HAPPY HALLOWEEEEEEN!!!!!!

OK- so it is still day time and I have no costume pics to share yet- but wanted to get my wish in on the day. Photos tomorrow or ASAP though. :)


Thought I would share pics of the "softly spoken" roving that I showed earlier in the month... the is the the yarn all washed and twisted. I have yet to measure it.
Good amount I'd say.
I plied it with itself ( 2 ply) so there isn't as much yardage as there 'could' be if I'd plied it with something else... but I'd wanted to try self-plying and this roving was the one. Soft muted colours so the 'candy cane' effect isn't so obvious. :)

Also-here is the last little bit of my bird of paradise yarn- this time plied with some plain white optim I had spun to try out a new spindle. Very small amount but I have plans for it. It's in the new bowl I got 2 weekends ago for 20c! :) :)

Thanks for looking - hope you have a hauntingly boo-tiful day! ;)

Hope you are well.

Nearly Halloween!

( This is RJB's way of saying "Happy Halloween"! Little foamie letters I cut out years ago that we found and we laid them out properly last night- this morning I found them like this in the front room with a patiently waiting RJB nearby waiting for my delight at how smart he is!! )

It's nearly haunting time again!

Here is a neat link you should try for some jack-o-lantern fun!

A real pumpkin ( the only one that survived last year despite the drought-it's small but it's ours! LOL! ) was carved last night- fun was had - here are a few pics to prove it: :)

Here is the finished item- the next day ( today) - after being lit and enjoyed for an hour or so last night before retiring for bed.

It's a bummer that daylight savings doesn't hold out for one more week here- so that it gets darker that little bit earlier for Halloween. Ah well.......

On the fibre front-I *did* get some spinning done over the weekend- and have "softly spoken" all spun and washed and ready to be photographed.....just haven't had the time to get to it. Will aim for later today.

Hope you are well!

Whirly Wednesday

Today is spinning day- I've already done some- and have photos to prove it. ;)

I started this last week- the spinning of a EGMTK! roving called "Softly Spoken"...

then spun some on last Wed., then carried on through the weekend when my hand would allow.

I decided to ply it with itself- the first time since my original attempt at spinning and plying...

I have made that my spinning project today. I would like to start crocheting some items from my yarns... but haven't found the right project yet- or is it the courage ? Hmmm.....

Not alot happened this last weekend- Sunday was hot hot hot so we stayed home. The cool air moved in nearly 8pm so the day was gone for us to do anything really.

Sat. we went early to the War Memorial Veterans Hospital in McLaren Vale for their annual garage sale... BOY did i do well! :) I came away with a hand knit sweater ( jumper) in a dark rose and white heathered yarn for $2!!!!!!!!!! ( and it really fits me! ) I think it is a wool and mohair combo- some fuzzy fuzzies in there of some sort anyway! Very warm and SOFT- although it still makes me itch after awhile-even with a cotton shirt on under it!

A poly floral scarf that I hope to shred and spin if I can get myself to do that to the scarf--- for 50 cents! ( Salvo's eat your heart out- they want $3 for the same thing!!!!!!! I figure we can't even afford to be poor when it comes to that Op Shop! :( )
And get this TWO wooden bowls that I hope at least one if not both will turn out to work for my support spindle spinning adventures when I start! They say wooden bowls are good for the least ear wrenching sounds- so that is what I had been looking for- for 20 c and 10 c I am soooo happy ! And if they dont work as spinning bowls I love them for themselves and will use them somehow! :) :D

RJB got two little cars for 10c each and DH found a set of children's walkie talkies for $3. They work OK ......which is just what it said o nthe tape that had the price on- OK> ! LOL

I am sure they will get lots of use once we get outside again. the alst two days and today too- have been rainy and windy and chilly ( I am NOT complaining either! )- but it is to get nice over the next two days. So we will get outside and try them out properly. :)
I keep hoping no one is picking us up on their baby monitors! LOL!

On the garden front- I have some photos to share.

