Ottawa Valley Fiber Arts

New blog if you are interested :)

2010-05-23T14:14:00.001-07:00

Since I seem to like to share my adventures, this year's journey is unfolding here: http://livingwell365.blogspot.com/

April Canadian Fibre Box Newsletter

2010-04-18T06:05:00.001-07:00

The April CFB Newsletter is now posted, here. This was the last regular month, as OVFA is slowing down business into a sustainable side bar :). It's a funny world when success is not necessarily a good thing -- just like the earth saying "Woah there, slow down human race," I've heard some loud and clear messages to draw back on the reigns even if the horses are having a grand time.

Enjoy this last month, and remember to explore spinning local fibres, when and where you can!

2010-04-03T15:50:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! Happy beautiful long weekend. I was in the garden today, and it was gorgeous!

So, the fibre for April is on its way to me. This month’s box is nature inspired hand dyed roving from out West. The fibre (I was sent sample earlier this year) is as breathtaking as the Western scenery. This indie dyer is definitely someone you want to keep an eye on!

Send me a message or put in your order via the website if you would like a share. This will also likely be the last CFB for awhile…I need a break from the busyness of OVFA, given the kids, my health concerns and my day time job. From time to time I’ll be setting up special editions as the time allows -- the monthly schedule is just not working well with increasing business travel for me and my family!

I’ve had such a blast with every I’ve met across Canada (and the US), so I won’t be disappearing, just downsizing and redirecting into something more sustainable!

Thank you for everyone’s fun and support!

March Canadian Fibre Box Club - Eco friendly Mill

2010-03-22T04:54:00.000-07:00

And March is out! With a little delay due to family health crisis (seem to be endemic to my household!), this month's club is out.

The newsletter can be found here.

Heres'a pic of this month's contents. I have a very little bit of the purple/grey Blizzard left, and will soon be posting the remainder to the OVFA shop site, in addition to a gorgeous caramel/toffee/cream coloured Blizzard. I also ordered lots and lots of 1/3 each merino/alpaca/kid mohair in grey and fawn.

Okay, off to work now!

Spinning up a year

2010-03-11T16:08:00.000-08:00

Spring is coming and life feels so much better with sunlight! Spinning has been my companion through a long winter, but they always seem long.

Next month is my first year spin-a-versary. For my birthday last week, I let my first wheel go to a good home (well, sent it to a deserving spinner to be in the US via a yarn trade!) and brought up my very own Louet S10 from the stock room. Nelly and I are getting along just fine!

I hummed and hawed over whether to order myself a Rose, or appropriate the new Millie by Majacraft in the basement, or try out an Ashford Trady. Somehow the simple lines and the larger size of the S10 spoke to me, and up she came!

My first spinning project is complete: 200 g of dyed Perendale in from Majacraft.

I am now knitting up an ipod cozy for a friend at work. Apple cozies and banana cozies have been all the rage, but I wanted something less risque for a male colleague!

Quite a few colours came in with the Bronze Horseman and they're listed on the OVFA shop here. Lollipops is to the right. I'm dyeing to try them all but will refrain, at least for now.

Now on the wheel is some ingeo silk dyed in light peach with hot pink locks from the UK. It's a fun yarn that my daughter will love!

Finally, this weekend is Canadian Fibre Box weekend. An eco friend Mill is featured, and has been very popular in the past. This month's fibers are all new, and very, very nice. And yes, I ordered enough so that I would have some for myself. The shoemaker's daughter is not going barefoot this month!

February Canadian Fibre Box

2010-02-24T04:35:00.000-08:00

Another month has passed, and another month of fibre has be deployed across Canada and even into the United States. Princess Farms of Saskatchewan was the featured farm this month, and the box is pure luxury! Our side show was Cuddle Toes sock yarn by Sqwish of BC. It was a great box all around (but aren't they all?).

The full newsletter can be seen here. Next month's fibre just arrived by bus, and April is set up too! I can't believe I am ahead of myself...

I have been doing a lot of reading about sheep breeds in my Sheep a month personal challenge. January was Finn, as I have a fair amount of lovely Canadian Finn (that makes me giggle) roving from Barb of Wild Geese Fibres from a previous Fibre Box. It is lovely bouncey stuff! I also had to choose Finn first as a tribute to my heritage. My paternal grandather, and thus my surname, come from Finland. I'll post a write up and pictures soon. In sheep's clothing is a great reference book for anyone who wants to know about the characteristics of the various breeds out there. I hope to update the shop site slowly with more details about each of the fibres I have in stock. Thanks for the idea, knitgeekery!

