I found a very good site I would like to recommend for free knitting patterns. http://www.knittingpatterncentral.com As you may or may not know…. I rarely use patterns. I do simple projects and sort of wing it! But I do take my hats off to those who follow patterns as that is not something I am good at. My mind just doesn’t work that way. Yes, I know the stitches, I can read the pattern. But trying to follow them, it somehow gets all jumbled up in my head. Someday, I wish to master this and get over my “learning disability”. Wish me luck.
Archive for Uncategorized
Updates From the Ranch
Well folks,
Spinning yarn, crocheting, but no longer ranching. Here is the most recent events in the life and times of ME! I gave the ranch in the East Mountains back to the ex, and moved to the mountains. I spent a few months in the Ruidoso/Alto area. I am currently living in Alamogordo, and working in Alto. Yes, long commute… but currently worth it. I have a day job at the Alto Lakes Golf and Country Club where I hold the position as administrative assistant and Architectural Control Commission Secretary. I have given up the Farmer’s Market in Santa Fe for the time being, but I hear they are doing great and have just moved into their new building. I do wish them well. I am still spinning and crocheting my beautiful hats. Anyone still interested in products of either yarn or finished goods may find what they need on my website http://summerlandfibers.ecrater.com . Once again, I missed the Taos Wool Festival. My life has greatly changed, but all for the best, I assure you. Although I am not raising the animals any longer, and I actually live inside city limits, I do still have some fleeces remaining from my stock. I assure you all, I know where to get fleeces when I do need them! My friends in the East Mountains will take care of all my needs. Please do feel free to continue to read my blog and post your comments as needed.
Thank you all for your support.
Tina Nowell
Hand Spinning on an Ashford Joy
My friends and I got together on Samhain for a spinning circle. This is my pal Debra spinning on her Ashford Joy. It is wonderful to get together for fellowship, sharing ideas and techniques. Every spinner has her own style. We can all learn from each other.
20 Year Veteran
I stopped into my local yarn store…. where incidently I sold my first fleeces, and purchased my spinning wheel……. just to chat and see what is new in the knitting community. The owner, my friend Bethe was off and a new part time employee and veteran knitter was minding the store. There she sat at her borrowed spinning wheel fighting to ply her yarn. The tangled mess had her all a fluster. Sandra said she hated plying her yarn. So….. of course I had to put my two cents into it and ask why she was doing it! I explained that I also started out listening to the “expert” spinners that a good handspun yarn is neet and even, thinly spun and PLYED….. then I met Coral, a woman at the Farmer’s Market who showed me the light. I told Sandra to make yarn that she likes! Enjoy her spinning!!! Spinning yarn is supposed to be relaxing, zen, ME time, that is enjoyable. I told her that the uneven thick/thin spun or even uncarded yarns sell better in my business, make a more textured finished product, and my customers like them better. Sandra said I was preaching to the choir. She agreed with everything I said, and she would rethink her next spinning project. Sandra was showing me some roving with angelina carded into it, and had set up a wheel for me to try. I was delighted…. I had not had a chance to try a double treddle wheel and was looking forward to it. In walked the 20 year veteran who had loaned Sandra the spinning wheel. As I set up the wheel to spin my fat yarn, the woman looked at me and offered her advice that I needed to seperated the roving into strips to make it easier to spin into thin yarn. I said I spin fat. She said if I seperate it I can get a thinner yarn, and once it is plyed it will be fatter. I said I don’t ply it. “Oh” she said with horror on her face. Fat singles yarn has no place in an expert spinners world. Why is that???? Anyway… I seperated it, showed both the woman that yes, indeed, I too can spin lacey, thin, even yarn, then I showed Sandra the beauty of the fat yarn that I spin and sell. The angelina showed up much better in the finished yarn, and the two colors that were carded together also twirled around each other and looked much better in the fat yarn. Once I demonstrated, I think I won her over. My parting words…..Make the yarn your own! Anyone can spin a yarn that looks like it was made by a machine. Why should we strive for “excellence” that is all the same! Be individual, let your personality show in your yarn……. mine is lumpy, bumpy, shleppy, uneven, and oh so unperfect….. just like me!
