They're At It Again

I'm not sure if the problem is me or Blogger, or maybe the most recent
version of Internet Explorer.
I sucessfully wrote up several posts the other day, with pictures and
all went through just fine. Then Monday night, nothing would save and
all was garbled. (So my spelling isn't as bad as sometimes posts?
Maybe.) I couldn't even get the title to autosave without freezing.
Since I have the same problems uploading pictures on Ravelry, I
thought maybe that was part of the problem, but since everything else
works there, I am inclined to blame the saving problems on IE.
So some great pictures and absolutely wonderful posts have been
deleted, as what does eventually post and what I typed seem to often
have no similarity at all. I tried to report to Google/Blogger, and
it was very difficult to find where to report a problem.
So, if this posts ok via e-mail, great. Otherwise, I'm not sure how
long I can continue to post, if postings all have to be e-mailed or
through the phone. If nothing else, there won't be many pictures if I
do have to post that way.
Are any other bloggers having this problem?

Employment Woes

Some readers may know that I work for a local library a few days a week.  I have been on pins and needles lately as the staff was subjected to cuts due to funding.   I had thought, since the Local History and Genealogy room was fully funded by a grant, that my department would be minimally effected.
However, last week, at the meeting of the Library Board, the grant (which exceeded the amount originally requested, specifing more hours for myself  and my coworker) ended up being refused by the Board. 
Since there already is a budget crunch, not quite sure why they refused to take the money, but I am expecting the end of that position is not far off.
A good thing my co-worker and I are starting a new charter motor coach tour business.  Now if we can just get some business.

Swatching Delights

The sun is out.  Or it least I think that bright thing up there in the sky is the sun.  Its been so long, I'm not quite certain.  I have the finally finished the back and about half of Bettys green jacket, the alpaca silk one.  The weather has been cool enough that I could work on it.

I also worked out a knitting for yarn deal with someone else.  She tossed me a ball of handspun marl yarn, in a wonderful varigated color.  I swatched it up and this is what I ended up with.

I am going to score about 3 lbs of this, to probably make into a shawl color cardigan I think, in exchange for a couple shawls.  Lace and garter and luckily both patterns I had eyed myself.  I find myself slipping into a knitting black hole.  
But oh, what fun I will have getting in there.

Cotton Candy Another Finished Object

And I guess I better get that side bar updated. 
My first started, second finished sideways shawl with lace applied as you go.
Cotton Candy shawl, made from Sprout bulky organic cotton.

I know it looks like the previously view shawl, but that was handspun alpaca, and a finer yarn.

Gertrude really loves it.  And so do I.

Brief Apology as Life Happens

I want to apologize to my regular readers..if I have any left, for the
lack of content here.
I have been knitting--recently finished the alpaca and the pink
shawls. I have even started new projects--a henley tee for me and am
shopping for some acrylic for a baby sweater. (Since it is going to a
non-spinner, I decided to go the care-free route with it.)
Every evening when I plan to sit down and do some serious blogging,
life interfers. I have had meetings, phone calls to wait for (kind of
a pain with dial-up) and lightening to avoid.
Tonight it is Younger Son. Still without transportation, I need to
take him to work and pick him up again, an extra shift, as Hubby has
to run him somewhere else today. So if I can blog later, it will be
latish.
With the Explorer/Blogger situation making pictures difficult to blog,
it may take awhile, but I hope the wait will be worth it.
I even have a picture of a swatch of gifted handspun yarn--a swap for
a shawl like the ones I have to show you.

Carlye's Finished Shawl.

The finashed shawl was all I hoped for and more.  It was finished last Sunday as I sweltered in the heat wave.  And I am very pleased with it.
I will give it a bath and try to stretch it out next weekend.  The shower is in a couple weeks yet, so I have time. 
Until I gift it, here is a picture of Gertrude modeling it.

And let's push our luck with a front view.

The pin is a bone crochet hook, with a broken hook that I sanded off.

