Twists of Fate

Friday, 12 December, 2008

Yeah, OK, never mind.

Filed under: spinning, spinning-fibers — moiraeknittoo @ 7:53 PM

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?

Saturday, 2 August, 2008

Which spindle?

Filed under: spinning-fibers — moiraeknittoo @ 7:03 PM

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?

Monday, 30 July, 2007

This post has no title

Filed under: knitting, pagan, spinning-fibers — moiraeknittoo @ 9:37 PM

Is there anything funnier than a foal who’s just discovering what his legs can do? Is it a universal thing with all baaaaaaaaby animals that they discover the things they stand on can go BOUNCE and BACK and UP? The colt is bouncing around his mother like he has pogo sticks for legs, and it’s hysterically funny. He’s also not liking the halter much, and rubbed his little head against my arm and gave me the sweetest eyelash fluttering look. I told him I wouldn’t take it off, and he bopped me with his nose and wheeled off to go carooming off mom for a bit.

I’m glad I gook the trash out and got to see them out of their paddock. I’ve been hesitant to go into the barn much, mostly because I don’t know what I’m doing out there, I’m not really sure I’m allowed, and I’d be tempted to bring all the animals a big fat treat every single time. Probably not healthy, you know? Getting love blinks from a stallion when giving cheek rubs though…well, that’s a nice warm glo in the old heart right there.

Oh, you want to hear about sheepy things, and not horses that aren’t mine? Well. Not a lot to update there. I had Spinderellas process the merinoX fleece I got from Jean Near into roving. I did ask that they save about 8oz for me to work with hand cards, so I could get used to hand carding again. I can’t find most of my spindles – I have a Jenkins Turkish that I don’t know how to use, and a very light one whose maker I cannot remember…they were in one of the boxes labeled “spinning supplies”. But I haven’t worked with either very much, and I’m really not sure how to use the Turkish. What I really need to do is get off my ass, find a screwdriver, and turn the maidens on the Traveller. It occurred to me, after I took a class at the Spring Fair, that the maidens are all backasswards on the Traveller and have been since I got it. I didn’t know! So I need to find a Phillips head and switch those around, shorten and re-sew the drive band, and maybe then I’ll get out on the lawn and do some spinning.

I’m not really sure I’m a big fan of merino. There, I said it. The feel of it just isn’t comfortable for me right now. I *love* the job Spinderella’s did on the fleece/roving, and I agree that the straight merino is a bit tender and has some neps (features, not bugs), but the silk blend is awesome. I’m glad I paid just a little bit extra to have half of this fleece carded up that way. The roving is awesome, and I want to take the big bag out to my “yard” (it’s looking kind of jungle like right now…I wonder if I should ask the landlady to mow it or just let the mare take care of it) and spin. Maybe Sunday. I can spring for a screwdriver, I found a needle and thread, and I think I found most of the bobbins for the Ashford.

I’m still afraid of the Schacht, which is a shame. It’s so beautiful…I don’t want to mess it up. I know, I know. WTF? But I can’t help it. I want to learn more about spinning before using my superfantastico wheel. It doesn’t make much sense, but it is how I feel.

Unfortunately,ran around Friday afternoon/evening and on Saturday for much of the day. Sunday? I was a total lazy ass and read up on the Potterdamerung and read and read and read lots of intarwebs based fiction. And worked on my Mirabilia in progress. On the other hand, I also got a lot of work done on the teeny cotton beanie for SisSpawn #1, and I finished it this evening. I wish I could a) find the camera and b) hook up my home tower so I can download the pics from the camera to edit and upload. That would be awesome.

Alas, I shall have to settle for a dinner of string cheese and Chardonnay (I don’t think I’m really a fan of Chardonnay), and an early night. I’m such a rebel.

Anyone have any plans for Lammas/Lughnasadh? I’m tempted to make candles again, but would have to dig through boxes to find all the stuff.

Last but not least – random picture of cuteness! Sent to me by a friend. Ahhh!

Monday, 30 April, 2007

Time flies like an arrow

Filed under: carding, spinning, spinning-fibers, spinning-fleece — moiraeknittoo @ 8:44 PM

Fruit flies like a banana.

I ca’nt believe it’s been two weeks since my last confession post. Time is doing strange things. I continue to pack (slowly), look for apartments (badly), and generally freak out (really really well).

Little things like one of my fannish crushes doing something so utterly dorktastic, yet so completely adorable and very much true to his real like geekiness? Just…. <3!

My class was really great. I learned some good tricks about plying, feel better about Navajo or chain plying, and um. I tripped and fell on a gorgeous dark dark brown Romeldale fleece and oops swiped my credit card on the way down. And six or so ounces of lovely wool roving in colors that made me think of spring and fall. Perhaps a little odd to be thinking about here on the eve of Beltane and the start of summer, but they pleased me at the time.

I think I’m going to spin a goodly portion of the Romeldale in the grease, but before I do that, I wanted to practice a bit. I actually hand carded some RomneyX and spun my own little…what do you call it when you roll it off the cards from side to side rather than from the handle out to the edge? Sausages? Perogis? What? That’s been good, if slow going. I’m enjoying the carding quite a bit. I just rinsed this fleece, rather than washing it completely, so it’s kind of “light grease”. I’m enjoying myself thus far.

I shouldn’t be spinning at all, given how much there is to do before I move. But it’s keeping me sane.

Blessed Beltane to all of you! Oh! And for the BPAL inclined, they’ve got Blue Moon up again! Woo!!!

