Loco Life of Lindy

On a hat splurge!

2012-02-10T09:17:00.002-05:00

Last weekend I was lucky enough to join some friends for another great retreat filled with fun and fiber. My friend Marti sums it up well here on her blog, with a beautiful video of our escapades. The photos taken around our weekend "home" at Shakertown really convey the serenity of the setting! We stayed in the beautiful Brick Tanyard house, and despite rumors of it being haunted the only spirit presence felt there was one of a friendly cat jumping on someone's bed!

I haven't been in much of a knitting mood lately, which is fine as I've enjoyed concentrating on my feltmaking. It was a little awkward at first to do wet felting in a room of people who were mostly sitting and spinning or knitting, but I soon got in a groove. I started making hats and then couldn't stop! Sadly, the first one and the one for which I spent the most time (above) by far didn't meet my standards.... I was playing with using cotton for some nuno instead of silk and I love the effect (around the band of the pillbox), but I kept making the crown part too flimsy despite 3 attempts! Oh, well....

These hats and a few more are now in my Etsy store. I'm trying, really trying to get things up in there, and have added some other new items as well! Have a great weekend, everyone :)

Sunny Sunday

2012-01-29T09:53:00.000-05:00

Wow, can you believe it? Two posts in 3 days (and I still have lots of felting to post about)!!!? It's a bright Sunday morning and I'm just back from a refreshing walk with Hoss. It was so lovely on the river trail that I stopped in to get my camera and we walked it a second time. Not a cloud in the sky, and the ground is slightly frozen, so nice not to be slogging in mud...

On mornings like this I have my religion.... I'm filled with gratitude for my entire family both two and four-legged (and for teens safely slumbering in the house), for our health and my ability to walk our lovely trails, and for the opportunity to live in such a wonderful place.

January Retreat

2012-01-27T12:52:00.001-05:00

Handspun art yarn that I made on the retreat, I'm loving felting with this!

Oh, what a great time I had at my friend's fiber retreat in Northeast Ohio! As always, we learned so much from each other, ate lots of great food, drank good wine, felted, spun, carded, laughed, and just had a lot of fun.

We came with varying skills and experience, and each of us had something to teach. One of the best things about working together like this is that you always learn so much from other's teaching, and felting styles. Felting can be accomplished in so many different ways, each person has their own bag of tricks! That's one of the things I love about it, there is no ONE way to make felt. (Here are flowers that we made from mostly alpaca fiber).

Madeline, whom I had never met before, is just learning fibery stuff, but she plunged right in and did beautifully with her projects. She's also a hilarious storyteller and amazing Italian cook, and we enjoyed her famous meatballs and sauce.

Both Madeline and Mary taught us how to do Japanese braided cords using a KumiLoom. It was great fun, and offers many possibilities! I always advice newer alpaca people to take any opportunity they can to learn from Mary, she's a wonderful and thorough teacher.

Here, Donna is working on a wine cozy. Mary taught us some great techniques for making really firm, hard felt and I look forward to using these methods in the future.

Here is my finished wine cozy. I seem to be a bit stuck on these colors!

Cheryl is a great host, and as always it was wonderful staying in her beautiful home. It was also refreshing to look out and see the snow-covered landscape, since we've barely had any winter weather here in Kentucky.

Cheryl and I devised a method to drink wine and felt at the same time. From the response this photo got on Facebook, we need to patent the technique since this photo was extremely popular among felters and was shared around the world!

Donna showed us some fun techniques for embellishing with craters/appendages, and I was happy with how my new iPad sleeve turned out.

Unfortunately, Donna didn't realize that she was using superwash merino for her cover (superwash means that the scales, necessary for felting/shrinking, have been removed through a chemical process). It was apparently mislabeled, and there is no way to tell by looking at wool if it is superwash. That was a tough lesson, as she had worked hard on the layout and it had seemed to be felting! Live and learn :)

There was no salvaging this, it just wouldn't felt...

We proudly gathered our samples and projects for photos before I left, not bad for 3-4 days!

There were many other things taught and learned, as well as sources and ideas shared, and I've been especially productive since returning. I have lots of new things to post, (a hat, fingerless gloves, mittens, a wall piece and a scarf) so check back soon! Thanks to all of my NE Ohio friends for such a fun time :)

Percolating

2012-01-06T09:42:00.003-05:00

I took a few weeks off from felting to "percolate" (letting the ideas simmer and swirl) as a friend calls it... it was a bit hard to get started again, but I think I'm back in the groove now! I really want to take some time this next month to do more experimenting and to just ENJOY the process, with no heed for schedules, art fairs and such.

I made a few hats yesterday and enjoyed working with some of my favorite colors. I really love the way the colors turned out in this part, felting always presents surprises! I'd gotten away from using these colors, but I've been sucked right back in! (I have a baby blanket to work on, these will definitely be included!)

This piece is still in progress, I'm just enjoying the heck out of the embroidery, and for some reason I just wanted to make lots of "craters" last weekend. I have no idea what I'll do with the other piece quite yet.

This one has a ways to go.

Stay tuned for a lot more felting experiments in 2012, it's going to be a great year!

P.S. This photo is in the running for a Cute Cria photo contest on Facebook- if you like it, please click on this facebook link and Like it to vote- we could win free shearing for our entire herd!!!!

Girl's Trip to the Biltmore and Beyond!

2011-12-29T21:18:00.002-05:00

I have been in holiday mode ever since Art on the Farm, and doing very little felting or anything creative except to finish up some commissions right before Christmas. We had a great family Christmas, it seemed less stressful and as if there was just more TIME this year, which I really enjoyed. Our kids have had a pretty long break, and our son went to Florida with a friend's family so our daughter and I decided to go on a girl's trip to Asheville, North Carolina and the famous Biltmore Estate, which is decorated for Christmas.

We did two of the "special tours" including a Candlelight Evening Tour which was breathtaking, as many of the mansion's fireplaces were lit, there was live music, and there were hundreds of poinsettas and dozens of beautifully-adorned trees. (Photos aren't allowed inside, so you'll have to go and see it for yourself!) It is fascinating to hear about the lifestyles of both the ultra-wealthy first residents as well as those that were in their employ (which we learned more about on the Butler's Tour).

Despite the winter season, we enjoyed walking around the grounds and gardens, and it was wonderful to explore the Conservatory and it's many blooming plants.

We managed to find some time to drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway, wish we'd had more time for that, it's so gorgeous and relaxing, as there are NO commercial signs or development anywhere along the entire drive!

We stayed at two great B and B's on our trip, and enjoyed lots of time shopping and browsing Asheville's many art galleries.

One of the galleries even had paintings featuring Peru (our daughter's birthplace), so that was pretty neat!

I have to say that being exposed to so much amazing artwork has me feeling very inspired and I'm itching to get back in my studio next week and to do some completely new things with my felting!

We capped the trip off with a hike on the way back home on the Appalachian Trail (with which I hold a lot of fascination, having read several books about people that have hiked the entire 2,100 miles). It was a lovely way to finish out what was a wonderful mom/daughter journey!

Art on the Farm

2011-12-11T10:12:00.001-05:00

Here are some of the scenes from Art on the Farm yesterday here at Seldom Scene Farm. We had a nice crowd and a GREAT time! Come on out today (Sunday, Dec. 11th) from 11-4, meet some of the artists (including Marti McGinnis' canine partner, JoJo), pet some baby alpacas, and support local artists and farmers here in Central Kentucky! You can find the particulars HERE.

Sunshine and Sheep

2011-12-01T15:53:00.001-05:00

Some of Dianne's beautiful flock

Today has been so nice... I was glad to have the excuse to drive to the other end of the county to my friend Dianne's beautiful farm in Nonesuch (yep, that's the real name of the town) to drop off our breeding ewe, Shelby, for ..... breeding. I also took a favorite alpaca, CC, to join her nice herd of alpaca fiber boys. Over many years, Dianne and I have done a lot of buying, selling and trading with each other (of alpacas, llamas, sheep, and fiber not to mention recipes, websites, etc.) and she has taught me so much- I think of her like a big sister.

Dianne and our two new young ewes

She came away today with one new alpaca and we now have two new ewes, with which I'm really pleased. Dianne and I have both gotten interested in Wensleydale sheep, and she located a beautiful ram (she calls him "Mister") to lease and I wanted to double up on his genetics.

The Mister

I'm very pleased with these two new sheep, which have exactly the type of fleece that I like and will be further enhanced with breeding to Mister. Here's the fleece on the white one (she's 1/2 Blue-faced Leicester, 1/4 Cotswold, and 1/4 Wensleydale). Dianne has been breeding sheep for a very long time, and she selects for hardiness, temperament, and good maternal traits as well as the types of spinning fleeces that she likes, paying no heed to trends or show styles.

This past year I have enjoyed using Wensleydale and other lustrous, long-staped fibers in my felting. Here are a few items for which I've used this type of fleece... I'm looking forward to having more of our own to work with!

When I got back home the dogs were itching to get out into the woods, and I was glad to oblige them. We went for a long hike, the sun consistently buoying my spirits after the past dreary, shortening days. (And the dogs, they're ALWAYS happy!)

And when we were done, I even took a few minutes to rest in the hammock, soaking up some of autumn's last rays.

A few things to admire....

2011-11-22T20:23:00.001-05:00

I realized that I've not been posting much about fiber lately, but I have been spending lots of productive time in my studio. I pulled together some pretty pictures, and couldn't find a common thread, so I just decided to consider them as some of the things for which I'm either inspired by, happy about, or thankful for!

We had our last cria of 2011 born recently; this was one of our best years for healthy and trouble-free crias in our 18 years of raising alpacas!

I've been getting ready making things for some upcoming sales events- this Saturday is the Jingle and Mingle Gift Party and then on December 10th we're having Art on the Farm here at Seldom Scene!

It's still been fun getting out into the woods with the dogs every day. It's been very wet and unusually warm, so that means lots of lichens and fungus- gorgeous!

Last week I went on a field trip with our son's chorus to Morehead, KY. I didn't have any responsibilities in the morning, so I walked around campus and to the Kentucky Folk Art Center. It is a really beautiful and inspiring little museum, I just love folk art! Being on a college campus brought back a lot of good memories.

May all of you have a Happy Thanksgiving, and I hope you find lots of inspiration around you!

The Doodle

2011-11-13T11:39:00.001-05:00

"Hoss" at 10 weeks old

I'm a big fan of dogs (read more here), but have limited our house dogs to one in recent years, just feeling like we needed to keep things simple with so many livestock to care for. Munchie, our rescue shitzu, is sweet and a wonderful foot warmer, but not a great one for the outdoors. Our daughter and I have long admired "doodle-dogs" (poodle crosses, most popular being Labradoodles and Goldendoodles), but could never get my husband to consider it until he saw one retrieving very successfully while he was hunting with friends. We didn't hesitate to start our search for a pup, also liking the fact that Labradoodles combine two very intelligent breeds and that those bred selectively through multiple generations often don't shed. And.... they're REALLY CUTE!

At three weeks old

We located a breeder nearby that appeared to be reputable and had a beautiful litter from which we'd get first choice. I liked the personalities and sociability of both parents, so we picked out "Hoss" (named by our son) for his robustness and beautiful markings, and then began what seemed like a long wait until he was 8 weeks old to bring him home.

Lots of new experiences that first day, so tiring!

Now 10 weeks (top of page), he's growing fast and settling in really well. I'd never crate-trained a dog before, but it's been a very smooth process and seems to be contributing to a well-adjusted pup. So far, I think the key is giving him lots of exercise and it's been fun getting out into the woods with both dogs on these great fall days.

Meeting one of the barn cats

The other critters are getting used to him, though Munchie isn't thrilled about the whole thing. One of the barn cats actually ran right up to meet him!

Look for lots more pictures of Hoss, he brings us a lot of joy and laughs and seems to be a great addition to our family!

One Morning

2011-11-08T09:27:00.000-05:00

The area around our home has been so beautiful lately as the warm fall days have lingered on, starting with crisp misty mornings and sharpening into crystal blue skies. I'd been meaning to take my camera with me more on my drives to pick up the kids and groceries, but kept forgetting. On Sunday morning, I could tell that conditions would be nice for photos so I took a quick little drive with my Sony.

