I’ve belonged to Sundara’s Seasons yarn club for a while, and today I got the final shipment for this incarnation. She’s made changes to the structure in an effort to allow her more creativity when it comes to dyeing, so while many folks are mourning the loss, I feel very lucky to have been able to participate for as long as I did. She has some amazing product, and this shipment was no exception.
These are in her Aran Silky Merino yarn base, and I will probably happily spend some time puttering around figuring out what to make with these. Something special, certainly, but simple. Hat and cowl sets seem perhaps like a bit of a waste, but the yarn is so gorgeous it should be something that people would wear often. Suggestions would be most appreciated, though ones that consist of “send it to me!” will result in much giggling and “AHAHAAHA, no.” Clicky to embiggen below.
Black Cherry:
Viridescent:
Oo la la! And happy Friday!
Holy sweet fuck people are asshats today.
Once again I get a very pointed lesson in trying to participate with an established organization. I like sheep. I don’t think I’ll ever be a shepherd, unless I win the lottery and can pay someone else to take care of them for me. But I like sheep. I like what they provide. I enjoy spinning their fleeces.
I really enjoyed this one particular breed. It was all around, great purpose, came in a few colors naturally, and apparently is one of the rare breeds.
But fucking hell after the past few days and trying to help by summarizing some of the discussion I saw online? And getting a VICIOUS smackdown for it? I think I’d rather eat glass than buy that breed again. I don’t even want to finish the roving I was working on…the whole thing left that bad of a taste in my mouth. And I have three more pounds of this roving. Anyone want to buy a bargain? I want it out of my house as soon as I can get it out the door.
No matter. I “vote” with my dollars, and will be using that money to buy another breed, preferably one with organizations, websites and shepherds that are more organized, less likely to bite the fucking hand that feeds them, and who has their shit together.
Ah well. I spent a lot of money on fiber this year. If a few hundred bucks doesn’t much matter to the breeders of that sheep, well, someone else probably will. If nothing else, I’ll continue to support my favorite crack dealer shepherdess, Melissa of Skylines Farm. Who probably would not appreciate the profanity laced post here, but whose fleeces I always appreciate. Plus, she’s just a damn nice person.
Another lesson in how sometimes, it just doesn’t pay to get at all involved. I just wanted to help. Do you think I’ll ever learn this stupid lesson?
I’m participating in the Spin for Peace group on Ravelry for the duration of the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics. Instead of watching the games, I’m going to spend that time in mindful meditation at my wheel.
I am posting a few links tonight as a reminder that while China has made some steps towards improving their human rights record (and yes, I realize how hypocritical it is for a US citizen to be saying this, given the actions of our government, especially since 9/11), they have not done enough.
None of us are free until ALL of us are free.
A couple of links for you. International Campaign for Tibet and Bev’s post, with a great link to Pippi Knee Socks’ Free Tibet yarn.
I wanted to dye up some fiber in the orangey-red color I see so many Buddhist monks wear, or the darker reddish version I’ve seen the nuns wear, but it seemed disrespectful. Instead I’m spinning some Shetland wool roving I got in a sampler pack, and I hope time will allow me to make something out of it that I can then auction or raffle, with the proceeds going to an organization dedicated to helping Tibetan refugees living in India.
I am one voice, but I will add mine to the chorus protesting China’s treatment of the Tibetan people, and call for an end to the occupation of Tibet.
Kitt: “Do you have a goal?”
Other hooker: “I always wanted to be in the Ice Capades.”
Bowerbird knits has a great post with all kinds of good info today. The contest really makes me think, though. I kind of went on in the comments, but I’ll just C&P here, as it really encapsulates what I want.
I want to make things and have people buy them. I’m thinking mostly batts that I’ll blend by hand, and hopefully some dyed yarns. I have nearly all the pieces assembled, and now I just need to finish organizing the studio, make up my bases and…go. I’m terrified, frankly, but look forward to it.
I also really, really want to improve my spinning this year. I want to work with each of the fleeces I have (and I have _a lot_) and learn about the different breed properties and make some small things in time for the holiday season as gifts. It’s kind of a standing joke among my family that I start a ton, and never have FOs. I’d like to change that, and at least finish one sweater and a whole plethora of mitts and hats.
Most of all? I want to find some balance. This past couple of years has been crazy with work taking over everything. So much so that I’ve spent the majority of the past two months recovering from that consulting gig. I don’t ever want to be drained to that point ever again. I want to treat myself better, to be healthier, to learn to say no to the things that are incredibly unreasonable but also the things that aren’t really in scope for what I do. I need to work to live, not live to work. This is my main goal for the foreseeable future.
So there you go. I’m hoping to have my first blends up in September. I carry a couple of notebooks around with me all the time, jotting down thoughts and color ideas. I have no training, no knowledge beyond what I know in books and have read on the web, but I’m going to do this anyway.
I couldn’t stand it any longer. I bought a couple of really amazing silk hankies from Crown Mountain Farms at Madrona in February. Even though I had no idea what to do with them. You can see the colorway Tartan here. Beautiful, no? They were so pretty I wanted to frame them if I didn’t use them.
Anyway, they’ve been taunting me with their pretty, and I have to figure this out. I watched a groovy YouTube on drafting and using them on a wheel, which was awesome. But I have a migraine and don’t want to go over to the studio where all the wheels are living at the moment.
So, my question as I work on drafting the layers (and, by the way, should there be a disconcerting…ripping…sound while doing this?) what weight spindle for these? Or does it matter? I usually work best at about a 1.5 oz, so most of my spindles are about that weight. But I always read about people who are using really, really lightweight tools for silk. Does it matter, in the end, with this form of silk?
For those of us in the PNW who like to do the rest of the process ourselves but don’t have washing facilities…. FYI that Ferndale Fiber in WA state is no longer accepting new customers, and though their website states that they have “washing only” services, Dawn’s Custom Carding also in WA state will only wash if taking your fiber all the way through the rest of their services (picking, carding, possibly dyeing).
I keep reading about how septic tanks can get all clogged and totally unhappy if you do a lot of fleece washing. I’m still not sure if this is true, but the last thing I want to do is fuck up the septic tank here at my rental apartment. Most of my fleeces are in the medium range, though I do have some Cormo, Merino and Corriedale that are all kinda greasy (but in a good way).
I don’t want to have to pay to ship the damn fiber back out to someone just to wash it. I might as well have people do all the damn processing again, and right now I can’t really afford that until I’m employed again.
GRRRR!
I just sent one of the folks who boards her horse here home with a spindle and a couple of kinds of roving. Some of the pin-drafted roving I had processed by Spinderella’s in Utah last year from a Skylines Farm fleece, and some of the lovely Dragonfibers hand dyed goodness. We had a short five minute lesson to cover the basics, and I sent her an email with some links to videos and other sites with spindling info.
Muuahahahahahaha! One person at a time. Heh.
