A very cool blog

Three of my most interesting friends are the three wives--Nyondo, Joy, and Lena. I nickname them "The Three Fates" because Joy is a spinner, Nyondo a weaver, and Lena is a crazy butch dyke who really ought to have a pair of shears. :-) They've all been in a three-way marriage for years.

In proper Bay Area form, Lena is an acupuncturist/Chinese herbalist, Joy is a psychic/astrologist, and Nyondo is a sysadmin for a worker-owned-and-operated sex toy shop, Babes in Toyland. Their little house is always overflowing with interesting books, people, and crafts--Joy and Nyondo and I often geek out together over fiber arts. (We met through Spin-List, and finally got together when I gave Joy a Babe Fiber Starter spinning wheel.)

Anyway, Lena's "other" job is as translator for Lama Wangdor Rimpoche, one of the senior Tibetan lamas. Lena traveled extensively when she was young (she was the one who got me started on my own travel adventures), and spent eight years meditating in a cave with Rimpoche and the rest of the yogi community there. She eventually came back to the States to take care of her mother, but since then has acted as translator for Lama Wangdor whenever he comes to the U.S. She and Lama Wangdor fly all over North America (U.S., Mexico, Canada) doing teachings, and Joy stays at home and does all the bookings.

Joy also coordinates all the donations for Rimpoche's refugee project, which seeks support for Tibetan children, monks, and nuns who have walked out of Tibet--usually on their own, with the Chinese armies hunting them. Children in particular try to walk across the border, usually sent by parents who don't dare leave themselves, but will send the oldest or the brightest to try to escape. When they arrive in India, they're destitute. Rimpoche seeks to make sure that they are fed, and that the children are educated (education isn't free in India). Twenty or thirty dollars a month keeps them fed. So little money.

What boggles my mind about that is parents sending their ten, twelve, thirteen-year-old children to walk across the border, knowing they'll never see them again. What must it be like in Tibet, under the Chinese??? It's horrifying.

Anyway, this blog is Joy's notes on life amidst the arrival of Lama Wangdor, and it makes excellent reading--if you have time, page through the entire thing. It's got a lot on Tibetan tradition and customs, too.

Here's the start of it:

http://www.customjuju.com/joy/joyblog/?m=20050218

Enjoy!

Fair Isle and spinning wheels

I've been playing around with Fair Isle knitting, and have finally settled on one yarn in each hand--my English knitting is pretty rusty, but as long as I stick to knit stitches I should be OK. Fair Isle is generally knitted in the round anyway, so that should be no biggie. I've started a pair of socks in a moderately complex Fair Isle pattern, and am working my way up the chart. (The pattern itself comes from a sweater in Tudor Roses--I decided it was way too complex for an initial project, but borrowed a few of the panels for the socks.) I'm just praying the sock fits over my heel when it's done--the beginning stitches are pretty tight, though my gauge is starting to loosen up as my fingers relax.

Meanwhile, I've picked up a copy of Fair Isle Sweaters Simplified (by the Philosopher's Wool folks) and am going to use one of their base patterns for my dye-sampler sweater. It's a black-based design, which gives a nice jeweled effect, and is a lot simpler to knit than the one I was eyeing in Tudor Roses (which is more like cross-stich or needlepoint in its detail). Now all I have to do is dye a pound of wool yarn black, and I'm in business.

I am also looking at spinning wheels. I've started to get the urge to make thicker yarns than super-laceweight, and would like to try spinning my super-laceweight yarns on a wheel--so I have been going up to Carolina Homespun and testing out wheels. I spent an hour spinning on a Lendrum with the fast flyer yesterday, and am going to try out the Majacraft Suzie tomorrow. Those are the only two wheels (besides Ashford, which I've already tried/didn't like) that go up to really high ratios--36:1 for the Suzie and 44:1 for the Lendrum.

