Fiber Outings

June is THE month for fiber outings!!!

Last Sunday, June 6th, the Ravelry group "Arizona Spinners" decided to take a road trip to Flagstaff for the wool festival at the Pioneer Museum. What a blast!!! We thought we were getting out of the heat, but that was hardly the case. It was nearly 100 degrees up there!


The wool festival had a variety of local vendors and, obviously, there was fiber. lucsiousgracious said that she didn't leave any for us by the time Sunday rolled around, but we still managed to get our hands on plenty of goodness. We got to meet a few very cute alpaca babies.



There were demonstrations like sheep shearing and herding, which you don't see everyday in Phoenix. Below is a picture of a churro sheep getting sheared and a dog herding ducks, which is similar to the way they heard sheep.



Michele from Purl in the Pines invited us to spin near her set up. It's the kind of friendliness that you come to expect from fiber people. Here's Michele's set up. Hope to cool off at some point during the summer and visit her shop.


After a little shopping, we found a nice shady spot and set up to spin. We drew a lot of attention. There weren't really any other groups set up spinning. They asked us to contact them prior to next year's festival and make arrangements to come and demonstrate. I, personally, was really hoping to connect with some Flagstaff spinners; maybe they know something we don't about spinning wool outside in 100-degree weather. Crazy Valley people!


We had about 8 people and I think a good time was had by all.

Yesterday, Saturday the 12th, we observed Worldwide Knit in Public Day. We met up at The Eggery in Phoenix and they were incredibly nice to us. The hostess even wore a WWKIP sticker. We had about 11 people for brunch and then 9 of us headed off to ride the light rail. We decided to just ride it to the end and then back. I had a great time and I think everyone else did too! Here's some photos:

Chris really is a rockstar, she's got the knitting to prove it.


Even babies got into the action. Klover is the official baby for WWKIP day.


I was so excited to take the train and the weather was perfect.


Riding around...




My all-time favorite picture of the day.


To top of all of the wonderful June fiber outings, I'm headed out to Black Sheep Gathering on Thursday and can't wait!

Do you read the Ravelry Funnies?

OMG! I had to share this. This came from a thread on Ravelry and is written by user "shishkani". It is in response to a thread called "Topics covered over and over". Happy LOLing!

" I think I can settle these once and for all, although I’ve skipped a few of the more nebulous ones. Even I can’t answer everything.

Which circular needles are the best?
Surprisingly enough, clover bamboo circulars. The cable join is strong enough that it won’t snap when you’re strangling someone, even if they manage to get a hand in there and it takes longer than usual.

Why is there a disagree button?
Because you’re wrong. No, you really are.

Can I take needles on a plane?
This is what the internet is for. In the US, yes. Anywhere else: google it.

Why do people love red heart?
It’s cheap and you can get it almost anywhere. And it’ll still be in one piece long after humans have destroyed themselves and left the planet a barren, desolate wasteland, covered in piles of red heart afghans. And the colors! Especially fiesta.

Why do people hate red heart?
It’s made out of brushed fiberglass insulation and really cheap toilet paper.

What about copyrights?
Don’t share the pattern, don’t sell the object, without asking the designer. Yes, copyrights are a good thing. No, you cannot copyright a design by mailing it to yourself.

How do I sell my knitting?
Sell easy production pieces for cheap, or sell amazing works of art for lots. There’s little middle ground.

Why waste your cash on cheapskate yarn?
Because I can roll in a huge pile of yarn that you could never afford from your hoity toity yarn shop!

Why buy gold-plated yarn?
Because I don’t get severe friction burn when I wear the stuff I make, and money makes the FO prettier. It really does.

Cat declawing: cruel, but very rarely, necessary.

Why do people friend me?
It could be because you’re awesome. So - are you?

Is it okay to friend someone I don’t know?
Only if they’re awesome.

Should I be afraid if someone I don’t know friends me?
If you are considering this, then yes. They might get you. Or raid your stash page and download all your yarn through the tubes.

