Changes

 Is it true? The more things change, the more they stay the same?

I'd say yes and no.

I've been living in PEI for 3 years and loving living here. We live in a rural setting with farm fields on three sides and trees across the road that I can watch as the seasons change as I drink my tea or coffee or munch on lunch or dinner. I love the window where we dine and I love watching the trees change with the seasons. I even did a painting of the scene across the road.

We have a lovely barn on the property that houses 2 studios. One for weaving and spinning and an adjoining one for my husband's woodworking. I try to keep my studio clean, but there is a lot of lint around every time I go out there. The wood shop is usually covered with wood shavings. The latest project was a studio easel for me made from lovely PEI maple. It just arrived in my painting studio yesterday. Here's a picture with the maker.

My painting studio is very small and this easel is quite large. I've been painting since I was a kid and have always dreamed of a large studio easel. It's truly a dream come true. This one is for oil and acrylic work. I do share the painting space with a rather large sewing machine and table which I use sporadically.

I have three rag rugs to finish up then I can get to my painting studio and try it out. There are currently 3 pictures waiting to be finished.

Currently I have four looms:

1. Lervad folding countermarche. Love it!! So cute and sort of portable. Good for lightweight projects. 30" weaving width. Currently has a silk and wool scarf set up in a twill.

2. Varpappuu countermarche. My first loom. 4 shaft and it is such a sturdy workhorse for rugs and such, but is good for anything. Really like this one, but it is overly large. 72" weaving width. 3 denim rag rugs in process of being removed.

3. Thought Products cherry loom. 8 shafts. Countershed. I don't care too much for this loom, but I still do projects on it. Kitchen cloths done with thrums on the loom in a combination basket weave with twill stripes.

4. Glimakra Standard. 8 shafts. Countermarche. My favourite! Can weave anything on this one. 60" weaving width. I keep this one in the house. Shadow weave table runner on loom.

Thoughts on Level 1 of Master Weavers

I have been back a week from the training at the Gaelic College for Level 1 of the Olds program for weaving. I've had time to think about it and all thoughts are good.

My friend, Linda and I boarded the ferry at Wood Islands Sunday morning on May 5/19. We had a calm crossing and drove off an hour and a half later in Caribou, N.S. The drive to Englishtown lasted about 3 hours and included a slight detour off the road when I mistakenly took a wrong turn. We suffered through a rough road, even worse than the ones on PE, then found our way back easy enough. Caution: do not turn at the 'red barn'. Not long after we found our way to the Gaelic College and the signs laid out for the Master Weavers course. Our keys were waiting for us in MacKenzie hall and we settled into our rooms in another part of the building.

We met up with the rest of our little group and then proceeded to Fitzgerald's on the other side of the mountain where we all gathered for a meal and some socializing. The resident weaver had met us and led our expedition. The speed limits are higher, the roads steeper, curvier than here and the scenery is spectacular. Included on the little trip is a narrow and high green bridge over some water. It would have offered a nice view, but being the driver on unfamiliar roads I didn't see much. So we had a nice meal in a local restaurant before heading back to our rooms for some rest.

My five classmates came from Pennsylvania, Minnesota, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. The instructor - Linda Wilson - came from British Columbia. Everyone brought their enthusiasm, willingness to learn and work hard. As a group we bonded well and helped each other out.

Level 1 class

I was expecting a hectic week crammed with information and intensive work using wool and I was not disappointed. We covered the basics about weaving; the names for parts of the loom, drafting patterns and draw downs. Sampling and record keeping is a must. I learned how valuable these records are to have. Nothing is finished until it is wet finished - fulling, not felting.

The wool provided was mulespun 2 ply wool from Custom Woollen Mill in Carstair, Alberta. I loved the wool and intend to get some more for my final project. It fulled just great in the finishing process for our samples. The other wools used were Quebecoise 2 ply wool and Jaggerspun merino (2/18 or 2/20) and one merino/silk that was prone to breaking.

At the other end of the spectrum was the very dense fabric that would be an absolutely fabulous wearing upholstery fabric. In fact it would perform magnificently!

Greyscale Gamp. Plain & Twill

We also covered colour and what happens when the colours are optically mixed. This was the weaverly version as compared to optical mixing in spinning or painting. This photo shows two greyscale samples - one in 50/50 weave and the other in a 2/2 twill.






