Funkyewe

I traded my nuts for this?

2007-03-16T16:10:00.000-07:00

Okaaaay...I traded my nuts for this sweater. And it's darn cute, doncha think?

This picture is from the fun folks over at the amazingly irony free www.cuteoverload.com . Mosy on over there and have a rib-tickling time.

I wonder if I can get a pattern? I'd trade my nuts for it too...(not that kind folks!!)

What's new with ewe?

2007-03-12T12:48:00.000-07:00

It's Spring! Here it is the end of another winter in Alberta, Canada. The snow is FINALLY starting to melt and little creeks are running all over the farm, mostly in the driveway. We are so optimisitic that summer is coming that even my daughter is convinced that she is goin' fishin' with her little Dora rod in the driveway creeks :o

After a rather dreary white (and grey) winter, I can think of nothing but COLORS! Colors of new flowers and dye plants in the garden, colors of dyed fibers from the dye pots (wowee on this one!), and putting these fibers through the carder and onto the spinning wheel. Then there's the shearing on the fleeces coming up...yum, more fibery goodness! Better than chocolate some days!

That's what's up with this gal...what's new with ewe?

My new eBay store is open!

2007-02-07T09:05:00.000-08:00

I am excited about my new eBay store called Funkyewe Fun Fibers. You can click on this link to have a peek http://stores.ebay.ca/Funkyewe-Fun-Fibers . I have sold some items and alpaca rovings in my first week! It has taken a while to get set up, taking pictures of the sale items, getting my fibers weighed and bagged and ready to go. I haven't done as much spinning as I thought I would since Christmas...oh well...onwards I go!

I did tell my fiber babies that their fleeces were selling very well, but as you can see in the picture above, they didn't seem too concerned about it. I think they had their heads into something else. Typical as usual.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

2006-12-26T17:17:00.000-08:00

I know it has been a while since I posted here...it is easy to get distracted when so many other "just as important" situations demand my time and energy, which to say I have had very little of either this past month. So perhaps this little leave of absence will bring more ideas and pictures in the new year. I will be refreshed by Jan 11, 2007 when I return from exciting Disneyland, California, serene Arizona and hopefully a wee visit to the warm Sea of Cortez in the Baja Mexico. I promise I will take pictures of the local animals and well as the folks that tend to them. By the way, hubby and the kids are coming too! ;)

Until then, my fibery friends, have a wonderful holiday! See you in the New Year,
Andrea

3 Patterns in the snow

2006-11-28T15:23:00.000-08:00

I woke up to the complex and beautiful patterns

in the blue white of the early morning.

The top two photos remind me of the ever shifting desert sands.

Jack Frost was making his presence on the windows

with lovely crystals once again.

I do like the last picture of the snow angel...

I wonder who made it? ;)

Fence patterns

2006-11-19T12:25:00.000-08:00

Lichens on a weatherbeaten fence

Orange-browns, grey-greens and whites

Circles and lines on old rusty pea fencing

against a blue-white sky

Straw and Shadows

2006-11-17T17:02:00.000-08:00

Sunrise on straw bales remind me of

knits and purls on a scarf...

or is it just my imagination?

This is my shadow on straw...

it would be too scary to see my face

without a cuppa coffee in my hand ;)

A new Blog!

2006-10-30T12:14:00.001-08:00

It has been on my mind, for some time, to start up another blog pertaining to living on the Alberta prairies, farm and nature wise, and using this current blog just for my fibery artistic endeavors and fiber information only.

I think many issues will overlap, as life often does. It will be difficult to define the boundaries between certain ongoings around me, but blogging is meant for enjoyment and I am not going to kill myself over being too particular. So here goes...

Join and explore the prairies with me at http://undertheprairieskies.blogspot.com

For those of you who live in Alberta or have visited here, let me know of any grand places you have seen or of any articles of interest relating to prairie living, farming, nature, etc. I have included a couple of wonderful Alberta nature sites on my links section. There are some good photos on those sites.

Who ordered more SNOW?

2006-10-28T12:04:00.000-07:00

Okay, who ordered more SNOW? I did not expect to wake up to more white and blue after seeing those glorious sunrise colors the morning before. All I could do was growl and hide back under the covers for a wee bit. Then I had to take a picture to show all you warm climate folks what we have to put up with in Alberta. There is a saying in Alberta, "If you don't like the weather, wait a few minutes".

But I will be optimistic...the pictures do look hauntingly beautiful, cool and still. I do like to stand under the trees and let the snow gently (some of the time) fall on my head. The kid inside me never dies.

I'll see what tomorrow brings...

Did someone order more color?

2006-10-28T11:47:00.001-07:00

Two mornings ago, I woke up in time to see the morning sky on fire. It was as if God had taken a huge paintbrush and deliberately painted these colors to remind us that He is still around. A lovely wake-up call I might add. Mesmerized and lost in time by the quiet song of the glowing spreading golds,oranges, reds and purples until the sun popped up a few minutes later, I almost forgot to wake up the kids in time for school!

I think we can all use a little more color in our mornings...thank you God!

Sheep biker..or biker sheep?

2006-10-26T13:18:00.000-07:00

I couldn't resist this picture...I burst out laughing as it appears that the sheep was enjoying the ride on the motorcycle! This sheep decided it was better than walking all the way. I wonder if it high-fived its companions when it arrived back home...

Musk-Ox fighting on video

2006-10-19T12:25:00.000-07:00

What a majestic creature, is he not? How would you like to see two of these ice-age survivors fighting? Just click on this link to see a videotape of these endangered and precious qiviut supplying creatures in Greenland : http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6934715111181031045

Did you know that Musk-Ox (Ovibos muschatus) are a ruminant animal of the subfamily Caprinae which also include sheep, goats and oxen? The Musk-ox are intermediate between the oxen and sheep... come to think of it, they do look like a bit of both.

Mommy, we found kittens!

2006-10-16T12:13:00.000-07:00

Take a closer look girls...these are NOT your normal kitties! Black with a white stripe and very fluffy tails? Very cute baby skunks they are...better back off in case momma's around nearby.

A friend sent this picture to me for a laugh. The girls had never seen skunks before and just thought they were the cutest little kitties they had ever seen. Upon realizing what they were, my friend snapped this picture and quietly explained to the girls not to handle these "cute kitties". A very wise decision, otherwise a very SMELLY decision.