We live right along the Kentucky River, and the fog hangs low in the valley on the days when the temperatures vary a lot. Above is what it looked like as I left the house...

Then as I reached the barn...

And up on the hill looking back over our farm and the river valley that is enclosed in the fog.

I love our neighborhood which is a mixture of a small old-timey creekside town, historic rock walls and very old, established cattle and tobacco farms, and stunning throroughbred horse farms, some of which are owned by super-wealthy international dignitaries.

Tiny creeks feed into larger Glenn's Creek which flows through Millville and many of the prettiest horse farms.

These trees at Diamond A farm have been stunning all season.

I make my way around a loop through the fancy farms and then back toward ours, stopping to laugh at a neighbor's good sense of humor!

And then I'm back home to our more nature-filled farm home, where the fog is still laying in the valley...

What's New?

2011-10-28T08:39:00.001-04:00

Things have been much quieter around here since we've reduced our numbers of alpacas to make things simpler and more manageable, and I hope to be at just 40 by the end of the year (after a herd-high of around 140!). Still, it's so fun when a new baby arrives, especially one as special as this. Normally, I'd say "Ho hum, a brown boy", but his one is exactly what we were breeding for- great brightness, fineness and crimp in his fleece, excellent bone and structure. His dam, Snowmass Sweet Serenity, gave us the 2009 Brown National Champion Female from Snowmass XXXtreme, so we were aiming for something similar when we bred her to RobAsia's Snowmass XXXMan (an excellent XXXtreme son). Just a little shop talk for those that are interested in such!

Our daughter is so good with animals, and she showed special concern for this little guy when he was born. For some unknown reason, she was adamant that his name be "Steve" (she denies knowing any cute guys of that name!) So, Steve he is... not sure if he's going to be Steve Jobs or Steve Martin, he does lean more toward the comical side rather than the bright side, we'll see!

Last weekend was the Kentucky Classic Alpaca Show, a lot of fun as always (we took 3 alpacas and came away with 2 firsts and a third!). They had a first-ever "Fiber Follies" finished alpaca product competition, and I won a few nice awards for Best Use of Color, Best Neck Piece, and Best Use of 3rds (with a birdhouse). Thanks to the KAA Fiber Committee for sponsoring this competition. This scarf and many other of my creations (such as the Wonky Wacky Woolly Purse, below, will be available at my first Holiday event of the season, which will be next weekend in Lexington- you can find out all about it here.

Adventure at Big South Fork

2011-10-17T10:14:00.002-04:00

A sense of adventure is in my blood.... my family has always done things in a slightly more edgy way than others, and I love them for it! My Dad, my biggest role model for adventure, got his pilot's license at age 70 and still lands his Cessna on our farm's grass strip. He and I scuba-dove together in the Bahamas on a bare-boat sailing trip after he got certified in his late 60's. Years prior to that, he and my oldest brother Greg built an ultralite and both flew it off of my brother's small grass strip. My middle brother Andy flew a hang-glider for years, and was one of the first to glide from Pike's Peak (he wisely gave it up after a close call a few years back, having kept up with it for a long time after once breaking both arms.... and he's a professional concert trombonist). And my husband... well, before I met him he regularly went cave-diving in the springs of north Florida, he's an avid motorcycle rider, and he also flew an ultralite "trike" off our farm for many years.

Mirian and Gringo on one of the wider trails

So, as a trail rider I enjoy pushing the limits a bit, and we're fortunate to have tough little horses that are bred for it (Rocky Mountain and Kentucky Mountain horses, and our riding compadre Mary Beth rides a Tennessee Walking Horse). Others may think that a good trail ride is a few hours long, but I like to take our horses and family and friends into the "wilderness" when I can, and I think that for the work of getting there we might as well enjoy a full day on the trail. And that we did last week, at beautiful Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area.

Strawberry took great care of me

We set out on our big day from the Laurel Fork region between Oneida and Jamestown, Tennessee with beautiful weather, plenty of food and water and good maps- both a small one from our cabin's manager and a large, official topographic map of the area. Our horses were fresh, but they had to think and work fairly early on when we met a long series of sandstone stair steps on the aptly named Yellow Cliff trail with bumps higher than our horse's bellies in places. Once we got going up, there was no turning back, and we all laughed and whooped giddily as we leaned forward and clenched our horse's manes, saying "wow, can you believe we just went up THAT?!!!" Marti nervously asked if there was another way back down, and was relieved when I assured her that we'd be coming back a different way- she said that the only way she'd go down it was if one of us was having a heart attack.

Charit Creek Lodge/Hostel

Along the trail...

We enjoyed our ride to Charit Creek Lodge, admiring the changing leaves and rock formations, and imagining ourselves in pioneer days as Marti described her recent listening of The Frontiersman. Charit Creek is an awesome old settlement accessible only by hiking and horseback, and we discussed coming back and staying for the night sometime. I was really pleased that Strawberry, my husband's horse who can be a bit more challenging, had settled in nicely and as always we marveled at the strength, endurance and agility of all of the horses.

MB and Marti at Charit Creek

Outbuilding at Charit Creek

After a great lunch with wine on the porch of the rustic lodge, we examined the map to decide where to go next. Hmmm, we had decided that morning that it would be way too far to try to go all of the way to the Big South Fork River, but from where we were now, it looked so close. We commented on the upside-down horse shoe hanging over the door, laughing about bad luck, and hit the trail again.

Beautiful Big South Fork River

Crossing the river was a blast, there were rock markers to indicate the way, and the water was above our horse's knees in spots. We stopped and had a snack on the other side, letting the horses rest, and mapped our return to the cabin which suddenly looked reallllllllyyyyy far. After a very long time back on the trail with the horses getting increasingly tired, the rare signs stopped making sense and we realized that something wasn't quite right. We finally pulled out the big topo map and saw that we were wayyyy off track, and it was getting late. Fortunately a car came along (the only vehicle we'd seen all day), and the driver affirmed that we were on the wrong trail and had way too far to go and that it would be dark soon.... "Wow", he said, "You got flashlights?" He seemed surprised when we said that we did (at least we'd learned that much from prior experience), and he wished us luck.

Deep creek on the way back

We backtracked as the sun dropped lower, and then.... it was dark, very dark (thus, no more photos). The moon was to be full that night, but it wasn't rising nearly soon enough and what little light it did cast just made the shadows more difficult to interpret. The horses can definitely see better than us, fortunately, and each time we turned on the flashlight it rattled them a bit. Finally, we saw a sign for Bandy Creek Campground, a horse camp that Mirian and I had stayed at before. It was just 1.2 miles there, or a matter of going many miles on unfamiliar trails back to our cabin. I suggested that we go there and find someone to give us a ride back to our cabin to get the trailers, and we all agreed this would be the safest option.

Our luck changed when we arrived at Bandy Creek after floundering in the dark for a mile. We flagged down the first vehicle we saw and after explaining our predicament, we were told that two hero's would hitch up their 4-horse trailer and haul us all back to our cabin (about 7-10 miles away). The angels that helped us were a couple of codgers from Glasgow, KY that drive mules and homemade wagons for fun, and when we offered money they kindly suggested that we "Pay it forward." We look forward to the opportunity!

All of us, horses and two-leggeds, slept extremely well that night and we woke to rainfall, feeling very grateful that we weren't sleeping on the ground out in the woods! Chalk it all up to another Gallop Girls adventure... not surprisingly, Marti and MB are both starting to study the maps a bit more carefully now! Below are a few more random photos from our big day....

Simply Ten

2011-10-05T17:05:00.000-04:00

Dewy spider web on morning hike

I've been a bit lazy and un-motivated lately, haven't felt like blogging or felting (my artist friend Marti says I'm "percolating". What I have done, however is start a good walking routine, (8 days now!) of hiking into the woods behind our home. It is truly amazing the daily treasures and changes that I observe and discover, and I've been trying to take my camera along each time.

Morning Magic in the woods

Since I couldn't come up with another topic, I thought I'd copy the Simply Ten format that Amanda from Soule Mama uses on occasion. These photos represent observations, discoveries, news, or just things I'm thankful for!

Blue jay feather

This reminds me of a collective stitching/embroidery site called The Magic Feather Project- I won't describe it here now, just check out the very beautiful blog. I hope to participate, and know that many of you probably would, too.

This fungi looked like something that should be on the Great Barrier Reef- so beautiful!

Evening hike with Munchie

Healthy young alpacas from the past year, we have 4 in the due barn now!
That's Forrest Gump in the middle

The hedge apples are huge this year, that's good because there are more deer than ever to eat them.

Newly-hatched butterfly- anybody know how to tell the difference between a monarch and viceroy?

Our new pup, a labradoodle, that we'll be getting in about a month. Very excited!

Cherry tomatoes in our upside down planter are finally producing

How's that for a random mix of Simply Ten?

Taste and see....

2011-09-28T11:23:00.000-04:00

.... the beauty all around you. So goes a favorite hymn, but in this case it's probably better NOT to taste the mushrooms since most aren't safe to eat! I happen to think they are beautiful to look at, as are lichens and many other living things associated with wet fall weather.

I took these photos on two separate walks around the farm recently, and it was a good reminder to look a bit closer to find the beauty. Fall and it's famous colors aren't all about pumpkins and maple leaves, there are other natural colors and especially textures just as pretty if not a bit more subtle.

The turkeys and deer that I scared up have plenty to eat from the hickory and oak trees here. I'm not sure if they eat the fall mushrooms?

And speaking of natural color, check out my friend Sara's blog for a great couple of posts about dyeing yarn and wool with walnuts. I'm tempted to give it a try, her results with several types of wool are gorgeous!

Just playing...

2011-09-27T17:56:00.000-04:00

It's been quite a while since I've felt this free with at least some of my time, I'm really loving it! I'm trying to do more experimenting with my felting, and to remember some of the things I learned at Felter's Fling, especially from Marjolein Dallinga.

She has such an inspiring approach to teaching, she wanted us to NOT think or plan things out too much, and she constantly reminded us that mistakes are the way we learn. "When you don't get what you were trying for, what you do get is experience." I love that!

Yesterday I just wanted to do a wall hanging and try to achieve some thin black line. I used some alpaca yarn that I had around- it did pretty well and I like the result, but am going to try some other methods as well. You can check this little hanging out further in my Etsy store.
Today I've been working with some fall/pumpkin themes.

This guy (or gal), or whatever it is, I'm not sure if it's done or not? Any suggestions? I am really pleased with how well the cords felted in, looks like a rasta pumpkin!

And finally, a birdhouse. I hope to make some more of these in fall colors. It's listed on Etsy as well.

A Week of Felting

2011-09-23T08:51:00.002-04:00

It's been a great week for felting, cool with lots of rain and not much on my schedule for a change! As much as I loved home schooling our daughter last year, I am thoroughly enjoying having more time for myself again, without every minute having a task attached to it (and even better, she is loving high school!). I actually had two days in a row of not having to leave the farm.... paradise!

I am really getting into a nice groove in my studio, and feel that nearly every piece I felt is teaching me something lately. The huge amount of new things I learned at Felter's Fling, taken in tiny little bites, has led me to a place of new inspiration and understanding of the felt process. I am trying to be less predictable with color, and more free with my artwork.

The other side is that I do need to sell. I've gotten lots of orders and encouragement lately- thanks to all who are supporting what I do! I've been trying to determine how best to market my goods over the coming holidays while keeping as much profit in my pockets as possible. Someone told me about a Jr. League holiday sales event- $675 for a table for the weekend? I think not! The galleries from which I sell are asking for more of my products, but it's hard to price things at a sellable level and still garner enough for my time. So, I've decided to dedicate myself again to my Etsy store and and I'm going to really try to promote it like I should. (The Wazala store that I tried wasn't what I was looking for). I'll be adding more items over the coming days, so please check back frequently. I plan to add some of my felting embellishments such as handspun art yarn as well as hand-dyed alpaca fiber.

Have a great weekend, if this rain keeps up it looks like yet more felting is on the agenda!

Fiber Obsession

2011-09-19T09:22:00.003-04:00

Well, it's about knitting but I'm sure that all of us fiber fanatics can relate! LOVE this video.

