Funky, Chunky, Thick and Thin Art Yarn

For about a month now I have been producing Funky, Chunky, Thick and Thin Art Yarn in hand spun, hand wound yarn balls. They have been going to Hidden Talents in Tonasket, and some have sold. It is interesting how much fun the yarn is to crochet into hats and scarves! All the random colors and nubs and slubs and thicks and thins make for funky, fun wear. Here are some of the balls.

 Which I spin from the really random, funky chunky wools I have created in very colorful batts!

There are sari silk threads and poly thread clippings. When you spin and then crochet there is 'stuff' hanging out everywhere. It is very cool! I will soon feature these on Bell, Hook and Spindle.

Funky yarn and resulting hat.

100* Temp

This past week of illness was long and boring. I am a 'busy beaver' type, not a lay about slug type, so every time my temp dropped to 100* or below I would spin and dye. And I actually got a lot accomplished.

I used Dharma's Electric Violet dye and the bright yellow came from tumeric/alum dye bath. I think the gold was Dharma dye...but I was feverish and some things are honestly a blur!

The gorgeous, deep red is Dharma's Fire Engine Red. Love it! I will be making lots more of THAT!

And here is the latest pic of Loki, showing how he was specially engineered to be a perfect fit in my spinning wheel setup!
And speaking of spinning, I am headed back there. It is just the perfect level of lack of thinking and gentle exercise that my healing body can handle at this time. I am so much better, but the cough lingers on, and naps sound really good... Stay well!

As the world turns...

On many, many, many of the blogs that you and I receive and read the post of the day has gone something like this. "Sorry to have not posted, but have been very ill...". Well, add mine to your list! I am not totally returned to the land of the living, but at least I feel that may actually be an option at this point. My DH, who faithfully gets his flu shot every year, thought he was 'safe' as the days passed and he was still standing. I read online (so it has to be true!) that once exposed you will start showing symptoms within 24 hours. Rick has made it since last Saturday. Any guesses how he feels this morning? :?}
So, later today I will try and post a few more pix of what I have been able to accomplish whenever my fever dipped below 100*! Take your vitamin C!

Another wool scarf!

Child size, and fun too boot!

UFO Surprises Me!

Dragging my feet, I half-hardheartedly pulled the Mother Goose Rhymes UFO out of its storage bag. Low and behold, it was already pieced into panels!  Good job, Lindy! I must have done that much at art camp 2 years ago! Definitely perked my interest up in finishing it.
And I do remember planning to make 2 separate quilts from all the rows, then thought I would make a two sided quilt, because the 2 panels together were so TALL! And skinny...that is how I got the original thought of making Hickory Dickory Dock panel to go the whole height and widen the quilt. Now that I have re-opened this Pandora's Box I think I like that option the best. Let it be huge!
So, by the end of next week the goal is to build the clock. Once that is done it is just a matter of completing the top, quilting and binding it and put a pocket on the back to hold a Mother Goose Rhymes book from when my children were small. Since they are in their 30's now, that makes the book a 'collectible'!
Yay! It's a great start to the day! Have a good one yourself!

My latest playtime activity...

Black Merino, natural Shetland, crocheted together into a scarf. Spun the yarn my own little self and it makes me so happy! I have also been whipping out crochet hats from my Funky, Chunky, Thick and Thin Art Yarn. I will do some photo ops tomorrow and show you the fun results from that yarn.

Update: Pix of my UFO will also be posted tomorrow. I have taken the first step and found the project bag in the jumble that is my quilt shed. (I SO need to spring clean it again!)

AND-the very, very nice owner of Hidden Talents Art Supplies in the little town of Tonasket just 10 minutes from my house has taken in a bunch of my art for sale, lots of my wool balls, basic felting supplies, all my kits and we are in the process of getting a slew of classes lined out! I love to teach! I am so very excited by this opportunity!

Life is looking pretty frisky at the moment!

Educational Moment re:Soybean Silk

Soybean fiber was invented by Henry Ford in 1937, and was termed as " Soy Wool". Until 1960, soybean fiber was being manufactured in Poland. This fiber was reinvented in 1998 and was promoted in 2000. At present, it can be made from waste products of the soy bean food industry.

The advantages and wearing values: Firstly, soybean yarn has cashmere-like handle - it is naturally soft, smooth, and lustrous. Then, it has good draping properties, excellent moisture absorption, and natural permanent bacteria resistance. Also, plant protein of the soybean fiber can be absorbed by the human body more easily and without any side effects. While in contact with the skin, amino acids in soybean protein fiber active skin protein and coruscate the skin's energy. Therefore garments made of soy silk are very comfortable to wear and feel like a second skin. 

Wikipedia, so it has to be true! 

The article says it blends well with other fibers, so I will be adding it to wool, to help 'calm' it down so I can spin it thinner than my first attempt. Practically spun rope my first try tonight!

Spinning Soy Bean 'Silk' !

Just had to try such an 'exotic' fiber! So glad I had read the reviews suggesting a spritz of water to tame the static! Otherwise it behaves very much like Himalayan cat fur. Fibers flying everywhere, clinging to clothes and doing a fair job of heading straight for my nose!

Oh, but I love the luster!

And once I have Soy Bean yarn, ummmm, what do I make with it?

UFOs...

in 2012 I signed up for an UFO group online. I have many, many Un-Finished Objects in regards to quilting. I was truly inspired by the thought of being held accountable to finish something, anything, once a month. And what a super nice, extremely supportive and encouraging group I found. The only problem is, even the moderator's 'threat' of getting the big boot out to kick my patootie into action didn't get me sewing and checking off more than a couple things all year. I had too much fun with wool and made such nice friends on that site that I didn't have the heart to quit them! So, of course, when people started posting in January regarding their continuing and new goals to finish UFOs I jumped right in.
As January is speeding toward its finish line I have yet to  take a single stitch on the quilt I dedicated to completing this month. One of those ECards online really hit home with this insight from a non-quilter to a quilter, "I understand it takes a REALLY LONG time to finish a quilt you are not even working on..." Mea culpa!!!
So, bloggers, I am now going to commit to YOU that I will at least make progress on the one quilt, my Row Robin Mother Goose from about 10 years ago. My first thing will be to dig it out of the mess in my Shed and put pix on here. In the two weeks left of January I could finish it if I just would!
Deep breath.
I will try-no, I WILL sew on this, I will sew on this, I will sew on this, I will finish this one thing, I will...