Dakota Designs

2008-12-08T11:38:00.006-05:00

An ode to Coffee
a.k.a. "You must respect The Bean"

Recently the Hilltop Echo (my school newspaper) sported an article on Coffee, specifically the popularity, brewing, and drinking there of. This article, though well written and well referenced, contained a few errors, and did not quite convey the Passion with which a true coffee aficionado imbibes the, dare I say, sacred beverage known as Coffee. If you drink coffee from a can (horrors) or if you enjoy a bracing cup of hot McDonald's gourmet brand coffee, this treatise is not for you, stop reading now, and stop pretending that you are a Coffee Drinker!

Selecting the Bean
Coffee starts with The Bean. This must be meticulously grown, picked and carefully roasted to perfection. There are many sources of quality roasted Coffee beans, I prefer Baltimore Coffee and Tea (www.baltcoffee.com) or Peets (www.peets.com). Flavored Coffees are anathema and do not respect the bean. Spare me your vanilla, hazelnut, amaretto flavorings; they serve only to mask the rich, full flavor of The Bean. Choose a nice Columbian, Italian Roast, French Roast, Guatemala Antigua, or Kenya AA Blend. I buy my coffee and then place the unopened, vacuum packed beans in the freezer to keep them fresh. Once frozen, however, you must not let the coffee sit out at room temperature, lest condensation should occur, this would have a deleterious effect on the freshness of The Bean.

The brewing process requires specialized equipment, lest you disrespect The Bean. Necessary equipment includes a coffee grinder, high quality coffee filters, a coffee pot for brewing, high quality water (no tap water please) and a mug for drinking. Read on and learn how to make a Good Cup of Coffee.

Grinding the Bean
Do not buy ground coffee. You must respect The Bean - grind the coffee just prior to Brewing. If you do not use the freezer to keep your beans, then for heaven's sake invest in an airtight container, and only buy enough coffee for 1 week at a time. The purist would claim that The Bean must be hand ground. It is a quiet, contemplative activity, promoting a Zen like state and a nice even grind. The Bean definitely likes the hand crank coffee grinder. An electric grinder is acceptable. The coffee grinder should ONLY be used to grind coffee and should be wiped clean after each session.

Choosing the Coffee Maker
The proper vessel must be used - do not look to Walmart or Target for the correct tool, it will not be found there. Truly the best vessel to use, and the one The Bean prefers, is a Melitta (not Melinda) Porcelain 6-cup MANUAL coffee pot. Yes, they still exist and they do NOT plug into the wall.

Alternatives are the Chemex, and the French Press. If you must use an electric coffee maker, look for a Melitta, Krups, or Cuisinart CONE drip coffee machine in a 4-6 cup size. Unless you are having a 'gathering', brewing 12 cups of coffee will only result in stale, burned coffee. Brew as much as you will drink at a sitting, burned coffee is anathema, and does not show the proper respect to The Bean!

Preparing the Brew
Once ground the devotee must then prepare to Brew. Fill your coffee pot with hot water to warm it up, in preparation for the coffee. Place your filtered or bottled water in the tea pot of your choice and proceed to boil it. Place a quality filter in the filter basket. Melitta makes earth friendly bamboo filters, natural unbleached filters, or standard filters. Avoid using cheap filters and no name brands - they will not show the proper respect for The Bean! Once the water is ready, pour it along the sides (not down the center) of the coffee filter. Take your time, be patient, you will get a more harmonious outcome. Enjoy the rich aroma of the coffee wafting its way upward. Once all the water has dripped through the filter basket, remove it and put the lid on the pot.

Drinking the Brew
With forethought, respect and patience you have brewed The Bean to perfection. You have used the proper materials and you are now ready to enjoy your Coffee. Resist the temptation to pour it into one of those "drink and go" thermal cups, rather, sit down and enjoy the fruits of your labor. Obtain a fine porcelain cup or a hand made stoneware mug, look heavenward, offer up a little prayer, pour your coffee, sit in a comfortable chair and drink it with leisure and appreciation, as it is a supreme gift of the Gods and deserves no less!

What I did This Summer

2008-10-12T06:24:00.011-04:00

I feel like the kid going back to school, and the teachers says "OK class, I want a 1-page paper about what you did this Summer". I got news 'teach' one page just won't do it!

Of course, you know about the great western adventure / road trip. After that experience, I had to regroup and find my true center -- FIBER. Yep -- there's nothing like the feel of wool, mohair, silk, alpaca, running through your fingers, being spun, plied, dyed. It's an addiction, a true obsession with me, and I proved it this Summer.

