BABY BOOTIE CUTIES

No Christmas chores done by me today, but I did get part one of the felted baby booties done. Though I should say shoes as these are really felted and thick. They should be perfect next fall/winter when she is big enough to wear them. I still have to dry them, trim them and embellish them. My hands are aching and look like dried prunes, but it was worth it--so far anyway. Una was a great teacher and it was lovely to sit on her patio chatting with her and Francesca. Now back to reality and the Christmas crazies.

AS THE THREAD SPINS

My mail box is again full. Lovely silk yarn and some novelties to try out. They give you very generous amounts anywhere from 60 to 150 yards. I'm going to save all my tidbits and see if there isn't some creative way to use them together. Something to puzzle over for a while.

Last night UPS delivered my new spinning wheel. There was an ad for a Lendrum from a company in Oregon that was just too reasonable to pass up. I know that I just bought the Fricke in August and I do like it very much, but the bottom line is that it just doesn't travel well. I seem to go out to spin a lot and would like to keep on doing that and maybe even share the driving. The Fricke takes up the entire passenger seat in my small car and anyway with the very small worker's comp windfall it seemed like a good plan. I have almost filled a spool and it does spin very nicely. I will have to ask for a Woolee Winder for my birthday as changing the slider is a pain and the other bobbins fill so much nicer.

Even though this has been a a whole lot frantic--reading to 500 at the tree lighting ceremony and way too many meetings and evals to write, I was able to come home and do some of the things I enjoy. Of course I stayed up way too late and paid a heavy price eventually crashing, but did finish spinning the grey merino/silk. Just need to set the twist and then it will be ready to go. I think that I am going to do a shawl/shrug that I say in the Interweave Knits.


The baby blanket is more than 3/4's done and the color on color scarf is over half finished. I just need to find something nice in pink to knit a sweater with, as there will be a little girl joining us in the spring. I can hardly wait and already have several projects in mind. Working on both of these projects and the other things that are on the needles didn't leave much time to do Christmas things. I only did a shrug for one daughter and a hat and scarf for the other. I may give the younger daughter the raspberry merino shawl I knit with the Knit Picks yarn. She seems to like it and seems like a good match.

Going for a felting tutorial with a couple of women from the spinning group--one who spins and the other who does amazing felt. Should stay home and finish getting the house ready for the holidays, but there is always Monday.