All this and Cummington, too

I discovered a new way to card fiber.  Many great discoveries were made by happenstance and accident.  This was not one of them.

It involved a Dys0n vacuum cleaner, defeat of the vaunted cyclone sucking system,  and laborious extrication of said fiber from the rotary brushes in the underbelly of the suckbeast.  The experiment was performed inadvertantly on spinning thrums of no particular use, which had been discarded in spinner's usual fashion onto the floor behind the spinning chair. 

That leads me to 7 Random Things About Me meme.  Vanessa tagged me.

1.  I am a slob when I spin.  I used to toss the VM and stray fibers to the left and right of my spinning chair.  When it became apparent that I had to move too many things to get the area vacuumed, I began to throw the discards behind me.  That's how I discovered the Dys0n's Achilles heel.

2.  I am a procrastinator of epic proportions.  The fact that "The Procrastinor's Handbook" was on my Amazon wishlist for over two years was not an ironic coincidence.  Yes, it has helped.  Yes, I am trying to reform.

3.  I have learned many things about people and interpersonal politics in my job.  One of those was how to think (as much as is neuro-hormonally possible) like a man.  Perhaps I would more accurately phrase it as understanding how a man thinks.  It's an amazingly useful skill.

4.  When sufficiently prodded, I have a slew of absolutely horrific stupid human tricks stories.  Many of them make the listener's toes curl.

5.  I am a packrat.  I'm trying to change.

6.  My favorite hobbies involve wool, wine and weeds.  I used to read before fiber. 

7.  I play some modicum of piano.  But you will never hear me, because I have incurable, immobilizing and heart-pounding stage fright.

Since I haven't posted in a bit, I'll throw some fiberpr0n into the mix.  This is selected NHS&W spoils.  I DID say I was a procrastinator.  This is probably the latest blog post featuring NH swag.

Foxfire Farms has a line of wool/nylon sock yarn called FoxSox.  I bought enough for Celtic Braid socks.  I have no self-control when it comes to Barb Parry's stuff.  Ditto Judy Jacobs.  I have to just write the check for the first thing I see, and then WALK AWAY.  It is the only way to not scoop it all into my greedy arms.  Fox Sox on the left, Judy yarn on the right.

The garden symphony has finished rehearsals.  The performance has begun.  Ready?

Aurinia saxitilis 'Sulphureum'

<<This became this:

Paeonia suffruticosa 'Shima-nishiki' in formal gown.
Aronia arbutifolia 'Brilliantissima' and Brunnera macrophylla 'Jack Frost'  are competing for even the smallest degree of my attention.  And, of course, Mr. Etherknitter, less supple than preinjury, but gamely motoring on in his role as Gardening Enabler.
 

Comments

[Carole]

I'm going to have to do some prodding next time I see you. I want to hear those stupid human trick stories.

[Marcia Cooke]

Enjoy Cummington...I cannot rationalize making the trip, no matter how hard I try! Oh, and by the way, guess why I gave up piano! I started lessons in my early thirties and had a teacher who gave ADULT recitals in his studio. Not pretty...I was usually the comedy act.

[kmkat]

Garden enabler. Is there a place online where I can order one? Because mine now suffers from rheumatoid arthritis and is rather less enabling than he used to be. And I have never been friendly with the wheelbarrow and shovel and all.

Lovely photos and flowers!

[kmkat]

I had to come back to tell you that today's post in THE VERY NEXT BLOG I CLICKED ON (knitigator.typepad.com/) was about her trip to NHS&W. So you may or may not be the last to blog about it.

[Mel]

Oh, I would so love to be going to Cummington, but we need to find a wedding venue for next year, so Downeast we go.

I wish our tangled mess of a daylily patch looked half as nice, but I suppose wishing won't make it happen. Time for me to get moving and get out there.

[Anne]

Gee is it black fly season?

[margene]

1. Me too.
2. Me too.
3. I gave up...clearly you have one on me.
4. I'm listening...
5. Me too.
6. Blogging and reading don't mix...ask me how I know;-)
7. Sold the piano.
See, you're not so weird.
Lovely yarn and flower p0rn and nice to see Mr. E., too.

[Caroline M]

I did wonder if you'd staggered back under a flock of fleece and were putting off posting because you'd had to 'fess up. Funnily enough I was on my knees unpulling some cotton/silk from our Dyson Animal yesterday. I bought it because I thought it would be good for pulling fibre off carpets and it is. I blame it on the guinea pigs, it's a well known fact that they have a purple undercoat. It's also good for finding socks in progress under the settee and slurping as much of the yarn as it can before I switch it off. There's nothing like seeing your sock being dragged towards the machine to galvanise you into action.

