Charleen's Fiberblog

Rhinebeck

The rushing around and then sitting in traffic was so worth it!

Sara, me, and Marie

Seeing good friends, picking up yarn for my new-knitter daughter, and a crisp fall day made Rhinebeck a delight!

Going to the Funny Farm!

I'm heading to the Poconos after work tomorrow.

These were from my all-too-brief visit in August.

You can even get a peek at my new Forester.

Marie sure can stir up a crowd!

After Rhinebeck on to Countrywool! Can you think of a better way to spend the weekend? I didn't think so!

Garden Accident (or that stick just Poked Me in the EYE)

Once the initial shock passed I couldn't help but think - but, Momma, I wasn't even running! Then the Flying Fish Sailors' Poke You in the Eye kept running through my head. Ouch!!

This happened Wednesday, early in the morning while I was dressed like a beekeeper so that I could rip out poison ivy. Instead of getting a lot cleaned out I had to get myself to the eye doctor. I'll spare you the gory details but the good news is there won't be any permanent damage. Since it was old, dirty, dead wood they couldn't patch it, so he cleaned it up and put a contact over the iris to act as a bandaid. I went back again yesterday and he'll see me again on Monday. My vision is starting to clear up but since this eye is still dilated and teary it's hard to do anything too detailed. I had planned on posting about my loom adjustment findings but that can wait.

So here's a little fireworks for those celebrating today!

Oh and if you like the Sailors you'll be happy to know that they are offering Remnant Stew as a free download! http://www.flyingfishsailors.com/download-remnant-stew-free

Just When You Thought It Couldn't Get Crazier

I was dealing with the aftermath of the pool table removal pretty well. I had an all day instructors meeting on Saturday and when I got home everything in our garage was out in the driveway. All the shelving units (ready to collapse at any moment) and one of the two work benches were knocked down and put in the dumpster. The huge dumpster was more than halfway loaded and they hadn't even touched the attic over the garage, family room, and laundry room. I took on that chore and was pretty brutal. There are a few piles to sort through now and then we'll be ready for to plan out the new work space and storage areas.

While this is, ultimately, a good thing, added to the basement organization, end of the year exams/projects/grades, Jackson's First Birthday (Saturday), and taking on two new grad courses to teach this summer - well, let's just say things are interesting!

I have the new loom put together, but I need to pick up some more washers and nuts for the carriage bolts. I also need a reed. Marie tells me I'll need a tensioning device and some spools for the sectional beam, especially if it's strong enough for rugs, but for now I just want to figure out some things.

Like how to wind on the warp and what some things are for. Why don't you take a look? There's a link to a second page with pictures taken after I attached the warp beam. I think that the tool hanging from the front should somehow hook into the pawl of the cloth beam to advance it, but I can't seem to do that.

Two naked looms were a little much for me but I kept getting hung up on all sorts of new things I wanted to try. Last night I just started winding a warp of an old standby, WEBS Eight-Two in Alabaster, for 2/2 twill blankets. I'm winding enough for three blankets and another 1.5 yards for sampling. I want to experiment with using one pick out of the repeat of a contrasting color and with two different size wefts. I'm using ideas I've picked up from Dixon's book and Leslie Voiers' monograph Plain Weave is Anything but Plain.

Be Careful What You Wish For

How many times have I complained, whined, and wept over the room our unused pool table was taking up in my basement studio?

Well it's gone now and here's the problem ......

Holy crap! Where did that stuff come from? I need more shelves or cabinets.

I found one bag of Shetland fleece and two bags of Finn, so it has a silver lining!

So what does any self-respecting fibernut do?

She picks up a new loom, naturally. This is an handmade (1930-40) oak, counterbalance loom. I was hoping that I could use it for rugs, but it appears that the back beam can be folded in. I'm going to see if I can replace the support with something heavier and permanent. That might make it work. I still have to figure out how to attach the warp advancing mechanism and the break. I can see where it goes because I matched up the holes but I will have to fool around with it a bit. I also need to figure out how to tie up the harnesses.

