Author: virginiacmccoy

Well, I have finished three skeins of yarn and it is time to start on painting number four.

By the way, I took some video and was uploading it to youtube while I made my last post and completely forgot about them.  They take so long to upload.  LOL!  It took five hours for the twelve minute video to upload.  So, I made my post and went to bed.  They are on my video page, if you are interested.

So, I filled one bobbin with black alpaca, one bobbin with white wool, and one with both, a little black and a little white, no particular amount of each as I went.  It worked out rather evenly, though, but I wanted it to be very random.

The three bobbins of singles were, in theory, to make three bobbins of three-ply once I got it plied.  Well, I ran out of the mix after the second spool of three-ply and spun some more of that.  I thought I would finish that last spool easily, but when I was about 75% done I ran out of white, so I used a ball of old single that I had spun from the same fleece.  I think I had done it just to test it out.  Well, it worked.

So, the next step is taking the yarn off the bobbin, preferably after it has had a chance to settle while still on the bobbin.  The first two had enough settling time, but the third one I just finished before I started taking them off and winding them on the rockers of my rocking chair.  LOL!  My skeins are not as big as regular ones, but it works for me.

The coffee pot on the floor was holding the little ball of white yarn while I was plying that last bit of the last spool.  When making a skein, I use the wheel to hold the spool, because I can maintain a tension and the spool doesn’t spin wildly and get tangled.  You may notice all the little bits of wool all over the place.  I have even been finding it in my mouth over the last couple of weeks.  It flies everywhere.

This is the fiber that I started with.  The white was a raw fleece, it had not been washed or processed in any way, so it was greasy with lanolin and a little bit dirty, but amazingly clean for a raw fleece.  I carded it before spinning.  The alpaca had been washed and carded by machine into roving.  (I wish I could remember where I got it.  I know I didn’t buy it…)

So, I wrapped the yarn around the rockers, tied it in four spots, and removed the skeins from the rockers.

Then I washed them in hot water with real soap flakes while listening to a Louis L’Amour book, Sackett’s Land, the first in the series (just in case you were wondering what was on my kindle).  Then I rinsed in hot water, first in plain water, second in vinegar water.  Squeezed out most of the water and hung them with weights to set the twist.  They will drip for a while then, hopefully, get dry in a couple of days.

First rinse water before:

First rinse water after:

Well, the plan is to weave cloth from which to make myself an article of clothing.  We will see.  I tried to make some videos of the plying, but it didn’t work out.  I hope you got something out of this post, even if it is just entertainment.

I don’t think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday.

— Abraham Lincoln

 

Well, Clara cleans up really well!  I have not used my spinning wheel in about six years and I had to clean her up, oil her up, and tighten her up.  But, she is spinning like she always has.  I bought this spinning wheel, the Ashford Traditional, in the mid-1990’s, brand new from New Zealand for about $250, which seemed like an awful lot of money back then.  They sell now for about $650!  And the company has been sold and I have been told that they are not as well made now, which is no surprise.  Many times over the last few years I have tried to sell my wheel, my loom, all my accessories, and all my fiber.  Once, someone actually wanted to buy it and I chickened out.  Mr. Beloved has talked me out of it at least three times.  I’m so glad!  Thank you, Mr. Beloved, for talking me down off the ledge so many times, in so many ways, for so many reasons.  LOL!  Here is a photo of Clara with Toby.

He looks like he is very interested in the wheel, but, in reality, he is intently watching the cat and planning to chase her.  The white wool on the bobbin which is on the lazy kate is what I have spun thus far from a fleece which was given to me by my beloved friend, Marci, when she had sheep.  She has since passed away and it is special spinning the wool that she gave me.

I am in the process of filling another bobbin with black alpaca.  I am not totally sure where I got the alpaca, but it is beautiful stuff and I am enjoying spinning it.  I am planning on spinning some of the wool and alpaca together and then I will have three bobbins of single ply and I will ply them together to make a black and white 3-ply yarn.  I hope that I will have that done by my next post.  When I am done with the yarn, I will start working on painting number four.

