Wednesday, October 21, 2015

The Adventure Starts Friday

You may or may not know this, but I'm moving.  Again.  This time it's only a couple miles away.  Yeah!  

We moved here to Maryland July 2012 and rented a house.  We held on to our house in Florida because it was a bad time to sell and buying is so expensive here...so rent here, rent out the house there.  Fast forward to this past July...we sold our house in Florida.  It as harder than I thought...oh, not finding a buyer, that happened pretty quick, but letting go of that house.  First of all, we wanted to pull more money out of it but that wasn't gonna happen for who knows how long, if ever BUT we did pull money out, for which I am grateful.

The house in Florida kind of stands as a symbol of our strength.  Our strength that we could move across country and be OK.  We made a new home in an area where we didn't know anyone.  Our family made many good memories in that house and community.  I made friends there I love and miss every day.

But I know things change and you have to adapt.  So we moved up here.  Now I have friends here I love and a community we love but I haven't felt like we've put down roots.  This house we live in now, it's not the same.  It's a rental, so I always knew it would be temporary.  I feel like I've been on hold since moving here.  Waiting for a house we can call our own and creating new memories to add to our lives.

All that begins on Friday!

We close on a house here in Maryland.  Not Annapolis, that's a big ticket item we just can't afford BUT right next door is a wonderful town called Arnold.  I mean really, it's so close, it feels like the same town.  Just a different name on the address label.  Arnold.  I hear Helga yelling, "Hey! Arnold!" every time I say it.  What? You don't know the Hey Arnold! cartoon?  The kid with the football shaped head?  Oh. Well, look it up on Youtube.

I shared some details on the house in a previous post (the last one...scroll down on the right and look for it, if you didn't read it already). I'll share photos of us through out this adventure.  I'm sure some of it will be very entertaining.  

Here's a file photo that the realtor had...we'll post much better ones soon!

Monday, October 19, 2015

End of the Row Yarn Colleges

I like to help promote my yarns by making colleges and posting them on social media.  So just in case you're not following me on FB or IG (and certainly if you don't even know what those initials stand for)...here are a few of my latest creations.  Some of the yarns are available in the shop (just in case you can't resist them).




And these are ones that sold out but I will be adding again soon (like next week):


 And these two...my best sellers!  I'll be adding more to the shop as well...


All the yarns are machine wash and are a blend of superwash merino wool and nylon.  Perfect for socks, shawls, cowls, mitts...well, just about everything.


Tuesday, October 13, 2015

It's a Busy Life

Hey! I know it's been a while.  Been busy.  You too, I bet.  Fall always seems to be busier than other times of the year.  School starts then it seems like one holiday after another till BOOM! it's New Year's Day.  Right?

Yesterday was a holiday.  Yeah.  Columbus Day.  In high school I always loved this holiday...no school and a parade!  It was a parade we did downtown San Diego...with horses, so you had to watch your step and march around any "droppings".  haha  But yesterday, totally forgot. And why would I remember?!  The kids had school, Mike had work and my day went on as usual.  Until I went to the post office to mail a couple packages.  My post office is in the back of a cute little store that sells cards, art supplies, office supplies and all things Maryland.  I notice the light is off in the back of the store, so I ask the guy, "Um, so what time does the Post Office close?" (Cuz I'm thinking, what the hell, it's only 3pm, it should be open!) He says, "Well, it's a holiday today so it's closed." Queue forehead slap.  So guess I'll be making another trip today.  Not so painful, because Dunkin is a few doors down...and ice coffee is just the ticket on a nice Fall day of 75 degrees.  Oh yes!

So I've been dyeing.  Woohoo!  And selling too!!  I did a bunch of new colors called Multi-Colorways.  The yarns have bright colors, in a mix that isn't self striping so little to no pooling.  Non knitters...pooling is when a particular color groups together when knitted, therefore creating a "pool" of color.  Some knitters don't mind them, some really, really, really hate pooling. I don't mind. If it's pretty and colorful, I love it.  So back to my yarn...colorful, no pooling.  Want to see some?



I also did some tonal/semi-solid colorways.  New colorways that are hand mixed by me in my kitchen, just for you.  If you like that sort of thing, I realize not all people knit, of course (poor devils).  I do! It's a wrench to post it in the shop and not hide it in my own stash sometimes!!  haha

I really like to bring in anything new I dye to my friends in my knit group.  It gives me a good gauge as to what knitters will like.  They are so supportive of me...just love them!!  I brought in this bunch, they bought a few so some of the colors will take a while to get into the shop.  Some I've already posted. Here's the one on top:


I'll continue to post new yarns/colorways over the next few weeks.  Trying to get a jump on our big move, because I may be busy with the new house.  Scratch that "may".  I will be, for sure!

Yes, that's right...we've moving (AGAIN)!!  This time only a few miles away, thank God!  We've been renting since moving here, 3 1/2 years ago and can't wait to own again.  We sold our home in Florida at the end of July and when we found we could get out of our lease, we took the opportunity to look for a new house.  Let me clarify, the house isn't "new" but new to us.  It was built in 1964.  It is one town over, so schools stay the same.  We close in a couple weeks and will do some painting and work in the house before moving in mid-November.  Here are some cool things about the house:  it's on a 1/2 acre lot!, there is a private beach (no HOA fees) that is about 200 feet away, there is a full basement (meaning the size of the house, not improved but BIG), there is a whole home fan (a built in fan in the middle of the house so when the windows are open, it sucks all the warm air up and out and brings in the cooler air from the outside), one car garage and a lawn tractor (riding mower) for cutting the grass.  The house is on a corner and runs the length of the block so we have neighbors on one side only.

One weird thing.  There aren't a bunch of trees on the lot...except for Christmas trees.  Yes.  Christmas trees.  It's like Harry (Harry, previous owner, passed on now) got a live Christmas tree every year, then randomly planted them in the yard.  Three of them are HUGE.  I'm gonna see if I can give them away or Mike will be cutting some down come Spring.  Then we'll plant pretty trees that turn in the Fall.

Anyway, exciting and busy times ahead for us!  We just can't wait to be rid of all these stairs in this rental (it's 4 stories)!  The new house is a rancher and the only stairs are to the basement!  I need to start packing and picking out paint colors and throwing away stuff.... the list is a long one.

I hope all is well with you and yours!  I know my peeps in California are boiling, hang in there guys!  And just because I can rub it in...this week we might get our first FROST!!  That will help the leaves turn and color should really ramp up.  Sorry...had share...I'm still so happy I'm not in that heat of California anymore. We are really enjoying seasonal changes.  And I can't wait for it to snow at my new house!!  Maybe we can build a snowman in the front yard!!  Woohoo!!