Once again, I am on the verge of becoming a Delinquent Blogger.
It's not that there hasn't been anything to write about. I have wanted to tell you about the contract that I signed with a small local gallery to sell and exhibit my work. I have wanted to rave on about my current obsession with corespun yarns. I have wanted to share my musings on the end of summer and the smell of fall in the morning air. I've intended to blog all of that, and more.
But it seems that every time I sit down at the computer, there is another email in the inbox. The end of August brings another major event into my life: the deadline for Fibre Week proposals. This means that the hard work begins today.
For those of you who haven't heard, I am the Fibre Arts Program Coordinator at Olds College's Fibre Week. What this glorified title means is that I am the one who chooses the workshops that are part of the event each year. This is a volunteer position, and, let me tell you, it's not as easy as it sounds.
Every year for the past four years, I have received a stack of workshop proposals from fibre artists and teachers in every discipline imaginable. And every year, I have the unenviable task of sorting through these proposals, attempting to predict which ones will draw the most people to Fibre Week. I have to look a year into the future and try and predict whether or not the same people who came for spinning workshops this year will take another spinning workshop, or if they have suddenly developed an interest in basketry. I have to attempt to balance the travel costs with class sizes and potential enrollment as the price of gasoline bounces up and down like a kid on a trampoline. I have to weigh marquee names and experience against the risks of nurturing a new instructor and giving up-and-coming artists a chance to share their knowledge.
All of this feels like an enourmous amount of pressure at times. Inevitably, I cannot please everyone. I will have to disappoint marvelous people who have submitted proposals that I just can't fit into the schedule. I will have to disappoint a student who requested a specific instructor who is simply not available. I will have to turn down a topic or an instructor that I find personally fascinating because of financial considerations. And, somewhere along the line, someone will corner me and express their disappointment in no uncertain terms.
On the other hand, I get to bring a wide variety of classes to our humble little event. I get to be in contact with artists and teachers who are doing things I never even imagined possible, opening my imagination to new possibilities. I get to hear from aspiring spinners, weavers, knitters, feltmakers, dyers, shepherds, and doll makers about what they are interested in. Strangers email me with their dreams and their passions every day.
There is so much possibility in the world of the fibre arts, and I see it all. I wish I could make each and every possibility a reality, but, sadly, we only have so much space and time. And, of course, there is also the unpleasant matter of money.
But that possibility is still out there. There is hope and inspiration to be found in each and every email that pops up in my inbox at this time of year. I do this job, not for the big money and the glory, but because I want to share that hope and inspiration with everyone who comes to Fibre Week, or dreams of coming to Fibre Week. I hope that, in spite of the little disappointments, that hope and inspiration is what comes through in the final schedule that I will build for next year.
And now it's time to roll up my sleeves and get to work!
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Friday, August 12, 2011
Ain't No Cure
...for the Summertime Blues.
No, I'm not gonna raise a fuss, I'm not gonna raise a holler. I'm just immersed in a world of blues. The colour, that is, not the emotion.
So much has gone on since my last post. It's been another month of whirlwind travel, bracketed by various plagues and pestilences. There has been garden upkeep, and the madness of Fibre Week planning for 2012. There has been SOAR preparation, and the first of 4 local workshops. There was a kidney stone (ouch!), and a knee injury (ouch again!), and a really nasty cold. But in between the chaotic moments have appeared wee moments of spinning, knitting, and dyeing. And it seems that the colour of choice is blue.
First, though, the travel. I turned the big five-oh last month. When my family asked me what I wanted for my birthday, I told them that I wanted to be with them. That's all. So they put their heads together and came up with a plan to whisk me to Vancouver, where my two older children live, then take a family trip to Gibsons. It was FABULOUS!
We spent the big day out on the ocean, kayaking around Gibsons and Keats Island...
...and I had my 4 favorite people in the world with me. (The fourth is wielding the camera for this picture!)
We may have been a little silly...
...but it was just what I needed.
And now I'm 50, and I've got the Blues.
Blues like this one...
...handspun Blue-faced Leicester/silk blend, mordanted with copper and dyed in logwood. Logwood usually gives purples, and you can certainly see the purple cast in the yarn, but the copper sulphate mordant darkens it to a stunning navy blue. (The mordant also serves to make the notoriously unstable logwood a little more colourfast.)