(For non-spinners: the higher the ratio, the faster it puts in twist. High ratios are usually used for thinner yarn.)

So far I think the Lendrum's OK, but it doesn't sing to me. I'm hoping the Suzie does better, though it's really out of my price range. Too bad there aren't prettier wheels out there that get the same amped-up ratio. (Yes, there's the Ashford Traditional, but it gives me leg problems.)

Oh, and exciting news--I sit for the PMP on Tuesday! That's the Project Management Professional, the certifying exam for project managers. If I pass, I'll have my certification and can put PMP on my resume. Doesn't sound like much, but people are asking for it more and more often, and it will give me an edge if I have one.

The egg for my coach is just about done--I've completed the dyeing and the gilding, coated it in a clear glaze, applied epoxy to the interior (to make it tougher, so it won't shatter easily if dropped), and now all that's left is setting in the gems. I'm still trying to figure out how to make that work...I can't get the gems into the bezel settings properly. If anyone knows a manufacturing jeweler (i.e. someone who actually does jewelry work) in the Bay Area, can you send me an email? I need someone to set 12 gems into a bezel setting for me, I can't do it myself. I have no idea where to go to get something like that done, especially without paying an arm and a leg for it. I suspect it's about ten or twenty minutes of work--if you have the right tool.

Anyway, if anyone can help out with that, I'd be indebted.

Tien

Playing around with Fair Isle...

I've been experimenting with Fair Isle, holding both yarns in my left hand (I knit Continental). I've just about gotten it working, mostly through making every possible "mistake". I could probably have looked up the detailed instructions, but I find it easier to learn by experimenting and observing. That way I not only figure out the right way eventually, but I learn to recognize all the "wrong" ways early on, and develop a better understanding of how to knit.

(I put "wrong" in quotations because some of the effects of "wrong" stitches are actually pretty cool, and at some point I want to look more deeply into that; it might be fun to add to a design.)

But I'm starting to work it out--the only thing I can't figure out how to do is keep the yarns separate. They keep wanting to slide towards each other on my finger. I know there's a gadget out there that will keep yarns separate, but am stubbornly resisting getting one because of my gadget rule: first learn to do it WITHOUT the gadget, then decide if you really need the gadget. So is there another way?

Anyway, I'm having fun with it at the moment, and am contemplating a FairIsle potholder (it being the smallest useful object I can think of). Does wool make good potholders? or does it just burn?

Tien

A moment of philosophical speculation...

...I have been considering what to get for myself to celebrate, umm, something majorly good coming up in the next few days (I'll tell you what later). Oddly, I've discovered that there's nothing I really want. There are lots of gadgets that I've been vaguely contemplating, but none that I can see becoming part of my life, as opposed to a passing fancy. I haven't enough closet-space to afford clutter, so I don't want to accumulate things I won't use. This keeps me (relatively) honest.

But it reminds me of one of the things my career coach suggested: do not confuse intellectually interesting things with where your heart is. He was talking about jobs, of course, and my tendency to bound into positions that engage the mind, only to move restlessly on again once the intellectual novelty wears off. But the same thing can be said for hobbies as well. There are things we try for the novelty value, to experiment with different things, and then there are the things we do for comfort, which are a part of our lives.

For me, knitting is a part of my life: I don't do it every day, but it's something I enjoy doing, and will do to calm myself down. Weaving is not part of my life--at least, not yet. It's something I do for the intellectual engagement, but which doesn't engage the calmer parts of my mind--I have the feeling I'll get bored with it once the initial buzz wears off. It's not that weaving is inferior to knitting, it's just that the Zen of weaving isn't my Zen. I like small projects that are portable, that I can sit on the floor cross-legged and still work on, and which involve doing small fiddly things with my hands. That's where my Zen is. Things that do not work well with that may be interesting, but will probably not be in my life long-term.

But I like the advice of my career coach: do not mistake something intellectually engaging for something that will be a permanent part of your life. I could have saved myself buying a lot of gadgetry just by recognizing that, and sticking to those things that engage the heart as well as the mind.

