A Lot to be Thankful For.

Today is my last day of work for a week and I probably won't be checking in here much during that off time. I have lots of preparations still to be made for the Rock and Roll Craft Show next weekend and my sister and the girls will be getting into town tomorrow. We'll be having a slumber party Sunday night and then heading to the farm on Tuesday. It's been since July since I've seen them so I'm very excited to catch with them and here about all of their Texas adventures.

I thought that I would share some of my thankful thoughts that I've been posting on Facebook this week. I haven't been as diligent as some but I've tried to post something I'm thankful for every day. Here is the top five things I'm thankful for:










1 my husband. I'm very lucky to have found someone whose quirks so nicely match up to my own. (this shot was from a happy day on our big vacation this summer) 2. my family, they may all be crazy and a bit too enmeshed sometimes but that is what makes us interesting. 3. stable jobs for me and my husband. With so much uncertainty for so many I'm thankful for our nice, safe education jobs. 4. yarn, I'm so thankful to have found a hobby that I love and that is self sufficient. ( the Autumn Envy wrap at the top is felted and done in great fall colors) 5. the Internet. I'm thankful for the connections I've made through my blog and facebook, etc. It's much harder for me to stay isolated with all the social outlets at my finger tips.

And some more: 1. I'm thankful for my in-laws today. The George's may have their own way of communicating, but they have taken me into their family and accept me for who I am. 2. I'm thankful today for my friends who put up with me and my craziness, even when I go into hermit mode and have a hard time getting myself out to see them. 3. Today I'm thankful for my DVR. When the lightening blew our box a few months ago it made me realize how much it has revolutionized my life. I can watch what I want, when I want. OKay, it's not the same as being thankful for my health but coming up with something everyday is hard.

I can't remember the mommy blogger that posted about how when she asked her daughter what she was thankful for all she could come up with things. When she asked her besides her toys what she was thankful for she said bangs. That just cracked me up. It really is those little things that make life worth living.

I'm also very thankful for all of you and each and every follower/friend I've made through the past year of this blog. If I don't have a chance to post it later I hope everyone has a great Turkey Day and that you enjoy your time with family/friends no matter how dysfunctional they may be. I believe the Lenox clan is expecting close to 75 people with every cousin but one in attendance. I can't wait to catch up with my family both extended and immediate.

A Different shade of gray

This month has been the wettest October in history for the area and the most depressing. Each day has been just a different variant of gray. Today wasn't as dreary as Monday and Tuesday but a little more dreary than Sunday, and on and on. Don't get me wrong I like a gray fall day with the bright falling leaves as much as the next but when you string them all together like we've had this year with the continuous, never ending rain it just gets to be too much.

The scarflette above is called Full Moon and it was knitted with a gray silk/wool tweed.

As a depressive I'm probably more effected by the weather on my moods than most. I have found myself pretty unmotivated to do much of anything. Knitting is even feeling like a chore to me right now, with 2 shows coming up I'm starting to feel uninspired. Work has been completely draining and when I get home I don't have the energy to do much of anything. I've been feeling like I'm totally off my blogging game to boot. I'm just going through the motions on just about every front and I know it's starting to show in my real life and here too.

All blogs have their ups and downs and I'm sure I'll get my mojo back soon enough. I had a string of good posts back before Strange Folk about preparing for craft shows. I will be doing some follow up posts about other venues and thoughts on selling crafts in person. Once things settle down at work and we have a few days of clear skies I will hopefully be able to get my thoughts together.

Fall Scarves Are Here!

I actually managed to get some pictures taken this weekend. The weather cooperated and I spent several hours on the screened in back porch clicking away. There were periodically neighbors outside enjoying the weather and they shot a few strange glances my way but it didn't slow me down. Mike and I tend to be a bit standoffish with our neighbors which is something I've been trying to change. I think we are seen as quite but a little odd by most of them to be honest.

I'll be starting to list some items this week and will hopefully get my shop filled up before the cool weather hits. I like how the top shot turned out. It's a real statement piece and I think the drama comes through. This next one is another favorite. It was my first attempt to felt a scarf and it ended up shorter than I expected. So I cut a few button holes and added the ceramic buttons and called it a wrap. The colors really pop in this shot.

I kept the photo shoot simple. I used my new fancy tripod that was a gift and it helped tremendously. I usually waste so much time setting my camera down, focusing, and then making sure I'm holding the camera still. With the tripod I could click and then start walking around to set up my next shot. I didn't get too fancy with my shots either. I used my mannequins and got at least two different angles of each scarf and then a few macro shots of the details. This gave me at least 4 shots of each item. I did still end up taking too many shots but I know that sometimes colors wash out or something gets off so if I like an angle I will take a couple just to be safe. With the tripod I noticed how slow my shutter speed actually is on my camera. I've never noticed the seconds in between shots before since I'm usually using that time to make sure my hands are steady.

I spent the rest of the day on Saturday going through the pictures, picking the 4 or 5 that I'll use for each scarf and deleting the rest. I then cropped them to a square and brightened them up a bit with my camera software editing tool. I sometimes use GIMP if I need to do something more intricate with a picture, like change the size, but for the most part my Canon Powershot software is easy to use and sufficient for my editing needs.

Stay tuned for more about my new Fall inventory. I used that term this weekend with a friend and she laughed. She said it always sounds funny when I say my inventory, but hey it's business baby!