july 1 2013

first off, please note that the shop is closed the entire month of july.  the shop will re-open friday august 2.

i have been a wet felting fool these past couple of weeks.  since nothing had been working out right with my knitting, i decided to give it up for a while and try my hand at some wet felted flowers.  to my amazement, they turned out beautifully.  that put me into high gear and i was off and running.  monday i made about ten flowers (some nice and some not so nice); tuesday i made more flowers, a vessel, a bowl, several cuffs, a poncho, and some prefelt for other projects; wednesday i decided it was time to dye ;)!  so i dug out some dyes i bought at SAFF in north carolina last october and dyed some white chiffon which i have plenty of for scarves.  they turned out so pretty.  i was able to talk to the lady who owns the company and she gave me good ideas and pointers, as i had never dyed/(died) before (who has??).  it was so much easier than i had ever expected.  when you purchase pre-dyed chiffons, they are pretty expensive.  but when you purchase plain white chiffon, its about 1/4 the cost.  so now i dont have to buy the expensive dyed ones and i can just do my own.  my workshop looks like a cyclone hit it again but i am really energized at this point in time.  its a good thing, too, because i will be gone most of july and i start ligonier august 3.  so hopefully i will be ready. check out my basket and one of my vessels with a flower in the center and a silk cape/poncho:

 

our three new girls (boar goats) arrived safe and sound.  after much headbutting, everyone is settling into their place on the farm.  havent named them as of yet so now the task of thinking of three new flowers i have yet to use.  i decided the yearling will be buttercup but as for mom and baby i havent settled on a flower name yet.  am up for suggestions.  two dozen new peeps arrived as well but no need for names!

this must be an animal sort of month for me.  4 abandoned kittens fell in my lap last friday.  i posted pictures on facebook looking for homes.  one of them has five toes. did you know five-toe kittens are called polymorphic and are affiliated with ernest hemingway from the florida keys.. they are all very friendly.  obviously i dont know how old they are but they are young.  however,they are able to eat soft food and drink kitty milk.  anyone looking for a kitten?  i hope they dont forget me while i'm gone but i would like to find homes for them none the less.  (the buff colored kitty with the mitten paws is not in this photo)

on thursday, june 20, three of us had a play date at the shop to play with beads.  as i have been wanting to do some crocheting with beads, i decided this was the day.  i like the idea of free form, so i strung on a bunch of beads and was on my merry way.  when i had finished doing five rows of my 'design' i discovered i had used up all but about 2 yards of a newly-purchased spool of wire - 40 yards on a spool!  its very pretty tho and my plan is to wrap it around a wet felted cord.  

dates to remember:

july 4-7 twin lakes art festival *

july 8 greensburg fiber art meet up at panera greensburg

july 11 and 25 purlin girls noon at the bean

july 27 donna's fundraiser at ligonier beach (still looking for donations)

*check out the greensburg art center tent

upcoming classes:

wednesday august 14 basic needle felting

thursday august 29 spiral necklace

wednesdays september 4 and 18 bowl of cherries

please visit the classes tab on my website for further details.  also anyone wishing to sign up for one of these classes, pre-registration is required, so please do not just email me or tell me.  since i will be out of contact, i will need you to send your check to me at p.o. box 175, forbes road, pa 15633 so that when i return, i dont have to check all the emails and rush around to figure out how many will be taking the classes.  this way i will have check in hand and please specify which class you wish to enroll in.  note that if anyone needs the class in the evening or weekend, i will try to accommodate; however i will be starting ligonier market on august 3 so saturdays will only work if the class is scheduled for later in the afternoon.

what's new?  

i am now carrying colorhue dyes which i learned to dye with.  i will also be scheduling a dying class this fall so that others will learn how fun and easy it can be.

also some handspun yarn from billings, montana

june's raffle prize winner was rhonda pegg!

happy birthdays for the month of july go to:  paula and kim from the purlin girls, deb helsyth, lisa wilt, and carol hummel!  have a great day ladies!  make your way to the shop for your $5 birthday certificate! 

our own donna needlefelted the cover of a photo album for maia (of the dolly llamas) for the event of her upcoming first grandchild.  it was a very colorful butterfly on a black background:

 

sorry to miss you all this month but very much looking forward to my cross country trip with the offspring.  i will keep you posted with pictures throughout the month of my travels!  i plan on camping, sightseeing, and rafting in utah, then to northern california to enjoy the giant redwood forest, then to portland to spend about a week with anthony.  if anyone knows of any yarn shops or fiber festivals along my way, do let me know please.

see you in august when i will resume regular hours again.  re-open august 2nd.

june 18, 2013

oh my gosh i just realized it is the 18th and i hadnt sent this out yet!  i guess i must be having fun, eh?

last sunday tom and i ventured out to look at a mother/daughter pair of boar goats to purchase.  we ended up purchasing the mother, daughter from last year, and daughter from this year.  we pick them up this sunday.  this young farm couple had everything from goats to cows to guinea hens to rabbits, ducks, chickens, turkeys.....  i thought i was busy!  anyhow we brought a couple of guinea peeps home that day.  we purchased six and when tom went to put them up in the barn in the peep pen, he came back and said 'how many did we buy?'  i answered six.  he said he thought she miscounted because there were only five.  then we said 'uh oh' better look in the car because i was pretty sure there were indeed six in the box.  we looked under everything hoping the little guy didnt escape and then die in the car (that would smell good).  no peep.  tom looked in the ranger, and lo and behold there was the little thing sitting on the front seat like it was being chauffeured around.  funny!  i took some pictures of the cows too and will share one with you.  this particular heifer wanted to lick my phone for some reason:

cathy rosensteel, rhonda pegg, and i went to lawrenceville two saturdays ago to take a shibori class from amber coppings.  it was interesting to learn this ancient japanese art of dying and texture.  we only learned a little in the few hours we spent there and got to stitch up some fabrics with different techniques then put them into a dye bath.  the stitches cause different designs in the fabric when they are pulled very tight, thus not allowing the dye to come through.  sort of like tie-dying but a little more complicated.  

last monday, i did a program at seton hill adult day care making felted balls for necklaces.  the ladies (and one man) seemed to enjoy it but as usual, it was more difficult than i had anticipated and some of the balls were a bit wonky but once we put them on the strings, they looked very pretty.  check it out:

dates to remember:

wednesday june 19 6:00 close knit girls (lisa s.'s house)

tuesday, june 25 1:00-7:00 KA (shop)

thursday, June 27 noon purlin girls (bean)

thursday, june 27 1:00 dolly llamas (panera murrysville)

fridays open 10-6

remember - the twin lakes art festival is coming!  july 4-7

upcoming classes:

i apologize for the delay but i am working on some classes to start in august.  they include but not limited to:

- life is.. a bowl of cherries class

- spiral necklace

- basic needle felting

still working on the dates so keep an eye on the website.

for those of you who don't know, there will be a fundraiser held for donna on saturday july 27 at ligonier beach.  the event runs from noon to 6.  tickets cost $15 and includes swimming and live music.  there will be a chinese auction and donna is looking for donations of gift baskets.  if anyone would like to donate to this event, please contact donna or myself.  donna's email is byrd1961@icloud.com. as donna told me, she feels blessed to have been able to be part of the study for her 'designer' drug which has worked like a charm for her and she wants to give back to the Hillman Center for their cancer research.  i believe part of the proceeds will go to donna herself for continued care.  details later but mark your calendar.  donna is doing a lot of this work herself, which she probably should not be doing... 

i plan on being closed the entire month of july as i will be driving cross country making stops in colorado to see my darling daughter, utah to perhaps go whitewater rafting again, california to see the redwood forests, oregon to see anthony, and who knows where else my wheels will take me.

hope to see you all before i leave!

june 1, 2013

i got to see my beautiful daughter last week so suffice it to say my week was over the top.  and for paula and maryann, here are a couple of pictures of deni passing out the goat food you so graciously save for us:

i told you there isnt enough time to get everything out of the bags with them pushing and shoving!!

not a whole lot of new stuff arriving at the shop these past two weeks except some new handspun yarns from canada.