Using the 'Custom' wool we made five samples starting with a loose sett right up to a very dense sett.
Important in this exercise was to keep a 50/50 balanced weave. The loose set was amazing in how it changed after wet finishing. I immediately thought of a lightweight, but warm summer shawl for those very chilly summer nights that occur.

At the other end of the spectrum was the very dense fabric that would be an absolutely fabulous wearing upholstery fabric. In fact it would perform magnificently!

Setts

Pictured above shows the loosest sett on the left to the most dense at the end right. Five setts with unfinished on left and finished to the right.

Balanced

The last exercise of samples used the Quebecoise 2 ply. In this exercise, we used some colour stripes and experimented with mixing plain and twill weave, weft faced, warp faced and a 50/50 weave. The results were attractive and very interesting.

Warp Faced

Weft Faced

Twills

The week was a fabulous experience - I enjoyed the people, learned a lot of the basics that I didn't have before and as a bonus I attended my first ceileigh featuring Howie MacDonald, who is a very well known performer. It was sort of our night off from homework, was a lot of fun and the performers were so very talented.

Yes I would definitely recommend the Olds Master Weaving program to anyone seriously interested in weaving. It provides a comprehensive foundation in a practical setting with guidance in a classroom by experienced teachers.

In the week since my return, I've had to wind a warp for a tea towel sale, dress the loom for it and weave off 12 towels. It just went so smoothly and I was so pleased with them.

Plans 2019

I have plans for this year - mainly studio set up.

We have a quite large barn on our property and we have two workshops in it. My husband's woodworking shop and my weaving/spinning studio which I am still arranging.

I have three looms in operation and projects have come off all of them.

In between weaving I arrange things. Need more shelves set up. Lots of scoured wool waiting for carding, blending and spinning. There is much more to unpack for the studio that I have to tackle.

The studio will accept visitors and there will be a display set up for selling my woven articles. 

But first I have a week away coming up starting next Sunday. A friend and I are going over to the Gaelic College on Cape Breton Island and we will be attending level one of the Master Weavers program being offered as a satellite program.

One week of intensive study. One year of weaving homework. Sounds like a lot of fun for me.

Shortest Day of the Year

Yesterday was one of my sons' birthdays and he turned 41.

Today the winter solstice is upon us. I look forward to tomorrow when the days are noticeably longer and from what I just read we have a full moon happening too, so the night sky will be bright.

Having a full moon and the winter solstice so close won't occur again for another eleven years. Where will I be then and what will I be doing?

Well for sure I won't be taking on any new things to do in my spare time. In my next breath I have to say what spare time?

It has been a very busy year with full time work, family visiting and finding our way around the island in just our end of the island.

Right now I should be out in the barn studio plugging up holes so I can get it all primed and painted before the new floor goes in. There really is a lot of work to do yet, but once it's done then I can get out from under the extra things I have in my 8X8 house studio.

I will have the Varpapuu and Thought Products Cassandra looms outside while the Glimakra standard stays in the house. My small Lervad loom is in here at the moment. The Glimakra loom has hand towels on it. Two shades of green in a Taquete pattern.

I still continue my knitting with a couple of Icelandic sweaters lined up in queue with a Fair Isle sweater. When those are done next will be a Norwegian sweater.

Merry Christmas to all.

More in 2019.

Life in PEI After Almost a Year

Here we are in our little house by the sea, our dog Joey at my side as I write. It has been a lovely day-very warm, sunny, dry as in no rain for a few days and actually quite humid. Joey and I were out watering the flowers, new plum tree and veggie garden in the early evening.

We could hear the crows conversing across the way at Winsloe House mixed with the voices of children staying at the guest house. The wind was calm with the little breeze causing our Canadian flag to wave gently as I sat and knit on socks for Warren at the patio table on our front porch and watched cars go by. The Islander neighbours waving and the tourists just driving by.

I promised myself I would be painting here in PEI and I can say I am living up to my promise. Before I came outside I took time to glue down a watercolour onto a prepared board and box frame. This is a country scene of a barn up the road a bit.

I have a new acrylic painting hanging in the kitchen picturing our house and barn.

Another one of the same house nestled in some trees as seen from the edge of the field beside us ready for another box frame.

Time to get going on the next one. This time I'm thinking it might be a watercolour of a plant in the garden. I'm not fully committed to that idea yet.

The watercolours are not being put behind glass; not for now at least. I'm exploring alternate ways of preservation. 1. Fixing with a UVLS spray and then rubbing on Gamblins cold wax medium.  2. Fixing with a UVLS spray and then varnishing with Kamar Varnish. 3. Fixing with a UVLS spray and then painting on Minwax Polyacrylic Finish. All are being displayed on box frames which lay flat to the wall.

