Level 3

So Level 3 in the Master Spinners program begins. I returned on Saturday to an empty house as Daughter #1 and Hubby are off at JCR summer camp until the 11th and Daughter #2 was in Victoria for the Historical fair. I am very glad that my girls are getting opportunities to fly off to interesting locals to partake in programs that allow them to see things other than their own backyard. While I just happen to love our own backyard, there is more to life than it. I really want my girls to have a more well rounded view of the world. Daughter #2 is home now and we are having a very relaxing mother/daughter time together. Yesterday I took her to FSJ for some lunch out and a little shopping. We purchased some fun things for "My Deck"! A fountain with squirrels tipping out buckets of water and a shiny metal ball that has whirling things for in the wind, and a lantern. Problem is that "My Deck" is wet.... really wet. We are having the first real rain of the summer. It has been pouring for two days without fail. This is a good thing because the grass was so dry that fire was a serious issue in our neck of the woods. With so many dead trees from Pine Beetle kill and with the undergrowth like dry tinder most people around here were worried that anything would set off a fire and evacuations. Not to mention the farmers and their crops. Most fields are standing at about 5 - 6 inches where they normally would be at about 12 - 15 inches. For those who rely on hay to feed animals (like us) it was getting to be a concern. We are not out of the woods yet. A lot will depend on what is in store over the next couple of weeks.

So I was in Olds for ten days and thoroughly enjoyed my courses this year. I didn't burden myself with a heavy course load as I never finished my level 2 until early June. This meant that burnout had not completely disappeared. I was sorry that I didn't take a Spinning Cotton course that was awesome but at the same time that spinning cotton course would have exhausted me. Level 3 was awesome too. I had to unlearn some bad habits and I was able to learn some things that will improve my spinning... especially woolen spinning. I have some things on the floor of the living room still that need to be picked up and put away but for all intents and purposes I am unpacked. Hubby and I are going to have to bight the bullet and purchase wardrobes quickly because I can see that until the reno is complete putting stuff away is going to be an issue.



One of the days spent in Olds on my level 3 class was a day spent dyeing with natural dyes and learning what different mordants and different modifiers could do to change a dye. We used Madder which is a dye that comes from the root of the plant, though all parts of the plant can be used. It is one of the earliest used natural dyes in the history of man. It gives lovely Turkish red which are predominantly used in Turkish carpets. I was really pleased with the strength of the colours that I got as for some reason, my colours from natural dyes are usually sad and pale. I want to use these beautiful colours from our experiments with Madder to make something and present it in the fashion show next year when I return to Olds. I was looking through my pattern books and got a lovely idea but I do not want to start that project until I have had the opportunity to mount my samples for my level 3 books and do my write up. This means work. I am completely out of ideas as to how to mount the samples and so they sit there mocking me and tempting me. Hopefully today my brain will kick in and I will be able to get that question done and mounted in my book. One down and plenty to go.

Sunday was a down day for Daughter #2 and myself. We took the opportunity to lounge in bed till an unprecedented 11 a.m. Unheard of for moi and rare for Daughter #2. I got up and had a noble lunch of ice cream smothered in caramel sauce. Daughter #2 added to that with Oreo cookie crumbs and chocolate sauce. It was very decadent and quite a pleasure. After lunch I tried my first attempts at spinning ginned cotton. This is not as simple as it sounds since the best preparation method, and in my estimation the only preparation, is punis (rhymes with loonies). So after working for an hour I had spun two punis in which there should be enough fibre for something like a quarter mile of thread. I got four inches which looked more like crochet cotton in the single (and lumpy crochet cotton at that) than thread. Clearly my cotton spinning needs practice. So today after I clean up from a breakfast of toast and tea, I will get out my puni stick and make punis till my hands bleed and then every opportunity I get I will be practicing spinning ginned cotton. Obviously I need all the help I can get.

Level 3 finally presents a real challenge. I think the learning curve for this level will be quite high. I know that I will have to spin about 4 hours a day to see my spinning improve greatly. Level 1 was no challenge but lots of fun. Level 2 was some challenge and some fun. I expect level 3 to be mostly challenge. I am learning to spin things I have never spun before like cotton. I am learning to perfect my woolen technique... that needs lots of practice, I am learning to spin forms of silk that I have never spun before, and I am learning to spin fat yarns and novelty yarns. This is something I've wanted to learn ever since I learned to spin fine and stopped spinning crappy beginner yarns (which were fat because I didn't know any better). I am excited to begin my level 3 homework. Challenge never daunts me but more likely excites me especially when it comes to spinning. That is why I love it. Life should be exciting. It shouldn't be confusing or scary (well maybe a little scary)! It should be real and full of what you love best. That should be family first, a place that you love, like "My Deck" and the thing that you love best to do too. For me that's spinning.