Yes, plural.

Random Number Generator says: Amanda and Lisa (#'s 9 and 10) should send their mailing addresses to: thespunmonkey@gmail.com.

I'm not sure what the second tester skein looks like yet...much tamer than the bright pink/orange. If either of you feel really strongly that bright is your thing, let me know or I will just flip a coin.


In other news, today we had sunshine, and lots of it.

I used my birthday coupon at the salon and chose extensions rather than a dye job, and couldn't be happier with the results.

I took my last trip to Delectable Mountain Cloth and scored some beautiful vintage lace for my feltwork. I will miss this shop with my whole heart, but they can send me chiffon samples from afar. Jan gifted me a lovely piece of linen I will use to experiment with mushroom dyes as part of a new little project growing in my mind. And, of course, one cannot visit this shop without procuring some amazing buttons. Pics tomorrow.

Met up with friends and my kiddo at the New England Youth Theatre, where a production of Stuart Little was happening out on the lawn. I was really impressed...the kids were riveted, even mine...talented folks who were totally adorable in a non-obnoxious way plus informal setting where I can crunch carrots dipped in sunflower seed butter = very nice afternoon.

And then a bunch of other stuff made me late for the drawing. Sorry!

Anyway, did I show you these?:


Apple Skin


Algae

Now I did. And it's late. Good night.

WoW!
Thanks so much for all the interest...I will draw a name at 9-ish this evening and post a winner. Or how about two!
First come, first serve is so boring. I'm glad there will be some suspense involved. Yay! 

Here is a preview of kits that will be available at Renegade SF:



I'm getting excited...I think I will have quite a nice bit of stock, and there are still two solid crafting weeks before the show once I get to CA next week. There will be felt galore, and some new mixed media pieces that I haven't talked about yet as well as a mountain of handspun and knitting kits.

I'll be back with a post about my tablemate, the amazing Kim-X

Hi!

Okay, so I've got these kits (pattern + yarn)...about 30 of 'em ready for Renegade...refresher on the Monkey Mitt can be found here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/thespunmonkey/3611338056/

Before I go a-label-prinitng, will someone pretty please test out the pattern for me? I will send you a skein of corespun yarn and the pdf of the label with the pattern...it's a project that should take less than two hours to complete.

If you wanna, please comment on this post. If there's more than one interested party, then at the end of the day tomorrow, I will pick a name out of a hat (or perhaps just use a random number generator) and send a kit to the lucky winner. :)

The catch:
You don't get to pick the yarn. I have a very textured, silly yarn to send you, so that we can see how the pattern works with a lumpy, bumpy, lock-y yarn.
I'd rather you not commit if you're not sure you can finish the project within a week. I need to start labeling soon for Renegade and want to make sure the pattern reads well.

This is what you get to work with:



Bright!

Thanks yous.

In one week, I say goodbye to Vermont as home.
Soon, it will just be one of those places I visit, where friends live whom I miss but don't keep in touch with as much as I'd like, a place to pine for when I'm lonely and a place to be glad I'm not when I have a mild northern CA winter.

BUT, I don't really have time to think about it, as I spin and spin and make arrangements for getting stuff home. I am beyond exhausted...the boy is clingy because he misses C (we are going on the fifth week of single-parenting) and so I don't start working until 9pm. He wakes up around 7am, so there is not much happening in the way of rest...but I'm accumulating a nice pile of work for Renegade.

Even though I was fighting to keep my eyes open during story time, we managed to create a little solstice festivity. Behold, Mr. Sun:


He's made from soft, plant-dyed felt, cotton/linen thread and LOVE.

They made friends:



We lit a candle at dinner while it poured and poured outside. The sun was mysteriously absent from his big day. We are hoping he's made at least enough of an appearance in the last few days to ripen some strawberries up on the ridge, but I'm preparing myself for slim-pickin' at the farm.

Today is filled with good-bye...friends I won't see again before the Big Day and friends who are starting their own new journey West. Impossible now to deny it's really happening.

xoxoxo

While my beloved almonds are on the NO CAN EAT list, chocolate is not (phew!)