I'm currently transforming this yarn into Sivia Harding's Harmonia's Rings Sweater...
...in what passes for free time around here these days.
The blue theme continues onto the spinning wheel...
...with this lovely little yarn. The fibre is a batt that I purchased from Lynne Anderson of West Coast Colors at Fibre Week, and the blend is 60% Merino, 20% yak, and 20% silk. Yes, indeed, it IS as yummy as it sounds, and Lynne's batts are a wonder to spin. (In fact, I relieved her of a few more while I was out on the Coast!)
Then there is a little novelty yarn that was inspired by Jacey's workshop...
I really love coils, and this fibre just called out to be coiled. The blues lean toward aqua, but, hey, blue is blue.
Then, there is this today's little distraction...
...a lovely little batt from Atomic Blue. (Blue by Blue!)
So there you have it. From sitting on blue seas...
...to sitting under blue skies...
...spinning and knitting with blue fibre, I clearly have a case of the Summertime Blues.
No, I'm not gonna raise a fuss, I'm not gonna raise a holler. I'm just immersed in a world of blues. The colour, that is, not the emotion.
So much has gone on since my last post. It's been another month of whirlwind travel, bracketed by various plagues and pestilences. There has been garden upkeep, and the madness of Fibre Week planning for 2012. There has been SOAR preparation, and the first of 4 local workshops. There was a kidney stone (ouch!), and a knee injury (ouch again!), and a really nasty cold. But in between the chaotic moments have appeared wee moments of spinning, knitting, and dyeing. And it seems that the colour of choice is blue.
First, though, the travel. I turned the big five-oh last month. When my family asked me what I wanted for my birthday, I told them that I wanted to be with them. That's all. So they put their heads together and came up with a plan to whisk me to Vancouver, where my two older children live, then take a family trip to Gibsons. It was FABULOUS!
We spent the big day out on the ocean, kayaking around Gibsons and Keats Island...
We may have been a little silly...
...but it was just what I needed.
And now I'm 50, and I've got the Blues.
Blues like this one...
...handspun Blue-faced Leicester/silk blend, mordanted with copper and dyed in logwood. Logwood usually gives purples, and you can certainly see the purple cast in the yarn, but the copper sulphate mordant darkens it to a stunning navy blue. (The mordant also serves to make the notoriously unstable logwood a little more colourfast.)
I'm currently transforming this yarn into Sivia Harding's Harmonia's Rings Sweater...
...in what passes for free time around here these days.
The blue theme continues onto the spinning wheel...
...with this lovely little yarn. The fibre is a batt that I purchased from Lynne Anderson of West Coast Colors at Fibre Week, and the blend is 60% Merino, 20% yak, and 20% silk. Yes, indeed, it IS as yummy as it sounds, and Lynne's batts are a wonder to spin. (In fact, I relieved her of a few more while I was out on the Coast!)
Then there is a little novelty yarn that was inspired by Jacey's workshop...
I really love coils, and this fibre just called out to be coiled. The blues lean toward aqua, but, hey, blue is blue.
Then, there is this today's little distraction...
...a lovely little batt from Atomic Blue. (Blue by Blue!)
So there you have it. From sitting on blue seas...
...to sitting under blue skies...
...spinning and knitting with blue fibre, I clearly have a case of the Summertime Blues.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
WHOOSH!
That was the sound of the last month flying by!
Holy cats! Have I been busy! Doing awesome things. Here is a highlight package:
I went to a workshop with Jacey Boggs...
![]()
...shown here splitting top. Yes, you heard me. Splitting top. We made yarns that should seem wrong to a technical spinner, but were actually really right.
You see, it turns out that under that wacky "art yarn" surface lurks a highly technical spinner, with a fascination with how things work and why. I kinda had to bite my tongue a couple of times to keep from finishing her sentences for her, because her philosophies and mine are almost identical. (She also dislikes the label "art yarn". With good reason. That phrase has been applied to a lot of bad spinning. Bad spinning is not art, it is bad spinning. True art yarn is not bad spinning, but Jacey calls her yarns "textured yarns", which works for me.)
Plus we made funky yarns.
Oh, and Jacey, if you see this, I DID add enough twist to the core for my art batt corespun...
