electric ladybugland

2006-02-07T19:50:00.000-08:00

What is your life-path number

Your Life Path Number is 4

Your purpose in life is to build your vision.

You are practical and responsible. You work hard, knowing that there are no shortcuts in life.
You work for a better life for yourself and those you love, but you are not an idealist.
Trustworthy and honest, you also demonstrate great courage. People can count on you.

In love, you are a loyal and committed partner. You are the ideal spouse.

You don't give up easily, and sometimes you can be too stubborn and unwilling to change.
You also can be too conservative at times. You sometime miss out on good opportunities.
Also remember that not everyone can work as hard as you, as disappointing as that is!

What Is Your Life Path Number?

Wow, sounds kinda accurate... especially the stubborn part... I took every calculus class twice to make sure I really understood it....

2006-01-12T16:46:00.000-08:00

Which Harry Potter Character are you?

Harry Potter Personality Quiz by Pirate Monkeys Inc.

2005-12-03T20:49:00.000-08:00

Hi folks (does anyone ever read this?) Well, I haven't had a post in 2 months now, because I've been extremely busy putting together an online magazine for handspinners... and I'm happy to announce that it finally went LIVE!!! If anyone is interested it's called Spindlicity and is mainly for handspinners with an emphasis on spindle spinning and occasional information about wheel spinning. It's not really a knitting magazine, although there are a few patterns in there. I have an article on making your own Optim, there's an article on scouring fleece and profiles of two great spindle makers. I'm already planning the second issue... it was a lot of fun putting this one together and I have to thank everyone who wrote an article or helped me get it together...

Besides Spindlicity, I've been dyeing a lot of yarn for a local yarn store, spinning and knitting and weaving like crazy for christmas... and... oh yeah, there's that pesky biochemistry Ph.D. I'm trying to finish! Someday I hope to sleep....

On the house front, for those of you following this saga in my life, my house hasn't sold... and I don't think it will. The landlord is asking a million dollars for this falling down fixer upper. The good news is this means I can probably afford to stay in Los Angeles until I finish the Ph.D. The other good news is that I'll definitely be moving out of LA after that... no more traffic for me! That 2-3 hours of commute each day is really cutting into my spinning time ;-)

I hope all of you are happy and healthy and looking forward to the holidays, whichever ones you celebrate!

-- Janel

2005-10-15T22:23:00.000-07:00

Spin-Off Poncho contest!

Update: Spin-Off finally hit the stands... so I think it's fair to include a pic. of my poncho here

Well, I didn't mention this before because I didn't want to jinx it ya know... but it's now official! I am one of the winners (2nd place original design) in the Spin-Off Poncho contest! Woo Hoo! My poncho will be in the Winter edition of Spin-Off and I can't wait to see how they photographed it because it wasn't easy for me to photograph! The colors are yellows and lavenders which are sort of muted and it's hard to get the beauty of the color to show in a photograph. The poncho is a lace poncho, but sort of robust lace, not laceweight. I designed it myself... and it's really soft because I spun the yarn from a merino/silk/angora blend. I don't know if I'm allowed to post a photo so I'll wait until the magazine actually comes out... but you can color me tickled pink!

2005-10-11T22:41:00.000-07:00

I am starting an online magazine!
It will be called "Spindlicity" and will be all about handspindles.  I am currently planning articles on spindle techniques, different types of spindles, a gallery of handspindled yarns, projects for spindlers, making spindles, interviews with professional spindle makers, ethnic and historic spindle use, peripheral projects like dyeing, knitting, weaving etc.  The target market is new spinners who haven't yet made the commitment to a wheel, re-enactors, spindle collectors, and spinners who love spindles.  I am sort of patterning it after both Spin-Off and Knitty.  The magazine will be quarterly with the first issue scheduled for December.  I'm not sure why I'm doing this, but already it's been a lot of fun!  It's certainly a lot more fun than thinking about my housing problems!





















If you're interested in writing an article or If you have any ideas for this magazine, I'd love to hear them!

I hope you'll all read Spindlicity in December!

2005-10-07T18:25:00.000-07:00

My first pattern weave!

I just wove this scarf on my new (to me) 4 harness LeClerc jack loom. This picture shows what I think of as the "back side" of the scarf. The warp is a 2-ply silk... 1 ply bombyx and 1 ply tussah. The weft is a merino/bombyx blend that I dyed myself in shades of blue, green and purple. This is the first time I have ever done a pattern weave. Years ago I fooled around on a school loom doing some plain weave. This is ever so exciting!

2005-10-06T17:09:00.000-07:00

Spindle of the week

This is a gorgeous spindle from Israel by Avi Wasserman. Those wood colors are inlay work and it's delicate and gorgeous. In addition, it spins quite well! I purchased this at the Black Sheep Gathering from the Carolina Homespun booth. If you haven't been to Black Sheep and you live on the west coast you should plan to go sometime. We don't have as many fiber festivals out here as they have on the east coast and Black Sheep is a really nice one.

