HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Hope everyone has a Happy Holiday and see you in the New Year!

HAPPY TURKEY DAY!

 Happy Thanksgiving - Everyone!

 It's early morning here, and I'm just enjoying the quiet stillness before the busy day begins. Sipping piping hot Spiced Gingerbread coffee in my favorite mug. Of course I just had to accompany it with some crusty bread toasted to a golden brown, topped with some yummy jam.

Simply delicious on this still - dark - cold - holiday morning.

 On the knitting front, I have been puffing  away on the Hexi's for the Beekeeper's Quilt.

These particular puffies have been sent off to Hope Lives. There, they will join other puffs that were donated to be knitted into a charity blanket that will be auctioned off.  I sent in a colorful variety of handspun and commercial puffs.

As the weather gets colder, my thoughts turn to knitted scarfs, hats, mitts, and cozy slippers. So.. the other day I went stash diving. Into the Wool Cave I went -on a quest for the perfect handspun to knit a warm fluffy scarf.  I found a warm cinnamon brown fine wool with nubby flecks of color (a two-ply bulky wt. handspun). I think this will look yummy knitted up into a nice warm scarf. Now, I just have to select a perfect pattern. I just love knitting and spinning this time of year.

On to the finished Knits. The Fresco Basket Whip Cowl is finished! What a fast knit. Really some great TV knitting. You know that busy work you like to do in front of the TV, but not so complicated you can't get into the movie  because you're too busy counting lace repeats.  This will make a great Christmas present.

Well.. it is just starting to get light here, and soon the preparations for the busy day ahead - will begin.

Hope Everyone has a great Holiday!

Little Red Riding Hood

Hey there! Little Red Riding Hood - you sure are looking good!  I just cast on The Fresco Basket Whip Cowl, and all I could think of was Little Red Riding Hood. Maybe because one of the new shows this season is Grimm. The first episode was a take on the fairytale. I'm using some of my handspun in a 2-ply fingering wt. yarn. The perfect red for a hood. Easy enjoyable knit.

Isn't she sweet!  This little darling is a Baby French Bulldog. My daughter will pick up her new baby on Thanksgiving. What a cutie.

The weather is still warm but really rainy today and will be turning colder soon.

Better get on with getting the winter wear around.

Stay warm, everyone.

Are you ready for winter?

Winter's Breath

Winter is finally starting to show its face around here. A few snow flakes are just starting to drift down from a cold grey sky.

Holly-Days - Just in time for some winter spinning, and in the Giffordables shop at www.giffordables.etsy.com  now. The fleece washing, dyeing, and carding continue. Will be updating the shop with more batts, locks, and more fiber soon.

Knitting on the Acid Green Skull socks continues. Hope to have this sock, off the needles soon. So many other things to do this time of year.

Brrr...Bundle up, and keep warm everyone.

Hope you all get to enjoy the long extended weekend that is coming soon!

Harvest Batts and Acid Skulls

The Harvest - a fluffy wool spinning batt of masham, merino, and sparkling grape angelina now listed at www.giffordables.etsy.com.

Shades of golden ochre, and bittersweet orange are topped off with a generous dusting of sparkling grape angelina.

Sparkling Grape

Merino, and corrie topped off with sparkling grape angelina. Would make a great companion batt to The Harvest. Whether you spun together or plied.

On the knitting front, I am currently working on a pr. of Skull socks in some of my handspun. Dyed an Acid Green - it is one of my favorite colors. I'm just about ready to start knitting the heel.

What a beautiful fall afternoon.

 Couldn't ask for a better day this time of year.

Hope you all take a little time to enjoy the day!

Frost is in the Air

There is a chill in the air today as fall winds down, and soon will turn to winter.

 I just finished drum carding up some Fall Harvest batts.  Will be listed in the www.giffordables.etsy.com shop soon.

Also just finished this handspun shawl. Should be warm and toasty to wear this winter.

Bundle up, and keep warm  for the rest of this cool fall day.

It's Coming!

Last Winter's view from my Window

It won't be long before we are looking at Snow again.  Brr....  Some have already had a big dose of  the white stuff. So far we have been lucky, and it's above normal temps for today. But... its coming.

Thought I would share one of my favorite Cardinal photos of last year. The birds are already gathering in anticipation of the railing full of birdseed.

We both win on that one - they are fed, full, and happy, and I have a lovely closeup view of wildlife to enjoy as I gaze out the window while I knit or spin.

Winter is coming. Are you ready?

Trick or Treat!

Tonight's the night for all you ghouls and goblins!

Happy Hallows Eve!



The Frost is on the Pumpkin!

 The Frost is on the pumpkin! Brr.... it's getting colder.

The other day on the way into the big city, Hubby spotted an Amish Pumpkin Patch, and snapped a pic. I see lot's of Pumpkin Pie in that field.

 I Love Swaps. This Halloween, I sent my goodies off to a far... away... place. She should be getting it soon:)

As I  gaze out my front window across our lake, the sun filters through the golden maples on this fall crisp evening.

Hope you all  have a great weekend and get to enjoy some of Fall's last glory.

Jack and Woollies

Fall is in the air! Jack - The Pumpkin King is in shop at -www.giffordables.etsy.com along with a few other big and fluffy spinning batts.

Do you see - what I see?

There it is! A woolly caterpillar. Hmmm..... I'm checking the amount of black on this little fellow to check and see, just how long and hard the winter is going to be.

