Woolarina

Takoma Park Sunday!

2008-05-13T06:25:00.002-05:00

'Tis the season for outdoor craft events! This Sunday (18 May) Woolarina will be in Takoma Park knitting and spinning and having fibery fun with StormMoonKnits! and MamaE Amy O'Neill Houck will also be there with her crochet fun (perhaps it's time for me to learn!!)

Event: Old Takoma Knitting and Craft Fair

Date: Sunday, May 18

Time: 12:00pm - 4:00pm

Location: Old Takoma Gazebo - Red Line Metro to Takoma Station, four blocks North on Carroll Avenue
(across the street from House of Musical Traditions)

Because: The Sheep & Wool Festival inspired us! Join some of your favorite local yarn dyers, including Ceyeberfiber, Storm Moon Knits and Woolarina, plus designers, writers, jewelers, and crafters for an afternoon of wool-inspired bliss. Designer Amy O’Neill-Houck will be signing copies of her two latest books - Crochet Me and The Color Book of Felted Crochet. Also enjoy the Takoma Park Farmer’s Market which will be open from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm

Please visit the following websites for more yarn love:
www.hookandi.blogspot.com
www.ceyeberfiberyarns.com
www.stormmoonknits.com
www.woolarina.com

and directions from metro:
Come out of the metro and cross Cedar to the 7-11 (corner of Cedar and Carroll) then walk up Carroll to the intersection with Laurel (the Farmers Market is on your right on Laurel). At that point Carroll bears to the left (at the light) and you follow it another 2 blocks or so. The Gazebo is before Savory (and as noted, across from the wonderful House of Musical Traditions). (directions swiped from SilverSpringknit on ravelry!)

And a DC/VA craft fair

2008-05-09T06:29:00.004-05:00

In case you don't want to drive up to Baltimore! This is the second year the Craft Mutiny is selling at the Ballston Market, and we're looking forward to seeing who is there! Check out the great stuff! I should have a basket of yarn hanging out with Ilikeseamonsters and Magpie DC. Check them out if you're in the Ballston area this weekend!

My friend Debbie will also be having a rock'n'romp at the market, so bring the kids and rock out!

Squidfire Saturday!

2008-05-08T19:26:00.002-05:00

To my Baltimore Peeps who aren't already bombarded by sheep and wool festival yarns and fibers: I'll be at Squidfire Art Mart THIS SATURDAY - May 10 in Mount Vernon Park.

Do come out and say hi - there'll be loads of other great crafts there!

More info here and directions from here.

crazy fun!

2008-05-05T07:01:00.002-05:00

as always, hanging out with the MDSW ladies was a blast. so much fun and laughing! and boobs, heh. I wish people didn't live so far away! I don't know where to start with the festival, so will put that off for another post. but - fun!

I came home after a weekend away to a husband away for the week, no toothpaste, and a broken coffeepot! :( So this morning I boiled water and used my old school french press. Mmmm. so good.

here's one of the babies of team rav:

Haha, and my baby sewing debut, or something. (i made that mei tai wrap from a pattern here)

SO CUTE!

exhausted!

2008-04-27T06:33:00.002-05:00

My whole body is tired after digging in the garden yesterday morning! At least I am not physically sore -- that's something, right? I have 4 out of 6 or so beds mostly ready for planting, so it is coming along. My garlic is coming up, and the onions appear to be growing a bit. I can't find the spinach or marigolds, and I replanted a few cucumber seeds, just in case. I also am starting to mulch the beds with grass so they don't dry up so much! Kind of hard to mulch if the plants aren't visible though.. maybe I'll just buy some plants or something? hmmm. ;)

Happy news: I was accepted to Crafty Bastards Silver! This fair will focus more on up-and-coming crafters and craft workshops. It should be super fun (and is in my hometown!:) We're also planning something super cool for the craft mutiny... details to come!

But before that: Maryland Sheep and Wool!

And Squidfire Art Mart! May 10 in Baltimore, MD! I'm hoping to have some fun new yarn up my sleeve, if the stars align.

mac help!

2008-04-22T20:05:00.001-05:00

Do you have a mac? What do you use for doing web editing stuff? Just html!

