Fiber Fairy Tales

I gotta wheel disease

Really.

It's bad.

If I'm not searching for exquisite Wenselydale or Teeswater locks I am indulging in the guilty pleasure of wheel watching. You know- it's when you shuffle through listings on eBay for spinning wheels. I search all the time. What's wrong with me?

I have 2 wheels now- the Lendrum is my favorite but I was seduced by the Babes Fiber Garden Delta in black with it's big jumbo bobbin. Sometimes size does matter, right spinsters? When you gotta make a whole lotta yarn, jumbo is the only way to go!

So the other night it was late and I was tired and maybe just a little bit sad because it was almost Mother's day and I had to reschedule my visit with my son until a few weeks and I sort of placed a bid on a New Zealand wheel. Here is the listing:

From New Zealand comes this cute little spinning wheel.

I am told  it is a PIXIE Crafted by Sleeping Beauty

Crafted from nice timber Rimu probably but not sure

Double drive and scotch tension.

Folds down to take in the car. approx 21" tall when folded and approx 29" when upright

Actual wheel approx 15" across...........

Easy treadling.

Comes with a pair of lovely hand carders ( worth about $40) and some soft carded New Zealand wool and some Nylon if you want to have some stretch in your spun wool for sox/socks etc plus a copy of Ashfords "Learn to Spin"

So, that was all it took. Then I waited. Then I hoped and prayed someone else would bid and get it, but deep in my heart of hearts, I really wanted to win it. I was thinking I could fix it up and paint it and make it look super cool and then put it in the shop for resale.

You already know what happened, don't you? Yes, I won. I now own 3 wheels.

I am addicted to spinning.

I admit it.

All I do is think about making yarn. Even when I'm asleep I spin in my dreams. I wake up some mornings and feel tired from spinning all night! Especially after that weekend retreat! I only wish I had the yarn spun in those dreams. Imagine that. Dream yarn.

Other spinners I know have the same problem.

My friend Kim Perkins has been making batts for a while (called Batts in the Bellfry) and selling them at Picasso Moon Yarns here in Sarasota. Kim is co-owner of the fabulous retail experience that is Elysian Fields. Recently she had a dream in which the council of angels appeared before her and they took the essence of Elysian Fields and sprinkled it over her batts. She woke up inspired to create a line of Archangel batts under the name Angelic Realm Batts. 

I have been helping her get her Etsy shop set up and so far we have listed Archangel Michael, Archangel Raphael, Archangel Gabriel and Seraphim batts. Yesterday she created an Archangel Uriel batt and I will try to get the photos done and the listing up this weekend. They are all drum carded mixtures of BFL, bamboo, silk, banana and angelina and firestar give it luster and shine. I spun one of the Seraphim batts as a test and it turned out lovely.

The first batt pictured is Archangel Gabriel and the second one, above with blue is the Archangel Michael. I didn't know that Archangels had colors associated with them until Kim told me that. She listens to lovely, relaxing music as she creates the batts and infuses them with her loving thoughts and intentions.

I have been spinning her "regular" batts from Picasso Moon and have often thought that they were a nice adventure because they have bits of exotic fibers and materials in them that come out in your yarn as you spin. These batts are like spinning gossamer and the yarns are delicately colored and ethereal with lots of sparkle.

I hope you will go check out her Etsy shop, Angelic Realm Batts and show her some love. Soon she will have Chakra Batts and Intention Batts filled with wishes for Prosperity, Happiness and Love. She will have Zodiac Batts for colorways assoicated with Astrological Signs as well as Birthday Batts - what better gift to give to a spinner than a special Happy Birthday Batt?!!!

I know.

Awesome.

Did I forget to mention that all of her Archangel Batts will come packaged in a muslin bag that I make? I drew and carved a stamp with the sweetest angel, lamb and spinning wheel image and then am stamping the image onto the fabric and sewing them up into 12x13" drawstring bags. The bags can be repurposed as a project bag once the batt has been spun.

Kim doesn't have a Blog yet so you'll just have to look for her at Etsy and Ravelry (under her name there) and feel free to use the link to her Etsy shop on this side bar.

Do you have any spinning dreams you'd like to share with me? Post em here if you like.