![]()
...lovely balanced corespun. I think I have also developed a new love for those crazy batts that have always seemed so pointless. (The ones we used in the workshop were from Atomic Blue, and they were amazing! I will be spinning some more of her batts.)
When the workshop was over, I was wending my way homeward when I was kidnapped and taken to a Pirate Island...
![]()
...that I really didn't want to leave.
Actually, Liz...
![]()
...and Mark were very gracious hosts, who plied me with steaks and wine, then put me to bed in "The Hilton", a guest house on family property on Protection Island just off of Nanaimo. I was treated like a queen, and I really didn't want to leave.
But leave I did. I headed back to Vancouver and spent another couple of days wandering the beaches and hanging out with my fabulous kiddos. Then home. For 5 whole days.
Back on the road, this time to Fibre Week at Olds College. My Alma Mater and one of the highlights of every year.
This year, I volunteered to step in to run the Kids Camp as well as teaching the Master Spinner Program. It seemed like a good idea at the time...
![]()
...and it turned out to be as exhausting as it sounds. But fun. I managed to keep 6 kids, ranging in age from 7-12, relatively busy--look at everything we did in 2 days!
![]()
Then I tidied the classroom and taught Level 3 of the Master Spinners Program. I had a fabulous class. Again. (Really, I have never had a Master Spinner class who were not fabulous. Seriously. Master Spinner types are just fabulous. That's all there is to it.)
We did all those Level 3 things that we do. There was tpi, cotton, and nature dyeing...
![]()
...with spectacular results!
There was the dreaded making of mawatas from silk cocoons, complete with the icky little critters inside...
![]()
And much fantastic spinning going on...
![]()
The best part of Fibre Week for me always happens outside of the classroom. The fashion show, the vendors, the people. There is always so much going on, and the opportunity to make new friends, and touch base with long-standing friends (notice I did not use the word "old" about my friends!). I had the great pleasure of getting to know the remarkable Sivia Harding, along with getting reacquainted with Patsy Zawistoski and Joan Ruane. I got to hang with friends like Rosemary Harris, Marg Sjostrom, and Jean Curry, all of whom are now my fellow instructors. (Jean teaches for the Master Weaver Program, but we like her anyway. *winky face*) I shared a glass of wine with former students who are all preparing to face Level 6 next year and become Masters themselves.
Then, bang! It was over. I drove home. I slept for the better part of two days. Then I just had to spin. So I spun, and spun, and spun. And today, I dye.
I have a few more days of relative peace and quiet, which I will spend... you guessed it: spinning. You see, I have this batt of Merino/yak/silk that followed me home from Fibre Week. And the sun is shining.
The patio calls...
Holy cats! Have I been busy! Doing awesome things. Here is a highlight package:
I went to a workshop with Jacey Boggs...
...shown here splitting top. Yes, you heard me. Splitting top. We made yarns that should seem wrong to a technical spinner, but were actually really right.
You see, it turns out that under that wacky "art yarn" surface lurks a highly technical spinner, with a fascination with how things work and why. I kinda had to bite my tongue a couple of times to keep from finishing her sentences for her, because her philosophies and mine are almost identical. (She also dislikes the label "art yarn". With good reason. That phrase has been applied to a lot of bad spinning. Bad spinning is not art, it is bad spinning. True art yarn is not bad spinning, but Jacey calls her yarns "textured yarns", which works for me.)
Plus we made funky yarns.
Oh, and Jacey, if you see this, I DID add enough twist to the core for my art batt corespun...
...lovely balanced corespun. I think I have also developed a new love for those crazy batts that have always seemed so pointless. (The ones we used in the workshop were from Atomic Blue, and they were amazing! I will be spinning some more of her batts.)
When the workshop was over, I was wending my way homeward when I was kidnapped and taken to a Pirate Island...
...that I really didn't want to leave.
Actually, Liz...
...and Mark were very gracious hosts, who plied me with steaks and wine, then put me to bed in "The Hilton", a guest house on family property on Protection Island just off of Nanaimo. I was treated like a queen, and I really didn't want to leave.
But leave I did. I headed back to Vancouver and spent another couple of days wandering the beaches and hanging out with my fabulous kiddos. Then home. For 5 whole days.
Back on the road, this time to Fibre Week at Olds College. My Alma Mater and one of the highlights of every year.
