Today is the DAY!!!!!

Some of you might know me from a year of ferocious spinning

Art yarn

Having to take a break and heal my hand

I threw cation to the wind and started a new business hand dyeing yarn

It really makes my heart sing.

These lovely images are from Gail

who is a master knitter.

She knits and designs fabulous socks

and other lovelies.

Once you visit her blog you'll be hooked

http://weheartyarn.blogspot.com/

 and leaving uplifted and inspired!

She has been knitting up a storm

with the new

Twist & Twine

yarns

Shown here:

Tulia sock and Celeste sock yarn.

Knitting socks with her own pattern

and a scarflette perfect to show off the texture, color and sparkle.

 free

 available here

Lacy Baktus scarflette

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/lacy-baktus

                                          Also capturing some beautiful sparkle bokeh ...

Please visit my new shop that is now

OPEN!

http://www.twisttwine.com/

I hope you find something

that makes your

 heart sing

too.

Thank you so much Gail from

We heart yarn blog

for sharing all your beautiful work and lovely images.



Knit Swirl

So this is what I have been up too.

Knit Swirl

In my case,

 Knit Scream

Knitting with a brace...

= hard

 I am so enamored by this new pattern and way of knitting

 it is so funnnnn!

I also am using these patterns to use up odds and end yarns

I'll keep you posted as I move along.

You can find the book here

and their website here

It's hard to wrap my brain around this new technique after knitting fair isle for umpteen years...

that is why I think it's so interesting.

Happy knitting!

Next week I'll be launching my new website

for my hand dyed yarns

 ...pretty darn excited...

Have a great weekend.

~ Yarn ~

After spinning so much art yarn this past year(s)-

 I figured out why my right hand - thumb, has been hurting so much.

I have RSI- repetitive strain injury.

 Simple things like

 filling gas in my car,

holding a ski pole

holding a glass of water

are incredibly painful.

Be careful if you are a spinner or a knitter

pace yourself

This is really serious.

Knitting just a few sts hurts like ****!!

Unable to do the things I love and am passionate about.

 Stinks!

 I am wearing a brace during the day and when I sleep at night.

 Kicking myself for going overboard like this.

So what am I supposed to do?

Rest

Not  a chance...

 I am working around it.

I have been dyeing beautiful

 fingering and DK yarn this winter.

Gorgeous

soft

sumptious

luxurious

 quality yarns

that is a delight to knit with!

 Almost finished building my website

 whew...a work in progress for sure

but it is coming together

I am so excited for you to see!

More details

Coming soon!

Coloring... in winter days

I was so happy with a burst of red from the amaryllis I planted waaaaay before Christmas-

 finally it bloomed

a nice contrast against the cold grey skies.

A little leftover Christmas decor.

Hopefully Father Winter will get a hint...

Mittens in the window

snow

snow

 snow

When I was little I used to make puppets and have puppet shows ( free of charge)

 for the neighborhood kids.

This and many more will become angels

...there is something lovely about sewing wings....

Participating the E-course I am tapping into some of my childhood creativity

Makes me happy.

My yarn dyes came in handy for some more color projects.

Batik

Presoaking in the sink with water.

 I found adding 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water really helps absorb the color better

Good lookin cookin!

Lilly...!

What did you just doooo...

ohhhh that look.

( the image also tells a lot about our super clean windows doesn't it...ehem)

Have a great week!

Feeling Inspired

Do you ever have those days

 weeks maybe even months you feel inspired and creative?

Juiced.

Everything is beautiful...all the stars are aligned.

You see the world with fresh eyes?

There is new light streaming in

 " frisk bris" as we say in Norwegian

fresh air.

How timely with the new year.

This year I am doing something different with yarn

( I can't wait to show you when it is ready)

...and I am really taking this year to be creative with

sewing.

I am celebrating the new year by taking this e- course from Stephanie Levy.

Very

 Creative & Cathartic

...letting go of negative thoughts

and feeling that creative spark once again

(I highly recommend visiting her site )

I have felt pretty grumpy that there is hardly any snow in these parts of Montucky.

 So even this is not going to stop our winter fun...

 We just have to drive till we find  IT !!!

This weekend we are going

here

 Isaac Walton inn

( never been there)

 to ski.

They have plenty of snow

..aaaaand

  fresh wolf tracks were seen this morning.

2012 is looking up!

Even if I can't spin or knit for a while

 there are new roads to explore.

 I can't wait to jump in...

 skis first!

At the end of the day

It's been a busy weekend

I was hoping it would be calm 

 knit a little

read to Gabriel

walk

Instead it was filled with sadness.

Auguste went to a birthday party that he had looked forward

to for weeks

Bought his friend a special and thought out present

with this in hand he was ready.

It ended in tears

The boys older brother ( much older) had beaten him up

beat up several of the children

 one so much he even threw up.

This, with the parents were at home.

Did nothing.

When Pierre picked up Auguste that evening he doubled back after he had heard Auguste sob uncontrollably in the car.

He had "words" with the bullies parents...no apologies, no nothing.

Can you imagine?

Can you imagine how the birthday boy was feeling?

I wonder sometimes how people interpret

family?

Parenthood.

Saturday we all went swimming at our local indoor pool

I love swimming...and I love swimming with Gabriel.

Sophia baked rosemary garlic bread

and

Chocolate cupcakes

Pierre made soup and played card with the kids

 I read to Gabriel

Pierre and I went for a walk while the kids did their chores.

We had a lovely candlelit dinner together all of us tightly squeezed around the table

 eating the warm soup and fragrant bread

 conversing

 about the days events.

Kids played midnight ghost outside in the dark

 while Pierre and I did dishes.

Milk and cupcakes in front of the fire place...

There is nothing like family.

The routine

 simple things

 and the togetherness that we share.

It takes effort

Yes, some days are bad- downright crazy, wild

 mom is moving to mars

kinda day

At the end of the day it just usually comes together

 it all works

 sometimes an apology

 a hug and a kiss

 but we belong together somehow

conected.

And thank you for a house full of people I love.  Amen. 

~Terri Guillemets

BASE CAMP CAFE

Amazing how things can change in a year.

Last year Pierre was " laid off " ( indefinitely)

from a company he had worked with for close to 8 years.

Without any notice or compensation.

Can you tell I am bitter?

Well, I decided to do something about it.

I found this little house.

For Sale

 And before Pierre had a chance to think...

we bought it!

Welcome to

 " Base camp cafe"

Hopefully due to open this spring.

This is the dining room

You'll be ordering a delicious coffee from a barista here.

Standing in the kitchen

This is the temp. stove

 A little Christmas spirit.

Breakfast of champions

This is the path way to the office and storage

and....

My new studio

Where I will be dyeing my yarn

Out door seating

 picnic tables and a wood burning pizza oven

so customers can dine al fresco

and mange!

Back in the entry way

So now all we have to do is come up with a boat load of cash

to replace the under ground water pipes the city requires that we take care of.

 A nice little surprise.

So easy!

All which has to be done before

they give us any permits to start the renno on the inside.

There is so much red tape with zoning and the city

it's not even funny!



Welcome to :

" Pipe dream cafe"

Bring it on!

" Room for a fresh view - 2012"

Unconventional views & reflection's

creates

fresh perspective.

For a
New Year!

Even the same view
can be new.
Seen with fresh eyes
and different angle...

Things are looking up!

under the big blue skies

from the garden

Under the roof

 and to the mountains

...come a little closer...

What do you see?

 maybe...Lilly and me.

Happiest 2012!