sample, sample, sample

Remember these?

I finally decided to use some of my Shetland Samples...collected over the years...spinning a little bit here...a little bit there..and now I am weaving with them...samples making a sampler.

I set up the rigid heddle loom in front of the window for light. As I glance up, I can see the river. I like to weave first thing in the morning..when the light is best..and I can linger a few minutes with my coffee...

I like to weave in the afternoon...when the days tasks are finished...and I notice the mallard ducks are on the move..getting to know each other..choosing mates..spring isn't far away. They preen and dabble in the last bit of sun as it sets over the mountain.

After the sun disappears...the deer wander in to see if the birds tossed any seed to the ground from the feeder above.

The light is fading--no longer good for weaving, so I study the deer instead. They dig down deep for something to eat.

Another day, and now I can cut the weaving off the loom. This project appears in Spin-Off Magazine...Spaced Out Warps...recommended for beginner weavers ...

The scarf is tossed in the washing machine and fulled to mask the errors of uneven selvedge and create a puckered cloth..

I am learning. Weaving with my own handspun and seeing how it behaves as cloth is so interesting to me. It is quite different from knitting with handspun. And it is only just a sample..a woven sample scarf from handspun samples of different (sample) breeds of shetland sheep. There is a lot of information in this piece of work. I can read it like a book.

when looms won't behave

yes, yes, lets talk about the weather

"Let us shut our eyes, And talk about the weather."

.... from The Pirates of Penzance by Gilbert and Sullivan

The weather. There is lots of it today. And while I am removing it from the walkways and automobiles...let's talk about it.

First up...Our resident groundhog from the great state of Pennsylvania has announced and twittered an early spring!

Thank Heavens!

This does not happen often...I believe this might only be the 16th time since they have been keeping records....

If the groundhog had looked around a little bit longer, he may have noticed one of these snow spirals from spaceweather...

Such curious spirals! - The wires were spun clockwise, while the snow formations were spun anti-clockwise. The hardened snow spirals were rotated opposite of the metal wire's weave. How could they have been formed?

Readers with explanations are being invited to submit their ideas...

I suggest that Frau Holda was having fun. Every good spinster know who Frau Holda is...

Spinning Frau Holda is matron of all of women's domestic chores, but none so much as spinning, an activity with strong magical connotations and links to the other world: see Weaving (mythology).

Holda seems to personify the weather that transforms the land, for when it snows, it is said that Holda is shaking out her feather pillows; fog is smoke from her fire, and thunder is heard when she reels her flax. Holda traditionally appears in either of two forms: that of a snaggle-toothed, crooked-nosed old woman, or a shining youthful maiden clothed in white. As the maiden in white, her garments resemble the gleaming white of a fresh mantle of snow.

Certainly looks like her hand work to me!

phenological events January 2011

2nd eagles gather
6th ice on river
8th black ducks appear
18th snow shovel dig out
22nd temps drop frigid
24th ice dams
25th snow falling daily

winter whites on and off

on my windowsill....

off my needles

on my spindle.....

off my loom....

feets don't fail

At the slightest hint of an ice dam, the man of the house is out on the ladder with the roofraker.

He thinks nothing of the snow and ice beneath his feet, or the feet of the ladder...

...or for that matter...how many feet above the river he stands...

To calm my frazzled nerves I work on winding sock yarn for my next project. This is beautiful Berry Season from Serendipity Yarn and Roving that I picked up from my booth neighbor at the Endless Mountains fiber fest this past fall.

...putting my own feet to use in place of a swift my mind wanders..and I contemplate how many feet are in the 3 hundred and some odd yards that I am winding. I have been learning Excel and somehow, I suspect there is a formula for a spreadsheet for this too.

beggerwoman hat

Last week I worried when I could not find my earflap hat. The cold winds bite my ears, and I felt vulnerable going outside without it. I looked everywhere and finally decided that my only defense was to make another hat.

The lack of color in the world outside, makes me want lots of color inside. I select a pattern that calls for lots of colors. Dancing Stars Hat by Anne Carroll Gilmour. I do some stash diving in my handspun basket...add a few hours of knitting and va la!... presto!!..new hat!

Of course there were ends to weave in.

But I had it finished in time to wear for my walk down to the river today.

I've been watching the ice flows from my kitchen window, today I make time to look at them up close.

Be careful. The rocks are slippery and snow covered. Step with caution and be sure of your footing...don't drop the camera.

The ice flow formations are lovely, and the water glides gently past the rocks. The faster current channels stay open while the slower, still waters freeze up.

My new hat keeps me warm and I watch the ice flow by on its way to the larger tributary.

Curves lines and contrast of stone mirror curves lines and contrast of ice. River and rock reflect each other.

I have the moon and the stars around my head, and the world is my home.

phenological events Dec. 2010

2nd juncos arrive
8th cold weather moves in
21st big pine comes down
27th eastern bluebirds

sialia sialis happiness

The Eastern Bluebirds came today. They found the bittersweet berries.

We did not get the heavy snows that our friends to the south experienced, but we did get some and it brought with it the winter wind. The wind was howling last night, and continued on into the day. The bluebirds come to eat the berries as the wind subsides.

Bluebirds eat mostly insects and small invertebrates, but during the cold winter months berries are a good supplemental food source when the insects are hard to find.

Bluebirds are a welcome sight in winter. I was happy to watch them eat the berries.

The mythology of the bluebird of happiness has deep roots that go back thousands of years. Indigenous cultures across the globe hold similar myths and beliefs about the bluebird. It is a widely accepted symbol of cheerfulness, happiness, prosperity, hearth and home, good health, new births, the renewal of springtime, etc. Virtually any positive sentiments may be attached to the bluebird.

