For Midwest Felting Symposium Ottoman

Here is the ottoman for the Midwest Felting Symposium in it's early stages. The fibers have all been hand dyed and in the case of the yarn, hand spun. I've made several of these, but this is the one I am currently working on. It requires the wet felting process yet, which will be done this weekend. Come Monday, I should have the end results to share with you.
If you are thinking of taking the class with me at Symposium, it's not too early to start planning your designs, and colorways. I'll try to have as many templates as I can possibly get done. If you have ideas, please feel free to share them.
For more details on Midwest Felting Symposium, see previous posts or just type it in your browser. So many wonderful teachers there, great amount of talent!

Shalom

Flatbed felter and prefelts

While teaching at Morning Star Fiber Mill awhile back, I had the opportunity to see their flatbed felter in action. Pretty cool thing. Karen and JC ( mother and son team) work in tandem to get things done around the mill. After the classes, JC and I designed this banner. It is made of merino and hand dyed merino with the lettering made of lopi yarn JC made it up on the flatbed felter. It could be hardened more, and will be if I get my shoulders back. However, if it has to stay this way for a bit longer, I am still quite pleased with the results. It measures approximately 4x3 feet.

Morning Star Fiber also produces some nice prefelts. The prices are very reasonable. I'd like to purchase a prefelt from them, then design a garment from it and finish the felt myself. JC and I are still not sure on the thinness that can be achieved on the flatbed felters. I think the recommendations on the manufacturers instructions are for one pound per felt. I'd personally like to try to make them thinner, but it's not my machine to ruin should I be wrong. YIKES!

It's Easter Morning! New Batts and Gertie Balls!

It's Easter Morning Beautiful Day! Dad and his wife will be here for dinner, we're awaiting their arrival. Should be a very nice day with them.

I am gearing up for the trip to Columbus, WI. this next weekend. This is one of the spinning batts I've made to take with me. I was putting them up on Etsy for a bit, but it is so much more fun to see them in person. The sales on Etsy were great, but got to have some stuff for these other wonderful women I am about to meet in Wisconsin. Should be so much fun. Have dyed up some special batts as well. Oh, they are so pretty!

Got the Gertie Balls in for the hat making classes. I've developed a needle to wet felting technique when a Gertie Ball as the resist in the wet felting process. Works so well. They'll be up on Etsy soon!
Easter Blessings!

Vernal Equinox,... or The Season of Mud and Orange Cones

The moon was wonderful last night, nearly full when I went to sleep. I think the moon is wonderful all the time, but the clarity of it in this Michigan sky was especially nice. The sunset and moonrise were wonderfully in sync as Jim and I left the restaurant last night. Maybe it was because I was having dinner, alone, with Jim, maybe it was the clearness of the sky, perhaps it was looking at the last "winter moon", but no matter why, it was worth writing about! While I appreciate all of the season in Michigan, the moderate Spring and Autumn are dearest to me.

Here in Michigan, Spring brings with it return of many birds, many ducks, geese, humming birds,and the much loved song birds. It also brings a great season of mud and the Orange Cones. The state becomes covered in Orange Cones as the road repair time begins in earnest. If you come to visit here, be forewarned!

I've been dyeing a lot, getting ready for the Spinning Retreat and Greencastle. I love this colorway because the color split in the dye pot. I first saw this effect in some roving that I'd purchased from Ruth Walker at Midwest Felting Symposium. I was fascinated by that. Now I seek it. I wish I had the time to spin this fiber. I am using it it a felt, but I think a yarn would be pretty as well. While not the "springiest" photo one could post, there is snow, dirt, green and a bit of blue in the roving... Yeah, that pretty much captures it from my vista.

Happy Spring

St. Pat's!

In honor of St. Pat's a bit of the green... Hand warmers of hand dyed merino and merino/silk felt flower.

FIRE in the SKY!

Who needs more inspiration than the Hand of God? ( Be sure to click on photo to enlarge.) This was right outside my window this morning! Stunning!

What's in a Name?

The website is up about the Midwest Felting Symposium. I am so excited about this event. I get to see my buddies, see wonderful felts, learn a bunch of new stuff and feel really good about this medium.
While I was waiting for the symposium site to load, I went to Susan's Fiber shop website. There on the page where she shows off her pretty babies, was one named after me! She's too cute, don't ya think?



