Urgh. There are two little dots on my monitor where the lights (?) have burned out in the screen.
I think we have for the time being given up on finding the exact car that I wanted to replace mine with. Now that I can drive my car again at least temporarily and actually have a rental I can drive* once I go show them my license. However, this means that we are now looking at diesel cars- to use with biodiesel of course! There are quite a few stations in the area, and since I don't ever drive outside of Seattle/Western Washington area in my car, it would be easy to find the BD, and you can always (from what I understand) fill them up with deisel if you really can't find BD.
Speaking of energy, my energy is: (from Seattle City Light
Type Percentage
Hydro 87%
Wind 3%
Nuclear 4%
Natural Gas 5%
Coal 1%
And for Mukilteo (From Snohomish County PUD
Type Percentage
Coal 8%
Hydroelectric Generation 80%
Natural Gas Generation 2%
Nuclear Generation (BPA-supplied) 9%
Other Generation 1%
(Note that I pay Seattle not PUD power, and Seattle seems much greener to me).
Now for comparison:
In Seattle you can do a Green Power Program, which I am tempted to do- $12 a month added to the bill (that would more that triple my bill) would be 100% renewable. Most of my energy if from my fridge of course, it's the only big appliance I have that is plugged in besides a micro and the stove (also SO inefficient!)- everything else pretty much stays unplugged. I have two big electric cords, one on each side of my apartment that everything plugs in to. They stay unplugged (especially the TV area one)
However, I feel like it might be a better idea to put that money in to solar power and lower energy using items (can't really change the fridge or stove though sadly since they are not "mine", never mind the $, and the micro almost never gets used, but is the only clock not a cell phone or computer in my house...). Putting even one or two small panels- enough to charge cell, pda, and (depending on type and battery) maybe part of my dye process- the kettle, scale, etc if not the crock pots (more efficient than the stove and hold their heat for hours) and so one, would still give me the benefit of alternative energy sources.
Sidenote: My organic food delivery people have several biodeisel/alternative energy vehicles. One of these days I will write a post about eating local/organic/family farm foods. For now I will leave you with the Eat local challenge- though I will note- I track all expenses. I eat a lot of organic and fresh food in addition to a fair bit of eating out and junk, and I don't spend anywhere near $68/week, and I don't shop sales, just what looks tasty (and comes to me, in many cases!)
*The rental they gave me Saturday was declared a.) too big for me to drive and b.) too finicky...it was...something else. Hopefully the smaller car will be better, other wise I will just suck it up and get new taillights for my car and drive that until I find something more suitable.
Cross your fingers on of the next couple diesel cars works out for me! I want to be able to run on biodeisel!
Car Woe
My car just got totaled.
Completely.
And the police didn't show up for an hour after calling them. When called back told us, "O well we drove by and it looked ok." gee, thanks. At least it wasn't my fault. More to come later, but geez I just had the car fixed and everything.
Completely.
And the police didn't show up for an hour after calling them. When called back told us, "O well we drove by and it looked ok." gee, thanks. At least it wasn't my fault. More to come later, but geez I just had the car fixed and everything.
New Yarns!
New Yarns at Midnightsky Fibers!
We have a new yarn here at Midnightsky Fibers, a luscious, 100% wool squishy sock yarn. Our sock yarn was spun for us by a small family run mill from the same wool we use to make our handspun yarns, kits/clubs, and hand painted fibers. Our sock yarn comes in both hand painted colors (more to come as the color samples can be properly swatched!) and in natural cream.
Midnightsky Fibers handpainted sock yarn is a luscious, squishy yarn slightly thicker than a “normal” sock yarn (7-8 stitches to the inch). Works up well at 7 stitches to the inch on a size 1 needle for a firm gauge suitable for socks, or 6 stitches on a size 2 or 3 to the inch for a slightly less firm fabric still suitable for socks.
Approximate sizing is as follows (based on an average size, your yardage and mileage may vary of course!)
-Size 1 needle- 56 stitches around for an average size medium adult female sock.
-Size 2-3 needle- 48 stitches around for an average size medium adult female sock.
There is enough yardage in each skein to make a pair of socks, a short scarf, mittens, or a hat with some yarn left to spare.
We have a new yarn here at Midnightsky Fibers, a luscious, 100% wool squishy sock yarn. Our sock yarn was spun for us by a small family run mill from the same wool we use to make our handspun yarns, kits/clubs, and hand painted fibers. Our sock yarn comes in both hand painted colors (more to come as the color samples can be properly swatched!) and in natural cream.
Midnightsky Fibers handpainted sock yarn is a luscious, squishy yarn slightly thicker than a “normal” sock yarn (7-8 stitches to the inch). Works up well at 7 stitches to the inch on a size 1 needle for a firm gauge suitable for socks, or 6 stitches on a size 2 or 3 to the inch for a slightly less firm fabric still suitable for socks.
