Quillin Weaving

Bunny Valentine

2012-02-10T09:48:00.000-07:00

How does a Bunny send a Valentine? Harper stays pretty busy around the house redecorating the bookshelves and the yarn basket. He decided to do his own recycling this year with the old calendars and this is what he came up with all by himself one day.

He is just doing his mid-winter molt and there is a lovely bag of angora just waiting to be spun.

January

2012-01-05T08:55:00.000-07:00

Here in New Mexico this January is feeling more like September as our days have been pretty warm. It is a good time to sit outside and spin in the sun. That studio in the previous post is getting a lot of use and making it easier to keep up with orders and post to etsy. Meanwhile the Farmer's Market has been super busy with plans for the Centennial Celebration of 100 years of statehood for New Mexico. Here are pictures of new things I'm working on:

Harper sends you all his warmest bunny regards. We will celebrate a year together on Jan 11. Who knew a bunny could make such a difference in a person's life? I've learned to spin angora and how to entertain a rabbit. He has learned how to charm the dog and harass the cat - and there is never any doubt about who is in charge because it is always the Rabbit.

A Gift

2011-12-16T08:53:00.000-07:00

I've always wanted a studio where I could make art and be inspired by the mess that is my creative process. Over the Thanksgiving holidays my sister came to visit and this is the story about how she jumped in without being asked and made my dream of a working studio come true. Just before she came to stay I had a door put in the garage to allow access to a workshop that had been built onto the house by the previous owners.

This window became a door. See the junk piled high inside?

It was at this point when my sister arrived and saw the new door and wanted to know what the plan was. Well, the workroom was just crammed with boxes and lawnmowers and junk from when we moved here two years ago. I had the door put in but was thinking it would take me about six months on my own to sort through the stuff and move it into the garage propper and then paint and set up the working studio. My sister is a whirlwind of energy and she jumped into the project and moved things out and started painting. At first it looked like this....................

Yes, that is my sister Jeralyn working like a crazy thing making this clean enough to paint and move into. After several days of painting, during which time we catered a Thanksgiving dinner for 11........ It looked like this..............

It may look spartan but it was clean and ready to go. Jeralyn went back to the west coast and I started moving into the studio to work. Part of it looks like this now.............

More pictures soon but I wanted to share what an enormous gift this has been to have a work space set up and ready to go anytime I can get there. You can see that the Louet drum carder is front and center on an island in the middle of the floor where much carding takes place.

This Sunday I am teaching a carding class at My Place Jewell from 10-1pm. It is the shop and studio of Susan Jewell and is located at 140 Wyatt. You can sign up by calling 575-639-1616.

November

2011-11-03T14:09:00.000-06:00

I love November. The light here in New Mexico in November is like fine wine, it is rare and you can almost taste it. The shadows are getting long and it is nippy early and late and the temptation to have a fire inside or out is great. This is on my front door:

Yes, I did make it myself and I'm happy with it and my neighbors (who are somewhat conservative) should be Thrilled it is not covered with little witches and flashing lights, but just looks mundane and like a Normal Autumn Wreath.

And This is what I have been working on for the next Ramble which is Tomorrow! This project is as close to sheep to shawl as I ever get. I bought the raw wool and washed it and dyed it and spun it into yarn and then knitted this shawl with it. The locks are Blue Faced Leicester from up near Albuquerque. The dyes are kind to the environment Acid dyes and are colorfast and lightfast. Those of you who know me personally will be totally surprised to see any kind of knitted project actually finished from my two hands. I am one of those people who loves to start knitting projects but then quickly looses interest and moves on to another knitting project. That is why I make yarn for a living and don't sell knitted items. Anyway this beauty will be on sale at the gallery (Quillin Studio and Gallery - behind COAS on Water St) until Christmas. If you see it and want to own it, send me an email.

You can see in this final picture that my loyal assistant was supervising every step. She rolled in the grass on her back as I snapped pics. It is good to be an old dog helping Mom outside in the November sunshine.

October Blessings

2011-10-20T09:14:00.000-06:00

One of the great blessings of October is that it is finally cooler - we have survived another summer in the desert. Things can begin to happen again since the temps are not over 100 every day. Las Cruces is blessed to be in that liminal space between desert and agriculture. We have great views of beautiful mountains and also the restful green of the pecan orchards that grow along the Rio Grande. One of my good friends who lives just down the road in El Paso listened to me earlier in the summer reminisce about my childhood in her fair city and in particular about my Grandmother's backyard. My Grandmother had a very green thumb and grew many interesting things. One I remember best was a vine we called Queen's Wreath, that I have since learned is also called Mexican Coral Vine. My friend had one of these vines mailed to me! It has been busy growing and flowering and in general reminding me of the kind folks in my life.

The bunny has been busy this summer mainly trying to stay cool and lounging around on the tile floors. He is too smart by half and has figured out how to use the dog door. This is Harper after his last clip just a couple of days ago. This was the first time I clipped him with scissors instead of plucking him. He hated to be plucked and who would blame him? His hair did not come out easily and his skin was tender from the whole ordeal. Satins are supposed to be plucked but this one needs to be sheared. We are all different.

You can visit me at the Las Cruces Farmer's Market Saturday mornings from 8-12. I am across from the Rio Grande Theater.

Kits Are Coming!!!

2011-08-25T09:58:00.000-06:00

Autumn is just around the corner (some of us are counting down the days!) and new SCARF and HOODED COWLS are coming. Where? With me to the Farmer's Market and also on my Etsy shop HERE The first kits going in today are four Hooded Cowls that knit up super fast and easy.

If you can cast on, cast off and knit you can make this easy pattern. The textured boucle is commerically spun and hand dyed by me to match the Corespun that is all hand dyed and hand spun by me. The patterns are easy to read and are included in each kit. The cost for kits are $35 each with $3.50 shipping and handling. If you pick it up at the market you save the cost of shipping. Special orders for specific colors are being taken now with kits for special orders shipping in about a week. Premade kits, like the ones in the photos are ready to ship now.

And of course what would an update be without a picture of Harper, the CFO (Cheif Fiber Officer) who is looking fluffy again from the last molt. It has been too hot for his comfort even though he is a house rabbit and he is also looking forward to fall coming.

August Heat

2011-08-11T10:39:00.000-06:00

It has been super hot at the Farmer's Market downtown. Lots of vegetables and lots of people. I am taking a short break from the Market for a couple of weeks. New yarn is available on my etsy site Here There is a lot of new corespun skeins to add some zip to your projects. I am also busy dyeing up more silk ribbon. If you have a color you want, email me and I'll see what I can do.

Southwest Spinners Retreat

2011-07-29T09:56:00.000-06:00

It is finally the end of July and time for the Southwest Spinners retreat held each year at the Methodist Assembly Camp in Sacrameto, NM. We gather for classes and time to spin with other like minded fiber fanatics. I will be in Sacramento this weekend and not at the Farmer's Market in Las Cruces - look for me back next weekend across from the Rio Grande Theater.

Harper recommends a little fiber with your yarn..............

Back to the Market

2011-07-01T10:49:00.000-06:00

After being gone from the Farmer's Market for a couple of weeks due to the heat around here, I will be back tomorrow July 2nd - Across from the Rio Grande Theater as usual. We have had quite a spell of hot weather here with a week and a half over 100 degrees, some of that right around 110. Even I don't want to touch wool yarn when it is that hot. Of course my A/C has been in and out this week, mostly out so I've had to sequester the Bunny in a cool place. He is happier now that things are pretty much back to normal and he can help around the house wherever he wants. Here he is rearranging cones of yarn on a shelf. He likes to be able to get up on things, you will notice that he is at table height.

Here he is hanging out in front of his condo waiting for me to bring him his evening salad. Is he seriously fluffy or what? He is molting right now and the angora coming off him is 3+ inches long. Really nice fiber. He would be front and center in my affections anyway even without the fiber but it is an amazing bonus, four times a year. Right now he is really glad to be getting rid of it.

Harper's New Hobby

2011-06-25T07:06:00.000-06:00

I had been thinking that the studio looked a bit ratty lately with bits of paper on the floor, this in addition to the occasional bit of hay and or oats from Harper's dinner dish. Not to mention the dog dish that is filled with oats and timothy pellets that is for Frisbee who decided when the rabbit came to live her that she would now eat oats and timothy pellets since he did too. You should see them share a carrot. She eats the orange end while he munches happily on the green part. He does not share his banana with her which seems to be fine as she is not a fan of banana. But back to the point - I had noticed these bits of paper on the floor, quite small and chewed looking. On further inspection they turned out to be the labels from my yarn skeins in my personal stash. I have one of those basket drawer holders that you get from Lowes. You know the kind where the basket is wire mesh and slides out. I actually caught the long eared culprit yesterday afternoon pulling out a basket and choosing a nice new ball of yarn with a good label on it. Sometimes he flings the entire ball across the room and then chases after it and happily rips the label to shreds. Apparently the skeins of yarn are no longer interesting after being de-papered and they remain on the floor or nosed into the corner. He is happiest when I put an entire wicker basket of yarn on the floor and he can get into the basket and root through it to find just the right skein to de-paper. This is all very cute but now when I look at those skeins I have no idea how many yards they are or what they might be fiber wise. Before you get the wrong idea entirely we are talking here about my personal yarn stash which is mostly commerical yarns bought (expensively) from yarn stores around the world. Things I might one day want to knit into something for myself. Does that seem strange to collect yarn when making yarn is what I do for a living? Maybe. It wouldn't be the only strange thing in my life. The handspun that is for sale along with the roving never comes into contact with the rabbit, so he doesn't know what he is missing. It is packaged and labeled and put away so that when someone buys it, it doesn't look like it has been handled by a long eared customer service rep.

June Already

2011-06-17T10:30:00.000-06:00

I am not a fan of summer. It cannot get over fast enough for me. When faced with 100+ degree days I wonder why I don't live north of here. The mornings are lovely but the afternoons are perilous to your health with heat and smoke from the fires in Arizona. Late in the day our sky is clear but the light is a strange amber color.