(Interesting thought: one meets and develops a relationship with something because it's novel and interesting; then it becomes familiar and boring; then it becomes familiar and Zen, a part of your life. Works for careers, hobbies, and people.)

By the way (and speaking of intellectually engaging), I LOVE the idea of Fair Isle knitting with a white/black background, and all those skeins of color: that's a brilliant idea! It will let me show off the shading nicely. The only problem is, that sweater's going to be too hot to wear anywhere in the Bay Area (it's a bulky merino yarn)--but what the hell, I knit theoretical socks, I can knit theoretical sweaters. I really love the idea of Fair Isle patterns.

The only catch is, I can't knit with two yarns just yet...but this can be corrected.

And I'll look up the weaving resources--thanks! I have been muttering and muttering, "There must be an easier way."

Now I just have to wait for the white yarn to come in...I ordered another 2 lbs of the same white yarn I've been using for dyeing, it just hasn't arrived yet. Or can you mix two different yarns gracefully?

Tien, who knows virtually nothing about Fair Isle knitting

More things crafty

Sorry for the hiatus, but it's been a pretty busy couple of weeks. I've finished my class for the Project Management Professional certification, and am trying to get registered for the exam...it's extremely popular right now so I'm not sure I can even get a date in August. But we'll see.

Craft-wise, I've borrowed an 8-harness table loom from a friend, and have been messing around with it...I did some plainweave and some tapestry weave with two harnesses, and have graduated up to four harnesses. I've also discovered virtually all the WRONG ways to warp your loom, including winding on in the wrong direction, snapping threads, misthreading heddles, etc. (LOTS of etc.) If this weren't a borrowed loom it might well be kindling by now, but I've been persevering. I figure eventually it's GOT to sort itself out, and meanwhile, I'm learning a lot about how to fix mistakes. Fortunately I made another beginner's error early on, and wound on a colossally long 4-yard warp, meaning that even after messing up, tangling, re-re-re-winding, etc. the warp and cutting off the mangled bits, I still have plenty to play with.

I am considering (considering, mind you) borrowing a 4-harness floor loom from a friend, to play with for awhile. I don't really have room for it, but it would probably be easier than fighting with a table loom. There's more space to work with on a floor loom.

I have also gotten back into eggwork! I have nearly finished up with my career coach, who has really been more of a life coach the last few months. I feel like I'm basically back on my feet, and I want to give him something. So I am doing an egg: red/gold phoenix rising up against a black background, with a diamond and five rubies set above the phoenix's head and Celtic knotwork around the border.

So far I've applied all the dyes, so I have a red-orange phoenix rising against black, and red knotwork around the border. Now I need to apply the fine touches in gold leaf. I plan to detail the feathers and tail of the phoenix, as well as the Celtic knotwork, in gold leaf. Then I can set the stones. The idea is to show a phoenix rising up towards the sun and stars.

For applying the gold leaf, I'm using a Rapidoliner .18mm pen with the ink removed from the cartridge and replaced with thinned-down size. It works pretty well as long as you keep the tip of the pen wet (if you don't, it clogs and you have to buy a new one). I apply the size with the pen, then put a small piece of 23K gold leaf on the size and dab it down/brush it away with a soft brush. Repeat as necessary until all the relevant parts are gilded.

I estimate that it takes me twenty to thirty hours to complete an egg, including both the finished and the "rough draft" egg where I screw up anything I'm likely to screw up.

I actually bought six more duck eggs today, so i may wind up making a few more eggs. Dunno though--they tend to be presents for people, symbolic magic, rather than an artsy thing. (Do I mean that literally about the magic? I dunno. Think of it as a good-luck wish worked around something appropriate to the individual.)

