Shiori's Stories

Over due!

This post is long over due.

First, thanks to everyone for their kind words regarding Tucker. We are still mourning.  We only got her ashes today.  They are in a pretty little urn (so sadly little) next to Daily’s ashes on a shelf in our library. I think of it as our altar to “Good dogs gone.” With Daily and Tucker both passed away we are finding the house very empty. Coming home is the worst as there are no happy wigglers to greet us. Right to the end, Tucker always tried to get up to say hello by walking between our legs, a little trick Shane taught her when she was just a pup.  I used to find it annoying, especially when she would knock me over trying to do it.  I can’t believe I miss it now.  We have yet to put away her beds and bowls.  It is still too soon.  When it gets bad, we spend time at the dog park watching the prancing puppies. I have kept busy with crafts. Shane has plunged into work.

I got out all my beading supplies recently. I wanted to avoid any fiber work so I would feel fresh for Nihon Vogue class (starts this weekend!). I’ve been doing lots of chainmaille and off loom work. There is quite a lot of pleasure in doing this sort of work as the projects are perforce small and quickly finished. I forgot how much fun it can be.  I have made 4 bracelets, one of which Shane has taken to wearing.  I am still working on the moonstone cabochon but the pendant is done. I’ve only to decide what I want the chain to look like and I will be finished.

As I have still not decided on a kiln, I have focused on my soldering work.  I bought a beautiful star onyx cabochon that I plan to make into a ring. It means learning to roll a proper bail but, hey, that is half the fun!

 

Because of all this, the house is a mess.  I really mean it.  It is college dorm bad. When I was young, I once wrote down all the issues I hoped to conquer. Item one was my utter lack of neatness.  If you have ever been to the house, you know that I am still working on that one. Don’t ask me about the rest of the list.

Like I said, Nihon Vogue starts this coming weekend. I am pumped.  From what is on the homework, it appears we are meant to finish a vest and a sweater in the first six weeks. Yikes!  I am anticipating blisters on my fingers.  Nevertheless, I am raring to go. If I can truly master fitting it will all be worth it.

Tomorrow is another meeting of the Eastside Spinners.  I am really looking forward to it even if they do not catch my “Office” references. I like having time set aside for spinning as it can be hard to fit in amongst all my other diversions. In the spinning vein, I recently took a class at Acorn Street on lace spinning with Barb Johnson. She is a great teacher.  I do not agree with everything she says but I always learn a lot in her classes. In this class, she taught a technique she calls post drafting. It creates a semi-worsted type yarn that still has lots of loft. If you use this method while spinning to the crimp, the yarn you make is so bouncy it feels like elastic. I love it.  I plan on trying to master it in the next few weeks.

The one issue I have with Eastside Spinners is the small size of the meetings.  In an effort to correct this, I have been trying to infect the Eastside Stitchers with the spinning bug. My plan is to gift the most resistant with spindles and roving for their birthdays. They better watch out.  The more they protest, the more I know they want it.

I recently went to a Feral Knitters night and actually had a great time.  I think it helped that I spent a weekend with a few of them at Janine’s Fair Isle workshop.   That was a great class, by the way.  Janine has an incredible mastery of color. I knew Fair Isle has a lot to do with color but I did not know that hue is not really as important as value. Alas, I am very poor at judging values, so I will be working on this for quite a while. But, I did come out of class with a very beautiful (at least, I think so) Fair Islesample that I hope to work up into a sweater for Shane. My inspiration was Suzanne Pederson’s and Linda K’s Bernese dogs.  So pretty and a candidate for our next dogs.  We are also looking at St. Bernard’s.  However, Shane and I both agree it is still too early to get new pups. I also would rather get rescue dogs than buy from breeders. We shall see.

I promise pictures soon.  I must find my camera first.

Finally, an embarrassing horror story – I was sitting on my couch, watching ‘The Filth and the Fury.’  Anyway, I felt something tickling my shoulder. I thought it must be a mosquito so I just brushed it away. Unfortunately, it was a large black spider which instead of brushing away, I brushed right into my bra. I screamed and ripped my clothes off, much to Shane’s surprise. I do not think I have ever gotten out of a bra faster. So much for cleavage.

YEAH, Charlie is dead.  Finally!  It took long enough.

...5,4,3,2,1!

Huston, we have moon booties!

Yep, I finally finished them.  Well, I have yet to sew on the leather soles but other than that they are all done.  They do, in fact, stand up on their own.  They had to be felted down until all stitch definition was gone in order to do so, but I think that felted knitting looks best that way.  If you can still see the stitches, I think the object is only fulled.  It maybe over fulled (is that a word?), but it is not felted.  Anyway, I really like them.  They fit Shane rather well.  Let's just hope they hold up.  Shane could wear a hole in concrete!

