Yarn, after all that is what we do

I thought I would post pictures of yarn. I've been plying like I've never plied before. It's all I feel like doing. I understand that things will get better, it just hasn't happened yet. So lets take a walk down memory lane as most of these pictures have been on the blog before......

Multnomah Falls in Merino/Angora/Cashmere


Suitcase full of yarn, This is "Stone", Cashmere/Silk (some with beads), "Butter" Yak/Silk The "Hand Candy" (fingerless mittens) with some Calypso Cove and Northwest Winter peaking out


Shoulder Candy in progress, knit in Calypso Cove in Merino/Angora/Cashmere


Yarn drying, Left to right Newport Rocks, Erica's Sunstone in Cashmere/Silk Newport Rocks, and Erica's Sunstone in Merino/Angora/Cashmere



Northwest Summer all in Superwash Merino, the gloves are from One Skein by Leigh Radford



This is a close up of Newport Rocks Cashmere/Silk beaded


two lovely skeins both beaded Cinnamon Latte (Camel/Silk) Stone Cashmere/Silk


Katies Painted Hills in Cashmere/Silk beaded


Newport Rocks shawl knit in Superwash Merino, this was knit by a lovely lady that is a patron of Hill Country Weavers in Austin Tx.


All these skeins are Newport Rocks are in cashmere. this shows you how different and unique each skein is, your skein will never be like anyone else's but when knit together as the shawl above (it was two skeins) it will work!


Newport Rocks (again) in our Textured Cashmere


This is Newport Rocks in Merino/Silk beaded Shawl a patron at Knit Stop knitted this lovely item


Columbia Gorge-ous, Cashmere/Silk knitting using the Scarf pattern by Elizabeth in One Skein Wonders Luxury Yarns




Neck Candy (by the way this is the pattern in the One Skein Wonders Luxury yarns I've just made other things using the same pattern IE Hand Candy and Shoulder Candy all the same pattern, just more stitches or in the round) in Erica's Sunstone Merino/Angora/Cashmere


Katie's Painted Hills in Merino/Angora/Cashmere, another Shoulder Candy in progress


Chocolate Cashmere Textured beaded, we call this "Rocky Road"


Fresh yarn! closest to farthest Newport Rocks, Northwest Autumn in Cashmere/Silk and Cinnamon Latte beaded (Baby Camel/Silk)


"Hot Sugar" Sugar (Cashmere/Silk) can come several different ways, non beaded is just "Sugar" Beaded can be Hot Sugar (a warm color blend) "Cool Sugar" a cool bead blend, Natural Sugar which has the same beads as the Cinnamon Latte and Butter, then at TNNA someone decided that I could make different blends so we will offer all kinds of Sugar blends, I just don't know what at this point.


Northwest Winter- Cashmere/Silk socks



Butter (Yak/Silk) beaded in the Natural bead blend

It's all fine, everything is fine......

I'm feeling slightly better physically but mentally I really feel like just sleeping. I wake and it's day then wake and it's night. Cats come and go. I change the jam's and back to bed. Sometimes I eat, and then sometimes I don't. The phone rings with well wishers, I talk but really just want to sleep.

Diane is occasionally on the phone telling me things about yarn, I hope that I make sense, but pretty sure I don't. Mike brings cups of tea, which sometimes I drink and sometimes I don't.

Going through Mom's things yesterday was hard, not harder than i thought it was going to be, but hard enough, that when I came home I went back to bed.


I spun yarn today of an angora nature. My friends left a bag of angora with Mom so I began to spin it today. I made a royal mess of the couch and all the cats wanted to taste the fiber, and then Halda the housekeeper came and I stopped making large messes and went to sit outside looking at the Orchard that was to be taken to Mom but Mike got sick, and then it was too late.

I will take pictures of where Mom's bench will be when I'm feeling well enough to get up there to pick out a spot.

I'm going back to bed now, it has clean sheets and I have clean body and jams on. Yarn might be made tomorrow, we'll just take it moment by moment....