This year, I volunteered to step in to run the Kids Camp as well as teaching the Master Spinner Program. It seemed like a good idea at the time...
...and it turned out to be as exhausting as it sounds. But fun. I managed to keep 6 kids, ranging in age from 7-12, relatively busy--look at everything we did in 2 days!
Then I tidied the classroom and taught Level 3 of the Master Spinners Program. I had a fabulous class. Again. (Really, I have never had a Master Spinner class who were not fabulous. Seriously. Master Spinner types are just fabulous. That's all there is to it.)
We did all those Level 3 things that we do. There was tpi, cotton, and nature dyeing...
...with spectacular results!
There was the dreaded making of mawatas from silk cocoons, complete with the icky little critters inside...
And much fantastic spinning going on...
The best part of Fibre Week for me always happens outside of the classroom. The fashion show, the vendors, the people. There is always so much going on, and the opportunity to make new friends, and touch base with long-standing friends (notice I did not use the word "old" about my friends!). I had the great pleasure of getting to know the remarkable Sivia Harding, along with getting reacquainted with Patsy Zawistoski and Joan Ruane. I got to hang with friends like Rosemary Harris, Marg Sjostrom, and Jean Curry, all of whom are now my fellow instructors. (Jean teaches for the Master Weaver Program, but we like her anyway. *winky face*) I shared a glass of wine with former students who are all preparing to face Level 6 next year and become Masters themselves.
Then, bang! It was over. I drove home. I slept for the better part of two days. Then I just had to spin. So I spun, and spun, and spun. And today, I dye.
I have a few more days of relative peace and quiet, which I will spend... you guessed it: spinning. You see, I have this batt of Merino/yak/silk that followed me home from Fibre Week. And the sun is shining.
The patio calls...
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Postcards from the Road: A Tale of Tragedy and Great Kindness
I have had a wonderful week away. Vancouver has been glorious, with only a wee bit of rain last night. Quadra Island was spectacular. Jacey Boggs was inspiring and just plain swell. I had a marvellous visit with my kids, and with new friends Liz and Mark.
But none of that is why I blog this morning. Instead, I want to share a story of Tragedy turned upside-down by Great Kindness.
Once upon a time, not so very long ago, an Intrepid Spinner packed her bags for a workshop. This Spinner travels a bit, so she has a pretty reliable system for ensuring that her tools and equipment arrive at the other end safely. She also really likes to fly with one particular airline within Canada because they have always been good to her. This airline is Westjet.
The flight was uneventful but pleasant. The Spinner arrived in Vancouver and managed to get herself to her Cozy Accommodation. She opened her bag, and:
((Insert dramatic music here.))
Her niddy-noddy, the second fibre tool she had ever purchased, waaay back when she was a Fledgling Spinner...DESTROYED.
The Spinner was...somewhat...distraught.
So, being a Spinner of the 21st Century, she did what anyone in this situation would do. She grabbed her cell phone and Tweeted:
"Aaaaaaagggghhhh! @Westjet broke my niddy-noddy!"
Within minutes, West jet responded with:
"What is a niddy-noddy, and how can we help?"
The Spinner sent a Wikipedia link, and explained her predicament. Westjet then Tweeted:
"#Vancouver we need your help. Please let @spindleprincess know if you can help her find a niddy-noddy by noon tomorrow"
They even added the Wikipedia link so Vancouver would know what a niddy-noddy was. Within minutes, the Spinner was deluged with responses. A loaned niddy-noddy was arranged, and a replacement put on hold for when the Spinner could pick it up. All was well.
Then Westjet showed their true colors. They have offered to pay for the replacement niddy-noddy. They have checked in with the Spinner several times to ensure that all is well. They are being AWESOME.
The End.
So, thank you Westjet for your Great Kindness.
The Spinner will be travelling back to her home in the North tomorrow, and can hardly wait to fly Westjet again.
But none of that is why I blog this morning. Instead, I want to share a story of Tragedy turned upside-down by Great Kindness.
Once upon a time, not so very long ago, an Intrepid Spinner packed her bags for a workshop. This Spinner travels a bit, so she has a pretty reliable system for ensuring that her tools and equipment arrive at the other end safely. She also really likes to fly with one particular airline within Canada because they have always been good to her. This airline is Westjet.
