I Hate Laundry!!!

Let me just start by saying I HATE DOING LAUNDRY!  I understand the necessity for it, none of us can wear something till it gets dirty and just throw it away and go buy more.  I really do get that.  I just hate the whole process of doing laundry.  So last week I had no clean socks and actually had to buy some, I knew laundry day was not far off. Our washing machine is broken so I have to go to the laundry mat right now.  I won't even go into why it broke but I think it has something to do with me felting a few items in our front loader and stopping it and prying the door open. (apparently, the manufacturer does not like when you do that)  Ahhemm, we won't talk about that because my DH may read this and if he did not already figure out that is the reason the glass front popped out and smashed to the floor, I certainly do not want to be the one to alert him. But I digress, anyway when you are down to that last pair of undies that you hate, you know the ones, they have the waist band that has stretched out so much you rely on the waistband of your jeans to hold them up, when you get down to those you know it is time to make that dreaded trip to the laundry mat.  I have a thing about throwing away dirty underwear, it just seems wrong so I wash it and then when it comes back I hate to throw it away because, well it's clean and I might need that pair when I am desperate.  Now I have no problem throwing away my husband and sons ripped and nasty panties!! Figure that out Sigmund Freud.
     I started out by loosely sorting my clothes into piles and then bagging them up into garbage bags. Oh yeah I was way beyond baskets at this point. As I was hauling my bags to the hallway so the boy child could load them into the car my darling husband looked into our room and said, "I am really glad I do not have as many clothes as you!" I responded, "Yeah well I only have to do laundry every 3 months!" (I am not so sure I won that one.)  I hinted around to everyone that it would be great bonding time if someone came with me but I guess they all decided we are bonded enough because they all suddenly scattered with really important things to do.
    I got to the laundry mat with all my bags and a few baskets, in which I carried the laundry soap and dryer sheets, loaded it all in and started to get myself all set up, I had put my big girl panties (OK, really they were granny panties) on and was ready to tackle this chore all by myself.   I loaded 7 normal size washers and 1 super sized one, I was trying to get the door shut on the big one when I looked up at a guy who had been reading and he was staring at me.  I could not get the door to latch and he said, "Yeah, I could not get that one to latch either."  So, do you think he could have mentioned this BEFORE I loaded my garbage bag full of clothes into it????  Now we are not talking kitchen can bags oh no, I have heavy duty cinch sacks with flex-steel so they do not burst when you stretch them.  (did I mention I have a lot of clothes and hate doing laundry?) I unloaded it, mumbling curses on him, his family and his dog. I am not usually that mean to animals but this had started to become quite an ordeal.
      I went to the change machine and it happily sucked in my $20.00 bill and I took my change and started plugging washers. I got to the end of the change in my hand and still had 3 washer to go.  I am sure I looked like a deer in headlights, I looked all around and started digging through my purse and unbelievably came up with $8.75 in quarters.  Who knew??  That still left me .25 short. I considered asking Mr. Helpful if I could give him small change for a quarter but decided against it.  I dug and dug in every crevice of my purse and low and behold I came up with a green quarter with half a stick of chewing gum stuck to it.  I don't even remember the last time I had gum in my purse!
     I got everything going and then had to go back and put soap in each washer, I almost soaped someone else's but caught it at the last second.  I then had to go to the grocery store to get something quick for supper and change for the $50.00 I had so I would have more bills to change into quarters for the dryers.  I got back just as the last washer stopped.  I went to my friend the change machine and fed it another $20.00 bill and it gave me more quarters and some gold dollars.  That is all well and good but the dryers do not take gold dollars. I looked around quite confused for a bit and spotted the "other" change machine, it takes gold dollars and turns them into quarters. REALLY? That's all I have to say about that.
      I fed the dryers and got everything going in circles and the world was a happy place. I had brought several crochet projects with me because I thought I would have hours to sit and work, others were reading, sleeping, knitting and watching football, I managed to get 1 row done and then I had to feed the dryers again. I did not want to have to feed it the whole $1.50 if it stopped so I was running from end to end, because of course I could not get 8 dryers all next to each other, checking time and how dry things were.  How do I own so many tank tops??? Well to be fair I guess I never throw them away. Hens the black "Jets" tank, bonus points to anyone when even remember the Jets!! I think I made it home with all the socks I left with. There were of course a few that did not mate well when I got to the end of the pile but it is OK I tend to wear mismatched socks some days just for fun. I did however find one in the washer when I was loading, (I think it might have belonged to Mr. Helpful but I just put it on top next to the soap dispenser, I also saw one on the floor and one in the parking lot, none of those were mine and unfortunately they also did not match any of the ones I was missing mates too, I checked.
    4 hours, 1 row of crocheting and $49.00 later I got everything folded and back into the bags plus the basket. How did my pile get bigger by getting clean? I got home, dragged all my clean laundry up to my bedroom and have I ever mentioned I hate putting laundry away?? That is for another days rant!