Taking Care

Thanks to everyone for your kind words and thoughts, somehow it doesn't seem real that mom is gone. We are doing things and people are starting to ask what they can do. Mom wouldn't like a bunch of cut flowers that would die, so if you would like we have arranged for a Memorial Bench in Mom's honor, if you would like please send your donations to

Foundation Office-Jean Fowlers Memorial Bench
South Coast Botanic Garden
26300 Crenshaw Blvd. Palos Verdes Peninsula, CA (310) 544-6815

I arrived in Los Angeles yesterday after a frantic packing job. Diane made sure things are packed and followed me around with a pen and paper. If you need anything just call the office and Diane will help you. I've got a doctors appointment tomorrow so that I can get better fast so as to be more of a help to the family. Today I'm on restriction (Ala Mike) so I'm only doing a little. Cleo has been my shadow and it was "pile o'cats" last night in bed. How could anyone be sad with that much love! Off to bed, thanks again for everything

Jean Fowler

Mom passed away last night. She was holding my Dad's hand and went peacefully and quietly.
She was a great supporter and knitter. I will miss her, and do so much.


I have a fever of 101 and plan to fly down to LA this afternoon to be with family, except that I don't know what family will want to be around me.

I've postponed going to Indiana for right now sorry.

Thanks for all your support.

The Beat Goes On

It's been a pleasant day, surrounded by supportive interesting people is the best medicine for a bad case of the blues. I'm so fortunate to have such a huge bunch of friends.
Many people didn't believe me when I have told the story of the Breakfast in Bed at Madrona, well here it is; the Eat in Bed button on the phone!




These are Alexandra's Traveling Lazy Kates that are now living with Sarah being packed up


Sheila E is "wearing" the socks I gave her. These are the Cashmere/Silk socks in Northwest Winter


Here is Allison's first hand-spun! Look it's real yarn. She is a natural!


ELSEBETH LAVOLD was the Key note speaker at the Banquet. It was super interesting, all about capturing Viking designs in knitted projects, mostly with cables. My seat mate had the same camera as I did! She was also making the nicest/naughtiest blanket



I've decided to knit a hat, without a pattern,, again, and I asked someone how to decide when to start the head part of the hat, this form of measurement was suggested, when I got with my "homies" (the ladies and gentleman from Knit/Purl) they all fell around laughing and this was the scene at the bar...


So after a lovely day it's back in the bar with my newest friend "Chris"......whom gave me a Valentine this evening


Allison is "helping" (actually she took it away to fix the holes and sew it up) since I helped her learn to spin today


I feel peaceful tonight (ok this morning as this blog took overnight to do), it's hard to want to be in two places at once, Mother is in a real decline, Mike's work cut hours big time, which is so common place these days (what are we all going to do with all the free time and no money?? Stash reduction???) but it is so scary.

It has been such a pleasant retreat and I've gotten a lot of work done, mostly spinning. I'm making some really, really fun yarn for Knit Stop that I'm getting excited about.

It's packing today and leaving (hate the leaving, love the arriving).

Becky's move went well and I'm making my way to her house this evening after traveling to Portland on the train. We are hoping it's not the hour late it was coming here, as our train is due to arrive in Portland at 9:00 pm then a quick trip to the airport where I pick up my car then a drive down to Silverton OR to help unpack (crash). Tuesday I'll be back in St. Helens until Thursday when I fly to Knit Stop! Then back to Portland to unload and repack for my trip to Los Angeles in Thursday. Wow. I will miss my cozy hotel room and my time with Audrey, but look forward to having a great time in Indianapolis ! Off to work.

The Week of Yarn Fun and Excitment, in a good way

Lots to catch up on. We have met our 100 skeins a week production goal for the last three weeks. This is a huge achievement and I'm really proud of our crew.
Mom isn't doing well at all which is ever present in my mind and colors everything I do. I'm trying to stay focused and not worry, she wouldn't like me to worry.
Now to the pictures

This is 200 skeins that we took to Knit/Purl in Portland OR. for our Trunk Show at Madrona Fiber Arts Winter Retreat



Diane doing inventory


Yarn that came to Madrona


It started snowing on Tuesday which was very pleasant for me, as I didn't/couldn't go anywhere because my car is in Los Angeles, This is the view from the front porch

Some animal tracks to the back door


The apple tree


Ms Audrey at the Train Station waiting for the train to take us to Madrona Fiber Arts


I'm rooming with Sarah Anderson and Audrey, but they didn't want to leave the room messy for housekeeping, so they made the bed while I took my shower


Counting Teachers, Venders and Students there are about 700 people here at the Retreat, so services here are a little crowded this is a view of how many people were crammed in the elevator.... going down


So many people wanted Ms. Audrey's wheel, here is it's new owner Sheila J.