As summer was arriving, I was putting the finishing touches on Spinning the Wool/Alpaca blend From Ramifications for Jim's sweater (Which I called Skippin Stones), while simultaneously spinning up the FreeneCreek Farm Merino with the Craftsman Hill Mohair which I had just finished blending, while at the same time, spinning some cormo/angora blend from Valley Mill Fibers on the drop spindle. (YES I'm NUTS)

The Merino/Mohair project would not be finished until September (it amounted to around 4 pounds of yarn -- which is a lot even for me). Meanwhile, June set in and it was time to start (and finish) spinning the wool for Nick's sweater (which I called PussyWillow for its light gray softness!). I'm still not sure what to call the Cormo/Alpaca blend, but I'm saving this 8 oz for something special.

July was here before I knew it and I had to start Jim's Tomten Jacket. It is now October and I am almost done with sleeve #1 and have only to do the second sleeve and the edging before starting on Nick's Tomten. BTW -- the only change I'm using from Brooklyn Tweed's Adult Tomten is the neck shaping! OHHH but I'm not finished YET!

One lovely day in July I took a trip out to French Creek Fiber Arts, and Peggy had some truly DARK Border Leicester for sale. Hmmmm only $22 / pound ... Thought about it a few days, went back and bought 2 pounds worth. Wouldn't this look nice blended with the Gold and the Turquoise dyed mohair I got from the SheepShedStudio in Wyoming??? Oh yes -- it surely would! So I grabbed the hand carders, a chunk of Wool, a chunk of Gold Mohair, a chunk of Turquoise Mohair (notice the CAREFUL measurements) carded them together, grabbed the drop spindle, spun up a swatch's worth -- and VOILA -- a new yarn called Aggy Taw (for playing marbles)

But then, (thought I) -- I have a whole bunch of silk, fine Australian Merino, and white alpaca (which I nearly felted while trying to wash it) -- That might make a nice combination too ..... I'm still searching for a name for this one.

So now I have all these bags of small measured balls of fiber blends. It really looks like candy up there in the fiber room. Special note: ALL fiber in small, wrapped blended balls must be kept safely away from feline frolicking -- or you KNOW what happens, yep, all my careful measuring and winding does nothing but provide really interesting toys for cats, particularly Sake -- I'm quite careful to shut the door to THAT room now!

August inevitably arrives, sigh. I think I'll treat myself to this lovely merino top that I bought a few years ago from Woodland Woolworks. I had one pound that was dyed multiple colors of red, purple, burgundy with a dash of orange and named (appropriately) Mohave, and 1 pound of the burgundy color (really more purple than burgundy). The plan was to spin the mohave and ply it with the plain. So I brought the Rose outside to spin while Lou and Jim (oh btw -- Jim spend 2 weeks in August with us , and Nick kept driving up to stay between work shifts--) worked on the porch roof gutters, and low and behold -- my beautiful TREAT fiber was lifeless! There were no natural oils left, it was stiff and stretched, and did not want to spin at all. I tried making a grease concoction (which I think might make a very nice lotion with its combination of lanolin, olive oil, water and soap flakes) and spraying it on, it was better, but not good. I had to PONDER a while. Lou suggested I blend it -- like I don't already have enough to blend! But he was right. I tried out a sample. Blend the Mohave with some Corriedale from French Creek Fiber Arts, and blend the plain with Twister (corriedale from Sharon at Ramifications) -- it turned out so nice that I immediately measured out all the little 'blend balls' and will call it Cherry Cordial.

Ahhh but I'm still not done. August dwindled down, Jim and Nick went to their respective homes, and School started! 12 - 15 hours a day of fiber fun had come to an end. Remember the Merino Mohair blend I was working on??? Finished and ready to dye, remember the BRIGHT yellow superwash I bought in Wyoming (lou wanted yellow socks -- eh gads), and the undyed super wash??? Oh yes -- time for a weeking of dyeing. Lou was gone for a 2 day shoot in September and I geared up for 2 glorious days of color! First I kettle dyed 5 batches of the spun merino/mohair mix.

I have 5 skeins of each color (Navy, Violet, Red, Teal, Turquoise) Whew -- turned out nice though.

Day 2 of Dye Weekend I dyed MOST of the yellow with blue (turning it a nice olive green) and did two batches of 12 oz of fiber using a hot pour method -- one with reds, and one with blue/purple -- See for yourself!. The Blues and Reds I spun up into North Woods, and Struberry Jam! Shelly bought enough North Woods to make a pair of Socks, and I am using some of each of them to make socks for myself!

