An AMAZING four days off...

I took Friday off, it was Ken's birthday and I just needed a day off. I spent the morning spinning and finished this, my favorite handspun that I've made. It's the first handspun that I actually want to knit with.



It started off as plain white merino top roving, which I dyed with food coloring and then spun up into roughly 4 or 5 ounces of sock-weight-ish yarn. I think. I'm not really sure of the "weight." I should figure that out.

Any suggestions on what to knit with it would be greatly appreciated. I am leaning toward socks, however I'm open to anything. It is about as soft as it can be, I may just keep it looped around my neck, to be honest. I'm kind of in love with it. :)

I also went to my second acupuncture appointment. This was with a different acupuncturist than the first appointment. I didn't like him as much, and what he did (staying away from the problem area- my sciatica- and treating me remotely) didn't help me as much as the first one, which is actually REALLY too bad, since that means I'm going to have to go back to being bare-ass-up on that table while the guy who I could have gone to high school with and who knows my boss sticks needles right into my dimple-butt (as it's affectionately known 'round these parts- I embrace my cellulite, people.) I don't know if you've ever seen my ass, but I assure you it's not my greatest feature. Why couldn't the cute acupuncturist decide that my back will get better if he sticks needles into my ample and luscious bosom or much better yet my sparkling sense of humor? Sigh... Must remember to exfoliate...

So Ken came home from work (what? It's okay if I take his birthday off and he doesn't, right?) and we went to Wally World to pick out a patio set



then out to dinner at The Loft in North Andover, which is famous for it's Lobster Mac and Cheese. Rightly so. Excellent corn bread, too (enter: dimple-butt). Then we went to go see Indiana Jones, which was certainly entertaining. For the first 10 minutes I was aware of how old Harrison Ford is, but after that I kind of let that go and bought it. I definitely recommend it, it's a fun two hours in the theater.

Saturday I went with my knittas to WEBS and then to the Mass Sheep and Wool Festival, and despite a VERY annoyed back I had a ridiculously awesome time. I bought entirely too much loot and couldn't be happier about it. My newly acquired fiber and I had a little photo shoot the next morning on the cedar swing in my back yard, which is my new favorite place.



Two hanks of roving and my gorgeous new Kundert spindle


Let's see that spindle again


8oz of astonishingly beautifully dyed merino which spins up in a way that kind of makes me weak in the knees


Merino/Tencel roving. You can practically feel it from this picture. I bought it because I want to be like Lucy


I was drooling over this skein of naturally dyed sock yarn when the woman who dyed it told me it was half price AND pointed Ariel and I to the woman who makes the dyes. I bought the yarn, then Ariel and I bought the dye kit.




Two ounces each of blonde and brunette Alpaca/Tussah silk roving...


...which will be spun and plied on my new gorgeous cedar Kundert spindle!


Yeah, I really love the spindle. Though, I will say that the hook is a bit fragile. I've dropped the thing a few times (why do you think it's called a "drop spindle," heh) because the single slipped off the hook and then the hook got a little bent. I'm not loving that. Everything else, though, I'm loving. It spins beautifully, and I am so in love with the wood he used. It changes and even glows in the light.

After leaving the sheep and wool festival, we continued with our now-tradition of stopping at this ice cream place/nursery on the way back home. I got a delicious (and HUGE) malt sundae, plus two little 6-packs of Alyssum and a small pot of Rosemary.

Sunday we had Ken's family and my mom over to celebrate his birthday. The new patio set held up beautifully and the steaks were delicious. Then Monday Ken and I celebrated our anniversary (which is technically today) by spending the morning drinking coffee on our swing and coming up with baby names for his brother's unborn son and doping out our plan of defense in case of Zombie or Velociraptor attack. Our plan is very good, but must remain top secret, since there is the remote chance it could be considered offensive by pretty much anyone. But hey, you know, when it comes to life and death situations one can't be too careful and must be willing to go the extra mile, no matter how distasteful that may be. I will say, however, that we both decided that we would be able to shoot each other in the face if the other turned into a Zombie. I feel good knowing that Ken will be able to put his feelings for me aside should I ever decide to try to eat his brains.

For the afternoon we decided to take a drive up to Gloucester to see what we could see, and ended up checking out the ocean for a while, then taking a lovely drive around Rt 127 before stopping for dinner at Tom Shea's in Essex. We ate on their back patio which docks out to the channel so that people can drive their boats to the restaurant. I didn't have my camera with me then, which is too bad because it was beautiful. Their Lobster Pie was really, really amazing, as was their Blue Moon.

Here are some shots of Ken and I in Gloucester, sitting by the sea

Smiling for the camera


Smiling big for the camera


Smiling fake for the camera


It was a lovely day



Plus, when we got back home, Ken gave me a present, a Lazy Kate for my wheel with three new bobbins! Now I can make 3 ply yarns. Muahahahaa.....


As dusk fell we decided to make a fire and end the day back out on the swing. Really, really wonderful day.