Wind Rose Fiber Studio

My Macrame Earrings by Amira Jewelry

2012-02-02T13:55:00.000-08:00

I wore myself out writing a pattern yesterday, so today I'm having a little fun with show and tell. A few weeks ago I made the mistake of clicking on an ad in the right margin of my Facebook profile. Not only was I breaking one of my personal rules about ignoring such ads, but I also ended up stumbling upon a site that has become a major weakness. That website is Fab.com and I think I'm addicted.

Fab is like an ever changing, international bazaar of eclectic and fun stuff. They feature items ranging from handmade to techy, from jewelry to housewares and even furniture. I can't resist taking a daily peek at the sales and one day I just had to buy these amazing earrings by Amira Jewelry. These are macrame, but as you can see from her website, Amira also creates canvas and assemblage jewelry. You can find her work in her store on Etsy as well. I'm particularly drawn to her macrame pieces. I love the colors she chooses and the clean, yet interesting designs. The quality of work in my earrings depicts an attention to detail that you only find when someone takes true pride in their craft.

I know it's uncool to draw others into your addictions, so beware of me today! I'll let you decide whether or not to explore the enticements at Fab.com. On the other hand, I would encourage you to check out this wonderful artist, Amira Mednick. I notice she sells her work at the Portland Saturday Market. I love the Portland Market and it makes me wonder if I've seen her work before. This is just the sort of thing that would typically catch my eye. Of course the Saturday Market is huge, so I guess I could have missed Amira's jewelry. I'm glad I've found it now!

The 2012 Ornament Project ~ February

2012-02-01T17:33:00.000-08:00

The Circle of Hearts

Materials:
your choice of yarn and an appropriately sized hook, scissors, and 5 stitch markers

Leave a 10" tail
Rows 1-5 are worked in the round

ch 2
Row 1: work 6 sc in 2nd st from hook. Place marker in front loop of first sc
Rows 2-5: working in back loops only, sc around, place marker in front loop of first sc in each row

do not finish off

Your work should look like a tube with the tail end coming up through the middle. (you can use your hook to bring the beginning tail up through your tube) The hearts (we'll make one half at a time) are worked in the unworked front loops from Rows 1-5 in a vertical fashion. The first half will be worked from top (Row 5) to bottom (Row 1) in the stitches you have marked. The second half of that heart will be worked from bottom to top in the unworked stitches directly to the left of the first half. Please use the pictures as your guide. I have marked the loops in which we will be placing our stitches with a dot.

Beginning Hearts

First Half - sc in front loop of 1st sc from Row 5 (remove marker), (dc, 5 tr) in same st, dc in front loop of 1st sc from Row 4 (inserting hook from bottom to top as in picture below), hdc in front loop of 1st sc from Row 3, sc in front loop of 1st sc from Row 2, sl st in front loop of 1st sc from Row1

Second Half - working in unworked front loops directly to the left of first half and from bottom to top (see picture below) sl st in front loop of 2nd sc from Row1, sc in front loop of 2nd sc from Row 2, hdc in front loop of 2nd sc from Row3, dc in front loop of 2nd sc from Row 4, (5 tr, dc, sc) in front loop of 2nd sc from Row 5

Repeat First Half and Second Half respectively two more times. Each time you will be working in the unworked front loops directly to the left of the last half. Your completed Circle of Hearts will have 6 heart halves.

Finishing

After completing your 6th heart half, you should be at the top of your ornament. Sl st in front loop of 1st sc of Row 5 and finish off leaving 8". Use your hook to draw this ending tail piece through the middle of the tube as in the picture below. Tie the beginning and ending tails together using an overhand knot making sure to allow 2 to 3 inches for hanging.

Your Circle of Hearts ornament is now complete! I hope the instructions are easy to follow. This one was a little tricky to write. Please don't hesitate to ask questions in the "comments" below if you need me to clarify anything. Until next time...

(If you need a stitch guide or help with the abbreviations, Crochet 'N' More is a great place to find all of the basics.)

The 2012 Ornament Project ~ February Preview

2012-02-01T13:14:00.000-08:00

It's February which means it's time for a February Ornament. I wasn't exactly planning to have my ornaments ready on the first day of each month, but I had a little inspiration this morning. I also wasn't planning to have my ornaments be a reflection of their individual months, but my son insisted that I should make some sort of heart. Inspiration plus insistence equals The Circle of Hearts Ornament.

I could have just crocheted a heart, but let's face it, there are already a lot of free crochet patterns for hearts. It would be hard to come up with something original. I've also never been a big "heart" person. I'm all for love, but I don't tend to buy heart shaped jewelry, figurines and such. So, how does one make a heart, that's not too hearty and a little different from every other heart out there?

I started to think about going three dimensional which is when the ideas began to flow. This six sided, circle of hearts is the result. From the side it looks like a cute little scrunchie. From the top you can see the six rounded tops of the hearts forming a star shape, but if you fold apart the sides, you have an undeniable heart. See? Hearts, but not too hearty.

I'm kind of pleased with February's ornament. I would never have come up with it if my son hadn't requested a heart shape. Sometimes it pays to listen! I have the pattern all worked out. Now I just need a little time to write it down and take a few pictures. Although the finished ornament looks simple enough, I don't know that I could give this ornament an easy rating. You'll need to feel comfortable working in the round and identifying stitches for stitch placement. I think a little previous crochet experience will be helpful with this design.

Handspun Tunis

2012-02-01T09:06:00.000-08:00

Here's my Tunis all spun into just over 100 yards of light weight yarn. This isn't exactly an example of my best spinning or plying for that matter. I was kind of playing around with my new wheel and I also wasn't trying very hard. Sometimes, it's fun to just spin while watching tv or hanging out.

If I had been a bit more serious and committed to turning this fiber into a nice skein, I think it would have helped to run it through my carder. This Tunis really did have a shorter staple and the length was a little inconsistent. In retrospect, it would have been nice to blend it with another fiber.

Now I feel like I'm picking on this Tunis, but I don't mean to. While this yarn might be a little on the rustic side, I think it will be very pretty made into ornaments. Rustic and homey is what I'm going for with my 2012 Ornament Project, so I think this yarn will be perfect. I think it would be interesting to find some Tunis with a longer staple just to compare the two.

My Ashford Joy DT ~ The Resolution

2012-01-31T08:49:00.000-08:00

I've been sharing my experience with my new Ashford Joy DT, so now I'm back to share how my issues have been resolved. I wrote to Ashford just to let them know about the troubles I was having. I was hoping that maybe I could spare someone else a similar experience.

They wrote me back very promptly and suggested I take pliers and bend the connecting piece of metal (A). From the beginning, I knew that this piece of metal was a big part of the problem, but it's a very hard metal. I had even tried to pull on it with my hands, but it didn't budge. I was worried that the force I would need to use to bend it might put too much stress on the wheel. I didn't want a piece of wood to split or to compromise where the metal is soldered together. As it turned out, pliers were not very useful. In the end, my husband just pulled on it while trying to brace where the piece is joined to the other treadle. I winced as the wheel shuddered under the force, but my husband managed to bend the piece of metal enough to keep the two legs from knocking into each other.

Having made that adjustment, I was able to reattach the right leg to its treadle as intended. It's still a good thing that I shaved a little wood from the right treadle (B). Even with everything put together correctly, the left treadle leg would have brushed against the right treadle. I think the hole in the left treadle should have been drilled just a little to the left. It's amazing how narrow the margins for error are on what is essentially a simple machine.

After all of this tweaking, not to mention a lot of silicone spray to remove all of the squeaks, my Joy is now running like a well oiled machine. I'm a little traumatized by everything I had to do to get this brand new wheel running smoothly. I haven't experience a lot of joy with my Joy yet, but hopefully that will change. I think I just need to spin a few skeins of fun yarn to get over my mixed feelings.

Tunis Fleece

2012-01-30T09:40:00.000-08:00

Last week was party week here at my house. My youngest turned 12 and we threw a little block party to celebrate. As a result, I didn't have any time to play with my new Tunis fleece from Tri-Ply Fibers. Today I plan to rectify that!

Tunis is interesting because it is not only a rare breed, but also the only true red breed of sheep. They are born red or reddish brown and even though this color fades with maturity, their wool retains a red undertone. I guess you could call it the sheep equivalent of a strawberry blond.

The first Tunis came to America in 1799 as a gift from the ruler of Tunisia. They became popular both for their meat and for their fleece. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson had flocks of Tunis sheep. Tunis are still popular today with more flocks on the east coast than out here in the west. From my reading, they seem rather low maintenance to raise. They thrive well even on unexceptional pasture land and they often produce twin lambs. I've tried to select some of the highlights, but there is quite a lot of information on Tunis. It's well worth a Google!

From a spinner's perspective, I like the feel. This fleece ranges from 24-30 microns. I would say that mine is on the high end of that, but it still has a softness to it. I think it would be ideal for a warm pair of mittens or a nice winter beanie. In most of the articles I've read, they have given Tunis a staple length of 4 to 6 inches. Mine, raised in Queen Creek, AZ, has a significantly shorter staple. I don't find this surprising. It would be downright cruel in this climate to allow sheep to suffer under 6" of wool.

I kind of like working with a shorter staple length and this wool has a very nice crimp. I know it will draft easily and handle well. So that's just a little bit about Tunis. I have 2oz which I'll divide in half and then make into a 2ply yarn. I'll probably spin a sport or DK weight so I can get some yardage out of my ounces. I'm thinking that I'll devote my finished yarn to my 2012 Ornament Project since I'm making all of my ornaments in ecru. Having said that, I feel compelled to add that I can tell this fleece would take dye like a dream. It's very porous I think would achieve deep colors with little effort. Perhaps I'll dye the next batch.

Flower Power Pinned Brim Hat ~ A New Design!

2012-01-27T09:26:00.000-08:00

My inspiration for this hat was threefold. First and foremost, Craft Hope's Project 16: The Littlest Warriors energized my creative juices. There's no better feeling than creating with a purpose and supporting kids through their cancer treatments is very motivating. As a mom, my heart really goes out to those families and how difficult it must be. My inspiration for the style came from my love of 20's fashion with a little 70's flower power thrown in the mix. I also kept in mind that this hat would be worn by a girl who will be spending time in bed or on the couch recuperating.

As you can see, the back of the hat turns up like a traditional beanie. The brim is soft and flexible, so even if one is laying on their side, it will feel comfortable. The more angled shape of the crown, gives this hat some stylish flare while still keeping it cozy and practical.

I have a couple busy days ahead, and then I hope to get this pattern written down. I have a little niece that I think would look adorable in this hat, so I think I have to make one more. I also have another design rolling around in my head. This one will be keeping for the boys. If I can manage to make what I see in my mind, I think it will be fun and a little funky!

Decorating the Tree

2012-01-26T15:32:00.000-08:00

It was a strange feeling to hand my son a few ornaments and ask him to trim the tree. After all, it is January and I don't usually have a tree in my studio!

Since I started the 2012 Ornament Project, I figured I may as well keep my 6' pine from Terry's Village in my studio. That way, as I design a new ornament each month, I can go ahead and see how they look.

Each time I create a new design, I tend to make a handful of them. Sometimes I play around with the sizing and other times I just get caught up in the process and can't resist making several. By December, I should have a fully decorated tree. I think it will be a fun, ongoing project!

PS ~ You can find the free crochet patterns for my ornaments on the Crochet Patterns Page. This one is called The Flower Wheel.

The Spiral Beanie ~ Youth to Adult Sizes ~ Free Crochet Pattern

2012-01-24T20:45:00.000-08:00

Materials:
Crochet Hook Size J
Yarn - two colors of worsted weight yarn - Sample made with Patons Classic Wool, color Paprika [4] and Sensations Angel Hair, color 4729 [5]
Scissors, large eye needle, stitch marker (optional)

Note 1: yarn (A) will be the color with which you begin your beanie. In this case it is the Paprika (orange). The brim can be worked in either color.
Note 2: This pattern is worked in the round.

Stitches: You will be using the following stitches - chain stitch (ch), slip stitch (sl st), single crochet (sc) and changing colors. (∆) will symbolize changing colors throughout. I will use this symbol when you come to the last stitch of a color. You will start the stitch in the same color, but on the last yarn over, you will replace your yarn with the other color and pull up your loop. *Repeat instructions between asterisks* the number of times indicated. Crochet 'N' More has a useful stitch guide.

Beginning at the Crown:

Begin with color (A). The center of the crown should not have a hole in the middle so we'll begin with a magic ring also known as a magic circle. Wrap the tail end of your yarn, clockwise, from back to front around the index and middle fingers of the hand with which you hold your yarn. There should be 2 loops of yarn around your fingers. Insert your hook under the front loop and hook the back loop. Draw it under the front loop. Yarn over and pull through the loop on your hook. Pull the tail of your yarn to tighten the circle, but not all the way.

Sizing - Work the following rows until the diameter is the correct width for your desired hat size. Remember, circumference = 3.14 x diameter. For a 21 inch hat, the diameter should be approximately 6.5 inches. If you want a 22 inch hat, then stop when your crown has a diameter (width) of 7 inches. For a 23 inch hat, the diameter should be approximately 7.5 inches. I'm rounding these numbers, so if you want to do the math, just divide the desired size of your finished hat by 3.14 (π). For my sample hat, which is made to fit a 22" head, I worked Rows 1-12. When your diameter has reached the desired width, move on to the Body or Length of the Beanie.

Row 1: (A) work 4 sc in the circle, sc in the circle (∆ B), sc in the circle (equals 6 sts) Pull the tail end of the yarn to close the beginning circle the rest of the way.
Row 2: 2 sc in next 3 sts, sc in next st, sc in same st (∆ A), 2 sc in next 2 sts. (equals 12 sts)
Row 3: *1 sc in next st, 2 sc in next st* 3 times, sc in next st (∆ B), 2 sc in next st, *1 sc in next st, 2 sc in next st* 2 times (equals 18 sts)
Row 4: *sc in next 2 sts, 2 sc in next st* 2 times, sc in next 2 sts, sc in next st (∆ A), sc in same st, *sc in next 2 sts, 2 sc in next st* 3 times. (equals 24 sts)
Row 5: *sc in next 3 sts, 2 sc in next st* 2 times, sc in next st, sc in next st (∆ B), sc in next st, 2 sc in next st, *sc in next 3 sts, 2 sc in next st* 3 times (equals 30 sts)
Row 6: *sc in next 4 sts, 2 sc in next st* 2 times, sc in next st (∆ A), sc in next 3 sts, 2 sc in next st, *sc in next 4 sts, 2 sc in next st* 3 times. (equals 36 sts)
Row 7: *sc in next 5 sts, 2 sc in next st* 1 time, sc in next 5 sts, sc in next st (∆ B), sc in same st, *sc in next 5 sts, 2 sc in next st* 4 times. (equals 42 sts)
Row 8: *sc in next 6 sts, 2 sc in next st* 1 time, sc in next 4 sts, sc in next st (∆ A), sc in next st, 2 sc in next st, *sc in next 6 sts, 2 sc in next st* 4 times. (equals 48 sts)
Row 9: *sc in next 7 sts, 2 sc in next st* 1 time, sc in next 3 sts, sc in next st (∆ B), sc in next 3 sts, 2 sc in next st, *sc in next 7 sts, 2 sc in next st* 4 times. (equals 54 sts)
Row 10: sc in next 11 sts, sc in next st (∆ A), sc in next 42 sts. (equals 54 sts)
Row 11: *sc in next 8 sts, 2 sc in next st* 1 time, sc in next st, sc in next st (∆ B), sc in next 6 sts, 2 sc in next st, *sc in next 8 sts, 2 sc in next st* 4 times. (equals 60 sts)
Row 12: *sc in next 9 sts, 2 sc in next st* 1 time, sc in next st, sc in next st (∆ A), sc in next 8 sts, 2 sc in next st, *sc in next 9 sts, 2 sc in next st* 4 times. (equals 66 sts)
Row 13: sc in next 10 sts, sc in next st, sc in same st (∆ B), * 1 time, sc in next st, sc in next st (∆ A), *sc in next 10 sts, 2 sc in next st* 5 times. (equals 72 sts)

Body or Length of Beanie

sc in each st around. ∆ colors in second to last st of each opposing color row. For instance, if you begin crocheting in color (B). The sts you are working into are color (A). When there are only two color (A) sts left, sc in next st (∆ A) and then continue working around in (A). Follow the pattern in this way until you reach your desired length minus 1 inch for the brim. (I recommend 7.75 to 8 inches from the top of the crown.) Sample has a total of 29 rows before the brim.

