April 16,2008 - In Memorium- Jade

Farewell to a beautiful soul~

On April 16 of this year ( 2008) we had to have our beloved dog Jade euthanised.

I have not felt right about posting something to my blog until I did a memorium for Jade- and have not been able to bring myself to the task of going through photos to do a proper post dedicated to her.

I am still not sure I am able- but am going to at least do this and then perhaps something more later.

I can hardly believe it has been more than a month since I posted. I *will* do better this year.

We have no more pets to lose and since Autumn is here the weather is much nicer- perhaps we will get out to do more things to share about.

Until then-

Hope you are well.

All Things in Moderation, My Dear

Well Hello!
It's been ages- not alot to write about really- we had a 2 week heatwave at the beginning of March that I just sat and sweated through mostly. ( We really need to get A/C.) Didn't spin or crochet much even. Still got some fluff from eBay cos well... that's my addiction I guess. I meet the nicest people through fluff buying too. :)
I have, since the heatwave ended, restarted working on my mohair shawl and is nearly finished ( it is a lovely HUGE one! yay! ) and Thursday I started an apron from cotton yarn that RJB picked out from my stash....finished it up on Friday... It worked up quickly and easily- will post the link with a picture of the apron once I get myself together! lol

As for spinning- well- have spun a little alpaca on both my spindle and -the spinning wheel I won from eBay last year..... the biggest problem is that I only have one bobbin apparently! I will need to look properly in the craft room (eeeeek!) as i know it came with carderss and stuff- so maybe there was a lazy kate with bobbins that I don't remember. Otherwise I am thinking I will have to sell it..which is a shame cos I really like it- but it seems my alternative is to pay a woodworker to recreate one from the one I have- and I shudder to think what that would cost! But it was great fun to spin the alpaca on the wheel- so much quicker it is scary! I could see myself happily spinning away for HOURS on this thing and making yarn to sell. I still prefer my drop spindles- but am appreciating the wheel even more now! ;)

Jade- our dog, is not doing the best in the health dept.. We've taken her to the vet - blood in her urine- and they did a urine spec test and then the next visit did blood tests- and even after $300 + or visiting and 'work'- they still don't know what is wrong. They are thinking bladder tumour- but can't say it is for sure. So she is on some medication that is a quarter of a tablet every other day.... she is fine most times..... seems to be sleeping LESS actually..... but she shivers sometimes and still has the blood in the urine-although at times is less than other times. She was first on an antibiotic- but that didn't seem to really help. :(

Yesterday ( Sat April 5) we went to a 'fair' that was put on by Willunga Waldorf School and it was focused on children and showing off their school..... wow! They did a great job- RJB had a wonderful time playing, making a felt ball, had fresh made apple juice, and for me the best part- besides 4 hours in the open fresh air......they had a little children's cafe and as far as we could tell- ALL the food was vegetarian friendly! How cool is that?? It was $2 for a plate that you could choose 3 items from the layout and there was ALOT ALOT ALOT to choose from! We spent $7 to share a curry meal btwn DH and I mostly and felt if we'd spent the same money at the children's cafe that we would've done better! lol
It was a sunny nice day- small breeze, not too hot - not too cool.......
We were not familiar with the Waldorf part of it- but we were impressed by the 'curriculum' that we saw- they really have an emphasis on creativity in learning. Brilliant.
Now- if we can just find a home in Willunga area so we can send RJB there........
as of now it is much too far to drive each day.....and I am not sending my 5 yr old on a bus by himself! ( or 4.5 or whatever age he will be when he starts school......).
He just had the best time playing in the sand with the other children. "School" is going to be a very positive experience for him I believe. If we can get him in there anyway.

The Easter bunny found us too- and you know what we found out?- chocolate and oriental flavoured ramen noodles do NOT taste nice together. ( funny what happens when one is not watching your toddler eat! ) So- all those thoughts of "maybe we could get him to eat if we put chocolate on it".....they can be silenced- it won't work... well- not on oriental ramen noodles anyway!

Now- before I go- I need to explain my title..... in the last few weeks I have been getting 'spammed' on my blog comments.... so I have put my comments on moderation. I will have to approve them before you see them on the blog. I am really sorry for this...if/when the crud are found and the weird posts stop I will go back to normal. But for now.....PLEASE post a reply and write as much as you want...... just know it might be a short while until your post will show up.
It should never be more than 24 hours as I check my hotmail addy daily. :)

Sorry for the long time not writing.....will get back into the swing of things soon I hope - since it is officially Autumn and the clocks have even gone back today. I love cool weather. More each year. I miss snow- ( come on Snow! ).... and I miss green grass and fresh air.

oh By the way-Happy March, Happy Easter, Happy April, and HappyAutumn ( or Spring in the Northern Hemisphere !

Happy Leap Year Day!

Is that right- is that what we 'd call this day?? Anyway- happy 29th of Feb- which only happens once every 4 years so I couldn't let the day go by without saying something!

Currently we all 3 have a cold- I say "a cold" because it is the SAME cold all shared among us.
I was the last to get it..... RJ has fared the best- the young whippersnapper! ;)

Not alot getting done craft -wise- no spinning even though we have been having cooler weather-
working on another shawl on a pattern I just LOVE....will share that when it is all done. I did a pair of mitts in some leftover acrylic yarn and they turned out cute and very VERY EASY. Now to find some proper colour wool - spin it and make a pair of mitts for my friend Crystal. I told her I would make a pair- from a different pattern than the one I tried- I think this is a better one- but haven't gotten myself together. And now that the first day of Australian Autumn is about to hit us ( tomorrow)- the temps are set to go up into the low - mid 30's- which is in the high 80's low 90's for the Fahrenheit crowd. I am so ready for summer to be gone, thank you.