Fallen Leaves

2006-10-12T10:50:00.000-07:00

This one of the few precious moments I have with my kids during autumn. I actually got them out of the house (and off the computer) to rake up our leaves and make a jump pile. My twin boys decided to have a leaf fight...what boys don't like to have a mock battle? So I ran into the house, grabbed the camera, and snapped a few pictures with leaves falling all around me.

Reminds me of my mock battles with my little brother every fall as Dad would would rake up the neat little piles and when he wasn't looking, we would jump into them and throw the leaves around. Nothing like leaves in your hair and down the back of your shirt with Mother yelling at us for leaving leaf tracks in the house... remember those days?

Thanksgiving Day Bale Fire

2006-10-10T14:22:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, rural life on the prairies isn't without perils. This fire started Monday afternoon, Oct 9th on Thanksgiving Day, at a nearby Linden, Alberta farm. I had looked outside the window to see spiraling billows of black smoke coming from near our old farm over the hill. The phone rang...it was my husband's sister calling for him to get over there quick and help out. The farm/feedlot belonged to her husband's family and their huge straw bale stack had caught on fire from sparks blown from their still smoldering garbage pit. The wind had been brisk that afternoon.

About 100 people, 4 water trucks, 3 fire engines, and a dozen farmers drove their bale tractors over to help salvage some of the bales before the fire consumed everything, but the wind had blown the fire very quickly from one end to the other and only 50 of the 2000 bales were saved. The rest of that year's work was gone... all $40,000 worth up in smoke. No-one was hurt, no barns or houses burnt down...that was the good news.

My young 11 year old son, Jamie, had brought his digital camera along. He took the pictures shown above, showing only a fraction of the bales burning. It became difficult to see anything else behind this end as it was quite a huge amount of smoke. The bales continued to burn an eeriely orange glow even in the dark of midnight. The firemen and volunteers had stayed with the bales all night until extinguished early this morning.

Thank heavens for a caring, strong knit community.

Graveyard Horror Yarn

2006-10-07T10:29:00.000-07:00

"Graveyard Horror" is a spooky handspun yarn ideal for Halloween or a punk/goth night out. Looks ghastly, doesn't it? I spun up some dark brown/black tunis roving to resemble dirt, threw in some llama guard hair for dead man's hair, grey and white cotswold wool for cocoons, strips of black fabric, plastic skull beads and a huge plastic spider for added creepiness. Shiver me timbers, mate!! Got the guts to knit or crochet this one up?

This skein is listed on my Etsy store at http://funkyewecanadian.etsy.com . It would make a great hat or wig, felted bag, or a very spectacular scarf for those goth evenings out. Happy Hauntings!

Granny's Old Nightgown

2006-10-06T08:51:00.000-07:00

"Granny's Old Nightgown" is another recycled handspun yarn (similar to Granpa's Old Shirt from the previous post) from a barely used cotton flannel nightgown with little roses and green leaves all over, torn into strips, tied together and plyed with a green cotton/rayon thread to produce a rag look to the yarn. Like the little crocheted doily rose?

Ahhh, the sweet memories of times with my grandmothers...I sure miss them. Now I am grandmother to a sweet little baby boy. My turn to pass on the grandmotherly love...

Grandpa's Old Shirt

2006-10-03T12:18:00.000-07:00

Grandpa's Old Shirt started as a clean, gently used blue and red flannel shirt with a few rips in it from catching on branches in the garden one day. I couldn't fix the rips, so it was washed and put aside in the fabric scrap pile. Then one day, I pulled it out, thinking I wanted to make something useful with it. The shirt did remind me of when Grandpa and I picked apples on the farm when I was about 4 years old one autumn. He would wear those comfy flannel shirts I always loved. That did it...the shirt was going to become a new yarn. Out came the scissors and into strips the shirt became. The strips were tied together, end to end, and corespun around a recycled cream cotton/rayon/wool thin yarn from a sweater I had taken apart. I was spinning away on the wheel, remembering my Grandpa. Onto the bobbin went the yarn. The tied ends stick out a bit to give it character. Looks interesting, eh? Below is the finished yarn, with a closeup of the comfty and warm blue flannel yarn.

So this old shirt became my memories of "Grandpa's Old Shirt". It has been posted on my Etsy store. I am curious to see if anyone will feel the same way I do about this creation. It didn't take long...3 hours after posting "Grandpa's Old Shirt" on my etsy store, it sold. Yippee! Guess I'll make another one..maybe Granny's Old Nightgown?

Northern Lights...well, sort of

2006-10-01T09:17:00.000-07:00

I coundn't resist putting this one in...say hello to my "Northern Lights of the Fiberkind" bundle of Cotswold lamb, llama and kid mohair....so irresistably soft I wanna roll in it...ahem, never mind. That was waaay too personal. I'll just spin up a shawl for me and wrap it around my shoulders. But the colors are to die ( or is that dye?) for and do resemble the spectrum of colors when the aurora borealis puts on a show. Lovely, eh?

Prairie Sunset after the storm

2006-09-29T11:09:00.000-07:00

There is nothing more gorgeous than a fiery display of color as the sun goes down, especially after a dreary drizzly day of rain and winds on the ever-changing autumn prairie landscape. The minute I saw the colors light up the evening sky, I grabbed by camera from the house and ran pell-mell to the open fields in my bare feet, snapped the pictures, and stood there for the longest time until the colors faded away. It was so quiet, so peaceful, so awesome. I love being here on the prairies.

The Funny Farm

2006-09-27T14:12:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was picture day on the farm. The fibery critters all told me to get the camera, and show the world where my fibery addiction comes from. I only thought it fair to give them a bit of praise for their cooperation and generous donations of their warm, insulating and soft fibers every year. And here they are...(drums rolling)...

Top picture: Sassy Shetlands LittleMom, Silver(he's shy), and Midnight with her rear end facing us. Guess she thought her butt looks cuter...see her winking?

Middle picture: Charmin' Charlotte the llama was somewhat mollified at having her picture taken before she could give me a sniff and kiss on the head her as she usually does. She refused to pose for me again until I behaved NEXT time! I can forgive her attitude as she has the softest rose/champagne llama fiber I have ever played with. I rescued her from an elderly man's backyard when he was not able to take care of her anymore. Lucky me.

Lower picture: Curly, Moe and Joe, with Black Seven hiding behind the Three Scooges. Pretty alpaca boys aren't they? And they know it. That's the Sassy Shetlands LittleMom and Gypsy(black) glaring in the background. At least I can't read their minds.

