Weekend in Review
This was my last 4-day workweek for a while, and thus my last 3 day weekend, and it was a busy one.
This weekend was the Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival! Good times, though I missed Mendoza. I had only planned on going down (it's nearly an hour away) on Friday and Sunday, when I had classes, but... well, I'll get to that.
Friday I took a class on carding and combing. It was both interesting and useful, and I really recommend Ruth Northrup as a teacher. Sadly, there was another student in that class who drove me nuts - one of those people who already knew the material, and kept interrupting the teacher to try to show off (though honestly? If you're spending $55 on a class that isn't teaching you anything, I can't say that I am impressed at your intelligence). She showed off her equipment, only to then not share it (not that combs can really be messed up or anything - no reason not to share if you're done with yours), and did I mention she interrupted constantly?
But, that aside, the class was interesting, and very useful. I managed to refrain from buying a fleece, but I think I'll pick one up at Black Sheep next June. Also, fiber people: don't buy a flicker, just buy a blunt-tined cat comb, like this one. I did buy combs, though. And I already owned carders. So clearly I do need to get a fleece at some point.
My plan had been to do my shopping friday, but alas, vendors didn't start until Saturday.
So last year, I had seen a beautiful merino/bamboo mix from Fantasy Fibers, in deep, luscious colors that were just stunning - and cheap! I had planned on buying a bunch just as soon as I was out of my class. And, when my class was done 3 hours later, they were sold out of every single one. About 8 bins down to nothing, in less than 3 hours.
So, while I had not planned on going down to Canby Saturday, I woke up earlyish, so off I went. And I'm glad I did! I loaded up on the merino/bamboo (really a lot. A lot. Like, oh, 4 pounds? A lot), and picked up some other fun things while I was around.
Faceting class continued! I'm slowly polishing my pavilion facets (the ones on the point of the stone). Next class I expect I'll finish that and transfer my stone so I can work on the crown and table (the top part). While that glue is drying, I'll pick out and start my next stone. I need to look at the cut options we'll have, but I have my eye on a piece of smokey quartz. We'll see, though - there's citrine and amethyst as well.
Jerry, one of my teachers, seems to have picked up on the fact that I'm 1) really interested in this, and 2) being a total perfectionist. He keeps redirecting me to a slightly nicer lap, or a different polishing compound (voodoo diamond ftw). It's flattering, and I think my stone is turning out very well. If only facetrons (seriously, that is the name of one brand of machines: Facetron. Awesome) were more reasonably priced...
Then today I took a class on plying. It wasn't quite all I hoped it would be, though I did learn enough to make it worth while. It confirmed my love of navajo plying, and I feel a lot more confident in keeping my plying even and not overdoing it.
I also had a nice time just sitting out and working on some spinning, while chatting with whoever was nearby. It's an odd sort of event, where the base assumption is that you spin unless you say otherwise (in which case people try to convert you. It's a bit 'one of us. one of us'-ish, but in a fun way). Had some lovely conversations, which make me hope I can make it back to my spinning group again. Up side of my losing my schedule is that I'm more likely to make my Vancouver spinning group (if less likely to make the portland one). And now I certainly have a lot of things to spin.
So yes. Good crafty weekend. I have so much work to do, because I did next to none of it this weekend. Oops?
This weekend was the Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival! Good times, though I missed Mendoza. I had only planned on going down (it's nearly an hour away) on Friday and Sunday, when I had classes, but... well, I'll get to that.
Friday I took a class on carding and combing. It was both interesting and useful, and I really recommend Ruth Northrup as a teacher. Sadly, there was another student in that class who drove me nuts - one of those people who already knew the material, and kept interrupting the teacher to try to show off (though honestly? If you're spending $55 on a class that isn't teaching you anything, I can't say that I am impressed at your intelligence). She showed off her equipment, only to then not share it (not that combs can really be messed up or anything - no reason not to share if you're done with yours), and did I mention she interrupted constantly?
But, that aside, the class was interesting, and very useful. I managed to refrain from buying a fleece, but I think I'll pick one up at Black Sheep next June. Also, fiber people: don't buy a flicker, just buy a blunt-tined cat comb, like this one. I did buy combs, though. And I already owned carders. So clearly I do need to get a fleece at some point.
My plan had been to do my shopping friday, but alas, vendors didn't start until Saturday.
So last year, I had seen a beautiful merino/bamboo mix from Fantasy Fibers, in deep, luscious colors that were just stunning - and cheap! I had planned on buying a bunch just as soon as I was out of my class. And, when my class was done 3 hours later, they were sold out of every single one. About 8 bins down to nothing, in less than 3 hours.
So, while I had not planned on going down to Canby Saturday, I woke up earlyish, so off I went. And I'm glad I did! I loaded up on the merino/bamboo (really a lot. A lot. Like, oh, 4 pounds? A lot), and picked up some other fun things while I was around.
Faceting class continued! I'm slowly polishing my pavilion facets (the ones on the point of the stone). Next class I expect I'll finish that and transfer my stone so I can work on the crown and table (the top part). While that glue is drying, I'll pick out and start my next stone. I need to look at the cut options we'll have, but I have my eye on a piece of smokey quartz. We'll see, though - there's citrine and amethyst as well.
Jerry, one of my teachers, seems to have picked up on the fact that I'm 1) really interested in this, and 2) being a total perfectionist. He keeps redirecting me to a slightly nicer lap, or a different polishing compound (voodoo diamond ftw). It's flattering, and I think my stone is turning out very well. If only facetrons (seriously, that is the name of one brand of machines: Facetron. Awesome) were more reasonably priced...
Then today I took a class on plying. It wasn't quite all I hoped it would be, though I did learn enough to make it worth while. It confirmed my love of navajo plying, and I feel a lot more confident in keeping my plying even and not overdoing it.
I also had a nice time just sitting out and working on some spinning, while chatting with whoever was nearby. It's an odd sort of event, where the base assumption is that you spin unless you say otherwise (in which case people try to convert you. It's a bit 'one of us. one of us'-ish, but in a fun way). Had some lovely conversations, which make me hope I can make it back to my spinning group again. Up side of my losing my schedule is that I'm more likely to make my Vancouver spinning group (if less likely to make the portland one). And now I certainly have a lot of things to spin.
So yes. Good crafty weekend. I have so much work to do, because I did next to none of it this weekend. Oops?