It's ours......

Well, almost...

We close next friday. Steve and I are very excited to take pocession of our new project.

"What are we going to do with it?" Well, you have to stay tuned for that bit of information. We are still in the brainstorming mode....possible future home of "Dakota Shivers Brewing".....

So far so good......

My test crochet is going great! I am just waiting on one picture to be posted then its done. Nice comments make me want to do more...Maybe it is a good thing I already am!

We should know soon about our building...here I am already calling it "our". Kinda funny!!

A good start!

The inspection went well this morning......more on that later.

My hat being tested on Ravelry is going well also.

Win, win........

Excitement.....

We are hoping to buy a business building in Lead. Sunday morning it is getting inspected and believe me it has a few hurdles to jump to pass...I am keeping my fingers crossed. If we get it I will then disclose what it will become!!

I have the following pattern being tested on Ravelry. It is my first "test". I am very excited about this.

Thank you Steve for helping me take the pictures.

Working on the house....

We are so close to painting 2 exterior walls. Well I "think" it is going to happen today. Primer white first of course.

Sanding and using a heat gun.

I have my hat done and am in the process of rewriting the pattern. I am excited to have this tested on Ravelry.

Also we might have bought a business building on main street...still waiting for the final word!

Feelin weird today......

Memorial Day, holiday, kids in Afghanistan...pretty sure that is why.

Posted a message to them on fb...but I DID make sure to thank a few Veterans this weekend. I called one today...I really enjoyed talking to my dear friend.

Memorial Weekend fun!

We are spending a very nice and long weekend at the Cottage. Sanding and painting was in order but we have had alot of rain....much needed though. With the deck having a roof around a couple sides, no excuses on the sanding we have not started.

Yesterday we went to the courthouse to research more properties. We are getting good at it, and definitely feeling smarter working "the system". We also went to the Research Center in Deadwood since they did find a little information on our house. Pretty cool.

Wednesday night we saw our favorite people perform at Saloon 10. We definitely plan on going back again before they leave on Sunday. Ray wrote and performs "What Im Living For". This is the most beautiful military song I have ever heard. They dedicated it to us and gave us a patriotic bandana that they all signed. So sweet of them and yes I cried!

I am working on my crochet hat pattern. Hoping to have it tested very soon.

Looking at a few houses again tomorrow. Decision time coming soon it seems!

Everyone have a wonderful long weekend, and remember those who have served and are serving for us all.

Here is the link to Ray's beautiful song, enjoy!

House hunting, an Auction, and a rain storm, oh my!

Well we ran all over town looking at houses. No decisions yet, even looked at a couple businesses. The second of which is kinda scarey! haha You never know what we might get ourselves into!

Here is the main thing Steve got at the auction today. It is an old dynamite cart used here in the Homestake Mine. Steve smiled all the way home!

Tomorrow we hope to take our paint swatches to the houses we favor the paint jobs on. We are hoping to finally make a decision on our colors!

Dying outside the box............

Here is my risk taking "put all my favorite colors away" dying day. I am please with how it turned out. As I type I am dying more of the same roving, and I am afraid I might have made "mud" this time...but I guess ill know very soon!

I must admit that I can't wait to spin this!

Crock Pot Dying...........

So I am totally getting into my lil’ pot. A friend of mine picked up a thrift store crockpot for me-complete with dried beans! Haha…

I have had the best time over dying icky faded yarns, roving, and homespun yarn. For this I am using Country Classics dyes that I have had for many years. No mordant is necessary with these, but I am still adding a wee bit of vinegar resulting in 100% take up, and no leftover wasted dye. These first colors are my “comfort zone”, and I have a hard time "shaking it up" and trying new adventures. Next time..

Here is the "high tech" equipment I use.

This is the "before" on the yarn that I dyed. It is faded and icky.

This is "after".

The color depth is sooo much more than in the picture. I love how it turned out. Today I DID step outside the box. I will post pictures when it dries.

Spinners group today at Storm Mountain....

So today my monthly spinners group met. There were about 14 of us ladies attending. Usually we have more like 24, but with the amazing day outside this kinda made since. I spun a bobbin full on my kromski...and started the next. I am spinning some Brown Sheep roving that is super fast and fun. I always leave recharged and ready to spin more which for the past several months has not been an issue for me. Spinning for me today felt rather brainless. I can visit with my neighbor, and keep treadling along. It really relaxes me which is a very good thing! My crochet baby hat pattern was well received. I will make it in a "natural" fiber, then tweek it some for another freebie sharing. This I am definitely having fun with. Time to start dinner and see what I am going to get myself into next!

It's Mothers Day!!

Yesterday I got the most amazing post in the whole wide world on my fb account. This came from my daughter in Afghanistan.

I have finished a crochet hat. Another design of my own, now im playing with it, and testing it...coming soon!

Free Slipper Pattern....it's Crochet!

Lazy Bosnian Slippers-Crochet Materials Used: Charisma-Loops & Threads Yarn, 2 balls

Yarn is a dense bulky, at 6wpi.
Slippers take 147yds,
Size “H” crochet hook
Pin to mark “right side”
Finished slipper length 9 1/2”, womens medium

Abbreviations: St=stitch sc=single crochet sl st=slip stitch Ch=chain eor=end of row cluster=9sc in Dec=decrease blo=back loop only specified stitch

Chain 40 sts.

