I'm just getting to the end of a weekend in which I actually had time to spin and managed to fill a bobbin with Blue-faced Leiscester for the fall sweater project. I so feel I've accomplished great things. Then there's the rebuilding of the stash room now that the production loom is installed in Pia's house. Oh, an organized stash--will I lose points for that, or gain them. There are points, one way or the other? Considered, briefly, that I could list the fleeces I have on hand, but thought that might be too worrying. Considered, for a slightly longer time, that I might want to buy a Patrick Green Triple Picker to help me get these fleeces into a spinnable state. Then I calculated the price; and so much for that idea, umm, fantasy.
Have begun sorting fiction books for sale. I have three piles, yes, no, and maybe. The object of this little game is to move everything possible into the yes pile, then actually get them all out of the house before I have time to shuffle them back onto a book shelf. Wish me luck, eh?
There was another wonderful concert at St. John's Church in Lunenburg tonight, the second I've been to in a month. A Baroque Ensemble called Tempest: cello, viola de gamba, violins, recorder, wooden flute, harpsichord and bass. If you get a chance to hear them, treat yourself.
Such delight for my senses this concert was, though I must say the seats in this church are miserable and the heat tonight no less so. Difficult to keep one's mind blissed on the music when one is in danger of melting or developing a permanent crick in the back, neck, knees and hips from the hard narrow wooden bench that passes for seating. The floor might have been more comfortable. But for all that for most of the concert I was indeed blissed. I didn't enjoy the tenor, but whether that is the fault of the musical style or the voice I'm not sure. Instrumentals, ah sigh, as lovely and memorable as the one really fine smooth scotch I've tasted, Langevulin (spelling?).
A perfect weekend then, delicious in many many ways.
To bed she said....
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Monday, July 16, 2007
Work in progress, but not THAT!
'Tis summerish here, and today that means no fog and warmer temperatures. What I love about NS is just how variable the weather is. What me and the books don't love is 87% humidity in the house, though I suppose winter heating with a woodstove brings everything back into something like balance, but meanwhile it tries the patience and makes me sweat like a litter of piggies. Air conditioning would probably just give me snow in the house.
Works in progress? No, nothing in the writing line as yet, wait for the production loom to be safely moved to its new home, then we'll talk writing projects. So, w-i-p is a lace scarf knit out of many plies of very very fine silk thread. Same thread used to make the 8 harness silk satin at 90epi on the production loom. It makes me feel a tad nostalgic, but only a wee tad.
[pause for taxi service for Ms C and her friend...]
Supper completed, laundry in from the line, and two mesh bags of wool soaking in hot water and Orvus paste in the washing machine. This is a lovely soft white fleece from P and I'm really looking forward to spinning it up into fine sock yarn and then doing something fun with it in the dye bath.
Now the Cotswold, what will I do about the gorgeous Cotswold I have? Do I wait patiently until I can research and purchase combs and then comb this fleece, or do I just fling bits onto the carder tray and hope for the best? It is such lovely fleece that it seems to me to make sense to learn to use the combs and a diz, but I'm all for jumping in with my usual impatience and just getting what I get. I read recently that this fleece is called 'poor woman's mohair' and it certainly has the lustre and dyeing it gives luscious results whatever the colour.
I ought to be doing chores, vacuuming, organizing, clearing a path for the removal of the Lervad loom but I'm warm, weary and attached to a cold drink, my recliner and the macbaby. At least until I have to drain the washer and give the fleece a rinse in about 20 minutes.
The next couple of weeks will be summer busy, so I need to carve out as much time for the scarf project as possible so I can get it done in time to mail it for a September birthday gift. It would help immensely if I didn't have to take it apart every so often when confronted by a glaring error. Minor errors I'll live with, glaring, not so much. It does require a great deal of persistence when knitting the same 4 inches over and over again, so when I get to pull yarn from the ball I let out a cheer, yes, we're past the point of the last......umm, ____up. Way to go girl.
Considering going to Lunenburg after work tomorrow to see how close I can get to the Tall Ships in port. I mean if I have to walk from Mahone Bay or Blockhouse due to massive traffic snarls and zero parking, I'll be turning around for home without so much as a second thought about it at the earliest opportunity. I'm hoping to have a 'window' around 4:30 where I can get into town and find some place for the car and be homeward bound again by 6:30 or so.
Okay, so the strawberries are wonderful this year and I've made 16 cups of jam and have it stowed in the freezer for winter. I don't know how I found room, but I did. I know, I know, I've promised to excavate the freezer but I'm waiting for more information on the correct method, grid layout and possibly an historical artifact removal permit from the county. And then of course I have to carefully select my highly trained team. It could take years.
Works in progress? No, nothing in the writing line as yet, wait for the production loom to be safely moved to its new home, then we'll talk writing projects. So, w-i-p is a lace scarf knit out of many plies of very very fine silk thread. Same thread used to make the 8 harness silk satin at 90epi on the production loom. It makes me feel a tad nostalgic, but only a wee tad.
[pause for taxi service for Ms C and her friend...]
Supper completed, laundry in from the line, and two mesh bags of wool soaking in hot water and Orvus paste in the washing machine. This is a lovely soft white fleece from P and I'm really looking forward to spinning it up into fine sock yarn and then doing something fun with it in the dye bath.