It's All About Me!!!!
Disclaimer: I am the person who broke your recipe chain letter, along with the dishtowel one. However Marie tagged me and I always listen to Marie, so here goes!

1. What was I doing 10 years ago?
Hmm, well I had all four children at home. The youngest was fifteen which meant lots of driving, to baseball games, friends' homes, etc. I also had my whole summer off so my gardens looked beautiful and I had lots of time to knit and spin. Dyeing and weaving hadn't entered my life yet.

2. What were five things on my to-do list today (not in any particular order)?
(1) Pick up Jackson after school. Play, crawl on the floor, act like a fool!
(2) Convert console table to shelves for cones of weaving yarn.
(3) Plan dyeing experiments for Sunday.
(4) Do arms routine before flab hanging from my upper arms knocks someone over.
(5) Weed.

3. What snacks do I enjoy?
Mango salsa with tortilla chips. Roasted pepper hummus. Anything salty.

4. Where are some places I've lived?
I was born in Rome, NY. I moved to Japan as a baby and lived there for two years. Then on to the Mojave Desert (Camp Irwin). My father retired from the army and after a quick stay in Oswego, NY we settled in Phoenixville, PA. As an adult I've lived in Phoenixville, Middlesex NJ, Troy MI, Boulder CO, finally settling in Audubon for the past 20 years.

5. What things would I do if I were a billionaire?
Pay off all of my children's student loans and pay for any future educational advancement for my kids and grandchildren. Quit my jobs and spend my time with family and fiber. I would be happy to stay where I am with a few upgrades - like a crew to do the heavy digging and garden prep and a nice sunny studio addition.

Consider yourself tagged! (so I don't listen all that well)

Winter Break

This post has been sitting in my queue since 12/26. I thought I would update my works in progress, but that can wait. I'm starting a marathon work session. I'll be working every weekend until the middle of February and then it will be every other weekend until the end of April. It's self-imposed and working towards the goal of semi-retirement so despite the long hours it won't be too bad.

I've been uploading tons of audiobooks into iTunes in anticipation of my travels over the next few weeks. I used to go through all of this rigamarole - import the cd, use an mp3 joiner to create one or two files, etc. Then I found this nifty little program, Audiobook Builder. For a mere $10.00 it works with iTunes to join the tracks and make one or two manageable files. So what have I been listening to lately? Lots of Kathy Reichs (Bones). I finished Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult and have My Sister's Keeper up next. I was on a big Chris Bohjalian kick. I read Midwives a few years ago and this fall read Buffalo Soldiers, Double-Bind, Before You Know Kindness. Carolyn Parkhurst's Lost and Found was wonderful, as was Dogs of Babel, although it was a little difficult to get through as I was reading it when my mother died. Both of Khaled Hosseini's books were great, A Thousand Splendid Suns and Kite Runner, which he narrated himself.

What have you been reading/listening to?

Season's Greetings!

If you haven't had enough of Jackson you can see more here.

For a nice present to yourself go to WeaveCast and download Syne's latest podcast to hear Sara talking about knotted pile.

All This in One Post

This is what happens when you take pictures but don't update your blog ...

The Fixation crew neck sweater was coming along fine but ...

Jackson is growing like a weed!

He looks like a little sausage.

The Tangled Yoke sweater seen here

is now up to the sleeve insertion point. One sleeve is done, one more to go.

The Embossed Leaves sock was too tight. I knew it but kept knitting anyway - somehow thinking that good thoughts would make it fit. I could put it on but it looked too stretched out. Rip, rip! I'm going to use the same pattern but I need to decide if I want to add a couple of purl stitches or go up from a size 1 needle to a 2.

So if I have no time, what am I doing buying fleece? I really can't answer that question except to say - wouldn't you?

Lovely lamb fleeces from Ewes in Color. A Wensleydale fleece

and a Teeswater fleece.

