Shouting Quietly

2011-08-12T06:43:00.001-07:00

2011-08-11T08:38:00.001-07:00

Gru

2010-08-05T22:01:00.001-07:00

Please Help Seven

2010-06-06T02:17:00.000-07:00

Seven was abandoned and emaciated. She was completely skittish and untrusting. Fur and bones, she barely had the energy to stay standing.

When we took her to the vet, they discovered parasites, ear hematoma (which was very obvious - her ear was swollen like a balloon) and severe ear infections. Upon cleaning her ears, Seven shook her head and tore open her ear, flinging blood everywhere. She is now bandaged up to prevent more bleeding and awaiting surgery to drain the hematoma.

Please consider donating to Seven's medical fund. She needs every bit of help she can get, and yes, your $1 will TRULY matter.

Please feel free to donate via www.aarsociety.org or via ChipIn:

Remember, American Animal Rescue Society is registered 501(c)3 and your donation is tax deductible.

RAFFLE WINNERS!!

2010-05-23T17:49:00.000-07:00

A HUGE Thank You to all that donated to and supported American Animal Rescue Society!!

With your incredible generosity, we were able to raise $630 total for the animals at AARS!

Here is how winners were drawn:

1. Each raffle entry was put into a spreadsheet in the order they came in, with corresponding numbers.

2. Using True Random Number Generator, I selected 4 unique, random numbers.

3. Those with the corresponding numbers SCORE BIG TIME AND WIN!

The spreadsheet can be viewed Here if you would like to see what your number(s) was.

So without further ado... (drumroll please...)

For prize #1 of 1 Golding Spindle + Lego Spindle + Shea Buttah:

#66!! That's Michelle Hoggatt!

For prize #2 of 1 Golding Spindle + 2 skeins of Sundara:

#102!! That's Linda Carillo!

Prize #3 of 2 Skeins Sundara, 2 Skeins Socks that Rock, 2 Skeins Noro and 1 Skein Autumn Socks:

#12!! That's Emily Miller!!

And finally, Prize #4 of ALL the Namaste Items:

#116!! That's MJ Helmick-Richardson!!

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS!!!

Winners will be contacted via Paypal emails used to make the donation!

It's Live!

2010-04-27T20:52:00.000-07:00

Here it is folks! Let the raffle to raise funds for American Animal Rescue Society begin!

First off, here are the prizes:

A Golding Fiber Spindle donated by The Golding Family at Golding Fiber Tools.

This is a 1.4 oz walnut spindle with a 2 1/8"Vintage Silver Inset whorl and hand tooled silver ring.

Retails for $97

Another Golding Drop Spindle, generously donated by Tom, Diane and Seth Golding at Golding Fiber Tools.

This is a 1.0 oz walnut spindle with a 2" hand painted Russian Lacquer inset whorl and bronze alloy ring.

Retails for $77

1 Skein of Sundara Fingering Silky Merino in the Marigold Colorway.

Generously donated by Sundara Yarn.

50% silk, 50% merino wool. 500 yds, 150 g. 7-9st per inch. US1-2/2-2.75mm needles. Hand wash, cool water.

Retails for $50

1 Skein of Sundara Fingering Silky Merino in the Cobalt over Mediterranean Colorway.

Generously donated by Sundara Yarn.

50% silk, 50% merino wool. 500 yds, 150 g. 7-9st per inch. US1-2/2-2.75mm needles. Hand wash, cool water.

Retails for $50

1 Skein of Sundara Fingering Silky Merino in the Basil over Buttercup Colorway.

Generously donated by Sundara Yarn.

50% silk, 50% merino wool. 500 yds, 150 g. 7-9st per inch. US1-2/2-2.75mm needles. Hand wash, cool water.

Retails for $50

1 Skein of Sundara Fingering Silky Merino in the Mint Julep Colorway.

Generously donated by Sundara Yarn.

50% silk, 50% merino wool. 500 yds, 150 g. 7-9st per inch. US1-2/2-2.75mm needles. Hand wash, cool water.

Retails for $50

A gorgeous Namaste Zuma in Red.

Donated by Namaste Inc.