Thursday was spinning with Eastside Spinners. Good times!  Good, good times!  Nancy joined us for the first time.  Generally, it is hard to love double drive types.  They look so sad as they stubbornly cling to their outmoded drives. Why fight the superior power of Scotch Tension?  They must have cell phones bigger than a bread basket (IF they have cell phones) and drive VW Rabbits.  Their poor kids are probably home schooled in tuffskins.  Makes you cry. Well, Nancy is so nice and such a good crafter, I find I can forgive her her faults.  Well, I can as long as I do not look at her wheel.  It's like watching someone spin park and draft.  I want reach over and grab the yarn from them and say "Learn to spin properly!"  You know me, I'm hardcore! 

The whole spin in was grand until some old guy came over and stuck his hand in Shane's fiber WITHOUT asking!  I wanted to kick his cane out from underneath him.  Like I said...hardcore.  The calming power of spinning must be no joke because none of us said anything. We just smiled sweetly.  Of course, it may have been the shock.  Usually, people just ask what we are doing.  It has got me thinking that we should make a sign that says "We are spinning."

Thursday ended beautifully with the viewing of Sean Penn on The Colbert Report.   Shane and I laughed so hard that Tucker looked worried. Tell me you saw it.  You are fans of Stephen, aren't you? 

Friday, I went out and bought fabric and patterns for some handbags.  I blame Suzanne and Diana.  They have been talking about their recent adventures in sewing and I...Well, I admit it.  I got jealous of their fun.  So now, I have $200 worth of Amy Butler fabric and a slightly dirty feeling inside.  I couldn't help myself.  Her designs are so beautiful.  But, when am I going to have time to sew? 

Friday night, Shane and I went to see Hot Fuzz.  A fine film if you love silly but smart movie references and violence.  Lucky us!  I was surprised to see Paddy Considine in a small role.  I love his acting, especially in In America.  I weep constantly whenever I watch that film.  I am glad to see he is getting work.  Another surprise was a trailer for another Simon Pegg film.  This one starring Dylan Moran.  Oh, if only I was a little bit Irish!

Saturday, I went to The Bead Factory for a pmc class.  Well, I am hooked.  The process is a wonderful marriage of organic and scientific process.  The results get so close to iki, I would call it perfect if iki wasn't all about imperfection.  Anyway, just what I needed!  ANOTHER expensive, time consuming hobby.  Well, now I am pricing kilns on the 'net.  If I can find one that will work for both pmc and my lampwork beads, I am ordering it.  Sorry Shane! 

Tidbits - Tucker is hanging in there.  She had a small accident yesterday but that is the first in about ten days.  I am worried as I can she her front legs are now beginning to get a little weak.  It seems the spinal degeneration may be moving up. 

Spinning with the camel/silk continues.  After, I finish this bobbin, I will test out some dyeing ideas I have before proceeding any further.  I am hoping to take advantage of differences in take up to make some subtle variegation. 

Weaving...uh, what weaving?

Weekend Update!

So, I had a busy little weekend!  Here's the break down.

Saturday - Shane, Nancy and I went to the Seattle Knitting and Fiber Expo.    We actually began our day by having breakfast at El Greco. I love that place.  I find the restaurants on Broadway are generally not very good.  Most seem to cater to the lowest common denominator.  For example, Thai on Broadway uses ketchup on their Pad Thai!  I know...unbelievable.  El Greco, I am happy to say is an exception.  So, after a delicious breakfast, we made our way out to SeaTac.   I must say I was not expecting much.  The expo's class list was dismal.  I am not in the least interested in machine knitting despite owning a machine knitter.  Additionally, the vendor's list looked small but I went anyway and I am glad I did.  I spent about $500 in yarn, fiber, and fabric.  The real score was a pelt of Lincoln.  The pelt has a beautiful variety of colors, ranging from white and apricot to black and charcoal.  I fell in love instantly.  I bought it without even glancing at the price.  Shane is now its lucky custodian.  It keeps him warm and comfortable at work.  We split as soon as we had made our purchases, however.  None of us saw anyone we recognized and the crowd was not really ...well, our crowd honestly.  Everyone there seemed to be over 65.  Is it the machine knitting? 

