Fiber in Arizona

The Phoenix, Arizona area is a strange combination of urban and rural. I live on the west side of the valley, within walking distance of the stadium where the Super Bowl was held a few years ago. Yet, as I drive around on my daily errands I get to see what is growing in the farmers' fields that still dot the landscape. And I am fascinated by fibery things in their raw form.

For instance, the cotton crops are coming ripe and are being harvested. For a Midwest girl, cotton took a little of getting used to. (Fields are supposed to be full of corn.) Now though, I realize that the fields dusted with white fluff right before Christmas time? Not snow. Cotton. And if I keep my eyes open, after the fields are harvested I can find handfuls of it just blowing around, piled on the roadside.



And today while I was on my way to the grocery store, I passed a field full of mother and baby sheep. So cute! My sweetie was very patient with me while I pulled over to snap a picture.



Fiber on the hoof!

Back in the studio, I spent the afternoon listing the juggling balls that I made yesterday. They're up in the Etsy shop now. And then I finished spinning up skein #3 for my historical weaving project. Freshly spun singles yarn is very springy stuff! So to tame it until I can pop it in the dye pot, I soak it in hot water and hang it to dry with a little bit of weight on it.



No, hanging it on the back of the door and dripping all over the floor is not the optimal solution. But my patient sweetie was still in the shower when I was ready to hang the yarn, so this was my temporary solution. The skein is now hanging from the shower head, to drip dry with no mess.

All in all, a nice, fiber filled day!