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Friday, November 4, 2016

Friday's Hunt v 2.19

It's that time again - where did the week go?  I am still busy with work.  I have many things I want to blog about, but don't seem to find the time to get the posts written.  I really hope things calm down a bit soon.  I'm still doing my best to keep up with Friday's Hunt, and this week I'm actually going to post on Friday!  Our prompts from Eden Hills are:  Starts with S, Week's Favourite, and Amazing.

Starts with S
S is for spinning, and anyone who has read my blog for any length of time probably knows that I'm a spinner.  When I went to the Maritime Spinners' Retreat a couple of weekends ago, I did some spinning, and then I finished a little bit more when I got home.  Here's some yarn that I have spun over the past couple of weeks.

The purple blend is something that I made at the retreat using the fibre they gave us to play with - not my usual colours, but it's what I was given!  The green mix is some Coopworth roving that I had hanging around in my stash.

This multi-coloured yarn is some 50% merino - 50% tencel blend that I spun fairly fine, and then chain-plied to maintain the colour sections.  I really love the way it turned out and I'm very pleased with the overall yarn.  It has a nice shimmer to it and a lovely drape.  Not sure what I'll use it for yet.


This is a soft grey alpaca blended with a mixed batt that had alpaca, bamboo and wool.  The turquoise is the bamboo.  I spun one ply with just the grey alpaca, and the other with the batt.  The batt was spun at the retreat, but I did the solid grey when I got home, and plied them together.

Week's Favourite
My favourite picture this week is this blue jay.  I like the way he's tilting his head, sort of like a dog who has heard a funny noise.  I believe he's doing that to actually take a better look at the ground. He's under the seed feeder, picking up sunflower seeds dropped by the chickadees.

He certainly had some success with seed hunting that day!

Amazing
Sometimes, the word "amazing" is thrown around in a rather haphazard manner.  People say that things are "amazing" when, in reality, they're good, or even great, but perhaps not quite amazing.  I looked up the dictionary definition of amazing, which says that it is "causing great surprise or wonder" and "startlingly impressive."  I'm going to tell you about something that certainly falls into the startlingly impressive category.  Even though I'm biased, I have to say, my parents are AMAZING!

When I think about all the times over the years that they have helped me, in a myriad of ways, it's really remarkable.  I know, it's a parent's "job" to help their child, but their help goes so far beyond the requirement, it's not even on the chart any more.  So let me tell you about a few weekends ago when my amazing parents helped me out yet again.

I have had a lot of work contracts lately, and since I work for myself, I just have to take the work as it comes.  Before the busy time, I had purchased about 300 spring bulbs for planting, thinking that I'd have plenty of time on the weekends in the fall to get them in the ground.  As is often the case, the best laid plans of mice and men (and women!) don't always work out the way we expect.  I had very little time to get the bulbs planted. In the meantime, I also had the terrible experience of having the nuthatch die by hitting my window.  I had purchased some special tape for installing on the windows to help prevent bird collisions but...no time to install it.

Parents to the rescue!  They knew I was in a bind, so they came to visit for a couple of days to lend whatever help they could.  My mom and I spent a morning and afternoon weeding all my garden beds and planting all those many bulbs - assorted daffodils, alliums, English bluebells, Chionodoxa, many kinds of tulips, Siberian iris, and more.  I know you can't see the bulbs, but they're in the ground, and they'll be glorious in the spring!


As if that wasn't enough, my mom and I then processed about 60 lb of apples (I'd bought huge bags of apples, thinking I'd have time to process them...oops!).  We peeled and chopped for hours, and I put some into the food dehydrator for dried apple rings, and others went into a fresh apple crumble for our dessert, while the majority went into freezer bags.

Meanwhile, my amazing Dad installed the anti-bird-collision tape on all the windows of significant concern, which required washing all those windows first, and then using a little plastic scraping device to properly adhere each of the little squares to the window by rubbing it into place.  The squares are evenly spaced on a tape-based product.  This bird-saving product is endorsed by FLAP and I have not had a single bird collision since it has been installed.  Before it was up, I regularly had collisions from "gentle" to severe.  I am really impressed with the product, but I am even more impressed with my Dad, who just got straight to work and helped me, and the birds, in a time of need.

