tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4815114158052292312024-02-06T23:11:54.961-07:00Spinnin' on Top of the WorldNicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15096643425393420097noreply@blogger.comBlogger66125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-481511415805229231.post-8583855254589984472012-05-31T10:04:00.000-06:002012-05-31T10:04:42.083-06:00Getting Close...T-minus 9 days until Estes Park Wool Market!<br />
<br />
I'm super excited. Nervous and kinda stressed-out, but excited. Being the superintendent for the Handspun Contest has been interesting so far, to say the least. I'm <i>loving</i> interacting with contestants on <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/estes-park-wool-market/2123842/1-25">Ravelry</a>, answering questions and trying to make this contest run as smoothly as possible. However, it's been a bit bumpy because I'm effectively the middleman between the contestants and the judge. There's been some minor drama, but nothing terrible, and I'm looking forward to a fantastic contest filled with gorgeous yarn. Because, really? It's all about the yarn. SO MUCH YARN. :D<br />
<br />
I volunteered to be Superintendent as sort of a favor, not exactly realizing what I was getting myself into, and boy howdy, now I know. The biggest bummer is that I don't get to attend much of the festival at all. However, I get to be surrounded by yarn all day both days, and should be able to shop Friday night with the class attendees, so we're good. :) On Saturday, I'll collect yarn from contestants from 8:00-8:45 am in the Demo Tent, then will be inside the judging room assisting the judge until her comments at 4 p.m. At least, we sincerely hope the judging will be completed by 4 p.m. There are 23 categories this year...23!...so finishing on time might be a daunting task. On Sunday, I'll have a display up of all of the entries, and will stay with the display most of the day to answer questions and brag about contestants. :)<br />
<br />
We did a "dry run" of sorts last Sunday, with her judging a few skeins spun by me and one other spinner, and it was really successful. I do have to say this...the judge this year is extremely fair. I threw in some skeins that had some wonky spots (not skeined correctly, underspun bits) and she caught everything and had interesting and educational things to say. I'm hoping that the contestants view this contest as a learning experience, because that is essentially the point of the whole thing. Prizes and ribbons are great, but the information gleaned from the experience is what is truly valuable and leads to becoming a better spinner. <br />
<br />
One thing we noticed on the dry run was that a spot for describing HOW the yarn was spun was inadvertently left off the judging card. Whoops! The judge would really like to have this information, so she requested that I ask contestants to include this info when they turn in their skeins for judging. It would be fantastic if this info (i.e. "This yarn was spun worsted from commercial combed top," or "This yarn was spun woolen from rolags," or "This yarn was corespun around a cotton thread,") could be included somewhere on the card, possibly under "Fiber History" if you can squeeze it in there, or on the back of the card. It will just help the judge form a fuller picture of the yarn. <br />
<br />
I think that's about it! To avoid having to drive round-trip from Boulder to Estes Park three times, I'll be treating myself and staying in a little cottage on Friday and Saturday nights. YEAH!! :) Unfortunately, I couldn't manage to finagle Thursday off from my day job, but will be at the high school on Friday morning to collect skeins/money/entry forms from contestants who are taking Wool Market classes and seminars. Here's hoping the contest is a great experience for all!Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15096643425393420097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-481511415805229231.post-28568930129010222432012-05-09T15:56:00.002-06:002012-05-09T15:56:56.304-06:00Estes Park Wool Market Announcement!So as it turns out, I'll be the superintendent at this year's Estes Park Wool Market Handspun Yarn Contest! Wahoo!! It was an interesting turn of events that led me to this position, but I am pumped and rarin' to go! <br />
<br />
Prior to the publishing of this year's standards, the standards committee (me, Jill Graham - this year's judge, Sue Dowgiert, Barb Day, and Maggie Casey) tried to hash out what spinners in our area wanted out of a contest. We decided to vastly expand the categories, which now includes a whopping 23 classes, in order to cater to both modern and traditional spinners. I am so excited about this expansion, y'all. It means that you are no longer banned from having a little glitz in the skein (two categories now allow glitz!). It means that people who really enjoy spinning cellulose-only yarns can enter this year. It takes - in essence - a HUGE leap in encouraging creative spinning. Hooray!!<br />
<br />
If you are a spinner and are planning to attend the festival, PLEASE enter your gorgeous skeins! That's plural! We're looking forward to an amazing contest this year, complete with some great prizes. And I mean great. :)<br />
<br />
The website can be tricky to navigate, so if you click <a href="http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite?c=Page&childpagename=TownofEstesPark%2FCBONLayout&cid=1251616263275&pagename=CBONWrapper">here</a> and scroll down to Skein Contest Information, you can find the standards (plus entry form and judging form). You only need one Entry Form (please sign it at the bottom), but be sure to print multiple judging forms, if you're entering multiple skeins...each skein needs a judging form attached to it with strong thread, such as perle cotton. The cost for entry is $3 a skein. <br />
<br />
Have questions about the contest? I've answered a number of them on Ravelry in <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/estes-park-wool-market/2123842/1-25">this</a> thread. If you don't use Ravelry or have any other questions, just leave a comment! I'd be happy to answer. Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15096643425393420097noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-481511415805229231.post-54334313418053262222012-03-12T08:53:00.012-06:002012-05-15T10:49:06.076-06:00Boas, Ribbons, & FluffWell guys, I had a weird fall and winter. A string of sadnesses, including the loss of a dear friend from a long-fought battle with thyroid cancer, blindsided me. It was a difficult time. I'm generally an optimist, but <span style="font-style: italic;">man</span> was it hard to stay cheery in the face of everything.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
There is so much to be grateful for, though. I did get to see my family both at Christmas and in October, when we celebrated my grandmother's 90th birthday. Honestly, my Mimi is the cutest. Evidence:<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Y_qv5i3e9AJ3qzUMEcfzz4OHBZLbpAADf8sMKA7Et8pueoxZWop8VZuS6sGhXjWL4FeVqPEGMB2DykjdMMy2_PaWfUpp-SsVJEhw8gmmevXWtmmlc-5tcawgMw9vltr0IM5Ol8jecsw/s1600/PA150401.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5719199363522694466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Y_qv5i3e9AJ3qzUMEcfzz4OHBZLbpAADf8sMKA7Et8pueoxZWop8VZuS6sGhXjWL4FeVqPEGMB2DykjdMMy2_PaWfUpp-SsVJEhw8gmmevXWtmmlc-5tcawgMw9vltr0IM5Ol8jecsw/s320/PA150401.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 320px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 240px;" /></a><span style="font-size: 78%;">Figure 3.1. Cute, definition of.</span></div>
