Winter Is Messy. Also, Some Other Stuff.

Winter is nature's way of saying, "Up yours." ~Robert Byrne

It's been a long week. When it rains in L.A., it snows here. It's been raining a lot in L.A.

I haven't left the house since...when? When was the last time I left the house?! Maybe it was to go to Cynde's party. No, wait. We helped Christina move on Sunday last, so it's only been six days. Six loooooong days. I think Taylor and I are beginning to get a little nutso with the Cabin Fever. I spent a buttload of money on craft supplies this afternoon, because we decided we needed something different and nifty to do, and all most of our other supplies are buried in storage somewhere in Oxford. I'm guessing they're going to stay there until Spring. The UPS dude (or dudette, whatever) will be bringing us all sorts of goodies to make incense, soap, lip gloss, wool wash, and bath bombs. You know why? Because I cannot do fiber arts all the frickin' time. (Blasphemy!) Also, I gave myself tendonitis with all the dyeing/spinning/knitting, so I need a change of pace. Specialization is for insects!

Icicles of doom. They broke a window downstairs when they fell, sending snow, ice and glass all over the computer area. Fortunately, no one was sitting there at the time. Now we have sexy styrofoam instead of a window.

The weather has been a bit of a drag, but there's other stuff nagging at me this week. We lost our friend Emma earlier this week. She had been very ill, so it was not unexpected, but still. She was a fun, feisty, awesome lady. She adored her children. She loved her friends. She never did quite get the hang of knitting, but she liked the company and we liked having her around. She insisted that I spin her some yarn, so I did. I will miss her.

Also, my daughter, my only child, is turning 13 tomorrow. Birthdays aren't a sad occasion, but they certainly do mark the passage of time in a very glaring and obvious way. It really does seem like yesterday that she was born. I don't know where all that time has flown, but I'm a deeply grateful for it, even in the bittersweet way that I'm feeling right now. It's been an wonderful journey so far, and I'm really looking forward to the next leg of it, even the difficult stuff. Because, you know, it's all about the journey, right? Right.

The New Year, Spinning, and Resolutions.

I keep thinking, oh, hey! I need to blog this, or I need to blog that. Because I said I was going to be a better blogger, and my google analytics are making me feel guilty! But, I'm a big damn liar. It's been two weeks or more since I've last blogged, and so there's that resolution shot to hell! Alas, I am ever-hopeful. I like blogging, I just need to be more consistent. Consistency is not my thing.

This print came from Made By Girl. When I saw it, I had to have it, because it states the truth.

Okay, what else was I going to say?

Dudes, I'm so glad the holidays are over. Really, really. It seems that I dislike them more and more each year, and how Scrooge-y of me, but it's the truth. Christmas is kind of obnoxious. I'd skip it altogether if I didn't have a kid I needed to spoil rotten. (That's the fun part, actually.)

Anyway. I am excited about the new year, since 2009 was actually a great year for me. (!) I am feeling really hopeful and happy and I'm in a really great mental space. Let me tell you what, that's been a long time coming. Seriously. The time frame from about 2006-maybe about a month of 2009 can suck it. I would like to forget most of it. I look back through my journals and wince at all the shit that was going on. Frankly, the only really consistently awesome part of my life was my daughter, who was and continues to be my favorite person ever, ever, ever. Her marvelous take on everything never fails to surprise and delight me.

Anyway, to make a long story short (too late!), the three of us are pretty peachy fucking keen right now. I hope my readers can say the same.

Speaking of resolutions, one of mine was to get my ass in gear and learn to spin on the wheel I bought 2 years ago. I tried it out around the time that I bought it, and I could NOT get the hang of it. No comprendo. So, instead, I focused my energies on knitting, especially sock knitting, and that eventually led to dyeing, which led to my starting a business based on my love for fiber arts and color.

