Maia Spins

Not Covered

Velma and I are on the road to the Spin-Off Autumn Retreat (SOAR) in the new (to me) camper.  We just landed in Grants Pass, Oregon.  Tomorrow we go to Bend, Oregon.  I can't wait to see everyone!

Leading up to SOAR I had been dyeing like a mad woman.  My dye studio is in the courtyard of my house.  My house is C-shaped and the courtyard is a nice centrally located spot to work in.  It is outdoors though.  That isn't an issue most of the time as we have very mild weather here (down to the 30s in winter and rarely hotter than high 70s in summer).  I do need some rain and sun protection, otherwise I just dress according to the temperature.

I have used a 10 foot by 10 foot canopy for the last year and it has served me well.  Last year we had a big wind storm that blew it over and put a few rips into it.  I learned my lesson and staked it down (apparently, they come with the canopy for a reason - who knew?).

A week ago we had a huge wind and rain storm.  I awoke in the morning to find this:

Pretty blue sky where no sky should be visible.  Not the end of the world as the sun shifts this time of year and I don't get a lot of direct light into the courtyard.

Until this:

Not so blue skies over my "canopy".  Houston we have a problem.

A trip to the hardware store for a few supplies and all was well:

All MacGyvered up!  Please note the cunning use of large binder clips.  I am particularly proud of that innovation.  The plastic was even long enough to cover the bikes that don't fit in the garage at the moment because we are also living in a construction zone (bedroom remodel).  I went inside feeling very smug and self-satisfied.

You see what is coming don't you.  I didn't until it started raining just an hour later.  It was coming down by the bucket load (I think we got about 6 inches of rain that day).  After an hour or so of heavy rain I heard a loud thud.  Yup, canopy collapse!  The plastic had allowed ponding that put the sides of the canopy in lateral bending (gotta use the engineer speak once in a while or I get rusty).

The result?

I don't think chewing gum and baling wire will fix this. 

Luckily, the rain moved on and I was able to complete my dyeing.  Here is a bit of what I did:

Tussah Silk Lace and Silk Caps.  Yummy!

What about the canopy?  We have been meaning find a better solution.  I guess that time is nigh.

The Enchanted Sole

When Janel Laidman asked me to review her new book, The Enchanted Sole, I agreed without hesitation.  I am a big fan of her creativity and style.  Her first book, The Eclectic Sole, set a high standard.  I am very happy to report that The Enchanted Sole does not disappoint. 

The first thing I noticed is the range of pattern styles included in this book.  There are simple socks and complex socks.  Like ankles socks? knee-high socks?  You are covered.  Beginning knitters and experienced knitters alike will find socks to tempt them. 

I also appreciate the range of construction.  Some are worked toe up and some top down. I especially love that she included four socks that are knit sideways.

Pixie: sweet sideways knit socks.

Traveler: clever cabled socks with a pocket!

Atlantis: lace and texture evoking water and waves

Galadriel: romance and ribbons

Tree of Life: gorgeously detailed colorwork

As a designer, I feel that every detail is important.  Clearly Janel feels this way as well.  Ribbing flows into the leg, taller socks include carefully crafted calf shaping, and stranded socks are patterned from top to toe.  The Tree of Life socks pictured above have a beautiful leaf pattern across the heel.

As a spinner, I appreciate that each sock pattern gives the wraps per inch (wpi) for the yarn.  Very helpful for matching the grist of my handspun to the pattern requirements.  As Janel points out, it is also the best way to pick a substitute yarn.

There are many reasons to love this book: the 20 gorgeous sock patterns, the attention to detail, the beautiful photographs, and the variety of styles and techniques.  

Now, which sock to cast-on first?

On Top of the Crumpetty Tree

In my last post I mentioned that I would be vending at SOAR.  Since I am a solo operation now, I do a fellow fiber fiend to help me out at shows.  Enter Velma.  If you don't know Velma, you should.  She is fun, funny, earnest, sweet, smart, and all around lovely.  Did I mention that she is hee-LAIR-ious?

Give the woman some chocolate and she gets nutty.

