Oklahoma is to Dye For

A couple of weeks ago, there was a master spinners course being taught in Sulphur, Oklahoma by instructors from Oldes College in Alberta, Canada. They added on a 100 Colors Dye Workshop which our favorite spinner Judi mentioned and Susan, Doreen and I jumped on it like pigs into mud.

Susan slept over while we waited for Doreen to finish her night shift at the hospital, then took off in the dark of night so to arrive in Sulphur for the beginning of class, a bit the worse for wear, albeit with a yummy healthy breakfast at a McDonalds somewhere near the Texas/Oklahoma border. And the class was not playing around at all. We dove into some serious work, masked and gloved, mixing colors, toting canning pots full of jelly jars around to available burners, boiling, draining, spinning dry, etc. etc.

The principal of the course was that we took three primary colors, then mixed 100 colors from them, as you can see above.
Ellen Munro was our taskmaster/teacher. She was reeling off information at lightning speed. Being rather quiet, we had to follow her with ears cocked and notebooks in hand to catch every pearl of wisdom she offered.
Here's Doreen slaving over a hot stove. She was quite the ace at this since we did our measuring with medical syringes. She has obviously had a lot of practice.
We paired off to do our work. Each pair was responsible for 14 colors. I got the lovely Rina as my partner and enjoyed every minute of working with her. In fact, a nicer group of women you couldn't have found anywhere. They came from all over the country.

After mixing all the colors and dyeing our sample skeins, we were allowed to exhaust the remaining dyes on our own fibers. Here were some interesting rovings and skeins dyed with various techniques.

Here is the skein I painted. I'm quite happy with the colors and learned about a product which really helps keep the color in place. It's so funny, when I buy clothes, I always choose subtle colors. But when I buy or dye yarn, it is usually outrageously colorful.

Our thoroughly exhausted threesome limped out at the end of the day to our shared room at the nearby Indian owned motel, where we immediately crashed and burned. Waking an hour or so later to the smells of curry wafting through the halls (an odd smell for Sulphur, Oklahoma) we left to have dinner way out in the boonies with friends. Following them through beautiful landscapes on narrow wildly winding roads, we eventually tumbled onto this treasure.....Steve's Steak Barn.
Here are Carol, Roiana, Susan and Doreen standing in front of the above mentioned establishment in the middle of bloody nowhere. Starving one and all!

We had elaborate decor.
Exotic water features (note the hound puppy drinking from the outdoor shower/bathtub).

Even more exotic locals arrived on strange machines.

Susan seriously risked taking home an adorable kitty with extremely sharp needle like claws.

Gotta tell you, though we swatted lots of flies off our corn on the cob, Steve's steaks were pretty fabulous, as was Steve. Evidently, he had a huge crowd that night, a couple of staff didn't make it, and Steve solved the problem by inviting his biking buddies for kitchen duty in exchange for beer. Not sure how clever that was, but it was rather hilarious. We found our way back home with a different scenic route, not quite so curvy, and by 9PM, we were all snoring.

The next day's class consisted of cutting all of those color samples into tidy little strips, tying them neatly onto pages, then using everyone's work, assembling books of samples with the formulae that we could refer to in the future.

Wouldn't have missed this for the world.

On Becoming an Orphan

Some things just have to be said. I was trying to avoid posting sad news on the blog, but it seems I can't get back to talking about knitting until I honor "my old guy".

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/dfw/obituary.aspx?n=david-james-andrews&pid=125828660

My father passed away last week, just after the stroke of midnight on his 90th birthday. During the last year, when he said he might not be around much longer, I always replied that he had to make his 90th because I was throwing a party. Then after the cake, we would discuss 91. Well, he made it. It was quite a shock to me to lose him now, although I suppose at 90, one shouldn't be surprised at anything. But what seemed to be a mild pneumonia turned out to be something much more serious. He was surrounded by those he loved, a good end to a good life.

My father LOVED his family, they were very close. Eight boys and one girl. The two youngest are missing from this photo taken when my father was 4, second from the right.

His mother saw him off to war with the Air Force in 1942.

Here he is in the fifties with his brother Dana and Greer Garson.