What type of interchangeable needles are best:
Knitpicks Harmonies. The colors make the blood less visible, and the points are perfect for stabbin.

Continental vs English knitting:
Easy. Knit English if you’re English. Knit continental if you’re a continent.

Love/hate acrylic yarn:
Love. You just can’t get the same flame from wool, no matter how much gasoline you soak it in.

Noro:
Technicolor goat barf, sticks and all. Although how they get the goats to barf in such precise repeats of color is beyond me …

Why are there knots in skeins?
Because I put them there.

I need yarn to finish my project!
There’s a group for that. It isn’t magically located by crossposting on several of the big 6 boards at once, unless you count how helpful people will always pop up to inform someone of the group’s existence.

My (blank) is in a contest with (blank) vote for them!
No. Cheater.

My (creature) is the cutest!
No, they aren’t.

How do you block acrylic?
You don’t. Or, you torture it into submission and wear its lifeless corpse. It is a dichotomy.

This pattern is for DPNs, can I use magic loop?
Okay, fine. The only answer I could think of to this was mean to anyone who has really asked this question. So forget it.

Why does anyone make dishcloths:
Oh, only the people who actually wash their dishes make those.

Where do I get a pattern that is listed as being in a magazine:
The magazine. Next!

Where are the patterns:
This one’s pretty meta. And my snark reserves are running low.

How big will it be after blocking:
As big as you block it, but generally slightly larger than it is now.

How small will it be after felting:
Impossible to predict - it’s magic. Next you’ll be wanting to predict the weather.

Can I felt in a front loading machine:
I’ve felt a lot of machines in my day. You just have to ask politely first, some of them don’t go in for that kind of thing.

Why doesn’t my acrylic lace look like lace made out of wool?
Because wool is stickier than acrylic. Put a dab of glue on every stitch and then it’ll look right.

Why isn’t knitty out yet?
Because they stick to a strict schedule of always announced updates, fueled by all our subscriptions.

Ugh, okay, I’m done. For now. Come on, ask Shishkani another question.

ETA: Sorry. I’m trying to write my thesis (yeah right, really looks like it) and I might be going crazy."

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.

Helping to Make Things Beautiful

There is no object so foul that intense light will not make it beautiful. --Ralph Waldo Emerson

Every now and then I come across a tool that helps me take my fibery makings to the next level. I have a variety of tools and some (don't tell my husband) aren't as helpful as others.

Last summer, I was spending a lot of time with a friend who had an OttLite. She had it right next to her couch in her living room and seemed to always want to sit under it. I didn't really understand what was so special about this light, but I was curious. Sam and I were stumbling around Michael's last summer and these lights were 40% off. Ben had been out of work and 40% off $200 is a lot of money when you are trying hard not to spend a dime. I decided to go for it. My living room is incredibly dark. It's nice sometimes, but not conducive to knitting, spinning, weaving, etc. This little light has changed my life.

Picture above from OttLite's website.

Initially, Ben complained that the light was too bright. He also was baffled and said something like, "do you really think you need that light?" and "do you think it's worth it?" I hear those two lines a lot. I did what I normally do, I ignored his questioning and continued enjoying my new light. Well, wouldn't you know it? Ben started using my light. A couple of weeks later, we were back at Michael's and buying an OttLite desk lamp for Ben.

I've since moved my OttLite into my new fiber room and missed having an OttLite in the living room. I'm not in the living room as often as I was, but I haven't been thrilled about the idea of schlepping my light around.

This week, I was strolling around Michael's and low and behold - an OttLite for more than 50% off! There was only one at this price and it looked oldish. I scooped it up and headed out. Now, I've added a 3rd OttLite to our home.

I've gotta say these OttLites truly make a difference. They provide you with amazing light, they are flexible, lightweight, durable and reasonably affordable. If you do any type of craft, art, etc. - find a coupon for Michael's (or JoAnns) and get yourself one. You won't be sorry.

www.ottlite.com

What every non-knitter that loves a knitter should know...

