There is Beauty All Around

I really am not trying to ignore this blog. I feel overwhelmingly busy with the shop and the two older girls home. My parents are coming and how will I ever get the house clean? So anyway, since I haven't been posting I have a lot to talk about and plenty of pictures. This first picture is of my first lace square I turned in to the lace knitter's group for a project they are working on. I only did one square because I wasn't sure if it was o.k. Faina accepted it but I need to go down a needle size for the next ones. I'm a very loose knitter. This was done with Zephyr on size 2.5mm needles. I actually think I'm going down 2 sizes to a 2.0 mm. I'll report when I get the next one finished.

This square was done by another lady in the group - can't recall her name, starts with an A - It's beautiful. She is very prolific and has at least 4 squares done for every meeting. Her knitting is beautiful and even.

Here's Sharon Winsauer with her Pegasus Shawl. She knit this test shawl and I think she's waiting for one other test and then it will be available for sale. I'm sure she used Alpaca With a Twist Fino for this. It is so beautiful. Have I used that word too much yet?

Also from the lace knitters group. This shawl was given by Evelyn Clark - yeah, that one. It uses Estonian Lace patterns for the center and the edging.

Here's a close up view. Beautiful, no?

O.K. not so beautiful. Not the magnets, my photo. These are in my shop for sale. Made by Shannah. She also has these for sale in her Etsy shop so if you want some go check it out. Free shipping!

Also available are these beautiful note cards. Lovely photography and the subject of the photographs are the cutest ever sheep, Llamas, chickens and raccoons. All tied with a pretty ribbon for a really great price. And free shipping.

On to more beauty. this week I got Fancy Kitty products into my shop. If you are a spinner or process wool and love beautiful tools. This is a great company for you. Here are just two examples of the wraps per inch gauges they make. The one with the swirly handle is mine so don;t even think about it. They come in those charming little red velvet bags.

This is an Hourglass Spinner from Fancy Kitty. All the stuff is made from beautiful and exotic woods with fantastic finishes. This particular spinner is from Leopard Wood and Ebony. I need to remember to bring one home today because I think Maggie could spin with this thing very easily.

And finally, a BEAUTIFUL Fancy Kitty Drum Carder. Holy Crap! I can't say any more about it.

Here's an update on my support spindle skein for the COE. There is approximately 1 ounce on there. I want to spin another o.2 ounce to be sure before I wind the skein off and wash it. Hopefully this week. I can't believe I've been doing this skein for 2 months now and I finally got to an ounce. In the mean time I did finish my Navajo Spindle skein. I forgot to take a picture. I did it from English Herdwick. Very rough but it would make a great and long lasting woven rug.

I got a new desk for the shop. Things are slowly coming along and looking like MY shop. I have some pictures in my head but I need to keep going slowly so that the final product is ....beautiful.

Here's the business side of the desk. Plenty of storage and also lovely to look at . See, I've only had it for a few days and it's already got junk all over it.

I also bought these other two pieces. Now I feel like I have a nice little office area where I can do that loathsome paperwork and feel halfway fine about it. Hm, maybe I should put that fleece away.

Here are the skeins for the HGA Learning Exchange. They are all Wensleydale. The black one I carded on the drum carder and spun woolen and the white ones I combed, pulled through the diz and spun worsted. I need to finish the wrap cards and break the plied skeins down into 5 yard lengths for all the participants. It all needs to be at the coordinator's house by June 30th.

We will have the evaluations as well as samples of everyone else's skeins in early September.

How abut this for beautiful. I got it on Ebay from Lithuania. It works too. I just need to put a more suitable drive band on the thing.

Here she is in all her glory. I'm looking for a name so any suggestions would be appreciated.

Pretty soon it will be time to find out if I can go to SOAR. It's taking a long time! I hope I got in. It is really expensive but it will be worth it. I will have a whole week of not having to think about what's for dinner - or even anybody asking me what's for dinner. Just spinning, spinning, spinning.

Holy cow, almost 9AM and I'm still in my jammies and have to leave in an hour. Gotta go and I'll try not to be so neglectful this week.