Guilt can motivate too!

OK, so I blogged about making felt yesterday, then got to feeling so guilty about having a blog about felt-making, with little or no felt-making on it. So guilty in fact, that I decided ( or had a stronger than sleep desire) to make a felt hat. It is merino, merino silk, and silk. I love the way it turned out and I may have found my "felt grove thing" again. Whooooo-hoooooo!

(Sometimes, guilt just works! If it is painful enough, it does bring about change...and in this case, a felt hat too.)

Finally, a felt!

Finally, a felt. This is a small piece of traditional wet felt that was originally a multi-colored piece of felt. I was not content with the colors so it went for a dive into the dye pot. Many of the other previous colors have left their mark on the felt and added another dimension to the finished piece. Once the wet felt was done, I added a bit of sequenced fabric, cover it with hand dyed Wensleydale locks by needle felting them into place, then covered all of the locks and fabric with a thin, ultra-thin layer of silk from a hand-dyed silk hankie. I hope to get it in a frame at some time, but for now, this is what it looks like.

I a so anxious to get back to making felt. I have too many ideas going through my head and not nearly enough time to get them all done. Isn't this a common concern for so many of us???? I have perhaps spent too much time with with dye pots, but that is so much fun too. Seems that I plan to felt nearly everyday, then suddenly I am asleep and there is no felt fairy that has shown up to make my ideas a reality while I sleep! (What's up with that?) Still, I will take the time to draw out the felts and put them on my mental shelf of things to do. To everything, there is a season....making felt too I suppose.

God is in the details, Acts of God, Hoosier Hills Fiber Festival

An amazing fiber event at Hoosier Hills. Amazing amounts of courage of both vendors and customers, amazing teamwork among vendors, amazing about of rain...9 inches fell Friday night alone. More and more rain fell throughout the day on Sat. By 3:30, roads were being closed, water rising in rivers, roads impassable, booths filling with water, or in a state of drying out...slowly. Was the fiber event the best I've ever attended? No! Was it the most memorable? Yes, Yes Yes!

Ya know, we go to the events to meet people, connect with customers, see what's new, teach, learn, touch and to be visually stimulated. As a vendors, we also hope to make our expenses, and make some money. Did that all happen? Slightly. Met some cool people, made my expenses, but mostly, we got home safe ...in more pouring rain.

I suppose I could be upset, sad, frustrated, angry, and a whole bunch of other unhealthy feelings. Rather, I've decided to be grateful, thankful, delighted, happy, content, and am simply mindful that God is in the details, including and not limited to, the rain! My God Reigns! My God Rains!

There will be other fiber event, but I doubt that there will be others as memorable as 2008 Hoosier Hills Fiber Festival. I'm still glad that I was there for the event. It will be one that we'll talk about for years to come.

Sweet Needle Felts--Jenn Dockerty

Several weeks ago, Chris sent me a couple of photos of a new book she'd picked up. She called and told me that my form, needle felting tools and needles were all listed in the new book that had just been released. How cool is that. There are several other photos in the book that I'll try to get posted for you. I was delighted to learn that he products we created 8 years ago continue to impact the creative lives of others. Very exciting indeed!

In this book, she uses our small doll form to make a woven/needle felted bowl. The photos in this book are really great, nice illustrations, good tutorials.

I'll be leaving again this next week to go to Hoosier Hills Fiber Festival in Franklin, IN. I'll be teaching there this year. I'll be teaching on Friday if you are interested in taking the felt flower class. This is a wet felt class. Each flower takes about an hour to make. We're going to make three. Class runs from 12-3 on opening day. This show is a Fri-Sat show. It was wonderful last year and I anticipate that it will be even better this year. Cannot imagine the work that goes into putting a festival together. So I've got a lot of work to get done before I go....lots of dyeing, lots of carding, and I should make some felt! If I get a hat or two put together, I'll post them for you to see.
Shalom,
Suzanne

I'll be posting some of these hand-dyed 50/50 merino/silk rovings on my etsy shop: www.hookedonfelt.etsy.com Featured here is a 2 ounce roving. I am spending too much time in my dye pots and need to stop and get making felt! This stuff felts so beautifully. Hmmmm, maybe I won't put it up for sale, perhaps I'll use it myself.

It is Wrap-really!

It's a Wrap, well, it's a start anyway

This (on the right side) is a small sample of the new weaving I've been working on since the sale of the other wrap. I am using wool, mohair and novelty yarns in both commercial and hand spun form and weaving on a 4x4 square loom. Want to finish this so I can get back to doing some felting.

