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Out into Autumn

Published on October 21, 2018May 18, 2021 by Jen17 Comments

jenjoycedesign© October 21,2018 Out walking I see the Mayacamas mountains rolling southerly down into their foothills.

I am enjoying Autumn now that the leaves are beginning to cover

the blackened forest floor from last year

This sparse ground cover is only the beginning of the leaf fall,

they will continue to flutter down until winter is here.

jenjoycedesign© October 21,2018 (2)

I woke today after having seemingly dreamed almost consciously about a new fresh start in life walking a little more every day, away from stress of the wildfire, restoring a positive feeling about myself and my life, so that when the house is finally ready for us to move into it, I will be rebuilt too. Its been a rough year for me, hands down, and I have existed in a self spun cocoon trying to not think about the stressful things, but I really do believe committing to walking increased distances will cure all that is wrong in my world. Just one walk at a time.

Unspun

Published on October 12, 2018October 27, 2020 by Jen4 Comments

A 100g ball of Studio Donegal “Soft Donegal” tweed left over from Hillwalker Cardigan.

I have for a while experimented with different methods to un-ply yarn and I think I have finally found the easiest method. Focusing on All Things Andean lately, and their relationship with a drop spindle, it is no surprise that thinking like an Andean Spinner, and going back to my spinning roots I would find the method of methods…

I slipped the ball onto spindle, hooked beneath whorl and secured with double half hitch at top. Twisted in reverse direction of plied twist.

Then as the yarn untwisted, I wound two balls, one in each hand. In the past I experimented doing this with a spinning wheel, a ball-winder, and a swift, juggling all of them at once and it was quite a complicated process!

I am so pleased to discover the simple way …

Less is always more, every time. I lost track of time but it took me less than an hour to separate the plies by reverse twisting, as I wound the singles into two 50g balls of fingering weight. Far less time than it would have taken to spin two 50g balls, so if I consider I’m creating a yarn I want to use, from yarn that is not getting used. I believe it to be a very economical process.

No doubt the singles of the un-plied yarn will have plenty of untamed twist but I think dying them will relax them a lot. In fact, I ordered some dyes finally, and am going back to over-dying yarn, after a long break of doubting whether I ever again would, so I will be having fun making use of a few balls left over from my most recent Hillwalker sweaters ~~ watch this space!

See all posts about Unspun !

ps. Adele, that is the spindle you sent to me, it is the only one I own presently and it works perfect for this!

Hillwalker, and an anniversary.

Published on October 10, 2018June 25, 2024 by Jen12 Comments

jenjoycedesign© October walk

Today is the one-year anniversary of the historic Northern California Firestorm which burned through two counties and thousands of homes, including our own. Such an anniversary of loss seems to be a time to test resilience, rising above hardship, and moving beyond the grief toward healing happier times. As I walk on the mountain, I feel the loss, and regrowth in such an overwhelming way.

jenjoycedesign© October walk 3 — Vineyards thriving.

jenjoycedesign© October walk 2 — A favorite rocky meadow.

This Autumn comes as a relief, now I can focus on what is ahead, and what is new, fresh, and positive. Life is short, its over in a blink, and we have every ability to control our attitude. I’ve learned one very important thing through the experience of this last year, and that is the only thing we can truly own is our attitude, and the accomplishments of our mind. The rest is just material & prone to ashes.

♣ ♣ ♣

jenjoycedesign© abelene 1

jenjoycedesign© Hillwalker Duo.JPG

Introducing the Hillwalker sweater duo…

(and photographed with my walking stick!)

I have now finished both the pullover and the cardigan,

and that means Hillwalker is now two patterns for one download !

Sweet Sixteen and a new pattern!

Published on October 8, 2018March 12, 2019 by Jen16 Comments

jenjoycedesign© Hillwalker3

A little sooner than I expected,

but I am posting the first of a two-part pattern.

First part, the pullover…

and my younger niece who is now Sweet Sixteen!

Miss Sixteen’s birthday pullover in the new pattern Hillwalker.

We photographed in Calistoga yesterday …

(( I love Miss Sixteen’s new hair cut! Don’t you? ))

Oh, and look who is now driving!

jenjoycedesign© miss-sixteen-driving.JPG — Driving off from the back lot of the roastery!

A stellar time with my niece and her mom at the Roastery on Sunday, with a quick photo shoot. I am needing a little extra time to get the cardigan ready , so that will be part two, very soon. But for now, please go check out the new Hillwalker pattern live on Ravelry…

day one: digging

Published on September 28, 2018May 31, 2026 by Jen17 Comments

2:30 pm, on day one of rebuild. Excavating really deep for footing (the county building codes are so over-kill now). The first time, in early summer of 2000, Jeff and I did this by ourselves, not even half this wide or deep; Jeff operating a simple little back hoe, I moved the dirt in his lumbering old Ford 420 bucket front-loader, and lots of using pick and shovels too, and it took us a long time. Three men digging and moving dirt, with Jeff supervising, and five miniature Dachshunds standing by, the excavation will be finished today!