While tumeric is out, and therefore curry (OUCH), I can enjoy as much rhubarb and strawberries as this glorious VT Spring can throw my way (unless, of course, I forget that moderation is best and they move over to the NO list...tricky, tricky)!

Basically, everything that I CAN eat, I need to put on a four-day rotation...so, I can only have rice once every four days. LEAKY GUT SYNDROME is L-A-M-E.

But, if I'm a good girl and eat enzyme pills and probiotics and practice avoidance of many of my favorite things for the next 6 MONTHS TO A YEAR, I may be able to start reintroducing said favorite things back into my diet. Then again, I may just discover new favorite things and wheat and all it's glutinous buddies can shove off forever.

I've had some time to mull this over, and I think I can turn this into an enjoyable sort of challenge. At least when I'm back in the Bay Area for a few weeks, I know I can enjoy me some Cafe Gratitude, Ethiopian and Thai (so long as I can resist a thai iced tea), and my favorite tea house (because black tea is A-OKAY).

I have no bad feelings towards my allergy panel. None, whatsoever. For the last nearly-a-year, I have had trouble sleeping, mood swings and headaches, random bouts of intense nausea. I looked in the fridge when I got home and it was full of everything my body can't handle. I think at least 40% of the Co-op employees must internally roll their eyes when they see me coming...I always need help with the bulk because I can't actually go into the department and today I returned $30 worth of almonds I'm sure they can't put back in the bin.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to feeling good and normal again. I am armed with goat cheese, bananas and cashews and some amazing-looking coconut-based "ice cream." 

Oh, and the Newfane Post Office just called and guess what they have!

Just got my allergy panel results back:

I can no longer eat: 

EGGS
DAIRY
GLUTEN

I will probably die of starvation.

Also, I lost my fucking wallet. I left it at a cafe and I'm not getting it back. I canceled everything and can only pray that I get a new driver's license before I have to get on a plane at the end of the month.
Wish it hadn't had so much cash in it (which is, of course, totally rare).

Today can suck it.

I am going to say this really loud because I really mean it:
I REALLY WISH CRAIGSLISTERS WOULD GO BACK AND DELETE THEIR POST WHEN A PLACE IS RENTED OR THE ITEM IS SOLD.

I am already sick to death of getting excited about cabins in the woods where I could keep my chickens only to be ignored when I make an inquiry.

So, what do you do when the housing market is getting you down and you've decided to get aggressive about going back to school for your MFA in Fiber Arts??!? You celebrate by making yummy things with maple syrup:



No corn syrup...maple only, and they are awesome. I didn't have powdered sugar, so I dredged them in cocoa powder to keep them from sticking to each other after slicing them. We tried roasting them over the fire, but they just don't puff up like the hydrogenated kind...they melt, rather, but will be excellent in hot cocoa tonight. We have perfect cocoa weather today...delightfully gray and gloomy.

Anyway, so yeah...I'm aspiring to be a Duck: http://art-uo.uoregon.edu/index.cfm?mode=areas&page=fiber

Back to spinning and obsessively refreshing housing listings.

As promised.


( More Pretty )



Want to make everything.

Ugh. NOT REALLY. Can you imagine?
But, I do have to carry it around now and hope hope hope I NEVER HAVE TO USE IT.

Prettier pictures tomorrow!

Rather, it might as well be. I spend pretty much every waking hour scouring housing ads. It's very discouraging. For the last five years, we've owned our home and could do whatever we want. All this dogs-but-no-cats shit and please-don't-touch-the-lawn-because-we-have-landscapers-who-will-touch-it-for-you-at-inconvenient-times is really frustrating me. Now that I'm a sort-of landlord myself, I really don't care what people do, as long as they don't trash the house on purpose and will be responsible if they really screw something up. Have a cat. Have a horse. Have a cow, even! Just be happy.

