The Learning Curve of Yarn....and other Stuff

Ok, just a quick post to show what I've been up to the passed week....
Below are pictures of Tanglwood Fiber Creation's "new toy": a mini spin-machine that really does work wonders. However, the teeny weeny cup that the directions showed catching water was very misleading....hence the towels in the picture. I was frantically looking for containers to catch the water as it poured out of the spigot, snatching bowls, cups, tupperware, anything within reach-gasping with horror as still more and more water gushed all over the floor. It filled the ceramic bowl in the photo three times before it finally slowed to a drip...drip..drip. Relieved to see the water finally slowing, I surveyed the damage. A small lake had enveloped my feet and it took four kitchen towels to clean up the mess. Next time, before installation, I'm calling the Laundry Alternative, Inc. sales rep and having him come out to do a training session for all operations personnel....
Anyway, after the initial learning curve, I found that it worked wonderfully and all the skeins were dry by the morning, ready for me to take to St. Helens for Courtney.

After spinning, the skeins were only slightly damp.

Another big event this week: Mt. Angel's Oktoberfest! It's the largest of it's kind in Oregon, but neither RaNita or I could figure out what the heck the people in the RVs do for three days. It was fun in a corny tourist, Americanized kinda way, but people drive hundreds of miles to Mt. Angel (the town with no traffic light, or stop sign) to partake. The two of us just didn't get it (but RaNita is LDS and I don't like beer, so perhaps we weren't the demographic?) but had fun lunch, starting with a ear of corn each from the Mt. Angel Fire Station booth, then a Brat with Kraut (of course), and Apple cake with Butter Sauce (which was the devil). All in all we were glad we went, but were able to see the whole festival in one hour. Seriously, what do those people do for three whole days???? Don't understand.....
The "famous" Oktoberfest clock. This has fully rotating figures, including an indian, a pioneer couple, nun, bishop, and a german man playing a tuba. It plays music and the grand finale is the two children on the swing roll out and sing "Eidelvas". Creamed corny....

Bloomin' Onions....very German....wink, wink....

Yes, they even had Mt. Angel citizens dressed in costumes pulling innocent people out of the crowd to do the Chicken Polka. I started to get a glazed look of horror on my face and heard RaNita quietly mention that it might be time to get back to work....

Hey, I did see the actual stones that were the inspiration for our new colorway: "Erica's Sunstone". This is a native Oregon semi-precious stone and I think the colorway matches it perfectly. Great job Erica!

And finally, new big-girl dishes! Well, new to me. Jan's mother is moving to a new place where the staff cooks meals and so kindly offered to let me purchase them for a good price. It's a set for twelve that includes dinner plates, salad plates, bread plates, cups, saucers, a gravy boat, a platter, a serving dish, salt and pepper shakers, soup bowls, dessert bowls, and a sugar bowl. Yeah, I've had to some reorganizing....but aren't they nice? It's great to have matching dishes and I can't wait to cook for Mom when she comes up (two more days).

All lined up for a wash and this was only one box :-)