May these bluebirds bring you cheerfulness, prosperity, good health, new births, renewal and happiness in the new year!

Wenceslas

Tomte

Do you about Tomtens?

Well, of course, you probably do...but would you know one if you saw one? Would you be able to tell the difference between a Tomten and a Troll?

I think I have a Tomten. But maybe he is a Troll? I'd rather he was a Tomten. I think he might be. Mostly because he fits the description. He is an old, old Tomten, who has seen the snow of many winters...and no one know when he came here...he has always just been here. And sometimes, we see his footprints in the snow. Some say that Tomtens have features like animals. My Tomten has a nose like a pig. I'll show you a picture of him. Here he is.

But he might not be a REAL Tomten. You know, because I have him. And I can see him. And take pictures of him. You are not supposed to be able to see real Tomtens. But maybe my Tomten comes to life when I am asleep.

Someone made my Tomten with their hands. They carved his feet.

They patched his pants.

They knit his socks. And they knit him a hat.

His hat needs mending, but I don't dare touch it. I don't want to disturb the Tomten mojo.

I take him out of his house sometimes and put him near the window so he can look outside. His house is in the bottom portion of my Victrola cabinet..just in case he is a troll. It was pointed out to me by a friend- that living in a VicTROLLA is a good place for a Troll.

When I set him near the window, he takes on a strange shape in the moonlight. He must be Tomten. He talks to the chickens...in a silent little language chickens understands, "lay me an egg my jolly chickens and I will give you corn to eat." and he talks to the sheep...in a silent little language the sheep can understand...

"all my sheep, all my lambs..the night is cold, but your wool is warm and you have aspen leaves to eat."

Yes...I like to think he is a Tomten. Winters come and winters go...

If you don't know the story of the Tomten you can listen to it here.

May you have a very happy Christmastime, Yuletide, Wintertime or Holiday..whatever you celebrate... watch for the Tomten!

loose ends and slow going

The cold weather has warmed up just enough to keep the snow away, so rain fills the sky and puddles. It is a perfect day for finishing up, tying up loose ends.

The photo above shows 2 Russian Style Support Spindles, full of Ashland Bay Merino/Tussah Silk blend. The spinning was finished a week ago, leaving the plying for a rainy day.

The singles were held together and wrapped around a teabox to ply from. Plying on a Russian Support spindle is "slow going" for me, but it is enjoyable. I'm not going slowly- going slowly would imply that I'm taking my time and being careful, which I am not. Slow going is defined as "the rate of speed when one is making slow progress"..which I am.

When I need a break from plying, I switch to knitting...I'm working the second sock from a Zauberball....and the knitting is "slow going" on these size ones...so I have inches to go before I sleep.

oh baby!

embrace the inner spider

Early this morning...as I was walking the indoor trash to the outdoor can, I noticed the spiders were busy last night.

Dew had formed on their webs, and sunlight reflected off the drops like little gems. It was quite beautiful.

There were sparkling images and designs on each strand.

I took lots of photos, but the camera really didn't capture the same beauty that I saw with my eyes. Wandering around and noticing the webs made me realize there must be hundreds -no- thousands -no- millions of spiders in the woods...and with Halloween just around the corner, it seemed a bit spooky!

But then ...spiders aren't really all that scary to me...I can relate and even admire them...we have a few things in common.

They like to spin and weave, and so do I.

making thyme

The cooler weather has been moving in, and it is time to cut the thyme and other herbs for drying. The pumpkins and squash are in from the garden too. We didn't have a very big harvest this year, but what did grow was larger than years past.

After hanging them for a few weeks, the herbs are ready to be stripped and bottled up. Stripping thyme can be a tedious job, but it really smells nice while you are doing it. I will save the stems to throw in the wood fire, or for simmering on the stove top.

As I prepare this Lemon Thyme, my fingers tire from the stems constantly running over my fingertips as they peel off the dry leaves. I glance down at my hands, and think about all the work they do. I am grateful for my hands!

A Double-Flyer Wheel has been living here for the past few weeks! I have been spending my spare time with it! I will transport it down to the National Museum of the American Coverlet where I will be doing a workshop about how to spin on it. I think there is still time to sign up~ so if you find yourself in Bedford, Pennsylvania this weekend...come into the Museum!

My hands will be happy to show you how to spin twice as much yarn in half the time!

high tides turning

After a few days of rain, the river levels were about 7 feet higher than normal today. A blue sky reflects its color in the muddy waters. Weeks have gone by without a walk down by the riverrim, so it was especially nice to soak up the sun and watch the water rush by. A few days ago, when the river was cresting, pumpkins tumbled over riding the white water..I thought how disappointed the farmer must be, an entire growing season stolen by the river!

I collected some rocks today, for a future project....I took my time selecting exactly the type of rocks I wanted. As I turned the rocks over in my hands, looking for just the right shape, I discovered a curious egg case. I think it is beautiful!

What creature made this? Spider? I wonder...

Sassafras mittens of orange and red and yellow are waving to me, overhead. Sassafras is always the first to go, the rest will follow in a few weeks. The passenger train, with 5 cars full of leaf peepers, sounds the whistle at the crossing. I wave to the passengers, my hands feel the cool of the mountain air... soon I will be wearing my mittens too....

As I walk back to the cabin, I notice my yarn is still on the line. On Friday, Grace invited the spin group over for a little dyeing...I'm drying some singles..."dyed THEN plied". The plying part comes next.

I love seeing the yarn on the clothesline...it says "a spinner lives here!"