This is my first ever handspun on my JOY.

The fiber is 100% merino top that I dyed. I have been loving the blues lately.

Needless to say, like the good fiber - junkie that I am, I am hooked. Hooked, hooked, hooked!

I even snuck in about 30 minutes of spinning before I started my day.

I think it is so funny… this common fiber addiction we all share. I have been referred to (in reference to the C*EYE*BER Fibers) a crack dealer and a pusher, but really friends…I am an addict just like you.

Many thanks to Amie, Coleen, and CAm for clapping when I got her… I felt like I had just bought a Saturn! Special thanks to Amie for those first lessons at the Mannings and for really encouraging me to find the right wheel. Amie, I have found her and I am in love. *sigh*

I had a couple of dates today…..

Coleen, my cowboy, and I did the express tour of the National Aquarium . Now… you should probably spend more time there than we did… but the cowboy had a NEED to see a few select displays (Nemo… the sharks with the big teeth, the red bird). Coleen was happy to see the rays… and I was glad to be having a better mommy day than most.

We picked up CAm and drove to meet Amie at Jennings… my favorite cafe ( I use that term loosley) in Catonsville. We all enjoyed a nice lunch of chatting while picking up the car the cowboy inevitably could not keep on the table. Well…at least they didn’t mind me groping under their chairs while they ate.

After our repast (oh so fancy!), we headed to Cloverhill so the cowboy could pick out the yarn for the birthday sweater that CAm makes him (every year since before he was born). As I walked in the door… Chris, the owner, said she was there…. who is she???

If you need to reach me…. you will know where to find me…..

Here we go!
No!
No one…
No one!
No way!
Gonna stop, now; go!

(STOP by Jane’s Addiction)

That is how I feel tonight…. Mama has many, many irons in the proverbial fire. All of them great…. all of them needing energy and attention.

(did I ever mention I have a day job and a family??)

So…HERE WE GO!!

- The SEA Socks Cruise is gaining momentum every day. I am so excited when I check in with Patricia about new developments….. Come sailing with us!

-Only ONE more spot in the Fall Sock Club!!! Come and get it!

- I have a Canadian distributor fpr C*EYE*BER FIBER Sock…. I am so excited. She is getting the site up and running at the moment. I will announce as soon as she goes live with it. There will be an initial 7 colorways that will be available only there… I am so excited.

- I have some roving and new skeins of yarn for sale here.… WARNING…. if no one buys the Ocean Mist by tomorrow I may keep her…. because…..

-MY JOY is due in to the shop tomorrow!!! I am so excited!! I have a wheel… I have a wheel…..

(UPDATE: NO WHEEL…. my LYS called Ashford and they LOST the order… aghhhhhh! Welll… they are 3 day express-ing one… but..now Tuesday is my anticipated date….. BUMMER!)

Now… if man did not need sleep…. I could accomplish all of my goals more efficently!

How to have SOX on the beach!! I am making some headway!

Beau also knows….

ROVING!!! Just in time for PS JULY… All are for sale and ready to ship!

More to come…..

I am going out of my mind. I have been plotting, planning, and obsessing about wheels. After a long conversation with the owner of my LYS, and Amie, I had pretty much made up my mind. The JOY DT won. I spun on it at the Mannings and loved it. It is compact and can be put away from a curious almost three year-old. It wins.

So, I left said conversation with the intention of waiting until June 30th to start the process of buying. I was all set until my friend, Julia, showed the most beautiful green yarn spun on her JOY. I was driving to pick up the cowboy today, called 411 on my TREO, and asked Chris from Cloverhill to hold the JOY she has on order for ME. I am weak friends. I am weak…. must be all the talk about SPIN OUT. (A collective HUGE postitive thought to the folks in NYC to stay dry, OK? EVERYONE….. think that NOW!)

So the wheel is mine for the paying. I have the most wonderful husband in the world…. I told him about my caving… and he said it was time for her to come home. He actually must be tired of my endless jabber about wheels and spinning. I love that man of mine!

I would like you all to know that there are steaming piles of purple yarn all over Chez’ Mama. That’s right! Beau is almost finished! One more night of a few Beau and some loose skeins of various other colorways and she will be ready to be reskeined and packaged for shipping. Ship date July 1.  Whoo hoo!!

I have some stuff that I am working on…. I can mention some now and have to save some for later….

What I can mention is the SEA SOCKS cruise is having an overwhelmingly positive response!!! I can not believe that we have so many bookings in week one! Get your reservations in soon friends! $200.00 holds your cabin. Not bad!