Looks to be about equal with the reddish brown.

What do you all think?

Won't be long, and we won't have to guess anymore.

 Winter will be upon us before we know it !

GLITTER PUMPKIN'S

Fall is Here!

Crazy busy day , but managed to card up some colorful "Glitter Pumpkins. Fluffy, and chock full of a variety of wools, black carbonized bamboo, alpaca, and topped with sparkly peacock angelina.

Just listed at http://giffordables.etsy.com/

Hope everyone took a moment to enjoy the day!

Fall is finally here!

        I love the fall. What a beautiful bright orange cluster of berries.

                           The large bush is just loaded with color.

On the rughooking front, I decided to hook up a wool crow. I dyed the wool in a variety of blacks, deep blues, greys, and a smidge of burgundy. He is listed at http://www.giffordables.etsy.com/ , just in time for the fall season.

 I have been washing and dyeing alot of fleece, from a wide range of breeds. I just finished dyeing, and carding up these sparkly wool batts. I dyed masham longwool in a variety of red, wine, and deep burgundy. I topped them off with some sparkly Ruby red angelina.  I based these batts on my favorite Enchanted Forest in the Wizard of Oz .-  Dorothy's Enchanted Apples. Will hit the shop soon.

 More on the dyeing front is some 2-ply light fingering wt. yarn that I spun, and dyed.....

Took a pinch of this, and dab of that, and I came up with this Electric Boogaloo, Chartreuse shade. I'm going to start a pair of socks with this, and will post pic's soon.

                   Well... it's a rainy day here, and I'm just about done with the work for the day.

               Time to make a nice hot cuppa tea, and maybe cast-on for a pair of Electric green socks.

              Hope you all take a little time to enjoy the day!

HOT!

 It's been a hot one, this summer! Testing out the new ladder that hubby put out dockside. Perfect!

                                                        I will be glad when Fall gets here.

                                                           Do you see what I see?

It is one - of the two baby muskrats eating the creeping jenny, down by my shoreline. Cute - but they love to tunnel the yard.

Celebrate Batt will go into  http://www.giffordables.etsy.com/ shop, today. I'm trying to get some fleece washing, and wool dyeing done. It will be so... much more enjoyable when it finally cools off. 

Hope you all get some time to enjoy the day!

Fleece Washing, Dyeing, and Carding

Lot's of fleece washing, dyeing, and carding, going on here. See the sweet curly Romney locks? Just finished dyeing up another batch, and I've been busy carding up big, fluffy batts. I'm spinning some, and I also just listed a batt for sale, over at http://www.giffordables.etsy.com/ .

Hope you all get a little time to enjoy the spin!

Sadie and her wool

Sadie is just one of my latest folk-art doll's. She is listed in the shop at http://www.giffordables.etsy.com/

Busy, busy, busy, is all I can say!  I've been working on doll's, and getting ready to start in on a wool washing marathon, now that the weather is finally getting warm, around here.

Hope everyone is getting a chance to enjoy some nice cool outdoor weather this week.

Weekend is almost here, have a good one!

RAIN...RAIN..GO AWAY!

 The rain is really coming down, but just a few days ago, this pair of geese came up on my shore to munch on some creeping jenny. They spotted me and off they went.

                         
The Spice  - fluffy batts, gone before, I could list them for sale. But....

Spicy Apple is now available at http://www.giffordables.etsy.com/

Fluffy batts of Masham, corrie, llama, kid mohair, alpaca, and angelina.

Off to batten down the hatches!  It's really coming down, and it's hailing!

See you - all soon!

SUNNY

Finally stopped raining! The Blue Heron is on the look out for more fish.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

HAPPY EASTER!

This little chick is bringing Easter Greeting's, your way!

Hope everyone has a great holiday!

SPRING TIME AT THE LAKE

 Signs of spring are finally here. This Blue heron loves to fish right off our dock. Really unusual to see him strutting across the shoreline. Maybe he thought the early morning fog was a good cover.

A pair of Canadian geese take a leisurely swim, now that the ice is off the lake.

Plenty to do this time of year. Uncovering the perennial beds, raking, and picking up tree branches from the ice storm that hit us a few months back.

Feels good to get out, work in the yard, and sniff the cool breeze coming off the lake.

Have a good weekend!

 Hope everyone finds alittle time to spend outdoors in the spring air. 

WHAT HAPPENED TO SPRING?

           Winter has returned, and the boys have the right idea. Snuggle in for a long winter's nap.

It was a good day to soak up the ray's through the window, and spin.

The week just flew by !

Have a good weekend everyone!

IS IT SPRING YET?

First flowers of Spring!

 I found these lovely crocus blooming when I was working out in the yard today. I think it was the unseasonably warm weather that brought them out. This Sunday is officially the First day of Spring!

Happy Friday everyone, hope you all have a great weekend! 

LUCKY SHAMROCK

Only a few more days til St Patrick's Day. I knitted up this sparkly little shamrock pin for the

 March Mystery Challenge.

Took just a wee bit of sparkly handspun to create the Shamrock  pin.

I decided to use some of my kettle dyed merino, wool top, tussah silk, and of course some sparkly gold and kelly green angelina.

Ready for clue 3 today! So far a really fun, easy knit.

 Is it a hat? Mmmmmm...  could it be a cowl?

Hope everyone takes a little time to enjoy the day!