Too Cool, Two Cool Things

I've been working all day long. I started working on my silk for needlework sample for my level 3 homework and finally finished all the spinning last night just as I was going to bed. I was tempted to stay up and work on my needlework into the wee small hours of the morning but finally good sense won out and I decided that perhaps some sleep would make it better to work when I was fresh. This morning I woke up quite early and the first thing on my mind was my needlework.... I was excited to get started and so all day today I've been working on embroidery. This is the result......

I am really happy with my work. I think it is by far my best sample so far. The embroidery thread is spun in pure silk. The white is Bombyx silk and the ecru is spun in Tussah silk. I knew as soon as I found out that I would need to do a silk embroidery sample this year that I would use both Bombyx and Tussah on a black background though I didn't know what my picture would be then at Christmas time I received a catalogue in the mail from Northern Images and in it was an etched mirror with this picture on it and I knew in an instant that that would be my needlework sample.... I'm so proud.....

The second thing to tell you all about is the burl... I went to the guild member's house on Friday past to say my goodbyes since she is moving to New Brunswick which is way across country and I wanted to see her one last time before she left. In her living room was this really cool plant stand that was a burl that she and her husband had come across in the bush and dragged home. They had spent some time with a wire brush smoothing it down after all the bark had been removed and underneath, where it had gone through a fire in it past years, was this beautiful dark burnished wood. She put a base on it so that it would stand up and had it as a feature in her living room. I loved it and so I asked her if she was taking it with her or leaving it for the new people who are buying her house.... she said she hoped to take it with her but her husband was not happy about it and didn't want to.... that was it.... I never thought anything more about it.

As I was leaving she asked me if I had any fleeces that she could buy from me and I said that I had lots of fleeces and if she wanted one then I would send Hubby out with it in the afternoon and that she could have it as a going away gift.....

I left that afternoon for the Sock Workshop.

When I came home on Sunday there in my living room was the burl..... she gave it to me.... to ME... that was SO nice...... and it looks awesome in my living room..... at least I think so.


So there you have it..... two cool things which are too cool!

A Little More About The Workshop

Monday was a strange day.... I slept like a demon on Sunday night, and then Monday afternoon I conked out again. Still in between it all I did manage to get some work done on my level 3 homework. I have silk spun for my needlework. I still have to do a little more. But it is going better than expected.

Meanwhile I took some pictures from the Sock Workshop....

This was our manual.... full of excellent information...

We tried a superwash wool which I actually am dead set against since I really hate all the new fangled wools on the market that have been chemically tampered with. Superwash is wool that has had the scales removed by chemically treating it and then dipping it in plastic in order to change it enough to avoid felting.... thus making a washable wool. Would you want that on your baby.... I don't think so... and quite frankly I wouldn't want to put it on me either.... but I did try a sample and this is it.... it was quite soft but man, all those chemicals... why can't humans leave something perfect alone....

We tried wool blends with a nylon called Firestar and has a really amazing shininess to it.... still though it is nylon.... yuck!
I liked this sample the most.... it is a Blue Faced Liecester wool (BFL) and silk blend and felt lovely. The gold stuff has bamboo in it and also goes through a serious chemical process.
This was a self striping yarn where I used a Navajo ply method to keep the blocks of colour in tact...
This was a really harsh yarn that I didn't like the feel of but spun like a dream... Bamboo/Mohair/wool blend and would make an awesome sturdy yarn for a work sock in cool colours. Maybe it would soften with washing... hmm... maybe I'll have to try it...

And after all is said and done I now have the warp for the Big j.c. done..... woohoo.
I am working on a silk sample for my level 3 so that's what I'm off to do.... that and watch a movie.... see ya!

Workshop

Well six months of planning and the long awaited Sock Workshop of 2010 is over. I learned lots. I laughed lots. I worked lots. I enjoyed it lots.

