April Fools

Ian and I drove up to the fairgrounds in Redmond last Friday afternoon so I could set up my booth in advance.  On the way up we stopped at Olive Gardens for their bottomless soup and salad so it made for a little more festive event than just schlepping.  I'm very fond of Fiber Market Day because it's clearly a agricultural event, lots of breeders and lots of fleeces. We were in the Bunny Barn with doors open so it was actually warmer outside, but the open doors gave us an immediate connect with the animals outside.  They even had a guy shear three sheep.

My presentation is very simple: two tables, a coat rack and a laundry drying rack.  The coat rack is very effective in displaying my scarves and catching people's attention.  I'm lucky if I sell a scarf at an event and I sold three!

The larger table runner went quickly.  I've done well with all my table runners and will be weaving several before the next show.  I was on my feet from 9:00-4:00 and my feet are tired; I am tired.  When they asked if I was interested in a two-day show I said NO!  I really enjoy it in spite of the physical demands.  I wonder how many more years I can do this but for now I'm good.

Today is Delaney Jane's due date and I think she just pulled her first April Fools joke because she's not here yet.  I think DIL Julia only has six weeks of leave so we're expecting to watch her on Thursdays and Fridays after that, whenever that is.  I'm still ten days away from my surgery so will probably still be in a walking cast, but that shouldn't be a problem.

No word on the Bend Art Center and I'm scheduled for my usual shift tomorrow, from 10:00-2:00.  It's the volunteers who man the place and keep the doors open, but without operating money there will be no volunteers.  I sat in on several meetings and one thing is clear.  The old 501c3 is dissolved and there's not time or money to create a new one.  A core group of people willing  to finance an LLC has formed and are in daily discussions.  It's the studio with intaglio looms that is at stake for me.  Without that I can still work from home.  Meanwhile, I'll just focus on weaving and keeping up my sketchbook.

We've enjoyed so many new experiences since moving to Bend.  One that came as a total surprise was the quality of plays put on by the Cascades Theater Company.  At the recommendation of our friend Joanie, we started buying season tickets and now attend Sunday matinee performances with Joanie and her husband and another couple. The play we saw yesterday was Stupid F***ng Bird, a modern take on Anton Chekhov's play, The Seagull.  I really enjoyed it once I got past the profanity.  But then I've discovered that good plays are thought provoking and full of message.  Then afterwards we go out to eat.  A delicious afternoon, pun intended.

I managed to finish my scarf in time for the show Saturday.  I was disappointed that it didn't get much attention.  In spite of the lovely iridescence, I think the values are too close. The scarf that got attention was one I wove a couple of years ago.  A group of ladies visited it a couple of times.  On the third time they came with cash which they collected from each other to buy a birthday present for a special friend.  I thought that was touching.

I'm trying that scarf again but this time with greater value range, so the pattern can be the star.

On a completely different note, I mailed in our last car payment and boy does that feel good.

February and Ennui

I finally have a surgery date.  They called me last Monday and scheduled it for February 28th.  I thought it over for a day and called back to request something later, so it's April 11th.  I don't want to drop my art class and I can't attend it on crutches.  Even the scheduler agreed with me on that.  Plus I'd rather not be in a surgical boot for Fiber Market Day, March 30th.  So here's my boot, still waiting for me.  I'm hobbling along a little better, thanks to the silicon metatarsal pads Ian got for me online.

Plus, by waiting I'll have more weaving time.  I pulled these towels off the loom the middle of last week and got four hemmed when my sewing machine stopped functioning.  The needle only goes up and down in the same place.  I've done all the trouble shooting I can, and finally decided since this machine only cost $130 seven years ago that I'd see if I could find a replacment on Amazon, which is where this one came from.  It was supposed to be delivered on Saturday but it's lost in route and they're trying to locate it.  It's not a new machine but a refurbished one, another Brother.  Meanwhile I've had a doozy of a cold and have done nothing but read since Friday.

On Thursdays at Smart we get a break between our kinders, time to make notes in their file, time to take a breath, time to get ready to do it again.  I saw a boy "dumpster diving" in the hall leading to the kindergarten wing.  What?!!  It was too funny to not take a shot, and since his face is hidden, I knew it was okay.  I heard him explaining himself to one of our kinders:  "When you're older, like 8 or 9, and you realize you threw away the picture that you worked on so hard, you have have to work hard to get it back."  Priceless!