The flight was uneventful but pleasant. The Spinner arrived in Vancouver and managed to get herself to her Cozy Accommodation. She opened her bag, and:
((Insert dramatic music here.))
Her niddy-noddy, the second fibre tool she had ever purchased, waaay back when she was a Fledgling Spinner...DESTROYED.
The Spinner was...somewhat...distraught.
So, being a Spinner of the 21st Century, she did what anyone in this situation would do. She grabbed her cell phone and Tweeted:
"Aaaaaaagggghhhh! @Westjet broke my niddy-noddy!"
Within minutes, West jet responded with:
"What is a niddy-noddy, and how can we help?"
The Spinner sent a Wikipedia link, and explained her predicament. Westjet then Tweeted:
"#Vancouver we need your help. Please let @spindleprincess know if you can help her find a niddy-noddy by noon tomorrow"
They even added the Wikipedia link so Vancouver would know what a niddy-noddy was. Within minutes, the Spinner was deluged with responses. A loaned niddy-noddy was arranged, and a replacement put on hold for when the Spinner could pick it up. All was well.
Then Westjet showed their true colors. They have offered to pay for the replacement niddy-noddy. They have checked in with the Spinner several times to ensure that all is well. They are being AWESOME.
The End.
So, thank you Westjet for your Great Kindness.
The Spinner will be travelling back to her home in the North tomorrow, and can hardly wait to fly Westjet again.
Thursday, June 09, 2011
A Postcard from the Road
Greetings from Vancouver!
I am once again on the move, this time strictly for fun. I'm hanging out in Vancouver, disrupting the lives of my two older children this week before journeying to Quadra Island to take a workshop with the incomparable Jacey Boggs of Insubordiknit fame.
I arrived on Tuesday, and was promptly roped into helping two male actors find budget-friendly dresses for a drag improv show. Words cannot describe the experience, except maybe the word "bizarre". And/or "hilarious". These guys had no idea what women go through to look so good, and it turned out that they were pickier than any girl I've ever shopped with. I came home with sore feet from all the walking, and sore sides from laughing so hard.
Wednesday got off to a bad start...
Yep, that's my Trindle. I pulled it out of my bag to stuff more fibre around it. Apparently that was a bad idea. (After close examination, I have deemed the shaft repairable, but it was a bad idea anyway.)
So I consoled myself with a trip to Maiwa Supply on Granville Island. Things improved quickly...
Yes, The Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook.
I shall digress into a mini-review:
This is an epic work that took authors Deborah Robson and Carol Ekarius years to produce, and it shows. The attention to detail is remarkable, and the photos are stunning. There is a ton of information packed into this book, valid information, with references and everything. And not just about sheep--the authors have included other fur-bearing critters, including cats and dogs. Each species and breed is given a full history, a description of its physical attributes, a description of its fleece or fibre, and photos of its fibre unwashed, washed, and spun. This book will prove to be a priceless resource for spinners for years to come, and should be required reading for EVERYONE in the Master Spinner Program.
One small caveat to the Master Spinner types out there, some of the samples are less than perfectly spun, but Deb Robson herself told me that the book is not about perfect spinning, it is about fleece and fibre.
(By the way, I did say that this book contains a ton of information...that is also how much the book weighs! It is wonderful, in this day of ebooks and Kindles to see a publisher commit to a big, solid reference that, frankly, will only appeal to a niche market. But this book should take that niche by storm. It is awesome. BUY IT.)
We now return you to your regularly scheduled blog:
I also scored some dyes and some bits and bobs for the Fibre Week Kids Camp.
Then I mosied on down to the Silk Weaving Studio, where I found these...
SQUEEEEEEEEE!
I can hardly wait to see what today will bring!`
I am once again on the move, this time strictly for fun. I'm hanging out in Vancouver, disrupting the lives of my two older children this week before journeying to Quadra Island to take a workshop with the incomparable Jacey Boggs of Insubordiknit fame.
I arrived on Tuesday, and was promptly roped into helping two male actors find budget-friendly dresses for a drag improv show. Words cannot describe the experience, except maybe the word "bizarre". And/or "hilarious". These guys had no idea what women go through to look so good, and it turned out that they were pickier than any girl I've ever shopped with. I came home with sore feet from all the walking, and sore sides from laughing so hard.
Wednesday got off to a bad start...
