Denim and Purple Hand Dyed Hemp Roving

It's been a busy week here at Wind Rose! Phew! I still managed to dye a couple more colors of Hemp. On the right we have a lovely Purple and on the left a Denim Blue.

I still have plans to add a few more colors. Drying right now are Black and Black Cherry. I'm also thinking about Tangerine and Cerulean Blue. Then I might take a Hemp breather. Have a great weekend everybody! :D

Spin-Off Magazine Has a New Website

As a fiber enthusiast, I've checked out quite a few publications, but he one I subscribe to is Spin-Off. Of all the different spinning, weaving and even pattern magazines, this is the one I find myself reading from cover to cover. I love the stories they have of farms and their place in the fiber industry. They highlight artists and small businesses including ones I have come to know on Etsy. Perhaps my favorite bit is when they focus on a spinning technique or a special piece of equipment. The magazine is visually beautiful and creatively inspiring.

I was so pleased when I received an email from Spin-off letting me know about their new website. I immediately signed up to be a part of their community. It's a place where spinners can come together and exchange ideas, show their work and be informed. You can meet the creators of Spin-Off and read their blogs. It is an interactive community where you can chat and make friends, share your photos and videos and find out what your piers are working on. I love that it is spinning specific and that you can really learn more about your craft.

So if you are a spinner or if you just love fiber arts, this is a website that I'm sure you will enjoy. You can find me there with my little sheep avatar and my eagerness to learn more about the industry I love!

More Colors of Hand Dyed Hemp Roving

This is my week to dye Hemp! I have two more colors in the shop at Wind Rose. There's a Soft Red and an Avocado Green. Don't they look good together?


Now I just have to decide which two colors to dye today!

April Showers Bring ~Hemp~ Flowers

I've just listed these two new vibrant shades of Hemp Roving. The one on the right is called Marigold and the pink is named Azalea. They can be purchased by the ounce or in a 2oz lot. I'm trying my best to usher in Spring at Wind Rose Fiber Studio!

Can I just say that I'm getting the hang of the whole hemp dyeing thing?! The more experience I gain, the richer the colors become. It's very exciting!

Felted Lantern Necklace Giveaway!

Last weekend I did my first ever Video Crochet Along in which I demonstrated how to make a Felted Lantern Necklace. I had a lot of fun working on video for the first time and I hope it's a pattern that people will enjoy making for themselves.

In the process of making the video, I made several necklaces so I've decided to give one away! The first person who correctly identifies the number of rings I am wearing in the Felted Lantern Video and leaves their answer in a comment on this post will win the necklace. When I see someone has answered correctly, I will announce the winner in a comment along with my gmail account so that you can email your address to me. Simple as that! Careful now, some fingers have more than one ring. :D

Hemp is Here to Stay!

If this picture looks familiar, it's because I used it just a few weeks ago in a post about Dyeing and Spinning Hemp. I concluded that article by saying I wasn't sure if there was a market for hemp or not, but I wanted to find out.

Well I feel like I've gotten my answer. In the past month I've sold close to two pounds of Hand Dyed Hemp. At the moment, I'm just about cleaned out! So the fiber lovers have said "Yes!" to hemp and I couldn't be happier.

After another sale today, I decided I better get busy and dye some more. I have a pound drying outside in the sun right now. By the end of this week, I hope to have my inventory built back up again. Hemp has gone from a fiber that I just started to experiment with last fall to one that has found a permanent home at Wind Rose Fiber Studio!

Video Crochet Along - Felted Lantern Necklace - Completing our Project

Here's one more quick video that shows me actually throwing the Lantern Necklace into the washing machine and the freshly, felted piece coming out. I hope the videos have been fun and helpful. The first time I did this project was with a group of elementary aged girls. The only difference was that we were hand felting that day. It's just so cool to start a project and an hour or so later have something you can wear home!



Try making variations by needle felting designs into the pendant or using one of a kind hand spun yarn. Go crazy with embroidery and beads. The Felted Lantern Necklace can be basic or as outlandish as your imagination allows!