Thanks so much my dear fibery friends. I am honoured to have you munching in my backyard. A job well done. Cheaper than buying gas for the lawnmower.

Chauvet Cave Art

2006-09-26T13:20:00.000-07:00

These paintings are on the walls of a cave in Chauvet-Pont-d'Arc in Southern France...approximate age is 32,000 years old. These pictures show 13 differentiated species, namely horses, aurochs, rhino, bears, bison, mamoths, cats and more. Probably part of hunting expeditions and exploits, some scholars believe they represent spirits and were produced during hallucinatory shamanistic trances.

The predominant back-lines of the rhinoceros-like beasts in the top picture -repeated five times- are strong and weighty, merging directly into their tails. Note how many of the animals are depicted in simplified, naturalistic, expressive flowing lines that seem to capture an essential energy that reaches out to the viewer...pretty impressive.

If you would like to "visit" the Chauvet Cave, just follow this link: http://www.culture.gouv.fr/culture/arcnat/chauvet/en/

Enjoy the cave exploring. Watch your head.

Autumn Quiet Time

2006-09-25T14:31:00.000-07:00

Just a glance at some peaceful moments after the harvest is done.

Quiet, isn't it?

Crabapple Harvest and Sunsets

2006-09-25T12:53:00.000-07:00

Ahhh...that time of the year to pick bright red tart crabapples for making juice with. Heating up the finished crabapple juice makes a good warming drink on those cold fall and winter nights. The larger, sweeter crabapples make a lovely applesauce, canned or frozen. I didn't get as many of the larger crabapples this year as I usually do but the little tart red ones were plentiful...my Mennonite mother-in-law was pleased as punch to get some this year. In return, she gave me some fresh picked corn from her garden...the best kind to have. Hot apple drink and fresh cooked corn on the cob around the firepit...yummy!

Our Albertan sunsets have been beautiful these past few days. We had very dismal and rainy weather for two weeks. As a reward for our patience, the sun finally peeked through on Friday. She has been a welcome friend, providing us with wonderful displays of color at sunrise and sunset. Saturday night was crisp and clear, like a dark blue black screen with a glorious display of the Northern Lights...greens, reds, yellows, blues all swirling around and flashing across the sky. Folks all around commented on this most spectacular aurora borealis display seen in years.

"Funky Chunky Bunny" is here

2006-09-11T10:30:00.000-07:00

Take this lovely soft heathered pinky rose and white angora/bluefaced leicester roving, spin it up, ply it with more lilac and rose angora/romney fiber, and super soft lilac baby lash and you get this:
Say hello to "Funky Chunky Bunny", a whopping 4.6 ozs of mostly angora and baby lash. The more you wear it and wash it (gently please!) the fuzzier and softer it will become. This cutie is being posted in my store at http://funkyewecanadian.etsy.com . Can't have a rabbit in the house to cuddle? Knit or crochet then wear this as a scarf or small shawl. I just love the processing part of the fiber business...I seem to never get around to all the knitting projects in my head...sigh, maybe in my old age ;)

The last picture shows slightly more light lilac hues than rose hues. The trick to taking pictures is to hold the camera still and get the lighting right. Can be real tough at times...I can't get the sun to keep still...

A little more Funky yarn

2006-08-31T11:38:00.000-07:00

Just a peek at a few more yarns being added to my store at http://funkyewecanadian.etsy.com .
From the 3 plyed "Funky Irish" to the beaded "Funky Punk Delight" and stained glass look of "Funky Beach Nights", there is a variey to suit your tastes. Doncha' love those colors?

Hope...and on the road to somewhere

2006-08-22T14:25:00.000-07:00

"When I was a kid in the late 1940's, my folks took me on a road trip. As we approached the town of Hope, B.C., we saw crawling up the shoulder of a steep hill, an ancient Model T-Ford. A skinny, mustachioed man wearing a fedora, was sitting up tall behind the wheel. Below him, a sign on the side of the old car read "Toronto or Bust." Toronto was 5500 miles away. As we flew by in our '47 Chev Fleetline, I distinctly remember my dad turning to me, winking, and saying, "No hope." My mom laughed. Dad turned out to be wrong. Two months later we read about the guy in the newspaper. He had driven from Vancouver, B.C., to Toronto, Ontario, in a 1914 Ford. And then--he drove back!" Robert Glenn

Can you imagine that old car and the guy behind the wheel? That expectation that was on his face...perhaps a look of hope? He was unconventional. He knew not where he would spend the night. He was travelling according to his own code. And he feared not.

We artists are like that guy. We stick our necks out with old fashioned technology and we try to make a journey out of it. This journey takes us goodness who knows where. But that's the point. Everyday we crank up the old machine and head out once more along the shoulder of life. Some of us do not make it to Toronto, New York, London, Paris or Oz. Who among us fully understands where we get our visions or to what end it goes? To folks like us, the main thing is that we are on the road...and what a road!

Like my version of an old car?

Spam, yarns and more spam (not the canned kind!)

2006-08-21T09:25:00.000-07:00

I have missed posting here lately. Two things I have been duly obsessed with ...spinning funky yarns as you can see in the picture above, and fighting with my email server to minimize the spam or junk email that has been filling up my inbox everyday and slowing down the computer BIG TIME! I love the internet, but not those weasels that ruin my email privileges! I have blocked, deleted, cursed and voodooed every spam email that still gets through. As of 3 days ago, my last count was 56 junk emails in one day and I finally resorted to getting Spam Bully. I do wish my email server would hurry up and get their spam filter working as promised so I wouldn't have to deal with the junk in the first place!

Live from your heart

2006-07-28T15:10:00.000-07:00

Living from your heart means that you choose a life and a lifestyle that are true for you and your family. It means you make important decisions because they resonate with your heart and your own values, and not necessarily with those of others. Living from your heart means that you trust your own instincts more than the pressures from advertising or the expectations of society, neighbours, and friends.

Living from your heart, however, does not mean you become a rebel, break good family traditions, or become different from everyone else. It's far more subtle than that...it is about listening to that quiet voice within you that emerges when you quiet down enough to listen. It's that voice that speaks to you from a place of wisdom and common sense instead of from frantic chatter and habit. When you trust your heart rather than your habits, new insights will pop into your mind. These insights can be anything from the idea to move to a different town, to the realization of the necessity to break a destructive habit, to an answer of how to communicate differently with someone you love. You might also have insights about who you choose to spend time with as well as new ways to solve problems. It all starts from listening to your heart.

