Combed Carded Jacob

This weekend I got back to handcombing and handcarding the yearling Jacob fleece gifted to me by the lovely Teresa. I had taken great care in washing the entire fleece but there was some felting that occurred. I probably should have separated each lock out separately, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. How lame am I??
Eh. The felting isn't all that bad, but had I separated the locks out, there would likely be less schmutz caught in the lock structure to comb out. It's clean enough and there is still a good amount of lanolin in the wool. As it is a yearling, and good quality, the fleece is super super soft.
I had washed this fleece a month ago and left it to dry for about a week and a half back then. It was so humid, it took longer than usual for the fleece to be completely dry. Of course, by then I had moved onto a different project. Today is the third day since the fleece was dry that I have been working with it. I lost a lot of fiber from the lock structure using mini combs. The locks are very delicate and I have since moved to using a dog comb to work more gently with their structure. Any sections of fiber that are clean but have fallen out of the lock structure, I am keeping aside and charging handcarders with for a semi woolen sausage preparation.

Mocha Cotton

I've been working on the last bump of 4oz of mocha cotton that I started after getting back from Tampa Bay in Florida and Convergence. Two weeks now. It fits well on one Majacraft bobbin. That Suzie Pro may be heavy to lug around but those massive bobbins are excellent to work with after years of measely Ashford bobbins. Spinning this cotton is so challenging because the staple is non existant. I have to use a very very short forward draw and lots of twist to keep the fibers together. It is going well but I'm looking forward to finishing this 4oz by tomorrow and spinning something else for a change. I'll come back and spin the other 4oz to another bobbin to ply after I've had that break!
I washed the largest bag of mystery fiber in screens torn out of old used broken window screens and some of the polymer door screen replacements that I got in NC at US Master Spinner Level One. The fiber is out on the deck drying. Hopefully tomorrow is nice and hot and sunny and it's good and dry when I get back home from work. I have to decide what next to spin and if what next pair of socks to knit up. I started another pair on Tuesday night with the wool I brought along to the Honeymoon, but I'm not really feeling that colorway right now. I think I got tired of looking at it as it was the only knitting project I had brought with me when we went abroad. Probably makes better sense to spin up some fun sock wool and knit that up. Good idea!

Guild Meeting Potluck

Finally motivated enough to do the 2 hours drive to Smithtown for Spinning Guild, I got of work 10 minutes early and headed toward the Hutchinson Parkway to avoid the horrid Bronx River Parkway. It still takes the same 2 hours to get to Smithtown going above and around the BRP, because it's a less direct route, but at least you're not in bumper to bumper stop and go traffic. When I got to the Brush Barn, the first thing I saw were these two little cuties. What were they looking at? The high road and the low road. Where they watching each other's backs or did they have a disagreement?
Did not have time to contemplate further as Nancy called my name. Hi Nancy! Have not seen her since last October at Rhinebeck. She has been attending guild regularly and was laden down will all manner of foodstuffs for the big potluck tonight.
About 35-30of us chowed down on the vast array of delicious handcooked goodness, from appetizers to desserts. Nancy' sweet and sour meatballs were a big hit. The sesame chicken was also fanastic as were the many salads. I opted for the tapioca coconut dessert, so good.We got to spin for only a limited amount of time because dinner was hot and on the table.
I did get a chance to return the two VHS tapes I had rented from the guild library, a Mabel Ross spinning tape and one on color blending that I never did get a chance to review. I checked out a DVD of cotton spinning, since I am on a cotton kick after having the class at Convergence. I also picked up a VHS on Intro to Weaving. The weaving bug has taken hold and is one of the reason's that DH may be actually able to move me out to NJ, just to have room for a floor loom.
The raffle after dinner brought us some new fiber items. Nancy won a nifty little book full of knitting patterns from New Zealand and a framed print of a sheep. Geri won a big bag of alpaca and wool blend while I won four bags of various sizes full of different raw wool samples. It was a good day for fiber booty as I was the recipient of some useful older editions of Spin Off and Fiber Arts magazine. Between the comeraderie, fiber, spinning and good eats, it was well work the 2 hours there and hour back. Thanks, SSGLI!

