Master Spinner 2

The Master Spinner 2 course is done.  Talk about exhausting!   It was 5 days long, which should have been just fine.  However it started on a Sunday and I'm not sure that any of us figured out which day of the week it was the whole time.  Monday - Friday would have been so much better I think.   We learned an awful lot and it was very intensive.  Level 3 is going to be offered in the spring time, so I'm going to have to buckle down and get my homework done in a timely fashion.   It's a huge project which is due after the course.  The instructor told me that level one was expected to take about 175 hours, so I'm guessing that level 2 is at least that much or more.  Certainly the project guidelines suggest it's a little more intensive homework than level 1.

Being offered by Olds College, they've redone the program to bring it up to the college's standards.  That means they have to include exams.  I enjoy research and projects.  I've totally forgotten how to write exams.  One more thing to catch up on.

All in all, it was fun and informative.  The instructor was a dear.  The participants/students are amazing, fun, funny and interesting.   A great group of people to learn with.   There were a few downsides - had to move locations, issues with supplies but many more highlights.   On our field trip we went to an experimental plot where they were growing Kenaf.  It's a tall plant in the hibiscus family which they were growing to experiment with biofuels.  However it has a stalk with two different properties: the outer is long flax like fibres while the inner core is much shorter and can be used in the paper industry.   I've a few stalks to play with.  This plant grew over 6 feet tall, so it will be interesting to see if I can get any usable fibre from it.