Midway Fall Festival 2011

2011-09-18T08:40:00.002-04:00

I've been felting like crazy, and actually look forward to a little break from it this week, hoping to ride and get out in the woods. This weekend is the Midway Fall Festival, one of my favorite events of the year and a great way to kick off fall! Sales were strong at my booth yesterday, and I ended the day by selling the scarf above right off my neck, to a woman from Chicago.

A handmade book maker stopped at my booth- she liked my books and I asked for her advice on pricing. She advised me to go a bit higher, and would you believe that I sold this one for the higher price right after she left? In the few minutes I had time to walk around, I went to see her booth, and her books were amazing, all made from recycled leather and burlap coffee bags and old books. The quality of booths at Midway seems to be better this year, with some very nice jewelry (but still a bit too much of it), recycled felt items, wine tasting, quilts, and of course the obligatory turkey legs (yum) and kettle corn. The hours today are 11-5, come on out (and be sure to stop at our booth to see Finn the llama and Dacoma the alpaca).

Never say Never- Handmade Book

2011-09-13T09:25:00.000-04:00

At the Felter's Fling last month, I took a class with Chad Alice Hagan on resist dyeing and book binding. To be perfectly honest, it wasn't my first pick but it looked interesting and I thought that Chad seemed like a cool teacher. I enjoyed the dyeing day, but wasn't that excited as we started the bookbinding part.

Our cat Sushi checking out the book

Boy, was I in for a surprise! My excitement grew as Chad would say in her sing-songy voice, "Oh, I just LOVE this part!!!! (I think she said that at every part). She told us some of the history of binding books, and explained how each step (and there were MANY) had a specific purpose. I'd always liked the idea of felt covering books (and I've made some covers in the past), but I never could figure out how to finish the book professionally.

The two little books we made (you can check them out here) took us nearly two full days (not including fulling, dyeing and embroidering the felt), and I thought there's no way I'll make another one of these. Well, the idea grew on me as I came home and kept admiring my tiny books with great fondness. I decided to tackle another, and have plans for more (it didn't take nearly as long as my first one).

The tools are simple (an awl for punching holes, straight edges for measuring, waxed linen thread, needle, PVA glue, special paper), and I was able to find most either at Michael's or ordered from Hollander's.

The best part was the thrifted leather coat that I found at Goodwill. Chad thrifts all of her leather (it's really expensive to buy), and I couldn't believe the huge quantity of leather I scored for just $5!

I definitely have plans to make more of these books, and will have this and hopefully another 1-2 for sale at this weekend's Midway Fall Festival. Book binding.... hmmm, is there anything I won't try?

Felter's Fling 2, Butterfly Shawl

2011-09-07T08:53:00.002-04:00

Jean Gauger's Butterfly Shawl class that I took at Felter's Fling was so much fun! We worked in a large tent, starting out with drooling over some of Jean's shawls (which I'd long admired on her website, Sugarplum Originals- one is shown here, above) and getting a feel for the steps we'd take to create our own shawls over the next 3 days. Jean showed us lots of inspiring examples, and we were encouraged to look at photos of butterflies for ideas as well (although none of us were trying for an exact duplication)

Jean showed us how to make "eyes" on our wings, and we each made sample squares to get a feel for how the silk and wool would interact upon felting/fulling.

Laying out our fibers and silk took over a full day, as we used silk chiffon, habotai silk, merino, tussah silk, and scraps of silk gauze to achieve the effect. My back has complained about this laying out phase ever since, as there was lots of leaning, climbing on the table, etc!

Terry's shawl, nearing the end of the layout process.

Deb's gorgeous piece, wetted down and ready for fulling.

Most of our shawls, completed (a few people had to leave early)

Close up of my butterfly shawl.

Proudly modeling my finished shawl

Jean was such a warm and enthusiastic teacher, I truly hope to stay in touch with her. Her talent and artistry is truly original. She put together this awesome YouTube video of our class during the process, I hope you enjoy it!

It already seems like a dream, but this great event was punctuated by the threat of Hurricane Irene (my first hurricane!). It became apparent by Friday that we were in line for the storm, and we got word that flights out of all of the nearby airports were being cancelled for Sunday (the day when those of us from out of the area were flying home). Fortunately, everything was well in hand at home so I never really panicked over my delay, and my husband advised me to simply "be flexible." I was rescheduled for a flight leaving on Tuesday morning, and resigned myself to lots of reading on my trusty iPad (which I was so grateful to have for monitoring the weather radar, skypeing to home, and confirming flights to name a few things...)

Snow Farm and Sharon Costello did a great job of keeping us informed, providing flashlights and water in case of power outages, and rearranging our airport shuttle schedule. The storm hit at about 2 AM on Saturday night after light rain, and all it amounted to for us was about 18-20 hours of HARD steady rain and moderate, steady wind. I feel so sorry for those in hard-hit Vermont and other areas.... and grateful that we didn't experience the same!

Somebody with a bubble-wrap rain poncho!

There were only about 25 of us left at Snow Farm on Sunday, and many of us had the chance to take a "bonus" class with Marjolein Dalinga of Bloomfelt, which seemed to make it all worthwhile! I had long admired her work, and was so impressed with her presentation given earlier in the week, in which she shared her artwork, philosophy, and sources of her own inspiration. Marjolein has a unique career of creating amazing costumes and prop pieces for the Cirque de Soleil. Here are a few photos of the piece I created during her enjoyable class... you can decide what it is!

I was invited by the "Colorado ladies" to spend the day with them on Monday, and had a wonderful time shopping (we visited Osgood's huge fabric warehouse and raided their silk stash) and returned to New England Felting supply (and yes, I found some things I'd missed on the previous visit!) Rather than an anticlimatic end to a great trip killing time at an impersonal airport, I had a fun-filled day with these energetic and interesting ladies (Cathy, Fran, Deb and Barb- the only other alpaca breeder at The Fling).

I'm so thankful that I had the chance to attend Felter's Fling, and I can already tell a huge difference in my skills and creativity in my work here at home! (Just what I was hoping for....)

Felter's Fling 1

2011-09-02T10:20:00.001-04:00

Sky over Chicago

I know it's been a while! Between getting the kids settled back in school and then my trip to New England for Felter's Fling, time has literally flown by! What a great experience I had at "The Fling", which was held at beautiful Snow Farm (The New England School of Craft) in Williamsburg, Mass. Organized by Sharon Costello, this biannual event was all I could have possibly hoped for, and more!

I had been looking forward to this sabbatical for about a year since first learning of it, and was scheduled for the classes which were in high demand since January. It would be a great chance for me to really focus on my art, learn new skills, and connect and share with other feltmakers (with 90 people participating from 22 states and 4 countries). I got all I'd hoped for, and more!

My friend Dawn Edwards with her cool hat

Elynn Bernstein with her peacock hat

The first day began with a Mad Hatter's Party with wine and cheese, with many participants wearing handmade hats and competing for prizes.

Deb Naremore and I at the end of the Fling

I was fortunate to share a room with Deb from Taos, NM- it made me feel like I was back in college as we compared notes and told stories each night. We got along great and I look forward to staying in touch with her.

My first class was with Chad Alice Hagen on resist dyeing and book binding. Using undyed wool prefelts, we clamped various items onto the folded felt before putting into a dye bath, and each piece went through a series of up to 3 dyes with changes in the folding and clamping in between. Here are some of my results:

One thing about workshops is that you learn a lot about teaching from the teachers, and I hope to schedule some new classes here soon. Chad Hagen was a master- enthusiastic and funny but extremely organized and methodical. When one is teaching something as detailed as bookbinding, keeping everyone together and on the same step is really important, and she seemed to anticipate our every move and question. There was something so reassuring about her approach, and I had flashbacks of the joy of being in art class in about 4th grade with colorful materials before me and just waiting to create! It was a wonderful feeling to relive.

Here are my two finished books, which I will always treasure as mementos of this trip.

We had a great side trip to New England Felting Supply in Easthampton, a feltmaker's paradise! (We got to drive through the beautiful campus of Smith College in Northampton, too). Situated in an old theater, they had everything one could want and need for felting, gorgeous wools in every color, hand-painted silks, hundreds of tiny bags of treasures for including in felt pieces to add interest, books, tools, and more. And yes, I did load up! I am anxiously waiting for UPS to arrive with my big box of treasures today.

Dawn Edwards and Andrea Graham, in the gallery of NEFS, creations by Andrea

Every day was scheduled to the max with optional activities besides the classes, beginning with a morning stretch/yoga and ending with either "show and tell" or presentations by the mostly international instructors who shared informations about their countries, cultures, and felt pieces.

These presentations were interspersed with an exhibition of student work and a fashion show- all so fun and inspiring! We were welcome to visit other classrooms any time, and there was a sincere spirit of generous sharing between the instructors and all of the students.

Sculpture made in Marjolein's class

Awesome vessel by Ohio feltmaker, Pam McGregor

Rug made with Finn wool by Deb

In my next post, I'll write about my second class, Nuno Butterfly Shawl with Jean Gauger, as well as the impact that Hurricane Irene had on my trip! Enjoy the photos of beautiful Snow Farm, and I hope you have a great Labor Day weekend.

Colorful, Artsy Afternoon

2011-08-08T17:39:00.009-04:00

Steel reproduction of a wooden sculpture by Marvin Finn in Louisville, KY

I know I said I'd be posting more fibery stuff, but the other day was just too fun not to mention and archive here! My husband needed to go to Louisville, and I was glad to go along since our friend Marti was going to be there. (More on that....)

I had just read about an art garden along the Ohio River waterfront that featured reproductions in steel of a favorite Kentucky folk artist's work, so we went to check that out first. My husband and I had the opportunity to visit Marvin Finn in his apartment many years ago, and I was really pleased to see the recognition that the city of Louisville has given his legacy.

Then we walked to the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft to see Marti and her art car on display. Not JUST Marti and the car, but also her rather-famous miniature horse, Iota McHippus (Io for short, and yes he has his very own popular facebook page) that rides along in his own colorfully-painted mini horse trailer!

Io's trailer, sorry I forgot to photograph the Happy Art Car!

Marti loves to spread joy with Io and his colorful personality as a catalyst, and as you can see everyone loved them both!

We had fun looking at the other art cars, and went through the awesome exhibit at the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft.

Gourd art by internationally-renowned Frankfort artist, Jennifer Zing

Before we headed off to her favorite Peruvian restaurant, our daughter had her face painted. It was such a fun and lively afternoon!

Tour de Fleece?

2011-07-19T10:59:00.008-04:00

Many of my "fibery friends" that spin their own yarn like to participate in the annual "Tour de Fleece", an event that mirrors the Tour de France. Each spinner is to set a goal, something challenging, and to focus on that goal throughout the time of the tour. Well, I'm not that focused and my time has been a bit scattered recently since we're taking a "staycation" this year and I'm working around the entire family's schedules. So, my goal was simply to do more spinning.

I've discovered that I really enjoy "spinning outside the box", (ie. art yarns), so that's what I've been doing. I've discovered Wensleydale fleece, love it! The funnest thing is spinning it completely raw, I love the way it forms little loops and has such gorgeous, lustrous texture.

Unfortunately, I'm having trouble downloading photos of my favorite yarn from my camera and the best pictures are on there. With the oppressing heat continuing, it's looking like I'll be spending more time in my comfy studio spinning!

Photo Fun

2011-07-15T22:24:00.007-04:00

Truly, I have been doing some fibery stuff lately and will post soon. In the meantime, enjoy these "artsy" photos taken on yet another marvelous ride, this time back at Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill where I went riding with Marti, my husband, and daughter.

End of the Innocence?

2011-07-07T14:18:00.017-04:00

The other morning I had gotten up early to see off my husband and son, and decided to go back to bed for just a little bit... just because I could. After a few minutes of slumber, my parents called and my mom gave me the bad news that an old friend of mine, JM, had died. The obituary she'd read was short and generic, so I called his mother in a little bit of denial and she confirmed that he had passed in late May, likely from an accidental overdose of medication.

We'd been friends and neighbors in junior high and high school (I'd had a crush on him when I was about 15 and he was 14), and then he'd befriended me again in college when he transferred to my school. JM was smart and good-looking but socially awkward in early adulthood, and I found out several years later that he had been diagnosed with a serious mental illness and was living out of state with his parents. I hadn't heard from him for about 20 years when he wrote to me out of the blue about a year and a half ago, and we corresponded by handwritten letters every few weeks during that time.