Finally, a few dye jobs I particularly like, these are on my etsy shop:

Kindred spirits through swaps...

2010-01-29T15:03:00.000-08:00

So this year I did my first swap on Ravelry...I did a Solstice in December and enjoyed putting the gift together so much that I figured I should give it another go.

I got paired up with someone from St. Paul, Minnesota. I've actually flown through there, and stayed for a week in Rochester, MN, to visit the Mayo. The folks there are fabulous (as is the bead store, the Nordic Gypsy). Laughingheir seemed just perfect - cheeky and she shared my taste in yarn, so much that we have the same skein of Misti Alpaca sock yarn!

Today I got my package. I hope she gets hers soon! Canada Post, please be kind and quick! My goodies are posted here. I think the theme is truly Minnesota. Gorgeous singles in orange (my favourite colour!), a carrot (long story!), two candy bars (seem to be manufactured in MN), and two lovely bags...I am thoroughly spoiled. Thanks laughingheir, so are fabulous!

With the world wide web, the world can be so small, and so easy to meet good likeminded people. Fibre is a great thing to share.

2010-01-16T12:24:00.001-08:00

Hey everyone! Any fibre resolutions out there?

This year, I'm planning on learning a sheep a month. Stay tuned for a monthly update of what I've learned! I find it fascinating how different breeds have such different qualities, and am going to explore this more formally (and publicly).

In other news, the January Fibre Box is going out this weekend. The newsletter is posted here.

Also, I have a new banner, which I love.

And finally, I must say, this love affair with fibre keeps me sane. Anyone else feel the same?

Spinning away the tension

2009-12-28T05:27:00.000-08:00

And almost another month has past. The December Fibre Box went out and it was a hit! Here is what I spun up from the Hilltop Fibre Worker's gorgeous fractal rovings.

And then there were the singles from a handblended batt from Dyakcraft. These will be knit and then felted, which is why their slightly inconsistent and uneven appearance does not worry me!

Finally, I spun airy yarn from a BFL braid dyed by my good friend Ana of Art-by-Ana. This is beautiful yarn and I have to figure out what I will do with it! It may end up on Etsy...

I've also been crocheting a beautiful multi yarned black, grey, white and silver scarf, which I'll share when it's finished.

Fibre is good for the soul. Be sure to share!

And time passes

2009-12-03T03:21:00.000-08:00

So it's December, there has been snow, and where have I been?
Much crocheting has been happening. Some spinning (I am about to adopt a Louet S10 ST -- It is calling too loudly, and is so smooth). Dyeing has taken a rest. Met many more fabulous fibre folks from across Canada. Hi Barb, Hi Mary Lou, Hi Steph!

And for some shop updates while it is still early enough to shop. The new issue of Wild Fibers is in. I love the cover! Very Christmas-y!

Also, I have a few copies of Abby Franquemont's Respect the Spindle coming in next week. You can pre-order on the website now if you like! I can always add other purchases to your fibre boxes with no additional shipping charges...just let me know before the 15th of the month.

Louet is now carrying cool dyed Karoake Top (wool / soysilk blend). I have Parrotfish and Calico in stock, and will be spinning some up myself soon. More colours are available...

Have a wonderful, happy, spinning, knitting, crocheting, weaving, December. I'll send out a reminder about the December Fibre Box next week, if you haven't sent in your order yet. This month is artisan dyed roving which I know will be beautiful!

Life's like that...

2009-11-21T04:27:00.000-08:00

My wonderful other half and I sorted out shares of Canadian Fibre last night while the kidlets were entranced by Caillou, and I have a stack of boxes in the kitchen ready to mail today.

I'll post the link to the newsletter post haste...just ironing out a few final notes.

So sorry for the delay my fibre box friends. Kidlets with colds, and my own arthritis has decided to make a cosier acquaintance with me of late. The crocheting I have been doing is keeping my fingers nimble but I can't seem to beat the fatigue! There was a wonderful article in the Spring Spin Off about the healing aspect of raising sheep, and how wonderful it is to bury your face into the fleece of your own sheep and smell the lanolin. I need to go find a sheep farmer soon, I think!

Quick update and then away with me...

