• Aboot:

Epiphabets

~ My.Daily.Distraction

Epiphabets

Tag Archives: Wool

My.Daily.Distraction ~ Post 182: Spin

22 Monday Jun 2015

Posted by duckykoren in Arts, Crafts, DIY, Knitting, Spinnung, Wool

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

crafts, DIY, Family, Knitting, Spinning, spinning wheel, Wool, Yarn

image

There is a photograph that I grew very fond of as a child.

This photograph was a framed picture that hung in my Aunt’s dining room in Cleveland, Ohio.

It was a very old picture picture of my elderly Great-Grandmother sitting beside what appeared to be a lake.

She was sitting in front of a spinning wheel as she spun yarn. Her eyes are fixed to her task at hand. She looks neither happy or sad. She does however, appear very content.

It is over thirty years since I last saw that picture. Nevertheless, I still remember it well.

I have no doubt that what made the photograph so memorable was the fact that my Great-Grandmother could actually spin wool.

This made me proud.

About fifteen years ago, my eldest daughter and I began to knit. To this day we continue to happily share this pastime. It did not take long for us to accumulate an impressive collection of a variety of yarns in just about every colour, both thick and thin.

About 10 years back, my Daughter shared with me her plans to learn how to one day, spin yarn.

I’m afraid that I did not share her enthusiasm.

Where, oh where, would we store the fleece, the spinning wheel, and all the other accoutrements needed for this wool gathering?

Just about every drawer and storage bin in my house contains yarn, yarn, and yet… even more yarn.

In spite of my misgivings, my Daughter made it clear to me that she was not going to give up.

My pertinent Daughter began to read all the magazine articles she could find on how to spin wool. She then watched spinning demonstrations on YouTube. Before I knew it, she was visiting local fibre stores and talking to people who knew how to spin. This was all in preparation for the time when she would be able to pursue her new undertaking.

And I am so very glad she did.

Two years ago, she was finally able to purchase her spinning wheel.

That was when she began creating some of the loveliest yarns that I have ever seen.

I am proud of her spinning achievements, and I’d like to think that her Great-Great Grandmother, the same one pictured spinning in that beloved photograph would be proud too.

Now, I have an incredible array of eclectic yarns, while local wool fibre artisans are being supported. Further, my Daughters dreams of spinning have come to fruition.

Everybody wins.

I love it when that happens.

My.Daily.Distraction ~ Post 161: Creamsicle

01 Wednesday Apr 2015

Posted by duckykoren in Art, Crafts, DIY, Knitting, Spinning

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Art, batt, carder, Colour, creamsicle, Grandmothers, handspun, ice cream, Knitting, poonie, Spinning, Wool, Yarn

image

My daughter got a new toy in the mail yesterday. It’s a huge wooden contraption about the size of a fax machine with all sorts of knobs and levers.

She calls it a carder.

It’s used to prepare wool fleece for spinning.

Along with this carder, she received a mountain of brightly coloured fleeces that the vendor included with the order. After my daughter showed them off to me she said:

“Go on, pick out some colours.”

I chose hot pink and black, with a sprinkle of silver sparkles on the side. It’s a colour combination that I’ve always wanted to try but had yet to find. I asked her if she could spin enough yarn in this colour way so that I could knit some hand warmers.

“Yes,” she answered.

For half an hour, she smoothed, combed, scraped, and cranked the fleece until all of the colours were seamlessly combined.

When it was all over she handed me the finished product. A poofy square, about the size of a small loaf of bread.

“Is this a poonie?” I asked her. A poonie is the small clump of fleece that you spin into wool.

“No, it’s a batt, ” she responded.

I rolled my eyes. I should have known better. Poonies were much smaller than a batt. I was never going to get this spinner’s jargon right.

By the end of the evening, she held out another poofy pillow of wool to me, her second creation, courtesy of her new beloved carder. The tangerines, yellows and golden sparkles that she had incorporated into this particular batt was breathtaking.

“I’m calling this colour: Creamsicle,” she announced.

“Why?” I asked her.

“Because it reminds me of all the creamsicles that Oma gave me.

(Oma was her her Great Grandmother, my Grandmother.)

As I took another look at the tangerine fluff, I had a sweet moment.

Sweet, because of all the eye candy colours of wool before me…

Sweet because as I beheld that pillow of tangerine wooly bliss I could almost taste that creamsicle…

Sweet because I was blessed with such a special Grandmother.

Sweet because soon, we are going to be up to our cahoonies in poonies.

❤

Post 73: A Knitting Lesson

02 Friday Jan 2015

Posted by duckykoren in Crafts, Education, Knitting

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

crafts, Education, Knitting, Wool, Yarn

In my view, a brand new ball of sweetly coloured wool is a wonderful thing.

It holds so many possibilities.

Once I am introduced to a fresh hank of yarn, it’s important that I carefully consider what it wants to be.

A shawl?
Scarf?
Cowl?
Mitts?
Hat?

All the above are carefully considered and weighed.

There are times when I make a decision, only to have the yarn correct me shortly after the work has begun.

How is this done?

Usually in the form of a knitting error, where I have no choice but to start all over again.

Take for example my latest knitting project.

The fine and light merino yarn hand-painted with aqua tones and black marbling was first destined to become a simple triangle shawl with a picot edging.

I cannot tell you how many times I had to start over because I miscounted or was unhappy with the way the stitches were falling.

In the end, out of frustration, I abandoned the idea of a shawl in favour of a slouch hat.

Interestingly enough, a day later and the hat is now nearly half done with zero mistakes or misdemeanours.

How do I explain this?

I can’t.

I just accept it and move forward.

An object lesson, well learned.

If only more of life’s daily lessons were so easy to learn from.

