Color abounds

Yesterday afternoon I finally got some time at the loom. Here's the start of the towel warp - I'll weave with this navy weft until I run out, then I'll move to another color, maybe fushcia???  Unfortunately it was a cloudy day so this photo doesn't do the towel justice.

 And here is the colorful handspun all finished - looks like it's a coordinating yarn to the towel warp. It's a polwarth and silk blend.  I still need to wash this skein and count the yardage. Not sure what this will grow up to be yet. 

I'm going to try and get back to spinning in the evenings but I've also started knitting a pair of socks so might work on those for a couple nights. The leg portion of those requires me to pay attention so will have to be selective on knitting while we watch tv in the evenings as some shows/movies require more of my attention.

More stash yarns for sale

I've got more stash yarn for sale at bargain basement prices.  They can be found on this blog on my 'Other Stuff for Sale' page or in my Etsy shop in the Stash Sale section of my shop.  There are complete descriptions in my etsy shop of on the other stuff for sale page of this blog. There will be more to come when I have time to photograph them. I will try to keep the Other Stuff for Sale page updated as things sell.

Now to work on the dreaded taxes.......yet another bit of administrivia that seems to rule my life.

Stash Sale Yarns

In my continuing effort to lessen my stash here are some yarns for sale. I'm trying to be realistic about what I will and won't eventually knit, crochet or weave in my lifetime. I have a table full of yarn awaiting photos........and if they sit too long I'll have second thoughts and put things back on the shelf. These yarns need to be used rather than just sit on my shelf.  These can be found in the 'Other Things for Sale' tab of this blog or in my fiber Etsy Shop in the 'Stash Sale' section.  More to come when I have time to do the photography work.

Stash Sale - Yarn

New updates in my fiber etsy shop with a yarn stash sale - they can be found in the stash sale section of my shop. See the details there or on the other stuff for sale page of this blog.

Table runners ready to cut off the Gilmore Gem loom - I really cut it close - back bar all the way to the back of the heddles trying to eak out those last couple of inches.


I got many emails asking for more details on the Gem loom. As I've said - it's a well made, high quality, sturdy, compact, easily transported little loom.......it's just not the loom for me. I don't want to discourage anyone else from considering one until they give it a try - it might be perfect for someone else, just not perfect for me. Threading heddles gave my back fits and weaving gave my feet, ankles and legs fits.........I think I'm just a Macomber gal that loves a front beam that folds down, beater that comes out and treadles that push straight down with little effort.

 Latest handspun washed and out on the blocker.  This pvc pipe yarn blocker design came out of a very old issue of Spin-Off........I made a few changes but it's pretty much like the one in the magazine. I'm sorry I don't know which issue it was in - it was before I subscribed and a friend made me a copy of that page (no page number or issue on it)

 My little herb fairy garden is doing well so early in the spring

Mom, I'm here - did you say you needed some help???

Glorious day.....

It's been a glorious day - the wind shifted and we had no smoke.......and the temps in the 80's. I've been soaking it up as the wind may shift again by tomorrow bringing the dense smoke hanging over us.

No pictures as I've just posted them on my page for stuff for sale. I've put some Henry's Attic yarn there and some hand-dyed French braids. It's my on-going cleaning out of things I haven't used and don't see myself using - they need to find new homes. The Henry's Attic yarn is lovely but I wove with it for years, time to move on. These are all original skeins, no yardage ever used.  If you're interested in checking them out just click on 'Other Stuff for Sale' under Bailey's picture at the top of this blog. These will also show up in my etsy shop when I get a chance to list them.

Going on a yarn diet......

I'm going on a yarn diet - I have no business buying knitting yarn, no business at all. I arranged, in bags, 8 projects - the yarn and the knitting patterns. These are from patterns and yarn I bought and threw in the closet in the computer/guest room.............this is not from my huge knitting yarn stash down in the studio......all that yarn bought on speculation because I liked it and/or it was on sale and I couldn't resist. So, I'm hoping my friends will help me keep on this diet - if you see me starting to buy some knitting yarn ask me what I'm going to use it for - the only reason I should buy any for several years is if it's for a specific project I'm going to start and I don't have suitable yarn already in my stash. So, the photo above is just those projects up next in the knitting queue..........no embarrassing photos of the studio stash. Now I should clarify that this doesn't apply to buying yarn used for weaving - I have a huge stash but I also go through it quickly and empty cones on a regular basis......after all I sell my weaving.......I don't sell my knitting.

Ok. so as an offshoot to this yarn diet I need to stop buying knitting needles just because I don't remember if I have them in my stash. For example - I just counted 16 size 7 double points - why in the world would I need so many of that size???  The only double points I need extras of are size 1's and 2's for when I have multiple pairs of socks going.

Now to decide once I finish my current spinning what knitting project I want to start on. Spinning and knitting are perfect to work on while we watch tv in the evenings or when I'm on the road.

