Progress - of a sort

Yes, I am still here. Why does it seem that as soon as I began this blog, my life suddenly became too busy to write about? Of course it doesn't help that most of what I'm doing is not overly exciting. Choir rehearsals, board meetings for choir and fiber guild, and trying to reorganize my house.


For the past 25 years, I've moved on an average of once every 2 years. I've been in my house 2.5 years. To satisfy my need for change, I'm rearranging pretty much all my furniture. The big move was getting the computer out of the loom room and into my very own home office/library.
Of course the title is bigger than the room. I have a very small bedroom (not even large enough to hold a double bed) that is now the office. I've "rescued" a nice desk and am putting up lots of shelves to hold my large paperback collection. I've also gotten my hands on some recycled bookcases (yes, I'm cheap, why do you ask?) that I'm going to use in the loom room to help get the stash under control. However, progress is slow. I have the office fairly well under control. One shelf up, new widescreen monitor, more shelves waiting the next trip to Lowe's for screws.

And here's the disaster. Any wonder I haven't accomplished much weaving lately?

Next week is Spinners and Weavers week. Go out and hug your favorite fiber person!!

Rainy Days and Mondays (off)

For some reason, in my mind, Labor Day weekend means bad weather. This year certainly fills the bill. It's pouring out there, with no sign of clearing up for the next few days. Granted, we can use the rain, but I was really wanting to get out there and mow the lawn this weekend. (And if you believe that, I have this bridge I'd like to sell you).

Meanwhile, I've finally finished fixing the border on the Mediterranean Shawl. I've even added a few rows. Now I'm worried that I won't have enough yarn. I tell you, it's always something.

I've also started something new. This is Bixby. Or at least his coat from last year. Bixby was a Christmas present from my parents this year. He came from Bramble Wool Farm in Luxemburg, Wisconsin. Near where I grew up and where my parents still live. His owner Julie Guilette has had her wool featured in Spin-Off magazine. Most notably those cute Estonian sheep puppets on the cover of the Summer 2006 issue.

Anyway, I have started playing with the fleece, trying to decide how I want to spin it. Since I don't seem to have very good fleece washing skills and this is a pretty clean fleece, I decided to spin it "in the grease". I've been taking a few locks, combing them into a rolag and spinning from there. At first I was getting way too many lumps and bumps but I've forced myself to treadle slower and the results have been pretty even.

It's not easy getting good photographs of dark brown yan. But here's my best shot.

I took a sample skein and washed it. Not too bad. It looks lumpier in the picture than it really is because there's still a lot of kink from the locks. I think I like it. Next I'll have to do a little plying and see how that comes out. I don't have any specific project in mind, I'm going to make the best yarn I can and let that drive the choice of project.

In the mean time, I've got a nice long weekend to play and I'm enjoying the process. This might be my best spinning yet. Which isn't saying much, but there has been progress!

A Lost Week

Wow, it's amazing how time zips right past when you're incredibly busy. There just may be something to this "having a life" thing!

I spent last week zipping from work to dinner at a friends, to board meetings and finally to a night out. All very pleasant, especially the night out as there was music and beer involved, but also very tiring in the 100+ degree heat.

Anyway, when we last saw our intrepid blogger, she promised to tell of an exciting event. Well, I'm maybe it wasn't exactly exciting, but it sure was a heck of a lot of fun. I, and I believe 9 other like minded souls, spent the morning at the Charleston Museum. In conjunction with their exhibit Clothes to Dye For, they held a natural dyeing workshop.



Suzanne Collins was our teacher. This woman has lots and lots to say about natural dyeing. Her enthusiasm is downright contagious.





After Suzanne spoke about some of the plants used, the colors they produce and how to prepare your yarn, we started the fun part. Lectures are nice and informative, I took lots of notes, but nothing beats getting to do it with your own hands. Here are the dyepots. We did cochenille (which I never knew are actually little bugs!) , onion skin, and the perennial favorite, indigo










Even though I've seen it before, I'm still amazed at the color changes of indigo. In the pot it's that horrible anti-freeze green, but let it hit the air and presto!
My yarn turned out nice, if a little streaky. I think we just had too much in the pots at once to get any precision colors. I tried to overdye my onion with the indigo for green. It came out quite Green Bay Packer colored. I think I like it though. Right now it's all aging in a nice handthrown pottery bowl I have. I may just keep it as decorative art.

While I was getting my photos, the girls decided to get into the act. What do you think, professional modeling careers in their future?

Come on baby, work it!!

All Work and No Play

Nothing to show for the last week and a halfs' work. I am making progress on both MS3 and Med Lace, but it's just more of the same, nothing dramatic.

Mostly what I've been doing this last week is working out in the heat. I work as a facility manager on the Naval Weapons Station. My job was supposed to be a nice sit at a desk and play on the computer kind of job, but last week it took a turn. We needed someone to go out into the warehouse and onto current job sites and help keep the workers organized. The fun part is I get to boss around a bunch of guys, the down side is the 95+ degree heat and being in a poorly ventilated warehouse for a good portion of the day. By the time I get home and out of the shower (What's the Guinness record for longest time in a shower?) I don't have the ambition to do much of anything accept stare a book.

The good news is that I have an outing planned for the weekend. Details then.

Meanwhile, just so this isn't a totally photoless post, here's one of my attempts to take a picture of myself. I'll keep the day job.

What a difference a day makes

AHH, relief! We had a big storm system go through Friday night and the weekend has been gorgeous. I even turned off the AC and opened the windows today. Glorious!

Also, as long as I was doing laundry, I felted the Piano Tote I knit last weekend. A nice quick project to lift morale. My only problem is that I'm really bad at tensioning stranded knitting. I thought I had done a fairly decent job, but when I felted, the keyboard area tightened up a little more than I would have liked. I stretched it back out while it was drying and it came out ok. I think I might try again and see if I can't get it a little more uniform. In the meantime this one will be great for keeping track of choir music.



I'm just finished with chart A of MS3. That only puts me 3 1/2 weeks behind. For me that's not bad!

I also finished another 2 motifs on Med Lace. Only 20 some more to go. (plus another 20 rows of border, but we're not thinking of that!)

Now it's back to the great outdoors.

It's just too hot!

Not much happening in the way of knitting, or anything else that requires touching wool.

However

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: Countess-Palatine Wendelene the Disappointing of Melbury Bubblewick Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

doesn't that sound just like me?

Following the Leader

Along with what feels like most of the knitting world, I started Mystery Stole 3 . This is my first attempt at bead knitting and I'm enjoying it, although I think I should have gone for a little more contrast in bead color. I wanted to keep it subtle, but I think I may have gone a little too far. Opinions please.












Also, if you notice the subtitle of this blog, I claim that I knit, spin and weave! I figured it was time to show off a little weaving. I haven't actually been doing much weaving or spinning lately, I seem to go through stages on my hobbies. But I have been working on what I hope will be a nice roman shade for my bedroom. (my weaving so far only incorporates flat items) This is the first panel.
So far I'm liking it, panel 2 has been wound off and may possibly hit the loom this weekend.



And finally something strange is happening in my backyard. My Christmas poinsettias refuse to give up. Most of the red leaves are gone, but they are growing and evidently thriving. Any gardening type people out there know what to do to get them blooming again?