From sheep to shimmer
wrapped fibre and small knit orbs
I am in constant motion

not sure what I am creating
busy hands rather than
innovating

in all, I still move in the direction of
the wool,
less in control than I would like
interpreting

texture passing through hand
stolen moments of connection

Batting 1000

or how to try to dispurse a thousand batts.

When I am procrastinating in the studio, I make batts. Colour blending that you can change as you go is much more transformative and interesting to me than dyeing yarn. I also don't need a mask, or gear of any kind. I can also walk away from it and think about it for a while. (often to go back to the wheel).

Yesterday I needed to make pirate hats, so I made batts. Lots of them, but instead of piling them up like I usually do, I made one and then spun it. Then another one shifting colours slightly and then it was time to teach my crochet class at Birkeland. This went on all afternoon and the time just flew.

I still didn't add any pirate hats to my tally, but I do have these....


On another note, I was working on samples of Navajo plied, 3 ply and two ply from the same fibre to illustrate how the colour distribute based on the technique. For the record, three plying (while I understand the value, and even how pretty it is) completely sucks and is a technique I will only use when absolutely necessary, like when a family member is held hostage and three plying is the only way I can have them returned unharmed.

Or possibly, if I am holding someone hostage and I need to tie them with a rope that has integrity. Really, even a tensioned lazy kate would do little to easy my tension when the fibres start crawling up to the orifice only to land it a knotted pile of free form crappiness.

I relally love the resulting yarn, particularly the distribution of colour, the loftiness and bounce. Again, since I am a production gal, this will be a rare yarn and in my personal stash.

Yarn Watch 2010

Asia, self appointed watch cat of the new stash. I'm in a whirled of my own trying to get my inventory up for the show next weekend. I was not expecting to sell a good portion of it at the Wise Hall market on Saturday, so I'm a bit further behind than I thought.

This is all there is for now. I am out of raw materials! I'm hoping my fleece order is here soon. Last tracked in Montreal, I don't know how much longer I can wait.

Ann, if you're reading the blog today.......thank you so much for the lovely cards. What a wonderful surprise, right up there with receiving an order of fleece!

First Press of the Year

I'm still in hyper mode trying to get ready for my first show of the season and made the run downtown yesterday to Make It Production's office to drop off a few samples for their segment on Urban Rush today.

Imagine my happy dance moment when I saw this photo posted on the Make It Facebook Page. I am setting up the wheel so that I can spin and watch the segment in a half hour. I will be spinning some lovely dyed merino, having a hot chocolate and just generally being thankful.

UPDATE- The cherry blossom scarf is a "statement piece" and right after that they featured the spring lavender baby pirate hat....Yippee.

Now back to my regularly scheduled programming....spinning and the space channel. I think I need to ramp up pirate production.

The Best Laid Plans

Everything I had planned for the weekend fell through. When that happens, you just make new plans. And that's never a bad thing if your new plans include spinning for about 14 hrs, drinking lots of coffee, reading the latest spin off magazine and booking your trip to the Black Sheep Gathering. Hell Ya!

I would like to thank Jennifer for these tiny glow in the dark sheep that are definitely going to become part of an art yarn. I had glow in the dark bats from last year, that were supposed to be part of a Halloween yarn that never came to pass. (these sheep are much cuter).

Classes cancelled, no party Saturday night. BTW, there is a side effect to 14 hours of spinning. One wrist is shot and my right knee is aching. That has never happened before. My heart is light though. I spun merino/silk, merino and BFL and I plied all of them in a way that just tickled my fancy.

I'm finishing a lace weight, then shifting to singles and then a little outing that is very hush, hush. If it comes together, it will definitely take this little MelonHead to the next level.

I am at the Wise Hall Market on Saturday (Earth Day) and what better way to celebrate this day than offering all Market members 10% off all purchases that day. Any purchase can also give you an opportunity to win a $25.00 gift certificate to spend on any MelonHead goods. The discount is good for this market only. No better place to be than a Farmer's Market on Earth Day!

Yarn in Motion

Spending the afternoon with Pearl put me in full spinning mode. These yarns courtesy of the Ashford Joy.

This moving puddle of yarn is a simple merino with a pretty palette of colours.

Stats
108g
172 yards
hand dyed merino plied onto itself

This yarn is "Night Stroll"
This yarn is "Blossom"

Yarn stats

93 g of hand dyed and hand spun single plied with a solid green single
110 yards
super squishy

The 2nd crochet class went really well. I love this group. Everyone is working on either my crochet scarf design or have modified it to a neck wrap. I am on call in case anyone has a crochet emergency. However, based on what quick studies they are, I'm certain I won't see anyone until Monday's class. Is it mean to give students crochet homework?

From This

to this.

and this....

to this.....

The next few days will be more of the same. Spring spinning fever has set in.

Craft + Wine = Good Times

Finally, our craftopia evening at the MOV. Although I never actually made it out to the lobby to shop----I could see the vendors, Birkeland had a beautiful display and table, spilling over with fibre and lovely crafty goodness.