Video Crochet Along - Felted Lantern Necklace

In the light of a new day, I decided to work the pattern from start to finish. It's about a 16 minute video, but you can pause it along the way. This takes you from the very beginning of our project to the finished crocheted piece. The only thing that remains is the felting process. Because I'm a video junky now, I may take a short clip of what the necklace looks like as it comes out of the washing machine, but for the most part, I'll just ''talk" or rather type you through it. I hope you enjoy this project. It's short and sweet and there are so many ways you can put your own stamp on your finished necklace. We'll talk more about that in a little while.



*Important Note: There is one thing I want to change in this video. If anyone starts the project before I get a chance to edit, here is one change - When you finish chaining the neck portion, attach the end of the necklace to the pendant with a slip stitch to the pendant. It looks a little better than sewing the end on. What happens is the side that was sewn on looks a little thin just above the pendant after felting. If you slip stitch it on, the two attached ends of the neck chain look even.

Video Crochet Along - Felted Lantern Necklace - Step 1

OK, I admit it. I'm like a kid with a new toy! I just couldn't resist taking one more video tonight. This one will will get you on your way with Felted Lantern Necklace. The sun is starting to set here in Arizona so I'll continue the pattern tomorrow.

Crochet Along - Felted Lantern Necklace

I honestly don't know what's gotten into me. I was looking through an office drawer and stumbed across the Flip Video Camera my husband bought last year. I think, until now, it has only been used once. LOL! But what better time to break it out than for a crochet along. Truthfully, this is mostly a test video. It's a little blurry which means I'll have to figure that out, but I think it will be nice to use in the future for showing how to do different stitches and techniques. I can also share my projects in various stages and take you with me on field trips. It could be a lot of fun!

Felted Lantern Necklace - Free Crochet Pattern and Weekend Crochet-Along

I just received a nice little note that reminded me of how much I like to interact with other crafters. Sometimes in this online world, I forget how meaningful human contact can be. It's been a while since I've shared a pattern or done a crochet-along, so now about doing both?

Today I'm posting the pattern for this cute Felted Lantern Necklace. I originally designed this pattern for a crochet class I used to teach back in Virginia. I love a pattern where every time you make it, you can put your own spin on the design. These days, with the vast variety of beads and fibers in the marketplace, this pendant can take on so many unique looks.

This weekend I'll go through the pattern step by step in a crochet-along. I'll take pictures of all of my materials and show you the stitches every step of the way. If you've never felted before, this is a great project to introduce you to the fun of machine felting. So dig through that yarn stash and find a little wool and a bead or two and we're off!

Felted Lantern Necklace

Glass Stone Color Key:
Blue – Peace
Green – Happiness
Yellow – Strength
Red – Love

Yarn – Patons Classic Wool (22 feet)
Hook – I or J recommended
Glass Accent Beads – your choice

Beginning (Row 1)
Wrap the tail end of the yarn clockwise around the first two fingers of your left hand one time making sure to leave 10 inches in the length of the tail. Insert hook under first strand, hook the back strand and draw it up. Holding the loop you just made in place, ch 1. Then make 3 sc in loop. Pull the tail end of yarn to draw the loop to a close
Row 2: (working in the round) 2 sc in each of the three sc from beginning row 1. (equals 6 sc)
Row 3: 2 sc in each of the 6 sc from row 2 (equals 12 sc)
Row 4: sc in each st around (equals 12 sc)
Row 5: *dec over next 2 sc* 6 times
*Now choose a glass stone and insert it inside your pouch
Finish pouch by continuing to dec over next two sts until the pouch is completely closed. It should have a nautilus or sea shell shape.

Neck Chain
Continuing with same yarn, chain a length long enough so that when held to the beginning of the chain, it slips easily over your head. (Remember that it will shrink when felted, so be sure to allow a few extra inches.) Then join with a sl st to the top of the pouch. Be sure there is no twist in your chain. Finish off and weave in end securely.



