A Tangled Sweater

 It's a good thing I love my cat....yesterday when I was spending way too much money at the gem and jewelry show, Farwell got frustrated by having to stay inside due to more rain and jumped up to get my newly knitted, not-yet-worn sweater off the loom.  He loves to grab hold with his teeth and knead my things--lucky me.  This barely has my scent on it, but he had at it.  I got home and the sweater was a twisted shape on the floor.  Fortunately, only one sleeve seems to have suffered minor damage, so I didn't kill the cat.  Plus, with all the colors and design, the little pull shouldn't really show.

The sweater is knitted with Nora's Silk Garden, a blend of silk and wool.  Sounds lovely, but in reality, it can be pretty scratchy.  Living here, I might only be able to wear it 2-3 times a year.   Seriously, I'm just happy to have eliminated 10 skeins of yarn from my stash!  Then good friend Edelle sends me a box of her stash yarns yesterday, so I'm still behind!  I decided a project for today is to organize my yarns according to either projects or into single-skein color bags.  They're sort of organzied already, but I've added a few (dozen) yarns since I originally created the bins and bags  

Oh, this is just one small corner of my yarn world.

I'm teaching a jewelry-making class next week for my weaving study group on crocheting with wire and beads.  I had shown my necklaces one day during a 'show and tell' session, and they asked if I could teach them how to make them.   I taught myself how to do these:

                                                                               

  

 using the crochet hook instead of knitting with wire, which gave me tendonitis ( which I have again from opening jump rings, etc).  I've been collecting stones and beads and wire for the group to use..... I decided I had to charge for the class with all the materials I've purchased--only $20 a person--but we don't usually charge for what we do in the study group.  I should think about teaching in other places since most classes are at least $65 for 3 hours, like at Stitches.

Here's the treasure chest of goodies all set to go.   That will be a busy weekend with this on Sat and the La Nebbia show on Sunday.  I just hope the weather improves. 

 Oh, and I belong to a jewelry designers' group on yahoo called Beadaholiques.  They periodically do jewelry swaps where you put your name in and the host gives you a partner, then you make something for them along a theme.  This is a summer bracelet theme, and I decided to throw my name in for the first time.  I've been paired up with a woman from Houston, and we're to make and send something to each other by the end of the month.  This should be fun!

 I've also entered several woven, knitted, and jewelry pieces into the SM County fair this year.  I didn't enter last year, but the year before, I won two ribbons, which was cool.  I think it's worth entering just for the free entry and free parking! 

  Lots going on...seeing U2 on Tues night in Oakland, so takng BART over and back.  Again, LET'S HOPE THIS FREAKIN' WEATHER IMPROVES!