Episode 63: Just Keep Spinning

Kid N Ewe in Boerne was a FUN fiber festival. I stayed with Buffalo Gold most of the time - but also had time to visit with Brooks Farm Yarn (what is that in my bag?) and the Knitting Fairy.

I got some fiber (wonderful Butterfly Bits) for SPINNING from Butterfly Girl.

recommended podcasts:

Cogknitive

Knitajourney

CraftLit

I finished the Mara shawl and have now started on a Baby Blanket in Linen.

Have you ever been to Kid N Ewe?

Kid N Ewe in Boerne was AWESOME! I spent most of my time in the Buffalo Gold booth - but I did get to walk around and shop some too.

It seems that I spent most of my money at Brooks Farm... I got enough Willow for a shawl in some lovely citrus yellow shades. I KNOW that won't look very good on me, but I DON'T care. I love the yellow/green colors and will use it just because I love it. I also got enough Acero for the same shawl in a color that WILL look good on me (Black & Silver). I also bid on the Brooks Farm Silent Auction entry which was full of an assortment of Brooks Farm yarns. It was put together so prettily - but I didn't get a picture. It was a bright shiny pail that was lined with some pretty blue fiber (I am not sure what kind - but I am going to spin it anyway). The pretty fiber supported a bottle of red wine, two jars of nuts, two wine glasses, chocolates, celebration horns and confetti. These were nestled in skeins of Mas Acero, Ellie, Four Play, Solana, & Solo. it was all wrapped up prettily with some bright ribbons and cellophane. I was so excited that I overbid myself and had to borrow some money from my girlfriend to pay! (I have already paid her back and I sent her home with some fiber as well). I also got a couple of bags of Butterfly bits from Butterfly girl. That is fiber, if you didn't know. I also picked up a couple of skeins of Fiberlady laceweight in a beautiful indigo dyed color. The color matches the Big Texan's eyes and I am going to make him a scarf out of it. I don't care if it is shiny - it will be beautiful and make him look sooo handsome.

So did you notice that I said I was going to spin some fiber? Yup - I am. My girlfriend had me buy a spindle and she taught me how to spin on it. My yarn isn't very good - but I am really enjoying it. She just sat me down and made me do it. I think I was finally ready because I actually WANTED to do it and I wasn't afraid for the first time. It seems silly to be afraid to spin - but there it is...

I have been spinning every evening for about 10-15 minutes since I got home and I really really like it. I just don't want it to get in the way of my knitting.

Speaking of knitting, I finally finished the Mara shawl and the Chevron scarf. I thought I would NEVER get done with them - but they are finished! I seriously think the Mara shawl was unknitting itself at night so that I would have to continue knitting on it...

I have never had a shawl that fit me properly... I always make them too big because I am so short. But this one fits me JUST RIGHT! It doesn't make me look shorter than I am (which is a feat in itself). It makes me realize that I need to adjust my patterns more instead of just following directions blindly. Customization is key in knitting! This shawl is done in Madelinetosh yarn (Malachite color)... yum...

The Chevron scarf has yet to be blocked - but I just LOVE the way it looks. I like the colors in it so much that I am going to make a hat to go with it. I have plenty of yarn for it.

I also came home with a pair of gloves from Buffalo Gold. These are for MMM (Math Marine Man) in Chicago. They will be plenty warm for him and he will love them.

I took my camera with me - but I didn't take ONE - NOT ONE - picture. I am sooooo bad. The Big Texan did NOT come with me either, so it was a little strange. I did have a girlfriend come with me and I am so glad. It was great to have someone to hang out with for dinner and we made ourselves peanut butter and banana sandwiches for lunch. She has a son who is allergic to peanuts - so she doesn't keep peanut butter in the house. I have a DIL that is allergic to bananas - so I don't keep those in the house either... We HAD to have the sandwiches! She also baked some banana bread and pumpkin bread for us for breakfast - so we ate like kings! We also brought the fixings for White Russians and Buttery N*pples. Yup - DRINKS!! grown up drinks - no less. We both giggled like school girls and had a great time.

It was a great weekend - even though I missed the grandkids...

Episode 62: Head colds are terrible

The Big Texan and I are still working hard on our relationship and making progress... relationships are NOT easy...

Sensory Friendly Films are a great way for families affected by autism to enjoy a movie together as a family!!!

Kindle is the new electronic reader and I LOVE mine!

The State Fair of Texas was fun for Sprocket too! We went every weekend with Sprocket and took time for us as adults.

Halloween was a fun night to dress up as pirates and play with other adults. My brother threw the best Halloween party. It was a great weekend.

I finished the Chevron Scarf and now I want to make a hat to go with it.

quick picture

Here is a quick picture of the Chevron scarf...

Hair experiment update

So it has been over 2 months since I started the GREAT Hair Experiment. I have to say that it is STILL a work in progress. I have been to hairdressers TWICE since I began. The first time was a crazy woman who did NOT do a good job on my hair and tried to wash it with Shampoo after I told her not to (we won't talk about her). My bangs have FINALLY recovered.
The second time was to my own hairdresser (who is awesome). I told him what I was doing and he ASKED ME if I wanted him to wash my hair or not... He is the best. I told him it was OK because honestly I don't think that ONE time of shampoo is going to make or break my hair... I am trying not to be quite so fanatical about things and I am glad I let him do it. I realized I LIKE the way my hair feels now and I am OK doing without shampoo. But to go back...

OK - on the hair thing. I use about 1 1/2 tablespoons of Baking soda to 2 cups of water. I shake it up in a plastic bottle and it looks like cloudy water (which it is). In a second bottle I put about 3 tablespoons of vinegar to 2 cups of water. I use white vinegar (because that is what I have plenty of...) and then I put ONE DROP of peppermint oil or ONE DROP of tea tree oil in it. I put the essential oil in there because it REALLY does make it not smell like vinegar anymore (or not much anyway). I wash my scalp with the Baking soda/Water mixture. I say my scalp because that is the only place I PUT the baking soda - but then I rinse it and the combo slides down the hair shaft. IT IS FINE! I am not ruining my hair - I promise. Then I take the vinegar/oil/water mixture and rinse my scalp with that. Again it flows down the hair shaft and all is good. THEN I rinse my hair with plain water and I am done.

On the days that I don't use BS/V on my hair, I massage my head for 4 minutes (yup all four minutes and it is a long friggin' time and my upper arms look a whole lot better than they used to). This redistributes the oils from my scalp down the hair shaft. I only BS/V twice a week now (the fourth day is a little tough - because the oil production is still not perfect). I also brush my hair with a boar bristle brush for about 10 minutes every night.

My hair no longer smells weird to me. Now I realize it just smells like hair. I am OK with that. My hair doesn't smell like vinegar (even if I get caught in the rain) because of the essential oils. Before I started adding the essential oil to my vinegar rinse - if my hair got wet again after drying - IT DID SMELL LIKE VINEGAR... (it may have been my imagination, but I don't think so). My hair is doing GREAT. It is thick and healthy.

I am not going to back to shampoo. My head no longer itches (it did for a while - but it was that I didn't have a good mix of BS/V). I like it.

I am still using Henna to color my hair (love it). I must be a hippie now...