Coincidence or evidence of an aware universe?

Okay, so I have been using computers for at least 15 years now, and despite the warnings, I have on occasion enjoyed a cup of coffee or a sandwich while surfing the net. Quite a few occasions actually, and I have never spilled so much as a drop. When I was a kid I obeyed the unwritten law sure, but in the process of claiming my adulthood and independence, I have become quite the rebel where technology and nutrition are involved.

Once again, I stress that I have never had an incident. So I was quite offended yesterday when my hetero life mate asked me to refrain from eating or drinking while at his computer, implying that I was not to be trusted to take this law into my own hands. I protested, citing my clean record and general competence. He said, "I know it's hard to believe, but accidents can happen." Famous last words!

This morning as I was going back and forth between the peanut butter brownies I was making and the recipe I had up on the screen, the unthinkable (to me) happened. I had a cup of coffee in front of the monitor and somehow (my hand had no natural reason to be anywhere near it) it was knocked completely over, causing a sizable spill. No harm done, everything was quickly cleaned and is in working order. I can't make out any odor of coffee either, but we'll see what he says when he gets home.

If this isn't a clear cut example of our ability to create the circumstances of our reality with the thoughts we hold, I don't know what is. I went 15 years without an accident because in my mind it was not a possibility. The very day after I am warned by my loving boyfriend, this happens. Coincidence? I think not. In that case, it's not really my fault, is it?

Love you honey!

Yep, Another "Cute Cat" Post...

Can you blame me? I was casting on for a pair of socks last night, as a little break from knitting and spinning for my Etsy shop, when this happened...

I think it's safe to say the cats are getting comfortable with each other! Myau (pronounced m-eye-you) joined our family about a month ago and became obsessed with Oliver, aka Fat Cat (black/white), following him everywhere. Until now, Ollie's always maintained at least a little distance - the gap has been getting progressively more narrow. But here they're practically holding hands (well, feet)! I was torn between enjoying the moment and risking disturbing it to get the camera.

And yes, that's Cat Bordhi's "New Pathways for Sock Knitters" under Oliver. I think I've settled on the "Riverbed" contruction for the new socks I'll be making with my JoJoLand "Melody" sock yarn. They're going to be awesome! I'll be sure to post pictures along the way.

A couple of works in progress

I was all set to finish up this Brown Lotus needle felted wristlet, when I realized I'm fresh out of dark brown zippers! I'm pretty happy with it though, so I thought I'd put up some pictures of it in progress. Here it is with its liner all sewn up and ready to go. If all goes well it will be in my Etsy shop tomorrow!

I'm also working on a bag which I knitted with one of my first attempts at handspun. This is it, all knit up, about to be felted. I'm a little nervous about how it will felt. Hopefully the colors are still bright and distinct... we shall see.

Babies!

I have just spent the afternoon with my gorgeous little niece, Brooklyn, and it's put me in the mood to ogle all the cute baby stuff on Etsy.

My friend Julie over at Superfly Lullabies tops my list, with supersoft minky blankets, bibs, hoodies, burp cloths, you name it, she's got it! How can you not want to wrap your baby in softness like this?


Then there are these adorable baby booties from Pedro Sprout. These are seriously the cutest booties I have ever seen! These ones are sold, but I love them so much I couldn't bring myself to use another picture. There are lots of other cute ones for sale though. I want to buy a pair, and I don't even have a baby to put them on!

And the first Etsy sellers whose baby items really caught me eye, Portland Beanie Company carries some of the sweetest crocheted baby hats. Great photography too - having such an adorable model doesn't hurt! Little Brooklyn would look so cute in this.

And no Mom, sorry this doesn't mean I'm planning a little grandchild for you any time soon. But it couldn't hurt for you to make a note of these wonderful items when it does come time to buy shower gifts!

Hand-spun for Sale!

I have listed my first couple of hand-spun yarns in my Etsy shop! I am so happy with the way they turned out. I have a few more coming but then I have to give back the wheel I've had on loan. I will definitely be saving up for a wheel of my own!!!

Thank you Lynne from Knitopia for letting me use your wheel these past few weeks!

A Quick One

I am listening to "Oxygen" by Willy Mason in one ear while I type away at work today and I just wanted to share it with anyone who might read this. It really is a great song and every time I hear it I have this desire to recite the lyrics to someone, anyone. I totally dig what this song has to say. I first heard it on a compilation, Acoustic 07, which is an awesome CD - highly recommend it. You can catch the video for the song here.

The lyrics:

I wanna be better than oxygen
So you can breathe when you're drowning and weak in the knees
I wanna speak louder than Ritalin
For all the children who think that they've got a disease
I wanna be cooler than t.v.
For all the kids that are wondering what they are going to be
We can be stronger than bombs
If you're singing along and you know that you really believe
We can be richer than industry
As long as we know that there's things that we don't really need
We can speak louder than ignorance
Cause we speak in silence every time our eyes meet.

On and on, and on it goes
The world it just keeps spinning
Until I'm dizzy, time to breathe
So close my eyes and start again anew.

I wanna see through all the lies of society
To the reality, happiness is at stake
I wanna hold up my head with dignity
Proud of a life where to give means more than to take
I wanna live beyond the modern mentality
Where paper is all that you're really taught to create
Do you remember the forgotten America?
Justice, equality, freedom to every race?
Just need to get past all the lies and hypocrisy
Make up and hair to the truth behind every face
That look around to all the people you see,
How many of them are happy and free?
I know it sounds like a dream
But it's the only thing that can get me to sleep at night
I know it's hard to believe
But it's easy to see that something here isn't right
I know the future looks dark
But it's there that the kids of today must carry the light.

If I'm afraid to catch a dream
I weave your baskets and I'll float them down the river stream
Each one I weave with words I speak to carry love to your relief.

Spinning the Color Wheel...

Well the spinning workshop was a success! Despite the fact that the instructor was unable to attend due to the forces of nature, we decided to have a 3 day spin-in and I learned a lot from the talented women with whom I spent the weekend. These are my first forays into the world of spinning with color. The first 2 were pre-blended to create a very subtle play of color, which meant I didn't have to do much except spin it as it was.

This 3rd skein was spun using a merino top knot in bright colors, which I manually mixed and blended during the spinning and plying processes. I was quite pleased with the way it came out and I can't wait to see how it knits up!