We wrote about our pets (he especially liked cats), and he expounded about how much he enjoyed living in Florida, "paradise." I told him about our farm life, and sent him pictures of our chickens, cats, and alpacas. He sent me a photo of our old house, and we reminisced about "the good ole days". I sent him a postcard the day we headed for Florida this spring with my cell number, and told him to give us a call if he wanted to get together since we would be near his home. He called, and my husband, daughter and I met him for lunch. Still friendly and funny, we were mutually glad to see each other and we had a really good visit.

Hearing the news that just six weeks after I'd seen him JM was gone, especially on the heels of another close friend's inexplicable suicide, filled me with sadness. I started to lay my head back on the pillow, but instead jumped out of bed and literally shouted, "CARPE DIEM" (Seize the Day!). I was overwhelmed with a wave of gratitude for my own life and truly felt that I should not waste a minute feeling sad!

I heard this song later that day, and it has been swirling in my head ever since:

Somehow it seems connected to my feelings about losing my old friend, but it is also now linked in my mind to our expedition yesterday, one of the absolute BEST days I've ever had riding and sharing with my girlfriends.

"I know a place where we can go, still untouched by men... We'll sit and watch the clouds roll by, the tall grass waving in the wind".... That's where we went, or at least it seemed like it at Red Hill in Livingston, KY and the Daniel Boone National Forest. I know that only MB and Marti (and our 3 horses) can truly understand what a special day it was....

The challenge of the rugged trails (indescribably scary in spots, sloppy-muddy in others), the amazing conversations and laughter, the beauty of the surroundings, and the awe and appreciation we held for our sure-footed horses.... all contributed to an especially gratitude-filled, happy day. AND, to top it off, we FINALLY found Moonbow Rock, a natural arch which we had sought in every prior ride at Red Hill and never could find. (We had begun to doubt it's existence). And we didn't get lost like on last year's epic ride there with my daughter.

So, well into my middle years and having survived longer than some who were precious to me, I am attempting to find meaning and connectedness in the people, places, and experiences in my life. I am trying to see beauty and significance in the small and large events. I felt drawn to this plant I spotted by Moonbow Rock... which I realized today symbolizes the love and connectedness I have with Marti, MB, and our horses.

And yes, once again, I do know how very lucky I am.....

Dreamy Ride

2011-07-01T09:36:00.007-04:00

I had this dream the other night that I was riding a smooth-gaited horse through acres of wildflowers with my daughter and two wonderful friends at side.... no, wait, it wasn't a dream! We had a fantastic, laid-back ride at Shaker Village the other day with the most picture-perfect blue sky, pleasant temperatures, and wildflowers at their peak (the photos don't do them justice). And the horses.... they all behaved exquisitely!

My friend Marti has a very, very special paint horse named MuMu (McHippus), and his training has been thoughtful and slow. Its been a huge step for Marti and Mu to be "out" with other horses on real trails, and they are doing beautifully.

I so admire Marti's patience, as well as the dedication that MB is showing to help them along, and can't wait until we do it again!

As always, we had a great picnic... well, everything couldn't be perfect- the wine bottle broke in the saddle bag, first time that's ever happened! Must have been a Shaker ghost around, voicing their disapproval.

Mirian with her patient steed, Gringo

Encouraged

2011-06-28T15:20:00.013-04:00

My first art fair turned out to be a fantastic experience for me, extremely fulfilling personally and as an artist. There, I said it, I'm finally starting to believe it (that I AM a fiber artist). A few years ago, I did an online art class with a very fun and inspiring young woman named Suzi Blu. Her funky videos, where she made you feel as if she was right in the room with you, often give a very strong message that everyone can be an artist, so I decided right then that I would embrace that thought.

My incredibly positive artist friend, Marti McGinnis, has taught and inspired me a lot creatively, too. She espouses the concept of focused intentions, whereby you visualize your goals and hold them in your mind (or even literally in a concrete form) until you reach them. Here's a great example of her inspiring and "Happy Art."

Artwork by Marti McGinnis, one of my heroes!

I gave myself permission this past year or so to take more time for creativity, and as I did I realized how incredibly GOOD and right I felt when I was in that "zone," so I chose to do it more and more. The economy has made it more challenging to make money with the farm, so it made sense to try to earn some income with my fiber art as well... and felting has become my true passion.

This first show I was juried into as an "emerging artist" is pretty prestigious, and I was intimidated when I first got to look around at the other booths of top-notch professional artists. Sales started out slowly, but as Saturday went on I kept getting a lot of nice feedback and the sales increased, too! It felt great to have my work admired and to expose people to handmade felt, and I have a new appreciation for the fact that everyone has very different ideas for what is "art", and that's a good thing! Some people would take a glance and walk right by my booth, others would enter excitedly and compliment nearly everything. One woman asked me if I would be interested in having a trunk show for her bank friends, and other potential opportunities arose as well. By the end of Sunday, I had met my sales goal almost exactly to the penny, how cool is that?

Suddenly I have more ideas than ever for new projects and concepts, and I'm investigating other art venues. I'm very grateful for the affirmations of friends, my parents, Mary from Damselfly Gallery who has affirmed me, and others that are encouraging me on this path!

I hope to be scheduling a few classes in July, so check back soon for more information.

Time is my friend!

2011-06-16T19:19:00.012-04:00

Felted vase with glass insert

I'll probably be eating these words this time next week when I'm desperately getting ready for the Francisco's Farm Art Festival with lots of last-minute stuff to do, but for now it's all pretty good! Both kids have been at camp this week, the first time that's EVER happened, so I'm really getting to do what I want to do without distractions, trips to town, and other things pulling at my time and creative mindset. (Of course I treasure my kids, and I have had twinges of empty nest foreshadowing for when they get a little older, but still...its great to have a break, especially when I need the "space" right now). After a great riding outing and overnight with friends, I was happy for an entire day of listening to Pandora, without having to share ANY stations! (Listened to Somewhere Over the Rainbow's station ALL day!)

Felted vase (alpaca and other fibers) with glass insert

I feel that this art show has given me a big push to come up with a "critical mass" of work and it's really made me focus, and try to improve, and to truly stretch. I guess that's exactly what the organizers are trying to do by including "emerging artists" like myself. It's made me feel like I really kind of am... an artist!

Wine bottle huggers of wool, alpaca, copper glitz

If it happens to be really hot next weekend, it'll be hard to interest visitors in garments (even the lightweight nuno shawls and scarves), so I've tried to create more true art pieces and functional items. Here's a sampling of some more new stuff!

Wall hangings from Shelby the sheep's lovely locks of wool

I'm already excited to see what tomorrow brings, I've got some newly-dyed silk and merino ready, and will be using some of the gorgeous long Wensleydale locks that I ordered from Namaste Farm as well. At least I stepped out of the turquoise and purple color pallete... for a while anyway!

Creating....

2011-06-14T08:29:00.008-04:00

I've been REALLY busy felting lately (getting ready for the Francisco's Farm Art Festival), too busy to blog! You can check out some of my new creations here (just click, it will take you to Facebook, you don't have to be a member to look at the album of photos!). More soon, I promise!

In the meantime, I'm off for a riding adventure with some friends and then will really be putting my nose to the grindstone in my studio....

Adventures in Fiber... on AND off the hoof!

2011-05-30T11:51:00.015-04:00

I had a great time at the two day felting workshop in Lexington taught by Nicola Brown, and as always there was lots of learning, laughing, and great camaraderie between the participants. I don't know how Nicola does it, she starts with a group of people of varying experience, different fibers to use, and a variety of projects they want to complete. It all seems a little bit chaotic in the very beginning but by the end of the second day everyone has happily finished at least one or two projects and we've all picked up tips, tricks and inspiration from Nicola and each other!

Nicola brought lots of sample items to show us, many from her new book which she has just co-published with Chrissie Day. I have the book and love it, but it was extra-nice to see her projects "in person." Based on some of the items she showed us, I wanted to make a scarf/shawl using some nuno collage techniques. Although it wasn't completely different from some things I've already been doing, I did learn some things and loved the result!

The other students created some stunning items as well, from bags to vessels to wraps. Lots of creativity in that room!

The day after the class was over, my friend Jan (who organized the workshop) brought Nicola out for a visit to our alpaca and llama farm so that she could see some of the local Kentucky bluegrass countryside. I planned a casual hike where we would lead some llamas carrying a little picnic of wine and cheese and fruit (we normally offer "commercial" llama treks, this was going to be an informal version).

One of the llamas, Bandit, is normally a tiny bit edgy but then calms down and can be one of our sweetest and most dependable, having been led by small children on prior hikes. I wasn't 100% sure that he'd carried the pack before, but as I put the pack saddle on him and tightened the girth he stood completely calmly which reassured me that he had in fact done it before. We each took a llama and I gave Jan and Nicola a short spiel about the differences between alpacas and llamas and how to handle them safely.

As we stepped out of the barn, Bandit suddenly turned into a whirling dervish as he felt the contents of his pack bags shifting!!!! He bucked and bucked, with Nicola (experienced wth thoroughbred horses years ago) holding onto his lead rope for dear life!!! As he bucked, the pack saddle and bags banged on his sides and shifted and his panic increased, and after giving her a bad friction burn on her hand Nicola couldn't hold onto the lead any longer. We watched, helpless, as poor Bandit bucked across the field with the pack saddle now practically around his waist and one pack bag flying off, and then he ran out of sight into the woods.....

Nicola ran after him while I put the other two llamas in stalls, and Jan retrieved the pack bag that had already fallen. I joined Nicola and we located the other bag and tracks in the mud leading back toward the field where he normally stays which was nearly 1/2 mile away. We also doctored Nicola's hand which had a bit of skin removed and a big blister- she was a great sport about it but I know it had to hurt. Long story short, Bandit wasn't back down there and I suggested that we search around our farm in the comfort of the air-conditioned Kubota RTV (which gave Jan and Nicola a tour of the farm nonetheless). Although I felt sure he'd go back to his buddies in the field, we were concerned about him getting caught on something since he still had the pack saddle and lead rope attached.

Finally I suggested that we just have our picnic in our breezy, high wildlife observation tower where we'd have a good view in case he appeared, and give him time to settle down and find his way back. Sure enough, about 30 minutes later my daughter came to tell us that he'd arrived back at the llama field and she'd caught him, removed the pack which was around his back legs by then, and put him back with his friends, unscathed. Phew....

We enjoyed our wine and cheese, miraculously the wine bottle hadn't broken although the bananas were mashed over everything and the crackers were mostly crumbs! After we knew Bandit was okay, we laughed over the incident and Nicola recounted some other now-hilarious times when she'd been injured! We returned to the barn for some photos with the llamas and said our farewells. Thanks, Nicola, for coming to Lexington and I hope we can persuade you to return in the fall. I'm sure you'll always remember your visit to Seldom Scene Farm!

What to Make?

2011-05-24T11:54:00.013-04:00

Nuno shawl with alpaca, merino, silk, angelina sparkle, and mohair on cotton

The past week was fun to say the least, with the highlight being a wonderful surprise birthday party my sweet husband gave me with our close friends and family at a favorite restaurant, Heirloom in nearby Midway. The AOBA National Auction was a big success for our farm and those of our our partners, too, you can read about that here. I also had a super time at the Kentucky Sheep and Fiber Festival, and was very inspired by all of the great colors and project ideas I gleaned from the high-quality vendors.

Now I can concentrate on the upcoming felting class I'm taking later this week with Nicola Brown of Ireland (whose class I took last fall in Michigan). I had a rare long, quiet day yesterday in the studio, and contemplated what I most hope to learn from Nicola this time. What to make? What to make?

I completed these nuno scarves since the ones I made last week sold at the Festival, and I love making them but want to challenge myself with something completely new in Nicola's class. I think I want to tackle a large wearable project, like a cape or jacket. Either way, I'm glad that the auction, travel, and the fiber festival are behind me, home schooling is gearing down, and I can just concentrate on creating for a while!

I am so very blessed and most challenges in my life are fairly trivial, and my heart and prayers go out to those that are suffering through the tornadoes and subsequent losses...

Kentucky Sheep and Fiber and MORE!

