Now that the gardens are almost put to bed for the winter, I’ve been busy fiber’n for my Holiday Open House at my shop, Sheepy Hollow (check out www.sheepyhollowherbs.com ). Be sure to save the date, Nov 14 & 15, 10 am to 4 pm. Here’s a sample of a few felted items I’ve been working on, handmade and locally grown! I’ve also been busy knitting a few ’smalls’ as moments allow…like standing in line to vote today! Made several batches of goat’s milk soap too that’s on the shelf curing and will be ready for sale at the open house.
Speaking of goats, my sweet girls Holly and Nelly are at my friend’s house, Roxann, for breeding. I also brought a couple of her Shetland ewes – the Wisconsin wild women – home with me to be bred to my new Shetland ram. Roxann is beginning her foundation flock of bottle-fed Shetland sheep. This is the time of year when we’re planning for new arrivals next Spring! Babies are so much fun and a welcome sight after a long winter! I sure do miss my fresh goat’s milk!!!
Baa Baa Black Sheep...
The pic is a hand-felted piece I made with my Corriedale fleece… and would make a sweet table runner or hung over the back of a sofa. Someone mentioned a wall-hanging or valence over a window in their fiber room perhaps? If you have a wool stash, you should consider wet-felting. Basically, all you need is two hands, hot and cold water and a bit of muscle to swoosh and goosh the wool fleece into felt. Any wool will felt. Wet-felting is not to be confused with knitting a ’something’ and then ‘felting’ or shrinking it in the washing machine – controlled felting. Similar concept, but a bit different process. What’s great about felting is that you don’t need any specialized equipment. It’s a fun activity with children or adults…and whose results are sometimes a bit unpredictable!
Yessir! Yessir! Three Bags Full!
Here’s another piece (of the nursery rhyme) that I made. I made a few more sheepie table-runner sized felt pieces with fringe on the ends too!
As you’ve probably heard me mention once or twice before, I LOVE my sheep! And the fiber is a bonus! I’m thinking I need to felt a whole flock of sheepie ornaments for a sheepie-only decorated Christmas tree. Joan, Heritage Spinning and Weaving, a wonderful fiber shop located in Lake Orion, MI, says it’s not too early to re-do the shop display windows with Christmas theme…
Well, whatever you’re up to, have a blessed day! Jenny
