Last week got away from me before I had the time to sit down and write to you, so here it is nearly the end of October already somehow!

Tonight I'm dressing up as Cookie Monster, lol, and manning our cookie themed Bronco for Trunk-or-Treat. Wish me luck?

I've wrapped up a couple projects lately, namely the project for PieceWork magazine, which I mailed out last week and finalized the writing for yesterday. So that felt good to complete!

I also finally got one of my last fiber artworks spun and crocheted in Hawaii mounted. Sunrise in Kailua made her debut at the Gallery on 10th last week!

She'll hang on the Columbus Artists' Guild wall for the rest of the month, alongside both paintings and photographs from other members.

I adored working on this palette, though it was particularly bittersweet to complete so soon before moving back to the mainland.

Here are a few pictures from along the creation journey:

It was the first piece I made using ALL rolags. They're not my favorite to spin from, but they sure do make for a beautiful color fade!

I took a lot of video while I was making this one, which I still need to sit down and edit together.

But I won't be doing that for a little while yet, because I have two more projects on the horizon!

First, this weekend, I'm participating in a local en plein air event at Callaway Gardens. It should be fun! Hopefully not too much of a challenge, though, like it would be on a windy day wreaking havoc with all my bits of fluff!

Yes, I'll be "painting" with fiber instead of painting with paint and I'm really looking forward to it!

I did a test run last Thursday to make sure I even COULD plan for, prep fiber, spin, and crochet a small piece within the allotted timeframe and the answer was yes! It will have to be SMALL, of course.

My test run was for a 6x6 or a 6x8 panel and I think I can do either size, so I'll bring both with me for the event.

Here's my little mini Columbus inspired greenscape at the moment of triumph, ha ha:

It's on the blocking boards now and I'll probably mount it this weekend. But the piece(s) created at the event will have to be spun, crocheted, and mounted with NO WASHING! Yikes! No, I think it'll be fine. At least for a small one.

Normally I let my singles rest for at least 24 hours. And then I let my plied yarn rest. And then I wash it and let it dry. Then I crochet it and wash the finished fabric and block it. And then I can mount it when it's dry - sometimes only after ordering a custom sized wood panel, like I needed to do for Sunrise in Kailua.

The plein air piece will have no time for resting or washing, though! And it will be have to be made to fit the size panels I bring with me.

I also have to have enough foresight to bring the right assortment of fibers/colors with me, which is an added challenge because I haven't been to Callaway Gardens yet. So I'm packing greens and blues with a scattered assortment of yellow, pink/purple, red, and orange at least. I hope I hope I hope I don't get there and look at the landscape around me and realize I don't have the right colors at all! 😬

Fingers crossed?

I think it will be a good challenge, though. Fun.

And it will immediately be followed up by a second challenge that I've set for myself: spin and crochet a larger scale tapestry (goal = 12 x 24) for a very cool art call I just recently came across called Art That Matters to the Planet: Dark Skies, which will be juried by celebrated astronomical artist Jon Lomberg!!

I think I might pee my pants if I get into this show, y'all.

It's another tight turnaround, which means no ordering a custom sized wood panel. The submission deadline is November 7th, and I just got the last of the fiber I ordered for it yesterday. Eeeek!

Here's what I'll be working with:

But I canNOT put it on my spinning wheel yet because it has to be free for the plein air event this weekend! So once I'm certain I'm packed and ready for both that and Trunk-or-Treat, THEN I can dive into fiber prep and be ready to GO on Sunday!

So many exciting things right now!!

I'll try not to let next week get away from me without an update, since I know some of you are dying to see me dressed up as Cookie Monster, right? 😆

Speaking of which, I need to go carefully shove our pool noodle and tissue paper Cookie Monster maw into the back of the Bronco...

Oh and I'll have to pack my blue cowl to crochet on, too! Ha!

Chat soon.

-Connie

P.S. I shared this pretty little hummingbird picture on Instagram yesterday, but I thought I'd share it with you here, too. All our hummers seem to have migrated for the winter. It seemed so abrupt! And I miss their sassy chatter already. So maybe I'll just have to keep sharing a few more pictures of them until the cardinals start showing off instead.