(Points to whomever knows what movie that comes from, Hubbie don’t cheat!)

By this time tomorrow I will be well on my way to W.O.O.L. Mom and will be flying up the Thruway, listening to my iPod, and being a mom and daughter type couple. It’s a beautiful thing! It means a lot for me to be enjoying and sharing this with mom. Let’s just say that it wasn’t always this way.

The weather is looking to be just as gorgeous as last year, high 70’s to low 80’s, 60 or so at night (I’m betting it’s colder). There is no more than a 20% chance of rain on any given day that we’ll be at Wiawaka and I am all squee. Squee, I tell you! I can’t believe that it’s finally here!

You really don’t want to know how much stuff I have bagged up and packed to go. I find it rather disturbing. I try to remind myself that if I wasn’t bringing stash and stock to sell or trade that it wouldn’t be half so bad… but still. Mom’s going to rag on me when she sees what we have to bring down and pack. Very glad we’re taking her Jeep and not the Scion.

If you are a part of the gang for this weekend and you need anything, you should print out the email I sent with my cell phone on it. I *do* get reception up there, unless something’s changed, and I will have it tucked into my pants the whole day. Don’t be shy, call if you have ANY questions, or need help. Remember, bring payment if you owe Wiawaka the last half of your deposit. Cash, CC or personal check.

And don’t forget to bring your brag bag full of yarn you’ve spun or projects you’ve knit/crocheted. Bring your stash to swap and sell, bring cash for the silent auction, bring your sense of humor and your sense of adventure. Carolyn, bring your roving, I need a hit. I can’t wait to see you there!

Hot damn and hallelujah, we’re goin’ to W.O.O.L.!

(Top)Note to Self: My skin chemistry has changed and I can no longer tolerate the smell of Haiku perfume. Holy Jesus, the stuff makes me nauseous as all get out now. My favorite is Always, from the Today – Tomorrow – Always series, the most expensive perfumes that Avon puts out at $30 a bottle. Trifling, I know, compared to designer perfumes, but it really is the most exquisite (on me) perfume I’ve ever tried. It is slightly watery green in tone, with hints of floral, rich without being overpowering… none of the musky, heavy tones that tend to turn me off. Fabulous when bought on sale during their almost BOGO sale this spring (buy one get one for $1 more). Yes, I used to be an Avon lady, and I loved it.

WOOL Thoughts: I am starting to put clothes aside so I can pack, but I find I am much less concerned with what I shall wear as I am with what spinning fiber I should bring. Or better yet, should I dye some BFL and spin that, like I did last year? Hrrrmmm… I’m liking the idea, and I have a colorway in mind. Something that goes from chocolate to pine to wine to mauve. The dark richness of the chocolate color will be stunning compared to the feminine mauve. If I’m going to do it, I have to do it tonight so that the roving has time to dry completely.

I need to make my list of things to bring/do/remember. Stuff like remember paper and pens for the silent auction, and the donations that people have been giving me. And cash, I can’t forget cash for the auction and sale time. Mrrph! And plastic wrap, yarn and Kool Aid! I’ll make a box up with demo stuff, that’s what I’ll do. That way it doesn’t get forgotten.

It’s so surreal, these last three days.

Musical Notes: I have my harp, it’s name is Ariana, and it is screaming Camaro red. The experience of buying it, which I will expound upon another day, was intensely unsatisfactory, but that’s not the manufacturer’s fault. It’s a Flatsicle, which means that it it’s an almost fully levered Celtic style 26 string harp. I have begun to pluck out notes, and am currently working on getting a little melody out of my head and into my fingers. I’m surprised how easily the lower strings slip out of tune, but am otherwise very pleased with the harp. I made myself a workbook/binder with the learn-to and song books bound into it. My parents are amused and slightly awed by the harp. Dad thought it would be bigger, and I explained that this is a small Celtic style harp, not a concert pedal harp. Like I have an extra $12-$35,000 and the space for such a thing. I’m waiting on the back-ordered gig bag though, so I don’t think I’ll be transporting it to WOOL, sorry gals.

Random Ravelry Thoughts: It’s neat that they show you who’s got a particular yarn for sale or trade when you look it up in the stash section, but wouldn’t it be great if you could choose to view only yarn that is for sale? Just a thought. I’ve just bought a couple of skeins of sock yarn from Ravelers, one of which arrived today (super fast!). It’s a fun way to get rid or acquire stash. I’ve mostly just sold before now. I look forward to the day when they have specific stash categories for spinning.

