Field Trip

Yesterday my Chemistry class took a trip to the PMA textile archives and analytical labs. I love behind the scenes stuff so I was geeking out for pretty much the whole trip. We got to see the vault that houses the museums 30,000 piece collection. I even got to see Grace Kelly's wedding gown, which unfortunately has not aged well. It was placed on a poorly size bust form and the extremely fine antique lace in the bodice was damaged. Such a shame. We also got to see a collection of Victorian Miser Bags that will be set up in the Pearlman Gallery soon. I did remember to take pictures of them...unlike everything else. I suck at taking pictures when I'm out, guess I just like to experience in real life and not so much through a screen. These bags are so cute and clever. I think I'll design one for myself when I magically have time again. Maybe make it so it could be worn on a ring or wrist strap for hands free carrying.

This trip has once again inspired me to want to work in a museum, my fastidious attention to detail would serve me well in that kind of environment. Unfortunately that would require yet another Masters degree on top of the one I'm working on and traveling out of state for school since there are no local programs. Finishing 2 Masters might mean I could be finished by the end of the decade. I haven't mentioned this to my partner, mostly cause he'll ring my neck if I say I want another 2-3 year of school on top of the 2 more I still need. So it's in the pipe dream pile for now and we'll see what happens. I also want a farm with Yaks and Sheep, so I'll just see which one life pushes me toward and go with it.

Speaking of my Masters program, I just finished my first class. I had to spend all weekend making this...

Part of the fabric is machine knit, but it was hand sculpted and assembled. It took a long time and will now sit in a display case for a semester and then come home and collect dust. I hate projects like this, but it's definitely an A...so goal achieved. Two more classes to finish and I have a few weeks off to enjoy before the summer is over.

The best part of that is I will be enjoying it in our new house. T-minus 6 days till closing and 9 days till move in. I can't wait. My house looks like a bomb dropped on it and I can't clean till things are moved and ack!

With all the fore mentioned going on Tour de Fleece kind of fizzled out for me. I finished 3.5 skeins and only spun from my stash, so that's enough of my goal achieved to make me happy. Hopefully more peaceful spinning will commence in my new backyard toward the end of next month.

Oh..and my car is finally being repaired.

What a week!

So on the 4th of July my car was struck while parked by a tractor trailer.

The guy was caught, police were called, pain in the butt, but all could be fixed. No big deal right? ....wrong. My insurance company has been giving me the run around for almost 2 weeks now saying they couldn't find the drivers insurance info and that I had mysteriously taken my Collision coverage off when I took my Jeep off my policy... yada yada yada. The key point in that last statement is I have never owned a Jeep in my life. 0_o This morning I had had quite enough of this and made some phone calls, found the claims agent for the truck driver and got an assessment of my car scheduled, all without the incredibly rude help of Progressive Insurance Co. I will be transferring my insurance post haste and am very relieved my car will be operational again soon.

Now on to the good stuff. All the a fore mentioned annoyance has made spinning virtual impossible time wise this week.  I managed to get most of one bobbin finished during the week and wrapped it up on Saturday and miraculously finished the second bobbin that same night despite haveing frequent stops to rest my knee and pack for the move that is speeding toward us in just 2 weeks.

Yesterday I plied between more packing and tons of useless busy homework. Now I am not against homework per say, but when it has no educational value and just takes an obscenely long time I begin to be miffed by it's very existence.

I am actually totally thrilled by this yarn despite having only what could be described as lukewarm feelings for the fiber and the way it was dyed.

Results are 612 yds lace weight 2 ply from 3.5 oz Falkland Wool dyed by Winterhaven Farm.

I love it!

I think I need to design a shawl especially for it.

Oh, and in other cool news, cause this hasn't been the weirdest week ever. I started my new job at TimesPub and interviewed for a position at Huntingdon yarn mills, and a portrait of me my friend Kate painted is going to be in an international art and fashion magazine called VOLUP2.

Tour de Fleece: Week 1

I have made a sad amount of progress so far this Tour and July is only going to be worse.

The pink and 1st skein of the blue are all I've done for the Tour 14oz total

Between school and work for the next month I am pulling doubles for a a better part of the week and those days that aren't doubles are late days in general (done at 6-7pm). By Saturday I may collapse, but I won't be able to since I still have packing and homework to do on the weekends. Settlement for the new house is on the 30th and we plan to move in that weekend. On top of that my car was side swiped on the 4th by a tractor trailer, jerk hit 2 other cars as well.

My poor car!

I can't wait to hear from my insurance company...and for it to be August!

Pre-gaming

In further preparation for Tour de Fleece I have been trying to clear off my wheel and wrap up other projects in general. I finished off this skein.

Spinner's Hill 4.4oz/694 yds

Canned 17.5 jars of Mulberry Jam

I may never run out!

Add caption

Got 3 books from 2 of my favorite authors and read both the Neil Gaiman books within 20 hours. Working on Joyland now, but should finish it before the week is out.

