There's My Keyboard!

It's that time of year that I start to feel like time is running out. It's not really, as time does go on, but I always feel like I've not accomplished enough and that my full plate will not get emptied before.....what exactly I don't know. Usually this leads to me getting into a funk and not being able to make any headway on any of the lists of things "to do" that I make. I'm a terrible list maker and probably put way to much on the list to be reasonably completed in any time frame at all. I've actually accomplished a bunch this year and I think that's part of the problem this time. I've done worn myself out! lol. So....not much has been accomplished the last couple of weeks as I've just been doing the bare necessities to keep the house running and make life pleasant. (It dawned on me last night I haven't even been packing lunches for us on a regular basis. Terrible!)

Like a light switch being thrown, our weather has gone all Autumn all at once. What that means for those of us in Washington is that the cold rainy season has begun. I'm not one that complains about the rain on a year round basis, as I don't really see it as raining allllll the time. As long as the raining stops for a part of the day, I count that as a non-rainy day. lol. I suppose that's cheating, but hey...it's my life. Anyway, with the complete Fall outbreak here, the garden is winding down. This saddens me terribly, as I completely enjoyed it this year. I'm finding it hard to even go out there at this point as I just want to clear it all away and bed things down for the winter. Yet, it's not quite time for that yet. My pumpkins not ready to be cut yet, nor are the acorn squash. I'm anticipating harvesting the beets and turnips this weekend and getting them stored for winter eating, and I still have a few beans developing. The carrots will (hopefully) wait a couple more weeks for harvesting and storage as I want those to go into the new freezer we're getting around that time. The tomatoes are really going to be a crap shoot this time. I'm not looking forward to harvesting green tomatoes, but it does look like I'll be doing just that. I'm hoping to sit down and write some notes to myself in prep for next spring.

On the knitting front is just plain work. I had decided to knit myself a pair of socks before starting hubbies slippers, but that died a quick death. Every pattern I cast on for didn't "feel right" so it was frogged. I finally wound the yarn back up and put it away. Maybe it's the need to complete the promised slippers that's blocking the sock thing....not sure. I cast on for the slippers and am working my way (slowly) through the first one. I'm not feeling very inspired, so this pattern is a good one to work on. At least hubster gets something he needs and (hopefully) will like. They may take a coons age to finish however as he does have large feet and the slippers are of the felted variety so need to be knitted large. Can you say giant? lol It's good tv knitting so I'm not complaining. The silk cones are calling for lace knitting and I keep telling them to be quiet as I'm not ready. The crochet shawl I started with my hand spun has stalled out and a little voice in the back of my brain is saying that I need to frog it as the yarn is completely wrong for it. OI! See what I mean?

All summer I've been steadily working on my prepared fiber, trying to get it spun up so that I can move on to new experiments in blending and dyeing. I now give you a picture of probably the ugliest yarn I've ever made. I know, I know, in the picture it's not so bad. Reads pink and teal and purple and grey maybe. You'd have to see it to believe it. It was a true trial to spin and ply something this ugly.lol I kept hoping it would get better. Not so much. So, it's new future will be my first over dyeing experiment. Anyone have any suggestions on what color to try over dyeing this with? It's already fairly dark, so I'm thinking black. Suggestions are definitely welcome!

On the wheel at this time are two different fibers. A white Lincoln and a dark green silk/merino. I alternate between the two depending on how I feel like spinning. The green is an attempt at lace weight and the white I'm hoping for thicker.

The Lincoln is a much coarser feel....but than anything would be after a silk/merino blend! The beauty of it is that it really wants to be spun and spins up quickly and fairly effortlessly. I'm not sure what it will become when finished and I'm not even sure it will get dyed. I don't usually have "white" but then this was such a clean white that I may just leave it as it is. We'll see what the yardage ends up being and then I'll decide.

Want to know how truly pathetic I've been? I received my Ravelery invite on 9/22 and logged in. I also signed up for a flicker account that day. I have done nothing on Ravelery other than set up my basic profile. I haven't even browsed around yet. So, so sad. Maybe I should. That just may be the kick I need for inspiration in the crafty department. I think I need to dig out my "What I want to accomplish in 2007" list that I made at Christmas last year and check some stuff of. That may just do the trick!