There must be something on my computer, right? Or something free to download?

gardening some more

2008-04-20T07:20:00.002-05:00

I went out to my garden again yesterday, only alone this time, so I think I will be twice as sore! (Oh, I hope not!!) I never thought gardening was a workout, but wow - was totally getting dizzy, like I had just run real fast and stopped without cooling down! I will have to remember the gatorade next time!

Digging smaller plots in my main plot, and adding more top soil, braking up clay, etc.

Last week's work! This week I tried to plant cucumber, as well as some onion/garlic. It might be too cold yet for the cucumbers. We'll see!

Onions! The only thing visible so far... no idea if they are growing yet.

A whole lot of this yarn and fiber is going to Jolene for MDSW! Don't forget to check out the Cloverhill Yarn Booth!!

owowow.

2008-04-15T21:16:00.001-05:00

did you know that when digging, you use the muscles in the back of your thighs? I don't know how that works, but man I can feel it two days later! I can hardly walk!

onions, garlic, spinach, and marigolds

2008-04-13T13:43:00.005-05:00

We finally got out to our new garden plot today! It was in sorry shape since it was tilled a few weeks ago. We spent a lot of time picking out clumps of roots and chunks of clay. Bleagh. Most of the dirt is ok, but we dug down a bit to mix in some better soil in a small part and it was pretty wet and claypacked. We only managed to get about a 3 foot by 5-6 foot plot done, and picked junk out of the rest of the ~12 foot by 12 foot plot. There's actually a giant animal hole (!!) on one side of it.. I need to see what the garden club folks do about animals and holes!!

Anyhow, planted a couple short rows each of onions, garlic, spinach, and marigolds! Can't wait too see them sprout!

In yarn new, getting ready for another overwhelming month! Maryland Sheep and Wool the first weekend, Squidfire the second weekend! And maybe a yarn shop order or two somewhere in there! Oh my.

I love my orange wall!

Sheep and Wool!

2008-04-08T17:31:00.003-05:00

I am so excited that Woolarina will be at Maryland Sheep and Wool this year with all these rad other yarnies!

Insubordiknit
Spun Monkey
Neighborhood Fiber Co.
Knitting Gnome
Michael Sturtevant Woodworking
Sanguine Gryphon
The Unique Sheep
The Sweet Sheep
Woolarina
Spritely Goods
Brooklyn Handspun
A Verb For Keeping warm
Chewy Spaghetti
Dragonfly Fiber Designs
LOOP

We will all be hanging at the Cloverhill Yarn Shop Booth! Check out their blog! Do plan on stopping by -- these ladies are a blast!! :) We'll be in the Main Building Position D2 and D3.

Also - have a blog? Check out their blog contest! Free YARN!!!

Yarn Party 2008!

2008-03-31T07:05:00.001-05:00

Wow! I could not have imagined how well the Yarn Party turned out yesterday! In spite of a few minor glitches (like getting into the building at about 2:05 instead of 1:45!) it was awesome! Quite a crowd at the start, and a line to get in?! Wow! Thank you to everyone who came, and everyone who helped us out!

Yummy yummy baked goods! I came home with several breads and brownies! :) Yum!

Special thanks to Sarah Snargle, Jess Bunnysquirrel, Lindsay Stormmoonknits, and Anne Kniterati! They manned the bake sale, raffle, got the room, made programs, made postcards, and more! (not in that order) You guys rocked! :)

doubleyou tee effffing eff.

2008-03-27T17:16:00.002-05:00

so the highway system of colorado is officially dead to me.

Not only did I get lost because their signage sucks, but I managed to miss the airport exit somehow. Because there. was. no. sign. or, maybe a tiny sign and I am actually blind. I missed it. Whatever. So I go to the next exit, where you gotta pay 75 cents. Making me out of change. Okay.... I get out there, and it's a DIRT ROAD! no joke! a dirt road! I started to panic. And drove right around to get back on the tollway. Which also costs seventy five cents. Um.. no money. More panic! They have these little envelopes for morons like me, apparently, so I get one. Pissed off that seriously? $1.50 to TURN AROUND?!? Whatever. I pay it, adding in the cost of a $0.39 stamp, or whatever 1st class costs these days.

No joke, I get it back today, in an envelope for which $0.41 was paid. With a nice personalized letter that surely took someone 10 minutes to write. Asking me to call the rental car company and mail it to THEM. Wha? Now we're up to $2.30 plus someone's salary (plus mine, to write a check and note to them) to GO NOWHERE. On top of the $12 I paid them to get to Boulder. Noone at the car rental company picks up, and the Tollway people apparently aren't allowed to take fines from car rental places. ?? wtf? I am super curious what the heck this crap is all about.

