Fiber Arts Friday - 2011 in Review

WOW!  2011 is almost over.  It's hard to believe.  As of Wednesday, I can truly say that I managed to Crochet, Knit, Felt and Weave while sneaking in a bit of sewing (of seams and buttons) into the year.  I wanted to share the Fiber Arts creations that I have made throughout the year.  I have really grown as a Fiber Artist and have truly found a passion for the various art forms.

Yes!  I have officially learned how to crochet.  My co-workers started to teach me during lunch and I am quite pleased with the results of two days work.  I intend to explore this craft more during the new year.

Now I am going to share a few collages of everything I created during 2011.  Well...almost everything.  I couldn't believe how much I made and this doesn't even include all of the yarn I spun or batts I created.  Yikes!

2011 truly was a year of being Positive, Productive and full of wonderful Possibility.  I can't wait to see what 2012 brings.  Now, share your Fiber Arts Adventures and have a very Happy New Year!

Fiber Arts Friday ! 

To participate:

1. Submit your blog article using your current blog address NOT your complete blog  i.e. you would submit 

http://wonderwhyalpacafarm.blogspot.com/2010/02/e-i-e-i-doh.html  

NOT 

http://wonderwhyalpacafarm.blogspot.com

 Link back to Fiber Arts Friday from your post so that your readers can come and see everyone else’s projects! Text link to  WISDOM BEGINS IN WONDER!   

1. Visit as many of the other participants as possible and leave comments! That’s what helps us all connect!

Check out these wonderful blogs

Fiber Arts Gifts

On Christmas Eve, the mailman visited the farm with a few unexpected packages for me.  It was like Christmas morning for me as I tore open my gifts.  I received a very special and unexpected gift from Denise who write the Voie de Vie Blog.  On Fiber Arts Friday, she had posted about her new napkin ring design and I ended up being the recipient of her first rings.  They are simply beautiful and now I am compelled to weave some gorgeous napkins to go in them.  She also made me a beautiful star using some scrap yarn leftover from another project that came from yarn from my farm.  Serious, Pasture to Product to Awesome and Back.  Thank you Denise for the special treat.

I also received a wonderful package from Karin who writes the vrouw hommel blog.  We were both part of an ornament swap through Natural Suburbia blog hosted by Linda.  Her little figures she made me are simply precious.  I have also been enjoying her blog and her creativity.  Thank you.



Finally, I won a contest over at Sheri's blog, Handmade by Sheri ,  and the package arrived.  I got enough New Zealand wool to knit a shawl out of a pattern she wrote.  I am currently looking for my larger circs so I can start knitting this shawl.  Thank you.

Christmas Cheer!

May your day be blessed with family, friends and all creatures great and small.

Merry Christmas!

Fiber Arts Friday - Santariffic

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!  Knitting, Spinning, Weaving, Felting, Crochet...what type of Fiber Arts gifts are you giving this Christmas?  Have you finished?  Have you already given your gifts?  Whew!  I must admit that mine are done!  Yes, done.  I have given pretty much all of them that I wanted to give and the last ones will be given this weekend.


First, I finished the Shelter Socks aka The Damn Socks!  Dear Carolyn, a wonderful nurse that I work with, was the recipient of these socks.  My second pair of socks ever and I gave them to a sassy lady who is a giver.  She is one of the sweetest people I have ever met and I gave them to her at 12:55pm yesterday.  How do I know the time?  Because I finished weaving in the ends at 12:55pm and spent the next five minutes watching her put them on along with the rest of my co-workers before we had to go back to work.  She spent most of the afternoon in her new socks without shoes enjoying the feel of hand knit socks that I made.  Two weeks late for her birthday but two days early for Christmas, her dual gift was well received.  She asked that I only post photos of her happy feet and not her smiling face so...I granted that wish although her smile was worth a million gifts to me.

Next, I made a wine bottle cozy for another amazing person that I work with.  I had some sparkly handspun Alpaca yarn that I just didn't know what to do with.  Every pattern I considered was tossed aside when I thought about this cozy.  It was perfect.  I coupled it with a MADE IN MICHIGAN Wine because I'm all about supporting local.  The best part about making these gifts is that they were truly appreciated.  I have made some gifts where I feel that the recipient just didn't appreciate the hard work that I put in to the project.  I know, I know...it shouldn't bother me but it does!  Seriously, a nice thank you then never wear the gift really hurts.  I know as we start giving the gifts that we labored over, that fear stays with us, even in the back parts of our mind.  I am glad to know that my work will be enjoyed by these two people.

Wishing all of my Fiber Arts Friends the Merriest of Christmas and Holiday Cheer.  Thank you for being here at Fiber Arts Friday and making this such a fun part of the week.  Now...share your adventures in Fiber Arts!
Fiber Arts Friday ! 

