Giant Cones of Yarn

Weekend before last my friend Barb and I drove up to the cities to attend the annual Garage Sale at the Textile Center. I went last year, it was the same day as Yarnover, to see how it worked. I learned that the best way of doing it is to pay the 25 dollars and go to the preview. And that is just what we did.

We got to the cities where I immediately made a wrong turn and drove away from our destination. Fortunately, I realized this after about a mile (or 3) and drove back and snagged a parking space about a block away. I love the neighborhood up there.

It was a little cold and windy, but we were prepared for an hour in line. People were already lining up.

We are in the middle of that line. We met up with a friend of Barb’s. Her name is Celeste and she was all about the Garage Sale. Gave us some pointers.

Me, Celeste and Barb.

We got in early and this is what we saw-

Panorama. You need to click to make bigger.That is one big room full of fiber and notions.

Last year I went on opening day and this place was so packed you couldn’t get through the aisles. Totally worth the 25 to get in early.

I was sure I couldn’t shop from 5:45 to 8, but I did.

We took our fiber booty back to Celeste’s to check it out.

Celeste got several giant cones of yarn. Seriously giant.

That blue one is the most giant of all

It takes up it’s own seat on the bench. I think it’s wool and it was about 6 bucks. Really.

She also got this UFO. It isn’t much of UFO-the whole thing is done except for one sleeve. It’s a cardigan, fair isle sweater which we believe to be Alice Starmore.

We have  a photocopied pattern, and a picture but the picture doesn’t seem to go with the pattern. Barb and I have spent hours trying to figure out which pattern it is. I think it’s from the Hebrides collection. Which, by the way, is a gazillion dollar book on e-bay.

It is beautiful.

I got some Jo Sharpe yarn, which was complimented by my elephant friend and glass of vino. We needed a little wine to recover from the sale.

Here’s another smaller cone of yarn with my wine.

We also got Jamison’s Yarn, Alpaca and silk roving, a bagful of zippers, 2 skeins of sock yarns, 10 patterns for a dollar and lots of other great stuff. So worth the effort. Can’t wait until next year. The deals were great.

Celeste had some really cool stuff at her house. These masks on the wall and the woman on the bowl were very impressive.

 

Celeste and Barb’s friend Pam came by with this trellis which was perfect for displaying finished fiber works.

It was meant to be. I wish I could decorate like this.

The next day I awoke to this

 

That would be snow. In the middle of April. And this isn’t even the last snow-we had more last week!

Anyhow, it didn’t stick to the road so off we went, back to Roch. I had to be back by noon so I could get to Racine, because they were having an event-an 830 event.

 

This is Kevin Conley, and he is about the best Bernina educator ever. He really makes it a lot of fun. This afternoon was for people who already owned 8’s. This picture is totally Kevin.

Busy busy weekend.

Today I was at another 830 learning event. Next weekend-Yarnover. Bring it!

And, big plans in the works for Sock Summit, and maybe even Stitches Midwest. I don’t know how I’ll keep up with it all!

How fast they grow

Well, I have had a very busy weekend. But I really need to post this first.

Twinkles, my little cow, is growing up so fast.

Remember when?

(And by the way, best blog picture EVER).

Twinkles now weighs about 600 pounds-I’d like to see Laura try this again.

Well, I told Laura to give Twinkles an apple a month or so ago (or longer because Laura was balking) because I know my Twinkie loves an apple.

Apparently she did it wrong because Twinkles did not love the apple.

 

So first of all, there is grain in Twinkles stall, which is totally distracting her from the delicious apple.

Then she wanted the delicious apple but Laura was giving off her famous cows are not my best friend vibe. And Twinkles senses it. Can’t you just see it in her eyes?

Here-look here.

See? She probably thinks it’s some sort of Laura trick to get her to do something, like actually get out of the barn or something. Which she totally would not do, or if she did, would let herself right back in because this cow is GENIUS.

She can let herself in and out of her stall, and, in the summer, can let herself in and out of the good pasture. So, when Laura gave her the “poisoned” apple, well, she was wise, just like Snow White. No wait, she was wiser than Snow because Twinkles didn’t eat the apple. Just sayin’.

