When will it all slow down? Never????

Guess what?!? I get to write about something medieval for a change! How exciting is that? Yes, sometime last year I got the hankering to teach at a medieval event. So, I offered to teach two classes in my favorite stuff: nålbinding and sprang. Yeah. The first weekend after all the Christmas running around is done (which is not saying the projects are done, just all the traveling), I’ve got to have my fecal matter assembled sufficiently to teach. Oops! What was I thinking?? Wasn’t I thinking that I’d have to finish Christmas projects? Oh, well.

I’d done precisely none of the prep work before getting home on Sunday. And everything seems to be taking a long time. Possibly because I’m a little wiped out. But!! But!!! I now have 8 sprang frames and I rather like this construction: ½” dowels used for the sides, glues into holes drilled into 1 ½” x ¾” boards. What I really like about the new frame is that I could take it to Pennsic in an unglued-state and easily glue them. I think that I could even let people glue the frames together themselves! Suddenly, teaching at Pennsic has become much easier – much less bulk to transport! All the handouts have been printed and collated. Just have to determine which yarn I’m surrendering and wind them. Then assemble the little kits to hand out.

I also have 9 cute little nålbinding needles. I rushed them a little, so they aren’t as smooth as they normally are. But, they are done. 8 teak (for the students) and one reddish wood (maybe redheart?) that I didn’t like at all until I rubbed in the beeswax. Ah, beeswax! Beeswax rubbed in with a little nålbinded “cloth” that had a lot of lanolin in it! Ah! Beeswax and lanolin. I’d love to be able to say that the printed material for the nålbinding class is all done, but I’m having some issues with my printer. I can’t complain too much, because it was free, and came with a full cartridge of toner. And it’s a laser jet, which I like better than ink jet. But, the darned thing keeps thinking there’s a paper jam when there isn’t. I know what you’re thinking – something must be in there somewhere. That’s what I’m thinking too. But, why, then, will it print 4 sheets before thinking it’s jammed? Open the cover, close the cover, 4 more sheets, “I’m jammed!” Seriously. This is way so annoying. Especially since each handout has 8 sheets printed on both sides (and the printer does not have a duplexing unit – I am the duplexing unit…). I’ve gotten halfway through the job (printed all of the “backs” of the sheets, now just have to print the “fronts”…)

2 more nights. I think I can pull it all together in two more nights. Better still would be pulling it all together tonight. But, I’m not going to force myself to do that!

And then, I get to work on getting ready to teach sock knitting. At least I won’t have to really jump into that for a bit – the first actual knitting session isn’t until January 20.

January 20^th. Inauguration Day. My birthday. Should be an interesting day!