The Beebas' Bottoms

Mixing Family and Business the Mommy Way.

Posts Tagged CPW

What a week!

Apr 14

Posted by Theresa in CCFibers, Crafting, Family, Personal | No Comments

Well, folks, I missed a week, you may have noticed.  It has been a monster of a week.

Last Monday, my dad came out for a well awaited visit.  All was going fine, until, Dun dun dun… Wednesday morning, he wound up in the hospital, due to a complication from his surgery weeks prior.  So instead of blogging last Wednesday as I usually do, I spent the afternoon trying to find out what was going on with him at the hospital… I could not bring the kids there, and I had nobody to watch them that day.  Thursday, I spent the entire day there with him, and Friday, he came home, and we were all a little distracted…

Leave it to say, I am behind on my production stuff by several days.  BUT, on the positive side, while he was here, with him in the hospital, I was finally able to finish the baby blanket I was knitting for the newest Beeba.  And yesterday I started on a pair of footed wool pants for the new beeba too.  They are over half done already, being such a small and simple knit, and I will be posting pics on Friday if not sooner.  if I can get my craft room cleaned up this afternoon a bit, then I will be taking pics of several items, including the blanket and the in-progress woolies to update my projects queue, and also some things to get ready for sale.  I have several skeins of yarn that need photos taken and WPIs measured so I can list them too.  I did get a fair bit of spinning done this past week as well.

Also, no new pics of the CPW yet this week… but I finally got the flyer and bobbin sent in for repair.  The hooks are to be replaced, and the bobbin replicated.  Then, I’ll be putting the original bobbin away to be kept safe, and my wheel will be much nicer to spin on… I hope.  no more weird places where the fiber has huge valleys from missing hooks, no more fighting with the rough, rusted hooks to get good uptake, and no more fighting with hooks that have, simply from itting in a pile for ages, somehow wound up bent too far closed… all the hooks should be nice and even when it comes back to me.

Of course, the bobbin will make a difference too.  The original bobbin has a large split in on part of it, and chips out of the pulley (that’s the bobbin’s whorl, for those who don’t know).  It also had one bearing that had come out, but I was able to pressure fit back in. Of course, the origianl bearings, I am pretty sure, were lead.  I am not sure what Mr. Hatton (the gentleman doing the work) will use in the new bobbin… but since lead is not that easy to find anymore, I would bet it won’t be that, and I am kind of glad, since lead is not something I am fond of finding in my already old and lead-ridden house.

On a separate note- I have been asked to make a video of how to spin from a batt.  That having been said, there are so many different ways to spin from a batt, I thought maybe it would better to be a series of short videos. If anyone has a particular batt-spinning method you’d like to see covered, please feel free to leave a comment.  I know I will be covering at least these: 1, stripping the batt; 2, pulling off chunks to spin from the fold; and 3, pulling the batt into thick roving.  Any other things you would particularly like to see?  Just let me know.  the videos may take some time to come, as I need to wait till the kids are quiet, but I have no problem making as many as needed.

Now I just wish I had a better video camera, though, since my cheapy one does not make the best quality films.  But, I will make due for now, as I simply do not have the funds to buy anything new right now.

Oh!  And don’t forget, I am now 34.5 weeks pregnant.  During the month of April, Join my ravelry group and make a guess when you think my baby will be born and will the baby be a boy or girl for your chance to win a surprise gift custom made for you!

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Photo Friday

Mar 26

Posted by Theresa in Photo Friday | No Comments

Photo Friday!  and I have new batts, and new yarn, and progress pics on the CPW to share!  Enjoy!

"Shocking!" - Merino, firestar, and angelina, 4.6 ounces. Coming soon to the Shop.

Handspun yarn - contains Alpaca, Merino, Milk Fiber, firestar, and angelina! a little eclectic, but pretty!

After a bath in denatured alcohol, here she is! (still needs the drive wheel to be finished, and some touch up in spots, then a nice oil bath!)

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She’s He-ere! (My CPW)

Mar 24

Posted by Theresa in Crafting, Family | 1 Comment

Yup, She arrived on Friday Evening, not too long after I posted my Photo Friday entry.  Of course that means that the pictures I took Friday and Saturday will be in the post today, though.

So it happened like this.  Friday night, we had just sat down to eat dinner, and what should we hear but a knock on the door?  So, I went to see who could possibly be at the door, and just as I got there, the UPS man practically THREW this box at the porch.

Well, I knew my wheel was coming, but seriously, this box did not look like it could possibly hold it… the box looked too small.  Looking small or not, though, I knew that it must be the wheel, and began praying that UPS had not managed to damage the poor baby.

So, once the box was opened, I immediately assembled my new CPW.  Boy was she dirty… I got my hands all grungy just putting her together.

Saturday, We took her out to the yard for a bath, since it was so nice and warm out there.  I had planned to start with just the soap and water route.  But, after giving her a once over, I realized that while I now could avoid grunge hands from touching her, she was still too dirty to really be happy.

After a soap and water bath, she was still all sad looking... she wants to be shiny so badly...

So, we pulled out the heavy guns… Denatured alcohol.  This liquid is not for human consumption, but for wheel consumption.  It is a Shellac Thinner, and we are using it to help remove and even out the old shellac finish that is on the wheel.

We haven’t gotten too far yet, but you can see the difference in what we have done from what we haven’t.

The Hubby worked on the wheel, starting with the rim. You can see the difference in color... isn't it pretty?