2009-11-09T03:47:00.000-08:00

My dye pot has been extraordinarily busy this weekend with 5 skeins complete. I'm quite pleased with myself! My other projects have taken a back seat and are grumpy with me, though, including the thrift store sweater I am frogging for its gorgeous yarn, the llama lace scarf I am knitting (and frogging, and knitting and frogging), and the BFL I mean to spin up.

Creating from fiber makes me deliriously happy. Isn't it wonderfully to find a space where time slips away and your focus is almost singular...

...and then a four year runs into the kitchen grouchy because his nut butter sandwich was cut in squares and not triangles.

But a girl can dream, right?

It's cold outside!

2009-10-25T04:00:00.000-07:00

A task for soon is to go around my log home and find all the cracks in the logs. It's clearly getting colder and time to winter proof again!

And time to knit mitts. I found a ball of what I thought was Akapana by Mirasol in the little balls bin at Wool-tyme, and knit it into a wonderfully warm mitten.

The first clue that it was not Akapana should have been that it was too large given the needles and pattern, and likely not a worsted weight yarn!

Any ideas what yarn this is? It feels soft like llama, and has yellow tweedy bits in it...

In other news, spun up some of DaisyLady's wonderful corriedale. Yumm! What a nice way to spend a Saturday. I'm saying goodbye to a Rose today, but it is going to a wonderful home, I'm sure. I'm almost finished weaving in the ends of my orange scarf that appeared in an earlier post.

October's Canadian Fibre Box

2009-10-18T04:29:00.000-07:00

I've been really good to myself and my health, and have been mindful to slow things down. I've been doing lots of knitting, spinning, weaving and reading for myself.

But, I'm so passionate about the Fibre Box...I haven't slowed down on that front at all. And I'm re-energized now that 10% of all OVFA sales are going to the Ottawa Food Bank. My business is helping the Canadian Fibre community, and the local community in need. This fits with my value system in a very good way.

This month's boxes are being dropped in the mail today. Above is the yarn in the box, from SweetGeorgia Yarns. It's delicious! Thanks Felicia! Other contributors are Canaan Mohair and Gulf Islands Spinning Mill. To be extra exciting, I added a mini niddy noddy from Houndesign, because Dave's work is really excellent (and Canadian)!

Here's a link to the full newsletter: October's Newsletter. Next month's fibre box contents are already on their way to me from the Prairies.

Have a great week, everyone.
(PS if you want to subscribe, you can order here.)

Weaving from my stash: A study in ORANGE!

2009-10-09T04:17:00.000-07:00

As promised, I'm working from my stash right now. My loom is warped with some sock yarn, and the weft is three different yarns. The pink is handdyed wool singles I picked up in the $1.00 bin at a LYS over the summer, the bright orange is Lang Pearl Flash (kid mohair, acryl, poly) and the light orange is handspun ingeo/icicle/wool. Depending on how the finished product turns out, this will be a scarf to go with my purple dress, a table runner, or a wall hanging. I'm loving it! (Did I mention I love my Knitter's Loom? This is going to work with me today so I can weave over lunch...)

Knit Green, Spin Local, Weave for sanity!

2009-10-08T03:12:00.000-07:00

This Canadian Thanksgiving weekend I am sticking my nose into Joanne Seif's new book "Knit Green". It's all about knitting with the environment in mind, and it really jives with my value system. Some of the patterns are even on Ravelry!

If you've read past entries, you'll now that I am spending less time on "business" and more time on creative endeavors. The next step of this change in orientation in make my creative time good for the environment and to contribute socially in some way.

So, a few "resolutions" for now until the new year.

I'm spinning, knitting, weaving from my stash or others'.

Many friends are on fiber diets, and it's actually neat what creative juices flow when you have to work within the confines of your current stash!

I'm donating 10% of my gross sales to the Ottawa Food Bank.

My kids are picky eaters, and it seems like every night I have to explain that some kids don't have enough to eat. A fellow knitter in Ottawa (hianja on Ravelry) donates her profits from cool market bags to Harmony House for women, so I'm following her lead. And the Food Bank helps make sure that no food goes to waste by sourcing food that otherwise may be thrown out. I also found out that for every dollar donated, $5 dollars worth of food is distributed to the community. They distribute 12 tons of food a day. That's a lot.