I'm really hoping there is an inexpensive couple of acres that we can stick a yurt on while we spend a year or two or three building a cob house. That would make me ever so much happier than having to worry about preventing the little guy from drawing on a wall or some such...after all, I do encourage creating art wherever one happens to be inspired.

I knew this wasn't going to be easy.

In other news, I have a massage today. It was a gift and I'm trying to gear myself up for it, as I have absolutely no idea how to relax. I used to work behind the desk there and would get a free massage each month...usually I would become really anxious and tense before the massage and then just wish it was over the whole time. I'm going for a different approach today, and I'll let you know how it works.

So...the move:
-Plan A: Santa Cruz, CA
-Plan B: Humboldt, CA
-Plan C: Eugene, OR

We've picked it. The spot. Apparently, The World's Greatest City of the Arts and Outdoors. Anyway, third plan's the charm. Right?

So, next step...find a place to live and job/jobs and stuff. No problem, right? Seeking reassurance here, people. Oh, and if you know anyone in the area we should hang out with, let me know.

When not in a knot (ha!) about impending major change in my life, I've been working on new goodies for Renegade:
Monkey Mitt Knit Kit:



Tea not included. Just some yarn and a pattern.

Maybe yarn that looks like one of these:



Or maybe not. Whatever tickles me. Don't worry, there will be a color you like.

Am actually feeling rather hopeful today. In fact, I'm going to make rhubarb sauce to celebrate. Lots of ginger and love, people.

Oh, and PS: there is this  downtown.

Stuck a sewing needle through my thumb...and it wasn't the pointy part of the sewing needle. I didn't even know that could happen. HURTS!

...or maybe we're further back than that.

C is in California, the little guy and I are still here in Vermont...and the possible living situations are dropping like flies. The place in Humboldt is not conducive to family life (surprise, surprise) and we are now still homeless AND 3000 miles apart.

I guess I'm flying out for a workshop and Renegade (two consecutive weekends), for sure, but whether it's one-way or round-trip I don't know.

The only thing keeping me going is trying to build up stock for Renegade and to package off to consignment. I feel like I'm overstaying my welcome (although I'm sure that would be denied by my friends) where we've been staying for the past five months, and it's hard on the little guy for us to be separated from papa. Sure, it's hard on me, too, but I'm a grown-up and can pretend I'm fine. The little guy wears it all on his sleeve...today he enlisted our buddy Raph to turn his truck into an airplane...they attached a propeller to the front...so that they could fly to California to see papa. I was instructed to bring a salad. It was all very dear but heartbreaking at the same time.

I had managed to generate excitement about the move to the redwoods and now I don't know what to tell him. So I just keep doing what I need to do to get through each day...spin, spin mostly. Next week I will have to take advantage of his last few days of school to get a good amount of felting done. But then...we are in summer and I will be out of wool and what? what? 

I do enjoy that he is having an easy time of living without toys. We embroidered together for an hour yesterday, and he drew a mango to give to his friend across the road. Today we took a long walk in the afternoon and then he entertained himself while I spun a little bit of the stress away. But this is all getting old really fast.

I wish it were easy for C to just come back. Everything I want is right here, but he has said no, absolutely not, he will find a way to make it work out there. Our communications are punctuated with sadness and frustration.

Maybe it is time to pursue my childhood dream of living in Finland for a while. Anyone have a farm by a lake we can live on? 

....yeah, so anyway, here is something NICE to cut the stress with:

ME/MA Weekend!

My friend Stacey, our little guys and I took a three-day weekend and headed north. The plan was to camp a couple of nights on Hermit Island, leave Friday morning, come back Sunday night.
On the way, I had a knitting emergency occur just as we happened upon Purl Diva:

Phew! Super-cute shop! Brunswick, I think???

Later that evening, we ended up here:

Magical.