Bon Jovi at Central Park

Suzanne took time off and went to the Florida Keys and left her four Bon Jovi tickets with us. Whoohoo! Yummy Bon Jovi put on an amazing how. It was fab to hang out in Central Park on the Great Lawn with the girls. Of course I brought my knitting. You can see the pink socks I am working on in my lap.
Afterwards we met Rob and John at Dive Bar and then onto Love for an afterparty. The party was for the big Festival 6.0 DJ bash at the Great Hill in Central Park. The Park was really bumping today! So was the club. It was a total hot crush when we arrived. Airconditioning and only a little bit of that in the cat condo room. Elsewhere you can feel the sweat just run off of you while you're dancing. John was such a gent and opened a tab and kept us well supplied with drinks and kept us free from the hunter gatherer guys trying to glom on. It was fun but I was psyched to be home by 4am and so happy to be taking a shower to wash off the days grime and dance sweat. In the 90's when I was a club kid, I could go for another 12 hours without even thinking about heading to bed. What a difference a decade makes.

Information Technology Conference 2008

I arrived at National Harbor, Maryland today for a week of networking and classes at the VAMC Information Technology Connection 2008. This conference showcases technology offerings from vendors and highlights the multiple IT operational and development activities nationwide.
The conference offers IT training in a unique and dynamic forum that encourages interaction between developers of applications, systems architects, users, security experts, other field operations support, and associated business partners. Learning is through formal and informal discussion of ideas, sharing of information, and promotes lessons learned about the current and future approach of IT within the Department.
I got to catch up with old friends from past conferences and make some new contacts and friendships. A large group of us met for drinks and dinner at one of the many hotel restaurants. The one we chose had a traveling troubador group of waiters to play randomn kitchen instruments. Fun but a little raucous and difficult to hear each other converse. Dinner consisted of many courses plus dessert. I can see that I may end up a little chubbier at weeks end than when I started.
With Jupiter in my Sun Sign, it's no surprise that I am out traveling yet again at another conference. Yay, me! Yay, Jupiter! The Gaylord National is a beautiful ornate hotel, with many restaurants, a pool, outdoor deck with bar and a penthouse danceclub. The club is only a few floors above my room and somehow I doubt they added insulation through the floors and walls. No worries as I will likely be in the club in the evenings than in my room attempting to sleep. During the day, the view from my window out to the water is lovely.

City Island Lobster

Took the long way home from Fire Island to the Hutchinson Parkway and spent the afternoon at City Island. DH and I have been talking about having a lobster or two there for months now and since we were already so nearby, we had ourselves a little madventure to check out the scene. The morning haze had burnt off and it was turning out to be a beautiful sunny day in the boogie down Bronx.
We arrived exactly at noon and seated promptly. A basket of toasted garlic bread and ice water were served quickly. We went for a soup first course, New England Chowder for me, Manhattan style for him. I opted for the broiled mix grill of sole, shrimp, mussels and clams and he went for the cold seafood platter of a whole lobster, shrimp, clams and coleslaw. Delicious. I've heard a lot of people complain the the seafood at City Island is overhyped, overpriced and low of flavor. Not sure where those people eat, we had a fantatic lunch and a lovely afternoon.

5th of July 2008

Summer weekend barbequing and repeated hot dog retrieval kept Rob on his toes today. Not sure what it is that transforms a normal weiner into a jumper once it gets on the grill, but that one dog certainly was trying to avoid getting eaten by rolling down into the coals repeatedly. Not to be beaten, Rob put up the good fight despite near cooking off the flesh of his left arm. Rob 1, hot dog 0.
After a massive luncheon of grilled meats, we filled up the remainder of room in our bellies with rum at The InnBetween Cruzan Rum party.
Sarah and Mike had been looking forward to this happy hour since arriving on the island. DH, John, S&M, and I met Shane, Pheobe, TJ and Shannon there and we all got silly. 32 oz at $10 a bucket was a pretty good deal. We got every other round free which made for quite a few buckets and lots of liquid laughs.
After the extended happy hour, we all headed back at the house for grillfest round two. Our poor livers and lower intestines.