We're busy over here, packing for Stitches South in Atlanta this coming week. I don't know how communicative I'll be while we're there, but I'll give it my best. I've spent the weekend pouring through my outfits, trying on corsets, trying to decide which pieces of taffeta frippery will pack best and realizing that it really doesn't matter. All hotels have irons in them these days, right?
Outside of packing ad preparing, though, there's been some fun. We spent some time making fun of our smart- phone addictions. There are three iPhones in this picture, and that's not counting Pamela's Blackberry, which was taking pictures for Twitter at the time. We are information addicts. Oh, or my own iPhone, tucked in my pocket. I remember a time when I couldn't understand why anyone would need a portable phone at all. Hm.
This week also brought about the end of a long- standing mystery, which was wonderful. I'm usually so let down when one of my Great Mysteries is solved- those un- Google-able things that you puzzle over for months. I usually prefer the things I've imagined to the real answers, which are generally far less exciting. This, though, wasn't a let- down at all.
We've been acting like children a lot in the house- I've been chasing Kiddo around the kitchen pretending to be a love zombie, or running our dogs around until they collapse. Or, in Hugo's case, hide in the bottom of the cat tree.
The best part of this week, though, began in the grocery store. We found Magic Grow Sea Beasties. Do you remember those? The giant colorful capsules that turned into sponge critters in hot water? I always wanted to take one like a pill as a child, although now, I think that would be pretty gross... but I'm still tempted.
Look at all the options! We only allow ourselves to "release" two of them a day, and we pretend it's all very scientific at the time. Me, I'm waiting for the giant squid. Or the octopus, that would be pretty rad. Kiddo is waiting for the manta ray and Sam just likes flicking water on everybody.
These things are so cool.
That's really all that's happening, lately. I still don't have a banjo- not for a lack of looking, or desire. I have this feeling that the right banjo will come to me, or something. My Banjo Destiny. Maybe I should check Atlanta's Craigslist? Atlanta seems like a great place to find a banjo.
Long story short- too late, again- the week got better, just as we'd suspected it might, and next week looks pretty good, too. Atlanta, here I come. I hope you're ready for me.
Homespun Yarn Party was this past Sunday, and it was intense- it sure packs lot into a small show. It's a great show, short as it is, and I loved meeting some of the other vendors- I got to meet the lovely Cosy, of cosySpins, and I brought home a skein of her supersoft orange handspun, Buy Nothing Month be damned. Our neighbor Jenny runs 8th Street Soap Kitchen, and she smelled amazing. Okay, I didn't sniff her, exactly, but I her booth smelled pretty damned good. Remember when I said I'd come back to the espresso- Guinness- dark chocolate soap? That's her, and in case you were wondering- yes, it really is every bit as good as it sounds.
In other news, all of my summer test- dyes are coming out in these strangely bright, clear colors- even the dark ones. I tried for something a little more moody yesterday, and I'm not in love with it. I fails to move me at all. Who the hell am I, again?
I'm at a complete loss. It's like I've replaced myself with someone else, a stranger who wants to wear sunny sweet rich jewel- toned things. I'm not a jewel- toned girl, people. I like murk, and subtlety, and grey- lots and lots of grey; if you saw my clothing you'd never guess I'd made a career in color. Grey makes me happy in ways I can only barely begin to describe.I love the new colors I'm making, which seems significant to me. Unexpected as they sometimes are. I wonder what changed? It must have been me, but why? I'm still waiting to see how our customers react to this movement towards bright and clear that started with the Spring 2010 colors. The true test will be once they have them in their hands. And I'm learning to have faith that they can follow the direction I'm moving in these days- something I talked with Steph about this weekend, and something on my mind in general these days.
In other, other news- because really, this blog post was already disjointed, why not?-have some puppy.
It's ridiculous, right? Huuuuuuuugoooooooooo.
I know, I'm a day late. There were sleep issues and updates to worry about, but I didn't forget, I promise. Translation on Flickr! Can you tell I was hungry when I wrote this one?
We're still looking to adopt a pug- happily, the one boy we went to meet today was returned to his owners. Not happily for us, of course, but that's a nice outcome. We're still looking. We were in PetSmart this afternoon and a woman walked in with a baby pug and we both, briefly and crazily, considered a puppy. Madness. I recommend a new law against puppies in public. Either way, we're not puppy people. Puppies always find homes.
This week is all about resting up and stretching for the Homespun Yarn Party this Sunday- eeep! I'm so excited to finally get to go to one- I've missed them all so far. Oh, and dyeing for our Summer and Fall releases. It's a little weird to be that far ahead of the game, but I think I could get into that. Planning and organizing and all of that.
Waiting for pots to boil at the Baltimore studio. Snow + tree swings = instant fun.
In the Easton studio today, and to hell with the snow. (The snow! I love the snow!)
