What’s Up
Hi!! Life has been so busy lately that I meant to make a blog post last week and am only getting to it today. Now, that’s bad. I’m constantly pecking away at dyeing the fiber club, but I have a new plan and it’s to dye a certain amount of wool for the shop every week and put it in the shop for sneak attack updates. I did one last week and saw some new names on the orders, which was fun. I think this new arrangement is going to be pleasant for both me and people looking for my fiber.
The fiber club renewals are up for sale right now and will be available until the 27th. I’m not sure if there will be any slots available to new members this time around. I am running at capacity in the current club. I’ll definitely post here if/when I add new slots.
Life is about to get even busier. I’m preparing for Yarn School, which is May 7-10 this spring. There are a few slots left, if anyone wants to join us. Flights are so cheap! Nikol’s sheep had babies recently, so I’m looking forward to snuzzling some lambs in addition to hanging out with a bunch of awesome fibery people.
I’ve been all over the place as far as making stuff goes. Crochet took over for awhile:
It’s going to take over again because, despite being one of the hosts of the potholder swap, I haven’t made any potholders. :o I spent a lot of time practicing stitches and reading charts, especially in Japanese books.
The book on the right is phenomenal. It’s Crochet Patterns Book Motifs Edgings 300 (ISBN9784529042338) and it’s all charts and very easy to understand, despite being a Japanese book.
Stuff I Love:
Green Porno: Isabella Rossellini’s very short films (viewable on the Sundance Channel’s website, although I watched them On Demand) about animal sexual behavior are a trip! Be sure to get your Green Porno name. I’m Pisces Pincertail.
TtV Photos: I only took my first Through the Viewfinder photos last night, but I can tell it’s my new favorite. I’ve got a Kodak Duaflex II and an Argus Seventy-Five that I’ll use with my Nikon D50 with 50mm f1.8 lens with 2x closeup filter. I’ve built the connecting contraption (shoddily) for the Kodak and have taken a few photos, including the one of seedlings below. The deal is, for anyone who isn’t familiar, you set it up so that your digital camera takes photos through the viewfinder of an old reflex camera. Super fun!
Gardening: We’ve been doing a lot more outdoor stuff now that the snow is gone. Raised beds have been built for vegetable gardens and seedlings are growing in the house.
We always had a little kitchen garden in the city and had success with strawberries and herbs, but the sun was never quite bright enough for a bounty of anything. The new yard is a different story. Between the raspberry and blueberry bushes that were already in the yard and our two big raised beds, there should be a lot of canning and freezing in my future. I can’t wait!
Baby Animals: They’re everywhere! Local fiber artist/farmer Barb Parry’s sheep are lambing like crazy. Nikol Lohr’s sheep weren’t supposed to be knocked up but someone’s got three lambs. Watch them jump and listen to Nikol’s infectious laugh! My other favorite critters are Flickr’s LisaNH’s Tamworth piglets. She generously posts nearly daily pictures of their progress. Lovely.
The Commons on Flickr: Many institutions are publishing old photos on Flickr. The Library of Congress has enormous sets of beautiful images to peruse. Check out the 1930’s-1940’s in Color.
The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency: I haven’t read the books, but I certainly love the television show! It’s charming, funny, takes place in a super interesting place, and the characters and actors are wonderful. I find myself checking the DVR for it days before a new episode airs, like it will appear just because I want it to.