Part of what's keeping me so busy is that Laura bought her first house and we've been busy drywalling, sanding, and painting. My sister brought a bottle of wine to help us along, but Laura hadn't moved in her kitchen stuff - so no cork screw. One suggestion was to use a drywall screw and then pop it out. Sarah was game. First she tried a pry bar.

Then pliers.

Finally she went over to the guys next door and borrowed a corkscrew. Much easier!

Variegated Variations

Finally, I'm on the last of the False Damask variegated warp towels. These rather washed out photos don't do justice to the variety of looks I'm getting by changing up weft and treadling.

With black weft I treadled 1-8 with no repeats.

The terra cotta weft was my favorite. I used only 3 repeats each of 1-4 then 5-8, rather than the original 4 repeats.

The last two towels are striped, treadling only 1-4.
Kim's obsession with The Secret Life of Bees has led her to create a beautiful colorway which she named Tupelo Honey. While ensconced in my room (I was teaching a few hours from home) this past weekend I started Mona Schmidt's Embossed Leaves Socks from the Winter 2005 IK. Love the yarn, love the pattern!

The slightly out of focus picture captured with my iphone. While I had it out I had to snap a pic of why I'm finding teaching out of town to be a pretty relaxing weekend. I could get used to this! I just ran down the steps and there was pineapple and strawberries, oatmeal and dried cranberries. Oh my!

And just because I find it funny .... Someone sent this link to one of my psych lists. After watching that I noticed a link to the Colorectal Surgeon's Song. Come on, wouldn't you click too?

The New Normal

Even when expected, death is so difficult to deal with. I have been able to go through my life relatively unscathed by grief. I was in my thirties before any family member or close friend died. My father died 24 years ago and I think about him all the time. Every time I take out a saw I remember "measure twice, cut once"! Why did it take so long for me to learn that lesson? I've reminisced about the way he helped nurture my budding textile interests and served as a willing model of gauge-gone-wild hats before. (There's that measuring problem again)

My mom passed away two weeks ago, coincidentally (or not) on the anniversary of my father's death. While we couldn't keep her at home during the last few months we did everything we could to honor her wishes and one of us was with her every day. I do feel good about that. Now the task is to redefine normal.

Sometimes, especially during the last few months, Mom would get a little confused, but never about Jackson! She always remembered his name and when he was born. How wonderful that she got to experience and share so much with her twelve grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Speaking of Jackson (and believe me, I can!), take a look at our youngest Trick-or-Treater!

There must be twenty of these shots and in each one he's looking more and more bored with the whole thing. Finally ....

Get At It Girl!

Holy crap! I just looked at my MT menu and I've got more draft entries than I have published these last few months. I've actually been doing things but getting the pictures, writing, etc. together just hasn't been happening! So let's see if I can get rolling.

With two weeks left before school started I decided I better do some traveling! I drove up to the Funny Farm and did some trichromatic samples with Marie. If you read Marie's blog you know that I was just a little clumsy! We're trying to work our way through our Sabracon dyes.

You get a lot of muddy neutrals - which I actually like - working with 10s so I'm thinking about trying a similar triangle but using 100, 80/20, 60/40, etc. Would save on dye and I think give a very good result. Of course I haven't tried it yet. So stay tuned.

The next week found me heading up to Marie's Monday night and Tuesday morning we pulled into ....

After a short detour at Southampton Quilts, more about that later, we arrived at WEBS!

I love their Eight Twos, a really great warp spun cotton, very similar to the 2/8 from Maurice Brassard. It doesn't shed like other unmercerized cottons and has a wonderful hand. I bought 3/2 perle for a blanket for Jackson. I also picked up several different cottons, spiral, 8/4 rug warp, etc for dyeing.

Once home there was major shopping at Countrywool. I picked out some Heilo for Eunny Jang's Tangled Yoke Cardigan and Cascade220 for Ruthie Nussbaum's Minimalist Cardigan.

Some Fixation for Claudia's top down Wee Raglan (scroll way down) for Jackson fell into my bag too.

I've already finished the neckband and the short rows at the back of the neck. Now It's smooth sailing down the yoke, increasing every other row.