So Shelly, What do ya think??? Did I blog or didn't I!!! I have been remiss. Sometimes you get so caught up in what you are doing, that you forget there are other things to do as well -- like blogging!

Days 9-11 Going Home

2008-06-22T08:38:00.023-04:00

Just one little glitch on the trip home; after spending the night in Laramie Wyoming Tuesday, we had to drive into Cheyenne and get the oil changed. It afforded us a nice breakfast, and a slow start to the day. Strangely enough, we stopped to sleep at all the SAME places -- Winnemucca NV, Laramie WY, Grinnelle IA -- funny.

Nevada Cows vs Nebraska Cows
Nevada cows really have to spread out to find some grass to eat amidst all the sage brush. No clumping together in one big cow mass for them. Nebraska cows like to mill around together, there's plenty of grass, so they don't really wander far apart.

Nevada and Sage Brush
Nevada is just one huge sage brush factory. It's a pity we can't use it to make alternative fuel or something. Lou suggests we grind it up and sell it to China as a rare, healing herb.

I figure the only really useful feature about Nevada is that if you wanted to conduct covert activities and/or avoid EPA inspections -- you're all set! You see signs in Nevada that speed is enforced by aerial inspection -- Duhhh! pick a road to watch, and you'll only see one or two guys a day! Besides the entire state is a speed trap.

Living Dangerously
In Coalvile, UT there is this house/farm right at the base of a huge earthen dam. How'd ya like to live there, your yard is walled of by a 30 foot earth bank and a spillway at the far end. When would it crack and flood your world? Oh probably at about 2:00 a.m. on a cold winter's night with no visible moonlight, in the rain! That would be just TOO much fun!

Final Thoughts
"It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your front door" quoth Bilbo Baggins.

Three to Four 10-12 hour days in a car can teach you that you can feel pain in all kinds of weird new ways.

Food on the road sucks -- just stick to salad with grilled chicken for dinner, and nuts and Lattes for breakfast/lunch.

Don't give in to the mad desire to hang out the car window, waving your arms madly and screaming incoherently.

Have an Ipod FULL of more music than you could possibly listen to.

Buy a new car just before leaving so you can listen to XM 151 -- the comedy chanel, just for a change of pace (you'll get a 30 day free trial if you're lucky -- it's not worth the $10/month)

Bring lots of stuff to do/read, even if you don't use it, just knowing it's there for you is a comfort. Hell just thinking about it is a time filler.

Bring a computer and blog the trip with photos and witicisims. Just remember -- don't blog late at night, you won't be funny and you'll leave stuff out and make spelling errors. If you send everyone you know the blog address, just keep in mind that they might start making requests -- mistaking blogging for other forms of entertainment.

NEVER look too far ahead when travelling. Enjoy the moment and remember the words of Harry Chapin "Its got to be the going, not the gettin there that's good"

Day 8 Old Sacramento and Back on the Road

2008-06-21T13:38:00.011-04:00

Jun had to fly back to L.A. -- work on Monday -- Bummer! We decided to wait to depart until Monday early evening -- that would get us back to Winnemucca -- which is as good as any place to stop.

We decided to bum around Old Sacramento -- there was a hat shop there that Lou wanted to visit -- get a new straw hat for summer cowboy shoots. It was fun, a weird combination of old store fronts and modern architecture in the background. A few old timey shops, but mostly just junk, tourist stuff. The hat shop, however did not disappoint, and there were a few candy shops that provided some goodies.

Once finished in Old Sacramento, we
toodled off back to Davis, had an early dinner / late lunch at Dos Coyotes, packed up the car and headed off homeward bound, with a promise to call Jim each evening when we settled down.

Day 7 Just Chillin

2008-06-20T06:55:00.007-04:00

Walking at Davis -- she look like she's leading him to you???

So, OK, it was 95 degrees, in the height of the day, but it's a DRY heat -- so you hardly feel it!

These ducks were actually hanging out in the shade -- guess they thought it was hot too, and for them it's more of a wet heat.

We were actually lucky to get this cactus flower, and I was lucky not to slide down the hillside into the algae coated stream!

I was tempted to try and smell it, but the journey was fraught with danger (including the pricklies on the cactus).

A welcome respite in a beautiful Gazebo. Jim is trying to avoid having his picture taken (so what else is new!)

Jun and Dad, resting in the shade. I'm saying WHERE are the horses already!!!

Lou was constantly off gathering some fresh grass for these beauties to nibble on. I did not get a SINGLE picture of that! (slaps hand to forehead)

Day 6 Wine Country with the Kids

2008-06-18T00:43:00.007-04:00

Getting the antiques was a great relief. Once they were safely stored in Jim's garage, we were free to have some fun with the kids. We only had the weekend, but that's ok, it's the quality not the quantity that counts.

