Big World

So Monday night was the Detroit Freedom Fireworks. I actually think it's called something like the Target sumpin sumpin fireworks but you know. It was in Detroit and it's Freedom Fireworks and it happens like 2 weeks before the actual 4th of July.

So last year Lou and I needed some time together so we went to the Marriott Renaissance hotel in downtown Detroit and we had a lovely river view and so we had the idea of going down for the fireworks. Well, it all worked out.
On Monday the lovely Michelle (aka maddiwoodfarms on Ravelry) came to close up the shop after the Sharon Winsauer class so I could get on down to the city before they started closing off streets.

It was a beautiful room with a very fabulously comfortable bed.
We had a fantastic view. The boat you see on the river is one of the barges they shot the fireworks from later. There were three of them all together.

The city you see across the river is Windsor, Ontario, Canada.

Luckily...well not so luckily I guess, my darling travels way too much and so they always upgrade his room if we stay in a full service hotel so we had a nice dinner in the concierge lounge complete with ice cream. Then Lou took the kids down to the first floor to see the car display from GM and I got a little quiet knitting time.

The fireworks started at 10:05 and we turned on the TV so we could hear the music that they were playing.

It was really beautiful and really fantastic to see the fireworks at eye level.
The explosions were just shaking all the glass in the building.
Fantastic. I think this might be a family tradition.

So let's talk about some not so fun stuff. The arguments over who will push the elevator button. we have now graduated to who will press the inside or the outside button.

Maggie: You push the button, I'll push the other one.

Ryan: No, I want to press the uver one.

Maggie: No I get to press it because you can't read numbers.

Ryan: No you press this one.

Then there's a stand off and Lou end up pressing both inside and outside buttons. Nobody's happy.
Also, this past weekend was the Little People Convention in Detroit. The hotel was full of the little people but I was on the look out for one special family.

Tuesday morning we had breakfast and we were waiting for our car and there was a star sighting. Of course I wasn't fast enough with the family but there went Matt Roloff and my lovely little overnight was complete.

Please enjoy this little video. I chuckle every time I watch it. You should know that no children were injured in the making of the video.

A Solstice Celebration

I had big plans for updating this here bloggy all week but I got some bright idea in my head and that took up the rest of the week.

Wanna know what the idea was?I decided to rearrange a little in the shop. It actually should have been pretty easy but one thing always leads to another. So the Wall O'Fleece was disassembled.
Spinning wheels were displaced and moved and then moved again. Other shelves found new spots to be and big messes were made.
So here's Michelle and Maggie reassembling the shelves for the fleeces.
Look how high that pile of wool is compared to the seven year old.
And here are the final results. This is the main shop room facing the front porch....
and facing the entry way.
Here is what I was calling the equipment room but it now has lovely warped looms and drum carders...
And flax in many forms and cotton in many colors...
AND the new wall o'fleece.

I love it. And the room holds the beautiful fleecey smell.

So, Lisa was quite surprised at the big mess on Wednesday when she came to the shop but we worked until she had to leave and then I worked and worked more and now I love it.

All was finished in time for the Summer Solstice Celebration on Saturday. It was a great and fun day.
There was natural dyeing with two of my favorite Kathys. Tat's one Kathy...dyer extraordinaire.
And the other Kathy who is also an excellent dyer - they are Fourth Coast Fibers and I have just started stocking their natural dyed laceweight yarns. The colors are unbelievable. I actually don;t want to sell any of it...but you know I will. Jsut come and smile at me. I'm kind of a pushover.
My darling Kat made an appearance with her friend Sandy. She's always a delight and that laugh is quite infectious. I'm excited cause she'll be back for Janel's class in a few weeks.
Here's the backside of my muse. And the front side of number 2 daughter Chelsea.
Here's Jillian again from her other good side and Lynne who was my SOAR room mate last year.
There were actually lots of people but I was very busy and kept forgetting to snap the pictures.
Another picture I didn't get was when Abby showed up in the middle of the afternoon. You know they were sort of in the neighborhood (central Ohio) so they thought they'd stop by. I was lucky to finally meet her man and the child and then we all went out for a meal that I really needed since I had only a banana for breakfast and two cookies and a handful of Chex Mix the rest of the day.
Finally, there was a drawing for this Amy Butler craft bag filled with fiber and a spindle and an orifice hook and one of my new traveling oil pens. Maggie chose the winning ticket from the box and the winner is ... Jill Cooper. I will be emailing Jill right away to let her know she is the WINNER! Yay Jill.

So off I go to work on knitting the Abby Shawl. It is progressing nicely and I've promised to knit ten row today so I'd better get to it!

I am a good(ish) wife - somebody tell my husband.