This summer, at one of the fiber fests I attended, a friend of mine showed me her technique on the drop spindle and it was like everything clicked for me and from then on, I was drop spindling like a mofo. I took one everywhere, and eventually I became really good at it. I have dozens of hanks of drop spindled yarn. LOTS. I love it. I always will love the zen-ness of the drop spindle, and enjoy the feel of the fiber slipping through my fingers and be amazed at the very simple process by which wool becomes yarn. It's awesome. But now I think I'm ready to master spinning at the wheel, and I felt confident yesterday, when I drug the wheel out of storage, that I would have an easier time spinning than I did the first time I attempted it two years ago.

I was right. All of that drop spindling experience really paid off for me. The process of drafting and letting the spin travel up the fiber was easily apparent to me, and I was spinning tickety boo.

All that yarn spun up in about a minute and a half. It's ridiculous how fast you can go. I'm still getting the hang of things and I need to find the proper chair/height from which to spin, but dayum! So cool! So easy! I think things just went *click* again.

You just can't beat the portability of the spindle. I don't see myself giving up spinning this way. It's so old school and people just love to watch you do it. Instant ice breaker! It's like a gateway drug to the fiber arts. You can hook them young and old. Last week, I made two new converts to the Fiber Madness. Last summer, I taught a little boy to spin at a fiber festival because he was so completely taken by it. He was all, omg, I need to do this now, right now! It was awesome.

Alrighty then. Blog updated. Go, me! Right now, I need to get ready for Stitchers for Pitchers, which is a knitting group that meets monthly in Durango at one of the brew pubs (woot!). Tonight, we're hanging out at Ska Brewing, and there's going to be a benefit for Tony Miely, who lost his hand in an accident a few months ago. Maybe I'll see some of you there!

Merry Christmas

I've been a bad blogger. I apologize. The days, weeks and months just fly by. I will do better.

Happy Holidays, gang.

xoxo,

Blair

The yays and the boos for the week.

Yays:

Hunting camp, snow, lots of firewood. Family. Living in a beautiful place. Blackjack. Awesome sleeping bags. Hand knits that keep you warm.

Dandelions at 8700 feet. In October.

Reunions. My daughter. A warm house to come home to.

Halloween movies. Beer. Anticipation of a party.

Starting a new project and loving it.

Boos:

Getting ripped off by a wholesaler.

Gigantic ideological divides.

No snow plow service for our road.

Recession.

Friends who are hurting in one way or another.

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Hugs and kisses to those of you who need them. xoxo

Halloween Crafts Link Roundup

Halloween Craftiness:

Haunted Paper Toys

Papercraft Skull

Paperkraft has a searchable site with some super-cool Halloween projects.

The Toy Maker (papercraft)

Nifty vintage-looking printables

Owl Awesomeness

Now that I've we've run out of printer ink, onto general craftiness:

Martha, natch.

Whipup's roundup part 1

Whipup's roundup part 2

Swell Life's 24 Halloween Projects in 24 Hours

Halloween on Craftster

Make's Halloween Archive

Finally, where would this blog be without knitting? Here we go:

Whipup's Ultimate Halloween Knitting Roundup

I'm going to post a question meme, since I have no substantial content to share this week. It's been business as usual here at Chez Color Fest. Yarn, Halloween, fiber, fall, food, cats, lather, rinse, repeat.

1. Is there anybody you just wish would fall off the planet?

Yes. The list is very long. Bill O'Reilly and Glenn Beck, and the Taliban are at the top.

2. How do you flush the toilet in public?

With the magic of my mind. Or, my hand. Whichever works.

3. Do you wear your seatbelt in the car?

Yes. Always.

4. Do you have a crush on someone?

Alan Rickman and Helena Bonham Carter.

5. Name one thing you worry about running out of.

Refried beans. We must never, ever run out of refried beans.

6. What famous person do you (or other people) think you resemble?

I don't think I resemble anyone.

7. What is your favourite pizza topping?

Mushrooms.

8. Do you crack your knuckles?

No. My husband does, and it grosses me out.

9. What song do you hate the most?

That stupid Skater Boy song. Avril Levine, I think? Ugh. HATE IT.

10. Did just mentioning that song make it get stuck in your head?

Yes. Shit.

