Annie Knits

Saturday Morning Spinning

There has been some.

Big doings here chez Annie.  Next week, Hubster and I share our 25th wedding anniversary.  I know.  A lifetime and a blink of the eye.  

We'd discussed a trip, either just the two of us or with the kids.  But we've done a summer vacation.  Then we hit on the idea of a party.  So we've rented a nearby historic home, gotten a caterer and a band, hired a valet service and invited a number of people...  Birthmom and her husband and Mom are in from out of town.  The shindig's tonight.

Needless to say, I could't sleep.  And I have a cold.  So, up at 5 a.m. it was.  What else to do but finish plying the silk and merino singles I spun yesterday morning when I couldn't sleep...

It's just shy of 6 ounces of a Miss Babs fiber that I think I got at Rhinebeck a few years ago, Jupiter colorway... it was with other Rhinebeck things, but I have no memory of acquiring it.  Sheesh.  

I'm pretty happy with it due to the fact that I remembered how to counteract my propensity to ply too loosely.  I ran it through the wheel again and voila -- about 234 yards of a perfectly balanced 2 ply yarn.  Wonder of wonders.  Sheesh again.

 

Hello Yarn, 4 ounces of BFL, 196 yards, Night Sky colorway... wish I had remembered the plying trick.  But the colors are gorgeous, aren't they?  I finished this one yesterday morning before I started the silk and merino.

 

Spunky Eclectic, 6 ounces of a bamboo/merino blend, over 400 yards, Mermaid colorway ... REALLY wish I'd remembered the plying trick.  So soft an airy though.  I envision a baby sweater, top down, simple...  I finished this yarn on Thursday morning.  

 

And would you look at what this Louet fiber is doing?  Crazy, I tell you.  I think it'll be a sock.  Or a mitten.  I need to decide before I do any more knitting.  Guess I'll spin some more.

P.S. -- Could the deity in charge please scatter these thunderstorms?  The band is playing in the carriage house, there are 8 tables outside on the driveway and a bar on the terrace -- no room for weather of any kind but good.  Ok?  Thanks.

And You Must Go Look at This Now...

It's Bridgett's Rhinebeck ABC blog entry.  She's a way better blogger than I am.

Good Morning, All!

If you're here because you followed a link via the kerfuffle over at the St. Louis Forum in Ravelry, welcome!  Get a cup of coffee and stay awhile.  I said what I meant over there.  We forget, I think, when we are online and alone in our jammies, that we are discussing real people who get up in the morning and want to run a top notch business.  I've been guilty of just that amnesia several times and I've been called on it too.  Really, people, civility please.  Yes you have the right to talk about a bad experience, but with that right comes a responsibility.  Help make it right. Talk to management.   We are a relatively small knitting community here in St. Louis, even though we'd like to think we're all that and a box of chocolates.

Enough about that!  On to the important stuff.  The Date.

And now that I've said the D word, you are to cock your head slightly, maintain a deadpan look, blink your eyes medium fast, and say, "Motheerrr.  We are friends."  You can cross your arms for emphasis if you like.  And to that I say, "Yes and that's just the way your father likes it.... Friends."

They had so much fun.  They ate together at a restaurant, they danced ("Only to the fast songs!  Gosh!") and it was loud.  She got home at 11:15 and Dad was waiting at the door.  There was a kind of "Aw shucks" kicking the dirt "Goodbye" and a "See you next weekend" because they are going to the Fall Ball at her school this weekend.  At least I'll get to be here to hover over them for this one.  Ask Bridgett if my hovering 800 miles away was a pleasant experience... ***grin***  Turns out Dad is perfectly capable of getting Dear Daughter off to a Homecoming dance -- makeup, hair, dress, jewelry, flowers and all.  Especially when he has help from the local salon.  Thanks, Nina!

Oh, right.  And something else went on this weekend.  In case you live under a rock. 

I got to go to the New York Sheep and Wool Festival at Rhinebeck again this year.  Yay, me.  Loved it.  Bridgett and I stayed in Saugerties which is a little north of the festival as we fly into Albany.  Great restaurants each night!  But first things first.

We sit down in the St. Louis Airport to wait for our flight out of town on Friday and we look over and this gal is knitting a Norwegian mitten.  Really.  Of all the gin joints!  It's Marji, of Fiber Arts Afloat here with Bridgett!  She getting ready to teach a class on these beauties at Kirkwood Knittery (oops -- sorry about that!).   Good start to our weekend, no?

Saturday morning, we arrived bright and early and joined the mob at Briar Rose where I got the yarn I've been coveting, and sure enough, it was gone by afternoon.  Grandma's Blessing in a brown with olive hits and a barn red with rust hits.  Gorgeous stuff.  Yay me again.   Oh, and buttons to put on whatever I make.  (scroll down for the picture) You read that right.  Purely stash enhancement ... with colorwork in mind, though.  Then we ran into Ruth and Lucia and WoolyBabe, but alas, we didn't get to spend much time with them as we were all intent on shopping.

We hit the blogger round up and ran into Kelly and these lovely ladies whom I hope someone can identify... I'm bad with names and notetaking.

Carole ran out of beer.   And she was sad.   But I was glad to finally meet her!

I chatted with Joe and Thaddeus, Marilyn, Norma, Dani, Carla, Zarzuela ... and who else?

I got Bingo. 

 

I got some yarn and roving....

My sweater got to meet Stephanie's sweater.

It was really too hot to wear it, but also... none of the pictures of me in it make me happy.  The arms are just too long.  I have to rip them back.  Maybe next week.  Ah me.  (My hair was having a lovely moment, wasn't it?!)  I also had my "All your yarn are belong to us" shirt with me, wore it on the plane on Friday ... I guess I could have worn that  too ... how sycophantic of me.

Yes.  It was a just right weekend.  And we are home now, safe and sound.  And the house was cleaner when I got home than it was when I left it. 

You can't ask for more than that in this world, I don't think. 

Beef, It's What's for Diner!

I had a slower day today; only the grocery, a workout, and an hour in the school library.  So...

We're having pot roast and chocolate and butterscotch chip cookies for dinner!  Not necessarily in that order.

The pot roast is easy.  Brown a good roast in olive oil.  Put it in a crock pot and add:  4 cloves garlic, some celery, a few carrots, a chopped onion, half a bottle of V8 and half a bottle of red wine -- I used a really good Tuscan something or other.  Cook on high for 5 hours.  Then add pearl onions, baby carrots and mushrooms.  Cook some more.  I think I'll serve this over egg noodles since we just had mashed potatoes, but either is good.  You can chill it and heat later if you want to skim the fat.

The cookies are Amanda's secret recipe (except for the butterscotch chips -- they called for me to take me home from the grocery store today and I did) and she can share it  if she wants to.  Let's just say they are good. 

The weather is blustery, but not cool yet.  It made me want to work in the kitchen, I guess.

And... shhh.  I don't want to jinx this.  I unwound my singles from their bobbin this morning?  And I soaked them to set the twist?  And I kind of like them.  I'm planning on a small shawl as I have no idea how much yarn I have (no niddy noddy yet). 

This yarn  is certainly nowhere near perfect.  Hand spun indeed.  But the second skein (the one on top) is tons better than the first and that's really all you can ask for, isn't it? 

I, for one, am enchanted.

And, in case you forgot...