Have you ever had an interest or a hobby so enthralling that you become totally unaware of the passage of time? Have you ever got tucked in to what you're doing so deeply that all of a sudden it's time to eat supper and you've nothing prepared? Or you're so engrossed that you realize too late you've not gone to bed at all and now it's time to go to work? Yep, I've done each of these things many, many times.
I've a confession to make...I like big balls. No, no...I love big balls! I really, really love them. The bigger the better and the more the merrier, as they say.
Yep, I was all set to receive a pair of nice, big balls when something happened and I received just a single ball. No worries, it's happened before, the dreaded backorder. A slight alteration in planning and I was off to the races. Pictured below is my single ball (sans partner) and it's where my fun begins. The joy of cracking open a new ball, or bump as they are known more frequently, is something I never get tired of. Boring life?? Yes, to some it would be as tedious as being a wheat kernel counter in a bakery.
Below is half of my pair of balls, a big ol' ball of Targhee wool, and I spent the last two weekends and the internvening week digging my hands in deep and getting on with the process of transforming this lovely white wool into something with a little more personality.
This particular bump measured 18" across and 15"tall and contained just under 29 pounds of wool. They generally run from 28-32 pounds and provide hours upon hours of activity. The euphoria lasts until my ball grows noticeably smaller, when the angst creeps in, and that lasts until I conjure up enough scratch to buy a new ball. Needless to say, I am never completely ball-less.
Once I take my big, beautiful balls into my lair studio, I break it down into more manageable sizes, usually 4 oz. balls. Those balls then go on to become colorful bits and pieces through alchemy the dyeing process. I use different cauldrons pots, pans, and kettles according to the specific technique I'm using. Through a process using eye of newt and hair of frog dye and acid, the white wool is transformed into something more interesting to knit, crochet or weave with.
Here is a sampling of what I have been doing with this wool. The photo quality isn't great, but maybe you get the idea. There are some dyed lengths, some are braided into 'for sale' preparations, and some have been spun into knitting yarn. I love it all. I love my big balls.
Below is a picture of my representation of a sunflower and are from the two braids in the lower left corner. I took inspiration from my own sunflower blossom (pre-opened)
Here is the light pink skein of yarn in it's single photo
It is now Tuesday and I have come up for air out of my spell casting den to clean bathrooms, do laundry and cook some dinners for the next few days. I would rather be dyeing, spinning, knitting or weaving but sometimes other things take precedence.
Sure hope my other ball comes soon.
Tam
