The Redhead's Green Thumb

Hand-dyed roving came from sarahwood3587.etsy.com! I'm spinning this with a top-whorl drop spindle, and it is coming out very well. This is a gift for someone who I think doesn't check this blog, so shhhhh, keep it a secret! ;)
I'm calling it "monster mash" for obvious-to-me reasons. The colours are even brighter in person!

Yes, the spinning is taking over a lot of my time, but it's all time that I HAVE to pay attention to other things. I did almost all of this during the season finale of LOST, for example. I can't pay as close attention to other things when I knit.
Loving this yarn! It is rambouillet combed top, and came in at 5.2 ounces. It is ridiculously soft and it will be difficult to give up!

posted by Xiane  # 11:47 AM 3 Comments

I buy a lot of things on Etsy - probably more than I should, considering that I'm a struggling entrepreneur, so to speak - but I really love the things I buy and that I'm helping to support other struggling entrepreneurs!
That being said, you'll be seeing my reviews of the wonderful things on which I spend my hard-earned cash, at least from time to time. Today is the first, and I'd like to point you to BenCanDance, a clever artist with nimble fingers, especially when it comes to polymer clay. Whimsical, fun, insightful, or silly - there's something there for you. I was lucky enough to find a COFFEE pendant that I snatched up, and ended up with a delightful butterscotch pudding box pendant as well!

Obiviously, you should pop right over there and check it out. :)

posted by Xiane  # 12:21 AM 2 Comments

If you follow the Self Portrait Thursday posts on Flickr, you've seen this already, but for those of you who don't I wanted to share my excitement about my first finished skein of handspun!
The spindle came from the ever helpful castleman, who hand painted the celtic knotwork on the top of my spindle! It is a joy to use, because it is so pretty.
The roving was some that I purchased from The Flying Ewe, originally to needle felt. I had more than I'd ever enjoy felting, and plenty for a decent sized skein, so I decided to spin it. This was technically my second singles ever - the first was from the small bag of fiber that Rita of Castleman so kindly included in my order. The purple fiber is hand dyed and 85% wool/15% mohair. It feels lovely. I took the time to block it tonight, and although I overspun it, I think it will make a fun scarf or something else that I can wear and delight in as my first spinning project, complete.

I may be a dirty spinning addict.

posted by Xiane  # 3:20 AM 4 Comments

I spent a little time yesterday taking photos of different plants in my garden.I really do love every little green being, and I think my photos show why. *grin*
If you want to see all of them, you can here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/xiane/

ps to Sandra Eileen - I've never had the space to grow lilac, though I swore to my husband just yesterday that I *will* have some once we buy a house. Right now I just have a balcony... but one day there will be acreage, oh yes. :)

posted by Xiane  # 12:41 PM 3 Comments

• I used to be a blonde. [gasp!] Now I seem to have a preponderance of brown and grey hairs under all the henna.


• I used to sing in a band. I still sing all the time - car, shower, house, grocery store...I used to walk to work every morning singing.


• I once walked almost the entire way from Baltimore MD to NYC.


• I read very, very fast. Given a reading test in high school, I scored off their charts. I don't skip words, either. I am a voracious reader!


• I wear almost exclusively black clothing, but I adore bright colours of all shades.


• I learned to sew when I was 8 or so. I had a mini Singer that I made doll clothes on until I graduated to the big machine and clothing for myself.


• My favourite flowers are lilacs. For all the plants I've grown, I've never had a lilac shrub of my own. Sadness!

Labels: meme, seven things

posted by Xiane  # 1:59 AM 6 Comments

This is a shot of one of the tables under the canopy that I shared with the quite excellent Mystic Artisans - you can see Myrddin in the corner, there - at Beltane Brouhaha. We were blessed with wonderful weather, sunny skies, and decent temperatures with just some strong breezes on Saturday to vex us.
Vending at a campsite like the one at King's Mountain is always fun! I camped in my Jeeple, brushed my teeth in a field amidst 7am morning mist and mud puddles, and danced under the moonlight with my feet bare and free.
The sales were good - I sold a lot of loose herbs, books, and clothing, as well as some of my products. I also talked to a lot of lovely people and made a great connection with Myrddin and his fiancee "Evil Twin" [Toni] that was cemented with lots of great talk and plotting to make some things happen in the local pagan crafter's scene. There are a lot of creative pagan people in the Carolinas, and we really want to get a support network for them going!
My endless thanks go out to Myrddin for the invite to vend and share space, Toni for the hard work, Miles for giving me a reprieve and allowing me to spend all my profits on goodies [hee!], and the Browns and NCPCOW for hosting the event and making a great time happen. Thank you SO much.

***

In other news, I'm learning to spin with a drop spindle, and it has been really fun and fulfilling! I took to it right away, and I'll have photos of my singles that I spun tonight, as well as the lovely spindle I purchased, in the morning. But for now - sleep!

posted by Xiane  # 1:33 AM 3 Comments