This, Too, Shall Pass........

This is BH's favorite expression to me when things are going crazy.  It makes me want to punch him in the face.  But instead, my response to him is "yeah, like a kidney stone" (of which I've had one experience).  Another little gem he likes to verbalize is: "it's almost over; everything will be ok; it's almost over".   My response?  "ya know, that's what they kept telling me in the Labor room".   Makes me want to punch somebody in the face.

Can you tell this isn't going to be a great day?  My insides are all a-jumble.  I try to stay calm and positive.  It works for only a few minutes.

Ok, so there are some good things this past week.  I finished the wine colored vest, washed and blocked it yesterday.  It looks great! Hope to get pictures posted as soon as it's dry and the buttons are sewn on. 

I finished spinning the alpaca......thank you for the "spritz with water and conditioner solution" idea.  It worked like a charm!  So now I'm plying the alpaca with Jacob and the oatmeal colored wool.  Looking good!  Love the color.  Hope I'll get enough yarn to do another vest; I'm on the 4th plying bobbin.

Right now, I'm working on the blue cardigan that needed to be fixed.  Ripped out the collar, had to drop down 5 or 6 rows for about 14 stitches at the top of the left side panel.  Figured that out and now re-knitting the collar.  Then the sleeves have to be shortened about 7 pattern repeats!  Thank goodness a repeat is 4 rows.  So the underside stitching needs to be undone, the cuffs ripped out, and then rip the pattern stitches back; reknit the cuffs.  And this sweater definitely needs pockets.  So the pockets will be knitted and added to the front panels.  Then I think this sweater will be done!  Geezzzz.

I've been getting anxious to do some dyeing.  I'm thinking of getting all the equipment together today.  It's in the old farm (storage) house.  If I bring it over here today, the dyes, mordants and bottles should be thawed out in a couple of days.  Geezzz.   I've been seeing some beautiful colors from other bloggers.  And I have a ton of white roving.  Can't wait!

I'm trying to figure out a good time to start Spring cleaning.  The problem is, I also want to do some painting, put up new wallpaper.  Can't paint yet because BH has to connect the hose to the spiquet outside.  It's still winter.  The hose is in the basement of the old farm (storage) house......frozen.   And it ain't gonna thaw out sitting outside.  I need the hose to wash up the paint rollers, tray and brushes.  We do not have a utility sink in the house.

We also have big plans for our Yard Sale  to be held Memorial Day weekend.  While most of the stuff is ready and organized, there is still quite a lot that has to be rounded up, cleaned up and gotten ready.  Not to mention there is still a ton of stuff that needs to be bagged and thrown out.  Can't do that for a few weeks yet.  Because it's all in the old farm (storage) house.   And it's freezing over there.

So, the yard sale needs to take priority.  Cleaning may have to wait til later in the summer.....or maybe the Fall.  This all needs to be done because we are planning on selling our home next Spring and moving to a 55+ retirement community.....apartment.  There is soooo much to do around here to get ready, we know we need to spend as much time this Spring and Summer getting it done. 

I spun the Jacob wool on my Ashford Traditional wheel.  The same wheel is being used for the plying.  I notice that the wheel, itself, is a bit wobbly.
I've tightened screws, changed the drive band, moved it to another whorl, moved it back.  Nothing.  Maybe it's warped.  We probably need to take the whole wheel apart and put it back together again.  This is not something I'm enthused about, nor do I really want to get into.  Ok.  So the wheel is warped.  It works.  Ahhhh......but now there's a "squeak".  Yeah.  Another one.   I don't know where it's coming from.  I've oiled all the spots.  It's not a constant squeak, just enough to make me want to bang my head against the wall.

So that makes 2 wheels that squeak.  I need a break.  "This too shall pass".  Ppfffftttt.

Oh.  My favorite expression?   "Nothin's so bad that it can't be worse".

And that pretty much sums it all up.  It keeps me from punching someone in the face.