Row 1: Sc in 2nd st from hook, and to eor. 39sts.

Slipper is now worked in blo. Exceptions are clusters, and the sole. Both loops are used then.

Row 2 & 3: Ch 1, sc in blo to eor. 39 sts.

Row 4: Mark this row as the right side. Ch1, sc in blo of 19 sts, cluster in next stitch (both loops), sc in blo of last 19 sts. 47 sts.

Row 5-7: Ch1, sc to eor in blo. 47 sts.

Row 8: Repeat row 4 and work cluster on 24th st. 55 sts

Row 9-13: Ch1, sc in blo to eor. 55 sts Cut yarn

Sole Right side facing. Work all sts in both loops for entire sole.

Row 1: Join yarn in 24th st from the eor.

Ch1, immediately work dec over join st and next st, sc in next 4 sts, dec over next 2 sts, ch1, turn.

Row 2: Sc over 5 sts, work dec over st 6 and 7. Dec is made over the last st on the sole row, and 1 new side st. Ch1, turn.

Continue working row 2 until 4/5 sts remain on each side unworked.

Work the next row the same but work 1 dec in the center of the row.

Ch1, work 1 row even including dec at eor.

Ch1, work to center of heel. Turn slipper insideout. Sl st left flap to sole on wrong side of work. Break yarn. Join yarn on the “right” of the right heel flap. Sl st right flap to sole to heel center. Now slip stitch up the center back..

Making it more like home....our Cottage.

I have worked on the floor a little in our bedroom, and Steve has put alot of time into our laundryroom/porch. Most fun I think has been adding a few little finishing touches.

Slippers for my Soldiers...

I had fun making these for the ladies in my daughters Company. They should arrive in Afghanistan any day! Excellent pattern.

My "Twins" turn 21....

Today is my "twins" birthday. They are now 21, and they are both in Afghanistan with the National Guard seriving our country.

Today my weaving group got together and did a little class which was a great thing to do on a day that I could "otherwise" feel sad. It was VERY hands on and we all enjoyed diving in and learning something new.

The spinning retreat a few weeks ago was amazing. I think I won staying up late both nights. My new wheel is excellent! I really love it, and I filled 3 bobbins in no time. Good times, with good people, and one of my bff's also.. Its fun to see what everyone else was working on. It is very inspiring, and motivating thats for sure.

Otherwise the weekends have been spent at "The Cottage". With skiing, and working on alot of personal touches here and there, its feeling more like home every time we go up!

In this post is a picture of my new spinning wheel. I call her "Grace". I have never named one of my wheels before, but my bff's influence over me it just felt right to do so. It is Grace because I feel like she is my "saving Grace". On days when I need to sit down and relax and not worry about my kids I spin, it helps.

Im excited!

So yesterday 2 of my dear friends and I went on a road trip to Hot Springs...I tried out 3 spinning wheels at a nice little shop in Ace Hardware. I left with the one I wanted. It was perfect! It is not my "first" wheel, but it is my first double treadle wheel. It is a Kromski Sonata. It is polish made and folds down into a very cool bag. I will post a picture after the weekend..reason being is I have her all packed up and ready to go to a spinning retreat this weekend. I leave in the morning and I am so excited. Pictures coming soon! I will take some this weekend.

Other craft wise, I am going to start a shawl. My friend-same as above-assures me I will love this pattern. I will be using Noro in one of their beautiful colorways-sock weight. I love shawls but have never found one I like on me...this is more of a scarf type so I am hopeful it will work out.

I also have almost 5 out of 6 pair of slippers done for my daughters company of women in Afghanistan. They are a fast crochet, cute, and look warm. I am excited to send them hopefully next week.

The New Year!

Hmmm....what to write.

Yesterday while at our "Cottage" I got to be best friends with our heat gun. I am so pleased how it works removing ages old lenoleum backing from the wood floor. The house has a sub-floor down, we think they were going to carpet the whole place. First things first...we ripped up this sub-floor in our bedroom and will refinish this room....this floor will be the real test on if we will do the living room, and office room/bedroom. With the heat gun working so well...im hopeful. Without it my hands were not going to be able to take all the chisling involved.

Our trip to Oregon was awesome. It was soooo relaxing, and yes even with the 4 dogs. They were so good and loved going "bye bye big"! Steves parents really enjoyed having all of us there.

Last night I finished pair 4 of 6 slippers that I will send to the ladies in my daughters company. I am excited for them to get these. This has been a fun project for me to work on. I will post a picture when I have all 6 done. One year I would like to use ONLY homespun yarn...thinking not this one though!

Speaking of homespun, tomorrow I will be taking a little road trip with a couple friends...I am going to try out a new spinning wheel. I prefer the used price over new, but this is my only opportunity to have an actual hands on with a different "make" of wheel. I have a couple wheels...and my mothers wheels-they are for my girls-but really want a double treadle. I tried one at my spinning get together last month, hoping I wouldnt like it. No luck!

Today I am going to shop for my twins. I need to get another box in the mail this week this being their birthday month and all. We have also adopted another soldier. He doesnt know it yet but I will be sending him a box also. I was told there are 5 who receive NOTHING...so we must remedy this. I dont know him, and he doesnt know us but I creeped him on FB so I know his age and what he does where my daughter is. I chatted my son on FB and he knows him. Says he is a nice guy.

I feel the need to post a picture...how about this one. Its just us being silly on our vacation to Oregon.