Now the Cotswold, what will I do about the gorgeous Cotswold I have? Do I wait patiently until I can research and purchase combs and then comb this fleece, or do I just fling bits onto the carder tray and hope for the best? It is such lovely fleece that it seems to me to make sense to learn to use the combs and a diz, but I'm all for jumping in with my usual impatience and just getting what I get. I read recently that this fleece is called 'poor woman's mohair' and it certainly has the lustre and dyeing it gives luscious results whatever the colour.
I ought to be doing chores, vacuuming, organizing, clearing a path for the removal of the Lervad loom but I'm warm, weary and attached to a cold drink, my recliner and the macbaby. At least until I have to drain the washer and give the fleece a rinse in about 20 minutes.
The next couple of weeks will be summer busy, so I need to carve out as much time for the scarf project as possible so I can get it done in time to mail it for a September birthday gift. It would help immensely if I didn't have to take it apart every so often when confronted by a glaring error. Minor errors I'll live with, glaring, not so much. It does require a great deal of persistence when knitting the same 4 inches over and over again, so when I get to pull yarn from the ball I let out a cheer, yes, we're past the point of the last......umm, ____up. Way to go girl.
Considering going to Lunenburg after work tomorrow to see how close I can get to the Tall Ships in port. I mean if I have to walk from Mahone Bay or Blockhouse due to massive traffic snarls and zero parking, I'll be turning around for home without so much as a second thought about it at the earliest opportunity. I'm hoping to have a 'window' around 4:30 where I can get into town and find some place for the car and be homeward bound again by 6:30 or so.
Okay, so the strawberries are wonderful this year and I've made 16 cups of jam and have it stowed in the freezer for winter. I don't know how I found room, but I did. I know, I know, I've promised to excavate the freezer but I'm waiting for more information on the correct method, grid layout and possibly an historical artifact removal permit from the county. And then of course I have to carefully select my highly trained team. It could take years.
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Spin, span, spun
What a glorious long (Canadian) weekend. I managed to wash another Cotswold fleece, beginning with a rain water soak or two and dumping the sludge onto plants and shrubs in my much neglected garden. The fleece then had a hot wash and a spin in the washer so it is now quite presentable. It still has enough 'eau de mouton' to be enjoyable but it ain't pissy rank.
Then there was spinning, many hours of it, while I listened to radio and the iPod depending on my mood. I've discovered the Putumayo genre recently and I'm definitely a fan. Knitting progress was made on the tank top as I watched the Rocky Horror Picture show (twice), Deepa Mehta's Fire and the first two discs of Season 1 of Arrested Development. Looking at that list I may have to worry about myself.
Spinning: I finished a bobbin of 'oatmeal' coloured Blue Faced Leiscester and am nearly done a bobbin of Louet's 'marmalade' colourway. I've quite a bit more to do as I'm spinning for a sweater project I plan to begin in the late summer.
Surprises: I have a textile book that I want to sell that is priced at over $400 on Abebooks & Amazon. How delicious is that? Then today I brought half a dozen books to a local book trader and sold 4 of them to him. I've just received an email asking me to pick up 3 of them because they are worth over $100 each and he thinks I should get that money. I take this as extraordinarly honourable and kind. So if you're in Nova Scotia, make a trip to The Biscuit Eater in Mahone Bay to enjoy this treasure as much as I do. Besides, he'll likely get the money I make on these books as I'll be able to afford more stops for coffee, biscuits, muffins and today's treat - carrot cake.
Time to hit the sofa and knit for the rest of the evening. Thinking I need to work on my shawl project (Bird's Nest pattern from Folk Shawls in silk and alpaca) or perhaps (dare I think it?) begin the Fiddlesticks shawl pattern I bought, I think it is a Feather & Fan, but then I'd have to use my hummm, profits (see above) to buy the yarn I want to make that in.
Then there was spinning, many hours of it, while I listened to radio and the iPod depending on my mood. I've discovered the Putumayo genre recently and I'm definitely a fan. Knitting progress was made on the tank top as I watched the Rocky Horror Picture show (twice), Deepa Mehta's Fire and the first two discs of Season 1 of Arrested Development. Looking at that list I may have to worry about myself.
Spinning: I finished a bobbin of 'oatmeal' coloured Blue Faced Leiscester and am nearly done a bobbin of Louet's 'marmalade' colourway. I've quite a bit more to do as I'm spinning for a sweater project I plan to begin in the late summer.
Surprises: I have a textile book that I want to sell that is priced at over $400 on Abebooks & Amazon. How delicious is that? Then today I brought half a dozen books to a local book trader and sold 4 of them to him. I've just received an email asking me to pick up 3 of them because they are worth over $100 each and he thinks I should get that money. I take this as extraordinarly honourable and kind. So if you're in Nova Scotia, make a trip to The Biscuit Eater in Mahone Bay to enjoy this treasure as much as I do. Besides, he'll likely get the money I make on these books as I'll be able to afford more stops for coffee, biscuits, muffins and today's treat - carrot cake.
Time to hit the sofa and knit for the rest of the evening. Thinking I need to work on my shawl project (Bird's Nest pattern from Folk Shawls in silk and alpaca) or perhaps (dare I think it?) begin the Fiddlesticks shawl pattern I bought, I think it is a Feather & Fan, but then I'd have to use my hummm, profits (see above) to buy the yarn I want to make that in.
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