This morning, I'm supposed to be brushing out my Papillon, and giving him a bath. Today is volunteer day at the hospital. I didn't do any days last month, and this month, I signed up for one. I was hoping it wouldn't be too hot, maybe overcast to keep the car from getting too hot while we're inside. Well, we are having rain right now, and the weather people are saying we could have severe storms later. I guess I got my wish for overcast skies! If it storms before I'm to go, I will call and cancel. Meanwhile, I'm procrastinating about my duties for bathing the dog. I also need to bathe the other dog while I'm at it, my little Maltese. She needs baths more often. She gets food on the ends of her ears because she won't eat out of a bowl, she only eats off a plate. (rolling eyes here). She hates her hair to get too long and she almost acts depressed when it is! So she may get a haircut today too - depends on my energy level after 2 baths!
I just had to go back and look at my own blog, to see where I left off. I don't want to be repetitive!
I guess I posted some quilts last. I also posted previously about spinning on a spindle. Well, that didn't go so well. I ended up with a really BAD case of tennis elbow. Luckily the massage therapist I used to go to once a month (but haven't gone to in a year and a half), told me to get a BandIt band. I ordered it on Amazon and it works GREAT! I highly recommend it to anyone that might be having this issue!
Anyway, I was really enjoying seeing fiber become yarn, so hubby and I went to a local woman that sells various types of spinning wheels. I tried a couple, but really loved the Lendrum DT (double treadle) wheel. It's not too modern looking, yet it's not very traditional looking either. It's pretty easy to figure out and it folds up if you want to haul it places.
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| Side view |
It fits in the living room just fine, when I'm spinning I sit on the loveseat and spin away. The dogs still get to sit next to me, and I get to do something while we're watching t.v. I'm hooked. When I'm not spinning on it, I put it next to the t.v. and it's right next to the front door. It doesn't take up much room.
The next thing I did was make a carrying bag for it. Not easy, considering I used heavy Duck material and my little home sewing machine was NOT ready for all that work. The poor machine will need a good cleaning before I do anything else on it.
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| Front |
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| Back |
The front has a large pocket that holds a LOT. I don't really know how to do pockets on something like this so I just made it up. It now has small buttons and loops that I made for it. The buttons are out of shrinky dink plastic, with a photo I took a few years ago, of a black Swallow Tail butterfly on a lilac bush that no longer lives in our front yard. It got destroyed by the heavy snows a couple of years ago. I did a pretty danged good job on this thing though, and the wheel fits inside. I should have padded the back better though, because the wheel pokes me in the back. I would NOT go backpacking with this thing! However, it does protect it while getting it from point A to point B.
I even put binding on the seams inside so they would not unravel. Duck is a really heavy fabric (have I mentioned that before???) and it was interesting!
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| Backpack inside w/binding |
I had gone to the store the other day, and I walked past a sale rack. I saw this sitting on it, and picked it up and checked it out. Originally $44.00, it was marked down to $20. I could NOT pass it up. I can think of all sorts of uses for it. I thought it was a scrapbooking case, but no, it's a sewing machine case, on wheels. I was thinking sewing machine when I picked it up, but didn't look closely at the tag till I got home.
I have some photos to post, but I will do that in a separate post. I also have my first yarns done. I plied them last night. Problem is, my spinning wasn't great on some of the singles, as it was all a learning curve. Therefore, the yarns are a bit wonky - I mean, I'm not looking for perfect, but while plying, I ran into some broken bits on one of the skeins. As I said, learning curve. Now I KNOW what I need to do, how much twist it really needs, and the next bits I'll do better. Photos to come as I rinsed the yarn last night in hot water, then gently squeezed it out, let it drip dry in the shower. This morning it isn't quite dry, but it did leave purple streaks in the tub. I hope they came out when hubby showered. I haven't been in there yet. I still have to bathe dogs, so I will check it out then. The color running worries me a bit, so I will have a go at rinsing them again and letting them drip dry during the day today. I'd hang them out to dry, but I'm afraid they might not considering how wet it is out right now. Maybe I'll put a fan on them in the bathroom. That might help them dry faster. This is my first time working with anything wool. Learning!
Off to take care of the dogs. Then me. Then if I have energy, I'll be doing a little spinning before hospital today.
Oh, and I'm thinking of quitting the hospital. I've been doing it a couple of years, I don't do it but a couple of times a month. That's a good thing as I have commitment issues. I don't do anything else with the dog group as I think they are a bit snobby, and I haven't ever felt I fit in. Besides, poor Evan doesn't like the other dogs, and as he's grown up, he's gotten issues about other dogs being in his space. Therefore, I don't do anything with the rest of the group as it stresses him out. It's hot in the hospital and I feel like I don't enjoy it as much as I used to. I'll give today a try, then decide for sure.
Take care of yourself, do what you love, live life today. Don't live with regrets, it's not worth it.
Always,
Martha
1 comment:
You are so creative to have made that bag. Good job! I love that sewing machine case. You will love it too as I do mine. What a great bargain!
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