Busy Saterday

I had a wonderful day! It started with an open house at Calvins Goat Milk Products. That is where I bought the emu eggs pictured above. It is located near Chokio, MN. Kathy Krier, the woman behind the magic, uses the eggs to create art. She had some for sale. I bought one. Then I decided that if I was going to use them to set in my living room I should have more. Of course, you can't set out two, so I bought three! I am not as brave as Kathy, so I don't plan to carve them. Kathy explained that emu eggs have a seven layer shell. They start a beautiful Jade color. Each successive layer is lighter than the previous layer until the inside layer is white. A good carver can use that in creating something special.

Kathy also makes a large selection of goat milk soaps and lotions. They are beautifully scented and wonderful to use. I bought a Lavender Forest lotion, a Winter Scent bath bomb, a Mullberry Moss soap and for my husband, I bought a beer soap! Her sons, Calvin and Collin, were busy treating visitors to Bath Bomb Foot Soaks! The 'bombs' were as much fun to watch as they were relaxing to experience!

Kathy also raises alpacas and emus. She processes her alpaca by hand at the farm and spins it. She had yarn and finished items for sale as well.

There was a great turn out for her open house. She had gone to a lot of work to set it up and it showed. Lots of interesting people were there to visit with as well. It was a fun morning and everyone had a great time.

I got home a little past noon and got busy setting up for the Fair Isle knitting class that I was hosting that started at 1pm. The class will meet for 4 Saterdays. We are knitting cowls with an original pattern. Everyone did well today!

Keeping Busy

Arachne Yarns and More is gearing up for the first two classes of the year! There are two new knitting classes starting on January 17. Knitting 101 is for beginners. We will focus on casting on, knitting, purling, and binding off. The Fair Isle Knitting class is for the more experienced knitters. I finally finished the pattern, charts and hand outs for the Fair Isle class. We will be making a really pretty cowl. The pattern will be posted after the class is completed. All the supplies are here and waiting.

There are some exciting events coming up. First, on Wed, the 14 there is a breakfast scheduled at the Inadvertent Cafe in Clinton, MN. It is a gathering of fiber people, producers, processers, and artists in Big Stone County. Sort of a farm to market group. It will be wonderful to meet with all these people in one place. There is a wealth of product and knowledge here and it is finally coming together! I am so excited to be part of it.

There is a Roc Day celebration tomorrow, Jan. 10, in Groton, SD. It will be fun to see all the things people are working on. I love to check out the different types of wheels nd spinning techniques. I come away from this type of event totally recharged and full of new ideas! Roads are not nice, but I am going anyway! I think it is really important to keep in touch with people involved in the same craft. It helps keep the creative juices flowing.

Roc Day is an old tradition. Roc Day, or  Distaff Day, is actually January 7. It is the day after the feast of the Epiphany when the men and women returned to work. It is named after the rock or distaff used by the women in there spinning.

 

Meanwhile, here, the weather is typical January. Temps are often below zero. Wind chills are in the 20-30 below, and the snow is either falling or blowing. The highways are treacherous. I am thankful that I have a warm house, a warm dog, a spinning wheel and a house full of roving! I will never be idle or bored! Better still, when the spring thaw comes, I will have a whole bunch of beautiful yarn to play with! There is always a silver lining...you just need to find it. Hope you find yours!

Happy New Year

Happy New Year! I greeted the new year quietly, non-alcoholically, sitting by the light of the Christmas tree and reviewing what was good last year and what could be better. All in all, it was a good year. Arachne Yarns did well. Lots of sales, new people, new directions and new products.

This time of the year, I try to reflect on the old and decide what I want to focus on for the coming year. For myself, I plan to explore my spirituality more deeply. To celebrate the new year I bought myself several new books to use as guides in that endeavore. There is a wonder to this life. I feel that all things are connected. Perhaps this is where creativity is born. It seems that exploring those connections opens my mind to new, creative ideas.

Plans for Arachne Yarns includes more classes. I have two knitting classes scheduled for January and February. I plan to do a needle felting class in March. This summer I am working on natural dyeing classes including finding the dyestuffs. Lots of people have asked about this and I think it will be lots of fun! Watch the Arachne Yarns Facebook page for class details an sign-up information.

                                                                  Happy New Year! 

Oooh, the Possibilities!

I have been having a lot of fun lately with my wool and felting needles. I have become a little obsessed with this lately. It is a lot of fun, and very forgiving! If you make a mistake, just tear it off and do it over. It doesn't take much wool and is very relaxing. The possibilities are endless. Just check out Pinterest.
There are so many really remarkable examples and ideas there. It is unbelievable what some people can create!

So far, Arachne Yarns and More has presented two classes on Needle Felting. Both have been well received and I have requests for more! One student went home and went a little crazy! she came back for more wool and needles. I asked her to bring some of her work with her. I was totally amazed. She has really been busy! I can't believe how good her work is in such a short time!.

Speaking of classes, I have been working on the schedule for next year. In January and February, I will be presenting two knitting classes. A lot of people have asked for a class on Fair Isle knitting so that will be one of them. The other will be a class on basic beginning knitting. They will both be held here in Clinton, MN so if you are in area and interested, check the Arachne Yarns Facebook page for information and registration.

I am also planning on more knitting and felting classes next spring. As we get into warmer weather and plants start to grow up here in the frozen north, I am also planning some Dye classes. Classes will include gathering dye stuff from the local landscape and preparing the fibers. I am looking forward to these classes. I have had a lot of requests for them and I think they will be a lot of fun.

I hope you can join in the fun. If you can't or are not in the area, follow along with the us on the blog. I will be hopefully showing more of the classes as well as new ideas and information.

Needle Felting Class

Arachne Yarns and More hosted the second needle felting class yesterday. Everyone had a lot of fun! It is amazing what was created by first time felters!

Participants learned how to form and felt a firm body and wrap that with colored wool. We then added the faces and created the nose and cheeks. Noses were especially fun... As the picture shows, each gnome has its own distinct personality. We then added the hats, beards, mustaches and hair. Each gnome then got a bell in his cap and a hanging string.

All those who attended the class went home with a set of felting needles, a foam felting pad, a rolling stick and a completed gnome. Several participants were already talking about their next projects. We discussed some good supply resources and some of my favorite needle felting web sites.

I decided that it was time to start scheduling classes for next year. So far, January's classes will be on Fair Isle knitting. February's will be on Two at a Time Toe Up Socks. Since Easter is so early this year, we will be needle felting bunnies and Easter goodies in March. Watch the Arachne Yarns Facebook page for more information on classes. I have lots of fun ideas. Your suggestions And comments are always welcome. You can leave them in the comments on this page, or you can put them on the Facebook page.

This is the last post before the Holidays.  I wish you all a warm wonderful time with family and friends. Also, the very best wishes for the coming year!