My.Daily.Distraction ~ Post 48: Choose You

06 Saturday Dec 2014

Posted by duckykoren in fashion, Knitting, Life, Motivation, selfhelp, Writing

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Colour, crafts yarn, ego, fashion, Jewellry, Knitting, shawls, shorts, Style, Wool, Writing, yellow

With all the attention of natural fibres, hand made items, going green and supporting local artisans, I’m surprised that I see so few shawls and pretty handmade scarves.

Even in the Americana Mecca of Nashville, and my trips there do I rarely see any shawl, or hand created fibre accessory.

This confuses me.

I know that the knitters and their hand knit shawls and scarves are out there.

Are they hiding somewhere?

Pretty yarn, beautiful patterns and exquisite knitting needles sell out quickly at specialty shops. I know because I can’t find them when I need them.

In retrospect, shawls, for the most part can be awkward. They slip off the shoulders, tend to hang unevenly and need continual readjustment.

Maybe this is the explanation as to why I never see them.

I hope that people know that there is a secret to wearing this and other extraordinary items.

In time, one learns to become one with the shawl. In time you even forget about the shawl as you are no longer under its control but rather, you control it.

The same can be said of writing.

Now, let’s expand the list even more.

Let’s add: Yellow dresses, elaborate earrings, bright lipstick, tattoos, shorts.

Okay, one more step is needed…

Ready?

The same can be even said about life.

A lot of time is spent fussing and fidgeting over what seems non-essential minutiae.

From this, lessons are learned which result in an even more gloriously hand spun web of reality and fantasy about how we see ourselves and others.

You, yourself…

…Choose what you see in yourself, your writing, your creations, your style, and individuality.

Choose wisely…

Choose you.

My.Daily.Distraction ~ Post 27: Gettysburg, The Battle For Yarn

21 Friday Nov 2014

Posted by duckykoren in Economics, Gettysburg, History, Knitting, Merchandising, Pennsylvania, Yarn

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

City Hall, Economics, Gettysburg, Knitting, New Age, Pennsylvania, Shopping, Spinning, Tourism, Travel, Wool, Yarn, Yarn Stores

As we head back from the morning’s adventures, we approach the core of downtown Gettysburg, which is composed of a traffic circle which veers off into all four directions. To me this is proof positive that not only do all roads lead to Rome, but to Gettysburg as well.

As we are about to turn and drive down Baltimore, my husband surprises me by pulling into a vacant parking spot.

This can mean only one thing.

Wool store.

Noticing that the ancient parking meter is on empty, I begin to rummage through my purse for change. All I can find is a nickle and a dime.

Fifteen cents.

This meagre offering to those who wander the corridors of Gettysburg City Hall is inserted into the meter and we are granted eight minutes. Knowing that it is impossible for me to make a formidable yarn purchase in a mere eight minutes, I instantly begin another assault on my poor purse. Let me tell you, there is a weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Seven minutes. Grrr.

At six minutes, I give up and make a run for the street corner. Now, in the past, crossing at these corners have always scared me, as there are no traffic lights. In the past, townspeople would take pity as they see me waiting for the oncoming cars to pass. They would correctly tell me that there is no need to wait because the traffic must yield to me. Still, I waited.

This time, as I approach the corner, I don’t even look to check for oncoming traffic before as I step out onto the street. My actions take me completely by surprise. Something about me has changed, but what could it be? Why am I not afraid?

The answer comes to me in a heartbeat. Since I was last here, I have had the experience of trying to cross the streets of Rome. If I can cross a street of bumper to bumper traffic with overly aggressive Roman drivers who solemnly believe that traffic rules are inconsequential and my life a triviality, I can certainly cross a mere little street in downtown Gettysburg.

I am Spartacus.

Five minutes.

In less than a minute, I have quickly walked the entire block length, eyes keenly fastened to each shop window, for the familiar and decorative skeins of freshly spun yarn that are usually hanging there. As I reach the opposite street corner I am beginning to fear the worst. Turning around, I go back the length of the street, eyes straining, but to no avail.

The yarn store is no longer here.

Sadly, I begin to head back to the car.

In my mind, I can easily make sense of it. In a struggling economy, a business committed to wools, fibers, silks, knitting needles, weaving looms, and spinning wheels is of little use to those who are having a hard time paying rent and putting food on the table.

As I reach the car, I still have one minute on the meter. At least that crisis has now passed.

As we pull away, I am not the least bit bitter or upset. I am content in the knowledge that the sun will continue to rise and set whether or not I get my holiday yarn fix.

What I find confusing however, is that in the three blocks or so back to our hotel, I count four shops advertising psychic readings, fortune telling, dragon potions, charms & crystals, fairy dust, and tarot cards.

Business is obviously steady, as I see customers going in and coming out.

Suddenly, I am confronted with an altogether new and unexpected lesson on life.

Crazy Sells.

Okay…

Now I’m bitter.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Archives

  • August 2019 (2)
  • July 2019 (1)
  • June 2019 (7)
  • May 2019 (4)
  • June 2018 (3)
  • May 2018 (4)
  • January 2018 (6)
  • August 2016 (1)
  • July 2016 (6)
  • June 2016 (1)
  • August 2015 (4)
  • July 2015 (10)
  • June 2015 (5)
  • May 2015 (5)
  • April 2015 (14)
  • March 2015 (31)
  • February 2015 (28)
  • January 2015 (30)
  • December 2014 (29)
  • November 2014 (44)
  • October 2014 (24)
  • September 2014 (23)
  • August 2014 (31)
  • July 2014 (33)
  • June 2014 (28)
  • February 2014 (1)
  • November 2013 (9)
  • October 2013 (3)

Blog at WordPress.com.

Cancel