I can’t be the only one who would pay a subscription fee for the fabulousness that is Ravelry. I’ve donated, have you? The site has made a HUGE difference in how I use the internet for knitting and spinning, and I can’t imagine going back to pre-Ravelry days.

Project Notes: The blanket is coming along really well, I have to rip out one diamond that was misplaced, but other than that I can see myself finishing it before September if I play my cards right, or shortly thereafter. The sweater is also coming along well, but it doesn’t look much different than last week. I’ve been doing a fair bit of spinning on some Romney for Rhinebeck (that sounds neat) too.

Do you knit or crochet? How long have you been at your craft?
I knit and crochet!

Do you spin? What type of spinning do you do?
Oh yeah. I spin worsted and long draw, smooth yarn. I have an instinctual problem with art yarn, though I don’t mind a little glitz or sparkle thrown in with my wool.

Are there any other crafts that you participate in?
I dye yarn and like to design my own patterns, though it would help if wrote them down first. I also know how to rigid heddle weave, though I haven’t done so in a while.

What are your favorite yarns/fibers?
I love the new Noro Sock yarn and am waiting to try the new Silk Garden version, but am also a fan of Trekking XXL, Knit Picks yarns like Andean Silk, Gloss Lace and pretty much all their sock yarn. I like Mountain Colors yarn, Cascade 220… I’m not picky. As long as it’s appealing, I don’t mind. I even like some synthetics, especially Plymouth Encore, Patons Decor, and Berroco Comfort.

What are your LEAST favorite yarns/fibers?
I dislike super scratchy wools, and for some reason (for me) that sometimes includes Brown Sheep’s mohair/wool blend. I don’t prefer Red Heart, though I can’t really see spending 5x the price to buy something nicer for an afghan, talk about sticker shock!

Are there any types/brands of yarn that you are dying to work with but haven’t gotten a chance?
I’m hoping to try the new Silk Garden sock, obviously. Also, I’ve never tried Handmaiden Sea Silk, anything Briar Rose, oooh or the new Lion Brand sock yarn in the lemon or red! That one I’m dying to know if it’s good, because I love a good entry level sock yarn (or yarn in gereral). Fancy yarns are fine, but I don’t expect anyone to blow their budget on a swap.

When it comes to spinning fiber, I’d like to try any of the pretty blends like wool and ingeo, bamboo, silk or other fiber.

What are your favorite types of projects to knit/crochet?
When it comes to crochet, it’s definitely modular. Lacey and modular. For knitting it’s primarly socks, lace (or lace socks), and I’m slowly working my way into the world of sweaters. I sometimes enjoy making hats, scarves and mitts.

What are you currently working on? Anything you plan to start this autumn?
I am currently working to fnish my husband’s sweater, and am coming along quite nicely on my Prarie Star (crochet) afghan. This Autumn I want to start working on my mother’s wedding vow renewal shawl, as well as a Noro sweater I have planned for myself.

What is your favorite FO? (Please, post a picture if you would like.)
I’ll link to it instead. My favorite FO, off the top of my head, are the Crosshatch Lace Socks.

What is your oldest UFO?
A blue merino worsted wool weight lacey wrap I got most of the way done with before I realized I didn’t like the way it looked, seeing as how at that time I was still knitting through the back of the loop. I haven’t had the heart to rip it out yet, it’s about 4 years old.

Are their any knitting/crochet techniques that you would like to learn?
I’d like to become more comfortable with color so I can make these socks, inspired by the Twilight series, and also mitts like these someday.

Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
Yeah.

Do you have a yarn winder and/or a swift?
Absolutely! Every serious knitter should, they’re indispensible! *hugs them*

Where/how to you keep you needles/hooks?
I have a set of Denise needles that are kept in their case, my other circulars accumulate in a zipper thing.

Do you collect anything?
Silver frog jewelry (especially elegant frog princes). Other than that just trashy paranormal romance novels and yarn.

What is your favorite type of music? Are you MP3 ready?
Baby, we have more computers than people in this house. I was BORN ready. I like bellydance, world/arabic sounding music, hauntingly ethereal stuff like Angels in Venice, Loreena McKennet, and the rest is mostly a wide mix of artists like Tori Amos, Nine Inch Nails, Amy Winehouse, Tom Petty, Cake and the Indigo Girls.