Postscript: Clearly running business is an organic evolving process. The way I want to move forward is sometimes inconsistent with the decisions I have made in the past. Case in point: Encouraging people to knit from their stash is not going to move the yarn in my stock room of the shelves!

Happy Monday happenings

2009-09-28T04:50:00.000-07:00

Imagine my delight when I saw the skein of Merlin I gave to a delightful and talented young lady turn up as this:
She now has a blog and it makes me smile each time I read it. Horray for young folks taking up fibre arts! I think she has a future as a pattern designer.

Must off to day job now, but wanted to share to start the week with a smile. Enjoy everyone!

And making progress...

2009-09-25T04:14:00.000-07:00

I'm well into week two of taking it more gently on my body. Lots of spinning has been happening. Some knitting. Soon, some weaving. I've made progress on my Apple Laine stole that has sat idle since our trip to BC.

I treated myself a few weeks ago to a few art batts from Etsy. It's always nice to work with something that someone else has made. Jahtsemer's batts are lovely, and I've spun up 2 of the three.

I clearly have a preference for bulky singles. Now what to do with them? It's the right time of year to be knitting up warm fuzzies, so I'll raid Ravelry this weekend for ideas. If the weather's good, I'll also take photos before they transform from lovely skeins into their functional pieces.

Soon, to dye up a bunch of yarn in Autumn in Gatineau Park. I'm in love with this colourway and almost out of fiber in it. I shared the last bit of magical merino/silk with a new friend yesterday, and so must replenish my house (and then share on Etsy) with these colours.

And this weekend, completed bits of the Keep the Fleece scarf are sent off to Rhinebeck! The skein to the right is by knitgeekery, which she knit into a lovely scarf piece that I need to photograph post haste!

Spinning, weaving, knitting as meditation

2009-09-17T11:57:00.001-07:00

Hey all, it's been a while since I've updated.

Apparently my body has decided to rebel. I resent this, but I guess I had better learn to suck it up and get with its new program, which means I can revisit spinning, knitting and weaving as meditation. It means slowing down, breathing deep, and taking stock.

All good things, but it's too bad it took me getting sick again to remind me! Do you think I will ever learn to do so before I fall ill?

For the next month I am going to focus on fibre as mindfulness, and use this blog to explore that. I think it's going to be a nice way to reconnect with spinning, weaving and knitting for myself instead of through OVFA in a business way, and to share this journey. It's going to be nice going back to my roots again. I hope you join me...

Weaving!

2009-08-26T03:40:00.000-07:00

Weaving is becomming increasingly popular -- perhaps it is because we all need a way to use our handspun. For me, weaving is more economical than knitting (I am a turtle knitter, very slow, and always making mistakes). My expert knitter friends still amaze me.

Check out We avolution, which is the weaver's answer to Ravelry. I'm finding this site a great way to learn, share experiences, and meet weavers in Canada, the US and from around the world. I'll even be organizing a Weavolution meet up this fall! Let me know if you would like to help organize.

I'm ottawa_fiber on Weavolution...if you join too, let me know who you are! Have a happy spinning, weaving, knitting, dyeing, day...

August Fibre Box is out!

2009-08-17T04:20:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a weekend! I'm happy to say that the inaugural August 2009 edition of the Canadian Fibre Box has been left in the hands of Canada Post and will be making its way to your mail box, door step, etc. shortly!

I had a lot of fun putting this month's box together, and I ironically, I visited our BC weaver and owner of Penelope Fibre Arts in person while not having a chance to visit the closer Topsy Farms on Amherst Island, Ontario. I am looking forward to visiting them soon! Ana of Art-by-Ana lives in Ottawa, so she even helped put the boxes together! Thank you Ana.

This week I will work out how many new subscriptions may be opening up. One-month subscribers get first choice at continuing their subscription, and the remaining shares will be opened up. I'll let you all know when that is.

If you're interested in the newsletter that went along with the box, you can visit it here!

Christmas in August!

2009-08-10T15:59:00.000-07:00

This week we are back from Beautiful BC and the delivery guys are happy we are here. I don't think a day has gone by without a delivery (or two or three).

So, to update on new goodies which have not made it to the online store (and may not before I go to Almonte's Fibrefest on September 11, 12, 13). So many nice things, and more to come. We have started to finish the basement in earnest to make room for stock and studio (the electrician is there today even!).