I have to go get busy- I have orders to fill and lunch to make. I just had to let you know about my wheel, wheel bad disease and what's been keeping me too busy to blog.

Happy spinning!

Calamity Kim

Sit & Spin with Jacey Boggs under a Picasso Moon

Once Upon a Time there was this group of ladies who loved to knit and sometimes crochet. They would meet every Wednesday at a place called Picasso Moon Yarns and have a "Knit & Bitch" session. Then one day they decided to rent a house and have a retreat weekend. So they did.

They found a big ass house out on Anna Maria Island and they brought food, wine, yarn and enough clothes to get through the Fri- Mon weekend. They all had such a great time that they decided to do it again- every year!

Last year was my first time at the K&B Retreat and I enjoyed it. The Belgian Waffles on Sunday (made by the lovely Doreen) were absolutely worth the cost of the entire weekend! That was the first time I ever saw anyone spinning and they were doing it on a Lendrum and I was drawn in. Thanks so much Debra and Shawn, for getting me hooked!  I didn't actually sit at a wheel and spin, I wanted to wait until my wheel came so I would only be used to the way that particular wheel worked. (I didn't even know how to knit- I just crocheted at that point in time but knew I wanted to spin after I read the Intertwined book and had ordered a wheel.) So after a few more months, I finally got my Lendrum, named her Bella Luna and have spun in complete happiness ever since.

There were plenty of times I was unsure of what I was doing, but, I was still happy while doing it! I was overjoyed when Deb (owner of Picasso Moon) announced that this year our K&B Retreat would be combined with a workshop by Jacey Boggs.

It would be the best of both worlds! Spinning, knitting and waffles! Next year I really think that Doreen should charge for the waffles, btw, I would pay $10 for 2 of them with fresh fruit and whip cream. They are as light and fluffy as air and I feel complete contentment when eating them! They are magical.

So it has been a week since the retreat and as I was doing dishes on Sat, I thought to myself- I was spinning in a room full of 22 other spinners and listening to Insubordinknit stories and now here I am with my hands in dishwater. Sad, really sad that time passes so quickly and you can't just freeze those moments in time and make a chamber that you can lock yourself in to relive them. That would be so awesome! A virtual spinning retreat chamber! ahhhhh

Anyway, Jacey is a wonderful teacher. She is articulate, knowledgeable and leads you through 2 days of spinning techniques with skill, humor and professionalism. We grumbled a bit, or at least I know I did when having to force my fingers to unlearn bad habits and once I finally 'got it' on the core spinning, I didn't want to do anything else! Her yarns are so elegant and perfect with their beehives and coils. I expected them to be more like Pluckyfluff (wild and wonderful) but they were more controlled and balanced. Sweet consistency!

I have been spinning some crazy jumbo stuff and not really thinking about the "how to knit" these art yarns aspect. I just didn't care if they were too tough on the hands or if they would distort once wet. Who knows? Who cares? I just wanted to spin!!! Well, now I know and care and can make a balanced art yarn that you can admire, knit or crochet or hang in a damn museum under a brass Art Yarn of the Future Plaque! I am a much better spinner for having taken this class.

We all had a wonderful time and made some new friends (Rocket Yarn Celina!!!and Tante Leah!!!) and I simply can't wait until we do it again (Sept 2011?!) because it was everything I could ever want in a retreat: getting away, near the beach, spinning as much as I want while among friends, eating great food and enough fiber surrounding me to fill up that empty obsessive place in my heart!

Thank you Jacey for sharing your knowledge, your expertise and your humor with us. I loved the stories, the tatts, the big baby belly, the yarn. I enjoyed getting to know the real chick behind the blog that I dig so much and appreciate that you came even though you were probably uncomfortable, tired and pregnant enough to be at home on the couch with your feet under a pillow instead of holding our whiny hands while we explored a new fiber frontier! You were great- and you gave us all an awesome experience. Thank you for that!

or maybe this one is a better group shot:

For the rest of those knitter chicks who slaved in the kitchen and did dishes and wiped up spills and cooked while we were spinning I'd like to say a big THANK YOU TOO! You made it effortless and I know we all appreciated that! I want to make a retreat notebook for all of you (like what I made for the Jacey workshop) and include recipes and projects if you would like to give me those things printed out then I can get to work on it. Next time we will have a kitchen monitor so that it isn't just the same few people doing all the work! and really, you should charge for those waffles!

