Where for art thou Spring?

OK, so I know it's only Feb. 18, and here in the Buffalo area, we really aren't going to see real Spring for a few more weeks (ehm . . . a month), but the weather is teasing me today, and I can't help but let my mind drift to sunshine and daffodils. It's blowing hard, trying to drizzle, and is a balmy 56 degrees! Oh happy day!!

My plans for the day include dyeing a beautiful bfl fleece and re-photographing quite a few products, but the electricity is starting to flicker, so we'll see what actually gets accomplished.

I had so much fun spinning this week. I spun up some Corriedale-cross roving that I had in the shop, and will be dyeing more of today. The spin was fast, fun and completely enjoyable--I love spinning medium fine wool!! The finished yarn is fluffy, springy, bulky and squishy. I can see it becoming a little boy's vest. I have a nephew who's first birthday is coming up, if it doesn't sell, it just may become a vest after all!

I had fun photographing this, so bear with me!

Last one!

I'm also on basement water patrol. I soooo hope the electricity holds today!

It's Fiber Arts Friday, so head over to Wonder Why Alpacas and see what other fiber bloggers are up to!

Fiber Crazy Yesterday! and New Tutorial!

Oh yesterday was a good day. I washed half a Shetland fleece, I dyed two pounds of Romney in beautiful fall colors, and I finally got around to writing up the dyeing with kids tutorial! Busy day!

Here's the tutorial: Dyeing with Kids

Results from Dyeing with Hannah! Ooohh . . . Aaaahh

I'll have pictures up soon of my new colors to play with. But right now I have to get ready for a spinning play date!

Little Project Notes

I know I promised a tutorial on kid-friendly dyeing, but I just needed to get these pics out there. The tutorial will be posted later today. Check back!

I'm working on a project for my new blog and Etsy banners. I want to have roving flow into yarn and that flow into some knitting. All with my soon-to-be-revealed new logo over it.

In preparation for this, I've started working on some blends of green and natural corriedale wool. Here's a glamor shot of a finished ball of yarn:

Hand spun Corriedale yarnAnd I loved this setting for the picture so much that I think I may change over most of my pictures on Etsy. I re-did my handspun already:

Hand spun "Corriedale Expresso"Maybe not as professional as a light box, but I love the warm feeling it gives. The wooden stand it's on is my antique yarn skeiner that my in-laws got me for my birthday. Awesome, isn't it?! I may pull out my antique washboard as well for some pics.

I've also been working to change all my inventory over to farm-friendly stock. All new wool that comes into my shop will be from small farms across America that I've hand scoured, hand dyed, hand picked and hand carded. My hands are tired! Stay tuned for info on the fleeces I process and the resulting items that go into my shop.