A Simple Trip to Michaels

It really was that simple. I explained how bored I was sitting in a motel room with my leg propped on pillows (a simple twist of the knee has me grounded). Then a phone call for a lunch date with a girlfriend turned into a quick trip to way-lay the boredom. I bought needles that I don't have at home and secretly let her pick out the yarn - as the felted bag I'm making will be hers in the end. Sh-h-h!!

It's my first black and greys, and its a bigger TOTE bag. It is done in a few short hours, except the felting and finding the handles.

Thanks for lookin.

My Next Project

Knit and Felt

This is the cover to my pattern book. It has 3 purses that I made from one pattern. The detailed patterns will complete the book. It will be a .pdf file to download. I'll be selling it on etsy.com in a few months. What price to put on it, how to make it a downloadable file, and checking and re-checking the pattern details and embellishments will take time, thus the delay in publishing it.

Let me know what you think so far. I'm so excited.

I DID IT AGAIN!!

When will I learn?

One never knows how or when to prepare for life's interuptions. We left Arizona on motorcycles early May, went to California, and rode across country with over 900 registered riders with Run For The Wall, www.rftw.org. Now the month is almost gone, on the 13th I twisted my knee, had to trailer my bike 2 days, then rode 8 to get to Washington DC for Memorial Day. The pain has been a huge disappointment, the swelling very nerve wracking, at times, but I completed the mission ... now I'm on bedrest till the swelling and pain subsides.

Here's the top of the learning curve!

Why didn't I bring my knitting - unbelievable long periods of time with NOTHING but crazy TV shows and roaring hotel air conditioners ... BORED STIFF ... Yes I did get an electric wheel chair to move around some, but how silly do I look in that...I want to get back to walking, and WHERE IS MY KNITTING WHEN I'M LAID UP? I could have finished 3 or 4 bags by now. May have to find a yarn shop today???

I'm on the mend, but grounded in the meantime ...

My new "Old Saying" I just made up today:

THERE IS ALWAYS ROOM FOR A BALL OF YARN

AND TWO NEEDLES IN THE MOTORCYCLES SADDLEBAGS

Run For The Wall Parades to Washington DC

I'm about the 10th bike in this video...the hubby is bike number 8.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VvLPNsXRVI

Vietnam Veterans and Their MEMORIAL DAY

Well, they say less people are traveling on this holiday weekend, but that doesn't seem to fit what we're seeing in Washington DC this weekend. Over 300,000 motorcyclists are expected to stage for a parade tomorrow morning for Rolling Thunder.

We participated in THE LONGEST RIDE HOME called Run For The Wall, starting in Los Angeles area on May 14th and arriving last night in Washington DC area. We all go to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in a few minutes. The group picture could have as many as 800 people in it on the Lincoln Memorial Steps, then we all traverse the grassy area to THE WALL. More than 1/3 of the men and women in that walk have never participated in the RUN FOR THE WALL, and their emotional impact of the memorial will be monitored by all of us who have repeated the journey this year. I've posted a picture of the vehicle that got me across country. I broke out of the pack yesterday and rode the 150 miles by myself.

The Run http://www.rftw.org/ was so emotional for me this year, as exactly 40 years ago this week my hubby returned from basic training, and he took his first duty station for advanced training. We had our first anniversary a month later, we had our first son 9 months later, and my hubby left one day before Jim's birth. While he was overseas, Jim and I moved so many times I couldn't count. When the hubby returned from overseas we had another son. Our two sons cost us 27.50 total, one of the few advantages of Army kids. Jim was 2.50 .50/day for "rations" while in the hospital. Ken was a $25.00 deductible in a civilian hospital, the army paid for the rest.

After the military, we dropped out of society, bought a farm and started preparing for a counter culture...we had a lot of hurts, disappointments, anger, etc. We bought a volkswagon van, partied and surrounded ourselves with friends of like-mindedness, finding ourselves with many alternatives to current mindset. So open minded our brains were falling out, so to speak. The journey back to reality was a long process I'm still sorting out, if anyone is interested in discussing it. Anywho, today I plan to leave a piece of me at the WALL. More to follow.

This year on the RUN FOR THE WALL each of the 10 days we read "On This Day 40 Years Ago," we did research on Soldiers Missing in Action in 1968 and Prisoners of War from this month that year. We read one each day, and handed the card to a new participant to carry to the wall. 10 days,

10 of the more than 58,000 names on the wall were featured as we rode across.

TWO HAVE SACRIFICED:

The soldier: for my freedom,

God's Son, Jesus: for my eternal salvation.

Felting Mystique

I haven't been able to knit now for 15 days. I'm not sure I'll be able to for another 8 days. Withdrawals are setting in. One issue is my right hand, it aches so bad, for a good reason. I just completed a cross country ride on my motorcycle, I don't have cruise control, and I had to maintain a set speed side-by-side in a pack of approximately 250 to 350 bikes every day for 10 days. The ole' right hand is totally resting, heat and ice, in preparation for evenings in the knitting love-seat at my home-sweet-home. I'm wool yarn shopping ... hoping to find sales in the summer, as I have a new business in mind, and I'm so ready to start cranking out product.

I'm also on the hunt for pendants (unique ones) to add the personal creative touch to each item. I'm hoping to convince sister #3 to make my unique designer tags for each item I sell...watch out ETSY. My plan is to take pictures, some step-by-step instructions, and sell the patterns in addition to the products. Can you tell I'm excited?

So another 8 or 10 days on the motorcycle then back to the hot-seat, cranking out felted items for this fall and winter.

FOR A GOOD REASON!!

Wow, it's been a few days since I've posted. It really is for a good reason (or two). From packing for a major event, to lovin' on grandkids, the knitting has taken the back seat!!



I've finished two projects though since the "ONE-DAY" project in the last post.



Andrea saw the "One Day Project" and put in a special request for one from the same yarn as her sweater.

Yep this one is out of the Paton's SWS (Soy Wool Stripes) Earth, with a base from Patons Merino Wool.


The other I'm calling "Candy Corn" for some reason, I think it's sweet and it reminds me of Fall, Harvest, and my favorite snack (if only it were fat free). Ever tried mixing candy corn with dry roasted peanuts...keep them away from me, that's always the beginning of my Holiday Weight Gain, but right now I'm on the Low Life diet, Low Fat - No Life!



This one stands on it's own because I felted it for a longer time, and used Lion Brand Felting Wool (with a Patons Merino Wool Base like the other two).



With a close up of the beautiful copper trim I found in Bloomington, my hubby hopes to take lessons on making these find gems!!

No more projects for awhile gotta ride cross country on my motorcycle...won't have time to knit. http://www.rftw.org/