Storm before the Lull

8.5 oz of washed curls takes about 2 days to process.

Washed curls are combed and drawn out into top.

The comb dregs are carded into rolags.

Here we have curls on rolags, next to combed top.

This afternoon the rolags will be spun long-draw.

My TdF might be over in a week.  Nevermind - I just thought of another spinning project.

Tempus

I've known this for awhile but am now able to articulate that I am and always have been multi-dimensional in disciplines and time zones.  As exhausting as it can be, I revel and thrive in this broad range.

Equinox

3 hours into it, reflecting on the past quarter.

Wet

A day of generosity and brief meaningful conversation leaves the snark and noise far behind.

First dips

YES!

Another

How

Leg-rolled cordage with bast fiber. First piece.

Hau (Hibiscus tiliaceus), 2-ply and cabled 2-ply

11.12.13

Feeling compelled to provide an entry to mark this date. How do I choose among events attended, events performed, people who have come forward and the notable absence of those who have not, tasks done, and things that are constantly being made? Maybe a few pictures will help narrate a subset.

An unexpected encounter with a small blended sample of cotton, silk tussah fiber and threads. A spinning challenge rewarded with hands learning how to handle short staple length, and eyes catching fibers glinting in the sun, which resulted in a few yards of very fine gauge 2-ply.

Pioneer Spring met Sally Fox, local grower of wool and cotton, at AVFKW's 3rd anniversary celebration.

"I haven't seen you for awhile, since your last news. So how are you, really?" was asked with the glance that cut through layers. "What happened makes no sense. But the word on the street is that you took the bullet. No adverse reflection on you, more on them. You can always have the informal discussions with _x_ so that we can try to help you."

Rocking to power guitar and great music from the Roger Steen Band and Miles Schon Band.

Picked the last harvest of the summer garden.

Will let dogs continue to lie. Let their caretakers handle them.

Successfully made dried persimmons / 곶감 / hoshigaki.

Bricks and mortar beat online hands-down for exploration. 매달 도서관에서 책들을 찾아요.

And I took a little time on the loom. I learn something new with each project: warping back to front, observing weave structure, tying on, adjusting to differences in tension and beating for wool and cotton.

Spent some time on the road as well. Travels will continue - by thousands of miles and by a few feet.

TdF 2013

...ended yesterday, apparently.  I'll gather the bits that were generated this year.  Not a huge production because my time was spent on other endeavors. 

This year I tried carding fiber as well as spinning it.  In the photo below, on the left are handfuls of Navajo Churro fleece in brown and white (natural colors), in the middle are rolags carded from brown fleece, and on the right are spindle-spun 2-ply yarns.  In all, there will be 29g of finished RUSTIC yarn.

Bastille Day

Big Fun at the Cal Expo State Fair again this year!  of all the things I saw this weekend,  I am especially taken by two pieces. Lynn Dau's "Endless Possibilities" (left) and Faye Schoolcraft's "Jackson Pollack's Ideal Woman" (right).

And I spent a bit of time in the kitchen making lemon marmalade (27C) and salted lemons (4 tall jars on the left in the photo).  Many thanks to the homegrown source and conversation that came with it.

TdF update:  another 12g carded and spun for the RUSTIC series.

Also - another installment of a written piece drafted.  I now look forward to first drafts.

And the Zimmerman acquittal disturbs me greatly.  Young ones of color are not safe.  Trayvon Martin could have been my son.  In conflict,  the presence of guns throws off any sense of balance. Maybe it's Florida which generally seems off-kilter to me, but I don't understand this verdict at all.

TdF 2013 - Rustic

Hey! it's day 14!

This is what I have to show for it: 3g was carded, spun and plied on a spindle yesterday. Another 8g was carded, spun and plied on a spindle today.

The fiber is Navajo Churro, and it was acquired at Santa Fe, New Mexico, in September 2012.  It has been in my fumigating bucket, and it reeks of mothballs.

This is my first foray into carding fleece before spinning, and the result is very lumpy yarn.  Carding occurs only outdoors because all kinds of non-fiber matter needs to get blown away, and thus is too messy to do indoors.

I will call this my RUSTIC series.

SW 2013

I'll start with a summary of the damage report:

fiber ... yarn and hardware.

There was reconciliation with Molly.

There were daily visits to A Verb for Keeping Warm's booth and Lisa Souza's booth. Because it's good to visit kind souls and beauty.

I took Andrea Wong's class on "Knitting in the Portuguese style", where the yarn is tensioned around the back of one's neck. I've seen pictures of South Americans knitting in this manner, and apparently this method is also used in areas of Asia and the Middle East, too. The tension created by looping the yarn around the neck actually assists in maneuvering the yarn at the needles. The left hand thumb flicks the working yarn over the right needle tip. When I use this technique I'll need to swatch to get gage. It's quite different from "English" and "Continental" methods that I currently use interchangebly.

I also took Galina Khmeleva's class on "Spinning for Lace Knitting." Great introduction to precious fine fibers and spinning with a traditional Russian supported spindle.

The left photo shows samples of singles on spindles as well as plied yarn in balls. The right photo shows my sequential single of cashmere, buffalo, pygora, and quiviut winding onto the plying spindle with white silk. Oo-la-la.

The yarn on the round card is from class; the yarn on the square card is my practice yarn after class. Plies need more twist, I see.


Here's a fitting toast to the entire experience. It was wonderful.

I can do that

...or maybe I can't: rather than sending an email I went to the teacher and said that I could not participate in an annual event due to a previous commitment. I just cannot send written regrets for important events - I need to speak either in person or on the phone. Am I the only one who feels this way?

