A day spinning and laughing

Just wanted to stop by and make sure that I at least made an appearance! Life has once again gotten crazy. Hours cut at work-but still employed! Spinning to get better, knitting to make money....just like everyone....taking it day by day!
Yesterday I got to spend the day spinning with Janice Rosema our knew friend, one of my spinning mentors (with incredible hand painted fiber) and designer for Ozark Mountain Yarns....oh...and enabler of Spinolution wheels....She allowed me to try the Bee Traveler Wheel(allowed? Nah...I was there for 5 seconds before she had me spinning on it!). As I found with the Mach 1....the wheel is incredible!!! I HIGHLY recommend them!!!
Check out this months Belle Armoire magazine...they've published more Janice--this time concentrating on her Freeform Knitted Shawls!

Oh...did I mention...I was interviewed by Long Beach Magazine? Yep....they are doing an article about those that do "their grandmother's" craft and are trying to make a business of it!!
Speaking of my business....we will be having another Learn To Knit workshop soon....early March it looks like. May have to have more than one as I've got a waiting list!!! Can you believe it? Maybe I can tempt a few of my knitting buds to come sit in and assist? LOL!

Ok...got to get a dragon scarf finished today...so I'm off to slave away and listen to my podcasts....

Be back soon with pictures and more ramblings!

Hello All!

Ok...soooooooo....I'm of course at work and finding time to post! I've been swamped lately with several orders for hand knit items.....My Frida Kahlo doll sold to a great guy who ordered two pair of socks for his partner...only request....bright, striped or patterned! Sooooo..... I grabbed my favorite sock yarn from Hudson Valley Sheep & Wool Co. and started! In the picture you can see how the striping worked up different on each one! I emailed a picture to my client and he loved it! The third sock-in-progress in the picture is pair #2 being done in Mirasol Peru "Hancho" a yarn and raised, spun and hand painted in the Peruvian highlands and from which a portion of every sale is returned to the region for the funding of schools! I found this yarn at Alubelitas Yarn Shop in Pasadena. A great little shop that also carries embroidery supplies so Abraham and Gisel were happy to wait for me while I did a little shopping! The owner, Samantha who I haven't met yet in person was gracious enough to mail me the additional skeins I needed!!! One day service! Speaking of service....I was unable to go get the yarn on my day off because I had to serve jury duty! I was able to get one sock and a cuff done of Tim's pair #2 done while there!

I've been working on several orders and haven't had a great deal of time to spin on my new wheel "Mad Mack" the Mach 1 wheel..... LOVE this wheel!

Let's see...what else is going on? I'm working on a few items to have on my sale table at the annual "LOVE/HATE" show at Picture This Gallery & Custom Framing owned by our friend Marisol. I'm also trying to set up an impromtu knitting workshop there on the 24th of this month! Not sure if that will happen! So...time to get back to work! Thanks to all who stop by here! Amazing how many of you there are! Thanks!!!! Stop by the Hudson Valley Sheep and Wool group on Ravelry!!

Had to pop in and add that Velvet KNOWS bizzee!!! Check out her blog! WARNING: You WILL be inspired!

Does he ever blog?

Hello! The answer to that question is when I make the time and always right after reading my friend Velvet's blog http://atyarnsend.blogspot.com/! The woman is amazing! She can pack more spinning, dying and LIVING in one day then most do in a week!! Work has been crazy...as you may remember I work in the accounting office of a retail location in Beverly Hills.....so needless to say...holiday time is pretty much working long hours....riding home on the train and bus....grabbing a few bites, trying to have a conversation with Abraham then bed then doing it all again!

This season I had several hand knit orders to fill...some got filled...some didn't!! LOL! Thankfully I have the best clients in the world! "That's okay! I'll give it as a New years present!"

So....today I paid for my Christmas present to myself.....with Abraham's reluctant blessing! I bought myself a Mach 1 spinning wheel made by http://www.spinolutions.com/ from Janice of http://janicerosema.blogspot.com/ . Her Etsy store is http://www.janicerosema.etsy.com/

Class Pictures

Hello! It's been a few days but I finally have time off and took a few moments to download the pictures from Abraham's phone from Saturday's Learn to Knit Workshop.

This is Marisol, our hostess and friend.

She has a unique way of holding the needles! She would NOT let me change her hand position!! LOL!!

That's her sitting with her friend Sara...a funny, warm person who was determined to do it RIGHT! Don't know know how many times she took her knitting out and started over!!!

