Happy New Year! It's 2012!

The holidays are over! 

I'm rather glad they are. 

There was a lot of running around, which made anything shop related ridiculously difficult. 

Almost everyone was presented their gifts on time. 

Peter received his fingerless gloves four days late. 

His hat is still balls of yarn. 

After it is finished I will no longer be knitting gifts for the year. 

That is my resolution.

In 2012 all knitted or crocheted projects will be either for myself or commissions. 

The looks of the people receiving my handmade gifts are illuminating. 

I really do love it, but rarely do I ever knit something for myself. 

Also, knitting gifts takes away the chances to create my own patterns from handspun. 

Test knitting is my test to knit with a deadline, remember to take pictures, and think like a pattern mistress. 

The finished objects from the test knits will, hopefully, be mine to keep, too.

Thus far the list of desired or mentioned commissions is six deep. 

It's not a bad start for the year. 

My neighbor wants me to make her a thick fluffy knit bed spread. 

That's going to be a monster of a project taking about three months at least. 

I cannot knit all day long.

Sometimes I wish it was possible. 

~*~

The same neighbor offered me a part-time babysitting job while the kids are in school. 

This is going to help us out tremendously. 

It might only be a few hours here and there, but it gets me out of the house. 

Also, half of every day I babysit for goes into the rainy day tin. 

Our rainy day tin is a coffee can I decoupaged to have a man and a woman holding the same umbrella. 

It's for our anniversary dinner to Shaw's Crab Shack in Schaumburg.

Peter wants to use part of our tax return. 

I told him to get lost. 

That money is for paying off the debts we have, not going to dinner. 

He needs to learn how to save not spend everything he has on whatever he fancies.

By putting half of whatever I make babysitting we will have enough by our anniversary for dinner.

~*~

Commission fees will probably go right into the business to fund my need for a new drum carder. 

I only love my little Louet Junior Carder so much. 

She's gotten me through, but I need something a bit larger to get nicer batts for sale.

Carding everything twice to get a larger batt weight is driving batty bonkers!

It's double the work with little to show for it. 

Until the new carder comes I bought a brandishing brush from Fancy Kitty today.

My dream is to get a drum carder with two cloths, medium-fine and medium-low.

Art batts are a must for all the artsy creative things I want to do.

~*~ 

Blog programming will resume in the very near future.

I've got a few new twists to bring into the mix, but it's good reading.

Yes, actual reading, not just pictures!! 

Formatting may change from this center one thought form to a more paragraph style. 

I'm not sure yet. 

Expect some testing here and there over the next week. 

There will be a few tutorials coming your way.

New items and new ideas! 

~*~

Until next time, have a pleasant day!

<3

What's going on?

Here's a small recap of the past couple of weeks: 

I'm feeling a lot better about my life, and where I am emotionally. 

It's a wonderful feeling.

I'm finally finished with the Pea Coat Debbie, my step-mom, commissioned.

That was a strange pattern, but it's done! 

Now, the tam on the other hand has just started. 

It shouldn't take more than a day or two to finish. 

Expect pictures in another day or two. 

Our local weather should be good enough to take pictures outside. 

The yarn for my sister's socks came. 

Yes, I still buy yarn from time to time. 

Spinning sock yarn is a bit difficult, yet. 

Practice makes perfect. 

On the wheel is some Decay in Merino by Cloudlover. 

One of the ladies that works for Weight Watchers in Algonquin, IL, knits.

So, we are doing a knit-a-long together. 

I might make this a Ravelry thing, too.

Also, once my portfolio and grammar are up to par, I am going to start looking for work at home moms. 

I may not be a mom by blood, but taking care of my step-daughter is a full-time job. 

I would like to keep doing the fiber thing, and take care of my household. 

My conditioning has taken me away from what would really make me happy, to be a stay at home mom. 

Once I am pregnant again, and to a certain point in pregnancy I no longer wish to work outside the home. 

There is a joy in a clean house, dinner on the table, and a loving family. 

It is a joy like no other, and I am at peace. 

Never have I been at peace than being at home with my family and projects. 

Another rather drastic decision was made by both parties.

We claim to be pagan/Druid, but we still celebrate the Christian holidays.

This is mainly because of family ties, but no more.

This phase of our lives is over! 

We will continue to celebrate it in other people's homes out of respect, but not in ours. 

There is a time when you realize you're not living life in the manner you have chosen, and this is it. 

More than likely I will be destashing our non-sentimental Christmas decorations

The next big holiday we are celebrating is the Summer Solstice. 

I am recommending our next Grove ritual be held at our home as well. 

It will help us get over a hump that is preventing us from holding our own rites at home.

I do hope to update the shop very soon.

There is still some carding do be done. 

Also, I have to make another run to the local shop for some colored wool. 

Until I can get a dye day in, this is how things have to be. 

Sad, but so true. 

The wedding planning, Grove planning, and work don't leave me with a lot of time to just dye a lot of things. 

Peter and I have both been drained. 

It could be the weather affecting us, as well. 

Thankfully the weather has been kind to us over the past few days. 

I managed to clean up the garage because of it!

Hooray! 

Now, to take the clothes, old toys, and other things to charity. 

So much done, and yet so much more to do. 

Isn't that always the way the cookie crumbles? 

Until next time, have a great week!

<3