Well, seeing this pretty Teeswater baby being my namesake, I thought I should take another peek at what this name Suzanne means.

Here ya go:
Suzanne
French: SUSANNA

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English, Italian, Swedish, Finnish, Russian, Dutch, Biblical

Other Scripts: Сусанна (Russian)

Pronounced: soo-ZAN-a (English) [key]
From Σουσαννα (Sousanna), the Greek form of the Hebrew name שׁוֹשַׁנָּה (Shoshannah). This was derived from the Hebrew word שׁוֹשָׁן (shoshan) meaning "lily" (in modern Hebrew this also means "rose"), perhaps ultimately from Egyptian sšn "lotus".

In the New Testament this is the name of a woman who ministered to Christ. It also occurs in the Old Testament Apocrypha as the name of a woman falsely accused of adultery. The prophet Daniel clears her name by tricking her accusers, who end up being condemned themselves.
***end of definition***
I wonder which way she'll want it pronounced. She's so cute!

Anyway, check out the website on the symposium. It's just too wonderful to miss!
BTW, did you know that a woman in Michigan can use all of her names, maiden and married?...and it is legal? WOW!

Blatant Promotion and I'm going!!!!!!!

Ya-Hoo-Hoo-Hoo! I am going to the Spinning Retreat! Yeah! (Can you tell I am looking forward to it) I'll be a vendor there, but may spend most of my time felting. I'll always be a "beginning spinner". While I love the process, the rhythmic motion, the end result, the tactile experience, the whole of it, I am still most passionate about felting...and do not tire of it at all. Since I don't knit, spinning for me is just spinning for the sake of spinning, and selling the yarns. When I make felt, something happens inside of me that is akin to achieving "perfect pitch". (If you've heard me sing,you'd know that would be a miracle!) I love making felt!

I have stuff to get ready for at Symposium (see previous postings on Symposium) and this will be my opportunity to get it done. I'll have help. Eugenie will be there; she is a great felter. I'll need much of her help to get this done. My shoulders are killing me! Just when I feel like I've made progress, I do too much, and am out of the activity mode for a week or more. This is so getting old....come to think of it, so am I!

Anyway, here is the scoop on the upcoming event. Wouldn't it be great if you were one of the 50 people there. When you're with Susan, you're having a great time!

Susan's Spinning Retreat
March 28-29-30
Fulling exotic fibers - Buffalo and more
Bead yarns
Share Ideas
Navajo three ply bead yarns.
Shibetti Dyeing - Betty Shober is developing a new way to dye your hand spun. Bring a skein to dye. Or you can dye a 4 oz batch of white roving. $5.
Navajo Three ply
Sirrit rug making techniques
raided Rug using roving(shepherd rug) Friday make the roving rug-Sat wash and felt the rug.
Why have muddy multi dyed roving when you spin learn how to spin to eliminate getting mud.
Beginning knitting techniques. Bring some handspun and learn to knit.
Come to Susan's and see new lambs.
Pease register and let me know if you are spinner who can help a newbie. We wish to do team help.Advanced spinner to take a newer spinner to help them if they need it.
Now you know how to spin. What do you do with the yarn. Learn to do knitting with your hand spun.
Try your hand at drop spindles.
Come meet new spinners. Spin till you drop.
A weekend of delightful spinning fun.
Work with others to learn to spin better you will be given a buddy helper if you are new to spinning and want the help.
You must bring your sense of humor to come to the retreat we do alot of laughing.
Registration starts 9:am each day. Classes start 10:30 am. ends ?
Columbus Super 8 Hotel
Reserve your room now call 1-920-623-8800 Rooms around $70. You can share with someone.
Join us sign up today.
$40.Come by for the day only for $20. Share an idea about spinning and save $10 on the retreat total $30.
Drop in and visit $10 (Ten Min to three hours).
Vendors $40 plus $40 for the retreat total $80 to come and vendor and attend.
Please call and let me know you are coming to the retreat or 920-623-4237 e-mail susan@susansfibershop.com

This was all taken right from Susan website. Go there, sign up, come have fun!

Spring Cleaning...Beating The Rush!