2005-10-06T17:02:00.000-07:00

Losing my house...

I have had a horrendous week... my landlord called to say she is selling our house. We've lived there for 13 years and it really feels like OUR house so it was quite a shock to learn we really don't own it! And to add insult to injury... apparently we've been living in fairy tale land, because we rudely found out that we can't really afford to live in Los Angeles anymore... If we have to move we will end up paying twice the rent we pay now, which will possibly eat into our savings and erode our house down payment money.... so we are in a quandary. In two weeks we will wing our way to Eugene Oregon to see if we can visualize ourselves living there... where one can still afford a house. Eugene is lovely and we'll probably end up liking it there, it's just that most of our friends are here...

sigh...

But on the bright side... hmm wait... I dont' think there is a bright side....

Oh wait... yeah... Eugene is lovely!

2005-09-28T12:15:00.000-07:00

WhatKind of Knitting Needle are you?

You are bamboo.
Warm, cozy, and thoughtful, you take your time and
enjoy how things feel, smell, and taste. You
love the craft and beauty of traditional
things, and you value the comfort and
experience of knitting as much as the results.
But while you are reveling in your warm cozies,
don't get stuck. Warm is wonderful, but so is
the whole wide world!

What kind of knitting needles are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

2005-09-28T10:51:00.000-07:00

Spindle of the Week

This beautiful spindle is made by Poppa Jim Mitchell. It was purchased from the Woolery

(although I think they no longer carry them - but check out the other great spindles) and it's quite delicate. It spins ok, and is lightweight. It's greatest value is in the beautiful cutout work on the whorl. Not for use over hard floors!

2005-09-27T12:36:00.000-07:00

Nano Quilts

I work as a biochemist at UCLA and one of the things I do is make layers of self-assembling protein molecules. So basically, I take some proteins that like to stick to other proteins in a particular way... let's say they like to form a 3-fold association... then I fuse them to other proteins that like to form a particular association, let's say a 2-fold association. If I specify the angle correctly and do everything right, then they will form geometric assemblies according to my master plan.... mwahahahahaha!

So, depending on the geometry I specify, the same subunits (the 2-fold and the 3-fold) can make either a cage or a layer. This is schematically represented in the first pic. The second picture is an electron micrograph of a 2-fold 3-fold cage.

It's alot like making little nano quilts.... Making stuff in the macro world helps me visualize and make stuff in the nano world.

2005-09-22T17:56:00.000-07:00

What kind of sock are you?

Wow! I am TOTALLY this kind of sock!

Wow! You would have been a pair of socks as long
as it's possible for socks to be before they're
tights - and all multi-coloured with pretty
patterns and detail all over the place - then
you could stand and admire your sock-self all
day!

What type of sock are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

2005-09-22T17:36:00.000-07:00

Spindle of the week

This week's handspindle is a Cascabeles spindle made by Gabe Jaramillo. Mine features Honduras rosewood, spanish olive, and turquoise with an Israeli rosewood shaft and it's 1.6 oz. It's gorgeous and spins very well. I bought this about a year ago at the Torrance Show and Sale put on by SCHG. I recommend peeking at Gabe's website... he has spindles that will make you drool.... Particularly check out the "Native American Basketweave Spindle" button.... drool...

2005-09-21T07:30:00.000-07:00

What kind of yarn are you?

This was my result.... makes sense, I like to knit with mohair!

You are Mohair.
You are a warm and fuzzy type who works well with
others, doing your share without being too
weighty. You can be stubborn and absolutely
refuse to change your position once it is set,
but that's okay since you are good at covering
up your mistakes.

What kind of yarn are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

2005-09-19T08:44:00.000-07:00

Pearls

I made a micro skein of handspun pygora plied with a cashmere/silk blend with dyed freshwater pearls plied in. It was an experiment which is why it's so small. I'm going to knit it up next to see whether the yarn can support those pearls.

2005-09-16T12:16:00.000-07:00

What a difference a day makes....

or a night to be exact. I actually figured out my dye problems in my dreams last night!

And here's a pic of Gwen... the brat! enjoying a romp in the field behind our house...

Yes, there really are fields in los angeles... folks in other parts might call them vacant lots, but to me they're mystical fields of Ireland...

I need a new knitting project, all the stuff I've started is not inspiring me....

2005-09-15T22:35:00.000-07:00

Banjos and Dyes - Oh My!

I was asked to dye some yarns for a woman who is knitting sweaters, so I decided to start a dyeworks. I actually used to own a dyeworks business before, dyeing and printing velvet in medieval patterns in gold and silver and making them into pillows and such... but that is a story for another time.... suffice it to say that I understand what goes into a dyeworks business.

