Video Update!

So.. I made a video instead of taking photographs because I just had to blog again. Everything was building up. I tried to keep it short to prevent you folks from getting bored

This was fun!
(You may have to crank your audio, I’m still figuring everything out and my mic wasn’t turned up enough, apparently.)

more about “Video Update! on Vimeo“, posted with vodpod

Business.

I’ve been almost overwhelmed with how busy I’ve been lately. I love having places to go and people to hang out with again. I took an Intro to Herbs class, and I learned about how to make medicines from common herbs. It’s really exciting to me, to be able to take control of our health this way. I eventually want to line the walls of my house with huge jars of herbs and make my own teas, oil infusions, salves and tinctures. The next class they’re offering is going to be a hands-on type of workshop where we actually get to try the whole process ourselves. I wasn’t sure I wanted to participate, but I’m so glad I did.

The only downside to all of this is that I fell behind on my project 365.. I’ve been doing more interesting things, than trying to find interesting things to take photos of. Fair trade.

On Tuesday I’m dropping off my latest painting to the Art Society to get put on display in the cafe as the gallery is undergoing some renos and getting some new lights put in and will be closed during April. It’ll be so nice to see my very own painting in such a public place.

I started going to the SCA here in town here and it’s been so much fun. I’m learning to fight with a rapier like a musketeer on Wednesday nights now and meeting lots of people. I love getting dressed up and getting together with people and learning about history.

I bought the prettiest mortar and pestle instead of a coffee grinder to crush up the cochineal for one of the last of my dyepots for the nature dyeing portion of my course. I’d much rather have something I can wash thoroughly and reuse for herbs than a coffee grinder I’m never going to use again. Alex and I went to Lori and Oliver’s and we had a few drinks while I taught Lori the basic premise behind nature dyeing and fibre prep. I got some amazing colors from the cochineal, but the indigo I used turned out to be pathetic because I didn’t use a reducing agent and the indigo is insoluble in water.

Yesterday we went and saw Barb (owner of Wild Geese Fibres) and we gawked at her wares and hung out for a few hours. She and her husband are some of the nicest people I know. At the end of April Barb and I are going to Kamloops to the Twist of Fate retreat for a Fair Isle class Barb is teaching and I’m so excited to see Erin again, and anyone else from Olds last year who is going to be there.

I love being a part of this whole fibre community we have, and I think that I will always have it as a part of my life. I love knowing what I love to do.

365.002

365.002, originally uploaded by Gaminelle.

Balls of hand-dyed yarn that dried overnight.

365.001

365.001, originally uploaded by Gaminelle.

Dyeing yarn with acid dyes.

Stash

Stash, originally uploaded by GoetheGamine.

My roving and yarn on a nice little shelf

I have got to get knitting/spinning some of this up.

I like watching the puddles gather raiiin.

Mixtape o’ the Day – Songs of right now.

1. Milk Thistle – Conor Oberst
2. King – Weezer
3. I Was Meant for the Stage – The Decemberists
4. Hide and Seek – Imogen Heap
5. Staralfur – Sigur Ros (my personal wedding song)
6. Homecoming – Kanye West ft. Chris Martin (of Coldplay, who apparently knit together!)

It’s getting chilly again. I’ve been spinning and painting like a madwoman lately, as I’ve mentioned.. but I have pictures now to prove it!

Here’s the most recent painting I’ve completed, and I love it. I can’t decide, though, whether to keep it, try to sell it in the gallery or try to sell it through etsy.. and how much to sell it for. I custom framed it at work all fancy, I like it.

(click to see the full size)

The idea was of a bird that flies around the planets bringing night to the sky. The one I’m working on right now is of some winter trees, and the next one I have planned is a chakra diagram of sorts, with a little more flow. Keep it, or sell it? Keep it, or sell it?

Here’s my tiny spinning! That bobbin is full now, and I’m about a third of the way through the second one. I’m getting amazing yardage out of these.. what, four ounces of Fleece Artist? I’m ecstatic, and I can’t wait to have it plied. It’s going to be SO pretty (AND SUPERWARSH, ZOMG).

Tree Jacket is still coming along. I feel badly, as though I’ve been neglecting it in favor of these new pursuits. I’ve just been bitten by the lace bug, and am dying to get my hands on a shawl of my own. Yeah, I know, anyone who isn’t a knitter thinks shawls are old-ladyish. I think they’re beautiful, and would wear one with pride, knowing full well how many hundreds of hours they can take.

I unpacked my yarn today, and found that I have no room for roving on the shelves. I’ve still got a garbage bagful from Fibre Week that I have yet to take stock of, and put away. I’m so surprised at how much I’ve acquired in the last few months.. from nothing, to a whole walk-in closet full of roving, yarn and spinning wheel parts.

I recently acquired the Twilight Series audiobooks. I’m unsure of whether I’ll actually take the time to listen when I do get my new iPod. It might help the time pass at work, if the person’s voice isn’t incredibly tedious. I hope it’s a good story. I’ve heard mixed reviews, but the general consensus is that it’s great for mindless entertainment, but don’t expect anything of major substance to be gleaned from it. Thanks for the hot tip, guys.

I just had a cup of coffee. It’s 10pm. I did this on purpose. There will be no rest for the wicked Kaitlin tonight.

Good News!

So my replacement plying head for my Lendrum Traveler wheel I`ve been waiting oh.. I don`t know.. almost 6 months for has finally arrived in the mail, thank goodness. Now I have the regular head, the plying head and the giant monster country spinner for my wheel. I want for nothing! I`ve never used the country spinner before, but ohhh man. What huge, ropey, insanely gorgeous woolen I could make though!

GIANT YARRRRRN.

I heard about the Art Society this week for the first time, and that they were having a little show at the new Energy Centre (where they had a Theory of a Deadman concert the opening night – eughhh) this Sunday. Seeing as how we didn`t have much to do this weekend, we went and I spoke with a woman about it. For thirty dollars per year I can be part of the rotation that gets space in the galleryslashcoffeeshoppe and sell, YES, actually SELL FOR MONEY my yarn, paintings and drawings. She also is teaching an oil painting course this coming month – 6 weekly sessions for $150 supplies included. Stoked. I`m going to request not to be put into the rotation for the gallery for the next couple of months so I can get my stuff together, do a bunch of pieces, make a bunch of prints, stock my etsy shop and get a bunch of things framed.

It feels good to be working towards something. I painted a small piece on canvas board on Saturday that I`ll be getting framed this month. I took a picture but I need to track down a cord for the camera before I can post it. I really like it.. I started a second one – I`ll post it when I`m finished.