Living the Home Life

Organ Grinder aka Drum Carder

Sorry I haven't posted in awhile.  I was sick all last week, and then was fortunate enough to borrow a drum carder and all I've been doing is grinding away since.  I hope you didn't miss me too much, LOL.

Last week, and part of the week before, I was sick with one of my flare ups of joint pain, and I get really tired and crummy feeling on top of it, so I didn't do any more than I had to, and then I complicated matters by missing out on getting my bloodwork done before the worst of the flare ended.  BTW, if anyone has any idea what can cause a flare up of joint inflammation every few months that lasts anywhere from a week to a month, accompanied by occasional fever, headache, muscle aches, and severe fatigue, let me know because the docs are stumped.  It's not Lyme, rheumatoid, or lupus, so we lost the top three contenders right there.

OK, back to the wool story (I know, it's always a wool or chicken story with me).  I borrowed a carder from my girlfriend for a few days and I have worked every spare moment for days.  I did I don't know how much merino, all types of  misc. bags and bits, and some black baby alpaca, which I carded in with some fine mohair, some type of soft wool I picked up cheap at Rhinebeck, and some silk I had sitting in a bag, and it looks beautiful, but I think it's going to be the devil to spin because it's so fine and wispy.  The colors I mixed in are all autumn colors, and I think it will be quite gorgeous when it ever gets turned into somtheing.  The other thing I discovered during this process is, fiber gets really big and fluffy going through that toothy little contraption, and takes up at least 2-3 times more space, and also, that I have a lot of fiber, so I need to spin more now that everything I have is ready to go.  It's so nice and fresh and sunny out now that if it wasn't so windy, I'd take my wheel outside and try that alpaca blend out, but it's so fine, it would blow away on me!  I'm actually surprised it came out so well, because I'd been planning this for awhile, just waiting for the carder, and I'm not exactly know for my abilities in the color arena.  I have a tough time judging how something will look, so I'm very relieved that it lived up to my imagination.

I need to clean the house at some point today.  Between being sick for well over a week and devoting all spare moments to carding, it's bad.  Let's put it this way, my 2 1/2 yo neice comes up to me while I'm standing there cranking away and says," Auntie Kimmy, your floor is messy.  You gonna clean it up?"  That's bad, considering she's not the tidiest herself.  I guess the house is on the agenda for the next two days so it's tidy for Easter.

God bless you all and have a holy Easter.  Talk to you soon.

<i>Untitled Comment</i>

{ 12:45, 2006-Apr-15 } { Posted by Tinakay }

My Grandma a similar symtems. They really do not know what is wrong with her either. They are treating her as if she has lupus, fibromialga, and rhuemitoid. Which we know she has arthitis. Sorry I am not much help. Just thought you would like to know you are no alone. Hope everything goes well for you!
Now on to that baby alpaca. Is that real popular to knit with or even make yarn. I know it is expensive in some places. The reason I ask is that we are seriosly thinking of raising alpacas. I would like to work directly with the public. and sell the yarn or fiber to them. Well I will not go on and on. Have a wonderful weekend.
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Tina

Edited by Tinakay on 2006-Apr-15 at 12:49