Starting Down the Path

This last week I've decided to get more serious about doing some lifestyle changes; going it on my own just wasn't being effective. And, well, I can keep being depressed about where I am now, or I can do something about it. So, on a recommendation I found on someone else's blog, I signed up with SparkPeople), a *totally free* site with a large and enthusiastic healthy-living-and-weight-loss community. It's totally free because the founders and creators were early employees (and, I presume, investors) in eBay and they're using their income/royalties/whatever from that to give back to society.

Which is why I'm mentioning them on my blog. It is SO cool to see people who really put their money where their mouth is and do something to make a difference.

I've only been with the program a few days, so no big changes here yet. A few eye-openers, though. Actually tracking everything, I discovered that I consume a heck of a lot more sugar than I had ANY idea of. But yesterday I went for walkies to a nearby park (boring park, though --gotta pick a better one for the next destination) so I logged 2 miles in the old sneakers. I have never drunk this much water in my life, though -- but maybe that will keep away the summer headaches I used to get. Usually most of my fluid intake involves coffee beans or tea leaves.

Got some spinning in, too, yesterday. Still working with this gorgeous Corriedale-Bond white fleece (from "Nora")from Sheepfeathers Farm. Thanks, Robin--you're the best! And Sunday my sweetie Tay helped me get the 7' triangle loom hung on the wall so I can use it more easily. No more of the "collapsing easel ballet"!

I also found out that with a longish piece of stiff wire, in place of the top row of pins on the tri loom, it should be possible to weave any smaller size triangle you want --you're not limited to only the size that the tri-frame is, because you could start lower down on the triangle. Have to experiment with that.

I think I saw that on Wayne's Triangle Loom page, IIRC--he's showing how to weave a triangle on a square loom. Let me check to be sure.

Gearing Up for Estes--Sheep Thrills!

I'm getting so excited -- this weekend is Estes Park Wool Market, and our fourth time in the Sheep to Shawl Competition. I'm the team captain of "Sheep Thrills", a group comprised of some of my best friends and fiber folks, augmented by a varying collection of "alternates" (the extra member of the team in case someone can't make it or is ill, etc.). For some unfathomable reason, we end up doing it in even-numbered years; there's some kind of jinx that operates in odd-numbered years to keep us from being able to get together.

The original subtitle for "Sheep Thrills" was "Hands Across the Prairie" because half the team is from Iowa: my college friend Rebecca Roush (of R.Rabbit's Fiber Studio) and her friend, now ours too, JoAnne Pruitt. The rest of the regular team are myself, and Catriona MacKirnan (now of Rocky Ford, CO), and Tamara Millyard (Aurora, CO). The second year, 2006, we added "Five Warped Ewes" to our moniker, and I believe in 2008 we added "Dances With Wool." Or was it the other way round? I can't remember. Anyway, I've got to think up some other goofy theme for this year. Hmmm, more sheepy (or sheepish?) puns...

This year is my dear friend Catrìona's turn to weave, and also to design and keep the shawl. The way we do it, each of us has a turn to design the shawl, choose the fleece, and spin up the warp (or most of it), and that person keeps the shawl after we're done. The weaver, whoever it is, keeps any ribbon if we happen to win one and we all split the cash prize if any. We've never used grey or black fleece before, and this time we're using both, as well as a design involving a striped warp. Can't wait to see how it all comes out.

Also, just to be different, we're using Catrìona's vintage aluminum Nadeau loom, which looks like no loom you've ever seen before; it clanks like Marley's ghost, but it gets the job done. That's the loom she's most comfortable with, so that's the one we're using. In fact, her other Nadeau is the loom I'm using at present too until I can afford to buy the Ashford one I've wanted for ages.

If you've never seen or done a Sheep to Shawl, it's totally worth it. Absolutely the most fun anyone can have for the minimal price of the entry fee.

Long Time, No Post

Yikes! It's been a while since I've posted, hasn't it? Last semester was really tough, and I didn't get a lot done on the fiber-artist front either.

But summer is less hectic as I only have 2 classes to teach (less lucrative too, but that's a different topic). So I'm trying to get back into the things I know I should be doing. Yesterday started cleaning up and rearranging the studio so that we can hang the tri-loom on the wall where I can use it instead of tripping over it.

Last week I finally got around to washing up some of the gorgeous fleece I bought last year from Sheepfeathers Farm; this particular one is a Corriedale/Bond cross ewe named Nora. I was overjoyed with how it's coming out -- just a fluffy snow-white pile of joy.

This morning I decided to take 1/2 hour before work and started spinning it up. Wow. It's just effortless, slipping through my fingers onto the bobbin.

Now I just have to decide what it's going to be when it's done.

The other thing I did before work was to post up my first set of polymer clay buttons on Etsy. I'm not sure how they'll do, but it's worth a try.

Have a fibery summer day!