MAYARN

new favorite

Over the past year I have acquired quite a bit of random roving from various fiber festivals and the Hello Yarn fiber club. I wish I could have stayed in said club, but with a very small apartment and not enough time to keep up with the monthly installments of gorgeous fiber, I had to take a hiatus. Except now that I have no job, I have all the time in the world to play catch-up. I have been productively making my way through my fiber stash and along the way, I hope, becoming a better spinner.

Yesterday, I finished up spinning and plying this Spunky Eclectic BFL (blue face leicester) in the Redwood colorway (which I bought well over a year ago)



I had a hard time capturing the color in a photo, but I think I came close with this one. It's a lovely blend of pinks and browns and reds. Mmmmm....

I had never spun BFL before this and let me tell you, I have found my new favorite spinning wool. It was easy for me to manage, for one, and I love that it seems to undergo a semi significant transformation when it goes from fiber to yarn. It starts off not really soft, not really scratchy as roving, but is quite squishy and lofty. When I predrafted it, it got especially poofy and took on this incredible, subtle sheen. As I was spinning it, I worried that it would come out all frizzy, like mohair, but in the end, i didn't. It's still lofty and still has that slight sheen, and it even seems softer to the touch. Last night, after I finished winding it into this hank, I sat and just gazed at it. And then I sat it next to me during the rest of the evening's events. Even Steve took some time to appreciate this yarn. It's just so pretty!

Thankfully, when I was at Stitches West back in February, I picked up some BFL at a verb for keeping warm. I bought it mostly because I liked the color (orange, of course), but I'm so glad for the serendipitous fiber choice. Look for that one soon...

amazing austen

When we moved to New York, we got a DVR. This was very exciting because I could finally record Masterpiece Theatre and never again miss a British drama. I am slow to keep up with them, but I thoroughly enjoy all the cinematic interpretations of Jane Austen novels. Take, for example, Sense and Sensibility.

This was awesome, for numerous reasons:

1. The amazing cottage the Dashwood women have to live in after they are booted from their estate by their evil sister-in-law. Seriously, I know it wasn't posh by the standards of English society at the time, but c'mon ladies! You are living on the ocean! The rolling hills and the greenest grass and sound of waves crashing—I, personally, would love to live there. Or at least have a summer home there...

2. All the drama! This guy seems like he loves this girl, but he says he wants to be just friends. And then this other guy loves this other girl and he takes a lock of her hair (scandalous!), but then he totally ditches her for someone richer! BUT--this dude also impregnated some 15-year-old girl somewhere, so no one wants him in the end anyway. And there are these loony rich cousins who are trying to hook up the Dashwood girls with husbands. Nevermind that Marianne is only 17! Get her married to that old guy! Etc, etc, etc....

3. Toward the end of the movie, one montage scene involves Colonel Brandon impressing Marianne with his falcon training skills. He wears a suede gauntlet glove so the falcon can perch on his arm, fly away, and return. This is simultaneously confusing and hilarious, which makes it awesome.

4. Dueling. With real swords. Why? Who cares! It's dueling, people!

I could probably go on, but I will stop there. Thinking back on it, I kind of want to watch it again. Thank goodness for DVR.

big time bangs

Me, when I was small. Not sure how old (Mom?). These are the things you find when you are unemployed and sometimes fill your time with going through stuff around the house.

making it work

I am knitting a skirt. Isn't that exciting?

Very. Exciting.

I am using some old Rowan linen drape that I have had in my stash FOREVER, which I've previously tried to give life as a sweater, another sweater, and a top of some sort. Yeah, all previous efforts failed, were ripped, and now this yarn is getting re-knit for the 4th time. But, I tried this on today and it actually fits and looks pretty good (if I do say so myself)! I knew I could make it work—eventually.