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Dropping a Line
At the beginning of September, I got an email asking if I could spin linen fishing line. I’ve been spinning linen thread/yarn, so from a technical perspective, it wouldn’t be too different. The site that was requesting it had a bamboo fishing pole event scheduled for the end of the month. Folks could stop by and try their hand at fishing with 19th century style fishing poles and hooks. I asked for a sample that I should try to match, how much they were looking for, and a deadline. I had about 300g of unbleached flax top on hand, so I wasn’t terribly worried about having the necessary supplies. This…
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A Question of Motivation
Here we are at the very end of August 2021, and I’m feeling like I’ve simultaneously gotten nothing and a bunch of things done over the course of the year so far. When it comes to fiber arts related things, I feel like I’ve made really good progress. I’ve completed six challenges (some self-selected and some from outside sources, which is way more than my goal of three challenges), and I’m making a bit of a dent in my fiber stash without buying too much just because it’s pretty. I’ve gotten the newest antique wheel repaired (hopefully more on that later). I’m maintaining a fairly consistent “making” habit, though I…
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Dropping a Line
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Do All The Things!
Apparently June/July has turned into a chunk of time where I try to do everything. All at once. I signed up for the Livestock Conservancy’s Wrap It Up Shawl Challenge (June 16 to July 14). I didn’t pick out my pattern/yarn until the 16th (and had to wait for the yarn to be delivered), so I didn’t get started knitting until about a week later. I opted to knit the Reflection Line Shawl by Tetiana Otruta, as I’ve knit it once before and knew about how long it would take. But since the recommended yarn did not match the yarn Leicester Longwool yarn that I purchased from Gypsy Mountain Farm,…
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Dropping a Line
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One Year Later
A lot of folks have written things over the last week(ish) about where we are a year into the Covid-19 pandemic. I can’t really speak to the science, the public health, or societal effects, but I can talk about the effects that it’s had on me over the last 12 months. This may drift around and ramble a bit, but I’d say that’s what the last 12 months have been like in general – bouncing from one random bit of chaos to another, with some things seeming to go on forever. I’m generally pretty good about staying up on the news, so I was watching the emergence of Covid-19 somewhat…
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Dropping a Line
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A Year Without Events
I certainly didn’t expect 2020 to be ending this way, and looking back at my post from May, I really wasn’t prepared for *everything* to be cancelled (either officially or unofficially because it seemed too risky to me). I’ve finally managed to finish the dark blue check linen apron I started ages ago. The cap and the patchwork pocket are still not finished, and I’ve added an embroidered pocket and a flame stitch pinball to my pile of history projects. There’s even some modern embroidery there. I finished a couple of books, but added even more to the stack. And we won’t even start on the spinning projects that are…
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Dropping a Line
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Topsy Turvy
I’d started a long update entry a couple months ago, but this definitely isn’t it. I’ll edit that post (heavily) and put it up (eventually), but I thought a post acknowledging that things are Very Much Not Normal Right Now was a bit more appropriate. As much as I’ve tried to act like things are totally manageable, sometimes they just aren’t. In so many ways, I’m very lucky that nothing major has changed for me as the COVID-19 pandemic has swept its way around the globe. My corner of North Carolina has seen cases, but it’s not been as hard hit as some of the other major metropolitan areas. Most…
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Dropping a Line
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With A Little Help From My Friends
Looking at the calendar, it’s already shaping up to be a busy summer. At least one event (usually more) every month between now and the end of October. I’m really looking forward to them – some are at new sites, and some at sites I’ve been going to for years. I’ll be talking about historic clothing, spinning, cooking, and medicine from the 18th and 19th centuries. I love doing living history, but between the clothing, gear, food, and travel costs, going to these events isn’t exactly cheap. Most of the time, I’m a volunteer at these sites, so I’m carrying all of these costs. As a result, I’ve set up…
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Dropping a Line
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Finding a Bit of Motivation
At times, it can be hard to motivate myself to make time to work on the various creative projects that I’ve got floating around when I’ve got competing work and home demands (plus those whole eating healthy, getting to the gym, and sleeping things). I’ve currently got a scarf on the needles, and four spinning projects (two on drop spindles and two on spinning wheels). And of course I’ve got a couple fleeces to process and plenty of other bits of fluff on hand ready to spin. So when someone in one of the spinning groups I’m in on Facebook created a couple of 100 Day Projects (#100DaysOfFiberArt and #100DaysOfSpinning),…
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Dropping a Line
