Greetings from sunny Florida

See, I have a traveling sock just like Stephanie. Actually, it was supposed to be a Christmas present and now it's become a June birthday present. Yes, I'm that slow ...

I'm still working intermittently on the moebius scarf. It sits in the bottom of my knitting bag and occassionally gives me dirty looks.

It's beautiful here in Vero Beach. It's sunny and warm and lovely. All of us are actively engaged in doing nothing at all.

Tonight, in accordance with our tradition, we will walk on the beach at midnight and greet the new year. Happy New Year Everyone!

One more picture, just to make Kate mad. We spent a day at Disney World and Kate had to make the ultimate Disney fashion statement.

Underwater Christmas Tree Decorating

No fiber today. I just wanted to report on the fun thing the girls and I did yesterday.

Our local dive shop holds an annual Underwater Christmas Tree Decorating Contest. They sink a couple of Christmas trees in their pool and you scuba down and decorate them with plastic ornaments and tinsel. All the fees for the event go to Breast Cancer Research, so everyone benefits. Last year the girls and I were featured on the local news in full scuba gear decorating our tree!

This year there were no film crews, but we had a great time. An underwater photographer takes a picture of each decorated tree and the pictures are sent out to neutral parties for judging. We don't know who won yet, but it doesn't really matter.



Everyone has to bring their own unbreakable treetopper. Here is ours.

That glow up north? It's Canadian pride.

This post is for Celine, who just caught on to using her wheel rather than a drop spindle.

This is a picture of my first bobbin of yarn ... a lumpy bumpy mess. It's overspun in some places and underspun in others.

Your first bobbin is, by comparison, a masterpiece. Congratulations. I think you and your wheel are beginning a beautiful friendship.

Friendship Spinners Christmas Retreat

Last weekend Friendship Spinners met for our annual Christmas retreat at Shakertown. It was lovely, as usual, getting together with about forty of the nicest people I've ever met. The creativity and kindness are not to be equaled anywhere.

Naturally, we brought our wheels and we spun ... and we talked ... and we laughed and we asked each other fiber questions. And, of course, we ate. I brought a couple dozen of these springerle cookies imprinted with my spinner cookie mold. They were pretty good.

The highlight of Friday night was the Annual Parade of the Crones, a very touching (and silly) ceremony. We all aspire to be crones someday. [if you don't know, don't ask]

At last, I can share pictures of the shawl I've been working on for the shawl exchange. It's lavender suri alpaca wool spun up to resemble mohair (but much softer). I used Lily Chin's pattern for a beaded crochet shawl and worked several thousand white glass beads into the pattern and as a looped beaded fringe around the ends. Thank goodness, Nancy Reed, who received it, was pleased with it.

There was a slight mix-up with the shawl exchange, but where there's a will there's a way, especially when kind people are involved. I received a beautiful handwoven shawl that was made during a sheep to shawl event. The warp is made of Lincoln cross wool and the weft is Shetland. I LOVE it. It's especially nice because it wasn't just made by one person, it was a group effort.

A lovely time was had by all. I just wish I could spend more time with them.