In Training

Ravelympics 2010

If anyone is inclined to participate, Michelle and I have joined the Ravelry Small Shawl Lovers group's "TeamWrapAroundEwe" for the Ravelympics next month.

Since we are making small shawl wraps/"shawlettes," our events will be LaceLuge and ShortRunShawl (unless they add more which would also apply).

I never understood the Ravelympics before, but apparently what happens is that you...

1) Join a team; you can join many teams and do many projects, but a completed project will only count as a "win" for ONE team. Your project, entered for one team, CAN count for multiple "event" categories (i.e., lace, shawls, etc.);

2) Enter your project info on a new Ravelry Project Page; using Team, Ravelympic, and Event tags so that Ravelry can magically "see" your project and apply it to the proper Team. These tags will be made available by Casey automatically when the games begin, on your Project Page, triggered by tagging "ravelympics2010" there;

3) Don't cast on until the opening ceremony;

4) Knit/crochet/spin furiously while watching the Olympics on TV;

5) Complete your project and mark finished on its Ravelry project page;

7) Get a "medal" to put on your blog!

It's all "calculated" automatically at Ravelry by the tags you assign to your project when starting it. The tags are what are most important - they "register" your project as participating in the games.

Hope that makes sense. Took me forever to figure it out!

Here is a Ravelry link, if you'd like to join our particular group and team:

http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/small-shawl-lovers/858069/1-25

And here are the official Ravelympics 2010 rules:

http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/ravelympics-2010/914393/1-25#2

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In Training


I'm warming up my needles by working on this Ishbel in Malabrigo Laceweight ("Ravelry Red" colorway - how appropriate!) I'm doing the size large stockinette section and the size small lace section; I've read on Ravelry that I ought to be able to complete this with a single skein of yarn. Luckily, I have a second skein, just in case.



Good thing I'm in training as I made a big, fat mistake on this project while visiting with Michelle last week. See how the centerline veers by the needles there? Oops. And it's not even difficult at this point! We were having too much fun chatting, methinks... But she was doing the lace border on Aestlight - I can't even imagine doing that in a silent room, much less while having coffee at Mickey D's!

Terri just finished her Ishbel - isn't it lovely? Be sure to take a peek at Sabrina and Apollo, her beautiful dogs!

To cross-train, I'm crocheting a hexagon afghan in Blue Sky Alpaca's dyed cotton - SO soft (and thick, which is great for instant gratification-minded crafters like myself...)

The inspiration is from Lucy at the Attic24 blog - I love love love her color sense! I hope to have my craft loft looking like her home one day. Color is so inspiring and healing... and I don't get enough of it here in the winter hinterlands. Check her out and I bet you'll say, "I love Lucy!" too.

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The dogs are so pleased to have their new giant run. Some days, when it warms above 30° or so, they refuse to come in when called. I've stopped calling them, as I don't want to train them to ignore me when I can't "enforce" a command (and believe me, I'm not about to go chasing them over an acre of snowy, rutted pasture!) So I just wait patiently until they've gotten all the "piss and vinegar" out of their systems, and then reward them with a treat and a cheerful "Come!" when they finally scratch on the door to collapse on their poofs.



Somehow, I think I'm the one being trained...

After tackling the last-minute packing (in a house with no heat, and then no electricity), moving stuff to the new house, missing the holidays completely, not having the dog run installed pre-move, dealing with winter chores while Chef Jeff spent a week in New Orleans for work, and tearing something in my knee slipping on the post-firefighting-hose-water ice, I'm a tiny bit worn out. Getting the new seed catalogs in the mail isn't helping my cabin fever! So here's hoping for a colorful, early Spring! I have my eye on a "Bubblegum Plum" tree to order...



"Mama, can I go outside to play again?"


Sigh.

Crafters Making A Difference

This article appeared in The West River Eagle, the local newspaper in Eagle Butte, SD (please click to read it in a new window):

To get involved, you can join this Yahoo! Group, look here on Ravelry if you're a member, or visit Kary's blog.

Way to go, Kary and crafters! I'm so proud to know you guys!

Busy-ness!

They're here, they're here! Aren't they pretty? Love these new Knit Picks Options Harmony needles!

Between those and my BallyK box set, I plan to be very busy in the coming days.

Before the needles arrived and tempted me with their gorgeous colors and smooth finish, I'd planned to work on a couple of crochet kits. This was thanks to the lovely Dawn, whose incredible group project got me interested in picking up my hooks once more.