Will write under them what is what. :)

This is my honeysuckle. I had this in abundance in the USA and I love it- so I have been babying this one along- I think it might need a sunnier location- but the harsh summers are so hard on it that I hate to move it. Not that i really have too many places where honeysuckle can live and prosper on the property- but I am thinking on it. The smell is heavenly.
This is the back garden and is of my really going to town zucchini seedlings- I just planted the seeds a week ago- they are just vigorous and healthy. The sprawling tomato is a cherry tomato plant that just keeps giving and giving. This is its' 3rd year to give us fruit. The first year we had so many we didn't know what to do with them all- last year was not such a great year- but this year is promising. We just let it ramble where it wants. It is my 'pet' plant. :) In the back there are the strawberry plants with new blossoms on. The darn millipedes got the strawberries that were on it and turning red. So much for putting straw down for the berries to rest on to keep clean- although I am sure the 'pedes are sooo thankful! LOL!

This one is of the front yard/garden to the right side as we walk out... that is the volunteer pumpkin that has just gone crazy! :) The purply pink flower behind/beside it is a Pentas. The hot pink flower closer to us is a geranium/pelargonium. The yellow flowers are calendula/pot marigold. The watermelons are all onthe right of the patch in that 'empty' spot- they are just too small to see yet- and you can see my two remaining cucumber plants at the 'bottom' of that bare looking space... I suspect I can see them better than you can though - since i know what i am looking at. There is also a peony bush in there- just this side of the pink pentas plant. I never have flowers on it- I just am keeping it alive i guess. But that makes me happy. I think it doesnt' get cold enough for it to bloom perhaps. I keep saying i am going to put a whole bag of ice on it in the winter to see if that will work! LOL Anyone ever try that or hear of it?? Let me know!

Ok- need to help my son with lunch.
I hope to put up photos tomorrow what I finished today in spinning.

Until then,

Hope you are well!

What a Difference A Day ( or two) Can Make

In my previous post I was whinging about the temps... I am here to tell you- that they are now going to be much higher than previously predicted! Tomorrow is 30 ° C (high 80's F)- and then an overnight LOW of 22°C is predicted ( that's about 74°F!) with the following day to be 35°C!!!!
(That is way into the 90's F !!! ) OMG! Now this wouldn't be so bad if we had been having consistently warmer days all along- but it has been in the low 20's daytime and in the low teens for the nights... ( so that is around mid 70's and around high 40's for the translation...).
I am not sure what next week will bring- but this weekend was meant to be full of activities for us out and about- outside activities. Well- ffffffffft on that! :(

On to happier things- zucchini have popped up- the strawberries were eaten with delight by RJB, and there are more tomatoes on their way! I have managed to so far keep the snails from eating my two remaining cucumber plants...and the watermelon seeds are popping up thick as thieves. The pumpkin out front is growing madly and has had male blossoms for several days now! The carrots and all the teeny tiny portulaca seedlings are all ok.....they are just sooo tiny you can't imagine how they ever grow to be something of any size- let alone a full sized carrot !
(Portulacas dont' get THAT big of course! lol! )

I think the corn may be a loss- it's been well over 14 days- and nothing....I raked the mulch back today- hoping the sun might get to them and help them to grow- but i might be too late- fingers crossed I was on time! At $1 an ear in the shops and only to get more expensive in the near future- having some of our own to eat and preserve would be very very nice!

On the ISP front- we have gone with AAPT- are awaiting the final switchover- but so far they have been OK . A bit vague-ish with helping- but at least we don't have a 4 hour cut off every time we are connected. I mean- really- how many of us are still on dial-up that the other company really needed to disconnect us on the dot of 4 hours??!?

Not much spinning got done on Wed. I am sad to say - but every little bit helps! I didn't get ANY done today nor yesterday......let's hope the heat isn't too much to spin.

Also- we did our 100th geocache find today! Woo hoo! AND it was a FTF! Down south of us near the Myponga reservoir- always a nice drive.

OK- off to do dinner/tea dishes- whee.

