String

String's an amazing thing. Take a bunch of it, throw it on a loom, dye it and you have fabric.

Make it a little fatter and you have yarn from which you can create garments.

String has infinite possibilities. The only limit is what one places on one's creativity.

Hawt

It's been a hot weekend here in the Rose City. It's been a while since our last really hot period and this one isn't supposed to last very long. I'm not going to complain about the heat because I know there are people here who are delighted by this. They can have their moment of indolence in the heat. I'll stay comfy in my air conditioned house and sip frosty beverages while I knit my lace.

Speaking of lace, I'm working on the Miralda's Triangular Shawl from Nancy Bush's Knitted Lace of Estonia. It requires more concentration than most projects I've worked on recently. But one thing about lace is the immense satisfaction after working on what looks like a hurled hunk of string. I'm not quite halfway done but it's so pretty.

Blasts from the past

This last weekend I went to my 30th high school reunion. I had missed the previous two reunions -- I didn't want to go to the 10th and I was out of town the weekend of the 20th. This time around I wanted to be there. It would determine if I would attend future reunions and I was also curious. I knew people in high school but I wasn't chummy with many people. Some folks and I didn't get along (that whole girl clique thing). So there was a little bit of anxiety.

One thing that made it fun was that the event was organized through Facebook. It made it easier for people to hook up with each other and see the changes that have happened over time. People change, some a lot, over time, so being able to see pictures of people before seeing them in person made such a difference.

The gatherings were enjoyable. Functions like these are best when they're simple and people can have a space where they can sit and gab. At the Sunday BBQ, I brought my wheel for people to see as several had asked me about my fiber hobbies. It made for interesting conversations and pictures. During the gathering Friday night I hooked up with a couple of gals I had known in classes and found out they too enjoyed playing with string. Conversations ranged from families and careers to memories of various events. Very relaxed, a lot of fun.

Last weekend I was able to pick up the Reeves wheel. It was much lighter than I expected so taking it into the house and posing it for its picture was not a problem. I've been playing on it, getting a feel for its workings, and making string. I can see making laceweight on this thing with not a problem at all. And fine fibers will be a piece of cake.

Hm. Apparently in all the flurry and fuss of preparing for the reunion and playing with my new toy I missed my blog's 5th anniversary. Has it really been that long? This calls for cake.