Spinning thoughts

I had someone come up for a beginning lesson on spinning Saturday. She had a great time, I think. We sat and spun for 2 hours, and she is coming back this Saturday. I was surprised that I didn't have very many spindles on hand, so I sent her home with my David Reed Smith Judi. Stephanie picked it up fast, she went from lumpy bumpy to smooth very quickly.

I LOVE my Woolie Winder! I didn't think it would make that much of a difference in my spinning. I had heard on the lists that it would, but thought, "yeah, right." After I sold the loom, I bought one, but never sat down to try it out. In sorting out fibers to teach Stephanie, I found some Lincoln roving. I thought it was too coarse for a beginner, but it might make some good socks... So, I prepared that roving, and spun up a Louet bobbin in what will be sportweight yarn in one afternoon. No changing the hooks, no interruption in spinning, just go and go!

Well, one afghan, one sweater off in the mail. No pictures, test knitting for someone.

The creeping crud hit here and has lingered. I'm on the way back, though, and that is good. Three weeks is too long to deal with a cold! Prednisone is wonderful stuff. Blech, but the results are great!

Gift Certificates

I was graced with gift certificates to Webs (from Serena) and to the yarn store near Kim and Nathan for my birthday. I feel like a miser. I greedily go to the web pages and pore over them, deciding what I will get, them deciding to come back another time. Each time, I choose something different, with great glee. I'm having so much FUN, choosing! I know I will eventually make a choice, and will be delighted with that choice, just as I made a choice at Halcyon with Serena's Christmas gift certificate. That went on a pound of cotton/linen yarn and one of the Elsbeth Lavold books.

There is a difference with spending my own money and someone's gift money. I want the gift money "spent" to be something I will look at later and remember "that is from ...!" While I'm knitting with it, or wearing it, or reading it, I want to be reminded of that person. This isn't for an item that is to be used a few times and then dismissed. This is for the things that stay with me. hmmm... No WONDER I have such a time spending them!

But, there is a joy in it as well. Because the gift certificates also tell me that they know me well enough to know what I want. Kim and Nathan also gave me Yarn Harlot's first book and a yarn bracelet. Instead of hanging the bracelet from my wrist, it is hanging from the lamp in my knitting nest in the living room. The yarn pulls beautifully that way, no tangles. Do they know me, or what? LOL

The Party

This is the whole family when we presented Howard with a new stole during the service. From left to right is Kim, Nathan, Howard, Serena and me.


Some of the ladies made a quilt for us, they wanted a picture of the two of us wrapped in it.


Here is the whole family "wrapped" in the quilt.

The whole celebration was so wonderful for us. It was a gift from the congregation, affirming Howard and his choice of careers. I think it was good for the rest of us as well, as we have been there WITH him through his 30 years of ministry. It really doesn't SEEM like 30 years!