This is (from left to right) Patty, Lorena helping Carrie. Three friends who took the workshop together to spend some 'girl time'. Giving Marisol the idea (did I mention that Marisol likes to make things happen?) ....Marisol's idea is that I should start doing home parties!!! I'll keep you posted on how this pans out!!

This is my buddy Geanine who I thought was a pity registration! Figured she was helping out her friend....well...when she was having difficulty, I joked that I would have her scarf done for her on Monday. She got VERY uppity as she told me SHE would do her OWN scarf!!

The class was held at Marisol's gallery and the paintings you can see are from her current show "'Casualites of War".

Spinning, Knitting and Teaching!

hello and again.....apologies for such a long time between posts.

What's been happening??? Spending time at my favorite LYS LisCat in Long Beach CA, with my fiber friend Velvet (Velvetinna on Ravelry) who is an amazing spinner/dyer. Check out her yarns! I've been honored with gifts of some of her yarns (pic to follow) and some wonderful purple fiber she and her husband dyed/blended! again....no pictures here at work but I'll get those up!!! LOL!

I've been working on getting orders out for clients and working on my spinning....not nearly as much as I need to!! I also have been working on some silly knitting projects that just HAD to be done!!!

We (Velvet and I) got Cathrine (pronounced Catrina) at LisCat spinning and soon she'll be carrying spinning supplies including fiber from the mill my sister works at! Hudson Valley Sheep and Wool Co. (By the way.....Cathrine was making yarn within minutes....such a show off!!!)

Yesterday I taught my first Learn To Knit Workshop and it was fantaztik!!! My students were wonderful and more importantly....FUN!!! We did a lot of laughing in between the frustrated moments of learning to knit for the very first time! I had grand ideas of them leaving wearing a wonderful drop stitch scarf I designed.....in reality they all left with a few inches of garter stitch. But every one of them left PROUD! I am still bursting with joy!

Lorena, Patty, Carrie, Geanine, Marisol and Sara.....the best students anyone has ever had!!

My partner Abraham came along and was a great help to me....making sure I didn't forget important hints!

I did forget my camera but everyone else took many so I'm sure I'll have some posted soon!

to be continued..............REALLY!

Where the heck did he go????

Nothing like guilt to get you off your duff and post! I was reading Velvetinna's blog and realized that she had linked to this one....."AHHHHH! THERE"S NOTHING THERE!"....So ...here I am LOL!!

So..what's been happening lately? Well.....I've been knitting and spinning. What! You say? Knitting????!!!

For years now our friend Marisol has asked me to put some of my finished pieces in her Picture This Art Gallery & Custom Framing store. I did and the sales have been great! Special orders are coming in and taking a lot of my time! Since I ride the train to and from work it gives me almost 2 hours of knitting each way. I've been selling yarn and fiber for my favorite source Hudson Valley Sheep and Wool Co. ... the ladies here are fiber fanatics like us!! Their colors (both natural and hand dyed are incredible. Thier spinning fiber is already pre-drafted! Flies out of your fingers. I just recently (June) started back spinning and am still not even close to consistent yarn....but enjoying it! I'll do my best to stay current here.

My apologies to all who stop by to check on my ramblings!

Until next time......knit on!

added 10/13/08......Above links have been repaired...sorry and thanks to Auntie Pita for showing me the error of my ways....again!!

What is the date????

As a person working in an accounting office of a retail store, I am always amazed at how time flies! "Time to do payroll AGAIN"? "Month end reports THIS weekend?"......"I last blogged WHEN?"!!!!

A lot has happened since I last was here. I received a shipment from my new friend Joyce http://www.elliebelly.com/ two wonderful skeins of her hand dyed yarn in the Judea coloway and a bump of top to play with! All tied up in the bag with a piece of her hand dyed ribbon!!! Take a moment and go see her site! Her artwork is as amazing as her fibers! You haven't gone yet? !!

I've completed several pairs of socks for the 52Pair Plunge II on Ravelry. This past week I did a sock from two different pairs as I'm taking the train to work and there are just some days there is NO way I can follow a pattern no matter how simple the repeat is!!! The yellow/green/blue is more vibrant than it appears here! The brown one is alpaca and I can't wait to finish the second one this week!! Those are NOT going to be up for sale!!!

On the business side of things, I've been working with my sister trying to promote the yarn and fiber at her 'job'. I put it in quotes because she has to slave away playing with fiber...processing it and helping to dye and sell while looking out at the sheep in the pastures! Don't you feel sorry for her??? LOL!

Ok....I'll try to get on more this week....now back to work!!!