Life Goes On

Well, I have mostly recovered from the trauma from yesterday. (See previous post, if you missed that.)  I still have a box of stuff--projects, books, patterns, magazines to sort out but somewhat back to normal. 
Today, I made what will probably be my last last major item for a while.  And it wasn't much more than a couple pounds of roving.

A new for me dishwasher. Cyndie  mentioned at spinning a couple weeks ago that they were finally redoing her kitchen and getting all new appliances. She said the old ones were ok, but she was getting new for the new kitchen. So I asked if she had a rolly around dishwasher on wheels, fully expecting, like most people, she had a built in. But..... she did have a portable dishwasher available.
Or least it was available only until I could say sold! My old one had to be filled manually, 2 ice cream buckets per cycle, and some of the racks were rusting through. I had been looking around, and had others checking Habitat stores for a good used portable one.
The price was right, and finally, it was ready for pickup today.
I love it, and it runs great. Thanks Cyndie.

TRAUMA!!

There I was, ready to power up the laptop and be productive. As I leaned over to plug in the charger, something caught my eye.
No. Couldn't be.
I shifted a zip lock bag with a knitting project, and a tiny tongue flicked at me.
A snake? A SNAKE!
In the house!
Now realize that I pick up my feet if I drive over one with my car. I hate snakes more than sneaky mice. And Hubby and Younger Son were gone for a couple more hours.
Eeeeek!
Later, after much tossing of yarn and books (it was in a pile of project stuff), stabbing with shovels, and tears (all mine) Hubby carried him out with a pair of pliers. Two foot long.
I feel slightly traumatized.

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Carlye's Shawl, Part 2

Not the best picture, taken in the evening with the phone camera. But.....the corner is turned, the rows are getting shorter.
I just hope I can get it finished without needing to spin up some more.

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Carlye's Shawl.

Just a quick shot of the newest project. The shower is June 25, so I think I will have plenty of time to get this done.
I love working with the handspun alpaca too. Hope she likes it.

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Just Life On The Farm

In the midst of the heat and humidity (Ugh!) this last weekend life on the farm continues. After the last electric bill with AC on it last year, Hubby declared a cooling moratorium. At least on running it day and night. We have snuck in a couple hours here and there, but not much, and without it, the house won't cool down. (I'm ready for winter. Really!)
Hubby has been thrilled that all our potatoes came up this year.  After a huge crop a couple years ago, most rotted in the ground last year. This year, every little orange stake has a nice plant already flourishing next to it.
While getting flowers for Memorial Day, we also got our batch of tomato plants. I managed to keep him down to only 4 little 4-packs this year. Two boxes of Big Boys, one of Better Boys, and one of Sweet 100's. I am looking forward to those. They grow along a little stem, all in a line that should make them easier to pick. I love to get a handfull and eat right in the garden. Yum.
Hubby has a new way of planting them since his bulb planter broke a year or so ago. He has an ice auger attachment for his drill. It is made for ice fishermen to drill holes. He uses it to drill out his holes for the tomatoes and such. You have to admire the resorcefullness of farmers.
Life also continues in the barn. Hubby has been filling all the pens with small steers. And then complains about the milk replacer he has to haul out there. He also got a cute little red Holstein bull that is residing in the chicken coop. We had to rebuild the screen door, but now he is safe in sound in there. Younger Son's boss sold him to Hubby and may just decide to buy him back after he gets some more growth on him.
And finally our first calf heifer decided to have her calf.  Late Monday, she seemed to be in labor so he shut her in the barn.  Otherwise it is hard to watch them, and to find the calf later. Lucky that he did. About 3:30 AM, he woke up Younger Son to help pull the calf. She had been laboring for quite a while with not much progress, and was coming breech. They got the little gal out, a cute dark red whiteface Simmetal/Herford cross. And all seems well with mother and daughter.
Ahhh, life on the farm. Never a dull moment.
And it has finally cooled off!! No rain either, it split north and south of us. Just took the humidity away.

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