Yep, that's my Trindle. I pulled it out of my bag to stuff more fibre around it. Apparently that was a bad idea. (After close examination, I have deemed the shaft repairable, but it was a bad idea anyway.)
So I consoled myself with a trip to Maiwa Supply on Granville Island. Things improved quickly...
Yes, The Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook.
I shall digress into a mini-review:
This is an epic work that took authors Deborah Robson and Carol Ekarius years to produce, and it shows. The attention to detail is remarkable, and the photos are stunning. There is a ton of information packed into this book, valid information, with references and everything. And not just about sheep--the authors have included other fur-bearing critters, including cats and dogs. Each species and breed is given a full history, a description of its physical attributes, a description of its fleece or fibre, and photos of its fibre unwashed, washed, and spun. This book will prove to be a priceless resource for spinners for years to come, and should be required reading for EVERYONE in the Master Spinner Program.
One small caveat to the Master Spinner types out there, some of the samples are less than perfectly spun, but Deb Robson herself told me that the book is not about perfect spinning, it is about fleece and fibre.
(By the way, I did say that this book contains a ton of information...that is also how much the book weighs! It is wonderful, in this day of ebooks and Kindles to see a publisher commit to a big, solid reference that, frankly, will only appeal to a niche market. But this book should take that niche by storm. It is awesome. BUY IT.)
We now return you to your regularly scheduled blog:
I also scored some dyes and some bits and bobs for the Fibre Week Kids Camp.
Then I mosied on down to the Silk Weaving Studio, where I found these...
SQUEEEEEEEEE!
I can hardly wait to see what today will bring!`
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
5 Short Stories About the Past Week
So much going on around here, yet nothing is happening, so a few short stories:
1. It's wildfire season in Alberta. This happens every year as soon as the snow is gone, and we pretty much take it in stride. The air quality goes up and down, depending upong prevailing winds. Helicopters and water bombers buzz overhead at all hours. The one highway in and out of town often closes. These things happen. But nothing like what has happened to the community of Slave Lake, southwest of here, has happened in my 30 years in the North (you can read more here). The wildfires breached town limits on Sunday night, and it is estimated that between 30 and 50 percent of the community is little more than ashes right now. Thousands have been displaced, many losing everything they had. The damage is still being assessed, so what we can do to help is still sketchy, but I would encourage anyone who wants to help to give to the Canadian Red Cross, who are operating several evacuation shelters in the region.
2. There are still strange men with hammers banging on my house. Our condo board decided 3 years ago to replace the windows, doors, and exterior siding on our townhouses. This year, it is our turn. So there are strange men in and out of my yard, pounding on the walls at 7:30 in the morning. And they are trampling my garden. I am becoming a little testy. Pretty soon, I'm gonna be that old woman out in her nightgown yelling "Hey you kids, git offa my petunias!" We are about two weeks away from being done, if I don't chase the boys off with a rake one of these fine days.
3. The garden is thriving in spite of the construction dudes. I know I'm not supposed to plant before the May long weekend, but I rarely follow rules like that. Besides, about 70 percent of my garden is perennial, so I really have little to no say when things start growing. And growing things are! I have already harvested a bit of rhubarb, and we've been eating chives since the end of April. The strawberries are flowering, and the buds are on the crabapple tree. The onion sets are in, and the root veggies planted. Once the construction is done, my spinning oasis should be good and green and waiting for me.
4. About 10 years ago, a pair of robins nested in the spruce tree outside our gate, and we have had robins in our yard ever since. I was thrilled about two weeks ago when they showed up again. This year, they are raiding last years crabapples from the high branched that I didn't get to before the snow. The birds swoop in and try to grab the crabapples on the fly, since there are two fascinated cats watching from under the tree, but robins are not known for their swooping and grabbing prowess. This means that there has been a sporadic rain of squishy, rotten crabapples being dropped on the construction dudes. I feel this may be Karma in action.
5. Would you trust me with your offspring? I hope so, because, as of last Thursday, I am now leading the Kids Mini Fibre Camp at Fibre Week. (Because coordinating the workshop program, teaching for the Master Spinner Program, hosting the fashion show and saving the world is not keeping me busy enough when I am in Olds.) The instructor originally lined up will be unable to make it, and there was a sudden surge in interest in the camp, so we decided to look for someone to take it on. After a rather brief contemplation of the options, I decided that I wanted to play. Then reality set in. Well, panic, really. How can I keep 8 kids busy for 2 days??