A failure to live from your heart creates a great deal of internal conflict, which in turn encourages you to become short-tempered, easily bothered, and reactive. Deep down, you know what is true for you, what kind of life you want to be living, and what type of person you want to be. If your actions are inconsistent with your deeper wisdom, however, you will feel frustration and stress. As you learn to live from your heart, these tendencies will gradually fade away and you will become calmer, happier, and less stressed. You will be living your life instead of everyone else's.

The way to live more from your heart is to commit to doing so. Ask yourself questions like: "How do I really want to live my life?" "Am I following my own path or am I doing things simply because I've always done them that way, or because I am living up to someone else's expectations?" Then simply quiet down and listen. Rather than trying to come up with an answer, see if you allow the answers to come to you, as if out of the blue.

If you want to be more peaceful, and a whole lot happier, this is a good place to start. Living from your heart is one of the foundations of inner peace and personal growth. It will encourage you to be kinder and a great deal more patient. Give it a try. You'll be surprised, even delighted, at what you might discover.

My dear friends, let me know how you do as you live from your heart.

Raspberries Anyone?

2006-07-17T15:40:00.000-07:00

I'm baaack! From a good solid week of spinning, fiber studies and good times with the folks at the Fiber Week at Olds College, Alberta. I was barely home for the night only to take off the following morning to my folks' cabin near Regina, Saskatchewan...a good 7 hours of driving. My children had been staying with their grandparents while I was at college. After couple of days visiting, the kids and I drove home. I was plum tuckered out!!

But does one ever truly rest on the farm? No sirree bob...it was lawn mowing time and raspberry picking time. The mowing I did first..that's the worse job. Then all my little helpers and I marched out to the raspberry bushes to pick. These bushes were leaning over with some of the biggest and juiciest berries I have ever seen growing yet! Three ice cream buckets full the first day, four on the next pick 2 days later, and hubby and I picked yesterday...another 5 buckets full! Really, I have the sunburn to prove it! The berries have been eaten fresh, made into dessert, frozen for later use, and a bathtub worth of jam! And this is only the beginning...I think I am seeing red berries in my sleep. Sigh. That's the good life, never out of raspberries.

Midsummer Madness

2006-06-25T10:10:00.000-07:00

Doesn't this skein look divine? This sparkly fun bunch of fiber "Celestial" was handspun by Elizabeth on her blog www.spinning-on-the-edge.blogspot.com. She has very cool and colorful funky yarns in her own store on Kodiak Island, Alaska. That is living at the top of the world!

This funky yarn seems to inspire me to wonder, dream, and think ahead for summer. For those who are unaware, today is Midsummer's Day, or the celestial summer solstice. For centuries, wise women have known that a bit of midsummer madness (be careful with this!) and magic are good for the soul. A time to reflect, or to celebrate a magical moment in time when the sacred and the mundane intersect. To me, this day is a precurser to a wonderful summer season, a time to look ahead and dream. Perhaps it could be one of those never-to-be-forgotten summers which seldom come into any life, but leave a rich heritage of memories in their going. This Albertan summer could be a delightful summer, not wet and cloudy and unfriendly as it has been the past two summers. Maybe I will enjoy the simple little pleasures that come that I have not seen or enjoyed for a long time. Dream on...

May this wonderful Midsummer spell never be broken for you.

Your Time is Limited

2006-06-24T09:24:00.000-07:00

"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma -- which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your living voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary." Steve Jobs -- as told to the 2005 grad class of Stanford University.

I regret that I have not posted in the last wee bit here. As you can probably tell, I have been reflecting, rather seriously, about certain aspects of my life. The call to the artisitic side of my life has been very strong for some time. It has taken over a good portion of my thoughts, especially since last week during some serious "spring cleaning" fever and finding some old boxes full of high school and college mementos, including artwork from my college school days. Watercolors, charcoal sketches, oil paint, etc. When I left college, I packed them all up including my artistic dreams, and never looked back until now. Guess I fell victim to the old stereotyping "You can never make a living as an artist". I have been devouring every artist magazines at the library that I can get my hands on. Anyone relate to this?

Well, that old attitude has changed. One can pursue artisitic and creative ideas in many different ways. Mine are found in the fiberarts at the moment, but will include watercolors, oil pastels and charcoal in the near future. I cannot leave it any longer and I wonder why I have left it for this long. For starters, I have my sketch book with me and have done a few attempts to get the feel of it again. Like riding a bike, one never forgets how too, but it can feel uncertain at first, but everything comes back quickly. The familiar feelings are like wearing a favourite sweater or hat. It feels good again, like it was meant to be.

I am getting ready for the first big fibery art adventure of my life next week. It is the Masters Spinner Course at Olds College here in Alberta and a week long adventure of spinning, dyeing, learning Fair Isle techniques in knitting, fleece shows, and a good time with the girls that will be there!

My daughter is blessed. At the tender age of 6, she already knows who she is and what she wants to do... to be an artist and an animal doctor (vet). And I will give her all the encouragement she needs to fulfill her dreams. My 11 yr old twin sons, Jamie and Aaron, are coming home next week after a year long "visit" with their biological father. During that time, they have tuned into their artisitic sides and have developed an interest in photography, writing (gasp! They HATED writing last I knew), drawing/painting and music. One is tuned into playing the recorder and flute and the other may get back into guitar lessons. My leaps with joy with their young aspirations. I long to feel that young again, but my experiences in life the past 20 years have taught me other things that a child would not know yet. Perhaps I can make some good out of those life experiences. My time is limited too...what am I waiting for?

Got Qiviut?

2006-06-14T10:33:00.000-07:00

Some folks here are probably scratching their heads, wondering what the heck is qiviut? Pronounced "kiv-ee-ute", it is the downy soft underwool of the Arctic Musk-ox, concealed by the coarse outer coat that sheds the ice and snow. Qiviut is one of the warmest (8 times warmer than wool), lightest wool in the world, even softer than cashmere or guanaco. On the technical side, this luxurious fiber has a diameter of 12 microns, low lanolin content, and a smooth texture(no scales) that allows it to be worn next to the skin. It is unique as it will not shrink in any temperature of water during washing! Qiviut is quite short and does want to be spun very finely.

As one handspinner has mentioned, qiviut is actually so grease free and clean to work with that it can literally be handspun off a willing musk-ox's back (if you could get one to stand still!)