The last few years, there were only two of the tribe left, my father and his youngest brother Steve. Now there is only Steve. Although Steve couldn't travel from California to be with his brother that last week, he called every day and the two reminisced with laughter and tears.

There was an honor guard to send off this veteran of two wars.

My father certainly wasn't perfect, but he never told a lie and he never intentionally hurt anyone (although that bit about not telling even a white lie sometimes had that effect). He was an idealist. He remembered every date of everything ever. We shared a love of words and language and history and art and classical music. We had crossword puzzle challenges; even the last few months when he had lost much of that incredible memory, we would do the puzzles together. When I quit piano for ballet, he was so furious that he sat down with my books and taught himself to play, only Chopin for the first 25 years until he retired and finally began lessons. Perhaps three days before he died, my neice and I were sitting with him near midnight. Suddenly he began joking and teasing us and the nurse and it was my father of the old days, sharp and lucid and funny. After half an hour of this amazing gift, he fell asleep and the next day it was gone, but what a lovely memory he gave us.

My friend José Feghali played a Chopin nocturne at his service, so beautiful it brought everyone to tears. I miss him.

Here Comes the Rain

Sheer joy, the rain came and it stayed...for several days. The whole landscape is coming alive here. Now if that rain would just come back once a week, we might escape terrible drought and not turn into desert. When said rain first came well past midnight Wednesday morning, I went out to dance in it, well actually I was hauling the recycling bin out to the street for early morning pick-up, but I surely enjoyed every drop nonetheless.

I'm still slogging away on my Soho scarf, finishing skein 3 (1200 yds) and about to crack open skein 4 (1600yds). The pattern only called for 1,000 yards but I fear that would have been a bit short. Skeins 1, 2 and 3 are each very different colors as you might be able to see in the above photo. I will divide skein 4 to finish the two ends and I'm hoping it will look artfully intentional. In any case, I'm having to flog myself into finishing this project before even thinking about another. My fingers are itching for socks.

Stocking up for Sock Madness III, which starts next Thursday, I garnered some Sanguine Gryphon Eidos. Isn't it luscious? I haven't knit with this yet, but am excited to try. I think three of the designs will call for at least two colors, so as any good boy scout, I'm prepared.

Another gorgeous skein from the Sanguine Gryphon is this Sappho Laceweight in Come to Me From Crete. Be still my beating heart. And Gryphon is a delight to deal with.

Things are really heating up on the Sock Madness Forever board on Ravelry. The teasers we have seen of the mystery designs look devilishly challenging. I'm suspecting my cousin Mountain Mom is responsible for one of them. The cheerleading squad led by Celtic Memory Jo is in full force, getting quite whacky with excitement. The Droll Eclectic, who is at a sort of boot camp/school upgrading her training to protect her country, has figured out a way to have three young guys coach her on her tests while she speed knits socks. Now if those guys were wearing kilts, it would be a pretty picture indeed and probably quite inspiring.

These balls and bits used to be the shawl below. Two skeins of Prism Wild Stuff, which might be too wild for me these days. In any case, a cat somehow caught on the shawl, panicked and ran, hooking the shawl on a piece of antique wicker. Cat escaped harm, shawl did not. Very large hole was pulled in shawl. Shawl is now balls, waiting for an idea.

KnitTx, Doreen and yours truly are plotting and planning for our dye workshop in Oklahoma next week-end with a gaggle of psyched spinners. A drive through the Arbuckles to finish our journey in Sulphur. 100 colors in one day plus another day's work on a detailed notebook. We're doing some creative time management to suit everyone's schedules, but think we can arrange to arrive at dawn in reasonable condition for a day's work. Three camera nuts so we should be able to document the whole experience. Promising you a full report!

Of Blooms and Kittens and an STR Rooster

For those of you in the frozen North, who can't imagine anything but snow and ice, let me show you what flourishes in winter in North Texas.

Monkey-faced pansies are a winter flower here, protected only when the temps drop into the teens, Farenheit that is. By March or so, it is just too warm for them and we bid them fond farewell until the weather crisps up in the fall.

This Japanese Magnolia thinks it's spring in mid-February, foolish tree. It froze again last night, though just barely.Cyclamens bloom in the pots in front, covered only when it drops below freezing. For years I thought they were a delicate hothouse plant. In New Orleans, I would bring them home to live indoors as I was told and watch them croak after a week or so. Little did I know they were truly a rather hardy outdoor plant.

