A Look Back

Over the last year and a half, I have been in business and working in mass production of handmade yarn. Over the last two days, I did a massive re haul of my website. I made up several pretty cool mosaics for The Twisted Purl History page and here is one of them. A look back on the handspun yarn produced in the last six months or so. To see more of The Twisted Purl Mosaics, CLICK HERE.

Tomorrow morning, I'm going on an adventure. I am driving from Conway, Arkansas all the way to Vermont, to pick up my boys. The total driving time is 24 hours. I can't wait to see my boys!

I'm taking my computer and camera and will be sharing with you some of the wonderful things that make up The Twisted Purl History. I can't wait to share with you pictures of the yarn shop where I stumbled upon my first hank of hand painted yarn by Cherry Tree Hill.

Be sure to check out the new website design. CLICK HERE to see it. Also, I have started a gallery with pictures sent to me from crafters who have made items with The Twisted Purl yarn. If you have used my yarn and created anything, please send me a picture. I'd love to see your creations. Here's my email address for receiving images: info@thetwistedpurl.com Can't wait to see what you've made. ♥

Sappy Motherly Post

I miss my boys! I didn't think it would happen. I am not one of those mothers. Don't get me wrong...I love my boys, but they are BOYS! They are wild, crazy, and into everything. I rarely get to sit down for long. The thought of actually unloading the dishwasher without having to breakup a wrestling match is just a daydream. They are loud, they fight and they can not pick up anything to save their lives. Boys!

My 11 year old step son, Drew, is with his mom, in California for the summer. It's killing me to be away from him for so very long. He has been a part of my life since he was three and growing into being his step-mom has been a long process. Now, I can proudly say, he is the son I got to choose. He lives with us full time and is a source of much joy in my life! As for Austin and Brady, my four and five year old, they are visiting their granny, my mom, in Vermont. They have only been gone a week and it has just been too long.
The weeks prior to the youngest boys leaving, I bragged to friends about how my home would be a child-free zone. The perfect solace. The vacation of all vacations. I would get so much done. Spinning, dyeing, listing on Etsy, painting my bathroom, the list could go on. My bathroom sits with half the wall paper striped, the wheel is collecting dust, the dyeing room is cluttered and in no shape for work, my poor Etsy shop has not had a new listing since May, yes MAY! So, I still sit, with my long list of to do's and all I can think to do is drive myself to Vermont and go spend sometime with my boys and my mom. Watch the cows and visit my one of my favorite fiber farms. My to do list will be here when I get back, and I am used to dealing with trying to get things done in the midst of the insanity. At least now, I may appreciate the craziness of my boys.

I plan on taking my computer, and blogging along the trip. I will share the awesome yarn shops I visit, I have a few favs that are a must for my trip. And I will be sure to show off some of the cuties I get fiber from as well. ♥

Happy Fourth of July

For the Fourth of July I made a dessert. Seen it enough times in a magazine, and thought it would be fun to have. It was super easy and pretty yummy! I just took pound cake and crumbled it all along the bottom of the pan. Took some strawberries and cut them up and put some sugar on them and let them chill out in the fridge for a bit. Then after about an hour, I threw the sugared strawberries on top of the crumbled pound cake. I covered it with about a tub and a half of cool whip and then I had my fun with my stars (blue berries...fifty of course) and stripes (more strawberries). Much fun to make and it was a big hit at the party we went to. Last night the husband and I went to First Thursday in Little Rock. So much fun! I did manage to get a few fun buys. Some awesome fabric to cover a chair that needed a bit of updating. And this awesome "Splendid Design" pillow:
It looks so dang good on my couch! It had been sitting in Jerusalem and Jeanetta's shop for over a month and has been calling my name for some time. Hope you all have a wonderful fourth! ♥

Last Mango in Paris

Welcome to my mess:

This is my life right now. Spinning, in the middle of knitting, notes, redesigning websites, and many To Do lists. I feel like I have so much to do, and yet feel like I have done so much. The old Jimmy Buffett song keeps running through my head:

I ate the last mango in Paris

Took the last plane out of Saigon

Took the first fast boat to China

And Jimmy there's still so much to be done

Guess I haven't done anything as exciting as these things but I did drive to Virginia on Saturday and came back on Sunday...no mangos were involved. But there were deer and a bear...and a chair:

This chair was rescued from a yard sale and was just screaming to be used in the CASA Chair auction. I will post more about it when I actually know more about it. Jeanetta just told me I had to get a chair and decorate it with yarn. So, that's what this is.
Above is the starting of the wrapping. I am doing it all in handspun yarn so I can control the feel, look and all. Here is a look at that part finished.
The pic below was the closed thing to a boat we were on, not exactly a fast one. I hopped out of it (actually a hammock in Sam's Club) to take the pic. Yes we are goofy and it's hard to take us anywhere.

So until the next post...keep following la vie dansante! ♥

The Arkasnas Forest

Handspun yarn natural blends add with dyed green roving. ♥

Family Camp, Birthday, Yarn

This year we went to MarVal Camp in Oklahoma. It was a pretty awesome camp ground. I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants the camping experience, in a cabin, with WiFi. We went with a group from our church. Drew was baptised in the river during the weekend (YAY!). We had lots of fun fishing, participating in a Light Parade (we went crazy with glow sticks on our golf cart), and goofing around with the Hawaiian Theme. Of course, Daisy went along for the trip. She barked at loads of people, and tried to put across that "mean dog, little body" attitude. Have a look at pictures from our trip:

So, on the 11th of June, I turned 33. I can't believe I'm 33, really, for some reason I thought I was turning 34 for a good part of the week. When I was informed, by my sister, I would only be 33, it was great! I gained a year, go figure. We had an informal party at our house with some of my favorite people and some of my favorite things.

How do I love beer....let me count the ways...one. Well, there really is only one way, right? OK maybe three. My sister and Matt came home from Vermont with four jugs of beer to help celebrate my birthday. Yum, yum, yum! Beer from The Shed totally rocks!

Here's a little knitting bag, from Mama Deb. They are awfully handy to have around and would recommend them to anyone. You can find more of them in her etsy shop.

Dad and Deb have been collecting old yarn bobbins for me over the last six months and gave them to me for a birthday present. One even still had yarn attached...super cool!
OK, this is sad. For any of you who have had a look at my etsy shop, you know, I have not listed anything in quite awhile. Here is my handmade stash just waiting for me to get off my lazy bum and start listing. What am I waiting for???
And lastly, just to add some "bling" to the post...well yarn bling that is, some new handspun bulky:
Lastly, is pure barnyarn handspun. This is a blend of four different wools I recently received. Instead of carding them, I spun them straight in their natural glory. I left some of the curly locks hanging out in the open and did not even ply it. Gotta love it!
Til the next post...happy crafting! ♥