Last Wednesday our instructor moved us on from drawing with charcoal to painting with it in the form of sumi-e ink.  We spent the three-hour class period practicing the use of the ink, how to hold the brush and how to make brush strokes.  And then there was clean-up!  I think it's during the chaos of cleaning up our materials and moving tables and chairs that I picked up my cold.  Rest and Alka-Seltzer Plus have done wonders for my symptoms and I'm looking forward to going to class today where we'll finish up this module.  Wednesday we start something new.

Last week before I got hit with the cold I manged to get this warp wound for two more Campbell tartan scarves.  I've sold the three I've made and am optimistic that I can sell another one next month.  This will be my fourth year as a vendor in this event and it will be the first held at the Deschutes County Fair Grounds which I think will improve foot traffic greatly.  

I talked to Webs about a half hour ago and the Stone Green yarn that I'm waiting on is going to ship tomorrow and will be here sometime next week.  I'll focus on the scarves and be ready to do some blue/green towels, something I am sorely lacking in my inventory.  Other than having to continue living with this sore foot, I think it will all be good.  I'm glad to be able to keep busy as we are in the middle of a cold gray streak.

Fiber Market Day

I ended up not sharing a booth with Laura who was going to sell roving so I made 2-ounce bumps from three pounds of our natural-colored Shetland roving with a sign inviting buyers to a "Mix and Match" spinning experience.  I sold ten bumps and a friend from Arizona has said she'll buy all of my remaining colored roving, about three pounds.  It's freeing and at the same kinda bittersweet, the end of an era.  Don't get me wrong.  I have probably five bins of white Shetland and colored merino processed roving.

This was my booth and the only shot I took of it.  It actually was reasonably attractive but after the icy drive that morning, I thought I'd have all the time in the world for pictures and focused instead on my drop spindle.  I didn't expect much in way of sales so I thought I'd practice for the Museum this summer, talking and spinning at the same time, and also using it as an opportunity for fiber education

I had two astounding experiences that day. One woman commented on my towels, asking me if I had gotten the draft from the Handwoven article a while back. I said that actually I had, that the pattern was mine, I’m the author. She got so excited, was happy to tell me that she got first place in her county fair using my pattern and that she had credited me. Goosebumps!

A couple of ladies visited with me later, one was buying a tartan scarf, and the other, looking through my inventory asked me if I had sold scarves last fall at the guild’s Christmas sale. It turns out that she had bought an 8-shaft huck-lace scarf from me that she loves. She told me that the reason she just joined the guild was because she wanted to learn to weave like that for herself. More goosebumps!!!!

I surprised myself by buying this 3-ounce sliver of Cheviot roving.  I'm actually interested in spinning again, just like that after such a long hiatus.  I'll overdye it with Gaywool dyes when it's yarn.

Oh, and I bought this too, a delicious 300-yard skein of 50% Merino, 25% Alpaca and 25% Silk.

Once again I'm taking a break from weaving towels.  I'd like to focus on what I learned in the tartan class and am playing it safe so far.  This is the fiber challenge yarns in a Campbell of Breadalbane warp.  I made mistakes and am so glad I chose a tartan that I know and also because I was warping from the front, I was able to make corrections while sleying.  I'm at the threading stage but yard work is beginning to enter into my daily schedule.

Yesterday was such a nice day that I planted about 60 winter bulbs that Ian bought from Costco last year and that I never got in the ground.  I recently read that it's better to plant them than risk losing them.  Two hours later I decided that was enough yard work for one day.  The day was still lovely so I checked the library catalog to see if they had a copy of the next Daniel Silva in the series I'm reading.  They did so I trotted the four miles down to pick it up and devoted the rest of the afternoon to reading in the nicest day we've had this year.  As you can see, books are high in my list of priorities.

Holiday show and sale

I finished Heidi Kirrmaier’s Fine Sand sweater pattern in sport weight yarn from Bartlett’s in Maine.  It’s just the right weight to wear in the house and I’m really pleased with it.  The pattern called for 3/4 length sleeves but I made them full length.  Now it’s time to start the sweater my granddaughter requested for Christmas.