The wall of Tanglewood Fiber Creations! When I came through the lobby several people saw my two huge suitcases filled with the "back stock" of yarn. Someone suggested that I needed an armed guard... umm



Sarah is the Help Desk Spinner, she is talking about spindling


A new spinner with her new stash. My friend Jane won a door prize but gave the gift cert. to this lucky and happy spinner... Jane claims her stash is large enough, wow how much is too much?


New friends and old every knitter is a friend, one lady encouraged me to participate in some "interactive art", so we both made these hangers swing!


Yarn Harlot (Stephanie Pearl McFee) on the left and Cat Bordhi on the right giving a talk about the history of sock knitting. It was avent guarde...not a dry pair of pants in the place


Lucy Neatby, another outstanding knitter and I love her sense of style!


So somehow I ended up at the bar, and look what I had. Sarah had one first, I had a pear martini but then the call of coconut and "Chris" the bartender and I had to have this....sorry Glen I miss you


Now Audrey and Sarah are sound asleep and the hour is a little late. We missed our friends Bonnie and Sheila E. I miss my Mom. Becky is moving this weekend, without my help but I promised to help her un-pack on Monday. I'm renting a car until Thursday afternoon when I leave Portland for "Late Night with Trish" at Knit Stop in Indianapolis IN. I'm spinning some really special yarn for this event (yes I'm working while I'm here at Madrona) so if you're going to be there look forward to something special!

Big week

I have arrived at TFC Headquarters and have been making yarn. As you might know there is no Internet at TFC headquarters but there is a new fax machine. There are time cards and business forms, there are inventory sheets and filed receipts. There is a month's worth of mail halfway gone through and I've run the dishwasher several times.

We also have a pump leak along with the water heater and although there is some water excitement it isn't enough to be totally worried.

Today we are doing a presentation at a local (Portland) yarn shop in hopes that they will take yarn to Madrona Fiber Arts Winter Retreat, as there are 201 skeins to pick from, it should be an interesting day.

I'm without a car and so Diane has been kind enough to take me to Safeway to blog and find out about trains for Thursday's trip Tacoma for Madrona Fiber Arts Winter Retreat. While I love the freedom of having a car, it is also nice not to be able to go anywhere, at least not by me driving. I am traveling quite a bit this month with my trip to Knit Stop and back down to LA on Feb. 25th

I'm going to try knitting a hat. I don't have a pattern, I'm going to a yarn shop and think I could probably get one. I would like to knit one hat one time so I think I'll try and find an easy pattern.

There is a Tom cat hanging around the back door that looks enough like Moses that I thought it was him the other night (tears of joy then the low of knowing it isn't him). He isn't as handsome and the hair isn't as long but the markings are a dead ringer. He has had some recent battles, judging from the shape his ear's are in.

Mom continues to live, but is on full time IV's at the moment. I'm trying to get as much done as possible so that in case I need to leave quickly I can leave TFC in good shape.

Feb.20-22 I'll be at Knit Stop in Indianapolis IN for a " Late Night with Trish" on Saturday. I'll be spinning and we all will be knitting and talking about yarn.

I've been doing some test yarns and new idea's. It's the good part of my job, and spinning was the reason I started TFC. I love spinning and spent the morning yesterday spinning and plying some fun beaded yarn that Natasha at Wild Fiber requested. Nancy (Knit Stop) and several ladies on Saturday were also designing yarn so I've several projects this week to have ready by next week... ummm more spinning.

If you are going to Madrona look for me and/or Tanglewood Fiber Creation yarn

Plans like weather change

Mom continues to remain at home, which is where she is the most comfortable. Cleo had a bad reaction to the to something she ate and is feeling much better. I've got the sore throat and have decided that while a fun car ride visiting friends sounds like what the doctor ordered, that doctor isn't here.

I'm flying home (to Oregon) on Friday. I'm not going to Newport (Again) but have a business weekend planned instead. I have been plying a little, and enjoying some company....
The scene on the couch next to me until the plying got a little crazy

Ozzie having a wash


This is pre-wash which will change the yarn slightly
Yak/Silk beaded "Butter"


Very fine Cashmere/Silk beaded "Hot Sugar"


Calypso Cove in Merino/Angora/Cashmere


Multnomah Falls in beaded Cashmere/Silk


Beaded Merino/Silk Katie's Painted Hills


Aprium Tree




Rose unknown name, but probably the best flowering that I have ever seen


lemons, with Pink Flesh


Pink Jasmine just about to bloom


Cactus


New mini rose


Christmas Cactus


Ozzie at rest


I have to get beads and last minute items and off to do some more plying!