sheared the sheep may 19th.  what a relief!  shearers are so hard to find.  the year before last we couldnt find anyone to shear and when cris (our current shearer) sheared them the following spring, the fleeced were practically felted from the little kids standing on the backs of the ram and wethers consequently making it very hard work for the shears to cut through.  when the fleece is heavy like that, it pulls on the sheep's skin and causes the shears to cut on their skin.  i decided to keep gidget's fleece, wash it, and spin it and am excited to see how it turns out.  gidget is a southdown so the fleece is cotton-ish - no curls or crimps.

today's beaded pendant class went very well.  as i had taken this class before from dotty westerveld, i had an idea of what i was doing, but the other girls struggled to sew those tiny beads around the button.  eventually everyone was on their way to a beautiful finished project.  

maia had just returned from nicaragua but was able to join us and bring her mother-in-law, roz, along to keep us company.  roz was knitting a cute little bib for her first great-grandchild due in july.

dotty showed us her many beautiful beaded projects and we decided we wanted to learn a spiral necklace pattern.  stay tuned to the website to see when this class will be scheduled.  dotty is a well-known beader who teaches at many different bead shops and colleges.

as for me, i currently have two projects on my needles:  first i have a sweater pattern called 'lily - the softest leaf' out of the book essentially feminine knits.  it is a garter stitch sweater with a leaf pattern on the yoke and i am knitting it out of the natural off white raspberry hill alpaca yarn.  in addition, i am also on a pair of lady finkaas (a swedish shoe/slipper). last week i had made a different slipper/shoe pattern meant for my son, anthony, in portland.  however, they felted up a bit too small for him so i'm off to try again.  anthony loved the felted clogs i made for him a couple of years ago and requested another pair.  he also loves the year-and-a-half socks i finally sent to him last year:

this photo was taken on angel island, just outside of san francisco just prior to his moving to portland, oregon.  angel island was referred to as the ellis island of the west.

please remember to sign up for the blog.  i understand a couple of people indicated they were not able to.  has anyone else encountered a problem?  remember when you sign up and post a comment, your name will be chosen to win a gift certificate to RaggZ!

dates to remember:

tuesday, june 4 6:00 close knit girls (panera murrysville)

monday, june 10 2:00 fiber art meet up (panera greensburg)

tuesday, june 11 1:00-7:00 KA (raggz)

thursday, june 13  noon purlin girls (bean)

saturday, june 15 FREE broomstick lace class (see website for times)

fridays shop hours are 10:00-6:00

may's prize winner was our own donna charlesworth!!

birthday wishes to norma r and maryann w!  i hope your day is special!

and remember girls, my shop is air conditioned, so some hot sticky friday (or tuesday) head on over and cool off with us!

may 15 2013

hey everyone!  i know mother's day is over but i have something to say about it.  it occurred to me with all the mother's day hype that i am in the phase of my life where most of my friends unfortunately no longer have their mothers.  i tire of the commercialism that goes along with it and every other holiday anymore.  yes, moms are special but so are sisters, aunts, nieces, friends, etc.  plus, i have quite a few friends who are not mothers and i dont appreciate them being left out.  obviously, every day of the year we should treat people we care about special - not just a day set aside by Hallmark, florists, and jewelry shops.  lets stop the madness!

happy birthday wishes go to maia olivenstein on may 23rd.

Maryland sheep and wool was a good time.  turns out only two of us ended up going but this year we knew exactly where we wanted to go.  basically, all i was looking for was the out-of-the ordinary yarns and i found loads of beautiful handspun from rainbow rapunzel, carolina fibers, hobbeldehoy, and pucker brush farm.  

WHAT'S NEW YOU ASK?

pagewood farm rug bumps and huge handmade circulars size 35 and 50 to go along with the rug bumps.  note the coffee mug in the center for size comparison.

my rug still needs blocked but is very pretty - too pretty to put on the floor!!

new colors in lambs pride have arrived including prarie goldenrod, frosted periwinkle*, lime sorbet, royal purple flutter, and mustard.  new colors in burly spun as well and new additions to the seconds bin and the sale bin. 

frosted periwinkle is the final color i am using for my sun motif placemats fashioned from the sun satchel pattern.  