The air was so damp we couldn't even get paper to burn, so we spent a rather chilly night (no cocoa by the fire!)...and then the rains came. We woke up to water in our tents and soaked sleeping bags. I had the beginnings of a cold and so we decided we would pack up later that day, head to the beach and skip back down to MA where we could sleep the night in a warm, dry cabin. Before packing up, though, we headed into town...first to try to find a part for the cookstove that was forgotten and then on to Bath, ME to check out the farmer's market there.
Like everywhere we went, it was right on the water and I think I could totally live there. However, I was very disappointed that the sign saying "Chocolate Church" did not in fact lead to a place of chocolate worship. Just a regular church that happens to be painted the color of chocolate. Harumph. OMG, Stacey, it's so not a church at all...we should have made a pit-stop! Take a look at Amanda's comments! 

Anyway, we played on the beach:

...where aggressive gulls tried to steal our sunflower nut butter and raisin bread.

Then ended up here:

to play amongst young trees and sunshine...and maybe a wee thunderstorm thrown in the mix.

And in case you didn't know...

FERNS ARE VERY EXCITING!!!!!

I did succumb to the nasty cold, but am now on the mend. I don't think I have quite the constitution to hold up to damp Maine summers. A very satisfying weekend, but next time we're skipping Maine and just heading the short journey south to Mass...woodsy, watery and just as splendid.
eta: not because Maine isn't totally amazing, but rather an hour drive is better than five hours when there are two young boys in the car!

...situation up in the woodsies not going to be easy...

we can't stay at the farm itself because one of the main ingredients used in the kitchen that we would have to share is BUCKWHEAT (READ: EVIL).

not much in the way of housing in willow creek...need to find something, though. a place that will take us AND our 26 chickens. cripes.

i wonder if it's even possible?


can i please have a home now, please oh please? 

i miiiiiiiiiiissssssss my husband.

eta: fluffy weekend-post tomorrow. with pictures.

Yeah, so I went to the naturopathic clinic today to get the blood draw for my allergy panel.
After leaving my crying kiddo at school, then passing the clinic by and driving several minutes out of my way, I arrive fifteen minutes late.
The receptionist is sorry but the doctor is already in with her next appointment.

It was just. too. much.
I started to try to explain and next thing I know I am weeping and she wants to come around and give me a hug. Can I be any more of a mess?

I found out yesterday evening from an exhausted C that the Santa Cruz situation wasn't going to work out. In pretty much a thousand major ways. Not the least of which being that the roof is rotting and the contract is all kinds of different from what we'd discussed with the landlord previously (like not being able to tell anyone we live there). C and his dad spent the night at the house and the former woke up at 1AM, turned on the light and found a scorpion next to his head. Thank you very much, Universe, I read your signal LOUD AND CLEAR.

So, in my flustered panic at being 3000 miles away and completely powerless in helping to make decisions regarding my very near future in California, I call an old friend.
Who just so happens to be in need of a farm manager.
Goodbye, Santa Cruz. Hello, Humboldt County (tea, modernacorn ?)

Everything has changed in a span of 12 hours. Instead of the south-of-San Fran Pacific Coast I will have the Trinity River and HELLO I WILL BE LIVING IN THE BIG FOOT CAPITAL OF THE WORLD. No joke.

I need a nap.

btw, I love you all who offered encouragement in my locked-post moments of freak-out. And you, sarahcoyne , I am so taking you up on your offer, but just for one night before we fly out from Boston later in June. :)

*It's time again to make dandelion biscuits. Remember these? YUM.

*I saw a naturopath today and have an appointment for an allergy panel blood draw. I've never been so excited about getting stuck with a needle.

*It is, apparently, amazing that I can even stand up with such low blood pressure. I am a delicate flower. Or maybe my adrenals need some TLC.

*C leaves with the truck tomorrow. Our space feels very lonely right now...a shell of a studio and a futon on the floor. The little guy was awesome about saying goodbye to all his stuff for a few weeks. He seems to understand that goodness will come of this move.

*I sold the Subie to a junk guy for $100. When he came to get the car, which mind you is/was actually still running at the time, he said, "So, since I came today, can I give you $94 for it?" $94???!?
I took $100, thank you very much.

*I still miss my goats.