Finally, I'd like to thank Debra Lambert for bringing us together and sharing her knowledge and skills each week as we struggle with indecipherable knitting instructions and seek out new fibers to spin. We couldn't do it without you. You totally rock! You are sweet, talented and shy. When the news camera came from channel 7 to film our 'Sit & Spin with Jacey Boggs under a Picasso Moon' workshop you were nowhere- you don't seek out the spotlight, but encourage the rest of us to shine. Thank you for all that you do. In the last year I have grown and learned so much about yarn, knitting and spinning and I wouldn't have had that opportunity otherwise - so I want you to know how much you are appreciated!

For those of you out there in Blogland who spin- thanks for reading this. For those of you who want to learn- go to your nearest LYS (local yarn shop) and ask for classes- there are some great teachers out there who would love to "learn you how" (as they say down on the farm) and you too could be making yarn like this:

all right!

That's all you get- you're leaving drool all over the monitor!

hahaha!

see ya round the spinning circle...

;)

calamity kim

Garden Variety Pin Up Girl Bag

I spun some of the yarn for this bag last year and started knitting it in January at the Destin, Spin In. I think I finished it in a few days and then there it sat.

I had to crochet around the top to make an edge for the lining to be attached to because all those flowers were kind of bulky. I had spun the flower yarn and was so pleased with it and knew I wanted a garden themed bag. I combined yarns- about 5 at once with Deb's help and started knitting her gypsy bag pattern. I couldn't imagine how the finished bag would look and that was part of the whole "getting it finished" thing. This new knitting thing is tough because I just don't visualize it in my head like I do the sewing. I finished some art yarn on Friday morning and went in the sewing room and forced myself to start lining this- step by step without stopping until I was finished. It had to get done- I was tired of seeing it laying around mocking me as I'd move it from stack to stack!

I used one of my new calamity kim woven labels and added collaged Benjamin's in the pocket for fortune. Don't worry about that frog- he's just trying to catch a butterfly and will hop out soon.

The lining fabric is by Jane Sassaman. The fabric line is Prairie Gothic and I love the spiders, moths and teasel and leaves rendered in bold silhouette. On the handle I added vintage crochet work and pinups because they are sunning in the garden.

I also used a little bit of some hand marbled fabric I bought at a recent quilt show along one edge of the handle. It matched the yarns perfectly and was just the right accent for binding the raw edges.

I also used some hand tatted lace I found on eBay and it mimicked the spiders web found in my garden. I try to be symbolic whether the buyer gets it or not. It's all in the imagery for me.

That's the sewn in key chain with a plastic hot dog and words that say "fun flower power day" which is what you would have if you walked out of your house carrying this bag! It is after all designed to be an attention getter! It's another Lucky Bag. Lucky if you ever get one! teehee

The joy for me is in the creation of these things and I normally can let them go so easily, but this bag was such a labor of love, I almost didn't put it in the shop. I did it quickly- the next day in fact, just so I wouldn't change my mind. If no one buys it in a few months then I will keep it for myself. I have another one left to line- it's in pink and brown and I am looking forward to it after the success of this one, but first I have to make some flowers and paper dolls and get them off to England for an order and then there is an Art Show this next weekend.

The Fairy Tale for this bag would be about a magical garden where the flowers are always blooming and the air itself is perfumed with every scent of each flower and even after you leave this garden you can still smell the lovely aroma for hours afterward. You can make tea with the rose petals and the sun is warm as you lay back in the lacy hammock and dream of enchanted knights or maybe Johnny Depp reading poetry and laughing as you watch the butterflies and bumblebees dance on the breeze.

Not a care in the world.

No weeds in this garden bag.

No thistle or thorn.

And of course you would live happily ever after.

True Blood Art Yarn

Sookie Stackhouse learned to spin from her Gran one summer not too long ago and now she is creating the most fabulous yarns! I was walking by her house the other day just as she was hanging this yarn out in the warm Louisiana sunshine to dry and commented on how vividly red it was.

