Fiber Follies

We’ve had just about one dire weather forecast in each of the past three or four weeks. Mostly of the high wind variety. I run about in terror, certain that the power will be out for days and days and here it’s the coldest part of winter and do I have oil lamps ready and candles in candle sticks and are the hurricane lamps all set for disaster and how the hell do I hook up the generator when I’m terrified of major electric stuff and it’s so darn heavy I can’t even get it over the doorstep in the bunkhouse where it’s stored let alone uphill all the way to the house and there’s probably no fuel in it anyway and oh dear I have lamps and candles but no matches and it is so cold already and is the heat working. I prepare for no power for days.

And we’ve received each and every storm in all its cold gusty glory and the power never flickered but once.

We had an ice storm last week. This, however, wasn’t forecast to leave us as encased as it did. I was so thrilled to have power after a night of hearing the ice blasts falling that I ran out to take a few pictures. Then remembered that in the last huge ice storm we had power until mid-morning the following day. I dashed indoors and hunkered down to get as much electric-reliant work done as possible. And to stay warm. And to make extra coffee and put it into insulated pots to see me through almost a whole day of no electrics. The electrics functioned throughout with nary a twitch.

Today the high winds that romped and roared in yesterday are beginning to die down. It gave us very cold wind chill values! I had to go outdoors to give the dog water and wet food every hour, his water dish froze quickly in the wind. He won’t drink but a loud slurpy teaspoon or two then walk away, letting it freeze again, so I also fed him up with lots of moist meats and other moist stuff which he loves. At least he’s not getting dehydrated but I do worry. Poor old fellow is about as brilliant as a door knob. He needs all the help I can give him.

The house is icy cold. It used to be snug but I think all the wind storms over the past several years have knocked out some of the stuffing around the edges. I try to seal cracks and around openings but apparently missed most of them. And fuel is too expensive to keep the place warm anyway. So we bundle up and shiver a lot.

I’ve been taking part in a “Spin Every Day In…” thingie that originated on knittyboard.

It started with a Spin Every Day in January. I was all too glad to participate, foreseeing magic completion of the cardigan project. I was lucky some days to spin for five minutes. Most participants moved it on to Spin Every Day in February, I guess the momentum and motivation was too good for us all. I’m still not finished with the cardigan. I got damn sick of spinning natural coloured wools too. So I took a 9 day break from natural to spin up some of the colours I had on hand. See?The blue and green and red bobbin are blue cashgora, green cashgora and eye-searing red/pink silk cap. Yes, the same silk cap that had it in for me all the while I spun it. Eventually I beat it into submission and used it as a cross ply with the cashgora. I think it’s absolutely gorgeous although I have no idea what I would make of it. I also spun up a little packet of heathered green silk top, dyed at the farm. I plan to ply the silk with something but haven’t chosen its companion yet. So. there you have it. Nine days of spinning every time I could squeeze in a few minutes, putting off bedtime for hours to get just a bit more done, and all I have to show for all that are two lousy bobbins of stuff.. It’s lovely stuff though and I’m glad I took the colour break. Now I’m back to the cardigan project. I hope to complete it before I die.

I have heaps and heaps of lovely fiber to spin, looking forward to spinning them motivates me to keep at the eternal cardigan project. Here’s a recent acquisition, from Winderwood Farm. It’s merino/viscose, and aren’t those blues and greens just as tasty as can be? I love the colours Bob puts into stuff. This will probably be part of a nice airy wrap. Or shawl. Or something very nice to be near my face. I wouldn’t put such pretty on my nasty calloused old feet. So it’s something to wear high and proud. Which means, of course, that I must spin it ever so carefully. Which also means that I must create some sort of pattern for it. I have such a hard time finding the “right” pattern for any yarn I possess that it’s just easier and faster to invent one. Hopefully the one I invent for this will be worthy.