*I'm going to miss my cat.

*I appreciate "the nineties" more as a decade than as a temperature. This is only temporary, seeing as how all my skirts are now packed on a moving truck. Why did I do that? 

*I have a new pattern/kit...pdf coming as soon as I figure out how to make one. Ha ha. I need to find me some of this magical stuff called "time" so I can learn how to use some of the seemingly awesome programs I have on this computer.

*Anyone know any tattoo artists who knit? 

Crapola first: I haven't been posting because I'd love to have something else to talk about besides how preparing a cross-country move is rapidly destroying my soul.
We are seriously tense over here, people. C and I don't usually argue over petty bullshit, but here we are, doing just that. I've been purposefully avoiding most forms of communication with my friends. It's so much easier to shut down and be an asshole than to feel my heart break every time I feel closer to a good friend I'm soon to leave behind.

Goodness = The weekend was awesome. Stacey and I went out to see Jill Sobule at the Iron Horse, and I am really going to miss that venue. Jill was full of Adorable and Charm and Hilarity, and I had a very nice sparkly water with lime. Before the show was a shared pile mountain of deliciously greasy tempura (hence the sparkly water to settle the tum) and a solo-effort chocolate truffle that was much too large and delicious for one person to consume (but somehow I managed it).

The next morning was you-know-what (which, btw, I had totally forgotten about...I'd like to think I honor my mothers every day) and I was allowed to sleep in (7:50am!!!) and a pile of french toast awaited me at the bottom of the stairs. Sleep + Toast = The Good Life.

The rest of this week I can pretty much do without. Our tenants (yeah, the new ones who moved into the house we haven't been able to sell) just decided to move out...a week before C leaves and so now we scramble to get new tenants in.
We have friends to buy our wood, though, and I might even get $100 for the sad Subie that is minus one cylinder. It's all about balance, right?

Oh, and before I forget...and this one's for the locals...well, the locals who are into fiber:

1. First thing you wash in the shower? Usually my hair. With baking soda.

2. What color is your favorite hoodie? Black, with a blue outline of a robot screenprinted on it.

3. Would you kiss the last person you kissed again? Yes, indeedy. He's sweet as pie.

4. Do you plan outfits? Ha ha hahahahahahahah!

5. How are you feeling RIGHT now? Disappointed...was supposed to have a movie-date, but C just suddenly started puking his guts out. No date.

6. What's the closest thing to you that's red? The cap to the bicycle grease I use on my spinning wheel.

7. Tell me about the last dream you remember having? Blogged.

8. Did you meet anybody new today? Nope.

9. What are you craving right now? A really good, uninterrupted night of sleeeeeeep. And maybe a birch beer float, which I wasn't thinking of until this very moment and now i WILL KILL TO HAVE ONE.

10. Do you floss? Yes...every night. I have to use old-lady bridge flossers, and not just because they're a pain in the ass, but because I really do have an annoying bridge that needs to be flossed.

11. What comes to mind when I say cabbage? Sauerkraut. We have a half gallon left from the mega-tonnage of the stuff we made in the fall.

12. Are you emotional? Am I? Am I??!?! Yes, a wee.

13. Have you ever counted to 1,000? I think so!

14. Do you bite into your ice cream or just lick it? OMG, does anybody bite ice cream? Makes my teeth ache just to think about it. I'm a licker.

15. Do you like your hair? Hmmm. I'm making peace with it, I guess. Now that I'm not trying over and over again to grow it out and then chopping it out of frustration.

16. Do you like yourself? Sometimes. More often lately.

17. Would you go out to eat with George W. Bush? Is he paying and can I decide where we go? It'd probably be good for a few chuckles.

18. What are you listening to right now? The rain.

19. Are your parents strict? Were they? Not really.

20. Would you go sky diving? NO WAY.

21. Do you like cottage cheese? Yes! With salt and pepper, but it's been a couple of years since I had it.

22. Have you ever met a celebrity? Yes, I have made an ass out of myself in front of Robyn Hitchcock twice. And yes, supersnackcake , he totally counts.