Harper is a year old. His birthday was June 11. He was out in the early morning with me last week enjoying the grass and shade under the willow tree. He is getting ready to molt again, this will be the third one in his short life. I think with temps like they are he will be glad to get rid of the hair this time. He live inside so the heat is not as critical to him as it would be otherwise. He spends his days stretched out on the cool tile floors under the A/C, usually behind a sofa or under a chair. For his birthday he got a new wicker ball and some organic dragon blood carrots from the Farmer's Market.

New roving. Merino and Corriedale. There is also new corespun available in my etsy shop here: http://www.dedriquillin.etsy.com/

End of April

2011-04-29T17:43:00.004-06:00

April blew through southern NM like the proverbial Lion. Wait, that is supposed to be March...... well what I mean to say is that April went quickly and that the wind has been blowing like crazy all month. No April showers around here, this place might as well be a dust bowl. Indoors my helper has been sorting the roving...

He believes in getting into the middle of a project.

In other un-bunny related news I've been setting up an etsy shop and if you would like to visit the link is

Etsy Store

There are yarns that I do not have with me at market and also some destash items as I'm moving slowly away from weaving and more permanently into spinning. I've thought about changing the name of this blog but since it seems to be mostly about Harper anyway the new name would have to be something about that rabbit.................. He always seems to make it into every conversation. As this is the season of Easter I will share with you a photo of Tolerance on both their parts. The cat because he really really doesn't like the bunny and the bunny because he doesn't think the cat should be allowed in his room.

Anyone need a yarn fix? Here are some pictures of yarn I've been working on this week.

Getting Ready for Market

2011-03-25T10:35:00.000-06:00

New yarn and roving this week. The two top skeins are blended wools with silk, all hand dyed fibers mixed on the drum carder. The bottom photo is roving, Blue Faced Leister and Wensleydale. The Wensleydale is a hair roving more than a true wool and it takes dye beautifully and almost shines. Another positive about it is that it is not as itchy as Lincoln but is still soft and nice to spin. There was a an article in Spin Off this month about using Wensleydale and now that I've dyed it and touched it I can see why a person would want to try this unique roving.

The helper at my feet.....

In bunny news: Harper is beginning to do his second molt, so in the picture below you can see some of the pink skin on his back. The new hair comes in very fine under the old. I have to admit that this happened quicker than I thought it might but he is a fluffy thing so it is probably time. I sit with him in my lap to pluck the hair and he doesn't object too much, but the whole process really bothers the dog who seems to think I am doing something terrible to Her Bunny. She sits on the couch across the room and whines and watches very closely.......

Thanks

2011-03-08T17:14:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who came out last week to wish us Happy Anniversary at the studio. Lots of people came and ate cake and some even came and bought yarn and roving - thanks for that too!

A certain bunny likes to lay like this in front of his bunny condo to make sure a certain cat does not intrude. Recently Harper decided that he did not want the cat even in the studio where his condo is and so he has become the Guard Rabbit. The cat (Murphy) has an unappreciative habit of growling and hissing at the bunny when the bunny is trying to get the cat to play or be friends or just hold still so he can lick his nose a little bit. After lots of growling and hissing the rabbit has decided that he has had Enough. If you can't be nice, you can't come in his room. It's hard to argue with his logic. The cat now gets charged at and swatted with front bunny feet if he doesn't leave immediately. I would like to restore order but usually I'm laughing too hard to assist in any way while this is going on.

Friends

2011-03-04T06:58:00.000-07:00

It is good to have friends to sit beside in the window and watch the world go by. It nice that someone always wants to lick your face and share your snack (even if it is a banana.). Good friends are hard to find, it is much easier to run into those growling unhappy feline types, you know who I mean.....

This is the first Friday in March and as such it is the day of the Ramble. The Quillin Studio and Gallery is celebrating our one year anniversary today and there will be cake and cookies, so please come by and say hello this evening from 5-7. Other things going on during the Ramble include the poetry reading at the Rio Grande Theater that begins at 7pm. The Mesilla Valley Weaving Guild is having a show at the Branigan Cultural Center and the opening is tonight from 5-7. The Main Street Gallery is also hosting a special opening of a new show in their space. There is a lot going on in just a few blocks downtown. We hope to see you there!

Harper's House

2011-02-18T10:15:00.000-07:00

This is Harper's Bunny Condo. It is fairly large - 42" the long way across the front 28" from the front to the back and 29" high. It even has a cute little ramp for him to go from the first floor to the second floor. The lower floor is where he eats, drinks and has his litterbox, it is some kind of gray laminated plastic that is textured so that a bunnie's feet don't slip around too much. Very important. Also easy to clean. The second floor is short carpet and there is a piece of pvc pipe that holds the second floor securely up there so it doesn't bounce around while being bounced on. The whole thing went together with zip ties and was made by Lucas M. who sells these bunny condos on ebay. The entire thing took me about an hour to put together. The base is nice wood underneath and has casters so you can move the entire thing around - providing it will fit through a door, it is rather large. Harper seems quite happy with his new place, although he is probably happiest hopping around the house tormenting the cat (who still doesn't like him) and finding new things to explore.

The corner of Harper's condo is visible in the right hand side of this photo. The drum carder (Louet) sits on a table where I do the carding and the closet door is ajar. Why didn't she at least close the closet door before taking the picture? Because it is the whole point - when a rabbit moves into your house you discover that all kinds of things that were once commonplace like closed closet doors become up for debate. If you have a long thin closet with those doors that hang from the top and slide side to side this area may become a Fascinating Place for a rabbit. It is very much like a warren with two exits and it is nice and dark inside and some thoughtful person has included things inside that you (the rabbit) can spend endless amounts of time rearranging and tossing around. Instant playground.

Why wasn't Harper in any of those previous pictures? Because he was Busy. You will notice that he is a little blurry in this picture - because he is Busy and cannot be Bothered to Sit Still and have his picture taken. You will have to be happy with pictures of where he lives. And of the Very Patient English Cocker Spaniel who Waited and Waited while I was trying to take a picture of Harper to have HER picture taken.......

She always looks so serious about having her picture taken. She is ready for spring with her plaid bandanna.

And for those of you who insist on some kind of yarn and roving news, yes there will be new Falkland and Coopworth roving at the market on Saturday.

2011-02-10T06:48:00.000-07:00

Spice up your spinning with new kinds of wool. Have you always wanted to try Merino and Silk? Merino and Tencel? Blue Faced Leister? Now is your chance. I will have new roving dyed in vibrant colors for the market on Saturday. Also available is new Wildefoote Sock Yarn in new colors 450 yd balls for $20 each.

Harper has to be the fastest bunny ever to "get" housebreaking. In four short days he figured out litterbox training and has made no messes elsewhere in the house. Lots of people have asked how housebreaking a bunny works so I will share what I know. There are lots of places online that can give you more directions so check out the House Rabbit Society if you need more info.

When Harper first came to live with me he had been spending all his time in a pretty small cage with a wire floor and a tray underneath. To give him time out of that I set up a dog exercise pen in my living room. My floors are tile. I put down towels over the entire area and let him run around. He quickly decided on a corner of the enclosure to pee on a regular basis, the little pellets were all over. I put a cat litter box of the basic plastic variety in that corner with another towel in it and a handfull of hay. I was skeptical of this at first because not knowing rabbits I could not believe an animal would eat and pee in the same box, but guess what - they do! Harper was quick to jump in the litterbox and try it out but at first he did pee in other places. After several days of letting him get used to having the box in the enclosure I began to remove the towels from the floor, one each day. He loves to lay on the tile so this was great to him. I left one towel under the litterbox to catch any errors but they are rare. By the time the last towel came up he totally had the concept down and would only pee in the box. I expected the pellets to be all over the place as before but they are primarily in the box also, an occasional one will show up outside the box but nearly always this will be on the last remaining towel. Once I saw that he had this idea down I simply let him out of the exercise pen leaving the door to it open so he could come and go. He quickly checked out the house but always returns to the litterbox to pee. I have now removed the exercise pen entirely and just the litterbox remains. It is easy to clean, just shake out the pellets and wash the towel.

Harper is not out loose in my house all the time. He is free to run around for several hours every day and because he has taken to the litterbox training so well I have purchased for him a large bunny condo with a solid floor. I used one of those corner litterboxes in his wire cage while I was working with the big square cat style litterbox so that he would have the option to use a litterbox even when he was not free in the house but was confined in his cage. This kind snaps into the corner of a cage of any kind and is triangular with a high back and a wire on the bottom. For this one I use wood shavings for the pellets since they are under the wire and don't come into contact with the rabbit. I did not want Harper to be touching litter that had been used and dragging it with his fur all over the cage - that is why the towel in the large litter box. Angoras are like dust mops.

Rabbits are very underappreciated as house pets in this country. They are clean like cats and easy to train. They are quiet and don't make a lot of demands. They are easy to feed and care for and not very expensive to obtain. They make better pets after being neutered or spayed but that is true of all pets. If you are considering getting a house rabbit check out your local animal shelter or pound because many many are turned in every year.

The World According to Harper

2011-01-25T07:11:00.000-07:00

I grew up surrounded by lots of animals, cows and horses, dogs and cats but no rabbits. Now that Harper has come into my world I'm learning a whole new language - angora bunny. Here are some of the things he is teaching me:

1. Always eat your parsley first. (It is probably the healthiest thing on your plate.)
2. Run in circles when you are happy - then flop down and take a nap. This greatly helps reduce stress.
3. Stand up tall so you can see what's happening in your world.
4. It is OK to stamp your feet when you are mad but most people don't like to be bitten.
5. Try to help your friends with whatever they are working on, everyone loves an angora blend.
6. There are no strangers, just friends you have not yet met.