The yarn arrived and I’m glad to see that the Electric Blue she chose isn’t as electric as it looked online.  Kraemer’s doesn’t do the shipping.  They job it out to yarn stores that carry their yarn.  Mine came from The Skein Shop in Cincinnati and was here in four days.  The yard is cotton/acrylic and goes in the washer and dryer, perfect for a 13-year-old girl.



I was down to the wire, getting that last set of towels completed in time for the guild’s show yesterday.  I took my stuff in Friday night to the Environmental Center and helped Mary set up our booth.  She has all the wire walls and hangers and I was glad she freely shared.



I used the fruit boxes to show off the towels and also to conserve table space.



I even managed to make a bunch of dryer balls.  Because they were so small I ended up selling them at 4 for $10.00.



It was a beautiful day, crisp but sunny.



Business was brisk all day which meant no chance to sit down and somehow I managed to eat my sandwich, a bite here and a bite there.  I looked at my Fitbit sleep record for last night.  It shows that I got up to go the bathroom twice and apparently I didn’t even turn over all night.  I was exhausted!



It was a one-day show, from 10:00–4:00 and it was already busy when Ian came by about 10:30.  I made that bag years ago to hold my cash and phone with the PayPal scanner.  I know I should make more because I keep getting asked for them but I just don’t like to sew anymore.



Mary arranged this unit by color.  It drew people in but they the only thing I sold from this area was a table runner.



The two scarves I sold were from here on the coat rack.  These were heavily browsed but it’s the towels that were the star.  I only have a couple dozen left which means I need to get right back to work since I often sell through Facebook at this time of year.  I moved the Christmas tree and mini-sweater ornaments to this end of the table but even so sales were underwhelming.  Nevertheless, they drew people in and that was the point.  I’m glad it wasn’t any longer than it was because it was busy and loud - not complaining, mind you.  People even came after 4:00 when we were tearing down.  We sure didn’t expect that!



We awoke to snow this morning. Weather is really just a lottery over which we have no influence.  I am grateful for yesterdays sunshine.

First Craft Fair of 2017

I am semi-frantic.  I really don't know where the time went, because here I am today, one day before the Fiber Market Day show tomorrow and I'm finishing towels.

With the help of my demented assistant Maddy, I was able to get these hemmed and into the washer while I ran errands.  I ran four errands including picking up some cash for tomorrow and still was back home within the hour.  I could get used to this small town living!

I'm making lists and piling up the things I need to take.  Maddy is looking on with displeasure.  She does *not* like change of any kind.  They're drying now, then need to be pressed and labeled.  And from there into the car.  I need to leave here at 6:30 in the morning so need everything done today.  Prineville is only an hour from here and to think that's what I drove one-way to work every day until I retired.  I can hardly fathom that.

I am taking a warp-painting class in four weeks.  These yarns are all a variety rayon/cotton that I've been given over the years.  I'm going to ask for help in determining the sett so I can get started winding these guys.

This is the forlorn warp that's been hanging from Arthur for the past couple of weeks.  I'm anxious to try some other laces and scarves are a great way to sample.

My workshop loom is ready and in the garage awaiting a Supplemental Warp workshop next Saturday.  I'm proud to say that I warped this from the back following the Web's YouTube video on  my iPad, pausing between steps.  It was helpful that the loom is so small but I do want to try it again on one of my Gilmores.

I was feeling flush with the anticipated sales tomorrow (probably deluding myself is more like it) that I took my print down to Denise to get it framed.  She did various combinations but I couldn't get past the traditional standard white mat - so she brought out her "white" samples.  Holy cow!  I finally opted for a minimal mat with painted bevel and a minimal frame.  It's going to hang in the bedroom so most people won't see it anyway.

I started this day with an hour video chat with my daughter who is in Massachusetts visiting her oldest son and his family.  Her daughter-in-law Shannon told her this morning that FaceBook has a video/chat option, it's how she talks to her sister.  It's not as smooth as FaceTime but Chrisssie doesn't have an iPhone.  I got a tour of their house and lots of kid action.  Olivia was happy to help with the tour.  Owen was just happy - he's one :)

Okay, 'nuf of this.  I'ts time to label the towels and pack the car.  Then it's pizza and NCAA basketball.  My bracket isn't dead yet!