Teh Interwebz to the rescue! I have been inspired to felt, dye, spin and weave with the gaffers, and I'm designing some pretty awesome projects now. Two days is nowhere near long enough to do all of the projects that are flowing through my mind now (...perhaps we shall have to bring back the weeklong format next year. Hmmmm... I have the power to do that!)
I'm still teaching Level 3 of the Master Spinner Program as well and I have some fun stuff planned for the kids there, too. Only 5 weeks left until Fibre Week, and I'm getting pretty excited! And it's not too late for you to register, either, but you'd better check it out quickly, because we make the final decisions on class cancellations if they aren't filled by June 1st--I would hate to see someone miss out on a class because they waited too long! Check out the website for more details.
Of course, there is much life to be lived between now and then.
And maybe a few more short stories...
1. It's wildfire season in Alberta. This happens every year as soon as the snow is gone, and we pretty much take it in stride. The air quality goes up and down, depending upong prevailing winds. Helicopters and water bombers buzz overhead at all hours. The one highway in and out of town often closes. These things happen. But nothing like what has happened to the community of Slave Lake, southwest of here, has happened in my 30 years in the North (you can read more here). The wildfires breached town limits on Sunday night, and it is estimated that between 30 and 50 percent of the community is little more than ashes right now. Thousands have been displaced, many losing everything they had. The damage is still being assessed, so what we can do to help is still sketchy, but I would encourage anyone who wants to help to give to the Canadian Red Cross, who are operating several evacuation shelters in the region.
2. There are still strange men with hammers banging on my house. Our condo board decided 3 years ago to replace the windows, doors, and exterior siding on our townhouses. This year, it is our turn. So there are strange men in and out of my yard, pounding on the walls at 7:30 in the morning. And they are trampling my garden. I am becoming a little testy. Pretty soon, I'm gonna be that old woman out in her nightgown yelling "Hey you kids, git offa my petunias!" We are about two weeks away from being done, if I don't chase the boys off with a rake one of these fine days.
3. The garden is thriving in spite of the construction dudes. I know I'm not supposed to plant before the May long weekend, but I rarely follow rules like that. Besides, about 70 percent of my garden is perennial, so I really have little to no say when things start growing. And growing things are! I have already harvested a bit of rhubarb, and we've been eating chives since the end of April. The strawberries are flowering, and the buds are on the crabapple tree. The onion sets are in, and the root veggies planted. Once the construction is done, my spinning oasis should be good and green and waiting for me.
4. About 10 years ago, a pair of robins nested in the spruce tree outside our gate, and we have had robins in our yard ever since. I was thrilled about two weeks ago when they showed up again. This year, they are raiding last years crabapples from the high branched that I didn't get to before the snow. The birds swoop in and try to grab the crabapples on the fly, since there are two fascinated cats watching from under the tree, but robins are not known for their swooping and grabbing prowess. This means that there has been a sporadic rain of squishy, rotten crabapples being dropped on the construction dudes. I feel this may be Karma in action.
5. Would you trust me with your offspring? I hope so, because, as of last Thursday, I am now leading the Kids Mini Fibre Camp at Fibre Week. (Because coordinating the workshop program, teaching for the Master Spinner Program, hosting the fashion show and saving the world is not keeping me busy enough when I am in Olds.) The instructor originally lined up will be unable to make it, and there was a sudden surge in interest in the camp, so we decided to look for someone to take it on. After a rather brief contemplation of the options, I decided that I wanted to play. Then reality set in. Well, panic, really. How can I keep 8 kids busy for 2 days??
Teh Interwebz to the rescue! I have been inspired to felt, dye, spin and weave with the gaffers, and I'm designing some pretty awesome projects now. Two days is nowhere near long enough to do all of the projects that are flowing through my mind now (...perhaps we shall have to bring back the weeklong format next year. Hmmmm... I have the power to do that!)
I'm still teaching Level 3 of the Master Spinner Program as well and I have some fun stuff planned for the kids there, too. Only 5 weeks left until Fibre Week, and I'm getting pretty excited! And it's not too late for you to register, either, but you'd better check it out quickly, because we make the final decisions on class cancellations if they aren't filled by June 1st--I would hate to see someone miss out on a class because they waited too long! Check out the website for more details.
