Merry Christmas to ME!!

I was pretty sure I knew what Dale (and his mom) were getting me for Christmas..... Dale gave it away on the day he bought it (never give away the size of a gift when nothing even remotely to related to that size was asked for or needed... just for future reference), but I wasn't 100% sure until this past week when Dale was home from his away-work rotation. He kept mentioning that he wanted to show me this place he had found, but if he did, I would be 100% certain of the gift he got me for Christmas. I knew immediately that he wanted to show me a yarn/spinning store that is close to our house. He was just so proud of himself for finding this place on his own that I didn't want to ruin it for him right away...... so after the, perhaps, 20th mention, I finally put him out of his misery and said "Honey.... I've already been to Shuttleworks, remember??? I told you about the horrific wind storm I got caught in on the drive home from there????" He couldn't keep it a secret any longer and swore at me (in a loving way, I'm sure) for guessing the gift...... Can you guess??? He couldn't even keep it hidden after that and put it together yesterday......


Here it is...... my new Ashford Traveller Double Drive spinning wheel (don't ask me what that means, 'cause I haven't the foggiest idea..... even after reading all about it)




I'm am so excited to learn to spin... and even though I KNOW I'm not going to have time to learn until AFTER Christmas, I couldn't control myself and immediately purchased more roving than I can expect to spin any time in the near future......




I did make an attempt (attempt is perhaps an understatement, considering I was at it for at least 4 hours, probably more) to spin.... but I didn't figure out until I was extremely frustrated and annoyed and wondering if spinning and I were ever going to be friends, that I could use it either as a double drive OR with a scotch brake, but not both... I think... at least that's what I'm hoping I learned...... I did finally admit defeat after going through quite a bit of my new roving... I should have taken a picture of that mess..... but I wasn't thinking clearly and the evidence is now gone.......

And now, even though I REALLY want to call Make One to ask for help over the phone, I'm going to TRY to resist and go back to plan A.... learn to spin in the New Year... with Lessons...... Think I can do it????

Did I mention that Winter has struck Calgary with a vengance??? Last weekend we got, something like, 16 cms of snow.... Here are a few pictures of the kids playing in it... and one of the post-snow TV watching.....