11.26.2013

Cruella de Cat...

i am grappling with the (ever increasing) likelihood of having to get new glasses (more than my use-as-needed reading glasses, that is), so staring at my image in the mirror and realizing that i am now up to a whopping FOUR grey hairs (that i can see, that is) has pretty much sunk my mood.  sure, the glasses will probably curb the unbearable headaches i've been experiencing of lately, but grey hair does not cure anything!  although... the thought of Cruella de Vil in sexy-librarian specs does hold some degree of appeal, so this may not be so bad after all.


ah, the joy of living with an artist!


i finally finished carding that alpaca on Friday night and got it all organized into neat rolags, all ready for spinning (quick introduction here on carding fiber and making rolags).  the tiny bit of brown alpaca was blended with the white alpaca and i tossed in a healthy dose of superwash (i.e., washable) Bluefaced Leicester top to add a bit of wooly elasticity to the finished product.  my hands are still aching from all that carding, but... man, was it worth it! that is one sweet looking heathery blend, if i do say so myself.



in typical compulsive fashion, i organized the rolags into four neat layers (note the plastic storage bag lining the container) separated by brown paper (recycled from the ridiculous waste of packing material the good people at Amazon insist on employing)...



and stored them away in a pretty box where i (hopefully) won't be tempted to start spinning...



at least, not until i finish the make-it-up-as-i-go sweater for self (go me!!!).  it is, according to the labels, lavender and silver (although it looks more orchid than lavender)... but i should add that i will do physical harm to anyone who refers to it as purple and white.



i couldn't resist the urge to take a peek inside the box i mentioned at the end of the previous post.  seven-and-a-half pounds of raw (unwashed) fleece!!!  getting all of that sorted and cleaned should (hopefully) keep me out of trouble for a while... maybe.



trust me... i've seen far muckier fleeces.



as if that was not enough excitement for one weekend, i also whipped up a batch of my (new) signature two-bean stew.  chick peas, white kidney beans, and a heap of fresh veggies and herbs, all simmered with a bit of smoked meat (i usually go for turkey, but pork flank was all i could find in the market), and served over rice or with a crusty baguette.  it's the perfect way to chase away the winter chills.



my calico kitty Titty (her royal highness Titania, to you peasants) spent most of the weekend perched on the arm of the chair overlooking my progress.  she was,obviously,  deeply intrigued by all the activity...



when you're elbow-deep in a box of dirty wool, and this is the best response you can muster from your cat, it's clearly time to get a new hobby... or a new cat!



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