Qivuit is harvested during the spring, when the musk-ox are molting. By combing and gently pulling the fiber that hangs like great powder puffs, the "golden fleece of the Arctic" is harvested on domesticated musk-ox farms. An adult muskox will shed 4 -6 pounds per year, enough to fill a kitchen sized garbage bag. It is highly recommended you do not approach a wild musk-ox with a comb!

Did you know? that Musk-ox, as a species, have changed little since the ice age and are perfectly adapted to live in the harsh arctic environment. Musk-ox are also a protected species in Canada.

As The Wheel Turns

2006-06-06T15:22:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's washed skeins are now dry and ready for knitting. I am just enjoying the touch of the yarns as they turned out better than I expected. Oh it feels so good to get something done on the wheel!! Much better than baking in the hot dusty sun while lawnmowing for 3 hours. Yep, we have a lotta grass. Groan.

In the top picture, I am spinning some lovely "Opal" romney and mohair with sparkly gentle pinks, light blues, peach and pale greens. This does remind me of the "white opal" gemstones found in Australia. Kinda rich sounding, eh?

Another day, another yarn

2006-06-03T13:04:00.000-07:00

Another day, another yarn...it just keeps coming. But I do like what the good ole' spinning wheel is churning out for me. Today I "set" the finished skeins by gently soaking them in water, hanging them to dry on a rod and adding weights(filled water bottles) on the lower loops of the skeins. This helps to reduce shrinkage and skewing of the wool when the yarns are used in a finished project.

On the left side of the picture is a cream shetland/brown alpaca/purple romney & mohair skein. The middle skein is lime/bluegreen romney/mohair plyed with black/rainbow sparkly thread, which does not show up in the picture very well. It really is gorgeous! The last one is a light brown quiviut/merino blend plyed with a sparkly white cotton and metallic gold thread. Quiviut is actually musk-ox fiber...the topic of my next post as I have had a few questions about this interesting fiber animal. Not the kind of pet I would have in my backyard!

Back to work...I mean playing... on the wheel!

A Very Classy Strauch Drumcarder

2006-05-27T13:35:00.000-07:00

I wish to announce the arrival of "Classy Lady"...the newest working member of the Funkyewe family. She is a lovely, classy, chain driven handcranked Strauch Finest's drumcarder. I bought her fom Cal Harvey at Shuttleworks, a fantastic fiber arts supply store in De Winton, just a few minutes south of Calgary, Alberta. Here's his link: www.shuttleworks.com

Classy Lady ( as her name will be) will do wonders for all the fiber stashes I have here. I am eagerly awaiting the first production this coming week and see what shall happen! I am "working in" the drumcarder by running some old wool through the girl before doing any actual batts for spinning. Sometimes there is residual "grinding dust" on the card cloth that may not be seen right away. This dust can turn freshly washed, gorgeous white fiber to a dark grey. The first time I put some old white wool in, it turned a dingy grey right away. The secondtime I put it through, it went a another shade of grey. Ugh! Tommorrow, I think it will be clean enough for me to start making my batts. Too bad my alpaca fibers are still at the mill until next month but I shall be patient!

Stay tuned for the first "Funky Batts" to come...

Drool over these Rovings!

2006-05-23T16:19:00.000-07:00

These bundles of handdyed rovings and batts arrived in the mail today...I am just drooling over the colors on the top left, especially handdyed by http://www.warmnfuzzyfiberarts.com. Iris sent me three batts of Late Summer Sky, Green Valley and Orange Strawberry Smoothie. The last one makes you kinda thirsty, eh?

The three bags of rovings are to die for. The autumn rust colored roving is Polypal, a crossbreed of Finn, Rambouillet, Targhee and Dorset. The cornflower blue and green rovings are Cotswold, a rare breed sheep, and one of my favourites to spin. The Cotswold fiber from Frene Creek Farms is surprisingly soft to the touch and easy to spin.

Bloomin' Lilacs, Yarns and Kittens

2006-05-22T14:32:00.000-07:00

Blooming pink, white and lavender lilacs are showing off their glory all over the farm now, sending off their heavenly scents on the breeze. Ah, what a lovely smell it is at this time of the year. I picked a few pink lilacs to bring into the house after slaving on the lawn mower for 3 hours today. If I didn't keep the lawns under control, the farm would be drowned in mile high weeds by summertime. Did you know that the prairie grasses were once 4-5 feet high when the pioneers moved out west? Try mowing that!

I couldn't help but compare the lovely colors of the lilacs with the silky lavender and blue yarn I am unravelling from a discarded sweater. The play of colors is quitet enchanting, don't you agree?

Kittens are in abundance as well. Our young housecat mother, Blackie, gave birth to two charming boys, named Sam and Taylor (after the American Idol candidate, Taylor Hicks). Kayli, my vibrant 6 year old, grabbed the camera and took this picture of Taylor. This kitten is warming up to having his picture taken...quite a showstopper already at 3 weeks of age. I don't expect him to start singing like Taylor Hicks, but if he does, I will let you know.

A little funky yarn

2006-05-15T13:12:00.000-07:00

It is definitely amazing when one can think outside the box on traditional spinning. I had a little fun yesterday, spinning up some of my yummy chocolate and cream colored alpaca fiber (from my alpaca boys), with a little purple romney/mohair sparkle blend thrown in and plyed with cream colored shetland wool (from my shetland girls). The result is a lovely, soft and self striping yarn called "Funky Lass". I think she will be made into my first hat...I am still a beginning knitter here folks! I am quite self-accepting as a craftsperson, learning different skills at different paces. I am not creating to compete. I create just to enjoy my obsession with natural fibers. After all, what is life if you can't have a healthy obsession? I do, however, stress the word "healthy"... no harm be done to animals and mankind alike, including oneself.

I am anticipating the turnout of my next little skein. I am spinning some dusty blue and rose hand-dyed cotswold roving. I find cotswold wool a little harder to spin but I am challenging myself to try EVERY fiber on this wheel of mine. The poor old thing is beginning to wonder what she's in for...in fact, I wonder what I am getting myself into!!

Baby eagles on Webcam

2006-05-12T15:57:00.000-07:00

Just a little notice for those who love these fascinating birds. There is a webcam set up next to a bald eagle's nest in British Columbia, revealing two adorable fluffy eaglets. My twin sons and I have been watching the mother eagle feeding her two charges. I have to admit the moving branches and nest make me feel a little woozy...I do not like heights! It is a wonder that the babies haven't fallen out of the nest. In Alberta, bald eagles live and nest near rivers, lakes, and wet prairies. I have seen two in our area in the past year.

