Spinning on the Skagit and a Skeinwinder

I am taking a breather from packing and cleaning to post a quick post. My spinning wheel is living nicely in its new home and the repair I did to it seems to be holding up too.
Our Pacific Northwest weather has suddenly turned glorious. "Sucker weather" is the term that is often used. Many people that happen to be visiting when the weather smiles as it has been suddenly feel compelled to move to the area, not realizing the stunning emerald green of the land is due to many wet grey days. The land is breathtakingly beautiful in the sunshine though.
We can see two significant volcanoes along the chain, Mt. Baker and Mt. Rainier. The San Juan Islands which stretch out to the west and north of us are crystal clear too and the Olympic peninsula rears up to the south. Is it any wonder that people want to move here if they happen to be visiting when all of this is at its most beguiling?
I celebrated the lovely weather by spinning on the bank of the Skagit river (the "g" in Skagit is pronounced like a "j" so it sounds like Ska-jit) which is about 25 feet from our trailer door.
Our house sale reels from one potential catastrophe to another but is still going forward (knock on wood). I am still braiding my fingers and trying not to hold my breath. We have 8 more days before closing and anything can happen. Yikes! So much to do still.
I had a new comment from Priscilla on my old post about my dream skeinwinder I built. She was asking about my homemade manual skeinwinder! I hadn't really thought about posting pictures of that with an explanation about how my husband built it until she asked. I want to do it justice so I won't be posting about it in this post. I have found it in the studio (I thought it was packed! It is now.) and took some pictures so I will be posting the details soon. It is nothing fancy but it does the job nicely.
I have been reading everybody's recent posts but haven't had a chance to leave a comment or two. As soon as we move time will ease up and I will be able to catch up. I can hardly wait!
Skeinwinder post coming soon Priscilla!
-Renee

Up and Spinning Again!

Well, I managed to get my spinning wheel repaired and working again. A big thank you to Ellen H. who left a comment about a fix she did on my last post. I didn't need to replace the actual bearing but I got a neoprene washer that held the bearing nut in. I haven't had my camera and my wheel in the same place to take a picture yet but will soon.
We are now camped by the Skagit River out in the farmland. It is quite picturesque but the Whidbey Island Navel Station has fighter jets flying quite a bit and at times they come right over us. It often sounds like they are about to land right on top of us!
Today was warm enough that I finally got to do what I had envisioned. We put the awning up and I sat outside our trailer with my husband and dog and spun for about an hour. I am spinning a three ply sock yarn. I am not using the fibers pictured to the left yet. I pulled up an old photo to post today until I can get a new picture. At the moment I am spinning a 54's Australian wool roving. Not as fine as a merino wool but almost as soft.
We have been quite busy since the last post. Our house has an offer on it! There are a few complications but so far the buyer has stuck with us. If all goes well (knock on wood, fingers not only crossed but braided) we can be rolling out of here by the middle of next month.
Our trailer has undergone a few modifications and now has a special place for my spinning wheel and the Jane loom. I haven't brought Jane to the trailer yet but soon. Little by little the shakedown continues and we are settling in.
I hope to have triumphant news in my next post. Now to go catch up with what the other weavers are up to out there. -Renee