Needles of Iron

June 13, 2010

Estes Park in June

(Meant to schedule this to post later, but seem to have messed it up some how, so two posts in one day. Such is what happens when the weather allows for some couch time, I suppose....2 posts in....5 minutes....)

After a week's worth of near record setting temperatures, in the high eighties, Trail Ridge Road, the one that takes you over Rocky Mountain National Park was closed yesterday with 4 inches of snow.

I insisted Wonderful Guy take me up as far as we could, to Rainbow Curve.

What the snow up there meant was rain at the Wool Market. It was a messy, and muddy day there. We went, though, and spent time in the goat's and sheep's tent, but bagged any outside activities.

Four generations! Just like photos we would take at family reunions....

It was beyond just raining. Temps hovered in the high 40's, low 50's all day.

a week old, and I got to pet these guys!

So yeah. For us, disappointing, but we will have other weekends this summer to come to Estes, to hike in Rocky. We, and by we, I mean I, will have other Wool Markets to take in the sheep dog demos. I feel badly for those who plan an entire year's vacation to come out to see our neck of the woods...and get this sort of weekend.

Sometime just the way life works, I guess.

However, a quick stop was made at the vendors barn. Just a real quick one. I decided I didn't need to buy a drum carder just yet. Since I joined the Weaver's/Spinner's Guild, I have access to renting carders from that source, and that will be a good way to learn the technique.

However, I did buy a CVM/Corriedale cross fleece from a young woman who raises sheep with her sister down by Gunnison. I will have to tell all about it later.

Spinning With Maggie

I have had a most awesome two day workshop. I will try to hold in my gushing about it. But it was SO!AWESOME!!

Maggie is a fantastic teacher. I learned so very much, with many facts finally sinking in, and worked on finessing and/or honing many other techniques.

So worth the time, effort, and money spent on the whole experience.

We had about 15 in the class, ranging in experience from someone who had spun 2 pounds of wools on a drop spindle (!), to those who knew not which end of a wheel to spin from. We came from the western slope, the front range, Nebraska, and Texas. And other places, but those are what I remember.

Personally, what really sunk in were 'fleece facts', stuff like crimp and strength and such. (I had read, but now I have seen and done. My learning cycle is complete.) Also, the difference in woolen and worsted yarn and how to spin for both. (I am pausing just now to review in my mind the exact difference...woolen=lofty fuzzy, carded...worsted=silkier, smoother, combed...by george, I think she has it!)

Personally, technique-wise, I have moved past short forward draw/inch worm style of drafting. Friday afternoon, I finally had the long draw method 'sink in'. I was afraid to say anything for a while, for fear that Maggie would walk over to see, and the spell would be broken! But there I was-spinning and smiling...and long-drawing...

I learned a better, and by better, I mean way easier, way to card, and a smoother way to ply.

And regarding the worsted/woolen thing, we spent some time learning to spin worsted yarn in a couple of way, including spinning from the fold.

Yes, my head is full.

Also my heart, because if I didn't love Maggie before (she sold Betsy to me, and educated me on drum carders) I do now!

(and I might buy a drum carder today...who knows) (I mean, it's raining and what else is there to do?)

June 9, 2010

Wool Market Weekend

The Estes Park Wool Market begins for me tomorrow. I am taking a two-day workshop on spinning, and I am quite excited about:

#1 2 days off work to do so.
#2 the workshop itself. It is led by Maggie Casey.
#3 Wonderful Guy and I are spending the 4 day weekend in Estes, a mini-vaycay, as it were.
#4 2 days off work.

I have Molly, the Marvelous Matchless, all set to go, oil and hand carders and extra bobbins and lazy kate ready, too. I have clothes laid out…for high 70’s, and for when the temps take a 30 degree dive on Friday.

Yep, that’s what those weather people say is going to happen. While they may be a bit off, I imagine the weekend is not going to hold 'shorts' weather for us. Too bad really. This week has really been nice and toasty, and it would have been sweet for it to hold over. I would have enjoyed some nice weather in the mountains, and not underneath twelve layers. But it’s the weather, and what am I going to do about it?!?

I am sure we will have a good time. And that I take plenty of photos. Of goats and sheep and alpacas and bunnies.

And I am wondering whatever should I be thinking about shopping for….

Maybe I will just look. Maybe I don’t really need anything. Maybe nothing will really appeal…

Maybe.

Or maybe NOT!!!

This weekend past, our neighborhood held its annual garage sale. While we don’t ‘sell’ every year, we do generally participate in the social nature of the event. This year we numbered among the sellers, though. With all the re-organization and clearing out and moving of things around, the timing was propitious, don’t you know.