Also, I did very well at the Boulder County Fair in August, winning four champion ribbons (including grand champ, whoo hoo!), 5 blue ribbons, 1 second-place, and 1 third-place, all for seven skeins of handspun I entered on kind of a whim. I was pretty proud!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIAGfQpfA-wVgm0Qfk2H3ZO5Hu9w5Kz_LCOMTX977FMNPwGkm4pSDL7IiSlk5c8mRZRKOoQpGygWVbHuJbC7l7GadMsKnQKEakQ577HfhSyhWkrcembjRnHoK1cYbDcc-QpTPBuHrzlI4/s1600/P8070031.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5719196498342721922" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIAGfQpfA-wVgm0Qfk2H3ZO5Hu9w5Kz_LCOMTX977FMNPwGkm4pSDL7IiSlk5c8mRZRKOoQpGygWVbHuJbC7l7GadMsKnQKEakQ577HfhSyhWkrcembjRnHoK1cYbDcc-QpTPBuHrzlI4/s320/P8070031.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 320px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 240px;" /></a>Then I managed to get out of Dodge with my friend Stephanie and two of her friends, taking off in October for Taos, NM for the annual Taos Wool Festival. I'd never gone before, and can I just say, it was a fantastic festival. Even the drive there was spectacular.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPtIFLFLlNl9fmKDIxcWajUDUcnPPNnfFV4fxnfdlFUgcadj_cnEowgbVHjp0MCdgnffV8Fgy2_z3pkHLKOO_bzZBKZucalV4iCOgcahyphenhyphenoHB3Har6Fpt9QC3PINWtgFyL5nC9VU10nBfQ/s1600/PA020252.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5719205221160020114" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPtIFLFLlNl9fmKDIxcWajUDUcnPPNnfFV4fxnfdlFUgcadj_cnEowgbVHjp0MCdgnffV8Fgy2_z3pkHLKOO_bzZBKZucalV4iCOgcahyphenhyphenoHB3Har6Fpt9QC3PINWtgFyL5nC9VU10nBfQ/s320/PA020252.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a>Might have fallen down and purchased a fleece. Whoops. Good thing there was Ron the Rickshaw Guy ready and waiting to rescue us. Carrying an entire fleece blocks back to the hotel would have been rough.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4uKb38soxSCmo7Ud0-G85Oq6uZ_BebHyzdLcEi1LfdTkPj50llkOu9ZmYzFv_F8zxiF5WB1NmuaZfjYOX-mjv8WvEPwvkX66hhk8Vl-930tiUYokVfRf75AGqmkq8kDTVRLMXtZVnans/s1600/PA010234.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5719196891707383538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4uKb38soxSCmo7Ud0-G85Oq6uZ_BebHyzdLcEi1LfdTkPj50llkOu9ZmYzFv_F8zxiF5WB1NmuaZfjYOX-mjv8WvEPwvkX66hhk8Vl-930tiUYokVfRf75AGqmkq8kDTVRLMXtZVnans/s320/PA010234.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a>The whole thing is held outside (a novelty for this Estes Park Wool Market girl), and the weather was perfect, the grass was green, the air was crisp, and everything in every booth seemed like it wanted to go home with me. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhurbhN-QGBSH6YjBSgqMsgimO5sy0-FAlqlww5JjG3W-UFB1cktg1faFeQrCb7EJsyj__GAwNTJu48ypKmDfldvLAo1Pb0cJXsfi2cMWbdf2r9jnugvrlIsLEAKLGBbNW03ojrpdztLYM/s1600/PA010224.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5719198541122132722" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhurbhN-QGBSH6YjBSgqMsgimO5sy0-FAlqlww5JjG3W-UFB1cktg1faFeQrCb7EJsyj__GAwNTJu48ypKmDfldvLAo1Pb0cJXsfi2cMWbdf2r9jnugvrlIsLEAKLGBbNW03ojrpdztLYM/s320/PA010224.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a>I showed a little restraint, I s'pose, purchasing some yummy roving of breeds I hadn't tried often, plus a few skeins of Plain and Fancy yarn. This was weird...I never purchase wool yarn (aside from sock yarn), since I <span style="font-style: italic;">should </span>spin down my stash and yada yada. Well, this was pretty special yarn, perfectly spun singles, dyed an array of gorgeous colors. So I bought a bit. :)<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1lzceXMbq5mGwd1kJB02qir1Gm4na6o8F9JsO5BMbi2nhsa7mY71TWAeGQtWLTf60e16y_E1-N6aE9nwkB5PbIV4lamJI_W4966JCNJTlZ42dEBIN9w6P9BMFEsL4CVTnePRBnRLC3dA/s1600/PA030263.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5719198544161577538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1lzceXMbq5mGwd1kJB02qir1Gm4na6o8F9JsO5BMbi2nhsa7mY71TWAeGQtWLTf60e16y_E1-N6aE9nwkB5PbIV4lamJI_W4966JCNJTlZ42dEBIN9w6P9BMFEsL4CVTnePRBnRLC3dA/s320/PA030263.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><span style="font-size: 78%;">Also a pair of soft and lovely gloves. :)</span></div>
The most exciting thing to happen fiber-wise recently, though, has been getting handed the keys to my first fiber studio. EEEeeeee! I am beyond excited. Up until now, I've been working out of my teeny apartment, which works to a degree, but it might be nice to have a kitchen table in the breakfast nook instead of a loom. Also, handpainting roving and combed top has always been problematic, as I have to haul all the equipment and fiber outside (and downstairs) to paint on the picnic table. There's just not enough room in our apartment. So on March 2nd I spied an ad on Craigslist for an artist studio sublet. I emailed the lister, she showed me the property that afternoon, and one signed lease later, I'm the proud renter (for at least 9 months) of a sweet 187 sq. ft. studio! It's a little empty at the moment, but that will soon be remedied.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWDDpVhAxZAwYHz293TcAttRvLUZhHHloS-k0ZjZSt80470NSnEHxQ5bcOD18JgmzZBV8EmRvMXMfqOTib7jTTS1EBJj8KyOFPAvPHvZlXeRYf85ffisZThrUJZ7CleTVN7gDIkYlYNUM/s1600/P3110371.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5719202272109631714" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWDDpVhAxZAwYHz293TcAttRvLUZhHHloS-k0ZjZSt80470NSnEHxQ5bcOD18JgmzZBV8EmRvMXMfqOTib7jTTS1EBJj8KyOFPAvPHvZlXeRYf85ffisZThrUJZ7CleTVN7gDIkYlYNUM/s320/P3110371.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a>It's in an "artsy" complex of similar studios in North Boulder, so there's a little community to get to know, but what I'm really looking forward to is spreading out. Having everything consolidated in one spot, but having elbow room. And the dyeing, oh, the dyeing! I'll definitely be posting more pics when I have things mostly settled. Until then...Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15096643425393420097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-481511415805229231.post-66659344370407424812011-08-19T09:32:00.005-06:002011-08-19T09:43:06.193-06:00Tour de Fleece - Basket o' Fun Morph<span style="font-size:180%;">Day One:</span>
<br />
<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/9761091@N03/5895004315/" title="Untitled by nicolassa~quepasa, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5307/5895004315_45c95f790b.jpg" alt="" height="375" width="500" /></a>
<br />
<br />Much of what I spun in its original form. From top left: Rambouillet, Hobbledehoy ArtBatt, braid of silk, handful of kid mohair locks from Kai Mohair, 1 lb. of Gulf Coast Native wool.
<br />
<br /><span style="font-size:180%;">Day Six:</span>
<br />
<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/9761091@N03/5916514172/" title="TdF11 Basket o' Fun - Day 6 by nicolassa~quepasa, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5320/5916514172_23b8df50ff.jpg" alt="TdF11 Basket o' Fun - Day 6" height="375" width="500" /></a>
<br />
<br />Starting to morph! Gulf Coast Native and Rambouillet have been carded, mohair and ArtBatt have been spun, silk still in original form.
<br />
<br /><span style="font-size:180%;">Day Twenty-three:</span>
<br />
<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/9761091@N03/5972330809/" title="TdF11 - Day 23 - Last Day by nicolassa~quepasa, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6130/5972330809_9889233a10.jpg" alt="TdF11 - Day 23 - Last Day" height="375" width="500" /></a>
<br />
<br />All the finished yarns. Fibers from the Basket o' Fun have been spun, plus a skein of white Targhee, another ArtBatt, a braid of superwash merino from Cloudlover fibers, and the "get it off my bobbin so I can start spinning the good stuff" pink navajo-ply. In the middle is the bobbin of alpaca/feathers that I was working on at the close of the Tour.
<br />
<br />Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15096643425393420097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-481511415805229231.post-9798990252593529182011-08-11T10:41:00.003-06:002011-08-11T11:10:50.215-06:00Tour de Fleece Days 12-21<span style="font-size:100%;">Oh, hi. What the heck happened here? Did I forget to post about the end of the Tour? How...different. ;)
<br />
<br />Let's see.
<br />
<br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:180%;">DAY 12</span>
<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/9761091@N03/5935793410/" title="TdF11 - Day 12 by nicolassa~quepasa, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6025/5935793410_2a04f750d9.jpg" alt="TdF11 - Day 12" height="375" width="500" /></a>
<br />
<br />More silk! Neverending silk!
