Category: FO Page 43 of 48

I present you, Mobius Basket! I must say, I am itching to make another one right now. A tall skinny one to use as a pen/pencil holder. I’m going digging into my stash.

It was a beautiful day yesterday (70F +), so I took my spinning wheel outside and played for a bit. Every once in a while, a male Anna’s Hummingbird, in full mating plumage, would buzz over my head to get to the hummingbird feeder. What a beautiful sight. Our big disappointment in moving from the cottage is that we won’t be there for the nesting season. We had 2 hummingbird nests within 4 feet of the front door. I had never seen one before, and was hoping to see them build the nest and lay eggs.

Spring tip for Spinners: Gather up all that scrap fiber. You know, all that awful bits that are too horrible to spin. Put them in a mesh bag and hang them on a tree for the birds to gather for nesting materials.

It took me an embarrassing amount of time to finish this pair of socks. I believe that I started this on a cruise through the San Juan Islands about 18 months ago. I found it in the bottom of the sail bag at one point, then lost it in the move, and found it again. I took it with me as plane knitting project, and I finally finished it at the retreat. You see, I had to finish it because I met Sarah Hauschka. Why? Because she gave me a one-on-one lesson on her Magic Loop method on Thursday night of the retreat. But I promised myself that I wouldn’t work on the Magic Loop sock after the lesson until I’ve finished this darn albatross, er, blue socks.

When I finished them, they were a bit big. I thought that it was just because I hadn’t washed them yet. But when I got home, I realized that they fit Martin perfectly. Sigh. I must have sized them for Martin during the cruise. You see, they were toe-up socks and I had already turned the heel when I lost them. The second sock was made to match the first, without trying them on. Oh well. Martin got a pair of nifty new Lorna’s Laces socks.

Now, for the next part of the confession. I bought an embarrassing amount of fiber (both yarn and spinning fiber) at Stitches West. So I’m not going to post them. All you need to know is that I now have enough to last me until at least Blacksheep, if I spin every waking hour between now and then (forget about work and eat), and learn to knit in my sleep. And all I have to say is that Judith MacKenzie McCuin told us in one of the classes at the retreat … (paraphrasing lots here) if a fiber speaks to you, buy it. Even if you don’t know what to do with it. It spoke to you on some level. You are an artist. You and the fiber will eventually come to terms and figure out what it wants to be. Stop feeling guilty. (This is spoken from a woman who started to panic when her stash dropped below 2,000 pounds. Yes, that’s right. Two THOUSAND pounds.)

My drumcarder is finally finished and ready for shipping. And with my bonus from work, I’m going to buy a new spinning wheel? Why? Because Judith told me that I should. What other excuse does a gal need? Can you tell who my new idol is?