Teaching and new fiber

This was my week (month?) to write and submit teaching proposals. I'm submitting to a couple of fall fiber festivals, and perhaps to some nearby spinning and weaving guilds. I've decided to 'take the show on the road' once or twice a year and do some 4-hour workshops. Teaching keeps me sharp--I have to be current on my information so I can answer questions that arise, and it also inspires me because students come up with some very interesting ideas for yarn. Once the "What if?" ideas start going around the room, it's just like swimming in the middle of a Think Tank, and I LOVE it! I always go home completely exhausted and yet my mind is churning with yarny possibilities.

I've also listed a new sock fiber. It's a blend of superwash wool, nylon, angelina and CASHMERE. It is sooo yummy to the touch. I would have liked to put more than 15% cashmere in the blend but discovered that anything more than that started to fly around the room while carding and was difficult to spin properly. I was also concerned that the washability would be lost if the cashmere percentage was any higher. There are several other colors in the works--I just have to decide which one will stay home with me (I always keep at least one of my colorways cause I just can't seem to let go of my 'child').

This is Fire.....


and this is Water


And just for the fun of it, a peak at my latest marbled yarn/roving (both are available), Glow.



I just love what I do.......

It's been a while....

I've been very busy lately trying to catch up with everything that was left hanging when Mom passed in late December. I've gotten the shop back in shape, dealt with contractors/insurance company to repair the storm damage (the gutters all sagged badly from the ice and one of them actually came down, bringing a piece of fascia with it). We're still working things out for my father-in-law--he spent over 50 years living in the house with Mom and he's having a difficult time keeping up with the house and the additional duties of cooking, cleaning and shopping. They did everything together, supporting each others' weaknesses these last few years, and he's like a lone tent pole now, teetering in the wind. We might be moving him in with us so he can have my garden to futz around with but not have the worries about shopping and cooking for himself.

I've been busy working on new marbled rovings and new sock blends with either cashmere or camel. Marbled roving/yarn (L to R: Apples and Oranges, Lake, and Players)




I'm also working on blending tweed yarns but so far my experiments are not to my liking. In the meantime, all my 'failed' tweed skeins will probably be listed in my Sale category. A good buy if you just need a small skein of tweed for a little project. Most of them are running 80-100 yards, so look for them to be up soon (once the camera battery is recharged!).

In the meantime, enjoy the spring snow melt and warmer weather. Daffodils and hibiscus will be up before you know it, and newly shorn sheep fleeces will be available for purchase from shepherds! Back to the studio to play with fiber......