Do you like sweets? What are your favorites?
Gourmet dark chocolate, especially filled with tart raspberry, lemon, or mint. You’ve never lived until you’ve tried Lindt’s Cherry Chili premium bar. Oh my GOD. I like me some almonds thrown in too, sometimes. I also like sour gummy candies like sour patch kids.

What is your living situation like? Any pets? Children?
Childfree by Choice, one bitchy black cat and an adorable geek husband.

Are you allergic to anything?
Nothing that matters.

Do you have an online wish list (Amazon, Etsy, Loopy Ewe, etc.)? Please include links for your swap pal.
Oh yeah, definitely. I’m craven with the wishlisting.

Are you having a birthday during this swap?
Nope!

What is your Ravelry ID?
PhoenixFibrwrks

Whoo! All right then… all guests who registered through me have received an email detailing (and I do mean DETAILING) what you need to know now that we’re 9 days out from WOOL. If you have NOT received this email please let me know and I will resend. It’s a long one, but it lets you know all the basics about the event and our venue. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask, I’ll be happy to find the answer for you! If you’re a part of the Ravelry group for WOOL, please take a look at the message board, I’ve added a couple of posts.

If you would like to carpool with someone let me know, I’ll try and arrange that. In this day and age I understand wanting to conserve gas.

Around this time is when it starts to get surreal for me, but it gets really weird around Monday of next week. By then I’ll be twitchy and freaking out (in a good way) and I just won’t know what to do with myself. I bet around that time is when Steve’s thinking “hmm… how many days till she leaves?” *grin*

It’s really hard to decide what to bring. I mean, I know what I’ll bring to sell and trade, that’s easy. I’ve got stock and plenty of stash to bring along. It’s the personal choices that hang me up. How much finished spinning can I bring before I look like a show off? What roving do I bring to work on? Finished objects are easier, most of them are socks. Do I bring both my blanket and Steve’s sweater to work on?

Ahhh well.. it’ll all work itself out. On a less frenetic note, I’ve been working away dutifully at Steve’s sweater, my chosen Revelympic project for the WIP Wrestling event. I will consider myself a double gold winner if I can finish both the sweater and the Prairie Star afghan before the final bell, but I’m not going to push myself. That way lies tendonitis. I have pictures too!

Y’all can pay your balance, if you owe one, when you check in. Huzzah! CC, personal check or cash. Also, we are cleared for demos/workshops.

In regards to paying the balance of your reservations, I have a call in to the house director at Wiawaka for specifics. When I hear back from her I’ll email all of you so that you know exactly how to pay for the last half of your balance. Last year I collected all fees myself and paid as a group, since this year we’re booking individually I think it’s a bit different. As soon as I know, you’ll know!

To say that I’m excited about WOOL would be an understatement. I can’t wait for the hugs, the shrieks of excitement, the snap of the cool night air and the sun on the dock. I hope that we have weather that’s just as great as last year. Last year we had perfect weather save one small bit of rain for a few hours and it was sublime. Don’t forget to bring both your bathing suit AND your warm hand-knit layering pieces. I kid you not, the weather really does range that wildly, and you really don’t want to be without your warm jammies to boot. There is a pharmacy at the end of the road, so have no fear. You can get almost anything you need there including basic food staples.

Things you might want to consider bringing include:
 A good book to read
 Long pants or jeans and a sweater
 Warm socks
 Shorts
 Bathing suit and beach towel
 Digital camera and extra batteries or charger (it’s really pretty there)
 Cell phone (there are no phones or TV)
 One mindless and one complicated project, you will have both community and quiet time
 Some FO’s you’re particularly proud of to show off
 Stash or store stock to trade/sell during the vending hour (books, mags, yarn & roving etc.)
 Drinks (hard and soft) to store in the fridge in the common room, I will bring a case of water and a six-pack of Smirnoff Ice
 Snacks to tide you over between meals, there is a microwave in the common room
 Chocolate

WOOL is unstructured for the most part. You are free, and welcome, to come and go as you please on the grounds. This isn’t about scheduling your every minute, we’re going there to relax! That said, this year I’d like to have three one hour workshops, which would tentatively include sun-dyeing sock yarn or roving with Kool Aid, a demonstration of one of the sock machines I know are coming, and spinning techniques (like navajo plying and long draw drafting). I could do a class/demo on sock knitting or crocheting if anyone was interested. What will probably happen is once or twice a day we’ll have a demo in the House of Trix, come if you please, don’t if you’re not interested. I’m doing this because I’ve had quite a few requests for demos and I aim to please. I’ll be tapping one or two of my lovely guests to demo, so be prepared if you get an email…

22 days till Wiawaka! Woot!

