Monday, November 16, 2009

I forgot my camara and Had a blast!

This past weekend I drove up to the Jemez and taught 4 women to Lockerhook for the Jemez Valley Fiber Arts Group. The setting was LOVELY, the ladies were delightful and so quick to catch on! I couldn't believe how fast the day slipped by and most everyone got quite a bit of their projects done except one very ambitious gal who is doing a rug - not a hotpad.
I was also invited back in the spring to teach another class on Kool Aid dying, carding and
drop spindle if I can learn in time. Thankfully I sort of know how and I have 6 months to practice if i can lay my hands on a spindle which shouldn't be an issue.
If you live in the Jemez - I recommend this wonderful group and if you don't - check out their classes anyway. I know they've done felting, quilting and making rag rugs.
I wish I'd remembered my camara - the class was held at the Green Acres Permaculture Demonstration farm and is awesome. They live in a yurt part of the year and also rent out the yurt if someone wants to go stay up there. They also do permaculture classes and apparently grow tons of herbs, veggies and flowers. The property abuts the Jemez River and would be a dream property! I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to live in a place like this and make the upper part of the main building a studio/gallery but we'd need a miracle for that to happen plus - I love it here in Bosque Farms and would find it hard to leave our property here and all of our awesome neighbors......so yeah, probably wouldn't happen unless it's a vacation home for us! OH where oh where is that rich relative who will leave us millions when they pass away?

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Novelty yarn.

I'm spinning again. I lent my wheel to my cousin in AZ and am seriously miss it but my friend and mentor lent me her wheel so I can be back to spinning until I get my wheel back. I hope they can bring it back over the holidays. I had some lovely black Alpaca from Four Pines Alpaca leftover from a different spinning project and I didn't know what to do, then as I was going through some of my stuff for a class I'm teaching this coming weekend
I found some odds and ends: about an oz of bamboo, silk hankies and some cotton sent to my from Exclusivelylindalee on Etsy.com so i spun it all u and made some Novelty yarn. It also gave me a chance to experience something new - spinning cotton. I've been told it's hard - NOT really. but then, I didn't think silk or bamboo were as difficult as everyone said either. I still prefer Alpaca and Silk to anything else.

This one is Black Alpaca with silk spun with coils. There isn't much but was thinking -hmmm - wouldn't that make an interesting and unique addition to a woven scarf.....

Here is the Black Alpaca, cotton and bamboo. Again, not much but enough to make a statement in some sort of woven scarf.....I think I feel a few more new projects coming on. I guess I best finish the table runner on the loom and get it off so I can weave some more fun and wonderful objects. CRACK that whip!