9.28.11 Insert post title here

So it has been about a month, time to update. In the past month there has been an earthquake, a hurricane, a power outage, an illness (better now) and some other stuff. I bought a happy Buddha just in case. Because the “now” is what is important.

I do have another finished weaving project though, woven from stash which is one thing I have been trying to do of late.

I warped the 4 shaft Nilus for a “throw” with some Harrisville New England Shetland in colors I had on hand: Astor (pink) and Camel. I wish I had wound warp stripes instead but I live and learn about all this stuff as I go. I wish I had picked better colors. The weft is a cone of wool/raw silk that I had on had from a purchase of mill ends. Somehow I don’t have a photo of the work in progress but here are some after shots and I know about the threading error and I don’t much care.

fringe tying

After wet finishing the throw by soaking it in some warm water and Palmolive dish soap then rinsing and spinning in the front loader it is soft and drapey.

casually reclining on the couch

Details?
484 ends, doubled floating selvedges threaded straight draw for simple twill.
Sett 12 epi which is looser than recommended but I wanted to have a softer finish.
Width in reed: 40″ Warp length: 102″
Finished measurements: 36″ x 62″.

Spinning progresses. I love to spin. I love to spin different fibers on different wheels. I love to spin different fibers on different wheels in different rooms.
Cotswold in the dining room:

finished skein of cotswold

Merino in the TV room:

Merino for football games

The most heavenly 50/50 cormo/angora for quiet time in my “studio”:

Charlemagne the Emperor says: I command you to stop that spinning and pay homage to me!!

The Emperor's paw strikes

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.

12.3.10 Irregularity

Blogging not the other thing. Stop thinking about that other thing. My screening colonoscopy is coming up on Dec.14th. Have you had yours? I thought not.

Happy belated Thanksgiving to all here in the USA. Mr. Lady, DD Caroline and I went to NoVa for the holiday and spent turkey day with MIL and his sister’s family in Alexandria. My SIL Debbie traveled all the way from Massachusetts and made a great dinner at MIL’s house and the turkey especially was outstanding. I think it was the meat probe thermotimer. You know how difficult it is to get a turkey cooked without overcooking it? I want one of these timers for Christmas. After dinner we drove through Old Town Alexandria to Arlington to visit my mom and my brother’s family at Mom’s house. Our mom will be 82 on Dec. 12th and is still working 5 days a week. She still drives to work through the District of Columbia, grocery shops and does her own yard for the most part.

But I have motivated to finish some projects for Christmas. I can’t show them here of course but one is knit and one is woven. I can show the twill scarf failure from the last post. The warp was gorgeous. The weft was black, I thought it would make the warp shine. It looked good on the loom I say!! Nope. Wrong weave structure. Wrong sett. Waste of a good 800 yards of yarn. The darn thing could be used to retread tires! Sample people, sample.

Better things to come I hope. Christmas is 22 days away!!

“Am I getting any presents???”

11.6.10 I love a haircut

Just got home from the every other month shearing. I can’t believe sheep don’t seem to like having a haircut because I love it. Pampering is good.

Do you have a drawer of wires like this? Just wondering. All I wanted was one extension cord. It needs a good haircut!

Do you have a new bathroom floor, painted walls and refinished cabinet? I do and it looks so good I had to publish it. Thanks Mr. Lady. The tile is from Lowe’s and the color on the walls is Silver Tinsel. It is the new paint with primer already in it by Behr from Home Depot.

The loom is half dressed, this is weaving progress for me lately. This warp was wound last Friday, raddled and wound on last Saturday and then my shoulder decided to protest so I had to stop and wait. I may get to the threading later today. The warp is Schaefer Anne, for a good ole twill scarf. The weft is going to come out after some stash diving.