They like yarn, that’s close, right?

We adopted two kitties Saturday from the Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter.  We had no idea they had a kitty special going on when we decided to get both of them either (and we were okay with paying two adoption fees).. which for some reason impressed the lady that did all of our paperwork… but it meant that we walked out with two kitties for less than we’d expected to pay to adopt one.  They are both too cute for words.. they camed named from the shelter but I doubt that we’ll keep the names (though we’ve not come up with anything better?  So they might stick… hope not!).

10 week old Calico “Heidy” (she’s the shy one.. I almost wonder if her name wasn’t a shelter employee being silly.  She’s a real sweetheart now that she’s warming up to us - she’s even starting to act like a kitten after just being here a day)

11 week old black/white “Dallas” (she’s a goofy girl.. might as well have a goofy name too?)

Both spayed and microchipped, complete with their first shots… for the bargain price of $75 :)  We had been promising the kids we’d get a cat for months now, so it wasn’t quite an impulsive thing.. though getting two sort of was.  Really we just couldn’t decide, so instead of arguing over it, DH just went and started filling out paperwork.  He’s awesome.

I have made 7 pairs out of 17 that I had planned to do for the ravelympics.  I had some issues and just lost momentum.  Nevermind I’ve not been feeling all that great this past week.  I think I’m going to call it quits officially and just be proud I made 6 pairs.  I don’t think the 10 pairs I have left will actually happen in the next two days.  It might, but I seriously doubt it.

Well I’ve successfully finished 4 pairs of socks… and I have one pair “knit” that is going to get ripped out (and may in all likelyhood not count towards my 17 pairs) and I knit one sock yesterday that I will frog soon - I need to take a picture of how it pooled, because it is *bad*.  Seriously horrible… and I’m sorry but I just can’t leave it that way, so I’m going to try the yarn on my 54 cylinder.  That makes me only a pair behind on my “pair a day” plan, and I actually expect to finish two more pairs (possibly three!) tonight.  Then I’ll have two pairs left to knit on my 72 cylinder before I get started on all the socks that need to be knit on the 54 cylinder.

I was having all sorts of issues the other night with my ribber, which is what resulted in that failed pair that I need to frog and re-knit.  I’m not sure what happened, but it did inspire me to figure out how to adjust the yarn carrier from Rox and get that working so I didn’t have to break the yarn every time I wanted to start over on a sock.  I did that, then I decided to paint it, and my ribber/ribber arm

I went with purple.  Why?  I don’t know.. it seemed like a fun, happy color.  And the aqua that I liked only came in a satin finish, which I didn’t think I wanted.  Looking at the “gloss” grape color though, it’s not all that shiny either though.. oh well :)  I think I will be repainting the cam shell a darker purple at some point, and likely leave the base, gear ring, and crank alone.  The ribber and ribber arm were the most beat up peices, so I felt like I needed to do something with them.  I had wanted to powdercoat them, but I figured for now this will do fine, it’s cute, and it’s really not any extra work to strip this paint off too considering the original paint would need to go as well if I eventually powdercoat the thing.

Pictures of all the finished socks so far to come in a little while.. must go close toes

A couple of weeks ago I got this crazy/stupid idea to sign up for the Ravelympics and knit 17 pairs of socks.  Why?  Because I could…

I am of course, already behind.  The Olympics started yesterday.  All I’ve managed to accomplish (and only today, a day after the opening ceremony) is winding balls… 23 of them (and I’m actually missing one).  Somehow an extra skein got in there and I failed to grab another that is already slated to be a pair of socks (pair #11)… hopefully tomorrow I’ll actually get around to making some socks

To get back to my wheel :D  I know I spent a good part of lasy year unable to spin - late in my pregnancy with my youngest I couldn’t sit for very long without my legs going numb, and then of course I had a newborn (though I did have a very brief and absolutely fabulous span of about a month in there where I mastered nursing/babywearing and spinning.. then he of course had to discover hands were good for grabbing things, and that was the end of that.  This year though, aside from distractions and lack of motivation, I really had no good reason NOT to spin.. I just hadn’t been.

Here’s the yarn I started 7 months ago.. finally finished.  I’m thrilled with it, of course ;)  Final stats are 110g and 568yds, I’m not sure of the WPI since I can’t find my WPI tool.

Then I’ve started on some of my Zen String fiber stash.  Since hopefully after our fundraiser she’ll be all moved, settled in, and dyeing again soon enough, I’m not nearly as afraid of using all of my stash up anymore - since I feel very secure in the thought that soon enough, there will be more.. LOTS more

This is Fern Gully, and an “action” shot