April Costuming and Spinning

Where to begin? This weekend is the Nova Albion Steampunk Convention, in lovely Santa Clara, CA. I'll be there in my usual position - hosting the Tea Room (Called Miss Kalendar's), which is actually the con suite. For those of you not aware of what a con suite is, it's the place where people can go to relax during a convention. There are usually complimentary snacks and drinks. It's not usually anything fancy - potato chips and kool aid or soda. My version has china cups and saucers where we serve people tea (which we brew in pots), silver and other metal trays where we put out cookies and "biscuits." This may be a little difficult in my so-called "delicate condition," but I'm still in my early 8th month of pregnancy, so all I really need is someone to help me carry big heavy things this time.  I even managed a costume, which is at the end of this post. 

But first, because it always comes first, the fibre! Turns out that my newest nesting activity has less to do with cleaning and more to do with spinning. 

Here's the first thing I finished this week. It's a 3 ply of pure wool. I affectionately call it "School Bus Yellow" since that's what the color reminds me of. It's about a light worsted, heavy fingering. I'm quite pleased with how it turned out. There is a good 321 yds of it.  The story behind this yarn is that I gave half of a fleece I'd purchased and paid to have cleaned to a friend. The other half I loaned her to dye. This is part of what I got back, and I spun it up almost immediately since the color made me so happy.

Here's the gratuitous close-up. You can see the three plys and the great yellow and orange that make up this yarn. It's so nice and fluffy!










Here's the other thing I finished this week. It's definitely an "art yarn." This was a lovely greyish purple bat that I mother gave me for Christmas. The bat was full of 2nd cuts and neps, so it didn't want to spin very evenly. After a few frustrating minutes of trying to pick them out and get an even yarn, I decided to give up and let the yarn be what it wanted to be. It was a very quick spin after that. One night to spin, one night to ply.  I haven't spun anything that looked remotely like this since my very first wheel spinning. It was pretty liberating. I'm not sure what to use it for. Perhaps a hat for my mom as a thank you?



Below is the gratuitous close-up.

And here are the gratuitous baby bump photos.

Do not look below if that sort of thing makes you crazy.

Here I am after finishing my 7th month. 

And here I am at 7 months and a few days in the costume I finally was able to scratch together for the convention this weekend. Not featured are the hair piece and the hat I'll be wearing. Those are still to be decided.