She smiled shyly and asked if I'd like to sit a spell and have some sweet tea and of course I agreed right away, having always been curious about Sookie but too shy myself to do more than wave and keep on going on my afternoon walks. I had heard rumors about her and some vampire named Bill but tried not to believe things I had no proof of- it didn't matter to me anyway, she seemed like such a sweet girl and her yarn sure was beautiful!

After she came out with the tea she told me that she had spun this yarn with Merino, Tussah Silk, Romney, Bamboo, Ramie, California variegated mutant fleece, BFL locks, silk, angelina, firestar and sari silk thrums in a thick and thin and then plied it with koolaid dyed mohair boucle yarn to make beehives, coils and tornadoes. She said that she serves so much True Blood down at Merlot's that she decided to name it that. I asked her if it was all right if I could take a few pictures to show here on my blog and she said yes of course and for anyone interested in learning how to spin to come by and see her. When I asked when would be a good time she said- any time during the day, but never after dark. Then she winked and I had to smile. That Sookie! She's such a hoot!

Jumping Back On Track!

I want this to be the place where I can share my yarn porn. I have been hiding it all over the internet like Facebook, Flickr and Art Yarn Collaborative, but it really belongs here. I need to keep up better, don't ya think? I started this Blog one sultry afternoon last year and then promptly went off and ignored it, month after month as I spun and learned to knit I refused to take the time to come here and share my stuff. It was everywhere else- why take that last step and be so organized as to actually catalog and utilize this Blog for it's intended purpose? Oh, I'm an artist, that's right! I am disorganized and chaotic and forgetful and hopefully I am back on track. Let's see if I can catch up! Please forgive me, Fiber Fairy Tales...I'll pay attention to you and give you some attention, I promise!

I bought the pink and yellow roving from Forest Fiber Works on Etsy (its blue face Leicester) and spun it with some flowers strung on a cotton core. Forgive the blurriness- it happens when I get excited!

These were some of my first yarns and attempts at plying or just spinning with a second strand of something. Not great as I look back on them but at the time I was almost peeing my granny panties with excitement over doing some fun yarns!

I'd love to have some funky name for this but all I can think of is crappy vintage kitchen counter. teehee and besides I've forgotten what batt I used or what the story was. See? That's why I need to do this so I won't forget all this stuff!!!

Here's another one that I thought was so beautiful at the time and now, looking back, it's just sad. I wanted to call it Yeti Spaghetti and thought that was so clever but now I can spin so much better and I realize how I was seeing it with my childish newbie eyes.

What is that? Remember when you were a kid and you'd make stunning mud pies and bring them to the nearest adult seeking praise and adulation? Mostly I was hoping for a cookie and a glass of chocolate milk, but I really thought those mud pies were beauties! So it is as I look back on my first yarns.

This guy was a gift from my friend Kim and he just reminded me not to be so critical of my beginner self. OK, so he's right- I will keep the critique to a minimum and concentrate on sharing the yarn.Besides, I did share this yarn back in August over here. Oh, my mind is sharp as a razor I tell ya.

This yarn has some Sari Silk Remnants spun in with it for an exotic color and shine with bonus texture and bulk!

The orange and black on the left was made by striping the colors of roving on the drum carder to make a halloweenish rainbow to spin from which resulted in a self striping yarn as it spun up. The center one is two batts together and the third is just roving with a bit of color. I ended up giving that to my friend Cheryl and she knitted up a bag with it.

It actually is nice looking once it's worked up.

She brought it over to to look at my fabrics to see if anything jumped out to be the right choice to line it with and I snapped a few pics just to show that even a quiet and somber yarn can be transformed into an object with subtle textures of wonderfulness.

Each side is different and since she used a white commercial yarn with it the knitting looks more even and has a nice continuity. There are small bits of colors and a bit of angelina sparkle- it really is all about the batts you spin from- if they are good then your yarn will be ok, but if they are spectacular then your art yarn will be bodacious!

This was from a batt made by my friend Kim- of Batts in the Belfry. You will be hearing me share more about her in the future- we are setting up an Etsy shop for her and I will have a link on the sidebar soon for it. Her batts are like a spinning adventure because they are a mystery- you have no idea what is coming next (because you didn't make the batt) until you spin it- then-bam!- silk- bam!- a lock of something shiny and soft-bam! I love spinning with her batts and it saves me time from making my own. I'm not sure mine are as beautiful as hers are anyway. Everyone has their thing and mine isn't making batts its spinning and dyeing- I really love the dyeing!But we'll get to that later.