First Annual Show and Sale

The Central Oregon Spinners and Weavers held our first annual Holiday Show and Sale this past Saturday in the Environmental Center in Downtown Bend.  The building is this lovely old house which by it's nature had limited interior space and light, but that didn't seem to be too serious a problem because between 10:00 and 4:00 about 250 people came through.  The vision and planning came from Linda Gettman, one very organized and energetic woman,  She divided the room up into individual spaces marked with tape so all we had to do was show up and install our stuff.

The corner is the 6'x9' area that I shared with Mary Wonser and Gillian Burton.  The entire show had a boutique feel to it, something several of the public commented on.  My little table is under the window but my booth-mates made space for my scarves on the center display and boy did I appreciate that.  Booth fee depended on the size of the space and our area split three ways was only $42 - cheap!

By placing Mary's shelving display unit at an angle Gillian had a small table in this wedge on one side and I had the wedge on the other, and Mary's stuff was on Mary's rack.

This was my domain.  It was a little difficult to get in out out of the area but I appreciated the bright window as the lighting in the interior of the room wasn't the greatest.  One woman was looking at my towels and commented to me that she had finished weaving this draft.  I said yes, that's my pattern.  She said, no - I got it out of a Handwoven issue. I laughed and said yes, it's my article!  It tickles me when this pattern appeals to other weavers because I love it still.

Mary rearranged her scarves and offered me the hangers on the left.  There was a ton of excitement and positive energy during the show and I was glad that my side of the shelving managed to attract some shoppers.  Actually I think the towels drew them in and then when they turned around they got a face full of scarves.

I was using a the PayPal Now scanner on my iPhone but after I had rung up four sales it froze my account saying that suspicious activity had been detected.  I get that I haven't used it since last March but since I'm putting money into the account, I don't understand their worry.  Mary covered for me and let me put $200 in sales on her Square.  I've since gotten that resolved and it was the only hitch in the event.

I took this to display with the rest of the scarves which I had modestly priced at $50.  When I got there I change my mind and added a 1 in front of it, making it $150.  I figured that way I could display it and still bring it home to wear this Christmas.  It sold early and was the transaction that froze my PayPal account.  Mary to the rescue!  Laura Fry chided me on Facebook saying that she starts her scarves at $100.  I've learned my lesson.  I will raise the prices on my scarves before I show them again.

I had the surprise of my life when our two friends from Reno, Celia and John, popped into my space.  I had checked into the Environmental Center on Facebook which also provided the location and address.  They were driving from Seattle to Reno, saw the post and thought why not?  They stayed about 15 minutes, long enough for a quick visit and a towel, and then got back on the road.  Our first guild Christmas sale was a hit.  Now we need to do it again next year.

The Days Dwindle Down

I finished the first set of baby blankets and ran them through the washer and dryer.  They were so linty that I had to clear the lint trap four times.  I didn't have time to babysit the dryer again so had to wait until the next day to run them through a second time.

 I hemstitched them leaving 3" between blankets, then sliced them apart with a rotary cutter.  I'm really pleased with them but they were beyond tedious.  All the color changes had two ends for each color so it required a very careful haircut on both selveges.

I've never woven anything with so much lint and snippets.  I'll be looking for another way to weave colorful baby blankets after this.

Ian and I went to the Art in the High Desert show today down on the river which is a juried show with artists from all the western states.  I was mostly curious, telling myself that I don't need any more stuff, but it's really fun to see all the creativity.

Apparently I did need something - this small leather purse from Salt Lake City.

I've been thinking about a tiny purse for our trip to New York in October.  It'll hold my phone and leather coin purse that I'll use for cash and a credit card, but what sold me was this small pouch just under the flap that will be perfect for quick access to my subway pass.

There weren't many floaters when we first got there but by the time we started walking back to the car, the river was full of them.  These kids were having the time of their lives.

It was 1:00, we were hungry and hot, and there was a shaded table available on the patio at Pastini's, so we had a pasta lunch, watched the floaters on the river and the occasional pedal cab roll by piled high with laughing families.  In another month we won't be eating outside anywhere until next Spring.  It will be September next week!

As you can see there's not a whole lot of weaving going on, but I am steadily pecking away at this set of dishtowels.

And I'm slowly but steadily getting an eight-shaft huck lace baby blanket warp on Arthur, my 40" Gilmore.  I got all eight shafts tied up before we left this morning and threaded for a little while after we got home.  To be continued......