10 things you don't know about me

i have been rather quiet this past week.  not because i felt like neglecting all y'all...i've just been really focused on the restoration and modification of my kawasaki and didn't realize i haven't blogged in several days!
i know i've got some new readers, so i thought it might be fun to share 10 things you probably don't know about me.

1.  aside from fiber art, i'm also a woodworker. i used to turn lacemaking bobbins (mostly east midlands style) on my mini-lathe. i also like to whittle and carve...and i enjoy making rustic furniture from salvaged barn and other wood!

 2.  i collect and play musical instruments. i have 16 mountain dulcimers, 4 guitars, 3 ocarinas, 2 doumbek drums, a german zither, a lyra harp, and a chord organ (not including various assorted indigenous african and east indian percussive instruments such as rattles, chimes, etc.). i am currently focusing on blues style guitar. i was also given a lovely harmonica by my father on my last trip home, which i do not yet play, but intend to learn some day.

 3.  i spin and have recently reduced my spinning wheel collection down to one 114 year old swiss castle wheel, one 100+ year old oversized prairie wheel, one 6 year old custom charka wheel made by my ex, and several assorted drop spindles. i really love spinning, though have not had much time lately to do so which is why i have sold off my 4 other wheels. i hope to have time to spin again in the future.

 4.  i love to weave and have several looms. my favorite forms of weaving are rug-weaving and tapestry. i have recently divested myself of several larger looms and will be selling some of my table looms shortly due to space constrictions. one day i hope to have a full-sized garage again so i can begin weaving scandinavian rag rugs again on my old union no.36 rug loom.

5.  i am an avid wool-gatherer. not so much as in one who goes out and gathers wool that has been snagged on shrubs and bushes...but as in one who spends a tremendous amount of time thinking...gathering thoughts and pondering upon them. yes. it's true...i think. a lot.

6.  i *adore* all things japanese! you wouldn't guess it by my home at the moment as most of my japanese treasures are tucked away in storage. though you can find bits and pieces of my collections scattered throughout the house. a kimono here. a kwan yin there. a vintage cricket cage or two over yonder (ok...so those are chinese!). japanese paddle puppets on the wall in the sewing room... you get the idea. wondrously odd little snippets of my passion mixed in unexpectedly amongst a house full of rustic cottage decor!

 7.  i absolutely *refuse* to go out in public without first taking at least a shower, shaving, brushing my teeth, and putting on cologne.  not so much because i'm trying to impress anyone or because i'm prissy. those who know me, know i'm far from that! but because it makes me feel good. finished. ready to "meet the world".  i'm hardly a coiffed and manicured type...i tend to be a bit more rough around the edges rugged...but i do like to be clean and presentable. given my interest invintage motorcycles and tattoos, this frequently surprises people.

 8.  i really detest talking on the phone. i prefer texts, emails and tweets to talking on a phone. and more often than not, if i do use the phone and get voicemail, i'm highly unlikely to actually leave a message! i detest talking to machines even more than i do on phones!

 9.  if i could live anywhere in the world, it would be somewhere high in the mountains of japan in a small village overlooking terraced farms of one sort or another. i love ancient japanese architecture and the quiet, respectful culture of outlying villages that have not been westernized beyond recognition.

 10.  i am ambidextrous. admittedly my handwriting as written by my left hand is not as neat as my right, but mostly because i don't write left-handed very often and so my left hand is out of practice. however, i eat, use tools, open doors, play tennis, fence, shoot, and so on, with both hands equally.

 so, there you are. i hope this provided a little window or two into my world and helped you to know what makes me tick a little better.  or perhaps just to present you with that elusive "aha!" moment as you read my blog and suddenly realize why i do things the way i do!

 namaste'