Winter Warm Up Sale!

It's blizzard conditions here in Maine today, but even so, I'm focused on spring. At least design-wise, that is.

I'm hard at work pulling together my spring collection; WILDFLOWER, which means I could use some more space in the "Studio"/spare bedroom - so I've put a bunch of my winter kits, patterns, samples, and more on sale in the shop.  The items listed here are just a handful of the sale goods, so be sure to look around before the end of the sale on January 12th. And if you're more of a Ravelry person, all the WOODLAND patterns are 20% off for the same period, no code needed.

I get some space and you get some cozy knits for the long stretch of winter still to come. WIn-win!!

Felt Ornament Kit - Pink, Blue and Green

$23.00

Ice Skater - Complete Kit

from $9.00

Getting in the Holiday Spirit

This weekend I had a little fun with some sheep ornaments I was making. I hope it brings a little holiday joy to you too.

You can also pick up one of these little guys in the shop for your own tree!

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December is for Dabbling

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For Christmas, I gave Mr. Cleaver a skein of sock yarn. 

"I am supposed to learn to knit?" He asked, eyebrow raised.

"No," I replied, "This gift is two-fold. 1) Sometime this year you'll get a new pair of socks and 2) I didn't try to knit them before Christmas."

As creatives and makers, it's easy to get overwhelmed with a desire to try to make our holidays as handmade as possible. I've definitely stayed up far too late many a December trying to finish a gift or two before that deadline on the 24th. 

In 2016, my creative life was ruled by deadlines more than ever before, and it was incredibly stressful. So when I had a month of no deadlines and over two weeks of vacation from my day job planned, I decided that I wasn't going to give myself any new deadlines. 

So I gave my husband a skein of yarn for Christmas and I didn't make my daughter a thing. And I'm okay with that. 

Instead, I decided to play. 

I spun yarn for the first time since LMC was born. I baked my way through a 5 pound bag of flour with whatever inspiration struck my fancy. I needle-felted, and needle-felted some more. I wet-felted a pair of slippers for the first time. I was able to sew for the first time in months. I crocheted snowflakes and learned how to steek. I picked out yarn for a sweater, for me, from someone else's pattern and have knit most of it. I made snowmen and ice skated and took naps with my daughter. 

It was like summer camp in the winter and it was glorious. 

I want to make this a new holiday tradition for myself. December is for dabbling. It's the best gift I could receive. 

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Fiber Fun

I just wrapped up a two-week knitting hiatus, but that doesn't mean I didn't have fun with fiber in the interim, in fact you could say I was rather productive:

I spindle spun 6 oz of fiber, which included my hand-dyed fiber from last year's dying workshop, and half a braid I picked up at this year's Fiber Frolic.

I also pulled out a kit I purchased at Fiber Frolic 2011 and made a pair of needle-felted gnomes (though there is some debate as to whether the male gnome is holding a shovel or a spear -the intention was shovel).

I also did a major piece of sewing, but I'll save that for another post.

For now, it's back to working on my long-neglected cookie-monster cardigan.

2011 in Review

We became homeowners on Dec 31 of 2010, and a lot of this year was learning the in and outs of being homeowners. We removed what didn't want and started building in what we did. We peeled wallpaper and painted walls.

Shoveled snow and learned the importance of roof-rakes.  (Hint: don't pile that much snow that close to your house)

Perennials were planted in the spring and bulbs were planted in the fall. Lawns were moved and leaves raked. Floors were swept and appliances replaced. And at some point along the way it stopped being their house and started being ours.

Starting the day after we moved in, we filled our home with friends: Pie Day, poker games, dinners and documentaries. The highlight was inviting over all our friends for a summer time barbecue and concert.

And we saw a little doggy online and decided to invite him to stay for the long-haul.

During Lent I wore skirts for 47 days and visited Washington D.C. for the first time.

In sewing, I got my own studio space and made a thing or two.

Fiber-wise, I learned how to dye and needlefelt.

