OOOHHHH AWESOME!!!!!

I want to start out by apologizing for not doing a video this time around. I was planning on it, but with all the chaos of holidays I just wanted to lounge around the apartment in sweats!

But I still wanted to update as I have had such a great holiday (minus a couple of not so great issues...)

First up, Steve finally has his diagnosis. He has been having severe issues for months now, and
after multiple ER visits, and doctor visits, he was diagnosed with Crohns disease... So... well. Lets just say it sucks. Especially right around Thanksgiving. Mind you, he has had symptoms for years now, but it just got really bad these past couple months and he finally decided to take my advice and go see a doctor.

If anyone out there has some advice for making mornings less miserable for him, please let me know, I have done my research but its not the same as first hand accounts!

Other than having to deal with that, things have been pretty great. I have gotten a whole bunch of knitting done while he is resting, and I have been able to chug out quite a few things!

So heres the pictures!
First up is a squirrel from a squirrel family that has been haunting my poor Kitty day and night. Partially my fault for leaving a pumpkin to rot on the front porch, they have their nightly meals of pumpkin and it drives Kitty nuts.

His name is Ted, and he is a cutey!

Kitty glares at me from her table whenever I laugh at her....

Onto the knitting! I just finished this hat, earflap style. It is knit out of the yarn I spun on my drop spindle, 100% wool. I love this hat. I loved the yarn. I am just so proud of it!

It will be going up for sale in my shop this week, I dont wear hats, otherwise I would keep it!

Next up is a shawl I knit with the wool I also spun on my drop spindle. It was a pleasure to knit up and it went by really fast. I winged the pattern, but it sorta reminds me of the The Age of Brass and Steam Kerchief by Orange Flower. Though not really.

I love it and I plan on keeping it for myself unless someone gives me a great offer! I love it and its soft and warm!

Lastly for the works in progress (which truthfully is not even half of what I have going now, I got lazy and didnt take more pictures)

is my silk hankie cowl. I must say, it is such an interesting thing to work with. My hands are slightly rough so the fibers stick to me like nuts. I love how it looks, I love how it knits up, but I cannot stand how my fingers stick in it!

Will I do it again? probably. Will I like it? eh. I'm sure I will once its done!

When I got to my rents place for Thanksgiving, I was greeted with multiple packages. Some I had ordered and knew about, and some were a complete surprise! Every single one made me smile ear to ear all day.

First up was the Far Nebula - Madd Mess roving - 4 3/8 ounces from http://www.etsy.com/shop/Dingbattz . I love the shop on Etsy, and I loved this fiber.

I cannot wait to spin this up, not sure what I will do with it yet, or what weight I will spin it, but I love it. LOVE IT. Epic. It has merino top and fleece, corriedale roving, mohair locks, bamboo, firestar in it. And it is gorgeous!

After that I opened up my last shipment of Sunset Fibers roving of the month club. It is cute pastel colors, and super squishy. I would reorder for the next three months, but currently I cannot afford any more, and I really have a lot of fiber at this point!

When I ordered my silk hankies from http://www.etsy.com/shop/SheepishCreations I also bought some fiber (Romney Wool Roving (Top) - Handpainted Spinning or Felting Fiber, "Samwise Gamgee" - 4.0) Which I love. And it is named after a character from the LOTR, which just makes me love it even more. When will I have time to spin it? No idea. But I will make it happen!

Next up was something I did expect. A teacher that I met when I was doing my graduate study abroad in Germany sent me an awesome care package! I had told her that for some stupid reason I forgot to get myself the one thing that I wanted to get while in Germany. A German made cuckoo clock magnet. She sent me one!
I left it on my parents fridge, but I swear she got me one and it works too! She also sent another cute magnet from/of Esslingen, which is the town we stayed in when we were there. AND sent me a whole bunch of German chocolate, which I did of course take pictures of!

GERMAN CHOCOLATE RULES THE WORLD!

The next package I opened was an RAK from a fellow Ravelryer. She sent me a very nice card thanking me for my dedication to teaching, and I almost cried. It was so sweet. Its just nice to know there are people that appreciate teachers out there.

She sent me chunky Malibrigo yarn in the Zarzamora colorway. It is beautiful, and I have no idea what I am going to do with it. Any ideas for bulky yarn out there?

Last but not least is the part of the post that made me say "OOOOOHHHH AWESOME!" So loudly that my parents came rushing down the stairs thinking I was dying or something.

Once I bought my spinning wheel, I started saving up to buy myself a flute. I have a trumpet, 3 clarinets, and a tenor sax. I find that when I am doing private lessons, some student benefit from hearing what the part should sound like before they play it. So with trumpet and flute I would just take their instrument and wipe it off before playing on it. But I really did not want to have to do that for sanitary reasons. Hence wanting to buy a flute.

I had posted on Plurk that I was attempting to save money through my Etsy store to purchase a flute, and Gail aka Alpacaandewe on Plurk messaged me saying that she might be able to help me out. She said she had one but was not using it, and would love to see it go to someone who could use it. She asked for a very small amount of money (flutes can range anywhere from 400-3,000$, and I was so grateful for the price she asked!)

She told me she would package it well, and sent it on the way.

I love the decorated case!

Its so beautiful! Plays like a charm too. I wouldnt say I am expert flute player, but now I can actually practice ahead of time to work with my students. Next podcast I will include a little tidbit of me playing flute, I am so happy!

But to my surprise.... She had not only included the flute. She kept her word on making sure the packing was suitable as to not hurt the flute. But I had no idea how awesome the packing would be!!!

Instead of actually packing peanuts, she included fiber. And lots of it. Everything except the braid (handdyed and falkland) is alpaca, which I have never actually worked with.

Look at all of that fiber!!! I think I started foaming at the mouth when I realized what it all was. Mom actually asked me if I was going to be alright. I explained to her how EPIC this package was. She was excited about the flute, but didnt understand my excitement when it came to the fiber. "It just looks like a bunch of stuff."

After I refused to talk to her for five hours, I explained how awesome it was.

The alpaca was dyed and processed by Gail, and grown by her sons. It is so soft. should be illegal.... I am so excited to work with the black and white fiber in the first picture, and the peachish in the second picture. You dont even understand how excited I was. I almost asked greg to take of picture of me throwing everything up in the air, but then decided I didnt want to risk felting anything.



Because Gail is so epically awesome (EPIC is the word of the week) I am pimping her store and blog.

Blog: http://alpacaandewe.blogspot.com/
Store: http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/studio/AlpacaandEwe

Some days you just feel like crap after how the day has turned out. But knowing there are people out in the world who care makes me smile day in and day out. Thank you Gail, Maren, and Janie. You three are some of the most amazing people I know, and I cannot explain how grateful I am to know you!