Sitting on the deck in the wonderful weather

I have to admit, there is an advantage to living in Victoria. It's a gorgeous evening, about 72 F or 20 C and I'm sitting on the deck with the laptop enjoying the lovely weather and blogging. Not a bad life.

I'm currently doing some research for the runner that I want to make. I've decided on a block weave, now I just need to figure out how to get the pattern that I want. I need to spend some time reading about summer and winter to get there. I think I may actually do a test run and make towels or something smaller (with cheaper yarn) to really understand what I'm doing.

I need to take some pictures to post of both some UFOs and FOs. I finished one sock of a pair for two different pairs, and they look pretty good. I do seem to be having second sock syndrome with these, though, since I haven't been motivated to finish the second sock for either pair.

The dog can't quite decide whether she wants to be out with me or inside where dinner is being prepared. I think she probably wants me to go inside so she can be there when everything is ready. She's outta luck.

I think dinner is ready, so it's time to go.

The local guild

I finally managed to make it to a local hand weaving and spinning guild meeting. I've only been trying to make it to a meeting for a year now. Since the meetings are only once a month and are on Thursday nights, getting there has not been particularly easy. I either completely forget until the week after, or I'm so tired that I can't even think of going out. I was extremely tired on Thursday, but I made myself go anyway, since it was the last meeting before the summer break.

It's the Victoria Handweavers' and Spinners' Guild, and they are a very friendly group. I also made it to a spinning group last night, so I managed to get some spinning done.

I'm trying to design a runner with a block weave, and having trouble wrapping my head around how to use one set of shafts to tie down the weave. I think I need to do something different with the tie up, but haven't quite figured it out. I really need to sit and play on Fiberworks PCW, but I haven't managed to dredge up the patience.

I did find a set of very interesting articles about the latest in evolutionary biology and developmental biology research that are in the NY Times. It's stuff that I was peripherally aware of, since much of it had started back when I was doing my research, but I hadn't been paying much attention for the last few years. It's a nice summary of the latest thinking in evolutionary biology and how advances in the study of developmental biology have fueled the new thinking. I actually think it puts some of the creation 'science' arguments to bed, since it explains how you can get relatively radical differences rather quickly.

And work seems to be finally calming down a bit. After switching roles, I felt like I was playing catch up, since the whole reason for switching was because there was only one person doing the definition work and he was totally swamped trying to do it alone. I think we're almost to the point of being far enough ahead that we can breathe. I'm certainly feeling like we've finally figured out the way to get the functionality that's needed without killing ourselves or producing something that's completely unusable.

I guess it's been a while

Hmmm...I was just looking at the date I last posted, and I guess it's been a while.

I think I'm finally coming out of my fiber hibernation. Between moving twice and starting a new job, the fiber stuff has kinda been on the back burner. I haven't been very inspired, and haven't had much energy to spare for doing any of my fiber crafts. That's been changing over the last few weeks, and I'm very happy about that.

I've managed to start designing several different things, a couple of knitting projects and a weaving project, and I went back to spinning the yarn that I started last fall (or maybe it was summer...).

The weather has also turned gorgeous. The last couple of days have been clear, sunny, and right around 70 F (that's ~20 C for those outside the US). This is what I remember the weather being like last year when we first got here. Of course, everything was new then, so I can't say for sure what it was really like.

I'm going to have to take some pictures so that I can post them here and show what I'm currently working on and then post some stuff on the designs. Always way too much to do!

The Yarn Harlot comes to town

The Yarn Harlot came to town, and I had the pleasure of going to see her talk. She was very entertaining and filled in some gaps from some things that appeared on her blog. I waited in line to get a couple of books signed, and got a picture taken because I had the rattiest copy of the Yarn Harlot that she'd ever seen. I keep it in the car to read when I have appointments and forget to bring something with me (which happens pretty often...)

Today was the Victoria Fibrefest, and I went over to check out the local groups and the stash enhancement opportunities. The weather wasn't the greatest, so I only ended up staying for an hour and a half or so. If the weather had improved, I would have gone back with my spinning wheel and joined the people spinning from the local weaving and spinning guild. But it stayed blustery and kind of rainy, and is still pretty windy outside.

