WalkingWool partners with Primo Restaurant Rockland

Thank you thank you thank you Primo Restaurant in Rockland ME for inviting WalkingWoolStudio+Gallery to install works from our collection. We are THRILLED to hang a variety of Gallery artists in the first floor dining rooms of the James Beard Foundation award-winning restaurant (celebrating it's 17th season, by the way, no small feat in the restaurant biz). We LOVE how the paintings, photograph, and works on paper compliment each other and the spaces of the historic building at 2 Main Street. We just can't gush enough, apparently!

Blas Castagna and Esquivel, small and large, respectively, in The Fireplace Room.

Esquivel over Table 21 in The Fireplace Room.

Carol Struve abstract in The Front Room.

Nikki Galapon in The Front Room.

F.J. Domingo in The Primo Room.

Jack Delaney in The Primo Room.

Jack again in The Primo Room.

Large charcoal drawing and small b/w photograph in The Front Room.

Happy Mother's Day to my sweet friends . . . something for you from one of Rockland's finest minds.

The courage that my mother had

by Edna St. Vincent Millay

The courage that my mother had

Went with her, and is with her still:

Rock from New England quarried;

Now granite in a granite hill.

The golden brooch my mother wore

She left behind for me to wear;

I have no thing I treasure more:

Yet, it is something I could spare.

Oh, if instead she'd left to me

The thing she took into the grave!-

That courage like a rock, which she

Has no more need of, and I have.

"The courage that my mother had" by Edna St. Vincent Millay, from Collected Poems. © Harper Collins, 1981. (Thank you Garrison Keillor -- Reprinted with permission by The Writer's Almanac.)

Baby Edna
(with dog of course . . . you know me!)

Such a life!

DEDICATING THEIR LIVES 

TO SLED DOGS

Kulning - ancient swedish herding call

WalkingWool featured yarn on February 28th podcast . . . !!!

So so excited! Ewe University featured my handspun, hand dyed Karakul Yarn on her recent podcast. Thank you so much, Kristine Kelly, a super host!

You can zoom to the 23:19 minute spot where my segment begins. She was so enthusiastic. I'm grateful.

Dogs Vs. Stairs

Well, just had to share this though no sheep were involved in the production of the video.

Renate Hiller - "On Handwork"

These two sweeties just picked for group show in Damariscotta . . . ovines getting some fresh air!

River Arts Opening Reception for 

“Faces & Figures” Exhibition 

River Arts in Damariscotta is inviting the public to the opening reception of its newest exhibition “Faces and Figures (animals included)” Friday, February 19th  from 5-7. The exhibition includes 120 works in a wide variety of media by 70 artists from all over Maine and runs through March 26.

The juror for the exhibition is John Lorence. Lorence attended Case Western, the Parsons School of Design, Cambridge School of Design and the Cranbrook Academy of Art where he earned his BFA and MFA. He has been the recipient of fellowships at YADDO, the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation, and the McDowell colony.  He has exhibited both his paintings and sculpture extensively in solo and group exhibitions in Europe, the Middle East and the U.S as part of the Art-in Embassy program.  Lorence’s professional interests include painting, sculpture, drawing, printmaking, art history, conservation and archeology as well as short films. He has taught at the Layton School of Art, Portland School of Art and the University of Wisconsin. He has had gallery representation in New York, Chicago, Milwaukee and recently exhibited at the Courthouse Gallery in Ellsworth. Lorence now lives in Newcastle, but did have a house and studio on Great Cranberry Isle for over 20 years where he was one of the island group’s 14 artists.

I seem to be dying to dye . . .

and find myself taking new (to me) library books out, and researching new dyestuffs (again, to me) like lichens . . .

Here's a site I found that needs further digesting (once again, by me):

Orchil, the poor person's purple

by Chris Laning

If anyone has any experience with Orchil, I would love to hear from you.

And, here's one on Bloodroot . .

Empowering Basket Makers to Grow Their Own Bloodroot for Dye

Fun in the snow south of us

Thank you so much to several entities for an especially delightful day yesterday in midcoast Maine.

Dandelion Spring Farm/Straw Farm in Newcastle. We've been buying produce, meat and eggs, and wool fleece from Beth for three years. At the weekly Rockland farmers market on Thursdays, She and her crew set up a tempting and bountiful stall, and it's become a must-do favorite. The farm(s) are situated on a rolling stretch of countryside, close to route 1 but enough away to be truly pastoral.

Tamworth is the breed name of these red russet piggies.

Lovely Jersey cows all, so soft and inquisitive.

Yesterday's visit was fortuitous -- weather, light and animals all cooperated, coming together to create a joyful experience for me (sorely needed) . I think the proof is in the porcine, bovine, and ovine faces.

Multi purpose sheep flock associated with a PenBay island flock the farmers also tend to. Their lovely white and chocolate wool has made it into our studio projects, including the raw fleece as well as the beautifully spun 2-ply hanks.

Prior to this pastoral pleasure, I attended a talk by Black Dinah Chocolatier founder Kate Shaffer at the Damariscotta Public Library. She is lovely! And, her words and tastes exquisite. Brought home a Valentine's gift box of heart shaped truffles for my own sweet Valentine, who ultimately agreed to share them. And popped into two art supply shops on Main Street: Attic Heirlooms and ABOCA Beads. All  in all, a very inspiring day.

Learning to Lopi . . . .

The very cool PLY Magazine blog has a guest written post about making Lopi-style singles . . . .

http://plymagazine.com/2016/01/spinning-lopi-singles/.

Must practice! Oh, joy!

PLY's facebook page

Playful Exercises Lead to New Ideas

Flax and Linen in New England

New Group Discovery! Thank you Lisa for forwarding this website: http://newenglandflaxandlinen.org/. (Isn't it a pretty image?)

Okay, now I have to make room for something else in my tiny garden!

Tips you can always use . . .

Episode 1407 – Arm Yourself: Perfecting your knitted sleeves and make your sweater knitting patterns fit their best. Download Barry Klein's free tip sheet for knitting sleeve caps.

Fiber-ing in the Frigid Air

I ventured out to the Rockport Library yesterday and met three lovely ladies at the Tuesday Fiber Group. . . a quilter, two knitters, and me. It was just what I needed. They shared these fun photos recently taken by a Snow Bird friend (somewhere in Florida), who participated in a yarn bombing. They did Matisse proud, don't you think?

The week of St. Distaff Day . . .

http://www.thebookofdays.com/months/jan/7.htm

Back to the wheel, wench! And so I go, happily!

This is my Chef, my Team, my Work, my Joy. Please watch and wonder.