WHERE DID THE LAST 4 WEEKS GO?!

Well, I never thought it would take this long to post again to my blog, but boy have things been busy…

Two tons of tree fell 2 weeks ago in our front yard in the middle of the night with no wind or storm provocation (very scary since Stephen and I were playing under that tree just that evening) and that took some time to clean up! It brought down a live power line that was in contact with our yard and went about 3 blocks down the street. I watched the power line blow up like a firework display from the kitchen window and had no idea the tree had fallen till Ken came out and told me. The scariest thing is that there had been a huge party next door and the last guest left about 10 minutes before the tree came down and the power line crossed right over the party had been.


Ken and I celebrated our 5th anniversary over Labor Day Weekend. We have both been married before and have done the elaborate wedding “thing.” We decided to have a good time with no stress at our wedding, so five years ago we got married on a friend’s sailboat (our immediate family was on another friend’s sailboat) on the Chesapeake Bay. We had our rehearsal dinner at Harris’ Crab House on Kent Island next door to Mears Point Marina where the boats were slipped. We had a huge pig roast at our home the next day to celebrate and had a ball. So…every year since, we have tried to spend our anniversary on or near water. This year, we had to be at the track for the MARRS double, so we didn’t have a full day. We decided to go back to Harris’ Crab House for lunch and recreated a picture from our rehearsal dinner 5 years ago. It is scary how the parents of a toddler spend their time when they actually get out on their own for a few hours!

Most recently, Chris Morgan of Woolybuns German Angoras drove down from Connecticut for the weekend and hosted her famous Felted Angora Mittens Workshop. It was AWESOME!!!!! I only finished one mitten and am waiting for the felting needles to arrive to start the second one. Once both are done, I will dye them something really obnoxious, I mean, BRIGHT, so that no one can miss my really cool mitts! I am also thinking about trimming the edge with a brocade fabric - too many options!!!



After we finished up with the mittens, Chris and I decided to take an impromptu road trip to introduce her to The Mannings about 45 minutes “up the road!” We brought the mittens and showed them to Carol, who owns the Mannings – hopefully we will see Chris on the class schedule next year! I indulged in several more hard-to-find books on knitted lace and Chris picked up some gorgeous Koigu and some other stuff. I am so glad I was able to act as Fiber Enabler and ruin Chris for good now that she has been to fiber Disneyworld!!




When we got back, Susan Withnell of Storybook Dreams German Angoras came over. I got to demonstrate the high velocity blower from the grooming shop and how I use it to blow out the bunnies’ coats. The bunnies were not impressed! I also showed them both my “dirty little secret” that has remained hidden in my Sewing/ Knitting room until I can get over the feelings of guilt that I am cheating on my handknitting - - my newly purchased Brother 260 Bulky Knitting Machine/ Ribber combo with all the doodads and accessories! I adore to knit by hand, but I have soooo many friends having babies these days that there is no way that I could possibly ever get any gifts made for all of them before they graduate from college. So…I checked out the machines and decided that since I quilt by machine, which is just a faster way to make the quilting stitch, the knitting machine falls under the same category. You still need to design, choose yarns, etc. After I made my first baby sweater with my own handspun in about 1 hour, I have to say that I was hooked. Of course, the sad sock I had attempted to make was a really sorry site, and I thought both Chris and Susan were going to lose it as they tried to figure out which end was the heel and which was the toe!

Susan had a ball with the metal tensioning antenna, even yelling out “ I think I found water” as she used the antenna as a divining stick! I think her space alien impression was pretty good too. I have to admit, when the whole thing is set up, it looks like a space ship console and can be intimidating! I then tried to show off the little bit I have managed to figure out so far, but instead I think I convinced them both to run, far, far away from that apparatus, shut the door, and never look back! It was a hoot. Again, the bunnies, who were looking on from their crates, were not impressed…

After the frightening experience with the knitting machine, we were hungry, so pizza on the deck was in order, and the rest of the evening was an enjoyable evening outdoors with family and friends.

Chris had to leave by mid-morning on Sunday to get back to CT in a timely manner, but not before Ken let her into the racecar trailer to take a look at his “baby.” The end result? Chris and her husband are journeying back here in October to attend Ken’s last race of the MARRS season at Summit Point. YeeHaa – two new converts!

So that sums up the last few weeks. Not much fibering going on except a few Christmas presents that I can’t mention here!