Busy Weekend

This is what I awoke to on Friday. My wonderful craft room, reduced to a plastic wrapped, dust covered shambles. The third - and final - coat of stucco was refusing to stay on the wall, so Dick used a power saw to cut grooves in coat #2 to provide traction. He very carefully covered the windows and doors with plastic and placed tarps over everything in the room. Didn't work. We had clouds of dust in the house and thick layers of cement residue on all my scrapping and fiber supplies. BUT, the new layer of stucco finally adhered and on Monday we can paint the last wall and move in the remaining storage cabinets. After we clean up all that dust. Yuck.
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Question: If a wall falls in the scrapping hall, should you try to catch it?
Answer: Probably not.

Wenona & I spent Friday afternoon helping Scrapbooker's Villa price, pack, load, unload, and set up for the scrapbook crop at the fairgrounds. We started about noon and by the time scrappers started showing up at 5, all was ready. I only finished one 2-page spread, but I had a lot of fun handing out lots and lots of raffle prizes. The final prize drawing for a free scrapbook cruise (I didn't win. darn.) was scheduled for 11:30 but Debra (wisely) held it at 11:00 so we could begin to clean up, tear down, and move her store booth for Saturday's stamping show.

And the falling wall? Fair staff set up 10' partitions to divide the cropping area from the (closed) rubber stamp vendors. We needed to open the partitions in order to move Debra's tables and merchandise to her new location. The wall decided it didn't want to be moved; instead, it wanted to fall on our heads. Disaster was averted when we caught it. I don't think the bone in my hand is actually broken. . . . . but the bruise is deep and painful* and made participating in today's Fastest Crocheter Contest less than enjoyable.

And that is going to be my excuse for my less than stellar performance in the "Fastest" contest. I came in a rousing 4th - out of 5 participants. But I had fun - and ate birthday cake - and bought yet another baby crochet book and more yarn. Bright red for a cabled sweater and hat for Rachel's baby. It's cold in November in Colorado. He (she?) will need lots of cute things to keep him warm.

*Is this going to stop me from blogging or crafting? Slow me down, yes; stop me, no. I'm typing this with my left hand while my right is on ice. I already have a book on spinning with one hand. Now if I can only figure out how to do that with crochet . . . . .

Yarn Tails Tags: Craft Room, Crochet, Crocheting, Scrapbooking, epscraps

Descanso Gardens

It's been years since we were last at Descanso Gardens. I don't know why we don't go more often - it's a lovely place to wander in (mostly) peace and quiet, admiring the flowers, streams and water fountains. Unfortunately for us, today was loud, obnoxious mommy and baby day at the Gardens. One special group seemed to follow us everywhere we went, from the cafe to the lilac forest. (No flowers in the forest. Bummer.) I have nothing against moms or babies. But loud, pushy, baby-voice talking women make me nuts. I kept wanting to say, "Let's all use our quiet voices now." Sorry. Rant over. On to the flowers.

Most of the Garden's flowers bloom in April and May but there were still some gorgeous plants. One of my favorites was the Lamb's Ear, which we recently planted in the front yard. I thought they were just pretty leaves. Turns out they bloom - with purple flowers! And grow to be enormous. This should be interesting. The best part of the day was hearing a loud chittering sound and seeing this:
The sound is what first drew our attention. That, ladies and gentlemen, is the Bat House. With real live bats living in it. How cool is that?

Just a few of the flowers we saw:Simply gorgeous.

Yarn Tails Tags: flowers, Descanso Gardens, epscraps

Spinning Challenge

Since the Summer Spinning Challenge begins tomorrow, I guess I'd better set my goals. Nothing like waiting until the last minute.

I've put some thought into what my goals should be. I want to encourage myself to do more actual spinning; not just prep fiber or buy fiber or admire fiber. But actually sit down and turn it into yarn. Useable yarn. I've got several whole fleeces and a bunch of 1 or 2 pound partial fleeces (fleeci?) According to the spreadsheet I started to track my spinning purchases, I have 1353.44 ounces - or 84.59 pounds - of roving and raw fiber. The spreadsheet also shows how much I spent on all this goodness. We are definitely not going to discuss that.

I have sampled from most of the fleece in my stash. But I've never taken one from start - raw greasy wool - to finish - spun, tagged, ready to crochet yarn. So that's what my summer challenge is going to be.

