Twists of Fate

Remember that mystery box from a while back? I unearthed it from under a stack of clean laundry on the couch just now, and took a closer look at it again. It’s from FINLAND!

And guess what is in it?

Amazing mitten kits from Leena!!!

I had completely forgotten I ordered these a while back. I got Northern Lights (#2) and Tulip (#15), and boy howdy did I need that little pick me up today. I guess my mind and the universe conspired to save the surprise until a day when I kinda needed one to help pick me up. And oh, it did.

I have to stop opening these boxes before bedtime though. I’m too pooped to do anything but knit on a basic garter scarf in a lavender boucle right now, and barely have the energy to do that. Tomorrow, though, maybe I can sit down and really look through the kits. Because they are awesome! YAY MYSTERY BOXES!

I just have to mention how very much I love the yarns I purchased from A Piece of Vermont. The colors are marvelous, in very generous skeins, and while I am the slowest knitter on the planet, I keep going past the basket where all the goodies from Jessie are living at the moment to pick them up and squoosh in my hands.

The colorway Fennel is possibly my favorite at the moment. It’s just such a happy green with flecks of purple…happiness! All of them are remarkable though, particularly Stream and…oh, geez. I really can’t tell you how awesome the rest of them are. Just know that if you’re lucky enough to score a skein from her, know you’re getting a treasure!

Plus? That Milo! All those pics make me :D.

…to ease my mind. Which is what I get from the Alpaca wheel. It’s all love.

I finally got around to spinning a bit yesterday, and it was wonderful. Granted, I’m used to double drive so learning how to deal with the scotch tension has been interesting, but overall it’s good. I used a just barely sticky California Red/Coopworth cross roving I just got in the mail as my guinea pig fiber, and it’s working well so far. It’s very forgiving, and I’m glad I bought it from a local supplier over in Port Orchard. Found on Craigslist, it’s quite nice, if a wee bit dusty. I’m saving the actual California Red roving amount for when I’m a little more comfortable with the wheel.

I am a bit concerned that the handle might be rubbing up against the drive wheel - does anyone who has a Suzie/Alpaca have any suggestions? The sound of the plastic bobbins rubbing against the shaft is a bit strange too…hissssssssst! There’s also a bit of a strange clunking sound that I”ll have to investigate when I’m not so tired, but for now? I LOVE the delta interface vs. the round orifice. I wasn’t sure I’d do well with it, but it’s all good. The sliding guides on the flyer arms may also take some getting used to, as I am much more familiar with a hook system, but again, it’s something I can easily adapt to. I hate the rasping sound it makes when you slide the bit of metal over those arms though - total nails-on-a-chalkboard effect.

My energy levels only lasted for about 15 min of spinning, but it was enough to get back into the swing of things. I really hope to be able to carve out half an hour or so of spinning time daily…maybe right before bedtime, a nice transition from work & computery things to something more grounding and relaxing. I think it’s a plan, don’t you?

Working from home today as there was about four inches of white stuff on the ground outside this morning. It’s supposed to snow again tonight as well, so I will probably work from home again tomorrow too. It’s a nice change, given that I’ve spend most of the month on campus and barely able to complete anything due to lack of work space and back to back to back meetings.

Anyway, yay the Alpaca wheel! Love!

Sorry for being radio silent for so long. It’s certainly not as long an absence as previous months, but I was really trying hard to do better this year.

I do have a good reason though! Last Sunday, my darling new niece was born! Asa Jane weighed in at 6lbs, 14oz and 20.5″ long. I ended up being an impromptu birth coach for my sister, who did it strictly au naturale, at a birth center with a fully trained midwife in attendance along with two trainees. I was planning on begin there strictly for moral support, but turned out to have a much bigger role. Which was groovy, and, I have to say, the very best birth control ever. From the time her water broke to the time she actually came out and greeted the world with some very hefty cries, it was nearly 45 hours point to point.

Nevertheless, mom, dad and the new little bit are doing fabulously. They’re working through the awkwardness of learning to breast feed like champs, and she’s totally got her parents wrapped around her teeny tiny adorable little fingers. She’s also wearing the baby camel hat I knit for her, since she’s so wee it’s about the only thing that fits her right now. She wore it home from the birth center, and mom finds it very soothing to pet as she cradles her newborn baby’s head. It’s all very sweet, and it was really quite something to be there for her birth.

Shortly after that, I came down with a hideous cold/flu/exhaustion type-thing, and have barely been able to scrape myself together to go in to work. I’m also hideously behind in reading my blog roll, but I did catch just today that Cathy of Catena Expressions gave me an award! That’s so sweet and thank you! I feel like I’ve cheated her a bit, given that I’ve barely done any new spinning and due to the baby and exhaustion, I have yet to spin on the new Majacraft Alpaca. However, today may be the day to fix that! I went a little overboard on ordering more roving and fiber recently, so I should probably start working on that today.

Why the Alpaca? I have to say, and this is utterly self indulgent and the lamest reason ever for choosing a wheel but…I liked the woodburned alpaca motif. There, I wrote it out loud for everyone. I like the specs of the Susie, and though I probably would’ve done better to get a Little Gem with the head that rotates to wherever you want it to be, but I like what I have. I’ve been sitting on the couch now and again and treadling, just to get used to the feel, and I have to say it’s pretty darn effortless. LOVE that!

Thank you Cathy, for the award. I’ll have to put some thought into who I’ll add to my 10 blogs that make my day roll, but it’s a fair bet yours is one of them. :D

Happy day everyone!

Do you name your spinning equipment?

The new wheel is assembled (after forgetting to put the drive band on before screwing the footmen assembly to the actual drive wheel oops), and treadled upon, but I shall wait for tomorrow to actually put it to use. It did come with a significant amount of fiber, and I’m really, really looking forward to learning to use it. I see many hours of YAY! in my future, though it’s likely to be a period of swearing to begin with, given how long it’s been since I actually spun anything. I hope she tells me her name too, but for now she’s keeping it sekrit.

Sister is having irregular contractions and is beginning to dialate EEEE! I may be an aunt again anytime now. Think good thoughts for a swift and easy delivery, yes? My knitting bag is already in the car with a book and an iPod, in case it’s a long haul.

More tomorrow. For now? Sleeeeeep.

Oh! OH! My favoritest Romney & Romney cross dealer shepherdess sent out a reminder today to reserve for 2008 fleeces. EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! I forgot to do mine early! It’s not a matter of the good ones being gone, because they’re ALL absolutely incredible, it’s more “did I get a nice mix of straight Romney and one with Columbia and one with Montedale and some natural and some white and….”

Yes. Anyway. They’re probably on the expensive side, but opening a bag with her fleeces in it is like a passport straight to a mountain meadow. The fleeces actually smell *sweet*, and burying your hands in the raw fiber is like touching heaven. I freakin’ adore every single bit of fiber I’ve ever gotten from Melissa, and covet all of the ones I’ve bought liek whoa.

So, for the three of you who read this? Go. Look. And if I find I, once again, can’t spin it all this year? Maybe I share.

I don’t care who mocks me for this, but I LOVE the Spice Girls. I nearly bought a ticket for their Vegas concert, but couldn’t get away from work to go. They may not be the best singers in the whole world, and they may have spawned the scary spectacle that is Posh, but I love them liek whoa. When I’m in a truly pissy mood I’ve discovered myself firing up iTunes and finding one of the bouncier ones to be-bop along to.

It’s really hard to take life seriously when listening to the Spice Girls.

Which is why it’s a nice way to mentally flush the cache from a very stressful work week, and get on to dooting around with fiber for the evening. Right?

Right, dammit. GIRL POWER! ;)