More colours of Ashford Silk Merino: Juniper/dark purple (top), Saffron/orange (3rd), and Salvia/blue (6th). $12.00 / 100g. We still have some Peppercorns (5th), Cinnamon (4th) and Mulberry (7th). More Knitter's Looms, and now a Knitter's Loom Stand so that you can weave on your feet.

Various silks from India including Sari silk, Peace Yarn which is spun straight from the cocoon, silk top, silk noile, thowster silk, and silk weaving yarns in 2/20 and 2/60.

Drop spindles, yarn gauges and an orifice hook by a Spinner's Lair from reclaimed hardwood.

The exquisite wares of two handcrafters of spindles, knitting needles, nostepindes and niddy noddies will be joining OVFA soon. These will be on display in Almonte, if not before on the website. Stay tuned for these high demand handcrafted items (that I am in love with, and have for myself already!)

Finally, next week I expect two 70 cm Jane Table Looms from Louet NA to be in stock. Apparently, it is difficult to keep them on the shelves. One will be warped and ready to go at Almonte if you are interested in seeing it!

In other news, the Canadian Fibre Box goes out this weekend. My youngest has been sick this week, which hasn't helped me prepare the newsletter to go with it, but everything is still on schedule! Can't wait to pack, seal and drop in the mail! I hope to be able to put up a feedback site by the end of next week when most of you should be receiving your packages.

Great day o'fiber

2009-08-05T21:26:00.000-07:00

More later, but for now a pic!

More West coast adventures

2009-08-05T06:51:00.001-07:00

Yesterday brought a visit with Brenda of Penelope Fibre Arts. Brenda and her mother started Penelope earlier this millennium, with a focus on weaving and spinning. Her shop is filled with colorful weaving yarns and beautiful fibers.

It's amazing how extensive the BC fibre community is. I can't keep track of how many groups, stores, events, farms and people Brenda listed off for me as we were talking. Wow! The most exciting part for me was learning about the Fibres West event she is organizing for March 2010.

Later today will bring visits to Birkeland Bros, SweetGeorgiaYarns, and Three Bags Full. Oh dear. What a day!

Anyways, must get back to some other work I need to finish (statistics, anyone?), but wanted to share some West Coast happiness. I have to say, people in the Fibre community are the nicest in the world. Really. Thanks Brenda!

Have yarn, will travel

2009-08-02T10:40:00.000-07:00

Our family made it to BC in one piece, and we have a gorgeous view overlooking the ocean in White Rock. The youngest is not enjoying the time change, but other than that, I can't complain. Here's my shoulder wrap that I hope to finish. The yarn is Apple Laine...this is the yarn whose colours inspired me to learn to spin because I wanted texture to match the depth of colour. The colours are Fruit Frappe and Wild Thing.

On the flight over, I read Fiber Gathering, by Joanne Seiff. I've been dy(e)ing to have the time to read this since I got a few copies in stock. Great book, highly recommended if you are a fiberista, fiberholic, or even just getting started in fiber exploration.

For those of us who don't get a chance to travel much (young kids, anyone), or live in Canada where there is not (yet) a culture of huge Fibre Festivals, reading this book is a vicarious way to experience the festivals that bring people who love all that is fiber together.

There is a range of projects (more than 25 of them), from the most basic (apple and knitting needle drop spindle) to the more advanced (gorgeous alpaca ruana). There are also great tutorials on how to paint your own yarn, hook your own rug, and even help out at a sheep shearing.

Overall, if you are a fiber lover and a book lover, this is a book I would recommend for your coffee table. My only disappointment was that it ended too soon. The pictures were great, and I could have managed a book twice as long! But perhaps I am just greedy and should wait for a sequel...

Shop will not ship Aug 1 to 9

2009-07-30T04:27:00.000-07:00

I love alliteration.

Just a quick note to let you know I am scouting out LYSs, farms, and fiberistas in BC from August 1 to 9. We won't be shipping any orders during this time. If you desperately neeeeeed something, please let me know by 7 am July 31, and I can have it in the mail by the evening.

Have a great first third of August!

What a week...

2009-07-25T06:16:00.000-07:00

Its' been a busy week at OVFA. The Canadian Fibre Box has been a hit. Thanks to everyone who has shown interest or ordered a box. I can't wait to send them out in August! September's main event and I are figuring out which fibers to include.

Quite a few shipments came in, so I need to update the online store. (Edit: Mostly done!)

