I'm spinning! No, really, I am!

The old ways strike again and this time with a vengeance!  Serendipity is awesome!  Several years ago I watched a program called "Knitty Gritty" and they had a segment on learning to spin your own yarn with a homemade drop (suspended) spindle.  As will happen, I completely forgot that I wanted to try it and while walking through our local chain craft store last week I noticed a book about spinning with spindles on the cover.  (I know this was in an earlier post, so forgive me). Naturally I perused it and decided that I was going to finally try it.  After searching all over town and online, I managed to stumble upon a new fiber-arts guild that is starting locally and decided to join and make my own spindle(s).  I even got my poor over-worked Gomez to make me an incredibly ingenious bottom whorl spindle using a dowel, plexiglass and copper wire!  It has been named my "Smudge Spindle" after one of his other nicknames.  It will undoubtedly be my favorite spindle and so far, so good!  I really love spinning and while I still need to hone my skills, it is coming along nicely!  For basically teaching myself by watching videos online and reading about it I think I am ahead of the curve.  The third time (day) was the charm, as I had the breakthough I needed and figured out exactly how and when to pinch and let go of the roving to get the twist into it.  As promised in that earlier post, here is my progress...

                                                  Spinning Day #1

Not too bad for never having done it before.  A bit inconsistent, but worthy of at least a rug!  The roving I am spinning is from Lincoln Long-hair Sheep.  Probably not the best wool, but I bought it locally from a couple who raises the sheep and the price cannot be beat!

                         Spinning Day #2 - On "Smudge Spindle"

It is hard to tell, but the top layer of yarn is much more consistent. Yay!  I am still using the "Park and Draft" method, but I will be able to drop the spindle soon enough!

                                 Full view of my "Smudge Spindle"

My man is amazing!  He had to work some overtime because he had to be in the building while one of his projects was being tested and made this off the cuff!

                                         Homemade Spindles

These were so simple to make using dowels, wooden toy car wheels and, not shown, cup hooks!  To add some character I used some of my rubber stamps to decorate the tops/bottoms of the whorls.  So easy and fun!



On Turning Two Times Twenty

Where does time escape and why does it seem to be so absolutely, mind-blowingly fleeting?  Sunday marked the start of my 40th year on this amazing globe and, as I sit here blogging, I am remembering the original blogger, Doogie Howser, MD, and that I was just a kid when he entered his first thoughts into his computer.  Wow!  Tempus fugit!  30 was really no big deal and, honestly, 40 is no different except that I REALLY do not feel it.  When I write that I do not feel it, I mean not emotionally, mentally and not really even physically.  Plenty of the people in my life feel their age or older, especially physically, but I just don't and I guess that is the perplexing part of this event.  If I live to, let's say, 80, then my life is half lived and if I do not "feel" 40 now, will I "feel" 50, 60 or, if I am so lucky, 90?  This rant takes me to one of my very favorite, albeit anonymous quotes which simply asks, "How old would you be if you didn't know how old you are?"  My answer?  25!!  I "feel" 25!  Maybe that is because by the time I hit that age, I got married, had my values and worldview and philosophies about life and being human in place.  I am much wiser now than at 25, but I am pretty much the same person now as I was then, although, if you ask my husband, I have mellowed out about a lot of things.  Thank goodness for perspective and having the ability to learn from my mistakes as well as those of others.  As long as I can continue to learn new things from this life then it will be full of wonder and elation.  Gomez gave me the most beautiful card with amazingly kind, poignant words in it.  One of the things he pointed out was that anything I decide to learn or do I master.  Well, I guess my life is mine to master!  On with the show!

     My beautiful card, "Tristan and Isolde" by Marc Fishman

Living in a small town can be sooooooo frustrating!

Have you ever wanted to try an old art/craft, such as, oh say, Drop Spindling, and you get so excited you cannot wait to get the equipment and supplies and start?  Me too.  However, small town living has thwarted me, yet again!  The local craft chain store does not carry Drop Spindles (but they sell an instructional book on how to do it), and the antique store mistook bobbins for spindles.  UUUUUUUGGGGGGGHHHHH!  If I ever get started I will post my progress.  Until then, I am off to search the internet!  Ciao!

Spring is springing...hopefully!

With Valentine's Day looming tomorrow, I look outside at our snow-covered mountains with the sun gleaming off of them and can hardly believe that Winter may actually be coming to an early end this year.  It has been unusually cold this year and temperatures have been in the below zero range for more nights than I care to count.  The dogs will be glad for warm weather so that their oh so favorite sweaters will be packed away until Autumn! 
I am hoping to get all the things done outside this year that have been put off every year for the last few years.  Hopefully I will actually put a timed sprinkler in the square foot garden if I replant this year, so there will be a harvest.  The front and backyards will get fixed up and landscaped in hopes of spending lazy evenings lounging in their glory.  Sounds good, doesn't it?  Here is to hoping!
If you have never heard of square foot gardening, Google it and learn a fun, easy, great way to garden!

Last spring's attempt at a garden.  Is that Sasquatch with his dog?!