In the meantime, I have some photos of past projects that I have made from my homespun yarns.

Hand knit socks with wool from Marci.  (You know, I think that most of my wool is from Marci…)

Close up of the knitting stitches.  I am not an expert spinner, so the yarn is usually thin in some spots and thick in others, but I like it and I enjoy making it and using it.

These crocheted gloves are actually the first thing I ever made with my own homespun yarn.  The wool was not from Marci, but it was given to me from someone who had sheared their own sheep.  It was in Florida, and the person who gave me the wool couldn’t understand why I would want wool or want to make or wear anything made of wool.  LOL!  It was dirty and in a feed bag.  I had to pick it to get rid of large pieces of plant trash and then wash it.  I had so much fun.  Then, I made these gloves for Ron.  He has loved them and almost worn them out.  I made them over twenty years ago.

This hat was made from the first wool that Marci gave me, about 15 years ago, right after we moved up here to Ohio.  We were living in the apartment above their goat barn and Marci and I would spin together.  She had a wheel like mine.  I knitted this hat for Ron and he loved it and has worn it ever since.

There is something warm and comforting about handmade things, whether it is considered art or not, it is beautiful.  Whether it is considered pinterest-worthy or not, it is lovely.  I am no expert.  As a matter of fact, if an expert spinner, knitter, weaver, etc., were to ever inspect my work…  Well, I shudder to think of the tortures they would endure.  But, I enjoy it and I think it is beautiful.

I think, between painting four and five, I will warp my loom and plan to weave something beautiful.

And all the women that were wise hearted did spin with their hands,

and brought that which they had spun, both of blue, and of purple,

and of scarlet, and of fine linen.

–Exodus 35:25

I have finished painting number three and it was an adventure.  Here is the last photo of my first attempt at number three:

Well, after working on it a little more, I reached the point where I could not take it anymore, so I painted over it, but I didn’t like that, either, so I started with a clean panel from scratch:

And the FINISHED product!  Finally!  LOL!

I measured every. single. point. of every. single. window. and they still did not line up perfectly, so I finally just got it done.  The power lines were a challenge, also.  I wiped them off and redid them a few times.  In reality, there were many more power lines, but I think I included enough to get the idea.  This apartment building is in China.  The apartment building in the second painting was also in China.

Now, I will take a break between painting three and painting four and dust off my spinning wheel and spin up some wool yarn.  I will tell you all about that in my next post.

Until we meet, again, I leave you with some photos of another spider that posed for me:

These two photos of the spider are not great photography, but I tried.  He was not all that cooperative.  He is one of these common black fuzzy spiders that are sometimes quite fun.  I have teased them, before, and they stand up on their back feet and try to look big and fierce.  LOL!

I thought this was funny.  A weight limit of four tons on a little walking bridge?!

I don’t know about you, but I can’t seem to keep ahead of the spiders in my house.  I must admit that they don’t bother me all that much, but I do get tired of their webs and their messes.  However, I do love that they do their best to keep the population of flies and stinkbugs in check:

This one was doing his thing between the wall unit and the hearth when I noticed him.  I watched him for a few minutes then I ran for the camera and tripod.  I tried a bunch of shots from the fully extended tripod and then lowered it, tried some more, lowered it some more and finally realized that I would have to change to my smaller lens and get really close.  I was able to make the tripod really short and hang the camera upside down.  I can’t get on the floor to check focus and settings, so I put it on autofocus and hoped for the best.  Well!  I am happy with my shot.  I took dozens and got a few good ones.  The spider was very accommodating and held his pose for quite a while.

Below is my current work in progress photo.  This particular building is taking a while, because I am having to paint things over and over.  White is like that…  If I need to cover anything with white, it takes a few coats.  Plus, I keep straightening things.  I even did another layer on the sky.  LOL!  I think it is coming along, though.

I mentioned in another post about having set up a photo trap for birds on my back porch.  Well, they finally noticed.  I was feeling so unappreciated.  LOL!  However, my tripod was not set up.  I was holding the camera while looking out the back door and suddenly two cardinals, a bluejay, a junco, and some sparrows invaded.  I started shooting away!  So, I didn’t really get any sharp photos, but I think these few are kinda nice.