My goodness, the flowers just kept coming on Valentine's Day. The doorbell rang and rang with still another delivery. Aren't they just beautiful? No chocolates, though.

The base of the orchid arrangement was particularly lovely, sprouting into 4 foot bamboo canes.

Have we knit lately Chez Angeluna?

Yes, indeed. Here be the finished Leyburns. My sock knitting Mojo is back with a vengeance after a year's hiatus. There is a Socks That Rock Leyburn KAL on Ravelry. The idea being to knit the Leyburn pattern in as many colors of STR as possible. There are well over 100 pairs done so far, one more beautiful than the next.Mine are in Mid-Weight STR, Chanticleer from my stash, knit on 2.5mms, 66 stitches on the cuff. They fit well and are incredibly cushy. Look at the sole, Chanticleer has speckles, most unusual for STR.

Here is the skein. It knit up in quite unexpected fashion, at least a surprise to me.

And I started the Morning Surf pattern in Micki's gorgeous handspun, 56 stitches, size 6s. The skein had been sitting in plain sight for months, waiting for the right pattern to claim it. Not so spectacular on the needles, but blocked, it will be fantastic. Micki's policy is that if you haven't knitted a skein by your next birthday, you don't get another one. No problem here. This pattern is addictive. Micki used the same pattern in a scarf for herself and it was obviously the perfect pattern, from Spin-Off by the way, designed for handspun yarns.

And I'm working on Soho again. Frustrations with the pattern seem to be resolved. Received another skein of Plain and Fancy from Grayce, which will be needed. Should you be thinking of making that pattern, plan on more yarn than the pattern calls for. I'm using 600 yards more. It's still a bit of a blob in photos, so I'll wait until it's further along to show it off. Soon, soon.

Many of you have asked if my kitten has arrived. Well, the blue tabby/white bicolor is not going to happen. I'm a bit heartbroken as I so anticipated his arrival, but unexpectedly, an important breeder claimed him and it would have been unfair to my friend to have to refuse the deal. She said she would make me another one, or let me have one that she already has.

Like perhaps this little guy out of Grand Champion Regional Winner Black Jack of Jude. He's a Seal Point Himalayan and he never stops purring. He's four months now. I'm not getting attached until another top breeder takes her pick of the litter.

He's one of this litter that we call the "Full House". Three Seal Point boys and two black girls, all show quality. How cute is that?

The Ice Storm Cometh, and Leaveth Soon I Hope

It's been so long since I've blogged, I wonder if any of you are still out there?

Can you believe, it's freezing here? All night long I heard the sound of frozen rain falling. Good coating of ice on the roads making for some spectacular (and spectacularly stupid) wrecks shown on the morning news. Schools are closed. It looks like this outside.

The squirrel baffle on the bird feeder looks like a tasseled lampshade. I did fill it and shortly thereafter I had trees full of birds waiting in line, some I hadn't seen in a while. Two sorts of woodpeckers, chickadees, cardinals, titmice, doves. I couldn't thaw out the birdbaths, though. I poured in warm water, but it was frozen solid in minutes.

It is quite pretty though. The ground is white, but it's an inch of ice, not snow. The squirrels are clawing at it to get to their food. It should melt off this afternoon, but no driving for me until it does. I live on top of a steep hill and there's really no good way down as long as it's slick.

What did I do last week-end you ask? Well, perhaps you didn't but I'll tell you anyway. I went to the CFA cat show in Mesquite. We are down to the one "local" show a year and I hadn't been to one in ages.

My friend Anita was grooming up this gorgeous little girl for the ring, kitten class. She did very well indeed.

She's a rare chocolate tabby out of a regional grand champion, Jude's Rocky Road, FIRST CHOCOLATE CLASSIC TABBY EVER TO GRAND IN CFA. FIRST CHOCOLATE OR LILAC EVER TO BE CFA'S SECOND BEST OF BREED NATIONALLY.

And here is Judy grooming up Jude ROCK THE LINE OF DREAMZ aka Linus. He's a Chocolate Lynx-point Himalayan and just out of kitten class.

Here's Linus ready to go into the ring. Wow! Judy's grooming is peerless.