2011-05-15T21:23:00.014-04:00

Hand-dyed and felted alpaca lattice shawl

Life has been REALLY hectic lately, and these next several days will be a real peak for me! In this past and next week, there's end-of-school year stuff, the Buckeye Alpaca Show, a birthday (ahem....), the AOBA National Auction in Denver (with our elite herdire, El Nino's Accoyo Michelangelo and a beautiful female selling), and the Kentucky Sheep and Fiber Festival. I'm excited for it all, bring it on!

Nuno-felted scarf of silk and wool, hand-dyed

I haven't had as much time as I'd like to dye fiber and yarn and make finished products for the festival, but I'm pleased with what I have done so it's just going to have to be enough for this time! My friend MB with Alpacas at Booker's Corner and I are sharing a booth at the festival, and she'll be there on Saturday and I'll be there on Sunday. I've decided to keep things at least a little more simple and won't be taking animals this year.

I do love spending quiet time in my studio making things (and haven't had enough of that lately), and I'm looking forward to both taking AND teaching some classes this summer. We'll be continuing home school over the summer, but on a less structured basis. Watch for news about upcoming classes!

Hand-felted Lamb Shade!

In the mean time, I hope to see many of you at the Kentucky Sheep and Fiber Festival or AOBA Nationals!

Bio-Magnificence!

2011-05-09T21:49:00.009-04:00

I know that I've posted a ton of animal photos lately, hope you don't mind! They are a big part of our lives around here, and even though you'd think we might get our fill my daughter and I took a field trip today to the Cincinnati Zoo. Zoo visits are a great way to reinforce reading, geography, map-reading, and of course biology, and are definitely not just for little kids. I have fond memories of going to the Cincinnati Zoo with my high school art class, sketchbooks in hand!

It was a beautiful day and something we'd been looking forward to doing for quite a while, and it was a time that won't be forgotten. I tried to remember my Word of the Year, Presence, and to enjoy each part of the day with this fun and lovely daughter that is growing up so quickly! I treasured each time she took my hand, knowing that these occasions are likely numbered and reminiscing with gratitude about the years of bonding that it took to get to this place.

The photos speak for themselves, there are so many magnificent creatures that we are lucky to experience here on God's green earth (and for most, only at the zoo).

Spring Splendor

2011-05-04T07:35:00.011-04:00

April broke many records for rainfall, and yesterday brought as much rain as we'd normally have in the entire month of May! It definitely makes me more appreciative of every bit of sunshine we have, and I try to focus on how deliciously colorful and green (my favorite color!) it is everywhere! I can't imagine anywhere else being more lush than here right now.

Along with the spring rain and storms come the creatures of spring, wild and domestic, with all of their flirtations and joy! Here is a sampling of some that have been seen on or near the farm in recent days... The peacock photo was taken at a friend's farm nearby. As impressed as I was with his plumage, the peahen didn't seem to care much!

A wild tom turkey was going through the same motions flashing his showy tail for some hens in front of our barn... not sure if they were any more impressed.

One of our spring crias was delighted to get outside after being cooped up in the barn on the rainy days.

I saw this behemoth walking from a little pond to our larger stocked pond... hmmm, I wonder how he or she shows off for a mate?

It was lovely to end yesterday's gloomy day with a touch of evening sun.... there's so much strife and violence in this world and I know that we are very blessed to come home to peaceful spring scenes like this.

More fleece (on the hoof, that is!)

2011-05-02T14:12:00.007-04:00

Finally our new lambs arrived! We had been expecting them since before April 1st, but when that day came and went Dianne (whose ram did the breeding) determined that our ewe, Pepper, must have conceived on a later breeding than what had been observed. So, we waited, and waited!

Poor girl was looking pretty miserable last week, and we were beginning to think she might have triplets. (Mirian was hoping that she might "have" to bottle feed one!). We checked her many times a day and I went up at 3 AM on one of the stormy nights, but as is often the case with animals she snuck in the delivery last night and the lambs were bouncing around and dry when our helper discovered them this morning.

There aren't a whole lot of things more cute than baby lambs. (Well, MAYBE crias, but it would have to be a toss-up!)

And, you know, we really NEED more fleece! (Actually, I'm really enjoying working with the wool from last year).

Versatility of Felt

2011-04-28T22:45:00.010-04:00

The other day I finally found a tiny bit of time in the studio for some felting. I really need to be spending more time there, as I need lots of new items for my booth at the Francisco's Farm Art Festival in June. So.... I got to work.

First I made a flat piece of felt that incorporates cotton scrim, alpaca, fine merino, locks of our sheep's fiber, and silk. (I would later add some stone buttons). The piece is especially thin and transparent, you'll soon see why!

I love the various textures of this particular piece, it's why I love felting so much.

After some trimming and stitching, the flat piece was turned into this:

These are always difficult to photograph, but I hope you get the drift! I can hardly wait to do the next one.....

Hunting... or Finding?

2011-04-25T08:18:00.018-04:00

It was kind of funny, two different family members called yesterday for advice on hunting for morel mushrooms and a cousin was talking about it on Facebook. I think it's probably prime time in Ohio, but in this part of Kentucky I believe the time has passed for morels. Perhaps I've made it sound easier than it is, as the timing is of great importance (they only last for a few days before shriveling up or being eaten by wild animals) and just being in the right place to find them is critical- there is definitely a lot of luck involved!

We have found morels on only a fraction of our farm's wooded areas, and there doesn't seem to be a common denominator with the the two areas they've been discovered, other than that there is plenty of shade. If you read what the experts say, you'll see a diversity of opinions about what kinds of trees to look under, etc.

A grey morel, the best tasting (we only find a few of these here)

The morels we found this year were in about the 2nd week of April, which is almost always when we have found them. It has been an exceptionally wet spring, as it was during the banner year for morels that we had two years ago (last year we didn't find ANY).

So, my best advice is to take your time and enjoy the woods. There is something very relaxing about getting out into nature, especially in the springtime when so much new life is happening before your eyes.

Your eyes will become trained to spot the shape of a morel, but don't dismiss everything else you see on the forest floor (can you spot the two small morels in the picture above?).

There is so much beauty in the shapes, textures, and colors you'll see.

Even the lichens are beautiful if you take the time to look.

The "morel" of the story? If you're REALLY lucky, you'll fill the sink with these (small morels from this year's harvest). If not, well you'll have been lucky anyway... just to get out and enjoy nature. My next foraging experience? We're going to forage nettles this week, stay tuned!

All over the place!

2011-04-11T09:16:00.011-04:00

If this blog seems to hop all over the place, it's because that's how life has been lately! We did get to Florida for spring break, the first time my husband has ever gotten away for the whole time with the kids. Siesta Key is as beautiful as I remember, and hadn't changed a whole lot in the 25 or more years since I'd been there.

We also enjoyed an afternoon at Venice Beach, looking for fossilized shark's teeth. I found two small ones, the kids mostly enjoyed the sand and surf. They got along GREAT on this trip and handled the long drive there perfectly, too. It made for a very pleasant time.

This is who we saw on one long walk on Siesta Beach! He drew a crowd, as you might expect.

The sunset also drew an enthusiastic crowd. There's just something awe-inspiring about watching that huge burning orb drop into the ocean before your eyes, even though it occurs every single day.

I also got to see a long-lost friend from the neighborhood where we lived when I was in junior high and high school. We've been writing for the past year or so, our lives having gone very different directions. It was great to see him and introduce him to the family.

There has been a LOT going on at the farm, will post about our new cria and hope to have lambs as well in the next few days so check back soon!

Springtime Hodge and Podge

2011-03-27T07:43:00.027-04:00

The choir trip with my son's school to Orlando was a lot better than I thought it might be and (with the help of a little Tylenol PM) I actually was able to sleep on the bus! Universal Studios was really nice (minus the super-loud music and sound effects and commercialism), and it was fun to see the kids perform, but I was predictably thrilled to return to the tranquility of Seldom Scene Farm. Hogwarts was by far my favorite part, but there's tons of magic going on right here with spring on the rise.

We're waiting on our first alpaca crias to arrive any time, very exciting! Also, our daughter's ewe is due to lamb soon but since we're going to be gone we've left her at our friend Dianne's place to deliver (thanks again, Dianne!). We are completely addicted to her new Lamb Cam (live barn views via the internet), and will be anxious to pick out our own lambs "on TV" when they get here and watch them bounce around on the screen before we can see them in person.

The other babies on the farm are these chicks which are being added to our egg-laying flock. We had the sweetest group of girl scouts come for a llama trek recently; they enjoyed playing with the chicks almost as much as they liked the llamas.

Fiber activity has been scarce, although I have continued to pick up the needles and work on my Tea Leaves Cardigan which I'm hoping to complete while there's still some cool weather around. I've made more felted birdhouses, but forgot to photograph them before they were shipped to Wyoming and taken to Damselfly Gallery in Midway.

Another piece of news is that we have decided to sell one of our premier alpaca studs, El Nino's Accoyo Michelangelo, at the AOBA National Auction in Denver in May. We had fun doing some photography and video with him the other day (of course the dogs wanted to get in on the action). He's a very cooperative, charismatic and photogenic alpaca, so it made the process a lot of fun!

We have a dusting of snow on the daffodils today after near record high temperatures this week. That is the epitome of March in Kentucky, it's definitely going out like a lion. I hope that you're enjoying at least some signs of spring where you are!

Learning from Mistakes

2011-03-04T07:45:00.007-05:00

It's never fun to have to throw out a messed-up felting project (at least with knitting, you can unravel the yarn!), but I suppose I can say that it's how one improves. Last week one day I had a block of time to make the first of Mirian's slippers. I chose her favorite colors and decided to make them slightly thicker and to use only wool, no alpaca. The alpaca in mine feels incredibly soft, however it is not holding in the rest of the felt very well. Although I love alpaca, it's not well-suited for felting that will take a lot of hard wear.

I traced a pattern for the resist and made it larger to account for shrinkage.... but not enough shrinkage! I guess that using more merino (which shrinks a lot) and not using alpaca (which barely shrinks) made it shrink significantly more. After trying to make this fit Mirian's foot (it felt like I was trying to get Cinderella's stepsister's foot into the glass slipper!), I gave up and started over.

The new slippers made from a larger resist turned out great! I had hoped to photograph them with the leather already sewn on, but I've not been able to whittle out even that little bit of time this week.

I did do a bit of dyeing, carding and spinning this past week, just wish I could have done more!

A friend told me that alpaca couldn't be spun into coils, one had to use merino, so of course I had to try- I love the result.

I'm off to the Southern Select Alpaca Show in Tennessee this weekend, then I'm chaperoning my son's choir trip to Orlando for 5 days! I'm beginning to forsee a time when our daughter will be back in school next year and I'll have larger blocks of time for fiber work again, trying hard not to wish the time away!

Dogs in my Life....

2011-02-24T14:27:00.021-05:00

Our little Munchkin ("Munchie") was pretty stinky and scruffy before grooming this week, and now he's cold but oh so cute! My mom asked me the other day if he was my favorite dog ever. Hmmm.... that would be a tough call because I do adore him, but I have had a LOT of wonderful dogs over the years. They include....

Brandy #1 and #2- They were Boxers, the first when I was very young and the second a rescue dog that we found full of fleas and all skin and bones with a big rope burn on her neck. When she became well again, she was constantly by my side. I made a jumping course in our backyard, and we would run around it together... this was before anyone was doing agility competitions. One of the smartest and sweetest dogs, I cried sooooo hard when Brandy died when I was a freshman away at college. She was incredibly loyal- though we did have a break-in at our home while she was there- the police thought she may have been poisoned/sedated.

Bonnie- my grandmother's West Highland Terrier that we had for the 2nd half of her life, cute but very feisty. (Terriers have never been my favorite, though I have recently met a few older Jack Russells that I've liked).

Bear- a mixed breed puppy that I bottle-raised, had been found on a sidewalk abandoned at just a few days old and was brought into the vet clinic where I was working. He actually came on a few dates with me, in a box in the backseat! My parents helped place him in a new home when I went back to school, and my Dad actually shed a few tears. (I'm so grateful that my parents were always so tolerant of my pets, which included ducks, rabbits, and a ferret).

