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Spin Cycle! « »
(thanks, google maps!)
Nate and I both have 40+ hour a week full-time jobs. Because we’re both also really busy outside of work (he’s a painter and I have this little knitting hobby of mine) we usually see the weekends as time to devote to the *other* stuff that we do.
We each have our own studios in the house and hole up all weekend and get into our individual projects and don’t really see each other. THIS weekend, we decided to break that habit and go on a long drive together. We sort of randomly chose Cloudcroft, NM as our destination. It’s not too far away, and is up in the mountains so the scenery is really different than what we have here in the Mesilla Valley. They have TREES. They have SNOW!
Just before we got in the car to go on the drive, I checked the mail…and LOOK was in the mailbox:
A hank of Spin Cycle handspun silk in a rich golden red called dragon’s breath. So even though I (as per the “getting out of the house agreement”) didn’t work on any knitting the whole trip…I still got to play with yarn! Spin Cycle is run by Kate and Rachel, who have an unbelievable sense of color and texture and make really beautiful yarns.
Those of you lucky enough to live in Bellingham can just go see them any time at the farmers’ market or stop by the shop…the rest of us can antsily oogle online. I even spotted a modified boobholder in the gallery!
So when we got up the hill we ate at the Texas Pit BBQ place. Nate had a Sliced beef BBQ sandwich (sauce ON it, not on the side) and I had potato soup. Even though the place to eat was my choice…I got the only non-BBQ thing.
We figured it’d be cooler up there, so we brought jackets. Nate brought some thin windbreaker and I brought the jacket to the suit I wore in Aaron and Margi’s wedding (WITH red wine stain down the front, I noticed on the ride home). We were really not prepared.
It was nice to get away for a real day off. Even a few hours.
I came home and finished two knit garments and started a third.
I’ve got a deadline coming up: 8 possibilities for the cover of Glam Knits. I’ve finished a few, and the rest are just waiting for trim. Sometimes I have the hardest time figuring out how to trim something. Plain 2×2 ribbing? Fisherman’s Rib? Some fancy rib with yarnovers or cables in it? So I plop them onto the mannequin and sit here and stare at them. Sometimes I even have 3 or 4 with varying hem lengths on it at a time.
This mannequin backup got to me Friday. I had 3 sweaters on the mannequin and my eyes were having trouble delineating what was what. So I ordered TWO more mannequins. The one I have is (roughly) my size.
Most of the time when knitting samples, whether for the books or magazines or yarn company work…I have to knit to a 34″ bust measurement. So I ordered a 34 (W8). I’ve also decided to use a plus-sized model in the photography for the new book, so I bought a size W16. I know that a 16 isn’t even really PLUS…but that’s what my model is.
They have really cheap ones here. They don’t have every size, but they have quite a few. They’re nice because they’re pinnable. (and cheap.)
This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 17th, 2007 at 10:32 pm and is filed under yarn reviews, just chit chat. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
8 Responses to “Spin Cycle!”
I was at Three Rivers this Sunday, looks like we both had the idea of getting out of town!
Love that yarn, I’m going to have to check them out.
It’s nice to get away for a while - sounds like it was fun and “recharged your batteries”. I think modeling some of the designs on a “plus” size model will be a popular move as I still believe that is an underserved market. When is the new book coming out?
the new book won’t be out until March ‘08, but my final deadlines are this summer.
It sure seemed like a good weekend to get out of town and into the mountains, even for a few hours.
Reading blogs is bad for my pocketbook–I just trotted right over and got one of those mannequins! i have an adjustable one, but she’s not so pretty for taking pictures… This will be much better.
Next time you need to get away and not use an AIRPORT (I feel for you on that one!), you should drive to Ruidoso. I’ll buy you lunch!
I’m so happy to hear you are using a plus size model for your next book. I’m a size 16 up top and a 6 in the pants… that phrasing sounds funny. Anyway, it’ll be nice to see someone with the same bust size!
I am one of those lucky enough to live in Bellingham and absolutely love their work. Not only are Kate and Rachel the nicest gals, they make some of the most beautiful stuff!