Merry Christmas and Happy New Years!

So over the past few months I've been working on projects and homework assignments. This year the focus is on combing, so I will put up pics when my homework is mounted/complete, but here are some recently completed projects:

some wool batts I made to sell on etsy.


my crazy quilt: I finally cut out all the pieces, now I just need to sew them down and get them embroidered!





my little robot doll that I modified by adding a snaggle tooth, a butt crack, and a heart tattoo :)

Summer Update & Dyeing with Elderberries!

Well, this summer has gone by faster than any other, and I think that means it was because I was having so much fun, right? :) Check out my natural dyeing in progress w/ elderberries and the little snails that like them too!

Schools out baby!

These past few weeks have been kind of stressful not knowing if I was going to be able to keep my job teaching in the city. Unfortunately there were 200 teacher lay offs, but luckily I was not one of them. I know that life always presents challenges and lessons for us to grow and learn from, and we don't always know what path we may have to walk down, but I really really like the path I'm on and just wanted to wander for a few more miles anyway :)

Another exciting adventure was getting my new tattoo!! I realize it's one of those things that people may have grown accustomed to seeing as part of our fashion/culture, but every day I look at it I am still amazed it hasn't washed off..

(my spider tattoo)

The symbolism behind the tattoo is personal, but it's kind of got 2 meanings. The first, is that being that I am a spinner I feel an affinity towards spiders and the story of the weaver Arachne always intrigued me. The second meaning is that this year has been a challenging one and I wanted the web to be similar to a dream catcher, and catch all the good that comes my way in life and let the bad things pass through. That's why there is a trebble clef caught in the web, it represents Greg and how he is a good thing that has come into my life :)

Here is a preview of my summer to do list:
- Relax!
- hang out with Greg and do fun things
- hang out with family and friends
- Finish knitting 3 projects; fish gloves (90% done), sleeves in your pi-shawl (20% done), and random scrap yarn scarf (25% done)
- Spin wool for my purple/yellow sweater (I know it sounds weird, but trust me this is going to be a cool exercise in color!)
- Teach classes and people about knitting/spinning
- work on the house like painting the downstairs and upstairs bathrooms
- write a spinning article for spin off magazine
- start writing my how-to-dye book to get the colors you want
- submit a workshop proposal for Rhinebeck for next year

I will post pictures of knitting/spinning progress and any other good news worth sharing!

3 weeks and counting

!!!!
Okay, had to get that out of the way first. I have mixed emotions about the summer almost being here. As you may/may not know, the Rochester City School District is planning on laying off 200+ teachers and I am not sure if I am in the mix yet or not, will know in the next few weeks. That being said, I am looking forward to the road ahead, even if I can't exactly tell yet where it's leading me.

Things that I hope to accomplish this summer:
- Get a tattoo (so excited! 6/19/09)
- Celebrate lots of positives like birthdays, graduations, weddings, babies (come to think of it all in the next month!)
- Write my how-to-dye manual
- Study in Canada
- Love and be loved
- Catch up with friends and to-do lists
- Enjoy the warmth and no snow!
- Lose 10-15 more lbs and keep it off for the year ;)
- other things that I know are on my mind I just can't yet think of them...

The dwarven battle bonnet has been knitted (the helmet part) and I am going to spin the white wool to dye soon, pictures to follow.


I am also teaching the following workshops :
6/14/09 knitting machien demo - yarn boutique 1230-130
6/21/09 entrelac technique - yarn boutique 1230-230
7/5/09 mitered square technique - yarn boutqiue 1230-230
7/20 & 7/22 beginning crochet for children - villiage yarn and fiber shop (ages 10+) 10-12
7/25/09 knitting machien demo - yarn boutique 1230-130
7/27 & 7/29 beginning knitting for children - villiage yarn and fiber shop (ages 10+) 10-12
8/3 & 8/5 beginning drop spindling for children - villiage yarn and fiber shop (ages 10+) 10-12

more workshops dates/times to be posted soon.

Lemonade Stand Award

Lemonade Stand Award

Katie nominated me for this, thanks dah-link! I hope to post a few more projects in the works, like my Dwarven Battle Bonnet. Currently swatching for this project, will keep people posted w/ pictures. Until then, off to see the Indras at Boulder coffee house! Woot!



The Lemonade Stand Award is for being a blogger who shows great attitude and gratitude.
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Comment on this blog.
Cut and paste the award logo and use it in your own blog.
Nominate blogs you feel show great attitude and gratitude.
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Even More Goodies

So the other night Greg was spinning on his spindle, and I couldn't help but take a picture.. I am so proud of him!!

I also carded and put up 2 more batts on the etsy site:

Trying to sell some goodies

I updated my etsy shop with some more yarn/fiber and I will be continuing to add more goodies especially as it gets closer to summer. Here are some things I have at the "shop" :)