New additions include:
Cottolin weaving yarns from Louet. Have I mentioned how much I love Louet? Their linen and lined blend yarns, Merlin and Euroflax have me enchanted. My impression is that linen isn't used to it's full potential in North America. I wonder why? Any thoughts?

Wool combs from Louet...one set is mine, all mine. I have spent the week combing wool while watching Nurse Jackie and Dexter. Really nice, clean line combs. The Dutch know how to make an old tool look modern. Highly recommended. Easier on my wrists than carding (and of course, for a different fiber outcome, too).

Undyed Northern Lights. This would dye up nicely for beginner and intermediate spinners...

More BFL. Some Corriedale.

A new line of professional acid dyes...I am *stealing* some for store use, and the rest are for you.

Wool from my secret fibre farm. Can't share this yet!

Canadian Fibre box tm

2009-07-20T15:17:00.000-07:00

It's announced. Hurrah! The Canadian Fibre Box...and yes, I finally spelled it rite ;).

The secret is out! Everyone knows about the *box that shall not be named* Fiber Box which has taken the fiber community by storm. Ottawa Valley Fiber Arts has created the Canadian Fibre Box^tm. This is your chance to get to know Canadian Fibre.

Subscribe, and each month you will receive a box with a variety of Canadian Fibre: natural, and dyed, as fleece, batts, roving, locks, and more... Get to know your Canadian Fibre sources! Enjoy sampling a range of fibres, colours, and forms. Special extras will be included in each box.

Subscriptions are on sale through our Shop or on Etsy. The first boxes will go out the week of August 15th showcasing a very special farm!

If you would like to be profiled in the Canadian fibre box, please contact us.

Little happy dance projects

2009-07-18T05:25:00.000-07:00

I have a special surprise project in the works through OVFA. I should be announcing within a few days on the site, blog and etsy, having lined up my first ducks (or is that sheep)!

I am doing little happy dances about it, as it meets my goals of sharing fiber-y goodness, supporting local (in this case, Canadian-local) farms/artisans, and lets me have a whole pile of fun. Stay tuned.

Have I mentioned I am not good at keeping secrets. Ask my better half Troy, he'll confirm.

In other news, dyed up a bunch of weaving yarn yesterday in shades of plum. I can't decide whether to weave it myself or post to etsy. Also dyed up some Lopi Chunky from Iceland in Killaloe Sunrise (light plum and yellow). Fun, bulky, yarn. I wanted to try dyeing commercially spun yarn since I hadn't yet, and I feel a need to really understand all my products in a range of uses.

Oh yes, apparently our camera is in Switzerland visiting Mozart's birthplace, Salzburg. Should be back Monday. At least I know that I haven't lost my mind or my camera!

2009-07-13T16:39:00.000-07:00

The thing I love about this job is that as one wheel goes out the door, another arrives to soothe my aching heart.

A double treadle Ashford Joy arrived today. I am still practicing control and have not yet cleverly found excuses to appropriate stock. I am sure I will find a loving home for this wheel. The Little Gem however, is calling...Perhaps it really does need to see BC with me.

*Sigh* So many wheels...

I'm looking forward to quickly flipping through the Ashford Book of
1. Projects
2. Rigid Heddle Weaving
3. Dyeing and
4. Carding
before tidying them away into the stock room. I love the pictures and the info that Ashford authors provide - I wonder what the difference being from the other side of the world makes. I'll have to post reviews as each of these eventually make it into my own library (although they have tended to quickly end up on others' shelves first!).

Speaking of dyes, a large order of Acid dyes will arrive later this week. I'll be able to provide 1 and 2 ounce sizes, as well as urea, citric acid and Synthrapol (a gentle detergent for post dyeing wash). Hopefully the list of colours will be posted by Friday. I'm looking forward to dyeing up some more roving myself.

Now if only I could find my camera and transfer the pictures of the last batch I did: Ode to Monet; Bee Balm and Goldenrod; and Fall Plum. Ana already snapped up the Oceans away...see pic above!

Keep the fleece 2.0

2009-07-13T04:30:00.000-07:00

The neat thing about the keep the fleece is watching different people spin up the same fiber dyed in the same colourway. I did up a bunch of wool/silk roving in "Autumn in Gatineau Park" which local spinners will spin up, knitters will knit up, and then we will send to NY to be grafted on to the world's longest scarf.