<br />
<br /><span style="font-size:180%;">DAY 13</span>
<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/9761091@N03/5938400875/" title="TdF11 - Day 13 by nicolassa~quepasa, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6014/5938400875_dba25549fe.jpg" alt="TdF11 - Day 13" height="402" width="500" /></a>
<br />
<br />The silk ended after all. Whew. 238 yards, 1 oz., laceweight.
<br />
<br /><span style="font-size:180%;">DAY 14</span>
<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/9761091@N03/5941148620/" title="TdF11 - Day 14 by nicolassa~quepasa, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6012/5941148620_311701c0c0.jpg" alt="TdF11 - Day 14" height="375" width="500" /></a>
<br />
<br />After days of spinning silk, it was so refreshing to spin a quick bulky two ply from some gorgeous handpainted superwash Merino top from <a href="http://www.cloudlover.com/">Cloudlover</a>. Colorway is Crusoe.
<br /><span style="font-size:180%;">
<br />DAY 15</span>
<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/9761091@N03/5944968630/" title="TdF11 - Day 15 by nicolassa~quepasa, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6003/5944968630_82a5845c10.jpg" alt="TdF11 - Day 15" height="500" width="350" /></a>
<br />
<br />And then I took a break from sitting in my hotter-than-Hades apartment and headed to the Colorado Renaissance Festival with friends. Naturally I dressed up. And spun on my spindle. :) Here I'm spinning some hand-combed Rambouillet top.
<br />
<br /><span style="font-size:180%;">DAY 16</span>
<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/9761091@N03/5948580267/" title="TdF - Day 16 by nicolassa~quepasa, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6022/5948580267_d559209135.jpg" alt="TdF - Day 16" height="375" width="500" /></a>
<br />
<br />Targhee, spun on my finally-fixed Victoria. Notice I got carried away shooting the breeze with the neighbors and forgot to move the yarn-guide on a regular basis. Fail.
<br /><span style="font-size:180%;">
<br />DAY 17</span>
<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/9761091@N03/5953123786/" title="TdF11 - Day 17 (rest day) by nicolassa~quepasa, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6148/5953123786_3673b83cb8.jpg" alt="TdF11 - Day 17 (rest day)" height="375" width="500" /></a>
<br />
<br />Technically this was a Rest Day. But I did do a little carding. These loco batts have a little bit of everything from my scrap basket. Too bad my camera does not understand red. "Red? Does not compute. PINK!!!!!!!!!"
<br />
<br /><span style="font-size:180%;">DAY 18</span>
<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/9761091@N03/5955006718/" title="TdF11 - Day 18 by nicolassa~quepasa, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6005/5955006718_8ff2fa3921.jpg" alt="TdF11 - Day 18" height="402" width="500" /></a>
<br />
<br />Towards the end of the Tour, yarns were really coming together. Here's the finished yarn I started on Day 15. I was so happy with it. I think I'll be knitting some sort of little baby sweater for a friend from this lovely. 208 yards.
<br />
<br /><span style="font-size:180%;">DAY 19</span>
<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/9761091@N03/5959060698/" title="TdF11 - Day 19 by nicolassa~quepasa, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6130/5959060698_9fae0a0236.jpg" alt="TdF11 - Day 19" height="375" width="500" /></a>
<br />
<br />The finished yarn from Day 16! So smooshtastic. Targhee wool, 461 yards, laceweight.
<br />
<br /><span style="font-size:180%;">DAY 20</span>
<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/9761091@N03/5962320257/" title="TdF11 - Day 20 by nicolassa~quepasa, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6016/5962320257_d2a4cf4032.jpg" alt="TdF11 - Day 20" height="375" width="500" /></a>
<br />
<br />This was a fun, quick spin! It's another corespun Hobbledehoy ArtBatt. Only about 60 yards, but uberbulky, with interesting textures.
<br />
<br /><span style="font-size:180%;">DAY 21</span>
<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/9761091@N03/5966000534/" title="TdF11 - Day 21 by nicolassa~quepasa, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6150/5966000534_2e6654a494_m.jpg" alt="TdF11 - Day 21" height="180" width="240" /></a>
<br />
<br />This pic is terrible, so I made sure it was small. It's hand-dyed alpaca with feathers inserted willy-nilly. I'm not sure how I feel about it, so I didn't get all gung-ho and finish it before the end of the Tour.
<br />
<br />After Day 21, I kind of pooped out. I spent the next couple of days attending a wedding and then recovering from said wedding, and so my last photo was of the Basket o' Fun. I've decided to let the Basket o' Fun have its own special post. It's pretty cool to see it morph.
<br /></span>Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15096643425393420097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-481511415805229231.post-45461506521120756392011-07-13T15:16:00.003-06:002011-07-13T15:33:52.766-06:00Tour de Fleece - Days 6 - 11Uh, whoops! Forgot to post for a few days there!<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" ><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" >Day 6</span><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/9761091@N03/5913396904/" title="TdF11 - Day 6 by nicolassa~quepasa, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5316/5913396904_35de7c50d3.jpg" alt="TdF11 - Day 6" height="370" width="500" /></a><br /><br />Corespun Hobbledehoy ArtBatt. We're talking soft wools, locks, bling, and angora spun around a cotton core. My favorite! About 40 yards, I think.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" >Day 7</span><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/9761091@N03/5917653578/" title="TdF11 - Day 7 by nicolassa~quepasa, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6123/5917653578_87514d2df0.jpg" alt="TdF11 - Day 7" height="375" width="500" /></a><br /><br />Finally started spinning my challenge yarn that counts towards both Team Raw Power! and Team A Spinner's Study. This is a singles yarn from Gulf Coast Native wool, which I processed from raw fleece. For Team Raw Power!, you must process 1 lb. of raw fleece into yarn. For Team A Spinner's Study, I'm doing Challenge #1, which is to spin a wool breed (or any fiber, I s'pose) which is new to me. Gulf Coast Native sheep are native to northwest Florida! They were brought there by Spanish settlers (think St. Augustine) and gradually adapted to their surroundings. The wool is moderately soft...soft enough for the blanket I'm planning (I think), but should hold up better than the ridiculously soft stuff. Nice to spin some yarn with some <span style="font-style: italic;">teeth.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" >Day 8</span><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/9761091@N03/5919880398/" title="TdF11 - Day 8 by nicolassa~quepasa, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6134/5919880398_eb5a307466.jpg" alt="TdF11 - Day 8" height="375" width="500" /></a><br /><br />Here we have the first plied skein of Gulf Coast Native wool. Whoo hoo! About 180 yards.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" >Day 9</span><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/9761091@N03/5923783424/" title="TdF11 - Day 9 by nicolassa~quepasa, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6141/5923783424_47097177a0.jpg" alt="TdF11 - Day 9" height="500" width="375" /></a><br /><br />Silk spinning from bombyx silk combed top. Yeah. I'm crazy. This skein is going to be eensy. Maybe I'll weave with it!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" >Day 10</span><br /><br />Day of Rest from the Tour! However, I didn't rest...this was my LYS's spin-in day. So I went to that and spun more silk, which would be a boring photo.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" >Day 11</span><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/9761091@N03/5931278816/" title="TdF11 - Day 11 by nicolassa~quepasa, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6023/5931278816_933a632fd8.jpg" alt="TdF11 - Day 11" height="375" width="500" /></a><br /><br />The silk spinning goes on! But I also finished my second skein of the GCN fleece. Whoopity whoop!<br /><br />And just for reference, here is a pic of the Basket o' Fun as it looked on Day 7:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/9761091@N03/5916514172/" title="TdF11 Basket o' Fun - Day 6 by nicolassa~quepasa, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5320/5916514172_23b8df50ff.jpg" alt="TdF11 Basket o' Fun - Day 6" height="375" width="500" /></a>Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15096643425393420097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-481511415805229231.post-7944552796530566272011-07-06T14:33:00.004-06:002011-07-06T15:01:01.458-06:00Tour de Fleece - Day 5FINISHED! With the mohair boucle of crazy! 