I did get some good info about the Gibsons Landing Fibre Arts Festival, which I had intended to go to last year, but missed. I might actually be able to remember it this year. It's interesting to get to from here, because there are two ferries and a drive up one coast or the other (a choice of ferries from Vancouver Island).

I actually have a FO to blog about. I finished a vest for my DH (Greg) that I've been working on for at least a year and a half. That leaves me with two socks (from different pairs) and a shawl on the needles, so it's time to start thinking about something else to knit. I do have a donation that I have to knit--I put a hand made item in the an auction for the Canary Foundation, because work was raising money for them. I made it an item to be designed in conjunction with the person that won, so I need to take some ideas in and run them by the woman that had the winning bid.

Next week is the Canary Derby, which is another fundraiser for the Canary Foundation. The Canary Foundation is dedicated to finding ways to detect cancer early, since cancer is most treatable and has a higher chance of survival when it is found in its earliest stages. They work directly with researchers and connect the right people together to get both the basic research going and get biomarkers identified and tested for early detection.

And I've got the information for a spinning group tomorrow evening. I will be trying to head off to spin tomorrow evening so I can get to know some of the local fiber folks. Since the last Fibrefest was so soon after I moved here, I haven't had a good way to get information. I kept trying to make it to the weaving and spinning guild and forgetting completely until it was too late.

So..here's hoping that work is not too crazy tomorrow and I have enough energy to go spinning!

knitting on a lazy sunday afternoon

I don't know how lazy I can really call it, since I spent the morning ripping things out of the garden. I did some weeding, then got a wild hair to get rid of all of the holly bushes and stumps that seemed to be scattered in the yard. There were three stumps that I knew of (someone previously had cut them back), then I found two more that had been cut back and sprouted way in the back corner. Those had quite a bit of growth on them, so I may be destined for a trip to the local compost drop-off place. The only place that I can get rid of them if I can't get them to fit in my composter.

Then I spent some time working on the first sock out of Traveler and turned the heel so I just have to figure out how long I want the leg portion to be. Since they're for a sample, I'll probably make them longer than my usual short socks.

I've been designing in fits and starts this weekend. I finally have a general idea of what I want to do for the runner I want to weave. Now I need to try some drafts to see if I can actually do it in 8 shafts. This could be the impetus for starting to save for a loom with more shafts....

I don't write much about work here, but I've changed roles at work. I had been managing the test group, and had an opportunity to move to the other end of the process and help to define what we're building. Since it is something that I had seriously considered when I was job hunting, I decided that I should take the plunge and switch. I started in the new role on Wednesday, and had to dive right in because there needed to be enough definition to allow a small group to start working on Monday. The next couple of weeks will be interesting, since we'll be playing catchup.

But that's for tomorrow. For today, I think I'm going to go find a good book on CD to listen to and knit outside to take advantage of the gorgeous weather we're having.

After a long weekend

Well, so much for the best of intentions. Last weekend was Victoria Day, the long weekend that marks the start of summer for most people in Canada. I intended to get a lot of stuff done, including gardening, pattern writing, designing a runner to weave, photographing some FOs. Only a fraction of that got done.

I do have two different pairs of socks on the needles. One out of Tofutsies and the other out of Traveler. The one out of Traveler is destined to be a sample.

I need to make some decisions about the weave structure for the runner that I want to weave. I need to start pushing myself to explore some different structures and learn about them, rather than just picking a random threading, tie up, and treadling.

I also need to get back to the spinning that I was doing over the winter. I managed to get more than half of the fiber spun, but have not gotten back to it since we moved in February.

And work is being interesting. I have an opportunity to move into a different role, and I'm taking it seriously. It's a role that I've played before and enjoyed, and I've been thinking that I need a new challenge. We'll see if it really happens.

I think it's time to go do some other things. I'm going to post more often and do all the other things that I've listed in this post...

Another weekend, another...