I purchased a high end Logan mat cutter. I just need to locate mat board. Art supplies are best ordered online. The art supply stores are not good here. There is Michaels and a small art gallery that gives lesson through the winter in Charlottetown which is 45 minutes away-neither with much of a selection.

I am working full time at Belfast Mini Mills, so though I really enjoy working there, my time to paint, spin and weave is very limited. I meet all kinds of fibre loving people and it is a really a great pleasure to be working there. I work with wonderful people.

We have had family visiting start a couple of weeks ago and it will continue for the summer. Now to get my hubby over the flu he has before more visiting starts.

Lervad Manual

Hello again.
I've been busy with a new job. Yes I found something wonderful to do and now I am working full time again... and I really like it... a lot!

And I have been brushing up on my water colour painting which I set aside to become a Master Spinner for a few years. Well I'm back at it!! I'm very happy to say I haven't lost it.

I will be painting a lot, and selling them with a mat and a backing - no frame.

I had an inquiry last night from a lady in Belgium, I believe, who is in search of a manual for a Lervad loom. I have both a Lervad loom and a manual, though it is in the Danish language, as that is where the loom originated.

I'm happy to share it with anyone who needs it. I will attempt to have it on the blog here if possible, but it seems I am unable to do that. So if you need a copy, just email me.

Enjoy! and I hope it helps someone. If anyone translates it into English, please get back to me. Thanks.

Kitchen Work Area Finished

Progress in the kitchen:
Before --

 

 

 

 

Kitchen Before

After --

Work Area After

And now the other part of the kitchen is in progress --

With Primer. One coat. The wood is still showing.

Primed and taped. No flash on this one.

First thing tomorrow is another coat of primer, then later in the day I get to the fun part -- the actual paint. It's called 'Tradewind'. The color is by Sherwin Williams, but I had it color matched at my local hardware in town. Pearl finish. Light Reflective Value (LRV) is 61.

Why So Long Between Posts?

Christmas and New Year's Day have come and gone in our new home. Winter is wearing on, the days have more daylight again and I am as busy as ever.

The work part of the kitchen is in a controlled uproar with painting in progress. The project has been divided into four or five sub projects so I don't get overwhelmed with all of the work to do. I only have so much energy at my disposal.

I have the ceiling almost finished-I thought two coats of white over a darkish yellow would be enough, but no, one more layer is needed. The first section of the cupboard painting has the upper base ready for the doors. The inside of the five doors are finished. Tomorrow I will get two coats of  paint on the outside of the doors, let them dry overnight, then attach the clean hardware and remount the doors to the base cupboards. The idea of doing the kitchen in mini projects is to be encouraged by the finished look of the cupboards in each section that I can quickly go on to the next part of the project. So bit by bit and it will be completed.

Before

A little peak during redo. New paint surrounding window is nice and bright.

Old dark finish. White is primer.

 
Knitting this week...

I finished a sweater cardigan last week in which I used Briggs & Little yarn that I have had in my stash for a few years now. In its previous incarnation, I had been knitting a seamless sweater in a quite tight gauge and had been unsure whether or not I really liked it. Turns out I really didn't, so I frogged it back and decided to adopt a pattern from a Craftsy class to better suit my measurements. I used a rather close fit for the ease allowance. It was not the fit I am comfortable with, so I modified it.

Rather than rip it all out, I used a contrasting colour for the button band and the insert described next. I opened the side seams of the body and also the entire underarm. Eight stitches were made up in a rib strip of fabric, also in the contrasting colour, that went the length of the entire side seam from beginning of rib at the bottom of the sweater to the cuff. Then I sewed it into the sweater. I should also mention the sleeve part of the insert was knit in yarn to match the sleeve colour not the contrast colour.

Better pic coming after buttons are on.

The yarn used for the insert is identical yarn, but I dyed it using a percentage acid dye and it is a deep tone of violet. The colour of the sweater is not one I am particularly fond of either, so it just might change colour at some point with a weak acid dye.

Then I looked at the whole sweater and thought this is such a dull colour that it still needs a little accent so I added an afterthought pocket. I again used the contrasting coloured yarn for pocket trim and pocket lining. At the knitting store I picked up some buttons to match the sweater. Hope I have time tomorrow to sew them on. I need the sweater to be complete.

