So I got my new needles from Paradise Fibers tonight, and it came with free samples of fiber and yarn.  First the yarn, Queensland Kathmandu Aran Tweed Yarn...

Labels: creativity, photos, spinning, yarnporn

So I've been spinning the alpaca I have left, and my supply is dwindling... I suppose it's good that I can spin more than an ounce in a week, but I'll feel better when I have more in my hand. It was really warm this afternoon, and spinning it was just about agony spinning it in the heat and it nearly became a sweaty mess in my hand.  I finished off the first ounce and wound it onto my specialized equipment:

Labels: life, photos, spinning, yarnporn

So I'm settling in here, getting this room cleaned out more and more and, of course, trying to find a job (while simultaneously hoping the one I'm in line for works out this coming week.) There are several things that I am enjoying about my new life, about being single.

Tonight I went out to the knitting group, and I swear it was almost like being back at Chatham again. We were at a coffee shop, the same one we always meet at, and we were laughing so loud, drawing derisive looks from the other patrons, some of whom were obviously there to study. Seriously, though? Go to a library to study, and stop staring at us. You're just jealous that we're here having such a good time. Also, I apparently make a lot of drug references: I referred to Lorinda as my "fiber pusher", described ska music as "swing music on meth", and said that spinning is like crack. Funny thing is that I've never actually done any illegal drugs. *shrug*

It's just nice to be able to plan my time without regard for anyone... It's not like Chris ever made huge demands on me or anything, but it's different when you can just fill your time without having to think about another person. I'm running a book club and a stitch n' bitch, I'm reading book after book after book, spinning yarn for long periods of time while dancing around like an idiot with iTunes turned up on my laptop. It's basically awesome.

Also, I'm basically turning this room into my own personal little cave of wonder. Once I get it cleaned, I'm putting the loft bed up on craigslist to get it out of here, and then that corner is going to be my library and fiber corner, and will house my yarn/fiber stash and my spinning wheel, along with all my books. I found my old candles and have put them out all over the room because, god, I love candlelight more than I can say. It's not terribly practical, but I don't care.

Right now I'm reading Zinn's A People's History of the United States, which absolutely everyone should read. It's not unbiased, no history text is, but Zinn is absolutely transparent about the lens he's using from the first chapter on, and it balances out the history we're all taught in school, from elementary school onward. I've read part of this before in my US History course, taught by the wonderful Dr. Sterling Evans, one of the best professors I've ever had. Now I'm going back to reread the entire thing from the beginning. It's a fantastic, eye-opening book. I wouldn't say it should be the only book on US History anyone should read, but I think it gives the perspective that is so missing from the standard historical discourse, which I believe was Zinn's intention.

The spinning continues apace, and I've now filled one bobbin (aka a TP tube) with about an ounce of lovely alpaca single. I plied up a bit of it, and while it's not a full worsted weight at 3-ply (about half of the worsted weights thickness, actually), it's very close to the weight of the recommended yarn from the pattern, so I think it'll be a good thickness for the pattern. Even if my gauge is a little smaller than what's recommended in the pattern, I'm actually between two sizes, so I could just make the larger size at a slightly smaller gauge to get a better fit out of it. I ordered the needles, and they should be here soon, maybe even by the end of the week, so then I can knit the little bit I've plied up and see how it's looking (I don't think I have enough navajo plied for a gauge swatch, but it will give me a rough idea.)

All in all, things are going very well for me right now. Hopefully the job thing pans out soon so that I can be gainfully employed and not a damn freeloader anymore.

Labels: creativity, goals, happy, knitting, life, spinning

Ok, so now I'm thinking of being a little naughty and a little crazy and getting more of this delicious alpaca from Lorinda so I can make this with it:



I think it would be exquisite in this yarn, though I'm not sure how many times I'll have to ply it to get the right weight to the yarn... I might just have to use teh math to figure it out, but thats never hard...

