Our friend and fellow fiber artist Kelly Patterson (of Traveling Side Show blog) is here and we are talking about how long it's been since I last postd on here.....WAYYYYY too long! A lot has happened in the few years since I've been blogging....and now need to get back to it so I can share all the fiber-y cool stuff going on in our lives! So....stay tuned!

Been a few days....or....YOU GOT A PACKAGE!

Here at work I get phone calls from Customer Service telling me "you have a package...it's big/small.....feels like yarn/that stuff you make yarn/string from"...>Today I got...."You have a package....UPS....from your sister....big box!......
I bring the box back to my office and this is what happens:

When a package comes from Mickey and HVS&WCo... That’s Geri in the back telling me that this color goes REALLY well with THAT color. This from a lady that when I started here was polite but indifferent when a package came. In the box is Geanine….she ALWAYS loves the fiber and dives right in trying to find JUST the right color for her skin tone! She also HAS to sniff (more of a full face in the fiber snort) the fiber and smile……..

Fiberfreek Sends in Substitute for Ravelympics Flying Camel Spin Event

Yep...Had to put the sweater idea on hold.... Too much concentration needed to make sure my singles were consistent! So switched to my butterflygirldesign's "Blue Morpho" batt. Isn't it beautiful! It's even more rich in person! I'm using my Jenkins Turkish Delight spindle, a gift from my beloved friend and mentor Janice Rosema. The spindle is about 5.5" high! Ok...translation for you non fiber folk:...... I am spinning (not on a stationary bike) my own yarn from some fiber ...damn...still not clear to some...Ok....I am taking some sheep hair and bamboo fibers that a VERY talented lady butterflygirldesigns has prepared and dyed in some incredible colors--- I will spin the spindle and add twist to the fiber and make yarn. I couldn't continue with the sweater project because it has to be all the same all the way through so that it knits up evenly. The Blue Morpho will most likely be knit into a shawl or something. Even though it still needs to be consistent in thickness and twist...it doesn't have to be PERFECT!










At the same time I'm knitting a pair of socks from Ravelry's Iron Knitter....where we are to knit 5 pair of socks in a short amount of time....the group is already on pair #3...I'm starting pair #1. I don't think I'll be winning any awards! I'm also knitting a pair of Mary Jane's for a co-worker. More about that later when I have pictures and yarn info handy!

I promised to post more regularly. This is me trying!! Back to the knitting and spinning!

Ummm, yeah...no excuses.....

But lot's of apologies! I've been meaning to get back to this for a while and even have met a few people online who are actually following me! Thank you!!!

So....I'm going to give you a brief update on what I've been doing, ideas that have been presented to me for other things to do and a lot of random pictures that I want to share.

I'm hoping to be better at posting more. I really enjoy sharing....just need to better manage my time! Hope the New Year finds you all in great health, spirit and creativity!!

So...last post was May....wow! Since then Abraham and I have celebrated our 10th year anniversary in December,

We had to say goodbye to one of our 'boys', Aloyisius ("Al") in January and are waiting for our home to sell so we can downsize and get an apartment which will free up more cash for the important things in life.....fiber!!!

Last night I started the Ravelympics which is a friendly competition started on the Ravelry site---a web location/community for knitters, spinners, crocheters to share ideas and information and just be! I've entered the spinning section. You cast on or start spinning during the opening ceremonies (if you could see thru the tears) and you are to finish (hopefully) at the closing ceremonies. I chose to start drop spindling some of the yarn for the Spin Off Anniversary Sweater....never mind that it's been in the stash since Fall 2001!!!! OMG! If you look closely you can see one of my favorite drop spindles. It's made of Lego parts!!

I'm selling these in my Etsy store. They are great!

I've been learning all I can from my friend and mentor Janice Rosema (she's gonna get me for posting this pic!) The hat is knit from handspun yarn and the shawl is one of her designs....I wore the hat

proudly proclaiming "I HAVE HAIR"!

We try to get together every Sunday we can for our spin-in at LisCat....the best LYS (Local Yarn Store) ever!!!

I've been knitting commission pieces....scarves, slippers, socks and have even started a spinning commission or two!

I still work at Gearys in the accounting office and still love my co-workers (most days!) and the company (again, most days!).

Janice and I are planning on getting a booth at the NY State Sheep and Wool Festival in October...a way for me to spend time with family and friends and for us to further expose the fiber world to Janice's amazing patterns and hand spun/dyed yarns and fiber! I'm kicking around an idea of one of my sister's to do an online knitting class/knit along!

I'm going to sign off now so that I can get back to knitting on two orders and a pair of socks for myself and get spinning on the sweater yarn!

I again thank you for stopping in and giving me your time. I do realize how special a gift that is and will do my best to honor that!!! Janice is feeling a bit under the weather so I want to send her a big hug and another one to Margie who is enjoying the glow in the dark cast on her hand!

Love to all! Please feel free to leave a comment or drop me an email....I am on facebook as fiberfreek and now that I have a Blackberry...I'm much more active there!!!!

Stay creative!!

Jamie

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????