Wish List

There was much discussion going on between some Fiberistas on Twitter yesterday about spinning wheels. One of my favorite fiberistas, Cloudlover, made a big announcement that she just purchased a Lendrum DT complete (DT stands for double treadle and complete means it comes with all of the fabu stuff you need for big HUGE bobbins of art yarn).

Normally I just congratulate the fiber artist on their new baby and am done with it. However, this announcement came one day after a fairly frustrating evening of trying to get a bulky, plied yarn spun up. It almost ended with my throwing my wheel out of my house into my front yard. Don't get me wrong, I love my spinning wheel, but I'm thinking it's just not cut out for the HUMONGOUS art yarns that I would love to do more of... and would do more of if I didn't lose hair over the whole ordeal.

So, now I have something to save up for. I must also own a Lendrum DT complete. I'm not sure how long it will take me to save up for it... I do have to restock my merino supply soon, but after that I'll save up for a new wheel.

And if you are wondering if I'm going to sell my other wheel - I'm not sure yet. It was my first wheel and I really like it for almost every yarn I do... just not for super bulky, heavy, art yarns. Oh, and if you are wondering if I'm going to sell my other, other wheel (the super duper Craigslist find) I doubt it... unless I need that money for the new wheel... then I might be persuaded to part with it. I just can't be a three wheel lady, that sounds a bit crazy.

A New Toy

If I seem preoccupied for the next few days, it's because I brought home a new baby yesterday. While browsing through Craigslist, I found a spinning wheel for sale. After some research and lots of help from people on Ravelry, I found it was a Mathieson wheel from New Zealand. It came over to NWArkansas by way of Ebay a few years ago, and lucky me, the owner just never got into spinning.

So now it's mine.

I did some work on it last night, spun some yarn, gave it lots of hugs, and I absolutely love it. It spins VERY well and although it won't hold as much yarn as my other wheel, I'll still get a lot of use out of it. I already have this skein of yarn to show off - spun up from some luscious fiber from Hobbledehoy.

That was me in grade 5 baby...

Okay, perhaps the original song is about grade 9, but by grade 9 I had left neon pink behind. I spun up my 3rd skein of yarn on my wheel tonight and it reminded me of one thing and one thing only, many of the outfits I sported in 5th grade.

Okay, before you laugh at me, admit it, if you are between the ages of 25 and 30, you most likely wore some neon pink back in the day. If you are shaking your head, you're a liar.

The colorful bit of yarn is from Cloudlover and is called Changeling. I loved it as a single but it had too many thin bits for me to use it as it was. So I dug up some hot pink wool (inspired by a jar of jelly beans sitting on my desk - seen at left) and spun that up pretty thin and plied the two together. I LOVE this skein. I love it more than the other two I've done. As I look at it, I think "Self, this is something you'd see for sale somewhere". That makes me feel good.

I'm happy.

I'm not only happy because of the yarn but because I've been give the opportunity to join in on a local trunk show at the beginning of November. NightSkyProducts, a local Etsian, invited people to partake in a trunk show and I jumped at the chance. Once I have more details after this weekend, I'll post them. Finally, doing something away from Etsy and away from HUGE craft shows. It's a new step for me.

Tah-Dah!

I think getting a spinning wheel was a VERY good thing for me right now. I needed something new to do, a new creative thing to rejuvenate my crafting spirit. My poor jewelry table is very neglected, but I can't sit there and work on necklaces when I have wool to spin into lovely, lovely yarn.

I finished my 2nd skein of yarn tonight. It's another small one measuring only 39 yards, but I'm still proud of it. I used a bonus batt of wool from Hobbledehoy that she had sent to me with a previous order. Once spun up into a single (see below), I plied it with some rainbow, shimmery thread that a local art teacher gave. So basically it's a free, practice skein. I couldn't be happier with my 2nd skein. I can see some things I would do differently next time, but it was practice, and I refuse to be hard on myself.

I am in denile that the weekend is at an end. I spent Friday night and all day Saturday with my mom. We talked, we went to the store (that is a VERY long story involving wheelchair carts provided by the store that do more harm than they help), drove around, ate burgers and drank milkshakes in the car, and watched copious amounts of tv (any amount more than 30 minutes a day is copious to me as I hardly watch TV and usually stick to DVDs). It was a good visit but a very, very exhausting one. Until the radiation and chemo shrink that friggin' tumor down, my mom's lost the use of her left side. Basically that means any time she needs up, I have to help. I don't know how nurses do it because I'm beat.

Today was spent working for the man. Actually, part of it was hardly work at all. I was lucky enough to have (I say "have" loosely) to meet Itzhak Perlman at the airport. I almost got to go to lunch with him and his pianist, Rohan De Silva, but I had to get back to work to set up for a reception. Yes, ask me how pissed off I am about that. I missed out on fried chicken with Itzhak for a Sunday lunch because I had to set up for a reception. The reception was great, but I'm sure, very sure lunch would have been better.

Ah well. At least I met him and rode around Fayetteville for a bit with him. I'll at that to my list of why my job is better than most.

Well, I'm off to shower, pop some Advil (my back is killing me) and hit the sack. Goodnight, all.

And voila!

A new spinning wheel = a new skein of yarn. It's only 37 yards in length, but it's lovely, oh so lovely.

I'm very pleased with the new wheel (you can get one for yourself at Ford4Him over on Etsy). I'm also quite pleased with spinning on the wheel. I was nervous about sitting down to spin tonight. I didn't have anyone to show me how, I was learning from videos and such online, and what other tips I had came via Twitter posts and Etsy convos, this made me nervous. But I spun, slowly, methodically, and voila - a skein.

If it wasn't past 10PM, I'd go dig up some more wooly batts and spin another skein. However; 'tis late and this girly still has a long week ahead of her.

Bon nuit.

Ready...set...go!

Finally I've taken new photographs and even added some new items to my shop. It was long over due.

I'm not going to lie when I say that October is going to be hell for me. Work is insanely busy this month with shows and receptions out the yahoo (yes, out the yahoo). Aside from work, which is to be expected, I've got life to deal with. So life + work... oh yeah... + a huge craft show = one tired 27 year old. I'm looking forward to the craft show... and looking forward to some aspects of work (however, I wish the work part was spread out over a couple of months).

High points that work will bring in October:
Itzhak Perlman
Slow Dancing
ScrapArtsMusic

So you see, there will be some wicked events taking place at Walton Arts Center in October. However, it is going to wear me to the bone.

Hopefully, the new photos I've taken will hold my shop over for a couple of weeks. Once I get through October's work schedule and craft show schedule, I can concentrate on some new items.

In other news, my spinning wheel arrived today, but the post office is holding it hostage. The postage wasn't enough, so I need to pay $5. No big deal, but kind of annoying. However, I'll have it in my hands tomorrow.

Wheeee!