off to TN

leaving this a.m. to TN, then Alabama with Lynne to be her assistant for a workshop retreat. 3 1/2 days of fiber and color with a bunch of fiber fanciers!! it just doesn't get any better! then to Knoxville for a weekend with my dear sisters! (the bio ones) (as opposed to twisted ones)

and I just gotta say... Tom Diak (Grafton Fibers) is truly an artist, and a fine person in the bargain!! story at 11. gotta see if i can close my suitcase and get outa here!!

from Eugene Saturday Market

The earrings I bought are silver disks with an image etched on of "She Who Watches". This legend was included with the earrings. I tried taking a pic of them, but they're just too shiny... the image is the top center one. They were purchased from Philip Dietz of Spirit Rocks (Springfield, OR)


This information was also included


And I bought cloth origami cranes to give to my sister to hang in her new home to bring good luck and love. They are really sweet..

about the bunny cake

Yep, Charleen, it's the same bunny cake you mention in your comment! I don't bake much anymore, but always love to make that cake. It was the first time the grands had seen one, and were quite impressed. Of course, it probably helped that there were M&Ms decorating the bow tie.

another Black Sheep Gathering

We went to Eugene on Thursday afternoon, even tho nothing starts til Friday... the other choice was to arrive in Eugene on Friday in time for an 8:30 a.m. class, which i just don't think i could have pulled off. The class was great (even if it was early a.m.). Linda, Jeanne and I all took Joan Schrouder's class on knitting tips, techniques and tricks and I'm SO glad I signed up for that. the best trick was knitting back backward... and i need to go practice that so I won't forget. There are others I need to practice, and she gave us really helpful handouts, so I should be able to do it!! Shopping was, of course, a consuming activity and was productive. I was able to find some washed, super shiny and soft mohair locks at an excellent price, well.. actually Linda found the vendor and we both snapped up a couple of pounds! I actually didn't buy very much, a kilo of recycled silk thread at an excellent price, part of which i'll use for blending with wool and part i'll package and sell at NW Wools. and i found a couple of small bundles of merino/cashmere on sale at Lisa Milliman's Dicentra booth. seems like i always buy something from her because her color sense is just so wonderful. There was lots more I wanted, but just tried to keep in mind what my stash looks like and managed to curb myself. Must admit to lots of "enabling"!! It was wonderful to see old friends, and BSG is always a place you can count on getting lots of hugs, which feels so good! This morning we went to the Saturday Market ... and it was overwhelming to find so many choices of really beautiful jewelry, lots and lots of tie-dyed everything, enticing aromas of greasy overpriced food, the usual soaps and candles and the interesting contrast of old hippies/hippie wannabe types and tourists. I found a woman who made really lovely cloth origami cranes and good luck fishes and bought a string of 3 cranes for my sister to hang in her new home. also bought earrings... silver with etching of the "she who watches" petriglyph from the rocks along the Columbia River gorge... for my other sister. Then we got lost in Eugene again and finally found the fairground. I just don't understand why i get so flummoxed driving around Eugene, because usually i have no problems finding my way around. it's just that city that does it to me! After a little more shopping and enabling, i sat watch at the Fiber Arts display for an hour, then Jeanne and I drove back to home. This was the second year of not having a booth at BSG and i do miss that!! it was awfully hot today.. mid 90's. i'm so grateful for ac in the car. oh, and we got 52 mpg on this trip! yippeeeee. gotta get organized and get packed for trip to Tennessee on tuesday.

More birthdays!!

This was indeed a party weekend! My very sweet son, Chris, had his 35th birthday on Sat., 6/17.... and I celebrated a bd with him actually ON his birthday for the first time in a lot of years!! for many years now, Black Sheep Gathering has been on or close to his bd and I've had to be in Eugene to sell fibers and, of course, party with twisted sisters and other friends! guess i'm just a bad mom, but... well... it was always my biggest fiber show of the year, and i honestly don't think it made much difference to him after he grew up! Anyway, he, Kate, Alex and Zylie came down from Duvall on Saturday, I fixed him a bunny cake (blast from the past kind of thing), Jim cooked his birthday dinner, and then we got busy planning for Alex's 6th birthday on the 19th. In the meantime, Sunday was Fathers' Day and Chris took Jim and all the rest of us to Newport Bay for brunch... which was a magnificent meal, and was quite enjoyable til Zylie got pissed off about something, made her way out of the booth by crawling under the table, and in her inimitable dramatic gesture of displeasure, began pulling her dress off, which is her supreme expression of displeasure..... no shrieking or tantrum. Her favorite dresses to wear (when she will agree to even wear a dress) are the cotton knits which are very easily removable!! And then Monday, we got into party prep mode, and Jen, Judy, Jordan, Maisy and Max came at noon, Deborah and Jack got here soon after, and Alex had a really fine celebration! The party had all the trimmings he had requested... choc. cake with his name on it and with M&Ms and sprinkles, balloons, goody bags for his guests, lots of presents, pizza, really LOTS of balloons!!! Chris and Kate really do this bd party for kids in a big way!! Soon after the party ended they packed up and went back home... and wanna guess who collapsed with an ice pack on her back?? aw, you know.....
Kids partying:...


Alex w/gifts


and he DOES love Legos!!


escaped balloons drift up to the ceiling, which in a dome is a long way up!


Chris and Zylie


Kate, Chris and Jordan


Jack (Alex's cousin)


more photos later

global warming

yesterday we went to Portland to see Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth. In my not so humble opinion, this is an absolute must-see movie. Though I've been aware that global warming is a fact, I really had no idea the extent of it and what is actually happening to our planet. The possibilities are mind boggling of what could happen in the next decade if we don't ALL make some effort to stop this. Here at home I know I can do better, tho we do try to "live green" and garden almost organically, there's always more that can be done without a lot of effort or inconvenience! If i sound evangelical that's how I'm feeling right now! What's happened/happening on our planet is really shocking! If you can see this movie, please do. Here's the website to learn more:
http://www.climatecrisis.net And it really does come down to individual choices, plus insisting that our leaders make the right choices.

new fibers for sale

I have listed some handdyed Corriedale top and Merino/Kid mohair for sale at
http://woolgatheringsfibers.blogspot.com/