Or I thought I did! I have been dyeing and dyeing and dyeing to match colors and get the intensity right... then when I scaled up, I couldn't get the same intensity.... sigh.... I am quite frustrated right now with the company that sells the dyes because they don't make it clear how much dye is needed per dry weight pound of goods... overdye here I come!

Well... on to more exciting things... this weekend I'm going off to a bluegrass festival! For those of you who don't know, I've taken up the banjo this year. It started when I was doing a spinning demonstration at the Topanga Banjo and Fiddle contest... it seemed so much fun, and since when last I checked I wasn't getting any younger, I decided I might as well fulfill that long awaited dream to learn an instrument! I'm hoping I like this bluegrass festival... I'm sure I will, there will be camping and marshmallows and banjos and tents! Plus I'll probably bring a spinning wheel or some spindles... ooowee!

2005-09-14T23:40:00.000-07:00

Spindle of the Week

This is a Tracy Eicheim (woolly designs) top whorl "flowers" spindle. Tracy's spindles are gorgeous and he's a delight to work with. I love it, it's very sturdy and spins great. The rim weighted version like this has a beautiful laminated dark rim and the cutouts are so delicate looking. I'm currently spinning some silver shetland that I bought at Black Sheep Gathering earlier this year.

2005-09-14T12:06:00.000-07:00

Needlebook

This is a little needlebook I embroidered using variegated silks. I embellished it with freshwater pearls and 14K gold swarovski crystals. I ended up giving this to my niece because she is such a girly girl and loves the dainty things in life....

2005-09-14T00:21:00.000-07:00

Springtime Shawl

This is a pattern that I created myself for a lacey shawl. It's knit from 1930's baby fingering yarn. I wore this shawl to my wedding, which means I knit it about 7 years ago. Sadly, the yarn has disintegrated and these pictures are all that's left of this shawl.

2005-09-13T23:38:00.000-07:00

Wild Bushwoman Yarn!

This is some mohair that I dyed at my guild's dyefest in June. I didn't have a plan when I dyed it and I just picked some random colors based on whatever dyepots were available. When I got it out of the dyepot I hated it! sort of sherbety colors and some mossy green... and some royal blue... what on earth was I going to do with all that mohair.... I wanted to tailspin it, but didn't realize I needed locks for that look.

So the other night I was cleaning out some fiber stash and ran across the mohair again. I brushed it up into a cloud and then began spinning it into lumpy bumpy fat yarn, grabbing colors at random... I was angrily trying to get RID of it!!! I thought maybe I can sell this on ebay or something....

Well, here's what came out of that.... Wild Bushwoman Yarn! I quite like it now! ... chuckle.

2005-09-13T23:21:00.000-07:00

Playing with painted rovings...

I'm playing with some painted rovings. I don't really like stripey knitting so I've been thinking alot about how the colors come out when you spin a painted roving. You can spin it straight as it comes out of the roving. This will give you large areas of the same color. With some plying control you can come out with quite stripey yarn. If you split your roving into pencil rovings, your colors will change more often and you can get the stripes to be smaller or not very stripey at all. However this can also muddy the yarn somewhat. If you take one ply of large stripes and one ply of small stripes you get beautifully changing yarn without the stripes but also not muddy. In this picture you see the painted roving on the left and the bobbin next to it was spun directly off the roving. The bobbin on the right was spun from pencil rovings like those on the far right. You can see how often the color changes on the bobbins.

In the picture below, you can see the finished yarn.

2005-09-13T15:42:00.000-07:00

My Frilly Mananita Poncho

This is a Mananita Poncho I knit from a pattern in a Schoolhouse Press (Elizabeth Zimmerman/ Meg Swanson) Woolgathering leaflet from about 13 years ago. I understand the original was a doily designed by Herbert Niebling, the amazing German knitted lace designer. Elizabeth and Meg skipped the first rows leaving a hole in the middle.... and voila! a poncho! I designed my own border for the poncho rather than using the one in the leaflet. The yarn was Karabella kid mohair. It can be worn either as a poncho or if you fold it in half it can be draped around the shoulders as a shawl.

It's impossible to see in this picture (because I did it after the pic was taken!) but the neck now has round amethyst and swarovski crystals crocheted in a loop motif around the neck.

The color is a really pretty pale lavendar and it's actually quite warm because the mohair traps air and creates a warmth layer.

I almost never wear this though... way too fancy for me!

2005-09-13T15:34:00.000-07:00

Hello and welcome to Electric Ladybugland! My new blog. I thought the blogtrain was passing me by so I jumped on board. Hope you enjoy reading about my fiber exploits, my banjo mania and all things electric ladybug!

-- Janel