I found this quiz over at Carla's place.

47 As a 1930s wife, I am Average Take the test!

I did a lot better than I expected. Certainly better than Carla (though I'm not sure she's really as shocked ash she's claiming).

I was there too.

TNNA

I went there.

Columbus, Ohio.

I had to go later because, you know, I have this shop and I had to be in it on Saturday doing my favorite thing - talking about spinning and spinning wheels and wool huffing.

So Sunday morning I got up and ready and was out of the house by 5:30 AM. Stopped by the shop to pick up a few things and got on the road. It's really nice driving on Sunday morning because there was no traffic the entire way.

I got to Columbus at about 9:20 so I made good time. I had time to talk to Abby for a minute before she went off to her post at the Louet booth to do her favorite thing - talking about spinning and fabulous fibers.

I also had a good amount of time to spend with Janel Laidman. We talked about her classes when she gets here in a month.
And we also talked about Spindlicity. It's been in hibernation for some time but there will be a new issue coming up this fall and we chatted about ideas for the magazine. It's very exciting. Keep an eye out for that one. I'm sure I'll tell you when the new issue is up.

The next hours are a blur. Talking to people and meeting people. Running into people who I know but I was sure they wouldn't remember me - many did and I am amazed. I missed lunch and then all of a sudden it was dinner time. I had the opportunity to have dinner with Jane Patrick, Stephanie and Mellisa - all from Schacht - and Abby. The food was delicious and the company was fantastic.

On Monday morning there was a meeting of the SWA (Spinning and Weaving Association). It was a good meeting even though very few people showed up. I think it's a fantastic organization dedicated to spinning and weaving promotion and education. I believe I will probably be getting more involved with this volunteer organization in the future. If you are shop owner, supplier of tools, or a teacher you definitely should get involved too.

Then there was more shopping and schmoozing and spending of money.

Then I filled my car with 3 Schacht Wheels, 2 Schacht Flip Looms plus bunches of tools and other fun stuff and hit the road for home.

Now let me just say that I will be getting some cool stuff over the next few months. Some chachkys, some laceweight yarns from Hand Jive and Blue Heron and some fiber from Chameleon Colorworks and ....somewhere else with a lovely dyed Romney....who was that?
The other thing I'm so excited about are spindle bags from Off Hand Designs. They are beautiful.

Of course I have no pictures cause no pictures were allowed:-( You can look around at the cool kids blogs to see who was there. It was quite a party and definitely worth the drive ... especially for that 30" Schacht-Reeves.

I got nuthin'

So this is going to be a little disjointed. I realize I have been slow in updating this little bloggy. Things have been very busy and Lou has been travelling a lot and well, I've been going to sleep at a semi normal hour so....now I have so much to post about that I can't even organize my thoughts and tomorrow morning at about 6AM I am going to hop in my car and drive to Columbus Ohio for the last two days of TNNA so I thought I'd better catch up here before I have even more to say and be excited about.

So I guess there will be mostly photos and some words.Amy of Spunky Eclectic fame is dyeing silk for me now. Both Tussah and hankies. I had big plans for adding all of these to the on line shop but then they started selling. I need to go back and see what's left and I will be putting in what I have left in the coming week.
I promise - These hankies are called Chocolate Covered Cherries. I love this one. There was also one called Flowering Kale. Beautiful but it's been bought and already spun.
Amy is a fantastic dyer and fiber girl. I have big plans for going to Maine to visit her in person sometime soon...like by 2010 for sure.
Here's what the Abby Batt shawl looked like on Wednesday. It wasn't going the way I had pictured in my head. I've cast on again. The colors will be in a different order and I'm hoping it will be better. The problem is that none of these fibers were ever meant to be together in one project - but I'm a rebel.
Here's a teeny tiny picture of my anniversary dinner last Tuesday night. Yummy. 3.5 pounds of lobstery goodness. I ate it all. Plus Creme Brulee.
Next I have some other things that are tempting me. I truly am thinking about hiding these in the closet. The one above is Finn. Love it. I need another one already.
CVM. Just look at that crimp. I'm looking forward to washing some of this and spinning it. The color looks good too. AND ! Teeswater. You know I'm a longwools kind of girl and this fleece does not disappoint. Long and shiny and pound sand pounds of combable loveliness.
K. Abby Batts came. Again. I had big plans for posting these and it didn't happen. I think I've already sold about half of what I got. Those up there are the Evergreen color.

I love them. These are sock batts and I have like 12 of them .

Anyway, I gotta figure out how this alarm thingy works and then get to sleep. I promise there will be TNNA details. I do. I promise. Yes, before the end of the week.

Oh, and remind me to tell you about the Summer Solstice Celebration coming up. Fun!