Last day of the long weekend...

I can't believe it's the last day of the Labor Day weekend. What a week.

First thing I want to mention... I got tagged. Not just by one person. But by Ken and Knit Picking at the same time with the same list. LOL This one will take some thinking. It's about books. I haven't been a big book reader in recent years. Most of what I bought and read were about or related to Buddhist teachings. Some science fiction/fantasy here and there. A lot of reading online about Buddhist meditation. So, it's not going to be easy. But stay tuned. I will come up with something. If not, I'll just take a picture of our bookcases. LOL

Last Thursday I received a package from Dave. I knew it was coming. But I was completely floored with what he put inside. Such a generous man.

It all started when Mama-E received a gift from her friend. To share the joy with others, she created "Pay It Forward". Dave just loved the idea and went on to search for a target, um, I mean recipient. He came to my blog, and I just happened to have a post up sharing Francesca's Italian Tubular Cast-on with the blog community. So, in the spirit of sharing, he decided to choose me to "Pay It Forward". Hence the package:

OMG, full of stuff! In a written note he said he was "worried" that I've strayed from the socks. This hopefully will reel me back in. LOL Let's see. Two skeins of Koigu Premium Merino (on the left), one ball of Regia Loop Color (center), one ball of Lana Grossa Colortweed (right), a package of colorful Clover Coil Holders, one set of SRK US size 1 Bamboo DPNs, two beautiful postcards showing Ottawa's Rideau Canal, one bottle of Gold Medal winning maple syrup. Hmmm... postcards and a taste of Canada. Is that a nudge for a visit? ;-)

Dave, that's not a gentle reeling in. LOL That's everything a sock knitter needs. I don't even have to get into my stash. Not to worry, I am not abandoning sock knitting. There are just so much learning going on here lately. Thanks a bunch, Dave! Now it's my turn. :-D I'll try to keep it as much a surprise as possible.

Friday, I was floored again. I received this beautiful wrist distaff from Ted:

All that talk about fiber drafting difficulties and sweaty palm must had driven Ted to make a wrist distaff for me. I have to say, it's truly a gift from heaven for this new spinner. There was no waiting to give it a try on Friday night. I couldn't believe the difference it made. The fiber stay wrapped around the distaff until I pulled it off little by little. No fiber sticking to the palm. I absolutely love it! I will not spindle without this wrist distaff again.

And what a beautiful piece of art it is too. Ted spindle-spun Sea Island cotton into singles. Then he Navajo-plied the singles on the wheel. I can't believe how fine Ted spun the singles. This 3-ply yarn is only a fingering weight or finer. Just look at the pictures. It's incredible work. And so soft. The colors are super gorgeous too! Not only did he make one for me, he also made one for my local spinning teacher, John. John just marveled at the beauty of the work. And what a perfect color to match the turquoise necklace he was wearing. :-) It's just incredible. Thank you, thank you, Ted!

Speaking of John, he picked me up Saturday morning to go to the support spindle class sponsored by our guild. (What great timing for the package to arrive, Ted!) We met Mariko and the three of us drove out to Torrance to attend the class taught by Gwen Powell, one of the founding members of the guild. What a great class! It's so much fun to have so many friends in one place. John, Mariko, Jill, Kathy, Francesca, Patrice, Helene and so many others. A bit chaotic, but great fun. :-)

Gwen taught the basics of support spindle spinning. Then she went on to show us spinning with out-of-ordinary materials like Christmas tencil and strips of paper. She also showed us how to spin "Catepillar" and "Boucle". Think outside of the box she stressed. What an eye opener the class was. There are now endless possibilities with spinning.

Here's something to show Ted. I don't have a picture of "Suzie", YET. But before John and I parted he grabbed a big wad of "Suzie" out of his bag and gave it to me. He also loaned me a pair of Strauch hand cards so I could practice carding. I love the silver grey color. Ooooo, I can't wait to blend some fiber.

I don't know why I am so fortunate to receive so much during this last week. I am a little embarrassed, but very very thankful. Understand that I am not trying to show off my gifts (maybe a little? I am just so hyped.) But to show the generosity of these people and to express my gratitude. I am so lucky to have friends and mentors that are so willing to help (enable hehehe) a newbie to learn and create. :-)

Now some scary pictures:

The above is a swatch I made with my wheel-spun purple yarn. I think it's OK for a beginner. I am not so happy with the stitch definition. But hey, it's a learning experience. This will be made into a pair of fingerless gloves for my partner. I was quite surprised that he was accepting of the color. :-)

Oh, the yellow yarn. The singles was spun when I was trying to figure out how the wheel work for the first time. I then plied it with a spindle. Is that a little backward? LOL The yarn is very thick-and-thin.

The above is a picture of the current state of our apartment building. Shocking? LOL Rest assured, it's not normally like this. The building is being re-painted. They sanded some rough spots. Too bad it's not Halloween. It would be a perfect haunted house look! :-)

Long post. Sheesh! And lots of links. LOL