I worked on the Mother of all and the maidens… which were caked in ucky black looking grease… well, I can’t seem to get that picture to upload right now… I think I need a new wireless router, it keeps kicking off.

Anyway, we did not get too far, since the kids woke up and wanted their dinner.  But we DID get progress made, and that is good.  And now, any time there is nice warm sunny weather, all I want to be doing is be outside working on the wheel.  I am forcing myself to work on other things too, of course… fiber and yarny stuff, family stuff, etc.  But it is a struggle… I can’t wait to see the wheel finished.

After her bath is complete, we will be applying a new finish of Boiled Linseed Oil, which is a traditional simple finish for these wheels.  And she will shine.

She is also due to get new hooks and a new bobbin in the near future.  As soon as I can afford to do it.

And she still needs a name.  The hubby thinks her name should be Aurora, for the princess in sleeping beauty, and keeps insisting on it.  But I want something that is a little french, and I HATE thinking that he might bully me into using a name from Disney’s movie… which really, has nothing to do with this wheel at all, after all.

So thats it for now.  I’m off to see what other productive stuff I can work on this afternoon… and with luck, Beeba 1 will stay in his room for naptime for once, rather than coming down to torture me… but not likely.

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Pheww! Home again, and all is well!

Mar 17

Posted by Theresa in Crafting, Family | 2 Comments

Its been a long week.  Over the past week, I have been down in NC, at my dad’s house. I just got back last night, late.

If you read last week’s blog, you will know that at the last minute, we took off down south, since we found out that the surgery my dad was going in for this Monday was far more risky than we had previously known.  (seriously, he could have chosen an earlier time to tell us that he had a 33% chance of surviving the surgery… then we might have been able to plan better)

Well, we made it down in one piece, and spent a nice if stressed week visiting with dad and my siblings (I am the oldest of 4, and the other 3 all live nearby to him).

On monday, I spent the whole day in the hospital, waiting to hear how he was doing, and if you follow my twitter or facebook, you will know that he did indeed come out fine.  He is doing fine, as since we (my husband and I) both needed to get back to our normal schedules (he at his job and me for the business and the kids), we left there yesterday morning, after taking the kids to see their grandpa for a few minutes… we wanted to both assure them that he is ok, and to let him see them a bit too, before we took off.

And so, all is well that ends well.

In other news, My CPW should be on its way now, and I am deep in preparation for its’ return home.  I ordered some weaving bobbins for storage bobbins and to ply off of, so that when the wheel arrives, I will have enough to play with, and since I do not have a bobbin winder, I bought a small handheld screwdriver/drill to use for that.  I took a dowel that fit the hole in the bobbins nicely, cut it short, and drilled a 1/8″ drill bit into it.  this took some doing, as the driver/drill is not very powerful, and not very fast… the drill bit will stay in the dowel permanently, and with a bobbin stuck on the end, the driver turns the bobbin quite nicely.  not very fast, but well enough.  and I figure this way, I will be able to control the yarn much better than if it were going the speed of light.  the cost of the driver?  $10, and it came with the appropriate drill bit, by a chance of luck.  I think it will work quite well.

I also built a new lazy kate, designed purely for use with the new bobbins.  because the only other lazy kate I own is the one on my ladybug, and it is usually in use with its own bobbins.  I need to find a couple sets of thin knitting needles (I don’t typically use straights) and then I will be in business.

I also have some murphy’s oil soap for cleaning the the wheel when it arrives.  I can’t wait.

Now, I am waiting only for the wheel  to arrive, and for my hubby to take the dead computer out of my craft room.  gah!

Anyway, that’s my update this week.   I am off to get a couple new listings up in the shop and see what all I can do to create something.

TTFN!

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A few notes from me…

Mar 3

Posted by Theresa in CCFibers, Crafting, Family | No Comments

Well, the money is sent, and my new CPW (yes, it is mine now, as soon as the money is received anyway) will be on its way to me very soon.  I am getting more and more excited to see it.

On a more personal note, I am 28 weeks pregnant this week.  Officially in the third trimester, and getting a little nervous.  Not about the birth, but about being ready, and how my fiber business will hold up against the needs of 3 children.

I know that I will keep on persevering, and I hope that my customers will continue to shop with me.  I am planning to take a couple weeks at least for a break from most aspects of the business, particularly the carding and dyeing aspects.  But I will still get any orders during that time shipped within normal times, that I promise.  and, if I am able to build up some stock between now and then, I will attempt to keep listing new items as often as possible.

During the few weeks surrounding the birth of my third child, my plan is to rest, and enjoy the new babe as much as possible.  (knowing that I will have enough interruptions from the older children)  I hope that within a couple weeks I will be back to carding and dyeing as usual, and I even hope to run a spin along on my ravelry group beginning sometime in mid- to late- June.

Which leads to another topic.  Did you know that Crystal City fibers now has a ravelry group?   I set it up so that customers and friends will have a place to show off their WIPs (works in progress) and FOs (Finished Objects).  Also, I would love to begin in the future to do some spin alongs, or even fiber clubs.  I thought the group might be a good place to gauge interest.

Right now, the group is pretty small, having only been established early this week.  But, Come on over and join us, and it will be one person larger.

To join or visit the group, go to Crystal City Fibers Ravelry Group.  All are welcome!

I don’t have any new pictures to share today.  I posted my newest pictures on Friday, and while I intend to take some more pictures this afternoon, and to continue with yesterday’s carding session, I just don’t have any for now.  But I promise to have new pictures on Friday, as usual, and I hope you’ll stop by then!

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