So, I think that if I were to offer an apple to my little cow, she would be happy to eat it. It’s all in the presentation.

Twinkles and her friend.

It is what it is

Last weekend my mood was just about like this

Grey, brown, and blah.

We drove to Winona so I could get my hair cut (only OK) and look at the river, which is running high these days.

 

Don’t sit here.

Potable? I do not think that word means what they think it means. At any rate, I’m not drinkin’ that water for a while.

Winona has lots of dikes which kept the waters at bay.

It was just a little damp here at Levee Park.

And damp along the wetlands.

Which shouldn’t be surprising because, after all, they are the wetlands. I just think a little wetter than usual.

I was at Pine Needles last week, Serging-

The usual 4 Sergers plus Marcia. We are quite the group, I must say.

And on Sunday the temp was 81 degrees, with lots of humidity. Soupy atmosphere-a little taste of summer.

I’ve got green in the front now

Up close-

And the heads made it through another winter

Dave planted bulbs last fall and the first few are starting to bloom

The hillbilly’s are staking out some mystery project next door. Oh God. Dave thought it was a pool. Seriously? No.

You’ll have to click to make that bigger to see the stakes are right up to the trampoline. I saw the neighbor out on his deck so I asked because I think that the unknown is just too frightening. I mean the trampoline was just too big of a shock-I can’t go through another one. Happily, they are staking out a garden AND are going to level their yard so the trampoline will be moving down the way a bit. Joy. I knew it wasn’t a pool.

Although, Dave and I had always wondered if the trampoline could be viewed from space-and guess what-

See it? Look closely-

Right in the middle of the screen-little round dot in the back yard of the second house to the right of the cross street. Click picture to make it bigger but I think if you look-you can see the trampoline from space.

I also have pictures of Twinkles and the apple-

But I think it deserves a blog of its own, which shall be next week. I just thought I’d tantalize a little with this one. Look at my cute Twinkles. She knows Laura does not have the bovine love-that’s why she wouldn’t eat the apple. Twinkles is genius about these things. But more about that next time.

Lastly,

Some may doubt Jack’s influence over the blog, and his recurrent role in it, but let me show you again how he loves to blog.

He LOVES it.

Trixie, on the other hand, not so much

Stay dry.

April Fools

It’s April now. A little chilly today. But a nice weekend never the less.

I spent Saturday morning Knitting, first at Kristen’s doing the Wrap Me Up knit along (KAL), and then at Dunn Bros South, meeting up with the knitting group. Apparently, a few of us are doing the same Skacel KAL, and finished our March project….

That’s what I’m talkin’ about.

Sunday was the Fool’s Five Road race. I ran,

this guy officiated

(I like the little Marilyn Monroe action of the skirt)

And I left Dave to his own devices taking pictures.

He thought that it would be funny to take pictures of all the people who are faster and finished before me.

Apparently, he thought this was pretty amusing.

So, after he got done with that I actually finished.

 

I’m surprised he saw me, so busy was he taking pictures of others. I do appreciate how he took a picture of people passing me at the end (on the left-I purposely did not enlarge it)

I met up with my friend Nanci and Brandon (who is her brother in law or something like that). She beat me and he beat her so he also beat me (if a>b and b>c etc etc). Actually, Nanci came from behind me to pass me and beat me. I love that.

But, even though I didn’t think it was so great, look at this-

Women 50-54

1, Coleen Roethke, Burnsville, Minn., 42:22:00; 2, Sarah Melde, St. Charles, 43:23:00; 3, Deborah McClellan, Minnesota City, Minn., 44:17:00

I won a prize! And I didn’t even stay because I figured, with almost 3000 runners, there was no way. Oh well. I love to win a prize.

So I wonder what place the lady with the walker got?

We also did some hanging out with the Birdy-Bee over the weekend-

And because Dave thought the lady with the walker was so funny-I get to post this

Ha-I was taking a picture of the bird and Dave came out more clearly than the intended target. It makes me laugh a little.

And lastly, we took the dogs for a little stroll on Saturday, and Beta was tired afterwards, so here he is relaxing on the couch.

Yep. Beta on the couch. And there’s the cat round thingy and the cat rope toy. Sigh.

Happy April!