Category Archive: spinning

2016
02/16

Category:
food
Life
Shopping
spinning

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Busy, but not accomplished

Some days are just too long for the energy I have and too short for what I want to achieve.  This was one of those.   After walking half an hour this morning (I’m doing 10,000 steps a day now), I  rested my legs by spinning on my electric spinner.    Then it was time to go to the medical appointment to try to avoid knee surgery.

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Lunch already!   Ok, we decided since we were close to a Whole Foods, we’d pick up some bread we especially like and put some in the freezer.   Since they only had 2 loaves left, we didn’t fill the freezer.   However, we decided to eat there, which won’t happen again soon.

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Home again and another half hour of walking which gave me about 3000 steps.   Then it was time for a webinar on replacing zippers –  continuing education which I enjoy.  After that it was time to feed and put the animals to bed.   A few more steps to complete my day and oh, yes, another batch of grapes on the dehydrator that weren’t drained enough made the smoke detector tattle on me again.    This time I was right there and saw what happened.   So this was a day, plenty happened, but nothing gained in the studio or in the garden.  And tomorrow I start over again with the steps and the gym which I am grateful I can do.

2016
02/09

Category:
quilts
spinning

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Quilting old and new and a festival

 

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  Finally, I  chose a flannel backing and have mounted this ready to quilt – which won’t be this week.   All these trips are taking their toll on my time and me.   I am getting much less done, because after all this driving, I’m to tired to tackle anything big.  Now the legal work is done and we only have to sign the house deed over to our trust when that paperwork is done.    So happy we don’t have to think about dying any more, I can get back to living!   I still have a few more treatments before I know if the work he is doing to avoid knee surgery is doing the job.

IMG_3989Isn’t this a beautiful piece of fabric.  It will become a part of my next quilt, which will be pieced without any applique.   I have pressed the pieces and will cut them  tomorrow.

IMG_3987This  was my first spinning wheel – the one upon which I learned.   It is a wonderful wheel, in fact, it is still being made today by Clems and Clems.   They are now charging over $800 plus $30 for each extra bobbins.   So on Craigslist it will go this weekend.  Can I call this downsizing?  Hopefully, someone who doesn’t want to float a loan will have the opportunity to learn.   If I had to pay that kind of money to learn, it wouldn’t have happened.    By the way, if  you live in the Seattle-Tacoma area, the big fiber festival is Thursday (and free).   You will find it by googling Madrona fiber festival in Tacoma.   I have not been  before, but I’m planning to be there this year.   I will be checking everything out – not taking a class this first time.   And of course, I’ll try to remember photos for those who can’t go.

 

kl

2016
02/08

Category:
food
Garden
quilts
spinning

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Exercise, spinning and gardening

I started the day with exercise and then a knee treatment.

IMG_3710  By 1 PM, I was ready for a rest.   I spun another 30 inches of roving (I tore the roving into 30″ lengths – just 28 more of this particular one to do at one a day).   When the roving is spun, I’ll ply it and look for a sweater pattern

  Then to the greenhouse where I thought there might be some potatoes from last year that we missed.

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This is what we found – about 1/3 bucket of potatoes and one single leek.   Enough for a couple meals.   There were a number of tiny potatoes, so we left them to grow new plants.  I need to get someone to dig the beds outside as I have about 50 potatoes with 6-8″ long sprouts that need to be planted.  Maybe what I need is a whole week of sun without appointments.

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I looked  again at working up these two kits and decided they need to go in a very back spot.   The designer gave all the patterns and fabrics, but not much in instructions.  And applique is not my favorite thing to do. Maybe when I get old………..I can drag them out again.

Meanwhile, I think tomorrow, I’ll go sign some legal documents, and by then it might be warm enough to go play in the dirt and I can get a few of these potatoes into the ground.   And I need to buy peas and get them started soon.

 

2016
02/02

Category:
Knitting
Sewing
spinning

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Up to the heels and more

IMG_3949These socks are progressing nicely.   They will have a  contrast heel and toe.   I’m also happy it is an easy pattern, so I don’t have to think too hard.    The pattern I’m using is an internet find, called “Lace Socks” by Jacqueline W.  I am using an 8 ply wool made by PANDA.   The contrast for the heel and toe is by them as well, but 50% wool and 50% acrylic, so hopefully will wear well.