121 yards.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/9761091@N03/5908929464/" title="TdF11 Day 5 - Mohair Boucle Yarn by nicolassa~quepasa, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5159/5908929464_0f8af2535b.jpg" alt="TdF11 Day 5 - Mohair Boucle Yarn" height="345" width="500" /></a><br /><br />Gosh, it feels good to say that. Finished. Yay. Not that I didn't enjoy the process, it's just a long one, and I kept screwing up. First, I had to tease apart all the mohair, which took awhile. Then I spun the singles from the cloud, so that tends to mean fighting the fiber a bit. Mistake #1: spinning the singles Z instead of S. Then I plied with a commercial 80/20 angora/silk weaving yarn. Mistake #2: not putting in enough twist in this first S ply. <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span>Then</span> I tried to add the binder thread by spinning Z again, effectively cabling the yarn. Unfortunately, without a huge amount of twist in the first round of plying, most of the neat boucle effect began to even out. This wouldn't have been as noticeable if I hadn't spun the singles in the wrong direction, but what can you say. Dang. So I cut off what I'd done so far and sent the first round of plying back through the wheel, adding more twist. Turns out it <span style="font-style: italic;">still</span> wasn't quite enough twist, but by this time I'd had it, and just cabled the whole thing with the tencel binder thread.<br /><br />Oh, well. Still looks pretty cool. Might use this for weaving.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/9761091@N03/5908376197/" title="TdF11 Day 5 - Mohair Boucle Yarn by nicolassa~quepasa, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5319/5908376197_8aaf5dac2c.jpg" alt="TdF11 Day 5 - Mohair Boucle Yarn" height="375" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mileage check-in:</span> 252 yards spun & pliedNicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15096643425393420097noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-481511415805229231.post-91129316879809610322011-07-06T14:31:00.001-06:002011-07-06T14:33:33.330-06:00Tour de Fleece - Day 4This is the mohair that never ends!<br /><br />Being plied with commercial alpaca/silk weaving yarn:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/9761091@N03/5907450410/" title="TdF11 Day 4 - Mohair boucle being plied by nicolassa~quepasa, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6046/5907450410_61a48c1131.jpg" alt="TdF11 Day 4 - Mohair boucle being plied" height="500" width="375" /></a>Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15096643425393420097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-481511415805229231.post-64031900342585657532011-07-05T08:28:00.002-06:002011-07-05T08:37:20.486-06:00Tour de Fleece - Day 3Considering it was eleventy billion degrees inside my apartment on Day 3 of the tour (the high in Boulder was 100 degrees. Not okay.), I trucked my Kiwi outside and started on a mohair boucle yarn. <br /><br />I began with luscious kid mohair locks from Kai Mohair, teased them apart, and spun "from the cloud." <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/9761091@N03/5902613641/" title="Untitled by nicolassa~quepasa, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5077/5902613641_84dfe17f9f.jpg" alt="" height="500" width="375" /></a><br /><br />The bobbin took awhile to fill, and I was moving at a snail's pace. My neighbors and I were gathered at the creek, since staying in our apartments was not advised, and we were a little lethargic.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/9761091@N03/5903172818/" title="Untitled by nicolassa~quepasa, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6024/5903172818_fafd6a19b6.jpg" alt="" height="500" width="375" /></a><br /><br />I didn't get enormously far, but I did start plying the mohair with a pretty alpaca/silk thread. I'll probably finish that ply today before putting in a binder ply to hold it all together. Not sure what possessed me to do such a labor intensive yarn, especially because I'm on the Sprinters TdF team and we're supposed to spin like a mile or something, but I've never done a true mohair boucle before and wanted to give it a shot. <br /><br />It was kind of too bad that the creek was snow melt and just dipping your feet in there could give you hypothermia (or at least in theory...Josh's feet were bright pink after a few seconds), but it did motivate us to gather the neighbors and head for the hills. Nederland, up in the mountains, was about 20 degrees cooler and had a fantastic fireworks display! Wishing everyone a happy 4th!Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15096643425393420097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-481511415805229231.post-81996429346131341492011-07-04T11:16:00.002-06:002011-07-04T11:19:17.312-06:00Tour de Fleece - Day 2!Today: The merino/silk/sparkle singles yarn...onward! Since I'm not enamored with this yarn, I decided to navajo (chain) ply it, mostly to quickly free up the bobbin for things I like a little more. <div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/9761091@N03/5898530406/" title="Tour de Fleece, Day 2 by nicolassa~quepasa, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6024/5898530406_49594a0540.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Tour de Fleece, Day 2" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Stats:</div><div>12 WPI - sport weight</div><div>131 yards</div><div>semiworsted: drumcarded prep, spun mostly woollen but sometimes worsted because I became laaaaaazy about it.</div>Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15096643425393420097noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-481511415805229231.post-76430373853712710642011-07-02T21:40:00.002-06:002011-07-02T21:59:16.979-06:00Tour de Fleece...and we're off!Le Tour in pictures! Here we go. Day 1.<div><br /></div><div>I had a merino/silk/sparkle batt that I finished spinning this morning on my Kiwi. I'm not <i>super</i> excited about it, and continue to be befuddled by the pull of pink. I don't even like pink. Or wear it. So why do I spin so much of it? It is a Mystery. Since it's not my favorite, I'm punishing it by making its photo <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">small.</span> Anyway, here is the bobbin, getting ready to be navajo-plyed:</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/9761091@N03/5893526487/" title="TdF 2011 Day 1 by nicolassa~quepasa, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5266/5893526487_972e781b96_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="TdF 2011 Day 1" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I'll get to plying that puppy tomorrow, but in the meantime, I gathered together some other fibers that I'm definitely going to tackle during the Tour. We've got a lb. of Gulf Coast Native fleece, some Rambouillet I dyed a deep wine (carding this tomorrow), a FABULOUS <a href="http://www.hobbledehoyfibers.com">Hobbledehoy</a> ArtBatt, some lovely mohair by <a href="http://www.kairanch.com/">Kai Mohair</a> in Texas (I just can't pass by that "salad bar" of dyed mohair without buying some!) and a gorgeous little braid of mulberry silk. Yum.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/9761091@N03/5895004931/" title="Untitled by nicolassa~quepasa, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5279/5895004931_bb3eca41f1.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Then after breaky, Josh and I left for Micah and Kelly's farm, as Josh's & Micah's dad is in town and the three of them were going to build a gate for the front porch. My interest in gate-building is...uh...maybe 1%, so I was satisfied to sit on the porch with a cute pup and spin some Targhee batts I'd carded pre-Tour.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/9761091@N03/5895004739/" title="Untitled by nicolassa~quepasa, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6021/5895004739_df565b5736.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>All was going swimmingly. Until this happened:</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/9761091@N03/5895570458/" title="Untitled by nicolassa~quepasa, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6030/5895570458_62c6cffced.jpg" width="500" height="396" alt="" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Sob! broken conrod joint! A flat on the first day of the Tour! Well, dang it. Tomorrow I guess I'll break out the superglue and/or duct tape and go to town on my poor, crippled Victoria. In the meantime, I still have the Kiwi! And this serves as your public service announcement: always be sure to own at least two spinning wheels. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15096643425393420097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-481511415805229231.post-83341235237070813232011-07-01T22:28:00.003-06:002011-07-01T22:51:22.242-06:00Gearing up...Boom! Two posts in one day! That's right!