...maybe we won't go there.

I managed to get some stuff done this weekend. Still need to finish off the pattern for the shawl that I delivered last week. I mostly spent time trying to figure out the best way to chart the cable pattern. I may have to buy some software to make some of these things easier. Just need to get over being cheap.

I need to dig through the stash to see if I have the right yarn for a couple of projects. Both weaving and knitting. Hopefully that will be during the week this week.

I started a new sock with the new Traveler sock yarn from Just Our Yarn. It's knitting up very nicely. I need to write down the details before I forget them.

The last couple of days have been absolutely gorgeous. One of the cats has decided to obsess on the screens in the open windows. He managed to get a claw stuck in the screen where it was trapped by a partially open window yesterday and started crying like his life was in imminent danger. Nothing like a cat crying to get your attention.

I think I need another vacation

I'm back from going to Maryland Sheep & Wool and visiting friends, and I think I need another break.

The problem with going back to a place you've lived is that there are way too many people that want to see you, and somehow it's not as much of a vacation as it could be. Whine, whine, whine.

Unfortunately, I'm finding S&W to be waaay to crowded and can only take being there for the morning. By about 11 or 12 it is so crowded that you can't move and it's really hard to get to the vendors and buy anything. I did get some good yarn from Brooks Farm and some silk roving from Just Our Yarn. I also delivered the scarf/shawl to the ladies at Just Our Yarn. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of it, so I can't post one, and will have to get one from them when they take a picture of it.

It was great to see friends and spend some time doing something other than work. I needed the break and it was great timing to get away.

I think this weekend will be split between doing some gardening, including figuring out what I want to put in pots, doing some designing for weaving, and writing up a couple of patterns. I also need to start a sock, since I got some yarn to do a sock sample for Just Our Yarn.

I just might start another set of posts around work stuff. I realized after a couple of conversations today that there might be some demand for some of the info that's rattling around in my head. I'll see if I can manage to convince myself to start writing.

I think I'm going to go off and do some other stuff.

Why are vacations always not?

So, I'm getting ready to head out for vacation on Wednesday. I'm going back to roads once traveled and heading off for Maryland Sheep & Wool. While there, I'm going to visit a bunch of friends that I made while living in the area. It seems like my vacation is even more scheduled than my normal life.

Not something that I usually strive for when I go on vacation. I have a sneaking suspicion that I'm going to need a vacation when I get back...

So, I have cabled the scarf/shawl to deliver to the ladies of Just Our Yarn. I think it's been in the works for more than a year (in my defense, I moved across the continent during that year...not that that really made a huge difference in finishing time). I do need to finish the pattern for it. One of those things that I always hate doing.

I want to look for yarn to weave a runner while I'm at S&W. I'll probably be looking for greens and browns because that's the color of the room that it's destined for. Also colors that I tend to have a lot in the house, so it's likely to work no matter where the piece of furniture ends up.

I'm definitely ready for stash enhancement at S&W. I have been feeling a distinct lack of choices here, which probably doesn't say anything about the real choices, but says something about the availability of stuff in the DC area and from being near S&W every year. Mostly I miss the interaction and the creativity that it generated in me. I haven't found a good group to get creative with yet.

Ok, done whining for tonight.

Spring colds are the pits

The creeping crud has officially caught up with me. There's been a rather nasty cold going around work and I finally caught it. I thought I was going to manage to dodge it like I usually do, but I think it just hung around a little too long as it was being passed from person to person.

It's gone from my head to my chest, so I'm having fun coughing my lungs up. At least the drugs for chest congestion seem to be working well.

I finished the socks and the scarf/shawl over the weekend. About the only thing I did besides stare at the boob tube and sniffle. Still need to do some design for a couple of weaving projects, pick out some yarn for a new knitting project, and find the pattern for the next pair of socks. I have about 3 or 4 patterns that I want to try over the next couple of months.

I'm going to go back to my corner now and sniffle in isolation so I don't infect anyone else...

Somewhere in April

So, it's more than half way through April and I feel like I haven't gotten much done. I still have the same things in progress.

