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Over the weekend, my friend Karen and I had our “Movie Night”. We are making a new tradition. Since I don’t really have a life (except when I am away teaching), this is my big night out about every 3 weeks. The first time we did this, we ordered pizza delivery and watched Patsy Zowakowski’s video on spinning cotton and flax. This week Karen got Thai food, and I brought decadent chocolate dessert. The point of this is actually NOT the eating part, but to get together, have fun, and actually look at those DVDs and videos we bought oh so long ago. You know, to learn something! We were going to watch Mabel Ross’ video on spinning, but as my brain was fried from reading (and finishing) Harry Potter almost non-stop, we watched some sillly movie on her Tivo. Hmm, didn’t learn much, but had a good time. This is what I am working on right now:
It’s weird (but fun) to be knitting my own Fana sock pattern again after all these years! I am using Louet’s Gems Merino. SO yummy and very nice to work with!
I think it is a good thing to schedule fun. If I don’t I just stay home and work.
Many of us work too hard ALL the time. Knitting is great, and even better in company! The next time we have movie night, I think we’ll watch one of my 6 Lucy Neatby DVDs. She is so fun and upbeat, and I always learn something from her. I do recommend her series. Do any of you out there have movie/ knitting night with friends?
And, I won’t whine too much about this, but my soon-to-be-ex could never quite let himself spend money on flowers for me. I don’t mean a single flower…I mean a good ol’ fashioned dozen. I love roses so much that for awhile there I bought them for myself. Well, what a surprise! This lovely bunch was given to me by my daughter, Chelsea. How I cherish them! And her!
Earlier…
I am beside myself with ecstacy! I spent the day working, instead of doing the 4th of July thing. Chapter three is off to the editor. Now I think I will go knit something useless. My brain needs a break.
I have been thinking about the kitchen door. It leads to the outside and half of it is glass. And while I am going through a period of No Curtains In My House, my daughter feels uneasy at the lack of privacy. So I rounded up all my handspun non-wool yarns from two lifetimes ago. Some of it is deliciously spun, and some is almost nasty. It’s a survey of my spinning abilities, you might say. I love to dabble, that’s for sure, because there’s not enough of anything to do something with it. Hmmm, unless I combine a bunch together with some other exotic skeins I’ve picked up here and there.
Some of the skeins
So I envision this curtain, very organic in nature and shape, in hemp, a hemp-cotton blend, aloo from Nepal, bleached and unbleached linen, cotton, jute singles, Ramie boucle and singles I made, gorgeous brown ramie singles and something that looks like twigs (hemp bark) that I got from Habu Textiles. Now, this may get finished AFTER I move out of this house, but ya never know. Anyway, what if I made layers, each one being as much as I can knit from each skein until it runs out? I could make different lengths, different surface patterns, edge treatments, different widths… It may end up looking awful, but I am intrigued enough to try.
So, about the Hair Shirt, or, the more modern word cilice… Actually hair shirts are pretty grim and gruesome uncomfortable things worn for penance, usually made from goat hair (no, not mohair). I spun some goat hair one time and it was not something to cuddle up in! One of my curtain panels reminded me of a hair shirt. This is my first panel and I used a two-ply linen yarn I spun in the ’80s, I think. It looks so pathetic lying there, unblocked. But I have a great vision!
Unblocked:
And later….
I just got back from the TKGA conference in New Hampshire and while I was there, I saw Takako (from Habu Textiles) and bought another skein for my hair shirt, um, curtain. It is called Kenaf and is from Africa. It looks and feels a lot like jute or linen tow, but it is bee-you-tee-ful!
So if anyone is interested, the background of the last photo is a section of my Turkish (as in I Went to Turkey) Rug. It is so lovely, even the part I spilled red wine on. And to think I thought twice about it because of the cost. I am so happy now that I splurged. I have such good memories of that day.
