I am having a blast trying out my new iPhone. However, when using the voice dictation feature, you have to make sure to say each punctuation mark. It seems to be fairly accurate. I really like the brand-new phone. I believe it will be a wonderful camera for taking pictures of fiber. The HDR feature get some really nice detail when I’m taking up close shots.

I’m also still having fun learning more and more about digital art and website design and management.  Baby steps really!  Here’s tonight’s fun project…

Test for psd to html website using Dreamweaver.

Last Night of Summer…

We left site briefly to take a very, very tired little boy to his gramps.  When we returned Yurt Angels were in the process of taking down the yurt.  I can’t tell you how thankful we were for the huge help!  This is the spirit of the SCA that we’ve loved for years.

This past weekend our local SCA group put on our yearly Newcomer’s event, Flight of the Falcon.  I was absolutely tickled to have the opportunity to set up a fiber display and have the chance to share my slight obsession with fiber.  One of the really fun points of the day was getting to see another fiber artist’s handcarved, stone Viking spindle while another point was having a fellow sit down and let me help him refine his techniques for worsted and woolen.  At one point I was delighted to entertain two little girls who I sent off with wool samples and sticks to play with the wool.  On the other side of the event we set up our yurt and had it available for folks to walk inside and examine.  Sadly we have a few broken places and our aged yurt needs to be replaced soon.  On the good side this gives us the opportunity to do some great research and really get it right:>.

This article, pointed out by a fiber friend, has a lot of info and pictures that inspire me:>.

http://www.thejournalforwsd.org.uk/application/workfiles/resources/239.pdf

I have to admit that I’m having way too much fun with a few photo editing programs I downloaded to the Ipad. I’m amused yet somewhat horrified how easy it is to play with photos. After all, think of all those hours I spent actually painting!

This spindle is by a friend on Ravelry.  We’ve both been involved in an online discussion group about the history and use of spindles around the world for about a year now.  My friend has translated some of the pictures and points of discussion into a very usuable test spindle. I have not been able to find any examples of this spindle without a yarn cop already wound on it but live in hope that some day I’ll run across one.  The history of this group of nomads really interests me and is fascinating but perhaps better left for a different post. Needless to say though some of their earliest history intersects with the Turkic groups I am studying for my SCA hobby.

The Qashqai are a nomadic people of Iran/Persia of Turkic origin.  There isn’t a lot of current information available about them but in the past they herded large herds of livestock over the mountains in Spring and Fall.  They have a heritage of rug weaving, woven tents, and beautiful textile arts.

My immediate thoughts upon using my friend’s gracious gift: “The simple join on this spindle makes loads more sense then the Turkish spindle style join that I used on my spindles. At .5 oz she is light on the wrists and easy to use. I’m getting a lovely soft semiworsted single spinning a merino/mohair blend dyed deep blue with indigo from last fall. The two under, two over wrap is producing exactly the right cop as well:>. I really like the versatility of this spindle.”.  I can’t stress enough how smooth the hand carved wood is or how relaxing this spindle is to spin.

Links:

http://webistan.photoshelter.com/gallery/G0000dXz2PddR9RE

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qashqai_people

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mecraft/3054025276/

Made for me this past school year by my son.  He made the bead and the bowl so I could spin with them and think of him.