For a fairly small animal Harper has a lot of opinions. Like most of the animals in my life he thinks he needs to help me do things and generally he is right. The litterbox training is coming along and he was neutered last week which helps. Angoras have sweet personalities and seem to do best with a lot of interaction.

Yarn for your stash sweettooth

2011-01-21T10:06:00.000-07:00

Just a little bit of temptation for you before market tomorrow. For those of you who thought I spent the entire week playing with Harper this will show you that I only spent Most of my time doing that.

Harper

2011-01-16T14:05:00.000-07:00

Last week a surprising and spectacular thing happened in my household - an angora rabbit came to live with us. His name is Harper and he is a Satin Angora which does not begin to tell you what a sweet loving amazing creature he is. He lives in my studio and spends his afternoons in a large playpen while we are working on housebreaking. Harper is 7 months old and is just going through is first molt, which means that his hair comes off in huge piles and new hair grows in. I now have a whole bag of angora that needs to be spun into soft furry bunny yarn. You know how something sometimes comes into your life and just turns things upside down? I never knew I was missing a bunny in my life until this one came along. He is just enchanting. I have discovered a whole new section at Petsmart devoted to Rabbit Toys! Who knew rabbits had toys? We now have a selection of wicker balls with bells in them that get chewed on and chased around. We have a tunnel made of grass that Harper goes in and out of many times, just to make sure he still can. He moves things around and plays games with boxes and runs in circles and kicks up his big furry bunny feet and then flops down on his side like it was all too too exhausting ---- and then does it all again.

In case you are wondering how he gets along with the cat and dog who were the first furry children well it is a mixed review. Frisbee the dog loves the bunny and licks him all over the face and ears when she has been to get a drink. Murphy the cat is somewhat less enthusiastic and thinks we have been invaded by a large hopping monster who is larger than he is. Murphy spent the first two days alternately hiding and growling. He is now more tolerant but not in a hurry to make friends. For his part, Harper is not afraid of either of them.

We'll get back to yarn information soon.........

Happy 2011

2011-01-01T13:32:00.000-07:00

May your yarn stash grow beyond your wildest dreams! A new year and a new list of things to make with all kinds of interesting yarns. Our cold weather has kept me indoors spinning away and dyeing pots of wool in some new colorways for the new year. Here is a sneak peek of what I've been working on for the Market next week. We resume January 8.

Happy Holidays

2010-12-21T14:38:00.000-07:00

Can it really be 74 outside on this first day of winter? We have had the most beautiful weather this fall. Perfect for spinning and dyeing wool - even better for knitting.

This week the Farmer's Market will be held on Friday December 24 from 9am to 1:30pm since Saturday is the Big Day.

Solstice Blessings to you all.

2010-12-14T15:39:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who asked about how I've been doing this week. Much better. There is even new core spun on the big Ashford wheel right now.

This core spinning is kind of addictive. The colors are mixed on a large drum carder then spun with locks of mohair and coopworth wool with some angelina thrown in for sparkle. I'll have these at the market on Saturday so please come by and say hello if you are there.

Also a reminder that the Farmer's Market will hold a special Christmas Eve market on Dec 24 from 9-1:30 in case you need any last minute gifts.

2010-12-09T10:36:00.000-07:00

Just to let you know I will not be at the market this week due to a hand injury. Hopefully back on Dec 18.

New Yarns

2010-12-01T11:19:00.000-07:00

Core spun yarn! I've been playing this week in between special orders and this core spun is the result. The skeins are huge well over 100 yards and surely enough to make a scarf or trim that special project. Have you tried the huge knitting needles in size 33 or even 50? They are wonderful to show off this kind of yarn and make the project knit up very quickly. Hint: you can order the needles from Amazon for less than $10. There is a lot going on around the Market on Saturday's this time of year with people looking for that one particular Christmas gift. This Friday is the December Ramble at the Galleries downtown and the city is also hosting a Winter Wonderland where the Market usually is. Come have spiced cider and cookies with us. See you there.

2010-11-01T19:00:00.000-06:00

Just a quick reminder that I will not be at the market the Saturday November 6 because I will be at the Renaissance Faire instead. Bob Brown and I will be playing our Hammered Dulcimers near the entrance under a tree all day on Saturday. Come by and say hello!

Sock Yarn

2010-10-29T09:01:00.000-06:00

Autumn has officially been with us just over a month now and the knitting season is in full swing. So many people have asked me about sock yarn that I am now offering Wildefoote Yarn that is hand dyed. It is a Merino and Nylon blend that makes the most wonderful soft durable socks. I do not spin sock yarn because I cannot spin and ply that finely - others in this active spinning community are able to do so. I will stay with my bulky singles and two plys and be perfectly happy. However for those of you who NEED sock yarn I will have eight new colors on Saturday at the market. A reminder that we vendors will be dressed up for Halloween and there will be children trick-or-treating. Hope to see you there!

2010-10-07T13:51:00.000-06:00

Home. What a sweet word. I'm home again after travelling to see my husband, this time in Ireland. I looked for yarn and expected everything to be woolen but was sadly disappointed. There were many, many sheep but relatively little wool on offer in Dublin or in the countryside. What little I found was from Northern Ireland in Donegal where the govt still subsidizes the wool and weaving industry. Ireland is a beautiful place, almost impossibly green. We were fortunate to have good weather and were able to get out and walk a lot.

Back here at home the dyepots are already in use so there will be new things for the market on Saturday. I'll be back in my regular place across from the Rio Grande Theater.

Two pictures for you from the trip. The first is a ruin in the town on Trim where the movie Braveheart was filmed. The second is from a churchyard in Killkenny where there were many Celtic crosses.

2010-09-09T11:27:00.000-06:00

2010-09-08T11:23:00.000-06:00

2010-09-07T07:55:00.000-06:00

Spinning on my friend Lee Ann's Lendrum. Fall is just around the corner and it is time for some serious spinning. The latest thing I've been trying is Navajo 3-ply. The technique is easy - you can look it up on youtube to see how it is done - I just cannot get over the fact that you start out with this enormous amount of single ply yarn and when you have 3-plied it there is so much less. Of course that is obvious because you are making one yarn that is three times as thick, but it makes two ply seem somehow decadent in how far it will go. Must also say that the Lendrum is a dream to spin on. It comes with three heads for different kinds of spinning and a lazy kate for plying. Probably the most important thing I noticed is that the orifice, which is quite large, is also set higher than the one on the Ashford Joy that I normally use. I never thought about this until LeeAnn and her new Lendrum came to spin with me last week at the Ramble. We sat for about two hours spinning, then the next day I took my wheel to the market and spun for about 4 hours straight. My back was killing me after all that spinning and hunching down over the Joy - need I mention that I am awaiting the delivery of my very own Lendrum this week?

In more somber news I must report that my office manager George died in August. He was with me 12 years and his presence in every sense will be sorely missed.

May all your skeins be tangle free.

Last of July

2010-07-31T13:41:00.000-06:00

Earlier this month I started checking in with the amazing artists on Ravelry. The Art Yarn group continues to inspire and amaze me. This week I did a mixed bat that became an autowraped single here

But I have not posted here very much in the past two weeks and it is because my very short attention span has been taken up by this lovely new instrument that arrived finally from the wonderful people of Dusty Strings in Seattle:

It is a 4 &1/2 octave Hammered Dulcimer, Dusty Strings model D650 with dampers. I am so in love with it. You can see the hammers on the stool below the dulcimer. Because of this obsession I will be absent from this blog and the farmer's market for at least the next week while I attend the Swannanoa Gathering at Warren Wilson College in Asheville NC. Look for me back at the market August 14.

Latest Greatest Idea

2010-07-09T11:26:00.000-06:00

People at the market are always asking me what they can do with a skein of yarn. Now most of my handspun skeins are 225+ yards - which means that you can make something and have lots left over. Or maybe make two somethings, like a matching hat and scarf. But since I've never been a matchy-matchy type I would be more interested in more colors and less matching. Which brings me to my latest idea, ready made pull-balls in various colors that come in around 100 yds. (They are marked so you know how many yards you get.)

For those still wondering what to do with a ball of yarn I suggest the books by Judith Durant, One Skein Wonders and also 101 Designer One Skein Wonders. Check with Amazon.

Midsummer in the Desert

2010-06-21T09:47:00.000-06:00

The Solstice reminds me of England and Stonehenge and the abundance of fecund green things everywhere. In my mind it is pleasantly warm with trees and flowers. In my reality it is over 100 and scorching sunlight that few things are able to brave to celebrate this mid-turning point of the year. In my yard this Mexican Bird of Paradise flowers and prospers energetically making bean pods that reseed it all over. In my hot summer kitchen I am dyeing wool and chenille - though not in the same pot. When I started this project of selling hand dyed yarns at the Farmer's Market back in February I did not dream that by midsummer people would still be buying wool and other fiber yarns from me. When it is hot I don't think about knitting as much but clearly there are many people who get their start on fall projects when it is blistering hot outside. I'm grateful to them. May you all be blessed as the wheel of the year turns.

Summer 2-ply

2010-06-17T10:13:00.000-06:00

It is hot here in New Mexico this summer. I'm dreaming of cool ocean breezes with these colors. This yarn is a 2-ply of handspun wool and eyelash/flag all dyed in the same pot and twisted together for a fun yarn. This would make a great hat.

The heat is also reflected in this Shetland roving that is the colors of our sunsets:

And finally a yarn that reflects many of our local colors, turquoise orange and purple:

See you at the market on Saturday!

Books, Books, Books

2010-06-05T08:05:00.000-06:00

Just in case you missed the Ramble last evening - there were lots of books. For the past few weeks I've been making coptic bound books. The above ones were covered in paper, the below ones were covered in hand dyed silk velvet and vintage laces. They were well received and several sold. Don't think I will be changing career directions any time soon because I still love yarn but these books were fun to make.

Have a great weekend and try to stay cool...

What is that stuff???

