Fiber festival 2007!

For those of you who don't know, There will be a fiber festival in Bellevue Nebraska, May 11-13th at the top floor of Southroads mall. Parking and entry are free. If you would like to teach a class, take a class, or be a vendor please leave a comment and I will answer you directly.

This show will have fibers...Alpaca, Llama, Angora rabbit, Sheep wool and possibly Mohair as well.

The classes will be on felting, spinning, knitting, dyeing and possibly weaving as well. Classes are held at beginning level and intermediate level as well.

Please tell as many people as you know. If you know a good fleece judge please let me know.
Thank you and hope to see you there!

You could have heard a pin drop

I love Nebraska sometimes. Today I went to Beatrice and spoke to the Nebraska sheep and goat organization. I told them we need your fiber, we have two major fiber shows coming up and we need vendors. You should be able to sell a good fleece for 5-10 $ a lb. We have attendance of the Hastings guild, the fremont guild, the Omaha guild and the loosely joined bellevue fiber people. Money opportunity and attendance.
It was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop.And they were in a carpeted room. I had all of their attention and afterwards they came up and fondled my example fleeces, offered me cards and contact info handshakes and enthusiasm.

You have to consider that I had just listened to them complain about the low $ they are getting for their wool. I then provided an answer to their problems.
Now I know that from a spinners point of view it's like" yeah but they bring us Junk and ask for top dollar. Then they wonder why they don't get it!" I brought them example fleeces. These are two fleeces purchased from Handspinners flocks, had no dirt, VM, second cuts, weak tips or anything. A couple of the producers tried to act shady, and I was forced to tell them the truth, you bring crap and it won't sell. I also don't guarantee that you will sell everything or anything at the show. I'm just giving you the opportunity to try.

Yeah, now I have to get people to come and buy, as well as find 1000 to rent the place. So wish me luck!

Well, howdy! Welcome back to Snarled yarns your local storytelling fiberblog. I'm your host and today we'll be talking about... anything and everything! So just sit back a spell and enjoy the blog.

I'm sitting here watching the sun come up over the Missouri river. My computer sits in the bay of our south facing bay window. Monday I switched places with J and now I get up later and help the munchkin go off to school. The great thing is I go to work in the light and still manage to get home before dark. Watching the sun rise is one of the simple pleasures along with spending the morning with my 8 y/o Heather. Sometimes she even lets me do her hair.

Morning has always been my favorite time. So quiet and peaceful so full of promise for the day. Tomorrow I have to work overtime and I won't get to have a morning. The afternoon is already planned with a fiber meeting in Ponca hills. Today is already filled with work, gym, shopping and hopefully some more knitting and spinning.

The mohair project is still here. I knit on it but seem to make little progress. I need to knit 10 inches 3 times and can't seem to get the first time done! I spun up some Romney just for fun and finally bought a new ball winder. I need to spin up some silk to ply with Ms. Riley's wool now that she has stopped molting. I knit a little on my zig zag scarf but not much and the progress is slow. I still have not done the actual tagging even though they are all filled out. I have to update my quickbook software and fill out the prices.

Tomorrow Ms Riley will be having a day out. I will be bringing her to work and then to the meeting so she can be bred by Diannes Mocha Frappaccino. What wonderful news for her and exciting prospects for me. I have had her on a bit of a diet and been teasing her with Scotch to make sure she's ready. This week is a new moon so I expect lots of does. (Or just mostly) We'll see what happens.

To all the knit girls- sorry I missed you last night, I had to work out and get some things done. I hope to catch you next Thursday.

Toodles!

I owe you pictures and a change of information. The guild show is the 3rd weekend of November. Sorry for the confusion.

Knit night was last Thursday but I couldn't relax enough, because I had to take my munchkin with me. This weekend was filled with activity. Knitting spinning and tagging my guild stuff.
Speaking of which, I noticed that my yarn site was not working properly, so apologies all around. I have gotten that fixed.

