My Favourite Thing about the Holidays!

My favourite thing about the holidays is writing thank you notes for those who made my holidays special.

I really enjoying designing and making my own personalized cards. Here are two I did this year:

This next one is especially for my dad!

12 Days of Christmas - Fibre Style

On the first day of Christmas,
my husband sent to me
A dachshund peeing on a tree.

On the second day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Two mohair skeins,
A dachshund peeing on a tree.

On the third day of Christmas,
my husband sent to me
Three wool rovings,
Two mohair skeins,
A dachshund peeing on a tree.

On the fourth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Four spinning wheels,
Three wool rovings,
Two mohair skeins,
A dachshund peeing on a tree.

On the fifth day of Christmas,
my husband sent to me
Five alpacas,
Four spinning wheels,
Three wool rovings,
Two mohair skeins,
A dachshund peeing on a tree.

On the sixth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Six sheep a-bahing,
Five alpacas,
Four spinning wheels,
Three wool rovings,
Two mohair skeins,
A dachshund peeing on a tree.

On the seventh day of Christmas,
my husband sent to me
Seven lamas spitting,
Six sheep a-bahing,
Five alpacas,
Four spinning wheels,
Two mohair skeins,
A dachshund peeing on a tree.

On the eighth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Eight goats a-leaping,
Seven lamas spitting,
Six sheep a-bahing,
Five alpacas,
Four spinning wheels,
Three wool rovings,
Two mohair skeins,
A dachshund peeing on a tree.

On the ninth day of Christmas,
my husband sent to me
Nine shepherds shearing,
Eight goats a-leaping,
Seven lama spitting,
Six sheep a-bahing,
Five alpacas,
Four spinning wheels,
Three wool rovings,
Two mohair skeins,
A dachshund peeing on a tree.

On the tenth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Ten ladies carding,
Nine shepherds shearing,
Eight goats a-leaping,
Seven lamas spitting,
Six sheep a-bahing,
Five alpacas,
Four spinning wheels,
Three wool rovings,
Two mohair skeins,
A dachshund peeing on a tree.

On the eleventh day of Christmas,
my husband sent to me
Eleven yarns a-spinning,
Ten ladies carding,
Nine shepherds shearing,
Eight goats a-leaping,
Seven lamas spitting,
Six sheep a-bahing,
Five alpacas,
Four spinning wheels,
Three wool rovings,
Two mohair skeins,
A dachshund peeing on a tree.

On the twelfth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Twelve weavers weaving,
Eleven yarns a-spinning,
Ten ladies carding,
Nine shepherds shearing,
Eight goats a-leaping,
Seven lamas spitting,
Six sheep a-bahing,
Five alpacas,
Four spinning wheels,
Three wool rovings,
Two mohair skeins,
A dachshund peeing on a tree.

My husband is very generous, and for this Christmas he gave me:
12 dachshunds
22 mohair skeins
30 wool rovings
36 spinning wheels
40 Alpacas
42 sheep
42 lamas
40 goats
36 shepherds
30 ladies carding
22 yarns a spinning
And 12 weavers weaving,
Now I have a fibre farm!

"Torpedo" The Charkha

My husband and I have built "Torpedo" the Charkha from the specs from Spin-Off Winter 1996.

The box is a "Hoja de Habano" Cigar Box. Inside features wheel with orginal Dave "Pi" designs. The spindles were built from double pointed knitted needles purchased from the Loop Halifax.

The Charkha works every other day - as the hunt for a more effective drive band continues. Right now it has cotton yarn and it isn't as effective and consistent as I would like.

Dog Hair Hat

Do you have a pet that you want to remember forever? Why not eternalize your pet in a handspun item! I created this hat for a friend from a mixture of his black lab's dog hair and Icelandic Sheep's Wool. I think it turned out great! It doesn't smell dog at all! Also the great part of the dog hair/wool mixture is the dog hair gives a little bit of hairy bits that stick out!

Organic Mittlets

These mittlets are made from hand spun wool and alpaca. The pattern has cables that run up the top of the mitts. This creation was for my Master Spinner's project for level two.

Stay tuned for Master Spinner's project level three. Slated for release Spring 2009.

Colour Wheel

Currently I am working on my Master Spinners Level 2 workbook. Here is a picture of the finished skeins. Each of the secondary and teritary colours are a blend of the primary colours. I find it so interesting that I only began with three colours and ended up with 12!

Nature Socks

Hello Everyone!

These nature socks are a newly completed project. The ribbing is handspun from Fleece Artist Roving http://www.fleeceartist.com/ and the rest is knit from Lucy Neatby http://www.tradewindknits.com/ merino yarn. I created it especially for Molly at Celticswans. She makes amazing knitting needles and other needle art supplies. http://www.celticswan.com/

CRAPS!

So the story of my spinning wheel isn't a happy one. When it was transported from Alberta to Nova Scotia in January it was damaged.

