Let's Get Random...

There's been lots going on...  one thing is a very big project that I'll be able to talk about very soon!

Brrr - Moebius!

I'll be teaching a few classes this weekend at All Strung Out Yarns! The Moebius is a fun an versatile accessory for every wardrobe and can be worn many ways! I'll also be wrapping up a three session hand-spinning class, which I hope to continue - it's been a very fun one to teach and I really feel in my element when I'm talking about fibre and spinning.

Inside Moebius

I've been working on a sweater out of Jill Draper's Empire yarn. She has a contest going on in honour of Fred Rogers and it's really cool! You can find out all about it on her Ravelry Forum.

Long Cardi with "Bell Sleeves"

I've also (still) been working on my Borealis by Cal Patch. It's a lot of fun, but I'm at the stage that happens in shawl making where I'm asking myself, "Is this actually getting any bigger?" There's a big milestone coming up -decreasing!

It's growing s-l-o-w-l-y

This Saturday (after class), I'll headed over to Long and McQuade to participate in their monthly Ukulele group and I'm just so excited!

"Buffalo Gals Go 'round the Outside"

Cal Patch Crochet Genius!

In my opinion, Cal Patch of Hodgepodge Farm is a DIY genius! Her crochet patterns are really what it's all about as far as the direction that crochet is going. Beautiful, contemporary and showcasing gorgeous yarns (like Jill Draper's).
I'm currently working on her new pattern for a shawl called "Borealis" and it's so much fun and so addictive. Although hers is made from the Aurora by Jill, I'm making mine out of some of my own hand-dyed. Fittingly, it's a gorgeous silk/alpaca blend I dyed during my visit to Hodgepodge Farm!
In other news... I'll be teaching a three session spinning class starting this Sunday (February 3) at All Strung Out Yarns. It's going to be a fun one and student's choice on whether to use a wheel or a drop spindle.

Here we go now!

False Start...

The Rat and The Rabbit

I'm continuing with my series of puppets based on the animals of the lunar zodiac. So far I've made The Rabbit (mostly because that is my sign) and now I'm working on The Rat and The Ox.
I'm hoping to start adding some woven fabric to these puppets. I like the Rabbit but it's a little bit to "easter bunny", I might have to "weird" it up a bit!
After this series, I'm starting on some puppets based on important people in my life and incorporating their personal mythology into their likeness as puppets! We'll see how all this goes....

Four Skeins Done...

I've been working on spinning up roving I got at Sheep & Wool. I'm using five colours and doing random long colour lengths. Then, I'm chain plying to preserve the lengths. I have four skeins done so far.

Fall 2012... The Lost Posts...

It's all about friends!

I had a great fibre-y fall, as autumn is usually full of fibre-y things.  I'm way behind (obviously) on the Rhinebeck post and my fun two day workshop with Lexi Boeger AKA Pluckyfluff!

Arriving at Sheep and Wool!

As usual, The Sheep and Wool Festival was amazing. I got to hang out with my pals Cal and Jill, meet some new friends like Sonya Philip (of 100 Acts of Sewing) and Laura Nelkin (of amazingness) among others! 

Friends new and "old"!

I saw lots of cool animals and amazing yarns and fibres! I bought some roving to spin up to make a sweater for next year.  I've got four skeins done so far.

In addition to the festival, I got to visit Lagusta's Luscious and the Tuthilltown Distillery as well as the Hodgepodge Farm animals - Gertie, Trice and the Chickens.

The other fun thing I did was attend a two day workshop with Lexi Boeger with my buddy Andie L at the Niagara Artists Centre.

A beautiful Early Fall morning!

The workshop was an amazing break from our OHS homework (which is totally great but by the book).  In Lexi's class we got to be truly free in our spinning and learned some fun techniques. It felt great! 

From table of fibre to crazy bat to crazy yarn!

From fluff to auto-wrap to fluffy yarn!

Even yarn made of FABRIC

I've learned to share my Instagram photos directly to my blog, which is going to be fun but, not being super "tech savvy", the pics show up as links, not actual pictures.... oh well, can't have everything! 

A new project started!

I have been holding in to this amazing yarn that lixolux sent me ages ago! It's beautiful yarn from Verb for Keeping Warm! Crochet Socks!
http://instagr.am/p/THsf36MWGT/

Hodgepodge Residency Part 3: The Final!

There's always time for the "swimmin' hole"!

This is the last post about my Hodgepodge Summer Residency! I have other things to blog about that are piling up (like the Sheep and Wool Festival).

Cal with dyed fabric.

The last few days of my residency were spent dyeing with fibre reactive dyes. I was dyeing both cellulose and protein fibres and you can do that with these dyes. I soaked my cellulose fibres in a solution of soda ash and water and my protein dyes in a solution of vinegar and water. This way, I was able to dye both of the same time.

Cal's dots.

We had a lot of fun using the dyes in squirt bottles, droppers and syringes. We were able to create fun designs on fabric and create interesting colour ways on yarn that didn't get "muddy". I used both solar heat by placing the items in a plastic bag and left it in the sun to bake and plastic containers with lids heated in the microwave.

I can't wait to use everything I dyed this summer over the next several months in some weaving.

Cal, Jill and myself!

The best part of the first day was Jill Draper coming by with this amazing piece of linen she had sewn dried beans in shibori style!

Jill's creation!

When it got too hot to be outside, Cal worked on her sewing machine while I started working on my EPS Crochet sweater out of Empire!

The gang at work!

This was an amazing and productive two week residency. I experimented with different types of dyes on different types of materials, hung out with amazing friends (both human and animal) and got started on my first EPS and some rubber stamps for creating my own printed fabric!

 

Next up.... Sheep and Wool Festival!

Notice the Rhinebeck mug...