So recently, I’ve become obsessed with the idea of buying a spinning wheel, and spinning my own yarn. I did take a spindle-spinning class once, and I really enjoyed it. It felt very natural for me. I just sort of left it alone though, after I finished the initial fibre that came with the class and the spindle. I knew I enjoyed it, but really didn’t want the drag of another partially-ignored hobby hanging around my neck.

I’ve always been fairly fickle with my crafting, leaving half-finished projects and piles of supplies to gather dust. I’ve stuck with knitting for a long time though. Longer than origami or beading or candle-making lasted. Definitely longer than my short stint of sewing!

But still, I hear the call of a wheel. I can’t believe I’m even considering something that needs an investment of $500+ dollars to get started! “But a wheel would be so fun!” a little inside voice tells me.

Then I look at all the amazing fibre available on Etsy. It makes me wonder: is this a way to get around my yarn-buying hiatus? I promised myself I wouldn’t buy any more yarn until my stash was under 10km long. I’m getting closer, I’m halfway there from where I started:

Another reason I’m reluctant is my lack of time. I haven’t had time to podcast every month like I wanted to. It’s just the way my life has worked out this year: barely being at home. I suppose I did have the month of May off, but I was rejuvenating by discovering my inner domestic goddess. I got really in to cooking and baking. I’m fine with that hobby; we do always have to eat, after all!

Here is a list of all the things I want to be my hobbies:

• knitting
• reading
• sewing
• baking
• spinning
• podcasting
• beading (for stitch markers/Etsy)
• Gocco (I wanted to make witty cards to sell on Etsy)

Here’s just a few of the things I’ve picked up and left by the wayside:

• beading (jewelery)
• sewing
• origami
• candle making
• soapmaking (just the poured ones)
• scrapbooking (for my cookbook)
• podcasting
• Gocco (still haven’t tried it, but I’ve got one….)
• Polymer clay

I think I will go down that slippery slope of spinning. When I get back home from this contract (Aug 3 can’t come soon enough!) I think I’ll make myself feel better by listing some old supplies for some of the left-behind things on Etsy.

I’ve been checking Craigslist and Kijiji for use wheels, and have had nothing yet. I suppose I could post a wanted ad… I think I’m going to go for a folding wheel, or a Ladybug. I definitely want small, as our apartment is pretty close to full, even with the destashing I’ve been doing. Anyone have a spare hanging around?

I joined a challenge on Ravelry to get rid of 100 things in the month of June, and I completed it! Granted, the things aren’t actually out of the house yet, but they’re bagged and ready to go the next time I’m in town. Maybe if I do that again when I get back in August, combined with listing some supplies on Etsy, I’ll feel more ready to tackle spinning.

…and I think I may join a fibre club now. Just to get that stash started for when I get that wheel…

I took a couple crappy camera phone pictures yesterday, after I parked my car in the bank parking lot.

My car is plenty of car for me. I am very happy with it, with its size, with everything.

And yet it only comes up to the door handles of a Hummer. Why do people feel the need for so much car in the city?

That thing could eat my car! You can’t convince me people who are not in the army need Hummers. Sorry. I bet I get better gas mileage, with my little 16-year old Mazda.

Not only do I have yarn for sale on Ravelry, I recently went through my closet and various cubpards and storage spaces, and I have 75 items go be donated to a thrift store! The purse above and 3 others are on eBay. I thought I may as well see if I can get anything for them. If not, into the thrift store bag they go.

There’s a thread on Ravelry where the goal is to get rid of 100 items in June. It is amazing once you actually go through stuff, you find so much you don’t need. I love spring cleaning and sorting and organizing.

Doing this helps me with a few things on my poor neglected 101 in 1001 list.

This evening I got to see Tom Jones. Live. For free. TOM-freaking-JONES!!

I don’t have a life list or anything, no checklist of stuff I want to do in my lifetime, but if I did, you can bet that ’see a Tom Jones concert live’ would be high up on that list. And now my friends, I have done it. And it was awesome.

The boy did the load in of their stuff this morning, and on condition that he also help with the load out, we got to sit in the media booth for the concert. It was 90 minutes straight, no intermission, 100% Tom Jones. It’s even his birthday tomorrow! Personally I can’t believe he is turning 68. That’s madness. He was up there dancing and singing and it was just amazing.

I’ve loved his voice since I was a kid, and so many of his songs are catchy and bouncy and there is so much soul in that man. I remember being about 12 and singing along to ‘She’s a Lady’ on the radio.

And if you are new to this blog, make no mistake. I was not even born when he had his first hits. My grandmother was the one who loved him and watched the TV show in the 70s. Nope, I am 24 and love Tom Jones.

The boyfriend asked me if I was going to throw panties, or if I’dbeing going home with Tom tonight, and really? I could have been at that concert blindfolded and still be perfectly happy. What drew me to him was that VOICE. And now I know first hand that he can dance too! Crazy!

I leave you with a song he didn’t sing at the concert. I didn’t even know he’d covered it. It is one of my favourite non-Jones 70s songs.

Tom Jones - Mama Told Me Not To Come

Clementine Shawlette, started April 19th, 2008, finished May 22nd, 2008
Pattern: Clementine Shawlette, Spring 2007 Interweave Knits
Yarn: Rowan Cashsoft DK
Needles: 3.25mm
Pattern Notes: I made 0 changes!
Would I knit it again? It was quick, and easy to memorize the pattern (once you’ve done the fiddly bit at the end), but I don’t know if I’d make another.

I did a lot of this while at my parents’ in Victoria, and backstage at the opera. This shawl has heard a lot of good singing. I actually did some of the knitting during the performance, as I was trapped upstage on a balcony. I was between two windows, so I couldn’t go anywhere until the curtain came down, and the last act was almost completely dead for me.