Friday, May 09, 2008
Green (S)Leaves II
Sunday, May 04, 2008
Green(S)leaves
Thursday, May 01, 2008
Days of Tea and Spinning
No, I'm not changing the title of my blog, but I have more finished spinning projects than knitting projects these days. My favorite is half done, above. It's a handpainted colorway from Crown Mountain Farms, called Stonehenge. I hope to have the fortitude to buy more, spin more and knit a sweater or vest from it.
This is more burgandy than the photo shows, but this is what I was working on when I was at the Alpaca Extravagaza. (That name just cracks me up). It's merino and alpaca and I have no idea where it came from, only that I bought it at OFFF last year.
This is what I am saving up for a rainy day to spin. It is more delicious than you can imagine. You know you want to touch it...
Sunday, April 20, 2008
What now?
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Experience Comes with...Experience
I'm now going to go on a mini rant today about an experience that I had related to my spinning. I was at the Western Alpaca Extravaganza and I was doing a spinning demo. I was spinning this colorful alpaca that I've had for the past year or so:

"Oh, she's a new spinner. That's what someone who's inexperienced spins. I couldn't do that now even if I wanted to."
I explained that it was something quite intended and that it was a lot harder to achieve than it looked and I explained my technique. To which she said
"Oh, that's 'novelty yarn'."
Ya know, I have a lot of patience with people but this really got my goat. I kept my mouth shut. I kept on spinning but then I got home and here I am, venting about something that obviously really bugged me.
What I appreciate about most knitters and spinners is their interest in learning new things, regardless of their skill level.
Not the case with this person, who in other ways was perfectly pleasant, intereacting in a kind and thoughtful way with children who came up to her.
Okay, enough. this is what I was showing her:

I have to loosely card these locks in the right color combinations. Then, as I start spinning, I pull just a certain amount of each color with contrasting noils in to create a tweed color/texture thing going on.

Saturday, April 05, 2008
My Other Obsession
I always love taking a picture of the moss growth on my window sill. I know it will come back next year for about...8 months. But still! I love this stuff. No matter that it's probaly ruining this big building I live in. See, there are many perks to renting. No worries...
It's cold for Spring. The combo of cold wind and pollen is not my favorite. It's that thing about our short term memory issue as humans when it comes to weather. Ughhh! Look at this rain...snow...uh, wind! Yeah. Big suprise (not).
I love weather. In fact it's on the TV as I write this. Always entertaining. Ummm. Unless you live in LA. Then, it's a blurr.
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Spinning Spring
I was saving this handpainted roving for one of those times where I wanted to really LOVE what I was spinning. It was so random in it's coloration that I really couldn't predict what would happen, but I tried to be as aware as possible in my blending when it came to spinning. I ended up with 6 skiens...
Oh, and the fiber is from Woolgatherings. She's not been dying roving for a while, but I read on her blog last night that she's going to be selling again at NW Wools in Portland (where I got this in the first place, last year.)