There are so many little bits of fiber floating around here, needing to find a home. I've decided to get these bits together to create one of a kind spinning felting batts. I've got most of them listed on Etsy. Some of them are stunning, some a bit more silly. I think folks will have fun with them. I hope they will, I had fun making them. I tend to "gather" fibers form my travels. Sometimes I have great plans for them, but by the time I get to them, the plans have changed, or I've used some of it in another project. This is a way for me to clean up around here and still provide a quality product for others.

Since I've damaged my shoulders, spinning has become a great challenge for me. I would spin these up myself to make some great sock yarn. Yearn to make yarn :(( again! Moreover, I long to felt, but that is out of the question too. I try to not do too much, but that is so not easy for me! If I am not busy, I am sleeping.

Dyed up about 2100 yards of sock yarn this week for my buddy Jan. She got it and loved it. I so glad. Sometimes I am concerned that though I might like something, doesn't mean someone else will. She gave me creative liberties, I was still concerned. She said she loved it, so we are both delighted! YEAH! Wish I had taken some photos of it! What was I thinking????????

During this "down time" I am am preparing for the upcoming Fiber art events. One in particular is the Midwest Felting Symposium. If you have opportunity to make it there, it is a DON"T MISS! It is Wen-Sun INTENSE felting with incredible artist, technicians, vendors, food, classes, and gallery. If I could only do one show a year, this would be the one. It is out of my ability to describe. I love it. The energy, talent, fun....WOW!!!!!!!!!!! The website for more details is: www.midwestfeltingsymposium.com I think that the information on classes and instructors should be up in the next few days. The classes will fill and close soon, so if you are remotely interested, monitor the sight. You can also contact www.susansfibershop.com Susan is hosting the event.

Fiber Mamas

There are three outstanding fiber Mamas' in my life, Barb Marr of www.marrhaven.com, Ruth Walker of www.feltmaker.com and Susan McFarland of www.susansfibershop.com. Each of these incredible women gave me more than I could ever have asked.

Barb gave encouragement in the early days of Hooked On Felt designs and the opening of the website. She pushed my business for my sake. Blessing after blessings this woman has been to me. She knows the fiber business and she is so willing to help me. She was there at the start of the whole needle felt hat form inception. She is so "my Fiber Mama!"

Ruth Walker and I met on a phone call. I was needle felting hats but I wanted to learn how to wet felt them. I wanted beautiful felts, soft felts, strong felts. Ruth, in a phone conversation alone, gave me all of the information that I needed. It all worked! How cool is that!!!! It really, really worked. That one conversation put the whole of my fiber life in a different direction from the one I had been on. It was amazing to me how that chance phone call to an on-line felter whose work I loved, could have so much impact on me. What a gift she gave a total stranger! Ruth became a Fiber Mama to me, but I don't think she really knows how much I appreciate her. Shame on me! (Ruth and I had opportunity to meet in person several years later. She has become a delightful friend, source of much inspiration, and wonderful creative genius! One of the things on my "do before I die" list is to own one of Ruth Walkers hats. While I too am a hat maker, there are none like hers. Check'em out at www.feltmaker.com )

Susan McFarland is in a Fiber Mama class all her own. This gal is DYNAMITE and FIREWORKS in continual motion, all at the same time. She knows fiber, she knows people, she knows whatz hot and whatz not, she knows machinery, spinning wheels, knitting, crocheting, weaving, felting, dyeing, bead making...and a whole bunch of other stuff she hasn't even had the time to share with me, .....yet. Susan is one fast woman! She talks fast, moves fast, thinks even faster and sells faster still . I stand in awe of this woman in so many ways. I cannot keep up with her, so I just stand back and watch her keep her whirlwind in motion. Susan has come along side and befriended me. In the world of fiberarts, there is great pleasantness and an underlying friendly competitiveness as well. Between Susan and me, it does not exist. I count it a great blessing. I think Susan and I suffer with the same malady...too many ideas, not enough self to get them all done. Once you meet her, you'll know that every word I've written is true.

These are the women who have lead me, pushed me, inspired me, corrected me, shown me the way, been and continue to be forerunners in imaginative fiberarts. They are more than mentors, they have also mentored my heart, my spirit, and my mind. They are my Fabulous Fiber Mamas. I am grateful for them and to them for all they have done for me. I could have been very happy with just one, but God figured I needed more help. He sent me these three! I hope you get good ones too!

