Computer issues

It’s been awhile since I last posted. We had a computer problem. It blew out, the power supply burnt out. Boy did it smell bad. The smell reminded me of when one of those plastic spoons would get stuck on the heat source in the dishwasher. Fortunately, it only affected the power supply. The whole incident reminded me that I need to back up some of the things on the computer, like pictures.

Since my last post Rudy did the Boston marathon, Tyde got his hair cut and Dax won an award for an ad design.

I asked Rudy how the Boston marathon was. I was expecting him to say cold, wet and miserable. But he said “fine.” I had to ask more questions and found out that while waiting at the start line it was raining and cold but he was prepared with a rain coat. Once the run started he said he didn’t notice it being that bad. He must have been zoning out, LOL.

As for Tyde and Dax I will try and get pictures up of the new hair cut and ad when I can.

I have been very ambitious that we would be able to make a sweater to wear for the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival. We being my sister and I. We started with a pattern that didn’t work out well because of the yarn we chose and the gauge so we chose another sweater. This sweater had gauge issues to but we decided to make it work. My first cast on was huge. I think we have worked that issue out. Here is where I was at yesterday.


The sweater is called Cable Eyelet Panel Short Sleeve Pullover from Crystal Palace.

I’m using knit picks yarn. I know have 8 days to finish it. There is apart of me that says I’m silly to think I will finish it but there is another part of me that says, if you don’t do anything else then I will get it finished. So I’m planning on putting aside most house work, playing at the computer and exercise to see if I will get it done. Remember I would never win an award for speed knitting.

Blue stuff

Here’s the blue stuff all spun up. I’m actually going to refer to this as the blue stuff from hell. This stuff was hard for me to spin. It had a lot of grass/hay; at least I think that was what it was, in it. I was worried that I wouldn’t have enough of it for the vest and that I wouldn’t be able to spin it to get correct gauge for the vest. I usually spin thin and I do not have a lot of experience in spinning. So, I don’t have much knowledge to know how much yarn I can get from the wool I have and how to get the gauge I need for a project.


It took me twice as long to spin it because of the time that I had to spend picking stuff out of it. I couldn’t remember how much there was of the blue stuff and was hoping that I would have enough to make the Provincial Waistcoat from IK winter 2006 magazine. Um, I was way off, I have 326 yards of the blue stuff. That’s all :(. I will need 750 yards to do the vest. I’m not even half way there. However I did get the right gauge with the blue stuff for the vest, as if that matters now. I learned a few lessons, look at the roving to cheek for stuff in it and also mark how much there is in the bag or get a good scale to measure it. Maybe I can make a hat out of it. Actually it will probably go in the closet. I’m not in a hat mood right now.

But I’ve got another project that I’m itching to start. Did I mention I’m going to the Maryland sheep and wool festival! I am so looking forward to this trip. Dax will be coming with me and I will meet up with my sister and my niece. This will be the third year I’ve been able to go, Dax’s second year. I’m keeping my fingers crossed the weather will be nice. We will be camping out. I’ll have to post about the next project later. Both Tyde and Dax are waiting on me to boil some eggs for dying.

Finished socks

Here is one of the projects I finally finished over spring break.
Rudy’s socks.

Yarn: Opal
Needles: US size 2

I was slightly disappointed that the yarn did not hold its pattern. There where no knots in the yarn or funky joins that I could see but it just decided to change its pattern on the second sock. It started right after the heel. Rudy didn’t seem to care so I left it that way.

Yard

First sorry for the lousy pictures but I'm tired (remember that's one of my frequently used words).

I think our spring break visitors did not know what was in for them, yard work and lots of it. We managed to get the grass down and put in a few shrubs and trees. I got a new key lime tree to replace the one that I miss so much, and a new orange tree.

I have no before pictures but here is a during picture. There was a lot of clearing out that had to be done, including moving the RV, the fence, trash and a lot of dirt. Dad had came down to help with this part. It took them about a week to get it to this stage. Rudy and Dad also got most the sprinkler system installed.


When Rudy's parents arrived we had 17 pallets of grass and two days to get it down before it would "start to go bad." This is what the back looked like when we were done.


Here is the front.


I really really like the new yard and one of my favorite spots to hang out now is here.


Here is another family member who is enjoying the back yard.


We still have more work to do. The fence needs to be fixed and adding some other colors would be nice, like flowers etc but for the most part it is done. I really appreciate all the help we got in getting the yard in the state that it is in right now. There is no way Rudy and I could have done this as quickly with just the two of us.

Next post a finished object.