2010-06-03T07:17:00.000-06:00

Every week at the Market someone comes up and asks me what that yarn is made from. Or maybe they finger the dyed roving and wonder what it is and what you do with it. Humans have been on this earth a long time but it has only been since the Industrial Revolution that we became distanced from our own lives. We used to understand where milk and steak come from, just like we understood where yarn came from because probably someone in our home was spinning it next to the hearth in the evening. For thousands of years that went on and now within just a couple of generations we have no idea how to bake bread, make butter and spin yarn. To me that is a great sadness. I enjoy this wonderful technologically savvy world we have created but I wish we didn't have to loose so much of the basic things while we are so very plugged in. All those people listening to ipods while spinning would be my idea of perfect! So here I leave you with a picture of roving, undyed and still in the huge ball as it comes to me from the mill. This ball weighed in at 20 pounds.

A small reminder that the First Friday Ramble is this Friday from 5-7 at the downtown mall in Las Cruces. The Quillin Studio (owned by Sally Quillin) will be showing handmade books with a variety of different bindings. Stop in and say Hello if you are in the neighborhood. Those shawls from the previous post will be there too......

Sneak Peek - or wasn't this a blog about weaving?

2010-05-27T07:13:00.000-06:00

I'll admit that I'm prone to getting distracted. For months now I've been distracted from weaving, seduced by the color and texture of spinning and dyeing. There has been a warp languishing on my loom for months. Finally this week I got down to the weaving part. Here is a preview. The two new shawls can be seen on the Ramble Friday June 4 from 5-7 at the Quillin Gallery at 217 Water Street, Behind COAS, where the coffee shop used to be. Right here in Las Cruces, NM.

We all love yarn and I'm assuming that means you too or why would you be reading this blog? In the making of the above shawl I took out all kinds of yarn and spread them around the floor and auditioned the colors and thought about texture and then went to bed. Here is my office manager, George trying out the new stash to see if it is comfortable enough.

Monday Magic

2010-05-17T11:47:00.000-06:00

Magical sparkly red and turquoise and purple batts made from wool, mohair, silk and crystal mylar. Putting these fibers through the drum carder (Louet) was like making a party. It spun up quickly on the Ashford Country Spinner. Now it is out drying in the sun on this georgous warm day. Happy Monday to you all!

Blue 2-Ply Friday

2010-05-14T07:18:00.000-06:00

A sneak peek for you of a new blue/green 2 - ply that I'll have with me on Saturday at the Market. Friday's are always kind of exciting, maybe we are trained to feel that way from an early age. In school Friday was the end of the week with hopefully a two day break ahead without much homework. In the world of work Friday was a blessed release from other people's agendas. Now I love Friday because I am getting ready for the market - I get all my yarn and supplies together, load my truck, ready to head out early Saturday morning. I did craft shows for many years. One of the cool things about them is the sense of family that evolves during the show, you get to know your neighbors who sometimes become life long friends. The Saturday Market is like that also. My neighbors tend to be a little different each week because my space is not assigned (I'm on the list but who knows how many years that will take.) so I set up where my block captain tells me and hope for the best. Usually it is great, most of the people are super nice. One of my other favorite things is seeing all the dogs that come to market to help their people walk around and buy things. Some of them come every week and I know their names even without a clue to who their people might be. I like a world where dogs get to participate. Hope your weekend is super, if you are in the neighborhood on Saturday stop and say Hello!

2 Ply Process

2010-05-12T08:06:00.000-06:00

Some people love singles and some love 2-ply, I guess that's true in life as well as in yarn. The advantage of 2-ply over singles is that singles tend to pill when knitted into something that gets a lot of abrasion and 2-ply does less of that. If you are knitting something like a hat or a scarf then I think it really doesn't matter much but if you are making something like a vest that would get rubbed by a coat or a shirt then the single would eventually get little pills of wool on the surface. Remember those sweater shavers and stones from years ago? I'm dating myself here - they worked better than endlessly pulling little balls of wool off your favorite sweater. When I think about making a 2-ply yarn I think about colors that look good together or are complimentary on the color wheel. This roving was dyed with Turquoise, Fire Red and Burnt Orange Acid Dyes. The wool is Punta from Argentina and feels like our Merino, not itchy at all. I dye the roving and then divide it into two equal lengths (there may be other ways to do this but I'm sharing how I generally work) I spin each length onto a separate bobbin using my Ashford Joy wheel. This is what the singles look like before they are married up on the larger box spinner. It looks like the colors are different but they are really from the same bit of roving.

I then put these bobbins on a lazy kate and spin them together on the Ashford Country Spinner - an integral piece of equipment. The bobbin on that spinner is huge - I've never even come close to filling it. If I had to ply on the Joy the yarn would have several places where it is tied together as the smaller bobbins are filled, but by using the Country Spinner the yarn is one long continuous piece.

Here the finished yarn has been wound into a skein.

One more picture from the Ramble last week - Bob Brown and I playing our hammered dulcimers in the patio. Thanks to everyone who came and supported us. Bob leaves for Ireland at the end of June - this is his big dream and we want to help him get there. He will be playing at the Farmer's Markets on Saturdays until he leaves.

First Friday Ramble in May

2010-05-07T07:42:00.000-06:00

Today is the First Friday Ramble for May in downtown Las Cruces. This event includes a number of local galleries, the local art museum and the Rio Grande Theater. It starts at 5 and goes to 7pm. People park and walk to the different galleries/studios and have a nibble of something and check out the artwork. The Rio Grande hosts a Poetry reading until 7:30 that is free to the public and you can read your own original work. The Quillin Studio which is owned by Sally Quillin is where I show my handwoven things. Sally shows paintings and Aline Fister shows silver cast jewelry. Tonight we have a special treat - Robert Brown will be playing the hammered dulcimer in the patio. This instrument is a delight to hear, very like a harp but played with small wooden hammers. Robert plays very well and is an extremely patient person. I know this first hand because I've been taking lessons from him since December. I saw him at the Farmer's Market and was immediately entranced by the sound of his playing and the look of the instrument. It is one of the hardest things I've ever tried to learn and I played the piano for many years and can read music. The dulcimer is a challenge because of the arrangement of the notes and the precision involved in only hitting the strings you want to sound and not making a cacophonous noise. My treat for tonight is that I get to play my dulcimer with Robert on three songs. Very exciting.
If you are in the neighborhood please stop by. Don't forget that Saturday is the Farmer's Market and there will be lots of new yarn for you to see.

Just in case you wondered, it is a 16/15 made by Russell Cook of Masterworks.

Iris Inspiration

2010-05-05T10:55:00.000-06:00

Sometimes the colors for yarn come out of my head, or even out of a book. Sometimes they come from the yard. Iris are my favorite flowers. These are just blooming and inspired the following yarn, I almost expect it to smell sweet.

Best Friend's Birthday

2010-05-03T10:12:00.000-06:00

Frisbee is 11 today!!! This is my chief helper, constant companion and all around darling best friend. She is an English Cocker Spaniel who has been with me for the past 9 years. Even as I write this she is asleep at my feet having already had breakfast twice and snuck into the cat room to sample theirs. It is impossible to think of working at home without the help of the furry children. In old posts I notice that the cats get more blog time, maybe because they are always right there checking out the yarn and ready to be photographed. Frisbee would say they are pushy that way, that the best behavior is just to stand by patiently and wait for ways to be helpful. This is something she has perfected.

Thanks to everyone who stopped by the market on Saturday and especially to the woman who told me she actually reads my blog. It made my day!

2010-04-13T08:41:00.000-06:00

Red - Start to Finish - This red art yarn started out life in Silver City NM when I bought some sari silk fibers to go along with some red wool and coopworth locks and mohair. They all danced happily through the drum carder and then spun up into a bulky single. I'll have this with me at the farmer's market on Saturday unless someone needs it sooner - send me an email dedriquillin@aol.com The price is $25 plus shipping. 128 yards.

Wool meets sari silk.

Batts.

2010-04-09T14:42:00.000-06:00

Lots of new yarn this week but not at the Farmer's Market until April 17. The Mesilla Valley Weaver's Guild is going to Silver City this Saturday so I will be out prowling around looking for fun new fibers to put in my yarns. Also on the 17th I'll have more in the way of chenille, rayon and cotton for summer so please stop and see me at the north end of the market.

2010-02-26T12:43:00.000-07:00

The end of February is almost here. This week has been full of spinning new yarns for the market. It has been a while since any 2-ply Corriedale went out of the studio and this week there are three offerings. They are so pretty I'm tempted to keep them myself but like all good children they need to be sent out into the world.

This green and yellow below is a single art yarn spun up from wool and mohair.

This last picture is a 2-ply of Corriedale in purple and green and a Romney single in raspberry tones.

2010-02-11T10:35:00.000-07:00

Yarn Everywhere! This week I was juried into the local Farmer's Market in Las Cruces, so if you are in need of yarn or roving come by and see me Saturday between 9-1:30 - winter hours. The dyepots at the house have been working overtime and the purple yarn above is the one I was spinning during the Ramble last Friday - for those of you whom I met at that time. I'm excited to be in the market, some of you will remember that I helped start the Hobbs Farmer's Market and we modeled it on this one here in Las Cruces. I am a big believer in Farmer's Markets because they are one of the best ways to build a community. They do more for good will than any golf course or chamber of commerce. They are a great place to visit with your neighbors and make new friends - and don't forget to EAT LOCALLY!

If you are on the web and too far away to visit the Las Cruces Farmer's Market then the best place to see Outstanding yarn is from Lynn at the Yarnwench http://yarnwench.com/hers is the standard the rest of us should go by. I have admired her work for years and encourage anyone with any interest in yarn and spinning to visit her site.

Go make something!

2009-12-11T13:17:00.000-07:00

Purple Ruana for Christmas! This ruana is made from Texas cotton, novelty yarns and hand dyed silk ribbon. There is also a band of faceted beads in leno lace along one side.