Sure, there were Margaritas and yarn, but really, can you beat a scene as peaceful and idyllic as this?

I'll let you in on a secret. I have a nifty new camera with a digital video setting and, just between us, I have plenty of material to make a few people squirm.....

Depending on how the blackmail proposal goes you might get to hear Marie singing selections from The Sound of Music as she models Claudia's new hat pattern.

What a great way to finish up the summer! School started this week for teachers, ninth graders come for orientation tomorrow, and after a four-day-weekend school is open for everyone.

He's Here!

Jackson Matthew arrived Thursday evening weighing 8 lbs. 2.6 oz., 21 inches long.

I got to see him for a few minutes right after he was born. Friday I went straight from work and got my hands on him! Doesn't he look enthralled with every word I said?

Here he is enjoying his first day home. I've got a portacrib set up and ready for him - I am so ready for this!

Changing Seasons

Mmmm, nothing like a rich, creamy soup to warm you up on a cold, autumn day.

I stopped at Panera Bread on the way into my mother's a couple of weeks ago and got her some broccoli cheddar soup. She loved it so much I had to try and duplicate it. I've made this several times since, usually in double batches so I can freeze single servings for her.

1 large head broccoli
2 cups onion -- sliced
4 tablespoons butter
48 ounces chicken broth
2 teaspoons oregano
1/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 cup milk
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese -- grated

Cut off florets and reserve. Chop stalks into small pieces. Add stalks, onions, and 2 tablespoons butter to dutch oven. Saute for 5-10 minutes until onions are translucent. Add half of the chicken broth and the oregano. Simmer for about 20 minutes, add florets and simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Process in food processor or blender.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in pan, add flour and stir until smooth. Add dijon mustard and white pepper. Gradually add the processed mixture and the rest of the chicken broth. Cook, stirring, until mixture begins to boil. Lower heat and add cheese. Stir in milk and heat through.

I love the fall!

That reminds me - the autumn blanket is finished. Here's the before washing photo. I finished twisting the fringe and washed it last night.

Quietly Knitting

My mother's health has begun to deteriorate. While we all knew this would be coming, she did turn 90 last spring, it has been upsetting seeing this independent, vibrant woman become so unsure of herself. (As I looked for the entry about her birthday I saw the title - strangely prophetic.) For the last three weeks we have been able to have one of us with her constantly. She sleeps most of the time so I spend most of my time knitting and listening to my iPod - and thinking way too much. She has regained enough strength that she can get up from a chair and walk to the bathroom by herself, but that doesn't keep us from pacing outside the door waiting for her to call for assistance!

My mother's wishes are to remain in her home with no heroic measures taken. The doctors and my mother have told us that hovering over her is not going to keep something from happening. So we are making sure that measures are taken to allow her to get around safely. We'll make sure that someone is there for all of her meals so that she eats well and gets her medications. Then, starting next week we will start to give her some time alone. This is what she wants and we know it, but it doesn't make it any easier.

Summer Fun

I just realized I never finished this post, so there won't be much text, just some captions. I'm working on replies about my weaving plans and will post them tomorrow.

I like to start out the summer with some new stuff. Believe it or not it helps me come up with ways to use what I already have stashed away. Here's some beautiful alpaca from Caroline's alpacas.

Hagrid is a pale caramel (I mixed up their names when I uploaded the pictures)

and Feldspar washed up to a soft white.

Just in time for summer fun is new weaving software. I decided to go with Fiberworks PCW. I being able to take a draft and then convert it to doubleweave. I'm using this draft for a couple of blankets using some of the wool I bought at WEBS this spring. I bought four big cones of Donegal in a rust, green, brown, and gold tweed.

Two books for summer reading....

and inspiration for a bunch of projects. I've already started on the PVC loom. I couldn't find all of the connectors around here. Okay, I looked at one store, then ordered online!

Finally, some yarn just waiting to be dyed. For that matter, my blanks from Machine Knitting to Dye For are getting a little impatient.