This last one is my favorite.  It looks like it needs to be made into a painting to me…

Toby and I took a several walks on the trails around here, lately.  The following were taken at the Kokosing Gap Trail in Howard.

I don’t know what tree or bush these seeds are from, but I loved them and they were everywhere!

I thought I would try to get some smooth water.  I love that look.  I also thought the above log looked like a pig eating.  LOL!  Am I the only one that sees that?  Or maybe some piggy-looking dragon with that long neck.

The river was flowing quite well and I used a very long shutter speed to get the water to smooth out.  That piece of wood, above, looks like a lion stretching and looking at the sky.

Well, I will be honest with you.  I am not looking forward to walking when it is snowy and icy, but I am prepared to give it a try.  There have been a few bald eagles around here, lately.  There is a dead deer across the road and I’m sure that is what attracted them.  I tried to catch them, but it seems that my tripod sends out signals to all the birds to steer clear.  Anyway, I thought they were all gone, but this morning, as Toby and I were walking in our neighborhood, one flew across the field, crossed the road in front of us, and continued on East.  I was wishing I had my camera, but then I remembered to just enjoy the moment and not constantly want to be productive.  It was beautiful…

Beauty! what can be said of it? what is it? I look around, to see some object specially beautiful, on which to expend my panegyrics. There is the deep fathomless azure above me; there is the sea, the wild, open, careering ocean; there is that bright clear eye which ever lights my solitude; there is a fair girl, a beautiful boy; there are the stars looking down from heaven; there is beauty in the human countenance, beauty in looks, beauty in thoughts, beauty in actions. What shall I say! I am bewildered; beauty overwhelms me. I am dumb, who would emulate the oratory of an archangel. I am lost in the magnitude of my theme…

–T.C. Henley, “Beauty,” 1851

One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD And to meditate in His temple.

— Psalm 27:4

 

 

First, can you find the missing Toby?  Well, he actually is not missing, but he thinks he is hidden.  LOL!

The building that I am painting (number three) has many windows and stripes.  That is what I am working on right now.  I think it is coming along, although I do have to remind myself that there is an “ugly stage” for every artwork and to not panic.  I thought I would show you how I do the stripes.  I tape them off, paint two coats, peel the tape, then touch up where the paint went under the tape.  It is not perfect, but much better than freehand.

Well, that is where I am as of now.

I have set up a photo trap on the back porch, but I have had no takers.  I think it is because it is behind the railing and too close to the house.  I want to trap some birds into having their portraits taken.  LOL!  Any suggestions?

I have nyjer seeds, sunflower seeds, apples, and leftover beans and rice.  I thought it was a pretty tempting spread, myself.

I also took some pictures of the frost the other morning:

It is the life of the crystal, the architect of the flake, the fire of the frost, the soul of the sunbeam.  This crisp winter air is full of it.

–John Burroughs, “Winter Sunshine”

Winter has been flirting with Ohio.  I think it is settling in, though.  Not horrifyingly cold, but cold enough to make me glad for the fire.

So, I have been working on the third painting of my present commission.  Here is the first wip (work in progress) photo:

The underpainting, which is also the sky, took five layers, because I didn’t like it and kept painting over it.  All the different layers, though, give it depth and interest.  I really like it.  It looks better in person than it does in the photo.  (I think it does, anyway…)

Here are a few photos from my camera play over the last few days:

On Tuesday, I heard what sounded like a bird hitting a window, but I was busy and forgot about it.  Later, I took Toby out through the garage and when the door went up, this is what I saw:

This is what I like to see:

Autumn birds speak cheerful poetry from their berry-stained beaks.

— Terri Guillemets

 

I am not done, but I am getting close:

Also, check out the last post:  “Latest Commission”.

 

Laughter is the sun which drives winter from the human face.

