SECRET PAL GOODNESS

I have received all three of my secret pal gifts. The last arriving yesterday. Boy did I get some wonderful yarns and treats. This short post is dedicated to thanking my Secret Pal for the last two packages.

Now check out this PINK cotton yarn. I was sent five skeins each 131 yds. Right now it is saying it wants to be a summer top. I wonder if I have a pattern. Part of me thinks I may have but I am not 100% sure.

I also received this lovely luggage tag in PINK despite the photograph making it look more red. It has lots of dots on it and my initial in big black letters. Now I just need a place to go. I would love to go on a knitting cruise but, alas, the funds won't allow it.

Of course, there was candy, YUM YUM and a cute card.

My final package was just as wonderful if not more wonderful and I got to find out who my pal was. Her name is Stacey.

She read that I am interested in learning how to make stitch markers so she sent this little box of assorted PINK beads and

these two strands of unique PINK beads. I may want to save the larger ones from the box and the strands to put on a knitting project.


To help me in making stitch markers I now have these very small jewelry tools and
these wires. One of the wires seems a bit heavy but I guess it can be used to make jewelry instead of stitch markers. I just have to get my nerve up to try.

Yes there was candy in my box too. This is all there was left when I took the photo and it was soon gone after the photo was taken. It was delicious chocolate coated peanut brittle.

I did receive yarn in my box. This Colinette yarn is really more PINK than purple but it does have a hint of purple in it also. One lovely skein of soft merino yarn.

Here is a close up.

My box contained two skeins of this yarn which is not as ORANGE as it appears. It is more salmon with some pinky purple. I wonder what I can make with the two skeins of this yarn.

AND yes there was more yarn, three skeins of Lousia Harding Castello. You don't see it in the photo but it sparkles. There is some glittery yarn mixed in.

I will check out ravelry to get ideas on what can be knitted with these yarns. Isn't ravelry wonderful?

Even Solara wasn't forgotten. I have a cute picture frame to put a photo of Solara and some catnip seeds to make her some FRESH catnip. Solara loves catnip. Did you know that for a cat to get all weird around catnip they need to have a gene for it. If they don't it won't have any affect on them.

So Stacey thank-you for all the wonderful gifties you gave me and putting up with my not blogging properly.

I am trying to get myself caught up with my blogging. I have two more swaps to post and my Phat Fiber Box. I hope I won't be missing any swaps in my next post. I will also include photos of my big girl princess Solara.

Please accept my apologies for not posting so regularly as intended but with both my knees so sore when I get ready to be able to blog when chores, errands and what I have to get done is completed I am so tired and in so much pain I just end up going to bed.

FALL COLORS

This past weekend I attended the second fiber/yarn retreat at Delta Marsh. The first was this past March. It was just as much fun even if my knees were hurting.
One of the gals also going to the retreat who attends knit night picked me up Friday morning. After the car was packed (you would think I was going away for a month) we headed out.

First we stopped in Portage La Prairie where we had lunch at a Chinese restaurant and did a bit of browsing, stopping in a few shops and making purchases. Before we headed toward Delta Marsh we drove around the island which was quiet and empty due to the lateness of the season. There were some lovely houses or cottages with interesting names. Then we headed to Delta Marsh but again we made a couple stops first. Our first stop was to where the sign for Delta Marsh was. Of course, Nadine and I took photos.

Here is Nadine by the sign.


Then we walked further to the lake, to the next sign.


We walked a little further on the road to the lake where the marsh reeds were very tall. Nadine is not as tall as they are.

The lake was very peaceful. Here you can see that my camera is slowly dying (the pink line across the top of the photo).



AND were the mosquitoes and black flies horrid there.

Next we went to Delta Beach and there were people swimming in Lake Manitoba. I don't know when the last time people actually swam in the lake at this late date of September 25. Unfortunately, even if I wanted to take a dip in the water it was now late and we needed to get to the retreat. Also, the bugs were horrific.






Here is the road that leads to Delta Marsh Lodge.

After we signed in to the retreat we received a goodie bag which appeared to be made from a tee shirt. We could pick our own. In the bag was two skeins of Diamond Lido yarn. Mine was blue and white. The yarn was to be used during the retreat along with a pair of chop sticks that was in each goodie bag.

