My Aching Arms! or, "Do You Want Some Cheese with that Whine?"

I've been making full and valiant use of my new Umbrella Swift and Ball Winder. I actually have been very bad and threatening all and sundry around here if they are not well behaved, I will wind their balls. My family does not find this as funny as I do. They are bored with the joke and Herne just screams and runs when he hears it. Drama Llama. He's not really scared. My latest endeavors in the yarn-biscuit universe can be found on my Pintrest Page. http://pinterest.com/nliedel/boards/ I have a number of boards, most of them re-pins, but yarn I am dyeing, projects and finished objects are slowly being loaded as I fiddle with uploading, resizing and in general becoming a better photographer. I miss my friend, Mark. He died a few years ago. I'd been his best bud for 25 years, when we were speaking. He was insensitive and I am a drama queen. We would get mad at one another, be pissy for a few months and then fix it.

Mark was an award winning photographer and was in constant despair of my photographic abilities, or inabilities. F-stop, shadows, even getting something in focus were a mystery to me. I have strange vision, and it never did do it properly. Now, with my digital, that does everything, but cook a nice dinner, I am pretty good. Not perfect, but pretty good.

As far as the vlog goes, I am constantly pestered by children and animals. Even the phone seems to know when I am recording and I sound silly to my ears. I know, just do it. I am getting better and am almost at a place I can put up the video without cringing. Almost.

Herne is here now. He has found Blogspot and the world will soon be inundated by his blog. He is amazing when he writes. I am happy about it. Shhh, don't tell him. He has quite the ten year old ego. :)

Hernie-Roo

Last Days of Everything!!

School is coming to an end and we have to be out of the old house tomorrow. We are so not ready for any of it. Also, Gene-Gene goes to Boy Scout camp on Saturday for a week. It's a good week to do their room. Steven is  flexible. I just need the paint colors. The boys are harder to get the colors for.

Today, Hernie-Roo, The Rooster, as I have been calling him, goes to the Henry Ford. I've never been there. I've been to Greenfield Village, but the car museum was not there when I was. He gets to take a lunch and is happy as a clam, except for his pollen allergies. We need to get him to someone who can help him with that.

I finished a shawl last night, my TGV. Modified to the max. It has a good shoulder shape for me and a nice drape for the fiber. I'm not a huge fan of the yarn. I am going to make it again in a yellow yarn that I will dye for my mom in law.

This Sunday my husband will be 45!! I can't believe it. He looks the same as the day I married him, but the daughter of his best man is graduating from college, so he's older. No one believes he is as old as he is. Everyone is going to Grandma's.I'm bringing the cake, but the kitchen is not together, so I'm buying. Better for everyone, because I won't stress out.

It's amazing what a family of 6 can amass in ten years. We are terrified we won't have it all out. Gene said the other day the storage unit is to Tetris Level 12. I'm sure it's way beyond that. Both the older boys do not think it's possible to get something that full, but dad is an origami expert when it comes to packing. I am constantly amazed. Sadly, my sewing machine is at the back. I may not see it again. I need a new one that sews straight, zig-zag and buttonholes. Nothing more. I have the embroidery machine, but you set it up for one and it's a pain to change. My husband broke a plastic part on y Brother. I'm not sure it's fixable, but if not, a replacement is not pricey,

Since I started felting, I've been jonesing for the Janome Needle Felter. I've thought about just a needle felting attachment, but I'd rather not wear it out faster. I am also giving up and starting the lookout for a new serger. Well, new to me. Someone who has traded  up. Mine was a gift from my mother in law, but it cuts threads and is persnickety. There are enough grouchy middle aged types around here. We don't need a helper to do that too. It does not have to self-thread. It just has to be a good machine that works wonderfully. The local sewing center has a lot of used ones.

Today, I have designed my own shawl along the lines of a Stephan West shawl. There are many who think his work is overrated and I was sliding in that direction, when I took a Cratsy Class on his designs. Now, I realize his taste is mine and I find a lof of comfort in knowing I'm part of a fan crowd. I guess that makes me a Fan Middle aged woman. Believe me, I'm not being paid to tell you about them, but it's learning that I can do at anytime and take the classes over and over again. They are a little pricey, but a local class would be more and a few of them are free. They have patterns too. Free patterns, not all are, have become an addiction of mine. It's sad.

So, I have my work cut out for me today and I have to transplant hostas,mint and chives. It's  little late in the season, but it is what it is. I've never divided hostas before. Seems straightforward. Which means I am bound to mess it up. :)

The Nature of Nerves

I've made about 30 takes on my new vlog and hate them all. I talk too fast, get off topic, forget something. It's silly, cause it's my first and I expect nothing from it I need to get over myself and just do it, repeat anything that motivates me. I am working on the studio and I can tape what I am going to do in there and where I am.

BTW, if you do paper bag floors, don't let anyone in there and do it fast. I am finding dirt tracks on my primer layer every day. I was being stupid and doing the floors before the walls. I got that figured out and now am doing the walls and some furniture. I can't wait till it's done. The walls are a very bright pink, but they are going to have black shelving in front of them, so they will be peaking through. I am not copying this website, http://www.sweetgeorgiayarns.com/ I already had the paint and colors picked out when I found it and started to laugh. That pink has more blue than mine, but it's close. She also has the same shelving in one of the pictures I am getting. I got a huge kick out of it. My floors are very different, but they are going to be a  lot alike.

She has wonderful taste, so I am taking it as a compliment.

Sloggy bits

I'm knitting along. I have a wedding to knit a shawl for and dyeing to work on, but the knitting is at that part where I'm bored and none of my shows are on anymore. This is a very dangerous time. I could watch, "The Bachelorette."

"Danger Will Robinson, you're losing what's left of your mind!!!!"

With no known of power outages and work to do, I am praying the kids are all in school today. I can always  paint. Yes, I am allergic, but it's got to get done. Later today, I promise Formulary Update and photos of what I'm getting. I am making over as much as I can and spray paint is your friend.

I will have enough shelves at this place to put out all our books!!!! Also, Gene is going to build me a window seat. Okay, it's going to be a cat bench, but I'll take it.

When I show you the color for the room, no freaking. I will not be painting all walls that color and most of it will be hidden with pops here and there.

Floor: Kraft paper and nature paper. Laid today. Poly tomorrow

Spray paint long desk white.

Clean round table dad gave me and touch it up. Use it in the middle of the room for a work table.

No wall. Too permanent, in case we want to pull it and I will not have a good enough way to hear the kids. Instead it's Ikea to the rescue.

I also get to plant grass seed and sig for another flower garden for wild flowers this week. Oh, and wash the deck...This is starting to sound busy.

Walls a Navajo White, which is a warm white in semi gloss. Stains MUST come up. Well cleaned and primed (That is taking me the longest).

No screaming, this is my studio, most walls will be white with black furniture. This is my accent color.

This is from the Olympic Site and it's what I've dreamed of, only with silver, not gold.

The rest of the house is getting calm with lots of white and accent walls in this:

It's blue, but not typical.

Ikea Furniture. Yes, you can build this yourself, but I want it this century.

This will act as a room divider and there will be two back to back.

Desk change up. Yes, it's Ikea, no it will not last forever. I just need function right now.

This is the table my dad gave me. It's got great bones, but dad does not know how to clean and he's been doing his work on this table for as long as I can remember. It's a mess. It's also Knoll, so worth a restore. My kids, kids will use it. 

I have a desk chair, I want a comfy chair for my spinning wheel, this birthday. Music provided by, I don't know. Computer speakers?