Saturday was Wine country and then a FABULOUS dinner at La Provence (http://laprovenceroseville.com/). Jim and Jun checked it out last year, while trying to decide on a restaurant for the rehearsal dinner. They felt it would be a little pricey, so Lou and I decided it would make for a nice, just the four of us, place to eat. We only visited a few vintners in wine country, Hess was definitely the best of the two, and that's where all the pics are from.

Sunday we just hung out in Davis. Jim took us on a nice long walk at the university, culminating in a visit with some very nice horses. Lou went scrounging all over the place to give them a few handfuls of fresh grass, not a mean feat since they keep the grounds so well groomed! The horses really appreciated it though and kept walking over to where ever Lou was! (pics to follow)

Day 5 -- Off to Oregon

2008-06-17T02:18:00.005-04:00

Not the best picture of Lake Shasta, but trees and things kept getting in the way.

Never a disappointment -- Shasta in the distance!

Well, once you reach your destination, it seems you are busier than a 1-armed paper hanger! We got in to Davis mid-day Thursday, and were off to the Wilds of Oregon at 5:00 a.m. the next morning. We WERE well rested, though and it was a beautiful day for traveling.

Jim was happy to stay in bed and wait for us to get home later that day, he stopped being a morning person a long time ago.

First stop in Oregon was Ramifications, and my good friend Sharon Allen. She has -- you guessed it FIBER! I had her holding some dark wool with bits of red/blue/lavender for me and I told her I'd buy all she had (around 5 'bumps'). I was going to be a good girl, but Lou said "is that all you're getting??? We traveled 3,000 miles and that's ALL you're gonna buy???" You don't have to tell me twice, I bought all she had of a blend she calls "oatmeal" and her remaining 3 bumps of black sheeps wool from Twister. While we were visiting a friend dropped by to store some fiber for the Black Sheep Gathering later in June, which gave us a chance to snap a few pictures. And to think we were traveling on Friday the 13th!

Once we left Sharon's with my loot, it was off to Kalamath Falls, and Joan's Antique heaven. Believe it or not, we managed to get a civil war desk, a railroad desk cabinet, and a chimney cupboard tucked safely into the new Element. Cool. It was a tight fit, and we won't be able to recline the seat for napping, but -- a small price to pay for such lavish pieces!

It was a long day, and I was a zombie by the end of it, but the fun is just beginning, Jun flew in at around 10:00 p.m. and Saturday/Sunday is just for the family.

More later.

Day 4 and a little of Day 3

2008-06-12T18:31:00.010-04:00

Messages in the Sand
Driving by the great salt lake there is this huge piece of beach by the highway, with an occasional "keep off" sign planted in the sand. So, naturally, there are foot prints all over the place, but the interesting part is that there are all these messages left. People stop, gather up little black stones, sticks and what not and make pictures or words in the sand. WHO can read them??? Not the people in cars whizzing by at 65 mph. You'd be craining your neck to make out the writing, miss the turn and vault yourself into the sand, crushing a "keep off" sign. It couldn't be an aerial message, because it is not near large enough --though I think that is the intent. People have NO sense of scale. So there's this pilot in a small sesna, trying to make out the messages in the sand, groping around for binoculars, misses the proximity warning for the mountains surrounding the Great Salt Lake, crashes, scattering debris and landing on the "keep off" sign, and depositing more message making material. Truckers could probably read them, but who wants to talk to Truckers anyway. Do ya think they are trying to send messages to Aliens???

Zombie Slots
Rather than search all of Salt Lake City for a dinner spot, we decided to push on to Wendover, NV and eat at a casino. Years ago, I won't say how many -- you could count on good food and food service at a casino. We walked into the Montego Bay -- Whoa boy -- talk about sensory overload. Just to find the restroom, you are required to walk the perimeter and immerse yourself in aqua and pink neon. The entire central area was filled with electronic 'slot' machines. I'm not sure why they still call them slot machines, since so few of them actually have coin slots, and the 'arm' is basically a superfluous device. Hell, you don't even put coins in the damn things any more. Now you get a digital card, on a flexible lanyard which you PIN to your shirt, so you won't lose it (because you become so STUPEFIED that you don't know what you're doing anymore!) Anyway you plug this card into the machine and PUSH a little button to 'play'; all wins and loses are registered on the card. Geeze oh man these guys really know how to have fun! Slot machines have changed from a mechanical device to a digital version of a slot machine, it is bright, busy and makes mutant electronic noises (which sometimes will NOT stop!) The players push the button and stare at the screen with a slack jawed expression. They have been transformed from human to ZOMBIE.

