Friday, August 17, 2007

Sneezy, Sheepy, Shaniko


(Originally uploaded over here)

Well, crud-olla! This post is already not going as planned. I was going to share with you my latest yarn purchase, but apparently I didn't download the pictures I had taken of it before losing my camera.

Anyway, it's a beautiful pure wool fiber made right here in Oregon on the Imperial Stock Ranch of Shaniko.
Shankio is located in a high desert area of our very diverse state and has a tiny little population. I remember riding through there as a teenager in our high schools van on the way to all kinds of different FFA functions. We always found it humorous that Shaniko even had a population sign up because about the only thing that you saw while driving through town was the little post office. I haven't been through there in years but understand that Shaniko has grown a bit, (not a whole lot, but I think the population is much more than 4 now), and is an incredibly cute little town. You know, we had to have another tiny town to laugh at since we came from the thriving metropolitis of Elgin...

I digress...This yarn is gorgeous. The little brochure that was attached when I bought it states that their yarn is specially colored to reflect the ranch's unique, high desert landscape. I chose the "fawn". Beautiful. I started my project a couple of weeks ago, knitting (oh wait, I'm actually crochetting this one!) away in the late evenings after dinner, clean up and dog walks have been completed. For the past several weeks I have had a terrible time with allergies - sneezing; nose either swollen shut so that no breath is coming through or wide open and running away with itself; eyes red, itchy, watery, swollen; ears hurting; throat sore. Medicine is not working, I'm not sleeping, because I absolutely can not breathe. What is going on with me??? It finally hits me. Could it possibly be this yarn?? I have allergies anyway, but maybe it's contributing to my complete and utter miserablness... Off to the doctor I go.

Fast forward to tonight at my dinner table ~
Brittany innocently asks, "When you went to your Doctor today for your allergies, did you tell him about the yarn you've been using?"

I answer, mouth full of scallop scampi, "huh-uh."

Brittany giggles at this response and replies, "Why the heck not?"

"Because I don't plan on going through all the needle poking allergy testing to find out what I'm allergic to, so there was no point. Allergy medicine is allergy medicine."

Riff has just decided to start listening to our dinner conversation and being the blustery Foghorn Leghorn that he is, belted out something like this ~
"What! You didn't tell him that you're using that raw wool stuff off the freakin' sheep from over yonder?! Good God Man!!"

Brittany almost wet her pants laughing so hard. Not hard to do when your nine months pregnant. Need a little comedy with dinner? Come to our house!

Sneezy, Snuffly and Sheepishly Yours,
Paula

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

haha.... u people crack me up...
shilo

Jeni said...

The more I read about people's allergy problems, the more grateful I am that I pretty much have very low allergic reactions! (Contact metal thing is one and sometimes, I get a little stuffiness from pollen but nothing outrageous.) I would really be highly upset -very disappointed - if some yarn I purchased and was engrossed in using in a planned project was stimulating allergic reactions in me though! VERY! You have my sympathy there, my dear, for sure!

Anonymous said...

Ok, so I'm not even going to give you the medical lecture... you've heard it enough times to know it by heart. So, just remember it, m'kay?

Hope you're feeling better soon. News on the house yet??

Shelby said...

I do hope you are feeling better too..

Anonymous said...

Wow, That is so weird, but makes sence! It is from dessert country!
I've been having allot of those simptoms latly to & stuffing down the allergy meds.
We've been haying & it's been smoky.
I hope your feeling better!!!

Anonymous said...

My mom never tells me about ur life. How rude! anyway, i hope that allergee medichhine works (sorry cann't spell right now)
Dawn

ancient one said...

I know about Allergies!! Bad this year, and I'm blaming mine on all the corn that has been planted all around. 'course, the ragweed is starting to bloom everywhere also. WE could sure use some of your rain. I always thought my allergies got better after a rain to wash some of the pollen out of the air... Whatever you are making out of that yarn (wool), you need to give away when you finish to someone not allergic...LOL

Yolanda said...

I sympathize with you as mine have been bothering me also.

Cris said...

Hi Paula! Your doctor is probably still wondering what went wrong with your breathing... My youngest son has many allergies too, and is also lactose intolerant.

Anonymous said...

My dh and I were on the road all week-end.....and had to stop for sheeps everywhere :-)

I bought yarn yesterday to crochet a blanket for the blue garden.

Jodi Ohl said...

Your stories are too much!! I hope you are feeling better now!

You must check out this post--I do believe you are our big winner!!!!!


Congrats!!
http://sweetgoodnessswaps.blogspot.com/index.html

Little ol' Me said...

I love finding blogs from fellow Pacific NW gals! What a funny story about the wool and the allergy doc. LOL..

Can't wait to come back and see what else you've been up to. You have a fun blog!
Tiffany
scrapsadaisy.blogspot.com

Unknown said...

You have always been a goofy one, Paula! The girls and I went camping last weekend with a friend and I had horrible allergy and asthma symptoms. Could be the wood smoke!?! Would explain all the trouble I had growing up in Elgin with only wood heat.

Melissa