— Victor Hugo

Well, I mentioned a couple times about a commission that I was working on.  It is nine acrylic paintings of buildings.  It is no longer secret, because my client has presented the first two paintings to his beloved wife.  She was well pleased, which means that my client was well pleased, which means that I am well pleased.  LOL!  Well, I do not have perfect scans of them, but I will show you what I do have:

The nine paintings are (and will be) the places that they have lived thus far in their marriage.  It was a surprise gift for their 24th wedding anniversary.  Now, on to number three…

What greater thing is there for two human souls, than to feel that they are joined for life — to strengthen each other in all labour, to rest on each other in all sorrow, to minister to each other in all pain, to be one with each other in silent unspeakable memories at the moment of the last parting? 

— Adam Bede by George Eliot

I finally broke down and got a new (old) camera on eBay.  It is a Canon EOS Rebel XSI 450D DSLR and it came with the EF-S 18-55 mm IS lens.  I also ordered the Canon EF 75-300 mm f/4.0-5.6 III telephoto lens, which also came with three filters and two lens extensions (wide angle and macro).  This camera is an old one (2008…  when did that get old?), but used camera equipment can be good, so I gave it a try.  I’m glad I did, because this camera was SO cheap and it looks and works like new, as far as I can tell.  It was only $169 for the camera and the 18-55 lens.  The telephoto lens kit (which was new) was $110.  I think that is pretty cheap.  I was thinking that I would not be able to get a camera for a long, long time, because the ones I was looking at were new and thousands of dollars.  Now, I want you all to know that my old camera, the Kodak EasyShare Z981 was and still is a good one.  It is starting to have computer problems, but it takes good pictures.  I have had it for a lot of years and most of that time I thought it was the camera’s fault that I couldn’t take good photos.  Well, Lo and Behold, I came across a quote from a photographer:  “It is not the camera, it’s the photographer.”  Well, that is very, very true, to a great degree.  But, you do need good equipment.  The Kodak is a good camera, but it has limited doodads on it.  So, because I found one so cheap, I thought I would give it a try.  I have been playing with it and using it since Thanksgiving.  I LOVE it!  It is such fun learning all the nifty things I can do!  I have made many mistakes, but that is what I need to do to learn.  Fun, fun, fun!  Here are some play shots from the last couple of days.  We got some snow a few days ago.  It is gone now.  I am going to leave my hummingbird feeders up (empty) because I like the colors:

This morning was a very misty, foggy morning.  It stuck around until late in the morning.  I was surprised, but I took advantage and took lots of photos:

I don’t know about you, but every time there is a heavy fog, in the back of my mind is the thought, “I wonder if Jack the Ripper is around somewhere…”  LOL!  I hope not!

The fog comes on little cat feet.

  It sits looking over harbor and city on silent haunches and then moves on.

— Carl Sandburg

 

Well, I hope everyone enjoyed their holiday.  We certainly did.  Aside from lovely company, I was able to actually make an edible turkey.  LOL!  I brined it in a five gallon bucket of a mixture of seven quarts of water and one and a half cups of salt.  Then, I cooked it at 250 degrees for about six hours.  It could have cooked for about an hour less, but it worked.  Yummy!

The day after Thanksgiving found my brother, my nephew, my doggy, and myself at Foundation Park for the setting of the moon and the rising of the sun.

I’m glad that we went to the park when we did.  The next day was gray and rainy and cold.

But, later in the day, when it stopped raining, I popped Toby in the truck and we went to the Kokosing Gap Trail in town.  I am so glad we did!

I was just walking along and suddenly noticed the clouds clearing and the sun coming out and it was low in the sky and I could see that I was about to be treated to a wonderful sunset.  I clicked and clicked and danced and had some fun and poor Toby patiently waited.  We would walk a few feet and I would see another composition among some new trees.  What fun!  I got a couple dozen shots, but I will just share a few of the best ones.

 

“The heavens declare the glory of God,

and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.”

— Psalm 19:1 (ESV)

“Every sunset brings the promise of a new dawn.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Nature is painting for us, day after day, pictures of infinite beauty.” — John Ruskin

“Don’t forget:  beautiful sunsets need cloudy skies.” — Paulo Coelho