Sweater is completed

Knitting group at Knits and Notes...

Every Wednesday, weather permitting, I go to the knitting group in Montague at the Knits and Notes Store. The owner, Troy, hosts the group in a room at the store and someone brings goodies and we sit around and gab and drink tea and coffee while we knit on our projects. It was a lively group this morning and lots of fun despite having to frog a few rows of lace work in my new red sweater.

After knitting ended, my friend Linda and I headed over to Belfast Mini Mills and we browsed the store for weaving yarns and roving. The weather was good and the roads were freshly sanded and salted for the drive. We had a little chat with owners Linda and Hazel, then headed home. I love that store!

Water Colour Painting Class...

Tuesday evenings, if the weather is clear, I go to the library in Murray Harbour for a painting class with Mel Giddings. Mel is a local artist, who has kindly consented to share his knowledge of water colour painting to teach a class at our local library.

I have committed to bring painting back into my life and this is a good way to get back into it. For the past few years, with my job taking so much of my energy, I hardly had any time to even think about painting. The class has about ten local people participating, five that I have met before here at my home when I hosted a knit and spin get together around the kitchen table. A really nice evening with another great group of people.

I must organize another knit and spin very soon.

Here is a little portrait of Joey.

And some landscapes.

 That's all for now.

Projects on the Go

I had a few projects on the go this week:

1. Socks for hubby
2. Gansey Fingerless Mitts by Beth Reinsel
3. Mystery KAL mitts led by Donna Druchunas
4. Spinning for the above KAL
5. Planning a loom project for the Lervad

Update:

1. One done, one in the finishing stretch - ankle to cuff. Socks for hubby.
2. Finished, blocked and tested. Gansey Fingerless Mitts by Beth Brown Reinsel
   

   

   Looks like they are worn over coat cuff.

3. On hold until Clue 3 is released today. Mystery KAL mitts led by Donna Druchunas.
4. In progress and waiting for me to get there. Spinning for the above KAL.
5. Books and paper are on my desk. Must gather the weft together. Planning a loom project to use my Olds Master Spinner yarns to make a 'think back on' blanket.

Books being read this week or finished:

1. Slade House. David Mitchell. This was on my list for a couple of years. Glad I read it. Well worth the read. Well written.
2. Crust and Crumb. Peter Reinhart. Bread making book. I have picked up some much sought after info that I may have not remembered from my earlier bread making days. Good book.
3. Women's Work: The First 20,000 years. Elizabeth Wayland Barber. I have wanted to read this for a few years now. Excerpt from dust cover - 'For over 20,000 years, until the Industrial Revolution, the fiber arts were an enormous economic force, belonging primarily to women...In most books on ancient history and economics there isn't even an index entry for cloth or clothing, despite the enormous toil required in making them...The author presents the untold human side...the relations of women and their textile work to society and economics over the huge span of prehistoric and early historic times.' 
4. Buried. C. J. Carmichael. Fiction. In progress. Not too bad. Still reading-a good sign.

Knitting Continues on the KAL

It's so easy to just pick up the needles and knit.

KAL with Donna Druchunas

I'm participating in a Mystery Mitten KAL on Ravelry with Donna Druchunas.

Words to describe my wool:

• from Belfast mini mills
• my homespun
• Navajo or chain ply
• worsted weight
• warm colours
• not enough contrast
• doesn't match anything I have

Progress so far on mitts:

The Roving. Merino, Silk, Cashmere, Mohair

The Single

My Norwegian Wheel

 I have a corner in my kitchen where I placed the dog beds. It's in the above picture behind the wheel and at the window. It was easy to put the dogs' place there, but I really intended it for a wheel and chair. I haven't decided what I will do.

And now it's time for a tea and either a little knitting or some spinning since I managed to spend the morning on my computer.

It's nice to have something I can show for the results of the day. And my looms are awaiting attention. I have a small floor loom I would like to get a scarf warp on this week.

November Endings with Bread, a New Approach

I put off the two bedroom painting projects to nurse myself back to health. I have had a sinus cold/infection for two weeks now and just when I think it is easing off I have another night of coughing and sleeplessness. Sometimes that leads to a hot lemon and honey drink to steam the discomfort away with a book or more knitting. More often than not, it's a book I choose just in case my groggy mind leads me to a knit mistake I would have to frog back.

The book I read was 'Slade House' by David Mitchell. This is the first book I have read in a long while that really had a well written writing style. Thank you David! Sort of a ghost story, but more complex than that.

