Never a dull moment here ! I will start with the fend, just like the Irish love to do I heard…start a book and skip to the last page to see how it ends,you know, just in case…lolol. Anyhoo, the power went out just as I was photographing my tops for tonight’s update…lighting..gone! And five minutes after the power went out the main Telstar tower decided to give up the ghost as well because apparently Telstra doesn’t believe in back up batteries…. Thankfully, WE have back up plans since last time this scenario was on, so we have invested in a second internet carrier who does believe in servicing their customers even when power situations are less than secure. It does mean that in a situation of bushfires at the height of summer, we will probably..again..be left out in the cold without getting any fire updates etc etc..but we’ll cross that bridge when we get there…so to speak.
I was very proud of myself getting ahead in the game and getting fibres ready ahead of time before updates but the weather and club dyeing got in the way of my “efficiency”…ROFL !
so, at the very last moment my tops were finally dry today ready for their close up and boom! Power outage…welcome to my world ! Never a dull moment should be the title. Never mind, I have ten thousand work arounds and maybe, just maybe, since I have been doing this for decades, I thrive on emergencies and adrenaline rushes to get everything ready at the VERY LAST MINUTE! Coz you know, why relax when you can stress about getting things ready 🤣🤣lol
sigh
deep breath
Tonights update was going to be and still is! About this very special blend I concocted and cooked up literally about ten years ago, because I am totally weird and though why not try and spin cactus…agave to be exact? I mean we drink it..well I do…tequila, mescal..margarita cocktails..why not spin it?!
you can read all about it on my blog I write in 2016 which has a link on the product page on this website so please do click on it to read all about the agave and processing!
The thing is, I wanted this blend to be not only special and linked to the time I lived in a Mexico and was totally infatuated(and still am) with Frida Kahlo, but also mix it with my love for Navajo churro sheep which I grew up with and loved spinning. The blend combines a lovely wool with a strong plant fibre. The agave fibres are an excellent plant alternative for nylon: it gives strength and softness over time by wearing. It is a fabulous blend for spinning and for sock knitting. I have to say that I have heard a person say she picked the bast fibres out of the blend because she thought they would be too harsh..please don’t! Don’t be fooled by the agave plant fibres. They may seem more coarse than the wool you are spinning but they will soften up with wear and washing! It is like hemp or flax only softer!
Dyeing these special tops I was particularly inspired by my muse:Frida Kahlo. One painting especially resonates with me : “What the water gave me “ and it became a colourway….
also the way Frida dressed was amazing…the colours she combines together were an inspiration for Friday’s dresses or “teh cactus flower” colourway you see here. It took a great deal of mixing and blending pigments to create that old timey sage green look but I think I pulled it off 😉
Tonights update also has some very special bowls AND mini Dealgan spindles fromLair of the bearded dragon!
you don’t want to miss out on seeing the precioussssssss stones he got hold of to do the inlay ! Together with the Australian Redgum the stones pop! They are true works of art and will inspire your support spindling even more !
Tentatively looking at my diminishing battery power at the moment and hoping I can finish this blog off in time….
really hoping that next week’s update is going to be a bit more relaxed…lol
News flash: the fibre blend of next week is already drying, I have started dyeing the March club which is going to be ready to ship mid March and I am preparing lots of handspun and yarn for the Handknitters guild show in May and for updates, so you will see more hand dyed yarn hitting the website soon as well. It’s all happening 🤣
wishing you all a wonderful weekend and happy spinning and knitting!
big hugs
Charly