Friends, strangers, new wheels etc.

hello again....I know....I promised to post regularly and then didn't. Life is like that! I've learned to just take it as it comes! Work has been normally crazy at times. As most of you know I work for a high end retail store in Beverly Hills http://www.gearys.com/ and although business is down our wonderful boss will not lay anyone off. He is an amazing man, running a company as it should be run...with heart.

Lets see...what's new....I have a new wheel! I bought the little sister of my Spinolution Mach 1 wheel "Mack-Daddy", The Traveling Bee. She doesn't have a name yet but she has my heart!

I HIGHLY recommend these wheels! I'll add more contact info and pictures in my next post. I just wanted to get this out there!

OH! While hanging out on Ravelry I came across an ad for the BEST KNITTING BAG EVER!

My words not theirs!!! The Nantucket Bag is great! I ordered one and got a call because the shipping info wasn't transferring. In the conversation with Jo Eaton (I'm so afraid I wrote her name down wrong)....we found out the company is in Maine where my parents are from, her new sales rep for the West Coast is a guy who wants to learn to knit and you can get FREE bags from the company just by helping them get the word out! I was planning on talking about the bag anyway but hey.....FREE?!! Mine is in the chocolate colorway!!!

What have I been knitting? Scarves!! Socks!!! And I've been SPINNING like a mad man!!! I have so much fiber at the house and keep getting more so I've decided to get off my tookus and get spinning! I've been trying to get a pair of socks done for Sock Wars on Ravelry. I must get a pair of socks knit and mailed to my 'victim' before my 'assassin' get mine to me! I have been humbled by this experience!! Proud of being able to knit a pair in a weekend....this pattern and yarn has broken me!! I've been working on Sock #1 for a week now!! Taken out the heel several times and re-knit it.......ugh! My victim is in England, my assassin is in Illinois. So....I'm knitting fast and furious!!! Wish me luck!

I also have made a new friend through Hudson Valley Sheep & Wool Co. and my sister Mickey.

Pat Danco is an amazing artisan! I'm eagerly awaiting the first order of hand dyed sock yarn from her!! She will soon have her Etsy store stocked and I urge you to go over and get yours before she becomes like all the others on Raverly.....stuff sold out before you get a chance to see it! Her blog is http://www.patdanco.blogspot.com/ .

Well, that's it for now!!! Drop me a line and let me know what you think!!! I'm truly trying to meet all my obligations but life has a way of reminding you that it's there and needs to be tended!!

Much love and big hugs to you all!! FIBER ON!

jamie

Don't you love the mail?

Today at work I got a call from my friend Mariel in Customer Service to let me know that I had a package "and it's soft!". Packages arriving for me at work is not unusual...and the routine that follows is always fun!!! From the moment I walk into the store (our accounting office is down the block) sales associates announce the arrival of my package and ask what it is! I go downstairs to customer service where they want to know what it is.....I open and share...then walk up to the main floor and show and tell again...then once in my office I show and tell again...usually with Geanine trying on whatever came in to see if the color works with her skin tone!!!! Today I got my package from Wild Hare Fiber. I am going to attempt to keep up with a fiber study on Ravelry so I ordered some Coopsworth. I ordered Leprachan Tweed and Outrageous Orange!

Meanwhile I'm working on a pair of socks for my co-worker Geri. She pre-paid me yesterday in the hopes it will speed me up!!!! She had mentioned that she wanted another pair and I thought...hmmmm, Christmas will be easy this year! She was thinking...when is this man ever gonna make my durn socks????!!! LOL

The pattern is Cookie A's Monkey Socks.

I'm saving my pennies for her new book just out..

Sock Innovations.

Cookie A is an amazing sock designer!! Geri's socks are actually more purple than shown here...cell phone pics ya know!!! LOL!

Well, have to go close down the store so I can get on the train and hopefully finish the foot on sock #1 and start on #2 tomorrow!!!!

Thanks to all of you who are following my blog...how cool that ANYONE is!!! I'll try to be more interesting and post more often!!! Knit On!!!

Comments answered!

Thank you all so much for the kind words and comments left here and in my email box! Since I can't figure out how to leave comments for you individually, I'll share the answers here!!!!

Marie---that is indeed a walking wheel in the picture. [reminder to self to insert picture here!]Years ago my spinning buddy Margie told me of a friend who had made one and I of course needed to know more! I later purchased the wheel. I'm sad to report that he never made any more even though I begged and whined for a very long time! When the photographer came to take the pictures for the article I had my Ashford Joy out and my Mach 1...spun on the Joy and then the photographer spotted the old lady in the dining room..... I of course panicked thinking (do I remember HOW to spin on it!)...Picked up the fiber and just started...another reunion with an old friend that was LONG overdue. (Margie....we need to have a fiber day!)

Dave, I wish I could tell you the maker of my spindle. When I first started spinning I did a LOT of buying off of Ebay (remember when THAT was the place to buy and sell?!)....this is one of my favorite spindles. It was the one that I had my A-HA moment with..okay the first of many! I hadn't spun in way too long when I decided this was the year to spin or get off the distaff so to speak.....picked it up and felt llike I was being reunited with an old trusted friend.

Velvet....you know what I think of your talent(s)! Thank you for your friendship and inspiration!!! when we going to get together and play????

A start to finish project!