The Beginning of the End

I only have eight more days of school and since this summer I only have a couple of fairly easy online classes and one week long AP Psych class I'm looking forward to a real summer vacation. Yes, folks, I'll be weaving, sewing, spinning, dyeing, knitting, gardening, kitchen organizing, hell - I'll even throw in some attic and garage cleaning.

Despite writing exams (for my students) and papers (for my instructors) I still had some time to work on my Northcott Rib.

The other big news since I posted last was my mother's 90th birthday.

She thought only my one sister was taking her out for lunch but the rest of us took off work and met them there. Later all the grandkids and spouses stopped by for pizza and cake. Not the grandest party, but it's what she wanted.

Our present to her was to put a new roof on her house. She lives alone and would feel uncomfortable with lots of people she didn't know working on the roof. My brother has rehabbed several homes, including the one he lives in now, and thought this would be a good solution. Of course we had to pick Memorial Day weekend when the temperature was in the 90s.

The old man is in front, one of my nephews to the right, and my brother (the job foreman) on the ridge.

My oldest son, Dan, and my brother-in-law scrape the old layers of the kitchen my father added to the little ranch I grew up in.

I tried to go on the roof but punked out. My job, along with food prep, was to cut these sets so the pieces were staggered. Reminded me of strip quilting.

The supervisor watched over everthing. Yes, it was 90° but some of her meds make her feel cold. Funny, when I was growing up I never saw her wear a sweater unless she was using it as a coat.

Just in case it wasn't crazy enough, we had two little ankle biters running around the house. My daughter and niece thought it would be cute if their new dogs got to know each other. Looks like they did! (Don't worry, no damage done! My daughter's partner protected their little Bella from big, bad Marley!)

Marie and Charleen's Excellent Adventure

I had to bow out of a loom shopping trip the weekend before last so I was really didn't want to have any problems with this trip. The picture in the last post, in case you couldn't figure it out, was my laptop connecting to the internet through my Bluetooth phone. I took me hours to get the settings right but I knew I would be able to check into my course and keep up with postings and emails.

Friday afternoon I headed up to Marie's Funny Farm for the first leg of my journey. Marie had one hell of a week. She started out Monday with plans of painting a warp. Between drop in visitors and playing midwife for the birth of two sets of triplets and two sets of twins, along with a power outage, she finally had the warps painted by Thursday. I always learn something new at the Funny Farm and this time I found out that mothers can reject their young. What?? I'm so not made for life on a farm.

This poor little girl, and I'm sorry to say I can't remember her whole name but it has Fawn in it, is all of 24 hours old. Marie diapered her up and brought her into the house. The bright gold is not from the dye pot you see in the background in the picture below, but from iodine that was painted on the umbilical cord. (I probably have this all wrong, but you can correct me, Marie.)

The problem with diapers and goats is that when they get a little damp, she walks right out of them!

Saturday morning we wake up to Marie's husband's dire warnings of 6-12" of snow expected in New England. "No problem", I say, "I have a Subaru." Three and a half hours later we arrive at Mecca, um, I mean WEBS. (I think Bob was just teasing us - but there was a little snow.)

The next leg of the journey found us on our way to Claudia's Countrywool. I learned something new. When stopped for speeding in a small country town, you're not supposed to just open the door so you can retrieve your license from the back seat. Hmmm. I guess I should start watching COPS! I don't know who was more surpised - me, or the not-old-enough-to-shave policeman! I'm not sure if it was the surprise of finding two women packed into an Outback chock full of cones of yarn or what, but I was left with only a warning AND a reminder "for your safety and mine, ma'am, always ask before opening the door of your vehicle"!

Okay, that little snafu out of the way, we headed to Hudson and had a little slumber party in a yarn shop, snacking on peanut M&M's and some lovely Jacob's Creek Cabernet Merlot while checking blogs and podcasts.

After a wonderful breakfast by Claudia's live-in chef, otherwise known as the husband, Marie and I headed back to the Poconos. I dropped Marie off and got home about 48 hours (and 700 miles) after leaving. A few things followed me home from Countrywool:

Some really cool, heathery purple Cascade 220 for Claudia's Whitby Gansey.