I am also researching one of my other hobbies of bread baking. This time with Peter Reinhart's book - Crust and Crumb. I used to make the best tasting bread. It looked beautiful, but it really had a wonderful flavour. I haven't been able to capture it in the last few years and I blamed the modern grains we have to work with. Modern grains may very well be part of the problem, but perhaps my methods have slipped too? So I read Chapters one and two word for word and only occasionally looked ahead.

Well I started yesterday's bread making off differently. I started with a 'biga style' preferment. I mixed up a few pounds and let it age and do its flavour development at room temperature for 6 hours. I took off a pound, broke it up into small pieces in my large mixing bowl and added my fresh ingredients for two loaves worth. I put it through two risings and one final proof before the bake.

I monitored the internal temperature of the dough and the final bread; something I haven't done before. Final temperature of the loaf just out of the oven was 207 F degrees. Actually it should have been 185F according to the book, but it looked good.

The aroma of the bread coming from the oven at the 20 minute mark, I thought, was different and more pleasant than any of my previous breads. It was baking at 350F for 42 minutes. The loaves were for sandwich bread, so not a fancy artisan loaf. When they were removed from the oven, I tipped them out to check the colour which was good and set them on racks to cool.

By now, it is 10pm and the house smelled really good! I was supposed to wait 2 hours, but my husband had to have some right away, so we tried it immediately. I am fortunate to have some 'farm butter' in the house at the moment, so we cut into the loaf, sniffed it, examined the crumb and did the taste test with the 'farm butter'.

It was delicious! And the flavour of the other loaves (I can only describe it as yeast and alcohol) I had been making the last few years was not present in this one. This one was sweet tasting and had a wonderful texture and flavour. A definite success. I'm a believer in the science and chemistry in bread baking.

I can't do this post without a bread picture. A little lopsided, but unique.

Multigrain Sandwich loaf

For the Hands

I've been knitting these using a fingering weight cabled yarn I bought on a cone with unknown fibre content. I did a burn test and there is wool in it because it self extinguished.

I would probably never knit a mitt using anything without wool in it just for the warmth factor alone.

I love playing with colour, whether it's yarn, dye, fiber or paint and decided right now that I would like to produce some mittens.

My favourite knitting projects are sweater, socks, mittens, and fingerless gloves. Scarves are too boring because there is no shaping usually and I'm not into shawls too much-I'd rather weave them.

One of my favourite books for mittens is Robin Hansens 'Favorite Mittens'.
Here is a project I made from that book.

p. 142. Chipman's Check Wristers

And these are Deep Ocean Mitts from 'Alterknit Stitch Dictionary' by Andrea Rangel.

Colourwork Mittens

I am currently working on 'Deep Ocean Mittens' from the Alterknit Stitch Dictionary by Andrea Rangel.
A little bit of a challenge, but I think I've got the hang of it.

Topside of Deep Ocean Mitt

Palm of Deep Ocean Mitt

Here is an update. I just finished the right mitt. This shows it not yet wet finished, so I expect the stiches to move around and even themselves up. The yarn I am using is a mystery yarn. The structure of it is cabled - which means that it is 2 two ply yarns plied together to make one very strong yarn. It is fingering weight and suspecting it is wool or at least a wool blend, I did a burn test on a piece of it.

After lighting it with a match, it self extinguished very quickly. The ash was black and melted a little, so there must be some nylon in it. It is a worsted spin and the stitch and colour definition in the mitten is really nice for showing off the two colours.

My two colour knitting technique needs some practice and refining.

I love the thumb knitting here.

Fall in PE

The fall of 2017 has been a beautiful one - many trees in a blaze of glorious colour on a background of blue sky and few white clouds. If that sounds boring to you I assure you it's not. It's a really great time of the year filled with colour and I thrive on colour; I can't get enough of it.

Colour is like chocolate for me. Of course I like chocolate, no - I love milk chocolate. It's a toss up which I like more. I think colour because there are no calories.

That's why I like love picture painting, spinning, knitting and dyeing.

At this very moment, most of the leaves are off the trees except for a few yellow ones. I'm not sure what type of tree holds them. We have three very young oak trees and they turned a lovely deep red. We have a flaming bush at the corner of the house and it was brilliant crimson.

The temperature has gone low enough to give us frost at night then warmed up again to 22 or 25, then down to 18. The air is different here. I know it will get really cold, but somehow it is different. I can really feel how the ocean regulates the temperature. They say that about the great lakes, but it always felt either stifling hot or freezing cold in Ontario. Yah, I know, just wait for winter. Okay.

