My Halloween plans were thwarted this year buy this:

The common cold virus. The cowboy had his bout with the bugger last weekend and I am battling him as we speak. Thank God for tea and benadryl cold.

The cowboy, however, had an action packed Halloween at school.

There is my Bob the Builder. He loved playing Bob all day. I was supposed to dress up as Wendy… but opted to keep the sweats on during our brief trick or treating. Good thing that a 3 year old is satisfied with hitting only 2 houses. I felt like a real heel because I couldn’t muster up the energy to give out candy… we just got in our PJ’s and snuggled up in the recliner together.

I did manage to meet some fibery deadlines today.

All of this will be at Stitches East this weekend.

Yup.. I am the “phantom dyer” behind the Woolworks Signature Sock. Go check them out at the convention.

This is over 2 dozen - 4oz bumps of merino tencel (yes… there is some platinum in there)

and this is 1 dozen-4oz bumps of superwash wool. Yummy! You can find this and more sock yarns (dyed under their label by me) at my LYS booth at Stitches. Cloverhill is a great shop! Stop by and check them out.

Ok…. off to braid and then to bed. Happy Halloween friends!

The holidays (EEK! And Holiday knitting!!!) are fast approaching. That means the dreaded holiday shopping is upon us. My wallet hurts thinking about it. So I got to thinking…. we are all industrious, right? A lot of us have indie pursuits that help subsidize the farm, right?

So…. if anyone is interested in comparing and swapping wares… I am in. Email me your site/pics of your wares and what you would want in exchange (obviously… I have lots of yarn and fiber to trade!) I am interested in fiber and non-fiber items….. I have lots of gifties to buy/ make this year!

Happy Monday folks!!

Trade #1:

Sarah makes these awesome yarn bowls!

I am creating some custom work in exchange for them. Awesome!!!

In honor of my dad… a 10 things post.

1. He was very kind. He would go without and not complain, ever.
2. He was so funny… he did not have to try hard to get a good laugh.
3. He loved us. In that papa bear kind of way. His family was everything to him.
4. He was well liked. He had many friends from the guy who owned the gas station to the mayor.
5. He was incredibly human. In all of the good ways… he knew how to walk on this earth and be kind to his fellow man.
6. He gave me the best step-mom a girl could ever wish for.
7. He played professional football… for a brief time. He loved sports and passed that love along to his kids.
8. He was a proud grandpa Tiger. He loved my boy… he was the first person I told that I was pregnant (after D of course!)
9. He had a very special place in his heart for me. I know that with every fiber of my being. He showed me that many times over… and I only really noticed that as an adult.
10. He was the best dad for me. He knew me… and he was proud of me as a daughter, wife and mother.

Dad, I miss you every day. I love you so much……

This book is excellent! Michael Del Vecchio will be at KNIT HAPPENS this Friday, Oct 27th for a book signing. The patterns in this book are great for the male or female knitter… I saw a sweater or two that I would like to cozy up in!

skeins of sock yarn. Or… at least that is what this Soctober feels like! I think that I may run a contest to see who guesses the amount of yarn that I have dyed in Socktober.

I’ll give you a hint…. there are 54 skeins pictured here and 24- 4oz bumps of merino tencel….. umm…. this is a fraction of what is going on right now.
Whew! All of what you see is making its way to  the Baltimore Convention Center for Stitches East. (All except for yours Missy!)

Fall is my favorite season. I think that Rhinebeck was the official kick off to this autumn.

This is a long awaited meeting. Bev is a huge catalyst for my sock club endeavours. I am so glad to finally meet her! Next time…. I will spend more time. Promise.

That was the only picture that managed to make it home from Rhinebeck with me. I hung out with my girl Michelle all day and managed to refrain from buying the farm…. but took no pictures. Bad, bad blogger. I got to hug my girlies Julia and Marie…. and meet lots of good fiber folk.

Here are pictures of the haul:

This is my new city-market basket from my brother and sister. They gave it to me the night before Rhinebeck.

Here is the list:

1.5 lbs of tussah silk

1/2 pound of non-animal fiber rayone firestar mix

2 beautiful 1.5oz sparkly batts available from Brooklyn Handspun (thanks friend!)

1- 4oz skein of Brooks Farm superwash/silk/viscose

1- 4oz skein Socks that Rock in the “Lucy” colorway (market research! )

2 skeins Sock Candy cotton-lycra in “Aubergine” (more market research )

2 amazing skeins of seasilk hand carried by my girl Michele! Beautiful….. look at that sheen.

I had to leave Rhinebeck early…. and head back to celebrate my sister’s 16th birthday.

Here is the cowboy with his aunt Bird. Happy birthday to my baby sister! We are going to see RENT together as my present to her! Oh boy! She is as broken as I am when it comes to watching it.

And… you Fall sock clubbers…… this is making it’s way to you as we speak!

