But better than a menstrual cycle. Well, only slightly. My pictures are so awful you might get cramps from them.

I keep meaning to post more than once a month it just seems that I don’t have anything I think is blog worthy happening or I get too involved in other things. I try to keep a lot of the business stuff to a minimum but at times when I’m working alot, it’s all I have. Luckily right now I have a lot of garden and such that I can talk about.

BLUEBERRIES!!!
Every year my Aunt goes up north and gets us blueberries - Wild Maine Blueberries. Not that I needed to describe what kind they are because there is no other kind. Don’t argue with me, there is no other kind worth blogging about. I got 15lbs. It’s not been washed or picked over so that’s the first thing we need to do, dump it in the sink:

Remove stems and hard berries (until you get tired of it, then you just throw it all in)

I packed up 5 quarts for the freezer, the rest went into the blueberry lime you see in that pot up there. It’s so darn good. And it’s the one jam that sets up reliably for me every year:

I forgot how much I did now. I think there were 5 or 6 full pints and 5 or 6 half pints. Lots of jam!

NEXT!
Up next in the canning expedition is to take care of the green beans. maybe put up some pesto and then I have a request. NJStacie wants some Tomolives. We picked a bunch for experimentation the other day:

Once I figure out a good recipe, I’ll let you know.

THE BAG

I had to change it. I made it more square, I got rid of the zipper and added a flap from the collar of the jacket (gotta love those wide 70’s collars). I need to find a button I like for the flap. I sewed the collar together but I left a hole for a large button. Hopefully the button I fall in love with will be the right size. I also altered the strap. I added another clip to it to make 2 handles from the one tie. One handle makes it an 8 or 9 inch drop and the other strap is so I can wear it across my body. Terrific for trudging through the airport from terminal A to terminal “way the hell over there in another time zone”.

THE KNIT/SPIN

The 4 ounce challenge starts today. More info is on Ravelry HERE The photo above shows what I’m working on. I can’t be a part of the contest but I can play along and cheer on all the participants. Then at the end, I’ll hopefully have a good working pattern. Stay tuned.

in no sense of order

I got a tattoo

I finished Baby Boogie’s Xmas sweater

At least it was only Xmas 09. As soon as I block it and add the button, I’ll see if Baby Boogie will grace us with a modeled shot.

Cleaned up an area of my cellar to be more conducive to sewing and redid my cutting table.

I’ve made myself a few skirts and dresses are under way for the girls. That fabric to the right of the photo will be new kitchen curtains as soon as I can find the time. Hawthorne Threads Just go there. But let me warn you, it’s good.

I cut my hair

It was long and bugging the crap out of me. Also, it was just downright unattractive. I had made a deal with myself that I had to deal with the hair til I hit a certain weight goal. Well, I broke the deal. So now I have to really work at it so I don’t feel so bad about breaking the deal with myself because this is a spectacular haircut. The back is gorgeous (very funky). I’m just not enough of a contortionist to be able to show it to you.

I planted a bunch of stuff

That’s about half my pots in the front (look at that gorgeous herb basket to the left). There is a veggie garden and I’m still working on the shade garden in the front. It’s still sparse but I’m not willing to spend what it takes to get it gorgeous in one year.

Bit by bit it will be done.

I spun a bunch of yarns

I need to get to that plying. I’m working at cleaning up my spinning basket so I can move on to larger projects. Other stuff was finished but I’m being sekritskwirrel about some of it, so I can’t show you just yet.

I made gnome

Who went to go live with Hello Yarn last weekend when I went down to do Massachusetts sheep and woolcraft. This weekend there is no gnome. I’m staying home and I’ll be at the Fiber Frolic in Windsor Maine. Booth 7, come say hi.

It’s been crazy around here. The biggest thing was the sudden death of the computer. I worked for 5 days from the little 9 incher until my new “bitch” arrived. Yes that’s the computer’s name because it better work like one! I’ve had the new one about 5 days now and I’ve almost got it all loaded. It only took me half an hour to remember the fancy web address and password for the blog. I still can’t access one of the email accounts and I still need to figure out all the stuff for FTP stuff….I’m getting there. But check it out! All it’s keys!

…so far. It took almost a month for the kids to knock off the N on the last computer.

The other major project is that husbeast needed a home office. Where oh where do we put that?

The pottery shop was the best option. I moved out the fleeces and the kiln and potters wheels, removed the shelving.

Soon it will get sheetrock, paint, new ceiling, new lighting, carpet, the works. Still some cleaning to do but I figured the process of sheet rocking it will make it messy again so we’ll wait. Hopefully by this time next month it will be a lovely fully functioning home office.

Still, while doing all that I’ve been working on a new design that uses handspun, that sweater is done but I needed to knit another in this stuff:

Spud and Chloe outer - lovely stuff. I’m not a big fan of bulky but this is some nice stuff regardless.

I’ve made a bit of yarn too. Most of it I can’t show you or I’ve shown you before. I’ve done more of the green wool/linen, I finished the BFL teal, and I made some Confused in Corriepaca:

I also made a few yarns that I can’t show you yet. This one I can show you:

I’m just going to keep the details secret a little while longer.

Not so much stashdown happened last week. I found myself busy working on taxes, and update and a bunch of household/family stuff.

I don’t know if this week will be much different. Still I got 12 ounces of singles done:

The last 4 ounces of BFL singles in Juniper.
4 ounces of BFL that will plied, it was a failed Nova Scotia but I really liked it so I kept it. I have a pound of it.
2 more bobbins of the linen wool

I did manage to squeak in some knitting and crochet time.
Another potholder (Flower Hot Pad):

An Anne Crochet scarf and I finished a sweater for publication. It’s the second one in the pattern and it will be self published.

Details and new pattern coming soon.

Yesterday I started a couple more projects:

Another Anne Scarf and some mitts for a friend.

Thing number 245 about me - I have lots of gadgets….I love gadgets.
I never used to be like this but something clicked in me a couple of years ago and I really love the little electronic thingies. Kindle, Ipod, computers, phones. I want them all. But they all come with cords and where do you keep the cords. If you’re on the go you put them in one place, your home they’re in another. So on and so forth.

Thing number 6 to know about me - I lose things….A lot.
Where did I last plug in the Kindle? Did I bring the blue tooth cord to charge the thing at work? Where is the cord to the phone?

I needed a solution to keep the cords tidy, in one place and so that I can travel with them easier than throwing them all into a baggie. Here’s my solution, my cord keeper:

It rolls up all nice and neat and has a button with elastic to hold it shut (not shown because I stink with photography and blogging)

Opened - and you can see the flap that folds down to hold it all in:

All the way open and I made notes for what is supposed to be in each pocket:

How to make it:
–Materials:A piece of newspaper, 1/2 yard of Cotton, small piece of canvas (for stability), scissor, thread, needles or sewing machine, piece of elastic, button, and collect all your cords.
–Draw out the size and pockets that you need. (it can be really rough)

–The entire back piece is in cotton
–The canvas is up to the flap which is in cotton
–The pockets are a double layer of cotton
–Sew the pockets onto the canvas facing just how you want it and stitch in the pocket rows.
–Sew the flap to the top of the canvas.
–Put the backing right side to the right side of the canvas/pocket/flap layer you have made.
–Pin it all together - and don’t forget to pin in the elastic loop here. You want it about mid pocket.
–Sew around leaving a turning space (over the flap area is the easiest.
–Turn right side out, push out the corners
–Stitch around the outside to neaten and close the hole.
–Put on your button.

VOILA!