There is nothing as gratifying as walking away from a workshop with new knowledge to mull and explore. I will be trying out some new spinning techniques for socks at the very first opportunity.We had a great time trying out worsted preparations for spinning a sock yarn that would withstand the onslaught of constant wear and tear that a sock gets. I relearned a plying technique that I had previously learned and got some techniques to make it even better.... I learned how to ply so that I can spin self-striping yarn and then I learned physics.... the physics of spinning.... things that I was already thinking about but hadn't quite gotten to the fruition of full formulation. I learned about the physics of twist in yarn and how the spinning wheel distributes twist, I learned about wave theory and how it applies to the distribution of energy and how it is interrupted by slubs in the yarn. I learned about recycling and how to use recycled bits in novelty yarn and what makes a good blend for a sock yarn. There really is nothing better than a successful workshop.

Tuesday is the full moon and once again sleeping has been an issue and so I managed to survive through the workshop with very little sleep.... I do have to say that I am next to wasted after working hard with near exhaustion. I am amazed at how well I did all things considered.

The company was great throughout the weekend and there was much to laugh at and discuss. Saturday started with great belly laughs which set the barometer for the whole weekend.

There were great fibres to try out, like my favorite for the whole weekend.... a Blue Faced Leicester (BFL) silk blend which was awesome and spun like a dream. I also got some Wensleydale which I am going to blend with some silk and cotton to spin for a nice 3-ply sock yarn. I think that it will look great maybe in a lace or textured knit stitch.... I was also invited to enter a sock in the Sock Exhibit and Exchange.... I think I might. I'm getting ideas.... the big thing with that is will I ever get time.....

I still have the big j.c. to finish and my birthday is only a few weeks away and my goal is to have the d-mn thing done and gone out of this house by then... it will be my birthday gift to myself. Then after all is said and done I have to get my level 3 homework done... I can't wait to get at it full time. Then what ever time is left will be for shawls for the fashion show at Olds and the Sock Exhibit.... we'll see. With ever increasing temperatures spring is just around the corner and I'm looking forward to sitting on the deck in the sunshine with a fire in the fireplace and flowers growing all around....

There lots to look forward to and lots to do.... in the meantime here are a few pictures from the weekend.

Moi with my Bamboo/Mohair/Merino blend 3-ply sock yarn. Oh... just look at that Rudolph nose of mine.... I could find wool even in the fog!
This was our instructor and I wonder what she was saying. Sorry M that was the only picture of you....

OK these two had a whole lot more fun than their faces are portraying.

Everyone is so serious.... they must be concentrating on the instructor.... she was very interesting.

Well she looks enthusiastic.... actually I think she's holding up yarn.... yes, we spinners need all the exercise we can get!

They're hard at work... I wonder what they're spinning....

We all had to fiddle with our wheels.... and look at that green on her bobbin... that's the Bamboo/Mohair/Merino blend fibre....

Ahhh... finally a happy face... "A little less seriousness and a whole lot more relaxation."... It's all good.

Cool another happy face....

And look at that there we all are.... We looked like such happy campers.... I means spinners....


And tomorrow you can see what we did.... I'm off to catch a few zzzzzzz's.

I'm Back And Then I'm Off Again

Well we had a lovely few days at the brudder's place. Very quiet and very relaxed. Daughter #2 got a cold but otherwise a relatively uneventful few days.... Hubby went fishing but didn't catch anything. The drive was nice and the mountains were awesome.... snowcapped and beautiful. Hubby and I discussed options for retirement.... which is a joke since retirement is a long way off yet. My desire is to buy a small piece of land on a lake and buy a houseboat that we can winterize, and live in all year long. It would be on the lake in the spring and summer and pull it up on the land in the fall and winter. No sheep. No alpacas. No worries. And closer to a city so that we have access to medical.... I'm sure I'm going to need it with my family history. We looked at two or three lakes that we would consider living on. I want to stay away from congested areas since I'm totally anti-social.... Now that I'm going deaf, it makes sense since that I'm more anti-social. I hate trying to figure out what people are saying. Why can't life have subtitles! Hubby's idea of retirement is to be able to fish and canoe. He also likes to hike but then his knees may not hold up for that. Whatever the case, I doubt if we will stay where we are.... but then you never know. Funny things happen in life and options come up that you just have to take advantage of... and sometimes they are quite unforeseen...