Well, ladies, we are less than one month out from WOOL! I would like to remind everyone who has reserved a space that they should pay the other half of their balance within the next two weeks. Wiawaka asks that everyone pay up a week before they arrive, but I don’t like to cut it quite that close. If you paid your initial reservation in full then you can feel free to ignore this request.

I will be emailing everyone who registered through me, but I know that this year there are probably half a dozen of you who have registered with the Spinning Room folks. Please, if you are one of those people, please do register with me so that I know how to get in touch with you. Also, please do pay your balance to the Wiawaka, if one is owed. When I email you, most likely tonight, I will put in all the basics… how to pay, what time check-in is, and in general, what to expect.

Also, I am putting out the word: If anyone who reads this blog is willing and able, I am looking for donations of spinning fibers, yarn, books, magazines… pretty much anything that a fiber crafter might like in order to create a raffle to raise money for the fine ladies of Wiawaka. Many of us are staying there for less than their break even rate due to financial constraints, and that’s ok, they offer that option for a reason. However, I think it would be wonderful to raise a little money to offset our stay and help Wiawaka fund their improvement projects and daily operation costs. It is, after all, a place that runs entirely on donations. Every single penny raised will be handed over to the House Manager before we leave.

If you are interested, or think that your local shop or indie-seller friend would be, please contact me at phoenixfiberworks at gmail dot com. Even a single skein of sock yarn is welcome, so no donation is too small. This is a geat way to get some cheap publicity for your IRL store, website, or Etsy shop! You are absolutely 100% encouraged to attach a business card or other promotional material to your donation so we know who you are. Even if you don’t vend, if you have something lovely from your stash that you’d like to donate, it would be more than welcome.

I would like to have all donations to me, or in the hands of someone going to the event, by Monday August 18th, that’s just three days before I drive up to Wiawaka. I’ll say this ahead of time, thank you so very much for your generosity, I know that many of you don’t know what Wiawaka is, but please believe me, it is a magical place of respite for women (many of limited means) and once you visit you don’t ever want to leave.

Oh, I am smitten, bitten I have fallen in love with crochet. You d think I’d say again , but you know, I have to say that what I felt before was rather like puppy love. A 20 year span of dabbling, knowing much about crochet stitches, but little of anything else. What I am experiencing right now is so much more intense and satisfying. Putting down the hook for the last four years, ever since I started knitting, has made the return that much more sweet.

Let me start by saying that the Lite Brite Blankie is done. Or at least it’s done for now. I’m still not sure if I want to expand the border or not, but I’m going to let it sit for a while and marinate until I decide. I was a good girl and wove in all the ends too, so if I do decide that it is, in fact, done then I’m ready to pop it into a gift bag. I love the way it looks, I simply adore the way the intensely bright colors pop against the black body of the blanket. They’re so bright I can’t even photograph them well with my camera, it must fry the color sensor. Everyone I’ve showed it to, including Grandma-to-be Connie, loves it. I would definitely make this again someday, maybe trying a totally different color scheme. As an aside, I was shocked and surprised to see the blanket I was talking about in my last crochet post when we visited my parents this weekend. I haven’t seen that blanket in years, and there it was, draped over a chair.

I won’t lie, I’m glad that I’m not changing colors and weaving in a multitude of ends. But all the while I was crocheting it I couldn’t stop thinking about the Prairie Star Afghan. Its patchwork of diamonds has been calling my name for days now. It’s an obsession, a plan that sprung fully formed into my head, so much so that I bought the yarn before I was halfway done with the blankie.

So, here’s the deal. My parents have an afghan that I crocheted for them years ago, the last big project I’ve ever made. It’s a queen sized modular piece afghan, done in a floral and chain motif, in colors that match their bedroom. Think English rose garden and green. It lives draped over their Lane hope chest, and is mostly mom’s blanket. I think it’s time for dad to have a blanket, enter the Prairie Star Afghan. Mom and dad can’t be trusted to hand wash anything, I swear to god, so their blanket is also acrylic. Now I know what you’re thinking… why not go superwash? Well, because I’m not paying over $130 in yarn for this blanket, not when they don’t care either way and are in fact leery of wool. Total cost of the blanket in workhorse acrylic? Under $30. Yes, under $30, and it will last forever. I think I sound defensive, but given some of the attitudes around acrylic, I’m not surprised. I may love luxury yarn, but I’m not ashamed of cheap yarn, it has its uses too.