I throw my discards to the left but that's also where I keep the fibre. I haven't worked that one out yet.

[Beth S.]

Just look at that peony! Poems have been written about flowers like that.

I used to read, and voraciously at that, in my pre-fiber days. I feel quite sad about this. It's my one regret about this life I've chosen (well, that and my disappearing closet space.)

See you at Cummington!

[Martha]

Your peonies are blooming already? I can't believe it! Mine's at least a week away from opening.

[PumpkinMama]

I ditto Margene - you're no so weird, many of those traits you list I have too. (or maby you are weird and there are just more also weird people around than one suspects)

[naomi]

As always, thanks for sharing your garden pics. That's a lovely, lovely peony.

[Lucia]

Do you know how long it's been since I was tagged with that? (Twice. Thank you for not tagging.) Or since Carole sent me interview questions? Or since I decided I was going to learn to weave?

I wonder if we're related.

[Kathy]

Well, I still haven't posted my NH haul . . . :-)

Do you know this poem -- http://www.poetryconnection.net/poets/Mary_Oliver/3114 -- it's heartbreakingly beautiful.

[claudia]

This that bug netting that Mr. Etherknitter is wearing, and if so where do I get some.

[June]

Re #3 - you would not believe how many times I heard that at the conference on women's career development at our institution last year. In the section about negotiation, I was told repeatedly to describe myself in the currency that is relevant to the person I'm negotiating with (and to not stress attributes that *I* find most important if it's not something that the other party thinks is valuable).

[Heather]

I had to do the same thing at the Golding booth. Just pick ONE, pay, and walk away. I think it took me less time to pick out my wedding dress...hell maybe even less time to pick out my husband!

[--Deb]

Re: #6 . . . not even for wool would I give up books!

[Theresa]

I used to read so much more before knitting, too. Your garden is gorgeous, btw.

[Marcy]

Yup. I agree with Margene. You are definitely not the only weird one. Lovelove the yarn pr0n. And that peony bud? Fabulous!

[Judy]

I have brunnera but the peonies are just out of the ground. Beautiful!

[Cathy]

The red and the pink peonies are blooming - it's definitely late May. Glad yours have caught up. I nodded thru your 7 things. Good comments too. Especially June's wise one.

[kate]

oh my god I love peonies and that is gorgeous.

[Lee Ann]

I think the only thing that I picked faster than my husband was a skein of Sea Silk. Admittedly, it was because there was only one left. The Sea Silk, not the guy. Though there's only one of him, too.

(Thank goodness for that, eh...)

Did you get the audio version of that book? That strikes me as actually a very good way to go, because if I wait until I have enough time to read it, it's going to join the ranks in the "wow, she'd be really organized if she followed all that advice" bookshelf.

[maryse]

i want to hear about some of those stupid human tricks. you know, if you get to it.

i'm a class A procrastinator too. it's the bane of my existence, although i also find that if i feel pressure to complete something, i end up doing it better than i would have had i started it early.

[Melissa G]

I'd love to trade stories with you one day. In my job the challenge is to think like a cat; dogs are easier, they're kind of like men. BTW the peony is fabulous.

[Monica]

Note to self: Ask Laurie about stupid human trick stories next time you see her. Be persistent. Tell self you have no one to blame if things go awry.

[Norma]

Especially love the Brunnera. I have a new one that is looking incredibly spiffy this year.

[JessaLu]

Gorgeous tree peony!

I wish I had read this post before yesterday - I want to hear stupid human trick stories ;o))

It was wonderful to see you!!

[Helen]

It was wonderful seeing you yesterday. I wish we could have talked more.

What are your spoils from Cummington?

[Helen]

I forgot to add that your treasure from NH looks incredible. I think Barb Perry does a beautiful job on dyeing as does Judy.

[Teyani]

love the peony - mine have just begun to bloom too!
wool, wine and weeds.... that's great!

[Andrea]

Gorgeous peony!

[Juno]

is that my tree peony? So beautiful.

And if you could explain to be how men think, I would owe you a very big one......

[Dorothy B]

Men do think oddly. Rather simply (not stupid though) too. I worked with men for many years in blue collar jobs and dealt with white collar men for even more and I found no real difference in their thought processes. Just some of the content. Some, not all.

Love the Forget-me-nots. They are the piccolo of the orchestra. Small and almost lost in it all, but still sweet.

[Diane E]

Great day all around Saturday! Thanks for the spindling tips, your encouragement inspired confidence and further success. The Forrester is a favorite!

[vanessa]

#2 cracked me up ;-)