Buffett- a beautiful blue merle Australian Shepherd, very intelligent dog that I truly let down as I lived in an apartment and was a very irresponsible pet owner before I finally wised up and found a more appropriate home for him (he did a lot of damage to my apartment, expensive lesson and I deserved to pay for every cent!). That dog was extremely bonded to me and ended up having a pretty unhappy life after I "abandoned" him. I still feel bad that I let this dog down.

Hmmm, what's with all of the "B" names?

McKenzie and Toulouse, in front of our house under construction

Toulouse- the first dog that Paul and I had on the farm, she was a beautiful red-tri Australian Shepherd. Sweet, sweet dog, well-behaved and smart. She seemed to have 9 lives, and used up several at once when she was run over by our big Dodge pickup and came away with only a bloody nose and black eye. Toulouse helped to mother the two coyote pups we raised (that's a story for another day....!) I think she'd win for the #1 favorite! (Don't anyone tell Munchie).

McKenzie- a huge wolf hybrid, she was gorgeous and bright and gentle, never hurt a flea (except for killing a fawn once). She once had both ears "pierced" by gunshots when she wandered onto a neighbor's farm, LUCKY dog! (In fairness, they probably thought she was a coyote). Although she had never shown any aggression, I insisted on finding her a new home when we brought our baby son Robert home... just couldn't take any chances. She went to a great home and lived a long, healthy life with another family.

Moon(shine)- I'd always admired Border Collies and wanted to potentially try sheepdog trials. A great dog, eager-to-please and energetic (which we'd expected), we couldn't keep him out of the neighbor's cattle. We found a good home for him where his talents were put to work as a trial dog.

Kate (Spanish Water Dog) and Chicklet (Corgi)- nice dogs, but neither were good with kids and tended to be high-strung and a little aggressive. Both went on to other homes.

Farley- our first LGD (livestock guardian dog), this huge Great Pyrenees had the run of the entire farm and he patrolled it well. A gentle giant, he inserted himself into any and every group photo and escorted us on many llama treks around the farm. We've had many other LGD's since, and currently have Dillon, Crockett and Rosa (Maremma sheepdogs) and Lucy (a Great Pyrenees). They literally allow us to sleep at night, guarding our alpacas and sheep in all weather and at all hours. At one point, I started saving the shed undercoat from a few of these dogs to spin, then realized how ridiculous that seemed since I had over 40 fine alpacas in the field! Each and every one has had a memorable personality.

As you can tell, I've been mostly drawn to larger dogs that are working breeds. Not our "lap dog", Munchie (who is a Shihtzu that was rescued by a friend).... He is not the sharpest tool in the shed, but he's great at warming my lap, and snuggling by my feet in bed, and he's gentle and not too yappy, doesn't shed, and he loves everybody. He travels well, likes the cat, and doesn't try to bite the UPS driver. He's definitely a keeper!

I wonder what other dogs will join our family in the future? Watching the Westminster Dog Show last week made me realize how important dogs have been to me and our family. If you are a dog lover, be sure to read A Dog's Purpose. It will make you appreciate every dog that's ever been a part of your life.

TGIFAF (Thank God It's Fiber Arts Friday!)

2011-02-17T22:50:00.017-05:00

This has been one of those not-so-great weeks (a LOT of running kids around with little free time to enjoy the beautiful weather, though we did have a llama trek yesterday). Our teens have been pushing my buttoms and my fuse has been short (is there a full moon or something?... yes!), but as I pondered getting out of bed early this morning I thought, “YEAH, I can wear my new slippers!” (Sometimes, no maybe always, it’s about the little things).

My last blog post described my first attempts at felting slippers. I scoured the net for tips on finishing the bottoms. A lot of people paint latex onto the bottoms to make them skid-proof, but I liked the idea of keeping them more natural plus I felt that leather would protect the bottoms a lot more. This blog had some good information on felted slippers and adding bottoms. Someone mentioned using scrap or even recycled leather thrifted from old coats, and a search turned up this Etsy seller. I ordered enough leather in a neutral color to make many future pairs, and had it within a few days. The leather is huge with a few scratches and holes, but for $30 I can probably get about 30 pairs of soles compared to $10 per pair that I’ve found elsewhere.

I made a template by tracing the slipper, then easily cut the leather with regular scissors. I may have trimmed it down a bit small, but time will tell. I used an awl to punch holes in the leather, and sewed them on using a heavy, waxed leather thread.

From the way they feel on my feet this morning, I declare this project a success!

Felted Slippers and Vessels

2011-02-15T12:31:00.020-05:00

It's so funny how one thing can lead to another... I went to a class and learned how to use a resist to make a felted bag, then I started making felted birdhouses. As I got better with those I realized that I didn't need anyone to show me how to make a vessel (which I'd been wanting to try), I already knew! Then as I made more birdhouses and a few vessels I thought I could make slippers, so I finally did (with some prodding from my sister-in-law Barbara!). It's intriguing to see how skills build upon one another, especially in art (when you're not a "natural talent!").

So, here are some slippers that I just made! I have had two pairs of awesome hand-felted wool slippers, both which I got in a great little shop off the main square in Cusco, Peru. It's a shop with lots of handmade original silver jewelry (not mass-produced touristy stuff), and also has felted items from the shop owner's friend in Scandinavia! I completely wore out the first pair, and bought some more on my fall, 2009 trip there. My current pair is a little large and I don't love the decoration; I kept thinking that it would be so nice if I could make some myself, custom fit to my feet. Well, I finally did it!

First I made the "baby" slippers (top). I was pleased with how they turned out, though to be critical one is thicker than the other and it was a good reminder that I need to weigh out the fiber and take notes when making things where matching matters.

I made these with alpaca on the inside for extra softness, then C-1 wool (which is rough but shrinks well but gives a lot of structure), then merino wool on the outside. The picture above is a good illustration of the amount of shrinkage that occurs after fulling. It also shows the original resist, and the pieces that were cut out- wow, doesn't the hole grow a lot?

As I was fulling/shrinking them, I kept putting them on my feet and molding/rubbing them for a good fit. I was pleased with how well they matched up, and wanted to add some additional color so I spun up some yarn from roving I'd just hand-dyed. Then I did a blanket-stitch around the opening and stitched a little design on one. I've yet to do the other as my thumb is sore from pushing the needle through the thick felt!

To finish them off completely, I'm going to stitch leather to the bottoms to help with wear and keep them from being too slick on our wood floors. I hope to receive the leather in the mail tomorrow, and if all goes well my next post will be about that process and I'll show the final results. And in the meantime, here are a few completed vessels...

Fiber Friday

2011-02-10T20:50:00.015-05:00

There's been lots of felting goodness and dyeing happening in my studio during the early mornings this week, thanks to the rejuvenation I got from last weekend's retreat! I posted recently with photos of a lattice scarf I made for myself. As excited as I was then, I've changed my method a bit (to make the openings smaller), and have had good success in doing some with pure alpaca (hand-dyed, from our herd). I like these a lot better than the first.

Here's one with a flower pin that I'm including for the buyer, my friend Charlotte.

I'm going to try to do a bit more "direct selling" (I'd love to cut out the middle man wherever possible to keep prices reasonable), so if you're interested in any of these let me know and I'll be glad to send more pictures/details. The scarves are $65-$80 and the pink/orange shawl is $105 and I'll include the pin if you respond within the week!

Oh, and here's a skein of yarn I spun on the retreat- I just love doing those coils! You can tell from the color palette that I'm craving some spring color.

You may notice that I've updated my blog roll to better reflect what I've been reading these days. Lots of new felting blogs are listed! I'm excited that Nicola Brown (Clasheen) from Ireland is coming to Kentucky in late May and will be giving a class at my friend Jan's home. I'm very excited that she's coming to the area, and hope she'll have time to come to the farm! Check out her site if you're interested in the class.

Snug Hollow

2011-02-09T09:53:00.025-05:00

My friends and I had a wonderful 3-night retreat at Snug Hollow Inn and Farm in Irvine, Kentucky last weekend. Even though I live in a paradise of quiet and nature, it's great to have a change of scenery every once in a while (lest we get any weirder, as my friend Dianne says is apt to happen when we don't get off our farms enough!). The chance to be with friends with common interests and to enjoy their laughter and stories was priceless!

The drive into Snug Hollow brought back memories of our farm's bumpy gravel driveway before we paved it, and there was a gate to open and shut and that feeling of, "I sure hope we're going the right way!" As we got further into the hollow, the house and cabin finally appeared.

Barbara, the proprietor, took us on a tour of the main house and the original cabin (above and below) where two other parties of 9 women would be staying for the weekend. We stayed in her brand-new cabin, and it was just perfect for the five of us, with a bathroom, reading nook, small kitchen, and a cozy gas fireplace.

Word has caught on that the inn and farm was listed as one of National Geographic's 50 Best Girlfriend Getaways. The endless character and Barbara's special touches were charming.

Her organic garden supplies a lot of the delicious vegetarian meals served throughout the year, and the products of her canning were artfully tucked in here and there.

The grounds, too, are filled with Barbara's touches and those of local artisans who produce stained glass, pottery, carving, and weaving. I loved the wood-carved chairs that were nestled in the perfect vantage places for sitting.

A few of us took a side trip to Tater Knob Pottery, a short drive from the inn heading toward Berea. The owners couldn't have been friendlier or more accommodating, and I scored a few pieces of their beautiful work.

We ate breakfast and dinner in the main house (huge, delicious meals!) and in between eating and drinking wine we spun, knitted, told jokes, laughed, and laughed some more.

One morning I awoke early and took a hike by myself. It was damp and misty, all gloomy and beautiful at the same time.

I've found myself shaking off some long-held procrastination this week and in addition to homeschooling and paperwork and yuck-stuff, I've produced several felted pieces that I'm pretty pleased with (more on those later this week). I guess that means that the retreat worked as planned!

Something to wear

2011-02-03T09:56:00.014-05:00

Have you ever bought something and just couldn't WAIT to wear it?! Going out with your new digs can give you a real lift. Now, have you ever MADE something yourself and were anxious to wear it out? An even bigger thrill awaits!

I have coveted the felted lattice scarves that I've seen here and there amongst felting circles, and was assured by my friend Dawn (whom I met at a felting class in Michigan) that they're really easy to make. Well, my first attempt was a disaster. I tried using pencil roving, and despite lots of rolling and rubbing it just didn't seem to want to felt at the joins and was a big, unsalvageable mess.

This time I used my own hand-dyed merino top, and made a sample first. The strips in the sample were a little too thin, so I drafted strips thicker than pencil roving and laid them out on bubble wrap, then followed my usual wet felting steps. That did the trick! Only one join isn't holding, and I think I can easily fix it with a felting needle.

Another big discovery was with my dyeing. Comparing dye results with others, I realized that I was "washing away" an aweful lot of dye after heat setting and cooling longer than the directions call for, and not getting the more vibrant colors I sometimes wanted. Hmmm, could it be our water? We have a well with sulphur water, and despite an elaborate filtration system our water quality can still be.... let's just say a challenge! I'm not the scientific sort when it comes to dyeing, don't use ph strips and such, but thought I'd trying adding some citric acid at the fiber/yarn soaking stage. Voila!

I'm wearing my cheery new scarf to a knitting/fiber retreat I'm attending this weekend with a few friends. I know, I know, another retreat? Life is good! In case I am sounding a bit too manic about this new scarf, consider that I have a teenage daughter that always sets me straight... when asked if she likes my new scarf, she scrunched her face and said, "No, not really..." Oh well, I guess this means I don't have to make one for her!

Presence... or absence?

2011-01-27T07:09:00.024-05:00

I had a powerful reminder of my chosen word of the year the other day when I decided to use up some rare spare time by walking with my camera in the Lexington Cemetery. I was between appointments and didn't want to waste time with eating or shopping/spending money (I've had more than enough of those the past few months!), plus wanted to exercise and enjoy the snowfall.

I couldn't have lucked upon a prettier time or place. I'd actually only been in Lexington Cemetery once years ago when the huge weeping cherries were in bloom and I will definitely make it a stop again this spring, as they are spectacular. There is so much history there, both in the people memorialized and in the trees, some of which are the finest specimens of their type in the region.

Henry Clay's memorial stands tall above the rest, with his figure facing toward his beloved home, Ashland on Richmond Road, and I enjoyed reading the fascinating history of Henry Clay's funeral(s) and the development of the memorial itself (noting that the statue's 350 pound head came off in a storm one time, and was found 6 inches in the ground!). The cemetery website has the history.