Earlier in the week I presided over a Board meeting with a full agenda. We are getting things done. Also gave a talk to a graduate class and illustrated considerations of professional practice that extend beyond analysis and drawings. It's about developing an idea and transforming it into something real, tangible, and useful. I admired the campus and energy devoted to learning. I need to be close to places like this, places that expand the mind.

Well on the way to the southbay I could take a detour and pick up a ticket to a performance by a group I haven't heard in a few years. Interesting program, great performers, new hall. Would be good to check it out.

I felt the power of songs from the soul, guitar, rhythm and flamenco. Blows me away every time. Head and heart became full.

So the next day I skipped getting the ticket to the upcoming performance. Too expensive and too far anyway. Could use the funds for another purpose. I'll make another opportunity to see the new concert hall later.

Spun (spinned?) fiber: 1/4 oz in fingering-weight 2-ply. I plan to spin another 1/4 oz in thicker, worsted-weight, 2-ply. Then I'll spin another 1/2 oz into a 3-ply. Plies are supported long draw.

Worked on making drums. I forgot how much finessing and craft was required to fit the heke on the 'olo. Ran out of patience. Need to find another time to continue this project. At least my lungs survived the process.

Went to see an exhibit on a whim. Well, a whim planned several weeks ago. Tactile experience of books - covers, pages, images - enhances the words and the time needed to experience the thoughts conveyed by the words. Artists and binders stood at the tables and answered questions about their creative process. I saw a few books I would have loved to acquire. Yet I asked the price of only one and then knew that this experience needed to remain with me in spirit because I could not afford to keep this beautiful speciman of art and thought. But my hands, heart and head learned what pleased them.

Finalized and sent a letter to the Board of Supervisors. Represent.

All in a week.

Seattle (revolving doors for some people...but not for me) here I come.

Santa Clara here I come.

TdF 2012

Na lei hulu hipa (from inside to outside):
2-ply merino off a bobbin from SW 2011 (yep, pretty old);
2-ply "Salad Days" from several "first-try" bobbins;
TdF 2012 project of 2-ply cashmere-merino.
They've gone through the wet bath and are drying.

After the yarn was dry and hanked up I had a chance to mention the project to Lisa. When she asked if it had a tight spin I knew I had to revisit this yarn.

I put the hank on a swift and put it through the wheel again, adding more twist. This first pic was taken when it was taken off the niddy-noddy.
Looking good!

This second pic was taken a few minutes later as the yarn was no longer constrained with tension.
Looking wacky!

I made wool soup again. I love the aroma. We'll see what's up when this is dry in a few days.

Some things done

Saturday Jun 30: This afternoon dying occurred - turmeric, vinegar, soda ash in a boiling solution onto muslin. The aroma triggered a yearning for curry.

At 11:30pm I opened my eyes wide and realized I had not started my TdF. I found consolation in knowing I had my goal and fiber in mind, so re-affirmed those two thoughts and vowed to spin tomorrow.

Sunday Jul 1: Countless "birds" were crushed, maimed and killed with my sweaty right hand that held tufts of cashmere and merino. At least 3 false starts occurred in getting spun fiber onto the bobbin before my hands and wheel found their balance with this precious short-staple fiber blend.

When I took this picture I intended to stop for the day. But my hands wanted to feel the fiber so I continued, putting aside the desire to eat (or do anything else on my weekend "to-do" list) and spin instead. Hours later, 2 ounces were spun, with 2 ounces of fiber remaining for another day. I don't know if I can spin this fiber in short periods of time - once a rhythm is established it is difficult to stop and re-start without losing consistency of spin. I suppose the consistency will occur with more practice.

Then I went into the kitchen (in the early evening) and saw the bowls of rhubarb and strawberries that I'd prepared a day earlier, to be put into jars. I could no longer postpone this so I just did it.

Recipe notes: 2# rhubarb, 2# sugar, 50g grated ginger, 1/4C lemon juice. 2# cut strawberries, 2# sugar, 1/4C lemon juice and a few shreds of lemon peel. Macerate fruits in different bowls for 2 hours then refrigerate for 24 hours. Bring strawbs to a boil several times, resting 5-10 minutes between each boil. This process gets the air out of the berries. Drain & divide juice & solids for each mixture (yields approx 4C juice, 4C solids for each fruit). Put 1/2 of each fruit's juice in pan, bring to boil until "set stage", skimming scum. Add 1/2 of strawbs & boil about 10min, then add 1/2 of rhub & boil another 5min or until "set stage". Yield 5C for this 1/2 batch (total yield 10C). Process jars.

I'm a bit tired. But I feel like I've put money in the bank.

SW 2012 album

Stitches West 2012, February, Santa Clara, CA.
I took two classes: "Slick set-in-sleeves" with JCBriar, and a "Fitting Knits" class with Lily Chin. Both were worthwhile.

I got a beautiful lightweight spindle by KCL Woods. It weighs less than an ounce and spins true. I got what I call a "more fun than a barrel full of monkeys" pack of colorful fiber. And some MadTosh yarn and sumptuous Souza fiber.

I met up with some friends at A Verb for Keeping Warm's booth, which was selected by the Stitches West instructors as "most beautiful"! Congrats!
In the right-hand photo I'm flanked by Kristine and Romi, sources of the dress pattern and fabric, as well as the scarf I'm wearing. The turtle fabric is whimsical and from AVFKW, and the scarf is "Caliz" and designed by Romi.

Here are a few other purchases. And in the lower left corner you can see a little souvenir from my visit with Ysolda.