This is just what I need to continue my coin spindling:
Storing Takli-Spun Singles For Plying
Posts Tagged ‘cotton’
Oops! I have not thought about this blog much lately. With 2 to 3 client projects running at any given time, all I’ve been doing is micro-blogging. You know, like twitter, Plurk, etc. It’s just so very easy to update with a quick sentence or two. I don’t even need to open a browser to do that. Just use AIM or text from my mobile phone.
I am getting the rhythm of my new BUSIER schedule. Not easy for an introvert to be switching hats frequently. But I am getting it. I must also apologize for forgetting to reply to emails. I am slowly learning to multi-task a little instead of diving into one thing and not wanting to get out until it’s done. You know, a Virgo thing maybe?
Anyway, I am still here. And here’s a little coin spindling with cotton to show you that I am still thinking about fiber, too! 
Hi all! A few things to update you on. CB is in the hospital. Nothing to worry about at the moment. He hasn’t been feeling well for a couple of weeks. He started having difficulty breathing last week, causing headaches and fatigue. He finally was willing to go to the doctor yesterday morning. The doc immediately found the oxygen level in CB too low and sent him to the emergency room. They performed tests on him for the entire afternoon and could not find the cause. Finally in the evening after doing a CT scan, they found pneumonia in a hard to detect region of the lungs. So, now he’s in the hospital for a few days to get better. They are also performing extra tests to see there’s anything else. It’s a relief to have found the cause of his illness. Now we can focus on getting better.
Remember that yarn that I named Forest Jewels?
I am going to start knitting something with it. I’ve always had Drifting Pleats from the book Knitting New Scarves
I joined Katherine’s Le Tour de Fleece 2008.
I had so much fun spinning and knitting for Fibre to Scarf Exchange, I thought I’d join up another spinning challenge. Maybe I’ll do well again doing a project with time restraint? We’ll see. Now I have to find something in the stash to get going.
Happy Fourth of July! I’ll be spending the afternoon with CB.
OH! Almost forgot. Chris, here’s the cotton I have to work with:
I am not an experienced cotton person. Maybe it is usual to get cotton in this condition. (It was given to me.) I have at least 30 times more of this cotton. What do you think? Keep or let go?
Yesterday was a beautiful day for outdoor fun. A perfect day for Dye Fest. Sitting under the trees on a bright sunny day, carding and chitchatting away. I could almost take a nap, too. Thanks to Garen, who opens up her home to host Dye Fest year after year. (She has a beautiful, spacious American Craftsman Style home with lots of big trees outside.) I don’t know how she does it. I would be a nervous wreck!
Unfortunately, the mini dye classes didn’t happen. That didn’t stop the fun, though. There were dye already mixed. There were steaming baskets and dye pots, both natural and chemical. And there were plenty of experts there. People just went at it. I ended up not doing any dyeing at all. (Yes Chris, that means the Shetland and BFL are safe. 
) I wanted to do a more controlled experiment and thought I’d take up too much time and space. So, I just watched and tried to pick up as many ideas as I could. I also spent a lot of time carding cotton.
Not sure if I mentioned this. I was given bags and bags of unginned cotton about a year ago. I took some to Garen’s house to try carding them. The carding went well. I was beginning to get the feel for it. But I think I might have to let go of the cotton that I have. It’s filled with bits and pieces of crushed cotton bur. My guess is that it was machine harvested and the burs were crushed in the process. Carding did not take them out. I had to pick them out by hand a little bit at a time. Too time consuming. They may fall off when spun. But I think I’ll just get more CLEAN cotton to play with. I really do enjoy carding and making punis. One day I’ll have some cotton plants, too. Here’s a photo of the punis I made. Note the dirty bits:
I’ll be looking for takli spindles to buy. I tried spinning cotton with a small support spindle. Taklis will make plying easier. Just need to have something that will hold several spindles. I think I know just the person to ask to make one.
Below are some photos of Dye Fest. More can be found here.
Thanks to Jill for sharing these articles with the guild. These might make fiber enthusiasts uncomfortable. But they are serious issues. It’s better to know than not know, right?