The following was written by a guy that goes by the name of Padgee on Ravelry and I think it is hilarious. I had to share this on my blog... maybe I can even get my husband to read it. Enjoy!
Here it is:

I am not a knitter. I joined Ravelry to see where my girlfriend spends her time on the internet lol. In the 10 or so months that she’s been knitting I’ve been secretly/overtly observing and documenting this crazy thing called yarn and what it does to people. These things I know to be true.

1. Yarn is NOT string and should not be referred to as such.
2. Knitting needles are not sticks,stix, or styx.
3. Casting on is NOT a fishing metaphor.
4. Yarn comes in different weights, colors, styles. Kind of like drugs.
5. People dye their own yarn with varying degrees of success.
6. Knitting is taken everywhere. No exceptions are to be made.
7. Fun fur is frowned on by “real” knitters.
8. “Lemme just finish this round” is a lot like me saying “Lemme just finish this round of video games” fair enough
9. A collection of yarn is a “stash” much like drugs.
10. Yarn barf is actually a thing.
11. Ravelry has a weird economy of bartering. Yarn can be exchanged for other goods not related to yarn. ????? Weird.
12. There are knitting groups, where other like minded knitters knit together and (this part is an assumption) talk about how knitters should rule the world.
13. Do NOT sit on or around yarn left on the sofa. This will cause knitter in the other room to jump up and rescue said ball of yarn from your evil ass.
14. Thank goodness there are no shows about knitting on Primetime TV.
15. Stitch markers are NOT earrings.
16. Lots of knitters have kittehs. You know who also had them? Witches.
17. If I want something, “Did you want to go to the yarn store?” are the first words out of my mouth.
18. Yarn stores are populated by alpha knitters. Some stores are better than others. Michaels is not a suitable substitute for a yarn store.
19. The needles that are attached with wire to each other, do not make good nunchuks.
20. Kitteh won’t chase a ball of yarn no matter how many balls you throw at his head.

These things I know to be true.

A Lovely Way to Start May!

April 2010 has come and gone. Time for May! It's starting to heat up here in Phoenix. What better time to play with wool?

I feel like I've been working on these socks forever...



The socks are made from Schaefer hand-dyed yarn that I bought at TYF. This is the second time I have used this yarn and I absolutely love it. It is bar none the best. It is the Nichole line and it's 80% extra fine merino superwash wool and 20% nylon. The socks are for a friend of mine whose birthday was 4/21, so I really need to get them done. I am doing top-down, two at a time on magic loop from one ball of yarn. I have done two at a time on magic loop once before, but I did them toe up after taking Chris' class at Knit Happens. I think I prefer top-down and two circs, but I am going to try some various things to really figure out what it is I like. I did a 3x1 (k3, p1) rib around the leg and on the top of the foot.

I'm makin' yarn - for those of you that know the joke, I just said it like, "I'm on a boat, yo!"

The above photo is of some extremely energized purple and black wensleydale. I got it at the destash at TYF. I already know what this yarn is intended for, but it's top secret. I washed it after taking this pic.


I'm spinning up 8 oz. Pagewood Farms BFL in the olive colorway. It is the first time I am using my new-to-me Majacraft Suzie and I want to hurry up and finish this blog so I can go spin.


One of my most favorite days of the month is the last Friday of the month when TYF's Expressions in Spinning occurs. I am always spinning something that I had never thought of until inspired by others. The topic last Friday was movie character and Scarlett O'Hara was chosen. My yarn represents that she is the epitome of a white person (very literal, I know) and the threads that I carded into the white fiber represent the remnant threads of the fabric of our country torn apart by the civil war. I am really loving the way it is coming out.

I got my loom, MacSally, home and she was "half-dressed". The warp was wound on to the back, but I still needed to thread my heddles and sleigh my reed. I managed to do that all by myself and started weaving. Here are some photos:






I'm really loving my fiber room! So is my cat, Schmooey... I guess he knows where the fiber belongs!