Decide which color you would like to use for the brim. On the last row of the body, you should change to this color. The remainder of the hat will be worked in the brim color, so the other yarn can be finished off leaving enough length to weave in the loose end.

Brim

(use stitch marker if desired)
Rows 1-4: sc in each st around.
Row 5: sc to last st, sl st in last st, ch 1 turn.
Row 6: Skip first st (the sl st from previous row), sc around, sc in ch 1 space.
Rows 7-13: sc in each st around.

Finishing
Sl st into next st, finish off. Fold up last 7 rows to form brim. Weave in all loose ends.

A Beanie For Craft Hope

2012-01-24T15:35:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Craft Hope announced Project 16: The Littlest Warriors. This time we'll be crafting for kids fighting cancer. Craft Hope is collecting beanie hats for babies through teens and bags for the kids to take to the hospital. You can even fill the bags with crayons, coloring or activity books and anything else the kids might like.

I couldn't wait to get started, so last night I got to work on a larger version of my Spiral Baby Beanie. I've always liked this hat and I knew it wouldn't be hard to enlarge the size. I need another day or two, but I'll be posting a free pattern for this beanie in youth to adult sizes.

For this particular hat, I picked colors that I thought would look cute on a little boy, but half the fun is making them in different colors every time. You can get creative with embellishments too. On my Crochet Patterns Page you'll find a couple free flower patterns and a little leaf. You could also buy sew-on decals for boys and girls at most craft or fabric stores. Novelty yarns can also take this beanie to the next level. Imagine a fur trim or a nice bouclé.

I like to get the kids involved in these projects too, so I'll be designing an easy sew fleece hat or something that we can do together. My boys just don't want to learn to crochet. Can you imagine that?

Mixed BFL & Then Some!

2012-01-23T16:16:00.000-08:00

Hi, I've just got one more quick note to let you know that I've been a busy little Etsy shop owner today! There are a lot of new listings including this pretty Mixed BFL in amounts from 1oz up to a pound.

There's Corn Fiber, Hemp, Mohair, all kinds of good stuff. I really need to go through my inventory more often!

White Soy Silk ~ Back in Stock

2012-01-23T10:07:00.000-08:00

I'm going through my inventory today and finding some goodies including a nice supply of White Soy Silk. Sometimes, as a business comprised of one employee "ahem" me, things can get a little hectic. This poor soy silk was just hanging out waiting to be noticed.

Now it's back in the shop and I have it separated out into 1oz, 2oz and 4oz lots so you can buy as much or as little as you need. Welcome back Soy!

Tunis from TriPlyFibers

2012-01-21T21:03:00.000-08:00

I just ordered my first ounces of Tunis. I've never tried Tunis wool before so I'm looking forward to a new experience. At the same time, I'm excited to introduce a new Etsy shop, TriPlyFibers. The owner of TriPlyFibers happened across my shop and realized that we were neighbors. He lives in the next town just east of my own. I'm grateful to Jerry for sending me a little note and the opportunity to make a new connection.

When I found out that Jerry shears sheep for local farms, I was very curious to find out what kind of sheep people are raising. I pass by quite a few small farms just driving around the valley. When I see sheep, I always crane my neck to see if they might be a breed with fine fleece. Most often, they are more primitive breeds. Cute, but not the best spinning fiber. So when Jerry told me he had some Tunis from a local farm, I was intrigued.

I did a little research and was excited to find that Tunis sheep are an ancient breed. I'm feeling a little sleepy tonight, so rather than summarize, I'm just going to pass on a link to this wonderful blog post by Sittin' n' Spinnin'. I also found this picture of a Tunis sheep in the Wiki Commons. I love how their wool has a "rose undertone" as Jerry puts it. He has a nice supply of Tunis roving in his shop right now if anyone else wants to give this pretty fiber a try.

Wool ~ The Book

2012-01-20T19:17:00.000-08:00

I think this is kind of wild, so I'm sharing it. Tonight I was having happy hour with the husband when he told me about his latest Kindle purchase. He just bought Wool by Hugh Howey. Actually, he bought the whole series.

So how did he stumble onto this? He was looking for the top science fiction listings and there it was for just 99¢ a copy! The names are great too. The first is just entitled Wool, but then there's Wool 2 - Proper Gauge. Moving on we come to Wool 3 - Casting Off and last, but not least Wool 4 - The Unraveling.

I have to confess that sci-fi is not my go-to genre. I read a little now and then, but I don't seek it out. However, it's hard not to be a little curious about this particular series. Scrolling down to the reviews on Amazon, people are giving it high praise. The only complaint I read is that it was too short and they wanted the story to last longer. I may just have to borrow my husband's Kindle!

Miniature Japanese Garden ~ Show & Tell

2012-01-19T13:12:00.000-08:00

Our Japanese garden is complete and on display in our family room. This project was so much fun. My son and I enjoyed making all of the elements and took extra joy in some of the smallest details. We studied our stones and separated them into five categories based on shape. These different shapes represent wood, metal, fire, earth and water. We were also careful with our placement as we turned our stones into a retaining wall for our river.

I'm glad I wasn't able to find a small bridge or stone lantern because it was more gratifying to make our own. We used Crayola Model Magic which is my favorite clay for school projects. It's so easy to mix the colors and it sticks to itself so you make individual shapes and fix them together. We made small round rocks and stuck them together to form a stone bridge. I used a glass tumbler to make a perfect arch. My son made the stone lantern freehand style and it turned out so cute. We even hid a little nesting bird in the moss.

I can't say enough about how much fun this was. If you are looking for a rainy day activity or just some good, crafty entertainment, look no more! We made a Japanese garden, but really you could design any little world of your choosing. Oh, one last bit. I used a 15 inch plastic tray for the base. These are sold at Home Depot to put under planters for just around five dollars. I used regular garden soil as my filler under the moss. Okay, I think that's all the details you need to get started. Anyway, thanks for letting me share. Now, what was I crocheting again?

Lapis Wrap ~ A Good Beginning

2012-01-18T15:05:00.000-08:00

I'm off to a good start on my Lapis Wrap. Of course I've already made things a little more complicated for myself by working in a different gauge. My natural stitches must be quite a bit larger than the author's, but I have decided not to change hooks or yarn.

I went back and forth on this decision. I think that if I switched to a smaller hook, my double crochets would be smaller and closer together which would help the lace stand out. I think it would probably be a little prettier than sticking with the H hook, but I chose the H hook anyway. This will create a vest that is lighter and more open. I can't help but favor breezier garments living where I do. I'm thinking I'll go ahead and make this one with the larger gauge and then maybe I'll choose a lighter weight yarn and a smaller hook and make another to the pattern specifications.

Basically, what this means is that I'll be doing more mental math as I crochet this Lapis Wrap. I'll also be depending on the schematics to help me accurately place my armholes and work the front of the piece. The pattern seems to be very well written, so I don't expect to have too much trouble. I really like the "tulip" rows or lace. They are very pretty and fun to crochet too. I feel like I'm zooming right along!

Miniature Japanese Garden

2012-01-17T16:30:00.000-08:00

It's not often that I go off topic, but every once in a while I can't help myself. This post has very little to do with fiber unless you count the dried moss in the background. It is creative however, and a fun project to do with the kids.

My son is reading about Asia in geography. A particular section on Japan discussed their beautiful gardens and even listed the elements that you find in most gardens. There's often a teahouse, a stone lantern, water, a bridge to an island or stepping stones. I started thinking that it would be fun to create our own miniature Japanese garden.

Here's my plan. I have a large planter that is about 18" in diameter. This will be the home of our garden. A visit to my local hobby store produced this unfinished wooden birdhouse. I think the shape looks a little teahouse inspired. I also found some unfinished benches and chairs. Some sparkling blue rocks will represent water and I also picked up some moss for ground cover. I bought stones too, but after doing a little reading, I see that we'll have to be careful about the stones we choose and how we place them. This Historical Japanese Gardens website will help with that and will enrich the educational part of our project. I couldn't find a small stone lantern so I picked up grey modeling clay and we'll make our own and maybe a bridge too.

I'm looking forward to spending an afternoon making a Japanese garden with my son. It will be fun to design it together and make all of the elements. Maybe we'll stain our teahouse and the garden benches. Maybe there could be a little fiber after all in the form of a felted bird's nest with some tiny eggs. Who knows? Mainly, I want to have fun with my son and learn along the way. I think a lot of kids would enjoy a project like this, so I thought I'd share the idea. I think it would be fun to do with live plants or maybe in a terrarium. There are plenty of creative possibilities!

The Lapis Wrap ~ My Next Project

2012-01-16T16:00:00.000-08:00

I'm getting ready to crochet the Lapis Wrap by Yumiko Alexander. I love the style of this vest and lately I've rediscovered the simple joy of crocheting from a pattern. Sometimes I can get caught up in designing or free forming. It's a relaxing break to just follow along.

I'm trying out a new yarn for this project. I'm using Uptown DK by Universal Yarn in the color Majestic. I don't often use acrylics these days, but this is the right weight, it's soft and the words "anti pilling" carry some appeal. The pattern suggests using Universal's Renew Wool, but I wasn't feeling the colors and 100% wool can get a bit toasty here in the Phoenix area.

My Ashford Joy ~ Follow-up Thoughts

2012-01-15T18:25:00.000-08:00

I have a couple follow-up thoughts on my post about my new Ashford Joy. I remarked before that I bought this model because I've admired how quiet and smooth it spins. Then when I put mine together only to find that the treadle legs knock into each other, I thought maybe the quiet Joys must have been single treadle.

Well, one of the members of my guild was at the multicultural festival yesterday with her joy and it was a double treadle! I watched her spin and it was as quiet and smooth as ever. I know she has had her wheel for a number of years and I noticed something different in the design of her Ashford Joy.

The picture of the Joy I have here is what I received. Notice that the left treadle leg is the foremost. On my friend's wheel, it was the other way around. I came home and searched for articles about the Joy from a few years ago and found a YouTube video of a Joy from 2006 designed like the one my friend has. Somewhere along the way, it seems that they have changed the design, but I'm not sure they have done so for the better.

I don't have any expectations for myself, but I think I'm going to write to the company and share my experience. Maybe the one I received was flawed or perhaps this change in the design is causing problems for everyone. Spinning wheels are pretty big investments, so a new wheel should be a smooth, running machine.

Spinning & Weaving at the Multicultural Festival

2012-01-14T18:29:00.000-08:00

Once a year I pack up my trunk and head down to the Chandler Multicultural Festival. I attend with my guild, the Telaraña Weavers and Spinners. This year I brought along a special guest, my son Wes. Wes does one service oriented project each month as part of his education. The festival provided a great opportunity to be out in the community, spending time with others and sharing our love of the arts, in this case fiber arts!

I should refer to Wes not as my guest, but my secret weapon. You see, I always take a bunch of wool and drop spindles to this event. I spread a blanket out on the ground and sit at kid level. I want them to know it's okay to touch and play. After all, there's no better way to pass on the joy of your craft than by teaching the next generation. When other kids saw my son sitting with a lap loom weaving, it really got their attention. I think it made them feel like it was okay to ask questions and try out the loom and spindles for themselves.

I spent a wonderful afternoon, surrounded by boys and girls and their parents. At one point I had two brothers and a sister all learning how to work drop spindles together. Whenever it was time for the kids to leave, I would unwind the yarn they had spun and give it to them as a little keepsake. So many people asked me if I teach classes. I don't have any official classes that I teach, but I gave them my card. If someone really wants to learn, I can't say no to that! There aren't many yarn shops or community centers that offer classes just for kids. It's a shame especially when you seen how interested they are.

It has been a fulfilling day of teaching and sharing. Days like this are rare treasures. Why can't every day be multicultural day?

My New Ashford Joy Spinning Wheel ~ The Good/Bad/Good News

2012-01-13T09:30:00.000-08:00

My new Ashford Joy spinning wheel arrived in the mail yesterday. That's good news right? It's exciting to get that big box on the porch and when it relates to one of your favorite activities, even better. So, after dinner last night, even though I was feeling tired, I thought I would at least open the box and check it out. It comes almost entirely assembled so I found myself putting the few finishing touches together so I could take it for a spin.

That's when I hit the bad news. I picked this wheel in particular because whenever I'm spinning with a group of people, the Joys seem so quiet and smooth. Now I realize I probably should have looked more closely. I suspect those quiet Ashford Joys were single treadles. The reason I suspect this is because my double treadle is not quiet. There seems to be a flaw in the very design. The wood pieces attached to the treadles rub against each other creating a knocking sound that gets louder with speed. I had a few minutes of disbelief. Could this really be the design? Was it assembled incorrectly. After triple checking everything, I hit my low of last night.

I hate returning things and I just refused to accept that this wheel couldn't be made to run smoothly. That's when the tinker in me came out. It's also how this story has a good news ending. Here's what I did. I changed the connecting tube on the right treadle (exhibit A). Instead of running straight into the hole like you can see on the left treadle, I rearranged it by removing the screw (exhibit B) and then brought the tube up from the bottom of the treadle. There was enough length in the tube and by reversing the direction of placement in this way, the wooden leg is held back and no longer rubs against the leg of the other treadle.

That's not all I had to do. I also discovered that the leg of the left treadle was rubbing against the right treadle. I actually got out my wood whittling tools (I guess it's strange that I happen to have wood whittling tools) and I carefully reshaped the wood in the offending spot (exhibit C). At this point you are either thinking that I'm quick and clever or just plain crazy. It did feel a bit nuts to take a knife to my brand new wheel, but if I sent it back, it would just become a problem for someone else. The good news is that it now treadles very smoothly. The only sound is the whirring of the wheel which is as it should be. I'm a little less than impressed that I had to tinker to get these results, but I'm happy to have solved the problem.

A Little Hand Crafted Nostalgia

2012-01-12T09:58:00.000-08:00

I was looking for earrings to match my outfit this morning and picked these from my collection. Then I got to thinking about when I made them. After a little mental math I realized that these earrings are about 23 years old. I made them when I was single, living in an apartment. A mattress on the floor was my bed and I waited tables to make ends meet. I had pillaged other jewelry for the beads and ear wires. I used a regular sewing needle and thread to piece them together. I remember having fun making them and though they are just simple wooden earrings, I've always enjoyed wearing them.

I guess at 23 it's safe to consider these vintage, but vintage what? Vintage me? These are me before marriage and kids, before I started crocheting again and years before Wind Rose Fiber Studio. One of the reasons I'm attached to them is that I made them long before I thought of myself as a person who makes things. It makes me wonder about my crafting friends. Do you have anything like this, that you made long ago and still wear today? What's vintage you?

Lace Weight Jute ~ It's almost gone!

2012-01-11T10:08:00.000-08:00

About 18 months ago I bought this giant cone of lace weight jute at a guild auction. Somewhere in my mind I thought that the crafting community would find uses for it. Maybe the primitive doll makers or scrapbookers would like it. On the other hand, I could wind up owning a giant spool of jute for the rest of my life. In the end, I think I bought it because there was something absurd about buying over 11 pounds of jute.

I brought it home and started selling 2.5oz, center pull balls of jute for $1.20. I figured the $1 was fair compensation for my time winding the jute into a ball and the .20 covered the listing fee. So for just over a dollar, you could have 225 yards of lace weight jute for... whatever.

To my surprise, the jute was a big hit. I found myself winding jute for people on a regular basis. Still, the cone was so big that no matter how many balls I wound, it seemed to stay the same size. Eventually, over time, my giant hunk of jute did shrink until one day this week a customer asked for $20 worth and I just sent her all I had left on the cone. All that remains of the original 11+ pounds are 3 balls of jute that I had already wound and stored with my other fibers.