Next time I go to Boulder, I'll brave the surface roads. Rush hour in Denver isn't nearly as bad as rush hour DC. Take that, tollway! My beltway fu will win!

seriously, though? I am boggled. I'd ignore all this, but they threaten you with a $77 ticket! Bah.

phew!

2008-03-27T06:41:00.001-05:00

I've been posting and posting... blogs for other people! Haha - I am always the blog lady. How do I get stuck with this? Bah. Anyhow, done! We are all set to go with our party... just waiting for a couple more ads to come in so we can print!

I am most excited at the bakesale prospects. Hah... nevermind that I need to fit into a dress that is a *little* tight for a wedding in a week and a half. Oh well! I got a little matching cardigan anyhow in case it gets tight! ;) Haha- next week I will post about how I cannot get enough pale turquoise sweaters - this was #3 or 4, and I am knitting one. Hello, turquoise! I hope you are my color!

the long and winding yarn

2008-03-22T19:04:00.002-05:00

haha - I can't stand that song and hate it when it comes along on my CDs. Sigh. I have a billionty yarns to rewind and have printed a billionty labels on my gocco. whew! The great thing is that I got an electric winder. the bad thing is that it has a mechanical counter. that goes: CLICK! CLICK! CLICK! CLICK! every time the wheel goes around. OY. this is bad. so I will be counting manually until I can find a soundproofish room. (not my living room, which echoes like mad! WAH..

some old yarn to look at:

Lookie look at the yarnsters that are coming to our little party! I am scoping out what I need to buy! Sunday the 30th, 2 PM!! Hope you can make it!

nothing to complain about

2008-03-16T18:02:00.003-05:00

sometimes I get these grand ideas in my head, and somehow imagine that normal people can certainly get it all done in no time flat! Then I add more and more to my list until I have no time to breathe! Life has been like this a lot lately, with house repair, woolarina stuff, real job stuff, starting a garden, family stuff, and finally this yarn party business. Aiaiai.

We are planning a vacation in May - to be scheduled right after Sheep and Wool! I am so looking forward to it! It will be my reward for getting all this stuff done and not keeling over or freaking out (too much)...

and - oh, yeah. starting a garden! I am crazy excited about this. My work has a garden club and sits on vast amounts of land, so there are gardens for people. After being sad about condo living precluding owning land, we found a solution! And it turned out to be completely free this year - no dues or rental fees! (not that $5 a year for a 140 square foot plot was somehow going to break the bank!) So I've been reading and plotting out my garden lately, planning what to grow. tomatoes, peppers, beans, zucchini, cucumbers, radishes, onion, garlic, and too much more. I'm not going to think about it because it's a little much! Also, this particular garden doesn't actually have water nearby, so we'll have to go a mile (!) away to fetch water. I will either be buff by the end of summer or my plants will all have died! (I may also start doing rain dances if there's another drought! ;)

I took my camera to work friday to take picture and forgot! so imagine a plot covered in crabgrass... let teh work begin!

new knitty friends!

2008-03-15T16:44:00.003-05:00

I took a trip up to Baltimore a few weeks ago to see these lovely ladies:

Jody, Jacey, and Erin! We had a ton of fun knitting and eating tasty foor the the Red Canoe. Such a nice neighborhoody place! I also got the lowdown on some really cool stuff going down in the next couple months!

I also ventured downstairs to Spinster Yarns and Fibers and fondled the yarn quite a bit. Soooo nice! Andrea has so much nice yarn! I walked out with quite a haul. Some O-Wool merino-cotton in a great turquoise shade. I am making a cardigan, I think! Sleeves are nearly done!

Speaking of cool stuff - Woolarina will also have yarn at Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival! Booth 27 in the main barn (I think!)... in the Cloverhill Yarn Booth. I am so excited! I have some awesome new equipment coming to make the job (slightly) easier. And boxes and boxes of yarn! oh my!

I would like a vacation now, please?

2008-03-10T20:41:00.002-05:00

okay, so I just got back from beautiful Boulder, but that was *all work*... right? well, sorta. there was some visiting, and some getting lost on a dark icy mountain road in the middle of the night (omg!) but a lot of time was sent staring at powerpoint.

