just wanted to check in an make sure everyone got their packages okay? with the holiday rush of insanity. . .er, excitement, it's so hard to keep track of everything. heris the list i have so far; updates would be appreciated. Canyonwind sends to Dem_pa SENT/RECEIVED Dem_pa sends to mchill320 SENT mchill320 sends to tl_graham ? tl_graham sends to sassybutterfly_2008 SENT sassybutterfly_2008 sends to Smitties SENT/RECEIVED Smitties sends to nottougly SENT Nottougly sends to Rosemctier ?SENT/ RECEIVED Rosemctier sends to canyonwind SENT/RECEIVED

Donna, we can help you use up some of your fabric stash. In between holidays here, we love to do pretty tablescapes. Just think of the placemats and napkins you could make to go with your dishes! Then there's also table runners, chair cushions, chair back covers, tea pot cozies, etc. etc. etc. LOL Do you remember the fabric scrap wreaths? I made a huge one on a straw base, you just cut squares of fabric and pinned them onto a straw wreath. Then another one was fabric squares gathered on one of those U pins and pushed into the wreath so it looked like a "puff". I think I have a couple of those still around here. They were fun and easy to do, and a good way to use up leftover scraps of fabric. Do you like to quilt too? Have you made any wall hangings? Some of those are so neat. You can probably tell that I love talking about crafts and seeing all the great things people create. I've had lots of fun exploring some of the blogs, so many creative people out there! Luvs

Francy & Robin, please make sure you either knit LOOSELY or maybe use bigger needles to knit with the Cascade Fixation yarn. If you knit tightly with it, the socks will be too tight to wear. Ask me how I know!!!!! Had I made the socks looser, I think I would have liked them, as I did wear them a couple of times. But they were almost too tight, so I quit wearing them as my feet swell. I, personally, don't care to work with that yarn again. It might not be so bad now, as I have learned to knit a bit looser that I did when I made that pair using the Cascade Fixation. You have to remember the elastic in the yarn won't stretch anymore than it already has if you knit tightly. If the yarn is relaxed in the stitches, then the elastic will still stretch. Am I making sense? It's 10:30pm and I'm tired! Tami

As one who lives in a house full of antiques, my wheel is also an old one....non-mass produced, but made, by a husband, perhaps, for his wife...many different kinds of wood are used, and it is put gotether with wooden pegs rather than nails. It's a small castle wheel, and when I bought it, it was painted turquoise blue....YIKES! But, because I had spun on a castle I knew that all the parts were there. So, I bought it, stripped it and was lucky enough to find a fella in New Market, VA who worked on wheels, and gave it a 'fine tuning'.....it spins easily, and I love the feeling it gives me, of continuity with the all women who went before me ...spinning is a soporific thing to do, anyway, one of the things I love about it, and my mind can wander to all those other women who may have used this wheel. What I wouldn't give to know it's history. As a city dweller, I don't own sheep, but I get our state's agricultural bulletin, and there are always farmers who advertise fleece for sale....and they are really reasonable....maybe S15.00 for the whole fleece. Some are unwashed, some, the sheep wears a protective coat and this keeps the fleece clean, some are washed and carded by machine,etc. However you buy them, they are a great savings. Also, you might want to spin other fibers. We had a poodle and I carded the soft underhair with a little wool (for I didn't know the stability of dog hair), and knit my husband a pair of socks from his doggy! I've used other dogs, too.....think about the dogs of friends....could their pooch yield some soft underhair that you could use? If so, ask if you can go over and 'brush' their dog!!! They'll think you're nuts, but who cares? I really recommend THE SWEATER WORKSHOP......I just bought my second copy, slightly used, at Amazon for about $13.00, which was great..... Here's my wheel....I always take the cord off when I'm not in the spinning 'mode'...just relieve the 'tension' on those old parts!