To participate:

1. Submit your blog article using your current blog address NOT your complete blog  i.e. you would submit 

http://wonderwhyalpacafarm.blogspot.com/2010/02/e-i-e-i-doh.html  

NOT 

http://wonderwhyalpacafarm.blogspot.com

 Link back to Fiber Arts Friday from your post so that your readers can come and see everyone else’s projects! Text link to  WISDOM BEGINS IN WONDER!   

1. Visit as many of the other participants as possible and leave comments! That’s what helps us all connect!

Check out these wonderful blogs

Merry Christmas!

It's becoming a tradition that I drag my dear children out in the snow to get the Christmas Card photo each year.  What I neglect to tell them is that I haven't been mailing out cards...I simply post the photos on my blog then add the prints to their scrapbooks.  This year, I actually found a somewhat mild day and two happy bears with a wee bit of sunshine to gather those special photos.  Maybe I will actually send some cards out...

Merry Christmas 2011!

May your holidays be filled with family, friendship and Christmas cheer. 

RIP Sante Fe

I turned in my keys to my Sante Fe yesterday.  It's officially at the junkyard.  The insurance company decided it was better to total it than to fix it.  I'm actually sad to see this vehicle go.  Maybe it's because, for the first time, it wasn't my choice to no longer have the vehicle.  I really wanted them to fix it but it was a 2003 and had over 200,000 miles.  I knew I could get 400,000 out of the SUV though.  The insurance company didn't feel it was worth spending the money the body shop quoted.

Tree that landed on the passenger side of my car

I never did get any good photos of the damage caused at the accident.  I am thankful that Sister Bear and I walked away without a scratch.  My angel up above was definitely looking down on us that day.  I am still paranoid when driving down D Drive S.  Will another tree "fall out of the sky"?  Seriously, how freaky was that?  We were just minding our own business.  I was driving her to school on my way to work and all of a sudden we saw a limb fall and BANG!  My windshield shattered.  I stopped, it was pouring rain, and did the best assessment I could.  It was still dark and I didn't see the damage in full.  The vehicle was ok enough to drive although I couldn't see out of the window but I got it to a safe place.  When the sheriff came to look at it and write up the report for the insurance company, he just shook his head and said it was going to get totalled. I am so thankful that we walked away unharmed.

So...now we need to make a decision about our vehicle situation.  I no longer drive all over the countryside for work, which helps.  Argh!  I'm just still super paranoid about any roads with trees hanging over the road...and now it's snowing.

Fiber Arts Friday - Tis the Season

Welcome to Fiber Arts Friday! 

Tis the week before Christmas or maybe it's two

Knitting and purling until my fingers are blue

Holiday Fiber Arts made to spread Christmas Cheer

Just hoping the projects are made before the New Year

Crafting madness ending in a rush

Of long hours spinning, knitting and such

I vowed I wouldn't do it, I'd give myself more time

But here I am again struggling to knit and rhyme

So I'll end this poem and get back to my knitted rows

Singing Jingle Bells and Let it Snow Let it Snow Let it Snow

Here I am two weeks before Christmas attempting to finish the socks that I started months ago from my friend's birthday which was two weeks ago.  I should be knitting Christmas gifts but I am obsessed with finishing this particular gift.  I took a break from knitting these when Nerd Wars began because part of the challenges required that the projects be brand new.  Well, for Round three we have one challenge where we can finish a WIP so here I am spending half my month knitting the damn socks.  I told my friend that's what they are now called and she just giggled.  She tried one of the socks on today and it fits. Good thing since I am finally at the toe decrease on sock two.  Remind me never to knit socks as a gift on size one needles until I am much more confident in sock knitting and small needles.  I have totally enjoyed these socks but I am so ready for them to end.

I have also been working on a shawl for a friend.  He wants it for his wife and I thought it was just about done...but I need to sew a bit.  It's a nuno felted shawl that just needs some cleaning up on the silk.  Now...knowing that I don't like to sew should be a big hint that I am totally ready for this project to end too.  I loved the whole felting part of the process but not the sewing part.  I listed to Water for Elephants on Audio while felting.  Awesome book!  I am now ready to see the movie. 

Finally,  one of my woven cowls is up for an award in Nerd Wars for the Nerd Culture catagory.  I am currently in second place and would love some more votes.  Stop by the VOTING THREAD and vote for me plus check out some other amazing projects.  Voting ends today.

That's been my Fiber Arts Week.  Knitting and Nuno-Felting. I hope to get my new loom warped this weekend.  I am also renting the wool picker from the guild this weekend so I can see how I like picking my Alpaca fiber.  I have tons of fiber already washed and ready so having some days off of work during the holidays will allow me some experimenting time. Don't worry,  I will totally share that adventure too.    I'm leaving you with Munchkin sleeping in his Santa costume.  I think he was snoring, "Happy Ho Ho Ho to you!"  Now...share your adventures in Fiber Arts!
Fiber Arts Friday ! 