Now I am home and completely overwhelmed! There are about a zillion awesome things happening to woolarina all at once, and no time to get them done! I need to move it, and pronto! More details coming soon!

Most important (to me) is the yarn party! I created a facebook event.. anyone on there? I don't think I can brave myspace to promote it there.. anyone want to try that? We are swamped now with people wanting to be vendors, and I don't know what to do! I think we're full enough of yarn, but might have a few super cool tricks up our sleeve, if stars align.

I just bought a shiny new computer, and have no clue how it operates! I have the internet down pat, but no idea how to edit or upload images, so no pictures for you!

motivated. (or: owowowow!)

2008-03-05T20:29:00.003-05:00

I'm in Boulder, CO for the week and can't help but notice the crazy numbers of runners and bikers! Or the people going to the same review I am that decided to run when they woke at 4:30 am (yay for jetlag) instead of just watching tv...

so this morning I got up (at a respectable 6:15) and went to the gym, thinking I'd walk on the treadmill or do the elliptical a bit. I passed several people coming in from running. In the snow, no less!

And guess what!? There was running! Me running! My lungs did not collapse. My legs did not fall off. It felt so good! Slow, but good. Maybe this will be the year that I do this running thing again.

my legs are starting to get achey, but I am ignoring them! I will have an extra beer in their honor. Woot!

what's better than one bass on stage?

2008-03-01T08:46:00.002-05:00

FIVE BASSES!

We saw Pink Martini (again) last night - playing with the NSO, no less! They were fantastic as ever. Although for both of us, the first show of theirs we saw at the 9:30 club remains our favorite, what with being able to see them up close! Still, they were still excellent.

This does continue our habit of being dull show-goers, though. I think that every 3 out of 4 shows we've been to in the past couple years has been either Pink Martini, Georgie James, or the Positions. Hi, we are boring! Or maybe all new music sucks? This must be it, as we aren't old boring fogies*, right? Right?!

* actually, we were some of the younger people last night - somehow symphony + kennedy center doesn't draw the 20-30 year old crowd? Or older folks snatch up season tix? hmm.

getting away! Boulder and CA...

2008-02-28T19:31:00.003-05:00

Life is always hectic, but has been super busy on all fronts the past few weeks! At home, we're getting ready to paint our bedroom after all that patching. Work entails deadlines on a crazy number of projects, plus I'll be out of town all next week for a design review. And Woolarina.. well, that involves some pretty intense party planning (and dyeing and skeining and spinning!)

But yeah, next week I will be in Boulder, CO again! I hope to not get a crazy cold like I did last time! (I was so ill I totally couldn't drive home from the airport!) It is a fun town, so I am excited. (not so much to be sitting in meetings all day, but... what can you do?) There are some yarn shops on the radar, but seeing as how I've been cleaning house lately, I am hesitant to go and get tempted! I have a lot to use before MDSW still... but I will be enjoying the food and beer and the funky little shops on Pearl Street!

Next up after that is the west coast again, though not for a few months. My husband has a conference in San Jose, so I am flying out. We can:
a) go North, see northern CA and Oregon, meet an internet pal, see old friends + new babies, and see old friends + kids, and maybe more friends. Vineyards likely. Beer for sure.
b) go South, see the prettiness that is Santa Barbara/etc., Irvine, LA. See several old friends. Vineyards for sure.
c) Stay in San Francisco for a few days. Vineyards definitely.

Any of the three would be fun. I haven't been to LA, but no great desire (aside from seeing friends). We haven't been to OR outside of Portland and that vicinity, so would be neat I imagine. San Fran is always good, but we've been. Quandaries!

neverending

2008-02-24T10:28:00.002-05:00

I am at the point where I would reallllly love to just peel off all the paint from the walls! There is some layer in there that isn't adhering well, making the top layer crack more. Ugh! We do not have the time though, or enough vacuum power to get all the bits, so we are patching here and there. No more cinder blocks have been seen, but there are shallow holes requiring lots of patching all over the darn place. Sigh..

We did buy primer though, so will get started with that this weekend. We can't agree on a paint color. Nothing will match any of the bedding we have now, but maybe that's not bad - I've wanted nicer (non ikea!) sheets for summer for a while now, so this is good. I won't be giving up our orange ll bean sheets for any color, though. so warm and comfy! :)

I have been dyeing like crazy - not even moving the dyepot from my counter... my apartment is liking the humidity from steaming and drying yarn, so it's not bad!

