at home with Lara's wheels, spindles, looms & dye pots
This is the first post on a brand new topic, ‘Spinnerside Chat.’ This will be a longer look at parts of my spinning practice that are under construction. Cotton is a fibre that fascinates me. Spinning cotton in the forms that I have explored was always a challenge to begin with, and can be still […]
Read MoreIt was a simple enough idea that came while pressing the handwoven blankets… what if I brought T out for a trip to Kingston? Calls were made, very strong yeses were heard, and here we are! My cousin had us over on our first day in the island, and we were thrilled to meet her […]
Read MoreThis week, I answered a question about spindles – what if any pause is there between spinning singles (first elements) & plying. It’s a great question! The original Q&A is in the Ravelry group, Spindlers in the decade-old Stupid Questions thread (post no. 8,515 starts) if you want to check it out. You can imagine […]
Read MoreIt is fabulous to sit down placing words in TKK’s editor this morning. Over the long stretch we did live with those new challenges I mentioned (words “cancer patient & break-up”) but were knocked back by a sudden loss mid-November also in our immediate family. That side had just buried another older family member the […]
Read MoreHappy new year! Our holidays were spent back home in Jamaica. It was the mix of what we call Christmas breeze, friends and family that made this trip extra-special. Inspiration came by more than sheer natural beauty. The island is still dealing with the Chikungunya virus outbreak. It is transmitted by mosquitoes, and last October […]
Read MoreThis story happened on one of those rare summery fall days, September 5, 2013. Life runs far more smoothly now that I, daughter of Jamaica, have learned to never take fair weather for granted in the northern hemisphere. “Make hay while the sun shines” seriously resonates here. When September 5th spoke, I listened. It said, […]
Read MoreMy commissioned lace stole is overdue for her reveal! What began as a serious inquiry last Boxing Day on broad specs grew into an original stole design with beautiful Helen’s Lace yarn and light beading. Although knitting for hire was a bundle of new challenges, I knew early on that my label as it were […]
Read MoreThere are 2 things to know when you land in Kingston, Jamaica: the entire plane claps the pilot; and you step out into the fresh harbour air. Kingston Harbour. It’s the 7th deepest natural harbour in the world. Beautiful as seen from a sandbar called, Maiden Cay. A rather soused me had the sense to […]
Read MoreOn August 6th as everyone probably knows, Jamaica celebrated 50 years of Independence. Our athletes achieved more at the 2012 London Olympics than we dreamed possible. Each medal ceremony where our flags rose was moving. We were deeply proud to stand and sing the National Anthem with Jamaicans everywhere. The colours mean: Hardships there are […]
Read MoreI am speaking about Haematoxylum campechianum. Logwood is a natural dye that is typically sold as dried chips of the heartwood. It was introduced for cultivation in Caribbean colonies, and continued to be exported even through the sugar hey-day. Who do you think you are? Logwood Heart? It’s from my favourite poem, Omeros by […]
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