Babies at Wool and Sheep Festival

I took these pictures back in September when we headed to Jefferson, Wisc. for the annual Wool and Sheep Festival. It was a fun day with good friends and lots of fiber. One of the best parts of the day was seeing all the new babies (and I mean new, this baby is just a few minutes old).

Wheel Worries

As you can tell from all the fiber pictures, I'm addicted to spinning and was in love with my wheel in a matter of days. Soon I was spinning non-stop and reading about spinning when I wasn't spinning. Suddenly one night while trying to get beads into my yarn, I realized I needed a jumbo flyer (for you non-spinners, this holds the yarn bobbins. The opening if larger so you can use bulkier fibers and add more stuff to your yarn). I couldn't wait for Christmas (this was my original thought when I got my wheel). So, I logged into "The Woolery" and with credit card in hand was about to hit the purchase now button when I realized, there is no jumbo flyer for my wheel. What! This had to be a mistake. Nope, after more clicking and a quick email I was told they don't make a jumbo blyer for the Fantasia. Oh no, this wasn't going to work. There are just to many great beads and tiny treasures tempting me. I dream of the yarn these little things can be a part of. Nope, this isn't going to work.

I'm sure I had mentioned wanting a jumbo flyer when I was choosing wheels, I'm sure I was told there would be one when Christmas rolled around. So I called the shop where I'd purchased my wheel and lucky for me, the owners are wonderful. They agreed to let me exchange if the other wheel and pay the difference (of course, the other one is a little more money, aren't they always). Yep, no questions asked they said they would, but I'd have to wait a week until they got back from a trade show in Indiana. Now, for most people this probably wouldn't be a big deal, but I'm known for not being the most patient person in the world and the thought of not being able to spin for a week with my wheel in the corner of the dining room sort of looking at me was something I didn't know if I could do. I had to do it, I had to spin. So with extra care and a lot more gently then normal I spun through the week and kept trying to decide if trading in my wheel for the other one was the best choice. After all, Kromski said they were working on making a flyer for the Fantasia, but when would it be out and what if they didn't come out with one (remember the patient thing). My wheel treadles so nice, am I making the right decision, what if the other one is even more persnickety. I went on line to read which wheel was better, which one did Kromski wheel owners prefer. No help there, everyone seemed to love their wheel and pros and cons were pretty much equal for both wheels.

Finally, it was time to decide. I cleaned off my wheel loaded it the car (belting it in even) and headed to the "Wool, Warp and Wheel." They were great and let me treadle the other wheel while they listened to me go on and on about how I love my wheel, but I'm basically nuts and need a bigger flyer now instead of when and if it comes out. While sitting there, the decision seemed easier, I had liked the way this wheel looked more than mine when I'd first looked at them, I'd thought it treadled really nicely, but I remember thinking, it's more money, I'll be good and get the less expensive one. If I would have gotten the one I'd loved more that first day I could have saved myself this little bit of worry and you wouldn't be reading all this.

So in it's travel bag (an added bonus). I brought home my new wheel and planned on having to go through that "getting to know my wheel" stage all over again. Guess what...loved it right away, love that I switched and love that this decision making process is over and I can just spin.

My Knitting Needles

The basement of my house on Ashford Lane is filled with art and craft supplies. I think I might have more ribbon then JoAnn Fabrics. Mohair and plush fur fills a cabinet, scrap booking and paper take up a room size corner. Buttons fill jars and old tins. Now yarn balls, hanks and skeins have taken over any available space there once was. I love it.

As if I didn't have enough hobbies and interests, I decided one day about two years ago that I wanted to learn to knit. My grandmother and mom had both crocheted and had taught me when I was small enough to still play with Barbies. I remember making granny squares, tiny bathing suits and blankets. I crocheted every now and than through the years, but never enough to really call myself a crocheter.

One day, I spotted some old knitting needles in my favorite little thrift shop. I remembered a lady (wish I could remember her name) trying to teach me to knit when I was little. I remembered her saying, "knitting is just two basic stitches, knit and purl. If you can do these, you can knit." I thought okay then, I'm going to learn to knit. I had always loved the way knitted things looked and remember asking my mom to crochet me something without holes in it. She would say, that's knit.

With a how to book in front of me, I took the plunge and started to "cast on". I studied the pictures as I struggled to hold both needles and the yarn at the same time. After lots of tangled yarn and dropped needles I did it. I was ready to knit. Again, I dropped my needles, fumbled to hold on to the yarn and get it to cooperate with me. Why didn't it want to come back through that space without falling off, oops there it went, dropped again, start over and so it went for several hours until finally it looked like the picture, it looked like I had knit a row. The lady's words, sounded in my head again, 'if you can knit and purl you can knit." Well, then, I thought I can do this knit stitch, lets try the purl one, I started again, now I had to change the way I held the needle, not fair, just got it to work the other way, wrap the yarn this way now, oops dropped the needle again, hey, my stitch fell off, and so it went for a few more hours until it finally resembled the stitches in the book again. With two rows done, I remember thinking to myself, I can do this, I can knit. I sure had a lot to learn.

Like most people, my first project was a scarf. After a few rows I'd look at the stitches, run my hand over the soft knitted garment and remember feeling a little sense of accomplishment. Two years later, I still do this. Lots of scarves, hats, slippers, socks and baby booties have been knit here with my old needles (and new, of course, my collection quickly grew).

My favorite chair is now surrounded by patterns, knitting needles, counters and yarn. For some reason, when I sit down and pull out those knitting needles I know I'll be relaxed in a couple minutes. Is it the sound of the clicking needles, the soft yarn or the continuous movement that puts me at ease? I'm not quite sure, but whatever it is, I can't imagine life without my knitting needles.