It feels the the end of an era, the jute dynasty or something. Even my kids said, "Aw, the jute's gone?" Absurd! Well, even though this is a rather odd post to say the least, I wanted you to know that it's your last chance to buy 2.5oz of Lace Weight Jute for $1.20. When these last three skeins are gone, they're gone for good. Goodbye Jute!

Snowfall Studio ~ Crocheted Plushies for Children

2012-01-10T11:04:00.000-08:00

I am very excited to share a new store on Etsy called Snowfall Studio. The owner of this shop, Kristen, is a good friend. We met when our oldest sons were both toddlers. Each week our little playgroup would come together and we'd spend a couple hours trying to keep the kids happy while we also tried to have adult conversation. Of course most of these conversations ended up being about our kids.

When Kristen joined the group, I admired her right from the start. She was quiet, but I could tell that she was tuned in to everything. The rug rat chaos often made me crazy, but if it bothered Kristen, her face revealed nothing. At coffee time with my husband, I would recount the previous play date and tell him that the wise woman of the group was certainly Kristen.

Over the years we've stayed in touch even though we have both moved away from the neighborhood where we first met. Kristen is the mother of four beautiful kids. The youngest is now in school, so for the first time in 14 years, she has a little free time. She is devoting some of these precious hours to making original, crocheted designs for children.

I love her mermaids with their Waldorf inspired simplicity and their whimsical details. The one to the left is my favorite because I like the colors. I guess I have a thing for brunettes. I didn't mean to saw her in half, but I want you to be able to click on the picture and see the details for yourself. I love the shape of the mermaid's tail and Kristen's stitches are so flawless. The starfish accents are the perfect touch to bring your imagination to life as you picture this mermaid in her magical home.

Kristen also makes kitties, turtles and birds. Quality is very important to her as she knows these will become beloved toys. They are made for play and though I may be getting a little old for dolls, I'm getting ready to place an order at Snowfall Studio. I can just see my mermaid, perched on a rock by the swimming pool or maybe on the chaise with a good book!

The 2012 Ornament Project ~ January

2012-01-09T13:11:00.000-08:00

The Flower Wheel

Ch 2
Row 1: work 6 sc in second ch from hook, sl st to beg sc
Row 2: ch 3 (counts as first dc) 2 dc in same st, 3 dc in each st around, join with sl st to top of beg ch 3 - 18 dc
Row 3: *ch 5, skip st, sc in next st* 8 times
Row 4; ch 5, skip next st, sc in first unworked st from Row 3 (working in front of the loops), *ch 5, sc in next unworked st* 8 times, ch 5, sl st to first sc made in Row 4
Finishing: Pull loop on hook until it measures 2.25 inches. Cut off yarn leaving 4” for weaving. Tie the loop and the 4” piece using the beginning shoe lace tie. Weave in all loose ends.

Picture Notes:

It's a simple little shape and makes up very quickly. To me it looks like a cross between a flower and a wheel, so that's why I named it The Flower Wheel. I played around with the size by changing the stitch in row 2 to a hdc or a sc, but in the end, I liked the look of the dc best.

If you need a stitch guide or help with the abbreviations, Crochet 'N' More is a great place to find all of the basics.

January's Ornament ~ Sneak Peak

2012-01-08T14:19:00.000-08:00

I've been doing my best to get back into regular blogging this year. That's why it's killing me that I don't have a little more free time today to post the pattern for January's ornament. Instead I have a sneak peak for you. I made these last night while writing pattern notes. I played around with sizes and also made the attached ones on the left. I've always liked ornaments that drape over a tree branch. Give me another day or two and I should have the pattern posted.

I also have a teaser for the crochet fans out there. I just found out that a good friend of mine has opened a new Etsy shop. She is making the cutest crochet plushies. I can't wait to share her work with you!

That's what's coming up this week and I'm sure there will be more. My local multicultural festival is coming up, so I'll be getting ready for that too!

The 2012 Ornament Project ~ 12 Months 12 Ornaments

2012-01-07T10:45:00.000-08:00

I have a goal for myself this year. This coming Christmas, that's right, just under 12 months away, I want to decorate a tree with ornaments that are all handmade. Specifically, I want them to be crocheted and/or possibly tatted. The rules I have made for myself are as follows:

1. The yarn must be handspun by me.
2. If I choose to add color, then I have to dye the yarn or finished ornaments. (I haven't decided whether I want to add color because I think a tree all decorated in ecru would be pretty.)
3. I have to design the ornaments. They will probably be uncomplicated, just shapes that I find appealing.
4. I will share the designs each month here on my blog, so if you like something I design, you can make it too!

The next post on The 2012 Ornament Project will be labeled "January" and then each month to come will also have an ornament post.

I've already started preparations for this month. Yesterday, I spun the Merino yarn pictured above and let me say that this is the skein that finally pushed me over the edge with my spinning wheel. I've been thinking about replacing my Louet S10 DT for some time now and I keep talking myself out of it. By the time I began spinning the second singles for this two ply, I was fed up. In fact, I paused in my spinning, ordered a new wheel online, and then finished up this skein as quickly as I could. I just can't stand how noisy my Louet wheel has become and it's more than just a squeak that I could lube although there's that too. It's the bobbin sliding and knocking around the all of the superfluous movement that the wheel generates. Argh!

Sorry about that. I needed to rant. Still, I managed to spin about 115 yards of 2ply Merino. I plied this skein a little tighter that I often do and I like how it looks and the springy feel. I think it will make pretty ornaments.

To the left of the yarn is January's ornament. I've already come up with the design using the yarn I plied from my Turkish drop spindle the other day. Now I just need to write up the pattern and make an ecru version. I think the dye free yarn will be better for my post. The stitches will be easier to see and I'll take some photographs along the way.

So this is my plan. I'll be designing 12 ornaments over the next 12 months and you are welcome to come along and join in the project. The designs will be quick and easy, so they might be nice to do with the kids or a beginning crochet class. Now I just have to stay on task and make my goal!

Two Skin Tones ~ Back in Stock

2012-01-06T11:28:00.000-08:00

I'm still busy dyeing Merino to restore all of the color choices. Back in stock today are Sun Touched and Mediterranean. These are the two most popular shades from the skin tone line. Sun Touched is fair with just a hint of peach glow. Mediterranean is a soft brown with a very subtle olive undertone.

First Dye Almost Dry

2012-01-05T12:43:00.000-08:00

It's a drying party on the studio room floor as yesterday's dyed colors lay out and enjoy the sun coming through the window. They are about 90% dry after spending yesterday afternoon outside in the sun and fresh air. The weather is wonderful for dyeing in the Valley of The Sun this week, mid 70's and sunny. By tomorrow morning, this Merino top will be more than ready to ship off to new homes. As such, I've already listed them in the store. If you want to see their close-ups, click the color links: Russet, Bright Yellow, Crimson, Pink Blush, Golden Ochre and Happy Green!

The First Dye of 2012

2012-01-04T12:47:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, a customer asked me how to place an order. Thinking she was new to Etsy, I explained how ordering works. Then she wrote back to clarify. She wanted to know how to order certain colors that didn't appear in the shop. If that's not a "get back to work" push, I don't know what is!

It was my idea to try to keep 40 shades of Merino in stock, so I guess I'd better get busy. It's so easy to slack off during the holidays, but it's time to replenish the inventory at Wind Rose.

I'm dyeing 1.5 pounds of Merino broken down into 4oz lots. Each will get their own color in their turn. Up first on the stove are the reds. Russet and Crimson are on the menu today. They take a little more time, thus giving me a chance to write. Waiting in cue are four more bowls of pre-soaked wool. They will be dyed Happy Green, Pink Blush, Golden Ochre, and Bright Yellow.

Depending on how fast everybody dries, they should be in the shop by tomorrow afternoon. Up next I'll be making sure the rest of the reds and pinks are in stock since Valentine's Day is the next big holiday. It might take a week or two, but I'll get all of the colors back in stock. Then I'm determined to get some Skin Tone Samplers dyed!

Well, that's what's on the stove at Wind Rose. What's cookin' in your kitchen?

Turkish Spindle Distraction

2012-01-03T13:38:00.000-08:00

I promised myself that I would take down my Christmas decorations today. For the few of you who have visited my home during the holidays, you know that this is a pretty big job. Feeling the desire to stall, I took a detour into my studio looking for a distraction. You see, I can justify putting off chores if there is fiber involved.

That's when I thought of my Turkish drop spindle. I guess I've had spindles on my mind since spending a recent afternoon with a spindle enthusiast. I have a Turkish drop spindle that I have taken on numerous outings. I've been working on this ball of yarn, bit by bit for a long time. I decided that today, at long last, I would remove the yarn and ply it.

I originally bought this spindle because I liked the idea of being able to ply from one ball using the center pull, beginning strand and the outer ending one. The wool that I've been spinning has sentimental value as it is a carded blend of some of my earliest wool purchases. It mostly began as raw fleece and I did all of the washing, dyeing and carding. This was back in those wonderful experimental days before I really knew what I was doing. Also, I had yet to come across my favorite wools with which to work. As a result, this yarn is a funky blend of Rambouillet, Mohair and I can't remember what else. There's even a little leftover grease as my washing could have been better.

Today is the first time I've plied yarn from my Turkish drop spindle. I pulled the center end out from one of the larger side holes. At first I was thinking I would put it on a lazy kate and just go for it. Then I realized that it would probably need to roll free. I was worried about the two strands twisting together as they unraveled. Then, as I started plying, I discovered that although they did twist as the ball rolled around, this really didn't interfere with the plying process.

Typically when I ply two singles, my I hold the two strands separately in my right hand and control the twist with my left. When I plied this ball, I just held them together and fed them right in. No muss, no fuss!

In the end, I find myself with about 95 yards of medium weight yarn. Since the colors are sort of Christmas-like and the texture is more coarse, I think I may use it to make ornaments. This year I was thinking that it would be fun to decorate a small tree with nothing but crocheted or tatted decorations. Of course one needs to plan ahead for such things. I think starting in January might give me just enough time!

Hairpin Lace Project ~ A 2,000 Loop Situation!

2012-01-02T13:32:00.000-08:00

I'm back to work on my hairpin lace project and I feel like I'm in the midst of a fiber situation! Currently, I'm making the longest piece of lace for which my pattern calls, two thousand loops! I have no idea how other people handle their hairpin lace, but I feel the need to keep things organized and twist free. This is no small challenge when you are constantly rotating your work, especially as the lace gets longer and longer.

For some time now I've been in the habit of using safety pins. I have pins joining every ten loops on each side. This means I don't have to worry about the loops getting pulled out of shape and it makes for easy counting.

Keeping the lace free of twists has been manageable up until now. Even with pieces 600 to 700 loops long, it's not that hard to stop now and then and untwist the lace. With this piece however, the length is making things very tedious and my strip is only about halfway there. Finally, I got the idea to roll up the lace that I have completed so far. You can see that I have rolled it fairly close to the tool and I'm keeping the roll in place with a regular hair elastic or ponytail holder. Now when I need to untwist the lace, I'll be able to rotate the whole roll at once. As the lace continues to grow, I can just take off the elastic and roll more on. This will makes things much easier.

I'm getting close to having all of the strips ready for this Cardi Wrap. The next step will be assembling all of my pieces. I'm getting anxious to see how it will turn out!

Related Posts:
Crochet Master Class ~ The Latest Addition to My Library
Let The Hairpin Lace Project Begin!
The Hairpin Lace Project Continues...
How to Begin a Strip of Hairpin Lace ~ A Photo Tutorial
The Hairpin Lace Project ~ Part Trois
The Hairpin Lace Project ~ I found Yarn B!
The Hairpin Lace Project ~ Part IV
Hairpin Lace Project ~ My Personal Commitment

New Year's Shrug

2012-01-01T11:21:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! I'm feeling more productive than philosophical on this, the first day of 2012. Yesterday I started the Aslan Shrug pattern from the winter 2011 issue of Interweave Crochet. It's a fast moving project. By the time I put it down in the early evening, the shrug was nearly complete with the exception of the finishing rows. It took no time at all to work the armholes and end rows this morning and now I'm wearing my new shrug!

The pattern calls for a bulky yarn and a size K hook. I don't keep a lot of bulky laying around, so I just used worsted weight Merino and kept my stitches nice and relaxed. The gauge worked out fine and I was able to create the whole piece from remnant skeins. I decided to use three colors, but perhaps the pineapple theme would stand out more in a single shade. Pineapples are supposed to be lucky aren't they? Maybe this is a good way to start the new year!

Design Your Own Wool Sampler ~ Now at Wind Rose!

2011-12-30T12:26:00.000-08:00

Starting today, you can design your very own wool sampler at Wind Rose Fiber Studio. You may choose from the 15 colors of dyed Corriedale shown in the photograph. I've made listings for one ounce and two ounces, but if you need more or less, just contact me through the shop. I'm always happy to customize a listing for you. You may want to pick .25oz of four different colors or .5oz of two. It's all up to you!

I hope this will come in handy for all of your smaller felting projects!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T18:54:00.000-08:00

I couldn't let the holiday pass without wishing everyone a very merry Christmas! Whether or not you celebrate this particular occasion, I hope the season is finding you happy and healthy.

Not living close to any extended family, our little tribe of four has had a nice, quiet day. My two boys have spent the day in their pajamas as they tend to do just once a year. My husband and I have enjoyed a day of true relaxation. The house feels peaceful and I couldn't ask for more.

I tend to reflect on the year as it comes to a close. I guess we all do some of that. I always have more that I want to accomplish, but I try to take stock in what I have done over the months and to be satisfied.

I seemed to have blogged a bit less this year, but at the same time, I've had more visitors than ever coming to Wind Rose. Thank you to everyone who has stopped by and I hope you have enjoyed the patterns and the posts you have discovered here.

Next year I hope to continue to offer more designs and to improve upon the ones that I've already written. As questions and comments come in, I see the opportunity to make them even better. I just joined the Crochet Guild of America. If you happen to be a member too, my user name is jennofwindrose as in Jenn of Wind Rose. I'm hoping it will be a place to meet and mingle with other crochet enthusiasts and learn even more of my favorite craft.

Of course I'll be dyeing plenty of wool in the months to come. I've even decided to add a design your own sampler option at Wind Rose on Etsy. The felting community often has need of very small quantities and this will make it possible to buy just what is needed in a selection of colors. I'm hoping that will be a nice addition for 2012.

To all of the customers and visitors of Wind Rose Fiber Studio, thank you for a wonderful year!

Tatted Mandala

2011-12-07T13:36:00.001-08:00

A couple weeks ago I decided I to tat a mandala. I have a drawing of a mandala that I like and I could see bringing it to life in fiber. Designs always seem simple enough once they're complete, but I have to confess, I worked on this little 4.5" by 4.5" piece of fabric for a long time. This piece represents the 4th do-over with some of the rows being reworked several times. As a result, the tension is not perfect, but I reached the point where I was determined to at least complete my project.

In the center of the mandala is a circle surrounded by four arched chains. These arches represent the four gates that you see on traditional mandalas. On my final row, I have repeated the gates with the four large rings that point north, south, east and west. They line up with the four arches in the center. As a matter of fact, I decided that I would use the number four as the core of my design, so every chain and ring on the entire mandala has either four stitches or a multiple of four.

A tatting over four inches wide is actually a pretty big piece, but it's small for me because my ultimate goal is to turn this into a large wall hanging. By the time I'm done, it will probably be closer to two feet in diameter. I also plan to incorporate more than one color. That way the center will be more of a focal point and it will also help the other features stand out.

I'm not sure when it will happen, this being the busy holiday season, but I'll be back to share pictures of the finished wall hanging.

Because It Matters

2011-11-30T16:02:00.001-08:00

What matters? In this case I'm talking about The Grey Matters Foundation. This is a "nonprofit organization created to support and empower brain tumor patients and their loved ones through encouragement and personal outreach."

I met the founder, Lanette, and her husband earlier this fall at an event. I spent a few minutes talking to Lanette's husband. I was moved by how he spoke of his wife and her journey after being diagnosed with an Anaplastic Oligodendroglioma. When Lanette discovered that there was very little support out there for people with brain tumors, she became that support for others. That's a short version of the story, but that's how The Grey Matters Foundation began.

