Spinning at Sally's

I really, really, REALLY have been doing a lot of good fibery stuff, I am just not so good at the blogging thing. Blog-reading, I can do. Blog-writing, ehhhhh....
We went over to Longview on Saturday for a spinning day (complete with buffet) and a trip to Stitches 'N' Stuff. Midge, our intrepid leader, did the driving, so I got to knit! Here are my completed Trekking socks:

I haven't decided whether to weave in those pesky ends, or just make a tassel and call 'em turkish!
Anyhoo, we had a lot of fun! Here's the evidence:

Here's Judy Pritchett showing her quilt, this is her own hand-dyed cotton fabric. She says it's done by stuffing a fat quarter in a jar with dye and leaving it for 24 hours. This gives it the uneven, crinkly look of batik. Very pretty! I would really like to try this.

Our fabulous host, Sally Larue, Donna i'm-sorry-i-don't-remember-your-last-name, and Genevieve Giugovaz.
Now, in my own defense, (who said, the man who represents himself has a fool for a client?) the only reason I can't remember Donna's last name, is cause we have So Many Donnas!! Donna Hawke, Donna Coates, And Donna Sheik-Hussein spring to mind, all fabulous, talented, and creative. Is it something about the name Donna?

Stephanie is on the Babe, Karen at the red-painted Ashford traditional, and Donna has a Kromski.

Ouijan on her Lendrum, with Liz in her "uptown girl" look!

Michelle has a cool new Kromski, Judy's beside her, then there's Pixie! (the lady in the blue, I don't know her name, but she was busy handcarding!)

And here's me! I got Steph to quit Navajo-plying long enough to take a pic for me. I don't think she was happy about it, cause I am actually much more beautiful than this picture would lead you to believe! HA!

Sally is also a tatting and lace expert. Here she is straightening out Midge's tatting for her. Midge found out she was doing it backward, but she said that's okay, she always does everything backward! You wouldn't know it to see her work, though, everything she does looks like an heirloom to me!
By afternoon, I was in a pie induced coma. (I swear I ate my weight in Key Lime Pie!)
Every one of these ladies is also an excellent cook.

Scooter came by today, and Courtney says she will beat me to death with this here Blues Clues if I take her picture! Just for that, I will do it! (Ugh, 14 year-olds! Ya gotta love 'em!)
I did get the Charlotte all fixed up, thanks to my good buddy, Michelle, but I don't have any pics yet. I am working on the teddy bear gansey, the inkle loom, and the table loom all at the same time, so I don't have a lot of spare time! Of course, it's all self-inflicted! And I deserve it.I am going to try and get over to Rose Path and get another weaving lesson soon.

This episode of fuzzywool brought to you by Gemma! Please ignore messy computer desk!
I am going to do some dyeing soon if at all possible.

The Post Office called...your Sea Monkies Died!

Oh well.
Yes I am absolutely the world's worst blogger! That is a heckuva long time to go all "no post" on you. And especially since I had so many exciting things happen that I could have blogged.
Oh well.
In knitting news...
Did you ever finish a project and feel sort of sad and wistful that it was all over? Something that was a constant companion in your life for months just up and left?? Like your touchstone had disappeared?!? Like you lost your best friend?!?!
Nah, me neither.
I finished my Charlotte's Web, finally. The colors are absolutely gor-jay-us! However, there was a nasty blocking incident, and I will post a pic as soon as I fix the hole. (The lesson learned is this: in lace making, you should always change yarns at the end of a row, never in the middle of a yarn over. *well duh* Nuff said?)
I am at the toe end of a sock for me, made of the loverly Trekking number 100, a beautiful rainbow that stripes, but with a subtle blended look. I love them! And I have started the little gansey pattern from Beth Brown-Reinsel's book, it is really fun and actually easier than I thought, so far.
Also, we had the grand opening of a fabulous new store, Rose Path Weaving! She does have some nice yarns, but the main purpose of the store is lessons in weaving, knitting, crocheting, etc. I have already been, and got a big ole bag of a very nice fleece, a Corriedale X, and have been wearing my arm out, drumcarding. This was CLEAN, washed, ready-to-go wool, packed in a cute cotton bag, with a picture of the sheepie (named Jessie BTW), 2 pounds for the low low price of $12.00 American. I am going to go back and get some more probably. I got some lease sticks for my table loom, a belt shuttle, and three cones of pearl cotton (3/2, I believe), and some dowels that you clamp to the table and wind your warp on. And a Jim Hockett spindle, made of bloodwood, just because it was pretty. I need to make a little sock-spindling back-pack a la Twisted Sisters. The best part is how super friendly the ladies there are, they have munchies put out and everything. In fact I think I will go over there today to get a lesson!
In personal news, we have had all the wonderful end-of-year school festitivities! Now they are all home and fighting like cats in a bag. No, actually, the kids get along great. It's me that needs some space. Gemma has changed her hair color twice, in three days, no less. Courtney is trying to break a world's record for longest video watching without a break. Fern yells,"Mama?!?" every three seconds, afraid I might get to go pee without her.
We just had a fabulous barbecue for Memorial Day weekend, but we had to have it in the garage. It started raining that Saturday, and it hasn't quit yet. As soon as we have a hot sunny day, though, I am going to do some dyeing. Fern is big enough to get a kick out of dyeing with Kool-Aid in canning jars, and this is fun to do in the sun.
That's all for now. Hopefully, in the future, I will blog a little more, and better. That's mo' better, as we like to say around these parts!