Abby!

I spent 6 hours spinning 4 yarns on Saturday & it was fantastic.
It was all types of spinning I avoid - the chain ply, the long draw, the spinning from the fold because I'm not comfortable with them.

Abby made it all doable and gave history and stories. It was never not frustrating, but there's bliss (at least to me ) in that type of frustration.

I love learning new things, especially when it's not easy. Abby made me want to keep trying, and to me that's a key to a great teacher. Not just keep trying, but can't- wait- to- go- be- frustrated- at- my- wheel- until- I- get- it ,trying.

Thanks Abby you are a Rockstar!


Also, we were nasty. My whole end of the room was so moist the whole shop should have felted.
I laughed until my stomach hurt & may have said things that embarrassed my own self.

I am in love with Greg, and am convinced that Kat & I are soul sisters - she laughs even louder than me. Yes, Beth, you still make me moist.



Yes, I do still knit. It is all secret knitting, which sorta sucks because it's deadline knitting. But look at that fabric I'm making, it's yarn from the The Fibre Company, it is wonderful, sexy and tweedy. Now I must go have conversations with a calculator about armholes, then I can spin again.

Spinning, spinning

My knitting projects have been frustrating, so I've been spinning more. Here's a peek:

Some Beloved Boogie. Fiber BFL Color: Popsicle, Navajo ply & 2-ply. I suck at the Navajo I feel like I may as well be using my toes instead of fingers. So now I Navajo ply all of my leftovers from 2 ply for practice.






























Some of Lorna's Laces new Superwash merino Navajo plied. More BB, merino, color: Moonflower, 2 ply and Navajo.



















I am lucky enough to have a spot in Abby Franquemont's Spinning Sock Yarn class at The Spinning Loft, so I've been practicing spinning fine.
This is just some regular Shetland. Love the fine spinning, hate how long it takes to fill a bobbin.

This will eventually become a 2-ply finished in the Judith McKenzie McCuin method- menaced with a wee plunger, and bloomed.

My "What is she smoking" thought is this, I'm also lucky enough to be taking Cat Bordhi's New Pathways sock class at Threadbear and I want to make handspun sock yarn for it, to honor Cat's beautiful brain.

Horton Spins a Who?

Did anyone else who saw Horton Hears A Who this weekend try to decide if it would be better to comb or shear those fuzzy Whos before spinning their fur?

I'm thinking combing like a cashmere goat.

The Day I Ran Away From Home

These are my kids and I love them.
One or the other has been sick for the past two to three weeks and they both have cabin fever.
Today they got on my last nerve.
"I'm leaving", I told my husband with enough edge in my voice that he just said "See ya, have fun"

The two on my nerves whined"wheeeeerrrreee are you going, what will you bring me, where ,what, where, what, me,me ,me ,me ,me" then they started to fight.

I looked at them, the lights of my life, right in the eyes and said "You two are driving me f-ing nuts" Yes, I dropped the f-bomb on my kids. They'll live.

From the other room the husband yells "Aren't you gone yet?"



I jumped in the car, cranked up Lucinda, the patron goddess of road tripping, and drove , fast. Really, if my ass had actually been on fire I don't think I would have driven faster.
Can those of you in the Ann Arbor -ish area guess where I went? The sign is exit 137 Howell/Pinckney






Two beautiful signs.
The Spinning Loft.












"Beth", I yell. "I ran away from home"
She smiles. Yes, she is always this cute.











Here's the shop















Right wall - raw fleeces, at least 30 - buy a whole fleece or buy it by the ounce. Back corner - the succulents, silk, yak, buffalo, angora, cashmere.........


The wall of dyed rovings.
Also, that's Shannah, she's a Knitty-published author, she has llamas. She's working on something for Knittyspin.










I know I'm lucky to have a spinning store close. It's a great spinning store, it has selection - in fiber, in books, in equipment.
I wanted hand cards - I had 5 different brands to choose from & choices with in each brand.















I went with the Strauch, they felt good and the wood is gorgeous.
I didn't take pictures of all of Beth's wheels - that's for another play day. I want to go and spend a long half of a day trying wheels. Maybe Carla will come?

The haul: hand cards, a flicker, an ounce of cashmere, some California red - for the cards, some raw Cormo - for the flicker. I don't believe in letting my equipment be lonely, even on the ride home.











The hug.
Thanks Beth, for letting me run away to your shop.
Don't forget your article..........

Best Weekend Ever

These are not women I know, they're from Google images.
But this is what I did this weekend with girlfriends.
We ate, we spun & knit, but mostly we were rude and laughed. We talked about life, the good, the bad - we dreamed out loud. It was pretty damn perfect.
It was our gang from SOAR - yes, it's taken us this long to get together. And yes I've already sent out the email inviting for the next one.

Also, Miss Amy was here, she filled the A2 library and made everyone laugh & learn. I met lots of great knitters, and some new spinners that keep buying wheels......
My kiddos are in love with her. They pile on her, they cry if they can't wake her up, they play games with her she doesn't even have to participate in.

Yes, Knitty is still coming probably today. We worked on it in our jammies on the couch.

It was good & it was just what I needed.

We have booked a hotel for Rhinebeck we're staying here.
It's never too early to plan.

Has anyone seen my Classic Elite design book Curvy Knits out in the wild? I've heard only one peep [it was a love note :-) ] about it. Nothing from Ample Knitters or the Big Girls list.

The sun is shinning today.

Thank you

Thank you for all of your kindness and understanding. It's much harder than I ever imagined it would be. Right now all the mad I had for her and our relationship has turned to sad, and somehow I have to let that be ok.
All of your words have helped tremendously.

Yes, I been avoiding you

It's been life. Well the ending of one.
My mother died.
It hit me harder than I thought it would, mostly relieved, but still sad.
It happened Feb 11, so not too long ago, and exactly one year to the date of her stroke.
Her life was so sad, she was miserable for as long as I can remember; just waiting for someone to take responsibility for her life and make her happy.
Between us it had come to the point where I had to choose between her and me (and my family), I had someone else appointed her guardian, and she was about to be moved into a 'home'.
It was a good time for her to be done, and I think she had some choice.
I did send up a word thanking her for giving my life back.

That's where I've been.