where to find me!

Come visit me this month at two different events:

• September 12, 2009
  • Saxon Summer IX, Chestnut Ridge Campground, Hubbard OH
  • I will be hosting a Spinners Roundtable: A time for spinners to gather for learning, sharing, spinning. New spinners wishing to learn are welcomed to attend.
  • Saxon Summer is hosted by Rivenvale and is an official event of the Society for Creative Anachronism, therefore an attempt at Medieval garb is required in addition to a fee payable on-site. However, it is open to the public.
  • For more information about Saxon Summer, please visit Rivenvale’s website.

• September 26-27, 2009
  • National Alpaca Farm Day, Ramblin Rose Alpacas, Conneaut, OH
  • I will be conducting an all-day demo both Saturday and Sunday. Spinning, weaving, knitting and yarn samples will be available for viewing. This event is free.
  • Please visit Ramblin Rose Alpacas’ website here for directions.

a shop update

It’s on the small side, but I haven’t updated the Etsy shop in several weeks, so I thought something was better than nothing. I’d like to get back into spinning and dyeing, but right now Rich and I are busy getting his apartment ready for another occupant. Also, we were on vacation, and not fully unpacked from that either. Most of the wedding planning is done, but we have lots of other things to work on. For instance, finding a new bed, getting his wedding ring, me packing my stuff. Basically the big day is TWO MONTHS away. Plus I’ve been working late this week. So, I hope to keep doing fiber stuff, but I make no guarantees. And that’s a quicky update on my life!

What are the new goodies?

Each is 4 ounces of Brown Sheep Company combed wool top

pink pouch!

Three years ago I met Lydia primarily because her daughter, the Wee E, crawled into our camp at Pennsic. Happily, we’ve become really great friends. However, we only get to visit for two weeks once a year. I can say with confidence that she has made my Pennsic experience so much better! Well, last year Eleanore had a lovely pink cloak and pink gillies. So when I dyed and spun a skein of pink yarn, I had to name it in her honor. The yarn was spun bulky weight (4 WPI) from combed Romney top. I was really happy with that skein and listed it in the shop for a long time, but no one purchased it.

Then I found out that Lydia had been wanting it! I brought it out with me when I came back for the second week. She asked if I’d knit something for her, so I made this little woolly pouch. Success! I’m glad to know it has a happy home, plus it’s the most productive thing I did the entire week!

home again!

Returned once again from War. Nothing much to report, although, considering our history (broken leg, burned foot, spider bite), that’s probably a good thing. Initially the weather was not good. Rain rain rain. Which turned into mud mud mud. Dark, gooey, and thick. Not to mention stinky. We decided to try out a new block this year and the end we wanted was the “flood” end. It didn’t flood, but we did have to dig a trench for drainage. It was so wet in fact, there were crayfish popping up in the middle of camp!

I didn’t try to attend a lot of classes this year. There were a few that I really wanted to go to, but as with previous years, I made it to about half. For the past three years, I’ve wanted to go to the basket-weaving class. First try, missed it, second try, missed it. This year, I finally got in, not without some drama, and made my first basket! It wasn’t really that difficult. Now I’m going to use the kits I got at Christmas to make more!

Usually I’m not that great at budgeting myself, but this year I didn’t want to spend a lot of money. Luckily, I didn’t find a lot of expensive things I wanted, so I didn’t have a problem. I bought a mini nostepinne, fabric, spinning fiber, books, pottery, a brooch, a sock (yes, just one), and that’s it. I think.

Overall it was a good year.

this and that.

It’s raining today. Can’t say I’m too bummed about being at home instead of at Pennsic. Tomorrow is my last day at work. At 1:00 I will leave and drive straight up 422 to Cooper’s Lake and stay there until Sunday afternoon. Next Sunday.

I had to run some errands before coming home to wash my blankets and sheets. Otherwise my packing is mostly complete. In one box I have all of my garb and accessories. In another box I have towels and sheets. And finally, I have a project basket, which is bigger than last year. I didn’t try to pretend by using a smaller basket.

The wedding plans are coming along so well I haven’t done anything in a while. My mum and I did go to the florist last week to put together the bouquet. It’s going to be green hydrangea and green kermits. Yes, the flowers AND the leaves will be green. My cousin had a little photo display at her wedding of she and fiance as kids with photos from their parents’ weddings. I thought that sounded neat, so Rich and I went looking for baby pictures. Guess who this is. And no, It’s not me.

I can’t talk right now, I’m sewing.

All year I’ve been saying to myself: Gwen, you have lots of fabric. Why don’t you make something? Now’s the time!

Instead of doing it in January, however, I’ve decided to wait until one week before Pennsic. I’ve gotten two dresses put together though, so I consider that not too shabby.

Both dresses/tunics are blue and of the same style, which is a mid-calf length overdress. I would wear a full-length dress underneath in addition to a chemise. In the photos I am not wearing a chemise. These dresses are super easy to make. I have one piece for the body; one piece each for the sleeves (nearly square); I take two rectangles cut in half diagonally for the gores; and another rectangle to do the facing around the neck hole. Usually I make the body wide enough that I don’t bother with gussets because I’m not good at putting them in.