To participate:

1. Submit your blog article using your current blog address NOT your complete blog  i.e. you would submit 

http://wonderwhyalpacafarm.blogspot.com/2010/02/e-i-e-i-doh.html  

NOT 

http://wonderwhyalpacafarm.blogspot.com

 Link back to Fiber Arts Friday from your post so that your readers can come and see everyone else’s projects! Text link to  WISDOM BEGINS IN WONDER!   

1. Visit as many of the other participants as possible and leave comments! That’s what helps us all connect!

Check out these wonderful blogs

Fiber Arts Friday - Holiday Weaving

Welcome to Fiber Arts Friday!  Knitting, Spinning, Weaving, Crochet, Felting, Sewing...they all are a part of the wonderful adventures we share each week.  I am in a weaving mindset right now so I am going to share with you  a couple of creations I have made for the Buy Local Art Fair tomorrow.  I am using the same pattern as the one's I've shared before but have used different colorways and a different blend of my yarns.  I am excited to see which ones the customers are drawn to because I enjoy each one in their own way.


On another wonderful note...I have my "big" loom finally.  I have decided to stick with the Rigid Heddle Looms for now because I really enjoy them and I'm not ready for the traditional floor loom.  For some reason I just can't wrap my head around all the parts.  I have purchased a 32" Ashford Rigid Reddle Loom with stand.  SQUEAL!  Isn't it Santariffic?  Of course it is!

Once the sale is over tomorrow I will take the time to warp the loom for a larger project.  Maybe a lap blanket?  Maybe a shawl?  hmmmmm, what do you think?  Now...share your adventures in Fiber Arts.
Fiber Arts Friday ! 

To participate:

1. Submit your blog article using your current blog address NOT your complete blog  i.e. you would submit 

http://wonderwhyalpacafarm.blogspot.com/2010/02/e-i-e-i-doh.html  

NOT 

http://wonderwhyalpacafarm.blogspot.com

 Link back to Fiber Arts Friday from your post so that your readers can come and see everyone else’s projects! Text link to  WISDOM BEGINS IN WONDER!   

1. Visit as many of the other participants as possible and leave comments! That’s what helps us all connect!

Check out these wonderful blogs

Fiber Arts Friday - Buy Local

Welcome to Fiber Arts Friday!  December is here (way too fast) and Christmas is quickly approaching.  While visions of sugar plums dance in many of our friends and family's heads, we fiber artist are busy knitting, spinning, weaving, crocheting, felting and quilting our way into the gift giving season.  Many of us will give only or most only handmade gifts.  Each year my goal is to spread the Wonder of Alpaca and Fiber Arts and get more people to give the gift of handmade.

Even though my children will get some whoseits or whatsits, they will also make and receive gifts made by hand.

"Maybe Christmas", he thought, "doesn't come from a store."
"Maybe Christmas... perhaps... means a little bit more!"

                                         Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Next Saturday, December 10, I will be at my last show of the year.  It's the Buy Local Art Fair at the Kalamazoo Nature Center.  Last year was a great year sharing the day with other local artists and I hope the same for this year.  Melissa from Needle and Wheel Designs will be spending the day with me sharing a booth as we both bring the Wonder of Alpaca and Fiber Arts to the visitors.  We have both been busy making finished goods to sell using our skills in knitting, weaving, spinning along with her beautiful bead work.  I hope that people local to the area will consider these items for gifts instead of visiting a retail store.  Made in the USA, Made in Michigan, Made Local is what I want and hope for.

Well, I know that most of you who are reading this post are busy making your own "local" creations to gift so I know I'm preaching to the choir but I hope you will help spread the word to all those around you to support local artists and businesses.  I wanted to share this scarf I was planning on selling at the show next week but when I took it to work for show and tell a co-worker bought it.  HOORAY!

I do intend on selling this beautiful cowl that I wove though.

and this one

plus this sassy hat using my handspun using a pattern written by my friend Lee from Knitting Is Gluten-Free.

Now...share your adventures in Fiber Arts!
Fiber Arts Friday ! 

To participate:

1. Submit your blog article using your current blog address NOT your complete blog  i.e. you would submit 

http://wonderwhyalpacafarm.blogspot.com/2010/02/e-i-e-i-doh.html  

NOT 

http://wonderwhyalpacafarm.blogspot.com

 Link back to Fiber Arts Friday from your post so that your readers can come and see everyone else’s projects! Text link to  WISDOM BEGINS IN WONDER!   

1. Visit as many of the other participants as possible and leave comments! That’s what helps us all connect!

Check out these wonderful blogs