Have you seen the Spin Off yet?
It's an issue devoted to spinning myths. I wrote a little something about predrafting. I almost always predraft. See over their in the Contents , page 78. And the yarn on the Contents page is mine! The fiber is some beautiful merino from Fiber Story.
Maggie Casey wrote about predrafting for this issue too. She's also a fan. I knew I loved her.
Today I'm working on spinning fiber that might be used on the cover of my book. It's exciting and I'm also sure that I have lost the ability to spin a viable yarn.
A little peek of my maybe-cover fiber.
That in a nutshell is what working on a book is like. Actually what writing anything for publication is like, at least for me.
First, I'm so excited about the writing and so grateful that I get to do it. I still can't believe this is my job. Then I do outlines, research, write and rewrite.
By the time I turn in my writing I'm sure I know nothing about the topic. But when the writing is published, I am proud and show it everyone that crosses my path. It happens every time.
On Monday I pressed the big scary Send button on my book manuscript. For those of you that haven't heard me talk all about it, I'm writng a spinning book for Storey that will be out in 2016.
I've worked on the manuscript for over a year, including two extensions (the people at Storey are very understanding).
Now it is in the hands of my editor and I'm waiting for the first round of edits/questions/comments to come my way. It's a little nerve wracking.
While I wait I have plenty to do - samples to spin, articles to write and that deep dark hole of my desk and email to attend to. I let myself fall out of good work habits while I taught and finished up my manuscript the past five weeks. I have three email inboxes to attend to and this crazy pile of paper.
More than 6" of paper. On Tuesday I spent four hours touching every single piece of it and making lists. Today is email day. Wish me luck!
I spend a good part of every Fall and Summer traveling to diving meets. My girl is almost 16 and she dives. She flys. She soars, and it is an amazing thing to watch.
It is breathtaking and terrifying to watch your child launch herself into the air and execute complex skills. I sit in the stands for hours with my heart in my throat for a variety reasons.
She is talented and amazing and I am so proud.
Holy Moly the folks at Interweave know how to host an event. Yarn Fest is a multi fiber craft fun time. It's no SOAR (may she rest in peace) but a good time was had by all. There were classes, shopping and lots of hanging out. I taught 5 classes in 4 days to 122 students. It was a sprint but I had a wonderful time. At the end of every day I was energized and exhausted. My students were all accomplished spinners who wanted to learn a little something new or fine tune a skill. They asked so many smart questions. They type of questions that led me to add things to my classes or in a couple instances get the spark to create a new class. We had a great time together. You can see it in the photos, lots of work and lots of smiling. Also a batt beard and teachers drinking beer. Shocking I know, but it happens.
I was so tired by the end of most class days that I bought almost nothing at the marketplace. Truth! The marketplace was medium sized and mighty. I walked through several times and spent more time talking to people than shopping. I did notice that most booths were pretty depleted by the last day.
There is going to be a Yarn Fest again next year, March 31-April 2. I hope I'm teaching again and I hope next year it doesn't snow.
I want to sew some of my clothes this year. Up until now my sewing consists of mostly hemming things. I have taken a sewing class here and there, but I've never really felt brave enough to make something for me.
Sonya Philip makes me feel brave. She who made 100 dresses in a year. I bought her Tunic Number 1 pattern from her Etsy shop. That's it up there. I bought fabric I love, not practice fabric but fabric I want to wear now.
I'm giving myself until the end of June to dither (I have some deadlines). But I will be wearing an octopus tunic before the end of summer.
The yarn? That's Quince Sparrow (100% linen) in the color Pidegon. I thought it looked amazing with the fabric. I have a few ideas of what to make to go with my tunic.
Last weekend I taught my all day Color Play class to spinners from the Iowa City Craft Guild. Wow, they were passionate about spinning, weaving, stitching and quilting. They were really talented and smart about spinning.
We spun for 6 hours and by the end I had learned as much as I taught. We had so much fun that we sang the Carol Burnett end-of-the-show song at the end of class. That was a first for me and I loved it!
Thanks to my friend Greg for inviting me to teach, hosting me at his home, feeding me delicious food and making me laugh.
I'm looking forward to spinning with these folks again.
I am a huge fan of tyvek wristbands to mark my yarn. They almost never break and when I write on them with a Sharpie all of my information doesn't run or fade. They come in a bunch of colors. I always say that I'm going to color code my samples somehow, but I have yet to do that.
I used to use paper and string tags, but once I tried tyvek I never went back. I get mine from various shops of Ebay, but I've used tyvek postal envelopes cut into strips and duct taped too.
What do you use to mark your yarn?
A paper tag and a tyvek band side by side after a hot soak and a snap.