Retails for $79

Matching Namaste Mini Cozy also in Red. Donated by Namaste Inc.

Retails for $10.50

A Namaste Mini Clutch in Peacock. Donated by Namaste Inc.

Retails for $45.00

A Namaste Buddy Case in Hollywood Pink. Donated by Namaste Inc.

Retails for $17.25

1 skein of Socks that Rock in lightweight, Lenka colorway. Donated by Blue Moon Fiber Arts.

100% superwash merino. 360 yds/329m. 4.5oz/127g.

Retails for $20

1 skein of Socks that Rock in mediumweight, Valenscummy colorway. Donated by Blue Moon Fiber Arts.

100% superwash merino. 380 yds/347m. 5.5oz/155g.

Retails for $22.50

1 skein of Autumn House Farm, Summer Sock. Donated by Ms. Risa of MD.

Colorway Bayougel Beach. Superwash merino/cotton/spandex. 360 yds.

Retails for $20

2 skeins of Noro Yuzen. Donated by Ms. Risa of MD.

Col. No. 6, Lot A. 56% wool, 34% silk, 10% kid mohair. 50g. 110m. DK weight.

Retails for $9.95 each

1 container of Chamomile Shea Buttah. Donated by Deneen at Yarns and Musings.

4 oz container - if you haven't tried this stuff, you are missing out!

Retails for $19.99

And finally - a Knitty Pitty Lego Drop Spindle, donated by myself and Nick.

1.3 oz workhorse spindle - we can customize the color of the shaft.

Retails for $25

1 winner will be chosen for each of these lots:

1 Golding Spindle + 1 Lego Spindle + Shea Buttah
1 Golding Spindle + 2 skeins Sundara
2 skeins Sundara + 2 skeins STR + 2 skeins Noro Yuzen + 1 skein Autumn Sock
All Namaste Items

that's 4 separate lots - 4 individual winners!

So here's how to enter!

Go to AARSociety's Chip In Page or click the Widget Below.
Each $5 donation you make equals 1 raffle ticket.
When you make the Paypal donation - please mention ONLINE RAFFLE in the instructions section.
After you've made your donation, please leave a comment on the ChipIn page with the number of entries you've made. Example: "I have 3 entries - your name"

And now for the Raffle Details!

Each Raffle entry = $5 donation. You may enter as many times as you'd like.
Donations must be done via ChipIn.com - you must have Paypal to use ChipIn.
Raffle ends on May 22, 2010.
Winners will be chosen by True Random Number Generator.
Winners will be announced on my blog on May 23, 2010. They will also be contacted via their email address used to make the Paypal donation.
Prizes left unclaimed by June 11, 2010 will be forfeited by winner and an alternate will be chosen and contacted to claim the prize. They will have 3 weeks to claim prize before it is also forfeited and another alternate chosen.
American Animal Rescue Society is a registered 501(c)3 not for profit organization - your donation is tax deductible!

Thank you all SO much for your generosity and support. American Animal Rescue Society strives to take in as many animals in need as possible, regardless of breed, age, or disability. 100% of your donation goes towards paying down vet bills and our new goal of opening a shelter so more animals will have a safe haven before they find their forever homes.

THANK YOU FOR SAVING A LIFE!

www.AARSociety.org

Questions? Feel free to email me at kchan [at] aarsociety (dot) org

It's Worth The Wait...

2010-04-14T22:12:00.000-07:00

I Promise!!!

Not all the items have arrived yet for my raffle to raise funds for American Animal Rescue Society, so the raffle will not begin this week as I had hoped. But by next week, all the items should be here and we can get rolling!

Are you excited yet? I have another clue for you...

one of the raffle prizes are for making rockin' socks - can you handle it?!!

Animals + Knitting = AWESOME.

2010-04-10T18:07:00.000-07:00

You are looking at (over there <---) the new Fundraising Director for American Animal Rescue Society! We are a small registered 501(c)3 non for profit, foster run animal rescue based in the Chicagoland area. We have in foster old dogs, dogs with 3 legs, cats with missing eyes. We take in the most unadoptable animals from all over the country - because we do not believe that these animals deserve any less happiness than the cute, young animals. My goal is to get this rescue out of debt and start a savings fund for a physical shelter so we have the space to help even more animals find homes. I just know we can do it!

