50% of the time, it works EVERYTIME.

Hey hey! It's been a week(ish) so I'm back.  The super bowl happened.  The commercials were .... pathetic.  C'mon guys, how much are you paying for this prime airtime?  Damn you for making my super bowl a less enjoyable experience.  Luckily for both of us, (the commercials or whoever was responsible for them and me) I was passed out from overeating for most of them.  Oh, to be an American.

WOAH, deviated from what I'm supposed to be talking about.  This week I worked on a graduation present for my best-friends-foreva-hetero-life-partner-blah (BFFHLB) Tina! 

This is my first attempt at a top whorl drop spindle.  Turns out research really is key for most things.  My design certainly leaves a few things to be desired.  Fortunately, the present accidentally remained hanging in my kitchen while I drove the 210 minutes south to Wilmington, DE., THUS giving me more time to make a new one since my first was so subpar. 

I shaped a 1/2 in wooden dowel on a belt sander to snugly fit (not quite snug enough, I had to fudge it with some PVA) my top whorl which was a piece of alabaster that was shaped, sanded, carved, and polished into a 3 in diameter disk with a notch for the yarn to rest. 

If anyone is unfamiliar with the term "top whorl drop spindle"  its a tool that you can use to spin yarn from carted wool.  My BFFHLPB Tina! is an excellent crotchet-(er) person so I usually try and give her a yarn themed present.

Problems with my design:
-Top whorl too heavy
-Top whorl not wide enough, doesn't provide optimum spin
-Top whorl not attached in a snug, central way

Geez, when I list it that way it sounds like I made it 100% incorrectly.  Look, it works, I promise, it just doesn't work WELL.  I'd like to try again, flattening and widening my disk and drilling a hole for the dowel that's much closer to the actual size.  Although I love the feel of finished stone, I think attempt number 2 will be all wood all the time.  Maybe this time I will play with stains as well since time is on my side.

Other news:  first attempt at paper marbling hilariously terrible.  Thanks to some coworkers, friends, and a little bit of patience, optimism is restored for round two of paper vs. ink.

Again.
Research would have been helpful.
It'll be ok.

Looks like this coming week is a do over.

Next time:  details about the upcoming ceramics show at Roos Gallery in Rosendale, NY with progress pictures of my collaboration with the WSW  Ceramics Coordinator Ruth McKinney Burket.

Cha know, Steph Bell.
Same name.