While I was in Modesto at the Northern California Handweavers Guild conference, I purchased two beautiful fleeces from Hayshed Basin Ranch. One is "Lulu", a 6 pound silver Lincoln-Corriedale cross with the most gorgeous crimp and color I've ever seen. I've washed about a pound, and it is beautiful. I want to spin this one from the lock, without picking or carding.

So that leaves "Grover". Grover is a 7.5 pound Lincoln-Columbia cross in a range of grays from silver to almost black. My challenge is going to be to pick, card (if needed), and spin Grover into yarn I can use to make myself a sweater. I want to spin a minimum of 4 hours a week (washing, picking and carding does not count as spinning time). I think that once I get started, I'll spin more than 4 hours (something about my compulsive nature. . . . . ) And once I have enough yarn for the sweater - and if I still have some of Grover left (7.5 pounds is a LOT of fiber) - I want to experiment by carding some auburn kid mohair and some black kid mohair into separate batches to see how it comes out. I think that would make a great accent to use on the sweater.

Pictures of Grover tomorrow when the sun is out. It's too dark now to get more than boring "yep, that looks sorta like wool" pictures now.

Yarn Tails Tags: Spinning, Spinning Challenge, epscraps

Baby Crawl

Technically, this should probably be titled 'Baby YARN Crawl'. Since I had to go in to Ventura for hide-the-gray day - and I had a 40% off coupon for both Michael's and JoAnn's - I thought I'd look for a book on crocheted baby booties. Found it. Er, found them. And I needed a book of layette patterns - and baby afghan patterns - and baby hat patterns. Right? And of course I needed yarn to go with all these cute patterns.

And since I was hitting every yarn store in town, I stopped in at my favorite LYS. I'm taking a crocheted baby kimono class there on June 24 using the Encore yarn in the photo. I saw the sample for the first time today (I signed up without seeing it. It was crocheted and for a baby; that's all I really needed to know) and it is cute, cute, cute! The Baby TLC yarn is for a mile-a-minute-style blanket. The purple Baby Ull yarn from Dalegarn (100% wool & washable) and the yellow Cotton Soft by Mondial are for booties. I love the softness and texture of both yarns.

The In-Style Crochet for the Home book (upper right corner of the top photo) is new to me. It has some really great, very unique patterns using a lot of bright colors. I'm going to make the Whoopsy Daisy rug on page 58 into a baby blanket, using the orange, purple and lime green Micro Spun in the photo. Colorful!

I actually got some crocheting done tonight. More accurately, I got some frogging done. (You know - rip-it, rip-it, rip-it. Yeah, I know. Corny crochet joke.) I wanted to use my Navajo plied handspun to crochet a hat. I took Kristi's advice and ran the yarn back through my spinning wheel to remove some of the overtwist. It worked on the worst kinks, but now other sections don't have enough twist. Sigh. It was my first try at Navajo plying; it'll be better next time, I'm sure.

I got half way done with the hat before I decided that it was way too small. I was on gauge but hadn't figured in the fact that my head is 2" bigger than the "model" head. So I frogged it and started over. I think the size is right this time, but now I'm going to run out of yarn. I'll have to spin more tomorrow, ply it, and set the twist using the dryer on 'air'. I don't have time to hang it up to dry since I want to take it to Guild on Saturday and then to the crochet demo at Ancacpa Yarns afterward. Happy 2nd Birthday, Anacapa!

And Happy 21st Birthday, Marie!

Yarn Tails Tags: Crochet, Crocheting, Spinning, epscraps

Reincarnation

In my next life, I want to be a spoiled house cat. Oreo - asleep in her favorite place; my lap.
AJ (Almond Joy) - loves the sun and follows it from one side of the house to the other as the day progresses.
Snickers - sleeps either under the red kitty blanket or on top of it with her paw over her eyes.

Yarn Tails Tags: cats, epscraps

It Is What It Is

Rachel: "So Matt, how are the wedding plans coming?"

Matt: "It is what it is."

We celebrated Marie's 21st birthday tonight, two days early. Marie and Jen plan to celebrate their joint birthdays (happy 20th, Jen!) with a 3-day trip to Hollywood and Universal Studios beginning tomorrow. In keeping with family tradition, Marie chose the dinner location - California Pizza Kitchen; she loves the chicken and avocado eggroll appetizer and the chocolate souffle dessert.

