Friday, October 26, 2012

Wool, Weaving, and Livestock


I'm home from a most fabulous trip to upstate New York and into Massachusetts.  The main goal of this little vacation was to attend the Dutchess County Wool and Sheep Festival in Rhinebeck, NY with my bestie, Ann.  Such luscious wool everywhere!

And check out theses little sweeties.


I was thrilled to find this lovely wool to make a shawl on my recently finished triloom.


It's a combo of wool, mohair, and silk.  I love the color, and it's name, "bloodroot".

Here's a peek at my triloom in the studio.  I'm currently working on a practice shawl in a slate blue with just a bit of teal in the color.  It's wool from Joanne's.  Saving my nice bloodroot for the next piece.  It's my first whirl at triloom weaving.  I'm loving it so far.  So exciting to learn some new fiber fun!


While in Massachusetts, I found the most gorgeous yarn in a lovely knit shop.  It was tucked away in one of the many villages we passed through.


I bought a pretty soft Italian extra fine merino wool.  That is the sock on the left below.


And let me point out that the color is not at all that blue..... my camera apparently decided it should be.  It's actually far more neutral with lots of gray and taupe.


There, much better.  The sock on the right is one I took to knit on the trip, but once I had the new yarn in my hands...... plans changed.  Oh dear, one of each!  More sock knitting ahead.

Hopes for a lovely beautiful fall weekend!
xo
dulcy

Friday, October 5, 2012

Old Paisley and Rain

Today is cold, rainy, windy, and I just LOVE it!!  We've had some absolutely gorgeous fall days, but I always look so forward to the turn in weather.  I know our weather, most likely, will return to warmth and sun before deep fall and winter hit...... but I sure do love this sort of day.  It's the kind of day that sends me into my little fiber studio to create!

I picked up a pretty piece of old paisley that I've been trying to come up with an idea for.  I was thinking of working it into a hooked mat, or maybe another cuff.  But, today after pondering this little lovely for a bit, I decided not to cut it up.... leave it alone in all it's glory..... and make a hanging piece.


Since I consider myself primarily a rug hooker, I hooked some wool strips and yarn right onto the paisley.


I like the teal next to the old red.  I also stitched on some of my gold wool, and glued just the tiniest bit of teal along the edge.


I love the fray along the bottom, and I added some very old tarnished buttons.


The frayed linen makes a lovely neutral frame to attached the paisley to.

Most of my hooking takes at least days, maybe weeks, and sometimes months to complete.  This little piece took me part of this morning and into lunch to finish.  Satisfied my need to create... Fun and done!

Happy Friday!
xo
dulcy

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

My Colorful World

I went to a fabulous hook-in in Warsaw, Missouri about a month ago with a couple of my besties, Tammy and Sheri.  I bought some gorgeous wool which I left hanging on the edge of my wool cabinet so I could just look at it and enjoy the loveliness of color and texture.  Well..... I just couldn't leave it alone!  So............



Two new cuffies emerged!  The wool is lovely shades of turquoise, creams, light browns, a hint of green, with a bit of sparkly gold fiber running throughout.  I mixed in some gorgeous blue wool strips, and a pretty taupe alpaca that also has the tiniest bit of gold mixed in.  I had such fun making these because I LOVE the colors, and enjoyed watching the different textures and color play against each other.  Both of these pretties are now in my  little shop on Etsy.



A few of you dear friends have remarked that you don't know what a hedge apple is or what they come from... are they any good to eat?  NO!  The only creature I know of that will eat a hedge apple is a cow.  Another name for the tree they come from is the Osage Orange.  I've grown up seeing them laying about as long as I can remember, and love the brilliant green and bumpy texture of these beauties.   But, as far as I know, they're not much good for anything and rot into a brown mushy mess.   I've been on a hedge apple hooking binge for a year or so.  You may remember my rug I made last year for this fall.


Or my hedge apple bag that I made. Love the hedge apple green against the gray with some crimson and gold mixed in.


Or maybe my little Fiesta that now has a license plate that says HDGAPL.  It's always fun to watch people trying to figure our what that means.

Anyway, I'm not too crazy, just loving fall and the color pretties that come around only this time of year.  And we still have the leaves to look forward to!!

xo
dulcy

Simple Pleasures During Confusing Times

Such complicated and confusing times we’re living in these days. Do I go out or stay in? Mask all or some of the time? Travel?! It’s all so...