Spin, Knit, Weave - Oh Shiny!

In the category of spin, I've got a few things going on. We recently had another "Spin In". I've really enjoyed getting to know new people and new wheels. This wheel (owned by Karen) was of particular interest to me. I think Karen said it's from the 1800's and it's known as a "walking wheel". There are no treadles. Karen walks the wheel while drafting the fiber. It was really interesting to watch her command such a large wheel. Sometimes these wheels have a mind of their own, but she was in complete control.


Like most fiber activities, this one included one heck of a potluck spread. I love that fiber friends bring all kinds of delicious goodies.


I think we had about 13-14 people and everyone seemed to have a blast!


I also got to use Debi's drumcarder! I am trying so hard to resist the temptation, but it was so delicious. We are choosing our fiber before-hand this month for Tempe Yarn & Fiber's Expressions in Spinning group. Our inspiration is wild flowers that bloomed in southern Arizona. I carded some fiber I had at Debi's for the spin.

I love the way the batts turned out!!! I also got to check out Debi's looms. They are stunning and her projects are lovely.


I finished spinning up the silk that I spoke about in this blog. This silk was really beautiful, but I should not have plied it. It was dumb on my part. I need to get back to being inspired by Phoenix, but I also don't want to put undue pressure on myself. I'm having a good time. This was the first time I've spun 100% silk from roving and I don't know that I will do it again. A blend is one thing, but 100% silk seems somewhat wasteful. I maybe have enough to do some edging around a garment.


The spindle bug has finally bitten me. I was checking out One Planet Yarn and Fiber's website (the owners live in the Valley) and came across the most beautiful spindle I had ever seen. It spoke to me for several reasons. First, the artist (Avi Wasserman) is Israeli and living in Israel. The whorl is made from carob wood (from Israel) and I have a carob tree (that I love) in my front yard. The whorl is set with turquoise (so Arizona) and it's signed and dated by Avi. The shaft is made of African mahogany. This thing is just a beauty. I wasn't really sure that I could get it to spin, but OMG - I love it!!! I started spinning yak, which is not the best choice; it's slippery and has a short staple. I managed to get it going, but then I switched to alpaca and everything clicked!

I loved my spindle so much, that when I saw that someone was destashing a similar spindle I knew that my spindle was lonely and needed a brother. At least, that's what I told myself. Funny, how we justify these things. My other spindle is a Cascabeles spindle (he actually is Avi's mentor) and is cherry/african padauk with turquoise inlay. I love this baby too! I love that my spindles can go anywhere with me and when I've had enough knitting, I can whip them out. The alpaca came from a lovely woman that has an alpaca rescue farm near Tucson. She was kind enough to give one of the spinners at the Spin In several samples to take back to us. If you're looking for alpaca, contact Apache Spirit in Dos Cabezas, Arizona at 520-384-2041. I couldn't find a website for her. Big thanks to her for giving all of us a nice treat! In the knitting arena, I am not working on anything easy right now. I have been knitting a February Lady sweater since February. I'm nearly done with the body and about to start the sleeves. I also started a Brandywine Shawl in some of my handspun, which I talked about in this blog. I think it's great that Rosemary Hill (she designed the pattern) is sending $5 from the sale of every pattern to Haiti. I'm not convinced that this is the right yarn for this project and I may end up ripping it out.

I also finished knitting "It All Comes Together Beret" in my handspun. I talk about the yarn here. It's a surprise for someone.


I'm still a-weavin'. I'm almost done with a bird's eye pattern on MacSally. Ben was interested and got into the action too. Of course, he didn't have to do the hard part - winding the warp, dressing the loom and tying it on. I'm happy he enjoyed the rhythm of it and hope he takes more than a passing interest in it.


I also got a new weaving toy! I got a Schacht bobbin winder from TYF. I love it!


My next weaving project is going to be placemats with some cotton that I bought from TYF. The gray is Cotton Classic Lite from Tahki Yarns. The blue is Cascade Ultra Pima. The gray is going to be the warp.


There is all kinds of "shiny" around me. I am the type of girl that will use something if it's pretty and I love it. I never realized this about myself, until my friend Sam pointed it out. One of the prettiest things are Paige's glass stitch markers. Um, in a word - "obsessed". They are magnificent and I am obsessed with them. You can buy them at TYF, if I don't get to them first.


I would be remiss, if I didn't take the time to talk about another shiny thing that I am obsessed with. I have a really hard time drinking enough water. I have not had that problem lately because I've bought the most beautiful Sigg. Silly, I know, but this bottle is really making a difference in my life.