Today's headline

"Joint venture completed; old and new technologies complement one another."

Now I'm ready for compliments! (Just kidding; I'm only reinforcing what I read on Pioneer Woman's homeschooling blog's most recent "Mean Ol' Schoolmarm.")

The last of Braveheart's roving, spun up on my Jenkins standard spindle,

set up unconventionally on my Jennie plyer to ply with the remaining Jacob singles on my HansenCrafts miniSpinner.

I wasn't sure which would run out sooner - room on my mS bobbin or one of the singles! Fortunately it was one of the singles - Braveheart's; I have a wee bit of Jacob left on the bobbin, as you can see.

My second skein of marled yarn (approx. 684 yards):

I remeasured the first skein, and it's actually longer (approx. 528 yds) than I first calculated - but shorter than #2 because of my inconsistent spinning. I'll have to take several WPI measurements on both skeins to determine if they can be used for the same project or not.

That's it for today from . . .

Lookee!!!

Or, if you are one of those buried under snow and ice who might be seized with severe "season envy" - NO LOOKEE!!!)

I always forget about our little area of snowdrops until they surprise me with their winter blooms. This year I got my surprise on Sunday. (They are much prettier in person, but it's been too wet and grey to get decent photos of anything outdoors.)

The candytuft in the bed nearest the front door almost always have a few flowers; in the spring they will become a MASS of white.

Around the corner from the front door, the sarcacocca flowers are opening. Interesting that all these winter bloomers have white flowers!


Total number of mini-sweaters knit: seven. Current inventory of mini-sweaters: five. I knit two more in pastels this week (using up that remnant of yarn), and gave one away. (The first one I made in the other colorway also has a new home.) On to another bit of leftover yarn!

That's it for now from . . .

Powerful truths

"Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed."

"He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it."

"History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people."

"Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable... Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals."

Find many more Martin Luther King, Jr. quotes here.

That's it for today from . . .

Oregon brands

I've had this post on the back burner for quite some time. Since other inspiration/photo ops are coming a little slower these days, now seems like a good time to pull this out and dust it off. On top of that, blogpal Theresa recently did a post on two companies she appreciates for both their products and their customer service, and we've emailed back and forth about encouraging others to showcase companies worth patronizing. When I realized how many of the products I love are made right here in Oregon, I decided to make that my focus!

Listed below in alphabetical order are seven Oregon companies. Each name is a hot link, so you can click on them to learn more. I'd love to hear about companies in YOUR state that make products you love!

Dave's Killer Bread. A church friend introduced me to this line of bread, and I must say it is the only bread I eat outside of my own homemade bread - it's that good and wholesome. (Fortunately we also get free close-date loaves at church sometimes, as it's rather spendy.) And Dave's story is as inspiring as his bread is good!

Honest Chocolates. When the owner opened a retail store in our town, I made the mistake of visiting it. Fortunately, I don't go to town that often! Everything they make is good, but Mac Mochas are my favorite by far. MMMMM!

Keen Footwear. My sister has worn Keens for some time, and encouraged me to try some. We have very different feet so I had my doubts about whether they would work for me as well as they do for her, but they are WONDERFUL. I've replaced most of my shoes, sandals and slippers with various models (bought on eBay so I can afford them), because I have no metatarsal pain when I wear Keens. The company has a conscience, too, contributing to the community and making choices with an eye to preserving the environment.

Jenkins Woodworking. I first took notice of Turkish spindles (which happened to be Jenkins) at Black Sheep Gathering in 2010. I didn't buy one, but I couldn't get the design concept out of my head. After purchasing a couple Turkish spindles from a very nice Etsy vendor, I finally broke down and ordered a Lark/Jay combo from the Jenkins because of wood-lust and the desire to support a local business. A standard has since joined the stable, and an Aegean is on order. Ed's craftmanship is superb, and Wanda is one of those rare gentle souls who makes you aspire to be a better person (I got to meet her at the Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival in September and am blessed by her friendship).

Nike. My first "serious" running shoes were Nikes, back in college when I was averaging 35 miles a week and participating in runs from 10K to half-marathons. When we moved to Oregon 21 years ago, it was exciting to me to be moving into Nike's backyard! I have since found some other brands' models that work for me, but when I think of running shoes, I still think "Nike."

Stash Tea. I used to buy a brand whose teabags came in a waxed paper package that didn't seal once opened. Somewhere along the way I was introduced to Stash teas, and found I preferred their varieties and individual teabag packaging. It was later I realized they are an Oregon company - bonus! I've been completely stuck on their Wild Raspberry herbal tea for some time now.

WooLee Winder. What can I say? I'm a surprised convert! I have heard of WooLee Winders since learning to spin, but they sounded like an awful lot of money for a little convenience. But the HansenCrafts miniSpinner I tried at OFFF had a WooLee Winder on it, and since I was wanting to increase my production it only made sense - that and the fact that a miniSpinner equipped with a WooLee Winder was cheaper as a package deal than purchased separately. NOW I know why people love 'em!

That's it for now from blessed-to-be-in-Oregon . . .