May sale is still on - 10% off everything in the store!

and congratulations go to our own cathy peters who was the april door prize winner.  cathy won a copy of elizabeth zimmerman's book 'knitting without tears.'

dates to remember:

thursday, may 16 noon purlin girls

wednesday, may 22 2:00 freeform crochet at raggz

wednesday, may 22 6:00 close knit girls 

thursday, may 23 1:00 dolly llamas  

tuesday, may 28 KA 1-7*

thursday, may 30 noon purlin girls

shop open fridays from 10-6*

*extended hours

for those of you who dont know, there's a chance i may be a vendor at the pgh knit and crochet fest in 2014!  i'm eagerly anticipating this event and am considering which yarns i will take, which patterns, which samples to knit, etc.  my plan at this time is to sell not-so-ordinary yarns, such as mountain meadow, imperial, pagewood, lopi, and all the handspun stuff i've been shopping for. if anyone has any suggestions for me, i would appreciate your input!

rhonda's crochet edgings class was fun and we are looking forward to her freeform crochet class may 22.

upcoming classes:

saturday, june 1 1:00 beaded pendant class

saturday, june 15 FREE broomstick lace class

check website for details (raggzfiberart.com)

more classes for this summer will be posted soon, as soon as i get my vacation schedule figured out.  dont forget, ligonier country market starts this saturday.  i will not be there as a vendor until august this year.

waynesburg sheep and fiber festival is this weekend, may 18 and 19 from 10-5.  a much smaller festival than maryland but much closer and a nice way to spend a few hrs.

for those of you who are techies, please go to your yelp app and post a comment about my store.  i am new to this but i was told it is a good marketing tool.  if you do not have a cell phone, you can go to yelp.com.  thanks for your support!

also please please sign up here on the blog to receive updates.  remember that a prize will be given to one of you who sign up and comment on the blog.

i will sign off with a great quote from paula massa today:

"markers are your best friend!"

til next time!

t

i think it really is spring - i'm sitting outside in the beautiful sunshine under blue skies writing this blog!  now that we are milking goats again, the girls have been keeping me busy trying to utilize all this fresh milk, so i've been making yoghurt, ricotta, and mozzarella.  just what i needed - something ELSE to do.  i was busy planting flowers the other day as well.  you will notice that while he was home last weekend, zach removed those huge bushes that were crowding the planter out front and it looks so different.  now my flowers will finally get some much-needed sunlight.  i got the front of the house washed down and i'm ready to do some painting out front and get my new storm door installed.  tom also got the new light put in the dining room so its nice and bright in there as well as the living room!  phew...

i've been feeling an organizing bug lately and have finally gotten my office space and studio tidied up.  at least now i have half an idea where things are and dont have to step over anything to get in!  i have made myself a new 'to do' list, which is way longer than i had hoped and this time i'll try not to lose it.  today i was able to cross two things off that list. (happy happy joy joy!) 

so along that line, i have decided to do some spring cleaning and for the entire month of may, ALL yarn will be 10% off, including yarn in the bargain bin (which has been added to) and seconds yarn (i am expecting a big shipment from brown sheep within a day or two).  also all needles, patterns, books, buttons, roving and accessories will be 10% off during may.  so this includes just about everything except items sold on consignment.

what's new?

ICE yarns, that's what!  direct from turkey and none of which i have seen before.   

also new - extra cords for the hiya hiya sharp sets, which come in handy when your wips are getting out of hand.

check out new beautiful colors of roving for your wet and needle felting needs, new artworx handcrafted buttons from north carolina, and new books by elizabeth zimmerman.

UPCOMING CLASS REMINDER

wednesday, may 8 crochet edgings at a new time 2:00

wednesday, may 22 freeform crochet also at 2:00

saturday, may 26 pagewood garden path silk scarf 1:00

saturday, june 1, beaded cabochon 1:00

in june, i will be holding a free class on broomstick lace - check the website for details on this and all the other classes.

happy birthday greetings to melissa marasia and sylvia elliott!

amazing stitches class at the bean went well considering there were 15 students.  as i have said to many of you, i have a newfound appreciation for real teachers with large classrooms.  it was a little overwhelming for me, but i hope most of the ladies went away with an understanding of bumps, beads, and bobbles.  i know several of you are working on the pattern i supplied for the class utilizing all three stitches. 

UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBER

thursday, may 2 purlin girls meet at the bean at noon

saturday-sunday, may 4-5 maryland sheep and wool

thursday, may 9 naughty knotty knitters meet at raggz 1:00

sunday, may 12 is mothers day*

monday, may 13 fiber art meet up group at panera gbg 2:00

tuesday, may 14 KA 1-7

shop hours friday 10-6 

*every day is mother's day, isnt it?

please remember to submit your email address on my blog page - this will allow you to receive bi-monthly updates.  there is a box on the right side just above old pictures and postings.  just put your email address in there.  after the next couple of months, i will not be sending out the updates via email, as my list is growing too large for me to send.  when i see you have signed up for the updates on the blog, i will remove your name from the list i send out so you dont get them twice.  thanks for your support!  also beginning in may, i will be having contests and prizes given to those who sign up and/or post a comment!  may's blog prize will be a copy of elizabeth zimmerman's book 'the opinionated knitter'.  

i'm very excited to be heading to maryland this saturday.  i have two seats left in the car if anyone would care to join us.  departure time is 5:00 a.m. from here at the shop and we will return home around 9-9:30 totally exhausted, deliriously happy, and probably a little sunburned. 

see you soon!

t

raggzfiberart.com 

tax day 2013

hi everyone!

are we getting things off the needles, as we planned?  i, myself, have finished and felted my sun satchel by stephen west, which allowed me to start the brady scarf made with the kauni yarn.  so, one off and one on..... not too bad.

 

paula was the first to try the kauni yarn and the brady scarf but in a different colorway and i cant wait to see how it looks.

WHAT'S NEW AT THE SHOP?

new colors and weights of nightfall have arrived!  sport weight shawl balls arrived in cherry, deep turquois, midnight blue, and ivy; sport weight sock ball sets arrived in bengal orange and bottle green; and nightfall worsted shawl balls in olive and deep purple.  very pretty!

also new are more leather and pewter closures from JUL.

lets talk about linen for a moment:  who doesnt love the qualities of linen? it starts as a spindly, delicate flower that is stronger than it looks, is stronger when it is wet, gets softer as it ages, has hydroscopic qualities (meaning that it absorbs water quickly—keeping you cool in the summer), and is also hygienic (it resists bacteria—that's why it was used for medical bandages until disposable bandages became the norm). i have only begun to knit with linen myself, but seasoned knitters swear by it.  new to the shop is claudia's handpainted linen yarn in beautiful colors.  again, check out ravelry's pages to see how others are using this wonderful fabric.

WHAT'S ON SPECIAL THIS MONTH? 

ALL accessories 10% off

ALL cotton yarns 10% off

ALL patterns and books 10% off

belated april birthday greetings to lisa stewart, susan blose, erin crust, and monte peters and happy upcoming birthday to laura tepke!

in my last blog i told you of the bowl of cherries class i was holding at the shop as a private birthday gathering of four friends?  well check out the picture below of their finished bowls and vessels. left to right:  connie with her vessel, laurel and linda with their bowl of cherries, and alice with her vessel and needle

felted flower --

each one as beautiful and as individual as their creators!

  

DATES TO REMEMBER:

thursday, april 18:  purlin girls at the bean at noon             immediately followed by their amazing stitches private class

saturday, april 20:  machine felting class 10-5 at raggz

                     there's still time to sign up!

saturday, april 20:  storyworks radio hour to benefit the

                     murrysville community library

tuesday, april 23:  KA from 1-7 at the shop

fridays shop open 10 - 6

photos from the amazing stitches class at the shop attended by cathy and diane (pictured) as well as ardis and brigita (not pictured) - forgot to take pictures until they left!

will post pictures of their finished products soon.

                                                

the last of the babies were born on the farm.  welcome blackeyed suzy's triplets: (the two black/brown kids are female and he reddish/tan is a male and has been named angus after my friend jackie's grandson with beautiful red hair)

NOTE:

This year is the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival's fortieth anniversary. On May 4–5, spinners, knitters, weavers, and felters will not only have vast retail opportunities, but can also see a wide range of fiber animals and fiber arts competitions. 

very exciting news:  marlene greutter, an internationally-acclaimed felter has agreed to teach a 'pod' class on june 29 at raspberry hill alpaca farm.  as soon as marlene sends me a photo, i will post it, along with the cost of the class.  laura and i were in ohio taking a class at her studio two weekends ago learning her shambolic method of felting with silk and bits of wool.  

