Tuesday 23 April 2013

Inspiration and completed projects after Desert Mesa Spinning Retreat

 
Here are some of the projects started at the Desert Mesa Retreat, and completed the week after.
 
This is a yarn inspired by Gudie Hupfauer - my Blazing Sunshine colourway merino/nylon blend, corespun over a very fine boucle yarn and burnt orange tencel, then plied with the burnt orange tencel to make this wonderfully lofty and very soft yarn. 

 
This yarn was inspired by Sue Henry from Pemberton - using the burnt orange tencel as a core, loosely spun the fibre thick and thin, then plied with tencel and gold lurex thread.
 
 
A pair of knitted thrum mittens and a crocheted slouch hat made from one of the rovings I spun at the retreat.


 
More dyed pencil rovings.
 
Merino/nylon hand dyed in Pistachio colourway, spun thick and thin and plied with lime green metallic thread.
 
 A 2-ply yarn spun from BFL top, hand dyed in Spring colourway.

 
 
 
 
 

Saturday 20 April 2013

Two busy weekends

April 6 I attended the annual spin-in hosted by the Kalamalka Spinners in Vernon, BC, as a vendor and learner. There were 60 spinners there, as well as 7 vendors. Some pictures from Vernon -
 
Just half the room full of happy spinners.
 
My vendor space.
 
Some items from the Show and Tell:
sweet little Christmas mice and elves.

A blanket made out of hand dyed and handspun yarns, made to match the pillow sham on the upper left. Good job, Chris!


Handknit and felted mittens with fancy yarn cuffs.

 
The next weekend was the much anticipated Desert Mesa Spinners' Retreat, held twice a year in Cache Creek, BC. We start to arrive at noon on Friday, get down to it, and continue until noon on Sunday. Annie has pencil rovings purchased just a few minutes ago from Smith and Ewe.

Sue Henry from Pemberton has her merino/nylon roving (purchased from Smith and Ewe) half spun already.

Heather Specken from Vernon has purchases from Smith and Ewe
waiting their turn.
 
Hannelore Lubben from Chilliwack hard at work.

Gudie Hupfauer from Sorrento bought some pencil roving from Smith and Ewe and is core spinning it.

Here is a sample of her finished corespun yarn.
 
The evening fashion show. Someone likes counting sheep!
 
Annie Cocking and Sheila Schwan from Logan Lake and Merritt get together once a week, and this is what they did this winter. Shepherd's smocks beautifully hand done and modelled.
 
A closeup of the sleeve on Annie's smock.

And Sheila with a sheep, because it is a shepherd's smock, after all.

Items from the Show and Tell made from fibre purchased from
Smith and Ewe at the last retreat.


Even though the weekend was snowy, rainy and cloudy, we all had a great time and are looking forward to the 10th Anniversary Retreat in October.
Lots of fun things being planned! See you there.

 

 
 
 

Thursday 11 April 2013

Fibres West in Cloverdale, BC, March 22 and 23

For the third year in a row, I attended this event as a vendor. It is a gathering of vendors either fibre related, or fibre animal related, and open to the public. Many classes are offered over the 2 days - if you haven't been, I would love to see you there next year.

I left just enough room in the van for my friend Sheila Grant, her suitcase and her spinning wheel.


 We stopped along the way in a snowstorm to watch the kayakers in the Fraser River.


Here we are
setting up our booth.
AND IT'S DONE AND READY!
Sheila was a great help - and good company!
 
 Some other vendors - above is Blackcomb Fibres from Kamloops,
and below is Knitopia from White Rock.


 Above we have Birkeland Brothers from Abbotsford, and below lovely mohair products from Humming Bee Farm from Shawnigan Lake on Vancouver Island.
 
 Below is a selection of art work from Art to You -
my favourite farm animals - sheep and chickens.
 
Classes were very popular - below is Caroline Sommerfeld of
Ancient Arts Fibre Crafts
 teaching spin control.

 
 Another very popular class - nuno felting taught by Fiona Duthie.

A demonstration of bobbin lace making put on by the Vancouver Lace Club.
 
 The Peace Arch Spinners and Weavers did a sheep to shawl demonstration
(but not with a real sheep - just the fleece).

 
Sheila got to take Kim McKenna's silk hankie dyeing workshop -
 I got to get a few tips from Kim afterwards.
 
 
Another successful weekend at Fibres West.
SEE YOU NEXT YEAR!