Meanderings of a Mermaid

Here are the hard working crew out for a very deserving spa day. I brought the spinning wheels out from the studio to the deck and clean them all carefully with lemon oil. Inspections were done and a little fine-tuning was performed. Each wheel was put through it's paces for a few minutes after the treatment. They all look pretty resplendent in the sun, don't they? This is Lulu, my first Lendrum wheel. I put the merino yarn onto her the other day and Lulu was just having a blast with this fiber. What a fantastic wheel.  Stevie is the only new wheel I ever bought and is a Kromski brand Minstrel model. Right now it is set up with the plying head. last week I was already plying off some singles that remained here from last year.  I may not have mentioned this before but this wheel's name is Lina, after the Lithuanian word for linen. It is a very old flax wheel. And the last time I showed her picture around the Antiques group on Ravelry, a few knowled...

I have been busy with closing down the house and packing things to take north with us. So there has not been a lot of time to do much crafts. This is about 12 oz of merino (Fat Cat Knits "Vancouver" colourway) that I just plied up. It is a three ply. I hope I have time today to skein it up. I intend to take this plus the rest of this fibre north and finish spinning it there. With a total of 2 lbs I can contemplate a larger knit or woven project. Next time I write it will be from the north woods. I ache to be there and with the early spring I am itchy to get going. I've had a busy winter season with lots of teaching and two craft shows. I did pretty well, and so am happy with it all. But I need to go and recharge my batteries now.

It's been an exciting year in the south for me. I have done a large amount of teaching and have explored more techniques in spinning, knitting and weaving. Yes, even in knitting one can find new things to do (check out the Twigg Stitch). But the days in the south are numbered, since the heat is cranking up and we haven't got any air conditioning here. Thank goodness we have wind and three excellent overhead fans in this cottage. Now I am in the mood to complete a bunch of things and start to think about what I may want to haul north.  I used two colours of variegated tencel for the warp threads and a variegated silk for weft. This project was the first one I did with the flying shuttle beater on the big loom. Great colours, eh?  And get a load of the drape on this shawl. I did have some issues with the tencel shredding but in the finishing I was able to correct any little problems. I am looking forward to using this, but with temperatures in the upper 80s and 90s, it wi...

 This is the senior rooster that belongs to our neighbours. There are two junior roosters there as well, so you can imagine the noise at times. We have a large backyard and the roosters spend most of their time picking at insects on our property.   Yesterday I carded up a few wool batts. Do you think I may have got some of my colour inspiration from that rooster? I also taught my last Guild class of the season, so it was a bit sad for me. But quite the accomplishment too, as it represented the thirtieth class I have taught in this town. All free by the way.   The bluebonnets are starting to bloom nicely in the back field.  And the pear blossoms are attracting a lot of bees.  This morning the dew hung heavy on the blades of grass.  Luminaria! Fog at sunrise. Today. 

 Last week I was delighted to be able to participate in a Lithuanian Band Weaving class in the Big City. In this first photo is the very start of the project, with spacer chunks of paper and the still wide plain weave portion visible. After a little bit of the pick up pattern was woven the right edge tidied up and the band is narrower. Maybe I will show you how it looks in another post.  Here was an inkle loom that won the prize for the smallest and most portable.  And this gal preferred to work hers resting on the ground.  now this inkle, A Fuchs brand, had an interesting tensioning mechanism on it.  Some of the participants working away, We see inkle looms of various types. I had also brought a simple frame loom to show as well with a project on it. Our instructor, a Lithuanian lady at left. Myself in the middle and a lovely weaver on the right. We are intent on learning everything we can! I wish I had these learning opportunities closer to ...

Here it is.....drum roll if you please..... Actual snow in Texas. Finally last night, a few granules of snow fell on our snowbird haven. Dawn is breaking and it's windy and cool out. No more precipitation in the forecast and probably just one more night below freezing and we're done with this "snowy winter". It seems like a day to hunker down at home and focus on the Three Cs: Cuddling Creature Comforts and Crafts. Yes, you're right. That's every day.

Here is a simple embroidery or tapestry frame that I have snagged for a band weaving loom. I am practising my pick-up technique, something I used to do a lot of as a child. It is not hard to do, but it will take a while for my edges and tension to be even. It's really quite fun though. I am using cotton for both warp and weft.      This photo is of the WooLee Winder on my Polonaise wheel . We have been working together ( machine and I) to make a gorgeous single out of merino wool.   The glamour shot.   The lustre and soft, sexy shot.   The fiber I am using is from Fat Cat Knits in New York state. Here's what it looks like in the braid (combed top). I have bought a fair bit of it. I suspect I will be  making at least a two ply yarn, although 3 ply is calling out to me. After my art yarn play time of a couple of weeks ago I still had some alpaca woolen singles left over. Today I plied that with a Lionheart ladder ya...