agility dog

Hi... this is Jesse... the number one agility dog... she is mixed breed, a Jack Russel cross... lovingly know as the "Rat Dog"...she weighs about 12 pounds.. and is bout 12 inches tall...
Having problem deciding what to do with the Magenta merino i bought for Doreene...was going to do a scarf, but decided she had enough scarves..and don't have enough for make a shawl... does anyone have an idea... was thinking of using some other wool... but she doesn't like strips.. what about the garter and lace shawl...doing the center of the shawl in grey and the lace part with the pink....i just finished the same shawl in brown aplaca... turned out good...When it is bright enough in here i will take a picture.. the brown will be hard to photograph... hugs

100 gram fibre exchange

Here are some of the things made from our 100 gram fibre exchange

Annie's pink/purple scarf was also made with one on Andrea's top knots. The white scarf was made for Kay and the blue scarf was made for Doreene out of one of Andrea's top knots i think, spun very fine

Bev's felted mat and Christmas ornaments were also made from one of Andrea's top knots the brown scarf was made with merino for Caroline

this is where my camera batteries died so i am waiting for Andrea to send me the rest of the photos so you all can see them... it was a great challenge... we had to make something out of stuff that we might not have liked..and had to make it go far enough to make something with...a few of the girls found it a real challenge as some of the fibre was not exciting or well prepared... but we all did it... see ya

what a weekend

Hi...what a busy weekend.... took both dogs, Jesse (son's dog) and Dixie to agility Saturday morning... ran Dixie first... what a pain she is... she just puts the brakes on... won't go over jumps... goes around them... so i gave her a shake.. and she smartened up..and did really well at the last run.... then ran Jesse in the next class...it was so easy... she knows what i want and flies over the jumps and thru the tunnels..and up over the dog walk and A frame... although she goes so fast she wears me out...and she is finished way before i get to the last obstacle.. Dixie will figure out it is fun one of these days...
And then yesterday afternoon, Larry and i got into burning the front field..Judy-sue's dad is going to work it up for us... so we wanted to burn up the pinecones and needles...so worked at that for a couple of hours...and went out again this morning... worked a couple more hours, came in for lunch... and as he was sleeping i looked out and saw the whole valley filled with smoke the wind had picked... got him up and got down into the field just in time to stop the fire going into the neighbours..smoked up the whole valley, had all the neighbours driving by to see what all the smoke was about..of course the neighbours right next door weren't happy... but they are a pain in the butt all the time... anyway we spent the next 2 hours out there making sure that it was almost out.. just a few smoking spots... we both smelt like a smoke house...it was not good for my lungs or Larry's broken foot..........it was like having our own California fire storms... i am sooooooooooo tired... early to bed tonite for sure............ nite

boring day

Nothing exciting today... went to town, met friend for "Japanese", and got my hair cut.. sure feels better and of course looks better too... I finally got the shawl off the needles..it was the Garter and Lace one...the garter part was easy and the lace part was easy, but that part took forever...i will take a picture after i get it washed and blocked..made it out of my own alpaca that i got Marie to spin up for me...it still has the spinning oil on it..so i expect it to blossom after the oil is washed out..I made it for a friend who is need of a hug, but lives too far away... i will mail it to her as soon as it is dry... i started the wild colour scarf for my friend who loves the colour... i spun it fine, but as it is merino it is blossoming as i knit it...almost got that purple silk spun up... i ordered myself a wool lee winder right after the retreat so am expecting it any day..i will ply the silk on it...and hopefully as the advert says my spinning will improve...Off to agility tomorrow morning... hope the weather isn't too cold... got an email from Andrea this morning and it was -10 at her place this morning... only -5 here...only warmed up to 9 degrees today...i meant to make the dogs a bed for them to lay on, but forgot... oh well will find an old blanket for them... talk to ya soon... silk

guild birthday party

Greetings... 11 spinners showed up for the Guild Birthday party... we have one big birthday party a year... we can't remember every one's birth date... so we decided to have just one big one a year...everyone got great gifts... i personally got a knitting bag on wheels... the red hat society one... i don't belong, but i do love the bag..lets see if i can remember what everyone got... Jean got a cute pair of horse salt and pepper shakers..Kay got a "sun lamp", May got a leather bound journal and soap, Doreene got some lavender soap from France, Bernice got some fibre, top knots ...Sheila got a rotor cutter and a cutting board... Bev got a bag of Fibre, Andrea got a grass knitting bag, Caroline got some bath stuff, Annie got a book on dolls and a picture frame... can't believe i remember them all..
We did our project return today... i took a few picture till my !@#$ camera told me to change the batteries.... wish it would show in advance when the batteries are getting low..although this was the first time i ran out of power... Andrea took some too, and she is to send them to me, so i can put them on here... It was a good project as we had to do something that we hadn't chosen..and in some cases didn't like...but they all turned out great... and everyone seemed pleased...
Only thing wrong with the party, it was potluck, Doreene and i both brought Spinach salad... so we ate hers, and i brought my spinach home and made a spinach quiche... it's in the oven and sure smells good.... can hardly wait for supper.... nite nite.... silk

dog agility

Hi... the dogs do run the course, but they can't do it with out the handler...have you ever seen dog agility... they go over jumps, A frames, dog walks, tunnels, chutes, weave poles, titter totters, and more jumps.... they need guidance so they know what to take next...Jesse is just too fast, everyone there calls her the Rat Dog... and Dixie is slow, so she is easier to handle... the area as a sandy gravel base, it is like running in sand...and of course my weight doesn't help much, and it has been a couple of weeks since we last had a class... i will take my camera next time and will show you the other dogs, can't take pictures of my own dog when i am running.. hopefully i will be able to trial Jesse this winter in a few one days trials, and then again during the summer.... and Dixie too if she finally gets that this is fun... Guild is having their annual birthday party tomorrow... we are going up to Andrea's for the day...we exchange nice gifts, and have a pot luck, haven't decided what i am taking, either Spinach quiche, or spinach salad.... better get my act in gear and get into town.... see ya

