Friday, June 14, 2013

Things Are Spinning

There is much packing, taping, collating, sealing, labeling and signing going on around here:
books2 003edit

If you have pre-ordered a book, it's on its way (Except those of you with special delivery instructions...)!

I'm also packing for Olds, and a Grandma visit. Keeping Which Pile Is Which straight, when some of them overlap, is proving challenging. So if those of you who ordered a book receive something odd and unexpected, blame it on the wildness that is occurring here!

But I get to take a break this morning and read my new Ply!
ply 001

If you have not already, order your subscription now...you don't want to miss this new print phenomenon for spinners from the very first issue, it's excellent! Yay Jacey!

Saturday, June 08, 2013

Many Too Few

These last many days (yes! poor grammar!) have both flown by and bled together, they seem as one. Get up, tea, breakfast, settle in and work, make dinner, go to bed, get up and do it all over again. A brief respite for Spindle Camp IV:
spindle camp IV

Spindle Camp is less of a break, but rather more of the same, with company! Good company, a bit of wine and a lot of spinning:

spindle camp 002

Busy. Productive. Tamping down the panic that there will not be enough time.

There is always enough time. All The Things may not get done in the amount of time allotted. That just means they are not to be.

Now? I must away. Plying today, plus warping and then: spin some more.

The light at the end of the tunnel? Soon, I will get to see these two faces in person!

20130602_172154

splash park



Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Where In The World?

So where in the world were we, in all those beautiful beach shots?

Seaside, Florida. It was interesting to experience this community, with its planned architectural beach house genre. It was nice to stay in one of the those houses, with large open screened porches, a tower for the view, and plenty of airy space and light.

Seaside had enough variation in house style, landscaping and lot size to make it visually interesting, and certainly more real and lifelike than its Disneyland neighboring community of Watercolor, which was movie-set perfect and felt a bit sterile.

Both seemed like lovely places to vacation, and families were everywhere doing just that. The house in which we stayed made for a nice base-camp: big enough for everyone to hang out, well-located for walking into town to browse the shops, for lunch and dinners, and the beach was two blocks away.

While we were there for a wedding, we had days free of commitments. I had silk with me:
Blue silk spindles

But one night I was caught without my nostepinne, which I use to wind off the spindles, and make a stranded ball for plying (in this case two strands):

silk noste 008

Any port in a storm; I used a wine cork!

Red wine, in fact:

silk noste 009

Oddly, we had plenty of wine corks. In fact, I may just take to carrying one with my spindles! Hmmm. I wonder where I could find one? :)

It's now back to the old grind; spinning, spinning and some weaving. I came home to find my latest book had arrived at the warehouse, so those of you who are waiting: my order should get here soon (and thanks! for all your support!).

Saturday, May 18, 2013

Blue Waters

Blue waters

The waters really is this amazing blue.

(Thanks Laura! Can you see them now?)

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Day Two

Palm trees

Palm trees weave their own fronds.

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

A Change of Scenery

Beach spindle

:D!

Friday, May 10, 2013

Layers

layers of silk

Busy-ness comes in spurts, of course: when we are not busy we sign up for lots of things to do. Then it all piles up and we are Very Busy Indeed!

I just sent off a new manuscript that has been my busy-ness these last few months. Phew! I will be able to feel the relief, maybe, next week or the week after or sometime soon...but right now, I am in the worry: what did I forget? How could it be better? Is it enough?

I am often plagued by this, in fact almost every time. Every time I spin or knit or dye or weave something, every creative endeavor, every...thing. I suspect I am not alone in this, and there is rarely "Done!", that feeling that everything fell into place perfectly and all is well.

But Perfect is the Enemy of Good Enough, and there is a great benefit to putting it out there anyway, getting the feedback, starting the conversation, working together to make it the best we can. At the time (see? Qualifiers!).

We'll know in a year, when the book is finally in print. Until then, there is much to do yet: samples to organize, yarn to spin and fiber to pack up and label. Not only for this project, but for the others I so eagerly agreed to months, even years ago.

I just spent a very nice few days in Santa Rosa with weavers, knitters, and spinners there. A lively guild, cheerful and welcoming, how nice they are! I was treated like a visiting dignitary, even morning tea in bed, the ultimate treat :). They are the organizers of CNCH 2014, to be held next year and they are still cheerful and happy about that too: miracles do happen!

I am packing and getting things ready to head up to Canada again, to Olds Fibre Conference, where I have a class teaching Spin To Weave, the book from my last year, and the year before that... It is an odd sort of juxtaposition, having a new one just go out into the world, and yet, this older one is not properly launched yet.

I have placed my order for all of you who have ordered a signed copy. I will have a few extras, there is still time. Thank you every one: your encouragement and support have made this whole thing possible.

Soon...and again! Layers: working on one while awaiting the birth of another, working with a group, of mostly the same women, on the new and the old at the same time, a lot like life an other ways, really, nothing is ever done in a vacuum.

Spin to Weave Cover




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