more about the giveaway

i just have to say that i am blown away by the response to my giveaway. definitely are record number of visitors here, since i usually get about 2 comments as an average.

thanks so much for stopping by to participate. please come back and visit again. just scroll down a little more to commente to win. you have until tomorrow!! good luck to all!

GIVEAWAY DAY!

so, i am giving away two prizes: one for sewers and one for knitters.

here are the lots. first for sewers...

details:

Lotta Jansdotter bag full of scraps of linen and

four fat quarters from JoAnn Fabrics (these are cotton) and

the May issue of Threads and two more fat quarters (also cotton) of unknown origin.

and for the knitters out there...

details: Dominitrix's book and...

Lamb's Pride Bulky color M-41 Turkish Olive dyelot: 064, 125 yds and...

Jo Sharp Aran Tweed color 141 Bark dyelot 73, 104 yds and...

a greater yarn from nepal single ply 160 yds (don't be fooled by the foto, it is purple).

ok. now how to win.

leave a comment here stating whether you want the knitter's lot or the sewer's. also tell me what your favorite knitting or sewing project is.

make sure i have a way of getting ahold of you or check back monday, june 1 to see who won.

you have until saturday may 30 (9:00am centreal) to post a comment. if you link my contest on your blog, i will put your name in the pot 3 extra times (be sure to let me know that you did this).

winners will be drawn at random by my boys saturday afternoon (if all goes well).

i don't mind international shipping, so everyone feel free to comment.

have fun today. good luck. and i hope that a bunch of you manage to win a prize from someone's blog today!

spinning

here is julia's yarn. (hey, julia. i think i forgot to tell you how much is there. the smaller skein is 70.9 yds and the larger one is 129yds.)

Project: 3-ply BFL in a
color called DEEP SPACE
by Frabjous Fibers.
I navajo plied it on my spindle.
at my guess it is around a sport weight.


not super even all over. it took me part way through each one to get the hang of it and get an even balanced yarn. but i love the color combinations.

this foto is a more accurate representation of the colors. i hope you enjoy julia. if nothing else it is fun to look at!

some project spectrum spinning. this month's color is yellow. this is some gorgeous bamboo/merino that i started spinning this weekend.

it is a dream to spin. it is so soft and silky feeling. it is destined to be a 2-ply. the color is called milk and honey and it is from KnitItUp.

P.S. don't forget to come back tomorrow and check out my giveaway items. i will have something for the knitters out there and the sewers.

artwork

i have said in the side bar that i am an artist. but the other day i realized that i had never shown any of my artwork. the following are two pictures that a drew many years ago. i haven't drawn since i had my boys about 5 years ago. i find that i don't have enough time without distractions to sit down and do it. the boys just keep me too busy.

first, this picture came from a photo that i took when my husband and i were on our honeymoon driving around out west. these horses were in a big open field on the pine ridge indian reservation.

(sorry. i tried to get shots without a glare. it was impossible.)


here are some close ups of each section.

second, this is a picture that i drew for my husband shortly after we started dating about 9 years ago. i can't remember were i got the picture. (I have to draw from a photo. i am not good with moving objects.)

maybe this one is easier to see?

hope that you liked them.

i have a few more sitting around home. maybe i will get them on here at a later date.

OMG i hope that my husband doesn't kill me...

as the title reads, i hope that i am alive later.

i just bought this...

louet s10 spinning wheel (not the winder though).

i couldn't pass up the price : $169.oo!!

these babies go for upwards of $400!

why did i get it so cheap you ask??

i am assured that it works fine. it just doesn't look pretty anymore. the seller couldn't sell it because of the looks. no one wants to spend a ton of money on something that doesn't look pristine!

but i am willing to spend some money on something less than beautiful if it works well.

keep your fingers crossed that i am not a sucker.

Project Spectrum : East to work

These are some of the eastern views on my way to school in the morning.

in front of my house.

on the road in indiana.

ohio with its lack of trees and fence rows.

the view from my room. parking lot and farms.

love the farm part. love the sun shining in my windows in the morning.