I do need to spend some time designing a weaving project (or two). I have a couple of things that I want to make, and I just need to make myself sit down and do it. I need a new cover/runner for my cedar chest and I want to explore some new structures, so I'm thinking about making some placemats--that way I can make several pieces in the same theme, but not keep doing the same thing over and over.

I'm headed for Maryland Sheep & Wool at the beginning of May. That will be a nice break from work and a nice trip away from here. Since I lived in the area, I have lots of friends to visit and lots of stuff to do while I'm there.

I swear I'm going to set aside time this weekend to design the weaving and actually spend time knitting the vest that I have neglected for DH. That ought to be interesting, since I haven't done anything since well before Christmas. Wonder if I can keep the same gauge...

Time to go. If I go knit now, maybe I can get myself to do some of the design stuff later.

Spring has sprung

Posting just to get myself back into posting.

I spent a good chunk of the day figuring out what I want to do in the yard, putting out compost, weeding and pruning. I need to finalize some decisions on what to plant and what I'm going to put in containers.

Currently knitting a shawl/scarf destined for the ladies at Just Our Yarn, a pair of socks that is almost complete (should manage to finish them off this week), and a vest for DH that I have been working on for hmm....not sure I should say.

I've started the preliminary design to get something on the loom now that chaos from moving (first across the continent and border, then into a house where we actually have enough room to set the loom up) is almost over with.

More later. I'm going to go do a few other things before reading time.

weaving and knitting projects to share.

Bonnie,

Here's the weaving with the tencel. You can tell it was my favorite colors... I used a straight draw for the threading, and I know I have something written down about where I got the tie up and treadling, so let me know if you want that info. It's a broken twill of one sort or another.







Cathie, Here's the colors on the scarf. When I went looking for the next skein, that I actually have two more, so it might be a reasonable length with both. Let me know if you have more.

Bonnie, this is the wool camel, so you can see how it knits up. 

Just another day

I'm sitting here watching my dog get scratched in the place that makes her leg move. She's having way too much fun lying there begging for attention.

On the needles right now, I have a vest for my DH in some cotton worsted weight yarn that I picked up a long time ago at a fiber garage sale, a shawl in some yarn that I bought a few weeks ago, and a cable scarf out of Caravan from Just Our Yarn. I will post some pictures of all of these things before too long.

I suppose I should also talk about weaving, since I titled this blog based on the fact that I weave. I do not have anything on the loom yet. I recently moved from Maryland to British Columbia, and I just feel like I'm recovering from that. I also don't have a ton of space in the place that I'm renting, so I'm not quite ready to start something new. I do have the last thing that I finished weaving before leaving Maryland that still needs the finishing done. Its a shawl that I made for my mother out of Almaza and Aziza (tencel), also from Just Our Yarn. I actually had enough of the yarn to make a second piece, so I have two to finish off.

Speaking of luscious yarns, if you haven't seen the yarns from Handmaiden, they are worth looking for. Made by the same folks that make Fleece Artist. I bought some of their Sea Silk and Silken a couple of months ago, and I love it.

So, time to figure out what I'm really going to make this blog about, and maybe start publishing more regularly.

1st stab

Ok, I've been claiming for almost the last year that I'm going to start a blog. I'm finally making myself sit down and create the account and write one.

I expect to mostly post on knitting, weaving, spinning. If you haven't guessed by that list, I'm a fiberholic, and the various ways of working with fiber are my passion. I do hold a day job that I enjoy immensely, but I really look at it as a way to pay for the other things that I want to do in life.

I hope to post here regularly and update on the various projects that I am working on, but today I'm a little fried from work. My day job is at a company that develops LIMS software for the life sciences. For those who don't recognize the acronym, LIMS stands for Laboratory Information Management Systems. I joined the company about 3-4 months ago, and I'm very happy I made the decision to join. It was not exactly an easy decision, since it meant pulling up stakes and moving across North America and from the US to Canada.

So, time to move on to some other stuff. Guess I'm gonna have to let some people know about this...