Now we won't discuss a food diet at the moment.......all I can say is that I need to go on one of those too.........

Black Sheep Gathering

Yesterday morning at o'dark-thirty friend Pat and I left for the day to travel a couple hours north to the Black Sheep Gathering. I used to go spend the entire weekend up there in Eugene for it but have gotten away from it for a number of years - I think I've only gone twice for a day trip in the past 6-7 years. It's a great event, but maybe for me it follows to close behind attending the nwrsa conference so I just don't feel like going, at that point I've had my fiber event fill for the month. Anyhow, it was a fun day, got some visiting in with other fiber friends, took a class, but spent very little money.....I just don't need a thing.......

I took a half day bow weaving class from Marilyn Romatka with hopes that it would make a good weaving guild program for this next year. It was fun and Marilyn was a great teacher, very concise and easy to understand.....which comes from teaching middle school age kids. Our bows were made of 4 ft dowels, paper clips and duct tape - ingenious.

Here's my bracelet in progress - it's being woven in an approximately 5/2 cotton yarn using size 6 beads. This was a 4 hour class jammed into 3 hours so we didn't finish our bracelets that wrap around the wrist twice but got close. (all those threads hanging out are where I spliced in new thread, they'll get woven  in once I'm finished) We did get a good tutorial on how to finish and add the findings. I don't know how much of this I'll do but I really enjoyed it and will have fun sharing it with my guild members.

I did very little shopping in the vendor hall - I just don't need a thing. Then friends Linda and Kathie showed me the gradient yarn they bought from Black Trillium for shawls so I had to go back and pick out a pack for myself. It was a really hard decision as there were so many beautiful colors but I went with a dusty plum.

mini-skeins for sale

I've just listed these mini-skeins of handspun, many hand-dyed yarn for sale in the sale section of my etsy shop.  These are all discontinued colorways from my hand-dyed roving or Ashland Bay roving - all different fibers, details in each listing on what fibers are included in a particular pack. Perhaps someone looking for a pop of color to add to their knitting will love them. I immediately thought of tapestry weavers who need little bits of a certain color. And they'd be great for garneting in creating art batts for spinning. So, I don't know if they'll sell or not but it's worth a try - I have so much of it and I'm just not sure what I'll do with them all. For handspun yarn they're priced great - I want to move them on to someone who will use them.

A nice haul......

Today I met up with Theresa, we haven't seen each other in too long and we don't live that far apart...........well, me on the west side, her on the east side - 1 1/2+ hours apart. We went to the Middleford Yarn closing sale, much has already been sold but we still found some treasures. Very sad that a local yarn shop is closing but I did find out that someone connected with it may be opening a shop in September.  After shopping we visited while lunching. Thank goodness I was able to ignore the sidewalk sale at the Bernina shop - I haven't sewn any of the fabric I bought from my last 3 stops there.

 

At the yarn shop I got another Papaya tote bag - I love my Lotus one, with the big heavy grommets I can load it up with books, magazines and knitting for coast trips, it's a workhorse tote bag......so I got another one at 40% off - the Namaste bag. I found a cute Noni knitted felted tote bag pattern and got some Cascade yarn for that project. And two fun shawlette patterns with some yarn for those although I think the blue one I may end up using the handspun I'm spinning right now. Then I spotted the antique quilt block squares - I got 4 of them to make pillows for the beach cottage.

 

A very fun day..........

 

 

Finally........hand-dyed yarn listed in etsy shop

Finally I have gotten this hand-dyed yarn listed in my etsy shop where I also sell roving. There's absolutely no chance of selling it if no one sees it.....now maybe I'll have a bit of a chance. Back to the yarn - it's Lace Weight 70% Merino/30% Silk, approximately 50 grams and 400 yards - perfect amount for a scarf or shawlette, 2 skeins for a full size shawl depending on the pattern. Maybe deep down I hadn't listed it yet because I was trying to decide which one(s) to keep for myself to knit a shawl out of.......

Play day............

Friday was a play day in Ashland with a couple of other fiber friends...........a day in which we ran into two other fiber friends in Websters fondling the fiber. Had lunch at Dragonfly - one of my favorites spots over there for lunch, especially in the nice weather when the outdoor garden seating is open. Here's a picture of my stash - I kept it small, all in one little shopping bag..........beads for fringes for 2 scarf warps and a few extra crystals for myself from The Bead Studio, a vest pattern that looks perfect for felted wools or handwovens, 3 leaf cookie cutters for needlefelting, some very neat grommet trim for who knows what but I couldn't leave the quilt shop, Fabric of Vision, without it. My fiber fondling at Websters included several Habu fibers, ramie, linen paper, silk/stainless steel blend and wool/stainless steel blend.........and then two sparkley sock yarns for gifts unless I can't stand it and cast on!