In the old days the players would be smokin, drinkin, talkin, while putting coins in the slots and pulling on the handle, some of them were SO active they needed a wrist wrap! A passer by would hear all the mechanical sounds the rollers would make as they turned and then fell into place, the sounds of the machine arm as it bounced back, and -- oh YEAH -- the big one -- bells (actual buzzers) ringing and coins dropping into the tray.

These poor fools today, just sit there with blank expressions, and register NO emotion, whatsoever. I think that there is probably some subliminal messaging going on here and the whole use of the card to register the wins and losses makes it even easier to control the VICTIM "just puush the button, thaat's right, you feel gooood, relaaaxed, the button is your friennnnd, your only source of pleassssure, yesss you won, but you waaant the button, just push it again, thaaats it"

Which brings me to Opulence and Decadence vs. Shiny and Sparkly. Jim Foxworthy observes that rednecks LOVE things that are shiny and sparkly, so I guess casinos are going for the redneck subculture -- good move -- let's attract the people with the least amount of money. You walk into any casino now and everyone thinks its so luxurious, so opulent, and all the casino owners had to do was to keep it fairly DARK and spend a few hundred dollars on neon lights and lights that flash. Actual opulence isn't cheap to pull off. You have to use REAL wood, nice furnishings, classic floor coverings and subtle (not dark) lighting. The drink girl is well dressed and has a nice wood tray with a crystal tip jar, not service station coveralls, and 2 styrofom cups on a cafeteria tray, sprayed with glitter. Instead of good service and fine dining at the restaurant, you get a trough and they fill it up -- boy that's decadence. Then they forget you are there, you then have to look for them and beg to pay. Everyone walks away from the huge portions and gigantic desserts commenting on the portions, and "they know how to treat you right"

Showerheads and Water Conservation
Winnemuca NV -- so I'm taking a shower this morning (boring details unnecessary) -- the second shower in this hotel. They've installed a 'conservation' shower head, which gives a TRICKLE of water, forcing me to substantially lengthen the amount of time I spend in the shower and consequently user MORE WATER. Brilliant move. I can just imagine the conversation between the manager and the maintenance man " yeah George, these water saving shower heads don't seem to be saving us any water" "Well, sir, I told you last year, give 'em the water full force, sand blast strength and they'll get in and outa there fore you know it. They'll even turn the water down more. Just tell em that its one of them special massage shower heads and they'll be happy, and we'll use less water!"

Aliens and the Water Planet
Driving through Nevada, I started thinking about desert areas, area 51, and aliens. The aliens never came back because they flew over Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico and came to the conclusion that there's NOTHING here but a few lizards, some snakes and scorpions. "Whoa, this doesn't look anything like it does from space, you sure we're in the right place???" "Hey, I turned right at Jupiter and Left at the Moon -- just like you told me" This starts over Nevada, continues through Arizona and results in a CRASH in New Mexico. Radioed back to the Mother ship to look elsewhere for intelligent life. See aliens are just as short sighted and stupid as humans! I guess they didn't see the messages in the sand at the Great Salt Lake!

Day 3 of the Adventure!

2008-06-12T01:28:00.005-04:00

I LOVE airstreams -- just couldn't resist.

The BIG event today was the visit to The Sheep Shed Studio in Encampment, Wyoming. Just a short 90 minute trek outside of Laramie and we were there. Lou was supposed to be in charge of the camera and he dropped the ball! But if we go back there on the way home, he promises to make it up to me.

Carol and her husband have a HOUSE FULL of roving and yarn from the Brown Sheep yarn company. I didn't know what to look at first. Picture a kid in a candy store, with an indulgent parent that says, "get whatever you want, honey" I picked out undyed superwash roving, dyed roving, dyed and undyed mohair, and some WILD yellow superwash roving to make Lou socks that will look cool with his crocs (the guy is NUTS). They also had a ton of yarn, so naturally, I bought enough sock yarn to do a dozen pairs of socks. I'm definately gonna go back and get some more colors.

Wyoming, Utah and Nevada are pretty wind blown and dry. This might account for the lack of trees and vegetation. I could not get over the strength of the wind in Wyoming. Roofers must be busier than one armed paper hangers! Siding doesn't fair too well either. There is only one type of house construction for this environment, log homes with steel roofs. THAT might just holdup. You gotta watch it when you open your car door, or you might just lose it. I just could not understand why we didn't see any of those huge wind mills -- well they showed up on the hillsides just near the Wyoming/Utah border. I'm tellin ya --put em everywhere in Wyoming and Nebraska and we'll be able to power the entire west coast and mid west!

