I call it cardboard mountian

This is the current state of our move (well, as of this morning). Believe it or not, there are way more packed boxes than unpacked boxes, most of which are squirreled away in closets and corners.

We got keys to our new place today and were happy to discover that it's larger than we remembered so our mountains of crap might even fit. Moving is a good time to take inventory of ones things and I've been trying to reassess. I'm really not kidding anyone here, I'm terrible at parting with things that could be potential craft material, but I did say try....

We had one last sunny Sunday morning to enjoy and now it's goodbye to all that. Wednesday is the big day but you can rest assured that I'll be preoccupied about it for the next two days and probably be so distracted at work that I'll have to go move a carload just to feel better.

Important things I have learned in this experience:
I have a serious OCD side. To me, this isn't normally obvious but the last few weeks it's been on display and driving N crazy.

Compared to the volume of stuff we have boxed up we really don't have much furniture. Just piles and piles of crap. Unfortunately I think the new place will need additional furniture just to accommodate the crap.

I now own more fiber than yarn (by volume). This might not be that surprising due to the packing capability of yarn except that I only recently started spinning and even more recently buying fiber.

I own far more fabric than either fiber or yarn and it's the heaviest. The fabric had been accumulating in the closet where I never saw it all together so I didn't even really know how much was in there. Needless to say there is a fair amount. This goes well with my three sewing machines (and upcoming back-ache).

I might actually enjoy having walls. Oh, and cupboard space. The dishwasher wont hurt either. After we move I can look back at this loft/studio/attic/greenhouse and get nostalgic, but right now I am just ready to get this over with!

hats etc.

spinning, spinning, spinning and a hat...


Ah, just like a fresh bruise.. I finished spinning some merino roving that Karrie helped me dye in late November. I really, really, really like the color... I just need to decide what weight yarn I actually made so I can pick a pattern to knit myself a new hat.





Cato is proudly modeling a hat I made quickly before xmas. I used most of 2 balls of Rowan Cashsoft DK from my stash (originally purchased at the Webs booth at Stitches West 2007) one light blue and the other in navy. The pattern is the Inga Hat and I found it on Ravelry. I knit the hat using size 6 needles instead of size 5 which resulted in a really big hat, but it fits the recipient well. Oh, and the yarn is yummy...

multiplying

First there was one


then there were twins


and now a whole family!


Ive been keeping a bit of a secret from you... In November after a tip-off from Karrie I went to the East Bay Depot and adopted a twin of my singer 301 sewing machine. The new 301 looks pretty, has a nice box and all of its attachments, but it also looks as if someone poured motor oil everywhere inside and then let it sit for 30 years. It was completely seized when I took it home but after some elbow grease and a good dose of advising from my dad the gears are all turning. With enough time spraying solvent into it I think I can get it running again.

Fast forward to January 2008 and an unanticipated craigslist find. Ive been looking on craigslist for the table which goes with the singer 301. I've seen them on there before and I'm not in a hurry so I figure that if I look long enough I'll find one. My RSS feed picks up a lot of other sewing machines though and yesterday I saw a little featherweight listed for $100 (they usually go for $200-$400). I couldn't resist and drove down to Mountain View to pick it up last night.

Its not in perfect condition - it looks well used - and thats the way I like it. I dont want a machine that cant be used! It runs and all the parts and attachments are there - even the original manual!


Look how tiny it is!


Just about everyone I talked to said I was crazy. 3 sewing machines in a studio apartment?


Well there is another bit of news I have yet to share.... We are moving. Our new place is still in Berkeley about 2.5 miles south of where we are now. It will have walls. More on that later...