This is a "politically incorrect batt that I bought at the Fiber In show last year.

It turned into this yarn:

I don't think I've knitted or crocheted anything with it so far.

So by January this is what I was spinning.

Locks of dyed curls spun into multi colored batts.

I gave it to my friend Deb to knit and she turned it into this:

She has written up the pattern and I think it's only $10. Here's her website if ya wanna email her and ask about the Gypsy Bag Pattern.

This is my first hat, knitted with the Sunset at Lido Beach yarn.

I know you thought it wasn't part of the Florida Lifestyle to knit or be in the wool business but I have news for you- we have AIR CONDITIONING that makes anything possible! This winter though, it has been cool and I got to wear some scarves and a hat a time or two! Today it is in the 70's already and too humid to think about wearing a sweater but I can still imagine spending the day spinning in the sunshine! I'll be back soon with more show and tell and until then, may all your tales be fiber fairy tales!

Love and Purls,

calamity kim

The Big Spin In

I started this in January....I didn't finish it and it has been snoozing in Draft Mode since then...bad blogger!  I am finishing it now...

I want to write about my recent adventure at Spin In 2010 which was last week in Destin, Fl, before I forget all the tiny details and it all just seems a dream. You know how memories are. Sharp and precise and then months from now, fuzzy and unclear. The drive seems long on the way there; about 8 1/2 hours to Destin, out past Tallahassee on the panhandle. The Redneck Riviera, it's nicknamed, has much to offer if you want to go shopping or dining. We passed lots of interesting Antique and Thrift Shops, not to mention the whimsical beach shanty gift shops along the way. Be sure to stop at BadAss Coffee Co for a great cup of Java.We arrived at the condo we had rented and then found a Publix and relaxed after making a simple dinner.

With a day of spinning ahead of us, we got up and ate, showered and we were off! The conference center was lovely and decorated in a Polynesian/Modern style with lots of glass, marble, chrome and carved wooden tiki statues. Once we walked into the ballroom where the Spin In was getting set up, the excitement was palpable. Or maybe that was just bits of wool fiber in my cereal.

We set up our chairs in a circle and got busy spinning. Vendors were setting up all around the room, against the walls and as they "opened" for business we would wander over and shop.

Most of the fun was talking with the vendors and getting to know them and learning about the many different types of fiber they were selling.

The owners of Sky Loom Weavers, Peggy Barnette and Penny Nelson, from the small town of Cat Spring, Texas located 75 miles west of Houston, Texas were great to talk with. I bought some of their dyed roving and learned about CVM (California Variegated Mutant) and New Zealand Possum fiber. CVM sounds so exotic and bizarre.

I also bought a Blue Ribbon winning cottswold fleece from Kim at Far Out Farms. I have since washed it and fallen in love with the beautiful white curls of wool.

I saw so many different types of wheels and even sat down at this one to try my hand at spinning on the point or tip of the spindle. It was different than my Lendrum for sure, but fun to try something new.

I recognize the Lendrum in the foreground but I can't tell what the others are- Kromski comes to mind, but I'm so new I don't know. I do know that the excitement was wonderful and there was such a happy vibe in the room full of spinners sharing their love of making yarn that I am sure I grinned from ear to ear all day!

This was Maple Row's booth- well, part of it and they carry Lendrum wheels and parts as well as wool and everything else! Next year I am bringing some basket money to purchase one of their lovely pack baskets.

River's Edge Fiber Arts booth was overflowing with wonderful hand dyed wool roving ready to spin. Picasso Moon now carries their roving and it spins up beautifully- I bought some "beach comber" that is all blues, tan and pink.

Don't you just want to touch it? Maybe dive into a pool filled with it? I love the look of it and to feel the softness as it spins is pretty wonderful. It's all about the comfort and touchability, right?

Everywhere you looked people were spinning and having a ball! The theme of the Spin In was Socks and there were some very cool ones being worn by all the fiberholics. I bought some wonderfully fun one toed socks when I got home from Little Miss Matched and am going to get a new pair of flip flops to wear them with.