Also, in the bag was the makings for 'smores during a fire on the beach Saturday night, a pen, some mints and a few other goodies.

Oh what were going to do with the chop sticks and yarn? We had a knitting contest to see who could knit the most in 10 minutes. We all cast on the same amount of stitches and away we went. I was close but I didn't win. AND the chop sticks weren't the pointy kind but had square ends making the knitting more fun.

After this we played yarn BINGO. It was fun. Our cards had the names of yarns Mona carries in the shop and a yarn would be pulled out of the bag and if you had that yarn on your card you maked it. I actually was one of the original winners for the full house but when all the winners names (5) were put in a hat, I wasn't one of the two winners who divided up the original winning prize of two skeins of lovely yarn.

Here are some of the gals relaxing during the retreat.








Here is Nadine Saturday afternoon wading in Lake Manitoba.

Some more views of the lake.

An old boat on the beach.


A view facing the other direction.


Shelagh sitting on a log with a view of the lake.


There were many interesting classes to chose among from crocheting bags with cut up plastic bags , knitting green, learning how to knit two color mosaic socks to knitting techniques and tips.

I choose introductory spinning using a wheel and this is the result of my labor.
I had a problem plying the yarns together when I finished spinning. I found out why I was having this problem and now wonder if that is why I had a problem spinning. The reason for the problem???? I didn't have the tension on the wheel!!!!!

One day I will get that spinning wheel but what day that will be I have no idea at this time.

I also took a class in dyeing yarn. I had hoped it would be with a blank but it wasn't. I also hoped it would be using acid dyes and it wasn't but I had fun anyway. We used Kool-Aid. There was blue (very pale), red, purple, green (very pale), and orange.

Here is everyone's yarn drying after coming out of the microwave.

I never thought I would get any PINK. I used all the colors. I used two packets of blue and green in order to try to darken the colors some. I also then put purple on the green and dots of purple on other colors. Some areas I did red and left spaces of the natural color. When I thought I was finished I found small plastic cups of some remaining Kool-Aid colors. There was a bit of red, a bit of purple and some red and orange mixed and I dunked my yarn in each to over dye and when that was done I found a bit of several drops of Kool-Aid which I mixed and dunked my yarn in that. Here is the results.

I also took a class in making felted bangles which was quite a bit of fun. I made one bracelet and one round ball which if smaller can be stitch markers or earrings. AND if several are made they can be turned into a bracelet of round balls.


The fourth class I took was to enhance my knowledge of fair isle and intarsia. I am planning on making the Knit Picks Nonna's Garden Shawl. I have started. I have the cast on row and row one completed. I have it on a dedicated Addi Turbo needle I purchased at the retreat for $20. This is the yarn that comes in the kit.

AND here is a photo of the pattern and the start of this shawl that I must be nuts to attempt.

Here is a photo of the lodge from the lake. You can see it hiding in the distance behind the trees.

There was lots to look at, touch and buy also. Mona certainly did a good job bringing her shop of yarns, needles, books, drop spindles, rovings, fluff and spinning wheels to the retreat.

It was a difficult choice but in addition to the Addi Turbo Lace needles I also got some yarn. Two more skeins of Dye Version Fingering weight yarn consisting of 63% merino 20% silk, 15% nylon and 2% sterling silver. This yarn is for my third Clapotis Shawl when the second has been completed.

Kirsten one of the knitters in our group is spinning yarn now and I bought this that she spun and plied with beads.

There was a masseur again at the retreat and I treated myself to a half hour massage.

There was a presentation by Joanne Seff about her trips to 10+ fiber events she went to in 2007 and a trunk show of items in her book Fiber Gatherings.

We had a table full of wonderful gift baskets to be won. These included not only yarn, and books but also two baskets donated by Shoppers Drug Mart and one from me full of Avon treats.



There was even a wonderful quilt made and donated by one of the knitters in our group.


Despite spending $20 on tickets not one prize had my name on it. That was okay as the money went to a good cause The Boys and Girls Club as did all the profits from this retreat as it was a non-profit retreat.

Several people won more than one prize. Our masseuse won three prizes. She won both Shoppers Drug Mart gift baskets and the Avon basket I donated.

When we arrived on Friday the weather was lovely and warm and in the mid 80's. As the weekend progressed it got cooler and cooler until we left it was quite chilly with white caps on the lake.