I Am A Yarn Ho...

Yesterday I drove far away from my home to a yarn store. Not a craft store...an actual yarn store. I've been in two previously and found them mildly stimulating.

Then I walked into Wool & Co. First, I was awash in the most amazing pleasant memories of my favorite job ever. I used to be in the same neighborhood for meetings and was saying thankful prayers that I hadn't known about the yarn store at that time. It would have been too tempting. Way too tempting.

Wool & Co. is located in an old-fashioned main street type shopping area in Geneva, Illinois, near the Fox River. The stores are eclectic and all look loads of fun.

I parked the turbo mini van around the corner from Wool & Co. and quickly walked toward the store. The day was cloudy and threatening rain...but nothing mattered when I spotted the warm lights of the shop.

I had needles put aside. That's all I wanted was a set of Addi Turbos so I could make a pair of socks. My goal was to go in, pick up the needles and leave. Because I do not need any more yarn.

The shop smelled great. That nice, potpourri smell that small shops have. I've decided it is not one single scent, but a comingling of all the scents. They meld together to make the most heavenly scent that cannot be duplicated at home.

I sniffed. Then I opened my eyes and started petting. I pet the sparkling confetti type yarns. I fingered the sock yarns. I caressed the hand-dyed wools. I drooled over the sock yarn that knits up into an intarsia-type project without changing colors. I entertained a few fellow knitters with my tale of woe involving an electric mixer, a toilet paper tube, and an attempt to roll a hank into a ball. [Bottom line--don't try this at home despite what you might read on the internet.]

I fell onto a cube filled with Classic Elite Yarns Flash and pawed through to the bottom for the Lotus Blossum hanks. Fuscia, lime green, orange...these are socks just begging to be worn on my feet! As I write, I have to keep touching...

Then I wandered into the samples. I've been wanting to felt something. I found the perfect project with the Mood Purse. The handles are held on by buttons so you can change them on a whim.

Actually, I am not sure if I fell in love with the purse pattern or the hanks of hand-dyed wool that were lying near the sample. I had to grab a hank of the Emerald Blue Malabrigo Marino from Uruguay. It smells like dyeing--with the vinegar scent mixed with the dye chemicals. I caressed and fondled and decided that I needed to make something with this 100% wool and knew the Mood Purse was it.

At this point I knew it was time to go. My arms were full. I was on sensory overload in a wonderful way. I continued fondling notions scattered about the countertop as I was rung up. I ogled a needle felted wall hanging and am thinking somewhere in the depths of my ever-creating brain that this is next...this is the next thing I must try. I mean Sharon Malec's needle felted quilts were inspiring...and this just carried the urge a little further.

I nearly skipped back to the family truckster with my Wool & Co. tote swinging from my arm. [Think Dorothy ala Wizard of Oz...except it's no Toto peeking out of my basket but yarn and needles peeking from my tote...]

Another Tuesday Drawing

Here is a drawing of tools done at my Tuesday class.

Creative Tuesday

OOOO, I was creative today! And it feels so good.

This morning was my drawing class. These are drawings of my hand in various poses. We were not to lift the pencil, backtrack over our previously lines if necessary, and no erasing! There is also a drawing of a tool still life. This was difficult to draw. Literally, I was exhausted when I finished.

This afternoon I made a quilt block for an internet friend's wedding quilt. I've toiled over this block. I've thought of a hundred different designs. I ended up going with a pretty easy one and it looks nice. It felt good to sew.

I've spent some time reorganizing the master bedroom/studio and had told myself I could sew until it was finished. Except it's taking forever. So today I flung things out of the way and hugged the Quilter's Choice to my bosom. It felt so good!

I caught Linda Wasilowski on Simply Quilts yesterday and want to fuse some quilts. I've done it in the past, but haven't in awhile. I also saw an episode about creating a quilted sweat shirt jacket. Today I bought some sea-life fabrics and some brights and an over-sized sweatshirt. I can't wait to get started on that project!

Dinner's cooking. The house smells good. The sun is shining. It's a pretty great day.

Eek! Teenagers are Invading the House!!

Jeremy and Jermaine turned 13 on Saturday. Now we are knee-deep in teenagers! Almost half the household human members are teenagers.

I am scared!

The moodiness...the mouthiness...the snarli-ness...it's all begun. When will it end?! When will it end?!