I woke up this morning to Cacie knocking on my door- which seemed rather inevitable, I suppose. I've always known that in working from home I was running the risk of oversleeping and thus waking up to my employees, but I only just got to experience it today. Agh, fail. I'm spending tonight making up for my lost morning knitting/ coffee time.
Instead of a post, behold: the Easton Studio.
Herod, lolling about in large quantities of silk- cashmere yarn:
Steam off the dyepots.
Yarn in the racks...
Elissa beating Gryphon with a skein of yarn...
A pretty typical day, really. :)
It is freezing out here. Literally. FREEZING. This was our rinse water at the Baltimore studio today.
Cacie and I went out to the barn this morning to fetch tools; we just stood there, staring at our frozen bins of water, rather in shock. This isn't even the worst month of winter- we still have January and February to look forward to! That measuring cup has hot water in it, to help us unfreeze some skeins that needed repair- didn't make a dent in that frozen water. Luckily, we're doing repairs (indoors!) and twisting/ tagging today.
Even with the weather, though, I'm happy. The overall vibe at the studio (and oh, how I hate to use the word "vibe") is one of cheerful industry. This is so different from so much of my previous work; even when the weather is miserable, when we're outside working with cold water and wet fiber, I'm 329472390358 times happier than I ever was in a warm cubicle. That seems to me the biggest indicator possible that I'm exactly where I need to be right now; working in the winter wind, huddled over a stove, making colors. It's definitely not everyone's idea of a dream job, but oh, it's nice to be happy. I think about where I was at this time last year, and it all seems like another life.
It's been a good week- decent weather, a fair amount of yarn and lots of rovings dyed up- and a ton of laughter.
Exhibit A: Baltimore Elf Corrine with a merino- silk Fu Manchu.
Exhibit B: Baltimore Elf Cacie with her hands of blue.
I wish I had a photo of our third Elf, Noelle, but she always seems to be moving whenever I have my camera out. As proof, I offer about three seconds of video, instead.
We're having a good time out here. How many people have this much fun at work? It makes up for those cold, rainy miserable dyeing days we occasionally have.
I know, I know. I don't write, I don't call. The truth is, I've been so absolutely wiped out lately- there is so much going on (so much to write about!) and I've been struggling with my health- a bad mix if there ever was one. I take my pills and my shots like a good girl, but only recently have I begun to feel what seems like the beginnings of improvement- and I say that with great reservations, as it's only the last two days or so that really seemed better.
We opened the new studio, Sam and I are playing with the idea of (finally!) demolishing the kitchen, dyeing has stepped up at least two- fold (if not three- fold), my daughter is a full- blown teenager with a boyfriend, I'm still not driving which leaves me feeling a little claustrophobic, and I'm suddenly feeling just how responsible Gryphon and I are to at least nine other people, not to mention our customers and oh, yes, of course- our own families. There doesn't seem like there is too much room in there for me to be sick, which is the way I traditionally approach any sort of physical infirmity- placing it firmly on the back burner with a stern I'm sorry, I just don't have time for this right now.
It turns out, I don't get that option. MS turns out to be a prima donna of sicknesses; if I'm not paying attention to my body's cues, she'll step right up center stage and remind me exactly who is in charge here. We're learning how to live together, and I'm quietly plotting my revenge with my nightly shots and what seems like fistfulls of pills, because no matter what this disease thinks, damnit, I'm the one in charge here. I'm determined to subjugate this in some way, to regain control over my body and my time.
Learning to take a proactive stance on my health- on realigning how I live, focusing on the right fuel and rest and exercise and staying informed and not just blowing this whole thing off as another thing that will go away- that's new, and it eats up more of my resources, too, but I'm learning, and trying.
In the meantime, I knit- nothing that I can show, all holiday knitting, but it's happening- mittens and shawls and socks, as well as the world's most boring project of all time- a six- foot tube scarf in stockinette for Kiddo with her own handdyed yarn. It's a labor of love, to be sure; God knows I'm not knitting this because it is interesting in any way- but I know she'll adore it.
So I'm here, intact, although some days it really does feel like "intact" is all I can manage. I have some designs cooking in all that holiday knitting, including a lovely pair of colorwork mittens in both Skinny Bugga and Djinni Sock as part of a collaboration with the ever- lovely Kate of Dragonfly Fibers. I'm focusing on getting well, and working hard, and all the sweet bits in the details of life, the stuff that really matters- the kindnesses of friends, my daughter's smile, my husband's hands, good food, crisp mornings, flannel sheets, cats, reading Sherlock Holmes stories in bed, strong morning runs, apple cider and milkmen and hot coffee.
In the end, that's all that really counts, right? The small moments, they're all we have.
Professional dilettante, fiber junkie and avid reader, rehabbing our little house in Baltimore while fervently wishing for more hands.
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