This past Saturday was the Sheep to Shawl event at the Surrey Museum. How it works is each group has to show up with a warped loom, and then you card, spin, ply and then weave a shawl. The event starts at 11, and finishes at 3:30 (with a half hour lunch break).
This year we had a smaller group than usual, so I was a bit worried at first that we wouldn’t be able to get it done in time. We had two spinners (well, two and a half I guess because Lisa was able to help us out for about an hour or so), but it ended up being ok because we were all pretty decent at spinning. In past years our shawls have been more… rug-like, let’s say.
Steph learned how to ply on the spot, and Maggie wove like a champ. Wove? Weaved? I have no idea.
The warp was a beautiful ombre that went from pink to purple to blue. Steph also got scouted by the Richmond guild, who are on the lookout for fresh meat.
However, as usual, we came in dead last but the judge said it was our best one yet, and I am inclined to agree. Next year I think we need to focus more on fibre preparation and spinning since the weaving thing we’re already good at.
Our group, with the finished product. Obviously I am not pictured because, uh, I took the picture. It was a long, fun but exhausting day. I pretty much went to bed at 9 pm.
Hey guys do you like rhyme time? I sure do! Sometimes when T Friske and I get bored we just rhyme words for no reason. That’s a bit nerdy yeah?
Anyhoo I’m gonna try to do this Photo a Day thing for May, because I need some joy in my life.
It’ll be a good time!
Here’s mine for today. It’s peaceful yeah? I’d like to take a nap there. Yes yes.
Sometimes my dog makes this face at me and then I call her Snaggle Face because it is not even her teeth but her WHOLE ENTIRE FACE. She’s cute.
She makes other faces, including but not limited to:
Crazy Face
Running From A Bigger Dog Face
We went to the dog park on Saturday and these beasts got to be crazy.
They are good friends now.
Here’s a confession for you: my best and most favourite kind of procrastination is “planning”. The great thing about it is it looks like you’re doing a thing but you’re actually really not.
I recently warped up to do a tapestry, and the real truth of it is I should just go for it using the materials I have, but I’m always like “oh I need a cartoon, I need better yarn, I need more bobbins”. I really don’t. And I would probably benefit from a bit of playing around, really. I made my first sampler over 2 years ago. It’s kind of awful, and pulls in a lot on the sides, and I don’t think I really “got it”.
The great thing about the Textile Arts program at Capilano is you really don’t get a whole lot of time to think about what you’re doing. So many techniques and projects are smashed in there, you just kinda have to go for it. Now that I’ve been set loose on the world it’s a lot easier to procrastinate.
Life gets in the way, too, though. I recently did a thing that is good for my wallet but bad for my soul: I accepted a full time position. It means paid sick days, paid vacation days, 40 hours a week, stock if I stay married to them forever and probably other things I didn’t read in my rush to sign my life away for a few more dollars. It also means my schedule was changed and I’ve somehow managed to get 2 days off in 14 days. It also means I have to work extra hard to stay positive and to not let rude people get me down. I’m tired of customer service life but can’t seem to find a way out.
On the bright side, spring is here and everything smells fantastic. The Skytrain runs near our apartment (I can hear it but just barely), and there is a section that is like a tube of trees that makes me long for the forest.
I’d like to take this crazy beast for a good walk out in the wilderness. Thinking about cancelling the days I booked off in December to trade them for September. I could go visit my mom and bring this ridiculous monster with me. I can imagine the looks I’d get (I am pretty sure Grande Cache mostly has rugged dogs meant for climbing mountains).
