Today is set aside for getting myself ready for Madrona. Forget about the unfinished house (slowly but surely getting there, I hope). Forget about work projects (conference call on Tuesday signals the end of the current project/phase). Forget about the rats in hedges that have been chewing up my car hoses (signed contract with pest control people). Forget about my still broken down car — the one I’m to drive south to California in next week (car is in capable hands of a highly recommended mechanic on the island). Forget about the broken spinning wheel (it’s back with James Watson and the girls ar going to help me get over it this weekend with judicious amount of wine, martinis, cheeses, and of course, fiber).
It’s almost as if nature agrees with me. I woke this morning to sunshine on the lower parts of the Olympics mountains — all snow covered from the snow fall during the past 2 days — in a glorious display. A tiny peek at the frilly under skirts to tease us with the sheer beauty that is yet to come.
Believe it or not, I seriously need a fiber break. The entire time I’ve been up here, I’ve been either totally immersed with the “stuff” in the first paragraph or just too exhausted to do anything else but sit in front of the fireplace and gaze unfocused into the fire. I have yet to pick up a set of knitting needles during the past 3 weeks.
Despite the spinning wheel disaster, I did get a little bit of spinning done.
(By the way, isn’t the new floor gorgeous?)
2-ply yarn: 1 each of mohair and silk, spun to lace weight. (Haven’t counted the yardage nor measured wpi yet.) The mohair and silk were purchased at Oregon Flock and Fiber back in 2007. The mohair roving came in a beautiful cake box with colors that flowed gently from blue to green to purple and back to blue again (Peppermint Pastures). The silk was purchased specifically to ply with it. This has been my spinning project for the past several visits to the island and it’s finally done. The twist has been setting on the niddy for a couple of weeks now. It needs a light bath still.
Why let it sit before the bath? The completed singles have been sitting around for close to a year. Once I plied it to where the twist needed to be, it was seriously kinky. If I took it off the niddy right away, the kinks would likely be more than I could handle given the state of my life lately. So I let it sit. Hopefully, it will be a manageable skein when I take it out of its bath as well as when I put it in.
And look! It’s Waldo roving! This roving was also purchased at OFFF in 2007. Hand dyed superwash by Mary Barnes. I purchased it from Rowan Tree Woolery. 8.5 oz of superwash. It doesn’t state colorway nor fiber content other than superwash, but I think it’s merino.
Years ago, when I first started to spin, people asked me whether I plan on collecting and spinning Waldo’s fur. I wrinkled my nose and said, “I know where that dog’s been.” I still stand by that. So, this picture here is as close as you’ll find of me spinning “Waldo” fur — aside from whatever is clinging to my current spinning project, that is. In any case, the color match is perfect. No wonder I was drawn to it.
I was hoping to finish the yarn before Madrona, but it doesn’t look like that will happen. The 3 bobbins of singles are complete. I plied until my eyes started to cross from fatigue last night, and I’m about 1/2 way through the bobbins. It’s lace weight, pre-wash, so it should be sock weight after it’s bath.
Off to finish the laundry, find my knitting needles, and pack! See you at Madrona!
Grace
Have a good time at Madrona!
Waldo and the floor look great.
I have to add that the San Gabriel mountains looked fantastic earlier this week, draped in a white mantle of snow. Well, our mountains have skyscrapers in the mid-ground and a landing jumbo jet in the foreground. Your view is probably prettier.