Monday, 12 February, 2007

Math challenged

Filed under: knitting, spinning-fibers, yarns — moiraeknittoo @ 2:00 PM

I know there’s some sort of mathmatical forumla that will tell me “If I use up X amount of stash in Y number of days, it will take me “ZZZZ or eleventybillion” years to use up what I currently have”. I’m too lazy to actually look this all up, but I do know that I need to move in May. And that I’d like to document the stash and get it up in a gallery. So in the event that I end up not having enough space to put all my stash out? I will know what I have and where I can find it.

This ambitious system implies that

  • a) I will be able to pull all the stash together in one spot.

  • b) I have enough room in one spot for all the stash.
  • c) I have enough battery power in the camera to photograph all the stash.
  • d) someone will be brave enough to come over and help me re-pack the stash.

I actually have the last point there covered – a work friend who doesn’t knit but loves organizing will help me next Sunday. I need to find some stickers and a marking pen, and make sure there are new batteries in the camera. I hope to label the bins with a number, document somewhere what is in each numbered bin, and photograph things as they’re “filed” away.

It’s a plan.

However, I picked up both new yarn and new fiber this weekend. I did mention I have poor impulse control, right? I made a journey to Sequim this past weekend with friends, and managed to squish three yarn stores and three..no, four bookstores into the intinerary in something like a 28 hour period. Yay go me.

Photograpic documentation of aforementioned impulse control to follow. Heh.

Of course, all this is really going to tell me is that I have a terminal case of SABLE, especially considering the rate at which I use up stash vs. the rate at which I am acquiring more. Me + math <> mixey things.

Friday, 9 June, 2006

Psssst

Filed under: spinning-fibers, spinning-fleece — moiraeknits @ 10:15 AM

OK, I’m being selfless here. Sorta. See, Melissa Lines of Skylines Farm has posted her remaining 2006 handspinning fleeces for sale. I love her fleeces, and she’s a wonderful person too. Her farm uses organic practices, and you can see what a fabulous life the sheep have in the super cute photos page.

These Romney and RomneyX fleeces are the most wonderful I’ve worked with so far. Silky, soft, lustrous…just a joy to experience.

I, uh, went shopping again and now that I’m done (and reserved for 2007), I thought I’d pass along the good news to you. So go check out the page – I’m pretty sure you won’t be sorry!

I can’t wait to end my current contract here at my former place of employment. It shoudl be the end of next week. After a short period of doing absolutely nothing at all (OK, probably watching yet more Stargate: SG-1, and maybe finishing off Veronica Mars S1), I’m diving into learning more about dyeing, blending and spinning. I can’t wait to work on one of my Skylines Farm fleeces!

This gushing, fangirlish (woolgirlish?) post brought to you by lack of coffee + the thrill of new wool!

Tuesday, 6 June, 2006

Day of the Beast!

Filed under: books, knitting, spinning-fibers, yarns — moiraeknits @ 11:57 AM

I’m hugely amused by the date today: 06/06/06.

While my co-worker thinks Satan and I are BFF (Best Friends Forever…it’s a long story about stupidity and religious intolerance that I’m not going to get into here), and I’m heroically resisting the temptation to do ebil things to my work cube with red food coloring and some feathers, I thought I’d take a moment and post about some stuff. And things. Stuff and things, you know.

I had most of this draft written up when The Harlot posted about her postman and the latest packages. She scooped me, dammit! However, my love for one of my most recent lovely mail packages has not dimmed, and I’m sharing with you.

My very best RL friend EVER sent me a packaged packed to the gills with wonderful things.

Like this brown merino lace yarn. So soft. Such a subtle sheen. So freakin’ amazing and fabulous and I LOVE EET! I’m not really sure how I’m going to ball this up with the winder. Is this where those toilet paper cores come in handy? I am vaguely recalling something about cutting a notch in one end, slipping the end of the skein in the notch, slipping the core over the ball winder center and away we go. Am I correct in thinking that? Help me out here peeps.


Digging a little bit deeper into the box, I gasped and then did an actual happy dance of glee when I unearthed these. Bundanaurriklaedid!!! Y’all, I’ve been DYING to get this book and the attendant English translation for at least a year, though I’m pretty sure it’s been longer. I really, really love the shawls in this book.

Something about the Faroese-style shawls really appeal to me. The book was OOP for a while, I think, and I lusted after them on the Schoolhouse Press site for a long time, and they were a little beyond my means at the time. I checked out the local liberry copy over and over again, but finally had to return it. Very reluctantly, but I did it. I was pretty proud of myself, even if no one else knew. Fear the wrath of the librarian, y’all. *nods*

Last but not beast, I mean least, is this handful of wild buffalo fiber. MVBRLF’s (My Very Best Real Life Friend’s) SO at the time gathered this on a hike through Yellowstone. This is so cool…I’m pretty much speechless about it. I’m also gonna feel really dumb if I misremembered and this isn’t actually buffalo, but I’m pretty sure it is. It was like an article out of Wild Fibers landed right in my living room when I got to that part of the box. So, so cool. I’m not sure what I’m going to do with it yet – I’ve just been feeling it up like a frat boy at Mardi Gras for the first time, and I didn’t even have to buy it a drink first.

Presents rock yo.

In between eps of Season Six of SG-1 (I cried so hard at the end of S5 and my absolute favorite episode EVER in Season Six, “Abyss”…see my LJ for details), and actual spinning, I’m daydreaming and looking through the book and trying to decide which shawl I’m going to cast on for. Decisions, decisions.

Thank you MRLBF A!!! *peppers you with smoochies*

Next post – actual spinning done! I plied another skein of random singles, and did another bobbin of a fabulous blended batt. Stay tuned for actual spinning content, coming to a smart ass blog near you!

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