Spinning and

Came really close to my goal for the Tour de Fleece, one full bobbin of the turquoise and within maybe a foot & a half of the 'sand' braid. Hopefully will finish yet today, provided it doesn't get to hot to spin. Got in nearly an hour already this morning and am thinking another hour should do.



Knitting bee last Wednesday had two new gals join us, both brought their spinning wheels, coming from Punzi, nearly as far as I drive to get to KB.

Pix of Elis teaching her leftie daughter to crochet. Pix is good and daughter got onto to it straight away.



No KB this week and am glad, its going to be another cooker, mid to upper 80's and most unusual for this wild mountain valley. But will soon be August and usually by the 2nd or 3rd week the nights start getting frosty, soup & sweater weather.

This & That

Just finished Monstersock # 1 of latest pair, not at all sure I like the finished sock so will change a bit on #2 and it will definitely be fraternal since I used up several of the leftover bits on #1. Only good thing is getting rid of a bunch of odds instead of giving them away. Sock on left is inside out to show how I try and finish the ends, first I strand each color in and out about 12-14 sts, then snug them up and using an old Revlon cuticle remover shag the ends (separating each ply and making it as jagged as I can) then relaxing until each end disappears into the sock. With this many ends it is inevitable the one or more will show up on right side but try my best to keep them where they belong. One sock is washed most ends sort of felt to inside (hopefully).



Sitting in wool room spinning yesterday saw a flash of yellow out of corner of my eye, so grabbed my camera and got to window as quick as I could, bird wouldn't hold still for a really good pix , the one I got was the best I could do in the maybe 10 seconds it was in sight. Western Tanager. Click on pix to enlarge.



Another blast of hot air on the way into the interior of BC, not at all to my liking, anything above 26-26 C I find a bit of a chore to get thru, and with temps predicted to be in 30+ C range will be thinking about sitting in the river again. Quick cool down and am almost dry by the time I get back to the house. Have all Capri & shorter pants clean and ready to go.

Monstersocks

Started with 2 soft bags, one with smallish balls of variegated yarn, the other the same but solid colors. Just reached in and first took a ball of variegated, knit 5-6 rows then got a solid color, another 6 or so rows. As I finished with each color into a 3rd bag so I couldn’t get the same color back to back. Have enuff of both to make yet another pair.


When I am in between adult sized socks and am wondering how an idea percolating would look I make socks for about a 2 year old size, they go really quick and show me if the idea will work or not. Both these two pair were in the not category.

TdeF

Have had to slow down on my spinning for the TourdeFleece, surgically repaired knees were screaming at me (especially at night), so now only spin for maybe an hour in the morning , maybe another hour or so later in the day. Knees seem OK with that, so far. So instead of spinning have been working on Monstersocks, 2 soft bags on the floor one with odd variegated yarn balls and the other with odd solid colored yarn balls, reach in the solid bag without looking and pick one out, knit 5-7 rows and add it to a 3rd bag, then do the same for the variegated. So far for the most part colors are OK just a couple I wouldn't ordinarily let next to each other but the name of the game is Monstersocks. First sock is done and second within maybe 20 rows of the toe, should have pix for next blog report.

Finally have seen a black bear, twice now in last week, kind of hard to tell if its the same black, buggers don't hold still enuff even for a pix. This mornings view was on the upper part of my driveway, on the way to the dump about 6:45 and it ran across in front of the car.

Went to town on Friday 18th, waited until the weather cooled a bit, hit farmers market in town and got Kale and some real tomatoes, then many other errands got groceries and left town just after 2 pm. Salads every supper since I got home, tonight's will have leftover rotisserie chicken in with organic salad greens, cucumber, tomatoes, and cilantro. And weather is cool enuff for leftover bones & chicken into soup pot.

3 bucks in the yard just after 8 am, couldn't get a pix of the 3 tog, 2 is best I could do.

Stuff

Yesterdays haul of yellow jackets, quit counting after 12. Probably close to same amount today. Everyone in area is having same problems, just an extremely bad year for flying pests.

