I Won!

I won a lovely prize on the PhatFiber blog! This was a while back, but my worklife has been getting in the way of my fun, so I have been a bit late blogging about it.

I am a contributor to the Phat Fiber Sampler box, a monthly box of samples from independent spinners & dyers, shepherds & fiber animal folks of many stripes & other artisans who work in the fiber arts. This helps shoppers try out different fibers, interesting colors, patterns and all kinds of fiber-related goodies before they buy. Many contributors (including SmokyMountainFibers) also give away full size items to generate interest in their Etsy shops and other websites.

I recently won a lovely handmade book from Becky's Paper Creations. It is a small (3" X 4") knitting journal - just the right size to slip into my knitting bag - assuming that it is not too lovely to actually write in. That is one of the problems with lovely paper - particularly handmade books. And this tiny book is quite lovely with it's hand stitched binding and lovely covers. Becky blogs here. Are my thoughts, projects, notes to self 'good enough' to write in such a lovely book. Somehow I feel I must be smarter, more reflective, more knitterly, a better designer to deserve such a lovely book to record my thoughts.

Perhaps this is why my most successful journaling has been recorded in spiral notebooks from the campus bookstore, although I do decorate them. I made a felted cover that fits nicely around a 5X8 notebook that has been my journal for a few years , though I have probably not written in it for about a year. Does this blog (written for semi-public consumption) take the place of private journaling? Hmmmm....I think it is quite different as we discussed in my class last week (How are the pioneer journals kept during the westward expansion era different than today's blogs?).

I worked Sunday at Locally Grown, the crafts gallery at the WNC Farmer's Market and had a fine day of decent sales and very good spinning. I often spin natural color roving - no brainer spinning that I can stop and start at any time, watch the booth while I spin and talk to the people who come by. But this week I carded a good bit of dyed fleece to make some rather colorful yarns. I spun most of the day, until the belt gave way on my Louet S-10. Afterward I knitted a lovely hat out of some sweet blue merino that I had dyed and spun for the Yarn Everyday challenge. Pictures to follow.