I've made a sweater, slippers, socks and now I am working on some colour work mittens. That seems to be what I'm interested in right now. So for the next while that's what I'll be doing - colourwork.

Bluejay feeding

Uppsala Slippers

Made with Scarfie. Paton's Leaflet #5002

A striking pic of our neighbour's place before barn removal.

I'm still unpacking and arranging my sewing room that also has my weaving yarns. My soap, lotion and makeup stuff will have to go in the basement after the heating is installed. It's a very small 8X8 room with two really large doorways and a window. Hardly any wall or floor space. Organizing there is a tough, difficult job.

I'm still painting and will begin on the bedrooms soon. The kitchen - well, I'm building myself up for that.

On the house end part of the news, well Greenfoot has insulated the attic and basement and is in the process of drilling. The 'unit' was delivered just this afternoon. This is so exciting!!

For dog training...well Bob has kind of been suspended until he gets his barking under control. This week with the workmen around here, I can see leaps of improvement with him. He's still not ready for class, but coming along well in my opinion. The ecollars we have are working well.

That's about it for now. Time for tea and cookies from a really great bakery in Brudenell. Sorry, don't know the name of it. Bye for now.

Life in Prince Edward Island

As of yesterday, we have now been here on the Island for two months. Am I settled in yet? or have I everything in place?
No to both queries.
First I got the kitchen and bath in order, then painted the entryway. The washer was leaky and didn't want to open ever, so we replaced the washer and dryer with a grey blue pair.
Then I had to paint the entry way door. Nice touch!! I'd like to do the front one too, but it needs more work than a paint job. Things are way out of wack there. It will have to wait for spring I think because it will be quite a big job.
The living room needed to be redone right away. So it got a new paint job and it has gone from a dark room to a very bright room. From a dark orangey red to a quite light grey with green blue undertones.

The bathroom had to be completely redone - ripped right out. The dark dull colour has been replaced by a very light colour blue called 'Bottled Water'. I love it! The lights are bright, the colour cheery and now we're waiting on the cabinetry for storage.

The sewing room was next. I carried the entryway palette (Marzipan yellow and a warm gray) over to the walls there. The weaving room is in progress. I'm getting rid of all the taupe, beige, orangey red and yucky green. The weaving room, formerly a dining room is a very light yellow (marzipan) with bright white trim. The beige ceiling is now white. The shelves I put in are in process of being painted a dark grey which was borrowed from the entryway. The yellow is from the entryway too.

After I have the sewing and weaving rooms in order then I will rid the stairway/hallway of a dull mint green. I have the colour - sketch waiting. It's a light grey. I'm thinking I will need a professional to get that done. I don't think I could do over the stairs.

Paintings and pictures are still waiting to be hung. I'm going to make sheers for all the windows. Believe it or not, there is no fabric store on the Island that sells drapery material or material for clothing. The closest one is a Fabricville in Moncton.  I will do some online ordering for fabric.

On another note, I have to say the fresh fish is wonderful here. We had some great halibut yesterday.

We enrolled in dog training the second or third week that we were here. Bob causes us a lot of concern with the way he behaves when people come in. We're using e'collars on both of them. I'm not seeing any headway and I am quite discouraged. I am keeping at it though to see where this goes.

We are located on the other side of the the beach road so it's a short walk to the beach.

I've finished my painting for the day and am spending the Sunday afternoon watching Mindhunter and knitting on a sweater. I need some relaxation and am going to put my feet up.

Guernsey Cove Beach, PEI

Springtime in Ontario

(I wrote this in the spring of 2017. I think I forgot to add the pics, so here it is now July and I published it and now it is out of order.)

It's hard to believe I haven't made an entry since last October 2016.

Winter has come and gone. I can't say it was a very cold winter, it wasn't really and we managed to save money on natural gas for heating. We still have the snow tires on and I guess they can come off now until next year.

I have kept spinning and knitting right along. I've made a couple of sweaters this past winter-one for hubby and an Icelandic for myself, both of them a dark green. I bought some worsted in pink for a change and made a pullover in an Elizabeth Zimmerman design.

I entered the Alpaca Ontario fibre art competition - hasn't happened yet, but later in April. I spun two skeins for the competition: one is 100% alpaca; the other 70% alpaca.

A few pairs of socks were made with more yet to do in both purchased pretty yarns and my own dyed skeins.