Labels: creativity, goals, knitting, spinning, yarnporn

So I've been pacing the floor waiting to hear about a job for the last few days.  I still haven't heard anything yet, so cross your figers for me, the last I heard they were trying to get a hold of my old boss, who is apparently on vacation until Monday.

Labels: creativity, happy, photos, spinning, yarnporn

So I'm waiting to hear about a job, and I've run out of room to clean, so I've resorted to knitting and such while I wait.

Labels: creativity, knitting, photos, spinning, yarnporn

Labels: creativity, goals, happy, life, photos, spinning, yarnporn

Hey everyone! We're still alive here in New York, just been a bit busy with life and lots of other crap. The good news is that I am now working, and we should have an apartment soon where we will have more reliable access to the internets. Woot. And now, to the pictures.

Here is the harbor in Olcott, NY, which is the home of a pirate festival that we did not go to because my feet are teh suck. It's pretty, though, and Fuzzy's aunt and uncle have a business here fixing boats for rich people.


Here is my new favorite alcoholic beverage, the Sloe Gin Fizz, which is super yummy and keeps me from getting drunk because the sweetness makes me stop drinking them long before the alcohol does much. It's got sloe gin (which is sweet and red), with sweet & sour mix, a bit of soda water, and a little swirl of dark rum on top.


Plus, as you can see, it's served with a weapon and fruit. How can you not like a drink that comes with a weapon and fruit?


Here is my most recent yarn, which I love to pieces and looks like this, except with more purple in it.


I love it so much, you get TWO pictures. That's love, that is...


And here's what I'm doing with it:


It's the Morning Surf Scarf, which has been floating around on the internets for years and which, most recently, was in Spin Off magazine, which if Patrick is reading, I heard is the worst movie ever made. Just saying.


Here is a canon in someones front yard, which we have come to nickname the EEEBIL CANON! or The Canon What Is Up To No Good. Note the wicked eyebrows. I pass his cute little face every day on the way to work with Fuzzy.


Patrick is visiting, hence the previous Inside Joke(tm). We went to Niagara Falls, and donned the Great Trashbags of DOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!! Patrick's transformation into a drooling tourist minion is nearly complete.


And here's me, rockin that hefty bag... Rawr.


Here we are piling onto the Maid of the Mist with everyone else in the free world.


Here we are after the boat ride, and Patrick seems to have had a little accident! Whooopsy!



An here's the obligatory picture of the falls, the American Falls anyway, with the horseshoe falls in the background. They really are purty, I must say, and they look much more impressive from the boat.


And now onto a serious note. My dad was diagnosed with colon cancer on Friday. I don't know much beyond that, but for those of you out there reading this, please, pray or wish or hope or do a rain dance or a blessing or whatever you do, but send him your well wishes for me. I would really really appreciate it.

Labels: anxiety, happy, knitting, life, photos, spinning, yarnporn

So, Jan, the wonderful woman who sold me my wheel, sent me a new driveband and new bobbins, and my wheel spins so much better than before and it's perfecter (which I know is not a word, but it applies), and my spinning has improved because of it. Happy Stacy? Yes, happy Stacy :) Right now I am spinning that glorious merino/tencel blueberry fiber I got from Paradise Fibers, and it is effing gorgeous, see?


I am in fiber-licious heaven :) And I have new goodies coming soon, more fiber, that other spindle I ordered, etc, so I am looking forward to spinning more stuff and getting good enough to sell my stuff. I'm hoping to have some sales-worthy yarn coming out within the next month.

Labels: creativity, goals, happy, photos, spinning, yarnporn

This is my first time back to Southern California since I came down for the funeral in August. I knew I had changed a lot since then, or rather I had been changed by that singular even that steamrolled over my life and has left me damaged. It's funny, the way the PTSD works. I go days and days feeling completely normal, whether because of the drugs or because I just don't think about it every five minutes anymore. And then there are days when something happens to trigger it again, and I feel like I'm not quite connected to myself anymore.