Not long after that meeting, I found The Grey Matters website and signed up to be a Brain Buddie. I love that this is a way that my kids and I can help to support others. Since it's the holiday season, I sat down with my son Wes and we made some ornaments to put in Christmas cards. Can you guess which ones I made?

I know that the crafting community is full of big hearts and everyone finds such wonderful ways to give of themselves. I like to share the little things that my family and I do because you never who you may inspire. I know that I find myself inspired daily!

Cyber Monday Sale!

2011-11-27T12:10:00.001-08:00

Cyber Monday is almost here and this year you can save 15% on everything at Wind Rose Fiber Studio! Just use the coupon code:

CYBERFIBER1

Wishing you a warm and woolly holiday season!

(December 28th from 12am to Midnight EST.)

My Son's New Room ~ The Great Boggly Tree

2011-11-21T08:31:00.001-08:00

When I moved a little over four years ago, I promised myself that I was retired from elaborate decorating. My kids were getting a little older and I had already created a construction truck room, a farm themed room in which I painted murals, Madagascar (not the movie, but the country), and the emerald forest room. I guess I was feeling a little burnt out, but when my son announced that he wanted his room to look like the inside of The Great Boggly Tree, that was just crazy enough to spark my interest. I guess my basic approach to kids' rooms is that if you are going to decorate, go for it!

If you're not familiar with The Great Boggly Tree, it's part of the video game Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door. This picture is of the outside. When you enter the tree, there are black trunks with white, arty lines on them and they're surrounded by water with bubbles floating up. It's pretty cool looking to tell you the truth.

My son's room was already painted a light blue which would represent the water well. I couldn't quite commit to freestyle painting all the trees, so I found some great decals at Dali Decals. I happily let Dali supply the trees and bubbles and this weekend I got to work. So far I have installed 8 trees surrounding three walls of my son's room. The fourth wall has a large window with shelves lining either side and his drawing desk in the middle, so we left that wall alone. Just doing the three walls has had a dramatic affect on the space.

Today I'll start adding leaves to the trees. The final step will be to have bubbles rising in the background between the trees. We also bought a little green, shag, area rug to represent the grassy floor. The best part is seeing his face light up when he enters his own space. I don't think he expected me to say yes when he asked for this particular room design. It's fun to keep surprising your kids!

Does Your Santa Need A Beard?

2011-11-17T09:21:00.000-08:00

The Christmas craft season is underway and with it the hunt for pure white fiber. It comes in handy for all sorts of projects from Santa's beard to snow dusted pine branches. Many customers ask me for white wool, but the truth is, unless bleached, wool in it's natural state is more of an ecru. If you want seriously white fiber, Snow Mountain is a nice product for crafting.

Snow Mountain is a nylon that is prepared into a top like wool. It's soft and has a nice staple length of approximately 4 inches. It's easy to spin and though it will not wet felt, it needle felts with ease. The fibers can also be teased apart to create a snow covered landscape. It's a very handy craft fiber to have around and right now I have it listed in 1oz, 2oz and 3oz sizes.

If you like the idea of Snow Mountain, but you also like a little sparkle, there's a new fiber on the block. It's called StarBright. StarBright is a high luster tri-lobal nylon product that has more luster than Snow Mountain. StarBright is a 3 Denier nylon. If we transfer Deniers to Microns, that would make StarBright a 19 micron nylon, so it's a very soft fiber. The staple length is approximately 3 inches. It's a nice way to add a subtle sparkle to your crafts.

If you feel that there is no such thing as too much sparkle, then Firestar is the fiber for you. Firestar is also a nylon and when it comes to sparkle, it's one of the best! It has about a 4" staple length and it too will needle felt just like StarBright and Snow Mountain.

If you're reading this and thinking to yourself that all this is well and good, but you really just prefer natural wool. I hear you and I'd like to recommend Falkland top. It's natural color is quite light and it has a very long staple length. It averages around 5" so you could give Santa a nice long beard. Sometimes using natural wool gives your crafts a more homey or vintage feel. Whatever fiber you choose, have a wonderful, crafty time!

Firestar Holiday Samplers!

2011-11-15T09:44:00.000-08:00

I guess I can't fight it anymore. Thanksgiving is just a couple weeks away which means Christmas is right around the corner. The requests for Firestar in holiday colors have been rolling in, so here we go!

Today I just added Firestar Holiday Samplers to the shop at Wind Rose. They include 1/4oz each of Merry Green, Yellow Gold, Silver and Holiday Red. As you know, a little Firestar goes a long way, so this should be enough to add sparkle to your needle felted holiday crafts. Of course you can also blend it with other fibers and spin it up for pretty, luminous yarns.

If you're a big fan of Firestar and 1/4oz just isn't enough. You can also find these four colors sold by the ounce in my Firestar & Craft Supplies Section.

Happy Holidays!

Reversible Scarf ~ Double Ended Crochet

2011-11-14T09:50:00.000-08:00

Hi. I hope everyone's week is getting off to a good start. I just thought I'd take a moment to show you how my reversible scarf is coming along. This is the first real project I've done with a double ended crochet hook. Up until now, I've just made swatches to play around with different stitch patterns.

The scarf I'm making is one of my own patterns. It's basically a long, skinny triangle which I call The City Scarf because I saw people wearing scarves like this all over the cities of Europe. It's worn with the widest point front and center and then the ends are wrapped around the neck and brought back to the front. Wait, let me go grab a picture...

Okay, here we go. In this photo, the ends are tied in front, but you get the general idea. I fell in love with this style and so when I returned home, I designed a scarf of my own.

In this reversible version I'm working on, I'm keeping things simple, literally. I'm using the Tunisian simple stitch or Tss throughout. I guess this isn't very adventurous of me, but I didn't want to get tripped up at the points of increase and decrease. This is my first effort after all. I'll mix things up a bit more on the next project.

I have a couple of close-ups so you can see both sides:

I'm using two sock weight yarns for this scarf. One is Bamboo & Ewe made by Sensations. That one is solid grey. The other yarn is Poems Socks made by Wisdom Yarns. It's a self striping yarn and the colorway is called Aurora Borealis. I think I was as drawn by the name as I was by the colors. Interestingly enough, both of these yarns were manufactured in Turkey. I guess they've come a long way to be a part of my little project!

Stars & Squares ~ Interlocking Crochet

2011-11-09T08:09:00.001-08:00

You know how when something comes on your radar, that wasn't there before, you start to notice it everywhere? Well, I've been thinking about reversible crochet, so now it seems to be popping up before my eyes. In the middle of making a double ended crochet scarf, I stumbled upon a book, Interlocking Crochet by Tanis Galik. I already had an interlock project on my bucket list, so when I found this book, I was compelled to put down my scarf and explore.

The author, Tanis Galik, has made this style of crochet her sole focus. As a result, she has compiled some 80 unique stitch patterns or 40 different reversible fabrics. That's impressive! She's also an excellent writer and covers the basics of interlocking crochet in clear in very easy to understand language. Illustrations are included for those of us who like our visual aids.

Anxious to get started, I grabbed some cotton in Christmas colors thinking I'd make a pot holder or washcloth as a first project. In other words, just a nice square swatch.

I think the best way to describe the process of this interlocking pattern, is that you are making two squares of filet crochet and weaving them together as you go. The red yarn is always worked into the red and the green into the green. The designs are formed by alternating whether you work in the front or back of the other color.

It's fun to watch the pattern emerge as you crochet from row to row. The book, in addition to being a stitch guide, has a variety of nice projects to try. If you enjoy crochet, you might want to add Interlocking Crochet to your holiday wish list.

Double Ended Crochet

2011-11-04T13:36:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I spent a little time exploring double ended crochet or crocheting with a double ended hook. The easiest way to describe this form of crochet is that it's basically Tunisian crochet working with two yarns. You pick up a row of stitches, then slide your work to the other end of the double ended crochet hook. Then you give your hook a 180º turn and work the stitches off with a second color. Sticking with color number 2, you pick up the next row of stitches then turn your hook again and switch back to the first color.

I realize that this doesn't make much sense if you are unfamiliar with Tunisian crochet. In fact, the knitters out there may be nodding in understanding more than many crochet enthusiasts. Actually, Tunisian and double ended crochet are very similar to knitting in that you first pick up stitches and then work them off again. The fabric created is very much like knitted fabric only it's just one hook doing all the work.

The fun thing about double ended crochet is that you can make things that are reversible. One side will have one look and the flip side another, but there is no wrong side. This can make designing pretty interesting and fun. I crocheted a little example. The two swatches in the picture are actually the same piece of fabric. It's just been photographed from both sides. On one side, the blue seems to dominate and on the other, the burgundy is highlighted. Both sides have a textured, two-toned appearance making for an eye-catching look.

If you are interested in learning more about double ended crochet, Crochet Master Class has a nice tutorial. There are also quite a few patterns available. Try working with multicolored yarn or textured yarn for really fun results. Right now, I'm making a reversible version of my City Scarf with a solid color on one side and a variegated color on the other. I can't wait to see how it turns out!

Ecru Bouclé Mohair Yarn

2011-11-02T16:52:00.000-07:00

I love bouclé yarns. They add just the perfect touch of texture and they're so soft. That's why I'm adding Ecru Bouclé Mohair Yarn to my inventory at Wind Rose. I'm putting it up in 250 yard hanks that are loosely bound and ready for dyeing or painting.

Meet Hugo the Sock Monkey

2011-10-30T11:04:00.000-07:00

Today I'm very proud to introduce Hugo! Hugo is the first sock monkey I've ever made. I made him out of a pair of Hugo Boss socks so that's how he got his name.

Typically, I don't spend much time with my sewing machine, but I'm always on the lookout for a service project that I can do with my kids. Craft Hope is one of my favorite groups. If you're someone who loves to craft and to help others, than Craft Hope provides opportunities to do just that.

Project 15: Sock Monkeys for Texas is the inspiration for Hugo. Craft hope is collecting handmade sock monkeys for the victims of the Texas wildfires. I asked my son to imagine losing all of his toys. This is a stirring idea for kids and one that naturally sparks empathy. My son was ready to help in an instant.

I'll be honest. I'm not all that confident in my sewing abilities, so I bought a sock monkey kit. Even with the kit in hand, I also purchased a pair of socks on which to practice. I had no idea how my first sock monkey would turn out. The instructions that came with the kit seemed good and made sense to me, but I always like a little visual courage. I found a Rockin' Sock Monkey Tutorial that provided just that.

Hugo turned out pretty cute and I'm ready to make him a bunch of friends. I'll do the sewing and my son can turn the pieces right side out and stuff them. Together we can help put some smiles on the faces of kids who lost nearly everything this year. That's a great feeling!

Cinnamon Merino

2011-10-27T08:44:00.001-07:00

There's a brand new color at Wind Rose Fiber Studio and that color is Cinnamon! It's a really beautiful brown with russet undertones. When I was deciding on a name, cinnamon spice came to mind. I think it will look very pretty blended with all of the colors of autumn.

Great Skeins ~ Handpainted Sock Yarns ~ They're New!

2011-10-26T10:22:00.000-07:00

I'm adding handpainted sock yarns to my inventory at Wind Rose and these are the first two! Crimson Wine has two shades of crimson red contrasted by a deep burgundy. Turquoise & Spruce ranges from a deep spruce to a light turquoise with shades of pewter grey.

All the yarn details are on their listings, but I wanted to explain why I'm calling them "Great Skeins". I gave them this name because of their yardage. Each skein comes with a bountiful 500 yards which is enough for a lot of sock patterns not to mention all sorts of projects.

To you, my blog readers, I'll share my inspiration. It's rather self serving. You see, maybe about a year ago, I got the idea in my head to spin a bunch of yarn and dye it so I would always have whatever I needed at my fingertips. Months later, it has become painfully clear that I just don't have enough free time to do all of that spinning. Well, I figure the next best thing is to at least paint my own yarn. I use fingering or sock weight yarn all of the time so I decided that it would be a good place to start.

So why am I selling my stash? I guess just because I enjoy making things and selling them. I also figure that there is no reason for pretty skeins of yarn to have to wait until I get around to using them. If someone buys one of my favorites, I'll just paint some more. I guess it's first come, first serve!

Alpaca/Cultivated Silk Top

2011-10-20T11:03:00.000-07:00

This pretty fiber is 80% Black Alpaca and 20% Cultivated Silk. I've actually carried this fiber for quite some time at Wind Rose, but I wanted to showcase it again today. It's now being processed to show off the colors better than before. This product used to be a soft grey, but now the silk and Alpaca are a little less blended giving this combed top a gorgeous salt and pepper look. It is luxuriously soft and now incredibly striking too!

Basket Weave Tunisian Crochet ~ Market Bag Project Finished!

2011-10-17T12:20:00.000-07:00

It's always fun to say "I finished it!" My life has been so busy lately that I'm feeling an extra sense of accomplishment whenever I manage to complete anything. I'm sure you can relate to that feeling!

This project went very smoothly and fast too for the size of the market bag. It measures approximately 14 x 19 inches. I really like the strap design because they are so comfortable. They were made by (Tks) crocheting long rectangles and then whip stitching them together lengthwise. It makes them very strong, thick and well cushioned. I can see using this kind of strap for other projects in the future.

In my previous post about this project, I offer the source of the pattern and the yarn details in case you're interested. It was definitely fun to make and its the kind of thing that would make a nice gift. We all use market bags for one thing or another. Right now I'm probably going to use mine to hold my other Tunisian crochet project until I manage to finish it. I think I may be on a roll!

Apple

2011-10-06T08:40:00.000-07:00

Yesterday afternoon I sat down at my Mac for a quick check of facebook. I follow TED and that's how I learned that Steve Jobs had passed away. My husband and I spent much of our morning coffee time talking about the impact of Steve Jobs on our lives. As long as we have been a couple, Apple Macintosh has been in our home and part of our everyday existence.

I sat down at my first Apple computer in 1995. My husband was ahead of me by a few years and laughed at my newcomer notions and frustrations about computing. In spite of those moments, I still remember being awestruck the first time I chatted about the weather with a stranger from India. It wasn't long before I found the hours zooming by as I explored the world from my desktop. It's been 16 years and there are still moments when I get the chills. What an amazing time to be alive and Apple, in so many ways, has been my tour guide.

With Happy Mac holding my hand all the way, I have gone from wide eyed newcomer, to one of the geekiest women I know. I have two online stores, three blogs, a website, a YouTube channel and of course accounts on gmail, facebook and twitter. I do all of my accounting with Numbers and write all of my patterns on Pages. I keep track of my images on iPhoto and edit my videos with iMovie. Whenever I'm not working at my computer, iTunes keeps me company while I sit and work on my own creations. On the one hand, I'm old fashioned enough to sit at a spinning wheel and spin my own yarn, and on the other hand, I can't imagine life without an Apple in my house.

The profound contribution of Steve Jobs is something to be remembered, celebrated and honored. There was a suggestion that a great way to do this would be to go out and create something. I like that. What if we all focused our energy on creating something new and wonderful? What if our creation added beauty to the world or solved one of life's puzzles? What if it helped everyone to envision the world in a whole new way? What if?

Introducing StarBright!

2011-09-30T15:50:00.000-07:00

It's always fun to welcome a new product to Wind Rose Fiber Studio and I'm especially excited about StarBright! StarBright is a blending nylon. More specifically, it's a high luster tri-lobal nylon that, although it doesn't have the luster level of Firestar, has far more luster than Snow Mountain. StarBright's softness is equal to a 19 micron wool which puts it in the superfine realm. It also has a great staple length of approximately 3 inches. I think you're going to enjoy this wonderful new addition to the blending nylon family!

More Tatted Wall Art

2011-09-28T15:44:00.001-07:00

I finished this piece of chunky tatted wall art a few minutes ago. I couldn't wait to take a picture and share it with you. I'm proud of this one because I designed it on the spot. I took out a piece of paper and doodled until I had a shape I liked, then I jumped right into the tatting. I took my best guesses as far as the size of the rings and chains. My fear was that my outer chains would be too short and that the whole piece would curl like a bowl. If I made them too long, well, that wouldn't look good either. Everything turned out great and I couldn't be more pleased!

It's a pretty big medallion. The diameter measures a little over 12 inches. I'm thinking about doing something similar to use as Christmas wreaths for my front door this year. I may dress those up with some flowers and I found this free pattern for crocheted pine cones. How cute would that be?

