40 days & 40 nights…?

Mar29

Well, not yet. But it’s been raining or slushing for over a week with another week forecasted. The brighter side is that the snow level is around 4000′ which is putting down snow where it needs to be and melting it out of my yard! The daffie that had it’s shining little face pushed into the snowbank the other day is standing up brightly again out there in the rain. There’s some crocus and primroses, too, so spring is around the corner, as the saying goes.

Meanwhile, we’re using the time in the shop and on the looms. I have finished my HandWoven “Sleeveless” entries and just need to get some Natural Light to take photos. Not this week tho! lol

Hope you are seeing some springtime where you are!

Winter Beauty

Mar21

There is even beauty in the winter doldrums. This is my Port Orford cedar that we rescued from a mud slide years ago. It’s sibling didn’t survive but this one is now, I’m guessing, around 25′ tall. It has lovely lacy branches and when wet and foggy is even prettier. Next to it is the rhododendren, a little flattened by the winter snow load, but it’s perking up even now and will be blooming before we know it, big red bundles of flowers. So, forgive my sniveling. The world is still beautiful if we look for it.

Feburary!

Feb15

I didn’t realize how long it’s been since I posted! Sorry ’bout that! We have been busy, tho. Randy has under taken a new project for me, and maybe for sale once we get the “bugs” worked out. It’s a doll storage and clothes trunk. He calls it a steamer trunk. The first prototype gave us a clue about what we need fro the remodeled one. For instance, this one has no room for the doll. Since I tote a couple of these with me to shows they do need a safe way to travel.

And I finally finished my toaster cover. Had a time getting it to felt. I used Noro sock yarn and I have found Noro easy to felt in the past but this sock yarn has silk so maybe that was the reason. Anyway, it’s done and I’m happy with it. I am working on one for the mixer now.

And I’ve been ‘inventing’ clothing patterns for the little 6″ American Girl dolls, too. Those are such fun, fast and easy, even with tiny needles and yarns. You can find those on Ravelry, tho there aren’t many posted yet. I have a couple of knitters working furiously testing my creations! lol

And I have gotten a bit of canning done as well. Bean soup! And I don’t know why this blue line is here…aauugh!

But in the meantime… The snow is starting to melt tho we keep getting threatened with more, none has fallen recently. But it’s cold! The wind keeps it icy in spite of the bright sunshine we have today. Hope you all had a Lovely Valentines day and are looking forward to spring. I see a few bulbs starting to push up some green!

A New project

Jan8

Well, now that the holidays are over and things are more or less back to normal, I’ve gotten out the lovely, huggable alpaca yarn I bought at the Fiber Mania in Grants Pass, Oregon this past November and am weaving some replacements for the Hooded Scarves I sold there. I don’t usually sell my weavings but people kept asking and I decided that I needed to make some new ones to show at the fiber events anyway, so I gave in to a couple gentlemen buying wife gifts. lol
I’m weaving this one on our 14” tri loom and assembling them side to side. I have not yet decided if it will have a fringe. This hand spun alpaca seems a little fragile and I don’t know how a fringe would handle being washed. I may leave it plain or maybe crochet something.
I’m using an old fashioned stitch called fagoting to assemble the triangles. It give the scarf a bit of a lacy look while still being plenty warm. Because this is a thick & thin soft yarn of varied color I wove a plain weave, letting the yarn show itself.

I use the needle to hold the loop while I adjust the length of the stitch.

Once it’s blocked ( I block most things after assembly) it will look something like this.

Apple Pie Season!

Dec1

I finally got the last of the summer’s tomato crop (in the freezer) canned up and faced the buckets of apples waiting in the washroom. Got one pie in the freezer and am about to get the second one int here, too. Then the rest will become applesauce.

Haven’t done any weaving but I have been making looms. Not quite the same but needs to be done. Have to go to town tomorrow to pick up my stuff at the LYS and see who won the doll and her wardrobe that we’ve featured there this summer. And I’ll get my hair cut on the way home, I’m getting downright shaggy!
Hope your preseason chores are going well!

Rope again…

Nov29

I tried it again, and I did ‘card’ it some tho mostly that just made a mess of my hand cards. But I think it did help some and I made little rolags… sort of… from the results. So this is today’s rope. It is finer, tho still rough. Part of that is that the fiber is still not entirely fiber, some is still needles. I need to further process it without breaking up the fiber too much. But it’s better!. I spun this on my thigh. Our local Indians did not have spindles, they were hunter-gatherers so the ropes they made were probably made this way. I haven’t gotten any cedar bark yet.

Top is first try, bottom next try, and better.

Free shipping! Some restrictions apply.

Nov25

It’s finally cold enough for a pair of mittens woven with the Tiny Weaver Set of small looms. The 12 & 14″ square looms make a great Hooded Scarf for keeping that the wind and snow from blowing down your neck, it’s been quite a popular one at shows. Everyone wants to try it on! And When you order the larger looms I’ll include instructions for the Button Down scarf as well. You can make gifts for the whole family and save on yarn as well since these looms take less yarn than a comparable item that is knitted. For instance, a nice warm snow hat takes just 100 yards and fits every one from a medium sized child to adults.
Or make their Santa stockings using the small squares… check the web page Project for instructions.
Order between now and December 10th and if your order is $100 or more I will refund your shipping! Continental states only.
Questions? Email anytime!
Hazel

Looms made items. You can do it!

Winter’s on the way.

Nov4

I know some of you are having more than enough already. We have our first snow predicted for tomorrow evening. We’re not ready, either! The garden is mostly put away and we’ve only one more trip. We’ll be in Grant’s Pass for Fiber Mania on Nov 12/13. That’s if the pass stays open!

But here’s Taz taking her ease on Randy’s lap, a sure sign of cold weather. This is the Mighty Hunter who does not come in before 10pm on summer evenings, but she appreciates a good warm fire when the temps reach freezing! As we all do. Randy’s looking at expensive tools on his laptop and I’ve weaving and reading my mystery by turns. If you’re looking for a project for the up coming season be sure to check the web site projects page where I’ve posted instructions for the Chirstmas Stocking.

Home again!

Oct28

We’re back in Coffee Creek after our long trip to Washington. We drove up for the Fiber Fusion NW show in Monroe, Washington and enjoyed greatly meeting new folks there. The crew put on a very professional show and we look forward to going back next year.
And since we spent our ‘vacation time’ this year building a new shop we decided to come home the long way. We went east from Monroe and explored Washington, Idaho, and into the western part of Montana. What a huge variety of country, everything from forested and craggy mountains to miles and miles of nearly flat country, not quite desert and not quite prairie. Long green valleys surrounded by bald and rolling hills. And the fall colors were brilliant. This photo was taken at Steamboat Rock Campground in Washington, not far from Boulder Dam, which we also visited.

It was an great trip, I have many, many photos, too many to share but any time you get a chance to visit this great country of ours, do it!
But now we’re back to work making looms and getting in firewood for the fast approaching winter. And somewhere in there I need to weave a couple of Christmas gifts! Oh yes… on that subject, be sure to check the project page on the web site for the newly posted Christmas Socking pattern! Free, of course!