OK better go,
thanks for reading.

Hope you are well!

Boiled Eggs!

OK- I have one of those TNT ( tried and true) kitchen hints I just HAVE to share....

Want this done easily?



Then try this!





Once your eggs have boiled and have cooled enough to handle them at least- pour off any remaining cooking water and then put/hold the lid on tightly and >>>> SHAKE <<<<>

The shells you see empty in there are the shells of 4 eggs- two of which had only a fews specks of shell to rinse off- and the other two barely had their shells clinging to them when I picked them up! :)

Try it yourself next time- meanwhile I am heading back to make egg salad for our dinner tonight- it is 35° c here today! This chicky is NOT cooking! ( Well- just to boil the eggs which i did earlier when it was cooler in the house....)

Take care and let me know if you try this hint and how it works for you-please??

Hope you are well.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Wishing you the happiest, sweetest day ever!
(ok- I'm 2 days late....sorry! I really do/did mean it! :) )




Hope you are well!

At the Speed of Light!

Lordy! How fast can the days go by?
I didn't even get to wish anyone a Happy February and it was past the time when Punxatawny Phil was to prognosticate the coming of Spring ( Or 6 more weeks of winter- which was the case this year... good Phil! ) - we missed it by a mere 20 mins or so- but in our time it was *late* in the pm of the 3rd of Feb!
I still didn't get photos taken of my alapaca fluff ( I think the site is back up though- tizteazles.com ) - and have now worked and FINISHED ( woo hoo! nothing like a 'deadline' [I prefer to call them finish lines] to keep you moving ) an art yarn contribution to the "Circle of Wagons" spin Challenge issued by Pluckyfluff to benefit a sick friend in Florida, USA named Holly ( or HollyEQQ) who happens to be a very good friend of my friend Mandie of Ewe Give Me the Knits!

I will give more details on what I am talking about soon- but for now want to try to get photos downloaded on my blog so you can see the yarn before the challenge is over! ( Ends Feb. 9, 2008 in USA time for entries, but voting is the next day....).
All entries are available for viewing at The Yarn Museum and voting for your 'favourite' is at Pluckyfluff's Blog on Sunday the 10th of Feb,2008.
Then all the yarns created are going up for auction at Sandy's website ( another friend in the USA ) with the money raised to be given to Holly to help with her expenses to get well again!

The 'theme' was "Circle the Wagons" - which is the phrase being used to show Holly how we fibre folks ( and everyone who loves them!) are bringing ourselves all in a circle to help her 'defend/fend off ' her illness. Just like the Pioneers of yesteryear did against threats to their wagon trains and their well-being. Hope I explained that right/ well enough.
I think it is an awesome effort and am glad to be a part of it all.
There is lots to see and buy at Sandy's website to help Holly. Please go take a look!

So here is my entry:


This is my first attempt at 'Art Yarn' and found it to be challenging yet fun!
I've named the yarn "Smoke Signals for Holly"- messages of health and well being sent to her from the fibre community- even all the way from Australia!
The first singles is a 100% merino roving that was dyed by Mandie of Ewe Give Me The Knits!, then for the the plying singles I've used shades of brown wool which represent the wood of the fire & of the wagons, as well as the earth- then added in some polar fleece 'indian blankets", white wool for puffs of smoke, and some cantalope ( Rockmelon) coloured merino for the 'lick of fire' . ( Don't worry - I always put the smoke puffs between the 'fire' and the blankets! lol!)
It's over 63 yds. / 57 mtrs and weighs 2.25 oz/ 65 grms.

and here are some other photos of it, to give a better view:

Two of the 'raw' ingredients:

While it is still on the niddy noddy, waiting to then be measured and weighed:

By RJB's wagon:

The finished 'artwork':



and here is RJB posing with the ingredients...

( hey- had to get him in here somehow-right? LOL! He has decided every photo being taken really should have him in it somehow! lol)

Thanks for looking- if you see this in time- go vote for mine!

Hope you are WELL.

End of the month already!?

It's already the 31st of January... I can hardly believe it. I missed wishing everyone a Happy Australia Day on the 26th of January. It was a long holiday weekend for us and we kept busy.
More on that later....

The Tiz Teazles site is down at the moment- will again update once it is back on track. Sending my heartfelt wishes to Dawnii and family at this difficult time.

I still haven't gotten pics taken of the fluff from there...... although I have started spinning it. One of the shades of purple...it is sooo soft. I am having to pick out quite a little bit of dried vm- but nothing too bad and because it is dry it is easy to pick out before or after the spin happens.
The resulting yarn is so soft-it is worth the effort...if this stuff is even 19 micron I would be shocked! It is the softest coloured fleece I've ever felt.
Amazing.
I *will* try to get photos posted of things soon- I am fighting the effects of cloudy but not stormy humid days on my hands. Plus I have bruised my left hand... the bones that are below the place where your fingers connect... the hand equivalent of the ball of your foot- but don't know what it is called- been going to look it up but don't remember while i am at the computer because it doesn't hurt while typing! lol I have never heard of anyone else having this phenomenon... if you have- please speak up! I would love to know the name of it- or at least to know I am not the only one!

Wash is almost ready- so better go- it's a lovely day in the weather dept.- only about 25° c today. YES! I can live with that. Very windy- gusty windy I mean to say....which should lend to easy drying of clothes but is scaring me to death over the roof thingy we put up to shade the side of the house from the sun... it sounds like it is going to fly off any time..which it could- but will take part of the house with it as it is tied onto the roof somehow. ( Don't ask me- I let DH deal with it! )

Hope you are well!