Urban Renewal

This being the day after Christmas I was thinking about the mall - not actually going there but about people who DO go there regularly. I tend to think of malls and young adults who might be kind of edgy-cool. You know the kind who stand around in small groups taking in everything and passing judgement on it. Being also a fan of the Borderland series I tend to see these young people as possibly crossing the line into fairy. (Read some Charles DeLint if you don't know what I'm talking about.) What does that have to do with yarn? I'm making a new series called Urban Wild Child. It is a two ply series of yarns made from batts of various colors and styles with some non matching edginess thrown in to keep it all interesting. Just the kind of yarn those kids at the mall might be wearing knit into a cowl or scarf..... It starts out like this as a single (you need two bobbins full)

Then the two bobbins are plied together (on the Ashford) to make the two ply yarn below:

The skein below was the first Urban Wild Child and has more gray in it than the above one will have. Lots of yardage and a fingering to sport weight yarn. Corriedale/Merino/Sari Silk/Bamboo/Tencel and Crystal Mylar. All hand dyed fibers.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from New Mexico! 

Old bears inside celebrate with a small tree of their own.

 We sincerely hope that Santa brought you everything your heart might desire, but in case he left something off the list....... take a lead from Harper and go sneak whatever it was you REALLY  wanted, like the new yarn mom was working with yesterday. She is already working with it, she obviously won't need this pesky label, I'll just remove it for her.....

Happy Holidays from Harper and all the rest of us.

Night before Christmas.......

And all through the house not a creature was stirring (except maybe the bunny)........

While they sleep I'm working on some last minute projects.... A scarf on the four harness loom....

Finally spinning some bunny fur.......

 Urban two ply from some wild child batts for knitting soon.

Hope you are all having wonderful holidays.

Blessed be.

New Scarves

These are two of the new scarves that are finished just in time for the Solstice/Christmas holiday. The blue is a dark lapis blue with complimentary colors  in the warp, the cinnamon has complementary colors in the warp and stripes of matching variegated color on both ends and the middle. Two colors that look great with most things. They are woven in plain weave of rayon chenille and measure 7 1/2" X 65". They were woven on my old Harrisville four harness, as it is kinder to chenille than the big Herald.

The weather here has finally gotten a little cooler, there was frost this morning and the outside water bowl had ice in it. NM is finally catching up with the rest of the nation.

Ramble Preview

Just a couple of items I will be showing off during the Ramble tonight and the Market tomorrow. The shawl is a soft cotton boucle in terra cotta with a subtle turquoise stripe of rayon ribbon. It comes down to a V in the back.

Front with one side draped over the shoulder.

The V in the back is very flattering.

 The cowl is one of my merino and silk creations. All hand dyed and knit - they come in various colors.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Slow Autumn

Usually by December we have done with the gold leaves and warm days... but this year Autumn is taking her sweet time. Maybe she is in tune with the Slow Food Movement and the Slow Cloth Movement, this is Slow Autumn here in southern New Mexico. Our days are 65-70 and most nights don't make freezing. I always feel better for the outside animals that they don't have the harsh conditions. The garden is still hanging on, the madder plants still trying to escape the raised beds, although the indigo is long past.

I escaped out into the warm sunshine and took some knitting. This is hand dyed merino and silk knit together into what will be a cowl - available at the Ramble on Friday or the Market on Saturday. The rust and blue are a perfect compliment to our weather. 

Murphy was out enjoying the sun as well. Hoping the dogs did not bark and scare off his lady love. Murphy is a confirmed (fixed) bachelor and his new love is a sleek black stray that moved in under the barn. She comes to visit him and chats - cat style all the time while he remains silent but fascinated by her. 

New yarns for the market and etsy store. Kid mohair lace that is impossibly soft.

Cowls are the order of the moment. They make such a nice fashion statement and go with about everything. You probably need one in every color...........

This one is my current favorite in a rosy pink with orange and light pink highlights. Silk and merino.

Hope you are able to get out and enjoy some glorious fall weather wherever you live.