Something to wear

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!

Pin It Now!

Tis the season... for making!

(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! Pin It Now!

Home, at last!

It feels strange to be showing yarn photos again so soon, when I've rarely been around to do any dyeing or have much studio time. Still, having those special moments to create is so important to me that I just have to share in my pleasure. It's not all for fun, as our busy festival season is coming up and I've got literally hundreds of skeins of yarn to work with that I had processed recently at Flaggy Meadow Fiber Works.

I've been on such a roller coaster, and am experiencing the back-to-school blues, which I can more easily recognize this year after going through a tough case of them last year around this time.

My mind starts whirling with all of the to-do's, and next thing I know I'm gazing into a dye pot as if it's a crystal ball or witch's cauldron in which I'm looking for help and answers.

I never actually find any answers to my questions of the universe, but I do find a lot of satisfaction with seeing freshly-dyed yarn from our own animals hanging to dry on the studio porch railing.

You'll find at least a few of my newly-dyed yarns (such as this baby alpaca/bamboo blend) in my Etsy store. Check back soon to see my new nuno felt creations from alpaca and silk! Pin It Now!

Summer Hodge-Podge

We have been in no particular routine around here, just a little bit of this and that. Here's a sampling of what's been keeping us busy! I've been doing a lot of felting and dyeing of yarn and silk. The garden is producing at least a little bit, though it's extremely handicapped by the skyscraper-ish weeds which I've given up on at this point.

The weather has been the prettiest I can EVER remember for a Kentucky summer.... rain every few days, cool nights and highs of 70-80. Heaven.
Last night, we went to the Kentucky Cup Reining Championship at the Kentucky Horse Park. It was the first of several preliminary "trial" events in preparation for the September, 2010 World Equestrian Games. Reining is kind of like dressage, Western-style. (Like most athletic pursuits, equine or otherwise, it looks really easy when someone's super good at it, but it's NOT). We're preparing for the National Elite Alpaca Auction in Leesburg, VA. Check out the two beautiful girls we have consigned (that's our full Accoyo fawn, Noel, above)! Information is available on our farm blog.

Pin It Now!

Truly Bluegrass

The doors have opened! Truly Bluegrass is a new shop that launched yesterday in Versailles, and specializes in Kentucky-handcrafted items. I finally dropped off my own goods on Sunday, and although the smell of fresh paint was still in the air, the shop was well organized and stocked with high-quality items. These included some spectacular pottery, unique jewelry (I liked the punky pony necklaces), metalwork, stained glass, one-of-a-kind quilts, and food items from the region.

Although retail has had a tough time in downtown Versailles, I have a good feeling about the potential for success with this shop and I certainly plan to shop there! The owners are very enthusiastic and have great eyes for quality and beautiful displays, and they are located next to another successful Versailles shop, Daisy Girls. We appreciate the opportunity to contribute to their endeavor!

We have our own display area with hand-dyed yarns from Seldom Scene Farm's alpacas, handfelted soaps, handknit items, photo cards, and fiber for spinning and felting. Best of luck, Wendy and Joyce, and congratulations on your opening!

I've also been hard at work on dyeing fiber and yarn for this weekend's Midway Festival, one of my favorite weekends of the year! It's been satisfying to have more studio time, and I've been alternating between painting and dyeing. Here are some of my newly-completed projects which will be available at Midway and/or Truly Bluegrass...

Pin It Now!

My Girl

For the past few weeks, I've been thinking about how on August 14th I would be asking if you all heard the loud whooping noise signifying that it was Back to School Day for at least one of the kids.... but it didn't happen. I didn't celebrate, nor am I very happy at all that this summer is coming to an end. The weather has been record-breakingly magnificent, and I have truly, truly enjoyed the kids being home. Although she was nervous, I am very proud of how brave Mirian has become about new experiences, and the first day of 6th grade wasn't easy... but she came home enthusiastic and cheerful. Yeah!

That's not to say that I won't enjoy having more "me" time again, to try to better organize the house, pay more attention to alpaca business, and even to have more time for things like this:

I dyed this in a turkey roaster with Country Classics Chestnut, Pumpkin, and Ripe Tomato. It's alpaca/wool yarn that I dyed up for a dear friend and mentor that I very much appreciate and admire. I was thinking of her last week as I processed and froze the bags and bags of tomatoes and corn that she gave us from her garden... just as she has shared so much time to teach me most of my knitting skills and to listen to my problems on many occasions. She is the Martha Stewart of my circle (and I mean that only in the good way), and is a model of good taste and generosity. Thank you again, Dianne, for all that you do for me!

Pin It Now!

Up to my ears in Fleece!

As a world-class procrastinator, I have let a surplus of alpaca fiber (what I didn't have processed for myself or direct sale) build up for longer than I can publicly admit here.... I had the good fortune of having my friend Mamie (an alias since I haven't asked her permission to use her real name) offer to help me skirt and sort it, as well as box it up for free shipping to the AFCNA (Alpaca Fiber Co-Op of North America). How could I turn that down?

It's a dirty, smelly job, especially in 90 degrees plus weather, but having a fun and chatty friend definitely helped it go more quickly. Last night we got over 60 pounds of our fiber boxed up, a very small dent in a mountain of fleece but a start nonetheless. I do enjoy seeing the luscious colors, since alpaca fiber comes in 22 different natural shades. Here's a large medium brown fleece...

A super-crimpy dark fawn or light brown fleece that I'm showing from Jolly Mon... And a true black....
Actually, white has become my favorite since it can be dyed any color- here's some that I dyed which will soon be turned in to a rug for our new addition.

After we'd had our fill of fleece sorting, we headed to our pontoon boat on the Kentucky River and were greeted by some friends who were fishing beside our boat. We headed off to a sandy spot downriver where the kids could swim and we could picnic, drink wine and tell stories. Time flew, and we had to find our way back in complete darkness- thank goodness our friends had the good sense to have a flashlight on their boat! (My McGyver husband normally has all the right gadgets, but not this time).

I took our herdsire Sinbad to a farm in Stamping Ground this morning for a "drive by" breeding, a follow-up to a visit to a female he bred a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, "Gabby" was still receptive to breeding (she'd have spit at him if she was pregnant) and they bred again. Sinbad felt it was quite fortunate and worth his while to take a ride in the back of my Suburban for such a treat awaiting him!

This afternoon I'm back at it, sorting through fiber and determined to continue chipping away at the pile. Makes me tired thinking about it, I'm gonna go take a nap!

Pin It Now!