Before Wisest Sister arrived, most all the goods were staged in the garage. After Sister left, we priced and arranged and readied things. And by things, I mean from Wonderful Guy’s old dirt bike equipment to old fabric of mine. Bookshelves, truck tool box, office chairs, computer equipment…out stuff ran the gamut.

My fabric consisted of yardage lengths of woven cottons/blends and knits, and a sack of cotton/blends scraps. Not to worry! Nothing of import was among the cast-offs! At least to my thinking...this stuff went back a few decades, but not so many that made it anything but hohum. To my thinking. A couple of women arrived and the younger zoomed in on the bag of scraps. The older remarked that she made charity quilts for Haitian children. To which I remarked that I would give them all the woven fabric they wanted.

Let me get a box! Or two!

They were very pleased and took all the cotton and cotton blend yardage I had. I was glad for that. It wasn’t…you know…moving, and I was going to make a trip to Goodwill when the day was over anyway. They ended up with two large boxes full.

Also? She said something about me being blessed for my generosity.

She has no idea how I have been blessed already.

June 8, 2010

Road Trip

…but of a much easier nature than it could have been….oh…150 years ago…

Wisest Sister and I did indeed head north and east through Wyoming and to Nebraska, and visited the Brown Sheep Company. I have been there once before, and it’s really not such a long way from where I live.

When I was there previously, I was thinking it was the funnest (is SO a word!) name for a wool mill ever, and wondered about the brown sheep that must have inspired the name of the company. While waiting in the hallway for my turn at the ladies room, I happened to spy a photo. Of the Family Brown. Who founded the yarn mill.

Yep, Not about brown sheep, but about Mr. and Mrs. Brown and their kids. Glad I didn’t say anything. There is an old adage about there being no stupid questions…well, I would have proven that one wrong.

So we shopped some at the factory store, where I bought more than Sister. But not too much. Then we headed to Scott’s Bluff National Monument, which is just down the road a piece. It was a beautiful day for seeing such sights.

End of April, we traveled back to Kansas, and while there, we trekked out to a place called Alcove Springs. After debarking in early spring from Independence, Missouri, on the Oregon Trail, the wagon trains would stop at Alcove Springs for a brief respite. This rest was sometimes out of necessity, to wait for the Big Blue River to fall a few feet to crossing safer.

(seen up close, little arrows, mine, mark the swales)

I was born in Kansas, and lived there, and in other places around the Midwest many of my years. I have also traveled the West a good bit as well. However, until Alcove Springs, I had never taken the time to get off the beaten path to find one of those places where one can see the ruts left by the wagon wheels of those wagon trains.

(seen from way up high)

As the wagons crossed the prairies, the wagons did not go ‘single file’. They would spread out, and in this field, there were several ‘dips’ and runnels in the grassy area that are what remain of those pathways.

(reproductions wagons next to where the actual trail passed)

Now, it’s the first of June, and Wisest Sister and I are in Western Nebraska at Scott’s Bluff, which marked the end of the prairie to the travelers. I am not sure why they thought it was the end of the prairie. I think there is a lot of prairie west of there, but those were the claims made in the pamphlets and guides we read. They were one third of the way ‘there’, at any rate, upon reaching this particular landmark.

Whew. What a relief to be able to answer that! to all those ‘are we there yet?’ questions…

At Scott’s Bluff (called by the Native Americans ‘hill that is hard to go around’), the wagon trains had to pass through single file. Quite a bottleneck, don’t you know…

The wagons passed here…(again, the arrow is mine...it was not there to mark their path...lovely and pink, though it might be...)

And here…

And here…

It was a beautiful day while we were there. In the low 80’s. Blue sky with a few clouds, and a gentle breeze (very uncommon for the area!). As I walked up the path to where the wagon trail crossed, I shed my overshirt down to my tanktop.

Not something a pioneering female would be apt to do, in spite of how warm she was, in her long skirt and undergarments and long sleeves. And apron. And bonnet. And I suppose there would have been more unpleasant weather with which to contend. Just perhaps…

Also in the pamphets and guides? Those hardy pioneers found most of the claims made by the promoters grossly understated the hardship and overstated the ease with which the journey was to be made! (Madison Avenue strikes before there was an actual Madison Avenue!)

So.

I am left pondering. I have much admiration for these hardy souls who up and left what was behind, looking forward to what the future might hold for them. And yet, there, at the monument, is one small patch where the original ‘prairie’ is being regrown. Our forefathers exacted a huge price for all their tenacity and endurance and hardiness on the environment, the Native Americans, and the indigenous species of plants and wildlife.

Hindsight, yes, and yet, if we do not learn from our history, we repeat our lessons. (I know these things…)