Excited for Pennsic!

something finished-finally!

Tuesday night I cut the two woolly seat cushions from the loom! Yesterday I finished tying the fringe and securing the edges, although there are a few loose ends to sew in. I’m glad to have these off my plate, as the loom as been warped and waiting for months. Making Tuesdays weaving night was the best decision ever!

I’m pleased with how they turned out, although the first one isn’t as dense as the second, meaning it might not be as squishy. I can’t say what the wool is that I used because it was unmarked when I bought it. Whatever it is, it doesn’t have a lot of lanolin in it. I thought the locks had been washed because they weren’t greasy, but after I had my hands on them for a few weeks (and gave them a sniff), I think they are actually dirty. Mostly they just seem dusty and stinky, so I’m going to wash both rugs before officially calling this project complete.

This weekend is the first BIG camping event of the summer. AETHELMEARC WAR PRACTICE at Cooper’s Lake, where we go for Pennsic War (hence “war practice”). Some of our household is going out tonight, but I have to work Friday morning, so I’ll be heading out in the afternoon. I’m bummed. I’m very curious about which merchants are going to be there. Will I come home with fiber? Fabric? Nothing? One never knows.

fleecy

With the Great Lakes Fiber Show coming up at the end of the month, I’ve been trying to sort out just what I want to do… leave a fleece? enter the skein competition? purchases?

So, I decided to take a closer look at the two remaining fleeces I brought home from Masque a month or so back. I washed the smaller Icelandic with Power Scour for the first time, so I thought I’d give that a go again. The two other fleeces are an Icelandic ewe and a Lincoln/Cotswold/Tunis cross. I decided to wash the later, but skirted both.

The cross fleece, 4 pounds, is really quite beautiful with lots of big full curls. I was surprised at the amount of mud, but lack of VM (at least I’m hoping that was mud!). As of this moment it is sitting in the washing machine going through a second soap bath. Next will be a rinse, spin, then dry. I’m not sure whether to have it processed or not. The locks are so lovely, I think I might keep it.

The Icelandic, about 6 pounds, has a 6 inch staple length. There were very few poo-bits on it, but more VM. However, it feels nearly dry – I’ve heard this breed is light on lanolin. It’s not getting washed today. I might keep some and have some processed. I look at it and feel quite overwhelmed, thinking about combing ALL of it!

an alternative to sheep & wool

Yes, so this weekend was THE Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival, but Richard and I missed it again. However, I think we made the right choice. Friday night he and I attended a wedding for a couple we didn’t know. The mother of the bride, who invited us, is a fantastic person we met last summer during an SCA demo. She and her husband have been attending events and meetings the last few months and we’ve had the pleasure to get to know them. The wedding was really cool and funky. But the best part was seeing how happy ML was that we came. I’m excited to spend this summer going to events and working on projects with her and her husband.

On Saturday was the Coronation of Eikbrandr and Runa, the new king and queen of the Middle Kingdom. It was hosted by the Barony of the Cleftlands (Cleveland) and held at a Polish-Catholic church. They had the coronation in the church sanctuary – a perfect spot!! We spent the day meandering around, eating, knitting, dancing. At 6:00 there was a feast and it was very delicious. Three full courses plus dessert. It lasted about 2 and a half hours with multiple toasts and musical interludes. I sat with Emeline and Rickard which is always a pleasure.

At 9:00 they held evening court for the King and Queen. At this point they gave out several awards. Including one to ME – the Order of the Willow for my work in fiber arts!

The herald called out, “The King and Queen call into their court, Genevieve de Saint-Malo!” I was sitting on the floor at the back of the room, so I stood up, and Rickard escorted me down the center isle. I bowed, went up the stairs, bowed again, and knelt before them. The Queen handed me a scroll and a medallion to commemorate the occasion. I could barely keep from shaking, it was so overwhelming. The last time I received an award, my AoA (award of arms), I wasn’t present in court. So, being called before the King and Queen was quite exciting.

The scroll, which was created by a fellow SCA member (we have awesome scribes!) And the medallion, also made by a member.

embarking on a fleece adventure!

Well, I picked up three fleeces this weekend at an SCA event. While I was there, I attended a class on sorting and cleaning. For some reason I am so hesitant to clean a fleece en masse in the washing machine. Usually I do it in small bunches in a pot of water. But if I just did the whole thing at once it would save time and the locks would be ready any time I want to work with them. As it is, there is a lot of wool I am not using because it’s still in the grease.

Anyway, I decided to test out my new Unicorn Power Scour on one of the new fleeces, a black Icelandic lamb. I measured out about an ounce of washing solution and put it into the washing machine, the water was set to “hot”. It’s going to sit in there a bit and then I’ll just do a rinse and be done. This fleece was not overly greasy, so I think just once will be enough. The Power Scour is biodegradable and usable at lower water temperatures, all good things. I’m very curious to see the end product.