I've combed alpaca for a singles in a three ply yarn I'm making with one singles of Genopalette wool and one singles of N.Z.  merino wool.
I used a fibre reactive dye to dye a skein yesterday using a 2% dye stock solution at 1%DOS.
It was first dyed fuchsia and then brick. The spun yarn was twisted into a skein for dyeing, though for the first dye it undid itself.

It's a very warm pink.

Closer to Moving

I have six days left to pack some things. The goal tomorrow morning before I have any visitors is to finish up my studio. At that point I will have all the easy stuff packed up and all of the oddities will be left for the movers to pack. Things like large paintings, lights, strange weaving tools, long skinny tools.

Then I can pack a few more things like in the kitchen.

Finally the things that will come in the car with us. First on this list is everything needed for the doggies. Then the suitcase stuff. (I) Have to remember sheets, towels, jackets, etc. for all weather.
Maybe an umbrella. Snacks. Drinks. Doggie cookies.

I will be so glad when we are finally on the road.

But I have a little knitting project on the go to keep me on track-a farewell gift from a friend.

You can't see the colour very well-it's a blue green and it is so very soft. It's a mix of superwash merino wool and nylon.

A little knitting and some sleep.

An Update on Move Preparations

I have arrived at a point in time that is five weeks away from our move to Prince Edward Island (PE).

When looking at the large picture of moving, it's easy right?

After all, all that needs to be done is put everything in a box or few, put in in a truck, drive, unload and that's it-or is it?

When you're a Virgo and your age is sixty three, that's not all there is to it. Oh no!! No! No! No!

To a Virgo that packing part is literally a pain in the derriere or neck!! It amounts to:

1. Sorting, finding out what is really important to me and can't live without.

2. Washing, dusting and generally getting things the way I want to see them at the new house when I place things again which includes a lot of laundry first.

3. Trips to the Goodwill type of stores in the areas to pass things on that are no longer being used and have a lot of life in them.

4. Calls to deal with disposal of other things, like paint, etc. and washers and dryers since the new house comes with the appliances.

5. Then finally real packing and boxing.

6. Questions frequently arise like how do you pack woodworking clamps that are large and heavy?

7. How to pack a lamp and lampshade?

8. How do seven spinning wheels get packed?

I think this is enough to drive any fibre loving spinning girl ccc...spinny.

So I put every event in my calendar and step by step, like everyday that passes us by, they each get dealt with and pass by until moving day arrives and is over and we are packed up in the car with our doggies and we are on our way.

That part can't happen soon enough. Believe me.

The other part of this-the unloading and moving in...well it should be a little easier-don't you think?

Endings and a New Place in Time

My husband and I returned a few days ago from a trip to maritime Canada; more precisely eastern PEI. We spent a few days touring the eastern section of the island, spent some time with friends then went to visit family in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia.

We flew in to Charlottetown airport in the early evening and landed in what seemed to us to be gale force winds and very cool weather. The day before it went up to 30C, but this day was around 7C or 8C. It was cloudy, cool, but we were warmly greeted by our friends who had arrived to the island a couple years earlier.

After a brief tour of Charlottetown, we stopped at one of their favourite places for the inevitable fish and chips. How could we resist that? Not possible. Lovely little restaurant with a lovely tin ceiling and lots of ambience and a heat pump I noticed,

Then we packed ourselves up and left for the beautiful countryside ride to their new home in the country on 42 or 49 acres of beautiful land. It's a modernized century farm house with an addition. Beautiful, bright and decorated just lovely.

Since my friend is a weaver and a spinner and her husband needed a workshop, they have added a rather large addition to the property in the form of workshop on lower level and weaving studio on the top level - both very spacious and well lit. It is heated and connected to the house so they don't have to face the winter weather.

The farm is home to a draft horse, alpaca, lama and a few chickens. It is rolling hills and includes a woodlot and a stream running through.

A truly wonderful place.

We rented a car, because we truly value our independence and sought about looking at the island properties we had scouted out before we left Ontario. We had that list and a list our friends put together with information from people they know in the area.

Our goal was to find a little piece of land suitable for the dogs where they would not disturb any neighbours and a place without neighbours too close that would infringe on our space. We didn't care about an ocean view, much preferring the rural setting with the quilted farm scenes and planted fields. I was willing to downsize, but I still needed studio space and hubby still needed a sizable workshop.