<div><br /></div><div>This one is more of an organizational mini-post, though. Tour de Fleece starts tomorrow, and I need to get all my ducks in a row. YEEEEEHAW!</div><div><br /></div><div>Teams for TdF 2011:</div><div><br /></div><div>- Sprinters (don't plan on spinning lace, necessarily, but I'll be spinning a LOT)</div><div>- Breakaways (whooooo, art yarns!)</div><div>- Team Raw Power (starting from 1 lb. of raw fleece)</div><div>- Team A Spinner's Study (spin something I've never spun before; in my case, Gulf Coast Native)</div><div>- Team Louet (I heart my Victoria)</div><div>- Team FAYS (fiber artists and yarn spinners - originally a Facebook group)</div><div>- Team Cloudlover (gotta support one of my fave indie dyers!)</div><div>- Team Tour de Batt (it's all about the carding)</div><div>- informal Team Hobbledehoy</div><div><br /></div><div>...and...because I must, </div><div>- Team Hopelessly Overcommitted. And yes. I am. </div><div><br /></div><div>Honestly? I'd love to join more teams, like some of the funky weird and/or nerdy ones. But much as I'd really like to be on Team Browncoats or Team Winter is Coming or Team Sparkle Ho, I'm full up. Like for realz. If I manage to keep up with the photography for all of this, it will be a freakin' miracle.</div><div><br /></div><div>I've got a basket o' fibers ready to go...it should see me through at least a week or two. I hope!</div>Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15096643425393420097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-481511415805229231.post-62090589720217379342011-07-01T14:28:00.002-06:002011-07-01T15:06:46.653-06:00YarngineeringWhile I get my photos together (finally!) from the Forks trip and gather materials for this year's <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/groups/tour-de-fleece">Tour de Fleece</a> (starts tomorrow...whooohoo!), I thought I'd post a little about prepping & drafting, what I like to call <span style="font-style: italic;">yarngineering</span>. Because everything needs a silly made-up word attached to it. Yes.<br /><br />A friend of mine who is a newbie-ish spinner asked me how I'd recommend she prep and spin a lovely <a href="http://www.sheep101.info/breedsC.html#CVM">CVM</a> (California Varigated Mutant) fleece she purchased at Estes Park Wool Market. Loaded question! But definitely worth a thoughtful answer. She was worried she'd do it "wrong" and ruin her fleece. Pshaw! We don't have <span style="font-style: italic;">wrong</span> in spinning...we have <span style="font-style: italic;">it depends</span>. ;)<br /><br />You can prep any fleece any way you want to, but working <span style="font-weight: bold;">with</span> your fleece and listening to what it wants to do can really enhance your final yarn. Here are some options:<br /><br />Carded fiber, long draw: best with fiber that is under 3 or so inches in length. This is because it's just easier to card and spin if it's short. Gives a soft, woolen yarn, fuzzy and lightweight, with lots of air, so it's super warm. Downside: pills easily.<br /><br />Carded fiber, short draw: I do this one all the time, usually with one leg flung up on the couch and my eyes on the TV or a book, because I'm lazy. Just do a short draw, but let the twist go between your fingers. Best with fibers shorter than 3" due to the reasons above. Gives a woolen yarn with the above characteristics, but usually with more twist than long draw yarns.<br /><br />Combed fiber, long or short woolen draw: Generally not recommended unless you're working with hand-combed top. Commercial top is usually too compacted for this method to work easily, so you'll find yourself fighting the fiber. Gives what's called a semi-woolen yarn.<br /><br />Combed fiber, short worsted draw: good all-around method for commercial combed top. No twist is in the drafting triangle (between your hands/fingers). Also great for long wools, whether commercial prep or hand-combed...it emphasizes shine and drape. Gives a worsted yarn that results in defined stitches and durable fabric. Downside: heavy, and not as much warmth as woolen yarn.<br /><br />Carded fiber, short **worsted** draw: One of my favorite ways to spin. It seems to enhance the good points of both woolen and worsted spinning and somehow minimizes the downsides of each method. Gives what's called a semi-worsted yarn, which is light and fluffy, yet more defined & more durable than a usual woolen yarn. Again, this method is better with shorter wools under 3", due to having to be carded first. Long wools are tough to card.<br /><br />Other wacky ways to spin:<br /><br />Over-the-fold: This works well with ridiculously short or down fibers. You basically wrap the lock or tuft of roving over the first finger of your hand and spin off the tip of your finger. This gives a woolen-ish yarn, though each fiber is basically folded in half as you spin, so you generally end up with a bit of a halo in your yarn. If you're trying to play up a halo (like with angora bunny yarn), this is a great method. This method is also nice for slippery fibers (i.e. soysilk)...it tends to keep the slipperiness in check.<br /><br />From the lock: Also great for very short or fine fibers (say, a fiber that's too short to comb and too fragile to card, like a superfine 1 1/2 inch-stapled Rambouillet lamb fleece...ask me how I know...). Most superfine fleeces nep up while being carded, and this is one way to avoid neps. Take each lock, give it a twist in the middle to keep it under control, and comb out each end with a flicker brush or dog comb. Then spin straight from either fluffed end. This gives a semi-worsted yarn. Downside: time-consuming.<br /><br />Carded fiber (usually rolags), double-draft longdraw: This is really hard to master. Or do at all, in my case. It involves ramping up the ratio on your wheel, treadling quickly, drafting back very VERY quickly, then kind of walking your hand back up the yarn to even out the larger lumps to make a low-twist, fluffy yarn. Hard. Hard. Hard. In my opinion, of course.<br /><br />So! With, say, a lovely CVM fleece such as my friend Danielle's, you might want to start at the end, so to speak. Do you have a project in mind? Do you want a higher or lower twist yarn? Generally speaking, a lower-twist yarn is great for lace knitting and for weaving delicate projects. Low-twist yarn drapes beautifully in lacework and "sits" well in weaving. Higher twist yarns are perfect for socks, rug warp or weft, and for giving a yarn extra strength and durability.<br /><br />CVM fleeces tend to be on the shorter side, staple-length-wise...this is due to their Merino blood (all fine wool breeds have some merino blood somewhere). So I personally would card this fleece. Hand-combed top is luscious and wonderful to spin, but you would have a ton of waste with a shorter-staple fleece. Mini-combs with multiple rows of tines set close together would be a good choice if you decided to go the combed route. From the lock would be nice, but takes SO. MUCH. TIME. So carded might work out best, unless you have specialized equipment. Use carding cloth (either hand cards or drum carder) that has a higher number of TPI (tines per inch) so that the fine fibers are captured by the cloth and well-carded. Card slowly...CVM can be delicate and needs a light touch. Otherwise you'll be picking neps out of your batt or rolags as you spin. <br /><br />Okay, so you have carded fleece. Now how to spin?? Just look over the above methods and decide what you want to emphasize in the yarn. Keep in mind that CVM is very crimpy, so the yarn will poof up a little when you're setting the twist and will also have great elasticity.<br /><br />There are many, many ways to go about yarngineering. This post only touched on a few of the basics. Do you have a favorite way to prep and draft that isn't covered? Feel free to post it in the comments section! :)Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15096643425393420097noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-481511415805229231.post-44867525434387438882011-06-02T13:17:00.004-06:002011-07-01T14:27:08.721-06:00An Open Letter to MononucleosisOh, stupid mono. You broadsided me. I had no idea you were coming, then BOOM! there you were. Because of you, I spent 13 days straight in bed, moaning for my mom. And because of your pesky pre-fever fatigue and lingering after-effects, I haven't spun anything at all in over a month. A <span style="font-style: italic;">month</span>! That is cruel, mono.