Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence in society.......Mark Twain

Monday, March 30, 2009

first tie dye marathon day












It was a definite learning curve....still I think I have hearts sussed out....and I am pleased with the jean jacket. And of course Kat with the steaming knickers straight from the microwave embodies the whole spirit of dye day.



Friday, March 27, 2009

updating etsy




I have an amazing score of a kzillion tubs of procion mx that I got from a lady on craigslist....woo I love deals!!!! And I have been updating etsy...suitcase #2. Here are a few of the things I listed...Atomic Viking and Im Lichen it.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

it wasnt the easter bunny....it was the auction fairy...


THIS...is a reverse osmosis water softener......omg....I am so excited.....now my dyeing will be amazing......no more calgon.....can you hear me cackling and rubbing my hands together....not only is it a water softener....its the porche of water softeners.....oh oh oh....and felting....yes felting will be a breeze too.....oh and wine.....and the list goes on....

now i just have to read the instructions......

Gotta love that auction fairy....he is kind of like Radar O'Reilly crossed with Matt Dillon only with a serious love of budwieser. Knows what everyone has and what everyone needs.....and almost every week ,post auction in a happy haze of a job well done and a few with the boys he shows up with a new addition to 'the staff'.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

yarn bombing

I have this unsquashable desire to go out yarn bombing....anyone want to come with me....out lurking in downtown maple ridge....tacky acrylic yarn and crochet hook in hand...maybe its just spring fever.....still.....

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

its a cross between origami and laundry


Kat came over today and we folded...and folded and watched the 3 instruction videos. We are reserving another day for mixing dyes and applying. Here is Kat folding a pashima....we are different enough in methods and visions that I think we will produce a truly cool collection....and now im going to curl up and dye for a bit.

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Its a date!

with Good Kat from whistler farmers market. (thats glass Kat not the other one )She is coming on tuesday for a dye marathon. We have decided that in the interest of fiscal sanity and pee breaks that we will share a booth this year.....so we are doing some tandem dyeing and such. I have resurrected the patio with the exception of going to the dump with several bags and an old wooden futon that for some reason I cant explain ended up here. I am now fortifying myself with tea and diet cookies and will head out to attack the garage.....boooya. I can almost feel the workspace....i love spring.

spring fever

I ventured out in the sun yesterday and blew off the patio. I am hoping the weather will warm just slightly so i can work a bit on cleaning out the shed....I need to set up my summer work space. I have been watching the tye dye videos that magda and rob gave me for my birthday last year.....not that I want to tye dye exactly....but i do want to discharge and overdye some jean jackets. I will be so glad to see tomorow when all the brats go back to school after spring break......this enforced togetherness has made me balmy.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

caught in a cosmic loop

i have spent the last couple of days in computer land, updating sites, creating sites, linking, and doing all the little behind the scenes things that need to be done to have a fuctioning on line presence.
I have however been smashing my head against the wall trying to redeem my facebook advertising credit from go-daddy dot com.
So....i have left it in limbo for the time being as i cant get there from here.
I think i will take a stroll in the rain to clear my head and then see about finding a needlefelting attachment for the 'Brother boutique 176' sewing machine that the auction fairy brought me last night.
ok looking for something cozy to wear as i venture out in the wet world.

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Saturday, March 14, 2009

spinning out loud











Day one of the art yarn spinning class for Whonnock Weavers is complete. It was an intense day with lots accomplished. There were even 2 navajo spindlers in the group who adapted the techniques to thier tools.....jeff who did some awesome yarn incorporating a pearl necklace and Marie who is doing some amazing adaptive coily plying.....

Friday, March 13, 2009

last nights art yarn




Spinning is my solace it always has been. I wonder if years ago when Mr. Allen taught me to spin in a high school art class if he knew what a gift he was giving me.....thinking of how people touch our lives, some good, some bad but each encounter leaves us richer......ok enough philosophising.

Last nights endevours are: Trudy Art Yarn , thusly named for Mrs. Atchison who is an old friends mother, she was very influential in my young life and recently a steadfast support in recovery from cancer and divorce, when she moved into an assisted living facility with her husband she gave me her scrap bag. In it was this fabric that was screaming to be spun.
And Careless Love a cornicopia of different fibres spun thick and thin and coily plied with a commercial mohair boucle.

Also as I sat pondering last night i mocked up some bird patterns....i am thinking for decorations and for brooches and just for fun.....also have pincushions in my mind.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Its official

Jared (middle child) has enlisted in the navy. I dont know whether to laugh, cry or throw up.
I keep looking above my head on the wall where the picture of my Dad when he enlisted sits. He seems to be smiling down, he would be so proud.....he should have had sons.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Do you know what is coming?

Spring, spring is coming!
Ha, and on that note I am coginating on setting up studio space in the garage again....complete with setting up floor loom (did i say that?)
Todays little adventure in order restoration involves wieghing out more fleece for the spinning workshop this weekend. Sending out web orders. Finding my table under mounds of stuff. Taking pictures.....I have a lovely nuno shawl i need to take a pic of....really would look its best on a naked model....any takers.....no didnt think so.
I also need to plan a new wardrobe, its a new season and aside from the obviously missing body bit that causes me fitting issues, I have packed on about 20 pounds, thank you tamoxifin (small price for life) so I am going to design big wearable sacs....you know, with kind of a steampunk, urban flair....ya right.

Monday, March 9, 2009

Angel of the Morning


This was fun!!
42 yards of hand dyed kid mohair core spun on a commercial mohair blend.
soft soft soft and sooo squidgy. It has the most wonderful lustre. Its truly a little bit of heaven.
2 oz
$35.70

camera leads number three




oh how funny....wrote 2 long posts about not being able to find my camera leads yesterday and niether showed. Today I found the leads....in the dryer omg but they work.....grateful for blessings.


I only took 2 pics of dye day....I got caught up in the moments and forgot.....so here they are:
We dyed 10 K of bfl and 5 K of kid mohair.
and got it all done in prep for the art yarn 2 day workshop I am teaching next weekend. I promise to take interesting pics of that one!

Thursday, March 5, 2009

carder and picker for sale












































































































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I have posted the ad for the carder and picker in a few spots on ravelry and there has been several requests for more pics of the picker....so here it is.












The pair are valued at 60 thousand and I am considering all reasonable offers. I can help with arranging shipping and can have it crated if desired....these costs are the responsibliy of the buyer. I can also help with brokering it into the States as I have had lots of experience shipping machinery.












I cant say enough good things about these machines they are wonderful. They are the last big machines made by patrick green and have incredible workmanship. This is a wonderful chance for someone and it is time for me to move on.












Tuesday, March 3, 2009

more staff




This is Phoebe. She is a little care worn and shows the footprints of past projects....many many projects. She was a gift from a man whose mother was a weaver and she came with an unfinished runner which has recently been finished and gifted back to said man.


She is basic and clunky and a perfect springboard for the weaving that is in my head. This loom has so much positive energy, enouraging me, prompting me, I can hear her calling me away from the always overwhelming chores. She tells me I must do the Cap College Fibre Arts Program so i am dutifully applying today.