Stasia's Place Of Grace

Monday, June 07, 2004

 

Spindle-Rama!

I have been spindling like a madwoman lately! What have I been using?

My Cascabeles spindles by Gabe Jaramillo!

As I'd written recently on the Spindlers list, perhaps, like me, you had tried these when they were first introduced and you weren't totally head-over-heels. Well, I urge you to try them again now!

Gabe has worked very hard and listened to spinners' preferences in order to develop these wonderful, hard-working spindles, which are also gorgeous examples of the woodworker's art. They are now unique in all of Spindledom!

Stasia's Cascabeles Collection

Here you can see how the undersides of the whorls are now "dished out" for great balance and spinnability. Technical term, that. ;-)

I've been trying to "spin fat" lately and the two big ones are just perfect for it. The tiny one with stained decoration, at .6 oz., is perfect for silk!

Gabe uses woods I haven't seen elsewhere; each spindle is one of a kind and really has an individual personality. If you like spalted, figured, wormy, or rare woods, Gabe's your man! He uses lovely beads and stones on some of his spindles, and his Native American-inspired designs will leave you breathless.

Gabe is also an all-around, nice human "bean"! If you order, or just browse his site, please be sure to tell him, from me, that I love my Cascabeles!

Now I just need some pi�yon incense, a prickly pear cactus margarita, some Churro wool, and I'm all set!

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I'm working on combing and spinning Shetland wool for a sweater for Jeff, and for that project, my spindles of choice are Tabacheks. Here are a lovely Koa (left) and Bubinga (right):

I have truly become a combing addict. Once you get it down, it's as much fun as spindling! How neat to see the dirt and chaff fall away from the fiber, and a smooth tops emerge through your diz...

In other news, what could tempt the lovely Claudia as much as an orangey-purple fiber, and orangey spindles?

Fiber by Bountiful: Alpine Meadows "Colorado Sunset"
Spindles by Bosworth: Tulipwood and Chakte Vega

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This is my nifty Andean Plyer from Pauline's dad at PJ Handcrafts. At first I thought it was just another fun accessory to add to my spinning collection, but I was surprised at how efficient this thing is to use!

My orangey singles are resting on it now, to "set" before I ply them.

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Speaking of orangey, I finished the curry-colored baby sweater from a pattern in Erika Knight's "Simple Knits For Cherished Babies":

It went very quickly and easily; I enjoyed making it. The book is "clean" in terms of appearance and design - perfect if you don't know the coming baby's gender.

Though the knitting part was fun, I have always hated seaming. Enter Nancie M. Wiseman's "The Knitter's Book Of Finishing Techniques". Voila! Nice seams - the side one is even inivisible! The book is great - spiral-bound so it lays flat while you work. Don't knit without it!

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Non-Fibery Happenings...

Looking for a good Father's Day gift? This DVD is adorable. It's a Ken Burns film, narrated by Tom Hanks - how can you go wrong with that?

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Whenever Jeff goes overseas, he gets a taste for traditional European cooking. Hence, here we have Jeff, Dave, and Dianna at the zakuski (Russian for "appetizer") table.

Jeff made homemade herring in cream sauce and in mustard sauce, deviled eggs with homemade mayonnaise, platters of Polish sausages and cheeses (there is no Russian deli nearby!), caviar on bread with butter, pickles, and other assorted goodies. The feast was completmented with Tattinger champagne and Belarussian vodka. As they say in Belarus, Na zdarovye!

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Gratitude For Today...

Getting really filthy - grittily dirty - in the garden, and showering with Crabtree & Evelyn's Goatmilk body wash (I use it for shampoo, too!)

...then hopping into cool summer pajamas to relax in the evening.

Birds singing at twilight.

Sitting on a wooden bench, worn out from good work in the dirt, enjoying the visual fruits of one's labors, so tired that the mind has no room for worries.

A garlic and rosemary-encrusted pork roast for dinner. Fresh, home-grown arugula from the garden. St. Sup�ry Sauvignon Blanc. A husband who loves to cook, even during the Stanley Cup playoffs!

Vermicomposting. Nice little worms that eat my food scraps and make compost for me, in a vented Rubbermaid tub in my mud room. Easy, clean, odorless... what fascinating creatures! Get them from an organic farm...

Spindle makers. Thank goodness for spindlemakers in today's world!

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May you have a peaceful summer evening!

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