Project Spectrum : yellow

some etsy finds that fit project spectrum and make me wish i could spend some money right now.

optic blossom wristlet/cosmetic bag by atouchofstardust

i love the gray and yellow combination in this. and i so want to make some of these little bags this summer!


day at the beach - tencel top - 8 oz by NaturalObsessions





i love the bright yellow in this. i am sure that it would look great spun up. too bad i can't buy anything right now.




the cottage keeper BLOUSE by elfland

simple. cool. stylish.



plaid and yellow dress by themachinestops


love the yellow trim on this dress.


dk weight yarn for socks by kayclairgoodies

i love the combination of yellow and purple in this yarn.

mark your calendars!

Sew!Mama!Sew! is having another giveaway day and i am going to participate. check back in here between may 27 to may 31 for your chance to win one of two prizes chosen at random.

i plan on giving away some yarn and fabric, at least. more goodies my be added as the day nears!

sanity

my anne elliot spencer shrug is going to drive me crazy. and i was so near the finish for the main body piece.

first, i noticed one side of the front had way more stitches than the other.

so i started ripping back.

second, i noticed an error in the lace pattern two rows before the neckline decreases.

so i ripped back further.

third, i was picking up the stitches and noticed another error in the lace pattern another row down.

ahhhh.

i am going to accept this as a blessing. at least this gives me the opportunity to try the other skein of yarn that i have and see if the colors match up better. because the skein i was using was more gray than soot!

wish me luck that i can keep my sanity before this thing is done. because i am not allowing myself to start another project until i finish this one!

my redneck weekend

my brother-in-law bought a new house. well actually a horrendous old house that the previous owners trashed. but behind the house is an old abandoned sand pit.

so being rednecks what did we do....

jeepin'


the boys found a solitary sand pit and proceeded to throw sand...

dig up rocks ...

throw said rocks at a sand wall...

dump sand out of their boots while avoiding very large dog...

talking and beer (not for the little boys!)...

hill climbing with their aunt...

hill climbing with the jeeps...

sliding down said hills...

running through mud puddles...

flipping trucks (oops!)...

trying to turn truck rightside up...

still trying...

watching a dune buggy get stuck on top off a big hill...

helping it down...

this dune buggy flipped over twice!

no one was hurt.

it was just a lot of redneck fun!

fluffy goodness

singles and more singles....
plus fluff.

beautiful.

cookies and HELP!

we made cookies last night!

this is a new recipe. we keep trying different kinds of cookies because my son has low blood sugar issues and is not supposed to have white flour or sugar! we love cookies! so we keep experimenting with different recipes and combinations.

these are oatmeal chocolate chip cookies from the Clean Food Cookbook by Terry Walters. the recipe called for white flour or brown rice flour. we used whole wheat pastry flour and they were great. you are supposed to use carob chips or dark chocolate chips as well. we used the dark chocolate. they were great. crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle.

WARNING! they were difficult to roll into balls as the directions instructed so i just kind of mushed them onto the cookie sheet and we baked them 14 minutes instead of 16. at 16 they were burnt around the edges. kids don't like burnt!

VERDICT: the boys loved them. i loved them. and the hubby liked them eventhough they contained coconut. we will be making these puppies again.

NOW i need HELP. i am making the Anne Elliot Spencer shrug. my sister-in-law doesn't want the girlie picot edging around the neckline. but without it the neckline is going to curl up.

so here is what i need...

what kind of edging can i add on later or do now to solve this dilemma?

please help blog world!

cheap clothes

i went to some rummage sales this weekend and this is what i found.


corduroy blazer : $4.00
swingy garter stitch sweater : $25 (ok, not rummage sale but still cheap [sort of])


trousers : $2

new outfit : priceless

Project : Garter Stitch Swingy Sweater by Jenn Pellerin

started / completed : 27 feb - 2 may 2009

yarn : Knit Picks Comfy (6 balls)

Needles : US7

Mods : none

see notes on my rav projects page.

love the details on my new blazer.

french seams.

pocket detailing.

american eagle.



spinning progress.

bfl singles.

one more set of singles to go and then i am going to ply the two batches together. and then they are yours julia!