Hope you are well.

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Yesterday our little girl Skylar would've turned 5.
I can only imagine what life would be like with a little girl to dress up and with who I could play girly games. I am thankful for my precious son and all the joy he brings me ( and all the bugs and dirt too! :) ) . But I couldn't let the chance pass to say how much I long for her to be with us and how much I miss her. So much- so, so much. 0 :]
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Tuesday Night

HI All!
Just a quick note to say that the computer is working wonkily- the carrots finally popped up and so have the watermelon seedlings! We have two alllllllll but ripe strawberries and RJB ate his first of the season cherry tomato! :) The strawberries will be next I am sure! : D

We are heading into a hint of summer to come weather-wise- tomorrow is meant to be 23c (mid- high 70's) and then it is to get up to nearly 30c ( high 80's!) the next day...but thankfully a cool change is to come in for a day and then back up to the 80's again on Sat.! Whew!

Hope you are well!

Ravelry arrived

I got my invite for Ravelry yesterday- it went into my 'junk' mail folder- can you IMAGINE!?! (shock! don't *they* ( the email mailer people) know this is one of the most sought after emails ever?!? LOL
Anyway- I have to think of a name and all that jazz- so haven't joined just yet- but will today sometime I reckon.

Hope you are well!

Spin Wednesday Results

Here are some pics of the plying I got done yesterday...

it is my own mix of solid colour rovings of purple, yellow, rockmelon/cantaloupe, light green, and old gold and then plied with either feathers yarn in black or the ostrich yarn in black.

(Sorry for the blurry pic- it was the best I could do yesterday-very frustrating!)

Here's the 'before" - singles yarn on the spindle still........
I also plied a small remainder of the singles with a white optim that I had spun as a thin singles while testing out my flower spindle from the USA a few months ago now... it looks nice- will get a photo of it today and put it up along with the finished yarns you see here. They are just finishing drying today as we have humid weather from the showers that are passing through/over us. :)

This yarn is sooooo soft- esp. the feathers plied one. I am so glad I couldn't find my gold thread from Mandie- or else I never would've tried this I bet!

Now I can freely crochet with the 'fancy' stuff! ( the thin fancy stuff is much harder to see to crochet with and find the stitches properly than with knitting them...) I am very pleased with myself and while the photos don't show the real colours and beauty- you'll have to trust me when I say it is so soft and fun to look at- with the colours almost hiding in the plush black yarn! ;) I am eager to make these into something too- a simple scarf I think would be the nicest.
Or maybe a headband?
The plied with white optim looks totally different. Wait'll you see!

I also started my "Softly Spoken" EGMTK! roving... not alot got done so I didn't take a picture of it. Will try later today if the sun shines. :)
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Oh - update on the YARN Magazine prize- I wrote to the editor- and she affirmed it was sent out two weeks ago- but nothing ever arrived here. :( :( :(
I think we have a very greedy evil person in the postal service here in the area... the parcel would've travelled less than 20K from her place to mine...
Some day whoever is stealing will get caught. What would they want with stitch markers anyway? THAT is worth losing your job and reputation over!?!??

*** Guess what showed up in the mail this afternoon!? Yepper - the yarn stitch markers! LOL! I told Barb ( the Ed. ) I guess the Universe just needed that 'push'! So - am glad to say they arrived safe and sound - very pretty, too...now if I only knit!****
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The garden is loving the slight watering it is getting...I am pleased too!
The snails have come out in full force- not sure what we will do with them- we can't bring ourselves to kill them and there are so many- they will decimate our seedlings in no time if we are not careful!
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On a side note- had no ideas for dinner last night- ended up making some fried cabbage and oriental ( ramen ) noodles- YUMMY! Try that sometimes! Fry the cabbage until it is just before done- add in the already cooked and spiced noodles and fry a bit longer until slightly crispy noodles happen- I love it with lots of black pepper- yum!!
Riley had Oatbrits as he is not too keen on fried cabbage. Although he ate some noodles as he like them! ;)

Hope you are well!

