One of the pleasures of painting with yarn and a crochet hook is to explore the subtleties of blending colors by combining yarns with threads.
Oops…
this yarn isn’t
crocheted, it’s
spool knitted.
I spun it from
a variegated roving,
but found the color breaks
to be too sharp.
So, I plied it with a thin
slubby strand of brown silk thread.
This toned down the color breaks and made the yarn more visually cohesive.
This golden
yarn was just a little
bit flat looking.
Combining it with a
strand of very thin
variegated thread gives
it depth and more
life- it’s a far more interesting
fabric than when the gold
yarn is used on it’s own.
I crocheted these two
Shadow Scarves
using  …read more

For the last few days, I have been posting about spinning paper yarn from streamers that I brought home from the Blue Man show.
With the upcycled paper yarn,
I wove a Unicorn.
crocheted a fairy
and crocheted a basket.
I am down to the
last of the Blue Man
streamer paper yarn,
so I feel like I want to
make something
that is a ’statement’ piece…..
I have been mulling and mulling it over… after all, this is quite special yarn, so I want to design and make something that is worthy of the yarn. I also want it to be fun, and quirky and funky and tongue in cheek.
A …read more

One of the joys of my life is that I have found the most wonderful community of fellow travelers all over the world, through the marvels of the net. For many years now, I have been a member of a delightful Canadian list of fiber fanatics.
One of the other list members is the delightful  Chris Dalziel of Joybilee Farm,in BC.
I have enjoyed following her fiber adventures over the years.
In just a few days,  on Saturday, August the 8th,
Chris and her family
will be hosting the 2nd Annual Linen Festival….
(details at the end of this article).
It’s going to be wonderful! Wish I …read more

Today was one of those days that are full of seemingly small pleasures that are actually the source of great happiness.
For instance… part of our daily ritual is to take a mid-morning break to walk our two beloved  dogs:
Going for their walks is a very big deal for them,
and even though they have covered the same
ground at least twice a day for years and years,
it’s always unmitigated joy for them to know that,
miracle of miracles, Mummy and Daddy are -
can you believe it?
Going to take them for a walk!
It never fails to crack me up to see their
quivering anticipation and …read more

Yargle.
Thump thump thump
That’s the sound of me whumping my head against a project that is just so not working out.
Mostly, I post about things that make me feel all happy and pleased and generally chuffed.
BUT, the last couple of days, I have been experimenting with felting some Shetland fleece.
and it has not gone well.
I spun up a bunch of said fleece…
I blythely assumed that I was just
going to spin it up ,
turn it into yarn….
weave it…
and felt it…..
so I could make  adorable
little booties for
my darling grandbaby to be.
Sample swatch number1: Well…. I plyed (that’s what I am doing with 2 …read more

2009 is the year of the Natural Fiber.
Now, this may not seem to be all that important, but believe me, for MANY reasons, it is VERY important.

You’ll be hearing about this a lot in 2009!
It’s really expensive to maintain a herd of fiber animals!
B U T- here’s the great news!
You can help support a lovely fiber farm  in a truly concrete way,
AND you get a luscious treasure from your goodness…..
Read all about it at: Hudson Valley Fiber Farm Co-op
Image source: Original drawing by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright and not to be reproduced without permission

I can  F I N A L L Y  tell you the title of the book that I’ve been working and working and working on!
I’m so excited! They have confirmed that the title is: (drumrolls, puhleeze…….)
The Woven Bag: 30+ Projects from Small Looms
I am publishing it with Krause Books, which is part of  F & W Media. And, yep, the publisher chooses the title of the book.
I am really happy with it because they’ve nailed it. yay!
I am sad though, because the release date has been moved to November of 2009 from July of 2009! boohoo!
anyhow……….
Last week, I was …read more

One of the best things about going to conferences is meeting wonderful people who are just so clearly fellow travellers and members of the same tribe!
When I was in Portland at the Knit and Crochet Conference , I met a kindred spirit who is doing fabulous work with silk, wool and other natural fibers: Lisa Horner of Purple Lotus Fiber Design. (doesn’t click through yet, sorry)

Lisa dyes ‘Gourmet Art Yarn’.

Rats…. a picture does NOT do it justice….. ah well… imagine great lusciousness!
Lisa doesn’t have her website up yet, but her yarns are available at the most wonderful store:
Abundant Yarns in …read more

I arrived in Portland on Wed night (Sept 10th) and took the light rail transit into the city from the airport.
I managed to get myself turned totally around, so got completely and frazzlingly lost.
Everyone I asked for directions sent me in a different direction.
arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh……… dragging 2 suitcases around Portland at night is not fun!
Eventually, 3 very wonderful young Goth teenagers got me going in the right direction, and then a lovely young woman who was attempting to sign up voters helped
(come on people! You gotta VOTE!)
(I’m Canadian, and we’re in the middle of our own election, and you bet I’ll …read more

Oh my…. etsy can be quite the journey! You look at one site and that leads you to another!
and another
and another…..
I just found some charming felted toys and wild handspun yarns on etsy….
check out totallyin2fiber