ps:  the bunnies are multiplying at the purlin girls meeting AGAIN!

remember:  i am now having unannounced specials from time to time at the shop but you must stop by to take advantage of them.  and please dont forget to check my website at raggzfiberart.com for complete information.

april fools 2013

thanks to a great suggestion from kim mcguire, april is now 'everything off the needles month'.  this is a great time to finish up your works in progress collecting dust and with a clear conscience begin to knit some much-anticipated warm weather tanks, skirts, or light wraps.  OR if you are really ambitious, time to start thinking about christmas gifts.  i cant even begin to tell you how many wip's i have because, frankly, i dont know!!  so many, in fact, that 75% of the time i need a certain needle, its missing from the case!  so kim, thanks for the inspiration - i'm going to give it my best shot.

with anxious anticipation for spring's arrival, i redressed all of my mannequins with their summer garb.  what a job that was -- it was like having to get dressed a dozen times and then decide which knitted sample coordinated with which outfit.  this is something i am definitely not good at, as you all know by the way i dress, but i did my best.  it was actually kind of fun, like when you get to dress your kids (before they decide for themselves what they will and will NOT wear).  lucky for me, cathy rosensteel gave my 'girls' a much needed boost by re-arranging some of their outfits.

check out this photo of the craftique fiber art group happily knitting and crocheting away every saturday morning.  many of them are working on hitch hikers in different yarns, including nightfall.

speaking of nightfall, the 

remainder of my order has been shipped and will be arriving next week.

Toni H. (lovingly called OT for 'other toni') crocheted the cutest granny square with sock yarn, folded over the top corner and added ties to it by picking up and knitting and made the cutest ever little neckerchief.  it is her own design and we are calling it 'the cutie' and that it is!

WHAT'S NEW AT THE SHOP?

kauni (pronounced like 'connie') from estonia, a small lowland country bordered by the baltic sea, latvia, and russia.  look it up on ravelry and see the beautiful patterns knit with this yarn.  i have patterns for sale as well but by checking on ravelry, you will see how the colorways change.  kauni retails for $29 per skein but you can get it here for $22!

homestead heirlooms handles and gate rings; zippers, stitch markers and every color of full 'o sheep.

noni kits and patterns have arrived by storm.  when i saw nora bellows and her beautiful purses, sweaters, kits, and accessories at the pgh knit and crochet festival, i knew i just had to add noni to my list of items to be offered. for example, i ordered lipstick and change purse kits (includes yarn, handle, purse frame, bag feet, stiffner, pattern, and beads...) which retails for $50 but you can get them here for $40.

unannounced in-store specials will be run from time to time but you obviously have to be at the shop to see what they are.  for example, on Good Friday, i hid easter eggs with a prize inside each one, such as owl stitch markers, buttons, a $5 gift certificate, and 10% off your total purchase.  

DATES TO REMEMBER

dolly llamas: thursday april 25  noon at panera bread   

purlin girls: thursdays april 4 at noon at the bean

close knit girls: wednesday april 3  6 pm at panera bread 

craftique fiber art group:  saturday apr 6 & 13 10-12
knitters anonymous:  tuesday april 9 from 1 to 7 (*note later hours!)
shop open every friday from 10 to 6

CLASS REMINDER

amazing stitches class saturday, april 13 1:00*/**

silver stitch marker tuesday, april 16 1:00*

machine needle felt class saturday april 20 10-5*

*pre-registration required in person or via email and payment must be made in advance
**about a week before the class, i will email everyone with what they need to bring with them, as there is some pre-knitting required

be sure to check out my website for additional information and more info on classes.

as a community service, i would like to announce that on saturday, april 20 there will be a fundraiser to benefit the murrysville community library.  performances will be held at the murrysville community center (724/307-8679).  there will be a children's matinee at 2:00 pm ($5 per child - accompanying adults free) and an evening performance ($10) at 7 for adults only.  one of my knitting students is one of the storytellers and tom and i are looking forward to attending!

i've lost track of one of my books:  knit 'n felt.  can those of you who occasionally borrow a book check and see if you have it lying around please?  thanks!

congrats to mary ann wolf for winning march's doorprize.

and last but not least, all the babies and mamas are doing great!

thank you for taking time to read my newsletter!