We looked at a 16 acres place on Fort Augustus. With some work it would be an absolutely beautiful property and it would be terrific for the dogs, but a little too roughly built, though we did like the style a lot.
The next one on the realtor list was another century house, modernized recently with a gorgeous property. Again it needed a lot of yard clean up, but it was a gorgeous property with lots of acreage, a woodlot and a really nice location. At our age, the land cleanup was undesirable.
We went on to the one we bought and were really impressed with every aspect of it. First impressions told us that this family house had been well loved and impeccably maintained. It was a larger house than we wanted, but we both like space and I could have my weaving looms in the house along with all of my spinning wheels, The bedrooms are all a very fair size for our family guests that we expect to visit us in the future. The kitchen is not modernized with fancy cupboards, but solid and well built. I can live with that. The old fashioned island basement is more than adequate. It shows a foundation solid as a rock. If we go up to the second floor I'm sure we could see the water from the house. Actually it is closer to the shore than I would have liked, but I think it will be okay. Did I say how big the barn is? It is humongous!! The two adjoining workshops are at one end of the barn and the rest is storage. The metal roof should last much longer than we will live.

We saw one more house near Belfast. Lovely land, private, good location, and 'very pretty'. To be honest, it would have been fine, but I call it 'cosmetically pretty'. It was decorated very nicely and the location and land were great, but when I left this place I had one more in my mind that I wanted to see on Bangor Rd.

As Brad Oliver, our realtor agent, was returning with us to his office to make an appointment to see the next house on the list I knew which house was meant for us. Ten minutes later, from the back seat of the truck, I announced it would not be necessary to see anymore properties. The house for us was waiting on Cape Bear Rd. We were ready to make an offer.

So that is what we did. Offered, counteroffered, accepted and now we are at home packing up and getting ready to move.

Wednesday of next week we will decide on the actual date the moving company will come in and pack us up.

So after allowing ten days for house hunting, it was accomplished in four days. I connected with my brother and his wife in Lunenburg, NS and off we went for a visit til we had to catch our flight back in Charlottetown to ON.

My brother and his wife built a house in Lunenburg. I don't use 'built' loosely as Nancy designed the house and my brother literally built it. It is a very large house with all infloor heating and everything anyone could want in a home and more, so much more. It is built like a fortress and the landscaping is lovely with three ponds, but still maintains a little of the wild look. Bordering their house is a farm with sheep and border collies. What could be more perfect? We had a wonderful visit and then left May 30/17 for our flight home.

NS is really very beautiful and PEI is the perfect place for us.

We are both looking forward with great anticipation to our new life in our final years to an island filled with both farmers and artisans.


The artist living within me has returned!!

BFL Sock Yarn Dye

Dye Results for Blue-Faced Leicester/nylon (BFL) sock yarn purchased from The Black Lamb at the Woodstock Fleece Festival 2016. Colour of the undyed wool was off white or ivory coloured.

5 skeins of BFL sock yarn
1 skein is 115 g

Dye: Leftover acid dyes, various hues and depth of shade (DOS)
1 T citric acid in a pail of water

Method:
Tied figure eight ties to secure each skein in several places.
Placed in pail of warm water with 1 tsp TNA (like Synthrapol) for one hour.
Rinsed in warm water.
Soaked skeins in pail of water containing 1 T citric acid for 45 minutes. (Doesn't have to be this long, but I was busy. 15-20 minutes would be long enough.)
Squeezed water out of each one until I felt they were just wet enough.

Placed on a long piece of plastic wrap to be dyed so that it could be wrapped easily in plastic for setting the dyes.

I used the acid/water mix for diluting some of the dyes. Dyes were applied to skeins by either dipping parts of or whole skein or by syringe in different patterns.

I checked the underside of each skein to make sure there was dye all over the wool. When I was satisfied with the colours, I dabbed up any excess dye, then I wrapped each skein in the plastic it was laid on.

A couple of the skeins I microwaved to set the dye by microwaving for 2 minutes, with a few seconds break between, then microwaving in the same manner 2 more times. I let the skeins cool in the sink undisturbed.

The other skeins I wrapped and placed in a steamer for 45 minutes. I let the skeins cool completely before I washed them with a couple of drops of Dawn detergent. I rinsed the skeins in slightly warm water. No colour came out of any of the five skeins.

I'm pleased with the results.

Turquoise/brown

Shades and tints of turquoise and blue

Turquoise with some red

Yellow with black and a few orange spots

Lighter turquoise, blue, yellow and a little red