More Snow

This week has been amazingly wintry. Good for staying in the studio. And so, much accomplished. Washing, sorting, putting projects together, weighing hanks with my new food scale from Culinary Underground, organizing binders of patterns and research materials, all the while enjoying the company of peaceful dogs.

I (heart) etsy

Worked for the past two days on uploading new images to my etsy store. It's very exciting to see the work posted in this very public forum. I relive the experience of being out on the shoots and hanging with the animals. Haven't done any real cold weather outings yet, although I have sheep-in-snow images as a goal for this year. Somehow bundling up while still having fingers exposed enough to operate the camera hasn't enticed me sufficiently to give it a go. Maybe there's still hope.

So, on a very chilly day like this one I make do with perusing through file after file and making selections such as these above. Many uploaded today were from Heifer Project International/Overlook Farm in Rutland MA, just 20 minutes from my home. It is such a resource, and each year provides new faces for me to see.

Friendship

Had a nice breakfast at The Friendly Toast in Portsmouth with my dear Sara yesterday. Some laughs, some tears, and comfort food on a chilly but sunny day. She has interesting plans for the Babydoll Southdown flock at The Salty Ewe Farm this year, and it is great fun to share thoughts and ideas and encouragement.

Last year's mother and child duet.

Peeking into the sheep barn at The Salty Ewe.

Olde English Babydoll Southdown roving I have spun.

A little pee stop.

Washing Wool

Swore I wouldn't get the soap and buckets out during the winter, but I have five assorted fleeces or partial fleeces -- all dirty fibers -- to transform into clean play stuffs, and just don't think I can wait until the springtime! Cotswold, Ramboullet, llama, CVM, and Blue Faced Leicester all sitting on the floor and begging for attention. Started some yesterday and will keep up with small batches as much as possible this weekend. Really wishing for a local mill to take them away and turn them around back to me ASAP, but that ain't gonna happen anytime soon.

Surprisingly, the little guy Igby shows no interest in the fleeces, in spite of his nasty fecal habit tendencies.

 

Jeric, however, periodically likes to shove his nose into a pile of fluff, sniff, and sometimes rub his head in the fibers. Yes, this is the guy who will roll in deer or some other wild creatures poo when found out on a stroll.

Tomorrow is NOFA/Mass' Winter Conference and Guild members Betsy and Lisa will present a workshop on carding and spinning. I'm missing it, but so glad that our wool world is making inroads at NOFA.

Last weekend we learned to use a hackle, and I made carded batts, at Chris' home during our Saturday Guild meeting. I loved blending my hand washed, hand dyed with natural dyes, assorted fleece fibers into unique fiber "roll ups."

Now, looking to my LARGE collection of handspun to put some projects together for  the future.

And, hoping to get some sheep in snow photos together soon, taking advantage of the 16  or so  inches we had fall this week.

Full time fiber fun.

Incredibly Snowy December 27th

Have finished a few knitting projects with new tools (size 17 and 19 needles!) and chunky llama hand spun. Hoping to see some sheep in the snow this week for photographing. Lots of thoughts for the New Year. A pensive time.

Some favorites shot last year

Have I posted these already? Good grief, can't remember anything anymore. No matter, I like them alot and am getting good feedback on them, too.

Belated Thanksgiving weekend report

After Thanksgiving, we drove with dogs to NYC to meet up with Zoe and brought two projects along to make a serious dent into, hopefully. And, perhaps stealing off to a fabulous yarn shop or two. Not sure what exists in NYC anymore, as I now feel as if I almost never lived here for eight years. So much has changed, and that includes me. I am inspired to find some new discoveries while taking care of business here. Doing more knitting lately has been very comforting.

We managed MoMA, Guggenheim, two great meals (Spanish tapas and Becco for Bastianich delights), and I finally got to the magical Japanese yarn store Habu. Dogs did well with two canine parks and good training opps. Ink48 hotel was superb as usual.

Thanksgiving

Spent nice days with mom visiting and knitting together, as we watched/listened to silly movies and made a few holiday dishes side by side. They include the following captured in photos:

Gift for a special friend

Carmel is our friend in Montreal. She had baby Finnegan in September. I was finishing up my handspun llama yarn knitted teddy bear and thought that he should go to little Finn. Here he is just before shipping off to Quebec Province, a big trip to reach a little person.

An accounting of the weekend at The Gathering 2010

http://wachusettspinnersguild.blogspot.com/2010/11/oh-joy-of-it-all.html

Join me in acknowledging National Shelter Appreciation Week by sending a contribution to Worcester Animal Rescue League today!

No pics from Sheep to Shawl, but plenty of excitement about The Gathering

I was too busy staying warm and instructing folks on wheel and drop spinning to get the camera out! But, it was fun to talk to the public and meet some interesting new enthusiasts. The others claim attendance was up from previous years, and all presenters had good feedback to share. Dave Niles and his wife Jen came by; Jen edits Massmoms.com and Dave made a nice little newsy video for the Telegram & Gazette.

