Update

Hip is a whole lot better, so much so that I am going to attempt the trip down to OFFF in Canby, OR. Friend Val will go with me, will pick her up in Seattle area.

More when I get back with pix.

Gimpier hip

Don't know what I did to make hip much worse nearly two weeks ago now, from 3 out of 10 for pain it suddenly jumped to 9 out of 10. Enuff so that I saw Dr Rob in Tatla knowing now where this was leading, he sent me for X Rays into Williams Lake, next will be a consult with surgeon in Kamloops (maybe a bit sooner than 2 months) then hip replacement maybe in another 2 months. So am so far behind on laundry, etc that I will soon have to bite the bullet and just wash what ever (mixed colors). Oh well guess it could be worse. Have a prescript for pain so far have only taken 1 that was the day I got home from town and made 3 or 4 trips up the steps into the house with perishables. Now getting to cold at night to leave anything in the car (had squash, zucchinis and swiss chard. Have had several mornings that Tatlako was coldest spot in BC right at that hour.

I am at least still able to spin, just finished the second bobbin of a variegated green mix. Think its merino, but bought it a long time ago so not positive.

Not much else going on in my wild mountain valley. Expecting deer hunters once day time highs are cold enuff to haul whatever they kill back to home area. Saw 9 deer (all does) on last trip to town, bucks prolly have moved to higher country for now, don't know how they know that season is open. Today is week 2 in college football games, will watch Michigan play Central Fla., knitting on current socks.

One Of's

Have 6 bobbins of yarn with nothing else close to matching, so will ply with something as close (maybe) as I can get. Likely will be going into socks so a perfect same color is not necessary.

A week or so ago finally got the orange creme sickle plied, because its relatively fine seems like it took forever to spin and even longer to ply. And no ideas what I had planned for it so will just go into stash until something jumps out at me.

I finally did get to town (5 weeks in between trips), was down to less than a weeks worth of prescriptions so refilled all, got a much needed haircut and Friday morning first thing to the farmers market for real tomatoes. I've enjoyed every single one I've eaten, even just a tomato (large) with cottage cheese, hard boiled egg and toast for supper.

All the plying I've been doing as given me empty bobbins again, for a bit hadn't had anything empty for the Louet S 90 and had been spinning on a different Louet wheel (S 70).

I often give small leftover balls of sock yarn to Christine P at knitting bee, most often they are to small for me to use in my patterns on socks, she doubled the yarn and made a pair of real Monstersocks. I have done a couple of pairs for a friends son but used bigger leftover balls, not so many ends to deal with.

Two weeks now between trips to clinic for blood letting, maybe just maybe INR has finally stabilized. Hope for upcoming winter I will only have to go maybe every three weeks or even a month between trips. Keeping fingers crossed that it is good after yesterdays blood work.

Spinning and Stuff

The two leftover bits from last couple of plying jobs came out way better than I thought, wishing I had more of each. Small skein in front of the two mixed batches.





Then found a full bobbin (one of many) that I knew where the rest of the fiber was hiding, thinking its a merino from source that I can't remember.



Got up extra early this morning even before it was light enuff in wool room to spin, but by the time coffee was ready it was good to go. Got in nearly an hour spinning the variegated merino, wanted time before it gets hot, temp predicted to be 32°C today (90°F), not terribly hot but it is for in here. Just 3.8°C when I got up, close to 39°F, so at least the sleeping is comfortable.

Have number two sock of the red pair to finish and another one started that might go into time out so I can get started on Kristie's pair. Short enuff that it might be a challenge to get all the colors into the patterns. K I can't remember what color you wanted for the main color.

I had planned on going to town the last two Fridays, last week a migraine (first one in years) laid me out, then today would have been miserable hot running around in Wms Lake, then unloading groceries when I would be hot & sweaty was to much to even think about. Have enuff B/P meds to make it another week same with Warfarin.

If I go next week it is supposed to be much cooler will leave early enuff that I can get to farmers market and pick up tomatoes, can't believe that I've managed to wait so long. Might while its still relatively cool make a smallish batch of macaroni salad, perfect for lunch and supper when its hot.

Just talked to Christine over in West Branch valley and she is going into town tomorrow and will pick up tomatoes at Beaver Valley Feeds, they bring them up from far south in BC, may even go over to her place Sunday morning to pick them up

Selling handspun

The variegated green merino-silk mix from July 13, I recently was offered $20 for the whole shooting match, just about choked on my coffee. 460 yards and probably cost me a whole lot more than offered price. Was very polite and explained that it wasn't for sale, and if it was likely would be 4 times (or more) the offered price.

This morning dedicated time to finish plying the fiber from DiCentra, Have been plying in 15 minute increments and this morning I knew it was going to be closer to 45 minutes but wanted it done. One bobbin had quite a bit on it when the smaller one ran out so grabbed another leftover bit of a way different color and had at it. Surprised at how much I like it, guess I am learning (slowly) that handspun of almost any color works well together. So I now have 5 empty bobbins and as soon as whats on plied bobbins is into skeins will have at more plying. Found if I do it slowly I can still walk at the end of the day.

Pix shows the 2 different colors over top of the DiCentra yarn, 2nd pix are the two bobbins of the DC singles.

This and That

Saturday just before midnight was awakened to incredible thunder and lightening show, went on for nearly an hour and seemed stuck right over the valley, then when it quit and cleared off temp dropped to 34°, coldest spot in BC again. Then same show last night (Saturday) but earlier, started around 7 and quit 10ish, both nights following the show, heavy rain, so much so that river came up quite a bit. Nothing like it in the 40+ years I’ve lived here.