They celebrated on Saturday with a birthday party at the bowling alley. I think everyone had a great time. Twelve kids romped along three lanes and bowled endless games. They ate pizza, drank coke, snarfed down a chocolate cake with chocolate icing and white cheesecake mousse filling from Costco. Julia, our party hostess, handled everything. She was a trooper!

We continued the celebration on Sunday when we went to breakfast for our family meal out. They picked Old Country Buffet and we went for breakfast. We skipped the family cake until next weekend because we were all sugared out (see above!).

And now we're full up with teenagers...

Fall

It's turning into a great fall day here in Illinois. I wonder why I find it so hard to admit that I LOVE fall. I love the eeriness of the days getting shorter and the sky getting gloomier. I love the crisp blue skies and the fluffy white clouds. I love the slight chill in the air.

But I guess I hate that the season following fall is winter. And winter in Chicagoland simply sucks.

Jim's off at a work thing. We're ordering pizza for dinner. Makes it nice and easy.

I went out to return a massive load of overdue library books. Good thing this month is food for fines because Jim and the boys just racked up a bill. Went to Walgreens and picked up some Robitussin--nasal congestion formula this time. Last time I had a sinus infection the doctor said Robitussin was the best thing. Usually works great for me.

I trolled the Halloween aisle. There are some fun things out. But Menards and Michael's have a much better display aisle. I bought some things on clearance last year and cannot wait to put them out.

The twins have their 13th birthday party on Saturday. This is their first-ever friend birthday party. Since they've been with us it just hasn't worked out. I'm excited for them. We're going to the bowling alley. Yikes! Before they came to live with us, I don't think much was made of their birthdays.

They have been angel children. Or is it that I am not suffering from rampant PMS? Maybe hormones of any type don't mix well between mother and child. I told Jim the whole problem would be solved if they would all just go away two days a month or if I went to a hotel.

Aaron is being absolutely adorable these days. He's losing teeth rapidly and has a great gap-toothed grin. One more and he'll be singing "All I want for Christmas..." He looks like a bi-racial Dennis the Menace when he's getting into trouble. He's learning so much so fast this year in school. Every day he seems more and more like a little man. This is a great age (first grade)with kids, I'm thinking.

I'm going to go knit a bit. Worked some on my cardigan yesterday and had to frog quite a few rows because I screwed it up. Don't knit while foggy-brained. It isn't worth it! This is the first piece I am knitting with a pattern and it's a challenge.

Summer's Over...Almost

Summer's over and school is in full swing. Fall might not officially start until September 21 or whenever, but it really starts the first day of school.

The boys are all settled into their school routines. The twins like seventh grade a lot. They seem to be doing homework--some of it is even being done early!

Aaron loves first grade. Mrs. Thede, seems like a wonderful teacher--exactly what he needs. He's doing his work. He's reading the little books that come home. Most of all, he is very ready to read and cannot wait to learn. He has been interested in books since he was young, and that's half the battle!

Summer really got away from us. Baseball seemed to suck up our lives for so long. There was a scare it might go on...and on...when the coach from the neighboring town's travel team drove up one night and asked the boys if they were interested in playing. We're talked about it a lot before this happened and were prepared to say no. Next summer they will get to play with Coach Sneed again and they learned a lot from him. And we don't want them getting burnt out on baseball before high school.

All my plans to do "educational" things over the summer tanked. We played and goofed off mostly. Sometimes it's more important to just be than to learn. That's my story anyway. Although when I mentioned that we did nothing educational, another mom gave me a very sad look and I know I dipped lower on her mom scale. Guess what? I'm beyond caring about that.

I'm filling my suddenly free days with lunches with friends...postponed golf games. I started a drawing class this week with the DuPage County Art League. I loved the first class and think I will learn a lot. I've taken art classes before through local park districts and didn't really learn a lot. This definitely seems different.

Creativity wise I have been pretty low-key. I rearranged the master bedroom-studio space. It's still in limbo. I'm getting ready to throw out my idea of "perfection before creation" and cleaning off a small space to sew something. I have been knitting. I have a pair of lime green socks two up on circular needles Queen Kahuna style. I also am working on a new cardigan, the Shoal Waters. I knit through a foggy brain today because I have a cold and had to frog quite a few rows today. Word of advice: never knit while in the midst of brain fog!

The twins turn 13 on Saturday. Officially The Teens. God, I am not prepared! We're celebrating with a birthday party at the nearby bowling alley. Pizza, pop, and bowling with ten boys and their cousin Maggie. This should be a hoot...