<br /><br />Coming back from my Forks trip, I was on a spinny high. I was freshly inspired by all the wonderful, interesting, and even mind-blowing experiences, and all I wanted to do after I returned was to put my new knowledge to use, spinning feathers and cotton straight from the boll and long-draw bison. But you wouldn't let me. No. You caused me to fall asleep at 8 p.m. and just curl up on the couch on the weekends, missing get-togethers with my friends. Then you really had your way. A fever that spiked over and over again, horrible chills, fatigue that caused me to have to rest midway between the bedroom and the bathroom, malaise that caused me to miss graduations and barbecues and Josh's Swedish family being in town. That was you.<br /><br />Stupid mono. I wish I could completely kick you out of town, but I understand that you hide in my body, biding your time until you feel like coming back. Well, I refuse. You are not allowed back. I will drink gallons of Emergen-C and Good Belly and will take mountains of vitamins to prevent you from barging in again. You are not wanted here.<br /><br />Sincerely,<br />NicoleNicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15096643425393420097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-481511415805229231.post-12173213342190120412011-04-11T08:59:00.002-06:002011-04-11T09:24:30.389-06:00Forks!In T-minus 2 days, I'm leaving for a week in Washington State. I've been planning this since last August, and it's finally here...the Tribal Textile Treasures workshop with Judith Mackenzie McCuin. I'm extremely excited. And trying to contain myself, because I have three more days of the day job to wade through to get there.<br /><br />My friends Connie, Stephanie, and Debi and I are leaving Wednesday evening, around 9:00 pm, I believe. We'll arrive in Seattle in time to crash in a nearby airport hotel, then rise bright and early to rent a car (more likely a minivan to hold the mounds of FIBER!), and drive to Forks, WA for the workshop. Recently we were e-mailed a rough itinerary, and it looks like Thursday will be a meet-and-greet, Friday will be the day we journey up to the Makah tribal museum and Neah Bay (and learn to weave with cedar), Saturday will be a spinathon of feathers, mountain goat, and woolly dog, Sunday will be our day in La Push, learning from the Quileute elders, and Monday we'll finish up around noon. My fiber buds and I decided early on to extend our trip a bit, and we'll be heading back to Seattle to explore the area a little. Tuesday we have plans to go whale-watching, which is pretty darn cool. The return date is Wednesday. It's times like these I really mourn the usual American policy of stingy time off!<br /><br />You may have noticed that I mentioned a few places that are familiar from the Twilight books (Forks, La Push, etc.). I might be the only person in the world who has not read these books. I tried twice to read the first one forever ago and put it down. I hate to be critical (especially because I know how many people love these books), but I have a problem with the writing. Everyone I know swears up and down that I'm crazy. My little sister Alea (aka, liTTle) threatened me with bodily harm if I didn't read at least the first one, since I'll be in the heart of Twilight country. So I borrowed it from a friend and am plodding through. I'm on page 317, and it still hasn't grabbed me or anything. All that seems to be happening is a lot of mooning over how beautiful Edward is. Stephanie Meyer ignores the most basic rule of writing: <span style="font-style: italic;">show</span>, don't tell. Weave the words to create mood, character, and plot. But don't directly tell the readers how we should be feeling.<br /><br />I'm a reader and love great books and am not trying to be snobby or anything, but this book just seems...blah. We've got piles of basic subject-then-verb sentence structure, mounds of passive rather than active verbs, and I keep finding myself skimming rather than reading. Can someone please explain what I'm missing?Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15096643425393420097noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-481511415805229231.post-14499921913308966762011-03-29T15:34:00.006-06:002011-03-29T20:21:19.857-06:00To Sum UpBelieve it or not, I'm still alive!<br /><br />I tend to get distracted. But here are a few things that are going on in this girl's fibery world...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">WASHING</span>: I've been washing up my last fleece of last year, trying to get ready for fleece season of <span style="font-style: italic;">this</span> year. It's nearly upon us! Gotta get ready! :D So on Saturday I filled my low Rubbermaid bin with hot hot water from the water heater, boiling water from the stove, and a healthy glug of blue Dawn and submerged two lbs. of unbelievably gorgeous Cormo wool. Oh, Cormo. You make me swoon. I did three washes and three rinses (a dash of vinegar in the 2nd to last rinse). Cormo, with all its Merino content, can be greasy, and I really wanted it prepped just right. It's now outside on my balcony, drying in the sunshine.<br /><br />I've tried the <a href="http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter08/KSFEATlockedup.php">washing-in-tulle method</a>, but failed miserably at it...all the locks bunched up at either end, I had nowhere to put the drying tulle sack, and ultimately I found it so enormously time-consuming that I went back to my tried and true method. This mostly involves dunking, soaking, and tossing the locks into another laundry basket to dry. I'll be documenting this highly unscientific method on the blog as more fleeces come to live with me in the coming spring. :)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">SPINNING</span>: Indigo Montoya (my <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/9761091@N03/3420622335/">Ashford Kiwi</a>) has a slim line of the aforementioned Cormo on his bobbin. I handcombed a sample of already-washed-locks with <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/9761091@N03/3466806366/">my Alvin Ramer</a> <a href="http://www.the-wheel-thing.com/products/combs/index.html">super mini combs</a> and the resulting top was DELICIOUS. Yum. I'll probably ply this sample back on itself via the Andean plying method. Buttercup (my <a href="http://www.louet.com/spinning_weaving/victoria.shtml">Louet Victoria</a>) has been out and about lately, traveling to my <a href="http://www.shuttlesspindlesandskeins.com/">LYS</a>' Spin-in and to Stephanie's house. I just finished spinning two singles' worth of merino/silk/firestar/angelina on her, and plied them together on Indigo's jumbo flyer. Pics soon to come, if I can get my act together.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">CARDING</span>: Broke out the handcards for a special project recently...very controlled color blending for a pair of fingerless mitts for a friend of mine. I think I was successful...the finished yarn and mitts show a long, sloooooooow transition of color. Just lovely.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">KNITTING</span>: The mitts! I'm using the <a href="http://www.churchmouseyarns.com/collections/classics/products/welted-fingerless-gloves">Churchmouse Welted Fingerless Gloves</a> pattern as a jumping-off point.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">DYEING</span>: Not a whole lot lately, after getting all the preliminary dyeing done for the mitts.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">TRAVELING</span>: This is the most exciting thing! In just two weeks, I'll be traveling with a couple of fellow fiber fiends to Forks, WA for the Tribal Textile Treasures workshop with Judith Mackenzie McCuin. Yep, I'm pretty much insanely excited.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">WEAVING</span>: Finished a set of modified waffle weave handtowels for my mother-in-law. How about a picture? :) Here you go:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivOqCxDDNn3m56kPmjV69J3n6BytTdO7gA7Cq7svWcUYrRJwKV3dfMmX_QAP8QLep_L0-hjAbiAKV7aVRzvzz7VCyfz9Ws5IqVAblDLXLKcS3exa2-gWOLB8ufjIOfQpo6RLRZElIJK30/s1600/waffleweave+towels.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivOqCxDDNn3m56kPmjV69J3n6BytTdO7gA7Cq7svWcUYrRJwKV3dfMmX_QAP8QLep_L0-hjAbiAKV7aVRzvzz7VCyfz9Ws5IqVAblDLXLKcS3exa2-gWOLB8ufjIOfQpo6RLRZElIJK30/s320/waffleweave+towels.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589624367379445794" border="0" /></a>Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15096643425393420097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-481511415805229231.post-19365933310486141862010-12-01T09:08:00.007-07:002010-12-01T14:50:13.234-07:00Christmas, Christmas Time is Here!Okay, not exactly. It's only December 1st. But am I alone here in thinking I need to get stuff done <span style="font-style:italic;">now</span>? There I was, back in November, planning on an update for the <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/whirligigyarns">Little Shop that Could</a>, and...um...well, it's stocked with a whole two yarns at the moment. Still. On the upside, I did very well at the <a href="http://www.handweaversofboulder.org/">Handweavers Guild of Boulder</a> annual sale. On the downside, that was a month ago. Gah.