What a wild colour... not what i would normally spin, but Doreene really liked the colour so i thought i would make her a scarf for Christmas... now i just have to find a pattern, i was thinking about the feather and fan, but have done that several times, found one on MagKnits.. "Party Lace Scarf " only 4 rows of pattern, just what i like... so will ball this yarn up today and give it a try, i hate patterns that i always make mistakes with...if i find it too hard, i will do the feather and fan... easy and fast to knit..

I am very lazy today... took Jesse, (son's dog) a Jack Russel X and Dixie (my dog) to Agility yesterday, Dixie is a border collie, but a slow one, so she runs in the starters class for slow dogs or beginners, and then I run Jesse in the next class for Fast Starters..3 hours of running thru sandy soil is really hard on this old girl...and we were having friends over for supper and cards (canasta), so i rushed home, finished up supper, and stood in the hottest shower i could stand for 20 minutes... Supper was okay, veggie casserole didn't turn out to good, but Chicken (homegrown) and spuds (double baked cheese) were excellent, and Glynnis's pecan pie was great... woke up with sore hips and achy shoulders this morning... didn't even get out to do chores till 10 am...sheep were a little hungry..and dogs wanted out...even Larry was lazy this morning, he didn't leave the house till 11 am...nice lazy day today... cold chicken sandwiches for lunch and more left over chicken and spuds for supper... you guys better write on your blog more...hugs

morning... this is Yankee our 4 year old African Grey... what a character he is... Larry has been teaching him to say "Where's the Wabbitt" and he just said 'Wabbitt'...he has a good vocabulary...probably 200 words...everything from 'see ya' to ' where ya at by'.. we have more laughs at him... at least once a day he gives us a laugh...
we had DAMN snow last nite, and some left this morning, my hay bales had snow on them... rained here just like the coast yesterday... all day... poor sheep, llama, and alpacas were soaked to the skin, only the llama and alpaca went into the shelter.. snow on the hills around us... but the sun is trying to shine right now...but of course i got soaked doing chores...
I got that Magenta fibre all spun up, and am now plying it...it was for a scarf for Doreene, she just loved the colour, so thought it would be a good gift for here... i need sunglasses to deal with it... but it turned out good... i will get a picture up here when i get it off.... think i will do the feather and fan pattern, it is easy and fast, should have it done by Christmas...have a great day...

hi.... this is my Bouvier, Jackson... what a clown he is... i was trying to fold up a tarp to cover the wood pile and he thought i was playing and just sat on the tarp with his ball and won't move...what a bone head... hopefully i fixed the security problem, let me know if it still doesn't work... nothing exciting around here... trying to catch up on the company books, i am so far behind i think i am in the lead... we are having friends over for cards and supper on Saturday nite...going to have home grown roasted chicken, double baked spuds with cheese, and a cauliflower/broccoli/mushroom/cheese cassarole...and girlfriend is bring pecan pie... sounds good eh...i also have to take two dogs to dog agility on Saturday morning, i will be worn out as i have to run for an hour with each of them...so have to have everything done on Friday so i can sleep wehn i get home... better go... hear laundry is done... cheers...

I'm back

Hello, Gail,Karen and Sharon

Now that i know someone reads this stuff, i will try to keep up with you all..
I spent a wonderful fall weekend in Cache Creek, at (affectionately known as)"the Nunnery", full to the rafters we were, but the joy of seeing old friends and meeting new ones was abundant..not just for me but for everyone.. Judy Sue and i left home about 10:30 am on Friday...we just had to stop at Coyote Bluff... gift store on Hwy 1 at the Ashcroft turnoff... and of course we both bought stuff... met Donna at the Log House Restaurant... had a quick lunch and got to the Retreat at 1 pm... got unloaded and started setting up, and guests started showing up at 1:30.. oh well, they had to help set up...wasn't long before everyone was spinning up a storm.."She who won't be notice" and her partners kept us in stitches most of the evening..some spinners sat up spinning to the wee hours, meals of course were great... nothing fancy, just good wholesome meals... Saturday was a beautiful sunny day, popular leaves were a brilliant yellow, lots of laughs, shopping, eating and just plain goofiness(is that a word) Judy Sue did very well selling her mohair, made her happy... had a hoot at Celia trying to make a skein, twisting with the right hand, untwisting with the left.. finally got it all sorted...again spinners spinning to the wee hours.... Sunday is a sad day, no one wants to go home, right GAIL...and in most cases we won't see each other for a year.. maybe 6 months this year... if the Spring Retreat works... maybe we will have a different batch of spinners in the Spring.. lets hope it works out.... better go see what Larry is up too... mucking about with the washer... glad to have ya all there............. Hugs Sheila