So the worsted spinning is coming along fine. I just need to wait until tomorrow to ply it.
But today I want to talk about my big adventure! Last night I did some core spinning. It was the first time EVER!! I had watched youtube videos and had some idea of what I was doing but as it turned out I had no idea at all!

I had a little bit of fluff left over from my worsted spinning that was every which way and so I couldn't add it to my worsted spin. Perfect for a bit of core spinning practice I thought. I had some commercial brown yarn in my stash, so, using it as the core I started. First mistake - I attached the core not the fluff to my wheel. Then I spun merrily away. I had the tension all wrong on my wheel and the yarn became very twisty. Still I had got the fluff sort of spun up.
Then today I thought I'd try again with some Hebridean fleece that I'd combed out, and, second mistake -some string as the core. Well I'm very glad I used the white string because boy did it show up my errors. This time I attached the fluff to the wheel first, good girl, and let it run on at the end, thus fixing the string into the yarn, so I had learnt something! Then to compound my errors I plied the two together. That's where I really came unstuck. The yarn on the string began sliding up and down thus revealing the core. To make matters worse I tried to attach some keys and stones to the yarn too. These things were attached to long silk threads and actually spun into the yarn OK, but all around the fluff came undone.

Oh well. At least now when I take another look at the videos it will make more sense to me.
The next time I will use a toning core so that it doesn't show up my mistakes and I will not add things at the same time. Just try to get a proper core-spun yarn first then do the fancy bits later! Hmm, a steep learning curve methinks.

   

The Call to Adventure

Today I wanted to explain about the yarn I hope to produce. First of all I found this fibre in my stash. It came from The Painted Tiger. The colours are quite somber and call to me. Dark earthy reds and browns from my before life and ending with a beautiful turquoise that represents my new-found confidence and communication skills.

There were quite a lot of repeats of the colour sequence. Before, when faced with this I had just split the top into two or three equal lengths and barber-poled it. I had even done a fractal spin which was interesting, but each time I had left the colour sequence as it was originally intended . This time I wanted to do something different, So, with heart in mouth I split the top into the three dominant colours as well as I was able and then split each pile into three equal piles by weight.

(Sorry about the fuzzy photo) I split it into three piles as my goto yarn is a 3-ply worsted about sock weight. This would give me three singles of approximately the same colour striping and with only one colour repeat. For me this is already a great adventure!!
However to be even more adventurous I am spinning the singles much tighter than I usually do to represent the uptightness of my life before I found out about friendship!!

To take this even further out of my comfort zone I plan to add little keys on silk thread and little stones too! As the orifice of my wheel is quite small I will add these as I do the final plying, probably to the red and brown bits, leaving the turquoise unadulterated.

Hello again

Here I am still in Spain. Recently I've been working really hard on my C & G embroidery course and I've re-discovered spinning.

I have also opened an Etsy shop where I can sell the tote bags and project bags that I make. My stock is still quite small as I'm really concentrating on my course in the hope that I can submit it this summer.

Happy Day

Well, the little lovebird has finally been rehomed. His owners, 2 little boys about 7 and 10 turned up and told me all about how they had raised him from a fledgling by feeding him pap through a syringe. There´s dedication for you! So I was very glad that we were able to reunite them. Although I had got rather fond of him, he was demanding.

And today I received an email from Kiva to tell me that my micro loan had been repaid and that I could now relend it. Last time it went to Gloria Elegado's Group in Philippines (Activity: Food Stall), but this time it´s going to help a young man through his schooling. I love doing this. It makes no finantial difference to me ($25) but makes a huge difference to these people, and makes me feel good :-)

Also I have finished example 1 & 2 of module 2. Cross stitch and Assisi work. I´m quite pleased with them.

Now I´m puzzling about my blackwork piece. I had a plan but feel that it´s not really me, and so I´m having a radical rethink. Meanwhile I´m working on the canvas work sample. Stayed up late last night watching/listening to Victoria Wood and stitching at the same time. This morning I´m amazed at how much I´ve done. Painless!!

Worthing Museum

Mum and I had a great day today ... shopping!!! Then we popped into the museum to have a quick look at their costume exhibits in preparation for module 3. I was very intersted in the shepherds smocks on display as a lot of my family were ag labs in days gone by and probably wore them. (This is a milkman's smock by the way, but you get the idea)

 They are very utilitarian, and all of a colour i.e. grubby!! but what do you expect? I might be able to take this further, but am unsure whether to leave it until the smocking unit.

Hmmm Any suggestions?

Itchy Fingers

This week I am away from home, mother sitting. Whilst we have lots of fun together I do miss my free mornings, when I can work on whatever project I'm concentrating on at the time. This week however I'm much more organised than usual. We are going to visit Worthing Museum to have a look at their costume and textile exhibits. I am hoping to find something suitable to use as a basis for module 3 of the C & G course. They apparently have wheelchair access to these areas so we will see. I haven't been there since I was a girl ***** years ago, and I guess that things will be very different this time. Hope to be able to get some photos to upload so that you guys can see what I saw!

Lovebird

Hi everyone, sorry I haven't done here recently but thought I would tell you about something that happened to me last week. We were in the swimming pool when my hubby said "look, there's a bird" I thought he was being a little silly as it was an outdoor pool, but I had a look anyway. At first all I could see was a leaf that had turned autumny early. The I looked again and saw a little green bird with an orange chest.

 He fluttered down to the shower unit and when a lady came to shower before entering the pool he didn't fly away. I thought "he's tame... he's mine" So I got out of the pool and walked up to him. He didn't fly away when I reached for him and so I just picked him up!! The people at the pool found a box for him so that I could take him home and he's really sweet. He likes to sit on my head when I'm working and oversees all that I do when I'm working on my computer. He is a Fischers lovebird. I am trying to find his owners because he must have been a well loved pet and be sorely missed, but to no avail so far. Isn't he pretty.