Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Triple shot Monday

I've been slacking the last few weeks at answering the SP questions. So here is a triple shot.

Question of the Week #5

Boy, time flies. Summer is when many of us head out on vacation/holiday. So, this week’s question/s has us wondering:

1) Where is your favorite place to go for vacation/holiday?

I like to go somewhere new that I've never been before. Research all the neat locals only nuances and take the back roads.

2) Where is one place you’d like to go?

Bora Bora


Question of the Week #6

Since thinking about holidays/vacations is SO much fun, let’s continue with the theme…

Questions #6
What is your favorite type of project to take along on holiday/vacation?

I usually take a small portable project. I have a rug in wip that normally is my travel project. 9 inch squares on circs.

If you’d like to share a story…Tell us about a time that you packed too much knitting or were stranded without knitting.

We attended a dye party with the intentions of dyeing and didn't bring the spinning wheel or knitting and paid the price.

Question of the Week #7

We are all creatures of habit and when it comes to sitting down to knit, it’s no different…

What is(are) your favorite place(s) to knit?

I love to spin on the south facing balcony. Depending on the project I like to walk for lunch and knit while I walk listening to some tunes. Knitting with my friends at the various knit groups is always fun.

and

What supplies (besides yarn & needles) make the setting perfect for knitting?

Comfy chair if I'm sitting, my MP3 player if I'm alone, and a cold soft drink (cherry coke)


Saturday, July 26, 2008

Happy July

It's been a longer than I wanted since blogging. Summer is flying by and I'm just trying to keep my head above water with obligations.

I sent off my fiber swap and the teal seacel/merino was well received. Next up is the Hush Hush Handspun Hootenanny swap on the spinning wheel.


I joined the Ravelympics this year in two events. Handspun Heptathlon and Synchronized Flirty Skirts. I frogged the flickering flames skirt in preparation for the start of the competition. I'm really only competing with myself but it's another way to keep inspired with my knitting.



Mary Frances and I did the county fair demo a week ago and I learned so much. Never thought you could spin cotton with just a paper clip but it was quite fun. Not like you want to do too much of it but you learn to draft and see the twist enter the draft zone in slow motion.

I felt like Carol Merrill from Lets Make a Deal some of the time but it was really fun


Here we are at the Fair.




After the little demo with cotton I spun on my wheel and even had a few takers to get a free lesson at my wheel.






More updates to come soon

Monday, July 14, 2008

Demo Date Correction

I posted about the OC NightSpinners demo at the Orange County Fair but I have a correction on the day. It's Tuesday the 15th not Wednesday. Here is the schedule of events. I guess I need to look at the Calender more often.

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Swaps and demos

The swaps are in mid swapiness if you you can call it that. I dyed some merino seacel a little while back and carded it on Thursday night with thank to Melissa for letting me use her drum carder. This was for the Fiber Swap Club on Ravelry. We ended up with 4 batts in graduated tones from light to dark. It turned out fabulous if i say so myself. I just received my partner for Hush-Hush Handspun Hootenanny this last week. This is a swap where you send 4 ounces of hand spun and 4 ounces of roving. I have a nice partner who loves purple so should be quite fun. The Secret Pal 12 is chugging along well with my first package shipping this week. Not to many details since it's supposed to be a secret. The swingin-handspun-singles is going well too. I was contacted to swap some Sport weight singles. I really like this group in Ravelry because you look over the others in the thread that you want to spin and make contact. There are threads for lace, fingering, DK, Sport, Worsted, novelty and my favorite, luxury fiber. After the contact you decide on color and fiber content and then after you each swap 2 ounces you ply and share the pics of the 4 ounces of your combined effort. We are doing some dyed cormo, yes she has some too, and another swap of my merino tencel from me and Cormo soysilk from her. I cant wait to see what this looks like when we finish. :)

Last weekend I had the joy of sharing the love of spinning with one of our friends. She wanted to participate in the Tour De Fleece and I was more than happy to help her out. You can follow her here. Go Denise!!!!! She just jumped in and embraced the spinning like a pro and was making yarn on her first day.

Last but not least, I'm going to be spinning at the Orange County Fair and demonstrating as part of the Orange County NightSpinners. I will be there Tuesday the 15th between 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM. Feel free to stop by and say hi if you like. The Demo is at 1:00 PM according to the schedule.

Saturday, July 05, 2008

Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th of July to all of my American readers.

We love our home so much. The south facing balcony is wonderful because of the ocean breeze that cools us each night and tonight we added another benefit. . Tonight we had front row seats to the local fireworks show that were held at the local High school. The local High School is about a mile or so as the crow flies so we hear the football games on Friday night like they were right out side with the public address system. Twenty three minutes of fireworks without having to go anywhere. No parking issues, no gas worries. We actually had peaches while we sat on the balcony. MMMMM cold peaches were so good tonight.




Here is the final 20 seconds of the fireworks from our lovely perch.

Tomorrow is the start of the Tour De France and I'm taking part of the Tour De fleece on Ravelry where we spin fiber the during the tour. Not like I need another reason to spin but I love cycling and spinning so why not combine both loves.

Thursday, July 03, 2008

To be young again just one more day to enjoy the Big Top Circus

Sad news today...



Bozo AKA Larry Harmon, passed away


I loved watching the big top circus.
My childhood seemed to be full of various mid day TV shows. The big three in southern Ca when I was young, Sheriff John, Bozo the Clown, and Hobo Kelly, at certain ages in my youth would either entertain or add something even if it was just a smile. Life was simpler then but I think it's looking at the world with the fleeting naivety that a child of the 60's had something to do with it.

It's just another piece of my life that is changing that I can't control. My mood shifts to melancholy when these bits of my childhood are gone forever except for the memories. Rest in Peace Bozo, we may have tears in our eyes but we will never forget the smiles you gave the world.

Wednesday, July 02, 2008

Camel is sooo nice.

The Tuesday night spin group moved to the next fiber in our monthly fiber study. This month it was camel, beautiful, soft & lovely camel. Janel gave me a little head start lesson a few months ago at one of the guild meetings so I felt pretty confident about spinning this.


The color is a soft tan shade, it just looks a little washed out here. I'm not sure how much more pure camel I will spin. Maybe enough to make a lace scarf or a scarf, hat, gloves set. I can see this blended with silk or merino or even silk and merino. I can see a maybe someday sweater in a blend of camel. This was wonderful to spin, easy to get the fine lace thickness we all strive for.