This is a charity project to contribute to the world's largest fleece flock through Heifer International. Farmers in developing countries earn excellent income by producing fibers.

Here are some of the fruits of our labour so far:
And there's one more by Ragz, but I can't find my camera and the pic is on my memory card. *Sigh* Where is that darn camera. All of my hand dyed rovings are there to!

Blogging Fiber in the Valley...

2009-07-10T03:53:00.000-07:00

Hello all! This is my new blog to chronicle my fiber and handspinning adventures. I'm migrating over from Livejournal to blogspot to better line up with my community.

I discovered spinning by hand this year after yearning for yarn with more texture for my knitting. I picked up a drop spindle by happenstance, and the rest is history. Recently, I started Ottawa Valley Fiber Arts. I hope to share my passion for spinning by hand, and to share great information and great products for spinning, weaving and other fiber arts with others in the Ottawa Valley and throughout Canada!

Ottawa meet up

2009-07-09T02:58:00.000-07:00

It might not be a good sign when you walk into a cafe and realize that it is the first time you have been out socially in the evening since your two year old was born. *sigh*

Not only was spinning the absolutely right thing for me, but clearly its people are too. I spent the evening with a bunch of knitters, spinners, weavers and generally cool people. I haven't felt more at home with mostly strangers in a very long time.

After an almond roca latte I spent the evening working on my scarf, woven with Mermaid's pleasure thickly spun from an art batt by stellalunag on Ravelery. Ana had spun up the "mystery fiber" confirmed to be wool/silk blend by hilltopfiber in a beautiful shade of lime green. I must spend more time spinning in order to approach that level of skill.

Meeting hilltopfiber was nice. It is really all her fault. I picked up her drop spindle kit earlier this year, which is what sent me into the upward spiral that resulted in Ottawa Valley Fiber Arts.

Danger Will Robinson...

2009-07-06T02:57:00.000-07:00

Oh no. Not another wonderful thing that feels right.

I chose one of Ashford's Knitter's Looms as a demo model for OVFA (Ottawa Valley Fiber Arts). I had spun up some Dorset singles in peacock colours, and decided to try my hand at weaving. Today, I realized I had not saved enough singles before plying to finish my scarf. *le sigh* So, I have part of a scarf.

I can weave! It is relaxing, like spinning, and rhythmic. And for someone a little impatient like me, more gratifying than knitting. Here is a picture of my first woven item. I anticipate more in the future. I think ragz or anabanana from ravelry had suggested a need to focus on projects and not just spinning. Or was it knitgeekery. Too many cool ladies to tell...

Keep the Fleece

2009-06-15T02:59:00.000-07:00

You've gotta love www.keepthefleece.org/. Their goal is to raise a $250,000 for the largest fiber flock in the world for Heifer International, a charity that aims to end world hunger and poverty and care for the earth. Ottawa Valley Fiber Arts is gathering a team to contribute to knitting the world's longest scarf.

Want to join us? You can contribute in one of three ways:
1. Spin up some natural fiber and drop it off/send it in.
2. Knit up the handspun into a 9 inch wide scarf.
3. Spin and knit a part of the 9 inch wide scarf.

Contact me and let me know how you want to be involved. I'll provide two ounces of natural fiber for you to spin if you join us! Our scarf needs to be completed by mid-September in order to be mailed to New York, where it will be joined with all the other scarves from this initiative.

Ottawa Valley Fiber Arts will donate $1.00 per knit row to Keep the Fleece, which will be used to purchase animals for the world's largest fiber flock.

2009-06-14T03:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we went to Lamb's Down Park Festival at the Canadian Sheep Grower's Cooperative. Watched a sheep shearing, and got a fleece. Mmmmm...yummy, lanoliny fleece. Can't wait to scour it and spin it up!

Met with a very nice gentleman from Ontario Sheep Farmers Association. Nice people, and I hope to help the local sheep community through my business. In Ontario (or elsewhere?) Need a fleece? Give me a shout, and I'll try to get you the breed you are looking for. This might be better organized next year than this year...As a younger spinner (i.e. 34 ish), it struck me that we need to get out and spin in public more. Spinning is NOT a dying art (well, it is a dyeing art, as evidenced by the two hours I spent dyeing this morning...) and there are many of us who will carry on the craft. Spinning and weaving week is in October. www.weavespindye.org/pages/ I encourage everyone to do something radical, like spin in public that week!