Needle Felting Class

I had a wonderful needle felting class at Yarn Harbor last weekend.  We had 6 people in class who all made two different Christmas ornaments.  We made a round ball and also a flat hanging one.  We learned a few different techniques for needle felting and blending colors.  It is always so wonderful to see what everyone makes.  No two pieces are ever the same.

http://craftside.typepad.com/

Go to this fantastic site    http://craftside.typepad.com/ for an opportunity to win some great prizes and check out some great other projects.

Where did November go????

AHHHHHHH! How did it get to be December 1?  I know, one day at a time.  Well these days seem to have been zooming past at a speed faster then 24 hours at a time.  Deadlines! Deadlines! Deadlines! oh yeah throw in the fact that Christmas is only 3 weeks away, Thanksgiving came and went, eldest child moved back home, lots of classes taught and lots of massage clients........ CALGON take me away. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy and actually do my best when I am under the gun and have to get things done, but it seems like there has been no time to breath in the past few weeks.  I have not had time to post a single blog or even tweet very much.  I am not making excuses just explaining the facts. "The facts, ma'am, Just the facts."  I will make every attempt to do better this month but I can make no promises!   Today is my ONE YEAR anniversary of being in my new office space. I think it was a fantastic move for me and my businesses.  I have plenty of room to do massage, a waiting room, and space to set up my sewing machine, winder, swift, and many many skeins of yarn.  As I was writing this I looked around my office and realized I have all of those other items set up and in various stages of use right now.  I am making Christmas gifts for my family members. I can't yet say what it is because they are all getting the same thing and some of them "claim" to read my blog so I do not want to let the cat out of the bag.  I have 17 of the same item to make.  I have completed number 11 as of today!  I am getting there.  I am also making items for sale at Art in the Alley. Unfortunately this is the time they will sell the best so I need to get items done and on the sales floor asap.  I also have a few items I cannot discuss till later in the year but lets just say they need to be done and in this month as well. Again, I am not complaining I am just sayin"!  OK RANT OVER!! I will take a deep breath and move on! Tomorrow is a new day!

MAMA gots new shoes!

 I bought myself a new pair of shoes yesterday. They are Dansko Professional in Red Patent leather. I got them from Richard N's Shoes store in the Miller Hill Mall.  They are so bright and shiny!! I love them.  All the "boys" in my life have had the exact same comment, "There is no place like home!"  They just don't get style and fashion! Dansko shoes are a bit pricey but well worth it!! They are made in European sizes, they have a great round and deep toe box for wide feet like mine. They also give fantastic support for standing all day.  I own at least 4 pair, some of them I have had and worn for 10 years or more!!! you should check them out. They also come in really fun and funky styles!

Fiber Art Scarves

 Fiber Art Scarves.

Bags of yarn I am going to use.

The process for making a fiber art scarf is really fun. First I lay out long sheets of Sulky.

SULKY WASH AWAY STABILIZERS

• Temporary Stabilizer
• Easy Removal with Water
• Great Transfer Medium
• Ideal when you do not want any stabilizer to show on top or bottom

Sulky Solvy, Sulky Super Solvy, Sulky Ultra Solvy,Sulky Paper Solvy, Sulky Fabri-Solvy and Sulky Sticky Fabri-Solvy (click on any of the links to go to Sulky webpage.)                      It come in rolls about 6 inches wide.  I lay out a sheet of it about 5 to 6 feet long, depending how long I want my scarf. Don't forget about fringe.  They look great with long fringe at each end.  I lay some pieces long and straight and some I curl all around. When I have enough strands laid out I wrap the sulky around to meet itself and pit it together, I use safety pins for this instead of straight pins; this just holds the strands in place while I am sewing.  To make it easier to transport to my sewing machine I rolled them all up to look sushi rolls.  I then used sparkly thread for some of them and thread that blends in for others, to sew random grids throughout the entire scarf.  The sewing can be in straight lines or wavy lines, you want to make sure you hit all the little bits that are sticking out so there are no loose pieces. I used a medium zigzag stitch to do this.  I sew up one side and down the other, then wavy lines across the entire piece.  I pull the pins out as I am sewing so I do not break a needle, well at least more then one.  After the pieces are all sewed up you take them to a sink and run warm water and swish them around. Yes, swish is a craft technical term. The Sulky just dissolves away and the hang them up to dry. you may need to fluff (again, technical term) the fibers some after they dry.  I am selling my Fiber art scarves as well as a few other items at Art in The Alley in Superior WI. You should make the trip over there!! It is well worth it.  If you are looking for some unique art or wearable art this is the place you want to check out.