And here he is with some of his ribbons of the day.

And this little bit is Jude's Wave, a Tortie Lynx Point Himmy also out of Rocky Road. She was the tiniest kitten in the show at 4 months.

Judy has decided I need a kitten to cheer me up and has picked out a precious 8 week old boy, blue tabby and white Bi-Color out of that same famous Rocky Road. I'm rather delighted because all of the Rocky boys have the sweetest temperaments imaginable. It all started with Rocky Raccoon, a champion who sired Rocky Road, a not quite two year old who has sired multiple champions including the adorable Chip off the Old Rock (aka Chippy). These cats are all such lover boys that they kiss the judges and roll over on the show table for tummy rubs. They are quite famous for this. So I shall need a name for the new boy, ideas welcome. There's nothing like a kitten to make you smile. Just waiting another month or so. He needs to be weaned and learn to eat. His sister is doing well at the eating bit, but my little boy just wants his Mommy still. His photo is probably in the kitten section at Jude Persians if you want to take a look. I just checked and indeed he is at the top of the kitten page 2 with his black and white sister.

The caption is "He's not heavy, he's my brother."

OK, let's hear some names. His Father is Rocky Road and his mother is Tallulah. My other boy is Galatoire and another we had was Tujagues, both New Orleans restaurants. Somewhere I made a list of restaurants, but the only one that comes to mind right now is Yuglesitches (sp?) and I just don't think this little boy could wear that.

Knitting? Well yes.

This is the Nancy One Skein Shawl from Schaefer in Julia Child. Quick and a delight to knit, and wonderful to wear because of the curved neckline and the tails. This was my second one.
Here is the first one that I finished at Christmas. The colorway is Dian Fossey.

You can see that the back is not long and pointed, but makes a gentle curve. Just love them both.

And here is a cowl in Schaefer that I did a year ago, but forgot to document or photograph until now. Actually it was lost, but now it's found. It's a made up pattern and is really perfect for this weather.

And here is a sock I started a couple of days ago. It is the Leyburn done in STR Chanticleer Mediumweight on size 2.5mm needles. I reduced the stitch count to 66 and knit cuff down, so I suppose they are Leyburn in stitch pattern only. They are quite thick because of the slipstitch pattern, but so far are fitting quite well. To be honest, they didn't fit at all at first, but I kept knitting and suddenly the Knitting Fairy waved her magic wand and they fit beautifully. I've finished the first heel and am picking up for the gussets, so we shall soon see if they fit over my arches. Sure hoping they will. I got sucked into these as a KAL where people are trying to knit up as many colorways of STR possible in the Leyburn pattern. Worth a look on Ravelry. Pretty amazing colors and interesting to see all the different ways knitters went about making the same pattern.
Another KAL is with my Sisters of the Wool group. Several of us set about knitting SOHO mostly with yarns we bought at Kid n Ewe. Most are from Plain and Fancy in their incredible DK weight that resembles Malabrigo. Susan is using Brooks Farm Solo Silk, Grace is using up some glittery stash and I can't remember what Angele is using. They all look wildly different. And you should hear the cursing about the pattern. It is really quite simple, only the instructions are confusing. My main problem is simple sloppiness. But I think that will soon be a thing of the past as I'm nearly off the mitered center section.

Here it is looking like a grand lump on the circulars, but with one more row, I'll bind off and start knitting the sides, so we'll be able to see what it looks like.

And here is a Thorpe that I made for my niece in freezing Brooklyn. Love Thorpe. Here I've used Noro's Big Kureyon with a Highland Wool edging. Yes, that's crochet. In this photo you can see my edging choices. Were it me, I would have gone with the pumpkin color, but for my niece, I decided the brown heather was the safest choice. The colors are showing too bright in these photos. Here's the finished hat.
And here is Taya modeling the finished version. My niece is quite thin and tall with micro short hair, so it will look quite different, but equally good I hope.

Some sad news, our lovely LYS, Yarns Ewenique, is closing after only two years. They have done so well, but one of the partners has to move to California and the other wants to move to a cabin at the lake. They had a wonderful atmosphere in the shop, a good selection of yarns in good quantity and a wall of knitting tools and needles that was matchless.

More to come, hope you are all warm and toasty.