Little Miss Matched is a very cool shop that carries socks in sets of 3's and they are each a different pattern. Check out the contest they having running right now that lets you have a chance at becoming a real sock designer. Deadline is April 15th so check it quick and send them an entry!

These are my new best friends I met at the Spin In and I had a great time sharing fiber tales and adventures of spinning with them. It's only been a few months now as I look back and it seems so long ago that we laughed and spun and waited with barely held breath until our names were called to receive a swap gift bag- everyone brought one to swap so there were at least a 100 and it was the highlight of the day for me- well- maybe the Knitty Noddy Majorette Drill Team was pretty fun to watch too.

As we spun we tossed the art yarns in a big pile in the center of our circle and it was fun to have folks come by and check out our progress and comment on our funky art yarns. There was an awful lot of brown sock yarn being spun and I think we converted at least one fellow spinner to try her hand at "going big and bold" with the chunky fat fiber and sparkle sequin game.

 

So, there you have it. A short and sweet review of the Spin In Spinning Conference 2010. I hope I see you there next year. You should check it out- investigate renting a condo like we did and bringing friends- it helps to save money to spend on fiber!

The newbies had to spin with socks on their hands (including me) and it was a funny rite of passage to initiate us into the Spin In Group. All in all it was a great way to see other spinners and buy fibers and make new friends. I'll keep you posted on next years sign ups- when I know you'll know. Until then happy spinning!

he's always searching for the electric cord

Saw this at etsy- think my husband would like this for Christmas? He has everything else! I'm thinking about buying the pattern and making him one.

seriously.

My Name is Calamity Kim and I am a Yarn Snob

I admit it!

I finally figured out why I wasn't feeling the love when I knit. It's because I don't enjoy the machine made yarns. Now, that doesn't stop me from buying them or stashing them away for someday when I am good at knitting and they can come out and get made into something nice. I am just saying that until I actually knit something with some hand spun I didn't know why I felt disinterested in actually learning to knit.

Big revelation to me. What a relief! I thought I just hated to knit!

My friend Kim had a batt (that she made) that was so lovely I had asked to buy it from her once she spun it up. Well, she gave it to me and my other friend Cheryl cast it on for me and I started to knit.

Click

Clack

Went the sticks in my hand and as the scarf grew I began to smile! I said to Cheryl that I was excited- anxiously happily waiting to see what it would look like! This had NEVER happened when I was trying to knit before- the usual frustration and boredom didn't occur! I felt joy!

Wow! Now, this may not mean a thing to you but for me it was quite a revelation. I can make and do many things but knitting was never one of them. I always admired it from afar, holding other people's sweaters and purses in my hands, adoring the way they felted up or wishing hoping praying I could learn to do that some day. Then I learn and nothing feels like it should.

It's just not happening in my head- usually I can "see" the finished quilt, apron, doll, whatever I am making in my mind's eye and with knitting I just can't.

I don't know what it is supposed to look like.

I don't know any stitches except knit and YO and I taught myself to cast on by watching a British Chick on You Tube. I loved her accent, btw and that helped me be successful- lovey, I'm quite certain!

So, this is my second scarf made with KidLin by Louet which is composed of 53% kid mohair/24% linen/23%nylon. I used a vintage loom tool I bought on Etsy from Cathy of California to create the little flowers.

I fell in love with the mohair at Picasso Moon and had Debra cast it on for me. It took me 2 weeks to knit ! I picked it up every now and then when my hands were empty and I had some time. I crocheted on the ends a row or three and then did some dble crochets and then ruffled it up- not knowing really how to do it right- just crocheting with the gray mohair. Then I made the flowers after my friend Cheryl showed me how- we enjoyed a cuppa tea out on the back patio under the shade of the giant ficus tree. Squirrels and birds stopping by to nibble seeds and chirp hello. [We have recently seen a pair of otters on the lake and are trying to get some photos. That makes a long list of wildlife in our back yard- squirrels, rabbits, turtles, snakes, possum, raccoons, otters, cats and dogs! Oh we saw a giant tokay lizard once too!]

I don't have any idea how to charge for something like this if I were to sell it. The cost of the materials plus what- hours of careful knitting? I dunno what good a scarf does in Florida. That's typical of me though, to spend time and money on something totally useless.

It's pretty. It's soft too!