So to start, I turned to my other passion and remained in my comfort zone - knitting and spinning. I've managed to secure a few fantastic (seriously - FANTASTIC) donations from knitting/spinning related businesses and plan to raffle them off here on my blog! 100% of the proceeds will go to AARS.

So keep an eye out ... as soon as some of the items start rolling in, I'll begin raffling them off. I promise you will not be disappointed... and tell your friends - they'll be so upset if you don't fill them in! And of course, you'll all sleep happy knowing that you've helped save the life of an animal that otherwise would be put down.

And this sweet sleeping girl? This is Katy - a 14 year old chow Nick and I are fostering. She was found abandoned in a foreclosed home in downstate Illinois with 3 other dogs and 15 cats. Once the owners were notified with how much trouble they were going to be in with Animal Control, they threatened to shoot the animals thinking it would lessen their penalty. Katy was riddled in fleas, bacteria and parasites. She is now free from all of those icky things, and has had her bloodwork done to confirm she is healthy! Katy is now adjusting to the good life comfortably while waiting for her forever home! She may be a mature lady, but she is still happy and spunky and would make an excellent companion for anyone not wanting to deal with the hyper energy of a young pup!

Her vet bills are through the roof - but every penny was worth it to see this dog comfortable and happy. The difference in Katy from the first day she came to us and now is inspiring. If you can help sponsor Katy - anything, even a dollar or change! - would be a tremendous help for the rescue. You can make a donation to the rescue at www.AARSociety.org or to the vet directly;
Naperville Animal Hospital
(630) 355-5300
Client ID#58111

Ok - so after all that, you want a teaser on what might be raffled off?
Here are some (cheesy) clues...

- something gorgeous (but animal and eco friendly!) to tote your yarn around town in
- some silky smooth yarn that shines beautiful, especially in the sun
- a spinning tool that is worth it's weight in gold!

Another New Hobby!!

2009-10-30T19:31:00.000-07:00

This is what I got Nick for his birthday - a MasterCraft Mini Lathe.

He's always wanted one, and I was super curious. I found a used one on Craigslist for a decent deal, and the guy was going to give us tools and a free turning lesson!

Today we went out and bought some purpleheart to play with on his new lathe and here are the results!

Purple Heart is so hard to photograph - the color is so rich in person and the flash just washes it all out. Fresh cut purpleheart is actually a coffee brown - takes a few minutes of oxygen to turn it that vibrant purple color! Pretty cool!

They're destined to be orifice hook handles for my vintage spinning wheels - the top more traditional one is done by Nick, the bottom bigger one is done by me. Not bad for my first try on a lathe, ey?! I wanted to try out all the tools and techniques in my piece. It's so much more fun than I expected - and way addicting!! I've warned Nick that I may end up being out in the garage turning more than he will be - but hey, now I'll never have to buy a spinning tool ever again!

i love apples.

2009-10-20T21:45:00.000-07:00

they are probably my favorite fruit. really. so versatile, so delicious, so easy.

we went apple picking this past sunday, it was our first time and we don't even know if we went to a good orchard or not but it didn't matter - the weather was fantastic and we had a wonderful time!

their season had been extended this year due to high yield. being so late into the season, we weren't sure if we would get a lot of good ones, but it was 16 acres of gorgeous trees, filled with fresh apples still!

it was a blast, fresh picked apples are so amazing. we tasted every type, quickly discovered which we liked and which we didn't, and had so much fun in the gorgeous weather, just eating and stuff apples in a bag.

nick had brought a little swiss army knife with him, which came in handy because some of the apples were so tough to get through their skin.

i, of course, am a giant fat kid and didn't need a stupid knife to get to my apples. i think i ate double what nick ate just in the orchard alone. especially when i found the fuji apple tree...

then there were these goats...

this one had a beard. or we thought it was a beard. turned out, it was just a lot of burrs stuck under his chin. he didn't seem to care though.

here's what we came home with. 10 lbs of fresh picked apples, and a cat who was not impressed. he likes doritos, fries, cake frosting and spam - but not apples.

and check this out! nick saw this and just had to bring it home. it's a blue hubbard squash, weighs about the same as a large turkey and looks like one too! lady at the orchard said it was completely edible and gave us a recipe. we can't wait to try it out! it's so huge, she told us we would have to smash it on the concrete to break it into manageable pieces!

so for now until winter, it sits on my front steps along with the 3 little green pumpkins we accidently grew in our old apartment garden!

lots of catching up...