Approximate sizing is as follows (based on an average size, your yardage and mileage may vary of course!)
-Size 1 needle- 56 stitches around for an average size medium adult female sock.
-Size 2-3 needle- 48 stitches around for an average size medium adult female sock.
There is enough yardage in each skein to make a pair of socks, a short scarf, mittens, or a hat with some yarn left to spare.
Fondue, noodles, and a healthy dose of tatting.
Zeblith, Neptune, and I had an impromptu fondue party, complete with running to TJ's in the middle of it to get chocolate before TJ's closed. We closed up the evening with lots of chocolate- a whole yard of it! Yum. We were later joined by B
(Yes, Neptune is *licking* the yards of chocolate! Yes Neptune I so totally am putting this picture up- you look kinda possessed in it though.)
Last night I made noodles, something I don't do as often as I should, since it is so easy! To make them easier to cut, I roll them out on a very well floured surface while rolling them out and folding it over several times (with lots of flour inside the layers so they don't stick of course). Then, I roll it up in to a long roll and cut with a sharp knife, unrolling the noodles and piling them on whatever nearby surface will work until I have my cutting board back for letting them dry on.
I'm always surprised by how much flour it takes to make the noodles not totally stick to themselves. This time I managed to cut them pretty evenly, if I do say so myself! (Background poster is a WWII poster about bread)
And finally, the current tatting. Vintage cream colored thread in a simple design using split rings and lots of picots. It's actually not that uneven :)
Sock yarn, handpainted of course!
More info on the sock yarn later, but for now:
There is sock yarn! It is so yummy to knit with, super soft in all of my swatches so far. More info to come soon about the specifics- suffice it to say for now that it is from a small mill, spun just for Midnightsky Fibers. There are two of each color right now, and the skeins are each 4+ ounces of yarn.
There is sock yarn! It is so yummy to knit with, super soft in all of my swatches so far. More info to come soon about the specifics- suffice it to say for now that it is from a small mill, spun just for Midnightsky Fibers. There are two of each color right now, and the skeins are each 4+ ounces of yarn.
Glasses!
New glasses! I would like the record to show that I did try and get a photo of me wearing them, but I was either:
a.) pouting. Now, this is usual, but pouting and a washed out (thanks flash!) image do not a flattering picture take.
b.) Emo myspace style. Umm...just not.
c.) You can see a bit too much cleavage from my tank. Ok, so I am super modest (this is the internet yall! I don't want these floating around!)
or final option d.) My blinking due to flash.
We will ignore for the moment the fact that I really need a haircut, that the highlights are grown out and still only present in my bangs in random chunks. I am really excited about the new glasses though, even if they gave me headaches since I haven't worn glasses in so long, I can read street signs again!
Also: Proof my plants are still alive.
(That's for you mom! But just wait until finals week when I forget to water them!)
sock sock sock
My yarn has arrived! My yarn has arrived! Can I say it one more time please? My yarn has arrived! 'Course I can't pick it up and start dyeing it until Sunday since I am crazy busy until then (my kitchen thanks me), but there will soon be lots and lots of sock yarn spun for me by a small mill.
Woohoo!
Woohoo!
Piping hot and greasy.
How do you feel about scalding (195-200 degree scalding) hot lanolin mixed with a good dose of ickiness, dirt, and more dirt all combined together in a 1ply of which you are scouring kilos and kilos of it? Now try doing that at night! Lots of orvus paste, some hefy dashes of soda ash, and hours later and the water for the darkest wool we are scouring was finally running clean. Thanks K for staying so late- those dang pots are way too heavy for one person to lift, and siphoning off the water to change it takes forever when you have three of the boiling on you all at once!
The propane burners kept blowing out- in just a few spots- so the pots would have to be lifted off the burners to relight. Mind you these things are hot and HUGE- think your pot for soup is big? Those pots would only hold a 1/10 of the liquid these do, if you were lucky- ask me how I know! Soup pot sized buckets make a great siphon for these things, but even dumping them in to larger 20 gallon buckets takes a long time to empty the pots so they can be refilled with clean water, reheated (while rinising and spinning out the yarn in a a washer carefully!), and rinse, spin, repeat until the water is clear. Since we are matching dyes it is doubly the more fun.
I made up for the fun and late (left at 9:30 pm) night of scalding hot lanolin by spinning up some of the roving I showed every several posts ago. It's a fine weight now, sock-dk when plied x3.
The propane burners kept blowing out- in just a few spots- so the pots would have to be lifted off the burners to relight. Mind you these things are hot and HUGE- think your pot for soup is big? Those pots would only hold a 1/10 of the liquid these do, if you were lucky- ask me how I know! Soup pot sized buckets make a great siphon for these things, but even dumping them in to larger 20 gallon buckets takes a long time to empty the pots so they can be refilled with clean water, reheated (while rinising and spinning out the yarn in a a washer carefully!), and rinse, spin, repeat until the water is clear. Since we are matching dyes it is doubly the more fun.