In this case, it's simultaneously a thank-you note from me (the phoenix rising from its ashes), a wish for similar rebirth for him (he's still looking for something in his life--I hope he finds it), and a wish for prosperity. The Celtic knotwork is appropriate, since he's Irish, and one of the knots is a witch's knot, which is good luck for (or from) Wiccans.) Lots of stuff packed into a single egg.

I have also finished a new set of dye samples, this time with Washfast magenta, Sabraset (royal) blue, and Sabraset mustard (which I consider more "gold"), and on wool yarn. So now I have another 1.5 lbs of yarn in lots of different colors, that I don't know what to do with. That brings me up to 4 lbs of little skeins of yarn that I don't know what to do with. If anyone has suggestions, let me know. I know I could do tapestry or entrelac or any of a number of things with them, but they're all about the same value (darkness) so it's hard to get good light-dark contrast. I also don't particularly *enjoy* tapestry, etc., so I'm pretty much at a loss.

To answer Jo's question...

...I can get pretty much any weight of yarn on my electric spinner, though I mostly go for laceweight. The two keys are the speed at which the spinner turns and the tightness of the brake band. The slower it turns, the easier it is to spin thick yarns. The tighter the brake band, the faster it draws in and the easier it is to spin a thick yarn "long draw". (Don't overdo it--this is just cranking the tension a little bit, not a lot.)

I help my electric spinner go slower by inserting a wedge under the foot pedal (mine has a little lever that comes up out of the pedal, so this is easy)--I dont' know if your Babe has a speed control, but if it does, turn it down so it goes slower. If it doesn't, put a wedge on either side of the foot control to slow it down (you may have to turn the foot control 90 degrees to manage this). See if that works!

I have finished my round of silk dye samples (a relief--they take a LONG time because silk doesn't exhaust readily, so each batch needs to be left in the dyebath for hours) and am considering another round of dye samples, this time with wool yarn. Not sure about it, though--I have a number of other projects on tap at the moment and am not sure I can squeeze another in. (Among other things, I'm studying for the PMP exam, the project management professional certification exam, and that is taking a LOT of my time.)

But I've gotten into weaving! Last week, after staring gloomily at the PMP textbook for awhile (this thing is the best sleep-inducer I know), I decided I'd had it with PMP and I'd had it with knitting, and hauled my little tapestry loom out of the closet. I've been playing with it for the last week or so, and have been having a great deal of fun experimenting with warp and weft. I figure that since I have well over 200 small skeins of yarn in every color of the rainbow (left over from my dye experiments), tapestry weaving sounds like an excellent idea. I have a book on order that should come in sometime in the next few days. Meanwhile, I'm just futzing around.

I'm also borrowing an eight-harness table loom from a friend! This should be exciting...I had a four-harness floor loom for awhile, but sold it when I moved. I'd love to try one--there are a lot of things I can't do with this little tapestry loom, and it's getting a little frustrating.

I did consider building my own table loom, and even went so far as to mock one up with bamboo skewers and duct tape. (Never underestimate the power of bamboo skewers and cardboard; it's the fastest way to test a design that I know.) However, I couldn't figure out how to make it a folding loom, and I don't really have the house-room for one that doesn't collapse, so I'm passing on the idea for now. My woodworking skills aren't that good, so I'd just as soon not put them to the test. I *am* seriously considering building a loom by lashing bamboo pieces together, though. It won't be foldable but it should disassemble easily. I just don't know if I can get the stability I'd need--the Akha solve this problem by burying the stakes in the ground, which I can't quite manage.

Other than that it's just been knitting, knitting, and more knitting--I'm working on two shawls (one my design, one a commercial pattern) and have been using them to stay awake while studying for the PMP. They're coming along nicely. The only frustration is that the knitting needles aren't pointy enough--I'm seriously considering using sandpaper to sand down the metal needles. They're not INOX so I don't *think* I need to worry seriously about the finish...but I'm buying a spare pair just in case. (They're only $6, after all.)

Tien