Going to The Fair

For fun and bragging rights, I entered the El Paso County Fair this year. First, I have to say that everyone should enter whatever their craft or hobby to their own county fair - assuming you have one. It was only $5.00 for unlimited creative arts entries. And I won. Not first place, but for my first time entering I was very happy to win 2nd place in spinning.

That purple is my 2ply merino wool, called Lilac Mist. It really is beautiful. And the judge says it is a "nice ply job and has nice drape." I am really proud of it.

And I also turned in a K's yellow halter for the children's clothing category - 3rd place! There were a couple of mistakes and I knew it, and the judge did too! The main one was a goofed up stitch in the back along the seam and it was pretty obvious.

Last, I entered a purple v-neck dress (for K) in the miscellaneous category and again 3rd place. The judge said I had a knot in it - heck I can't find it still, but I bet the judge is right. It was Noro yarn and if you know Noro you know it occassionally has knots in the yarn. If I had thought I was turning it into the fair when I knit it, I would have cut it out and spliced, but I didn't so I didn't. Next year I plan to make things specifically for the fair. And enter the state fair! WooHoo!

I loved the fair! It was so fun, the kids got to see and pet a whole lot of animals. They also got to see all the creative arts, including those done by children, and now want to enter next year. I am encouraging hubby to enter his delicious chocolate chip cookies, I know he could win! I tried my first fried twinkie, it was very good.

Now it is official, I am the 3rd best child's knitter, 3rd best miscellaneous knitter and 2nd best spinner in El Paso County! Or maybe not, but definitely a winner at this year's county fair!

Best Birthday Part 2

TaDa. This is my beautiful jeweled box with the jewel lady my super talented nephew made for my birthday. You can see the jewels reflecting off my table. I think my box brought my good luck at the county fair too! Updates with pictures tomorrow on the El Paso County Fair results.

My whole birthday weekend was wonderful. I had such a great time with my family.

Best Birthday Weekend, Part 1

I had a wonderful weekend celebrating my birthday by getting away with some of my favorite female friends and family. Girls only! It started with my mother in law and sister in law picked up myself and my friend and we went to Castle Rock. I was so excited when our first stop was Stash, a cute yarn shop in Castle Rock, where we met another sister in law and niece. AND my SIL and MIL both gave me gift certificates which I spent on my very first Tofutsies sock yarn:



AND my first Zauerball sock yarn - isn't it beautiful? I obviously am a purple/lavendar kind of gal.

Now I am going to fast forward because I am in a hurry but want to post the pictures of the most amazing gift I received. My wonderful, talented, beautiful, bestest sisterinlaw created the best folk art - well, look for yourself at a couple of pictures.

The back wall (this is a decompouge - did I spell that right? - on the back wall)

Inside of the wood box are the most amazing figures - myself knitting with K on my lap, a basket with yarn and our cat asleep on a mat. You can't see all the details, they are amazing. The cat's one eye is open just a slit, like they do to check you out as they sleep. Look at the door, those are little clay pics she made, painted. I just can't tell you how impressive this gift is! Just beautiful! Totally amazing! I have run out of adjectives to describe it.

Now, I realize looking at the pic below, due to the angle of the pic, I look like I am going to stab the child in my lap - but I am not, those are knitting needles.

I just had to show everyone my sisterinlaw's work. She is so amazing. I have another amazing box her son, A, created but have run out of time to post a pic of it and my other gifts, as well as finish telling about the best birthday ever. So there will be a part two soon.

I

Fiber to Dye For

I finally got to play with my fiber. My oldest son got me a sampler dye kit so I played with it. All of it magenta

First dye bath. Very bright and beautiful. 2 ozs. of merino wool.
















Then we have some lovely cotton candy looking merino wool. That was the second dye job, as the dye was not nearly exhausted.


















Last through the dye bath was 1 oz. of the targhee. It is a beautiful pale pink. Not completely even because the dye bath was pretty close to exhausted.

