in search of...

someone to teach me how to use my spinning wheel and drop spindle, and to teach me to prepare raw fleece! Why? Because the farmer up the street said he will give me FREE raw fleece...because he throws it away every year!!

I'm going to make my own yarn! I'm going to have to learn how to die it, prepare it, etc. etc. And I have no idea how to start!! HELP!

MIA

Oh boy. Not much knitting to report. I started a baby kimono, but I don't know anyone who is having a girl, the Log Cabin Blanket is still very-slowly moving along, but the baby shower for the person I'm giving it to is two weeks away so I must get it done soon.

Photos to come.

Titonka

That's a word for Buffalo I believe...isn't it?

Went to Jester Park just north of Des Moines over the weekend. They have an elk/bison observation area. I didn't know that mean they were behind this thin little wire fence...

That's not my hand...I'm taking the photo. Please notice though, how close that we got to these animals. We stopped because some people were feeding them bread. When they were done feeding the buffalo, the buffalo started to walk away. I got closer to the fence...TOUCHED A BUFFALO'S NOSE WITH MY HAND...and it snorted on me. Then, another one thought I had food and turned around quickly. I didn't have any food though.

Going broke...

Did they really have to come out with this?? I want it, need it, and have to find it!! Beautiful colors. Washable wool - and it's MERINO!!

Do banks give yarn buying loans?

FOOD!!

No family gathering that I attend happens without someone (usually me) making some sort of dessert concoction. Usually I go for cookies, but cheesecake struck my fancy this weekend when Cooking Light came to my mailbox a few weeks ago with a beautiful cover, promissing the lowest fat and calorie cheesecake ever!!

So, I made this: Now, obviously there is no chocolate in a low-fat, low-cal cheesecake. I cooked the cheesecake at 1 a.m., so I was tired, and didn't follow the directions to leave it in the open, turned off oven for 30 minutes. Instead, I put it into the fridge, and the next morning it had a crack the size of the San Andreas Fault running through it. So, I put chocolate on it.

I'd give the cheesecake a B-...but I'm not the greatest cheesecake cook ever. (But I am the best chocolate chip cookie baker ever!) My brother liked it better without chocolate, so did my sister in law. I thought it was too dry. Oh well...I'll keep trying to perfect the art of cheesecake baking. If anyone out there has any fool-proof recipes, do share.

I wasn't the only dessert maker this weekend. My sister-in-law banged out this fantastic jello/pound cake/fruit thing..YUMMY!!

I hope she knows that I will not let her take my dessert crown from me...I hate competition.

Secret Pal Package!!

Finally, a photo!! I think that KnitPicks yarn would make super-cute baby socks/booties for a friend of mine who is having twin boys in a few months... And they're hard to see, but the Blue Mountain Beads go perfect with another set of beads that I'm planning to turn into something fun!!

Thanks, Secret Pal!!

Later this week - 4th of July adventures in cooking!