And by the way, Dawn, thank you for nominating me a Rockin' Girlrrl Blogger! I'm honored! I must pass the torch to Claudia and Nanette and Kelley, whose photos, projects, and zest for living always inspire me. They definitely rock!

But the Kim Hargreaves beret and scarf will have to wait a bit, because now I'm contemplating this pattern, using Knit Picks Wool Of The Andes yarn in a mixed purple and gray colorway called Pidgeon Twist.

I tried to do some spinning this week - the first time I've had a wheel in operation since adopting the pups (how sad is that - we've had Emma for over a year now!)

I'd forgotten, though, what it is to train puppy dogs about spinning wheels.

Of course, being the Doggie Llama, the reincarnation of our incredible whippet, Fiona, Dobie Emma had no problem picking it right up.

She tested the twist to see how the yarn would look plied...

... and carried right on with her drafting.

If Emma can learn to spin, no doubt I should be able to pick up watercolors, hmmm?

I have some super-duper farm news to share... stay tuned!

Feed The Birds, Tuppinz A Bag...

Folks often ask why we named our new place "Tuppinz Farm". Fact is, it's a malapropism for "tuppence" (twopence) from the "Feed The Birds" song in the movie "Mary Poppins".



When looking for a new job, Jeff would jokingly say he wanted to go out and "get tuppinz" for us. For ages, he thought that's how the word was actually spelled. I believe he thought it meant birdseed...



The lyrics of the song extol the virtues of providing for others.



My British friend Pamela, familiar with J's job and new home search, his quote, and our love for those furry and feathered, suggested the name "Tuppinz Farm" when we purchased our new (old) farm.



Pamela sent Jeff a congratulatory copper twopenny piece, and thus Tuppinz Farm was christened.

There's an interesting anecdote about Walt Disney's love for the song here.







We just got a fairly heavy snowstorm. You can still see the grass in areas, but on sections of the roads near here, the drifts were higher than the snowplows, which had to practically tunnel through.
















I'm enjoying the peace and quiet now that the winds have died down.

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On The Fiber Front

Inspired by this, seen again here, and this, more of which can be seen here, I started something new.

I don't know who said it first, the Mason-Dixon gals or Kaffe Fassett, but one is supposed to be able to combine any colors, cool and warm, if one leaves out black, white, primaries and pastels.

I think my yarns must be exempt from that theory, so my niece did not receive this for her first birthday. Perhaps it will make a nice blanket for the Emma Doba.

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I've had a sore throat for two weeks and now I think I've caught Jeff's bronchitis. I've been diffusing this Aura Cacia oil today in the hopes that I'll be able to breathe again by tonight:

Take Aura Cacia's survey for a 20% discount.

The little dude on the right? That's Pi Yao/Pi Xiu. According to the art of Feng Shui, he will protect me - a Snake in the Chinese astrological calendar - from the Grand Duke Jupiter (Tai Sui), who is in conflict with Snakes this year. Here is my fortune for the year:

The snake conflicts the Tai Sui in 2007. It means the snake confronts the Tai Sui directly from the opposite direction like in "wrestling position" with the Tai Sui. No one can win the Tai Sui because he will be the victorious wrestler of the year. This kind of energy conflict is the fiercest of all. Problems associated to such a disagreement are for example the death of a loved family member, accidents, injuries, death, hospitalization, money loss, bankruptcy, demotion and losing a job. There will also be possible changes in the love relationship, therefore one has to exercise caution. Therefore, the snake should consider donating their blood and doing more charity in 2007. The worst months are the lunar 4th month and 10th month. During these months, the snake will lose in every area of their life. The best is to travel far away on holiday during those months.

Lovely.

Other horror-scopes I've seen indicate severe problems after moving into a new home or when undertaking renovations. We had an incredible spate of bad luck when we moved into our new (old) house. We went from being on top of the world to having huge problems in every area of our lives. Then I learned about the Grand Duke not liking Snakes this year, and that little Pi Yao might help. I got three.

Well, with the installation of the Pi Yaos, hanging the Tibetan prayer flags, burning lots of incense (perhaps that's why we have bronchitis?), and a lot of positive thoughts, things have turned around.

By the way, has anyone not heard about The Secret yet? Three people recommended it to me in 24 hours. It's a lot I'd known and practiced during my life, but I'd gotten out of the habit, so it was a great reminder.

I'm not one to believe in the power of "lucky charms" but I do believe in the power of our thoughts, and I like having symbolic things around that remind me to focus on the positive things in life and maintain a sense of gratitude in all circumstances.