As for this medallion, it's going to be the centerpiece in a montage of green tatted shapes. I have three others made:

These are all about the same size at right around 9 inches across. I'm planning on making one more smaller shape so I'll have a group of five. Hopefully I can arrange them in an interesting way. It's all part of my master plan to turn the home of Wind Rose Fiber Studio (me) into a fiber filled fantasy land!

Chunky Tatted Wall Art

2011-09-24T15:28:00.001-07:00

Hello blog world! How have you been? People are always saying "What a crazy week I had", but honestly, my past week has had elements of true crazy. That, along with the fact that my other half was away on work travel, kept me very distracted.

As a result, I have little to show for myself in the way of creative accomplishments. My only offering is this piece of chunky tatted wall art I made yesterday afternoon. It was my way of celebrating Friday and the end of a rather maddening seven days.

I love the idea of fiber wall art, but I've only just begun to play around with it. This is a rather simple design. I like the contemporary feel of it and it's just the sort of piece I needed for my chosen wall space. In case you were wondering, my wall is not this pinkish red color, but more of an earthy yellow. I just needed a background that didn't wash out the colors and red seemed to do the trick.

In tatting, you can create very elaborate designs. When placed vertically, they make me think of scrolled metal art only much softer. The challenge using yarn is both making the tools to tat on this scale, and also creating a piece that will hold its shape. In making this leaf design, I was experimenting with the ability of the yarn to hold a more elongated shape. Though this picture was taken with the piece laying down flat, it does maintain this shape hanging on the wall.

I'm looking forward to making more tatted wall art. I have designs dancing around in my brain. It will be fun to set them free!

Hairpin Lace Project ~ My Personal Commitment

2011-09-16T09:38:00.000-07:00

Here it is, in all its glory, my hairpin lace project! A couple nights ago, I went to my monthly guild meeting and this year they're introducing a challenge. The wise women of the guild have called upon our group to complete a project that has maybe been sitting around for a while. It could also be trying out something new that you've always wanted to do.

The idea is that we commit to completing our personal challenge by March 14th, 2012. At that point, all of our creations will be professionally photographed and made into a calendar. Of course we will then buy the calendar to help support our guild and all of the good things it does. We'll get the added kick of having our project featured on it pages. That is, if we finish our project.

I didn't have to think very long to come up with my own personal commitment. My hairpin lace project is both new, as I have never made a hairpin lace piece before, and sitting around. It spends most of its days in this basket. Nice basket, huh?

I started what will eventually become a colorful, hairpin lace sweater back in... gee let me check.... gosh, was it really January 9th? This is worse than I thought! This personal commitment is exactly the push I need to get back to work. March 14th. That gives me 181 days to finish my project. I think I can. I think I can.

Wind Rose Fiber Studio is Getting Social

2011-09-15T15:01:00.000-07:00

Well, I did it. I made a Facebook page for Wind Rose Fiber Studio. You can now openly like me.

There's something so silly about Facebook and yet I can't help but be grateful that it exists. All of my family and most of my friends live in other parts of the country. Without a vehicle like Facebook, I know I would lose touch with some very special people.

I went back and forth on whether or not to create a page for Wind Rose. I even made one about a year ago and then deleted it. Since then, the page design seems to have improved, so I'm going for it.

I hope you will enjoy the convenience of being able to see updates on your regular visits to Facebook. It will be fun to have conversations with you and share our thoughts on all things fiber!

Yarn Just Keeps Getting Better!

2011-09-14T12:09:00.001-07:00

It was the turn of this century when I began my own crafting business and became a real customer of commercial yarn. I had yet to begin spinning my own, but I was designing my own products and selling at craft shows. After a few years, I felt like I had sampled every yarn on the market. This can't really be true, but I bet I came close!

After a few years, my world turned to spinning and dyeing. I went from yarn snob to serious yarn snob. At one point I even decided to eliminate commercial yarn altogether. Then, a couple of years ago, my focus began to shift again. While my business had become a dyeing enterprise and still is, I began to focus more on design and pattern writing.

When I create a new pattern, I usually end up making several run-throughs of the design before I'm happy with my finished product. I found myself turning back to commercial yarn because it saved time and I could work up my first prototypes with inexpensive fiber. I also decided that I wanted to make my models out of yarn that was affordable and readily accessible to everyone. This meant going back to the big chain stores. I was pleasantly surprised with what I found. Commercial yarn just keeps getting better doesn't it?

So I opened my heart back up to commercial yarn and began to visit my old haunts. They are probably your haunts too, like Webs and Yarn Market. Not only has the variety of natural fiber yarns expanded, but the acrylics too. Once more, the acrylics are becoming more sophisticated and softer than ever and don't even get me started on the blends. There are so many wonderful blends! Here are some of my recent purchases.

The thick and thin on the left is by Universal Yarn. It's called Bamboo Bloom Handpaints in a colorway called Koi Pond. It's 48% Rayon from bamboo, 44% wool and 8% acrylic. It comes in nice 3.5oz, 154 yard skeins. I was looking for a variegated worsted weight to make up my Regensburg Scarf, and I think this is going to be very pretty.

On the far right is a sock yarn by Wisdom Yarns called Poems Socks in the color Aurora Borealis. I'm so happy that sock yarn has become as popular as it is because I love this weight for so many projects. The beefy skeins are nice too. This one comes with 459 yards which is plenty for me to make my City Scarf. I'm working on Christmas projects and these colors are just perfect for someone on my list!

Now I have no idea what I'm going to do with the crazy acrylic in the center. I first saw this Triana yarn by Katia when I was in Germany earlier this year. Sadly for me, the woman ahead of me got the very last skein in the little shop in Uberlingen, but the store owner showed me a scarf that had been knitted from this novelty fiber. I should have guessed that this style of yarn would become all the rage as it seems to be popping up everywhere. Even Patons is launching their own version tomorrow called Pirouette which is selling out practically before it hits the stores. There are YouTube videos demonstrating how to work with this style of yarn. So far all I've seen are a bunch of ruffly scarves. I'm sure over time, the creative community will come up with some cool designs for this new, funky yarn. I hope I do too!

Three New Drop Spindle Kits!

2011-09-12T12:29:00.001-07:00

I just stocked Wind Rose Fiber Studio up with three new drop spindle kits. If you know someone who wants to learn to spin, this is a great gift to get them started. The kit comes with complete directions, a drop spindle and leader cord and an ounce of natural Bluefaced Leicester Top. Then to make things fun, I add a couple ounces of hand dyed, carded and pulled roving. I like to introduce newcomers to the joy of spinning with very pretty fiber!

If you see one you like, just click the picture and it will take you to the listing. :D

Tunisian Crochet with a Basket Weave Design

2011-09-11T15:49:00.000-07:00

The last thing I need is another project, but every time I finish one, I start two more. I blame the yarn! You see, I ordered yarn for a project and then kind of forgot about it. Well, this week the yarn came in and it's been staring at me, beckoning. What kind of woman would I be if I ignored this poor, innocent yarn?

This is how I ended up starting a new Tunisian crochet project even though I have a long way to go on my current one. There are a million tote bag patterns, but I wanted to make this particular one because of the basket weave design. I've never done this with Tunisian crochet before, so I wanted to check it out. The basket weave is subtle, but I hope you can see it in the picture here.

I'm enjoying this project more than I imagined I would to tell you the truth. It's moving along very quickly which is always a plus for those of us with attention issues. Creating the basket weave adds just enough detail to keep it interesting and the yarn is pretty cool too. I think it's perfect for a market bag like this one. The color is Grass and it's made by Plymouth Yarn. It's 65% cotton and 35% hemp. If I had to guess, I'd say they dyed the cotton green and then carded it with natural hemp. The result is a sort of distressed look like worn denim only in green. It feels just how you expect a market bag to feel and I think it will be strong as well.

In case you're interested, this is one of 13 patterns that can be found in Get Hooked on Tunisian Crochet by Sheryl Thies. This book has a nice variety from sweaters and scarves to pillows and place mats. It's a fun way to hone those Tunisian crochet skills.

Needle Tatted Scarf Necklace

2011-09-06T16:41:00.001-07:00

I devoted a good part of this past holiday weekend to completing my tatted scarf necklace. This is a design that I first started talking about back in May. At that time it was a mere pencil sketch and I had begun to make flowers and leaves in all different colors.

Then last week I took my first shot at a prototype. I wasn't happy enough with the outcome to post about it. Now I feel like I'm beginning to do my idea some justice.

This version in black and silver is making me happy. You can't really tell by this picture, but I designed the necklace so that there are three chains in the center, so that even when you only wrap it around your neck once, you look like you are wearing a layered necklace. I have the scarf wrapped around the mannequin's neck several times for the purpose of the photograph. I wanted to be able to show the tasseled ends with the flowers. This is actually a pretty cute way to wear it.

I wore it to my crochet class today to get feedback from the group. At the time I was wearing it wrapped around my neck just once. The piece is long so that with just one wrap, the ends come down almost to the waist. The sweet ladies in my class gave me some lovely, positive feedback. I did however, as the day went on, begin to feel like I had made the scarf too long. I wrapped it around my neck one more time bringing the ends more to chest level and liked that look much better. I think my future tatted scarf necklaces will be made a little shorter than this one.

The last time I talked about this project, I was wondering what I should call it. On a whim, I searched for "scarflaces" on Etsy. Wouldn't you know there were quite a few, but it seems like the most popular way to refer to this sort of accessory is as a scarf necklace, so that's where I've landed. Now that I have a design I like, it's time to play with different colors!

The Fleece & Fiber Sourcebook ~ Love It!

2011-09-05T13:23:00.001-07:00

Over the last couple years, my family has developed a ritual. When we get to the point where we need a nice night out, we head over to Brio's for an Italian dinner. Brio's, besides being a tasty treat, has the added attraction of being just down the sidewalk from a Barnes & Noble. In essence, once every six to eight weeks, we spend too much on dinner and then walk down the street and spend too much on books. It's a lot of fun!

When we hit the bookstore, tummies full, we fan out in four directions. The men head upstairs for Sci-Fi, the children's section and general fiction while I head to the back corner downstairs where they hide the craft books. The first thing I always look for is a book on tatting. I never find anything, but I figure someday, someone's just got to publish and excellent book full of innovative tatting projects. Then I pass a little time looking through the different crochet motif collections. I might pick up a volume on scrapbooking or jewelry making and lament that I don't have more hours to deeply explore all of the things I love.

On this particular visit, I was heading out of the craft corner empty handed when something caught my eye. If I were a shorter woman, I might have missed it altogether, for up on the highest shelf sat The Fleece & Fiber Sourcebook. Of course I stopped dead in my tracks and grabbed the one and only copy like securing the last new release at the video store, back when we all went to video stores. My inner voice told me I should wait and see if they have it for less on Amazon, but I just couldn't put it down. Brio's and Barnes & Noble night is a dangerous thing.

Just as the slip cover indicates, the Fleece & Fiber Sourcebook details over 200 fiber producing animals and is full of amazing photographs both of the animals and of their fiber in various stages of preparation. To give you some idea of the depth that the authors, Deborah Robson and Carol Ekarius, went into, the book has a six page bibliography. The body of the publication includes four hundred and nineteen pages covering everything from Alpaca to Zwartbles. There are maps showing the regions or points of origin for each species. It's the most comprehensive encyclopedia of fleece and fiber that I've ever come across. It's gorgeous!

I can't wait to seriously explore my new favorite book. I get a lot of questions at Wind Rose Fiber Studio and with this on my bookshelf, I feel prepared for even the most obscure inquiry. Ask me anything, fiber lovers, I'm ready!

Tunisian Crochet & Tatting ~ Two Projects in the Works!

2011-09-01T15:44:00.001-07:00

Truth be told, I have about 10 projects in the works right now, but two are occupying the front burners this week. Today I finished making the main length of my needle tatted chain. It's hard to tell from the photo, but this chain is about four feet of split rings. In the middle portion of the chain I've alternated between large and small rings.

As soon as I'm done with this post, I'm heading off to work on the finishing details. At each end of the chain, I'll be joining three shorter chains to form a sort of tasseled end. Flowers will be joined as I tat the tassels to add a decorative element to this piece.

I'm not sure what to call it because I'm designing it to be worn like a scarf. The idea is to wrap it around your neck and have both ends facing front. It's 100% cotton, lightweight and meant to be more ornamental like a necklace. It's a ... scarflace. No, that doesn't work! I'll figure that part out later. When it's finished, I'll come back and show you how it turns out.

The other project that I've been devoting time to is my Tunisian Crochet Project. It's coming right along. I'm on my second skein of sock weight yarn. It' looks like I'll get about 10 inches of length from each skein so I'll need about 5 1/2 to get to the goal length of 56 inches. Then it will be joined together like a Möbius strip and worn as a casual shawl.

This will probably take some time to complete just because of the size of the project. On the one hand, it's a little tedious, but on the other, it's nice to have something about which you don't have to think very hard. This is exactly the kind of crochet where you can watch TV or maintain a conversation and not lose your way. It's for when you're in the mood to crochet, but you don't want to strain your brain; a good end of the day project!

The Regensburg Scarf ~ Now on Sale!

2011-08-29T15:48:00.000-07:00

This summer I spent a fair amount of time designing the Regensburg Scarf Pattern. In doing so, I became obsessed with making them. I wanted to have the scarf made up in different colors and yarns to photograph for the pattern. Now that the pattern is complete, I have listed the scarves at Wind Rose Fiber Studio. If you happen to be more of the shopping type than the crocheting type, you're all set! Just click on the pictures to see their listings.

Falkland & BFL ~ By the Pound!

2011-08-26T11:06:00.000-07:00

I'm making some changes around Wind Rose Fiber Studio this week. Every so often I like to add new products and mix things up a bit. It keeps life interesting!

Beginning this week, Bluefaced Leicester Wool Top and Falkland Wool Top are now available by the pound. I'm starting off with a limited quantity, but if it catches on, I'll make it a staple.

If these wools are among your favorites to work with, you can now buy 16oz or more at a time!

New Wool Additions ~ Mixed BFL & Polwarth

2011-08-25T11:36:00.000-07:00

There are two newcomers to Wind Rose Fiber Studio, Mixed Bluefaced Leicester (BFL) and Polwarth Wool Top. The Mixed BFL is gorgeous! It's all of the natural shades of the breed combed together. It's mixed just enough to be nicely blended, but all of those colors come through in a pretty swirl. I can't wait to spin some of this myself!

The pretty, snowy wool on the right is Polwarth. I've been reading about the gaining popularity of this breed and so I decided it was time to check it out. I was pleasantly surprised when I handled it for the first time. It's nice and soft. It reminds me a little of Falkland, but it's more closely related to Merino. In fact, it's 75% Merino and 25% Lincoln. This breed was developed in Australia in the 1890's and I have a feeling it's here to stay!

I have a limited quantity of each. If they turn out to be a shop favorites, I'll add them to my regular inventory. Right now they are listed in three quanitites each:

Mixed BFL: 1oz, 2oz, 4oz
Polwarth: 1oz, 2oz, 4oz

My Tunisian Crochet Project

2011-08-24T08:44:00.000-07:00

On August 19th, I shared the beginning of my Tunisian crochet project. Since then, I have changed yarns twice. This picture is of the second yarn choice. This yarn is a little heavier than the sock weight suggested by the pattern and I was also using a larger hook. I like the look of this, because you can really see the pattern in this yarn. I guess I'm being fickle with this project though, because I have changed back to a sock weight.As much as I like this yarn, I think that the finished piece would be too warm for where I live (the outskirts of Phoenix) and it would also be kind of pricey. This is Boboli yarn by Berroco in color 5305 which runs about $15 a hank. I'm guessing this project would take at least 6 hanks. Ouch!

My new, and I hope final yarn choice is Serenity Sock Weight in navy. I picked this up at Joann's yesterday and while it sort of freaks me out that there is a picture of Deborah Norville on the package (I try to avoid "collections"), I like the color. For a navy, it has a lot of grey in it and I think it will look nice with black, white and blue which are kind of wardrobe staples. Plus, it's $4 a pop, so even if I still need about six skeins, it's a nicer price. I should also mention that fiber content is pretty important to me and sock yarns are usually better that way than most craft store yarns. This one is 50% superwash merino, 25% bamboo and 25% nylon. It feels good, I think it will have a nice drape and it will be easy care.

