Secret Pal Happy Dance

I'm doing the Secret Pal Happy Dance right now.

That right there in the middle is an issue of Spin-Off!, which I only dream of subscribing to.

On the left is a dark marine blue packet of 80g of a Corriedale Cross and Alpaca blend.

On the right is a lovely brown 100g packet of Shetland, drumcarded by my Secret Pal herself.

Toddlerette's comment on the blue packet: "Mommy, that is some LUXURY woof!" I taught her well. Just turned three and already knows her "luxury woof."

First Published Pattern

Ok, I have to brag a little on myself. I published a pattern. It's an exclusive for Zen String and they're on my feet RIGHT NOW.

By the way, I like pools of color, so if you're a striping or non-pooling gal, they may not be for you....

Click this LINKY for a picture.

There's another pattern (and a half) on the way.... sneak peeks are on flickr....

My Anniversary Present

It's a Kromski Symphony... right in front of the Pampers Cruisers. Hee. I love it. Bessie the Traveller is with my mom in Louisiana, teaching a Weaver how to spin.

Random library...

My maiden name is an unusual spelling of a not-quite-so-unusual surname, so it's a tradition in our family that, at least once in your life, you go to Newton, MS, and take a picture of this library:

Now for the Azaleas

All I do is post vacation pictures.....

And to end the great debate between Mr. Robincat and I about "Is it a Rhododendron or a Mountain Laurel?" we've discovered that they're too closely related for us to determine with our present ignorance of Appalachian botany. Here are some pictures for you to peruse....



These were all taken atop of Wayah Bald.


And five seconds later....

Joyce Kilmer National Forest--Part 3

The really big tree....

Joyce Kilmer National Forest--Part 2

More forest pictures ... no captions this time....

Joyce Kilmer National Forest -Part 1

Ok, kids... get ready for a picture-heavy post ... Joyce Kilmer National Forest is one of the very few virgin forests left in the lower Appalachians. Pictures just don't do it justice.


This explains who Joyce Kilmer was...




And this is the enormous rock in which that plaque is mounted...



This is the poem he wrote that got the forest named after him...


This is the bridge at the trailhead...



More pictures to follow....

Cherohala Skyway

We tried an alternate route to the house of Mr. Robincat's grandmother (aka Juanita) this year. Normally in the summer, we either take I-20 East from Shreveport to Birmingham, then north to Chattanooga, and cross the Ocoee River into North Carolina. In the winter, when we have to make a choice of ice versus snow, we take I-30 East from Dallas, through Arkansas and Tennesee (with a gratuitous barbecue stop in Memphis), and then drive the Tail of the Dragon (Hwy 129 for you non-motorcyclists) from Knoxville to Robbinsville. If the weather is bad, we go through Smoky Mountain National Park through Gatlinburg. And if the weather is REALLY bad (as it was for Sarah's first Christmas), we get detoured all the way to the I-40 just north of Asheville and took the Highway 74 back East for an hour.

But with all that said...

THIS time we drove the northern route and tried the Cherohala Skyway. Definitely not a foul weather route, but much fewer switchbacks and crazy motorcycles than Tail of the Dragon. It is effing beautiful. Too bad Richard slept through almost the whole drive. Mr. Robincat and I noshed on Key Lime Fudge from some truck stop in Tennessee to keep our ears clear. It was REALLY good candy and I wish I could remember where we got it. All I know is they give you free coffee with a fill-up on gas.

First up is Bald River Falls. It's a half-hour detour into the depths of the National Forest, but well worth the effort.





And now for the kids on the highest point of Santeetlah. That would be 5390 ft (1642m) above sea level. I was a little altitude affected, but everyone else was fine.



This is the Turkey Creek lookout. And I kid you not, this is the view you get when you step out of the public restroom.

Yarn Stash?

You think my problem is a yarn or a fiber stash?

Not quite. We have a coffemaker stash. No kidding. The eighth one arrived today. We have 3 French presses: 1 glass bodum single-serve, 1 glass bodum 8-cup, and 1 ceramic Van Gogh 8-cup. We have 3 pods: 1 Melitta (free with pod club), 1 Senseo (free with coffeemaker pimping), and 1 Gourmet Coffee Cafe' ($5 with 72 free pods -- I have NO IDEA how Mr. Robincat scored that deal; I'm afraid.). Finally, we have 2 drip pots: 1 Gevalia (free with coffee trial) and 1 Cuisinart Brew & Grind (we actually paid money for this one, but it was 50% off at Kohl's). The REASON we paid for the Brew & Grind is because Mr. Robincat just got authorization to be a telecommuter which came with an "equip your office" stipend. He decided that we needed to start buying coffee beans in bulk due to his coffee needs and therefore needed a brew & grind since our little dinky electric grinder was getting sad sounding. The newest one is the Gourmet Coffee Cafe'. It makes great coffee so far ... we'll see how long it lasts. We've already had the Melitta people replace the One:One TWICE because we wore out the pressure seal and it started leaking. No problems with the Senseo yet, though, and it's had a LOT of use.

I'm trying to get a picture of the coffeepots all together on the kitchen table from the "inside" camera, but that may have to wait til tomorrow.

Also, the playscape is almost done--only have the roof to put on and mulch to spread underneath.... picture is on the cellphone, which is also misbehaving.

OH, BUT LOOK WHAT I HAVE HERE!!!

It's from Dragon Fibers' pink and pewter BFL roving. Yes, it is laceweight, about 20wpi, and super duper lofty and scrumptious. I want to eat it. But I need to sell it.... 'cause I need to buy a new wheel so I can spin even MORE!!! (Shameless yarn pimping, I know.)

BUT, HIE THEE to Dragon Fibers. Her stuff is yummy. Your wheel will begin chattering her shop's name. I promise.