Oh, Spring was just parking the car...

I get it, we had to have just one last rainstorm to keep California green for an hour longer when the real California Spring rears her head. Yeah, just kidding. This dyer, who has been craving that sun for certain selfish reasons (LIKE BUSINESS!) is mighty glad to see it today and I hear that we are going to have a glorious weekend. Tank is bored with the idea...where's the food? I just think that it might be easier to see the cell division that is happening in this little guy...the legs and body are getting longer now, trying to catch up with the paws. He just wants to be big like Sasha, which means that the little S house is going to shrink even more. Gotta love it. He is such a sweet boy.

The sun IS good for my soul and the inside real estate.
Is that good for your color fix?

I finished the project with the colored Border Leicester fleece, the funky fluffed up stuff that I shot with the blue/purple Tencel. Here is the portrait of the stuff in the full sun, so that you can be duly blinded by the flash of the shiny stuff. The silkiness of the Tencel adds to the overall hand of the yarn and adds a yin/yang quality to the project. I really like it and can see it used in many great ways.

The contrast to that project is the second 8 ounces of the angora that I spun just before the primitive stuff and after the endless/mindless brown merino pin drafted roving. I think that it turned out very nice and tried to skein it into smaller bits for people. (there are two more little bags of this fiber in my arsenal)
The shade gives the photo a little bit cooler cast than the color actually has. It is somewhere between the warm shot of the progress picture (under the halogen) and this one.

Now, I just need to figure out which of the things in my fiber fort (who doesn't pile stuff around their spinning corner, come onnnnnnn!) need to go next. Merino top or the silk/merino roving that I just dyed. Decisions, decisions. Oh yes and there are a couple of bags of baby alpaca that I need to address, especially since Lin contacted me this morning, waving promises of beautiful NEW fleece in my direction. My fort is going to have very high walls, unless I make some space! I guess that the silk/merino will go into stock for some lucky spinner.

Today is sew and cut day for my cardigan that has been languishing for awhile. Kerry was asking why the thing dropped off the face of the earth and I had just gotten to the point of steek attack and let the darned thing just sit there. Seems like a good project for this afternoon and so I will have at it and then take a picture to show you that once again, I have not fainted dead away from the shock of cutting into a precious piece of knitting. (EZ is in her heaven cheering on every steek cutting day.)

Now then, I have one more thing to share. A good friend of ours, who in his day job is The Husband's supervisor, has released his first CD. Ace Batacan is an accomplished guitarist who has done lots of studio work over the years and if you enjoy acoustic guitar music, this is very very nice. We were quick to support our buddy who turns us on to all kinds of great music (and vice/versa). I am still waiting for him to tell me that I can be his official photographer if he gets the interview with the Queen of All Things, the woman that plays the same guitar that he uses (a Collings)...wait for it...Joni Mitchell. I'll just say my prayers and flatter him and if it ever happens, I may pass out from the excitement. :o)

Now, I need to fortify my sewing machine nerves with some nice tea...

Comments

[Angela]

Your speed and talent are a constant wonder to me. Love that Tencel/Border Leicester, what a combo. Talk to me about the silk/merino roving ;)

[junieann]

Hi: I love Tank! He is the blackest of black puppies.

I was searching my small town for a Lab puppy when I ran into a man who had 10 black puppies. They were registered shepherds but at the time, black was black. So I picked out the biggest pup who groaned and moaned when I picked him up. He didn't stay all black but he did grow into his giant feet. He isn't fat but weighs 130 pounds. So, the moral of this story is don't be surprised if Tank tops 100 pounds when he matures. He does have those HUGE feet.

I don't spin Lisa but admire those who do. I am looking forward to seeing your cardigan and more pictures of Tank...and Vader wishes you both a nice weekend in the sun.

[Helle From Denmark]

Ohhh......what a sight. Such a shame, i don't live just around the corner, so i could see it IN REAL LIVE! Great colors!! And silk/ Merino....ohhh...i don't think i need to say no more.....i will sit drooling all day...maybe i should se, if i can find something to protect my clothes for getting to wet from the slobber!:-)

[Helle From Denmark]

Ohhh.....are you talking about packing this nice baby alpaca away...stashing it, or what?? Holy cow Lisa....i still have this feeling soft feeling between my fingers, since i got the little sample, along with the Elektra.....ohh my! It hurts, all the way to the heart, to think of this soft stuff be stashed away!*LOL*

[Lisa S]

Oh, Junieann, why do we fall in love with these big things? He was much larger than Sasha was at 8 weeks and SHE weighs 130 pounds. (He makes little pig noises to me when he gets in my face, funny boy.) He isn't fat, either but has the really really sturdy frame that shows me that he will be big, really big if he continues at this pace. I am waiting for the vet to tell me to switch him off of puppy food! Vader! Good boy. :o)

Helle! Wipe your chin! Haha. The silk/merino is certainly calling to me to spin it up...I can't decide. I took its portrait last night and will show it to you guys later today. There was no spinning last night because I slowly but surely sewed up the steeks on the cardie. Ugh, especially with the Thundering Herd all jazzed up from their walk in the non rainy weather. Tank would NOT leave me alone, wanting to climb into my lap, the little knucklehead! It took me forever to get that cut edge sewn up because I was so disctracted!

Lin's baby alpaca is different from what I sent you, Helle. Hers is beautiful colored fleece and perhaps if I kiss the hem of her garment properly, she will sell me some of her BLACK fiber. Another thing that I need to save a little of for MYSELF! The fleece that I played with last year looked like espresso bean colored yarn until I washed it. I just spun it up as it came out of the bag and when I got it all clean, the water was chocolate brown and the yarn was coal black. Lin! Kiss kiss kiss. :o)

[Helle From Denmark]

Slobber slobber slobber Lisa!!:-) Now im more calm....at long as i know, you just hide stuff and forget "it"...oh my! But don't think there is less slobber from me, just "because" it's not alpaca as the sample i got from you. Im still drooling!!:-) Lets just hope you website not gonna look like a wet newspaper!*LOL*

[Helle From Denmark]

Ohhh.....im a bad speller......i mean at long as i know, you DONT just hide stuff and forget "it........dont you dare!:-)

[marti]

I think that it would take more than mere tea to calm my sewing nerves. beautiful yarn that bfl is isn't it?