Of course, there is much life to be lived between now and then.
And maybe a few more short stories...
Wednesday, May 04, 2011
Excuses, Excuses
"Why hasn't Michelle been blogging?"
"I hope she's okay--do you think she was hit by a bus?"
"Has she been travelling?"
"Maybe she slipped through a wormhole, and is now living in another dimension where there is more time in a day?"
"If so, she should have time to blog..."
Yes, I can hear your thoughts as you ponder yet another drought on this blog. The truth is that I have been busy. Doing...stuff.
Stuff like knitting this shawl...
Queen Anne's Lace by MMario KKnits (Ravelry link) out of the yarn that I featured in this post. Obsessively knitting all 165 rows of the chart, each row different enough to drive a sane woman mad.
Or stuff like knitting this shawl...
Swallowtail by Evelyn Clark. Made with Kid Seta mohair/silk blend. For no apparent reason, except to answer a question for a friend.
Or stuff like spinning and plying 300 g of alpaca/silk/cashmere blend into 970 yards of sportweight yarn, with another 300 g to go. Or stuff like spinning three bobbins of singles in BFL/silk blend, worsted weight. Or stuff like knitting and frogging and knitting and frogging my apparently never-to-be-finished Penelope top.
Of course, I've been doing all of the usual stuff, too, like cooking, and laundry, and driving a teenager to and from work. And dealing with thedestruction construction crew that is doing the renovations on the outside of our townhouse. And walking the dog and getting the garden ready. You know, stuff.
Important stuff.
"I think Michelle sounds a little defensive, don't you?"
"Yep, I think she is listing all of these things she has done to hide something else..."
ALL RIGHT! I CONFESS!!
I have been doing all of this stuff, I really have. But the real reason I have not been blogging is, well, because I have a new love. Her name is Esmeralda, and I have been spending every spare moment with her...
It's true what they say about riding a bicycle by the way...it's as if I've never stopped, even though I haven't been on a bike for over 20 years. I had forgotten how free you feel, with the wind in your face and your feet pedalling like mad. I had forgotten how far you can go under your own steam, and how the world looks from the seat of a bicycle. I'm just a wee bit enamored of the whole thing right now.
So, I do apologise for not keeping you updated on all of my doings for the past month, but...
"I hope she's okay--do you think she was hit by a bus?"
"Has she been travelling?"
"Maybe she slipped through a wormhole, and is now living in another dimension where there is more time in a day?"
"If so, she should have time to blog..."
Yes, I can hear your thoughts as you ponder yet another drought on this blog. The truth is that I have been busy. Doing...stuff.
Stuff like knitting this shawl...
Queen Anne's Lace by MMario KKnits (Ravelry link) out of the yarn that I featured in this post. Obsessively knitting all 165 rows of the chart, each row different enough to drive a sane woman mad.
Or stuff like knitting this shawl...
Swallowtail by Evelyn Clark. Made with Kid Seta mohair/silk blend. For no apparent reason, except to answer a question for a friend.
Or stuff like spinning and plying 300 g of alpaca/silk/cashmere blend into 970 yards of sportweight yarn, with another 300 g to go. Or stuff like spinning three bobbins of singles in BFL/silk blend, worsted weight. Or stuff like knitting and frogging and knitting and frogging my apparently never-to-be-finished Penelope top.
Of course, I've been doing all of the usual stuff, too, like cooking, and laundry, and driving a teenager to and from work. And dealing with the
Important stuff.
"I think Michelle sounds a little defensive, don't you?"
"Yep, I think she is listing all of these things she has done to hide something else..."
ALL RIGHT! I CONFESS!!
I have been doing all of this stuff, I really have. But the real reason I have not been blogging is, well, because I have a new love. Her name is Esmeralda, and I have been spending every spare moment with her...
It's true what they say about riding a bicycle by the way...it's as if I've never stopped, even though I haven't been on a bike for over 20 years. I had forgotten how free you feel, with the wind in your face and your feet pedalling like mad. I had forgotten how far you can go under your own steam, and how the world looks from the seat of a bicycle. I'm just a wee bit enamored of the whole thing right now.
So, I do apologise for not keeping you updated on all of my doings for the past month, but...
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