<br /><br />Aside from the forlorn shop, I am feverishly creating these days, prepping for the holiday season. On top of the usual gifties, my friends Alison and Danielle have both commissioned woven scarves from me. I love, LOVE custom work like this, but two weeks of illness in November sucked time like nobody's business. I'm late! And the day job isn't helping! <br /><br />Despite the tardiness, the woven scarf projects make me giddy. I am LOVING working on them. Alison wants a plainweave scarf of handspun alpaca/silk in pinks, creams, & tans. I've spent the last couple of evenings dyeing, trying to get the pinks just right without being neon or whatnot. Danielle just said "thin, long, and black/gray/white." So I've been <a href="http://digitalnabi.com/blog/2010/01/technique-gradient-carding-hand-dyed-fiber/">gradient carding</a> alpaca in four natural colors - black, rose gray, tan, and nearly-white. With a little black sparkle, of course. Gotta have a touch of sparkle. The tan is thrown in there to make the white appear *really* white against the solid black baby alpaca warp. I like <a href="http://www.handweaving.net/PatternDisplay.aspx?PATTERNID=41846">this</a> pattern, but don't understand the note at the bottom: "This draft is for multiple separate layers of cloth that will come apart after weaving!" (Exclamation point!)(!) Um. Any chance I could just have one layer? Maybe this is doubleweave somehow...? Basically I'm looking for the starbursts to slowly transition from black to white over the course of the scarf. Hmmm...this will take more thought. If anyone has a suggestion, let me know. <br /><br />I'm also working on some <a href="http://knitty.com/ISSUEwinter06/PATTmonkey.html">Monkeys</a>! These socks have been on the needles since April, I think. They need to be off, I tell you. Then I can get to work on a pair of socks for my mother-in-law, though I don't think with my track record that those'll be done anytime soon. Whew!<br /><br />p.s. My new loom is magic. His name is Miracle Max. :)Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15096643425393420097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-481511415805229231.post-11573687519438598142010-09-11T16:02:00.004-06:002010-12-02T08:54:00.510-07:00Still in Shock. But a Good Kind of Shock.Uh, guys?<br /><br />I bought a <a href="http://www.schachtspindle.com/our_products/baby_wolf.php">loom</a> today. A LOOM. A maple eight-shaft Baby Wolf. With stroller. And an extra reed.<br /><br />I blame Stephanie. She was with me today at Shuttles' 18th birthday sale (15% off everything!) and was a complete enabler. Of course, I'd been saving for this moment ever since I took my first weaving class two years ago. I knew I wanted an 8-shaft Baby Wolf. So I kept an eye out on Craigslist and an ear out in my Guild...for two years. After telling this to Stephanie (who knows about such things), she confirmed my suspicion: eight-shaft looms just don't come up for resale very often. Usually they're snapped up very quickly. <br /><br />That did it. I gathered my courage and waited my turn in the long birthday-sale line. Upon reaching Judy (who'd been my weaving instructor for multiple classes), I announced that I'd decided to buy a loom. She was so happy for me, gave me a hug, and rang me up. My heart stopped for a sec, but I reminded myself again about the money I'd saved for this very moment, and that buying a loom was inevitable anyway. That calmed me down a bit, and I went back into the secret bat-cave area where Sara was taking loom & wheel orders. And I ordered my loom. And it was good. <br /><br />It should be another month before it comes in, so I have time to figure out where exactly I'm going to put it. Who needs a kitchen table, anyway?Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15096643425393420097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-481511415805229231.post-50787050068963295022010-08-30T10:53:00.002-06:002010-08-30T11:22:56.621-06:00Fiber Tourist, Right Here!I know I haven't posted in awhile, but GUYS! <br /><br />Excitement!<br /><br />In April I'll be combining three loves (fiber + travel + anthropology) by journeying up to Forks, WA and taking part in a Judith Mackenzie McCuin workshop!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14497201@N06/4691335303/">Here's</a> what I'm talking about. The workshop is called "Tribal Textile Treasures," and will last for 4 days/3 nights. It will involve learning how to weave with cedar and spin wolf down and feathers, plus time with tribal textile artists and storytellers. I managed to squeeze in by the skin of my teeth. My friends Stephanie and Connie are going, and the organizer said that although the workshop was technically full, she could arrange for us to bunk in a 3-bed room at the B&B. <br /><br />My deposit has been cashed, so it seems like it's really happening. Now all that's left is to save for the workshop and other expenses (air fare, etc.). Oh, and I s'pose I'll need a travel wheel. (Eeeep.) But it will all be worth it. This will be my first fibery trip, my first in-depth fiber workshop, and my first class with Judith. Freak out!!Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15096643425393420097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-481511415805229231.post-63647138303315073122010-07-06T21:50:00.003-06:002010-07-06T22:06:05.327-06:00Le TourGuess who forgot to join the Tour de Fleece yet <span style="font-style:italic;">again</span> this year? Yup. I always do this kind of thing...get excited and promptly forget. But that doesn't mean I'm not spinning! Still spinning every day, though that's pretty usual. I figured Hey! I'll just be a late joiner. No big woo. But it turns out the Tour forum on Ravelry has nearly 3,000 members and the threads are eons long. So I think I'll keep track of my yarns on the blog here and pretend in my little fantasy world that I'm another treadler in the Tour. <br /><br />So without further adieu, here's what I've been working during these first few days...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAoGyrrAcwM-o56v3ZxtzZtYyq3iKHsnDAqs6nad2e2GPKrU7gAWjf6G_2XPoh4NfrhFvAsUqrBaIBom0bCfZuwbfQZO9LtXmWa-6rIeV2f1ZsBY6cGgZlut-iU7M5f24G8MdCf7M-qVg/s1600/006.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAoGyrrAcwM-o56v3ZxtzZtYyq3iKHsnDAqs6nad2e2GPKrU7gAWjf6G_2XPoh4NfrhFvAsUqrBaIBom0bCfZuwbfQZO9LtXmWa-6rIeV2f1ZsBY6cGgZlut-iU7M5f24G8MdCf7M-qVg/s320/006.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491010263254833122" /></a>Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15096643425393420097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-481511415805229231.post-67838252306045547322010-07-05T16:08:00.003-06:002010-07-05T16:13:34.606-06:00InterludeWell, I should probably post all about the Estes Park Wool Market Sheep-to-Shawl contest (SPOILER! We didn't win, though the shawl is lovely & I'm really proud of us), but I'm a lazypants. <br /><br />So. Here's a little pic of what I did during one of my days off back in maybe April. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzFimk0Fm1NbBTdjiUbu0CHCWsvPN-O36jNtDQG0oah7HDcVyUcJbA0Fe1OEQJ2II4o6HMSbYpvpzV59C2fwZhxS0iqA8s3djJrQfl-2rQQrjLY_UdsWPKUgHcQgCxPHUQju5_mA4H2IU/s1600/Austin!+009.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzFimk0Fm1NbBTdjiUbu0CHCWsvPN-O36jNtDQG0oah7HDcVyUcJbA0Fe1OEQJ2II4o6HMSbYpvpzV59C2fwZhxS0iqA8s3djJrQfl-2rQQrjLY_UdsWPKUgHcQgCxPHUQju5_mA4H2IU/s320/Austin!+009.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490548503476553954" /></a><br /><br />Pretty colors! :DNicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15096643425393420097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-481511415805229231.post-43301426434032135832010-06-21T21:49:00.005-06:002010-06-22T10:46:55.671-06:00Walking with Mr. Pants.<span style="font-weight:bold;">Me</span>: Holyfreakin'CRAP it's a gorgeous night.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Mr. Pants</span>: Yep. Hey. If you were a superhero, what would your name be?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Me</span>: McHurtalot.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Mr. Pants</span>: Hmm. Is this because you like to hit things and/or people?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Me</span>: Uh, maybe.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Mr. Pants</span>: I bet I could your guess your sponsor.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Me</span>: Chrysler?<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Mr. Pants</span>: ...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Me</span>: So what would your superhero name be?<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Mr. Pants</span>: SeƱor Pantalones. Of course.Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15096643425393420097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-481511415805229231.post-58432066871881669972010-05-30T09:01:00.006-06:002010-05-30T09:32:15.302-06:00Hand Over the Fleece!We're in the midst of fleece season! One of my favorite times of year!<br /><br />I went with friends Stephanie and Connie to the <a href="http://www.recycledlamb.com/">Recycled Lamb</a> a few weeks ago to check out their mini-fleece-market, and guess what. Found some fleeces.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimP6pQn_zxKHhMlH6_2iXNGaQ5VUmKVj2-PBcSekzlcSCr8dFwvwZoAovE9ZeMBY2kMI_i51oZ_23Rpdmkd4W_uoSrjC7BsU-1wa74JI-6wMVZx2pW-1Y1SqbBcu-9HgAbLon-S33SVag/s1600/092.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimP6pQn_zxKHhMlH6_2iXNGaQ5VUmKVj2-PBcSekzlcSCr8dFwvwZoAovE9ZeMBY2kMI_i51oZ_23Rpdmkd4W_uoSrjC7BsU-1wa74JI-6wMVZx2pW-1Y1SqbBcu-9HgAbLon-S33SVag/s320/092.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477082583221411890" border="0" /></a>That's Stephanie on the left, me on the right, hoisting our gorgeous acquisition...a CVM/Romeldale/Rambouillet fleece from Sister Sheep. I ended up with 3 lbs. of the loveliness.<br /><br />Then we went to Twin Peaks farm, where Connie has an "in." Lucky us! We met a lot of little new lambs, as well as some sweeties such as Cochise, a CVM ram, below.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIeY4fSkmjmp0HnPsxia_yuStxSycQ8M1EpfcNHi_UDKWk9KG0uBrT00N24vqBCi-pUUI5CIdE7_WttxeYpNl-vD1VU3YipJsuj7Fn-odfqRYlpObcn0-9GPINw0nloI_pkMbGLjCfosA/s1600/096.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIeY4fSkmjmp0HnPsxia_yuStxSycQ8M1EpfcNHi_UDKWk9KG0uBrT00N24vqBCi-pUUI5CIdE7_WttxeYpNl-vD1VU3YipJsuj7Fn-odfqRYlpObcn0-9GPINw0nloI_pkMbGLjCfosA/s320/096.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477082582113280450" border="0" /></a>We decided to buy Cochise's fleece and split it 3 ways. My share was 2 lbs., below:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-b6qKdlcZJ0EHfMrQjxDg-sIxV4D_UAmob9947ya6IQy1D5bMROf7flIYQMk3eNfkZCpyz0pQsYooBi6QudV1nH5dzzt_c0oPMiUASUggfYoXWm_BQ8WTkqV1VhxmAnokcTVpqFLgXMg/s1600/107.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-b6qKdlcZJ0EHfMrQjxDg-sIxV4D_UAmob9947ya6IQy1D5bMROf7flIYQMk3eNfkZCpyz0pQsYooBi6QudV1nH5dzzt_c0oPMiUASUggfYoXWm_BQ8WTkqV1VhxmAnokcTVpqFLgXMg/s320/107.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477082570528714882" border="0" /></a>I took everything home, freaked out at my good fortune, and then washed up part of the white fleece, which Beh (aka Evil Cat of Perpetual Badness) promptly found while it was drying. Aw.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPc7wITrcEriJ6nVbAaYDwwJUeBcfiONMXQjbA43g00wQ91FfQcJvkXcQqFFQunMmKALWrdfq6Re37_rfD4zqJsyeh9EUm0ItYe5GAiN83QZTjYwbN2QLz5dCAI2E-2oj1vd4m2fgv-Rw/s1600/034.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPc7wITrcEriJ6nVbAaYDwwJUeBcfiONMXQjbA43g00wQ91FfQcJvkXcQqFFQunMmKALWrdfq6Re37_rfD4zqJsyeh9EUm0ItYe5GAiN83QZTjYwbN2QLz5dCAI2E-2oj1vd4m2fgv-Rw/s320/034.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477084870225960946" border="0" /></a>Don't worry! This isn't usual. The cat is typically kept far, far away from the fiber. Since this particular portion will probably become my first sweater, I didn't think I needed to chase her out. I mean...how cute is she? If only everyone could sleep in a cloud of fleece! :)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw2fOmwT_4r2jO4aO3-QmKin6P4eefs7LAYXSNZYupOO1z1iLQ2970ht0L2ow0uW3jRy1-SEI7zOGn_VMl1m9HjjT4enrCVgv2LuDu5jyZVnoOsJ_fFJ76aQE5gPAv8lvRLqH6G4_RQDc/s1600/034.JPG"><br /></a>Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15096643425393420097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-481511415805229231.post-11570641716892297082010-05-28T14:45:00.004-06:002010-05-28T15:16:36.908-06:00But...why?Why do I make yarn by hand? <br /><br />Because when you think about it, it's kind of ridiculous. It's <span style="font-style: italic;">yarn</span>. That's just one bump up from string. You can buy yarn for el cheapo cheapcheap at your nearest big box and whip up an entire afghan for $15, if you set your mind to it. Or you can just forgo the "making" part altogether and buy a blanket pretty much anywhere. Who needs hoity handspun when you can just buy the finished product?<br /><br />But see...that's exactly the point. The magic comes in the making...the creating of something out of not very much. I spin because I have to. I'm completely serious. Spinning is addictive magic. There is something about treadling to make the wheel spin while simultaneously watching and <span style="font-style: italic;">feeling </span>the fibers twist together. <br /><br />Spinning has woken my sense of touch, and there's really no going back. Why settle for four senses when you can have five? At this point, I can plunge my hands into a raw fleece glistening with lanolin and tell you what breed of sheep it came from. I can rub your coat a little and let you know if it was made with wool or alpaca or cotton or something manmade. It's all just a little amazing. I'm in love with my new-found sense of touch!<br /><br />On top of all of that, spinning is a great calmer. My stress level goes way, <span style="font-style: italic;">way</span> down when I am in the midst of freaking out about something and have a sit-down at my wheel. It is a slow, patient process, which lends itself wonderfully to pulling you back...slowly, methodically, gently...from the Cliffs of Insanity. The touch of the fiber is soothing, and the rhythm of the wheel whirls troubles away. <br /><br />So you see, I must create yarn. I must decorate with yarn. I must pepper the knitters in my circle of friends and family with yarn. And I must sell yarn, because I love to spin so much more than I love to knit or weave, and if I didn't get it out of my apartment somehow, they'd find me one day buried under mounds of wool and llama and flax and sparkle and whathaveyou. <br /><br />Which is actually starting to sound appealing...Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15096643425393420097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-481511415805229231.post-21380858479033319592010-05-18T09:34:00.005-06:002010-05-18T10:09:51.060-06:00In Which I FTHOOkay, here's the deal.<br /><br />I'm swamped.<br /><br />I can't get it all done! I keep trying! I really do. But everything is so busybusybusy. I'm not even exactly sure why that is. Craptons of social & fiber type things are the likely culprits.<br /><br />Last week was ridiculous. Tuesday night was Guild. Wednesday night was Happy Wednesday with my neighbor Valaroo (which I s'pose doesn't really count, since we just go out for dinner/happy hour and then I get a few hours of downtime afterwards). Thursday I went over to Stephanie's house to help her spin for Colorado Weavers Day...she was scheduled to teach a novelty yarns class and needed last-minute tailspun & boucle yarnspinning help. Friday night was Rea's birthday, so off to celebrate I went. Saturday was said Colorado Weavers Day (allllllll day long), I met a few fiber friends for dinner at Southern Sun, and then there was a Spin-in at Shuttles from 7-9:30, where I also met other members of the Sheep-to-Shawl team I haphazardly joined for Estes Park Wool Market.<br /><br />Ah, yes, the Sheep-to-Shawl team. This has become interesting. Guess who idiotically volunteered to spin the warp. From handcombed top, no less. And naturally, I'm the only member with combs. WHAT am I thinking, I ask you. I'll most likely also end up warping the loom because somehow I'm the only person with floor loom experience?? What?? And I'm a spinner on the team, so what am I doing weaving? The original weaver was inexplicably booted to alternate. Don't ask me, I'm not in charge. I don't know what's going on here. All I know is that these things need to happen before June 13th: deciding on a pattern, scouring of the fleece, drying of the fleece, handcombing, spinning the warp, and warping the loom. And I'm involved in every step. Yikes. What I really need to do is quit trying to do everything myself...this is a team effort after all...and remember that the point of this is NOT perfection. It's educating the public. It's supposed to be fun. **deep breath**<br /><br />Tomorrow I leave for Texas. Ah, Texas, respite of warmth and family. My sisters Little and KK will be there, as will my parents. We're all staying at Little and Pedro's house in Austin (my grandmother's old house)...a little mini-family-reunion. Ultra-special because KK and I are leaving our Significant Others at home, so we don't have to worry about Josh and Ben having to figure out and deal with our wacky fam. I'm so looking forward to this trip. I really need it. As soon as I come back, everything will be megabusy again. But at least my soul will be rested and ready to meet the crazy head-on. :)Nicolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15096643425393420097noreply@blogger.com0