I lay out the fibers on a table.

Here are several of the yarns and ribbon I am using.

Several fibers scarves all piled up.

Some ribbon and sparkly yarn for scarf.

This is a scarf all laid out on the sulky,
 ready to be pinned together then sewed.

All my materials.

One of the scarves all wrapped up in the sulky,
after it has been sewed. It now needs to be washed.

Grid sewed through the scarf.

Here are some completed scarves.  They are now hung up to dry after the sulky is rinsed.

Close up of a scarf section.

Green Scarf

Scarf rolled up, it looks like sushi.

All rolled up.

close up of a blue scarf

My trip with Sparkly Baubles was a wonderful success. We tried to go to the new yarn store opening in Rochester, MN. Major bummer!!!  It does not open until next week. It is called Hank and Purls Creative Nook and Knittery.  It looks like it will be a great place for classes and to hang out and knit.  I hope we can make another day trip down there to check it out.  We then moved on to Stillwater, MN.  Where we went to Darn. Knit. {Anyway} Yarn store.  It was a nice little shop with lots of different yarn.  I was on a hunt for some sock weight and saw lots I really liked but did not find one the just jumped off the shelf and screamed PICK ME.  We had lunch at a little pub called Mad Capper Saloon and Eatery.  It had some great atmosphere. There was a bar with MN sports memorabilia, there were also hats or I guess you would call them "caps" all around.  My favorite was the little red Fez. There were other assorted items hanging from the ceiling, a boat, a bike, skis, all of these things sort of fit in the "sports bar" theme; what really intrigued  me was the wooden gnome sitting on a swing.  OK, this one we had to ask the waitress about!  My guess was someone brought it in and said "I have the perfect thing for the bar!"  The waitress told us one of the regulars, (you know, like Norm) came in with it one day and said "You have to put this up!"  Haaa I guessed it.

We left the quaint little town of Stillwater and headed over to Mahtomedi, MN. There we went to Lila and Claudine's Yarn and Gifts. It was the only place I took a photo cuz my phone was going dead and I forgot the rest of the day, OOPS.  This is a photo of the HUGE ball of yarn and knitting needles they have outside of the store.  They have just expanded and opened the upstairs of the shop as well. There were lots and lots of cool gadgets, wall hangings, bags, and of course two floors of yarn.  I found some great sparkly yarn in the "Bling Room" I can use in my holiday fibre scarves.  It was a little bit of a struggle to keep Sparkly Baubles on task in this place! She was distracted every time she turned around.  A few hours later we hit the road for home.  I got a little crocheting done in the car before it got too dark to see.

On the Road Again....

I have had wonderful feedback on the mitten post. Thank you to everyone who has agreed to also help this worthy cause.  You can drop hats, mittens, scarves off with me at my Dynamic Massage location or Yarn Harbor.  I have had a really really busy week trying to get some things done for some upcoming deadlines. I can tell you more about these things soon.  I leaving town with Sparkly Baubles this afternoon. We are going on a short road trip. I will tell you all about the quilt and yarn shops we find along the way. I hear there is a new Yarn store opening in Rochester MN. I will check it out and give you the details next week.

Kids Closet of Duluth

Have you heard of Kids Closet of Duluth?
a clothing program for young Duluthians attending school
Located at:  Bethany Lutheran Church, 2308 West 3rd Street, Duluth MN 55806 Phone: 218-722-4533 Fax: None at this time

From the Kids Closet website: Kids Closet of Duluth is a 501(c)3 non profit serving low income Head Start and Elementary School children living in Duluth with clothes needed for regular school attendance.  With the help of this most generous community, we furnish each child with a full set of winter outerwear, including boots and 4 outfits suitable for classroom use (one new and 3 used).  We stress a welcoming atmosphere for parents and clothes that are attractive and durable.
Free clothes for Duluth school children in early childhood thru fifth grade who are in need. We outfit your child for school - gym shoes, socks, underwear, school outfits and winter outerwear, including boots. All donated locally for local children, we have both new and good quality used items. We serve by appointment only so apply early in the school year for best results. You are welcome to return in spring for more shoes and spring clothes. 