Being here has been really odd. It's been years since most of my friends lived here, but this is the first time that it's felt quite so empty and dead to me. It's like the part of me that lived here, that part of my life, is completely dead now. I drive down the streets here, and it doesn't feel like life is going on in the houses, or like families live and make memories there. It just seems cold, like concrete. And it's a way bigger area with a lot more stores and coffee places and restaurants and stuff, but it feels like I'm suffocating from being around all these people. It's just a city full of memories I don't know if I want anymore. I'm ready to move.

The spinning has been going good, and I am really enjoying it. It's a challenge, but one that I feel is really suited to me. It works well with my compulsion. I'm the kind of person who can't see paint chipping without peeling more of it off. The more detailed something is, the more absorbed I can get in it. It's meditative, in a way, because it allows me to turn off my brain for a while. I also cannot rave enough about the woman who sold me my wheel. She has been wonderfully helpful and attentive, and you should all go check out her shop on etsy: Heavenly Handspinning Spindles and Wheels.

Here is my first yarn spun on it, still on the wheel:


And a little closer up:


It's roughly the same, quality wise, as my first plied yarn on the spindle, with slightly more variation in thickness. At this point, it's a matter of practice, just as it was with the drop spindle. The wheel might take me a little longer to conquer because there's more all going on at the same time, but I'm sure that with time I'll be churning out some really nice yarn on this baby.

And here is the yarn in the bath:


I'm ready to go home to my husband. I'm ready to move out of this state, and into someplace new, and a new chapter in my life.

Labels: anxiety, life, photos, spinning

Chris bought me a spinning wheel!!!!!!!!! SOOOOOO EFFING EXCITED!!!!!!



That's it in the video (but not me using it - the maker put the video up). I found it on Etsy. Can't wait for it to get here!!!

Labels: happy, spinning

So yesterday, I received my order from Paradise Fibers: a full pound of undyed merino roving. I am in love!!!! Look!!!!!


This stuff spins like an absolute dream. The drafting is smooth, easy, and very conducive to producing a very nice yarn. I can't find a right word for this, but it's really creamy in a way... When you put the twist in, you can't really see the fibers much at all anymore, it all looks like one soft, squishy strand. It looks and feels just like I imagine clouds do, and I would love to make a giant pile of the roving and roll around in it for hours. Here's a closeup of my single! Look how pretty!!!


And now, a wider shot so you can see the new spindle that also arrived yesterday! It's the one I ordered from Spinsanity, and it spins like you wouldn't believe. It's very light, but it doesn't feel as light as the ones I made for myself (which it is.) It's wonderfully made - it feels more solid than mine by far, with way less wobble (no wobble at all, really), and it's perfectly balanced. Now that I'm using it, my hands don't hurt no matter how long I spin, my singles are way finer, and spinning is an even more exciting experience than it was before. This, truly, is the spindle of the gods!


With my spindle, she also sent me some beautiful rainbow pencil roving, which I am hoping to get more of:


And! What a delightful little treat, in the packag was this adorable little stitch marker:



Lastly, I've joined an affiliate program for Paradise Fibers. It was such a pleasant process ordering from them! I ordered the fiber, no kidding, on the Friday before Christmas, figuring it would get sent out after Christmas. *Hours* later, it had already been sent, and it got here yesterday, with the holiday and everything. The wool was well packaged, and, as I said above, well exceeded my expectations (It was only $14 for a full pound! Of merino!) I will definitely be ordering from them again, and I joined the affiliate program to share them with anyone reading this, and to maybe support my habbit a little bit. It costs you absolutely nothing to help add to my wheel fund. If you're planning to order any yarn, fiber, spinning, knitting, or weaving stuff, just click the link, I'd *really* apreciate it. I just ordered this blueberry merino/tencel blend, it's utterly exquisite, and I cannot wait for it to get here :)

Labels: creativity, happy, photos, spinning, yarnporn