by carmen | Jul 1, 2011 | Knitting & Crochet, Spinning, Studio
I want to start riding my bike to the studio. When Jennifer visits the studio, she rides her bike from Steveston and I am only 5 miles from my studio….so why aren’t I riding….
This is what I will usually cart back and forth with. Far right, needing seaming and labels, middle box yarn needing to be wound for knitting and on the far left (since I’m a mood spinning) every dyed top in inventory.
Even though I have a plan there is no way I can commit to colours or “these five soemthings”. My one pannier rack on the back of the bike definitely doesn’t cut it. Anyone know of a great bike accessory place to recommend. I’ll need to pack like I’m going to war.
I spent some time at Birkeland yesterday, visiting with Pearl. It gave me time to finish off some inventory, shop and work on some spinning. The Matchless is calling to me. I may need to make an addition to the herd. I think it would be my home wheel.
A little cupcake inspiration. It even had me inspired for spinning.
It was more important to work on the 355 stuff, so I finally starting taking some shots and I’ll get those uploaded today. I am having a huge order of baby alpaca dropped off today. More on that later. I love it when beautiful wool just shows up at my house.
by carmen | Jun 28, 2011 | Events, Knitting & Crochet, Personal, Spinning
….something must be wrong. Oh, doomsayer me. I am less than 30 days from Filberg, behind in inventory, postal strike deeply delayed my fibre shipments, I have two too full classes to teach and a bunch of fibre at the studio to be rinsed (thanks Kristen) and somehow things are still pretty awesome.
I have spun my 355 yarns and knit them before they got photographed. I’ve been such a fibre slut lately (greedily knitting my own stuff) but that has to stop or I will have no hand spun for the kits. Yes, they will finally be released for Filberg and the Edmonton Folk Festival.
Please forgive me if you have been following the yarn updates —sorely lacking as of late—-I will be back in the saddle as I will no longer be knitting them myself.
As my friends will confirm, I am usually a big freak this close to the large shows. Not this time. I have great friends, helpers, partners, companions that keep me working and loving every minute of the work.
On another note altogether, Hadiya is recovering from the surgery, better than recovering. She’s already off the pain meds and is reverting back to being her usual snarky pain the butt. I couldn’t ask for better. Knit outside if you can, the weather is amazing here in Vancouver today.
by carmen | Jun 25, 2011 | Spinning
Yesterday, with Kristen and Season One of Buffy (finally someone to share it with) the spinathon began. It was so great to have my groove on, the best company and buffering Buffy on the computer. Kristen’s needles were blazing (they aren’t called Addi Turbos for nothing) and I was in spintastic form if I say so myself.
I know this will make me sound like a bad cat mommy, but it was nice to have a break from Hadiya for a few hours. The pain meds that she is on are making her do ridiculous things and as well as having the cone on her neck, flipped upside down (John thinks she looks like a French Nun) we have had to tape a sock to her foot to keep her from scratching the wound. So now every three steps she does this crazy cha cha with her back leg.
This is better still than the exhausting adventure of Thursday which was the entire night of chasing her around the house with a baby onsies on one leg, and the 2nd arm hole around her neck as she ran through the house with half of it trailing behind her. Anyone have any friends that would like a set of onsies 0-3 month size, 6 of them embroidered with days of the week. —-Only Wednesday is missing.
Getting ready for Ladner tomorrow. John’s on kitty duty for this one.
by carmen | May 27, 2011 | Spinning
Just as I finish posting about how much I love my carder, I come across a post on Ravelry where someone is looking for a carder. So before you know it, I am online offering up my loyal and trusty carder for sale. WTFrack? Really, have I lost my mind?
No, I just happened to have another one, brand new, sitting in the box that I was dying to get at. I have been a Louet Dealer since March so I have ample access to carders and this new one – The Classic Carder is replacing my model that is no longer made. There was nothing wrong with mine. I loved it and still love it, but like old boyfriends, sometimes you just want something new. Thanks for the good times, sweet girl.
Here is my first batt off the new carder…No difference, but it has that new car(der) smell. I’m a fickle chickie.
And the resulting yarn……well….judge for yourself.
Good tools are important.
by carmen | May 24, 2011 | Spinning
by carmen | May 22, 2011 | Dyeing, Spinning
It was a good week. How to you determine a good week? Well for me, the measurements are simple.
pfd – Pounds of fibre dyed
bc – batts carded
ss – skeins spun
uoi – units of inventory
Simple measurements, easy to keep track of . One week and the market season begins.
This merino is like a fluff marshmallow. As well as the merino, I dyed a pound of wool mohair that is just lovely. I also over dyed some alpaca for carding…Super sweet.
This weekend is about at home production. Yes, it may have something to do with the Victoria Weekend Trekathon on the space channel.