Bald Eagle webcam: http://www.infotecbusinesssystems.com/wildlife/default.asp

Did you know that the bald eagle is not really bald? This bird of prey has white feathers on its head, neck and tail. Bald is a derivation of balde, an Old English word meaning "white". The bald eagle was named for its white feathers rather than the lack of them. Interesting fact, eh?

Enjoy.

A Cool Yarn!

2006-05-11T16:43:00.000-07:00

"A relaxed mind is a creative mind" Yogi Tea

I just love the new "Pineapple and Blue Hawaii Skies" skein sent to me from my yarn exchange partner, Veryl Ann Grace of Hawaii.

The picture is a little more blue than it should be, but it does show the yummy yellow/lime color with a touch of blue throughout. The feel of the yarn is wonderously soft and silky. Certainly reminds me of my visit to the beautiful blue Hawaii in the 1970's. This yarn makes me wanna go back NOW! Anyone else know the feeling?

Live Life Passionately

2006-05-05T14:57:00.000-07:00

"My goal is to live every moment passionately, to rejoice humbly in the profound presence of nature, to respond appropriately to the unexpected events life presents, and to be all used up when I die." Ruth Slickman

"Why don't we tell everyone how we get better as we get older, rather than how our aches get worse or our memories less reliable. What a great observation! Let's celebrate how we get better as we age - whether it's learning to love more freely; or wearing comfortable shoes even if they don't match your clothes, or living richly without lots of money." Dr. Andrew Weil

I couldn't decide which statement to post today as both made a profound impact on me today. I said to myself, "Heck, who says I have to put just one statement down? Who made that rule?". So both are noted. Live life passionately, live spiritually, love freely with harm to none. Spin and weave more colorful threads in the web of life so that others may learn and share. Everyone has a bit of themselves to share, and through sharing, one may find healing within themselves.

Recommended book of the day - Celebrate Life: new attitudes for living with chronic illness by Kathleen Lewis. When one cannot get rid of a chronic illness, it becomes a challenge to integrate the illness into your everyday life. The struggle can be long and frustrating. This author tells her story how she lives life despite her multiple illnesses and turns her anger and helplessness into learning to love life again. "What the caterpillar thinks is the end, the butterfly knows is just the beginning" Kathleen Lewis

May you have a wonderful day.

Spring Chicken I Ain't

2006-04-25T15:32:00.000-07:00

"Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes, and having fun." Mary Lou Cook

No kidding. Creativity can hurt when there are goats and sheep involved. Especially skittish ones. Let me explain.

For the past three days, I have been putting fence posts around the unused, overgrown pasture behind the hobby barn where I keep my "darling" (I hafta work on this one) sheep and goats. They have just about grazed out the front yard so it was time to move them to the back area. Then came the finger-pinching (ouch!) job of unrolling the fencing wire and securing it to the fence posts with U-staples. I tell you this, hammering nails is not a job for sissies...need I say more? I am almost a sissie.

Then came the creative part...herding the critters into the new area. Seriously, one would think that animals would move in a straight line, but it never happens. Not only do sheep and goats run sideways, they also jump up and over (including me) each other. Full of beans those critters are. Full of beans I am not. After I sat on the ground catching my breath, they decided to go check out the new pasture and walked through the gate. Damn.

After all this, one would heave a sigh of relief upon closing the gate. Not so. Those danged sheep and goats will find a way out through the smallest opening. Fortunately, there was only one gap in the fence. Lucky me. It also meant going around the entire fence line to double check.

Needless to say, my legs and arms were ready to fall off. I did the next best thing...walked to the house, dragged myself to the bedroom and collapsed face down in bed. I don't think I moved a muscle for several hours. I didn't know I had muscles.

See you in the morning.

A Mohair Moment

2006-04-22T14:24:00.000-07:00

Mohair is a silk-like fiber from the hair of the Angora Goat, often confused with the fur from the angora rabbit which called "Angora". Interesting, when you consider the size difference between a goat and a rabbit!

Mohair is durable, strong, elastic, and very smooth, consequently lacking the felting properties of wool, has incredible luster, and takes dye very well. This fiber is spun very well on its own or blended with wool to add luster and softness. Mohair locks, especially dyed, can be handspun into the rovings, making a very unique textured yarn. This luxurious fiber adds warmth and durability to any knitted or woven garment. Kid mohair, my favourite, commands the highest price due to its finer and softer qualities.

Angora goats are very picturesque with their curly or wavy locks, dainty build, and widespread horns. Their quizzical and entertaining personalities add to their delightful charm. The kids are absolutely adorable...it is difficult to resist taking one home. Did you know that white is not the only color their fleeces produce? There are colored angora goats with fleeces of black to smokey greys, silver, red, copper and light apricot shades. A yummy selection if you can find them!

Sheepish and Fleeceless

2006-04-20T10:53:00.000-07:00

"Creativity involves the depth of a mind, and many, many depths of unconsciousness" Dr. Oliver Sacks

Finally, my beloved fiber sheep and goats are sheepish about being fleeceless...pun intended. The friendly baarber...oops! I meant the shearer, arrived last week and now I have 10 bags of delightfully soft fleeces, ready to be washed, and spun into gold. Yes, the fleeces are like gold to me, to be made into something wonderful and treasured for a long time. What shall I make with each fleece? Perhaps I will glean some ideas from the fiber folks at Olds Fiber Week in July, when I partake in the Masters Spinner program there.

The three bags shown to the right are a spotted black and white Jacob fleece, a lovely grey shetland fleece and a creamy white shetland wether fleece, the best of the lot. I absolutely love the natural colours of wool. It amazes me how many colours one can find with wool and any other fiber. It will take some time to work on the wool by hand and made into roving on my PG drumcarder, which should be arriving soon. It will be like having Christmas in April!

Be your own true self

2006-04-09T18:19:00.000-07:00

"There is the time when one crosses a threshold, when one is no longer who they were, nor yet who they will 'become'." Maitri Libellule

Some of us will come to a crossroads in life where we must or want to make a decision to be someone we have truly desired to be. Perhaps one has repressed their creative skills for so long in order to appease other people's expectations. Perhaps there has been no support for our own unique identity and given up when the going has been tough. Some of us have found our strength through adversity and have drummed up the courage to finally say to ourselves "It is okay to be me and explore the life I want now". Sometimes, the challenge is in the ever-evolving process of our becoming that person. It is never ending, always expanding, and tremendously satisfying to be able to eventually give back to those around you.

