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????