First, the obligatory daily fire smoke update photo, with perspective-like commentary in the captions:

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More String, Better! - At dinner a week and a half ago, Kim (Amya) and I were randoming talking about spinning and weaving and things. She said off the cuff, "More String, Better!" and I couldn't resist keeping the phrase. So now, every time we talk about getting together for spinning or weaving, that's our catch phrase. It's likely to turn into the name of all the people getting together, as we infect more people with all things String!

Anyways, tonight was going to be the Fighter Practice where we got together specifically to talk about how to spin. But the air quality is too smoky for heavy outdoor athletics, so everything was cancelled. So, she had dinner with her family, and then met me at my apartment. By then, my roomie was home and the three of us walked a block to the new Sushi place nearby, where we met up with Jeff and Adrienne. The sushi was unremarkably mediocre, but the company was lovely.

Warning: Geeky Fiber Converation Next

Back at home, Kim showed me the bulky wool singles she'd spun, and I taught her how to double-ply the yarn. Then I showed her how to wrap a skein of yarn on a niddy-noddy, and we were able to start over with some new wool roving of hers. A family friend dyed the wool a very dark blue, where there are small variations that are slightly lighter and/or purple. The roving was slightly felted, so we spent some time learning to pre-draft the fiber, and break up the slight felting. After pulling the wool apart into pencil roving, we both spun some dark blue, thin single threads. I let her use my best spindle (my Outell), and I used her drop spindle, so that I could evaluate it a little for her. We spun lots of dark blue wool together, and she did a wonderful job with the pencil roving pre-drafted nice and thin.

I got out some cards and we practiced carding woolen batts, then I got out my combs and we practiced combing worsted roving. (And there were all these moments of "Oh! That's how that vocabulary word works in conversation!") She continued working with the parallel worsted roving fibers, and I worked with the woolen batts on my blue thread. I had her ply the blue thread off the spindle. I finished spinning the woolen carded fibers. I handed her some amazing alpaca fibers, so she could see how easy it is to spin a very silky smooth fiber. It just naturally turned into very thin, amazing thread, especially since I also gave her a smaller, light-weight spindle to try. By the time she finished the alpaca thread sample, I finished plying the woolen blue thread. I was able to send her home with three skeins of yarn she plied herself, four samples of different yarns (bulky, woolen, and worsted wool, plus alpaca lace-weight yarn), and the experience of using combs, cards, and a niddy-noddy. Major happy string spinning success! More String, Better!

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On the Job Front - Turns out the "interview" today was really just an HR call to set up the interview on Friday. But I learned some interesting things about the company, in preparation for interview. Plus my recruiter has been doing reference background calls, so my best friend from college gave me a run down on the recommendation she gave me today.

Tomorrow I may be doing some more dyestuffs at Bjo's house, plus dinner at Scott's new apartment in the evening. Then Friday is the real interview for the possible one-month tech writer job. I pieced together my blue dress for Coronation on Monday, and still need to fix the sleeves (which are currently too tight) and fix the seam treatment that I'm unhappy with. Saturday there's a tournament, Saturday night a halloween party, Sunday a birthday tea party, and Sunday night a halloween party at our house. My goodness. Lots to do!

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Today's Blessing That I'm Thankful For: Kim: I'm so glad you moved here from Oregon! More String, Better!