So I'm starting over for the third time. This is no way to get a project done! On the other hand, now that I've had all of this practice, the pattern has become second nature. I've avoided telling the name of this pattern because I find it kind of embarrassing. Okay, here goes. The project I'm making is called "Mystifying Embrace". For some reason this name bothers me like an overly syrupy love song or something. Couldn't they have called it... um... well, anything else? I shouldn't talk. I'm sure I've come up with some goofy names for my stuff too and it's a very pretty Möbius ring wrap. Hey, there's a good name. How about Pretty Möbius Ring Wrap?

Where can you find this "Mystifying Embrace"? It's part of Get Hooked on Tunisian Crochet and it's on the cover too. See? Very pretty. Hopefully, next time I chat about this project, I'll be much farther along!

Teaching Crochet ~ Flowers & Leaves

2011-08-23T15:52:00.001-07:00

I'm back to share this week's adventures in teaching crochet. My crochet class meets on Tuesday mornings, so I am writing this after the fact. Of course blog posts are sort of frozen in time, so I guess it doesn't matter all that much whether I talk about the class before or after it happens. I just like the idea of bringing you along for the ride.

I always tell my kids to have their assignments done at least 24 hours early so they have time to tweak them or possibly to remember any details they may have missed. Do I take my own advice? No, I'm afraid not. When did I prepare for my Tuesday crochet class? Monday! So rather than leisurely getting things together, I celebrate mad Monday where I run around like a crazy woman, shopping for supplies, working through patterns, filming tutorials and writing up designs. As a matter of fact, as I came out of Joann's with two bags full of yarn and other various supplies, I had the strongest sense of deja vu. I wondered to myself if this feeling would become a weekly occurrence.

So let's talk about the actual lesson plan. Last week my fellow teacher and I introduced crocheted flowers to the class. They were such a big hit that it was decided that we would focus on flowers as a theme for the time being. Our first project was the Deco Rose whose pattern I now have listed here at Wind Rose. The Deco Rose was a very good starting pattern. This week we tackled a Zinnia Flower.

Years ago I found a Zinnia pattern on Crochet Pattern Central that I really liked. When I went back to find it, I had no luck. If it's still there, it's hiding from me. I remembered the basic premise, so I just wrote my own pattern. I knew that the Zinnia Flower Pattern would be more of a challenge for our students, so I made a video tutorial for it as well. Actually, since I was filming anyway, I made videos for the Deco Rose, Zinnia and also a Veined Leaf. I think the video tutorials really help. The class can watch the project from beginning to end and then feel more confident as they follow the directions and make the pattern themselves.

In preparation for teaching class, I also worked through a traditional rose pattern that one of the students saw in my book Crochet Bouquet. I wanted to be ready to help her through the pattern if she wanted to give it a try. In a nutshell, I wrote up patterns for the Deco Rose, the Zinnia and the Veined Leaf. I made samples of each including the traditional Rose, and I filmed and edited three video tutorials. That was a lot to do in one day!

On the upside, I shouldn't have as much to do for next week. I'll probably add one more flower to the collection and write up a couple more patterns, but whether I'm preparing like crazy or not, it's all worth it. The class had a great time today visiting and crocheting. Flowers were made and newer members were inspired to learn. I thoroughly enjoy the time I spend this this great group of people. Also, from one crocheter to another, I like passing on my lesson plans. I hope you enjoy the patterns and if you happen to teach a class of your own, maybe your class will have fun with these flowers too. Until next time...

Veined Leaf ~ Free Crochet Pattern

2011-08-23T14:58:00.001-07:00

Here's a simple pattern for creating a pretty Veined Leaf. You can also follow along with a complete YouTube tutorial. That video can be found here: How to Crochet a Veined Leaf

Veined Leaf Pattern

chain 10 leaving 8” beg tail
Side 1: working in back loops of beginning chain, 3 dc in fourth st from hook, dc in next 3 sts, hdc in next st, sc in next st, sl st in last st, ch 1, sl st in ch just made (leaf point made)
Side 2: working down the other side of the beginning chain in the front loops, sl st in next st, sc in next st, hdc in next st, dc in next 3 sts, work 3 dc in next st, join with sl st to top of beg ch 3

Stem: chain 4, sl st in second st from hook and in next two sts. sl st to next dc, finish off weaving in all loose ends

Deco Rose ~ Free Crochet Pattern

2011-08-23T14:53:00.001-07:00

I posted the pattern for this flower just recently, but I'm sharing it again because now you can also follow along with a complete YouTube tutorial. You can find the video by clicking this link: How to Crochet a Deco Rose

Deco Rose Pattern

chain 21 leaving 12” beg tail
Row 1: work 2 sc in second st from hook and in each stitch across, ch 3 turn (40 sc)
Row 2: dc in 1st st, work 2 dc in each st across (80 dc incl. beg ch 3)
cut off pulling yarn through final st to create a knot. Leave 12” ending tail

Curl flower into the desired shape. Thread large eye needle with one tail end. Use this yarn to weave in and out of the end rows in the center of the flower back. Leave yarn off to one side

Thread the remaining tail end. Repeat sewing above to secure the shape of the flower. Leave yarn off the the opposite side of the first tail end. Use ends to affix flower to pin back or other projects.

Zinnia Flower ~ Free Crochet Pattern

2011-08-23T14:39:00.000-07:00

I just wrote up this pattern for my crochet class, so I'm happily sharing it with you as well. The Veined Leaf Pattern is also coming.

In addition to the written instructions below, you can view a complete video tutorial on my youtube channel. How to Crochet a Zinnia Flower

Zinnia Pattern

chain 2 leaving 12” beg tail
pattern is worked in the round
Row 1: 6 sc in second st from hook
Row 2: working in back loops only, 2 sc in each st around (12 sc)
Row 3: working in back loops of Row 2, sl st in next st, ch 10, sl st in same st, repeat around until you have 12 large petals
Row 4: Working in front loops of Row 2, sl st in next st, ch 8, sl st in same st, repeat around until you have 12 medium petals
Row 5: Working in front loops of Row 1, sl st in next st, ch 6, sl st in same st, repeat around until you have 6 small petals
Finish off weaving in all loose ends on the back side of the flower or use to affix flower to pin back or other projects.

Shop!

2011-08-21T13:28:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I was working on my Tunisian crochet project when I got to thinking. I really like making things, but my handmade items tend to get lost among all the roving in my shop. The truth is, I do focus on selling fibers in my Etsy store and that's my intention. Still, I have a studio full of designs that need a good home.

Then it occurred to me that I already link to the patterns I sell here on my blog. You can go to the Crochet Patterns page and not only find free patterns, but the ones for sale as well, so why not have a shopping page?

I already have my handmade accessories available for purchase in my Etsy and ArtFire stores, so I've created a new page that is simply called Shop. It's a gallery of pictures so you can browse through a selection of my favorites. If you see something that interests you, like this cute Autumn Baby Beanie for instance, you can just click on that photo. That click will take you directly to the product listing where you can view more images and all of the important details.

So far I have 21 handmade accessories available on my Shop page. Over the next couple of weeks, I'll be working to add to that list. If you love handmade and giving handmade gifts, or even if you just like to window shop, I hope you will enjoy this new feature here on the Wind Rose Fiber Studio blog.

Suggestions For You ~ Tunisian Crochet

2011-08-19T09:33:00.001-07:00

If you shop on Amazon, you're probably familiar with the phrase "suggestions for you". These are the listings that pop up as you're shopping and are based on past purchases, so they are generally things about which you have some interest.

Two days ago I was looking on Amazon for a book of idioms after my son's teacher informed me that he just doesn't seem to understand them. I can't argue with her on this point. My son is so literal, that if you tell him he's just scratched the surface of something, he will look for the actual scratch.

If his teacher feels he needs a better grasp of idioms, then I'm the kind of mom who will buy the Scholastic Book of Idioms and read them at the dinner table. I'll talk in idioms, joke in idioms, until there isn't an idiom left that my son hasn't heard. (You're feeling sorry for my kids right now, aren't you?)

As I was buying over 700 sayings and expressions, I received my "suggestions for you". On this particular day they found a weak spot, Tunsian crochet. I can ignore a lot of things, but I find Tunisian crochet cool and interesting. I've done some basic Tunisian crochet, but nothing fancy. I was sucked in by the picture on the cover of a beautiful woman wearing a Möbius strip shawl. Darn you August Ferdinand Möbius and your clever mathematics!

Powerless against their suggestions, Amazon triumphantly sold me a copy of Get Hooked on Tunisian Crochet by Sheryl Thies. I find it ridiculous that every other crochet book has "get hooked on" in the title like it's a command we crocheters just can't resist, but my personal library is a hopeless testament to the success of this particular marketing campaign.

Now that I have made it sound like I was practically forced to buy this book, I'll share my project with you. After looking through all thirteen options, I chose the Möbius style shawl on the cover. I happened to have a couple skeins of Patons black lace in my stash, so that's the yarn I'm using. I know it's a little hard to see the pattern in black and that's too bad because it's pretty cool.

It took me several tries to get the stitch down actually. The pattern reads "YO, Tks 3 (5 loops on hook), pass YO over 3 loops just made". I guess my mind was stuck in the world of regular crochet because I interpreted that to mean that I should YO and pass through the three loops just made on my hook. When I finally read the instructions more carefully, I realized that the 3 loops just made should be drawn under the previous YO thus carrying or passing that YO over those three loops.

Now that I think about it, it's kind of funny that I was struggling because I was not being literal enough!

Teaching Crochet ~ Flower Class

2011-08-17T10:47:00.000-07:00

I'm a little later than I said I'd be with this post. Sorry about that! Anyway, today I'm starting a series of posts about teaching crochet. Right now I'm partnered with another teacher and we are teaching a crochet class with the ultimate goal of designing products that the students will be able to sell for additional income. Our class has a unique dynamic in that the faces can change from week to week and the skill levels range from absolute beginner to some experience. We like to present a project that our students can make from start to finish in our two hour class time. With each new project, we hope to expand the skills of our students while having good, creative fun.

For this particular class, we decided to make a flower pin. This was my idea, so I began by exploring my personal library for basic flower patterns. I have a zinnia pattern that I make a lot, but I wasn't sure that it would be a good, first flower project.

There are so many great flowers out there, but our students, for the most part, are comfortable with chaining and single crochet. I wanted a flower that might introduce one new stitch, but not two or three. At least for our initial flower project, I wanted to avoid anything too complicated.

That's when I remembered a simple, deco style rosette that I made with a previous class. I searched my computer hard drive and was able to find my old pattern. In addition to that, I still had a scarf, embellished with these flowers in my studio. It's always nice to have a sample piece.

The moment I thought of these little spiral flowers, I knew they would be a good beginning project.

The next thing I did was grab a hook, skein of yarn and a yarn meter to work through the project. It's nice to have a yarn meter when you teach because you can determine exactly how much yardage a project requires. That way, you can cut off pieces of yarn in advance and make project kits, or if more than one person likes the same skein of yarn, you can cut off the right amount for each student and share.

Here's a little picture of my yarn meter. You just slip the yarn through and then there is a small lever you depress to keep the yarn is place. The yarn passes easily through the meter as you crochet. At the end of a project, you can see just how many feet of yarn you've gone through. It's very easy to then round up to the nearest yard. My little spiral flower used 35 feet of yarn so I know that 12 yards of yarn is plenty for making one flower. I bought this particular meter at The Woolery and it's been very dependable.

Now that I had zeroed in on a flower, I needed to be ready to teach the students how to make it. It's always best if you can find the time to work through your project. Even though this spiral flower is something I designed myself, it had been a long time since I'd made one. Also, my old design notes had instructions for making the flower in three different sizes, so I needed to settle in on a size.

In and ideal world, I would have written down a nice, succinct pattern for the class. As life would have it, I ran out of time and decided to just talk the class through the pattern. Only a couple of our students are comfortable following patterns, so I figured that this would be okay. Of course, I would like to get to the point where everyone can read a pattern, so next week, I'll be ready with a written version.

So in case you kind of like this little flower, here's how it's made:

Chain 21 leaving a 12 inch tail
Row 1: work 2 single crochets into the second chain from the hook and in each st across = 40 sc
(the piece will begin to curl into a corkscrew shape)
Row 2: Chain 3 turn, double crochet in first stitch then work two double crochets in each stitch across = 80 dc (beginning chain 3 counts as first dc)
Finish off leaving a 12 inch tail.

Now, starting from one end, wrap the curly piece around until you form a rosette. you can control how tight or loose you would like your rosette to be. Then using a large eyed needle, thread the yarn in the center of the rosette and pass it through to the back of the flower, tacking the center in place. Next, weave or whip stitch the tail in and out of the end rows in the center of the back of the flower to hold the shape of the rosette. Finish with this tail piece being just off to one side of the center of your flower.

Now thread the other tail end. Tack this end of your flower in place with a couple of stitches to the back of the flower. Then you can weave this tail through the end rows just as you did before to make sure the shape of the flower is secure. Finish with this tail piece being to the opposite side of the first one. The two tail pieces should be about an inch apart. Then you can thread them through a pin back and use a good square knot to tie the pin back in place.

These little flowers also look great felted and can be used to accent hats, scarves, you name it! To make the rosette bigger or smaller, jut make your beginning chain longer or shorter. A cluster of 3 or 5 flowers in different sizes can look really cute.

These flowers look pretty made out of multicolored or textured yarn. You can embellish your flower with a bead in the middle. Just let your imagination run wild!

...Yesterday was our crochet class and the flower pattern turned out to be a lot of fun. Our students were able to successfully complete the project and left with pretty rosette brooches pined to their shirts. As a matter of fact, the flowers were such a hit that we are going to continue with this theme and work on a few different kinds of flowers and maybe some leaves too.

If you are learning to crochet or teaching a class of your own, give this pattern a try. It's fun to be able to wear your finished project and be able to say, "I made it!"

Blogger's Block

2011-08-15T09:53:00.001-07:00

Yup, I've been blocked! There's no other explanation for the lack of writing from August 4th until today. Countless times I've come into my office, pulled up my blog, sat down to write and had my mind go blank. "Nothing", I think to myself, "I have nothing interesting to say."

The silly thing is that it's not as if life has come to a screeching halt over the last two weeks. I'm still teaching my crochet class, my head is still full of project ideas and I've even dyed 16 batches of Merino wool in an effort to keep my inventory at Wind Rose complete.

Maybe I needed to get away. I just spent a weekend with my family back in Virginia and enjoyed a rare afternoon with first, second and even third cousins, some of whom I was meeting for the first time. Among the crowd of jolly visitors was my cousin Mike. Not only is he a first, but he's truly a one of a kind. You may be blessed with a similar character among your people. He is the story teller with the free spirit and contagious laugh, but there is only one Mike.

Somehow Mike has become a reader of my little fiber blog and his interest and encouragement have finally broken my block! So thank you Mike for inspiring me to think creatively again and to enjoy my writing, interesting or not! Fascinatingly enough, the moment you "get over yourself" so to speak, the words start flowing again.

This leads me to the introduction I would like to present today. I've been sharing about my volunteer work this summer, but in essence, what it really is, is a crochet class. I thought it might be interesting for anyone learning to crochet or for others who already crochet and are thinking about teaching the craft, to following along on the process of putting a crochet class together. So coming up, starting later today as I have a lesson I need to prepare for tomorrow, I'll take you with me from picking a project to gathering materials and finally figuring out how to present it.

So I'll see you soon!

Border Leicester Locks ~ Now at Wind Rose!

2011-08-04T16:32:00.001-07:00

Hi. I just wanted to stop by and let you know that I listed a few ounces of the Border Leicester locks from the last post. I have 4oz of them available at Wind Rose, but if you wish for more, just drop me a convo through the shop.

