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..