These Things are Cyclical

Have you booked your place at the 2011 Maritime Spinners Retreat?

Mimi and I just did.

This year's Retreat is being hosted by Gaspereau Valley Fibres & The Potluck Spinners; it promises to be a real treat. The theme this year is 'Spin Local'. At last year's closing banquet is was suggested that the theme is really going to be Spin Local, Drink Local but I'm not sure that anyone else will remember that...it was a jolly evening!

2010's Retreat was themed 'Spin Wild!" focusing on wild fibre and art yarns so no surprise, I had a great time. Last year's PEI hostesses Louise and Elaine are packing along their feathers and we three will still be spinning slightly off kilter this year (I know I can't help it). We hope you'll join us, especially with the event (at Old Orchard, Greenwich NS) being so close to Halifax.

You can find more information and the nuts and bolts of booking your spot at the official retreat blog by clicking here.

Here are some fun moments from last year:

Games included forcing 'straight-laced' spinners to spin a single blindfolded...and it was a race!

I bought a lot from our fellow vendors...The Loop made money that weekend, but I spent a lot of mine.
Mimi and I taught mini sessions playing upon our wild theme; Knitting Without a Map and Freeform Crochet.
On Day 2, fully into the swing of things, we were encouraged to wear wild outfits...luckily I had brought my Noro Tutu. Oops, I guess I never blogged that project.

We had a great time as vendors. Hope to see you in the valley this year!

New Art Yarn 2 "I Still Have the Receipt"

Flowers

Easter Grass
Tulle
?

New Art Yarn

Tulle and stuff...

My Favorite Yarn

...so far

Morgan Waters Yarn

Kool-aid Dyed Red and Green Sheep
Kamala Dyed Sheep
Silk and Sheep Blend
Hot Pink Elastic Thread
Black Metalic Elastic Cord
Baby Blue Tulle

"It may be Low Budget, but it's Chock Full of Morgans
Like a Deep Tissue Massage That'll Clobber your Organs."

Rooms on Fire Yarn

"Long Nets of White Cloud My Memory"

Tusk!

Who's on the phone?
Tusk yarn.

Saved by the Bell

Did you hear?
Screech kissed Kelly!

Spinning with Add-Ins

Here's what I've confirmed about adding objects, namely bows, into yarn. The best thing to do is to incorporate the item into a single, using the fleece as glue around a core thread. I tried adding bows in during the plying stage, and even tying them on after -which is only sort of cheating. These bows are actually sections of a plastic lei.

Victorian Spinning?

I love my Louet Victoria spinning wheel, but wish that there were bulky attachments available. A larger orifice and wider flyer would be at the top of my christmas list. In the mean time...





I hope Santa knows his spinning terms.
ps Happy Birthday, Chris.

Birds, Bees and Handspun

I know more about the Flowers and the Trees.

Handspun

Think I spotted a reader of this blog downtown yesterday. If nothing else it told me I'd better post.
Here is some handspun. I think I'm finding my niche, but there are lots of different techniques that interest me. My current stumbling block is boucle. I've tried a few methods but can't happen on the look I'm going for. I think it's down to fibre type. I need a silkier something for the single that becomes looped.
These ideas came up in the mean time.
Simple thick and thin 2 ply, Louet "Karaoke" (50% soy silk), colourway "Rainbow"

Same as above (2nd multi combo "Playful")



Silk blend from Gaspereaux (purchased at Maritime Spinners Retreat), plied with DMC floss, German frayed ribbon, metallic flowers, paper flowers, tiny Indian bells and NZ merino (from a Top Knot)-more of this sort of thing to come.