This earth tones ruana is also Texas cotton and novelty yarns with ribbon. No beads on this one but it is a super long one, having been made as a special order for a tall person. The warp on this was 7 yards long and each panel before washing was 100 inches. It came together beautifully.

This sage chenille vest is one of the few things I have left in stock, maybe because it just came off the loom. It has been a busy Christmas season here and those who didn't get a special order in by August probably didn't get weavings for the holiday. Happy Solstice Blessings to you all.

2009-11-10T07:29:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was an adventure in natural dyeing. The workshop was offered through our local yarn store Unravel and the teacher was Ric Rao. There were about 12 of us plus various family memebers who were brought along to help. All the yarns that we tried were natural fibers - either wools or cottons, some alpaca and mohair. The yarn had been mordanted overnight in Alum and Cream of Tarter, though some were put in the pot just as we started and did not seem to be any less vivid. Ric had been collecting flowers from his garden all year and we used marigolds, cosmos, black hollyhock and hibiscus. Sometimes the colors were predictible and sometimes not. We also used onion skins and tumeric for a bright yellow.Walnut for brown. Logwood for purple (spectacular) and Cochineal for a pinkish-red. There were 8 dyepots in all simmering over two large outdoor fires. The project took most of the day and the efforts of everyone involved. There was not a lot of sitting around watching.

Everyone had a chance to put yarn in most of the different dyepots so there were lots of samples to take home.

Pot full of Cosmos. The dark brown in walnut.

It was a spectacular way to spend such a beautiful fall day. Many thanks to Gail and Oscar who opened their home for us to learn this skill, and Ric Rao for his time and patience. It was a great experience.

2009-10-24T15:05:00.000-06:00

Another reason to love living in New Mexico.... It is the 24th of October and outside the air is an intoxicating 75 degrees with a light breeze. After the farmer's market today I came home and sat outside on my back porch and spun yarn in the sun. What could be nicer?

These colors will go in a hat or vest for the fall, right now it is a single in handpainted corridale but will probably be plied with something else, or more of itself for the final product.

settling in

2009-10-14T08:20:00.000-06:00

Early morning light on newly unpacked cones of yarn. After months of house hunting and the trials of buying and selling a home, I have begun the process of unpacking in Las Cruces. This is such a different place from my hometown of Hobbs although really just across the state. Not only is this place larger but it is much more art friendly. Art in Hobbs was considered a kind of indulgence, almost like it was nice if you could spare that kind of time but the rest of the population had real work to do. Like running around in the oil field or teaching school. I chose Las Cruces because of it's vibrant arts community and also because I had friends and family here. I actually know other people here in this community who do art for a living and don't have to apologize for it. I love that and the Liberal bumper stickers. My favorite this week was one that said "After we rebuild Iraq can we rebuild our schools?" I love that there is a Friday Ramble at the downtown mall on the first Friday of every month. People come and look at art and listen to music and have snacks and walk around. I also love the Farmer's Market. Even though it has undergone a lot of controversy with renovation in the downtown mall area and the market has been moved -- it is much more upscale than it was. There are blocks of vendors selling all kinds of wonderful things. It is a great place to people watch, especially if you like to see people with their dogs. I am enamoured of all of it, the huge peaks of the Organ Mtns and the view over the valley filled with chili in fields and pecan trees along the Rio Grande.

Murphy is helping to arrange the studio. He likes to get up on the desk and look out the window. Sometimes he tries to type on the computer but is not very successful. All the furry children have made the trip well and are settling in. Soon the weaving will begin and this will really be home.

2009-06-10T14:00:00.000-06:00

Bookbinding bug. I love to make books by hand. This project puts together several of the different crafts that go on pretty much all the time around my house. The velvet cover starts as a piece of silk velvet that is fiber reactive dyed. Then the bookboards are covered in velvet and a cotton sateen on the inside. The outside is decked out with vintage trim and ribbon, some of it velvet. Then the decorative part near the opening is vintage lace, a watch face, a rusty washer and beads with little watch gears. The clasp comes around from the back and is antiqued brass. The ribbon on the binding is tied to the coptic stitches. It is also hand dyed.

Here is the upclose part of the clasp

Here is the coptic stitch binding.

This is why I love coptic stitch, because all the pages lay flat when you open the book. Yes I did sew lace to the edges of some pages.

2009-05-19T07:32:00.000-06:00

Celadon for spring. On the loom now are panels for two spring shawls. The warp is green and blue, very pale and the weft is celadon. This was the first time I tried putting the hand dyed silk ribbon into the weft as I was weaving, using a gordes (sp?) knot. This seems to be a better way of adding fringe instead of leaving holes that you will go back later and add the fringe to. It doesn't distort the warp/weft as much. Check back in a day or so to see the final product.

In the garden right now the potatoes are in bloom, the broccoli and brussels sprouts are about a foot high and the radishes are ready.

This plateful was part of last night's dinner along with some salt and asiago cheese.

2009-04-22T08:41:00.000-06:00

Happy Happy Happy Earth Day! It is spring on this beautiful planet we call home and it is hard not to appreciate all the things coming to life after a long winter. In many place on the web you can read about Earth Day and ways to save the planet. My favorite is www.noimpactman.typepad.com who writes every day about ways to make our footprints a little smaller. If you think it is hard to make a difference where you live, try in an apt in NYC where Colin lives! If he and his family can make a difference so can the rest of us. At this point I think it is important to find ways to make our lives less toxic to ourselves and the planet - before it is too late. So do something today to celebrate this beautiful place we live!

2009-04-20T15:13:00.000-06:00

Another day another poncho. So far this one may be my favorite. It is periwinkle and bronze. Such a strange color combination came about by accident but really works here in our desert southwest. There is a lot of motteling of the colors here and it adds a great deal of interest.

On other fronts I have been trying out mosaics. The round white one is my work and the blue and white tray is a friend's. We grouted together on the back porch today.

2009-04-16T17:05:00.000-06:00

The summer clothes project started because I wanted something fun to wear this summer. Something that would look good with leggings and birks, standard artist wear. I did not intend to sell the dresses, but planned selfishly to keep them and wear them. I planned to sell the ponchos. However I would wear the dress out in public and someone would stop me and ask if they could buy a set and they would tell me the color they wanted and I went home and dyed them up. So this post is for my friends who are trying to figure out what size to tell me they want. The purple dress is a one size and is large on the top and bottom. It is what I wear even though it looks baggy in places, you can put a t-shirt under it or another tank in the summer. The coral one is an X-Large and does come in larger and smaller sizes. It is more like a regular Large size. Does that help? Send me an email and let me know....

2009-04-08T15:11:00.000-06:00

Poncho madness has taken over my house. There are ponchos of almost every color hanging all over getting ready to make their debut at the Farmer's Market. They will get a preview at the Pre-Mother's Day trunk show at the Back Porch Antique Mall on May 2nd. My partner in the booth, Jean Peter is showing her beautiful jewelry from 11-4 on that Saturday. Bargains and treasures will abound for those close enough to come to the sale (108 E. Broadway, Hobbs). In addition to jewelry there will be beads for sale and silk scarves, handwoven garments and hand dyed garments.

As I was taking these pictures outside on the back porch I was joined by all my animal friends. George is doing what he was doing in the last post, sleeping. At 11 years old he does that most of the time.

This turquoise and deep red is probably my favorite. It was a last minute thought and I dreaded that the colors would not "go" together and would just look like mud, but it came out very striking.

Frisbee came out to see what all the pictures were about. She is the darling of my heart...

Here is the Red Chenille Shawl from the last post finished. This first picture is of the back, it comes down to a V in the back.

Here is the front with one of the panels draped over the shoulder. The panels are just a little longer than I would normally make them because the lady for whom this shawl was made is quite tall and I wanted her to be able to wear a brooch or pin with it and still have plenty left to drape down.

Murphy.

2009-03-30T14:01:00.000-06:00

Wind and dust and sand, oh my - this is no day to be in the garden. Out here on the plains we have many days like this in the spring when the wind begins before dawn, or never quits from the night before. The light is hazy from the stuff in the air and being outside for any length of time is like being sandblasted.

A good day to get back to the looms. All this red chenille is very cheering. It will be a V-back shawl for one of the librarians here in my hometown. Chenille is so soft and has such a nice drape when finished it is no wonder so many people enjoy wearing it.

If you are new to chenille, this is rayon chenille in Ruby from Webs http://www.yarn.com the 1450 yd per pound put up. When you are deciding on the length and width of a piece be sure to add in some extra for the shrinkage. I usually add a couple of inches to the width and at least six to the length. When you take it off the loom and wash it be sure it is in a gentle cycle so it doesn't get too mangled, but then when you put it in the dryer (one of the few things that really improves by going in the dryer) put in a towel (one that does not shed) or two and dry on medium/low heat until completely dry. It should come out with that lovely hand and drape we love in chenille. It needs that abrasion in the dryer and also the warmth to make the rayon fibers fill out. Check your lint trap because it can shed quite a bit.

This is one of my assistants, George who is practicing the art of taking up the entire six foot sofa so that the dog cannot get up there. This necessitates a lot of deep sighs on the part of the English Cocker who has to lay on her big round cushion on the floor. Life is so unfair....

2009-03-29T07:38:00.000-06:00

Fingerling seed potatoes sit on the table near the south facing window in my little dining room. They are dreaming of days in the earth, very soon now when they will get to make whole plants and reproduce more fingerling potatoes. I thought these potatoes were lost as I had looked all over the house for them, in cupboards and closets over the past few weeks. Then I had a call from the seed company http://www.seedsavers.org to tell me they had not yet shipped. Of course I thought they had already come and been put away somewhere that I would know not to eat them but would remember for spring. You know, the kind of place you find five years later. So I was glad to see them arrive in the mail this week, one step further in their journey to the garden.

