I'm Spinning!

I am finally spinning! I've been working on it for a few weeks now, but as I am unschooled in these things, I was unaware that the wheel I was borrowing needed all the little adjustments adjusted. Once that was done, things clicked! It is far from perfect, but I love it just the same.

I am addicted to the creaks and crackles of the wheel, the whirling of the bobbin. I could just sit and listen to the wheel, but what fun would that be. I want to spin. I have said before, there is just something about taking a pile of fluff and turning it into a usable yarn and then creating something usable from that yarn. It has been calling to me for some time now. I have been spinning on a friends borrowed Ashford single treadle Traditional. But, I have decided I want top purchase an Ashford double treadle Traveller. It just fits my household better as it takes up less room and there is less of a chance of the little ones running into it. Now I just need to decide when and from whom I will purchase it.

This is a photo of the new roving I purchased this weekend in Lewisburg at Mad About Ewes. It drafts beautifully as it has a longer staple. The color is beautiful too. I have enough of this to eventually make a sweater and will keep you posted on the progress. But for now, I must return to basket weaving as I have orders to fill and shows to prepare for.

Happy Early Valentine's Day

Here is to wishing everyone a very happy Valentine's Day! I am posting this a day early in efforts to combat the certain misgivings of Friday the 13th. So far the day has been good, but even when I am unaware of the date (which is very often) I still have unforntunate things happen. I am NOT a superstitious person. But anyway, here is to a happy day and a happy tomorrow.

This picture is of the gifts made more my children's teachers for V-Day. Yes, I probably go overboard but they have wonderful teachers and at this early stage of their education, a bad teacher can have a huge effect on them liking or disliking school and they both have a LONG way to go.

Find someone you love, say thank you, and give them a hug. Wish a total stranger a happy day and see what happens.

Productivity

This has been a busy week in our household. Along with regular household duties, tending to the MANY, constant, needs of two small children, an aging horse who's health is calling for spring and my own annoying effects of MS, I have actually managed to get some weaving done. This past week, I wove an egg basket, a market basket, a small berry basket, gourd and a freeform bowl made from all natural materials. The free form bowl was not my cup of tea...I am way to symetrical for this type of weaving. Chalk it up to a lesson learned...don't do free form!

I've also started a wool scarf for my son. His neck is way to exposed for my comfort. He had a scarf in the beginning of winter and is very careful about these things. You do not need to worry about him forgetting or loosing things at school. Instead we lost ours to some poor person who felt it neccesary to steal it from the neck of our first snowman of the season. I figured he, or she, must have needed it more than the snowman, so I'll make more!

I also found the time to finish another pair of
socks, my feet are really becoming happy! We
live in a 200 year old farmhouse with mud, stone
and horsehair walls. There is no insulation to be
heard of and these cold days and nights make it
almost unbearable. To make matters worse, our
equally uninsulated kitchen is build on a crawl-
space not deep enough to crawl through, the floor is freezing, even with a carpet! My feet, which
are happy all summer being bare naked, are only
happy in the winter dressed in wool and slippers

Lastly in my productive week, I found a few moments to sit at the spinning wheel. Now I obviously need more than a few moments, and I need them at much closer intervals in order to retain any progress made, but this is actually keepable. Not for knitting or crocheting, but I will work it into some baskets, can't waste it now can I? I'll post a picture of the finished project once I figure out what it is going to be....

There is hope...

Do you see what I see? Could this be a first sign of Spring? I have also noticed the nuthatches and sparrows checking out the birdhouses as if shopping for real estate. One seems to have taken up residence already.

The snow has finally melted and everything is a muddy mess, but at least we can get outside without freezing our mitts off! This little spot of green was a welcome sight yesterday.

What signs of Spring have you seen, or what are you looking, for that marks Spring is right around the corner?