Day 2 of the Adventure!

2008-06-10T23:57:00.008-04:00

Ok -- Comfort Inn is nice. We spent a nice night 40 miles east of Des Moines and woke up to a crisp, clear fresh world. I had a real treat at checkout. The gal comes out to take our keys and trudging at her heals is a sweet little black lab pup, maybe 9 weeks old. "Ohhh let me see!" I exclaimed, up she came onto the counter-top and into my arms. I was immediately immersed in puppy kisses, wiggles, nibbles and even a hug -- how sweet.

There's all these fat round silos with a small "house" on top, windows, peaked roof and all. Maybe that's where the missile control room is located. A guy is just sittin there waiting for the signal. He better bail out in time though or that rocket'll come right up his ...... Maybe they gave him an ejector seat.

I love seeing trucks carrying trucks. Hey guys, load those suckers up and make 'em carry their own weight!

Crosses by the side of the road, marking where some one had a fatal accident -- you see them here and there, little white sentinels, sometimes with plastic flowers. Lou saw one up in a tree, near an overpass. Does that mean that some poor fool launched himself into a tree???

I just can't tell you how exciting it is to see a guy in a 36 foot long big rig, 13 or so gears, talking on a cell phone, "Hold on -- gotta down shift"

So I'm trying to drink more water today, but Iowa has, oh let me see TWO rest stops in the entire state! So I see an Iowa information sign -- let's go there. Off the freeway we go, turn right and just keep driving up hills, down hills, by old barns and victorian houses -- 6 miles later we're in this little Danish immigrant community and the Danish information center -- they've got you, they're the only game in town, so you go in, use the facilities and start looking around, like you really came to see the shop -- $36.00 later you're back on your way. The T-Shirt and cups are cool though, and the barn pics were worth the side trip. Oh yea, and there was FLOODING everywhere -- guess the rains were fairly torrential -- we laughed to see the Adult Super Store under water -- wrath of God.

Crossing into Nebraska -- up comes that wind again, go figure, I thought Indiana was bad. I've just solved the energy problem, put a few hundred thousand windmills in NEBRASKA! I think sails on the cars would be good too, or some kind of vents to catch the wind and move a turbine -- wind powered cars. Ladies -- have the driver's side window down, while driving west and you get a facial -- we're talking extreme exfoliation! The cops must have a HELL of a time giving sobriety tests -- yeah -- walk a straight line in Nebraska, I dare ya!

Driving across this country you realize that there's really a WHOLE LOT of space. Lots of Room, hardly any people, just a few farm houses and outbuildings sprinkled here and there. Then you start noticing the cattle (and horses for that matter); they've got these HUGE pastures and what do they do??? they gather in one large bovine/equine clump, jostling about and grazing. Man If I was one of those cows, I'd be way over at the other end of the pasture, free of the smell (which is overpowering) and eating clean grass, not the stuff every other cow has urinated on! Have you ever noticed that people are the same as those stupid cows, crowding together in cities and oblivious to the mess??

Dinner was in North Platte, it is not a very blogable experience, it was food, it was ok, nuff said. A coupla hours down the road and we cross over into Wyoming. State lines are MAGIC, all of a sudden you enter a completely different world, new state, new look. Wyoming is treeless, almost shrubless and deserted. There are all these phone and power lines marching off to -- where?? An alien ship could land here in broad daylight and NO ONE would know it. Come to think of it, maybe they have!

Day 1 of the Adventure!

2008-06-10T07:06:00.008-04:00

Well, we are off on our cross country trip. We had RATHER a late start. Too many projects to finish up before leaving, including a cowboy shoot on Saturday, horrors if that were missed -- as any shooter would tell you. Once we got Molly to the A1-bed and Biscuit, her excitement could not be contained. She could hear them, smell them, and knew that something stupendous was awaiting her! She did not even give me a backward glance, when the kennel worker called her over, leashed her and walked her back to dog paradise!

Back home we went, and started gathering the necessary items for a 10 day trip. Coffee machine, KNITTING, computer and a few other sundry items. By the time we were done, the new Honda Element looked pretty full. Hmmm are we going to be able to fit all the antiques we bought in Oregon last year amongst these travel essentials??? I guess that's the adventure part.

Locked up the house, shut all the windows, and off we went, exactly ONE block to the Stone Oven, and trudged wearily into the building for a much needed lunch and some air conditioning -- 90 is pretty hot in Cleveland Heights. We drove to about Toledo, and Lou needed a nap (probably the chicken salad sandwich). So I drove for a while.