11. What are your super powers?

Sleeping late. Endless drop-spindling. Coffee drinking. Shopping online. Google-Fu. I can knit AND watch tv at the same time. Ignoring deadlines. Beer Snobbery. Farting in Bookstores.

12. Peppermint or spearmint?

Spearmint in gum, peppermint for anything else.

13. Where are your car keys?

Hanging on the key rack. I always hang them there, which is really my one consistent habit of organization.

14. Last song you listened to?

A Record Year For Rainfall by the Decemberists.

15. What's your most annoying habit?

Procrastination.

16. Where did you last go on vacation?

The Gulf Coast of Texas.

17. What is your best physical feature?

Probably my eyes.

18. What CD is closest to you right now?

Nada. Everything is on MP3.

19. What 3 things can always be found in your refrigerator?

Half and half, some form of cheese, and tortillas.

20. What superstition do you believe/practice?

I don't like to talk about really bad things happening to people I care about.

21. What colour are your bed sheets?

They are blue with telephones on them that have the words "pillow talk" coming out of the earpieces. They don't match anything, but they were 50 cents at the thrift store, so that makes up for it.

22. Would you rather be a fish or a bird?

A bird. I'd be an owl.

23. Last thing you broke?

I really don't remember. I'm not typically the one who breaks things in our family.

24. What are you having to eat tonight?

I don't know. My mom is cooking for us tonight.

25. What colour shirt are you wearing?

Grey sweatshirt. I stole it from Adam.

26. If you could be doing anything else today, what would you rather be doing?

I'd rather be at Rhinebeck.

27. Do security cameras make you nervous?

No.

28. If you wrote a book about your life, what would the title be?

I'm Not Who I Thought I Was: A Memoir.

29. Last time you went to a cemetery?

It's been a while, and that's good and bad. No one has died recently, but on the other hand, I love cemeteries.

30. Last concert you went to?

We saw Three Dog Night and REO Speedwagon at last year's rally.

31. Favourite musician(s)/bands you've seen in concert?

Smashmouth.

32. Next concert you're planning to attend?

I think Adam wants to go see the Trans Siberian Orchestra.

33. Do you talk to yourself?

Yes.

34. Have you ever adopted or purchased a pet?

Yes. Cats and kittens from the Humane Society.

35. Have you ever been present when an animal is being born?

Yes. It's messy.

The last of the Farmer's Market bounty until next year.

The Ignacio Farmer's Market was quite the success, especially for its first year. It was such a great addition to our community. Tay and I are talking about growing a market garden for next year in order to be able to participate in it.

Hand spun yarn drying indoors.

I have been one obsessive drop-spindling mofo lately. I have so much hand spun right now, which completely rocks. I love to knit and spin year-round, but when the weather cools down it becomes something of a seasonal imperative to start churning out hats and mittens and scarves. Warm socks. Blankets. The list goes on. (Also, Anne, if you're reading this, I have your mitts 90% done. I just need to finish the thumbs.)

Ice ring around the sprinkler. We've been trying to give everything one last good soak before we run out of irrigation.

I love this time of year. The feel of autumn is just so peaceful. The quality of the sunlight is just a little more golden, which seems to bathe even ordinary days in a kind of nostalgic glow. It's hoodie weather, which works for me, since they're my favorite item of clothing next to a comfortable bra. You can stash your phone, keys, and a drop spindle in that front pocket if you don't mind looking a bit bloated.

There's the smell of woodsmoke in the air, which I love. I haven't lit a fire yet, because our house stays pretty warm and I'm holding out for that morning when I just can't stand the cold, which will have to be pretty extreme. I'd like to hold out until November, but we'll see. I'm really used to being cold. We froze our asses off last year in that glorified tent of a trailer and our firewood supply ran out, so we spent a lot of time huddled over space heaters. I woke up one morning and found that my water bottle had fallen to the floor and frozen solid. Taylor and I spent a lot of time at coffee houses, with their seductive combination of central heat and wifi. Now that we've moved home, we have central heat, wifi, and two wood stoves. It's kind of like heaven only with out the clouds and harps and such.