ArtPrize 09-23-11

FAF 9/23/11

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!  Thank you for visiting and don't forget to check out the other crafty peeps over at Andrea's blog today.

Last Saturday was World Wide Spin in Public Day.  Did you spin in public?  It was a beautiful day and I thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent with friends out on Rosa Parks Circle.  My friend Rita from Yarn Hollow brought the most beautiful basket of goodies...

I was spindling this from pretty fiber that Emily gifted to me...she has very pretty things in her Etsy shop.

I knit another headband...

and finally finished the most difficult sock ever...

toe-up, after-thought heel, ugh.  I really like learning a new technique but several new techniques in the same sock? not so much.  It is, however, finished and its mate started.  Mate will have a black toe and heel.  Might make it more interesting when I'm spinning and showing off my socks, LOL

My friend Paula gave me a pretty Jacob batt that she carded.

Don't you love the color?

Tonight I'll meet Val for an ArtPrize tour downtown.  I'm sure I'll have lots of pics when I get back.  Have a super awesome weekend everybody!

PS:  Vivian,  send me a PM on FB with your address and I'll send you something pretty.

What did you do on WWSIPD?

Maybe some of this?

World Wide Spin In Public Day 2011, Rosa Parks Circle, Grand Rapids, MI

Busy, Busy, Busy...and a fabulous birthday

Happy Birthday to me!

Has your week been super crazy?  Have you stopped and taken stock of what you've accomplished during that crazy?  It may surprise you. At the end of each day I take stock.  I check my mental to-do list to be sure I've accomplished everything for the day.  I usually have a planning session while I'm in the shower in the morning.  When do you do your best planning?

My prize from Emily's stash!

It was my birthday on Tuesday, I was 55 shiver.  I'm officially out of the most desired demo in the media business.  I've not decided if that's good or bad.  I'm not sad about it though.  This past year has been one of the best of my life on the personal level.  My family is healthy and on the average, successful.  I have a great group of friends that share my passion for all things fiber.  The pooches are well.  And I'm still getting up and going to work every day.  Life is certainly good!  Thank you all for being a part of it.

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On Monday evening I visited Grand Alpaca Co with Paula and the Woodland Weavers and Spinners. The Talbots have a beautiful place with amazing animals.  The alpacas all know their names, 150 alpacas, that's a lot of names.

Isn't she beautiful?

Tuesday, the big day, included a road trip to Howell, MI to check out The Spinning Loft.  We had a nice lunch at Mr. B's Rustic Tavern (thanks again Paula) then made a stop at Sticks and Strings in Lansing (super cute shop and real nice folks) on the way back home.  The picture at the top of today's post is the stuff I gave myself for my birthday.  I finished up the day hanging out with the GR Yarnies at A Grand Skein's Grand Opening.  It was great fun!

Mixed in with all this fun there was some knitting and spinning.  I'm on a headband knitting kick, 2 adult and 1 baby-size so far.  The first one...

and the spinning...

Have you taken stock of what you've accomplished his week?  Make a list it'll surprise you. No task is too small to make note of.  There could be a prize involved.  Winner could be announced next Fiber Arts Friday so you might have til then to tell me about your list-making habits - or lack thereof.

Be sure to visit Andrea's blog and see all the crafty peeps that join in celebrating Fiber Arts Friday.

9-11-11

Taking the slow route

I'm taking Beth Smith's advice...combing my Jacob instead of carding it.  I'm ecstatic with the result...no neps!  The down side is, combing 4 Jacob fleeces may take the rest of my days...

In other news...the little LadyBug bag is finished.

and I've been spinning this pretty single with some roving I bought from Winding Wool Creek Fiber.  She makes the most amazing multi-color roving. click to biggie-size photos

My friend Emily has a new Etsy shop...you should go visit her!  Here.  You'll like her stuff, it's very pretty.

I spun and plied this past week too...

The dogs have been super lazy, maybe it's the cooler weather that lets them rest better.

 I know I've been sleeping better since the temperature dropped to autumn levels this week.  Guess it's time to dig out some long pants.

Have a great weekend!  Thanks for stopping by.  Go check out the Fiber Arts Friday peeps.

Proper preparation is important and time saving

Proper Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance!   I learned this phrase about 25 years ago when I was selling soap.  A good principle and had I followed it I mightn't be dealing with this...

those dark spots?  They're neps, little balls of tangled wool.  Not what you want in your batts of pretty Jacob fleece.  ugh

Looking at it from this angle without back-lighting you can see how they look on the surface of the batt.  Little blobs...dammit!  I will be picking them out of the fleece as I spin, which slows down the spinning.

If only I had done the following...

Lesson #1...lay your fleece out on a large surface with 1 1/2" to 2" holes all over and shake the daylights out of it.  This procedure gets lots of excess dirt and veggie matter out of the fleece prior to washing.  It will also get rid of lots of the dreaded second cuts.

A lesson learned.  It truly is worth the extra time and effort to get those short bits out of the fleece BEFORE you wash it, then pick it, then card it.  All of these make the neps more determined to stay in the fiber and make it impossible to make a super smooth batt.   Or pile-o-batts as the case is here.

On an experimental photo note, I've decided that I like the following photo without the flash best.  It seems more interesting to me.

Which one do you like better?

LittleDog says, Hey! have a fun and safe Labor Day Weekend! and be sure to shake out those second cuts.  And remember...Even a bad crafty day is a good day!

Hop on over to Wisdom Begins In Wonder to see lots of other fibery peeps.  Happy Fiber Arts Friday!