apr2107

Marginal
Notes:

Weather: Cold and rainy. The CT River is rising. We're sure to have flooding from the Spring melt up north.

Current projects:

Current Projects:
Vest or sweater for Steve out of some gray/tan handspun. If he is a good boy and quits smoking, I'll add sleeves to it and make a sweater.
Purple cardigan for me out of Green Mt. Spinnery wool & mohair blend.
Socks. Always socks.

Changes on the horizon for me. Our building (Steve works there too) is shutting down over the next 2 years and all 5,000 employees need to be relocated. Our jobs are secure, it's just that the company is moving every department back up to the Corporate HQ in Hartford. They own the Hartford building, but lease the one where we work. Distance wise, it's not really that much further for us to drive. Problem is traffic. It's a pain to have to get over the river and into Hartford at rush hour. Also it appears that my department is scheduled to move before Steve's and we will no longer be able to ride together to save on gas. Gas prices here are expected to reach around $4 a gallon. It cost me $48 to fill up my little Jeep this week.

My department offered another option. They were allotted 6 teleworker positions by the Corporation. Six people out of the nearly 40 of us can be full time work at home. I volunteered and was accepted for the position. They will set me up with furniture and equipment here at home. I will only have to go to the HQ for big meetings and such. Some of the people have the option of working 2 or 3 days from home instead. Steve is working 3 days at home. I considered that, but changed my mind after trying to cross the Bulkeley Bridge to get onto Route 91 in Hartford a few weeks ago. Bumper to bumper traffic! I now just need to shovel the crap out of this tiny house to set up a small office for myself. The change is supposed to be in effect by June 1st!

I've been trying to get organized and ready for the CT Sheep show. It's on April 26th and we will be vendors there again. This week I received a huge order from Louet. I didn't want to spend the money, but we had almost nothing in inventory It really wasn't worth doing the show it there was nothing to sell. I have 6 or 8 fleeces still with Twist of Fate Spinnery in Portland. They told me it should be ready this week or next. I need to separate and bag up the fiber into individual bags for sale.

I've also been busy with the dye pots. I'm not sure if I want to sell the roving as it is, or blend it into my own colors and sell it. The bunches are approximately 2oz each, except for the larger one at the top of the photo. That was an experiment and I might keep it. My boss was so happy with the scarf I made for her that she has commissioned me to create a special scarf for her friend. This friend is a witch and follows Wicca(n) (?). Not sure if that is the correct term. So she wants me to create something truly unique for this friend, but it must have purple in it. I have until Christmas time to create it. Do witches celebrate Christmas?

Other changes here. Eloise bunny died on March 18th. We had noticed a sore on her foot in January and took her to the vet. The infection went systemic before we could control it and she died from it. I still feel so guilty about this. Bunnies never make a sound. They suffer in silence. And being so fluffy, I hadn't realized that she lost a lot of weight. She was down to 2 and a half pounds when she died. Steve was devastated too. She was a good little bunny. Rest in peace Eliose.

Recently completed projects-most recent first:

		Finished the handspun black Multi-directional scarf for my boss. She loves it.
I made two Calorimetry(s?). Both are in odd bits of yarn with orange. One for me and of course, one for Ryanne.	I finished the Rasta hat for Ryan	Simple baby jacket out of a rust-orange-putty type color. Sounds weird, but it's nice. It's for a woman I talk to on the phone at work but have never met. She is due to deliver in Oct. It seems like a good color for an Oct baby.
Simple blue watch cap. My doctor requested it.	Earth or Autumn color socks for me	Purple socks for Kathy
A Shetland lace scarf out of baby alpaca spun on Prudence my antique Shaker wheel.	Mittens for a woman in my unit made out of bits and pieces of yarn from the stash	Mittens for my supervisor out of some Noro I had in the stash.
Mittens for Ryanne to match the Shetland lace scarf out of the softest Merino wool	Shetland Lace scarf out of pink angora. I need to block it as it seems to have grown when I washed it. It's now about 8' long! I gave this to Ryanne's mother. She loves it.	A blue and multicolored handspun, multidirectional scarf. I gave this to Ryanne's father as a combo Christmas & birthday present.
Finished a hat out of multicolored handspun from roving I purchased at Rhinebeck last year. It's pretty shades of blues and greens. I made it for the Tamarra the temp that left work and now is in school in NH. I need to make her some mittens too and I will mail them to her.	Finished a Shetland lace scarf in greens & orange hand painted Merino from the NH Sheep show. It's for Ryanne for Christmas	Started and finished a quick multi-directional scarf out of the same green homespun for the other temp at work (Tamarra) who was leaving. She's going to school in NH so she'll need it.
Knit another hat for Ryanne. This one larger and out of green homespun. I added a few stripes of orange to make it the colors of the Irish flag. She's very Irish.	A blue hat with pink embroidered flowers and beads. I gave it to another girl at work for her toddler daughter.	Little basket weave socks for a toddler. I gave the to a girl at work for her 18 month old daughter.
A hat for Ryanne out of some blue Merino. I think it's too small though.	A homespun wool scarf in Autumn colors using a Shetland lace pattern. It's my first attempt at lace and I'm enjoying it.	Socks. Two pairs. One for me and I gave the other to Ryanne.
Made a quick scarf to wear to work out of the recycled silk I purchased on vacation.	Ryanne has the green sweater. I haven't seen it or her for a while. I have no idea what stage it is at. She was lengthening the sleeves (I have very short arms) and adding volume to the neck.	Socks. Blue & green variegated yarn. I gave them to Ryanne
Multidirectional Diagonal scarf out of brown homespun wool and alpaca. I gave it to Jack the Therapist. He didn't have a scarf.	Finished the never ending cardigan turned vest! The buttons are sewn on, I just have to make button holes and block it.	Pair of mittens for a child. They are knit out of Blue Wool-Ease from Lion Brand so they will be washable. I gave them to Chef Dave at work for his little boy Michael.
A multidirectional diagonal scarf for Dennis out of blue homespun wool.	A scarf for the scarf swap at our spinning guild made out of a mohair blend I purchased at Rhinebeck and some blue homespun wool.	Mittens for the girl who lives down the street made out of brown alpaca and a wool in autumnal colors.
Another hat for my chiropractor's baby out of multicolored acrylic..	Blue mittens to match the scarf for Ryanne	A simple gray winter hat. It's from the Border Leicester fleece that I bought last year. It's for LP for Christmas.
A turquoise blue wool and silk blend scarf for Ryanne.	Socks out of hand painted wool in lovely muted, "desert" colors. I inadvertently washed them and the wool felted. I now have slipper socks.	A grass green colored angora & alpaca simple raglan sweater
Hot pink hat for my chiropractor's baby.	A cowl from a blend of Cotswold wool and alpaca.	A glittery scarf with yarn purchased from Threadbear.
Hat for Dennis of homespun charcoal gray Corridale wool.	An ugly brown sweater for Dennis out of a mix of homespun wools. He loves it	Multicolored socks for me.