Tasha Tudor Day 2016

The 28th of August would have been Tasha's 101st Birthday! 

It was my 7th year hosting a crafty get-together in her honor :)

It was too hot to have it comfortably outside, so this was the first time 

I hosted it inside.There was knitting, spinning, weaving, eating, laughing...

just a good time had by all!! 

Weaving on a rigid heddle loom.      

Happy knitting hands!      

Some serious spinning!      

Beautiful handknit sock!

Smiling. Happy. Spinning!      

One happy knitter :)      

Twins? Nah, but make 'ya look ;)      

These tomatoes were dehydrated on the hood of a car! Yes, it was that hot out!!

Rainy Day Knitting

     I usually enjoy a good cool rainy day, but today is different...I (and many, many, other folks) should be at the Fall Fiber Festival at Montpelier. Because of the amount of rain we've already had this week as well as the current conditions, the festival had to be cancelled...  :(   It was a wise decision, although very sad.  I don't usually hold a grudge against Mother Nature, but....I kinda' am at the moment! Griping won't change anything though, so I am spending the weekend knitting, combing and working on a Youtube video! All fiber related activities :)

    I am currently working on a small crescent shaped shawl using Paco-Vicuña yarn I spun from 'Forest', from Victory Farm.   It is a fairly simple pattern to knit, although you start with the bottom...and at 402 stitches to start with, it takes a while to get going. I am finally moving along now!

                        The pattern is Diamonds and Purls and is a free ravelry download.
                                       Notice my very inexpensive chart holder ;)

        I am using circular needles to knit it, but it isn't knit in the round, although from this picture, it does look like it. I am in the middle of a row and the end and beginning are next to each other so you can't see the space in between.

The pattern is starting to take shape.

 I spun a two ply yarn from hand combed top. 

 Combed fiber with some of the washed fleece just above.

  I do love this dark color. A rarer color for paco-vicuñas.

The raw fleece. 

I hope all are staying inside, dry and warm, enjoying some fibery goodness!!

-K :)

Blending Mohair and Silk

So my friend Maria brought over some Mohair from her own goat and some silk she had bought. 

The idea was to blend them and spin into a fine lace yarn. 

 First there was fluffing the fibers and blending them by hand into a loose, airy fluff ball. 

Then the fiber was put onto hand cards, made into rolags and finally spun into a very fine single. 

The two fibers compliment each other very well and blend up beautifully!

The silk on top and mohair underneath.

 .

Blending the two fibers together with the hand cards.

Rolags made from the mohair and silk blend.

Spinning it from the rolag.

Eventually when she has enough of this, she will knit up a very beautiful lace shawl!

Tasha Tudor Day !!

So, I woke up very early on Saturday the 28th of August, 2010, because I was to host a gathering of talented craftspeople to celebrate Tasha Tudor Day!! Being the hostess, as everyone knows, one runs around like crazy getting all of the last minute stuff done. Even as people arrived I was still zooming around finishing up. But...eventually I was able to relax and enjoy the company of all those that came to share the beautiful day!!

There was lots of food as well as a table set up with Tasha Tudor books and a monitor to show her videos!!

A wonderful group of crafters...

There was lots of spinning...

and knitting...

There was also honeysuckle basket weaving...

 and some embroidery...

                          

even a few dye projects ...
(from L to R ; simmered in goldenrod for ten minutes, simmered in goldenrod for 60 minutes and soaked in black bean juice left in a glass jar in the sun for 3 days).

  

There was the showing of 'Take Joy'...

 And no Birthday Party is complete without a cake...my daughter made 'Becky's Birthday Cake' from Tasha's Cookbook. 

 

 All be told, I think it was a marvelous day!!!  Just the most wonderful, lovely, talented group of people you'd ever want to meet!!  A fitting tribute to Tasha!!!