Border Leicester Locks

2011-08-01T16:57:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited about my latest fiber purchase. The box arrived today and I've already scoured the enclosed 3.75 pounds of Border Leicester Locks. Here they are drying in the sun. These are far and away the prettiest locks I've ever come across. They are from a flock that has won Supreme Grand Champion ribbons for their fleece quality and the condition of the animals.

These locks have a wonderful curl and have obviously been expertly shorn. They have about a 4" staple length and range between 30 and 38 microns. The shepherd had spinners in mind when she triple picked these locks. Not only are they the most gorgeous locks, but they're the cleanest as well. I scoured them very gently so as not to break up those stunning locks.

Once the locks are dry, I'll be selling some in the shop at Wind Rose. Also, when I get a chance, I dye some too. With over three pounds, there's plenty to share!

The Regensburg Scarf ~ The Pattern is Ready!

2011-08-01T12:04:00.001-07:00

I'm happy to share that I have finally completed my pattern for The Regensburg Scarf. This pattern took me a little longer than some in part because I created a companion video for the project.

It's not that this scarf is terribly difficult, but it contains a couple of things you don't see every day. For instance, the fringe in worked as you crochet and not after the project is complete. Also, the ruffles require a good comfort level with stitch placement. I want less experienced crocheters to feel comfortable making this pattern and a great way of doing that is by making a video.

As always, I like to share things first, here on my blog. You can see more pictures of The Regensburg Scarf on the listing. I love the versatility and all of the great looks you can create!

The Felted Lantern Necklace ~ Companion Video

2011-07-27T19:42:00.001-07:00

The Felted Lantern Necklace is one of the free crochet patterns you'll find here on my blog. I'm getting ready to use this pattern for a crochet class, so I decided to make a companion video.

When I first designed this necklace, it was for a young crochet class. At the time I called it "The Hopes and Dreams Necklace". That might sound like a funny name, but there's a reason. Each student selected a special little stone and as they did so, they attached to it one of their own secret hopes or dreams. Then, as we crocheted the pendant, the little stone was placed inside. Once felted, only the crocheter knows the secret of the stone. The necklace becomes a symbol of that particular hope or dream.

When I published the pattern here on my blog, I changed the name to The Felted Lantern. I was afraid that The Hopes and Dreams Necklace might sound a little silly to the general population. I chose The Felted Lantern because the shape reminded me of the Chinese paper lanterns so many of us make as children. I sort of regret changing the name, but the pattern has been published in several places, so it would be confusing to switch now. I just thought I'd share the story of the necklace with you tonight.

Crochet Community Service ~ 3

2011-07-27T10:36:00.000-07:00

Today's post is about the highs and lows of community service. Yesterday I was teaching the crochet class downtown in the AZOP building. This morning I was getting ready to run through and prep our project for next week when I recieved an email saying that the AZOP building has to close its doors.

This is a profound loss for the community of homeless and poverty stricken who count on that building for so many things. It's shelter form the harsh Arizona heat, access to classes and computers, and a gathering place where they can support each other. My heart goes out to all of the individuals who are saddened and hurting as a result.

On the positive side, there's news that a local church might open its doors and allow us to hold our classes on their property. It's always good to have hope and in that spirit I'll plan for our next class even if I don't know exactly when or where it will happen. It's incredibly hard to rise up out of poverty without some form of help. At the same time, providing the right kind of help can be so challenging. The bottom line is that people need each other. It's as simple as that.

Hand Painted Mohair Top ~ Four More Colors!

2011-07-24T17:00:00.000-07:00

Hi, quick post today. I just wanted to share four more colors of Mohair Top that I've dyed for my shop. I just listed Turquoise, Gypsy Wine, Emerald and Silver.

That's all for mohair. I think I'm moving on to soy silk, plus I have a few colors of Merino I need to dye. Tomorrow is the first day of school for my kiddos and I have my Tuesday Crochet Class to get ready for, so it will probably be midweek before I have more dyeing done.

I'm also still working on my Regensburg Scarf Pattern. The pattern is actually finished, but I found a verbal mistake in my companion video, so I need to shoot a short segment and do a little editing. I also need to take a few more pics. It's hard to find the time to do all of these little things!

Hand Painted Mohair Top

2011-07-23T14:25:00.002-07:00

I've been in the dyeing zone this week, so I have more fun stuff to share today. Yesterday I painted these four bright colors of Mohair Top. I went for Crimson, Desert Gold, Violet and Sapphire. Today I'm going to do a couple greens and I'm thinking a silver and maybe a wine. I haven't fully decided yet.

I just love mohair. It seems to have a smaller following than merino and other wools and I guess I can see why. It's kind of in a different category. It has more of a hair-like feel which is why it's very often used for doll hair. It helps that it has a longer staple length and just look at that pretty crimp! It has a wonderful luster as well. When you spin mohair or blend it with other fibers, you get a soft, pretty halo effect. Love it!

Spinning Hemp

2011-07-23T10:59:00.001-07:00

Hi, I thought I'd do another quick post on hemp today. Yesterday I listed 8oz of hemp in the shop and it got snatched up. Most of it is winging its way to Sweden right now. I have to order and dye some more because it really is a cool fiber.

A couple years ago, I made two YouTube videos All About Hemp Roving and Spinning Hemp. Back in those days, I was using a little flip camera, so I apologize for the low resolution. You kind of have to crank the volume too. In spite of the amateur video production, you can still get a closer look at hemp roving and see how it handles.

The first thing that comes to mind when I think of hemp is hemp jewelry. That may be true for you as well, but hemp is getting more and more popular among fiber artists. A lot of spinners like to add hemp to their wool batts for the texture it provides. It also makes a cool core fiber. When you spin a singles of hemp, it turns into that hemp cord you see at the craft stores. In my video I say that you almost don't need to set the twist. The truth is, you really don't. I like to give all of my handspun a final soak, but it really isn't necessary with hemp. When you used it as a core fiber it creates a strong yarn that's great for rug weaving or more structural pieces.

Hemp roving can also be used for other crafts. You can tease the fibers apart and use them in paper making, small amounts can be worked into nuno felt and in general, it can be a handy embellishment for scrapbooks and other handicrafts. Here I am talking about hemp when I'm down to just a couple ounces in the shop. I still have 1oz of Fire Red, 1oz of Azalea and 1oz of dye free. When I get more in stock, I'll be sure to let you know!

Hemp Roving in Four Great Colors!

2011-07-22T10:46:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I took some time out to dye. I've been meaning to replenish my hemp colors for some time now. I spend most of my time dyeing protein fibers like wool and silk, so when I work with a plant fiber like hemp, I often feel a little rusty. There are extra steps in the process and ingredients too. Somehow, it all comes back to me and I'm always pleasantly surprised by the vivid results. It's hard to imagine that these bold colors started out as brown hemp roving.

I only have a couple ounces of each so I like to let my blog readers know first so you can claim them if you want them. The colors are Fire Red, Deep Purple, Avocado Green, and Marigold.

Mohair & Doll Mohair

2011-07-21T15:06:00.001-07:00

It's amazing what I find when I get to spend a little quality time in my studio. I was going through my fibers today, looking for hemp, when I came across a nice big bag of fine mohair (left photo). I went to my shop to see if I had any listed and sure enough, I didn't. That just wouldn't do, so I've spent a little time today taking this lovely mohair's photograph so I could offer it at Wind Rose. I put it up in 1oz, 2oz, 2.5oz and 3oz lots.

I also came across some doll hair mohair (right photo). This is mohair with a long, 8" staple length and is commonly used in doll making. I listed this mohair in 1oz and 2oz sizes.

Oh, and by the way, I did find that hemp I was looking for. Earlier this afternoon I painted four batches. I should be back tomorrow to share those with you. Now that my kids are getting ready to go back to school, I have more time on my hands. I can't wait to get busy!

Silk Hankies ~ 100% Cultivated Silk

2011-07-21T10:56:00.001-07:00

I've had these in my studio for almost a month now. I can't believe it's taken me this long to open them up and list these beauties in the shop at Wind Rose. It's a testament to how occupied my summer has been!

What are silk hankies? Silk Hankies are made by spreading out individual silk cocoons onto a square wooden frame. The original Japanese name for silk handled this way is mawata, which means "to spread out".

When you buy 1oz of Silk Hankies, you receive several dozen hankies. These can be spun into yarn but have also become popular in other areas of fiber art. They can be used in paper making, to embellish nuno felted projects, needle felting and more.

These hankies are dye free, but they can be dyed with dyes made specifically for working with protein fibers like Jacquard Acid Dyes. I haven't dyed any myself yet, but I can't wait to paint a few. They're so pretty. The more I look at them and handle them, the more ideas I get for how they may be used. I think the creative minds out there will have a wonderful time with these!

Crochet Community Service ~ 2

2011-07-19T17:59:00.000-07:00

Earlier this summer I talked about this new volunteer project with which I've become involved. On Tuesday mornings, I drive into downtown Phoenix, meet up with my fellow instructor Ann, and teach a crochet class to people who are working to raise themselves out of poverty. The hope is that one day we'll market our handmade products. For now, we're teaching new skills and having a good time getting to know one another.

Today was a fun day. We made felted bangles from crocheted pencil roving. It was great because everyone was able to make their bracelets from start to finish during class time. I think felting projects are a lot of fun because it feels like play. Water and soap bubbles tend to bring out the kid in all of us.

It's a super sweet class. Several of the students chose to make their bracelets for someone else. Also, I brought my 14-year-old son with me to help out and they were so warm and welcoming. I had warned my son ahead of time that they would probably make a fuss over him. I don't think he believed me, but he does now.

Next week I think we'll be making crocheted hemp charm bracelets. I brought some in to show the group and everyone got excited about them. I'll be sure to share our future adventures in crochet.

A Baby Cozy by Cheryl

2011-07-15T19:32:00.000-07:00

A couple years ago, I decided to start giving away some of my crochet patterns here on my blog. Several of my free patterns read more like photo tutorials and that's because they were presented as crochet-alongs. Those pattern posts are some of the most labor intensive I've done, but also the most gratifying. Not only did I have fellow crocheters joining in as I wrote each part, but to this day, they are the most visited pages on this site.

Every once in a while, I get a special treat and someone will share their project with me. That happened a couple weeks ago when I got an email from Cheryl. She's been enjoying The Baby Cozy Pattern and has even started putting her own spin on it. This is one of her creations in pink. She added the stripes and the matching hat. What a sweet gift this will make for some lucky baby!

I want to thank Cheryl for sharing her project with me and allowing me to share it with you. I always hope that people will use my patterns as a jumping off point for their own ideas. Perhaps Cheryl's stripes will inspire even more variations on The Baby Cozy. Thanks Cheryl!

The Regensburg Scarf ~ Three Great Looks

2011-07-14T16:56:00.000-07:00

I've been talking about The Regensburg Scarf for about a month now. Today I'm here with a look at what the pattern will include. This scarf is similar to The City Scarf, the pattern I just released, but it has a few key differences.

1 ~ The Regensburg Scarf is worked up in medium [4] weight yarn. This makes it more suited for the colder months. In addition to the benefit of being warm, you need less yardage for the overall project. You only need about 250 yards and I'm erring on the high side with that amount.

2 ~ It has ruffles! I named this scarf after the city of Regensburg, Germany because it was there that I saw ruffles being highlighted in the little boutiques. In the top photo, I have the top turned over so that the ruffles appear like an edging. In this next picture, it has almost a turtleneck look. Imagine how cozy this will feel on a cold winter day.

If you really want to bundle up, you can fold the top back down and add a little tie in the front. Now neither wind nor snow will slow you down!

3 ~ Variety! This pattern will include some variations on the basic pattern. You may decide to make the ruffles a little more pronounced as in this natural colored scarf or have no ruffles at all. This multicolored yarn had so much texture, ruffles just didn't seem necessary.

The Regensburg Scarf pattern has been really fun to work with. I kind of can't stop making them. I have a stack of yarn in my studio set aside just for making into Regensburg Scarves. I can't wait to see how they look. Come to think of it, I need to show you one more picture.

Here's an example (the orange scarf) with the ruffles made in a different yarn or in this case ribbon. The ruffle is a great place to showcase those pretty novelty yarns hiding out in your stash. It seems like art yarns often come in smaller skeins, but with just 40 yards, you can have a striking scarf ruffle.

Okay, so where's the pattern? Um... alright, it's still in my head, but tomorrow I'm determined to start writing and by the end of the weekend, I should have the pattern ready. I'll definitely come back with a link when the time comes!

Day 9, Really? ~ TdF 2011

2011-07-10T17:12:00.000-07:00

My last post was only a couple days ago, but I feel like I've been gone for a long time. I can't believe we're already up to day 9 of the Tour de Fleece!

I think the reason I'm feeling time warped is because I've spent the better part of the last three days cleaning and organizing my kids' rooms. Most of this time was in my younger son's room, the family pack rat. To his credit, he can tell you the origin of every scrap of paper or little doodad. He also knows the right things to say to tug at his mother's heart strings like, "it's a memory" or "it's very important to me". Somehow, I still managed to clean and purge while holding on to the most valued items. It feels like such a major accomplishment that I've walked into his room several times today just to bask in the cleanliness.

By early evening I've been exhausted, but it's Tour de Fleece, so spin I must. This sport weight singles yarn is a mix of light and fawn alpaca, golden brown Merino, some Firestar, a little lace weight boucle yarn cut into bits and some raffia. I know the raffia is probably a weird choice, but it makes for some fun texture and after cleaning all day, I needed a little fun!

I'm psyched to have tomorrow off. I need a "me" day! I still have a pattern that I'm writing and so many other things that I want to do for Wind Rose Fiber Studio.

Day 5 TdF 2011

2011-07-07T13:36:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was day 5 of this year's Tour de Fleece and I spent my day finishing up this project. This is the first wool batt that I made using my Ashford Wild Drum Carder. So you can see the progression from wild fibers to combed batt. Then I spun that up. Next I made a singles yarn with just plain, black Merino. Finally I plied the two together to make a worsted weight yarn with lots of glitz and just enough texture to keep things interesting.

The City Scarf ~ A Brand New Crochet Pattern!

2011-07-06T19:47:00.001-07:00

The City Scarf Pattern is complete! I'm always excited when I finish a new pattern. So much time goes into them, so to finally be able to say, "Here it is!" is awesome!

In my last post I was trying to decide how to publish my new scarf designs. I determined that this scarf was a good one to publish on its own. The Regensburg Scarf, which is still in the works, will come with a few suggestions for variations on the pattern.

I have also created a companion video for the first time. While this scarf looks fairly straight forward, the fringe may be a little challenging for newer crocheters. So this is the first time I've created a pattern that comes with a link to a help video.

Speaking of companion videos, later this summer, I'll be producing a companion video series for the Mini Muk Luk pattern. It has been requested and I have promised to get that done this summer. So if you are a visual person, you may find that news appealing.

Now I need to run to my spinning wheel! It's almost the end of Day 5 in the Tour de Fleece and I haven't spun anything yet!

Regensburg Scarf Preview

2011-07-05T12:14:00.000-07:00

Here's a sneak peak at the pattern I'm working on. This is the Regensburg Scarf inspired by my time in Germany. The shape of the scarf is a long narrow triangle. The point is worn in the front and then the ends wrap around your neck and then back to the front. You can let them hang freely or tie them for a cozy and stylish look.

I've been playing around with this pattern for about three weeks now and have come up with several variations that I like. This leads me to a quandary about which I would love your input.

I'm ready to sit down and write my pattern, but I'm not sure how to present it. A couple of the variations are unique enough that they could be written as separate patterns. If you look at the photos above, the scarf in sunset colors is made without a ruffle and in fine [2] weight yarn. On the other hand, the purple scarf next to it is made with a ruffle and in a medium [4] weight yarn.

So I guess, in a nutshell, my question is this. Would you rather purchase a pattern that included several variations and would therefore cost a little more, or would you prefer to be able to pick and choose which look you like and buy that pattern specifically?

Once again, your feedback is seriously appreciated. I'm usually a pretty decisive woman, but I keep going back and forth on this one. Thank you sooo much for your help!

TdF 2011 ~ Spinning from Days 1 & 2

2011-07-03T12:07:00.001-07:00

Here's the first project I'm working on for this year's Tour de Fleece. I had to put my new Ashford Wild Drum carder to the test. I pillaged my craft supplies and came out with a feather boa, some tinsel garland and silver mesh fabric. Then I hit my fiber stash and came up with some black Merino, a pretty wine soy silk, a little pink Merino and some natural Mohair locks.

