Long Time No Post

Yes, I know it has been a long while since my last post.  So I will get this up to date.  After our trip to Albuquerque, I visited my family in Kentucky.    I was there for 10 days, and I should have a ton of photos.  I always think there’s plenty of time to get the camera out, but before you know it, the trip is over.  Here are the “Girls”.  This was our dinner out the day before I left (the only picture I took.)Back home, it is time for “Tour de Fleece”, a nod to the Tour de France cycling race, but with spinning wheels instead of bicycle wheels.  I carded hand dyed indigo wool with white to spin.  It will be used for rug weaving.A scarf came off the rigid heddle loom.  The yarn was from the stash of a departed Yarn Babe, Kathy.  At our next knitting retreat, I will put it in the Door Prize collection for a lucky Yarn Babe to take home.And it has not been all weaving.  I have this urge to knit really silly hats.  My sister, Terry, the beekeeper, will be the getting these for National Honey Bee Day, August 19.   Happy Bee-Day!  Watch out, Kay.  You are next.And for you dog lovers, here’s your “Duffy Fix”.  See ya,  Sandy at My Yellow Swing

Trip to Albuquerque

Last week, Pat and I loaded up the truck with his bike and my weaving and we made a road trip to Albuquerque, NM.   Pat has a long time blog friend, Patrick O’Grady, who writes an interesting, entertaining, and extremely thought provoking blog called Mad Dog Media.  He also writes bicycle reviews and columns, and draws cartoons, for several bicycle magazines.  Long story short, Pat and Patrick (yes, it did get confusing at times) planned a bike ride along the Rio Grande River bike path called Paseo del Bosque.   The weather almost cancelled their ride, but the sun finally shined upon them and they had a great ride.  They rode thirty two miles of dedicated muti-use path, which also happens to pass by the Biopark.  I’m taking my bike next time we go.The next day we took a trip to the Albuquerque Biopark which has an aquarium, botanical gardens and zoo.  I LOVE aquariums and even though this one is small, it had some very nice tank displays, and I especially liked the one where you walk through a tunnel in the large salt water tank.I didn’t get any pictures of the Botanical Gardens, but Pat took several of the zoo.  Here’s one  special picture for my niece, Liz.

After our day at the Biopark, we had dinner with Patrick and his brighter half, Shannon. We went to El Bruno’s Mexican restaurant and had a great dinner with pleasant company.  We got so busy eating and talking we forgot about taking a picture.  Maybe next time.

Duffy did a sleep over at a bed and biscuit kennel while we were away.  He always comes home a little clingy.And to finish up this post, Happy Mothers Day to my mom, my sisters and all mothers everywhere.  See ya,

Sandy O’

Flowers and Other Stuff

Spring is here and that means a lot of flowers.  Duffy checks out the roses each morning to make sure there are no uninvited critters underneath.A warm sunny day is also a reason to bring out the solar oven.  Pat makes a wonderful meal with fingerling potatoes, bell peppers, carrots,onions and pork chops in the solar oven.  There is no kitchen in our house during the summer.There is some weaving going on.  I am still intrigued by Saori weaving, a free form style that you can try different yarns and colors.  I will be cutting this to make a vest.  (Yeah, right.  I say that now.)Take care and see ya,

Sandy at My Yellow Swing

 

It’s a Wrap

It’s a wrap or a shawl, whatever you want to call it, I’m weaving it.  This is a merino/silk blend woven on a Schacht rigid heddle loom.  I used the Brook Bouquet pattern on the ends and plain weave for the body.  The next shawl was woven with Yarn Bee Soft Secret in spring colors that my mom picked. Tapestry weaving has been on the small scale lately.  I used my Hokett loom for these miniature hangings.  I added turquoise beads on the blue weaving. The kids at the after school knitting class tried out my small looms.  They had a good time playing with different yarns and colors.  Here’s one of the kits I made.  The craft stick worked well for weaving but I couldn’t make the hole for the yarn any bigger without splitting the wood.  I devised a threader from 20 gauge wire and a macrame bead.  It works!See ya,

Sandy O’

 

Another Family Birthday!

I was in Kentucky last week celebrating several family events.  We had a delayed family Christmas.  No pictures, but I did get a photo of  another happy event.  We had a “Girls Night Out” to celebrate Kay’s birthday (which is today!  Happy Birthday, Kay!) while I was there.  We were mothers and daughters!  Mom is sitting, and standing from left to right, Liz, Kay, Kaylee, Sandy and Terry.  Happy Birthday, Kay!

Another happy part was a visit to Black Watch Alpaca Farm in Harrodsburg, Ky.  Who could not be happy surrounded by beautiful yarn and Deb’s always smiling face.  The sad part was a ceremony honoring my father.  He was inducted posthumously into the  Kentucky Cattlemen Hall of Fame.  We were so proud of his recognition and so proud of my mother receiving the award. Yes, we had to do the “Wise Monkeys”.  Mom doesn’t like it, but she loves us and puts up with it.  Hers was not the only strange looks we got.

So, I am back home and ready to weave.

See ya,

Sandy

Still Weaving

I am still on a weaving kick.  I keep weaving fabric for a vest or jacket, but when I take the fabric off the loom, it is so hard to put the scissors to it.  Like this one.  It is all cotton, mostly plain weave, but I also did some clasped weft sections.  I ordered a book called Beginner Saori Sewing, so hopefully, that will inspire me to make things from my hand weaving.  I mean, how many shawls does one really need ?  (Maybe just one more!)I also finished a scarf from my hand spun yarn.  Actually, I had knitted this yarn into a cowl, but the colors just washed out in the knitting, and I hated it.  So, I ripped out the knitting and put it on my Ashford SampleIt loom. I am very pleased with it now.Happy weaving!

See ya,

Sandy O’

Merry Christmas

It is snowing in Southern Arizona!  It won’t stay long, I had to run out early to get these pictures.  This is our neighbor’s front yard.Here’s Frosty, the snow car.The “pile of snow” is in our back yard.We didn’t decorate much this year.  But I did find some snowmen to hang on the front door. And a reindeer made the milk can rather festive.  I will probably get some remarks from my sister, Terry.  She puts out over 65 Christmas blow molds at her house.Here’s wishing the merriest, joyful and peaceful holiday season!

See ya,

Sandy O’