Last Chance for the Drawing

Thanks to everyone who has responded with comments and emails!

The Blogversary drawing takes place Friday evening, March 16th at 6pm Pacific Time. Anyone who reads my blog can enter. I will ship anywhere that regular mail can go in this world. Because these items all weigh under 13 ounces, they do not need to have the customs form filled out. For overseas they travel via Airletter Post and most packages I've sent arrive anywhere from 5 days to two weeks depending on if it's the UK or Australia.

The Prizes are listed in the Post below, take a look and send me an email with the item you'd like!


Several comments about the kickspinning prompted me to take a couple pictures:


The lower part of the shaft is placed between my feet, then the right foot brushes the shaft against the left foot, which sets it to spinning. It's not a hard, jerky motion. Rather a moderate, straight-back swinging of the leg. The back kick motion spins the spindle clockwise, you may also kick forward with your left foot for the clockwise spin, depending on if you're right or left footed. :-)

Another ounce of dark yarn has been spun. What I'd claimed was Rombouillet in the last post is in truth the Cormo my cousin recently gave me. The nighttime lighting in this house made me think it was the chocolate Rombouillet. (Yes, I feel a bit sheepish) It's spinning up very nicely. After a bit of a rough start getting used to the different fibers, and the heavy Ladakh spindle (3.1 ounce), spinning has smoothed out considerably this week. It's much more consistent and of finer guage. I'm looking forward to plying and measuring to see how many yards this ounce will yield. Last week's one ounce ball measured out to 28 yards - not enough for the project in mind. And another ounce of the merino/tencel blend was spun on the 1.4oz Australian Myrtle spindle this week, it will also be plyed and measured tomorrow. The last mer/ten ounce measured out to 288 yards.

The loom has been dusted in anticipation of warping but just when the week's schedule was humming smoothly with visions of weaving, I got that always untimely call from the magazine saying the articles and music are ready for proofing.

But look at what was waiting in the PO Box today!!! I'm so thrilled with these, my first proper stitch markers, and ruby red. The gifter knows I love red.A huge Thank You to the special ray of Sunshine!

And St Patrick's Day is this Saturday which means hours "woodshedding" with the fiddle. Does any other instrument player call serious practicing woodshedding? I suspect the term was coined when violinist were baned to the woodshed to practice by those whose ears couldn't take anymore listening to the same measures hammered out over and over. I don't go to the woodshed but Ed always shuts the office door in the evenings. He also likes it when I use the mute. But these last days of preparation call for unhindered strings.

Anyone in the Milwaukee/Portland OR area this Saturday evening looking for a great Irish Dinner and live music? Just drop me an email. :-)

I didn't get out for the Walk With Me Wednesday yesterday though the day was bright and mild. Instead I walked around the yard a bit admiring the buds forming on the fruit trees. Cherry.