As I meandered through the winding paths, my own footsteps the only prints in the snow (except for the native creatures), so many thoughts ran through my mind.... I have fond memories of our family visiting my grandparent's graves in beautiful Woodland Cemetery in Dayton, Ohio. One time we were there late on a Sunday and when we went to leave we discovered that we'd been locked in! There were lots of jokes about having to spend the night, but my brothers climbed the fence and found the caretaker to let us drive out.

I recollected the time in college when a group of us, dressed in costume (one tall guy with a real pumpkin on his head), went through the old cemetery in Oxford Ohio on Halloween night to try to scare the wits out of each other- it worked.

I thought of the attempts we made to clean up the old 1800's graveyard on our farm, pulling up weeds and cleaning up branches and putting a split rail fence around it. I'm sorry to say that nature has once again reclaimed that patch of sacred land; maintaining a cemetery is a lot of work!

As I walked, I felt a lovely peacefulness. This is why people come to cemeteries, to reminisce, pay respects, and find serenity. I felt the kind presence of those long gone, and also that of God. But as I saw some tents standing over newly-dug graves, I also had a sensation of the absence and grief that is experienced there. Absence = the opposite of presence, a harsh reminder that I am here, now, but won't always be.

I also revisited my own decision to be cremated, not wanting to take space on this earth once my life is over. I don't want toxic chemicals added to the soil on my behalf, don't want a fancy coffin or any of the other traditional accoutrements of death. May my ashes be spread wherever loved ones find comfort, but hopefully in a place of nature and peace. I know that I'd like being close to water and whether it's the Kentucky River, the Bahamas, or a lake in a cemetery matters not to me.

There was plenty of nature in this space in the middle of the city, I saw a Cooper's Hawk, Great Blue Heron, ducks and geese, and the tracks of many small birds and mammals.

It seemed quite apt that a friend had this thought-provoking link on her facebook page that evening (don't let anyone tell you that facebook is all trivial, I find many nuggets of inspiration there from wise friends). It fit quite nicely with the ruminations I had as I left the cemetery. They revolved not around death, but LIFE and how best to live the rest of it.... and only God knows how long that may be.

CARPE DIEM!

Friends, Fun, Food, Fiber

2011-01-24T09:17:00.018-05:00

I had a great time collaborating with some of my creative NE Ohio friends for a fiber arts retreat at our friend Cheryl's gorgeous place, nestled between nature-filled wetlands in a rural area east of Cleveland. I've had the pleasure of watching the progress on her beautiful home for several years, and Cheryl was anxious to break in the newly-completed studio. Wow, it would be a dream come true for any artist- tons of space with sitting areas, a central table for gathering, a deep sink and tiled space for working with wet stuff, and even a huge and luxurious sleeping area with room for several friends to sleep over (which we did!)

There were five of us, and everyone contributed some bit of knowledge and taught it to the others. It was soooo neat to learn how to card colorful art batts and then spin them into art yarns of several types (here are some of mine- I can't wait to do more!).

Robbie and Donna are alpaca-owning friends who have focused on making incredible and original products in the Alpaca Fiber Studio in Chagrin Falls, and it was easy to see why so many people enjoy taking their classes, as they're very patient and encouraging teachers!

I hadn't met Barb before, but soon discovered that she's a real sweetheart and also a great knitter and crocheter. She finished this beautiful shawl and modeled it for us at the end of our retreat.

Donna and Robbie had just put on a fashion show at a local country club, so they showed us some of their unique nuno felt fashions they had made for it (some of the items were modeled over pajamas, so there was lots of hamming it up and laughter!).

Having lived in Kentucky for more than half of my life now, snow is a big deal for us but not for the tough Northeasters! Here's what my car looked like on the second morning, and at one point it looked like a blizzard outside but my spunky friends never even commented on the weather except for an occasional blase remark, "hmmm, it looks a bit bad out there." The rare flash of sunshine elicited a lot more attention!

As is usually the case with my woman friends, there was a lot of laughing, excellent food, and good wine to be shared. We all compared our sources, techniques and ideas, it was so much fun! The only time it was quiet was when everyone was concentrating on learning something new, such as when I taught the others how to make a felted birdhouse.

They all turned out beautifully! Robbie's heart-shaped "love nest" was especially cute, and I hope to make some of these in time for valentine's day as well.

Thank you so much to Cheryl and my other friends for including this "southern friend" in the retreat and I hope this will be at least an annual event! Alpaca breeding originally introduced us, but the fiber of friendship still holds us together, and for that I am very grateful.

Gates of the Bluegrass

2011-01-11T08:45:00.010-05:00

I went on a photography binge around the holidays, taking shots of the beautiful entrances to some of the area thoroughbred farms as well as a few other sites such as Woodford Reserve Distillery. I decided to post them with a simple "artistic" effect applied from Photoshop. I hope you enjoy them!

Fallingwater and Giveaway Results!

2011-01-07T09:37:00.029-05:00

I've wanted to learn more about American architect Frank Lloyd Wright's designs for a while, but especially since reading Loving Frank, a novel about his flamboyant personal life and love affair(s) that our book club all enjoyed. My good college friend Jean from Pittsburgh had talked about Fallingwater, one of Wright's most famous houses and I'd read about it as well. We were on our way to meet the family for a long weekend ski vacation when I spotted the sign and suggested that we take a side trip. I was so glad that we did!

We were fortunate to be able to get in on a tour, and waited our turn in the welcome area which was an extension of Wright's visions of organic design with clean lines and openness to nature. The gift shop was tasteful as well, and I acquired two pieces of birch bark there for future craft projects yet unknown. The lush surroundings, well-preserved by the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, were beautiful in the snow.

It was a short walk through the woods back to the house which is built literally on top of a waterfall which was magnificent in it's partially-frozen state. The hillside was covered with ice formations as well.

Photography is not allowed inside, but I did buy a great little book to help me remember the wonderful feel of Fallingwater, and the artistic vision that Wright constructed in this beautiful spot. You can take a really nice virtual tour here, and included is the Wright-designed furniture as well as the phenomenal collection of paintings and sculpture in the home, which has been a museum since the 60's when it was donated to the public by the original owners, the Kauffman family.

Several scenes will be forever etched in my mind from 2010, and many are shared here with you on this site. The highlights include horseback expeditions with friends, our family's RV voyage to Utah, and this view of Fallingwater.

To thank you all for sharing it with me, I posted a giveaway in this post and now it's time to announce the winner of a pair of alpaca socks and 2 skeins of alpaca yarn. The winners are Andy and Deb from Ontario, Canada, who said, "I would have to say....SIMPLIFY. It covers so much of life....simplify my schedule to enjoy more time with my family, simplify my lifestyle so there is less stress.....etc. Here's to 2011...may it be all you want it to be! The giveaway sounds amazing!"

Please send me an email at alpacalindy@gmail.com with your address, Andy and Deb, and I'll get the prize right out to you! I hope that all of your wishes, words and resolutions come true for 2011!

Getting a complex!!!

2011-01-06T13:20:00.007-05:00

Image from funnyanimalphotos.com

Those little voices in my head were saying things like "your blog really sucks", and "apparently NOBODY reads it" and "nobody even WANTS your smelly socks and yarn!" Fortunately, Dianne let me know that she had tried 3 times to post a comment this week... I had wondered why even SHE hadn't commented, especially after kindly mentioning the giveaway on her site.

Ya see, USUALLY Blogger sends me an email that I've received a comment... but they missed most of them! I had a backlog of comments in a folder that I'd never even seen and therefore hadn't published! SORRY if you're one of those commenters, I do hope you'll re-visit and keep commenting!

I've had a real love-hate relationship with computers lately... I lost the hard-drive on my HP laptop before the holidays, then found that Carbonite hadn't been doing my online backups as planned for the past year (gulp, I still can't even fully think about it). I bit the bullet and bought a MacBook and have mostly LOVED it.... but I'm also dealing with the learning curve of a whole new way of doing things AND the daily realization of something else that is lost from my old hard drive...

So, this little piece of blogosphere that connects us isn't perfect after all! But I do love it, the ability to express my thoughts and share some creations and a bit of my life... and I appreciate you letting me know that somebody out there is reading it from time to time. If you haven't already noticed, I've extended the sock and yarn giveaway until Friday at noon and will include 1 comment from each person in the drawing.

A little quickie....

2011-01-05T14:45:00.011-05:00

... project, that is! After all of the hustle and bustle of the holidays, I was craving the chance to felt something (other than a birdhouse) that would incorporate all that I find satisfying in felting.

That means lots of experimenting, unpredictability, texture, color, and a little bit of "magic" added to the mix. This scarflet (mini scarf) fit the bill.

I used a bit of silk chiffon that I had hand-dyed and didn't particularly love the result enough to invest in a large shawl, so I cut it into a smaller piece and began grabbing colorful bits of merino, soft, hand-dyed milk fiber, a bit of angelina, and baby alpaca. I decided to leave the edges unfinished, rough and ruffled.

Since this was going to be a short scarf , it needed a pin and I wanted to use a complementary color that would stand out from the scarf itself. I felted a flower pin and added a turquoise bead for the center.

P.S. Welcome to the new visitors and followers to the blog! If you didn't notice in the comments, I've decided to extend the giveaway until Friday at noon!

Welcome, 2011!

2011-01-01T13:48:00.000-05:00

I've been a bit more proactive this year than last in thinking of my Word of the Year in order to start on January 1. "ADAPT" was the word for 2009, and "EMBRACE" was quite fitting for 2010, with many of the intentions I expressed in this post fulfilled.

After reading this great post on photographer Kim Klassen's site and also this lovely site with thoughts about choosing your word, I had narrowed it down to three. They were Adventure (we have some awesome travels planned for this year), Patience (after all, we have two teenagers, LOL!), and Presence (to remember to breathe and stay in the moment). I was nearly sidetracked after a recent visit to Fallingwater and walking through the surroundings made me think of BEAUTY but then I decided that part of being in the present is observing the beauty all around.

I have a feeling that 2011 is going to bring some special times, and with greater awareness of the passing of time I want to stay present, to be in the moment and to not let my thoughts race ahead with busyness or dwell on past mistakes.

I mentioned the possibility of a giveaway a few weeks ago, and since so much of the country has had extremely cold weather already I am gifting a reader with pair of warm alpaca socks and two skeins of bulky weight alpaca yarn (your choice, either hand-dyed or natural. To win, leave a comment with your chosen Word of the Year or a resolution you've made for 2011. I'll pick a winner from those commenting by random generator on next Wednesday, January 5th at noon EST!

A Merry Christmas

2010-12-26T21:40:00.012-05:00

2010 Polar Bear Club (predunking)- Andy, Robert, Zach, Adam

Well, the birdhouse felting and shipments of socks finally got finished and it was time for one of our favorite nights of the whole year... Christmas Eve. A tradition was born many years ago and was reborn last year of jumping into the icy lake beside my parents home. (No, I didn't participate, though I have in the far past!). Doesn't every family celebrate Christmas this way? First, the guys had to do lots of chanting loudly to get themselves psyched up. They planned their route to the water and back carefully, as there was literally just a small area that was unfrozen!

I hope you'll enjoy this short video of the event! Things were somewhat more subdued after that, and unfortunately our daughter wasn't feeling well and was very quiet for the evening.

Our son Robert had the honor of reading the story of Jesus' birth from the family Bible.

We told lots of good stories and jokes, sang some carols, ate a wonderful meal, and then even did a bit of karaoke.

(Robert was the hit there, as he ad libbed Deck the Halls and had everyone in stitches.)

Munchie was dressed up in Santa attire, and he and my brother's cat Joe got along great as always. My brother Andy read us some great poetry, we opened gifts, there was a small wrestling match, and good memories were made! Our family has so much to be thankful for, and I'm looking forward to more time with them on our upcoming ski adventure!

Sushi dressed up for Christmas this year, too, and he's very proud to have launched his very own Facebook page- check it out!

Ice...sometimes nice!