I sat on my studio floor and and began to play. I teased apart the fibers and layered them creating a fluffy bed. Then I just started to rip feathers out of the boa and pull the silver tinsel from the garland. Feathers filled the air and the mess I was making gave me a childish joy. Then I cut up little strips of the fabric. The drum carder claims to be able to handle fabric so let's just see!

The amazing thing about the Wild Drum Carder isn't just that it will card through anything, it does it almost effortlessly. It really is wild. I spend a lot more time and care working fine fibers through my Deb's Delicate Deluxe by Pat Green. My crazy combination with its fabric and feathers just sailed on through. I thought maybe it would need a second run, but I was fully satisfied with the batt created by just one pass.

I've been making about an ounce at a time, and that seems like a nice amount, but I think the carder could handle more. It creates a batt that is about 5" wide which is very handy to work with. One of my goals for this year's Tour de Fleece is to create longer skeins. I'd like them each to be at least 350 yards, This means that each new skein will take me a little longer, but I'll end up with enough yarn to make a project.

I think I'll be finishing this one off by making a lace weight singles in black and then plying the two together. I want black to be the dominant color. I have two more ounces of my wild wool to spin and then I'll move on the the plain black. I'm impatient to see how it will look when it's all done!

Ready, Steady, Spin! ~ Tour de Fleece 2011

2011-07-01T10:48:00.000-07:00

It's been a few days since my last post and that's because I've been in pattern writing hibernation. I'm getting ready to launch my next new design and I'm excited to share it with you. I have all the kinks worked out and now it's time for a final write up and I want to make a couple more samples. By Tuesday or Wednesday of next week, I should be all set to launch the Regensburg Scarf Pattern.

In the meantime, I've also been getting ready for this year's Tour de Fleece. The Tour de Fleece is an online spin-along that coincides with the Tour de France. When the bikers ride, we spinners spin. Basically, you try to spin every day of the Tour de France. You can also have your spinning reflect the event by spinning more difficult styles of yarn on days when the riders are facing steep climbs.

The race begins tomorrow and I've joined back up with the Team of Wonder on Ravelry. It's much more fun to spin in the TdF if you're on a team. You get to share pictures of your spinning projects and cheer each other on. The Team of Wonder is led by WonderWhyGal of the Wisdom Begins in Wonder Blog. You know, I can't remember how we first met, Etsy maybe, but I've been following her blog for some time now and feel a bond over our mutual love of all things fiber.

As WonderWhyGal runs an alpaca farm, most of the team members are alpaca people. I like to be a team player, so in a show of solidarity, I've ordered myself some raw alpaca locks. I've got a little bit of black Suri and a nice supply of award winning fawn Huacaya locks. These haven't been washed or anything yet, but as they're alpaca, they're already pretty clean and will be gorgeous after a bath.

I've also used this year's tour as an excuse to treat myself to an Ashford Wild Drum Carder. It's designed with longer teeth you you can add fun things to your batts like bits of fabric, ribbons, feathers, noils, cocoons, etc. I'm in the mood to make some novelty yarn, but not crazy, chunky stuff. I'm interested in trying to create novelty yarn that's more of a sport weight. That's one of my goals for this year's TdF.

I'm also hoping to just increase my inventory of handspun so I have some skeins ready and waiting for me when I'm crocheting my designs. I'll be sure to post my projects along the way and hey, if you're a spinner, why not join the fun?

Fiber Art Finds From Germany ~ Part IV

2011-06-27T14:51:00.000-07:00

The last day of my European travels was spent in Munich. I had already spent a few days in Munich earlier on this vacation. This last day was a day of rest after spending time in Italy and before heading back to the United States.

I had kind of accepted that the closest thing to fiber art I was going to find in Munich was this sheep I bought at the Viktualienmarkt, a farmer's market. He's cute, but he isn't even covered in real wool.

It was Sunday and the square in front of the Glockenspiel at Marienplatz was being set up for a performance. There was a stage, lots of tables and the local brew houses were setting up tents. My family and I were just out for a walk, stretching our legs. The day was overcast and occasionally a rain cloud would treat us to some sprinkles.

I saw a few craft tents set up on a side street. Drawn to crafts of any kind, I headed in their direction. I walked by the first couple tents as they held nothing of interest. I craned my neck to see if it was even worth walking to the end of the street when something caught my eye. I felt certain that I saw something spin. I quickened my pace, my spidey senses tingling. Sure enough, in the very last tent, sat a little band of handspinners. They had baskets of wool and samples of yarn. Some sat at wheels while others used drop spindles. My people!

I took out one of my business cards which have a picture of a spinning wheel and sheep on them. I pointed to my name and in my best German said, "Dies ist mir." Which I'm sure you can guess means "this is me". Their faces lit up and we all smiled at each other. They each held up their projects for me to admire. One gentleman who was working a Turkish drop spindle, pulled out a stick and demonstrated spinning using nothing but a twig. I managed to share how Native American spinners sometimes use a long stick and spin it against their thigh. His response to this was to spin a little length of wool with his bare hands and present it to me as a gift.

Rain started to fall in earnest and I left to rejoin my family. My few minutes with the Handspinngilde of Munich left me feeling warm and fuzzy. It's heartwarming to know that there are others out there preserving and passing on this heritage. Even more, it's wonderful when a mutual love of spinning is enough to transcend language barriers and make you feel as though you are among friends!

Fiber Art Finds From Germany ~ Part III

2011-06-26T16:35:00.001-07:00

These fabulous felted wrist warmers were created by Berta Knab of the EigenArt collective in Uberlingen, Germany. I have seen a lot of nuno felt and I think that these are particularly well made. I love the crackling effect she's achieved with the colors. Also, I haven't seen this sort of "wrinkled look" for lack of better words. It takes the texture to another level and looks really cute the way it gathers around your wrist.

They're soft and very lightweight, just as you would expect nuno felt to be. They are also completely seamless which shows a real attention to detail. As a matter of fact, they are even reversible. The inside is a nice smooth slate grey.

I'm not the best hand model and it's challenging to take a pic of your own arm, but I wanted you to see how cute they look on.

You could also turn them around and have the cuff on the other end or no cuff at all. I love it when handmade items are versatile!

She had another pair where she had felted wild, curly locks on one end. I was so tempted, but in the end, these seemed a little more practical. Maybe next time I'm in Uberlingen I'll go wild!

Berta Knab's Website

Fiber Art Finds From Germany ~ Part II

2011-06-25T13:08:00.001-07:00

A very special part of my family's time in Germany was a visit to Uberlingen. Uberlingen is in the south and actually just a three hour boat ride from Switzerland. It's a popular vacation and retirement spot because of it's warmer climate and location on Bodensee (Lake Constance). For my husband and I, it's where a friend from high school settled down, married and started a family.

Having my friend in Uberlingen meant I didn't have to wander the streets aimlessly and hope to stumble upon fiber art. She took me straight to the local yarn shop and then to a shop featuring the work of local artists. Oddly enough, this cute little flower girl is something I just happened to encounter along the way. She was sitting in the window of Odilia, a bookstore where some local crafts were featured. I thought she was sweet looking balancing that big red rose on her head.

So what kind of yarn did I find in Uberlingen? A lot of Lana Grossa which is Italian, but I did find one yarn that I believe is made in Germany. The brand is Skacel which is distributed here in the United States. The yarn I'm referring to the the sunset colored one on the right. It's called Zauberball or "Magic Ball" and it's a sock yarn.

I wish there was some way to show a lapse in time with words or symbols, because then you would know just how long I've been sidetracked while writing this post. First I was trying to find the name of the yarn shop in Uberlingen because I lost their business card. Then I started hunting down the company that makes the Zauberball yarn. The only reason I mention this is because I found a couple of interesting things along the way. My first discovery is another sock yarn also made by Skacel called Flying Saucer. It has to be some of the coolest sock yarn I've ever seen. If you like to knit or crochet socks, or if you just like to work with lighter weight yarn, Flying Saucer looks like loads of fun to make up. The link I've provided takes you to the Flying Saucer page where they also have a video.

Then one link led to another and I found myself watching this video on ArtFelting by Knitting Daily which features Karin Skacel the president of the Skacel company:

I thought the felters out there might find that interesting.

Okay, let me turn my focus back to my original post. The other yarn in the picture above, the soft purple one, has become one of my new favorite yarns to work with. It is made by Lana Grossa and it's part of the Linea Pura Verde line. The reason I have so little of this yarn left, is because I actually made it all up into a new design that I'll be sharing soon. All I'll say for now is that it's a scarf inspired by my time in Europe and I'll be writing up a crochet pattern to sell at Wind Rose.

The Linea Pura Verde is 75% Organic Virgin Wool (Merino extrafine) and 25% Alpaca. I love the quality that the Alpaca lends to this yarn and the little nubs give it such a great texture. One of the first things I did when I got back to the states, was to look to see where I could buy more. It's not the easiest yarn to find, but I ended up placing an order at Hot Yarns and the service was great. In just a couple days I received my supply of Linea Pura Verde in a selection of colors.

Well I have one more item to share from Uberlingen, but I'm worn out from writing this post. Let me take a little break and I'll be back tomorrow to show you an awesome pair of felted wrist warmers from the local art shop I mentioned earlier. See you tomorrow.

Fiber Art Finds From Germany ~ Part I

2011-06-24T12:59:00.000-07:00

When I travel, I'm always on the lookout for fiber art. Not just fiber art to tell the truth, any art. More specifically, I'm always hoping to find evidence of local artisans. It's like locating the heartbeat of a place and it makes me feel at home.

On this particular holiday, I was coming up dry until a day trip to Regensburg, Germany. Regensburg is a beautiful little town on the Danube River. It's first settlements date back to the Stone Age. Today it's a thriving city and home to the University of Regensburg.

As I and my family wandered up and down the streets, I came across a cute little shop with hand crafted items in the window. *Happy Dance* I turned to my husband and informed him that I would need a few minutes. He gave me a knowing look and headed off with the boys. What a good husband!

I headed into the shop named Kuss which a visit to Google Translate tells me means "Kiss". Cute! The full name is Kuss- Künstlerhaus or Kiss-House Artists, a collective of local artisans. I found myself surrounded by beautiful nuno felt, paper art, knit and crochet, glass and wire. It was awesome! It was like an energy boost to be around so much creativity and it's so what I needed halfway through my long European journey.

I was fully prepared to treat myself to a few pieces, but it was hard to choose. There were these really cool felted wrist warmers and handbags and jewelry. I couldn't pick. "I'll take one of everything!" I shouted. No, just kidding, but their stuff was really that wonderful. Instead, I selected this nuno felted scarf. Nuno felt is lightweight enough for me to wear even in the desert where I live. Plus, we were having some nippy days in Germany and I was envying the other women and their cozy scarves. I love the bold poppies against the black. I wear a lot of white and black and a splash of red is always a good thing.

Next, in keeping with my poppy theme, I chose this felted necklace. The artist behind these works in felt is Anita Auer. She happened to be working in the shop that day and we exchanged cards. You can see more of her creations on the store's website.

The other art that kept grabbing my attention was the paper work of Ina Zeller-Bleil. Here's a link to a gallery of her art. She makes jewelry and sculputres and they are just so striking. I picked out this bracelet as a keepsake. The bells are sculpted paper attached to a crocheted wire base. I love her style which seems to range from whimsical to truly captivating.

I was so thrilled to discover the Kiss-House Artisans. What a wonderful collective and collection of extraordinary crafts!

La Griglia ~ The Perfect Italian Dining Experience!

2011-06-23T11:58:00.000-07:00

Before I get back to my fiber arts, I have to share one more special place from my trip to Italy.

My oldest son Jens loves pasta and so we were determined to experience some great Italian food. Our initial strategy was to visit a different restaurant for each meal in the hopes of finding some truly wonderful dishes.

Verona, like any city, has all sorts of eateries. There's the strip of cafés lining the Piazza Bra. They seem to exist just to cater to the tourists. We tried one of these places and it was good, but sort of like the "Outback Steakhouse" of Italian cuisine.

Then we hit the side streets and found pizza that can only be described as scrumptious. The tomato sauce was so fresh and the crust so light and crispy. To me the crust was the real difference in the Italian pizza versus the pizza in the states. It has an airiness to it that seems to bring out the flavors of the toppings.

Finally, we went out for dinner one night intent on finding some serious pasta. We walked to the right of the Arena, passing the set construction for the opening night of the opera. We hung a left on Leoncino and there we found La Griglia. The menu looked wonderful. It had pasta dishes for me and Jens and steaks for my husband and my other son who are the carnivores of the family. Perfect!

We felt a little self conscious because the restaurant was empty. It was only 7:15 which is early by Italian standards. We knew this, but after walking all over the city, we were hungry, so in we went.

The Tuscan decor was warm and inviting. They lit the fire in the fireplace for us and put a candle on our table. They brought us grilled bread and we ordered a bottle of wine. We were off to a great start.

Jens ordered the tortelloni and I had gnocchi with truffles. One bite of my gnocchi and I was in heaven. The grated truffle was earthy and rich. I looked over at Jens and his face registered his own bliss. My husband ordered a filet of beef that came with a little cup full of coarse salt and a side salad. That too was wonderful. Wes, my youngest, who had been afraid to order anything, happily savored as much of his dad's steak as he could get. The service was impeccable. The chef and owner came to our table and chatted with us. We left that night full and content.

We were so happy with La Griglia that we broke with our plan and went back for one more visit on our last night in Verona. The chef recognized us right away and treated us like visiting family. Jens and I couldn't resist ordering the exact same dishes. They were just that good. Wes got his own steak this time and cleaned his plate. We paced ourselves and saved room for desert and espresso. After we had already paid the bill and were saying our goodbyes, the chef insisted we try some of his homemade limoncello. It was amazing and my cheeks became warm and tingly from the intensity of it.

La Griglia is exactly the sort of restaurant we had hoped to find. The food was exceptional and the atmosphere warm and intimate. It was the ultimate Italian dining experience. If you are ever in Verona and in search of a truly sublime meal, I wholeheartedly recommend La Griglia.

Verona!

2011-06-19T02:11:00.000-07:00

After Germany, we traveled on to Verona, Italy. My oldest son is a lover of all things pasta, so we just had to try out some real Italian cooking. We chose Verona as it is a northern city and my hope was that it would have some charm.

Verona did not disappoint and as you can see, I found many gorgeous sights at which to aim my lens. I know it's a lot to take in, but if you click on individual pictures, you should be able to view a larger image. I'll walk through them briefly from left to right and top to bottom.

The first picture is from our first morning in Verona. We headed downtown under the arches to the Piazza Bra when the ancient Roman arena stands. Then we traveled on to the downtown market which is where the next three images were taken. After lunch we walked around this 14th century castle. The 4th through the 14th pictures are all taken from the castle. The castle bridge provided wonderful views of downtown Verona through which the Adige river winds. We were also able to climb to greater heights which gave me some almost aerial shots.

The next day we walked all the way through the downtown to another point where the Adige river runs. Standing on one of the bridges gave me another gorgeous view of the surrounding city. I was taken by surprise by a collection of locks and keys that were hanging from a string crossing the river close to my spot on the bridge. I thought perhaps they represented sweethearts and a little research on my computer later confirmed this to be true.

Of course the architecture in Verona is stunning as well. I particularly like the building where two different shades of brick create stripes. I also had to have a peek at the famed balcony of Juliet Capulet. I was thrilled to capture a picture of the bronze statue of Juliet without it being surrounded by tourists. That's no easy task, let me tell you!

The last three pictures are actually of stage props. It's the beginning of opera season at the Arena. It was so cool to see the trucks pull up carrying enormous sets for the different operas being performed this summer. The Egyptian themes are for Aida and those fantastic roses with the Arena in the background are for The Barber of Seville.

Oh, and if you're wondering if we found some good Italian food, we sure did! As a matter of fact, our little family now has a favorite restaurant in Verona. I'll tell you more about it in my next post. It was so wonderful, I want it to have a post all it's own!