House

So I haven't been working on things lately because Eric and I bought a house!!! So I said goodbye to the apartment I have lived in for the last nine years and hello to a place of our own.  Things are still in boxes and we are slowly putting things in their place so I don't have pictures of the inside yet but I will post this when I do.

 

 Eric calls it our Harry Potter house because it kind of looks like row houses in England.

The house has a carport with electricity so eventually we are thinking of closing it off and making a garage out it. We could even eventually raise is and make a mother-in law suite there. 

I figure every house needs a pair of flamingos...of course Eric and I's are undead flamingos!

 

 One thing the house has a lot of is Bamboo!!  I put up some adds on craigslist for people to come dig up the bamboo and I have had four people come by and put a little dent in it.  Next summer, I want to put a vegetable along the side of the house...but we have to get rid of the bamboo first.  I will need to fence it in because we get a lot of deer around.

In preparation for the garden I made a compost bin out of pallets I "borrowed" from work.  I am all about the reduce, reuse, and free!!!! 

We have already received three housewarming gifts. 

 A Bacon Christmas Tree ornament!  Who doesn't love Bacon. 

 A Dish towel from my mom...just in time for Halloween and it matches my stove. 

and LuLu...our attack flamingo my friend Vicki made me and I adore!!!!  Why wouldn't you love a Drag Queen Flamingo!!

Fleece to Fiber

So I am taking a class on how to process the fleece (Sheep butt) from the sheep into usable fiber I can spin yarn with.  I should of taken a picture of the before...but here it is soaking in my sink.  I probably let it soak and changed the water a good 10 times.  

I keep remembering a comment someone made to me about knitting a sweater.  He said..."You can buy that at the store"....the point isn't that I can buy this at a store.  I love the idea of making things and having pride in that process.  Knowing I did this and no one else did.  To me the spinning and making of yarn has such a deep connection.  People have been utilizing this process in one form or another for thousands of years.  By learning this process I am learning about myself.   

Some days I really love were my life is heading.....

Next week I get to learn to comb and process the wool....I will post pictures. 

Scarf Collar Thingy

I got this yummy skein of Merino on sale at NW Handspun about a month ago.  It was a lonely orphan so I had to get it (last skein left).  I kept trying to figure out what I want to do with it.  First I decided I wanted to weave something out of it on my lil Cricket Loom.  Then I thought I would weave some fingerless gloves...but once I got the loom warped I realized that I did not calculate the weft correctly and did not have enough for gloves..so I decided on a collar scarf thingy that seem to be in style lately.  I also got the button from NW Handspun.
It is kind of odd..but so am I....I like it.

Purple Scarf

Finally I finished my first project on my big loom. It is 10 ft long. The warp is cotton and the bright purple is bamboo.  I used a 3/1 twill pattern.
I can't seem to get any really good pictures of it..so these will have to do.

First Project on the Loom

About a year ago...I found an old loom on craigslist for $40.   If you know about large looms even if they are old they can be pretty expensive!!!   Now...I didn't know how to weave and over the last year I have been restoring the loom and learning how to weave on it.  At times this has been a frustrating experience but I think I have learned a lot. I think I have finally figured it out and I have my very first project on it. 

Blooming Flower Pillow

Through Ravelry I found this pattern for Blooming Flower Cushion.  

 I ended up just using yarn I had around the house.  In retrospect I should maybe use a smaller crochet needle or make a round pillow for the inside instead of just stuffing the crochet pillow.  But, it works....eventually I am going to make another one. 

Foodgasm!! Quiche

Quiches are an easy wonderful thing I have discovered!!

This one has Spinach, Zucchini, Cheese, chives, red peppers, and of course because I love Eric and he loves Bacon....Bacon....YUM!

Eric's Lego Figure Shelves

Eric and I have been collecting Lego Figures.  The issue was how to properly display these little treasures.  So I came up with the idea of using molding as shelves.  Please excuse the dirty animal hair carpet...Mom I swear I do vacuum!!!

First we went to Home Depot and pick out molding and cut it right there in to pieces.

 Then I drilled holes to hand on the walls.

 Because most of our furniture and what nots are black I painted them black with just plain acrylic paint I had. 

 After painting I cut down some lego sheets we had into strips.  Then I glued those to the top of the molding with craft glue and painted them black.  In the future I am just going to buy black strips from Lego.com since the paint adds an extra thickness and sometimes it is had to get the bases onto the shelf.

 Then I mounted onto the wall with screws. 

I am going to have to make more of these since our collection is growing, but I think I am going to put a backing on it so it is one piece instead of several different ones. 

South Dakota May 2012

Here are some photos of Eric and I's trip to the South Dakota where he is from.

This a picture of Eric's dad and Grandfather on his mothers side.  His grandfather who is 88 years old has a new hobby making sculptures out of plastic bottles.  I love the idea of this media....really a way to reduce and reuse.

This is the first walleye I caught one day when we went fishing.  Luckily...it was not the only fish I caught!

Eric finally got to wear his captains hat!!

Our catch for the day...four Walleye and two Perch!

Wow there is definitely some wide open skies in South Dakota!  

and lots of creeks, ponds, and lakes!!!

I love how each small town had a Watertower with its name on it!!! 

But all the small towns have dying main streets...but flourishing walmarts. Not to dis South Dakota..but I really enjoy the sustainability and local minded atmosphere of Bellingham.  I know one day it will come there and all of other communities. 

 Eric, his nephews, and I messing around at the ZOO!

 Peacocks!!!

 Eric's Nephews Bible School Concert!

The Bass's and Kraayenbrinks

Eric and my obligatory self potrait!

Eric petting a stingray at the Butterfly pavilion!

All in all I think South Dakota is a wonderful adventure I would of never went on if it wasn't for Eric!