What are you working on this week? What were you working on last week? I didn't get a chance to check in last Wednesday because we were having some Internet problems out here... long story, but it involves satellite internet with limited data plans, a wireless network that wasn't as secure as we thought, and a neighbor with an HTC phone and a penchant for downloading 4 gigs of data a day. WHOOPS. It's all good, now, though, and we're back on track!
Primarily, this week and last week both, I've been working on dyeing yarn. It's time for a new round of yarn club to start (I should ship International today or tomorrow, and Domestic this time next week) and I'm in the last stages of dyeing the yarn for the whole club. I'm also dyeing the first of the yarns I've been talking about, inspired by the music of David Bowie. The first colorway, the one I'm testing out now, will be called Changes. It's inspired by the makeup and costumes of Aladdin Sane and Ziggy Stardust. If I'm happy with how the testing goes, I'll release it in about a month!
In ceramics, Cetty and I are moving a few things around in the studio to make room for... the new wheel I just bought! It's not brand new, but it's new-to-me, and it's all thanks to the last open house we had out here. Remember how we let people participate in the raku firing? My friend Jenn did a pot (she's the one who gave us two broken kilns recently) and posted about it on her Facebook page, and a friend of hers asked if anyone would be interested in buying a wheel and a kiln from her mother-in-law who was moving into assisted living and couldn't use them any more. Jenn and I went in halfsies, and Jenn got herself a working kiln (FINALLY! I'm so happy for her!) and I got the wheel.
I've been having a lot of throwing problems, getting worse the more I throw (which isn't supposed to happen, amirite?!). The wheel I have wasn't in the best of shape when I rescued it -- er, bought it -- and I suspect there might be a wobble in the wheel head. Which, yes, I will get fixed, but I do want to try out a different wheel, and now with a free wheel I don't want to use all the time, that frees the first wheel up for Cetty to teach some classes!
First thing I'm going to do when I get the wheel set up and have time to use it, is throw some more mugs. Remember the ones I threw a couple weeks ago, with zippers on them? They're in the kin now for a bisque firing, and I haven't even seen them finished and I'm already thinking about making more. So I hope y'all like zippers!
In soap, I'm ... well, let's see. I wanted to do more guest sets this year; update them, use new fragrances I've brought in, and make sure that none of the fragrances in a set are in a different set (so, like, even if it's a floral/woodsy blend, it only shows up in either the floral or the woodsy set - not both). But after two sets (earthy, and herbal) I realized that if I want to do a masculine set, and a floral set, and I don't want any fragrances to overlap... I need a few more fragrances! So first up, which I'll release ... well, I was going to release it at the end of this month, but I'm taking a sudden road trip so it'll be the first week of June. This fragrance is called The Goblin King, and it's mostly musky (woods, moss, and musk) and just a little floral (hyacinth and lavender). I'm using a sample bar this week and I can't stop smelling myself! I'd love to know what those of you who've gotten a sample bar think (I have three samples left, if you're one of the next three people who order something that ships right away, you'll get one).
And I'm almost done with a pair of socks, after feeling that I haven't finished knitting anything in a while.
That's me... what about y'all? What are you working on this week?