My LYS has ordered C*EYE*BER Fiber Sock to go in their inventory! I am so excited. I am developing a custom colorway for them that will only be sold there! The yarns should hit by mid-late July.

That is all for now…whew! Remember: a huge collective positive thought needs to go to the SPIN OUT NYC weather god/dess……..

 

 

I have been seriously neglecting some posts that I have been meaning to get around to. Yes… most of my posts lately have been about C*EYE*BER Fibers and cruises……

Today is about long overdue thank-yous and WIP’s.

Thank you to my secret pal… I have no photos of your packages as a whole. I do, however, have a picture of what I am doing with your gift.

That is 30 yards of merino/silk 2-ply handspun. Made with my little fingers on my little drop spindle. I am enjoying myself tremendously.

The next thank you goes out to Lorene, my dye-o-rama pal.

Not only a beautifully hand-painted skein of yarn for me….

It was named for me! I am honored. I also received some great coordinating stitch markers and a beautiful batt of sparkly fiber! I love it. There was chocolate…but…..

And on to my new friend to the north. David Demchuk was looking for some peaches and creme to compare to the Canadian alternative. I sent him a wee package of ombres and a skein of C*EYE*BER FIBER… and he sent me this….

OMG!!! I can not keep my hands off of this. 70% silk/30 % Seacell ,100g of sexy laceweight goodness. I am in love…. what lace to knit? I think she may become Eunny’s Print O’the Wave Stole…

And if that wasn’t more than enough….

The man sent me  KOIGU. David, you are a prince among princes!

(OK… I have a HUGE soft spot for my male knitting buddies… right CriminyJickets?)

Alright…on to my WIP’S….

You all saw BEAUREGARD in her beginning state. I am saving her for my quick ocean getaway next week. She will probably have her mate by the time I get back.

This is the new WIP I am especially proud of:

This is the cowby’s next knitted gift. Do you see that this is FAIR ISLE?? I love this. I really love working the chart and seeing the pattern come alive. Makes me want to knit some argyle socks.

Here is the finished product:

Thanks to Coleen for bringing the pattern to my attention at the Mannings. I am so jumping on her bandwagon. If you didn’t already know… she knits a mean chicken!

Thanks so much for all of your generous gifts and support of C*EYE*BER FIBERS. This fiber-based internet village that I dwell in is a great place. It has brought me such inspiration and kindness. There are few things better in life than human kindness.

So…. Happy THURSDAY FRIENDS! One day left of the work week…….

 

I have been a bundle of shakes since Saturday…….. crazy, nervous, EXCITED shakes.

I spun on a wheel. I loved spinning on a wheel. I MUST BUY A WHEEL! NOW. My whole being felt right with the silly thing. (They are pretty silly, troll-like (as per Amie) looking things)

Now, I have to sell a lot more yarn to get my girl home. I also need to settle on the girl. Here is where you come in!

I need some advice on wheels. I am between the Ashford Joy and the Ashford Traveler. Send me your thoughts on your wheels. I just need some good, sound spinning advice.

I will have an update on yarns tomorrow. I love, love, love these colorways. Come check them out and *emabarrassing plea* buy them up. I am going to be dyeing like a madwoman until I can buy the wheel.

There are only 9 spots left in the Socks for All Seasons Fall Club!!! Come and get them!!!!

I have a super secret project in the works…. I AM SO EXCITED IF THIS THING COMES THROUGH!! I will spill the beans as soon as I can… until then… keep guessing!

Phyllis, the laptop, has not called home to say she has been discharged yet… that is why I have no pics in the post. Thanks to my SECRET PAL for the cute lantern…. remoinds me of coastal Maine! I have been spinning the wool/silk top you sent and have my first 2-ply handspun! 30 yds… but growing… I couldn’t help myself from stopping and plying it is so beautiful!

 

 

Did you know that I am a SP8 hostess??? And.. lame-o that I am… It has taken me this long to show pictures of my spoils. May I present my very first 2 ply handspun yarn! This is a beautiful steel grey wool/silk blend top spun by moi on a top whorl hand spindle. I LOVE LOVE LOVE spinning. I am sunk! Thanks SP8!

I find the act of spinning so gratifying… one of the few things that quiets my brain these days. I am just spinning until the spindle is full…. or the fiber runs out. I have some amazing tussah silk to try.

Thanks Friend!