Below is one of the broccoli plants I put out last week, being very optimistic about the weather. After it had been in the ground about three days we had wind that was terrible and a bit of snow and the temps got down to 24 in the night. Fortunately it seems to be doing well as are it's brother's and cousins the brussels sprouts. Some Yukon Gold potatoes went into the ground on the equinox along with onions but since they are well buried I think the weather will not affect them much.

You may wonder why this blog suddenly became about gardening and not so much about weaving, for weeks now I had been thinking about just doing away with this blog since my ability to write about weaving had taken a vacation and been supplanted (small pun) by gardening. My latest strategy is to write about both, depending on where my interests are at the current moment - and those of you who know me will remember that I have a very short attention span. So you may hear about raspberries and yarn all at the same time.

2009-01-21T09:04:00.000-07:00

You could blame it on a short attention span, but you could also blame it on having an abundance of yarn laying around the studio. After weaving - what to do with all the bits and pieces of yarn left? It is impossible to throw them away. This winter I decided that they would make good hats and I would enjoy the knitting. I cast on about 80 stitches on size 10 needles. I like the 16" circular made by Lantern Moon in ebony. For the first three or four inches I knit two and pearl two all the way around to get a stretchy rib stitch.
Then I switch over to knit and hold the yarn in the European style that allows for very fast knitting. In an evening or two I have a new hat with all kinds of interesting bits of yarn thrown in.

This is what it looks like in the being made stage:

Here is one in blues and purples. You should try this, you don't even need a pattern, just get started and grab some of that wonderful knitting yarn that is available everywhere these days. Knit in the round (add a pearl row or two for variation if you want) until it is 6" or so, depending on the size of your head. Then begin to decrease, one every 8 stitches, then 7 and so on until you get down to just a hand full of stitches, cut the tail about 12" and thread back through the last few loops on the needles and tie off.

Yesterday was the inauguration. It gave me hope for the future and made me proud to be an American.

2008-12-31T10:41:00.000-07:00

Don't you just love New Year's Resolutions? I am so bad at them! They are fine until about the third week in January and I am bored with the new rules and want to go back to my old ways. Well, I will try to post more often here. This red-brown jacket is what I worked on over the Christmas holiday. It is a dark brown and sandalwood warp with a teak weft - all wool from Harrisville and still available. The novelty yarn that makes the decorative strips is wool also but came from a discontinued bin, if you want a similar look go with a yarn with heavy slubs in colors that match your warp. It is woven as a 2/2 twill on 4 harnesses and was four pieces on a 10 dent reed. Two are 27" X 53", this is the main body, the two pieces sewn up the back and under the arms. Then a small piece for a pocket (because pockets make everything better) and a 5" collar that was done the width of the weaving with some scrap warp. The lapels are held back with large resin buttons.
Here is the second project -- a retro poncho! Also in Harrisville wool, it is woven in a diamond twill pattern. You can see the upclose below this photo. In case you want to make one this pattern is using a 10 dent reed and four harnesses. The warp is 20" across and the length of each panel (there are two just alike) was 45." After washing and fulling this comes to about 16"X 36", which was pretty close to what I was aiming for. If you are good at crochet, this poncho looks great with scallops all along the outside edge.

Here is what the pattern looks like, the weft was a teal wool that was leftover from some other long ago project.

Thanks to everyone who wrote to me condolences about my dad. It is still hard for me to believe he is gone, I guess we always feel that way about parents. If you still have yours give them a hug for the new year.

Blessings to you all.

2008-09-24T07:16:00.000-06:00

Herald Looms. Several people have emailed me asking about my loom. Unfortunately the no-reply comment option on this blog host does not let me reply to you except by posting here. So if you write to me - Please send your email address along with your message. For Meaghan who has one of these and is looking for information on it. I never did get an instruction book with mine, but it was in perfect working order. The brake is a tension one and I would be glad to email you a picture of it if that would help.

So much has happened in my life since I last posted. My father passed away. It was sudden and took the wind out of my sails. I still spend days when I cannot believe he is gone. I'm working on clearing things up in this small town where I have lived for the past six years and will be relocating.

Best to you all.

2008-05-24T08:45:00.000-06:00

The orange weaving I posted a couple of times ago became this Tangerine Dream Vest. I took it with me to Carlsbad this week and it went to a new home yesterday. I loved how the colors played together. There was a lot of texture in this and lots of different kinds of fiber including-- cotton (warp), wool, silk and novelty yarns. I like to use different textures in things because they come out so much more tactile. This vest also has buttons sewn randomly on the lapels to keep them in place. The other view is of the back.

2008-05-10T11:23:00.000-06:00

Charleston House. Formerly the home of Vanessa Bell (Virginia Woolf's sister) and Duncan Grant. We visited this wonderful home just at the end of our stay in England. To get there you take a train from Victoria Station to Lewes, and a taxi from there to Charleston House. It is out in the countryside with rolling hills of green and yellow all around. The house was a mainstay for the Bloomsbury Group during the Second World War when the bombing was going on in London and they all wanted to escape. Vanessa and Duncan spent a lot of time in this place painting. Not just canvases but all over the house. There are mantels in several rooms that have been painted, all kinds of furniture including the dining room table. It was a very lived in house. There has
been so much written about who these people were and how they lived that I won't go into that here. Suffice it to say that they invented the Bohemian Lifestyle. What I did want to say was that while all the artwork was great to see, all or most of it original --it is the feeling of the lives lived here that make the place different. It is the sum of the friendships and loves that changed it from an ordinary house to the unusual.

The gardens and the pond are as beautiful as the house itself. Most of the statuary and mosiac work is just as it is presented in the history books. There is a sense of peace about the entire property that is hard to convey. It is not surprising that they came and stayed such a long time.

2008-05-08T13:44:00.000-06:00

Today on the Kromski rigid heddle loom a bit of the sunset. A medley of oranges with a sprinkle of green and purple, lots of texture in this one. It will be a vest when finished and is destined for the Carlsbad Gallery. Orange makes me feel warm and alive and is pretty positive in general. This was not always the case. For many years I avoided Orange because it was too in your face, too committed to be bold and assertive. Now I find myself wanting to tuck bits of Orange in a lot of my work. It is funny how color affects us differently at times.

Studio

2008-02-10T08:10:00.001-07:00

Artist's studios fascinate me. I love to see where people work, the kind of atmosphere it has and how much clutter they work with or through. Because I create visually, I need to be able to see all those cones of yarn, or the skiens in a basket. Color is the great motivator and texture is a close second. So today I thought you might like to see where I work. This long narrow room is part of our recycled house, it was built on after the house was moved from town five years ago. There are tall ceilings, and ceiling fans and good light from large east facing windows. For years I have bugged my husband about building a studio on our property but I have to admit that this is probably better than a stand alone building because it is always right HERE. There is never an excuse about going to work, because I am already at work here in the light filled room right off the kitchen. The kitchen is important too because weaving requires lots of cups of tea.

A rare picture of the two cats together. They are not best buddies even though they look almost exactly alike. George is the one looking at the camera and Murphy the Manx is checking to see if George got a treat he didn't know about.

This is the other end of the room where I sit and listen to music as I work on the rigid heddle loom.

2008-02-02T12:21:00.000-07:00

Regarding Spinning Wheels. This message is for Judi, who left me a message but no way to contact her. I love the Country Spinner by Ashford (They make wonderful spinning wheels.) but the smaller wheels give a tighter twist. The Country Spinner is really just for bulky yarns and for plying two or more yarns together. I use it for both things but I think you get a tighter twist and ply on a smaller wheel, like a Louet or even the Ashford Joy. You can really tell the difference in the final yarn product. Now, if you are just going to make loose bulky yarn, it is wonderful because that HUGE bobbin will hold hundreds of yards of yarn. A regular bobbin will only hold 75-125 yards of bulky AND if you are plying and/or making art yarn you have to stop fairly often and transfer the yarn to a niddy-noddy. Does this help? Contact me directly if I can tell you anything more helpful! Thanks.

2008-01-29T16:12:00.000-07:00

Frisbee is a nine year old English Cocker Spaniel. She is a blue roan which means she has lots of gray and black and white spots all over her. She gets her own shrine that I wear around because she means the world to me. She is my constant companion since my husband works on the other side of the planet. She is my personal trainer and makes it a point to get me up between 4:30am and 5 every day so that I don't forget to go on our walk. I think art should be about celebrating the things that mean the most to us. My husband says that in his next life he wants to come back as my dog.

The copper slide case, and the slides came from Artchix Studio. They have great service and cool things to play with. http://www.artchixstudio.com

May your art reflect what makes your heart sing. (Don't tell the cats I did this.)

2008-01-29T08:20:00.000-07:00

Two projects on one warp. The first is a V-back shawl and the second is a vest. They were made on one nine yard warp, where each panel is woven and a space is left for the fringe between before the next one is begun. The warp and weft were 100% wool, although that being said there are lots of different kinds of wool in the world. The warp has some soft Harrisville (the blue stripes you can see) and some old overspun wool from a stash I inherited. The weft is a red boucle that is pretty soft but also gives the whole thing a crepe paper feel. I think it would be a fun thing to wear if you live somewhere cold.

Now this other little project is posted for my friends in the Creative Life Group, run by Rice Freeman-Zachary http://www.voo-doo-cafe.com. It is a shrine necklace that features a picture of my dog Frisbee. She is one of the lights of my life. Another friend, Jean Peter (no web site) made the bone charm in copper with Frizz's name on it.

May Art enrich your life everyday.

2008-01-18T06:31:00.000-07:00

The new year got off to a running start and I've been weaving things on the rigid heddle loom (see previous post). This is the first vest, mainly blues. The yarns are different kinds, some wool, ribbon, cotton and novelty. The idea was just to stay with things that looked interesting together and have a patchwork kind of effect. The vest went with me to the gallery last week and sold first thing. The woman who bought it put it together with a great turquoise necklace made by Frieda Bates.
Here is the back side, you can see some of my studio with all the cones of yarn on the walls. I always need to see things in order to remember they are there and able to be used.

