Going Home (for a spin-in)

There's a little saying,

"You can't go home again."

I simply have to disagree.
This past weekend, I had the privilege of heading home.
I awoke early and was on the road by 6:45AM.
I decided to go "the back way" since 
I hadn't been that way for 20 some-odd years.
It was spectacular.

(If only the power lines weren't there.)

Later, I told my dad I could have stopped just about anywhere
past a certain point - and just stopped.
I mean time, living, whatever.
Not in a morbid way, just a content and peaceful way.
Rolling green meadows meeting the forest tree line
against a backdrop of snow-capped mountains.

Perhaps I should preface this outing just a little.
As a kid, we moved quite a bit - no not military,
just gypsies I suppose.
I wasn't scarred or emotionally damaged by it.
It's just what it was.
However, when we moved to Prairie City, Oregon, I was home.
Have you ever been someplace where you just seem to "belong?"
It's as though you were born there in another life, or
that perhaps God Himself had ushered you to this place?
That's what the saying "Home is where your heart is" means.
It's a feeling not only in your heart, but your very being.
Sometimes I think folks who move often just haven't found that place yet.

Prairie City is a little idyllic town of roughly 1000 people - give or take.
And, I wasn't going for a funeral or passing through on my way to or from
some other event.
I went for a spin-in at Roan Coffee House.
And may I just say, it was superb!
12-15 of us gathered for the sole purpose of enjoying ourselves.
So to re-cap:
we met to enjoy ourselves while partaking in a craft we appreciate,
in a completely picturesque  place with perfect weather, and there was coffee.
Sounds horrible huh?

There were various kinds of wheels which I found fascinating.

                                       

       

This was Theresa's "Grand Spindle Wheel" about 3-4 ft. tall.

I had never seen one like it.

Afterwards, we gathered at the house of one of the ladies

for a BBQ dinner.

Then a friend (who is like a spare mom to me) and I

drove the 15 minutes to her house where we chatted and caught up

until even later at night.

It was an amazing weekend and

I got to "feel" home again.

I love where we live - in the mountains along the river,

but they are different mountains, a different river, etc.

There is something to be said for home.

I hope each and every one of you has that, and if you don't yet,

you'll know when you get there.

The Loom is in the House!

Oh, the thrill.

I found this gem in a thrift shop a couple years ago.

She was marked reasonably and everything in the store 

happened to be 1/2 off that day.

So I thought for about a minute - really maybe a whole minute.

I was driving the pickup that day for whatever reason.

It was fate:)

She has sat in the shop for a couple years, and

every so often, I would take the shop-vac to her.

 She was dirty and tangled when I brought her in.

I took the vacuum to her as well as a lot of 'Old English.'

I cut strings that were binding.

What is on her now is a rag rug that was started at some point in her life.

I just left it on there so I can take mental notes as I remove it all.

I have met one or two nice folks who have offered to help me learn

how to get her set up for weaving.

I have been asked what kind of loom she is and other questions about her

that I have no idea how to answer.

After cleaning her thoroughly,

I can still find no makers name plate or stamp anywhere.

If someone can tell me what I have,

please leave me a comment.

As long as she works properly, it really doesn't matter to me,

but it would sure be nice to know.

There is now a whole slough of words and verbiage I need to learn.

petals, rutter, appendix etc. haha

I do know I will need different shuttles that what came with her so

again any suggestions as to which ones are preferred would be welcome.

Any words of advise will be greatly appreciated.

I am anxious to see what kind of tangled mess I can weave now.

Of course now, all kinds of projects come to mind that I can make 

in all that spare time I have.

I needed another hobby like I need a hole in my head.

But I suppose, when we quit learning, we quit living - right?

Until next time,

Nimble Fingers and Even Stitches

Need a Good Laugh?

I won't even make you guess...

It's yarn, yes, yarn - 2 ply even:)

What do you think I should make with it - heeheehee?

I mentioned before, I was learning to spin.

I might be one of those sslllooow learners,

but at least I have produced something.

I think it rather looks like fishing net.

It kinda took a long time to get through

as I am really a quilter.

I am not a spinner in real life - just in my dreams.

Today there was a "Spin-in."