Anyway today I'm off again. This time I'm heading off for a long awaited spinning workshop. I will be working on spinning for socks..... that should be interesting. But first I have to head off for a short guild meeting this morning.... we are sending off a member who is moving away.... we will miss her. So we'll see y'all in a few days when I get back from spinning for socks....

Marnin' Narmin

Good Morning Conversation Between two Newfies....
John: Marnin' Narmin
Norman: Marnin'
John: Fine marnin' this marnin' Narmin.... (pause)
If it's as fine a marnin' tamarra marnin' as it is this marnin', Narmin, then it'll be a fine marnin' again tamarra marnin'!
Norman: Yup

Look what's blooming in my sunroom! It is indeed a fine marnin' this marnin'!


I don't know why they call them Christmas cactus.... they should call them Easter cactus.....

I'll be offline for a few days.... since I will be leaving tamarra marnin' for a few days vacation..... oooh la la! Have a good springbreak/weekend!

Winter Is Back

It's the last hurrah. Winter is working hard at being back again. It has been snowing for two days... well yesterday the snow melted by three o'clock and everything was wet, wet, wet. But I got up this morning and the snow is back... it has been snow all night so of course the poops are once again covered in white.... this is good because on a farm in the spring there is plenty of poop. I knew going for a walk the other day would jinx me and bring the snow back.

Our lambs from last year have all been butchered now and we are back to a nice normal number of sheep. There are four males two rams, Oscar, pictured here... and Ipwitch, and two withers Greigg Pictured here with Ipwitch in the background..... and Palmer. Up in the upper paddock there are eight ewes. Fanny, pictured here.... who is a Shetland/merino x is pregnant.
Red, pictured here.... who is a purebred Shetland is pregnant... they both twinned last year. Kracker and Krunch who are Fanny's offspring (I don't have a picture of them) and are also Shetland x are both pregnant. Queen is a purebred merino and she looks pregnant. Nellie, pictured here..... who is a Cotswold/merino x is also looking pregnant but since this is her first lambing season I'm not really sure. Then there is Lulu also a Cotswold/merino x and although I saw the ram have his way with her she has not caught for two years so I doubt if she is pregnant.... and lastly is Sal and she is more like a pig than a sheep.... a pig in sheep's clothing..... ha! She has the shape of a barrel and she is first on the hay regardless every time Hubby forks it in to the paddock for them. She pushes all the others around except for Lulu who is slightly higher on her legs than Sal. I doubt very much if she is pregnant because she has never lambed.... besides she doesn't look pregnant and I never saw the ram on her.... I think he was afraid..... but oh what a fleece. I keep Lulu and Sal (Sal is on the left, Lulu is black and in the middle, and Queen is on the right and Nellie is in the background with Mishka the alpaca)..... because they have first place fleeces. Very nice! They both took first place for their category in the Olds fleece show last year and Lulu won Grand champion. So good fleece will always have a place in my flock.

Shearing season is here and Hubby and I will have to face that when we get back from our trip next week. It is difficult to shear when the weather is on again off again... I am hoping that it will clear up and we will be able to get those fleeces off the girls before they start lambing.... I am hoping to rig up a harness this year that the ewes can sit in so that Hubby's back won't be so affected by shearing.... shearing is not for the faint of heart.... I would much rather shear an alpaca.... they don't fight it near as much as the sheep.

But for now it is a snowy day and I am thinking about a trip..... away.... and ooh la la.... I have to find someone who will feed them....

The Book

Kathryn Stockett... I just finished reading her book (yes.. occasionally I look up from the big j.c. and do other things). She has written a marvelous book called The Help about the relationships between black maids and their white employers in Mississippi in the 1960's. I have begun to find that it is harder and harder to find a book that keeps my attention and entertains while still having something to say about life, relationships, love, and most importantly social justice. Her writing is fluid and takes you into the world of the characters with ease. I don't normally use this blog to push anything but I was just so happy to find a book that I enjoyed that I wanted you all to hear about it.... if you are a reader and want a good read... this is one.... for sure.