Random Observations

   I just have a few things that have been on my mind lately, I thought I'd share them and see if anyone else agrees with me!


   I watched HP and the Deathly Hallows again this past weekend, and something struck me. You know the scene where they all go to Uncle Vernon's house to get Harry out of there? And how they use Pollyjuice potion on 5 or 6 people so they look like Harry and the bad guys won't know which is the real Harry?


   My thought is this: Wouldn't it have been better to have Harry be the one disguised, but as someone who didn't go to the house?(So there wouldn't be two of them...) Then when they all leave, the bad guys would think Harry is still there. Just a thought.

   I watch a lot of TV. I've been noticing that lately, the people who make movies seem to be out of new ideas. It seems that all the new movies coming out are remakes of older movies. I think what they should do is go waaay back in time, and remake some really good old movies, like the Charlie Chan or Thin Man series. Can you even imagine what wonderful things they could do to those stories, with all the new technology we have today? Just a thought.
 
    Tomorrow is the Independence Day Parade in our little town. This year, I hope to remember my camera. I forgot it for the last one, on Memorial Day. I hope to get some good photos to post. We three karate moms will be sitting together, in the same place as the last parade. It was very hot that day, just like it's supposed to be tomorrow, and we were very cool under those trees!


    We will be cheering for our kids when they pass, and knitting (Jan),crocheting(me), and possibly spinning(Kim) as we watch the parade and wait for our children to march by. Jess knows where we will be sitting, so he will probably have them perform in front of us. They do that when they see parents or relatives.

In Which I Buy a New Drop Spindle

   My original drop spindle, a gift from a very good friend, is still missing in action. I was moved to go look on etsy for a new one. I looked and looked, page by page, and finally found one I loved. I am interested in a top whorl spindle, and it must have a notch for the yarn to be secured into.

   There are some really lovely examples out there. Lots of them I really liked, but I thought that they were just out of my price range. Some of them were square, which is cool because it won't roll away if dropped. Some were carved into snowflake-like shapes, which are really pretty, and have notches built, or carved, right into them.

  Some spindles have their whorls made of exotic things like glass, or stone, or even polymer clay! All of them were awesome. But the one that stole my heart is multi colored in sunset colors of red, orange and yellow, and also has sparkles on it. It even has not one but two notches in the whorl! And even better, it comes with a little bit of wool fiber to get started with.

   I am certainly not a proficient spinner, yet, but I am really looking forward to using this new spindle! I hope it comes in time to take it to the Spinning Guild meeting this month...  I promise, I will take photos of it when it comes!

A New Crafting Adventure!

   Last week, I acquired a spinning wheel! This is really awesome, since I have been interested in spinning, but never thought I could, since it is not budget friendly right now. I believe I wrote about this in an earlier post. Well, now a friend and I are looking into joining a local spinning guild. This is high brow stuff for me. I don't even know how to spin yet! My friend tells me that the guild will be the perfect place to learn, since that's where all the expert spinners are. We attend out first meeting next Friday evening.

   Does this mean I will become tri-craftual? Maybe so, but I'm not changing my handle. I would also really like to learn to weave too. In fact, this leads me to the main idea of today's post! I was out shopping with friend Bonny today. I wanted to buy the book about how to knit socks two at a time with circular needles. I couldn't find it, even in the bookstore. I decided that the yarn goddess doesn't want me to have it yet.

   But I did find what looks to be an awesome book in Joann Fabrics. It's called Spinning, Dyeing, and Weaving - Self Sufficiency and it's by Penny Walsh. I can't wait to read it. I have thumbed through it, and it looks pretty cool. It covers everything, from processing fleeces and combing and carding, all the way to wheel and spindle spinning, and weaving. It even tells you how to make your own natural dyes.

   So now I get to look forward to learning something new! This book even has information on how to make your own simple loom. And I have a Hubs who knows how to build stuff. Sounds like I might be able to get him to make me a small loom... Well, we'll talk.

In Which A Dream Comes True!

   As a crafter, I have knitted and crocheted. I tried to sew, after Hubs bought me a gorgeous sewing machine for Christmas one year. It's strange, but I am actually afraid of it. But I did try it. At the urging of a friend, I started attending a local spinning group at a local library. These ladies are awesome, and welcomed me with open arms, even though I didn't know how to spin. I would sit and knit or crochet while they spun. It was fascinating to me to watch them create yarn out of fluff.

   I subscribe to a spinning magazine, and after looking at the ads in this magazine, I had completely given up on the idea of owning my own spinning wheel. It turns out that they are expensive! And I knew that as much as my Hubs loves me, I would not be getting one anytime soon. In fact, I wouldn't even ask for one.

   Before I knew my knitting friends, friend 1 gave friend 2 a wheel she had gotten from a third friend. With the condition that when she was through with it, friend 2 should pass it on to another would-be spinner. I am very happy to report that I have become the newest recipient of this marvelous spinning wheel! I am so very excited to have custody of such a marvelous wheel.

   Now I just have to learn to use it! My friend, friend 1, is a very good spinner, and I know she will teach me well. She had given me a drop spindle and fiber for my birthday year before last. I tried it but couldn't get the hang of it. I'm hoping the wheel will go better. I can't wait to start my lessons.

   Hubs even took me to go pick it up. I wasn't sure it would fit in my Jeep. We buckled it into the back seat of his truck, and it made it safely home. Now I just need to find a place to keep it. I know you can't see me, but I am doing what my mom referred to as my "Happy Food Dance"! Pictures to follow, soon.