I find myself in this process, recently adding my maiden name to my married name, to merge the young artistic dreamer I was for 20 years, and the new fiber artist I am becoming now. For 20 years, my artistic side has been repressed for the so-called practical reasons in life as well as being informed that "You can't make a living as an artist". Now I can live again, with the floodgates opening in my heart and mind and being allowed to create. What shall I make with the materials I have? Is there a message in my artwork? What paths are open to me? There is joy in this journey as well as frustration but one can forge ahead if the desire to achieve is strong enough.

My dear friend, writer and fiber artist, Maitri Libellule, mentions her leap of faith into the future with a new name, forging ahead with her skills as an inspiring writer and fiber artist and simply believing in herself against all the odds facing her for so long. Way to go, Maitri!

Believe in yourself. Express your true artistic and creative sides. Bring more true beauty and joy into this world...this earth of ours certainly needs you too.

Do you know this artist?

2006-04-07T10:25:00.000-07:00

I just had a wonderful lady comment on one of my recent photographs. It was taken on a misty winter morning about 2 weeks ago. It reminded her of a certain German romantic painter, Caspar David Friedrich (1774-1840) and his artwork. Friedrich's landscapes are based in northern Germany and are beautiful renderings of trees, hill, morning mists and other light effects based on his observations of nature. I was awestruck by his paintings pictured above...they are mesmerizing. He seems to have an affinity to trees as I do.

Thank you, Ruth, for your lovely words. Now, if I can paint like Friedrich, maybe I will become famous? Perhaps about a hundred years later...

A Sheepish Joke...good or baaa?

2006-04-06T12:39:00.000-07:00

Well, the joke is on me again. The unpredictable local Alberta weather hasn't wised up yet...it has been dreary and rainy for the last two days. Too much rain, in fact, as the ground is still a soggy, muddy mess from all our snowmelt last week. Not to mention all the "brown" vehicles in the area. I do not need to provide a picture today to show this, now do I?

Now for a different kind of joke. I found this good rib tickler in one of the Canadian farming magazines, "The Furrow". It goes like this:

Sarah: "I got this new sweater for only $30 to help keep me warm this winter."
Clara: "Do you realize it takes three sheep to make just one sweater?"
Sarah: "No, I didn't even know they could knit."

Neither did I. I wonder where I can find some sheep like these.

History of Handspinning

2006-04-05T14:40:00.000-07:00

Handspinning has an interesting history...and there are quite a few books out there written by enthusiastic authors, who are, for the most part, avid spinners themselves. Paula Simmons is one of my favourite authors and a well-known and respected teacher in the field. She has authored a good number of books during the 70's and 80's on the cottage wool industry, handspinning techniques, the how-to's of raising sheep and demonstrates her love of wool and handspinning wherever she goes. Paula and her husband currently sell their line of Patrick Green carders to a fiercely loyal customer base. Guess who's going to buy one soon? I have decided on the PG Deb's Delicate Deluxe which is a handcranked drum carder for exotics fibers like angora, alpaca, kid mohair, and only very fine wool. Perfect. For me and the alpacas. Here's a link: www.patgreencarders.com/deb.htm

I have moved on to another book I am reading...take a wild guess..."Handspinning" by Eliza Leadbeater, published in 1976. She is an American living in Northern England, which would be a lovely place to visit sometime soon...and a hundred other places in my lifetime. The book is a good introductory book on the art and history of handspinning. Just another old book in my growing collection. Remember, I am a bibliophile. I can't help it, I just love books, especially old ones. Like my fiber stash, one can't have too many!!

Which reminds me...if you have an old or first edition Paula Simmons book you don't need or want anymore, let me know. I would love to add her to my collection....most of her books are out of print. So sad. she's good.

Sidetracked by the "Yum Factor"

2006-04-03T19:43:00.000-07:00

Today is a marvel! Spring is still here with a lovely warm coatless day of +15 Celcius. I still had to wake up to a wee cuppa tea and bury myself into a delightful book from the library called "Knitting Lessons - tales from the knitting path" by Lela Nargi. It is difficult to break away from a good book...I don't know how I do it every morning, perhaps very reluctantly.

Now, my dear friends, take a look at the picture over to the right...imagine touching the soft warm colors, spinning those gorgeous fibers into a one-of-a-kind yarn just for you. I do have the terrible habit of salivating over these and about 10 million other bundles like these...or as hubby so likes to remind me. My reply is always the same..."Can't have too many of these!"

The lovely crisp oranges/reds/yellows are simply divine....."Tequila Sunrise" is a merino blend handdyed by my dear friend Iris of www.warmnfuzzyfiberarts.com . I am somewhat obsessed by colors of the sun. You can now see why.

The sparkly lime green/turquoise is a lovely romney/mohair blend....I bought the last little bit from a good fiber friend Liz, at www.fibersofmichigan.com. The cream and rich brown llama, targhee, kid mohair and silk blend is absolute heaven....the softest and creamiest blend I have ever touched. It will make the best scarf I have ever had the pleasure to make and it is all MINE! And who said we fiber folks aren't greedy? But I will share the pictures with you all...am I being nice yet?

Yummy fibers anyone?

A fresh breath of Spring

2006-04-02T16:50:00.000-07:00

It is a wonderful feeling to wake up in the morning as the sun kindly sends her warm rays through the windows. The pleasure is intensified as I sit in my favourite comfy chair, facing south over the spring wheat fields with a glimpse of the Rockies in the background, with a cuppa hot tea and my current novel from the library. After all of me, from toes up to noggin, has woken up... some few minutes or hours later, I take a stroll outside to tend to my fiber pets.

Even though my mother is a farm raised Canadian girl, I wasn't raised on a farm, and it has been an interesting adjustment having animals to care for. It is a bit easier to care for the farm creatures when it is not -20 C outside and you have time to putter around. On a nice spring morning like today at +8 C, I can go out without bundling up like an Eskimo. I can do the few extra chores that would normally not get done. I walk around the corral and pasture fences to make sure there are no escape routes for my beloved animals. I pick up the hay the alpacas have tossed aside in pursuit of tastier portions. I gather the straw and hay that has been trampled and dirtied by the goats and sheep and bring it to the garden compost pile. The compost is then turned over in preparation for the spring planting, which isn't until May 22th or so for our Zone 3 growing season. I do envy the longer growing seasons some of you more distant and southerly folks have!

