volvo | Thespunmonkey's Blog

Indie Spun is on at Stitches East THIS WEEKEND! Right now, in fact!

Booths #318 and 320, today through Sunday. Click on the link above for all the details. I won’t be there in person this year, but my yarns and batts are there at the booth in company with many other fabulous indie fiber artists. Be sure to check out the vendor bios on the Indie Spun blog and then go check out the event!

Pardon my absence and my lack of keeping you all in the loop, but we have been preparing for another cross-country move. It’s back to the green mountains of Vermont for us, and the prep has been all-consuming, especially with fiber events to get ready for at the same time. So, the shop will remain open, but shipping is suspended until Monday, November 8th. Of course, all my yarns and batts are you-know-where, but there’s hand dyed top and fiber clubs still hanging out in the shop until I get the studio unpacked.

By the way, it’s amazing what a little paint will do…

I don’t know what’s sexier…the man in the suit, or the Volvo now that she’s put back together. More on these things later. In the meantime, wish us luck on the journey and we’ll see you on the other coast!

xoxoxo

Someone told him that snakes should be transported in pillowcases.

In the five-year-old brain, this quickly translated to all animals should be transported in pillowcases. Fortunately, for the pointy-eared friends in the house, the term animals so far refers only to the stuffed plush variety. Monkeys, dragons and bears are now sacked up for travel or for bedtime or just for…sitting around. In a pillowcase.

Some evidence I have been busy:

The figs are ripening, and fig jam makes for amazing end-of-summer pizza. Goat cheese, I love you.

60+ skeins arrived at Purl Jam and were warmly received (with wine and chocolate!). I am still glowing from all the amazing feedback…seriously, Califoners, you guys are awesome!

This week, I am busy replenishing for the Art, Wine and Chocolate festival in Suisun City, CA. There will be lots of new felt pieces, handspun and oodles of spinning supplies. I’m holding off on any Etsy updates until after the festival, but expect some sizable ones in the coming weeks. I will be giving my blog readers a heads-up…

Yes, I made watermelon leather.

I get a lot of raised eyebrows for this one, but it’s like…candy. I sliced a yellow watermelon into 1/2″ thick slabs. They shriveled down into your standard fruit leather thickness, with the sugar ridiculously concentrated. So, so good.

Up for preserving this week are about twenty or so pounds of quinces from a neighbor’s tree. Stocking Up has an awesome-looking quince marmalade recipe and I’ll probably also cook up and can some quince applesauce and make a small batch of membrillo for fresh eating. C has requested a crumble instead of cake for his birthday next week, so I’m thinking quince for that, as well. As they ripen, the kitchen is filling with a delicious aroma of pineapple. Oh my, I love me some quince. And our dear neighbor. Thanks, John!

C’s been busy, too…

Volva is stripped and mostly sanded, getting ready for her makeover. We’ve settled on one of the three original ’65 colors that were paired with the red interior: Graphite Grey. She will be HOT.

xo!