A Real Post This Time

Hope you enjoyed my surprise guest blogger. She certainly seems to know her way around a keyboard! However she’s also famous for locking up or accidentally rebooting when you least expect it. It’s highly recommended to be sure everything is saved and backed up before letting the little darling near a computer!

Backing up a bit — here’s what the Birkeland Bros' Fibrefest booth looked like Thursday night before the thundering hordes:


And here’s what it looked like in full spate on Saturday:


Things are almost back to what passes for normal around here today. T-Man’s at work and I’m in front of the computer! I’ve unpacked my shopping from Fibrefest. See?


Arranged on the lovely piece of dragonfly silk from Mostly Silk (Vancouver, BC), there’s the new wool colourway from Aurelia (that I designed!) called Retro Topaz. This is the third one they called “topaz” but at least that’s my birthstone. There’s nothing that reminds one of “damselflies” about it unless you know This Particular Damselfly! I spun some of it up on my new spindle from my friend Cheri Hamilton’s husband that I purchased through Knitopia (White Rock, BC). The whorl is redheart (Erythroxylon spp.) and it spins like a dream. The shaft is long which I really like because it gives me enough length to give it a good run up my thigh and still have room left to wind on the yarn. There’s the Angelina fibres I got to play with (the Enchanted Forest is gorgeous) and the gripper strip to make a rug hooking frame both from Legacy Studio. Some variegated sewing thread from Quiltopia (Maple Ridge, BC) and a little soap from Joybilee Farm. Behind that there’s the mini-combs I got from Susan Forsyth. I don’t need much in the way of tools after having been spinning for so long, but I didn’t have any portable combs. These come in their own little carry bag. I didn’t get the clamp though, not knowing whether I would use it or not. If I change my mind I can get it later. Not pictured (because I was using it!) is the sheepy-shaped needle gauge from Sun Bench Fibres. This is the one made in brass from the Elegant Knitter/Goose Pond and I particularly like it because it goes down to 1.25mm (0000). Most needle gauges only go to 2mm and I regularly use dpns that are smaller than that. One annoyance is that it doesn’t have 3mm or 4mm, preferring instead to go by the American sizes measuring 3.25mm (size 3) and 4.25mm (size 6). Other than that it’s really accurate and includes a 2” stitch and row ruler.

The weather is really nice today and a warm 15 Celsius. I still haven’t finished transplanting all my little seedlings which are getting quite large. More than half are out in the cold frame and are doing well. I planted my peas last week so things aren’t totally behind but I still haven’t finished their netting, which I’d better do before they start peeking out or the birds will eat them. I picked leeks, parsley, and broccoli sprouts from the garden yesterday and the asparagus and rhubarb are almost big enough to start nibbling on. The daffodils and hyacinths are in full bloom and it’s very invigorating. So why am I in here typing?