Cotton and Glass

I would be the first to join. I used to do machine knitting and whilst I was still working I acquired a large stock of coned yarn. I did this knowing I would be on a small pension when I retired, so I would have stock to fall back on. I must have over 300 cones and cost over 1000 pounds

Little did I know that the day after I retired I was put on a list for a heart bypass. I was never able to use my knitting machine after the bypass. The pain pushing the carriage across and also when I iron is unbearable. Ironing takes several days. So I have a stock of yarn I will never use.

The market fell out of the bottom of machine knitting and nobody wants to know. I saw an article in a local paper about a group of knitters who make clothing and hats and gloves for the underprivileged children. They are appealing for donations of wool. So I rang up and asked if they could use this wool I have being as it on cones. The reply was yes. So that will be going and I will have more room in my workroom for guess what????????????

However the story as a sting in its tale. The lady I rang up told me it was for the Women's Institute who was doing the project. I said she would probably know me because I had attended a couple of their open meetings. One about 3 years ago on beadwork. I really should have kept my mouth shut.

It turns out at this meeting the person who was demonstrating bead work was the pits. She had one completed amulet purse and a few bits started. The completed one was all uneven and beads not culled. I would never attempted to stand in front of a meeting with what she had done.

However she asked if anyone had done any beadwork, so I said yes and chucked a few items on the table. One being the Peacock of India which I made from a kit from Barbara Elbe. I leave to imagine the reaction.

Quite honestly I felt I had made a real blunder, but I felt I could not let anyone think that beadwork looked that awful. It would put people off doing it.

It seems they remembered me and wanted me to do a talk to them about beads. So it looks as if I have got myself lumbered with it for next year.

Sorry for being so long winded. Shirley

In message , Cheryl writes

Can I sign Kerry up?? She has 2 spinning wheels, bags and bags of fleece. All the stuff necessary for woodburning, egg carving, water color painting, tole painting, felting, paper making, and 10 banana boxes of sea shells from Baja for who knows what. A greenhouse full of orchids with a staghorn fern that is about 3 feet in diameter at the tightest part. A thousand skeins of crochet yarn, many sketching books and who knows how many pressed flowers. Actually I think she qualifies for SABLEx2 , stuff acquired beyond the span of 2 lifetimes . And last but not least at least a 1000 books to teach first and second graders. ( these will be up for offers when she retires in June) Sheeesh, inventorying those will take my lifetime. Armand

That sounds really neat.

Tina

Kerry is a woman after my own heart. I too have a spinning wheel but a lot of the fleece got thrown on the compost heap to rot down for the garden.

I have a tabby loom that has never been out of the box and assembled.

Take a look at the pages Valerie put up for me and you will see some of my addictions through the years.

In message , Armand Vine writes

And I'll bet you enjoy almost every minute of inventorying(sp) your wife's passions, Armand:) Just make sure you put YOU on the top of that list.

oh yeah --I'm sure she is a SABLE member too.... fiber is another big addiction! I know - because own Two Wheels - multiple drop spindles, bags of fleece... and a loom with half sleyed dishtowels I started over five years ago... sigh.. That should be my winter project - finish sleying and weave them!!!

yep - me too - except the egg carving _ though I DID buy the EMU egg.. I decided to someday bead it - rather than carre it...(though they are cool when carved!) ..... and woodburning - though I gett one for my son -- it's no longer in my house... LOL

"

It seems they remembered me and wanted me to do a talk to them about beads. So it looks as if I have got myself lumbered with it for next year.

well - obviously the first visit did NOT offend - if they want you to return..

how very nice and what a wonderful charity to donate all the wool you had on cones....

lots of children will have nice warm heads and hands..... Cheryl DRAGON BEADS Flameworked beads and glass

I'm printing all of these off to show my dh, who is quite convinced that I could open a craft superstore in my basement, and never miss it.

Cross stitch - I did finally get rid of some, but I probably have 2 dozen kits left. Not quite so many needlepoint. Pretty much every color of DMC floss (which dd is taking over to make friendship bracelets out of with her friends, at least it's getting used.)

Knitting - just started 2 years ago, and already have over 100 books, yarn to make about 20 specified projects, and probably 20 more unspecified ones. Needles in every possible size and type. And I'm not very fast, even when I have time to knit, so I have SABLE times about 5 on that one. :-)

Painting - always swore I wasn't going to do it, but a friend talked me into it. So, lots and lots of pattern books, full set of paints for every surface, brushes, and lots of stuff to paint on. So far I've done about 4 things, only one of which I was even remotely happy with. (Practicing would be a good thing, probably.) Figuring that can all get used by my girl scout troop at some point.

Clay - same friend talked me into this one. For some reason I was reasonably restrained though, and only have two drawers of stuff. (And a pasta machine.)

Rubber stamping - oh, probably a mere 4000 or so stamps, several hundred ink pads, markers, pencils, paper, cardstock, embellishments of every possible description. This was my main addiction for 10 years. And I haven't stamped a thing in about 6 months... gotta get started on those Christmas cards soon... :-)

Scrapbooking - tons of stuff, no time to do it. Kids' books are years behind, the girl scout book is 4 years behind, the only thing I have up to date is the book with just the twice-annual school pics in it. :-)

Lampworking - lots of glass, lots of tools, lots of frit, no time. :-) But it will get used, after all, glass doesn't go bad. :-)

Beading - I think I'm up to about 30 of the floss boxes (flat boxes with

Wirework - would really really like to work on this. Have lots of lovely wire, lots of lovely things to work on, and no talent at all. So far all I've made is big messes (and a few acceptable s-clasps.) Have mandrels for rings and bracelets, some jigs, some tools, need time.

I just have this compulsion to make things. Always have. Don't know where it came from - my mother had no hobbies, did no crafts or sewing or anything like that, nor does my sister. But there is nothing more wonderful than the feeling you get when you make something and you (or someone) is wearing it, or admiring it - *I* made that. :-)

So, anyone wants to come play, I probably have whatever you need. I regularly have women from church come over to stamp their invitations and such, or come to make beaded stuff... have one who wants to learn lampworking, but I'm not even remotely qualified to teach her.

Now, if I could just get such satisfaction from housework.... :-) Or win the lottery so I could quit work and actually get to PLAY.

Kar>