Matt and Lisa gave Marie a beautiful stone pendant and a silver & blue bracelet. We gave Marie a digital camera (slightly early so she could take it on our Paris trip) and a custom painted spindle with the artwork of her favorite artist.
During dinner, Matt mentioned that Rachel had called earlier in the day. She asked about wedding plans, and much to Lisa's annoyance, Matt's only reply was "It is what it is." No details, no "I'll let you talk to Lisa"; just "It is what it is." That became the catch phrase of the night. It is what it is.

Yarn Tails Tags:Birthday, epscraps

Memories

As I was cleaning out a linen closet, I found this:
I embroidered this crib sheet for Rachel when she was an infant. I can still remember working on it while I was pregnant. The colors are a little faded now, but the love it was made with remains bright. Now I can pass it on, to be used by Delaney Grace or Garrisen Allen. (The names are not final, just the current ones under consideration.) Life is good.

Yarn Tails Tags:grandchildren, epscraps

Spinning Challenge

I feel like I'm not getting anything accomplished lately. I find patterns I want to make, fiber I have to buy, new tools to do the work - but nothing actually gets done. I need to change that.

Kristi has started a summer spinning challenge and I think I'm going to join. Each participant sets their own personal goals and then posts progress updates on the spring challenge blog. I think my goal (initially anyway) will be to spin a certain amount of time every day. And to try new fibers and techniques. The challenge begins on the summer soltice (signup by June 15) and ends on the fall equinox. Want to join me? Instructions for joining are here.

In that spirit, I did my first ever Navaho plying tonight. I had spun some of the Merino 64's that I bought from Village Spin & Weave and then just left it sitting on the bobbin. I thought I wanted to Navaho ply it - I wanted to keep the colors 'clean' and not ply two strands together - but kept procrastinating on actually doing anything. Tonight I watched the plying video at Joy of Handspinning, sat down at the wheel, and just did it. And you know what? It wasn't hard at all. It's definitely overspun (it looks like a corkscrew!) I'll see how bad it really is once the twist is set. But I did it!

Practice makes perfect, right? I also had a bobbin of Spinderella thrums that had been sitting around so long it was embarrassing. So I Navaho plied that too. It also looks like a corkscrew. I don't if I'm doing something wrong or if it's just beginner's ply. I'll ask the 'expert' next week (that's you, Susie!)

I'm going to set goals for crochet, embroidery and lockerhooking, too. Tomorrow.

Yarn Tails Tags:Spinning, spinning challenge, epscraps

This And That

Alice already has an attitude. Now that she's on TV, I bet she becomes unbearable.Sharon emailed me this photo yesterday, taken from an ad on our local cable station. As Publicity Chair for the Ventura Guild, I publicize our meetings in print, radio & TV. This is the first time we've had photos on the TV ad - I think it looks great! It will be interesting to see if we get any new members from this.

Any day that starts here

and involves a liftprobably isn't going to be a great day. The baby car has had a rattling muffler since an unfortunate encounter with a 2x4 in the roadway. Dick had put off getting it fixed, thinking that it would be very expensive, especially since welding was involved. (BMW + repair shop = lots of $$.) We were pleasantly surprised that the repair took less than an hour and cost only $60.

Up until now, if I wanted spinning or weaving supplies, my choices were the Internet (waiting and shipping fees - not my favorite things), driving 1.5 hours to Solvang (great store, long drive), driving 60 minutes to Valencia (and hoping they were open that day; posted hours of operation were "flexible"”, shall we say) or doing without. Since Memorial Day, two new fiber shops have opened in the area. Modern Gypsy, at Ashwood and Telegraph in Ventura, is about 20 minutes away. Deb carries rovings, yarn, African Folklore Embroidery kits, quilting fabrics and a few other things; she's planning to add more over the next few months. The shop is small but very nice. Of course, I had to do my part to keep her in business. This polworth roving is super soft; I've already started spinning it on my Jane Seymour spindle.

Stick And Stone Fiberarts in Van Nuys is a little further away (about 40 minutes) but my, oh my! It is definitely worth the drive. Janel and Margarete have a winner on their hands. Not only are they stocking wonderful fiber (yak, camel, baby alpaca, silk, Karakul . . . . the list goes on and on) but they are carrying looms and spinning wheels that customers can test drive - and they will be offering lessons! And classes! They have a selection of Kundert and Cascabeles spindles -– one of which jumped in my shopping basket and begged to come home with me. How could I say no?

