Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time. Thomas Merton

Monday, January 30, 2012

Silky Stuff

Now that I've finished up other spinning and wool processing projects for some folks, I have this lovely silk stuff to spin up.




This silky red and yellow fuzz balls are blends of merino wool, tussah silk, and camel down that I bought at the Roc Day celebration held at Little Barn, a fiber shop here in Madison County. The custom batts are dyed and blended by Patty White, one of the owners of the shop. The quantities are very limited. I had quite a time making up my mind which colors to get. I almost waited too late! Many of the other fiber fanatics in attendance had just about depleted the supply by the time I broke down and decided to buy fiber that day.

After experimenting with them a bit, I've decided to spin each in thin singles and ply the two colors together. I spindle spun a small sample at the gathering the day I got the fiber, plying the two colors after a spinning friend suggested it. I think I like it.






The other lovely mass of fiber fun is carded tussah silk that Patty also dyes for the shop. I got this several months ago. The bags were full of such beautiful, multi-colored stuff that choosing was difficult that day, too. I ended up buying six bags. That's six ounces. It doesn't sound like much, but it will go a long way. I will probably spin a lace weight, two-ply yarn with it as well. It doesn't look great in the photo because I just opened a few bags and flopped them out on the chair seat to photograph before I lost the light (this iPhone is not the one with the fancy camera, so I have to take my chances). They've been compressed in those bags for quite some time now. Once liberated and shaken out a bit, they are truly lovely to look at, delightful to...spin.



I hope I remember to photograph the end results when I get them done. . . if I'm not too old and feeble to use a computer by then.

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Just a Shell...

...of its former self


Whatever it was, wherever it came from, whatever its purpose for being here, the alien seed pod is no more. Little is left but the tattered, weathered shell and a small amount of the spore matrix.



I expect this will be the last post for the alien seed pod, but I will check it now and then to see if there are any changes and post if there is anything significant.

In case any of you missed the pod's progress since the middle of November, here is a review in reverse order. You can catch up by clicking on any of the titles.
Still There
The Pod! The Pod!
Bunny Pants and Pod Update
Pod Watch Continues
Pod Update
Alien Seed Pod Watch Continues
Alien Seed Pod

I am still amazed that this giant puffball fungi survived the lawnmower, neighborhood kids, and dogs, cats, or other critters. It will be interesting to see if a whole crop of them pops up when just the right climatic conditions develop. I'll keep an eye out for them and be sure to post if I spot any, but for now for our little pod, click here because it is . . . time to say goodbye . . .

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Still There

Progress report on the alien seed pod.


It's still hanging on. The outer shell is weathering and the interior is sinking.




I've been thinking that when I first discovered the top gone (bottom photo), it was the result of that stage of the alien landing vehicle having blasted away to return to the mother ship, leaving the spore matrix behind for colonization purposes.


Monday, January 16, 2012

My Space

Matilda says this is her territory.




Everybody else KEEP OUT!!





Especially YOU!


Sunday, January 8, 2012

Passing

for Savannah, RG, and BL over at A Houseful of Rabbits.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tzgKV82SXY
(you might have to adjust the volume when you click over to the video)

If the link does not work, please visit YouTube, copy and paste the URL

Sunday, January 1, 2012

All this New Year's stuff

is too much for some folks. PetCat finds a good way to relax.

Now I just need to find a nice, big, cozy box to curl up in for a nap.



Happy New Year to one and all!!