FemiKnitMafia

Last night, I dragged Danielle to NH with me to meet a wheel, get a spinning lesson, and play. Terry brought two wheels for me (Cheryl’s Ashford Traveller and Julia’s Ashford Joy), and since Danielle won’t get her loaner wheel for a little while, I decided to share. Upon arrival, Cheryl & Terry got to work setting up the wheels, pulling out practice fiber, and guiding us through those awkward first moments. Cheryl sat with me, drafted while I treadled, treadled while I drafted, and reoriented me when I made spirally telephone cord. Apparently I’m a little high strung [who knew? read: deep sarcasm], so I was treadling too fast.

I got to watch a bunch of very experienced women spin, knit and chat, but I was completely awed at the little tiny charka that someone brought along. I’ve never seen one in use before, and it was very interesting.

After playing at the wheel for 2 hours last night, I burned through 2 ounces of beautiful Ward Brook Farm roving that Cheryl shared with me, and after another 1/2 hour today, I burned through nearly an ounce of Ward Brook Farm roving that I bought last year.

See … my first handspun yarn! At the very right edge of the bobbin you can see the beautiful red+purple that Cheryl brought for me, and the forest+pink+maroon is my roving that I spun this morning.

At this point, I wonder how long it’ll take to work through my miniature fiber stash.

Long before I knew the wheel was coming to my house, I planned to use some vacation time this week, so I’ll be home home home for the next 10 days with a new toy toy toy. Hip hip hooray!

I got a little light reading for the vacation. We LOVE the library at ChezMafia.

Because I love the cover afghan of Cables Untangled, choices for my SockPal, to pick a swatch for The Walker Treasury Project, and to help me with the finishing details on the Baby Dale (a lofty goal).

Other plans for vacation:

1) finish the grape arbor/pergola before Little Man’s birthday party on the 27th.
2) spin every day (i.e. zen it up)
3) work on the Dale
4) photograph the stash for Ravelry
5) work on the downstairs bathroom before visitors arrive and need to use it (eek!) — finish painting walls; paint ceiling; paint beadboard; disconnect the toilet, remove remnants of old flooring & replace wax ring; sand & paint floor (a stop-gap measure).
6) post an update to the upstairs bathroom saga (since I’ve heard from more than a couple people that they’re anxiously awaiting the end of that story — who knew?)
7) post the “dick swinging at the plumbing supply house” story.

While Wifey slept in, ate bon-bons and lounged in the yard*, Little Man and I celebrated Mother’s Day by wooling it up at the New Hampshire Sheep & Wool Festival. Danielle was my pseudo-wife for the day: driving, loading a heap of kid-gear, holding my bag, sharing french fries, pulling the wagon, periodically entertaining Little Man, unloading kid-gear, etc. She’s a great festival companion, should you ever have the chance to carpool with her.

Attendees link love: I spent glorious time with Pi Grrrl, Suzanne&Co, Cheryl, Terry, Kellee, Melanie, Kristen, and Julia, and unfortunately missed Pippi and Kat. For the record, Suzanne’s DH is a great festival man — kid wrangler, enabler, and bag/wagon tender. We love him. And Little Man is turning into a festival man too. He was remarkably well behaved. Seriously. Except for one key exception.
At Grafton Fibers booth, Little Man met the needle felted mermaid.  After a sedate round of questions and gentle touching of the mermaid:

Little Man burst into some intense mermaid-lusting misbehavior. After eagle-eyeing his gentle touches, I looked away for one split second and he grabbed the mini-mermaid and started swinging her around by her arm. AHHHH!!! I freaked. I saved mini-mermaid. I scolded. I was horrified. But Linda(?) said to me, “Don’t worry. I have three kids. Don’t freak out.” Then she turned to Little Man and said, “{his name}, do you like wool?” He stopped jumping around, nodded and came closer. She reached behind her, pulled out a handful of fluffy pinky purple fiber, handed it to Little Man, and said “Now you cuddle that, OK? You play with your own wool so your Mom doesn’t freak out, OK?” He grinned, nodded and smooshed the wool under his chin and snuggled it tightly. For the rest of the day, he snuggled that wool.

After he fell asleep last night, I was able to steal it and take a picture.

Linda(?) has to be the most generous vendor ever.  For all the parents out there — please buy from her.

But the big news is — and I hesitate to write this — I’ve officially fallen. With zero prompting, and even less consent, an innocent conversation about the unused drop spindle that I bought at last year’s NHS&W turned into plans for a golden winged chariot to carry a wheel to my house at some point in the next couple weeks. I’m afraid. Perhaps I shouldn’t tell them where I live?

Just in case they have the magical powers of Santa Claus (which I suspect they do), I had to prepare myself.

I can practically hear the knitters-turned-spinners howling with laughter from all sides of the globe. [shut up cate] Feel free to unleash the laughter on Danielle, who has her own story to tell.  Just sayin’.

Despite my terror, I’m also wicked excited.  So I’m releasing that excited energy by doing the Cheryl dance: “Cheryl’s the best!” [wiggle wiggle], “Cheryl’s the best!” [jump jump], “Cheryl’s the best!” [twirl twirl].

_________

*It’s a lie. She worked her tail off on Mother’s Day. First of all, we’re having a hard time determining how to split the day, and then she said we don’t have the luxury of celebrating. I think she might be referring to the state of perpetual DIY renovation. To that point, for Mother’s Day, Wifey got a really sassy pair of rain boots, and I got a lawn mower, a hedge trimmer and a Bleeding Heart plant. Yeah baby. Thank god for gay marriage. Everyone should bask in such luxury.

** Other news: I got into Ravelry and I’m a woman possessed. Truly. It’s divinity.

*** Even more news: I’ve been playing with Dana&Co lately and I adore them. Welcome to mecca Massachusetts, Dana.