2009-10-17T21:27:00.000-07:00

been kind of blah since we moved. it was really stressful and in conjunction with this craptacularly dreary weather we've been having, half my brain shut down.

but, things are starting to settle back to normal - the house is feeling more like home, the animals are finally recognizing the new routine and actually know where the door is! there's still lots to be done, but something broke down inside me and finally allowed me to tell myself that it will get done. it just doesn't need to be done right at this moment.

not much knitting or spinning accomplished since the move. i've been knitting a few rows here and there of my dad's christmas socks but only because they are straight stockinette. i need very much for knitting to be completely brainless at the moment, so the sleeves of my mom's Serrano Cardigan will just have to wait a little while more.

however, i did take a nicer picture with my actual camera of my yarn cabinet to show off. my stash, of course, was one of the first things to be unpacked and organized! it's one of a pair of antique chinese curio cabinets brought over from china by my dad's father over 20 years ago. anyone that knows me knows that i'm quite fond of antique pieces and i've been fortunate enough to receive several items from my grandparents for the new house. i'm so proud to call them mine.

still waiting to be CO and completed before christmas:

1. grandma's Petra Cardigan

2. judy's socks (haven't picked a pattern yet!)

3. nick's Some Assembly Required

4. soul's Endpaper Mitts

5. chuck's Sackboy

6. marianne's Sideways Bobble Hat

7. jo's Floopy Hat

8. my Prairie Boots house slippers

and a couple misc. generic guy's beanies for random guy friends.

yeah.

better get that knittin' mojo back right quick...

looks like we're in business!

2009-09-26T15:12:00.000-07:00

We sold the Lego spindle. Nick was just curious if anyone would be interested. I posted it on Ravelry in the middle of the night (because that's when I get the most done!) and by 11 am the next day - it was sold to fiberfreek in California!

We were super nervous about it - not knowing how well it would hold up in shipping, how well it would hold up to other people's spinning habits and expectations, just nervous! Well what a waste of energy!

Here's the feedback I just received:

re: leggo spindle
Sent at 3:58 PM Today
I am so hooked! Love this spindle!!!!! Would you be able to do a wholesale price? If so, what would your minimum order be???
When I do order, is it possible to get a slightly larger hook?????
Thanks!
Jamie
BTW the yarn is made up of several co-workers who wouldn’t ordinarily give a hoot about spinning etc.!! The spindle was too much!! They had to have a spin!!!! It spins so smooth, long and with VERY little back spin! perfect for teaching I think!!!!

His LYS is interested in carrying a truly unique spindle, and ours may be chosen! I'm not holding my breath, but I am staying optimistic! All things come in threes - so we've got the house, the spindle business... and??

(a bunny! please let it be a bunny!)

closed!

2009-09-24T20:56:00.000-07:00

"without the empty of the doorway, there cannot be a house."

This adorable house?

It's ours!

We finally closed this afternoon, after several nerve wracking days of walkthroughs, scrambling to discuss issues we found last minute, and general first time home buying nerves and stress.

We didn't know what to expect this morning, having gotten no clear answers from either attorneys the day before, and only knowing that our final walkthrough would be right before our afternoon closing. We woke up early and found that our agent was up even earlier and was already staked out in front of our soon to be home, waiting for the contractor and seller to arrive. We met her over there and were so incredibly relieved to find all the issues we brought up had been fixed (or would be shortly). We left with a huge weight lifted off our shoulders and a sense of ease heading to closing. This meant I wouldn't have to do any work at closing!