Some wine Peace Fleece for her Northcott Rib cardigan.

That's a little oiling pen for the spinning wheel with a secure lid to keep from leaking. On the right are two skeins of Fixation cotton, with a little lycra, for a pair of socks. I saw a great little raglan made out of three skeins of Fixation that is going to be my new baby present. Quick to make, no buttons or buttonholes to bother with, and the lycra makes the neck stretch to fit easily over baby's head.

Tired? You betcha! But I'm ready to go again.

What a Nice Surprise

Last Tuesday (as in the 21st) I came home early from school with the beginnings of a sinus headache and look at what was there to cheer me up!

The lovely LadyV scored some Classic Elite Sand that she's going to use for the "No Sweat Towels for the Gym" (Design Collection 18) and she was nice enough to send some my way. Along with the Sand she sent some hand dyed tussah - so pretty - and some gorgeous Wensleydale roving. But, that's not all folks, she also sent along the cutest little book of tea bread recipes. I tried the Oatmeal Raisin bread. As soon as I get my hands on some cranberries I'm trying the White Chocolate Cranberry bread. Thanks, Vee!

Stay tuned for the next post where you'll find out how this little setup allowed me to go on a roadtrip (Marie and I hit WEBS and Countrywool) and still connect to my class.

I Must Be Doing Something Right

No school today so I spent the morning working on the thesis. Then I took a drive to the local weaving store and you'll never believe it ... there was a little cone (just over a pound) of Winter White, the same dye lot. We estimated I've got 3400 yards, more than enough to finish the warp. Houston, we've got a warp!

After a stop at the gym I celebrated the find by having a Cinnamon Spice Latte. Despite the dreary drizzle the temperatures are still not saying autumn, but the spicy latte sure does.

I tried out the Life Expectancy Calculator last weekend. It's pretty cool because it explains why you received a score and what you can do to increase your life expectancy. According to that I'm living to 88, but my personal goal is 105 so off to the gym I go. I've made it three days this week - let's hope I can keep it going this time. The other thing I'm supposed to do is get more sleep. That'll be harder than the gym since I've always considered sleep to be a waste of time.

added 06:00 10/14/05: I don't know what's up with the comments. I'll have to check it out after school.

The Silk Road

While I was reformating my computer and cleaning up my files I found the slideshow for The Silk Road, last year's Folklife Festival at the Smithsonian. It was so hot and dry last July - you felt like you were on the Silk Road with the amount of dust that was kicking up. Hard to conjure up that feeling with the cool, damp, dreary days we've been having lately. Of course, with 21 school days until vacation, I guess it's good it doesn't feel like summer.

I took the blanket off the loom. I'll post pictures after I twist the fringe and wash it.

MDSW

I had a great time at MDSW this year. My plan was to pick up a variey of fibers to stretch my spinning abilities. I also wanted to get a book on needle felting and some needles. Other than that, I was fair game!

I picked up some dyed Coopworth locks for some needlefelted tropical fish I want to make from Dyed Dreams. The woman in the booth was demonstrating knitting right from the locks and was getting a lot of attention.

Stony Mountain Fibers had brightly dyed roving and needle felting supplies. I also bought some cormo that was pin drafted by Ohio Valley Natural Fibers. Didn't figure you needed a picture of a coil of white fiber! After seeing the nice job they did on Stony Mts. cormo, I went over to talk with Don (?) about the Whitefish Bay corriedale. He explained to me how the do the pin drafting and the difference between top and roving. I understood it when he explained the different terms but don't ask me to explain it to you <g>

At the Carolina Homespun booth I found some gorgeous Merino/Tussah Silk and a few ounces each of Silk Rayon Blend, Cultivated Silk, and Soy Silk/Cashmere Blend. They were all natural colors.

Stopping by The Woolery yielded 2 oz. of Camel/Silk Top and white Firestar and a deep blue/green/fushia Metallic Mardigras.

