The Knitter's Life List

Hello!

I have had the pleasure to experience a most pleasing day today.  We invited a recently widowed friend for lunch and spent hours visiting and dining on all the appetizing food...our friend brought her homemade chocolate pecan Bourbon pie for dessert!  Yuuummmmm!!!  We have some of the leftovers to nibble on tonight...it will be a great late night snack.  Then we attended a meeting at our Artists' Cooperative this evening before coming home to get some work done.  I am pretty sure that I will not get any felting done tonight which is a bit of a disappointment, but who knows maybe after I post my blog I'll get yet another second wind and felt. 

This evening I would like to introduce you to a splendid book that I received from one of my sister's for a Christmas gift.  The Knitter's Life List by Gwen W. Steege is jam-packed with tidbits of taste just like our lunch!  Gwen (I am sure she would want to be called by her first name) has put a little bit of this and a little bit of that into each chapter so that as one reviewer wrote: "It is like a smorgassboard!"  She has covered a huge amount of the fiber world and grouped them into five catagories...

1001 Inspirations
122 Techniques and Tips to Learn
69 Styles and Traditions to Explore
33 Yarn Fibers to Try
64 Personalities to Meet

I find it a wonderful book to pick up when I have a few moments to spare and read.  The quick reading sections are snippets of fun-filled information that inspires me to get up and try something new.  There are no patterns in the entire book...rather she provides lists of all the information you need to access resources on the Internet, in the community and at your local yarn store.  Hope you can locate a copy and check it out!  Library...bookstore...friend...

You can buy it at Amazon for around $16. 
http://www.amazon.com/Knitters-Life-List-Know-Explore/dp/1603429964

Enjoy!
Janet

New Merino Felted Bag

Good Evening!

I guess I can say honestly that I don't really ever make New Year Resolutions...but this is a goal I have (had) that I hope to be able to accomplish...My hope is to felt something every day.  This is going to be a challenge believe me...it seems there are always life's little emergencies that interrupt my carefully laid plans.  Still I am off to an okay start.  I figure if I can put a star on my calender most days then I am fairly successful.  I wet felted on the first and second...needle felted on the third and wet felted again on the fourth (today).  We'll  see how long I can keep it up.  We have to go to Seattle next Thursday and Friday so that is going to be a hurdle to get over...maybe needle felting???

I told you last night that I had a new bag to show you...and I do!  It is so lovely!!!  Just remember that my photos are quick snaps done with my phone so I don't get the quality shots I need to show details well.  This little cutie is made from natural merino.  It has a drawstring with sterling silver caps at the ends.  The strap is also merino and I attached it inside the edge of the bag so the bag stayed fluted when being used.  When I attached the strap I used pearls, crystals, sequins and such to add some hidden sparkle so that the owner of this bag will get that little thrill of seeing these things each time she opens her bag.  Lastly, I felted a red heart and put it on a string of crystals, pearls and rhinestones. I also added sparkle fiber to the bag itself as I was felting it so that is even more pizazz.  Hope you enjoy it and can see most of this in the photos!

Goodnight,
Janet

Ya Just Never Know

Well Saturday's Sale at the Jacklin Arts & Cultural Center was quite pleasant.  This was the first sale in recent times.  There were just five artist/vendors.  And multiple singing groups!  The sound was outstanding!!!  The Jacklin is comprised of two old church buildings that have been moved to this location and joined together.  We were set up in one half and the signers were in the main 'chapel' of the other half... and the resonance was something to behold.

As far as our sale went it was a mixed deal, but with future sales planned, the Center's director hopes to build up the number of artists as well as the number of customers.  What was so interesting was who my customers were...well who one of them was...a 10 year old boy from one of the choirs was fascinated with my needle felted Treasure Pockets and talked it up to his parents enough that his father returned to buy it for him for Christmas.  Amazing :)... but who knows...maybe he is a future fashion designer in the making!  I can still picture the way his face lit up when he saw them, touched one and told his mother about it...really warms me to think of it. 

I said it was a mixed deal...well that is because I spent more than I sold!  One of the vendors had alpaca sweaters and jackets on sale for a really, really good price and I couldn't pass them up so in between customers I did some Christmas shopping as well as getting one for myself.  All and all a very nice way to spend the day.

New Blue Bliss Handbag

These two items will be on their way to Blue flag Handweaving Studio in Sandpoint, Idaho on Friday.  See them in person!
http://www.blueflagweaving.com/

Darn!  This new method only worked once! Ugh!  Well maybe the slideshow will fix itself and be there for you to see.

Colors and Textures



Fall Colors on our Tree

 Felting is all about interpreting colors and textures and so I am constantly noticing them. Today while walking my dog home I found time to snap a quick (somewhat grainy) photo of the beautiful tree in our backyard that has turned a bright crimson red.

And while working at the Bead Stampede yesterday I found all the patterns of the stones catching my attention. Shapes too make their way into my brain.



Beginning of a felt flower



I was looking back at some of my earlier handbags tonight and I have a few photos of those to post for you.  I was needle felting my bags first and then wet felting them to add durability. I made a series of these bags with an unusual shape and interesting opening.  The summer and autumn colors making their appearance again! 



Flower Felted to a Bag Flap



I call this bag my "Sunflower Bag". 

It is sold and hopefully living a happy life in another place. Tomorrow I will show you some of my newer work reflecting fall colors, stones and texture in the form of a capelet...stay tuned!

Janet