To Dream the Impossible Dream

I have a new toy. Here it is adorned by my newest attempt to drive myself to insanity.


(Yes, that is a very long scarf knit all in garter stitch. Only the beautiful colorway is keeping me going.)



I am very excited, as it will make both spinning and dyeing much easier. I gave my kniddy knoddy a couple of coats of varnish to make it feel better for being effectively replaced. I'll still keep her around for classes and the odd time the skeiner might be otherwise engaged. I'm planning on finishing the skeiner like I did Tara (my wheel) with a couple of coats of tung oil.

Speaking of Tara, she is back at home and we are both very happy. I spent a couple of hours earlier in the week assembling the shops new Ashford Traditional, so Tara was able to come home. I'll post pictures of the progress in a few days. I still have two more wheels to put together.

In addition to a new windmill looking object in my room, current event in my personal life have also had me singing "I, Don Quixote." Recently a couple of old friends contacted me about an idea they had. The best teacher and mentor that I have ever know, our HS theater coach, is getting ready to retire. They have accumulated a group of her former students to explore various possibilities of honoring her.

Carol always put us in the spotlight. Only twice did I see her perform. The first time was a mono-act from I, Don Quixote. (I think, it could have been from the book or the musical as well.) Over the next several years she taught me to dream the impossible dream. She taught me that I could be Dulcinea. She taught me to fight against improbability. Those lessons have served me well. I am pleased with where my life has gone, and pleased by the fact that I have driven myself there, finding help where I needed it, and turning away from the voices of discouragement. Carol taught me lessons far more important than any lesson I have ever learned in any classroom (and believe me I have spent A LOT of time in classrooms.) I am looking forward to finding a way to say, "thank you" for shaping my life.

I am interested to know who the women and men who have mentored you are, and what you may have done to honor that gift. Leave me a link in the comments or email me (yarnnation at gmail dot com) if you post it to your blog.

Incidentally, Carol also taught me all I know about power tools (which you might be surprised to know is quite a bit.) This has also served me well in many ways- assembling spinning wheels is not as easy as one might imagine! So if you stop by the shop in the next few days and hear me humming "To dream the impossible dream, to fight the unbeatable foe. . . ." between mumbled cursings, you will know why.