My roses decided to bloom and were still blooming when it got really cold so I took pity on them and tied them up in plastic bags. It didn't work. They do better changing with the weather. Does anyone know where to find good burlap? Next spring I get to dig up the top beds in the front of the house, and maybe the lower one too if the rhoddies and azaleas don't come back. I must remember to get full sun plants next time. I want to plant more iris in the back and on the sides of the house too. Maybe some more Daffodils.

I'm still not quite sure what to do about the rabbit breeding thing. I keep thinking yeah but she was one of 7 in the litter, what would I do with 9 rabbits? And then I would only breed her that once....It would be better off to buy more. I really want a red/orange.( So this weekend I'm gonna breed her to one of the little boys from Diannes.)

On to the fiber fest news, the Nebraska Sheep and Goat Assoc will be having their annual meeting the 27th in Beatrice and hopefully I will be going to invite their members and their organization to be involved. We don't want them to be too involved, because there will be other animals involved like bunnies, llamas, and alpacas.

Ok here's a fact of life for bunny people:

BUNNY ECONOMICS 101
I bought the cutest little bunny at the county fair. It only cost $10! I needed a cage and food and supplies for the bunny that I bought at the fair. ($50) He seemed so lonely, so I got another bunny. ($30) It needed a cage and food and supplies. ($50) I bred my bunnies. The doe needed a C-section, but now I have four more beautiful bunnies! ($300) They need cages and food and supplies. ($200) I've decided to show my bunnies! I need to buy carrying cages, cage cups, a show table and one of those nifty little carts to haul them into the showroom with. ($200)
At the show I found the most awesome rabbit for sale, it's already a champion! I gotta have it! ($150) I need another cage and food and supplies. ($50) Ive bred all my bunnies to that awesome champion. Now I've got LOTS of show bunnies! I need more cages and food and supplies, and some more carrying cages, and a bigger nifty cart to haul them in with. ($500)
My car is too small to fit all these carrying cages into. I need to buyremovableh a removeable back seat. Yeah, that'll do it! ($32,000)
I need a bumper sticker that says "Hey Hunny, Love a Bunny! ($1.50) I'm getting pretty good at this showing stuff. I need a fancier show table. ($150) All the really big breeders use those nifty blower things hmmmm. ($200) My rabbits don't fit in my garage (basement, family room, back porch, side porch, front porch) anymore. I need to build a special barn just for my bunnies. ($5,000)
I have all this extra space now! I can keep more bunnies in here! I need more cages and food and supplies. ($600) My rabbits don't fit in my van anymore. I need to get one of those little trailers and pull it behind my van. ($2000) I went to an open show at a county fair last week. I pulled in with my trailer and my van and all my grand champion bunnies, and I won Best Of Breed! There was a girl there that just fell in love with one of my juniors. I'm such a softie, I let her have it.... for $10.

Wow, isn't that true? Speaking of which, I gotta go clean those cages!
Toodles!

Where has my motivation gone?

Far away along with my energy, time, and soon to be sense of humor. This weekend at drill the second to last carrot was pulled from in front of this horse’s nose. No money. I was looking at a 30,000 bonus now I’m maybe looking at 6,000 or nothing. Yeah, how motivated am I? Not very Boys and girls, not very. Moving on …

My dog was attacked by two pit bulls this weekend. 700$ later he’s alright. Lucky for him he’s got a lot of loose skin or he would have been dead. The owner paid the bill which is nice…Now get rid of those F***ing dogs! We were all very luck that my 8 y/o didn’t get attacked as well. It’s time for Omaha to follow Council Bluffs and put a ban on those things. Next soap box issue..

I have two rabbits, one male one female kept in my basement. In separate cages of course. This morning I find my male floundering around on the floor in my fiber. He had jumped out of his cage and onto my fiber shelf then fell off with a bag of fiber. Now his cage is latched. I need to buy him a real one so that’s where money us going next time. The female has stopped shaking her cage loose and started giving me fiber. I have to comb her 2ce a day now and spin it on the wheel to keep up. I’m loving it. Plans on breeding her are still in the wind until I have a better plan for the babies.