Today was a great day with some spinning, some sewing, some knitting and added to that, I took the machine to have it serviced and went to the Dr.   I feel like I accomplished much.   I’d love every day to be like this, but then I might not appreciate it as much.   Oh, and did I say the sun has been shinning today.

 

2016
01/25

Category:
spinning

COMMENTS:
2 Comments »

Sunshine and spinning

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The sun was shinning today!   It has rained so much lately that this was a real treat.   I spent several hours enjoying the sun on my back and spinning.  I had several pieces of roving in different colors that were between 12 and 18″, so played with them.

2015
12/22

Category:
Knitting
Life
Shopping
spinning

COMMENTS:
1 Comment »

A better day

IMG_3710This is yummy yarn to spin.   It has some angora (rabbit) that makes it so very soft.

After some spinning we went to the sewing store and purchased a couple gift cards this morning since they were offering a $50 card for $40.    Then off to lunch at the Rio Blanco for a nice Mexican lunch.

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This dishcloth pattern is called “Weekend blues” by Janet Nogle.   I am at the half way mark using a Bernat cotton.   Maybe it will get finished tomorrow,  but then  we have gym in the morning and company in the afternoon.   I think for the next week or so, I’ll stay with some easier projects.

 

2015
09/21

Category:
farming
Life
Sewing
spinning

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Finding something fun to do

IMG_3232 After finishing the last quilt, I’m having a very difficult time, getting in the frame of mind to start another project.   I found this lovely wool and angora roving when we were cleaning out the closet, so  started spinning it.  It feels so soft and yummy.  I don’t even remember purchasing it, so it has been here for some time.

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DH wanted a small pillow – about 6 x 9 – with sleeping herbs for night time.   This is what I came up with.  So when he wakes in the middle of the night, hopefully, he will relax enough to go back to sleep. The pillow contains a combination of lemon balm, hops, skullcap, chamomile, mugwort, and peppermint.    I found the ingredient list in an old herb book and put them together awhile back, so don’t have the exact amounts right now.  ( the corner is just bent under – it really is rectangular.)

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And we can’t forget the sheep who love being under the maple tree when resting.  It must feel safe to them.

2015
09/16

Category:
quilts
spinning

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A lovely afternoon

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After gym today, a friend came over and we went over some quilts she wants to make/have quilted for the displaced people in Eastern WA.    It truly was a lovely afternoon and as you know, the topic is never strictly adhered to, so she updated me on some things in Australia.

She is working with a 4H group over in Eastern WA that will be handing the quilts directly to the recipients.  Some of them are also involved in learning to sew a quilt top.   A 13-year-old girl sewed this one together.   It is roughly 80″ square (before quilting)    I have sewn the back together and mounted as much as I can.   It is large enough I had to preshrink a new piece of batting.   Knowing this particular batting shrinks a fair amount, I didn’t want to take the chance of quilting it without preshrinking the batt.

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Here is a loom that I was given.   It will sit until I have a reasonable amount of time to figure out what is what.   Or until Mary comes over and insists we figure it out.

2015
09/15

Category:
food
spinning

COMMENTS:
2 Comments »

Roving to yarn – blue

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After a fairly simple, but delicious lunch – boiled potatoes,  zucchini patty and tossed salad –

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I sat down to an afternoon of plying and now this one pound of blue roving is spun and plied, ready to wash and knit.   This pile of blue yarn represents hours and hours and hours of work, done bit by bit.     Little bits of time really add up.

2015
08/22

Category:
Life
spinning

COMMENTS:
2 Comments »

Lamb sitting and Spinning blue

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I’d like to introduce you to Juliette, a little French lamb.  She will be spending a couple weeks here or until her shepherdess can take her back to her own pasture, which thankfully was missed by the fires, but has tons of smoke.

The lovely blue roving has been spun and the next step will be to ply it.  Since I don’t have a project in mind, I’m not sure if I’ll go ahead and ply it now so it will be ready when needed or just put it away now until I need it.  Isn’t that how ufos are created?

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My prayer is for the firefighters in Eastern Washington and elsewhere that they will be kept safe during these trying times.   The last news I heard was they may have lost 5100 homes, but can’t go into the area and see for sure.   Winds were bad there yesterday.  Today was calmer.   Firefighters from Australia and New Zealand are joining in the fight as well as the National Guard.