Oh what a nice glorious sunny day we are having here today..... but cmon! Yesterday was snowing, sleating....windy windy windy.... so I didn't head over to Quadra for my spinning group, home I stayed. And then today is absolutely marvelous! I just can't believe this winter weather sometimes.

So hear I am today cleaning up the mess downstairs (includes sink covered in paint and all painting stuff still covered in paint as well.....like really? still covered in paint! NICE) that Kevin has left for me to deal with when it is oh so nice outside.....

A couple of days ago my Gramma Betty (my moms ex-hubby of 13 - 14 years, mom. although they haven't been together for 15 or so yeas I still consider them to all be a part of my family, hell I still call my moms ex my step dad, he's just my other step-dad ;) ) called to tell me that her spinning group (meets on Quadra on Thursdays) and the spinning group that I had been going to in the fall before the weather turned (meets on Tuesdays also on Quadra) were doing a combined meeting today on Quadra. I was so glad that she had called and told me about it as I haven't been to Quadra for spinning since... well I'm not actually sure it's been so long. Maybe since the end of November? I don't know, but it's been quite some time since I had been spinning. And I was so excited to go spinning with gramma as that's just something that I have been wanting to do since I started spinning but her group isn't really open to new members. So gramma told me just to meet her at the ferry and get my walk on pass and then just hop in with her to save me the car fare for the ferry. This was so nice as I haven't seen or spent any time with gramma Betty in years. I was just so excited to see her she got out of her car as I was walking up to it and even though I was carrying my wheel and two bags she just grabbed onto me and gave me the biggest nicest hug.... It was wonderful, I almost had some tears for her as it had just been that long. well WE had a great time just the two of us on the drive to and from the spinning get together. The spinning get together was wonderful. All of her spinning girlfriends are just a great group of women. I had actually met two of them before at my spinning group as they come to tours to help us all along with our progress. So I actually new a few of the women there, instead of not knowing any of them, it was great to not worry about learning 12 new names while I was concentrating on my spinning. Well all in all it was a great day and the time flew by like you wouldn't belive and before I new it it was time to pack up and hit the road for the ferry. Oh I almost forgot in addition to the two groups getting together they had  also invited Lynn of Pagan Creation over to have a sale of her fibers and wares... it was a really nice sampling of her fibers, dyes, books and tools... she is also a very nice woman to have around, she didn't bring her wheel but was very happy to just sit back and enjoy being part of the group and listen to and watch all of the wheels spinning. (honestly it is very relaxing) I didn't go overboard with my spending either so this was good, although I'm not sure what I will make with the fibers that I did purchase. 

All in all we all had a great time and I was very happy to see the women from my spinning group and they also seemed happy to see me. I felt very privileged to have been invited to this gathering of spinners.

The day spent with Gramma Betty was such a treat I do hope that we can do it again soon.



I will take pics of my fibers tomorrow and add them to this post then.

Amanda gave me this great little daily calendar titled Little gifts of Kindness. It has a little quote or nice saying each day. Today's quote has caught my attention, As I have been invited to a spinning get together on Thursday. I would really like to attend but then thought that it might just be to much of a hassle to go and work out getting the kids organized after school (especially with Kayne having gym on Thursdays now at 3:30) But after flipping the calendar and seeing today's quote I do believe that I will do my best to make it work :)

"What tickles you inner artist? Set aside time to "tickle the artist inside"

So there it is I think the gods are speaking to me today as I haven't spun for well over a month and a half now.

Went spinning today on the other side of the pond.....this was such a great experience for me.
I was in contact with the owner (Shelley) of a great yarn store on Quadra "Fun Knits" www.funknits.com and she told me all about their beginner spinning group that meets every Tuesday morning in the shop. Might I add this is a drop in free of charge group (this I like) and she offers that instead of bringing my car over on the ferry that I just walk on and she'll pick me up on her side. Really! I would have walked but to walk up this long hill only about 1/2 - 3/4 km but carring my wheel and supplies, so i took her up on the offer!
Once their the group was so warm and welcoming I just felt like really can I come again? They were all just so nice. The store owner sat with us for a bit but then had some work to do so she carried on with that and checked on me every so often, she was all oh my what a great wheel and look at all of the stuff that you got with it! Ohhh maybe you should oil it. So she brought over her oil and oiled up my wheel and went back to her work, comming back again a bit later, oh you need more oil she says! I tell you she was just all over it getting me set up and going ...she really made me feel good about going over to join them spinning. She also gave me some pointers with the roving fiber that you use for spinning and then gave me some that she had just extra I guess to try out.
In the end she was all should I show you how to ply? I guess we could just break off that roving and do that...but I told her that I would like to take the whole lot of it and offered to pay for it and she wasn't sure of how much she had in the bag so she just told me to keep it! I was very surprised that she would just give it to me, but she did.
She then told me to let her know when I was ready and that she would give me a lift back down to the ferry. So she closed up shop for ten mins and dove me down to the boat... I tell you the hspitality was just wonderful, all of the ladies that were their today were just so very warm and welcoming I just can't say enough good about them.
I then came home and told  my DH all about it well I talked maybe he listened ;-) And then proceeded to spin up the rest of the roving that she gave me....It almost didn't fit all on one bobbin, but I made it work...thier really was quite a bit of fiber in that bag...so now I will set it aside and wait until I go back and get them to teach me how to Navajo ply it (this sounds like a great way to ply) And then I will decide what to make out of the fiber once I have a better idea of how much I'm left with. I also picked up a couple different kins of rovings to blend together and will hopefully make a scarf out of the fininshed yarn.

I am just so happy that it all worked out today and may come to be a regular part of my week ;-)