The colors are based off of the variegated skein, cadet blue-sand-sea foam green, and the rest of the colors, chocolate and oatmeal fleck, are light and dark complementary choices. I think the colors are very masculine without being boring, and the pattern breaks up the colored diamonds in a pleasing way. I started my first diamond on Friday night, did only one on Saturday, and pretty much spent all of Sunday (on and off) working on it. The pattern is easily memorized and I am adoring the fact that, because you attach the diamonds to each other on the final round, I’m not going to have to sew up god knows how many little diamonds later on down the line. I am proud of me, I’ve also started weaving in my ends before I go too far.

The only thing that detracts from my utter joy while crocheting this pattern is that Red Heart really does squeak sometimes (strangely, only in the sand color so far) and that it isn’t a soft as the more upscale Patons Décor or Plymouth Encore. The next time I see a big sale on either of those yarns I’m going to stock up on enough for this blanket, in colors for Steve and I. I can see making one in deep wine, rose, black, ivory, pine and sage. I’m excited just thinking about it.

I’m not a particularly fast crocheter or knitter, so I can’t see myself finishing this in under a month but who knows. All I know is that I will be one of the few Summer of Socks participants that only finishes one pair, of that I can be sure. It’s sad, really. I’m going to split my time between knitting at work and crocheting at home, just so that I don t go completely off the crochet deep end.

Life feels rather like it’s been on fast forward, which is (I suppose), no one’s fault but my own. I knew this summer was going to be a killer, what with all the fiber related events on my docket and several weddings thrown into the mix, one of which I’m a bridesmaid for. The critical point is to remember to breathe. That said, I still want to crawl into bed and sleep for a week.

Last weekend we drove down to Virginia for the first time, Steve, Katie and I, so that Katie and I could do the bridesmaid thing for Amy’s Jack & Jill shower. I messed up the directions by skipping one, therefore our initial drive took not 6.5 hours, but 9.5 hours. Yeah… I was pretty pissed. It was wonderful getting to see Amy and her honey (John), therefore totally worth it. We had the best Chinese I’ve ever had while there and they were amazing hosts. Ooh, and we got to go to Coldstone Creamery! *drool* I just wish I hadn’t come down with camnesia. I kept meaning to take a picture but I was so tired and achey. Boo!

Saturday Amy took us to one of her favorite yarn stores, the Fibersmyth, in Woodstock VA. What a great store! It doesn’t look like much from the outside, but on the inside it’s an old house converted into a charming store. There are three main rooms that have a little bit of this and that. Everything from Noro to Cascade 220, along with a small selection of spinning fiber. The staff was just lovely. I picked up a skein of one of the new Noro Kureyon Sock colors, a raspberry/tangerine/multi that I know is going to be gorgeous. I also took home a “k2tog” car magnet and the pattern for the stunning Dragon Melody Shawl. It’s WAY more stunning in person, trust me.

I got a good bit of spinning done for Tour de Fleece, which I really am participating in despite my blog silence lately. My goal is to get at least one bobbin of mom’s wedding shawl yarn done and then another of anything else in stash. I’m experiencing tendonitis in my right hand and arm from all the baby blanket crocheting on top of very fine gauge spinning so I won’t be able to get 2/2 bobbins done like I wanted, but I’d rather be slower and healthier than kill my arm for pride’s sake. Here’s what the spinning looks like, though the bobbin is actually 2/3 full now:

Steve, Katie and I will be piling into our little Scion xA and driving untold hours through the night so that we can rejoice in our wonderful friend Amy’s bridal shower this weekend. Not loving the drive, but I am loving her dearly so onward Bridesmaids, ho! I have centerpieces in pieces, ready to be assembled, we are packed, the iPod is charged (as is the camera) and we are ready and raring to go when Steve gets home. Wish us luck, we’ve never driven this long in a car, nor have we been to Virginia before.

Amy is worth it. She’s funny, brazen, beautiful and everything a good friend should be. She performed our wedding ceremony with grace and heart, I am honored to be her bridesmaid.