The day of wool

I was invited to teach/demonstrate spinning in the "wool day" in Pilisszentlászló. Originaly there was two of us, Zsu would've been responsible for introducing the spinning wheel, and me for the spindle spinning. Unfortunately a fever going through the family, cut into the plans, I had to hold fort alone. We were planning to go toogether, with zsu's car, so even getting there was a bit adventourus, we left the house not knowing just exactly how we are going to make the last part of the trip. Thank you for the crafters who came to our rescue, and on the "many good people fits into a small place" principal fitted us in their car.

the building of the Waldorf scool was a lovely experience. When we got out of the car, we saw a typical village "socialist realist" style building"... but as we got close we saw th ehuge windows... then the stage... then the door... and when finally passed the door... It was like we stepped into a different world. Huge wood burning stoves pouring warmth everywhere, warm, friendly , rustic furnitures, colors... that is the mood I always dreamt  of having in my own home too. I did not had time to shoot many pictures...I was about to say, unfortnately, but this also means that there were many interested in spinning and I simply didn'had time.

All of my pupils were lovely, and very clever with their hands... they picked up the basics very fast :-)

Though I don't have a picture of "Borcsa", I do want to mention the ten year old girl here, as she was learning so fast. It was amazing to see, how she picked up the movement and got to the point in an hour where it took me a week to get...Not to mention the fact she did not throw away the spindle as I did back then...

And the bigegst surprise, that there were not only girls and women, but boys as well :-)

There were other stuff, like felting, doll making...but as the nature of things...I didn't get around to try them. But the pizza was really good!

I am prepared

For the Wool day in Pilis.

Prepared a few spindle from wood for practicing, and if somebody falls in love with the craft so much that wants to practice at home too... they can be bought too.

 And wanted to show you something that is in progress. A very special piece.. You know me, right? if my underwear has to match the clothing I am wearing above, why wouldn't the spindle match the wool I am spinning on it? Yep, I have orange, blue, even red spindles (good thing though that natural wood kinda matches everything)...For a long time now, I keep thinking how, and from what could spindles made from here...this seems to be a god start, eh? The whorl is white stone, the dovel is black hardwood (gosh I had a hell of a time screwing the hook into it) wuth a bit of white decoration. Too bad finding the pieces are not easy here, and because of the stone, kind pricey to boot... but once someone falls in love with spinning... one can never have enough spindles, right?

Got a price

Not one, but two...When these first started to go around in Hungarian blog circles I only blogged in English...So I am pretty happy about them now, and feel honored.

The first from Zsuzsa

 Zsu, thank you so much, it feels so good that you feel I am worth it (you know, I often don't).. and sorry for not reacting for so long.
The other one from Alma.

Thank you both. I am not going to pass them on, not because there isn't anyone, but because there are to many out there.

But I put a few personal stuff here, ok?
-I was 14 when i decided if I ever have a son, his name will be Kristóf (Christopher), listening to a ballad, about a knight called Christopher Bordodi)
-I was about six when I was thaught to knit and crochet
-I am a thaught professional dressmaker...and for a long while I worked as one.
- I love to swimm...desparately. So much, when we lived in Miami, our friends called me "little fish". Not for nothing.
- I don't like chocolate, coffee, and alcohol.

In the winter of our discontent

I am battling winter depression...It came later than usual, I was fine right through the holiday (which is a lot to say for me), but it caught up with me...and there are signs... such as

I leave the blog without a post for two weeks.
I am reading books...in hungarian.
I leave my flat without knitting in my bag.
I do not speak up at the parental meeting in Chris's school (thought there are things that bother me).
Receveive a note that I have a package in the post office...and not rushing to pick it up.
I sit down to watch Tv and do not knit at the same time. Just sit there and stare at Superman.
I am reading TWILIGHT for god sake.
The color of my underwear....does not match the clothes I am wearing.

If you know me, you know now. That is really the end.

Within the family

I deeply believe that genes and inheritance affects one's interest and behaviour. And not because we "learned" from them. Don't even have to go further, just remember how I thaught myself spin, then learned that my grandmother was a very good spinner, which I never knew...

Anyway, I was organizing my stash, and at one point I turn around and see this :-)



And I was thinking to myself...hah, next...he will want to spin... and sure enough, what do I see a few hours later:

Drafting was a bit too much for him to handle, besides as I said earlier the wheel is not in a proper shape for proper spinning, so I got out some of my practice singles and let him ply them:

Not bad, for a first try, huh?

There is hope

For me and spinning on the wheel...

I've been spinning on spindles for years now, and pretty quickly became fairly good at it (even if I say so myself :-)...But let's admit. As much as I love it and would not give it up, it is not the most effective way to make yarn. It is lovely, and ancient and all that (lets leave it for an other post fr me to wax poetic about spindle spinning), but it takes ages to spin yarn that would be enough to do anything...

Still spinning with the wheel eluded me. I do have two antique wheels which I try from time to time, but every occasion I get frustrated and decide it is not for me, and for me it is the spindle.

Then I tried Rita's and it seemed it is not me after all...But when I wnet home I was back to square one.

Me and my spindles.

Until Zsu made me try her wheel, and in quick succession produced these:

Just take a closer look at the last one...I think I could live with that :-)

So it is not me after all...

If you know me, you know what's next right? I am hankering after my own good wheel. So much I could cry sometimes. I will not rest easy until I do...

Start

as you mean to go on... or so says the English phrase. True to the word, in the first days of January
I dyed wool:

Baked bread: 

Then without pictures:

Spun (it is a secret/surprise project-therefore no pictures)

Knit

Finished something (it will be blocking -no pics yet)

Start something new.

Went to the movies with Christopher (Narnia and the Voyage of the Dawn treader).

Cooked a new dish (Beef stroganoff pie)

Read (a lot)

The best way to bring in the new year.

Go to a friend's place.
Let loose three kid with a computer and a walkie-talkie
Drink champagne.

 And dye wool.

We got toogether with the intention of giving th ekids a bit of company and spin toogether into the new year. The kids had a great time, and we did spin (at least I did), and run my purple wool through the drumcarder with withe angora with a great succes.

Then just before midnight we had the idea to start dyeing... Zsu gave me a bunch of wool to play with (how is that even against my best intention I went home with more wool than started out with?)... She had some particular colorshceme in her mind and I am always sucker for rainbow colors. Here how hers looked in the "pot"...Yummie, eh?

Wool, dye, champagne, coke, chips... the greatest accesorries to have great time.

She used white alpacca, I used oatmeal colored merino, which gave the the rainbow colors a broken dusty note.

 Hers after rinsing:

 Mine after drying overnight. Looks totally pro, isn't it?

We had great time, more fun than in longest... Thank you Zsu, I can wait until we can do it again!