I had such a great time playing with the dye. I am excited to start mixing a couple colors and making the roving multi color. Currently I have brillant blue drying in the shower. And boy is it brilliant. Wear your sunglasses tomorrow.

Luckiest Woman Alive!

The Husband did not let me down. I can not believe what all he got me. Those big brown bags contain one pound of undyed merino roving, a half pound of targhee, a half pound of Baby Alpaca (and yes it is so soft it deserves to be capitalized) and a half pound of silk hankies and caps.

And here I am loving my merino.




It is so exciting that I don't know where to start. He also got me chocolate, slippers, a gift certificates for a facial, haircut, style and highlights, and massage, and to the LYS, a wonderful fancy niddy-noddy, a hand flicker, slippers, made dinner and cleaned up. He is so wonderful.

I can't wait to start spinning this up! Can't wait to dye it! Can't wait!

Today is My 40th Birthday!

Today is my 40th birthday and I couldn't be happier. I always thought I would hate turning 40, but I look at my life and am thrilled to be at this point. I have a wonderful family, healthy children, sexy, thoughtful spouse and am all around so very lucky and grateful for all that I have. And now I am learning to blog. Who knew when I was born 40 years ago that computers would be so powerful, so important and such a part of our lives? Well, I guess Bill Gates figured it out quickly. I am little behind Bill and many people, but I am going to blog about my fiber life, my real life and throw in some fun pictures and antedotes on life. Some days it feels like a sitcom!

I saw a book recently Coming of Age, All Over Again. That is how I feel. Except the book is about turning 50 and I am only 40. But I have always been mature for my age. Married young, children young - actually reverse that. And now I am 40 with 3 wonderful children of all ages and all with the same wonderful husband. And I do feel better, happier, and more confident now than I ever did at 20 or 30. I thought I knew things, but I know more now. Or maybe I now know that I know nothing? Haha, no answers or great wisdom was with me this morning when I woke up that I didn't have yesterday, but I do know more or know to question more now! So for all those who dread any certain age, quit it, the only alternative to aging is death and that is no alternative at all. Life is so beautiful!

Tomorrow I will attempt to add a picture or two of all my wonderful presents the Husband has spoiled me with. So many people complain about their spouse and forgetting birthdays and so forth, not mine. He is too awesome about that!

Here are 10 things about my life:

1. I have three children - 2 boys, 1 girl - 1 male husband, 2 aquatic frogs, 1 guinea pig, 1 Lhasa Alspo, 1 gorgeous cat and 2 canaries - so yea, I live in a small zoo.

2. I have an enormous, loving extended family on my husband's side and a loving not so enormous family on my side.

3. I had my first child at 18 and my last at 36. It was a big karma joke on me as I always said I'd be done raising my child at 36. I am pretty sure Fate is still laughing at me. And if I get pregnant again, well, that would be something wouldn't it?

4. I love my family. Yes, you know that, but I love researching my ancestors. Regular people who did nothing other than lived, loved, paid taxes, raised children (and often corn and cows), and died. People like them are the heroes.

5. I won't discuss politics or religon on my blog and rarely in real life. Why bother, chances are you aren't going to change someone's mind and you certainly aren't changing my mind.

6. Lucky Number 7 for me as you can imagine. Total 7/7/70 - I mean what could be more divine. And that is why my birthday has always been and always will be special.

7. I have not met anyone who was born 6/6/60 - if we did meet, would that be like some sort of sign?

8. When I worked outside of the home, I was a legal assistant. I enjoyed it as I did "nice" law - business, estate planning.

9. Hate housework. Which is why it is ironic I am supposedly a housewife. I am not really, I am a stay at home mother and a stay at home wife which I do very well, but the Husband cleans quite a bit. And that is good.

10. I am more interesting than this list indicates. I am fun and silly and love to dance to Dancing Queen and Staying Alive.