Good news, bad news and weird news.

good news, bad news and weird news! Bad news:  ah well. Surgery was postponed on Friday, abnormal EKG and a lab result. It has to be cleared by a Cardiologist.  Darn I was all psyched up to get this done and over with! I can pretty much predict when the pain is going to come in my lower back and legs. 3:30 or 4 pm. I feel ok in the morning so tend to overdo or do what I can early in the day.

Now on to the good news: bought an AVL, 24 Shafts, 60 inches,computerized, with a fly shuttle and auto advance. I've been wanting one since school finished in 2008  and have been watching adds. Had about given up when one popped up on the boards. It was in PA 500 plus miles but we went Friday and picked it up early Saturday morning. Such nice people!!  It was way cheaper than I expected or dreamed. She had been trying to sell it for awhile, needed her attic back and even tried to get AVL to sell it.  AVL  must have too many in that size or something. My gain!  I'm thrilled if you can't tell!   

   Saturday morning we went two hours early and the winter storm came early too. Snow and freezing rain Awful driving weather. Rained almost all the way on Friday. My poor sweetie the things I drag him into. I wanted to do it before my back surgery( which was cancelled on Friday). The other date was Thanksgiving break but I thought that would be too wintery , boy was I wrong on that score! This storm broke a lot of records, so early in October.

    Now for the weird news:  Dave went to the dermatologist and has what they call a Halo around a pink spot. They took it off and it isn't even basal cell. Guess these come to warn us that there is something going on.  So he has to go back to the oncologist. Probably a PET scan again. I hope this is nothing again, like his last PET scan 2 yr ago.

Oct wool Project / back surgery

To the left is two white fleeces, one is a suffolk and the other??That are ready for the Drum Carder.

To the right is this lovely  chocolate brown fleece. The Pictures below show the locks after they were cleaned. I didn't realize how much wool I had on hand to card and spin

I don't know if I'll be able to finish the brown. That is the last one that still  needs to be washed, picked and got ready for the drum carder. I am unable to stand to do the washing and drum carding right now. My back got really bad back in August of 2011. Had MRI and Xrays done and I need surgery, Decompression L4-5. Now that is involving the nerve, my feet are numb, Time for surgery. It has been a problem  off and on  for Ten years. I've taken my sisters advice and have lots of books to read and if I get desperate there is knitting, Cotton spinning on a takli or something I can do while healing. Dave knows a fellow (80 yr old) who had the same surgeon and he was doing real well four days after the surgery!

Golden Rod Dyeing

When we got back to NC I noticed a lot of Golden rod in bloom. So I gathered enough to do a skein of hand spun wool with alum and cream of Tartar as the mordant. I read up on the subject a bit more and collected just the flowers and used both of the mordants and the color turned out almost the same as this color. Sent my husband out as he was getting the mail with a bowl and scissors and he came back with an empty bowl! A hunter not a gatherer!  I think the reason it is green ish is because the yarn was an off white grey  color.the ties are more yellow they are of a white commercial yarn.

Found an old Spin off magazine with a Danish Tie-shawl pattern.( Spring 2008) I'm going to use this and a variegated yarn for accent.