The Best Laid Plans

by carmen | Apr 18, 2010 | Uncategorized

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

by carmen | Apr 15, 2010 | Uncategorized

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.

This yarn is “Night Stroll”
This yarn is “Blossom”

Yarn stats

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

by carmen | Apr 13, 2010 | Uncategorized

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

by carmen | Apr 11, 2010 | Uncategorized

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

by carmen | Apr 8, 2010 | Uncategorized

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

by carmen | Apr 6, 2010 | Uncategorized

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

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

by carmen | Apr 4, 2010 | Uncategorized

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.

Good News and Bad News

by carmen | Mar 30, 2010 | Uncategorized

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

by carmen | Mar 28, 2010 | Uncategorized

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

by carmen | Mar 27, 2010 | Uncategorized

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.