Now referred to as the chocoincident.

You can find her in Velma's World.  She also spins art yarns and dyes fibers at COLORBOMB Creations.  Her color sensibility is rather different than mine (read bright and LOUD!) in a delightful way. 

She went with me to California Wool & Fiber (aka Boonville) last month.  We camped out behind the fairgrounds.  (The camper wasn't with us yet, the clutch dropped out as we were driving it to my house for loading.  At least that happened close to home!)  When we were breaking down the campsite to go home, Velma caught this shot of me.

Yup, that's me with my finger in the air valve.  She says I am adorkable.  Did I mention that she is a wordsmith?  Love that!  Life is always interesting in Velma's World.

It Has Been A Long Time

Wow, it has been quite a while since I last blogged.  Well, in writing.  I have written many blog posts in my head.  They were all brilliant and poignant and fascinating.

I do have a reason for my silence.  Life has been all about changes lately.  I started working for my father two days a week.  Has has a business in Oakland that makes furniture and houses out of trees from the urban forest.  These are trees that need to come out for a construction project or have fallen and need to be removed.  Instead of them being chipped into mulch, he makes gorgeous works of functional art.  My job is administrative.  I manage accounts, write proposals, create invoices, streamlining processes . . .  You know, all the glamorous stuff.

What this job lacks in glamor it makes up for in satisfaction.  It is such a joy to see so much of my father and it is immensely satisfying to be able to help him.  I am trying to take the mundane tasks off his plate so he can be the fabulous creative leader he doesn't get enough time to be.  I look forward to my work days.

On the Tactile side of life there are big changes too.  I am now the sole owner of Tactile.  It is exciting and a bit scary.  There is safety in knowing you have someone else to rely on and help shoulder the load.  I feel confident that I can do it and I am looking forward to the new challenges that await me. 

Speaking of Tactile, Fiber Club is open for new (and returning) members.  It is always a fun process to dye the club fiber.  It is one of the things that keeps dyeing fresh and challenging for me.  Often, I don't know exactly what I am going to do until I get in there and start playing.

In more Tactile news, I have a show right around the corner.  SOAR aka Spin-Off Autumn Retreat.  I am so thrilled to be vending there.  SOAR is like spinning camp with all the people you like best in the spinning world.  This year it is n Bend, Oregon. 

I am getting there in a new (to me) ride.  There is a camper in my husband's family that has been sitting in the back pasture at my father-in-law's house.  It had been so long since I'd seen it, that I had completely forgotten about it.

Stylish isn't it?  Looks aside, it is in amazingly good shape.  All it needed was to have the goat dimple popped out of the hood (goats LOVE the high ground!) and a thorough cleaning.  My husband Roger spent a whole day cleaning out and setting up the camper.  Why?  Because it was something he could do for me at a crazy busy moment in my life.  Awwww!  Love that man!  He has been so supportive and helpful through all the recent changes.  He is my rock.

We decided to take the camper on a test trip before I head out for SOAR.  What could be more fun than camping in the redwoods with your favorite 7 (almost 8) year old?  She had never been camping.  Can you imagine that?

We headed north a couple of hours to Austin Creek SRA, outside of Guerneville, California and camped by Bull Frog Pond.  It was just a quick overnight trip and we got in just before sunset.  In the morning we awoke to a gorgeous foggy morning.  Just the thing for a northern California girl!  Love me some fog!

 

So beautiful and ethereal!

The campground was at the top of a hill and the micro-climate there was drier.  The trees were live oaks, tanoaks, madrones, California bay - not so many redwoods.  At the bottom of the hill, we found lots of redwoods.

Roger and Kerry speculating on how old this felled tree is.

Kerry posing in front of a tree that survived a fire.  Have I mentioned that this child has a runway walk?  Seriously!  She needs to take a drama class; she is a natural!

The fire scar on this tree is almost gone.  Redwoods are very good at withstanding forest fires.  This fire appears to have been a long time ago based on how thick the new growth is around the scar. 

Heading Home.  We had a wonderful, if brief, visit to the redwoods.