit - but I was being the navigator for our bus driver Walter who told me - repeatedly, that my next car should be a Subaru Outback.

Upon our arrival at the Michigan Fiber Fest, we had a great lunch provided by J. It was awesome, and the timing was perfect! Here we are at lunch. If I caught you with a mouth full or a potato chip hanging out of your mouth, please accept my apologies!



The other end of the table...



From there E. & I had some shopping to do! We were pleased to see the Fold, and the Blue Moon Blue Faced Leicester had me swooning, but I resisted. I haven't photographed my purchases yet, maybe tomorrow. After we shopped, we had to go see the critters - look at these cute angora bunnies! They were being judged at the time.



Those guys were squirmy, and ready for action!



This guy was my favorite - he looked like such a little muppet creation! Jim Henson must've been inspired by bunnies like these! So very cute!



Sheep judging. They were pretty talkative sheep.



I neglected photos of the noisy kid goats being judged...but look! It's the baby alpaca with it's mommy!



He was tired of being photographed, so you just get to see the 'tocks.



A sheep looking for a chin scratch.



...and A. fan and purchases in hand, ready for the trip home.



Yep, I sat with Walter on the way home, too. He enjoyed the fest, too. He bought some mittens and socks - once I explained to him that the fiber was as in wool - not fiber optics he was somewhat interested.

Yep, he told me to buy a Subaru Outback on the way home, too.

Performance Time Again

Performance time again. Here's A. all dressed and ready for her wig. She did a male role, and so the kimono and wig are not as elaborate as the female wigs and kimono.



I liked the color combinations of her kimono and obi and accessories.



Here is Sensei finishing up with the wig.



I should have taken a photo of the back. It's a very nice wig. They are made of human hair and have a special waxy pomade to keep them styled and glossy. Wig making is a very secretive art.



Y. got her natori (professional name) in from the headmaster in Japan a few years ago. She's a wonderful dancer, and so very deserving of the honor.



M. getting her wig adjusted. She is very particular about how things look and fit, and she is always right. She's another great dancer, and a great friend who makes me laugh.



Closer showing the hair ornaments and collars. Unfortunately, the flash picked up the white makeup on the wigs.



Here is her obi. That kimono weighed a ton! The embroidery gets very heavy.



Here is I. putting white makeup on S.'s arms and hands. you can't have a white face and then brown arms and hands, it just wouldn't look right. I. has performed at the National Theatre in Japan, and has her natori and is also a shihan (teacher) . She had to take a dance test in Japan in front of the headmaster, and she and another dancer from our school were some of the only ones to pass that day. She didn't dance this summer, but 2 of her 4 boys did. Yes, 4 boys. Triplets + 1!!!!



They were so incredibly patient and totally adorable!



Pretty awesome for a 7yr.old and an 8yr. old!



All dressed and ready to go! (This was the second performance - different costumes and wigs)

No, I don't dance anymore. I just help out wherever necessary, and especially help with dressing everybody. I love to do that. Yes, I wore a kimono, too. As a helper I'm supposed to wear all black, which I don't have, so I wore the darkest most appropriate stuff I owned.

Mittens

Mittens. I love to make them. Smaller than socks, small charts, no heel agony, just a little thumb to fiddle with and that's it!



Okay, the most dangerous thing is making 2 right or 2 left mittens, but other than that mittens are pretty simple and quick! Well, and the occasional miscrossed cable, but we won't discuss that at all.

These lovelies just flew off the needles, the chart was great and the palm was plain stockinette, and the yarn...oh this yarn was soft and springy and wonderful to knit!!!

They are the Celtic Frost mittens from the Dye Dreams Mitten Club, I forget which month/season. The cabling on the back of the mitten is great, but the top decreases looked a bit awkward to me so I made changes - and presto what do you know - I made them even wonkier. Just smile and pretend not to notice, you know, if you don't have anything nice to say...whatever. I still like them very much.


This is C#1's idea for the photo, and I do like it!
He was fairly patient to model, but he had
some gaming to get to so the photos were a bit rushed

In case you were wondering, nope they are not for me!

How Did That Happen?

My knitting mojo seems to have returned. With it comes the desire to knit lots of items for people that matter. You know that warm and generous thought about what you would love to knit for someone that they would love or appreciate in return? Okay. I know, stop laughing. Really. You can stop rolling on the floor cackling now....

Seriously, you know what I mean. Right? You make the mental list in your head, of what you'll make for so and so and think about patterns and yarns and washability and so on...

Then all of a sudden your list is huge, but you're still moving at a glacier's pace.

These are people I really want to knit for, more than that...I would love to knit for to show my appreciation and love.

S. - because she has been one of the best things in our lives for the last couple of years.
She's getting some Snapdragon flip-top mittens designed by Ysolda Teague.

P. - because he has been there with S.
He's getting a One Row scarf designed by the Yarn Harlot. No, are you nuts, I am not spinning the yarn for it!

J. - something small because she has been there for a while, too.
Some Voodoo wrist warmers will be just the right thing.

The rest are top secret projects:

MM. - because he's a part of my family that appeared out of nowhere for me and is really family in every sense.
JM. - same, and he's got 4 kids to knit for!

and S. - who has been there for me during various crises, and who has such an incredible amount of wisdom she is truly inspiring. Okay, her project isn't truly top secret, I'm still bouncing ideas around in my brain.

Oh, I am in so much trouble!

Hole-y Mole-y

Why, yes, that is indeed the wall to my bedroom. Nicely ventilated isn't it.



Lovely, huh?



Masonry repair and tuckpointing. More to come, demolition, plaster, carpentry, painting, etc.


The hole is repaired, and the stone sill has been replaced, but yikes. What a mess.

...and no, there is no bed there right now.

Everything is dismantled and in complete chaos. I have no bed and have been sleeping on the sofa, and DH has been in C#1's room.

This is year 2 of major disruptive construction and if 1 more thing gets torn up I think I will just scream.

I just spent an hour or so cleaning up the grit, for nothing. Demolition will be happening in a couple of days.

At least I've been knitting a bit more these days.




Gaenor Knitty KAL, Dream in Color Starry mill end & Cupcake


Celtic Frost Mitten Dye Dreams Luster 4 Seasons Mitten Club

Sigh.