sweetgeorgia

Getting warped.

I think at one point last year I may have mentioned to Michelle that she should bar the doors and windows and take away my wallet should I ever decide to get into weaving. Ignore what I said earlier, Michelle.

Last night was my very first weaving class… This one is at Place des Arts and also taught by Irene, my spinning instructor. Being the absolute beginner, I started with learning how to wind a 2-yard warp on a Leclerc 1-yard warping board. I would show you the warp, but it’s really just a pile of string right now. Next week, we actually put it on the loom — with all those little holes (heddles?) and slats (dents?!?) it looks like it might cause premature blindness.

And so here’s a question. Where are all the weaving blogs? Here are a few:

• Charleen’s Fiberblog at http://www.fibernut.com/blog/
• Sara Lamb’s Woven Thoughts at http://www.saralamb.blogspot.com/
• Sheepless in Suburbia at http://judelbug.typepad.com/. This one is great — she’s doing the Masterspinner’s Natural Dye program and you can see photos her work here

If you check out the WeaveRing, there are only 20 weaving blogs whereas there are something like 2000 knitting blogs! Why the discrepancy?

Interweave Knits Spring 2006

Ah ha, this preview is official. See it here… Hmm, I might make the Trellis Scarf (by Evelyn Clark) or the Fair Isle Rib Zip Jacket (by Melody Griffiths). Lovely.

White Castle

Notice that Mari is wearing the wristwarmers that she knit out of my Fondant handspun on her trip to DC! And check out the photo of her at White Castle… That’s my smile for today.

Sunday Morning Spin

These photos are to remind me that the sun really does exist.

Sunday morning was beautiful — I had almost forgotten how plain old sunlight can make our living room look all glow-y. Caught up in the moment, I scrambled around for camera stuff — but this is the trouble when you have an out-of-house office. Stuff is all over the place. Either the memory cards are at home with no camera, or the camera is at home and the cards are at the office. So, in a panic, I shot these with the DH’s little Canon IXY 600.

That black merino/silk is what I’m spinning now — spinning fine, fine laceweight because I’m crazy and want to knit the black Shetland stole that’s in the New Style of Heirloom Knitting book. See… it’s pretty, no?

Dye Garden

Thanks for everybody’s helpful ideas on the garden! Our space is a little challenging since the backyard garden is north facing and quite shady because of large city trees that we can’t chop down (although, did you hear about the lady who poisoned a couple massive trees at English Bay to get a better view and increase her property value?). The DH has already ixned the “replacing the front lawn with big garden” idea. Boo.

I love the idea of starting to compost stuff. A couple summers ago the city was giving away (or selling for cheap) big plastic composters but we were concerned that we didn’t have a proper place to put it in the backyard — it being, big, plasticky and unsightly. But now I’m thinking of those nice tumbling versions that you can get at Lee Valley. It might even make decomposing stuff… fun…

And this year, the mint is going in pots! See, I’m learning…

Firefly

Got some cash to spare? Fellow Browncoats are collecting $$$ to pay for another season of Firefly. Check it out…

Trying to grow

In addition to the tiny list of knitting/spinning resolutions for 2006, I have other resolutions too. One big one being “try not to kill anymore plants”.

We’ve lived at our little house for 4 1/2 years now and over these past few years, my attempts at gardening have yielded:

• sad death of two tomato plants (problem was me watering overhead)
• vicious murder, by me, of one giant mint plant (problem was me planting it in the ground alongside other things)
• stunted growth of many, many basil plants (problem was me planting it next to the mint)
• annual death of little tiny thyme plants resulting in having to purchase fresh thyme at the store (problem was me forgetting to water)
• monthly, expensive replacement of all the plants in a little container by the front door (problem is we don’t come in the front door so I don’t know when the plants need to be watered, and … I forget to water)
• three sad and scraggly looking roses in the front yard (again, me watering overhead — these roses were nice when I bought them).
• an almost completely moss-covered lawn — there are a few token blades of real grass (this is not me, I tried planting grass seeds but I think they got eaten)
• one, and only one, chili which I harvested and left on the kitchen counter until it dried up and had to be tossed (me, I forgot to use it)

I believe that I have the ultimate black thumb. Even the Chinese Fortune Teller told me that I should avoid agricultural enterprises at all costs (well, really, he told me not to marry a farmer). But part of me, maybe the vain part, wants my yard to not give the impression that we live in a crackhouse. Funny, that.

A couple months ago, I lamented to Liz at Pocket Farm that the only things that manage to grow in my garden are mint and sage. She told me it was likely because my soil needed some fortification since herbs are kind of weed-like and thrive in crappy soil. So first things first, I need to feed the garden.

Then, I want to plant a tiny dye garden. Some of these dye plants are reportedly also a little weed-like anyway so it sounds right up my alley! The space I have is currently about 2′ x 6′ (tiny, I know) and is a raised bed. It’s pretty much partial shade. This part of Vancouver is zone 7.

Any hints, tips, suggestions? Anybody have a dyers garden already? I’m thinking Indigo, Madder, Coreopsis, Dyer’s Chamomile, Lady’s Mantle among others. Of course they won’t all fit in that little 2×6 plot, but I may be convinced to remove our so-called lawn.

And finally, in the “always the last to know” category — Carin and stylish Jen let me know that I was nominated for the Best of the Blogs in the Knitting/Craft category. Whoa! How very flattering and exciting to be considered amongst some of my favourite bloggers like Jody at Savannachik, Eunny and Grumperina! If you haven’t already, you can go here http://www.thebestofblogs.com/vote-here/ to vote!

Light at the end of the freaking tunnel.

Could it be? A day of actual sunlight to interrupt all this glorious greyness? Lucky for us and my friend, stylish Jen, that she is getting a day without rain for her house moving this weekend.

But how about this for an even better light at the end of the sucky grey tunnel: the new Spring Rowan preview!!!! Gah!!! This may not be meant to be public yet, but hey, the files are on their server so… this is what I like:

It’s so Spring-y, ruffle-y and girlie… It’s something to look forward to. If you want to see the previews, click here, here or here… And you can also see the official Rebecca preview here… Oh, it’s all making me inappropriately happy for an ugly Vancouver winter…

And finally, this is what is consuming my current Buffy-watching time: Lotus Blossom Shawl in my handspun. Finally, from this…

…to this…

Of course, I was a silly, silly, silly girl and didn’t swatch for this. Since all my US 7 and US 8 needles were occupied, I picked a US 6 needle… And of course, the shawl is so far so tiny, it might end up as a neckwarmer… So, to hopefully remedy the situation, I’m knitting Chart 2 (stems) twice to make it nice and long…

Looking back, looking forward

Thanks for everybody’s lovely and generous comments about my new sheepy gift! My friends were both surprised and flattered by your comments. And just for that, here’s a photo of some of the sheep from the Owens farm:

Our holidays were wonderful and much sleeping was enjoyed. Is it surprising to know that I spent the morning of Christmas Eve dyeing?

… the afternoon was spent spinning…

… and New Year’s Eve was spent with friends, knitting this sock and drinking overly aged icewine…

Because of the nature of this skein of yarn, all the brown bits end up on one side of the heel. Fun.

We’re five days into 2006 and I know big things are going to be happening to me and friends and family around me this year. Here’s wishing you all a 2006 full of good health, happiness, food and fibre.

Oh! And before you go, my friend, stylish Jen, wanted me to mention the new knitting bags up at Jordana Paige. Cute little satchels in blue, lavender and brown. Must. Open. Wallet.