2008-01-01T07:28:00.000-07:00

A New Year, a new project using the new toy Santa brought to me. Despite having several large looms I was enchanted with the idea of all the things that can be made on a rigid heddle loom. The one Santa brought is a Kromski Harp made in Poland. There are many nice things about these rigid heddle looms, they are hand made and it shows in all the details. They include a built in warping board on the back of the loom. They fold in half even when fully warped so they can be taken anywhere. They are available with a great stand that allows you to work anywhere there is a chair and a little floor space. I can see being able to take this fun loom with me to demonstrate weaving much in the same way my Ashford Joy spinning wheel goes with me to demo spinning. My resolution for now is to only make fun things on this loom, no serious projects, just cool colors and funky yarns. This first scarf is finished and came out soft and bulky. The yarns are all commercial but worked up nicely.

Here is Viola the dressform showing off the scarf after it has been washed and dried.

In addition to new projects for the new year I alwas look back on the things I am so grateful for in my life. Here is my list: 1. Family, Friends and Furry Companions. Not necessarily in that order all the time. 2. Being able to do what I love for a living. 3. Living in New Mexico where the light is incredible and the chili is the best! 4. Good books, tea and chocolate. 5. Good Health. 6. Yarn, yarn and yarn.

OK enough for now.

Blessings to you all in this new year. Get out there and do something to make your dreams come true.

2007-12-22T07:48:00.000-07:00

Winter Solstice when the light is most brief during the year but the promise of spring and long days are just around the corner. This is my favorite time of year when all those handwoven items come out to ward against the chill. It is the wool time of year. At dawn here there was a fluttering of snow that never quite reached the ground. The wind is blowing strong from the north and I'm debating what exciting colors to put on the loom today. Our Christmas Gallery in the mall is going well with just a few days left. It is one of our few chances during the year for the local artists to get out and meet the public and sell their wares. The world needs more of that and less of the mass produced hysteria.
May you all be well and very blessed during this sacred time of year.

2007-12-14T08:13:00.000-07:00

The word for today from Cate at Beyond the Fields We Know http://kerrdelune.blogspot.com/ is Turnings. Cate is talking about the turning of the year and the seasons and life in general. For me turnings have to do with the fibers that become the yarns I weave and knit. It is the turning of the fiber that makes it strong and hold together and not just be bits of fluff hanging around. Life is like that too because it is the change/turnings that come when we least expect them that makes our lives hold together and be stronger. In just a couple of weeks we will have the turning of the year with the Winter Solstice. The new year always brings change, some looked for and some not.

May all your turnings be toward the light.

2007-12-11T07:42:00.000-07:00

The Llano Estacado Christmas Gallery is underway here in metro Hobbs. This neat pine looking sculpture was made by my friend David Sadler who is our local stone carver. The pottery below is by a couple of different local potters: Josie Tabor from Carlsbad and Bozena Kaczan. For a small community out on the plains we have an abundance of talented artists.

November went by in a whirlwind of activity. We had 10 people to dinner on the holiday itself and an abundance of snow. There was much to be thankful for. We opened the Christmas Gallery the day after Thanksgiving and it has been humming along ever since, it will be up and running till Christmas Eve.

2007-10-31T08:16:00.000-06:00

Absent Friends, Memory Still Bright. All Hallows Eve is traditionally a time when the veil between the world of the living and the dead thins. We are visited by memory and spirit of times past. It is a time to look back on the accomplishments and trials of the year, time to look behind the veil for hidden messages. Weaving is my metaphor for life: disparate things collect, come together to form a new whole. This was a year of distractions as both husband and father were ill for long stretches of time. Though the weaving was slow to finish, the act of throwing the shuttle, threading the loom brought sanity to an otherwise barren place. And the absent friends? Their counsel was much missed. As the dark of the year comes upon us may you find still water in that deep well within you that reflects the face of the great goddess. Blessed Be.

2007-10-29T11:23:00.000-06:00

The red shawl that is on the TriLoom in the previous post came out of the wash and looks great. Here is a picture on my new/old dressform. The dressform is new to me but fairly old. A good friend knew I was looking for another one and found this in the attic of a friend of hers, it became mine for $10! The body form is made of paper mache and goes from the neck to the ankles and is covered with a dark brown strechy cover. The white lines are from when the friend used it to make clothes. On the base were the words "Fashion Savings Clinic, Los Angeles, CA" I just love it and have named her Viola for the friend who found her.

2007-10-28T09:57:00.000-06:00

It has been a glorious October here in New Mexico and out helping me photograph shawls and other items is my studio helper George. He is in charge of testing yarn for softness (Is it good to sleep on?) durability (Can I play with it and not get yelled at?) and sometimes color (Can I sit on it and not be noticed - i.e. Is it black and white?) He is actually a wonderful helper and a lot of company who is more than a bit put out this morning because I washed the red shawl in the photo below (the one on the triangle loom) and put it out to dry on the picnic table in the herb garden so it would be in the sun. This happens to be one of his favorite places also and he is not impressed with the big damp rag.

This red vest is made from hand dyed perle cotton warp (red and purple) with a red tencel weft. It is just like the rust and blue one posted earlier. The rust and blue won a first place ribbon in our local show and made me quite happy! But this week with the holidays coming on there was a need for Red on the looms. The Christmas Gallery starts just after Thanksgiving and in addition to my regular weaving on the floor looms I hope to make a triangle shawl a week until Christmas. Next year it would be wise to start stockpiling them in July. Even the ugly black one in the previous post has sold. Oops! I know we are never supposed to say something we made is ugly, but that one was awful! The wool was scratchy and the silk noils looked like dryer lint. But beauty is in the eye of the beholder and it is gone!

Don't forget Halloween this week -- stock up on chocolate and then forget where you hid it until all the kids are gone!

2007-10-16T15:29:00.000-06:00

What fun would it be to go somewhere neat like the Taos Wool Festival and not come home with something new and different (if not necessarily needed). This is a picture of my new TriLoom. It is 7 feet across the top and is used to weave triangle shawls. When I was at the festival there were quite a few people selling the triangle shawls, but of course why buy a shawl when you can buy the loom? I found a nice older man who was working on a loom outside and asked him about it. He told me he made it and offered to sell me one. You can see from the picture that I took him up on it. He was very cute when I asked for the directions to put it together, he said "Oh
Honey, It only goes together one way!" And those were the only instructions it came with! He was right, it does only go together one way and I could not wait to get home and try it out. So here on the loom is the first shawl. The black yarn is wool and the white threads are silk - kind of a rough natural silk. I learned a lot just making this first shawl. For example: You had better like the color you are using because you will REALLY get tired of it otherwise. I think this got black yarn out of my system for a while. When it first comes off the loom the holes between the threads are pretty big (by my standards, I usually think in terms of 12epi).
But when it washed up the wool fulled (like magic I always think) and it came together nicely. This picture makes it look much smaller than it actually is, it still is a large shawl. I'm working on a brown one now and will post pictures of it soon.

There is a great group of people out there working on these TriLooms and they have formed a Yahoo group. Go to Yahoo Groups and put in TriLoom if you are interested in joining and knowing more. I was amazed at how inventive these people are with something that comes out basically the same size and shape every time. They make blankets, bags and even a beautiful jacket using this very loom. Their imaginations put me to shame!

2007-10-08T13:30:00.000-06:00

You can never have too much yarn, or roving or wool in general! This past weekend was the Wool Festival in Taos, NM. There were about 60 tents with all kinds of tempting fiber treats, as you can see from the picture, I brought home as much as possible. The fiber critters were pretty interesting also and included goats, alpaca and churro sheep. The great part about going to a festival (in whatever your field is) is the chance to see what other people are doing. We are such a creative species and it does my heart good to see that we create beautiful things. I like that there are so many shades of purple in the world, it gives me hope!

I also visited the Taos Sunflower shop that is located in Arroyo Seco, NM just a few miles out of town from Taos. The town is set among a grove of Cottonwood trees that are vibrant yellow this time of year. The air was full of leaves and it was cool and inviting. This shop is worth the drive to Taos even when there is no Wool Festival going on.

It is filled with yarns and rovings and enticing magical bits of string that seem to whisper how wonderful all your weavings would be if only you had these sublime fibers at your fingertips. The ladies at Taos Sunflower http://www.taossunflower.com also hosted a workshop with Lexi Boeger, who wrote Handspun Revolution. http://www.pluckyfluff.com Their workshop space is huge and filled with light and someday I'm going back there to learn something fun with those delightful gals.

2007-09-23T11:06:00.000-06:00

Happy Mabon to you all! This is the Autumnal Equinox and although it is still warm most days here in the southern part of New Mexico, the days are noticeably shorter. My favorite change in the seasons here is in the grasses. The wild grass along the roadside and trail have long seed heads that turn rust and brown as the grass leaf parts turn an old gold color. We don't have many trees and the ones we do have don't do much color dancing. Mesquite celebrates autumn quietly. In the park where I walk the Cottonwoods are a dull brown and leaves already carpet the ground, too much rain lately for a golden show. But Fall is my absolute favorite time of the year and I'll take brown leaves over green any day. It is time to celebrate the harvest and get out those great scarves and shawls to wear. Sometimes we are the colorful leaves in the gathering. Blessings to you all.

2007-09-10T16:11:00.000-06:00

Folly is defined in the dictionary as any foolish act. There is something about knowingly committing a folly that is like a daring chance -- you know it may not turn out well but it is hard to turn your back on an idea once it forms. Recently a woman approached me with an idea for a project. She had some yarn she just could not bear to throw away but she had tried knitting with it and wasn't getting very far. She warned me the yarn was old but since it was 100% wool it seemed like it might be salvageable. I agreed to look at the yarn and see what might be done. When I went to pick it up I was floored to find that this yarn is older than I am (40+ years). The little yellow sticker declares that the yarn came from Kress - a store that has been out of business for many years, but it does have a pedigree 100% Italian Mohair. It even came with the nifty free pattern shown at left - don't you love her hair??? Who could resist a challenge to finally put that yarn to use? Knowing the mohair could only be used as the weft, I choose a Donegal tweed in cream and rust for the warp. The variegation in the mohair made an interesting square type pattern once it was woven. Of course being mohair I brushed it once it was finished and the whole thing is now very fuzzy. I will present it back to her as a shawl this week and one can only hope she still likes the yarn after all these years. The mohair and wool is so warm that we will need a blizzard before she can wear it -- but hey that is all part of folly, sometimes you just have to love what comes your way.