Even though it was made with store bought yarn I still feel proud of it and happy to have completed the project. It was also begun before I knit with the hand spun.

This is what I started last night after learning the cast on. I want to finish up the rest of the yarn. I need the practice. This will be my 4th scarf.

This was my first scarf. I have also made a small pocketbook but am still knitting the handle. I will show you soon. I am working my way up to being able to knit with my own hand spun. I enjoy spinning so much and it is an all around positive experience for me.

Someday maybe knitting will be too.

One can only hope.

Bahhhh, ram, ewe, and back again soon,

calamity kim

Fibermania

This is my Fancy Kitty Drum Carder handcrafted by Ron Anderson.
I am so in love with it. Should I marry it? Is it a boy? My Lendrum spinning wheel is named Bella Luna. She is light, easy to carry and makes me feel so happy when I sit with her and play. This drum carder is still brand spankin new and never been used. What? How long have I had it? Well, a few weeks if not a month by now and there he sits, sad and alone, patiently waiting for some attention. I am surprised by my lack enthusiasm but ya see, it all started to go terribly wrong for me when I realized I needed to know more about the science of batt making and I ordered some books from Amazon. Oh, back up- first I started making chiffon flowers to sell at the Fiber In Show. Then I got sick as a dog and couldn't do anything. Then I went to the Fiber In Show and bought batts and roving dyed by Rocket Girl and now, finally I am ready to make some batts!
Actually, I am still reading.
Learning about what I will get if I add fibers in certain ways.
Who knew there was an art to making a batt to spin from?
Well, I am so new to all of this I couldn't possibly have guessed.
My eyes are starting to shimmer and sparkle with tears of happiness as I learn more and "get it".
My friend Kim Perkins has been making the most beautiful batts I have ever seen and I have been buying them and spinning beautiful yarn from them.

Not too proud of myself- am I? I smile to myself as I write this because I am not sure I can fully express with words the joy that this has given me. I have forsaken sewing and embroidery and all that I love so dearly to spend time learning this new thing and I am glad. It is worth the time and effort and I am learning so much and I feel excited about each new day and what I may discover next.
Isn't that great to feel excited about something and want to do it all the time? Instead of the same old, blah, boring craptastic stuff- here's this new thing that has all but taken over my life and house as I delve into it head first with arms open wide!
So, when I started spinning some pencil roving recently I missed the exotic beauty and sense of mystery I had been experiencing with Kim's batts. It felt too easy! It felt boring. I kept looking down at my feet wondering when I would be finished...how much longer? I had not ever felt that way before and I am definitely going to ply that pencil roving yarn with something interesting.
I love all the locks, sparkle and unusual fibers mixed in to art batts.
I enjoy seeing it emerge into yarn.
I am just digging this.
With all the felting, needle felting, knitting, crocheting and batt making going on I have really been neglecting the sewing room and I am trying to decide on how to split up my week- several days devoted to sewing and several to housework and shopping and then the fibermania.

Too bad it's so warm here or I would totally put together an outfit featuring something spiffy like this.
Can't you just imagine?
It takes more than a hard set of felted balls to wear this out in public! Well, maybe to a fiber event like the one coming up on Oct 3rd. It's the International Felt Day and here at Felt United they are urging feltmakers to join in the celebration by putting your felt out there on display. The theme for this year is a slice of the color wheel from yellow to red.
I didn't know that the United Nations had made 2009 The International Year of Natural Fibres but here is more information all about it. I love their website- its gorgeous and full of great information about natural fibers and how it keeps millions of people all around the world working and contributing to the global economy.
Fiber makes the world go round, baby!
I gotta go make some batts...
Love,
calamity kim

Spooky Stuff to Knit

My sweet friend Sara sent me some cool links to help me get in the spirit of Halloween and I thought I'd share some of them here.
It helps me keep track of them too.
So for your consideration and my inability to remember where the eyeball patterns are, I give you:

Eyeballs by Mary Jane, Midge & Mink

Eyeball PDF Pattern by domiKNITtrix

Knitzel knitted an eye and explained it here

Blonde Ambition Knitted up a big ol veiny eyeball

The craft blog Thimble has a great roundup of costumes you can knit like this kid's pumpkin costume from Berroco.

I'll be back with more soon...