AND now months later it has decided to have a new issue. Of course when you really want to spin and work on my Master Spinners Level 2 workbook, it has to crap out on me. Now I have to wait weeks for my part to come from New Zealand.

What is a multifunctionalist artist to do? Well I should be working on a table runner and sending some of my writing away to be published. No, instead I dream about spinning.

Kitty versus the Llama

Here I am ready to take the hair off of the llama! It was great fun that included: a spitting llama, a sock, and a grumpy alpaca. I can't wait to spin up something warm.

Two New Projects

Here are two new finished projects. The first is a tall ship displayed in the window of The Loop in Halifax. The owner of The Loop and I fashioned it to celebrate that the Tall Ships have come to Halifax. If you are in the area of Barrington Street make sure to check it out.

The second is my handspun handdyed handwoven jacket inspired by Chanel. I wore it in a fashion show at Fibre Week 2007.

New Mystery Project. See details next week!

I am busy preparing a new mystery project that I think will make me my millions. MAhahahhaha..... Hint. Check out my uterine blog! It has something to do with it........ And for those with the metal balls on your 4 by 4s ........ Us women will speak!.......

In other news
My art show at the Mudroom Halifax went well.

Master Spinner Level One

This is the warp from my project for Master Spinner Level One. It is made up of 100% handspun and hand dyed yarn and took over 9 months to prepare! Once I finish weaving it I will try to add a picture of the finished woven item!

Darwin's Gator Sweater

Darwin's Gator Sweater

Here is Darwin's new Gator Sweater! While wearing it, he feels powerful and sways his tail like a true gator. Beware! He is grumpy and likes to take off fingers. Pictures of his new sheep sweater will be on later once it gets green out!

Crazy Crazy Multifunctionalist

Okay I haven't posted in awhile but I have been super busy. Here is what I have finished:

• Gator Sweater for Darwin


• Sheep themed sweater for Darwin


• My Master Spinner Workbook 1 (only nine months of work have gone into this one!)


• Three woven scarfs on my new LOOM!


• Two paintings in a series of three based on spinning and weaving


• NUMEROUS writings - short stories and poems


• Participated in a 24 hour knitathon at the Loop - but I didn't make the whole 24 hours

All Packed Up

So I have all my arts and crafts and books and stuff packed up. Mostly in blue rubbermade containers, ready to go to go in the post off to the East Coast.

I think it will be months until I have everything organized. Lots of items are packed up in storage for the years until we return.

So my projects:

• Dave's Christmas gift was a success. It was a handmade woolen woven blanket. It took me over 24 hours of work. See the picture - this is when it first was put on the loom. I will have another finished photo later.


• Dave's Ex-Bosses Sweater - this is a project that is taking awhile. I can only work on it for a hour or so a night because it is sooooo heavy! I hope to get it done really soon.


• I have given up on my first novel - actually I didn't really start it more than a page or so. I have decided to start another one based on a office and a psychopath.


• I am knitting a small hat I hope to be done today.


• Hmmmmmm I think I will purchase a loom for Halifax. I want to make some more blankets for people as gifts. And maybe some more table runners.

Too many projects not enough space! This year I am going to start Christmas Production in January. That's my New Year's resolution.

Packing up the Arts & Crafts!

WOW! Too much yarn? Could there ever be? I am busy packing up all my stuff and preparing for the move across country!

Hey did I mention I just got a few poems published and then they are going to be read on CBC!

Check out the webpage
www.cbc.ca/albertaanthology

What am I up to! Spinning sparkly yarn. Check out www.kittyknits.etsy.com

What is a Crafter to do?

So here it is, almost November and I haven't completed one of my desinated Christmas presents. Each year in January, when I haven't completed any of the gifts for the past Christmas, I say "I am going to start my Christmas presents early this year." Do any of them get started early? NO! Crap! What is a Crafter to do?

Merino Merino my Fav!

This is the back of the sweater. The type of wool the ex-boss purchased was Zara Filatura Di Crosa. The wool is 100% wool - extra fine merino. I started with a rib on the bottom and now am continuing in a double moss stitch.

My other projects on the go are:

• A pair of socks for my father-in-law for his birthday which was Sept 9. Okay, I am alittle late!
• A Christmas quilt for a family member. I don't want to mention names just in case he or she reads this a discovers what he or she is getting!
• A scrap yarn carpet done in spool/French knitting style.
• Hand spinning cotswold wool.
• The first chapter of my novel, currently titled: Water.

Comment me if you want to know more about these above projects.

Making a sweater for my husband's ex-boss.

So I am currently working on a project for my husband's ex-boss. How many times does someone get in this situation? I would say hopefully only once. First of all, I would NEVER spend over $140 on wool. But then it isn't often that you are knitting a sweater for someone who can survive on just the luxuries of life. In addition, there is alot to live up to for this sweater.

1. My husband's ex-bosses Italian mom made him his last sweater.
2. My husband may want his ex-boss to become his boss again.
3. It might not fit.