New picker!

I did it! I ordered a picker from Fancy Kitty. (The name makes no sense to me at all, but whatever.) Hilariously I will now own a 'cradle picker'. Sounds like geriatrics dating co-eds, but in actuality it is a swinging gizmo with teeth that pulls apart the fleece so that it can be dyed and carded.

The guy who makes them very helpfully warned me that those type of pickers can be hard on fine fibers, but I think I'll adjust it so that the teeth dont' overlap too much and just not be too aggressive in the swinging, and it should be fine.

I checked a few videos online about the process and noticed something weird. There's all this hype and hysteria about the picker being terribly dangerous. Obviously, to me anyways, a gizmo that swings nails back and forth is definitely a tool to be watchful of. (Well, duh!) But not anything to get hysterical about. Seems like any other tool to me. I never see guys demonstrating table saws or chainsaws and getting very fearful and emphatic about NO KIDS AROUND THE TABLE SAW!!!!!!!!!!! Again. Duh! Do women think other women are dumb and have to be warned. As women are we all hyper about how dangerous tools are? Does no one teach their kids to not touch anything that isn't theirs/is dangerous? It is perfectly possible to sew your finger with a sewing machine, but no one gets crazy about that. Just seems really weird to me.

Carry on!

Sheep to Shawl and possibly a KAL

The fleece is a Columbia, and it has been washed, sortof picked and dried. I say "sort-of" picked as I am now finding that I did not do that great a job. there's lots of cheat grass seeds in it.

I am considering buying a picker (400+ teeth, cradle type), but $400 + shipping seems a bit steep. There was a used one on Ravelry, but fewer teeth, a bit of rust (hence used) and still $400 +shipping. That just seems silly.

Day 1 of Sheep to Shawl/Sweater

Today is Day 1 of Sheep to Sweater. My newly shorn wool is waiting at Pico Accuardi Dyeworks and we are washing it tonight. Another day, we will by dyeing it, and then off to the races for spinning. At some point I'll need to choose a sweater pattern. I'm excited.

Today is also Towel Day.

I just finished the most fabulous book. Bucolic Plague by Josh Purcell. What a great read. Entertaining, insightful. For me, thought provoking. One thought that was provoked: how can I identify so closely to a gay, former drag queen, ad agency Manhattanite??? And yet we have a lot of the same outlooks, hopes, dreams and things that make us happy. Now I'll read it again. :)

I need to do more creative stuff. How to make more time for that?