Closing was actually kind of fun, we finally met our attorney in person - she was exactly how I imagined her to be, but I actually hated her much less in person than over email or phone! She was a beader and jewelry maker and we bonded a little as we talked crafts and etsy. She was quick and efficient going over all the documents Nick needed to sign, and much of the waiting around afterwards was due to the title company slugging around and dragging their feet. Our lender, while a bore with business, is quite fun when taken out of work context and we adore our realtor. We had laughs and jokes and cookies and iphone bowling and the seller's attorney was a dreamboat. Nick even said as we left, "you totally have a crush on their attorney, don't you." le sigh...

and now to finish packing (yeah I suck like that...) and big move this weekend!

More Merging of the Hobbies

2009-09-21T21:48:00.000-07:00

"the mind contains all possibilities"

So we still haven't closed because underwriters are dillheads. So to take my mind off the no-end-in-sight-disappointment, I took to my spinning. As Nick watched me spin as he usually does, a light bulb went off and without a moment to waste he was down in the Lego Lair (aka the basement). Not five minutes later, he emerges with his new contraption and my new toy in hand.

Yes.
A 100% Lego Drop Spindle.

1.3 oz
3" whorl
9" shaft

Rim weighted, hook that centers yarn really well, and the tire treads create notches anywhere I please. I'm so proud! He really had been paying attention!

So how well does it spin? Absolutely Amazing. I busted into my stash and found some sample cotswald rolags someone had sent me and started right away. It spins as long, if not longer, than my Golding spindle, there's barely any wobble at all because the yarn is so centered and the purple tubing he added to the shaft makes the cop impossible to slip off (but may present a problem for slipping off later - we'll have to see).

So you're not amused by my new unconventional fiber tool?

You probably wouldn't like the automatic Lego Yarn Winder and Lego Swift he made either.

getting the ball rolling

2009-09-15T22:53:00.000-07:00

"As you walk and eat and travel, be where you are.
Otherwise you will miss most of your life."

After a fantastic weekend at Stitches Saturday, spending time amongst wonderful friends and yarny fumes, Nick and I drove out to Muscatine, Iowa on Sunday. Our mission? To pick up an antique late 1800's Canadian Production Spinning Wheel I found on Craigslist. We decided to make a nice day trip of it and we were so pleasantly surprised to have had such a wonderful time!

We left at 8 AM, I drove the quick 3.5 hours there while Nick caught up on sleep. I had never been in that direction and while most of it was cornfield after cornfield, I did enjoy the quiet peaceful drive.

By 11:30 we arrived at our first destination, The Button Factory Woodfire Grille, for a fantastic brunch package. For $25 a person (tax included!) we enjoyed a very delicious brunch buffet, a 15 minute horse drawn carriage ride, and a 2 hour paddle boat cruise on the Mississippi River aboard the The Pearl Button Paddle Wheel.

Here's Nick enjoying yummy Brunch - the most amazing potatoes I've ever had, country biscuits and gravy, fresh made to order omelets, bacon, sausage, and so much more!

Here I am knitting in front of the restaurant while we waited for the horse drawn carriage to arrive.

Everyone was incredibly friendly there. We didn't feel stared down, didn't feel judged, and everyone just wanted to smile and say Hi and find out how your day was. It was one of the most relaxing days we've spent in a long time and I can completely understand the lure of small town life. We picked seats at the very front of the boat, listened to the breeze, felt the sun and watched the Mississippi sparkle.

After a delightful afternoon, we headed over to Jerry and Marilyn's to pick up my lovely wheel. I wish I had taken a picture of Jerry and Marilyn, but we were too busy chatting! We stayed and visited with them for over an hour, sharing stories and comparing lifestyles. It never ceases to amaze me how we come about meeting such wonderful strangers. As different as we seemed to be, we hit it off so well. They even invited us back to spend a weekend with them!

And finally. The reason for the whole trip. My new old wheel. (Pictured at Jerry and Marilyn's). She features the typical metal treadle, metal footman, large 29.5" drive wheel and a tilt tension mechanism. She's in fantastic shape, has a few chips and cracks here and there but are mostly easily fixable. I think I'll name her Adele.