Accent Beads
Using a large eye needle, thread the tail strand of yarn first through a larger bead, then through a smaller one. Thread the yarn back up through the larger bead and use a sewing knot to secure it to the bottom of your pouch. Finish off by weaving in the remaining tail securely and cutting off any excess yarn.



Hand Felting

Fill a large bowl or a sink with water as hot as you can tolerate. Submerge your necklace until it is wet through and then use dish or hand soap and lather it up. At first the yarn will stretch, so be careful not to let the stone fall out. Rinse off the necklace by agitating it in the water. Continue to soap and rinse until your necklace becomes the size you desire. While it is wet, it can be molded and shaped to your liking. Check the neck chain to be sure it’s not getting too short. It can be stretched out some while it is still wet. Blot dry without creasing the fibers.

Machine Felting
Start with a tablespoon of laundry soap, your lowest water setting and a hot wash cycle. About five minutes after agitation begins, check the status of your item. It will actually have gotten larger, as it will have relaxed in the heat of the water. This is perfectly normal. Back into the wash for another 5-10 minutes and you can then stop the agitation and see how it's coming along. Now is when you can pull it back into shape if it's twisted, or you can separate pieces that are sticking together and shouldn't be. Keep checking at 5-10 minute intervals until you have reached the desired size, which may take multiple wash cycles [do not run the entire machine cycle, but just rerun the wash portion]. Once it starts to felt down, it can shrink up pretty fast. You should start checking it more frequently to be on the safe side. If your item is resisting felting or stops shrinking before you'd like it to, remove it from the washer, wring it out, and a quick plunge into an ice water bath and back into the tub will work wonders. Adding a pair of old jeans or a pillow case for added agitation helps speed the process along. Never use a towel or your felted item will lint. It is very important to remove your item before the machine begins to drain and especially before the spin cycle. If left to spin, the felt can crease and those creases will never come out. Rinse off in a sink to remove excess soap. Lay flat on a towel to dry or block pieces like hats over an appropriately sized bowl.

Related Post: The Felted Lantern Necklace ~ Companion Video

Organizing My Yarn Stash

I have a yarn stash. A really, really big yarn stash! About 12 years ago, when I was expecting baby number one, I got back into working with yarn. I learned how to crochet when I was around 10, but my main hobby in my later teens and 20's was volunteering. Volunteering has many rewards and one of the great side benefits is that there is no accumulation of stuff.

Then came love, marriage and a baby carriage. This meant I could no longer run all over DC any time of the day or night collecting food, working in shelters and driving teenagers safely home to SE at all hours. Well maybe I could have, but it would have been much more difficult and those maternal instincts to nest and protect were freakishly strong in me. So when I found myself heading into my third trimester and feeling my energy draining, I remembered that I knew how to crochet. By the time my first son arrived, he had a collection of booties, caps, sweaters and little shirts. It would have been even better if he were not born on May 22.

So now my baby's almost 12 years old and I have 12 years worth of yarn surplus. It's probably bigger than a normal person's collection because a couple years after my second son was born, I started weaving and felting in addition to the crochet and doing local craft shows. I was creating a pretty significant inventory. Now with Wind Rose Fiber Studio, my focus has shifted again to fiber supplies and hand dyed roving as well as spinning my own yarn. One of my goals for the future is to only work with handspun, but I just can't waste my existing supply.

One solution I've embraced is the creation of Craft Fiber Collections like this one in Brown Tones. I've done enough scrapbooking and stamping to know how handy and fun an eclectic set of fibers can be. Still, I don't want to just trade one stash for another.

So yesterday when I was doing some tidying in my studio, I got an idea. I am going to start making squares. I am going to turn all of my commercial yarn into 4" squares; all kinds of squares. Maybe if I get tired of squares, I'll make circles too. The idea is that they will then be ready made building blocks for other projects. When you think about it, there are endless possibilities starting out with just a square. You can make purses, scarves, shawls, blankets, sweaters, hats and even my muk luk boots are designed using squares. The squares will also be compact and easy to store. I think it will be fun to try to figure out new ways to use the classic square.