I would like to thank the MOV for sponsoring such a great evening and am thrilled by wealth of talent demonstrating and teaching (Pearl and Sara). Thanks Cara for sponsoring a Birkeland crew. The Monday night knit group was large and in charge, manning the knit mosh pit and giving many people a chance to experience knitting for the first time. You ladies rock.

My small contribution to the event (with Toni and Elizabeth's help for seaming) was this yarn bombing, more like a yarn blip...Both sides of both glass doors in the Museum's colour scheme. I desperately wanted more bombing, huge, monumental.......the doors were super sweet, but not the project I had in mind.

It was overwhelming to try to figure out how to teach people to spin in quick 10 minute segments. I have officially decided that wine only enhances the learning experience of a spinner. You aren't worried about how your feet and hands are working, happily, you aren't worried about anything at all. It was a very organic experience. BTW, I have realized it also enhances the experience of the teacher as well.

There wasn't one person who wasn't able to walk away from the wheel without a small ball of fibre that they had spun themselves. It was a rush for me.

If you read the blog and attended the event, I would love to know what you thought of it.

My Version of Easter

Not for small children and those who still believe in the Easter Bunny.

Knowing that I had a large stuffed bunny to fit through the orafice, I headed down to Birkeland Bros. and saddled up to the Country Spinner. This wheel is an unbelievable workhorse. If you are ever thinking about production spinning, this is an excellent wheel choice. It's hard to go wrong when the bobbin holds 2.2 lbs of fibre.

My base fibre was a hand dyed BFL. This colourway was just to finish up a few left over dyes. When it was dry, all I kept thinking was "Holy Crap, Easter wool".......Hense the "Easter Bunny's Bad Day". I am hoping this is far less offensive than "Santa in a Blender" and the other possible name choice of "Easter Vomit".


There was a big of a struggle, even with this size orafice to get the rabbit through the hole, however stuffies can usually be wiggled through.

Once bunny passed along the post it was hilarious to see the rabbit take flight before it finally nestled against the bobbin. Only shortly later to become fully trapped in the subsequent fibre.

To get the full flavour of Easter, I included some spring flowers, some felted coloured eggs, some cashmere and silk easter grasses (you know that weird stuff that fills the bottom of easter baskets.

And then just a few felted flowers for some fun in coordinating colours.

Sorry for the photo heavy post, but this isn't the yarn I would be spinning every day, or the colours I would pick. The Country Spinner rocks. Not as thrilling, but here are the other yarns I managed to spin that day.

Come by the MOV tonight for a visit. Touch the pretty wool.

Stuff I'm Doing

It's a craftaganza this Friday night at the Museum of Vancouver.

DIY at the MOV

Friday April 9th 7pm - 11pm Shopping Craft Alcohol

You know you want to be there. General Admission $15.00.

If you are able to volunteer to man the knit pit, could you please email me at carmen@melonheadknitwear.com. Be the one to tempt people with the art of knitting, introduce new people to the craft and just have fun.

There is an upcoming craft show that I'm really excited about. I love well organized show with talented, local and hand made goodness. Make It Vancouver is the place to be on May 1-2.

I am bringing on the hand spun and hand dyed. There will be baby sweater sets, spring scarflettes and spring pirate hats, also hand spun brooches galore. It's a spring thing.

I'm also at the Farmer's Market at Wise Hall on April 24 from 10-2pm. If you haven't already had a chance, I urge you to sign the petition to keep the East Van Market at Trout Lake. We are only 400 signatures away from our goal and this market remaining relatively undisturbed is important for the community. Please go here to sign the petition.

Other than teaching Wed/Thursday for the rest of the month at Birkeland, I think that is all I'm up to. What are you doing?

Baby Steps

in turning myself into a little factory.

There has to be a way to work more efficiently. I've never been able to figure it out. Truly, I indulge myself too much in my work style. I work these long, late hours, so it's time consuming, but not efficient or smart work.

Here is my first attempt at streamlining some work. Many, many sleeves for baby sweaters.

I like this process. The pile gets bigger and I never have more than one size in more than one colour at a time. I'll enjoy seeing a pile of finished sweaters as well. This was such a lovely wool to work with and perfect for baby sweaters.

This has kept me busy for days, but the payoff at the end of this few days will be huge.

A few bits of news....

• My website doesn't totally suck right now. At least an attempted revamp after a year
• I have lost the delete key on my laptop (making me really feel like I need to get it right the first time)
• I am going to see George Benson for the Jazz Festival confirming that I am old.
• I downloaded many songs on my phone (to prove I am not old) but my choices proved otherwise.
• I knit all evening to a mini Dr. Who Marathon. The new season starts on April 17th.
• I just found out Buffy is back on the air...Season One no less. You know where to find me every weekday at 3pm.
• I abandoned the scarf design--temporarily. I would rather work on finished goods than a pattern right now. I want results.

I'm working on a pile of sweater fronts right now. They are cute and tiny.