Today I also managed to have time to groom my rabbits, no pictures of that. I will say that you should all thank your lucky stars I never went into Cosmetology.

Tour de Fleece 2013

It's almost that time of year again! Tour de Fleece will soon be upon us and spinners will once again take to their wheels to create beautiful yarn from fluffy tufts of fiber. I'm on 3 teams this year, Kromski, Spin Your Stash, and Tardis. I will also be posting my daily progress here.

Now I just need to decide what to spin. Here is what I've pulled from the stash.

From top left, Red Louet wool/silk 8oz, Blue/green/purple w/ bobbin Dancing Leaf Farms Mermaid probably about 6 oz left (started spinning this before last years tour and haven't gotten back to it, so this is going right back on the wheel as soon as I'm finished the last 2oz of what I'm working on). Pink 8oz from a sheep named Sparkleberry also from Dancing Leaf Farms, she is a 50% coopworth and 50% romney, the purple with green is Winterhaven Fiber Farms Falkland wool 3.5 oz in colorway wild violets, the large purpley ball on the left is some Coopermoose fiber, it's wool, that's all I remember. The whites, grays, and black in the middle are my luxury fiber blends, there is some merino/yak (left gray), silk/yak (right gray), merino/silk/yak (middle gray), merino/cashmere/silk (white), and alpaca/silk (black). Since I have such small quantities of each of these I'm going to do some plying together, not sure which with which yet. The braid is 4.1oz of mohair from Sheepish Creations that I have no recollection of buying what-so-ever! And lastly 4oz of Happy hippie Soy silk in colorway Age of Aquarius.

There is also 3lbs of fleece upstairs that is partially carded....

I think that's more than enough and I'm also aware that I am mildly delusional in thinking I can finish all this in a month. Might as well dream big though. And this would mean I could reduce the stash by 1 tote.

I think it's safe to say that I have officially reached SABLE (Stash Acquisition Beyond Life Expectancy), maybe if I never bought anything ever again I could get through it all, but I don't see that happening. So, I shall boldly go forth into this Tour de Fleece with lofty aspirations and possibly a stiff drink.

Leave a comment and let me know what you think should be priority in the spinning pile.

Spinning along

Life has been really productive since returning from Italy. This past Sunday I had another fortuitous meeting and picked up some freelance graphic design and tattoo work from a local shop owner.

 I've quit smoking by using an Ego-v vapor cigarette. So I technically haven't stopped using nicotine, but that's not the part of the cigarette that kills you. My lungs already feel better. 

I have an appointment tomorrow to discuss design options for this new yarn partner.

Oh, and we're buying a house. It came up rather suddenly that we were able to do it, looked at a house the next day, put in an offer and the second offer was accepted on Sunday. The inspections should be done this week, but assuming all goes well we'll be making settlement in about 60 days. It'll be so nice to be building equity as apposed to paying rent. The house has been really wonderfully maintained and has everything we were looking for except hardwood floors and a fireplace, but we can work on that.

And a little spinning thrown in during my free time.

Top: 4oz Delly's Delight Batt purchased at Rhinebeck, 70% wool 30% angora

Bottom: 4oz Tempted roving 85% mixed BFL 15% tussah silk

The color is way off in this photo, but I am not going near the adobe creative suite if I can help it.

Caio

Italian

So we've established that I'm really bad with keeping up with the blog, I'm over it.

Italy can be summed up in one word, bellisimo!

This trip was the polar opposite of my last trip to Italy in 2007. Since it was for school it was go go go and my feet severely suffered for it. Saw all the standard touristy stuff, Vatican, Pantheon, too many churches to count, the Bourghese and Barbarini Galleries. There was weeping over the beauty of the art and the collected worship over thousands of years that has taken place. Unfortunately I don't have that many photos to show you because my phone was pick pocketed on the subway by some thieving gypsy children (luckily my plan was up and I was able to replace it for $1 when I got home, and I had set a passcode on it when I got there so they didn't have access to any of my info). I did take my iPad out with me 2 days after that, so here are a few shots from those days.

From the top, Villa d'Este which is a world heritage site, Haydrian's Villa built in the 1st century bc, The Ecstasy of St. Theresa by Bernini, and Hali and I at Villa d'Este.

On top of this being a well organized if not totally exhausting trip, the group was great. We pretty much spent all semester not talking to each other, in all fairness it was a ten am lecture class, so not much talking was involved in general, but I didn't expect us all to get along so well. It was a great time, there was bonding and definitely some lifelong friendships made. We are planning to do regular dinners and I would like to try and do a regular travel adventure with this group again, maybe a ounce a year thing. I figure I'll broach it at the first dinner and see what everyone thinks.

It was the best travel experience I've had to date and I can't wait to travel more. Now I just need to finish graduate school and win the lottery. 

Heard back from the woman I met last weekend and they want me to do a knit shell for a yarn that is coming out soon, hopefully meeting with her on Wednesday to discuss the details.

Oh, and we're buying a house...hopefully...first offer is on the table and we're waiting for them to counter offer. Keep your fingers crossed.