Because we spent so little time at the Expo, we decided to take a little LYS tour of our own.  We hit Acorn Street, where I bought several lace shawl patterns.  We then went to Weaving Works, where I decided to finally buy some Rowan Denim.  I have always liked the look of that yarn but I am not a big cotton fan so, I held off purchasing any.  But this is for Nihon Vogue so I made the leap.  My plan is to knit swatches in various cable and lace patterns, so I can get a little head start on the class.  I am so looking to forward to that class!  I guess it is the hardworking Capricorn in me.  Yet, I am cusp Sagittarius so I should be a little too fiery to much enjoy uphill slogs (as this promises to be).  Oh, who cares!

Sunday - I went to Fusion Beads to attend a chainmaille class.  This was OK.  Generally, when I take a class like this (IE. one day only; less than 4 hours; and I will never see these people again), I find there is someone, usually another student, who I hate to the depths of my dark soul.  There is never any good reason for it.  It can be as simple as the way they laugh or the way they monopolize the instructor or conversation.  Well, true to form, there was someone there I couldn't stand.  Luckily, I didn't have to work with her or sit next to her or I would have hit her for the few homophobic and racist remarks she made.  What is it with people lately?  Does warm weather make folks break out with discrimination?  No wonder I hate summer! Despite her, the class went well.  I learned the pattern very quickly and made a bracelet for myself in about half the time we were alloted.  I got out of there as quick as I could.  Shane and I decided to relax buy going to the University Village Barnes and Noble, where I bought a few magazines.  We then went to dinner at our favorite Indian restaurant, Preet's.  You must go there!  It is in no way like other Americanized Indian restaurants.  The selections are few but all of them are good.  Try the eggplant. 

Monday - I know, I know...Monday is not the weekend but I don't work.  Everyday is the weekend to me, toots!  Anyway, after staying home and catching up on the laundry (some weekend, eh?), I picked up Nancy and Shane so we could all go the Feral Knitters meeting.  I have only been to this group a few times.  I like everyone I have had the chance to meet and the skill of nearly all of them blows me away.  In this small group is several kilo-tons of knitting power.  The meeting overall was fun but there was a strange moment in the beginning.  Like I said, I have not been attending very long, so I don't expect folks to have much to say to me or Nancy.  Honestly, I can be hard to get to know.  However, I always try to be inclusive.  When a group of us entered the small back room, Nancy and I made an effort to spread out by moving to the end of the tables.  We soon realized that no one was going to sit next to us.  They all hovered at the far end of the tables, squeezing together to bunch up even more.  No one spoke to us or even looked at us for 30 minutes.  It wasn't until other folks arrived that anyone addressed us.  There was no more room at that end of the table, so they had to sit next to us.  Happily, I did enjoy talking to the folks who did sit near us.  I know knitting groups can be clique-ish but, I have never felt so excluded before.  I hope they warm up to us in the future.  Nancy, Shane and I would  love to continue going.  However, we are beginning to wonder if we smell bad or something.

Of course, I didn't get much knitting, spinning or weaving done.  The moon booties are 95% finished.  I've just got to sew the second one up and felt it.  Luckily, the sun has been making appearances. So, if I can get the booties felted soon, they just might dry out in a day or two.  Usually, it takes a week up here, living under the tress like we do.  I have been spinning mainly on my charka.  I am quite fast at it now and can spin finer than I can count wraps per inch. Really! I've got the find the magnifiers to see the threads side by side.  Alas, I have picked up the habit of over twisting the cotton.  This, of course, developed as a consequence of my trying to break the habit of under twisting.  Live and learn and learn and learn and finally shout and throw things against the wall.  Weaving...well, I finally did a few more rows.  But, I don't like the way the sample is turning out.  So, I've decided to resley the reed at a tighter epi, whenever I get around to it.  I would laugh if it didn't hurt so much.

Tucker - she had one week without any accidents!  Yea!!  We have been taking her out to walk every hour or so and after every meal.  It seems to help.  She will be 18 in June.  Unbelievable!

Eastside spinners will be meeting this Thursday!  I've been looking forward to it.  We have had a few more folks join since the last meeting so I am hopeful that this will be a bigger meeting.  Keep your fingers crossed! 

Good times!

I had a great time at the latest meeting of Eastside Stitchers.  Such a great group!  And some of them actually read my blog!  Thank you, guys! 

I was gratified to hear that there is agreement about the egregious nature of the racist comment made at the OTHER spinning group.  Suzanne rightly pointed out that some of the most racist folk out there are those involved in mixed marriages.  I have always wished it was different, but people marry for lots of reasons.  Sometimes, those reasons are the racists assumptions they make about their partners.  I am lucky that Shane is sensitive to things like this.  Many of the people I dated (yes, the phrase is gender neutral - I did date girls) were not. 

