Gifts

This year winter is the gift that keeps on giving.  And giving.  And giving...

Or maybe it's the booby prize.  Whatever.  
After receiving three snowstorms in the last ten days,  I'll be glad to see it gone.  As I know most everyone will.

I want to thank all of you for your kind comments about making it through this very long and trying season and the resulting depression.  I did see my doctor.  She did prescribe an anti-depressant.  After taking it for a week and feeling like I was in a head fog, I decided it was not going to work for me.

You all have written such positive messages, some in the comments and some by private email.  I appreciate your help!  I am feeling better just knowing that there are people out there who share the same affliction.
I titled this post "Gifts' because your support is indeed a gift.

And a very sweet gift came in the mail too!  Very unexpectedly!
Briony from the Crafty-Cats-Corner blog sent me this lovely notebook for which she made the lace and bead embroidered cover.  Isn't it wonderful?  I was so thrilled to get such a nice surprise in the mail.  And the whole way from across the ocean in England.

Thank you, Briony!
Be sure to visit her blog and check on the fun things her kitties are up to.  And also enjoy her beautiful artwork.  http://crafty-cats-corner.blogspot.com/

In my last post I showed a picture of my spinning wheel that I was hoping to use in the near future.  I did not notice a problem until I tried to spin.  The pedal went right to the floor and the wheel did not go around.  Whaaaaat???
A small technical problem right here:

The nylon connector between the pedal and the drive arm snapped, probably from being old and dried up.
So I called the Mannings spinning and weaving supply store.  They had another one in stock, so Zip and I made the 45-minute drive to East Berlin on one of the coldest and windiest days to get it.
I didn't have time to put it on right away so...
Well, where did I put it???  It was in a little plastic bag in my purse.  I got it out to look at it.
After that, who knows???

I didn't want to make another trip to Mannings so decided on a makeshift solution.  The piece has to be stiff with just a little bit of flexibility so I decided to use heavy leather.  Couldn't find anything thick enough so glued three strips together to make it about 1/4 inch thick.  Then shaved off the square edges so it would fit in the round hole.

So far, so good!

I spun a test sample of yarn to see if I could match the weight and twist of the yarn I used in the Fairisle vest.  The original Fairisle yarns are the two pieces on the left.  My samples are the
two on the right.  The yarns are shown twice the actual size.
I think I've got it!

A friend of mine will be giving me some dog hair from his Border Collies to spin and make into a scarf for him.  I'm looking forward to that interesting project.

So hopefully some new projects will do wonders for my mood.  Spring is on it's way regardless of the fact that the snow is still falling outside.
Blue skies and green grass will be the ultimate gift.

One last happy picture before I close.

Don't you just love those eyes???
Penny, you are so darn cute!

Thanks for stopping by!