5.23.11 The Best Nest

Clothos Spinning Guild monthly meeting was last Saturday and that means it was time for the judging of the annual fiber challenge. Some of us took the challenge to create a fiber article from fiber we received from Mt. Airy Farm. Some fleece was CVM, some Cormo/CVM blend. Mine was the heavenly blend of Cormo and CVM. Some members spun yarns, some dyed their fiber, some felted shapes or creatures. All were done using the theme of creating something inspired by a person, place or event in Virginia.

My entry, which Mr. Lady said would win “best nest”, was based on the trip we took to see the eagles’ nests and resident eagles on the James River back in the winter.

The Best Nest

I spun a 4-ply cabled yarn of the Cormo/CVM blend fleece and plyed into it the emu feathers that I received from Shirley Treasure in Perth Western Australia last year! When I looked at my fiber sample I knew what I had to do. A world away the colors in nature are the same. The emu feathers there and the sheep here were perfectly matched in shades of cream and brown.

The singles yarn

The emu feathers

Plying with emu feathers

The cabled feather yarn

Mary’s entry was inspired by the emblems of Virginia: dogwood trees and the cardinal.

Barbara’s entry was spun with coins and actual shredded money! She said that during the spinning that her house was covered in money. Too bad it was not whole bills!

These are just a few of the entries. All 3 of us won fibery prizes and I think everyone who participated had a good time creating and seeing each other’s inspiration and results. And Mr. Lady was right, mine was the best nest. The only nest!

1.13.11 A couple of things….

Fair Warning: This post is going to be random. And lacking in proper sentence structure. A flight of ideas.

My friend Maureen has been working very hard. She is one of the founders of food tourism in Richmond: Real Richmond. If you have lived in Richmond VA all of your life or if you just happen to be here for a little while you need to check it out. Here is an article about a recent tour of the Shockoe Slip neighborhood! If you think Richmond is just Monument Avenue, Civil War sites and somewhere to have toll money and not to have a flat tire on I-95 in between Washington and the beach then you could have something to learn. And it would be fun. Plus, most of the toll booths are gone. Phantom Toll Booths as it were.

There has been a newfound interest here at Chez Lady in my old friends the spinning wheels. Last Sunday, I attended a meeting of the local spinning and weaving guild Clothos Handspinners for part of the annual spinning retreat weekend. I have known about Clothos for a long time and actually had my first spinning lesson from a member, after I saw her demonstrating spinning on a great wheel at a Maymont Park Farm Days 20+ years ago. But not being much of a joiner of groups (a prissy girl bit me in kindergarten) I have not been a member. That is not to say that I would not have enjoyed being a member of Clothos Handspinners for all these years. I think I have been missing out all along.

So, I sat and spun with Mary and Barbara and Nicky and had a fibery time! We were all spinning different fibers. In the large room there were all sorts of wheels and fibers, a couple of weavers, some knitters and crocheters, a show and tell table, a make your own needle felted name tag table, a wheel for sale, fibers to fondle, a freebie table with a sewing machine on it, a contest of sorts with prizes for the UFO with the most potential and (I think) the least potential. There is a fiber challenge (I selected CVM fiber) to create a yarn inspired by a person, place or thing in VA history. There was planning for the upcoming Meadow Farm Museum Sheep to Shawl in April. The shawl will be handwoven of handspun Gulf Coast Native fleece from the sheep who live at the farm!

70 yards of 2 ply alpaca

I have a skein of 70 yards of 2 ply alpaca to show for my day and a renewed interest in spinning which is an end in itself for all of us sitting together at the meeting. Who knows what we will make from our handspun. None of us wants to be asked that question.

Finn roving, hand dyed on Suzie Alpaca wheel

More merino on the Ashford traditional.

Trindle spindle, Qiviut/Merino/Silk fiber

In my spare time I have started a simple cardigan sweater. Plain and simple with mock cables. Knit in pieces because I want the structure seams will give it. Mindless, meditative stockinette.

Patons Classic Wool, cardigan sweater

And lastly:
Yesterday there was a fabric design in the ice outside my back door. That must be a sign of something.

Slate and Ice Fabric

Guard! The prisoner has escaped!

The Trespasser.