2010-12-19T19:40:00.018-05:00

... well, not to some that I know (one friend still can't get out her steep farm lane!) but I hope that lots of other people were able to appreciate the beauty of this recent winter storm. The weather people have been uncharacteristically accurate lately,and we got exactly what was predicted! (Fortunately on the lower end of the snow part).The studio view was pretty dark and undramatic the day after the ice arrived, and it wasn't until today when the sun came out that the lingering ice "turned to diamonds" as one friend observed. A quick trip around the farm gave me the chance to catch these photos. (Be sure to double-click on them to enlarge).

Some of them reminded me of Horton Hears a Who, or the dream world of my artist-friend Marti who recently wrote and illustrated an awesome book entitled HapiLani- The Natural History of a Dream Land. I hope you are able to find time during this hectic season to see the beauty in the small things around you (even if the ice is a real pain in the X)&$!*!)

Embrace the Weather!

2010-12-15T17:54:00.010-05:00

From the studio window, 12-15-10

My "word of the year" has been Embrace, and as we approach this year's end I'm fondly reminding myself to continue to do this. This morning the temperature reached 3 BELOW, and it's not even technically winter yet! It is very rare for it to get this cold in central Kentucky, especially outside of January or February, and we've already had half of an average winter's total snowfall. To make matters worse, everyone is bracing for a winter storm tonight that may include up to 6 inches of snow and then a topping of.... that word we all dread around here.... ICE. (The last icestorm, in 2009, left us without power here for a week!)

Fortunately I had home schooling as my excuse to stay indoors this morning, and it was a glorious day to be along the Kentucky River as frost tinged the treetops.
It warmed quite a bit throughout the day, and the wildlife were actively out looking for food ahead of the storm. I saw a lot of birds on the feeders, wild turkeys scratching for acorns, and this adolescent deer (among others).We decided to take a walk, and Munchie, as always, was excited to come along! Mirian wanted to bring her lambs Shelby and Pepe (now almost fully mature), as we just moved them to a new paddock closer to the house and they've been baaaing for attention. It is so pretty by the river when there's snow on the trail.The horses followed along partway from inside of their field, begging for a sample of sweet feed.
It was pretty cute when Mirian's horse Gringo knocked her hat off! (I love this picture of a happy horse and his girl!)
And, another happy horse and his girl....Both of us were wearing Quarters Caps that I knitted from Kristin Nicholas' pattern. They are a really fun, addicting and easy knit, and I think I've made at least 6 of these. I was wearing the one that Mirian has on during a cold volunteer shift at the World Equestrian Games (knit from handspun alpaca/wool/and angora yarn), and a young fellow volunteer who was a college student went nuts over it! Through a series of coincidences, I recently met her mother and guess what she's asked me to knit her daughter for Christmas?!I have a feeling I'm going to be especially grateful for my warm alpaca knits this winter! Come back to see a studio shot of tomorrow's weather, and check back soon for a GIVEAWAY of some alpaca items from our farm! Everyone be safe out there....

Studio bliss

2010-12-10T17:16:00.005-05:00

I've been pretty busy trying to get things made to sell, and with home schooling our daughter its pretty hard to carve out time so I've been getting up early. I love my studio in the early morning especially, and I do lots of things to help inspire and keep it a pleasant work space.
Oftentimes I light a candle, and I have surrounded myself with artwork that I love (especially the fun and upbeat pieces of my friend, Marti. Podcasts make the time go quickly, and I hope to write an entire post about my favorites soon.
I got this cool star light at the Kalamazoo Museum of Art's gift shop, and it makes me smile.
The refrigerator is an idea board, and I even have magnets that I love.My studio is definitely not as organized as some I read about in the pages of magazines, but it's my happy place and every once in a while I make something that turns out pretty okay. (This is a funky nuno-felted scarf that I completed today.)
There's really no excuse for me not to create... when the sun starts to hit the palisades on the opposite side of the river I feel the most inspired of all, and I'm ready to start teaching!

A Quick Winter Walk

2010-12-08T11:19:00.007-05:00

We're not cold, just FEED US, FEED US, FEED US (Pepe and Shelby, Mirian's lambs)

Well, if it's going to be winter (technically it's not yet, but don't tell that to Mother Nature, geez it was 7 degrees F this morning, seems to have been one of the coldest spots in the Eastern US!), then there might as well be snow. I'll take the cold and a bit of sparkly-clean snow over mud and rain at 38 degrees!
The animals always seem to look so good under these conditions, love this little snow-boy's cute face!And my sweet and nosy Cherry Bomb, hungry and curious all the time!I figured the chickens would be happy and snug in their little coop with a heat light inside. They have finally started laying again (blue and green eggs from the aracaunas, no less, which I love!)
Unfortunately, we didn't find these eggs in time and they were frozen solid! Oh well, some woodland creature will no doubt enjoy them as they thaw.There's still plenty around for the wildlife to eat, such as hedgeapples which are relished by the deer and squirrels.Evidence of a flock of turkeys out looking for acorns. There are several groups around on the farm now, and we've seen as many as 50 at a time!

More Winter Wonder!

2010-12-06T08:40:00.009-05:00

We had more snow than expected here in Kentucky on Saturday, and I loved being home with a fire in the fireplace and lots of time to spend in the studio felting last-minute items for the Jingle and Mingle Gift Party. I did get out in the morning to give all of the animals some extra hay, and got a nice hodge-podge of snow shots.
Above, the century-old pear trees that greet visitors to our farm...The alpaca girls at the top tobacco barn (notice that some had chosen to sleep out in the snow, "Silly girls" as one friend remarked!)Fawntastic, looking out in wonder...
Snow on the pumpkin, time to get out the Christmas decorations and feed this to the chickens!
Snowmass XXman (owned by RobAsia Alpaca Ranch in Wisconsin), looking very disappointed that this is the winter in the south he had been promised!Snowhorses, Gringo, Strawberry and Sunday.Felt birdhouses, don't they look like a snug place for a bird to hole up on a snowy day?! I'm planning to list some of these for sale on my facebook page later in the week, so it's a great time to join up!

Fairy Frost

2010-12-02T21:57:00.005-05:00

I shot these pictures on November 7th when we had our first real frost (which was followed by multiple days in the 70's, and now we're facing snow and temps in the teens, all within a month!). That's Kentucky for you!
Anyway, the white you see at the base of these stalky weeds is ice crystals. I can't formally name this phenomenon, but I've been happy to observe it for many years when we have the first cold of the season. I think that the moisture in these stalks is forced out by the contraction of freezing, and it forms into thin crystals along the stalk.
I like to think of them as pendants put up by fairies to celebrate the coming of winter!

For the Birds...

2010-11-23T21:48:00.008-05:00

As I mentioned yesterday on our Seldom Scene Farm blog, I've started making felted birdhouses and finished a few more today. They are soooo fun!
Someone asked if I thought that they would hold up okay in the elements, to which I quickly replied in the affirmative. I actually think they'll last longer than a standard wooden birdhouse.
As I thought about this further, it occurred to me that a yurt is a great example of the insulating qualities, water resistance, and durability of wool. Still used for homes in some parts of the world, yurts made with handmade wool felt survive very harsh environments, so certainly a wool birdhouse will provide the same benefits for discerning birds!I'll have these at Art in the Barn this coming weekend, and at Damselfly Gallery in Midway and Truly Bluegrass in Versailles in the near future!In addition, I'll have a few Bird Nesting Balls... these are balls made from somewhat loose natural alpaca fiber which you hang in a tree, and the birds take tufts of the soft fiber to line their nests. Lucky birds, their own "bird yurt" lined with alpaca!

Tis the season... for making!

2010-11-15T17:57:00.016-05:00

(Sorry to those followers getting this a second time, I discovered that a link needed to be fixed so I'm re-sending...)
Despite the time change giving me that weird feeling of unease, and the daylight dissipating so early, I am finding myself relishing the change of season. No, I'm not talking about Christmas music and shopping, but the chance to hole up a bit and do some handcrafting. My studio was occupied by family members who converged to deer hunt last weekend, so I stuck with the computer instead. In addition to the little online class of Kim Klassen, I've also joined her "Photoshop Test Kitchen." I'm having a blast slowly learning some new techniques and pulling out old photos to try them on. (Here's just one sample of many I've been playing with, texture by Kim Klassen).

I ended up with a full, blissful day in my studio yesterday, as both kids were home with bad colds and M wasn't up for our home schooling. It was the first large, guilt-free block of time I've had in ages, and I got sooo much done!I dyed fiber and silk for future nuno-felting projects,Hand-dyed silk scarves, pre-felting

Spun some yarn (my first time spinning in quite a while!)Handspun bulky yarn, baby alpaca and cashmere blend

Felted some soaps, concentrating on trying to make each one into a tiny, unique piece of functional art and avoiding any sort of "mass production."

And today I've been jewelry-making (in the time after home-schooling was done). I've still got lots to do to get ready for the upcoming events at which I'll be selling- Art in the Barn and the Jingle and Mingle Handmade Gifts Party!Handcrafted pendant that will go on a copper necklace

Do you like my Moo mini cards? I had them printed with lots of my favorite images on the fronts and standard info on the back, and they're doubling as earring cards and price tags. What a great company to work with, easy and quick process!

Always Learning... felting class with Nicola Brown

2010-11-14T17:25:00.013-05:00

Nicola modeling an amazing felted duster she made

I don't know why it's taken me so long to write about it, but last month I had a great opportunity to attend a felting class in Michigan with Nicola Brown whose blog, Clasheen, I have followed for a while. Those that read blogs regularly have the feel for how small the world becomes... Nicola is from Ireland, but she was coming to the states to teach and I couldn't pass on the chance to learn from her. She seemed like an incredibly creative, generous, and fun teacher and I was certainly not disappointed!I decided to really treat myself, and stayed at a lovely B & B, The Kalamazoo House, that was immediately next door to the Kalamazoo Institute of Art. The entire experience was inspiring, and I loved the museum and it's surroundings. Although I took along lots of knitting and reading, I was surprised to find that I enjoyed socializing with the other guests more than holing up in my room! The hosts were great as well.The first two days of class were specifically about making a complex felt bag. Although I'm a semi-experienced felter, I enjoyed learning about using a "resist" to make a 3D object with the strap cut from the original layout of fiber, and I also had fun incorporating other fabrics and embellishments into the felt.
It was fascinating to see the variety of approaches the other attendees took to choosing the style and colors of their purses (one of the benefits of attending a class, watching and learning from other attendees). One lady put together some colors that I thought were pretty horrendous, and I was sure that her uptight pace would lead to disaster- how wrong I was when she was the first to finish what was definitely a spectacular purse! I was pleased with how mine came out, although it's a bit more "flashy" than what I'd normally carry.
The final day was a Felted Accessories class- we had a choice of techniques to learn about, and although I'd been doing a lot of nuno work where you felt various fibers to a base of silk or other fabric, I wanted to learn new techniques since I'd admired Nicola's nuno feltwork so much. I used some silk that I had already dyed, and felted it with short-fibered merino. Although it wasn't my best finished project, I enjoyed the process and especially love working with that type of merino now in addition to alpaca as it felts so fast and evenly.
I've found a fair amount of time to do some other felting projects since then (though not as much as I'd like!) I made this purse with hand-dyed alpaca, merino, and C1 wool (and embedded glass beads), as I wanted to make another bag while I could remember the techniques.
I've also made quite a few nuno scarves and shawls with silk and both alpaca and wool. Now I need to buckle down and make some of the smaller items (like soaps and jewelry) that are the staple of my holiday gift sales. If only I had more time in the day!!!

Creative happenings... of all sorts!

2010-11-09T13:30:00.011-05:00

Marti and Gringo, Eastern Kentucky, 2009

My creativity has been able to manifest itself in ways other than dressing up my horse... time to move on from all of the equine emphasis here and back to some of my other outlets.I've actually been on a roll in the studio, with tons of felting, dyeing and other crafting going on (more on that in a few days). In addition, I'm still trying to learn Adobe Photoshop Elements, and recently came upon a fantastic site and free online class.

It's still not too late to get on board for this session, follow the link from the Kim Klassen Skinny Minnie class button on my sidebar. These are some of the fun photos I've produced lately (the frog was the result of my first "homework" assignment in Kim's class!) Mirian is doing the class as well and is having a lot of fun with it; she's a very good photographer!Kentucky Horse Park, October 2010

The digital photo work is really addictive, just what I need- another distraction in my loco life!