Thursday, May 31, 2007

Revamping the yarn room or What I Did Over the Three Day Weekend

It's out of whack, needs help.
This is a job for...WOOLY WOMAN!
There shall be a place for all this stuff! A while later...
Peggys' plan and solution:
two six-footers from the IKEA AS-IS room.
Break them down...
and, because girls know how to pack,
load them both plus two other cabinets
into the Mazdaratti.
Haul them into the room for re-assembly.
24 hours later:
The 'sock and other yarn' side.The 'spinning fiber and results of spinning fiber' corner.
Part of the knitting/spinning library we share.
No men were harmed in the revamping of this yarn room.

Monday, May 28, 2007

Burke-Gilman in May

A little bit of info for those not from around Seattle: the Burke-Gilman Trail is a favorite for walkers, bikers, roller-bladers and skate boarders, families and dogs. It starts way over there and goes and goes and goes until it ends up way over that way. My bit of The Trail stretches between Metropolitan Market on 40th NE in one direction and 125th NE in the other. So far. I'm working up to more. After a year at it, I feel that I'm still new to bicycling and don't enjoy exercise all that much ~ ok, not at all. Most* people using The Trail are very pleasant and they like my bike. It's pink and it has a bell, which I use. The flora and fauna is classic metropolitan Seattle and the views are great. If we ever win the lotto, we'll find us a place between The Trail and The Lake and hunker down to knit, spin and watch the water from inside, leaving all boats to the crazy people. I mean that in the nicest way, really I do.

The Trail

Spring bloom
Trail guardian
Tall grass
Looking east
Clover
Bees
A retaining wall
No need to wear a watch if we walk this way

A covered walkway down to the house on the lake
One of my favorite lakeside houses
These folks have a great view looking east toward Kirkland
We call these plants The Pod People**.
They grow uninvited and, like kudzu,
they take over everything.

We don't know what they are or who is responsible for clearing them out, but they need to be gone. They're taking over whole sections of both sides of The Trail.

*
Some professional bikers ~those in skin-tight bikewear, you know who you are~ on The Trail are every bit as rude on Burke-Gilman as they are on the city streets which means if you don't watch out they will run you down because they're speeding (the speed limit on The Trail is 15mph) so it's not all that restful or fun to be on The Trail when they are. How hard is it to get a bell and use it? Ok, rant over.

**We would like to find out what this plant is and how to kill it so if anyone out there knows, please leave a comment or email me at rebecca at bienn dot net. I'm as much a gardener as I am an exerciser but that doesn't mean I'm not concerned about a plant from another galaxy taking over the planet. These Pod People need to be stopped!

Thursday, May 24, 2007

Shetland Tencel

As purchased.
Dying it green the first time: too bright.
Second try is just right!
Singles on the spool
2-ply in sunlight
Spinner: Rebecca
Fiber: 50/50 Shetland Tencel purchased at Black Sheep Gathering in June, 2006 from SPORFARM (no website). 4 oz were $10. We were curious how it would take dye; we used Mother McKenzies Miracle Dye both times, and made it way darker the second try. Results: 3.7 oz and 370 yards of 2-ply.

Dying it periwinkle and purple
Spinning it 2-ply together

Spinner: Peggy
Fiber: 50/50 Shetland Tencel purchased at Black Sheep Gathering in June, 2006 from SPORFARM (no website). 4 oz, half dyed periwinkle and half purple and then spun and 2-plied. Results: 3.8 oz and 304 yards.

Sunday, May 20, 2007

An accidental yarning

Yum. It's lace weight 50/50 BFL and Suri, hand dyed by Fleece Artist. If that's not enough, how about 660 yards for $21.50? wow.

It was an accident! I swear!
Totally by happy chance, two blogless friends (Pat and Sandi) and I car-pooled to Village Yarn and Tea on Friday morning to see their new yarn. It was the beginning of the LYS Tour and I had been given a preview the night before (while I happened to be there ) of the special yarn they were going to be offering the next day. I was talking about it with the two blogless knitters while we were having a knit and a coffee at a local book store and before I knew it we were all in the car together heading north.

Long story short, we each bought some and when I took my sister back the next day it was all gone, bam! Just like THAT! I guess it was a happy accident that I managed even the one ball...

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Shetland

Natural cream Shetland Top
from Artful Ewe

Judith McKenzies light gray Shetland Top
from Artful Ewe

Dark gray Shetland Top
from WhoaMule Farm
2-ply samples from left to right: cream, cream and light gray,
light gray, light gray and dark gray, dark gray.
The plan: with about 1 pound of each top and spun finely enough and plied as five different colors, there may be enough to knit a graduated color shawl or blanket, or even a fair isle sweater! There's lots of time to come up with a plan because spinning and plying 3 pounds of top should take awhile.

By the by, Peggy and I have this much EACH. If one of us runs out...

On a totally unrelated subject:
Peggy and I both received this answer.
Go figure.


What kind of yarn are you?

Take this quiz!

Friday, May 11, 2007

Tagging


It took all afternoon to catch up on labels. Why-oh-why do I not sew these in when I finish blocking the thing? And if only I could talk myself into ironing as soon as I take laundry out of the dryer...

Tuesday, May 08, 2007

Lilac season in Seattle

In our front yard, my four favorite lilacs. I planted these the Spring of 1991, a year after we moved in. I've cut flowers from them so often over the years that now they all grow only up top ~ not close enough for easy cutting, but it sure smells good coming up the front walk.

PurpleBrighter Purple
White
and my favorite: two tone purple and white

Wednesday, May 02, 2007

Wheel opportunity

For those of you interested in acquiring a Betty Roberts spinning wheel, there's one for sale in the secondary market.

Betty sent me a very few photos and a little background, all of which can be found on the Betty Roberts yahoo fan club site.

If you're not signed up for that yahoo group, here are a few details: the wheel was made in 1995 out of European Beech wood which came to this country as dunnage on a ship carrying steel. It is the only Beech wheel Betty has ever made and she says it's heavy. It is an 'accelerated' wheel (double wheel double drive), comes with a lazy kate and 8 spools (bobbins) and has hand painted wild flowers on the wheel and the orifice hook.

The wheel is in 'like new' condition and is priced at $1,000.00, which is less than the original price. If you're interested in purchasing this work of art please go to the yahoo site for more photos and Bettys' contact info.