I bought a loom and made a total of one scarf.

I also did a fair amount of spinning, but haven't quite met my knitolution of knitting anything with handspun yet.

Knitwise, this has been a huge year for me. I've released three patterns with Quince & Co., one with Twist Collective, and six on my own. I started a mailing list.

It's amazing to me how much has happened in one year, and how quickly that year has gone. There's snow on the ground outside now and it's a few days to Christmas. It's been a helluva year in the best way possible.

Merry Christmas everyone, and a Happy New Year!

Second Annual Ornament Swap

I think by now it's well established that I spend my Tuesday nights (and regularly weekends) in the company of a bunch of creative and talented knitters (not to mention funny and kind).

This past Sunday we held our second-annual holiday party and ornament swap at Aimee and Eric's charming home.

I love the ornament swap because 1) I only have to make one thing for it,

2) these ladies know how to throw an amazing potluck

and mostly 3) everyone's ornaments are different and wonderful. I've managed to pull Lynn's ornaments for the past two years and they have places of honor in home, but I'd be equally happy to have taken any of these home.

As for me, I needlefelted this holiday beaver, complete with stylin' holly accessory. I'm pretty proud of the little dude.

And I may have made a few more ornaments since then, but you'll have to wait a bit longer to see those. :)

A Home for Hedgie

Back in the day when I was first introduced to needlefelting, I made Hedgie, got bit by the needlefelting bug, and picked up a feet kits at Fiber Frolic.

One of the things that drew me to needlefelting was the instant gratification (and sculptural) nature of the craft, but you wouldn't know it from the four months that passed from my starting this kit and finishing it yesterday.

But that's life for you, right?

In any case, I'm one kit down and Hedgie has a nice mushroom grove to reside in. Next up - Gnomes!

Maine Fiber Frolic 2011

It's been two years since my last visit to Fiber Frolic. I've been spinning for nearly two years! I fell for needlefelting! Both of which open my Fiber Frolicking world!

While there were tons of beautiful yarns I didn't pick any up this year (though it was all I could do not to buy this Sweet Bunting Cardigan kit on display at Dirty Water Dyeworks, but since I don't know any babies or soon to arrive babies to knit for I held off).

similarly, I think it was all Aimee could do to not walk off with this 4 week old lamb.

After having been to a number of fiber festivals, it was nice to see some great stuff from vendors I hadn't seen before,like this roving from Purple Fleece, which I didn't pick up and this menrino/tencel braid from  Highland Handmades that I did.

I must have been in a whimsical mood on Saturday, because my other two purchases where these charming needlefelting kits Off the Beaded Path (I've already started one) and the frog and bead stitch markers from Enchanted Knoll Farms

Fortunately I still  had some funds left over for the superb fair food (gyros and sweet potatoes fries - yes please!!)

After lunch there were more friends and fleeces to snorgle

And look who we found in the rabbit barns!!

Can I say for the record, these fleeces were lovely and make me want to move up to a wheel so I could justify the poundage?? Fiber frolic is such an enabling event, for reals. Good thing I have Tour de Fleece coming up soon, so I can get back into some serious spinning!!

(PS -for another take on this trip, in which my right shoulder makes a cameo- visit Aimee at 52 weeks, 52 hats)

Hedgie

First, can I say that I am so over this rain? I think we've seen the the sun for a total of three hours in the past week. I know I spent four years in Oregon, so I should be used to the rain, but I'm watching the weather forecast right now and it's showing rainclouds all this week too.

Boo.

At least I have lots of indoor hobbies, right?

And I may have picked up another one this weekend. Knitting is such a gateway craft for me: it beget spinning, weaving, dying, and now, needlefelting.

Meet Hedgie, my first needle-felted creation. When I saw this class offered at the Fiber Gallery, I knew I had to take it because hedgehogs? So cute!!

I found needle-felting to be quite intutive once you get started and I managed to only jab myself in the finger once.

I may have to pick up some more tiny bits of roving and make some more felty-friends!!