Having Fun, eh?

Have you noticed that little "eh?" at the end of questions is slowly disappearing when you head north of the border? Do you think it has something to do with the fact that their dollar is now tromping ours?

Yesterday was so fun!

First we met at ME's house to get treat #1. And because I was driving, I could not figure out how to pin it on, and never seemed to remember when I stopped. If you check out ME's tutorial on the poppy, you will realize I will be a tradition breaker. I plan on pinning it to my dark gray wool flannel coat. It shall be a lovely addition.

Next, drive the car:) First stop: Whole Foods. As this was my first visit, you know I was like a wonderstruck child looking from one case to another. It was the first time in my life when I actually thought the meat case even looked good!

Next...a place I have been trying to get family to visit each time we go to Toronto. The indigo exhibit at the Textile Museum of Canada was wonderful. Dye is one area where science and art truly meet.

Have you ever had a sticky rice ball? Well, eating them fresh from the bakery shelf was not the experience I thought it would be. But picking through every shelf of every (ok, not every, but after two of them...you get the idea) one maybe nothing tastes as it should. China Town is fun. It has a bustle all its own. And the smells from the outdoor stands are nothing like a trip to your local grocery store!

The last stop of the day was Little India on the east end of the city. Yesterday was the last night of Dwali. We so wished we had our camera! On of the store windows was ful of red saris that were stunning! My nose was in heaven between the spices and incense. And would you believe it did not start to rain until we hit downtown area on our way home.

All in all - a great success! Good friends, a few laughs, and one or two secrets :) What more can a girl ask for?

Things Daughters Should Not Do Again, and Again, and Again...

1. Spend your entire allowance on things like getting your nails done? When you are 14! And then asking your mom for money two days later.
2. Stay after school without telling your mother, and then DEMAND a ride immediately and get angry because your mother cannot as she is still at work so that you can receive an allowance so that you can get your nails done.
3. Promise you will do the load of towels "in a minute".
4. Invite five of your friends over for a dinner they will cook and then not clean the kitchen.
5. Invite five of your friends over for dinner and have them all show up with overnight bags.
6. Invite five of your friends over for dinner and then have five BOYS ring the doorbell.
7. Tell your now 10 friends you have it "covered" and then assume your mother is going to let the boys in the house.
8. Go outside to tell the boys that your mother is some kind of moron and then hold a 15 minute conversation in the street.
9. Drive your brother and his friend out of the family room because you and your five friends are obviously more important than his one friend.
10. Send your sick father to the other end of the house because his stuffy nose is embarrassing.

And After That...

I got on to the more serious work of the weekend.

Washing some fleece. Am I the only one who is not thrilled with the act? Hey, they are just one ounce samples. What the heck! How long can it take? The whole afternoon, that's how long!

The cheviot sample was dark. It contained bits from two clearly different sections of the fleece. The staple length was short in the section that had any lock integrity. And the vegetable matter was horrid! I felt I should have pulled and picked prior to washing, but the staple length was so short, there was no way I could prevent a gummy ball from forming. The other bits had no lock definition whatsover and appeared to be longer, much lighter, and coarser.

The North Country sample had lovely longer staples. I was fearful that the grease may have caused permanent staining, but no fear. It washed to a soft, creamy white after a very short soak.

The dorsets were the next to hit the tub. I expected the short staple length of the horned dorset . However, I am a bit concerned with how to prep this for spinning. As it is drying in its little bag, it is looking a bit too much like cotton balls. The polled dorset has a staple length of over 2.5 inches and the tips were disgusting. After the first soak, I targeted them with extra hot water. It helped some, but I may need to take drastic measures before spinning.

This group is going to force me to change my scouring method. I have been placing the fleece in little "bags" of netting and soaking them in a small wash basin. The other girls have been trying a contraption of household window screening material. Take the rectangle/square - layer the fleece - staple together. This allows for a much tighter package and does not allow the fleece to move around. My netting allows for far too much movement and requires a great deal of re-alignment on my part before moving to the carder or flicker.

Now off to the wheel!

How Was Your Weekend?