Tomorrow I'm off to Wilmington VT for the 2010 The Gathering, a 3-day handspinners conference. Oh, joy! Betsy and Chris will meet me there. I'm signed up for Natural Dying, Needle Felting, and Spinning with Mohair. A sauna, heated outdoor pool, and other creature comforts await us. Bet the food is good there, too! Hands on fiber for three days in a row . . . can hardly contain myself.

Tomorrow is Sheep to Shawl, Llama to Pajama in Worcester

Packing my bags for tomorrow's participation with Guild members at SSLP 2010. Where has the month gone? Find myself repeating such expressions lately. Got some good dye days in with marigold, carrot tops and different metal pots. Broke a part of my wheel (a first!) and had to send to Louet for a $7 replacement. Whew! Arrived in time for the weekend. Have been knitting more and will post one recently completed project. Moving on to some glorious roving that's been long awaiting my hand.

Worcester's Own Green Hill Park Farm

Who knew? Well, for many, many years Worcester has had the privilege of hosting a small farm complete with ovines, equines, and . . . swines, as well as poultry, both domestic and wild. Plus, a hothouse, vegetable and fruit gardens all devoutly tended to by Harry Carr for the City of Worcester. Green Hill Park Farm, located in Green Hill Park in Worcester, has FREE admission and I encourage all to visit the farm and see the flora and fauna, and the lovely view from atop the very Green Hill.

The Farm will be the host of the upcoming Sheep to Shawl, Llama to Pajama 2010, slated for Saturday, October 23rd, 12 noon to 4PM. An education celebration of the animals that share their fiber for to make our clothing, the event is a hands-on experience for all ages. Participants include fiber related businesses, nonprofits, and farms from around Worcester County. It's a local, grassroots project spearheaded by Saori Worcester Freestyle Weaving Studio.

Sheep to Shawl, Llama to Pajama 2010

Save the date for Sheep to Shawl, Llama to Pajama 2010, a free festival on Saturday, October 23, 2010, 12 noon to 4PM, rain or shine at Green Hill Park Farm in Worcester. Watch a llama get a haircut, learn to weave, meet some sheep, try spinning, and knit some stitches! Enjoy games, music, giveaways, and more. Learn about fiber farms, fiber artists, and fiber businesses found throughout Central MA. For all ages and wheelchair accessible, this fun outdoor fest is sponsored by the City of Worcester and VSA Massachusetts, and made possible by a grant from the Greater Worcester Community Foundation. For more info, visit the event facebook page or call (508) 757-4646.

Ode to The Common Ground

Finally, I experienced The Common Ground Fair in Unity ME. It was exquisite. Friday was a good day to go, with a smaller crowd allowing for space to see and experience it all. Best of all, I made the trip with Sara and for two hours up and back we chatted, kvetched, laughed, and shared. That's precious one-on-one time. Long though the journey was, it is most highly recommended. Just consider the photographs. . .

I can't stop time

Where did September go? Today's unseasonably warm temps (very high 80s, with a register of 90 in the Matrix) do not make it feel like wool weather. But, it certainly makes for continuing to work outside; all month I have been experimenting with new natural dye stuffs -- Purple Loosestrife (yes, a purpose for this nasty yet pretty invasive!), sunflower heads, sumac leaves as mordant (they are loaded with tannins), plus more Golden Rod, my own grown Marigold flowers, and the wild yet elegant Queen Anne's Lace picked at Mom's. I love the smells of the cooking botanicals, and plan to do more experimenting with pepper plants and Black Eyed Susans. I have my own copies now of Rita Buchanan's excellent books, plus a copy of Jenny Dean's Natural Dyeing. I feel well educated. My little Madder plant has thrived in the front flower bed near the giant sunflowers, zinnias, and marigolds, and I am not sure what to do about it as the cold weather approaches. Dig it up and pot it? Harvest the roots (the source of the dye) but in doing so, kill the plant?

The lovely days of summer 2010 included relaxing moments with my flowers and vegetables and volunteer plants and other visitors. All good stuff for my soul.

Natural (dyeing) High

I am smitten with this practice of taking wild and cultivated plant matter, cooking it in water, adding a little wool and a little mordant (alum, vinegar, salt), and discovering the hidden rainbow hues from the most unlikely places. New dog Igby wants to taste anything that falls to the floor, so I am quickly whisking up stray fleece and leaves, hoping that I get to them before he does. He's so quiet I often don't know that he's there. For me, it's pure heaven when two dogs are dozing on the studio floor and I am absorbed with my dye pots or sitting down to the spinning wheel. Life truly is good at these precious times.

Mother and Igby

We made the introduction this weekend. Igby was a hit. He also displayed a new physiological issue we will be keeping an eye on . . . reverse sneezing. When it occurs, it looks like he is having an asthma attack. Very unsettling. Maybe he's allergic to . . . us?