Saturday Snows, Spinning, Trance States

It just started snowing here, a bit unexpected. So I can officially stay in all day. Now the question is what to do. There are three things that I would like to do today. One is make candles, two is finish a book and paint my nails, three is fiber related, either spin or knit.

So here's what I'll do. Candles first because they mess everything up. Then clean up from that and do my nails, finish the book. Follow that up with spinning.

Yes, spinning. I am spinning fiber into yarn. And I've finally figured it out! My yarn is a little rough at the moment, but it will just take practice at this point. I had the "Ah, HA!" moment. You know, the moment when whatever you've been attempting and keep hitting a block finally clicks and you get it.

My moment came this morning while blow-drying my hair. I discovered that I had been spinnig fiber for years and hadn't realized it. How is that possible you ask? Let me explain. I have wavy/curly hair and all the frustration that comes with it. the fashions and styles are sleek and smooth. Straight hair swept up or back to accentuate cheek bones. After all, the magazines tell me that this is what great hair looks like, right? So for the past 5-8 years, I have been using a technique called blow-outs. You use a round bristled brush, blow dryer, and a twisting motion to blow straight your hair. Now, adjust the brush to a drop spindle, prettend my hair is wool and guess what you get? the same twirly motion that creates yarn. Spin and twist using your fingers to hold the twist and release it while pulling the hair, opps, wool out for the spindle to twist.

Okay, bad explanation, but the point is I get it! I came out of my repetitive motion trance with the hair dryer, rushed down stairs and grabbed my drop spindle. Yup, same motions I use on my hair to get it straight work on taking puffs of wool and making it into a yarn. So, with half wet hair falling in my face (yes, some accidentally got spun into yarn with the wool) I have had an epifanny for the day.

Pictures to follow....

Knitting Nutter on the Road

I went to our knit night Holiday party last night. And received some interesting looks. You see, it all started yesterday morning when I realized that I didn't have anything on the needles that was a no-brainer. All of my current projects require attention, and that just doesn't work at a social event where there are things going on other than my knitting. Must be nice to people. So, I needed something I could work on and chat at the same time. So I started casting on a hat to be felted that I've been planning. It's felted right? Covers a multitude of sins. But I had to leave for work. So I continued casting on while driving to work. This is where my friends and fellow knitters turn and look at me in horror.

I'm not sure if it was because driving while knitting is admittedly dangerous or because I couldn't pay enough attention to cast on the proper amount in a non-sloppy way. I have a feeling that it had nothing to do with safety issues.

So driving home tonight in the rain, I concentrated on only driving. Occasionally, I would reach over to the passenger seat and pet the wool for comfort. That doesn't count as a distraction. Everyone knows that yarn calms knitters down. Its like a relaxation reflex. Like a child sucking his thumb. Pet the wool. Finger the alpaca. Other knitters will understand this. Good fibers running through our hands acts like Valium, instantly transporting us into a "happy" state of mind. Trance states.

Really, I'm not alone in this. I'm not nuts. And if I am, well, the yarn doesn't seem to mind.