I have a theory about Indiana -- since it is long and skinny and very flat, it is just a huge wind tunnel -- no matter when I have driven through it, there have been gale force winds, blowing your head around and knocking the car in the side. I can't even understand HOW the leaves manage to stay on the trees. They must get hazard pay in that state. "We're the few, the tough, The Indiana leaves, Earned -- never given". So much for the Hoosier state (what ever a hoosier is).

There are a LOT of trucks on the road. You really appreciate that without them, the roads would be empty, lonely desolate places. They are almost alive, mud flaps are like hair blowing in the breeze, wire and coils undulating, and occasionally a little piggy snout pushing through an opening in the side.

Somehow we avoided all the craziness that is Chicago, by cutting to 80. Just a little traffic, hardly any by Chicago standards, and no toll booths (whew). Before we knew it we were in central Illinois and feeling like dinner. Ottowa is home to Woody's Steak House. Not a very dignified name, tucked away on a side street, and vinyl shakes on the outside of the building belied a really FABULOUS place to eat! Our waiter was a tall, thin, drink of water, with longish white hair. He was a scream, funny flirty, and had good advice, and kept the water, coffee and bread comin. I splurged with Filet Mignon, spinach salad and oh yeah, creme' broulee.

Back on the road, and for the next few hours we kept chasing the sunset, I swear you could still see blue sky peaking out far on the western horizon. There were dark clouds that look like mountain formations, clouds that had web like fingers curling down just in front of you, white puffy clouds that looked like castle turrets, and just under them sun, right above the distant green fields, clear sky. At one point the sky looked like a great fire was blazing 100 miles away. This is just a taste of the vastness of the great plains. You can watch weather coming at you for hours, and hours, before it actually reaches you. It finally occurred to me that I had a camera and I could get a few shots of what I was seeing!

Cottage Industry!

2008-05-20T08:27:00.006-04:00

Well, the decision has been made -- A name has been found!

"TomBoy Yarns: hand spun, blended, natural fibers by Dakota Skipper"

Most of the yarn will be $7.00/oz. If you leave in the Cleveland area, drop by Knitting on the Square in Chardon, and enjoy!!!

I will also do custom spinning from fiber that you choose. The cost of the fiber will be deducted from the job, if you buy it yourself. The Price will vary depending on the spinability of the fiber, and how thin you need it (the thinner it is, the longer it takes!), and whether you want it plied or not.

Now there be Drum Carders!

2008-04-12T10:21:00.003-04:00

Ohhhh A Strauch Finest DRUM CARDER! Well I'm on my way. Dakota Skippers line of designer yarn is just about ready to launch!

I'm thinking of "Bodelicious Blends" finely blended, hand spun yarn from Sierra's Spinyard. What do you think???

After the sale of a few items around the house, including a few antique dolls, we placed THE ORDER! Included with this delicious piece of equipment was 3 1/2 lb bags of shetland, and 8 oz of Brown Alpaca. All I need to start blending rich, brown, superfantabulous wool! I can't wait!

Drop Spindling???

2008-04-08T10:58:00.010-04:00

OK -- now I know that I am hopelessly addicted to spinning. While at Knitting on the Square a few weeks ago, talking, demonstrating, teaching spinning, someone asked me if I could teach drop spindle spinning. The little gears started to spin (in my head). Hmmmm. Truth is that I only tried it once, with a fairly primitive, made from plywood, drop spindle, and figured you'd have to be CRAZY to want to do this!!! That was a long time ago, and what did I know about spinning -- next to nothing.

Now, I'm thinking, that first experience just wasn't right. I didn't like the tool -- it was definitely NOT aesthetically pleasing. I wasn't confident in my ability to draft the fiber -- hadn't even tried spinning on a wheel, and I was trying to figure it out on a hot Summer San Diego day all by myself.

So -- off to the computer -- there must be tons of sources for really cool looking drop spindles. Ohhh those Golding spindles are neat -- a little pricey though for a "let's just try it again" kind of activity. Search some more -- The Woolery had quite a few, Schacht -- hmm too plain. Ashford -- nope plainer still. You must remember -- it's the EXPERIENCE, the ART that also matters! Googling again -- Now there's the ticket -- Kundert Spindles -- one man shop, NICE wood, good price -- Whoopie!

Anxiously waiting, 1 day, 2 days, 5 days! Goodie, there's still time left on Spring Break -- All day for two days and countless movies I was spinnin! Now I must confess that I didn't try it the easy way -- some Corriedale, or Romney -- Nope -- I figured "I'll just spin this harrisville felting wool. It's gonna come out nubbly anyway." If I could spin that stuff (we're talking fiber length of an inch MAYBE) -- I can do anything!