While at Great Lakes Fiber Show, I stayed with a friend Donna, who is a wonderful weaver. During one evening we spent several hours going through very old Spin- Off newsletters, (pre-Spin-Off magazine) and wonderful books on weaving, something I've had very little interest in, until this past weekend. Amazing workmanship in some of these garments. and very inspiring, indeed. Jan, The Village Weaver, had several wraps that were show stoppers, one with a hand-painted warp. I think it sold before the show even opened. SPECTACULAR! Took my breather away, literally. While I am not a weaver myself, I am in awe of the work of the weaver and the weavers cloth. Jan's wrap is on the display. Isn't it grand?
Shalom,
Suzanne

Random Acts of Carding--Wool Batts

Again I am packing for a Fiber Event. This time, I am heading off to Wooster, Ohio for the Great Lakes Fiber Show. I'll be leaving a day earlier than I have to, just so I can rest up a bit before the show, and visit some friends there. Am looking forward to the show.

I've put together about 6 pounds of "Random Acts Of Carding" batts for the event. These are so pretty, with a bunch of wonderful fibers, including merino wool, mohair, silk, llama, alpaca, angora, ...well, you get the picture. I've enjoyed making them and love to spin them or felt with them. They make for wonderful one of a kind items.

If you are at the show, I hope you'll pop in to my booth if you get a moment.

Shalom --Suzanne

For a Reason

As I packed for the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival, I scanned "the studio" one more time to make sure that I had not missed bringing anything. From across the room, a shawl that I had made several years ago asked to go with me. I've never worn it except to see that it fit, never took it to any shows, rarely showed it to anyone. It was done with my beginning handspun yarns and was kind of a personal treasure, my first, my hand spun, my first weaving. Anyway, I took it with me, not really knowing why...until she walked into the booth and fell in love with it. It now has a new home and is being well loved there I will miss the piece, but will miss it a bit less knowing that it is being appreciated and treasured. I know it is silly to get attached to things, but still I do sometimes. I need to recall these wise words:
Matt 6: 19"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Doesn't she look lovely in the wrap. I am so please that I took it with me! I think she was the reason I went to Maryland

How was the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival? Cannot even tell you. I didn't get to leave my booth space on Sat. at all and only to run to the bathroom on Sunday. It was amazing to see so many people. I truly do wish that I could have seen some folks that were there, other vendors, other felters, but it just didn't happen. I am still trying to recover with an afternoon nap whenever I can squeeze one in. In fact, I think I'll do that now

Tippin' my Hat Good-bye

I'll be leaving for Maryland in just a few short hours. Spent two nights not being able to sleep, I am too excited about many things, Maryland Sheep and Wool being one of them. Did sleep last night so I am good to go!

Made this hat yesterday for the show. I love the color, which came out of blending deep red merino with a bit of a black corriedale/mohair blend. Because of the mohair, it is a bit "hairier" than I usually like, but on this hat, it kinda works, IMO.

I will be demonstrating the new hat forms, flower making and Judit Pocs video at Maryland Sheep and Wool in Susan's Fiber Shop booth. The video alone is worth it, so stop in if you get the chance. Susan will have the video's for sale there. You will not be disappointed in this DVD. I love it and watch it often, each time gleaming more and more information.

I'll be away for a week. Waving Good-bye to all of you and hoping to meet some of you at Maryland....now where are my car keys?

I cannot belive I get to go!

I am sooooo thrilled to be asked by Susan McFarland to go with her and her incredible friends to the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival. We'll work our self hard, we'll feed ourself well and we will sleep soundly, I am sure! I am so looking forward to this great adventure. Susan called and asked me to work her booth with her. What an honor! I'll be having a great time, promise!

In the meantime, I am dyeing fibers to spin or work into my felts. Some may also be for sale after I get back from Maryland Sheep and Wool. I am working primarily with merino/silk 50/50 blends, silk laps, silk fabrics and locks from various sheep, mostly long wools. Photos here are of the merino silks in 4 ounce braids. Could really get lost in the dye pots far too easily. There is magical stuff that happens in a dye pot!

Girly Scarf

I've been laid up sick with the flu. While I laid around feeling pretty worthless, I had the chance to work with the yarn I'd spun earlier. I really like it a lot. What do ya think?

New Spin on my Old Fibers

I've had some merino, hand dyed merino silk and lovely white angora (bunny) fibers just laying around here for some time. I decided to put them together into a ball and spin it up. Love the results. Has a very soft, shades of cream and white with the pale woodsy colors (So wish I knew how to knit!)

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!