Well, FINALLY! I've completed a project, from spinning the singles, plying the yarn and knitting the scarf! I started Saturday morning at 6:30am....always up that early and figured that I'd sleep in...but couldn't!! Geanine had been waiting VERY patiently for her scarf! She asked for something made from the fiber as soon as we saw it popping from the over-stuffed box Mickey had sent me from Hudson Valley Sheep & Wool Co. I spun the Shetland fiber on my beloved Ashford Joy. This was the first wheel Abraham and I bought and she'll be with me forever! Here are a few pictures showing the progression of the yarn. I have only plied a few times before and usually with not to much success. Plying means taking several single strands of yarn and spinning in the opposite direction to twist them together to make a thicker/stronger yarn. A great friend has advised me to stop worrying so much about the technical and just jump in! MUCH more fun!!! LOL!

So...here's the yarn being plied and one bobbin full of the plied yarn!


Here is the Potato Chip Scarf 1/2 done!

And here it is all done
and on the lovely Geanine!

I've been published!

Yep, this month's issue of Long Beach (CA) magazine has a profile of myself and two other 'artisans' that are currently making an income (I am?) from their 'craft'. If you go to the magazine site and register, you can read the magazine online!!! I'll try to upload the article at some point! I'm very proud and thankful to all of my friends who keep reminding me that what I do has merit and value. I'm forever in your debt.......and that project you're waiting for.....I'm getting to it...REALLY!

Just wanted to add......links fixed...sorry about that!!

Jamie Who?

Just stopping by to add a photo of today's work project..... months ago my sister sent me this Shetland fiber that is a great cantalope color. A co-worker said that it was a bee-you-tee-ful color....hmphf!....So.....her office mates suggested I make her wedding dress for her....couldn't I have it done in a day or so? Wellllllll, for her wedding gift I am making her a Barbie wedding dress........I have grown very fond of this colorway! I've been asked to make a shawl for another co-worker who truly DOES love it!!!!

It was suggested by my buddy Geanine that I document my train stories.....I commute to work 2 hours daily (I really do love my job!) and this gives me lots of knitting time...sometimes I drop spindle on the train...I'm determined to get as good as I want to be at this spinning thing!

Every day I get some sort of reaction...usually positive...sometimes negative...... I share them with my office mates and now with you! Today I was working on the yarn in the picture. This small older Mexican lady worked her way up the aisle holding onto the grab bars as the train moved along. She stood in front of me and pointed at the spindle and then to herself! I asked "You spin?" She looked at me and smiled. I looked around for a Spanish speaking person eavesdropping...none! You'd think after almost 10 years with Abraham I'd have learned Spanish by now........anyway..... I pointed at the spindle and back to her. She nodded and with a big smile she held her hand about waist high indicating that she did as a child. I handed her the spindle and she handed it back with a bigger smile. I gave her a bit of the fiber and she stroked her cheek with it. She smiled again and got off the train. Not a bad way to start your day, huh????

A day spinning and laughing

Just wanted to stop by and make sure that I at least made an appearance! Life has once again gotten crazy. Hours cut at work-but still employed! Spinning to get better, knitting to make money....just like everyone....taking it day by day!
Yesterday I got to spend the day spinning with Janice Rosema our knew friend, one of my spinning mentors (with incredible hand painted fiber) and designer for Ozark Mountain Yarns....oh...and enabler of Spinolution wheels....She allowed me to try the Bee Traveler Wheel(allowed? Nah...I was there for 5 seconds before she had me spinning on it!). As I found with the Mach 1....the wheel is incredible!!! I HIGHLY recommend them!!!
Check out this months Belle Armoire magazine...they've published more Janice--this time concentrating on her Freeform Knitted Shawls!

Oh...did I mention...I was interviewed by Long Beach Magazine? Yep....they are doing an article about those that do "their grandmother's" craft and are trying to make a business of it!!
Speaking of my business....we will be having another Learn To Knit workshop soon....early March it looks like. May have to have more than one as I've got a waiting list!!! Can you believe it? Maybe I can tempt a few of my knitting buds to come sit in and assist? LOL!

Ok...got to get a dragon scarf finished today...so I'm off to slave away and listen to my podcasts....

Be back soon with pictures and more ramblings!

Hello All!

Ok...soooooooo....I'm of course at work and finding time to post! I've been swamped lately with several orders for hand knit items.....My Frida Kahlo doll sold to a great guy who ordered two pair of socks for his partner...only request....bright, striped or patterned! Sooooo..... I grabbed my favorite sock yarn from Hudson Valley Sheep & Wool Co. and started! In the picture you can see how the striping worked up different on each one! I emailed a picture to my client and he loved it! The third sock-in-progress in the picture is pair #2 being done in Mirasol Peru "Hancho" a yarn and raised, spun and hand painted in the Peruvian highlands and from which a portion of every sale is returned to the region for the funding of schools! I found this yarn at Alubelitas Yarn Shop in Pasadena. A great little shop that also carries embroidery supplies so Abraham and Gisel were happy to wait for me while I did a little shopping! The owner, Samantha who I haven't met yet in person was gracious enough to mail me the additional skeins I needed!!! One day service! Speaking of service....I was unable to go get the yarn on my day off because I had to serve jury duty! I was able to get one sock and a cuff done of Tim's pair #2 done while there!

I've been working on several orders and haven't had a great deal of time to spin on my new wheel "Mad Mack" the Mach 1 wheel..... LOVE this wheel!

Let's see...what else is going on? I'm working on a few items to have on my sale table at the annual "LOVE/HATE" show at Picture This Gallery & Custom Framing owned by our friend Marisol. I'm also trying to set up an impromtu knitting workshop there on the 24th of this month! Not sure if that will happen! So...time to get back to work! Thanks to all who stop by here! Amazing how many of you there are! Thanks!!!! Stop by the Hudson Valley Sheep and Wool group on Ravelry!!

Had to pop in and add that Velvet KNOWS bizzee!!! Check out her blog! WARNING: You WILL be inspired!