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I feel spring in the air and see the maple buds bursting and the
weeping willows turning that magnificent shade of chartreuse. And
the sheep are wearing their new spring colors! I have 3 new lambs
that are so fun to watch as they jump around the field, kicking
up their heels and feeling good about life. The sheep will soon
be sheared and I'll have yet more beautiful fleece to use for felting
or spinning.
The Countryside Artisans
Spring Studio Tour is fast approaching, Friday, Saturday and
Sunday, April 11, 12, 13. You can download the map and brochure
at the website. I hope you can come on out.
I've been updating my space on Ravelry. What a fun site that is.
If you're not yet familiar with
Ravelry, (I'm under dancingleaffarm) take some time (like a
few days!) to navigate around. I also have a shop open on etsy,
the everything handmade and for sale website. I have some of my
jewelry, buttons and shawl sticks on there.
I've been doing a bit of felting and spinning lately. I'm practicing
making vessels and purses and I have more skeins of my handspun
(dyed in luscious colors) than I've had in awhile. My goal is to
go through all the fiber from the previous shearing by the time
the next shearing rolls around. I shear in April and October so
I have 6 months to accomplish that. I cheated this last time and
had my fall shearing sent to Prince Edward Island in Canada to be
spun into yarn. I'll be offering natural colors in cream
(Sparkleberry's Wool), grey (Mocha's) and a blend of both (Bramble's).
The yarn has an organic quality to it and has plenty of lanolin
left in. Mmmmm.
On the shelves:
Pounds and pounds of freshly dyed roving for your own felting or
spinning projects. I've also packaged up a sampler pack of roving
for smaller projects.
Ballet, my new nylon ribbon yarn that I LOVE. It's shimmery and
shiny, perfect for a spring shawl or purse.
Cheer Up!, a new
colorway of fuscia, purple and pumpkin, sure to bring a smile to
your face. I've knit a 'faux mobius' in that color. ('Justify' from
knitty.com)
New spring yarns: 'Sublime', an organic cotton in cool, subtle shades
with names like 'borage, scumble, bone and nutmeg.' The Sublime
Book that complements the yarns has so many pretty summer knitting
projects, I just want to do them all! I'm dyeing a bamboo/cotton
blend yarn ('Bamboozled') and can't wait to knit something wonderful
with it.
Ladybelle
Ruffly Shawl: Wow, is this cute! You can 'scrunch' up an end
to make a flower and put a shawl stick through it and wear it to
a garden party. All kitted up for you, ready to knit.
I've packaged my fused glass buttons in groups of 4-6 in cute containers
so take a look and see about putting some on your next knitting
project. (or pick just one to go on a purse)
Free pattern!!! Click here for
the pattern for socks out of my Bee Bop, a superwash merino yarn.
They're soft and wonderful.
New
shawl sticks and brooches: These sticks are thinner and the
beads are amazing. Stick one through your summer shawl for a bit
of pizzazz or pin one of my fused
glass brooches on.
Jewelry: Everyone loves the Lucite. These bracelets are so fun to
wear and look at. Made from vintage Lucite in all the colors of
the rainbow. Fun, fantastic, frivolous and flirty!
Jewelry for your knitting: try my new stitch markers, colorful beads
to mark your rows.
This & That: New canvas bags, dressed up with my logo. Great
for your knitting projects, one of them has 3 pockets & the
other one is a simple bag for taking to the store. We need to cut
our plastic & paper bag consumption, so if you bring your own
bag, you get a free pattern.
I'll have a 'yard sale' table out at the tour with vintage vases,
a few antique pieces, and more.
'ChickKnit' It's back! Saturday, June 28 Annie and I will be hosting
another 'Fun Day, One Day Knitting Retreat' at the beautiful Bishop
Claggett Retreat Center near Frederick, MD. We'll be knitting a
small bag and learning embellishments like needle felting, ruffles,
crocheted edging, and various handles. Sign up now , dalis@dancingleaffarm.com.
Workshops: (Taught by Claudia) Saturday, April 26, 2-5: Crochet-
the Beginnings and More, learn crochet basics for finishing off
your knitted items. $40
Saturday, May 17, 10-1: Hand Painted Yarns Demysitified. Learn how
to use these beautiful yarns in a favorable way. $40
Saturday, May 17, 2-5: Sweaters and Other Big Projects: Go beyond
the scarf and learn to plan and knit a larger item. $40. For more
info on all the classes, go to dancingleaffarm.com.
If you'd like to stop by sometime, just give a call (301-972-8089
or 301-801-6995) or e-mail (dalis@dancingleaffarm.com). I'm usually
here dyeing, spinning or knitting! Check out my
blog for more news at Dancing Leaf Farm. Hope to see you soon!
! I'll be at the Sheep & Wool Fest May 3 and 4. Colorfully yours,
Dalis
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