It is called Indian Corn…. maybe candy corn is a better description.

Happy Tuesday friends!

*Edited to Add* One thing I forgot to mention about Rhinebeck was the feeling I got at the Blogger meet up…. it was this amazing sea of bloggers… and I froze. Like a freshman at their first social…. It was a bit overwhelming. All images I had of anyone left my head… so… if I met you and seemed aloof or a big dork, I apologize! I was just feeling a tad overwhelmed by the fiber and the friends!

Wow! Rhinebeck was so great! I have many memories, but just a few photos. I got swept up in the hugs and fiber…. lost track a  little and it was time to boogie back to Connecticut! Crazy!

Cara’a meet-up was a blast and I met many folks that I have wanted to…. waited on some long lines for some sock yarn…. and saw good friends and made more good friends!

I am back to real life on Tuesday Morning! See you then!

To Rhinebeck I will go! To Rhinebeck I will go! Hi-ho the yarn-e-o to Rhinebeck I will go!
What a nice treat after being elbows deep in acid dye! I am so excited. I will only be there on Saturday until about 3pm. I will be at the blogger meet-up (thanks Cara!)

Email me if you want to hook up! I am so exited to see you , and you, and you,and you!

I am also so excited that the cowboy will be with grandma for the day in Connecticut! I love my boy…. but he does not like yarn as of late. *GASP* I think he sometimes feels that my knitting/spinning/dyeing/blogging competes with his time. Oh well… he will get doted on by his aunt, uncle and Neenie.

My sister,Bird, is celebrating her 16th birthday on Sat! I see another 10 things post coming…..

See you in New York!

Ok… I usually never talk about how busy the C*EYE*BER Fiber production can be. But…. if you have been wondering why I have been a little quiet lately, it is because I am eyeball deep in work. I have had 75lbs of yarn delivered… and all of it is accounted for. Woot! Crazy…..

So….it’s a great problem to have. Thanks for all of your support!

I am off to sleep before I get buried alive in yarn!Or eat any more truffles….. thanks DMAC!

Ever tell you I am a BIG fan of….

And…. here are the lyrics to one of his songs……

I love everybody
Especially you
I love everybody
Especially you
So if you feel lonesome
Remember it’s true
I love everybody
Especially you

Well…. I have definatley felt the love this birthday week! You all have been so kind with your comments and emails…. I am a little overwhelmed!

My D and my cowboy made a big fuss of mommy on the special day!I got hugs and kisses and cake and this:

It is the PERFECT bag! It has a cocoon for Phyllis, my laptop, and room for my knitting. My D bought me a new briefcase that had room for my knitting. I love that man!

My COCO Swap partner, DMac, sent me this amazing haul.

A HUGE box of godiva truffles (my favorite!), Apple laine sock yarn in a Godiva colorway, a coco scented candle, and a bag of the yummiest coco filled biscuts ever! That bag is empty I will have you know! Thank you friend!
My friend Michelle sent me these beauties:

8 beautiful ounces of crown mountain farms fiber, sweet sheep self stripe, and a gorgeous hank of handspun. Thansk sister!

And my October Birthday Swap partner, Marion, outdid herself!

There is fiber…. there is yarn… coffee… CHOCOLATE!…. a glass sheep ornament…..addi bamboo needles… a colorwork thimble…beautiful red yarn… and two very amazing Estonian mitten pattern books that gives the history if each motif…. AMAZING!

I am using this:

to make these:

I went out the day after I opened the box and got the yarn to start the socks. I love them! Thanks so much! Lolly is dying for a copy of those books….. they are so amazing.

That’s not all folks! Last night my very dear friend CAm threw me a bithday party! Yup…. but mama style… it was a party with a twist… a birthday party/yarn swap. CAN NOT GET ANY BETTER THAN THAT! There was bubbly(ummmm…LOTS for some of us!), great food… and yarn. Oh my!

Here are the ‘weens…. Jolene and Coleen. The cowboy says it JOWEEN and COWEEN…

Joleen knit me some BEAUTIFUL hand knit socks and Coleen knit me a Shedir hat in a gorgeous blue cotton tweed. Love you friends!

Look…. it is Lolly and Jen!

Look…it’s me and my Midge! I think this may be preview of what is to come on the seasocks cruise….Patricia watch out!

My girl, Amie, made this for me….

IT’S A YARN CAKE!!! It was so yummy… and beautiful. Thanks friend!

My friend Ginga participated in the merriment. It was our 10th year of celbrating birthdays together. I love her very ,very much and am so glad that she is my friend!

CAm…. she COOKED for me…. and she doesn’t just cook for anyone. She is an amazing friend and I am so lucky to have her. She is a constant… and has redefined herself in ways to remain close friends with me… and for that I am ever grateful.

Everyone was over-generous in their gift giving:

Thanks friends! I love each and every one of you! This birthday has been amazing… but the BEST gift has been my family and friends….sigh….