Although the squares are white on the outside, they are not as obvious from the inside, and the mild effect on the view outside is certainly worth the trouble!

That's not all he did!  He also did some work on that tree that fell in our woods a few weeks ago.  He cut off all the branches so the log would lay on the ground and begin its decomposition process more quickly.

Then he cut the top end of the fallen tree into four sections, all of which will be easy to move.

And even that's not all.  My mom prepared a slow-cooker turkey dish ahead of time, which she brought with her, so we didn't have to worry about making supper while we were doing these tasks. To top it off, it was actually her birthday as well, and we were able to celebrate despite our hard work. I definitely owe her a cake!

So when I tell you that my parents are amazing, I do mean it, in every sense of the word.  I am a very lucky daughter, and a very grateful one too!

16 comments:

Tom said...

Knowing little or nothing about yarn, I do believe that your missed skien. I think that I heard my Mother use the term many moons ago. Your favorite is a fav for sure. Amazing is a bit over done, but your parents sound like they fit the bill.

Tom said...

I believe that I've fixed my post, please stop back.

Jim said...

Hi Claire ~~ You sure do keep busy with your spinning. The yarn has turned out to be real pretty. It takes patience, I wouldn't have enough to spin. Your Mom and Dad are amazing when it comes to helping you. Thank you for the real definition of 'amazing', I will disappoint you, you could probably trade of for surprised for my post's usage.
..

brokenteepee said...

The yarns are gorgeous. Your parents are amazing - do they hire out? I'll look forward to seeing all of the flowers next spring.

Margaret Birding For Pleasure said...

Or you are Yarm colours are amazing and I also think your parents are utterly amazing to have helped you out so much. I agree that today with his head tilted looks lovely

Michelle said...

I have wonderful parents as well; it makes me tear up every time I think of how much they mean to me! Yours were WORKhorses!! Lovely capture of the blue jay, too. I miss those; we have two different types of jays here.

Su-sieee! Mac said...

It sounds like your parents had a wonderful time helping you, and no doubt think you are amazing, too. After all, it takes an amazing person to know amazing people. :-)

The colors of your skeins (correct word) are gorgeous. I like the green combination most of all. Whatever you make with the different yarns are going to be beautiful.

Su-sieee! Mac said...

Your parents probably had the best time helping you out. I bet they think you are amazing, too, for all that you do. After all it takes an amazing person to know other amazing people. :-)

Your yarn are lovely combinations of color. I especially like how your green looks.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for visiting me. In California there are no real seasons (and this was taken when we lived in Southern Calif.)
Am glad you have a gravator, because I had no idea you were on Fri's Hunt:)
Am a painter, but also a knitter. And always wanted to learn to spin, but my biggest obstacle is to buy the spinner itself. Do they have them also second hand? Am allergic to wool, but am okay when it's in a blend of 25% or under. And can wear silk, cotton, and acrylic. Any advice is appreciated:)

Guzzisue said...

Pretty yarn xx

Judith_R said...

Very pretty yarn. I too have bulbs still to plant, having helped a friend plant theirs first!

Spinners End Farm said...

Lovely yarn and I'm very happy you have such wonderful parents! :)

Empty nester at last said...

Beautiful yarn...I really love the purple, but then that is my fav color....but all of them are really outstanding. Your blue Jay is just too cute! I have some around my house and they always are entertaining. And kudos to your parents. Sounds like they were an awesome set!

Ralph said...

The spun yarn could qualify as 'amazing' to myself, taking wool and creating yarn go lovely colors is an art indeed.. The bird anti-collision for the windows is wonderful, as we love the avians flying around our homes safely!

Anonymous said...

The merino/tencel blend is just beautiful! The one with gray alpaca runs a close second with me, but your spinning is so nicely done on all of them. So glad you've found something to help prevent bird strikes. I hadn't seen that type. Big thanks to your dad from all the birds--and their fans. Next spring when all those bulbs burst forth in all their glory, you will revisit this wonderful weekend.

Anonymous said...

Your yarn is just beautiful! Love it. The jay pictures are great. I think your new camera suits you well! How nice that your parents could come and help. Thank you so much for joining Friday's Hunt. Have a great week!