It's not official yet, but we are organizing a big yarn/knitting/spinning party on ravelry... will most likely be March 30th, in Takoma Park. Metro accessible! We're hoping to have most of the local indie dyers/spinners participating, and it should be really rad!

cracked.

2008-02-18T20:30:00.003-05:00

We were having a nice day off. I was going to get some dyeing done. We were going to mosey along on repairing and preparing our bedroom walls for painting...

Then we started looking at the cracks! We'd known we'd need to DEAL with them. We just didn't think it'd be TODAY. But no... once you start picking at the old paint and plaster, you cannot stop! Oh my -- we got down to the cinder blocks on one wall! There were a few old cracks that just keep getting repaired over the years, and cracking again, messing up paint jobs.

(this is just the surface of the cracks!) We went through so many layers. Paper, fibers, plaster, spackling compound.. Over and over again. It really makes one wonder who painted their bedroom walls dark grayish blue, and how boring were the following owners to not have any color at all! It's neat to think that there have been 60 years of people here, though as our walls get painted over and over, our rooms get smaller and smaller.

One of the many piles of broken wall we threw out/vacuumed.

We also finally pulled out the cabling for cable. We don't even have cable, but decided we'd move our tv out to the living room if we did get cable service. I wish we could pull out the phone wire as well... for 860 square feet, two bedrooms, there's probably 5 phone jacks! I can't imagine anyone needs it these days with wireless everything, but who knows.. maybe we'll move our office into another room one of these days.

But for now - we're rushing to get our bedroom finished and staying in our second bedroom... stressing over paint colors and getting excited! Yay for color and smooth walls! Wish us luck with the remaining plastering/spackling!

do ya do ya do ya do ya wanna felt?

2008-02-11T18:24:00.000-05:00

free pile of lamb's pride! Well, shipping will cost you $10.55 for priority mail (the box + yarn weighs just under 2.5 pounds).. or if you are local, meet me somewhere and take it! I want it out of my home! :)

bulky lamb's pride - the turquoise and black seem full, the others half or less it seems.

worsted lamb's pride - mostly there are half skeins, but the lime is nearly full (just I pulled some out and rewound it around the skein)

This and more stuff to come up on my stash sale page!

recovering!

2008-02-09T13:03:00.000-05:00

I know it's been a while since I last posted since my computer forgot the url! hmm... last couple weeks: crazy!

Vegas was fun. A good place for a conference, but a bad place to get a bad cold. The awful cigarette odors! Bah. Why on earth do people smoke? Don't they know they stink? I really took DC and MD's smoking bans for granted, and wow - am so glad that they exist! Also, am never again staying in a hotel where you have to walk like a quarter mile (no joke!) through the smokey air to get to your freaky room with the mirrored wall and ceiling (again, no joke!)! Still - I saw a couple of good shows (Mystere and Les Folie Bergere) and didn't lose too much money, so it was a good trip.

The cold I had towards the end of the week and brwooought back? NOT GOOD! But it gave me an excuse to sleep in and not have to work so much. (yay sick leave!) I am still coughing a week later. :(

A big THANKS to everyone who came out for Crafts and Kisses! I ended up arriving an hour late because I overslept after only getting home from Vegas at 2 am, but I saw a great many woolarina fans and was so excited!

Am back to spinning (and dyeing).. will have something very exciting to share in the next week or so!!!

Also! Knitting for Craft Fairs!

2008-01-21T20:47:00.000-05:00

Also, I've been spinning! and knitting! There's a super fun craft fair coming up as well...

Sunday, February 3, 12 noon to 5 pm
Josephine Butler Parks Center
1247 15th Street NW
http://craftsandkisses.com

There will be music! And a kissing booth! :) And goody bags for the first 50 shoppers!

I will have lots and lots of yarn! (And of course some hats+mitts to warm you right up!) **Any yarn with pink in it will be $2 off, if you mention seeing it on my blog!**

This will be an interesting day - I am getting in from Las Vegas (yay conference travel!) super duper late then the craft fair when I wake up! Speaking of Vegas- anyone have any must-see tips? I imagine slots will get old fast...