23. Do you rent movies often? Netflix, yes.

24. Is there anything sparkly in the room you're in? My boy has a lot of sparkly dress-up hanging on the wall. Tunic, cape and the like. Very sparkly. He likes it that way.

25. How many countries have you visited? 7.

26. Have you made a prank phone call? Hundreds! 7th Grade! Nancy's house!

27. Ever been on a train? From London to Scotland circa 2001...am about to take one across the country in about a month!

28. Brown or white eggs? There's no difference, so either. Our chickens lay green ones, too. I really really really want Cuckoo Marans next time we get chicks because they lay chocolate brown colored eggs. How awesome is that? We ordered four once, and ended up with all roosters.

29. Do you have a cell phone? Yes. It's never on and rarely charged, but it makes itself useful sometimes.

30. Do you use chap stick? Badger Balm in the winter time. I'll probably use it more when we get back to California. Dry!

31. Do you own a gun? Nope.

32. Can you use chopsticks? Yes, and I love love love eating with them.

33. Who are you going to be with tonight? Well gee whiz, I thought I was going to be with C, but...there was that barfing thing.

34. Are you too forgiving? No. I think I'm forgiving enough...too forgiving implies I let myself get taken advantage of...which I don't.

35. Ever been in love? Yep!

36. What is your best friend(s) doing tomorrow? Depends on whether or not he's still barfing. If not, he's coming with me to the farmer's market downtown. Yay, sandbox! Yay, amazing pastries! Yay, farmer Peter and his amazing butter!

37. Ever have cream puffs? I don't think so.

38. Last time you cried? Yesterday morning.

39. What was the last question you asked? I asked C if he needed anything before he stumbled into bed.

40. Favorite time of the year? All of them, but most especially the fall. In my Top 10 Things I Will Miss About New England: amazing fall.

41. Do you have any tattoos? Two...an eclipse on my back (my own drawing) and a cacao tree from a 9th century Mayan wall mural (right forearm).

42. Are you sarcastic? Usually not, but I have my moments.

43. Have you ever seen The Butterfly Effect? Nope.

44. Ever walked into a wall? Many times!

45. Favorite color? Any blue, any green.

46. Have you ever slapped someone? Nope. Maybe when I was in theater, but definitely not for reals.

47. Is your hair curly? Wow, NO! My hair is sooooooooo straight and fine.

48. What was the last CD you bought? Robyn Hitchcock's Shadow Cat, when he was at the Iron Horse last year.

49. Do looks matter? Sure do! Along with about 50,000 other things.

50. Could you ever forgive a cheater? Couldn't tell ya and would prefer to keep it that way.

51. Is your phone bill sky high? It's $3/month for our "special ring" at our friend's house. My mom still pays for my cell phone (but that's only because she knows I'd chuck it if she didn't).

52. Do you like your life right now? UGH. MOVING IS SO STRESSFUL. Ask me again in a few months.

53. Do you sleep with the TV on? No TV.

54. Can you handle the truth? Yes, please.

55. Do you have good vision? Ha hahahhahah!

56. Do you hate or dislike more than 3 people? Yep.

57. How often do you talk on the phone? Daily with my mom, but other than that, hardly ever. Even less now that we live with so many people.

58. The last person you held hands with? The little guy.

59. What are you wearing? Jammies! Consisting of: my old black gym-rat pants, Smartwool socks and, embarassingly enough, a baseball jersey style t-shirt with Opus on it and the words "Penguin Lust." 

60. What is your favorite animal? Cats! Goats! Please don't make me choose.

61. Where was your default picture taken? Backyard.

62. Can you hula hoop? For about two seconds.

63. Do you have a job? Not in the day-job sense. I have a four-year-old and a small business I'm trying to grow.

64. What was the most recent thing you bought? Groceries for making the Most Amazing Frittata which the poor, puking C was unable to consume.

65. Have you ever crawled through a window? Yes! But I can't remember when or why right now.