Forever Young Finis!

OK- Here is the finished yarn- washed and wound into a center pull ball. Today is "Spin Day" for my new friend Rosie and I - she lives on the Eyre Peninsula and I live at the top of the Fleurieu Peninsula...not all that far- 'as the crow flies' but oy! going via manmade roads- it's a 4 hour + trip- so we will not be meeting up to spin...*sigh*... but one day I am sure we will meet! Meanwhile- it will be a weekly 'challenge' to be sure to spin or create SOMETHING yarn-ish! :)
I can't wait to see what we each do...

will post later or tomorrow with the results. :)

I also want to write about the garden and what we are growing at the moment-- or TRYING to grow! Our soil isn't the best and we keep trying to improve it- but wow- it's alot of effort with seemingly little result- we will see.

So far we have:

• Tomatoes- Cherry, Roma, and a big one- called Big Red - I think
• Pumpkins- they are volunteers from the compost - grow pumpkins people- they are so easy!!!!!!!
• Radishes-(from seeds) our first crop- they are about done now- as the leaves are getting awfully prickly to handle. We even got to give some of these to our neighbour! :)
• carrots (from seed)
• celery ( volunteer)
• cucumber ( 5 seedlings have come up!)
• corn ( from seed)
• green beans
• yellow ( wax) beans
• peas
• sunflowers (from seed- the snails are eating them though :( )
• marigolds (from seeds)
• portulaca ( from seeds)
• cleome ( spider flowers) ( from seeds)
• basil
• parsley
• onions (from seed we saved!)
• potatoes ( old ones with sprouts on them)
• zucchini (10 seeds -planted today)

I think that is all for now! lol

Better go before my time runs out on the internet- 4 hours and ZAP! We are off!

We are getting a new ISP soon- AAPT! YAY!

Hope you are well.

Train ahoy! ?

RJB's fascination with trains continues on- so much so that the cubby house climbing thing that he rarely ever had anything to do with- is now his favourite place to play because we improvised and made it into a 'train'. Mind you, it takes alot of imagination, and this isn't the best photo as he doesn't cotton on to having his photo taken too often. He prefers to 'mug it up' if he is going to have to have it taken,too.

Here is one that I took through the house window so he wasn't suspecting me until I went out and then if he said no to a photo- I still have one for memory's sake. ;)

Sneaky mom.

I've rigged up a bell on a pull cord and have put the bucket on a bat a ball post for the 'smokestack' part of the train... and he has an engineer's cap he wears that he got from the "Thomas" expo thing we went to earlier in the year. Have a photo of him in that:

And another one- in motion!

Typical mom- I could just fill up my blog with my child's photos. However I will refrain. For now.

No, wait- I have to add this one..

taken while wering my sunglasses while we were out looking for the "Star of Greece #1" geocache down at Port Willunga.... they have a boardwalk nearby- that leads to the ocean and also has a bench on a side shoot from the walk...we sat there for awhile and enjoyed the surf and all the sounds.
The ocean was very rough but the crashing sounds of that are far more relaxing than most sounds we have at our house outside! It is so nourishing to the soul.

He is napping now- so will take the chance to write a few emails I owe. It's about time- I know.

Hope you are well.

Downward Spiral

Ah well, back to my agrimony writing self.
Thanks- no really.

Forever Young 2 Finally Done

This is the before of a roving from EGMTK! called "Forever Young 2"-









Here is F.Y.2 as a singles- before being plied:

and then there are two "afters" - this yarn was spun from the 100% Merino wool roving and then plied with a mohair type commercial yarn.




That spindle was SO FULL- I really didn't think I was going to get all of it onto it and was thinking i was going to have to cut it and make two skeins... but I managed to carefully wrap it all. Next is to wash and measure it......then I will post it onto the EGMTK! Gallery. Different pics. will be there than these. Or so I intend! lol

That's all for this post- Riley is holding the train for me! ( pic. to be posted later!)

Hope you are well.