Finally got two bobbins of light gray plied, then while in the mood did two bobbins of what I had hoped to be really ugly yarn (I think it is). Planning on socks for me for upcoming winter (rumour has it that it might be a tough one).



Next on plying docket will be the two bobbins of DiCentra's wool.

Sure not much else going on in my wild mountain valley, even the bears have disappeared, think they are all over at Chilko fishing.

TdF and town

Went into town Sunday morning for an appointment with allergist at hospital for 1 pm, scratch test on arm showed that I am allergic to dust, mold and grass, none of which I eat or play around with. Food stuff that I thought might be the culprit for my allergies wasn't even tested for, so IMO a completely wasted trip except for finding a 510 gram container of blueberries for $1.99 bought two. Had yogurt and bb for supper last night. Got home 3 ish, unloaded perishables from car and by that time was hot & sweaty, even thought about a quick sit down in the river but fresh bear poop on driveway soon changed my mind. Sat down in recliner just after 5 and next thing I knew it was just after 8, so got my shower and was in for the night by 8:30, slept right thru until 6 am. All the driving in the heat and then 5 + trips from the car with groceries must have done me in.

I came really close to meeting my TdF goals, if I hadn't gone to town would have finished the last of the wild braid of BFL. And I finally figured out how to ply without my electric wheel, not perfect for sure but better than first attempt.

Denise gave me a big bag of freshly picked lettuce from her garden, will have my traditional big salad tonight along with some cold chicken, bought cukes, cilantro, tomatoes, celery all will go nicely into my salad. And now that summer had dropped next couple of days will be in low 80's will eat lots of cold meals. Even bought a pkg. of European wieners easy to grill for another quick meal, my annual treat.

Knitting and Spinning

third pair of socks for Miss M, made them the same size as one of the pair she tried on while here, a bit of grow room at the toe. She promised me that she would only wear them to school on cold days this winter. Plans are to make one more pair out of somesort of handspun for colder days. Have some soft light gray that with pink & purple patterns would suit her just fine.

The BFL-Tussah silk came out just OK, am not very good at plying on a regular spinning wheel, much prefer my homemade electric wheel (just used for plying).



Today I am plying a so so white with a bobbin of also so so light gray, the white is vintage stuff from 1994 and certainly not next to skin type, same with the light gray but over a thin pair of cotton socks will make incredible socks for outdoor activities.

Next on the Tour de Fleece spinning is another that I am hoping for one of my uglier sock yarns, just perfect for winter socks for me. Its very difficult to predict what yarn will look like once plied.

Last blood letting at clinic in Tatla last Wednesday was within normal levels, now to figure out how that happened.

This and That

Having had more company in last few days than I usually get in a couple of months put me behind on my TdF spinning projects, while I was glad to have friends stop in and visit.

First last Saturday Len & Denise here most of the day, Len cutting lots of hay type grasses in various place, then Dee and her 87 yr (almost blind) Mom came to rake cut stuff in piles to haul home on her trailer for horses, Dee thought there might be equivalent of 4 or 5 bales about 200+ lbs.

Then yesterday Liz her friend Judy, Nolan (to pull toad flax weeds) and Maela were here, Nolan got in 2 hours before he ran out of power, maybe pulled 20% or so. But did get pix of Maela with her back to school socks and Nolan seemed happy with the heavier weight ones I did for him, no pix tho after pulling weeds for 2 hours his feet were not very clean for trying on the sox.

On Saturday I did get some merino-silk plied, bought it at Fiber Fusion last fall, plying the old fashioned way worked out better than I thought it would.



In bits & bobs I did get the roving from DiCenta finished, will go into the plying queue. Today I had hoped to start plying the wool-silk mix from West Coast Colour & Carding, not much chance of that today. Have to go to Tatla for INR blood letting, still trying to stabilize the count.




Now spinning a vintage white wool-mohair mix, had it carded at Miocene way back in 1994, other than lots of vm its still really easy to spin.

Busy Saturday

Len and Denise showed up first thing to load the old tractor stored in my wood shed for the last 20 years, in pretty tuff shape, rotten rear tire and steering column leaking. But he got it at a pretty good price and thinks its worth rebuilding. They also brought my old brush cutter on the trailer and first thing unloaded it and Len cut weeds in front of the house and made a dozen or so trips around knocking down the almost 3 foot high weeds. Will greatly help with skeeter problems. Denise brought the weed whacker and cut down stuff close to house that big machine couldn't get to, all in all it certainly looks better and fire hazard greatly reduced. After lunch Len started in to load the tractor onto the trailer, finally ended up using a come-along to pull it up the ramps and onto trailer. Then pix of tractor going up driveway.



While all the outdoor activity was underway I finished spinning the first bundle of 5.2 oz of DiCentra roving that I bought sometime ago at BSG. And then with no more empty bobbins for my S 90 decided to try plying the old fashioned (for me) way, using the S 70 Louet with much larger bobbins I gave it a go using surgically repaired right leg, just staying at it for maybe 15 minutes at a time it wasn't to bad, much better than I thought it might be. Two empty bobbins meant I could get right in bundle #2, already have quite a bit on it. Thought the belts that I had ordered about 6 weeks ago for my homemade electric wheel might accidentally show up before mail strike gets underway, nope. So tried fusing an old Louet belt in the size needed, letting it rest today so its hopefully a solid join. If it works will ply two more bobbins tomorrow. First pix is the wool-silk I plied second the 5.2 oz of roving.



Blood INR count to high again, so as per DR orders am cutting one of the Warfarin tablets in half, from 7.5 to 6.25, one of these days I hope it stabilizes.