2007-09-02T11:01:00.000-06:00

September is beginning with a flourish! The temps here in Eastern NM this morning were mid 50's and I wanted to dance around and celebrate the end of hot weather. Fall can't be far behind.

A celebration of autumn oranges with undertones of blue -- this short sleeved jacket vest has a handpainted warp of pearle cotton and a weft of cayenne tencel. The tencel gives the garment beautiful drape and the hand dyed warp moves the colors subtly from burnt orange to blue and bronze. The lapel has a twisted braided fringe with bronze faceted glass beads. This will be my entry into our local art show that takes place in October.

2007-08-01T15:13:00.000-06:00

Have you ever fallen in love with color? Maybe that is the advantage of being a fiber artist, color is all around and in a variety of sensual textures. In July I fell in love with hand-dyeing cut velvet silk scarves. They are all over my house right now as I get ready to take new inventory to the gallery that represents my work. There is something a little Arabian Nights about having scarves draped over every available surface. I feel elegant beyond my usual weaver-spinner persona.

I have been reading the new book "Foolsgold" by Susan Wooldridge who also wrote "Poemcrazy." These books are about accessing the creativity that makes life as an artist hum along like gas in the tank. While I will probably never be much of a poet, I am always interested in how other creative people tap into what they do, where their passion comes from. Surely being an artist is all about passion. These two books are lifesavers and have opened doors for me that seemed firmly closed. They gave me the desire to blog again and write on every available surface - all the ones not currently covered in silk scarves! Thank goodness for authors like Wooldridge and if you get the chance to read these please do, and then write and tell me what you think. Write and tell Susan too, I think she likes to hear from us.

2007-06-25T12:33:00.001-06:00

A gift for a friend. Summer is underway and the show I worked on for so many months will come down this week. It is time to pay back the people who helped and supported all of us in getting things to look wonderful. This short sleeved vest/sweater is made from novelty yarn that is acrylic and has long eyelash fibers that hang out all over. It is woven in plain weave and made from two panels sewn up the back and on the sides. It is an easy way to make a garment that is forgiving to most body types. The orange/purple scarf is silk that I dropped in the dye-pot this week along with some yarn for a new warp.

Today I'm trying out the solar dyeing for wool yarn that was featured on http://knitty.com . It involves putting all the ingredients in the pot (with glass cover) out in the sun until the temp inside reaches 250. Since it is 90+ here in NM right now, it shouldn't take too long. You can find more detailed instructions from Symeon North who wrote the article and also featured it on her super website http://pippiekneesocks.com.

Summer blessings to you all!

2007-04-25T14:04:00.000-06:00

OK I know I am not the most intelligent person around but it has taken me several weeks to figure out why my blogger and google account were suddenly in Chinese and get it to change back. Has anyone else had this happen? What is with this crazy program???

Here is a silk recycled sari scarf that I've been working on. The colors are great. I used this image when I ordered new business cards from http://www.moo.com In case you don't know about them, they are a company in the UK who makes little cards the size of a stick of gum. You can upload your own photos to be printed and they will put your contact info on the back of the card. 100 cards for $19.95 and that includes shipping. They are great quality cards and the service is quick.

Happy weaving!

2007-04-03T15:39:00.000-06:00

Today is the full moon of April and things around town are as strange as it often seems to be when the moon is full. It is like our emotions are plugged into some extra energy source and things come out that never should be said! This scarf was made for a friend of mine who needed something to wear to an upcoming opening with a turquoise blouse and a multicolored skirt. I tried to match the colors with the novelty yarns and then wove them using the 6 dent reed on a four harness loom. The scarf has very nice drape and looks snazzy even though the yarn was not all that expensive and came from Hobby Lobby. Don't you just love their yarn? I love their sales!
This one turned out well enough to inspire me to do some more for the upcoming show.

2007-03-28T19:06:00.000-06:00

This blog has been silent for several weeks. My apologies to all of you who keep up with my ramblings, fiber and otherwise. While I have enjoyed having a husband at home instead of overseas, it has created claims on my time that did not used to exist. He will be leaving again to go off and do corporate things and I will soon have more time.

This red yarn was four skeins that I spun and then hand dyed in reds and browns for a shawl that played in my mind for several weeks before it became a reality. In one of the skeins is a mystery fiber that I could tell when I picked it up with the rest was not quite the same. Not having crossed that bridge before, I spun it into the wool and went on my way. It dyed up just fine but the disaster occurred when the shawl was complete. I put the entire yardage into the water to soak with the Eucalon and when it came out that little bit of fiber did not shrink the same as the rest of the wool. I had a space about two inches wide that ran the width of the shawl. Over a week of effort nullified quickly. Of course, I did not realize how bad it was at first and attempted to repair the area by reweaving into it with yarn and needle, but it is clearly not the same. A difficult lesson and the shawl is otherwise very beautiful. Not to be daunted I have begun another one in blues/greens/browns. There is something so wonderful about making a shawl from the handspun yarn. I never know exactly what something will come out looking like and so far I have been thrilled with all the colors.

It is good to be back at this. Happy weaving to you all!

2007-03-09T15:21:00.000-07:00

One of the great things about learning to spin is that you can make yarn in any color scheme
your mind can think up. I love the colors of the Southwest and have wanted to make something that seemed very New Mexico. I spun this single from domestic wool roving and dyed it. Then I had the idea that I wanted to weave with my own handspun. The warp I used was a shetland in green, blue and rust and the pattern is a twill with a basketweave stripe (the rust). It all seems very NM now that it is finished and drying over the gate in the backyard. I'm planning to sew it into a vest to wear to an art opening this weekend at the local Center for the Arts in greater downtown Hobbs.

2007-03-01T14:40:00.000-07:00

March has blown in here on the plains like the proverbial lion. Our little town had 65mph wind yesterday and only a little less today. No sitting out on the porch spinning at this point or the yarn would be highly textured with tumbleweeds and sand.

This single is handspun domestic wool dyed in lilac and chestnut. Sometimes the oddest combinations come out very interesting. Skeins of yarn are beginning to take over my weaving room. I have all kinds of colors in baskets just waiting for the next show and it is hard to leave it alone. I gave in the other day and began my first ever vest out of some red that was calling my name. I'm only a fair knitter and don't have a clue if the vest will ever be finished or not but I'm working on it in the evenings after weaving and spinning.

2007-02-26T14:19:00.000-07:00

Sometimes in February here we get these perfect days when there is no wind (a rare thing) and the temperature is in the upper 70's. I've been sitting out on the back porch in the sun spinning wool for several hours. If there is a better way to spend time I don't know what it is.

The yarn on the left was spun first and then dyed and the yarn on the right was dyed as roving and then spun. The difference is subtle. I like the way yarn looks when it is dyed as roving first but sometimes the roving is so fragile that I end up felting it instead of dyeing it, hence the yarn on the left. I have read recently a lot about people dyeing roving in their dishwashers. I just use a heavy bottom canning pot on the top of the stove. If any of you out there have done both and would like to share the pros and cons with me I would like to hear it.

I'm just about to start the weaving on a shawl that will have all handspun natural browns for the weft. I'm cheating a little and using shetland for the warp.

Whatever you do with yarn I hope you are enjoying it!

2007-02-25T18:49:00.000-07:00

Art yarn from yesterday's post, finished and dried. It is wool, cotton and rayon, 116 yards.

This evening I've been knitting. This seems such a decadent pastime to me as I always feel like I should be spinning or weaving. However, my house is full of this beautiful hand dyed, hand spun yarn and my fingers just itch to get into some of it and make something before it flies out the door. I am making a hat. It is orange and olive greens and much nicer color combination than it sounds like it would be. Autumn is my favorite time of the year and this yarn is like having Fall in my hands. Of course where I live it was in the 70's today and not very Fall like, but I'm an optimist and I'm hoping someone will see the hat and decide they want to make one of their own, using my handspun preferably. I love to see people wearing hand made hats, or really hand made anything because I think things made by hand are a thousand times better than stuff made on machines or by slave labor overseas. I believe all gifts should be hand made! Let's start a revolution!

2007-02-24T19:03:00.000-07:00

Don't you just love toys? The next best thing after yarn is new toys to make yarn! I love my Ashford Joy spinning wheel, but the orifice is just a little too small for all the stuff I want to add in to my art yarns - and the bobbin is too small to hold enough yarn once the plying begins. So I ordered a Country Spinner from Ashford. It came a week ago and I spent most of those days since staining and varnishing it. This morning my husband and I put it together and I got out the yarn. No time to waste, get busy!!! It works so differently from the little Ashford Joy that it took me some time just to figure out how to get the fly wheel to move freely and twist the yarn, then I had to get used to the slower pace. A couple of hours later and I think I get how it works and how best to use it. I can't imagine having this as the only spinning wheel in the house because it doesn't make small yarn, but it is great for plying and that huge bobbin will hold 2.5lbs of yarn. This terrible picture is of the yarn I worked on today.
It is a gold and purple with eyelash and cotton boucle all twisted around an antique gold colored thread. Will try to post better pictures soon but it is now drying in the bathroom.

We had a wind storm out here in Eastern New Mexico today. The wind got up around 65 mph this morning with lots of dust in the air. It was a good day for staying in and working with wool.

If any of you have experience working with the Country Spinner I would love to hear what you think about it.