(Are you noticing the purple shopping bag? How perfect is that??) My enhanced stash includes Optim, Karakul roving, baby camel and silk, merino and tencil, and BFL in a lime green and blue colorway that I would never have pictured myself buying. But it is soooo soft and the colors are wonderful. Can'’t wait to start working with it. The shop is small and hard to find (no signage yet, but they are working on it) but worth the drive. I will definitely be going back . . . . . soon.

And last, we finished the first section of landscaping today. We are looking for a water fountain but haven'’t found the perfect one yet. We added:

Morticia (don'’t you just love her!??) (Please ignore the bucket; that's where the cosmos will go.)

Cosmos

Iris

And a Chinese Razzleberri bush.

Not bad for a Thursday.

Yarn Tails Tags:spinning, fiber, landscaping, fiber arts, epscraps

Doesn't Everyone Name Their Wheels?

I get some pretty strange looks when I tell people that I name my wheels. But to me it just feels right. Each has her own personality, her own style. I know that others name their wheels and looms, so I don't think I'm totally "out there". I met a weaver at Saturday's ArtWalk and was explaining that my Baby Wolf loom and I are not yet friends. Her first question to me was - "Have you named her yet?" And that made sense to me; how can you be friends with something - and understand it's personality - when it doesn't have a name? So, Baby is now "Alice". She needed a name that started with "A" since she was my first big fiber toy, purchased before I even thought about learning to spin. I hope to get Alice set up soon and see if we can now be friends.

When I first started spinning, I thought people who had multiple wheels were crazy. But I seem to have caught the bug. Bekki makes wheel #5 for me. She looked so lonely, sitting all by herself in the dirt at the flea market, that there was no way I could leave her behind. Today I gave her the deluxe spa treatment - washed off all the grime, wiped on the first coat of tung oil, buffed, polished, and manicured until she shone. She appears to be fully functional, with no signs of wear. I don't think she is very old. Single treadle Ashford Travelers were in production until about 3 years ago. Older Ashfords (from about 18 years ago) had only two whorls; newer ones, like Bekki, have three. I meant to get some poly cord today to use for the drive band, but forgot. I'll get that tomorrow.

My first wheel was Florence, a double treadle Lendrum folding wheel. She was named for my beloved Granny Toe who passed away in May 2005. Granny Toe got her name when I was a toddler. As the first grandchild, I couldn't say "Flo", pronouncing it "Toe". The name stuck and she was Granny Toe or Aunt Toe to everyone from that day forward. Florence, the wheel, is my workhorse and still my favorite. She has a sweet disposition and will do anything you ask of her. I added a Woolee Winder in December and love it.

My second wheel was Grace, an antique Saxony. She has dark wood and the original distaff and bobbin. Grace was a 2005 birthday present from Dick. He found her on eBay and bought her as a surprise. Grace is mainly for show at this point. I think she is spinnable; I just need to do a little work to set up her drive band properly.

My third wheel is Susie's fault. She told me about a wheel listed for sale in the guild newsletter. Susie had talked with the owner, who was moving out of state in less than a month, and knew she was willing to negotiate on the price. Susie thought the wheel would be "perfect" for me. And so Eleanor, a cherry Dundas wheel with purpleheart bobbins and trim, came to live at my house. Eleanor is elegant and feisty, with a brake that refuses to stay in place. She spins very well, but demands constant attention and adjustment. Can you tell that I love her?

My last wheel is Claire. Claire is a petit parlor wheel from the early 1800's and probably of European ancestry. She has elegantly turned spindles and the nails that hold her together are wood rather than metal. Her wheel was made in pie-shaped sections which have separated as the wood dried out over the decades. Claire was not a show piece; the wood on her treadle is worn away where a foot would have rested. I found Claire in an antique store in Santa Barbara where Dick and I had gone for lunch. We love antiquing, but hadn't done any shopping on this trip. As we were walking back to the car we stopped in just one store, adjacent to the parking garage entrance. And it was love at first sight. It's a good thing Claire is so tiny. She barely fit in Z3's trunk for the trip home.

Yarn Tails Tags:Spinning, Elisa, Yarn Tails, epscraps