since the Homespun Yarn Party, i have been obsessed with spinning laceweight on my spindle. its all i can think about--finding the perfectly dyed roving, hoping to experiment with different scanning the internet for spindles carved by old men from woods the gods would covet, reading and reading and reading, drooling over Miss Alice Faye's absolutely stunning handspun yarn that she skillfully crafts into exquisite pieces of lace. if i can spin a smidge as well as what i've seen, then i'll be giddy.
everything i have learned so far, i have learned on my own...never been one for hand holding. of course, with wonderful crafters all over the internet, it makes learning so much easier. with that said, here's what i've been spinning along with the goat angora:
my photo skills are horrible but this is a pretty good representation of the colors. roving is from Hello Yarn 2-3oz bag of leftovers (feels like BFL but could be Corriedale)from Adrian Bizilia's dye club (i'm still on the waiting list to get in!)She's a wonderful fiber artist and is the person who introduced me to spinning. She was so kind to steer me towards really good sources to get me started.
here's what the roving looks spun up. i pre-drafted the roving into long strips, in keeping with the dye pattern. they look like this:
most of my learning has been from a SpinOff booklet on spindle spinning, so i think i focus more on results than technique.
as i've mentioned before, i'm a fairly thin spinner--anything above fingering weight and things get uneven and scary. in this pic, the needle is a size US1 just to show the thinness. i've ordered some lighter spindles--in the .4-.6oz range--one from Greensleeves and two from Butterfly Girl Designs and some roving from Woolarina. my mind says, "if i spin this thin now, imagine how much thinner it will be when the lighterweight spindles arrive?"
Mental note: Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival is coming up REAL soon!
along with the spinning and the knitting, i've been doing a lot of cooking--trying to come up with really good vegetarian dishes. dishes that will become staples in the home. in a forum that i participate in, we decided to have our own little Iron Chef competiton. the main ingredient? eggs. here's what i made:
Omelette with Roasted Vegetables, Carmalized Onions and Guyere Cheese
this is sort of a 'morning after' dish. its a great way to use up leftover veggies. for the meat eaters, try beef, pork, shrimp, lobster...for a vegan version, prepare as a tofu scramble with soy cheese.
Ingredients
3 eggs
buttermilk
EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
herb de provence (blend of rosemary, thyme, marjoram)
1 small yellow onion
guyere cheese (can substitute swiss or provolone)
roasted vegetables--fennel bulbs (anise), red, yellow, green and orange bell peppers, baby potatoes (red or gold is fine)
Roasted Veggies
cut fennel bulb into quarters and all other veggies into 1-2inch chunks. place in mixing bowl and drizzle olive on veggies. liberally add herbs de provence, a bit of salt and peppers. you want to season well, but not over do it. toss until veggies are well coated with the oil and herbs. roast in oven at 350 degrees until tender.
Onion
slice one small onion and seperate rings. saute in olive oil and very lightly season with salt and pepper. cook until tender and golden brown. set aside.
Egg mixture
pretty self explanatory. beat eggs in mixing bowl and add a small splash or two of buttermilk. you don't want it too runny--just enough to add a bit of richness. pour mixture into nonstick pan. add roasted veggies and shredded cheese in center.
when done, add onions on top and enjoy!
1 comment:
Your right Miss Alice Faye has some awesome yarn and lace.. You are doing a fabulous job yourself! The omelet looks delicious. Breakfast is my favorite meal and I often have it for dinner♥
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