I have come to grips with my haircut.  I can delay my planned suicide.  I had really hoped for a cut more on the lines of Cookie's 'do.  I should have brought a picture with me.   I think dyeing it red might help.  I'm thinking big red streaks in the anime style.  I love the anime style!  Granted, I am not so interested in anime (who could be interested in little girls and boys that turn into animals?) but I love the way they dress.

Nancy pointed out that short hair always makes me look more Asian.  I agree.  It is one of the things I like about short hair.  When I was a child, I tired many things to look more Japanese.  I always felt lucky being Japanese (I still do) but disappointed that it was not obvious.  I just have never fit the stereotype.  My brother looks very Japanese, however.  This is one of the joys of being multiracial.  Some siblings pass, some do not.  Anyways, in kindergarten, I actually smeared yellow finger-paint all over my face.  I had remembered my father referring to my mother as "yellow." Yep, he is one of those inter-marrying racists. I thought the yellow pigment would help me look more like mom.  Sad, huh? I thought I looked great.  My father, alas, was not amused. 

I finished the sample skein for my friend. It went OK.  The colors are rather muted but then she did leave a lot of white areas on the top.  The top was also just a little felted.  I hope she likes it.  I can finally get back to the baby camel/silk top I was spinning. Charity's top was nice but the camel/silk is so yummy!

The moon booties continue.  They should be ready for felting by this weekend.  I have yet to pick out another knitting project.  I must admit to being a little hesitant as I will be so busy with knitting once the Nihon Vogue class starts.  Nevertheless, someone at Eastside Stitchers (I have forgotten who) was crocheting the cutest monkey amigurumi.  I was thinking it would be just the thing for my nieces.  Coco was born in the year of the monkey, so it would be perfect for her.  Camille would then get a sheep amigurumi.  Cute, eh?

The weaving has moved from "I really need to get on that!" to "I don't want to look at it!  It makes me feel so guilty!"  What to do, what to do?  I think a picnic blanket would be so much fun.  Luckily, Judith MacKenzie McCuin is teaching a weaving class this June.  It is weaver's choice, so maybe I will work on it then.

Oh, I forgot to mention I took a class in viking knit at Fusion Beads this weekend.  The class was fun and the wire-work was easy to learn.  I actually finished a bracelet for Shane and he actually wears it!  I call that a victory!  Honestly, he will wear anything I knit or sew for him, but it is different for jewelry.  He is not really a jewelry guy and he is very tough on the pieces he does wear.  So you can see why I am glad the viking bracelet seems to be working out.  This weekend I have another class at Fusion Beads in a chainmaille technique with which I am not familiar.  I hope it is as fun as the last.  Also, I will be shopping at the Fiber Expo.  Fun, fun, fun!

Sucky Soldering

So, class was fun but I clearly do not have a talent for soldering.  I went hoping to increase my skills but that did not happen. The class began OK.  We started with soldering jump rings.  The instructor had a method of applying the solder I had not tried before.  Basically, you preheat the solder until it condenses into a little ball, pick the ball up with your pick, heat the join and drop the solder on when it is hot enough.  For me, it works really great on jump rings.  It allows me to use an absolute minimum of solder which greatly enhanced the look of the joins.  Sadly, when I tried to use it on anything else, all I got was a melted mess.  I ruined at least four earring components before I got a set that matched (they were only SLIGHTLY melted).  I was unable to make anything else.  At moments like these, I try to remember that I have managed to learn many things, some learned quickly and some learned slowly.  All it ever takes is attention and practice.  I will clearly need more practice.

I did have one exciting moment in class.  In a moment of frustration, I forgot to pay attention to my torch.  It took less than a second for me to ignite the water bottle of the woman sitting next to me. A huge melted hole appeared in the side. The smell was awful! Luckily, the water poured out and extinguished the flaming label.  Yeah...lucky me.

On a happier note, I am more than halfway finished with the moon booties.  They are ENORMOUS!  But, they are supposed to be felted until they can stand up on their own.  Once they get down to a wearable size, they just might stand on their own.  I promise photos very soon.

Spinning is progressing along nicely.  I have set aside the 50/50 camel and silk for the moment to work on some hand dyed top made by a friend of mine.  She wanted to see what her work would look like spun up and I thought it would be the perfect project to take to spin ins (IE. how it turns out is not very critical). 

The weaving still gets looks and sighs but I have yet to lay a finger on it.  But I will, I will!

Finally, I am thinking of sending a teaching proposal to BCC.  My glass bead teacher suggested I should so I checked it out.  The application process look very easy and I have often thought I would like to teach spinning.