" Places In Time" alpaca farm, Ohio

These are the class members from " Places in Time" Fiber Shop. Two of the gals had never needle felted before, most had not wet felted either. From looking at the results, I think you'd be hard pressed to find even one who was not very happy with their new skill. All of the hats were lovely, the women even more so. I had a great time with them and hope that we have the chance to meet up again. Aren't these hats just great? Truly, I get the best students!

Shades of Gray

Packing for the Ohio trip has started. Packaging is nearly completed, then packing the van begins. I am finding that I grow more and more aware of the limited amount of space I have in this van. It has served me well and I am so grateful for that. However, if it were to grow a foot or two longer, I'd not complain. So other than little or no heater, it is a great little mini-van. We are suppose to warm up to the mid 30's today so I hope to get much done before the majority of the thaw happens today.

From my eastward front porch window, I am witnessing a splendid sunrise with pinks being the color of the morning! Most of the past two months, mid-Michigan has been covered in various shades of gray. Seeing the pink this morning is nearly "high contrast". Thank you Abba Father, for both the grays and the pinks.

Pictured is 400 yards of a dye lot I've been doing for some weaving I've planned. With two torn rotator cuffs, spinning, needle felting, carding and peaceful sleep are quite out of the question for me these days. While I am giving both shoulders a rest, I can still dye and hope weave on a triaingle or square loom. After Ohio, I'll know better what I can and cannot do.

I hope to bring back wonderful photos of spectacular hats made by the women I'll be teaching. I am expecting great things from them.

The weeks work and back on the road again

These are the results of our week together. I am so proud of her work. I expect to see many more wonderful thing from Chris from Jacksonville. Can you find the felt mouse?

Friday I leave for Ohio to teach a day long workshop. We'll be making needle to wet felted hats, felt flowers, and maybe some other little fun things to make the hats more interesting. I've been carding and dyeing merino for the class. I am looking forward to the class, but traveling in this very cold weather leaves a good bit to be desired. It is 11 degrees here this morning and more snow is on the way. Did I mention that the heater is out in the van? I think not. Well, the heater is out in the van and 5 hours of driving in 11 degree temps is not all that thrilling to me. I may be packing all of the wool fibers around me! I wonder if shivering creates felt if you are wrapped in it?

Splendor in the Snow or the Post Groundhog day fatigue!

It must be the joy of friends being together, or the bitter, wet cold of Michigan in Feb. or the lack of sunshine, but this time with Chris is moving fast, inspiring much, and making me a bit punchy… uncommon for me. Admittedly, I am fatigued, but I am teaching to a very bright woman who naturally asks intelligent questions. Sometimes my brain is just tired I think. Nonetheless, I am having a wonderful time, though the time is passing fast.

Since I tend to enjoy working alone, I’ve been getting up at between 4-5 AM to get some work done while Chris sleeps I’ve been dyeing some wool and DK weight yarns with wonderful results. I think that these yarns are going to be named after some of the lovely places in Michigan, or places I hope to see. Nearly every time I am playing in the dye pot, I wonder about how much fun God must have had giving color to the whole of creation.

Chris, from Jacksonville!

There are magical moments and miracle people in our lives! If we pay attention, we all have them. Chris, from Jacksonville is one of mine.



Chris and I met via the telephone several years ago when she found my website. Each time I answered the phone she'd say "Hi Suzanne, it's Chris....from Jacksonville". She called, we talked about felt making. Several days later, she called again to place and order and we talked about felt making. This calling and talking went on for several weeks, often for an hour or more. Each time, she is asking more and more questions about felting, about fiber, about dyeing, about spinning, weaving, books, what this was, what that was, all with a deep eagerness to learn it all. Finally, one afternoon, I said to Chris, from Jacksonville, "I so wish you were here so I could teach you in person." With that comment, Chris made her reservations to visit with us. It was magical and miraculous the entire time.

It has now become an annual event for Chris, from Jacksonville to visit Michigan in the dead cold of Feb. to share our friendship, our fiber, our ideas, our faith, our families, much laughter and the innate knowledge that people have who have known each other for a very long time seem to have, and "Mr. Jim's " cooking! YUM! We haven't known each other all that long, of course; it is just the magical, miracle thing that God has given to us, and fiber was the vehicle.

Chris, from Jacksonville, has started me down the blog spot path this morning. I hope to eventually talk about needle felt hat making, but this day it's , " Hat's off to you, Chris, From Jacksonville". You are a precious gift! I thank God always for you!