Memories...............................

NOw we are on 'lock down', we are cleaning closets, cabinets, storage bins--anything to keep ourselves sane and busy--we have no routine anymore--don't know what day it is--everything blurs into another.  While sorting through my big file cabinet--I came across these old Warp and Weft booklets, published by Robin and Russ back in the day!  Oh, what joy to see them again!  to turn the pages, remember when!

It's a sad time too--remembering! 

Each month (except July and August) you were guaranteed a new Warp and Weft with a Sample too! 

Of course, they wanted to sell their yarn and they did have good prices on their yarn.

So missed!  But, I have these to read and re-read--maybe, throw on a warp. 

Finally Did It!

Yes, I finally did it!  Cut off that Laurel tree (Bay)!  It had grown so

unruly and so tall--I wanted to keep it as a bush but it got 

away from me.  Besides, there are lots of 'suckers' coming up

around the base of the trunk.

Now, I have a TON of bay leaves to sort through and dry--

I usually give them to my friends as they use them in their

kitchen/bath room cabinets to keep away bugs--

Naturally letting them dry--stuff into bags and will have a gift

for each friend that would like.

Since I had all these leaves, why not try to use them in dyeing?

I had some silk scarves (that I found when stash diving!)

laid them out with an assortment of leaves

I don't think I know what I'm doing--just wingin' it!  and success is not forthcoming.

Doesn't mean I'll not do anymore only I'll do more research!

Things on My List..........................

This is not a completed project yet--but one in progress

"Stay Strong KAL 2020" designed by Julie Kubitsk

This is a free pattern that will use up those stash fibers

First clue, using 3 ply Panda yarn(Merino, Bamboo, 

Nylon—Lily Pond—knitting on the patio with wine 

At hand and virtual musicians—

Bonnie Hunter has a sew along during this home period

Mondays are the days to download her directions

First clue of this medallion quilt!  Wow!  

She keeps you on your toes with this step! 

If you are a spinner--why not begin to spin the oldest fiber in your stash?

Well, in my case--I don't know which one is the oldest--probably brown cotton--

And We Are Treadling................

Wish to say I was treadling on the loom--Nope, I'm treadling away on my spinning wheel..

Not much of this fiber to spin, but it's a nice merino wool and the colors are soft and pleasing--

suitable for Easter theme 

Plied and ready for the needles!  What will it be?  Thinking April Hat or FLG (Fingerless Gloves)

How About This?

You can find any of these fibers at several online fiber suppliers

Looks lovely, doesn't it? This is a new cellulose fiber on the market--

It's called Mint Fiber!  Yes, a fiber that is infused with peppermint leaf

powder extract!!

This very soft and lustrous biodegradable cellulose fiber is infused with peppermint leaf powder extract which imparts natural antibacterial and cooling properties.  Similar in color and texture to Muga silk top.

Perfect for spinning and blending with cotton, silk, wool or flax.  Does it smell like Peppermint when you spin it??  Will need to try ..............

How about this fiber?  soft and lustrous biodegradable cellulose fiber is made from rose bushes.  Similar in feel and appearance to that of bamboo top.

And then there is soft and lustrous biodegradable cellulose fiber is infused with pearl powder containing natural amino acids and other trace elements.  The pearl powder imparts a natural UVA protection in addition to a wonderful hand and drape.  It’s excellent moisture absorbing capabilities make it wonderful to dye.  

OR Biodegradable cellulosic fiber harvested from pineapple plants.  Cool to the touch, an ideal fiber for next to the skin fabrics.     

For my spinning pleasure--I'll stick to wool, silk or cotton!  All good natural fiber!                                                          

Is It April Fools???

We are all doing a big April's Fool joke?

Although April Fools’ Day, also called All Fools’ Day, has been celebrated for several centuries by different cultures, its exact origins remain a mystery.

Some historians speculate that April Fools’ Day dates back to 1582, when France switched from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar, as called for by the Council of Trent in 1563.

People who were slow to get the news or failed to recognize that the start of the new year had moved to January 1 and continued to celebrate it during the last week of March through April 1 became the butt of jokes and hoaxes.

These pranks included having paper fish placed on their backs and being referred to as “poisson d’avril” (April fish), said to symbolize a young, easily caught fish and a gullible person.

Historians have also linked April Fools’ Day to festivals such as Hilaria, which was celebrated in ancient Rome at the end of March and involved people dressing up in disguises.

There’s also speculation that April Fools’ Day was tied to the vernal equinox, or first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, when Mother Nature fooled people with changing, unpredictable weather.

April Fools’ Day spread throughout Britain during the 18th century. In Scotland, the tradition became a two-day event, starting with “hunting the gowk,” in which people were sent on phony errands (gowk is a word for cuckoo bird, a symbol for fool) and followed by Tailie Day, which involved pranks played on people’s derrieres, such as pinning fake tails or “kick me” signs on them.

In modern times, people have gone to great lengths to create elaborate April Fools’ Day hoaxes. Newspapers, radio and TV stations and Web sites have participated in the April 1 tradition of reporting outrageous fictional claims that have fooled their audiences.

In 1957, the BBC reported that Swiss farmers were experiencing a record spaghetti crop and showed footage of people harvesting noodles from trees; numerous viewers were fooled. In 1985, Sports Illustrated tricked many of its readers when it ran a made-up article about a rookie pitcher named Sidd Finch who could throw a fastball over 168 miles per hour.

In 1996, Taco Bell, the fast-food restaurant chain, duped people when it announced it had agreed to purchase Philadelphia’s Liberty Bell and intended to rename it the Taco Liberty Bell. In 1998, after Burger King advertised a “Left-Handed Whopper,” scores of clueless customers requested the fake sandwich.

And March Rolls Out.......................

Last day of March--it might have come in as a Lion but is it going out like a Lamb--“In like a lion, out like a lamb” has always seemed a straightforward enough proverb: when March starts, it's still winter, and by the end of the month spring has begun.

well, this March has been totally different for many of us............................incarcerate, my son calls it!  Not quite but it seems like it at times--and he works from home ALL the time--

So, what have you been doing during this "Stay Home" and Social Distancing sessions?

Me, I find anything to keep from doing housework or cooking-- I dug through another bin of stash items, looking for silk scarves (which my brain said I've got)--  What I found--was a whole big bin of hand dyed cloth!!  Pulled each piece out and thought "I remember when I did this piece" or I remember that workshop!

Found several shibori pieces that I did a million years ago with indigo

 Look!  Other pieces of natural dyed fabrics--a lot of the indigo was done when I demoed indigo dyeing at the plantation

Ohh, this is just the tip of the bin--I dug deep and found those silk scarves--which is doing some eco dyeing with--hopefully, I'll share those pieces soon.