Last Thursday at Touche’ at 59th and Maple was a treat with the girls, thank you ladies. For those who want to join, it starts at 530 or so. Hopefully this weekend I can spend some time with all of my other fiber ladies, and get moving on my business work. (you know the mohair vest?) Sounds like Saturday morning at Southroads mall, and maybe a trip to wild oats? I need to talk to Elisa of Somebunnieswool about using one of her bucks on my doe. I was gonna use Dianne of Countrydream acres but the distance thing is weirding me out.

On to spinning, I have been spinning the overdyed grey dorset wool. It looks so odd cause you can see the grey under the raspberry. Spun up it looks kinda purple instead of red. I’ve also been spinning bunny. Grey and white. Also some California variegated mutant on my Schacht, because I gotta do something with it. My Guild pile has slowed down to a crawl since I’m so busy with everything else.

The Guild Show! Is in the 2nd week of November in Ralston right off 72 st and Main street. 9am to 5 pm. The guild meeting should be this wed night sometime around 630 or 7 pm until 9 or 10 pm out on 132 and Blondo? I will not be there, But I will be in the sale so if you see yarn you like on the stash page, it will be there for sale. I keep my prices low so don’t worry about bringing a lot of $. Not only that but I can usually make some more if you need it.
Well with that, I’m gonna " git".
Toodles!

No more rambles

Since we are now 1 year old I feel that I should start talking about things. Like product reviews or posting some patterns or something. Well sure I mean why not?
Let’s start with some reviews.

Schacht Matchless double treadle
One heck of a work horse! If your used to a portable wheel or a Babe (or not used to a wheel at all the treadleing may feel heavy but there is some great momentum going on. Comes with everything you need, and no matter what type of wheel you want (scotch or German tension or double drive) It is it!
Can be affected by weather and flooring. (mine likes med and higher pile carpeting.) It is also sort of a tall wheel
Have had it for 4 years. Still a great wheel.

Babe Fiber starter double treadle
This is a great wheel for beginners, people on a budget, children, non conformists, or those in variable climates. Bit of a short wheel. Bobbin lead German tension
Out grew the wheel in 1 year. I actually needed something that spun faster with out feeling like I was racing.

Louet s # single treadle
Nice wheel for med to chunky yarns. Not very stable on a single treadle. Great momentum, very Heavy pull. Good wheel for anybody. Huge bobbins that hold at least 6 oz of yarn. Great wheel for plying! Bobbin lead, German tension. Sold it to a spinner as soon as I could.

Ashford Joy double treadle
Nice travel wheel. Light weight. Bit short, I spin while sitting on my ottoman. Since it is weighted in one part of the wheel, it tends to roll when you stop treadling. Good for fine yarns more for med weight yarns.

That’s it on the wheels. I have an antique still in the shop but there isn’t a sense in doing a review on that.
So now onto a knitting pattern…..

Chevron Lace scarf
This scarf takes advantage of the bias introduced by placing k2tog before and after a yarnover.
The scarf will zig on one color and then zag on the other color.

This one is very simple, you will need:
U.S. size 5- 7 size needle
Indeceita Alpaca: 1 ball light grey, 1 ball black

Cast on 22 stitches with light grey
Knit one row
Knit 2, yo knit 1, knit 2 tog until the last two stitches, knit 2
Purl across the back
Repeat so that there are 4 rows of yarn over’s
End after a purl row

Knit next 4 pattern rows with the black, carrying the grey up the side
Knit 2, k2tog, yo knit 1, until the last two stitches, knit 2
Purl across the back.
Repeat until you have 4 rows of yarn over’s.

Repeat these two patterns carrying the non used yarn up the side until the scarf is as long as you want it to be. Bind off and you’re done.


PLEASE BE AWARE:
This pattern is a rough draft
There may be more or less than 22 stitches, the needles may be smaller than a US 5 (they are 4.5 metric I think.) Use whatever cast-on or bind off or YO you’d like.

That's all for now. Happy knitting!