Good News and Bad News

Jury results are in and I'm in Filberg!!It is one of my favourite shows of the year. Joan is in, Claire is in and all is right with the world. Now the bad news.....

secret project has hit a snafu...not really....more like a dead stop. By now everyone is aware that there will be a great night hosted by the MOV on April 9. I can't think of anything better than marrying craft and alcohol and a yarn mosh pit. Birkeland Bros is representing and a few of us are coming along for the ride to do some demos for spinning, felting and weaving. I consider that an action packed evening.

What better way to celebrate a night of craft than a good old fashioned yarn bombing at the museum? NOT ALLOWED. A big fat, no way, jose.....Sucks, and it was such a great plan. The intention was not just to yarn bomb for the sake of bombing, but to recycle the project into scarves for the DTES. It was to be art and function and all warm, fuzzy, crafty.

Now just straight crafty.

Well ---I can't complain. It saves me a lot of time. I still have the yarn and it can still be used for the DTES, but secretly I wanted to climb through the water feature and make mittens for the giant crab, or at least 6 leg warmers for it. If that does some how happen, it has nothing to do with me. I will have an alibi. When someone says no, I get it. I don't have to like it, but I get it.

I consoled myself and spun a pound of BFL. I'm still sick, but I will not be denied my consolation spinning.

I'll Have Mine in a Dirty Shot Glass

I have sunk to a new low. I drank two year old expired Robitussin out of the bottle last night. I can't remember when I have wanted sleep more and the coughing wouldn't let it happen.

I went to the studio and lasted about 3 hrs....Secret project has to be started, short time deadline..My first attempt gave me a less than perfect sample.

Okay, it's not terrible, but there is just so much to be done. To sleep, perchance to NOT cough.

Last (of this class) But not Least

Eight more spinners released into the world......some born naturals, some developing entirely new styles of drafting, but definitely all spinners. Three already have their own wheels...a fourth wheel is on the way for one and another settled for a drop spindle for the time being. I consider that a success.

It did take every ounce of strength I had to manage three hours of class, but with a ride home and two days sleep, I have almost recovered from the madness. Thanks for the well wishes. You guys are super sweet. I'm still grossly sick, Quasimodo ugly to the point of frightening small children (and squeamish adults) but I have to venture into the world today. I have not been to the studio all week and I feel lost.

I need some more wool to put the final tweaking on the scarf pattern so that it can be released into the world.

I don't know why, but lately I only want to spin fibres with green in them. This BFL is so wonderful and spring like that I swear I can smell fresh cut grass when I put in up to my face.

This thick and thin BFL is plied with a lace weight alpaca, a soft green and gray cloud full of felted peas. The combination of green and gray is something I've toyed with a lot lately.

I always say I have very few needs. This is no longer true.

• I need to get better
• I need to spend more time in the studio
• I need a realistic production schedule
• I need to hear whether or not I am at Filberg this year.

And it's pretty clear I need ALL of these to move forward. Now to make it happen.

So This is How It Is.....

For more of these entertaining cartoons, please go here.

I've worked really hard to not be a germ infested couch blob, but was not successful. When I woke up this morning I could clearly see the dead body dent of me still stuck in the couch. Craptastic.

In the last few days I have barely managed to crochet two partial hats, spin one skein of yarn and just generally pollute the household.

One good thing about this that you may enjoy is I can't talk much. Yes. Me silent.

Whether I want to or not, I am teaching the last of this beginner class at Birkeland. Eight students and they are all doing really well. I must try to remember to take pictures of their finished skeins tonight. I also must remember to try not to look like I'm dying and maybe put some makeup on....

Oops, I Did it Again

I bought display stuff. And I just finished getting rid of some display stuff. I want to have less, but these called to me like the finest cashmere silk blend.

The boobs are kind of Jane Russell like, but I think I can work with that. Too big to carry, Mariegold just hooked up her bike trailer and delivered it to the studio. Awesome. There is a chance that these two ladies have a younger sister without the stand .........hmmmmm.

Wow, I really need to not need these. I am however excited to design something new for them to wear......

Must stop thrifting, carrying cash and being such a magpie.

Warning...Some Pictures May be Disturbing...

And this is currently in my stash, in my possession and in my studio! It has been segregated but it is still in proximity to the "good stuff". I know, it's not like me, but the special secret project has brought some scary stuff into my life.

"It" came out of this pile ---

Thanks for helping to sort this Mariegold, I would not have been as generous with you for what to save. As a matter of fact, I think I was still looking for a match while you were separating colours.

I have to curb my urge to be a yarn snob as there are many valid and practical uses for acrylic. One of which will make itself clear in the next few weeks. Still semi-secret!

These photos should take off some of the edge of the previous pics. My apologies.

I found a sweater pattern that I think I might attempt which needs about 600g of fibre. Let the planning begin. Since BFL is my favourite base, I thought I would start with a natural and build up from that. On the left 6 - 60 gram BFL rovings and the right 10 g of dyed bamboo.

Next, a new fibre I haven't worked with before. The pic on the left is lavender corn silk and the right is cut alpaca in greens with a bit of gold angelina

There were a few more lux items added in, Wensleydale locks, mohair locks, and kid mohair. Now with each pile at 100g, it was ready for the carder. The photo on the left is the first pass and the right is a small pile of the finished batts.

So far I've spun up 400g and I'm really happy with the loftiness of the single. I didn't manage to spin it to gauge, however, I don't think I'll have a problem finding another design to accommodate it.

I'm thinking of taking this into a children's design. I think the tiny pops of colour would be sweet in a little coat. I think I'll spin the other 200g first, it really was butter soft to spin.

Process or Just Making Things Difficult?

Dyeing rovings has me thinking much about process lately. While I am applying colour to a roving, I am already envisioning how the finished fibre will turn out. After I see the finished roving I may completely change my mind and throw a whole different process into the mix.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I am never able to fully plan out a spinning project like I do with a knit project. Lately I find myself trying to create a greater depth of colour by having more than one roving per skein involved. I want subtle changes and I have spun enough rovings now to know what I don't like.

These particular rovings have my full attention right now.

Alone, not impressive, but together magical.....Now since I've only used 50 grams of each for my skein, I have 2 - 50g rovings left. I have the option of repeating this...(which I love)

Or introducing a 3rd roving (solid green)

• or plying the remaining half rovings on to themselves
• or spinning a small art yarn from one and a solid from the other

How to tackle what seems like such a simple procedure...JUST SPIN IT.....

No, I don't think I would be happy with that. Will show you the finished project.

An update on the secret project....

Hmmmm.