I tried various drafting techniques and settled on rolags. Not too bad. Here's a TIP though -- when learning to spin with a drop spindle, sit or stand OVER a rug -- it will 'drop' and you don't want to scratch your new beautie!

2.5 Pounds of Yarn Heaven!

2008-03-26T16:24:00.000-04:00

This last summer while spending a few relaxing days in Oregon, I met Sharon Allen, a retired shearer and fiber 'farmer'. She had a treasure trove of wonderful -- ready to spin fiber. I just finished spinning her blend of white alpaca and fine white wool. It is creamy, and silky soft. I'll have enough for 2 small sweaters (if I'm lucky).

Here's a picture of the whole sheebang. I decided to drape the washed skeins over the wheel and place the twisted hanks on the floor. The picture really doesn't do handspun justice, you just have to see it to want to stroke it, smell it, and KNIT it! Yes -- I am a little obsessive about fiber -- but really what normal person wouldn't be????

As I was re-skeining, even Molly (the dog) became bewitched -- she laid her face in the folds of the skeins, sighed and fell fast asleep. Sushi (or "catzilla" as we like to call her) was eye-balling the twisted hanks, and trying to calculate if she had the jawpower and body mass to make off with one. She settled on a small ball of yarn between my feet (romney) that I was using to tie the skeins, one moment there, the next -- gone. Drop all the work, go running after the cat, catch her in my room batting around her prize, take it -- ohhh she's not happy about that, rewind it and back to work. As I'm typing this, Sushi, un-deterred by her earlier failure to capture and keep her yarn prize has attempted to pull one of the newly twisted skeins out of the paper bag at my feet -- curses - skumped again!! What can I say -- the yarn is just YUMMY!

I'm still trying to figure out a name for my line of yarn -- suggestions welcome

Twisted Turnings?
Dakotas Twists?
Twist and Turn
Twisted -- designer yarns
Spinolicious

Spinnin' on the Square

2008-03-21T08:38:00.001-04:00

No picture for this -- we were having too much fun to take pictures! Maybe Shelly will shoot a pic of her lovely skein and send it to me.

Yesterday (3/20) I took the Rose (Majacraft) and the Traditional (Ashford) wheels up to Knitting on the Square in Chardon. Shelly wanted to learn spinning too! So there we sat, next to the very fine Debbie Bliss yarns and in front of the Kathmandu yarn (my last sweater), side by side, spinnin' fools extraordinaire. Customers came in and watched, asked lots of questions, and of course did a little shopping -- Shelly had to stop spinning (poor thing) -- but it was good for her to have a little break (no pun intended, there Shel).

Shelly did a fabulous job -- she was spinning pretty thin -- and had a few breaks here and there, and a few spots of "EXICTED" yarn -- but all in all a fabulous job -- picture coming soon!

Robin Swoboda & crew came by to interview Kate -- the shop looked fabulous, and Shelly and I were added ambiance (if I do say so my self) -- they filmed our little feet -- treadling away. Cool, now my feet are immortalized on film.

THERE be Spinning Wheels!

2008-03-17T11:32:00.000-04:00

Well -- last Thursday the new Ashford Traditional wheel arrived to grace our home and keep my little Majacraft Rose company. One does need more than one spinning wheel -- especially if there are students to teach spinning to!

There's hubby, helping to put together the "mother of all" (no I'm not swearing!). I put on 3 coats of Watco Danish oil on Saturday, got up at the CRACK of dawn Sunday and applied 1 coat of paste wax, and 1 coat of Howards feed and Wax. It looks LOVELY in its natural color.

Once together it was time to try it out. I had a sample of Pygora fiber from a friend in Oregon. This is a goat breed with VERY soft fleece. I pulled a tad out of the bag and let it lay on the floor while I fired up the 'ole treadle on the Ashford. Everything was going well, no rubs, no clangs, the peddling was easy. This is great. Then Sushi (remember her??) made an appearance, with stealth and agility, she grabbed a wad of pygora between her teeth, I started screaming at her to drop it, the dog went running for the front entry way (a favored -- "I must be in trouble, I'll hide here" spot), and Sushi went scooting up the stairs, prize in tow. I followed her, picking up pieces of pygora along the way. She was hiding under the bed, when I caught up to her and I unceremoniously retrieved MY fiber. I wonder??? Could the missing lens from my glasses be there as well -- hmm I'll have to check that out later. Sushi remained in hiding for the rest of the day, extremely offended and disappointed to be deprived of her prey.