pre-yarn activities

I am, so far, failing at NoBloPoMo, but maybe I'll make it up as the month goes on. The new tires are still great, the visit to Michigan was nice, Nicole's set was well-done at the Boarshead. I would have stayed to see the play, but we were headed to the movies when we stopped by, not having eaten yet, and there is no popcorn at the theatre. My stomach voted and we went to see "Man of the Year". It was very good, I highly recommend it. While it was very funny, it was also a reflection of current politics that may have even hit too close to home.

This weekend, I am going to NW Indiana to visit Jennifer and Erin and folks while helping out as the "money lady" at the SELF School Christmas Craft Fair. I'm not exactly sure what its called, but its in Valporaiso, IN. If you are interested in more details, visit Piddleloop or leave a comment here. Piddleloop Sewing Team, Mustache Factory and Friends will have two tables. On the "and Friends" table, I will have some spindle kits to sell. They will have a Babe Spindle, instructions from Interweave Press (and hopefully my own instructions for tying on the leader and blending two colors without handcards), leader strings, 2 oz of natural colored BFL wool and 2 oz of dyed BFL, all in a handy canvas bag. I will have up to a dozen with me, as that's how many bags I bought.

Tonight I have been dying up wool, using Easter egg tablets and Kool-Aid, in 1 oz lengths to put with the kits. I think that I will have a basket with all the little bits in nest-balls and when someone buys a kit, they can choose two nest-balls. That way all the color options are there from the get-go, I don't have to decide how they are going in the kits and I don't have to repack them all. Easter Egg tablets are far superior to Kool-Aid in both color range (something besides red, green and blue) and the lack of a smell. However, before embarking on using 24 tablets, you should make sure that your vinegar is in good supply. I ran out tonight, which is why I switched to drink mix at the end.

I think that in the basket of 1oz wool nest-balls I will have some other types of wool as well, and a little sign explaining what they are. I have Shetland (moorit), Wensleydale (ecru), Domestic Wool (white), superwash Merino (white) and maybe something else as well. If I put out 2 oz of each, that might be a good way to mix it up and I might not have to dye up the rest of the nests that I didn't have vinegar for tonight, and still have sufficient wool for all the kits that I bring. Jennifer will be putting any kits that don't sell up in the Piddleloop store, and if you want one directly, you can email me and we'll work something out.