Please click on the link to learn all about the incredibly worthy cause!

At the quilt retreat I recently attended I brought some fleece remnants and a very simple pattern for fleece mittens. They take about 10 minutes to make.  I put out a call for the quilters to make me a pair at some point over the weekend. I received 26 pair of mittens that I handed off to one of the dedicated volunteers today. She was so pleased to see them and especially boy ones.  They have lots of need for boy stuff, most donations tend to be geared towards girls.         








If you are interested in making some mittens please contact me at Joellegalo@hotmail.com and I can email you the very simple pattern we used. it takes just scraps of fleece, a few inches of elastic and about 10 minutes of your time.  They can also use hats and scarves, You can send them directly to kids closet or to me and I will get them delivered.  They collect all year but as the temperatures start to drop this is the time with the most need.  Thank you!!

Sparkly Baubles and Zoom Zoom

I have two friends I travel with most of the time.  They have both asked to have their names changed to protect the innocent.  (Personally, I don't think either of them are all that innocent but who am I to cast stones?)  I have decided to call friend 1 "Sparkly Baubles" She is easily distracted by shiny objects. OK Really, who among us isn't? She sort of kept her focus at quilt camp but it is only because she worked on lots of different small projects. She brought several to do, that did not however stop her from finding more fabric or patterns she could not live without. She did how ever complete several of them.  One of them was a project she had started about 4 years ago. But hey that deserves a piece of chocolate!! A completed project counts no matter how long it takes!
 Friend 2, I am calling "Zoom Zoom",  She is always on the go! When ever I talk to her she is in her car coming or going somewhere. Remember the car commercial "Zoom Zoom"? That is her!  I am surprised she was able to sit for three days at the quilt camp and work on projects.  Wait, I do seem to remember her coming and going a few times.  Now I know why she had her own car, she needed to escape and hit the open road for a bit.
I myself brought many projects to do and completed them in record time so I had to go buy more fabric to make more.  We stayed up way to late, and got up way to early, sewed for too many hours at a time, ate too much chocolate, drank too much caffeine, laughed till we cried, and all in all had a wonderful time!  Can't wait till next time!
Stay tuned for further adventures with "Sparkly Baubles and Zoom Zoom".

Duvet Cover

The quilt retreat was a fantastic success!  I brought fiber scarves and bags to sew for my projects. I finished both of them on Thursday (day 1) and awe shucks, I had to go buy a project or two to do.   I decided to make  a duvet cover for our king size down comforter.  The comforter is still great but the cover on it has seen better days.  I also want to paint my bedroom and I think this gives me the perfect opportunity to decide on a new color to go with the new cover, which of course means I will need new curtains, and hmmm what about that rug?  This could snowball right out of control.  I will keep it simple and start with the duvet.  I chose a pattern called Fire Escapes.  It called for 8 different fabrics and 1 contrast.  I chose to stay in the blue/purple color combo, (does this surprise anyone????) with a little bit of orange, yellow and green thrown in just for contrast.  I can honestly say I have never been accused of being a beige person!!  I worked on the blocks all day Friday and Saturday started sewing the 16 different strips together.  It was a lot of fun and got a lot of attention at the retreat.  I think that has more to do with my bold color choices then my sewing ability!  The strips look great when they are all together but the are not so straight seams before that point.  I backed it with a piece of blue fleece.  The whole things weighs like 10 pounds! I love it! I put the comforter in it and put it on the bed last night.  It was quite warm, actually too warm for dh but he sleeps half the night without blankets anyway.  Because of the fleece backing it stayed in place and did not slip off the edge of the bed.  I am ready for those cold nights now.  Now back to thinking about the other changes that need to be made in the room.....................

Cut pieces of my 8 different fabrics

This is my sewing space, it looks pretty clean and organized right 

now.  I am just starting the day.

I have all the pieces cut out and ready to start sewing the blocks together that will make up the strips.  I learned early, LABEL, LABEL, LABEL!!!

These are all 16 strips sewed but not joined yet. I had to step on my rolling chair to tape them to the wall. I got yelled by someone every time I climbed up there. I never fell once! Some scary close calls though.

Here is a small section of my completed duvet!

Simple Shell Scarf Class

 I taught a fabulous class the other day.  It was my simple shell scarf pattern.  It is really easy to learn the repeating pattern.  I had two ladies in my class and we had lots of fun making this scarf.I love how they all look so different depending on the type of yarn you use.  We are all doing the exact same stitches but they all look so different.  If you notice the bowl of chocolates on the table, we always get a treat in my class when we complete a new stitch!!