Tag Archive for 'fiber'

losing the sun (traveling part 2)

Published on November 26, 2008 in Adventures, Crafty, Sewing and Spinning. 0 Comments




I’ve been on a marathon for about a month and a half now. Only a few more days before I can really relax..

What have I been up to this whole time? Well, I’m glad you asked. First I went with N to his brother’s wedding in MD (but I mentioned that already…).

Next was the Color Fiber Festival. I actually missed about half of the festival because I had to go to my office and finish up my poster for the next branch of my adventure. Here we are setting up the Girl On The Rocks booth.


I got several really nice things at Color but I haven’t gotten a chance to spin any of them yet.



I think I am most excited about the drafted lamb’s fleece (Tanner, from Flynn Creek Churros). It is a lovely shade of chocolate brown and quite soft.



I also scored a gorgeous roving from Krista at Pigeonroof Studios. I kept looking through all of the selections and pulling the same one out, so I knew it was the right color for me!



Yak from A verb for keeping warm.



California Variegated Mutant (love the name!) from Tactile fiber arts.

The next morning I flew several thousand miles in the opposite direction to Hawaii for a conference and a few days of exploring. I made a best effort to spend as many sunsets at the beach as possible. I think I did pretty well.



I discovered a few things about traveling alone in a tropical locale. For one, it is difficult to put sunscreen on your own back. In response to this realization one person said that it would be an excellent opportunity to make friends on the beach. I chose to wear a shirt instead.

For lack of motivation to do much driving on my own I spent one entire day sitting on this beach:



It was time well spent.

When I returned home it was all of a sudden winter, and I was just in time for the election and a few days of intense work and a little sewing.



More sewing you might ask? Yes (!), more sewing. I’m frantically trying to prepare for the Bazaar Bizarre! I’ve been trying my best to cram a little sewing into all the cracks in my life. I’m going to make it (the show is this Sunday!) but I might not want to look at a vinyl banner or my sewing machine for a while afterward. If you are in the area please stop by! I’ll be at a booth with Girl On The Rocks – just follow your nose to the table of moustaches and recycled vinyl. Expect another post about the event soon…

color: a fiber festival

Published on April 29, 2008 in Crafty and Spinning. 3 Comments

This past Saturday I spent the day surrounded by beautiful, wonderful fiber, and in my own town no less! It was the inaugural Color: A Fiber Festival bringing out the local fiber community for a day of classes, fiber tastings, shopping, and spinning. I spent the day working at Girl on the Rocks’ booth helping her sell roving, stitch markers, and of course, moustaches. I snuck a few of my recycled wallets and tweed chickens onto the table as well.



This is me with my entire inventory in a small tin standing in front of several car-loads of yarn and fiber being unpacked for the Tactile/A Verb For Keeping Warm booth next to us. Their stuff is not only fabulous but also voluminous! Here they are setting up, and this was just the beginning…


The event also hosted classes on drop spindling, hand loom weaving and fiber tastings. I participated in the rare wool breeds fiber tasting with Maia from Tactitle Fiber Arts. We tried 8 breeds/preparations including Icelandic (two ways), California Red, California Variegated Mutant (my favorite name!), Gotland and Polwarth. When I get myself organized I’ll add some finished yarn to the card in addition to the raw fiber sample.


I really enjoyed the Polwarth, so, though I yearn for chocolate colored Polwarth, I bought some Silver and Pewter locks from A Verb For Keeping Warm to tide me over until more chocolate is available. I also enjoyed the Gotland and bought some Indigo dipped roving from Kristine. Last, but not least, I bought some Wensleydale roving from Tactile. I didn’t even get a chance to check out the rovings from Krista at Piegonroof Studios because she was nearly sold out within an hour!









On Friday I spent some time over at Karrie’s getting all of her things ready for the show. I helped her start a new product: the ‘Stache Sachet. Aside from nearly asphyxiating ourselves with volatilizing essential oils (which we mixed with cedar chips and lavender) we also gocco-ed up some muslin bags. I just have to say, I loves me some gocco-ing. I wish I could think of more opportunities to print 50 copies of things!


I think the event owes a lot to those who organized it, thanks especially to Sara and Ted for keeping it all running smoothly. It was a wonderful day and I hope we get to do it again soon!