It was a wonderful chilly grey day for being inside

with a bunch of fun gals and lots of fiber.

Gals began slipping their shoes off & I noticed something interesting.

Nearly all of us had wool socks on.

Yep, those are vampire teeth on the back of those socks:)

Marie wore black??? Don't know about that gal.

In case you can't tell from the photo on the left, here is a close up of her pants. 

Renee was using her drop spindle (left.)

That yarn was absolutely beautiful.

I was, am, and I'm sure will continue to be amazed 

at the talent that was gathered in this room.

This is a new group event.

The first Saturday of the month from here on out.

I knew a couple of the gals,

but for the most part met new creative people.

I have to say the generosity of these gals was phenomenal.

If you want to learn, they'll get you going. 

Fair warning: 

Like most worthy hobbies, it's addicting!

I don't knit or crochet so don't know what I will do

with 'real' yarn assuming I am ever able to produce any.

For now, I am just enjoying the learning and the laughter.

I hope you have a day filled with as much enjoyment.

Until next time,

Nimble Fingers and Even Stitches

Learning More at Dye Day

This last Saturday, I went with Renee

and her mom to a natural Dye Day

in Lone Rock, OR.

It's pretty much a left over

Boom Town

that now has only a hand full

of permanent residents.

It was absolutely wonderful!

It's in the middle of nowhere

on a dirt road.

 

We used natural dyes including:

madder, log-wood, hollyhock, cochanai, and Osage orange.

There was a little mix up and log wood got mixed

with some used madder, 

but it turned into this deep, rich, brown color.

I forgot to get a picture of all the skeins

hanging to dry.

After lunch,

we each brought something to work on.

Marie and Renee brought knitting,

and Renee brought a wheel for me to try out.

It was my first time ever using a wheel.

I am hooked:)

I have a tenancy to over spin the wool.

I need to get on you tube and watch someone's hands

while they are drafting/spinning.

I haven't watched before, 

and there's a lot to just seeing it done. 

So my yarn (1 ply at the moment) is 

both lumpy and over spun.

I guess that's what it takes to learn.

This day had more to offer,

but I will save that for the next post.

And I will introduce you to our amazing hostess.

Until next time,

Nimble Fingers and Even Stitches

Drop Spindle Spinning

Have you ever been mesmerized by the vast knowledge

of someone and their talent?

Renee was someone I had never met & was kind enough to

teach me how to spin using drop spindle.  She showed me different 

dying products (some of which I've used on fabric:) and the

processing from a fleece to a fiber - so to speak.

She got me started with a spindle made from a couple of CDs

and a dowel and even provided me with some prepared 

fibers (both wool, but of different sorts) to get start on.

Yes, here you can see my very uneven yarn.  I was doing okay

the evening she showed me... then... I waited a few nights

before trying it again.  Aaaah- I had to re learn so the yarn

went from really chunky to pretty fine as I remembered just

what I was doing. 

 The white is really long fibers and the 'old man green' as I like

to call it is regular ol' wool.  In addition to showing me all

of these fun things, she introduced me to her spindle collection.

Oh, some of them were just beautiful.  A Turkish one that

came apart so your wool was in a ball when you were done, and

one with an ebony spindle and a wooden (can't remember what type)

of whorl.  I just love the terms as well.  They sound like words

from a faerie tale.

Anyways~ I had these clay discs that I got in a box of "stuff"

at an estate sale.  I hung onto them because they were

kinda interesting.  I thought, "I'll find something to do with them."

Well, I did.

The first I left the dowel plain, the second cherry stain, third oak, 

and last walnut.  I thought I might as well play with stain too.  

I love how they turned out.  

I haven't used them yet - I won't tell you how long

it took me to do what is on the spindle in the picture above :)

But, I am looking forward to using them.  I love the

long wool that I have started with - will have to find out

what it is.  I'm curious to see how I do with the green.

Don't you love learning 'how to' things.

I would eventually like to learn how to use a spinning wheel, 

but right now, it would be a waste of fiber.  I need to get

better at drafting (pulling the fibers to feed them into the yarn)

More words - love it!  A whole new world to me.

Again, thank you Renee. 

Until next time,

Even Stitches and Nimble Fingers