Knowing today was going to be another cooker I started out just after 7am to make macaroni salad, chopped last of fresh celery (3 cups), hard boiled 4 eggs, cooked small sea shells, and cut into small pieces about 1.5 c of sharp cheddar cheese. Dressing was 3/4 yogurt and 1/4 mayo and sour cream, lots of dill, some garlic salt and mixed salad seasoning. Enuff for supper tonight, tomorrow and maybe even Sunday, only have it out of the fridge long enuff to put some in my bowl then straight away back to fridge. Not used to the extreme heat the valley is having just now, 88°F (31°C), and even warmer over the next couple of days.

I did get in nearly an hour at spinning wheel before it got really hot. Spinning more of the merino-nylon mix in a colorway I call sand. Had originally thought it would be a good color for the faces of the dolls I am hoping to kit next winter, but once spun colors are way to variegated and a quick dip thru a tea dye bath might help.

Almost to hot to even knit, a/c in car sure felt good when I went to get my mail.

Spinning on the tour

Had one full bobbin of the turquoise blend done and just a bit on bobbin #2 on Saturday when all this stuff got underway. Finished the 2nd bobbin last night and got everything ready to start on the 2nd bobbin of the sand colorway. Will try and spin during the WC game at 1 pm but it is supposed to be in mid 80's F by then so it may have to wait until sun sets.



Still haven't seen a bear so far this season, usually by now I've recorded at least 20 sightings on my calendar, must be the feed is better somewhere else. I still tho check everywhere before I step out onto the porch. Just in case.

Start of the Tour de Fleece

Moved my spinning wheel from the wool room into living room so I can monitor TV for T d F and the 2 World Cup games on later today. And changed my mind on what I will be spinning, decided to finish the turquoise roving, have one bobbin full and maybe 1/4 on the second, then if my mind doesn't wander will do the second bobbin in the Sand colorway. Pix of moved chair & wheel and the second braid of the sand roving.



Temp in low 40's F this morning, haven't had any frost so far in July but did have 9 days in June with frost, sky is all socked in this morning making it feel even colder. Rain is in the forecast.

Will go back to knitting on my socks once the WC gets underway at 9 am, will spin until time for Argentine - Belgium, getting in nearly 2 hours at the wheel.

And must add two new followers in last couple of days. Welcome.

Hornets, Yellow Jackets, Wasps

Having a big problems with flying stinging critters getting in the house, catch anywhere from 4 to 12 per day, when they first started was letting them go outdoors but when count grew catch them in a glass jar and when heat on window still cooks their goose I then flush. So far have only been stung once, so far. And its just not my place they are everywhere, one neighbor has had as many as 80 in one day.

World cup soccer is in time out until Friday, needed a break. After last game yesterday did 3 loads of laundry (well seemed a bit low so was carefully conserving water, flushing and showers deemed more important than laundry). The heat from last few days has brought river up and seems well goes with the river even tho they aren't even close to each other, well is 80' deep and river maybe 3' at deepest.

Then on top of everything else was having internet access problems, could read email a couple of times a day but sending not so nice. Today seems as to everything is back to normal (or so I hope). Blogging and later answering emails.

Finished the conservative Monstersocks, afterthought heel was difficult to work on after dark, but everything finally finished. Immediately started another pair black main color then every red & orange I own, so far looking like a winner.

This and That

World Cup Soccer equals lots of knitting time. Have finished the the last of the Koigu gloves (for now anyway), the Orangerino socks and have ribbing done on second blue Monstersock. Once its done will look over the stash and see what reaches out and grabs me.



The small bit in front of the O socks is all I had left after finishing, cutting it close. The light colored bit on the Monstersocks is where the afterthought heel will go. The gloves are more Koigu leftovers.

Have had enuff rain over the last week or so that everything is growing like crazy, just hope it keeps raining, cuts down the fire hazard quite a bit. Having yard cut greatly reduces the mozzies as well, might be able to get to the river fishing (legal July 1st), looking forward to Rainbow trout for supper.

A new follower this morning, welcome.

Koigu Gloves & Yard Work

Finished another pair of Koigu gloves, (my favorites so far) going to LK in Seattle. Already am thinking of another pair and with soccer game starting in about 40 minutes should get pretty well along on the start.

Anna B in with her grand dads riding lawn mower, she cut my whole yard full of weeds I call grass, as fire season fast approaches am glad to have stuff cut. Not only for fire season but it helps with mozzie control as well. For the money I gave her she will come back again.

Frost 5 mornings in June so far, predictions are for another couple of cold nights before cold snap departs. But forecast also shows rain for next 3 days, so grass will start growing again real quick.