Just some of Miriam's tools
Miriam Felton who is crazy talented in just about every fiber art that exists has started a multicraft newsletter called CrossCraftual. Every fiber person I know, myself included, has been obsessing about combining their crafts lately. This inspirational newsletter is exactly what I need right now. You can sign up to get the newsletter, follow CrossCraftual on Twitter and take a 2-question survey to make sure your favorite crafts are represented.
Yay all the crafts!
Every summer we try to take a vacation that doesn't have anything to do with 1) work 2) sports. Even if it's just a couple of days, we run away and are silly together.
This summer we went camping in Leelenau State Park. Tent camping with pit toilets, campfires and no electricty.
We swam in Lake Michigan, hiked sand dunes and woods, read, played games, whittled wood and made s'mores every night. It was the most relaxing vacation I've had in a long time.
Everyone had such a good time we're talking maybe a long weekend camping in October.
Anyone have suggestions for Fall camping in Michigan?
I've been asked to teach at the Madrona Fiber Arts Winter Retreat! Madrona is February 11-14, 2016 in Tacoma, Washington.
I'm teaching at Yarn Fest again! I had so much fun last year, I'm thrilled to be asked back. Yarn Fest is March 31 - April 1, 2016 in Loveland, Colorado.
I'll be teaching at the PLYAWAY inaugual retreat! This one has a special place in my spinning heart, since I've been with the magazine since the beginning. PLYAWAY is April 21-24, 2016 in Kansas City, Missouri.
The contracts haven't been signed, but there is a good chance I'll be teaching in Los Angeles in September.
I'll post what classes I'm teaching where as soon as they are set.
In the midst of all of that teaching, next summer, my spinning book is coming out!
That's a lot of exclaimation points for one post, but I am happy, a bit gobsmacked and so grateful to be a part of all of these things.
2016 already looks like a great year, I hope I get to see some of you in my classes.
Tell me what you are reading and enjoying this summer?
This week I'm reading: The Star Side of Bird Hill, a gorgeous coming of age story about two sisters transplanted from Brooklyn to Barbados.
I'm listening to: Invasion of the Tearling, a YA fantasy, gritty-dystopian novel, the sequel to Queen of the Tearling. It's read by Davina Porter. I listened to the first book and tried to read the second, but Davina Porter's voice kept floating through my head, so I bought the audio and am happily listening while I spin and knit.
I have a special thing for spiral-ply yarn, the kind with one ply of thick and thin. So much so that I've decided to knit a sweater out of spiral-ply yarn. I know it will pill, especially since I fell in love with merino fiber beautifully dyed by Lisa Souza.
I knew I needed to sample, but I didn't want to over think the sampling part. I could spend forever sampling and tweaking and never get to the sweatering.
I spun a couple of samples. One just to have a starting place and one to correct what I didn't like about the original sample.
The first sample (on the left) was ok, it did the bubbly spiraly thing I like, but it definitely needed some adjusting. The things I changed in the second sample (on the right) change the look a little and help to make it a sounder yarn. I spun my core single with a lot more twist because I had a couple of spots that drifted apart when I plied with the tension I like in a spiral ply. I shortented the distance between the thick spots. In the original sample I made a thick spot and then two drafts of thin, in the second I made a thick spot and one draft of thin. Overall I the changes are small, but I like the yarn better.
The best part is the knitting. It's light and lumpy, bumpy with great squish. I can't wait to see a whole sweater out of this yarn!
A blog devoted to finding all of the sheep in the maps of Google Street View. There are sheep everywhere, and yes, they take submissions.
I'm sure you've heard, but if you haven't, PLY Magazine is having a retreat, PLYAWAY!
It's the first big all spinning retreat since SOAR. Here are all of the facts I know you want to know. Facts with pretty pictures are on the PLYAWAY site:
Date
April 21-24, 2016
Where
Kansas City, Missouri at the Crown Center Westin
(If you are oldish like me - yes, this is the place that had a walkway collapse a long time ago (1981), but they've fixed that)
Who's Teaching?
Me and whole bunch of big names; Beth Smith, Amy King, Deb Robson, Stephenie Gaustad, Abby Franquemont, Esther Rogers, Michelle Boyd. Patsy Zawistoski, Amy Tyler and Chris Pappas.
(No, Jacey isn't teaching, she's running the retreat. She will be everywhere, talking to everyone and is hosting the big Spin In)
Classes
Not telling yet, but they are based on the first two years of PLY Magazine: Color, Woolen, Shetland, Worsted, Silk, Twist, and Leicester. Keep peeking here to check on class listings.
How much?
2-day classes: $260
1-day classes: $145
1/2-day classes: $85
I'm broke!
There is a scholarship for an all expense paid trip to PLYAWAY. If you donate to the scholarship you are entered in to a drawing for an all expense paid trip to PLYAWAY.
Shopping
Oh hell yes! There are 40 booths available, not sure of the number of vendors yet.
Theme Song?
Nope. But if someone were to ask me, it should be the song below, subtly altered, but still sung, in person, by Lenny Kravitz. You're welcome.
The Official Music Video for "Fly Away" by Lenny Kravitz
Here's a video to get you in the mood to grill out with friends and family this weekend - Tiny Hamster's Tiny BBQ
Buy the Tiny Hamster Book Today!!: http://bit.ly/TinyHamsterBook Subscribe for more videos! ► http://bit.ly/SubHelloDenizen Thanks to Reynolds Wrap and Havas Chicago for being great BBQ partners. We love all of your #TinyIdeas, keep them coming! As always, we work closely with trainers to keep the hamsters safe and happy.
Tour de Fleece starts this weekend too, are you spinning? I've got few things stacked up to spin for articles, secret projects and book samples. From upper left: a couple of Lisa Souza greens to make a thick and thin spiral ply, two cjkoho designs for an article, another cjkoho designs for an experiment with a weaver, and some Sweet Georgia merino/silk to spin for embroidering on knitting. What do you have in your line up?
As a Craftsy instructor (have you spun along with my class yet?) I am also a Craftsy affiliate. That means every time you buy any Craftsy class from a link I put up I get a tiny percentage. This weekend Craftsy is having a $19.99 sale - most of their classes are, you guessed it, $19.99! If you've been waiting for the next sale to grab a few classes to watch over the summer, this is a perfect time.
Have a safe and relaxing weekend!
