Friday, October 22, 2010

Yarn and an Earthquake!

Isn't it endearing how I throw caution to the wind, and title so many of my blog posts to end with an exclamation point!  Apparently, I'm rather excited - and on a regular basis - in text.

Moving on.  

We had an earthquake last week!  It was only a modest 4.3, but our house has seen better days (it was built in the 50's by the lowest bidder) and got a little stressed out.  We've had some hairline cracks in our walls for awhile, but the earthquake opened up quite a few new ones, and expanded some old ones enough to make me nervous.  

See?


And here...


And the Mack Daddy! (<--that's way funnier if you read it in your best Hank Hill voice, but really, aren't most things?)


I called our property management company to come check it out, and make sure my house isn't going to fall down around me.  They sent out a very nice duo of maintenance guys, who hemmed and hawed and agreed that yes, those were some mighty impressive cracks.  And then they got out their spackle and some paint and filled 'em right in!  Well, at least now they look good.  

We're relatively sure our house won't fall to rubble anytime in the near future.  All the big cracks are along lines of obvious stress that have been spackled and painted over probably dozens of times.  Really.  You can't tell from the photos, but this house has been painted so many times, we joke that all the rooms are actually 6 inches wider and longer than they look.  The cracked placed stand out at least another quarter inch from all the layers of "fixing" over the years.  Poor old house.  

And now for yarn!!!  I've been spinning like a fiend lately.  First there was a trip to Yarn School in Harveyville, KS with a dear friend.  We had a blast, and learned more than we each thought it was possible to know about dyeing and spinning and carding and combing and..... Unfortunately, my chronic lack-of-picture-taking disorder was in high gear and I have nary a shot of Yarn school to share.  But, I do have yarn!

Here is my Hello Yarn Corriedale in "Brittle" that was my bonus for bringing my own wheel.  It might actually be my favorite handspun EVER.  You can tell by the capslock that I'm serious. 

Next up is a batt I spun.  It was my first installment of the talented Josette's HappyHooves Batt Club.  This was a luscious batt, with just the right amount of sparkle.  Keep in mind my picture taking disease and you'll understand why there's no "before" shot.  Certain almost-five-year-olds may or may not have claimed this for "sparkly socks."  They'll probably show up in her Christmas stocking.  


This is a truly awful photo of a truly beautiful yarn.  Hello Yarn Corriedale in "Grouch."  I think I'm on a corriedale kick lately.  I'm also on a sock kick, and they were made for each other.  This may become knee socks if I can ever overcome my fear of calf-shaping.  Sigh....


Lastly is Hello Yarn Targhee in "Parritch."  This is one of the prettiest colorways I've every seen.  It's so subtle and soft.  One of my fellow yarnschoolers wore a seriously clever cowl to breakfast one morning. I spun this Targhee super-bulky in an attempt to recreate said cowl.  As soon as I'm done, I'll post the details.  


There was also a sweater disaster of which I'm not ready to speak.  And a cowl to make up for it.  And a vest that may be my new obsession.  Stay tuned!







1 comment:

  1. Hey there, I stopped by to make some new pads and I'm just now seeing this post. Clearly I need an rss reader. Those cracks! I hope your house doesn't fall down. A 4.3 very nearby (which it was) is nothing to sneeze at.

    Your Hello Yarn Targhee Parritch looks exactly like my Hello Yarn Targhee Evaporate.

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