May-hem

Normally May would bring beach trips and sunshine, but this year it's started with snow and autoimmune flareups.  Beltane and still no plants in the ground.  It's been rough!

When I lived in Arizona, I followed the wheel of the year, but it all felt out of sync for me, very passive.  The celebratory signs of life seemed absent.  I didn't celebrate the return of the Sun when it meant heading toward 120 degrees.

Since we came here, I feel that same sensation.  I'd celebrate early spring on the west coast with blossoms, buds, muddy backyard planting days, breathing in the waking woods.  Here it's May, we're rushing toward Midsummer, and snow.  Still.  Very little sign of life, a few buds.  Nothing is blossoming, nothing is growing.  Nothing has been planted.  The feeling of life that would shake off my seasonal depression in Oregon, usually around mid-February, has yet to show here.  And the holidays slip by with a cursory glance and a heavy dose of melancholy.

But May brings the celebration of my May flower's birth.  Elowyn Rose turned 4 this morning.  So very bittersweet.  We didn't do much, she's happy without much, truly she thrives on simplicity and is happy with everything.  She got a few dollars and was so excited to have her own real money, so I made her an impromptu coin pouch/wallet from handwoven scrap.  Big sis was jealous and she was so proud.

It has a linen lining which I think is really too fragile for a toddler, but it went together in under 10 minutes and she was thrilled.

The morning started off a bit of a mess though.  Sweets off the Wheel on Ravelry is doing their Mayhem spinalong, and so I set up the symphony (Josephine) to start the spin.  The kids have been VERY rough with her, especially Linden since learning to walk, and the front maiden leather is totally worn out, and won't support the flyer anymore.  (He pulls off the poly band and yanks off the flyer, and the memory in the leathers has just started to allow for the flyer to pop right off).  Ugh!  Many tears.  Kromski north america would only help me if I felt like a free replacement was justified - a warranty replacement - otherwise to go through a dealer.  There are no dealers local.  Double ugh!  I did have my jumbo flyer still, but the orifice is so huge that it caused MAJOR chatter - consistent drafting was near impossible.  Carl took the measurements and in just a few minutes whipped up a custom orifice reducer on the lathe!  Mayhem spin is back underway.  It's Juliespins targhee, I'm going for a true 3 ply for Linden woolies, and going for maximum barberpoling to see how it ends up.  It was dyed almost gradient so we'll see!

Mayhem is happening!

orifice reducer from Carl

Juliespins "cliffs"