Check out this gorgeous Bombyx top from Chasing Rainbows Dyeworks. I don't know where I heard it, but someone mentioned The Drafting Zone for processing. I stopped by their booth and picked up 8 oz. of a 80 Romney/10 mohair blend that they processed and dyed themselves. I figured it would be a good indicator of their work. Somehow a pound of Brown Sheep roving also found its way into my bag. Well, you know I need something to dye with.

August 14, 2002

After a harrowing ordeal of untangling a seven yard warp, the heddles are threaded. I'm going into school for a couple of hours this morning, and then back to sleying and weaving!

I think this blog is allowing for some introspection that I never usually give myself time for. I delivered the hooded baby sweater to its recipient and the two grandmothers were ooing and ahhing. They asked me if my mother knit and talked about their family members who worked with fibers. It got me thinking about families and how lucky I am.

There is so much hurt and pain suffered as a result of the families that people are raised in. My family and childhood was so blissful that I don't think I realized the magnitude of problems that can occur until I had children and began observing and talking with other parents. The thought of not wanting to see your parents or siblings was just so foreign to me. As my husband was transfered and we moved around, I missed not being able to jump in the car after breakfast and be at my parents before lunch. And here I was talking with women who lived 10 minutes from their family and made it a point to NOT see them. How does this fit into a fiber blog? Except for one aunt, no one in my family did anything in the way of fiber playing. Yet, when this bug hit me at the age of 8 or 9, my family did everything they could to support me.

My first real fiber present (potholder kits not included) was a Barbie knitting kit. I got a pair of red plastic needles, yarn, and instructions to make a coat and pillbox hat (ala Jackie Kennedy). Can you imagine a first time project making a coat, in pieces, for a skinny (well, not everywhere) doll? I was supposed to make a tapered set-in sleeve for a first project. After many attempts I was discouraged, but my mother came home with the green Coats & Clark How to book, and I was rolling. I never made the coat, but I knitted things, ripped it apart and knitted more, just to knit. After the yarn was shredded beyond hope, I found out you could just go to the local 5 and 10 cent store and BUY MORE!!! That little green book was my only source for a long time. I made hats, mittens, and learned to crochet from it.

Aroung 10 or 11, I decided I wanted to sew. Dad went out a bought a Singer treadle machine. He sold and repaired Hoover vacuums, and his salesman told him to start me on a treadle (can you imagine a 25 year army veteran, turned vacuum repairman, discussing his daughter's fiber interests?). Then he had it converted into an electric, ( I know, but didn't know THEN) then upgraded to a new machine, complete with cams that could do "fancy" stitches.

When my youngest sister married in 1983, my two daughters were flower girls. I made them dresses to match the bridesmaids and my father was so impressed with my talent that when he saw the new computerized Viking on the Today show a week or two after the wedding he called me. Now my father HATED the phone. When I called from college he
would say, "How are you? Here's your mother". So a phone call from PA to Michigan was unusual to say the least. He told me to find that machine and buy it, he would pay for it. Maybe that doesn't sound so extraordinary to you, but he died a week after I picked up that machine. I never finish anything early (you know, hemming in the car and the way to the event), but that year I had a new machine, and all the Halloween costumes (for 4 kids) were done a week before they were needed. That machine is will be 19 years old this fall, and I still feel so close to him when I set it up.

This reminiscing started with a comment on ST about different machines, but really got me on a roll. I was going through old pictures and found a picture of my father, with one of my first crochet projects. I was very impatient, and never bothered with gauge. I thought I was going to have a hat for my little sister and stayed up all night working on it. He got up around 5:30 and we decided it may be a little TOO big for her. Sort of like the sweater I knitted for my husband (to-be) which was too big for my 275 pound cousin! As I look back, I realize that some things stay the same, as others change. I am much more patient with the sampling, gauging, etc. in fact, that is sometimes as far as I get, because it's the most fun!! BUT, I'll still stay up to the wee hours if I'm really into a project. And I'm still the happy recipient of fiber support, only now it's usually in the form of gift certificates and magazine subscriptions.