Then it is time to come into the house and refresh myself. I must have another cuppa tea, spin some more yarn, blog on the computer or check email...not neccessarily all in that order! Then there are the days with kids at home and looking after the wee grandson...then the high-powered coffee pot comes on.

I'm am starting to think that this is the life - no rush, no worries to get a job done on someone else's schedule, enjoying the clean fresh air, and the smell of damp (or still wet) earth so full of possibilities. After so many years of living in the big cities, I cannot imagine living in the city again surrounded by the crazy hustle of traffic and so... many... people. I have been enchanted by these last 8 years in the rural community. Countryside living casts a beautiful spell...you never want to leave... ever. Except for a few well deserved vacations on tropical beaches in mid winter...

The Wheel in the house goes round and round...

2006-03-29T11:07:00.000-08:00

Spring is here...finally, or am I going to be fooled again by our unpredictable Albertan weather? Well, at some time it has to be spring, like now. Period.

The abundance of snow we have so much enjoyed this past month is rapidly melting away. Mother Nature is waking up her children in preparation for the coming seasons. Mushy soft grass, huge puddles in the driveway, children splashing around with slickers and rainboots on...it seems the washer and dryer will soon be on overload once again.

In the meantime, I am spinning away on my lovely Ashford Traveller, finishing one skein, starting another, thinking about the upcoming shearing time when I shall have more glorious fiber to dream with. As all fiber addicts will once again chant "One can never have too much fiber". We dream a lot, we really do.

Have you hugged an Alpaca today?

2006-03-28T09:07:00.000-08:00

There is no doubt in my mind that alpacas are one of the most beautiful fiber animals that roam our planet earth. Just the fact that alpacas come in 22 colors makes them unique, but add to that their gentle nature, tranquil temperament, luxurious fiber, gentle humming sounds, and you have an animal that no human can resist hugging. Is there any wonder why I have 10 of these beautiful creatures? Just look at those big, curious eyes and tell me you can't fall in love with them. It happened to me.....

Alpaca fiber is well loved among us handspinners, weavers, and knitters, and most importantly, the ones who wear this fiber. It is soft as cashmere, warmer and stronger than wool, has little or no guard hairs, hypoallergenic (which is good news to those of us with true wool & lanolin sensitivities), takes and retains dyes very well...an added plus for those who like to play with colors of the rainbow.

For handspinning, alpaca fiber has a mind of its own. It has very little memory (elasticity), can be staticy and feels slippery when being spun into yarn. Keeping this in mind, alpaca needs to be spun finely with added extra twist to keep it from coming apart in the plying process. There is nothing more discouraging when that happens. Washing the skeins helps to "set" the fiber. As anyone who has worked with wool or alpaca should know, the fiber can change drastically in the washing, and can change the outcome of a finished project. Pure alpaca has wonderful drape qualities if you wish to make a scarf or shawl. Other wise, blending some wool in with the alpaca fibers will give the yarn more memory and hold its shape better. This will help keep your sweater from growing or stretching on you, making you wonder if you are getting smaller...

One piece of advice....enjoy the fiber and the alpacas should you decide to bring a couple home!

Tribute to the Snow Eaters

2006-03-24T12:55:00.000-08:00

"To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong". Joseph Chilton Pierce

When it comes to weather, Albertans expect the unexpected. Snow fall can happen in any month of the year. Many a weather forecast has been embarrassingly wrong. It can be a challenge for weather forecasters and a source of frustration for locals making holiday plans. A snowstorm during a July picnic isn't fun at all...for the adults that is.

One major attribute of winter in Alberta are the periodic warm winds that sweep down the eastern slopes of the Rockies, sometimes raising the temperature several degrees in a matter of minutes. Many a time, you will find us folks wearing parkas one day and on the next, barbequeing with our shorts on in Mid-January. Called chinooks, a Native word meaning "snow-eater", these snow melting winds can bluster and gust over 80 kilometers per hour, with a high of 160 km per hour being recorded. Strong enough to blow a distracted cow off its feet, although Alberta ranchers are the first to admit that they breed their cattle for beef, not balance...

I am sure our respected weather forecasters lead a very creative life regardless of how the weather actually turns out. The same can be noticed among creative fiber folks...if a project doesn't turn out as expected, it may be an unexpected surprise!

Old Man Winter is the Devil

2006-03-23T09:36:00.000-08:00

Spring is upon us, although much of the country is in the grip of a major storm with just about every place getting pounded with freezing rain or snow. The West Coast has been more fortunate but are now experiencing hurricane force gales. Out here on the Albertan prairies, we are bracing for some rain. Old Man Winter is going to have his way with us a little longer.

Nevertheless, the spring equinox is a reminder that the glorious days of late spring and summer are just around the corner. Spring is a favourite season for me. I love the fresh smells, the lush growth, life bursting forth, lambs kicking their heels in the air.

I relish those first lovely warm days when the sun feels so good. Summers are wonderful too, but by then, I find myself feeling just a little jaded. I complain about the bugs and sometimes the heat...but maybe not this year. The summers of two years past have been rainy and cool so I really shouldn't be complaining at all! In my part of the country in August, things usually start to dry out. Good reasons to head out to the mountains or the seashore, for those who like to travel...I know I do!

For now, let it snow or whatever it does in your neck of the woods. Use this time to hunker down, stay warm and dry, spin on your wheels, weave on your looms, finish those knitting projects, and get out the road atlas and travel guides. Plan a little or big trip this year, see some more of your country and visit a few fibery friends you haven't met yet! Wool isn't the only thing that gets itchy at this time of the year......

2006-03-22T12:56:00.000-08:00

Nessie

Funkyewe Awakes...the beginning

2006-03-22T11:25:00.000-08:00

"Words have a magical power. They can raise up the spirits or dash them down. They can bring laughter as easily as tears. Spend words like a miser counting coins. Make each word count." Celtic Proverb

These are words told to me by a wise and gentle friend.....and I have listened. How true these words are!

I am a gentle and creative soul who has begun life again at 40. My artist soul has reawakened upon the discovery of the old timed-honoured spinning wheel, an old weaving loom, the touch of a lamb's wool, and the rainbow palette of colors through natural plant dyes. This is just the tip of the creative iceberg lurking beneath the water. And I invite you to share in my exploration in the fiber arts world. So much to do! So much to learn! So much to create!

But be still my beating heart. I must still walk, not run, to smell the flowers on this journey's road, to seek the beauty the world has to offer through new eyes. All things beautiful, funky and wild. No rules, just letting go and create from the heart and mind.

Walk with me, be patient with me.......