I made up for the fun and late (left at 9:30 pm) night of scalding hot lanolin by spinning up some of the roving I showed every several posts ago. It's a fine weight now, sock-dk when plied x3.
Animation Domination
I just figured out how to make animated gifs. To celebrate I made some for the front page of my website. Guess I was in a cheekier mood than I realized when I wrote them, one too many long classes today! I'm especially proud of the fact that I didn't have to fight Photoshop (I've been using Illustrator lately)or ImageReady to do it.
Spinning wheel turns
I have just been dead tired the last couple days, running around doing errands that all seem to take place out of Seattle. Not that Seattle is much better, 45th was blocked off and they would not let you turn LEFT. Took me 15 minutes to drive around in a circle from where I normally turn to get home to get home.
My sock yarn is going to come soon! I am completely stoked to be able to start dyeing it. In all of my spare and nonexistent time, heh.
I got awesome plants. After much consulting with my mom and hemming and hawing about what plants would be the hardest for me to kill, I have several pots now sitting on my bookshelf, on top of the table runner B brought back for me from Guatemala. The table runner is warp faced with a pattern inlaid in it. I would even have a picture to show you, but I haven't really been in my apartment when it was light out.
Spinning Meeting-
I went to the Seattle Spinning meeting at the Fiber Gallery so I would know a few of the people for when I am the shop employee next month who is there for the meeting since J will be out of town. It was pretty exciting! So many pretty wheels and fibers being spun, and very nice people. If you are in Seattle you should come- I think there were 15 people with their wheels there this Friday.
I went up to the park at 60th today to walk around an area that was green. It was nice to be reminded that it's not all cement in Seattle.
My sock yarn is going to come soon! I am completely stoked to be able to start dyeing it. In all of my spare and nonexistent time, heh.
I got awesome plants. After much consulting with my mom and hemming and hawing about what plants would be the hardest for me to kill, I have several pots now sitting on my bookshelf, on top of the table runner B brought back for me from Guatemala. The table runner is warp faced with a pattern inlaid in it. I would even have a picture to show you, but I haven't really been in my apartment when it was light out.
Spinning Meeting-
I went to the Seattle Spinning meeting at the Fiber Gallery so I would know a few of the people for when I am the shop employee next month who is there for the meeting since J will be out of town. It was pretty exciting! So many pretty wheels and fibers being spun, and very nice people. If you are in Seattle you should come- I think there were 15 people with their wheels there this Friday.
I went up to the park at 60th today to walk around an area that was green. It was nice to be reminded that it's not all cement in Seattle.
News!
No new items to update really this week- I'm busy working on sock yarn (soon to arrive) and on colorcards for my handspun! I do have several items on eBay right now, more items I have had on my website for awhile will be added soon.
Happily Handmade ended a couple days ago- Thanks again to everyone who entered and made it a great contest!
The fiber I am spinning- long draw and 30+ wpi (have to measure exactly). I will probably ply it back on itself. The roving shown is in my "Papaya Sunrise" colorway, which will be up on my site soon*, dyed with long stripes. Makes it ideal for navajo plying. I'm planning on doing some 3 ply yarns for a fair of colorwork socks for myself some day soon with the long stripes of color.
Random sidenote: I feel weird calling it Navajo plying or referring to techniques as "Navajo" since they are really called "Dine" (the people in Navajo).
In other exciting news:
We have a credit card processor of our very own! That means you can now buy on my site with a credit card, in addition to the usual Paypal, checks, and money orders. Now you can pay without leaving our secure (once you log in) site!
*Email me though if you want some now :) I am dyeing it to order.
Happily Handmade ended a couple days ago- Thanks again to everyone who entered and made it a great contest!
The fiber I am spinning- long draw and 30+ wpi (have to measure exactly). I will probably ply it back on itself. The roving shown is in my "Papaya Sunrise" colorway, which will be up on my site soon*, dyed with long stripes. Makes it ideal for navajo plying. I'm planning on doing some 3 ply yarns for a fair of colorwork socks for myself some day soon with the long stripes of color.
Random sidenote: I feel weird calling it Navajo plying or referring to techniques as "Navajo" since they are really called "Dine" (the people in Navajo).
In other exciting news:
We have a credit card processor of our very own! That means you can now buy on my site with a credit card, in addition to the usual Paypal, checks, and money orders. Now you can pay without leaving our secure (once you log in) site!
*Email me though if you want some now :) I am dyeing it to order.
Questions
Quick!
Would you prefer...
2 ounces of yarn @ 250 yards/skein
or
4 ounces @ 500 yards a skein
This is for sock yarn if that is not obvious :)
Would you prefer...
2 ounces of yarn @ 250 yards/skein
or
4 ounces @ 500 yards a skein
This is for sock yarn if that is not obvious :)
Shooting on campus
There was another shooting on Campus today. That puts the number up to what? Five? In the last year near the campus.
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