Clara Parkes new book

Clara Parkes has been a friend to knitters, new and experienced, for quite a long time now. She always seems to know what our questions are about our love of knitting and yarn before we do. Her answers and yarn reviews have been relied on by so many, rightfully so.

Well, she has done it again. Her new book, The Knitter's Book of Wool: The Ultimate Guide to Understanding, Using, and Loving this Most Fabulous Fiber is going to be one of those hang onto, refer back to, and only loaned to our BFF for a few minutes type of book. I haven't even held it in my hands but I know why Clara is respected.

Also have to admit, several years ago she reviewed our yarn at my request and I so appreciated her honest opinion. She has undoubtedly swayed knitters to check us out. Now I can thank her by letting you know of her book ...hot off the presses.

Do go read her review, she modestly doesn't say much about the book itself in this review but the subtitle "The Ultimate Guide to Understanding, Using, and Loving this Most Fabulous Fiber" speaks volumes.

Felt United - The First International Day of Felt

We had a wonderful day!
Most of the people who attended the Felt United event at Marr Haven were not felters - when they arrived. However with Suzanne Higgs of Hooked on Felt fantastic tutelage, most left wanting to try more felting. Two of the "brand new" felters are shown in the photo with Suzanne while Barb enjoys their intensity.

More photos will be posted on the website page later today.

Only one more day until ...Felt United

We were having way too much fun getting things ready for the big event tomorrow. It is cool, we were glad to model Sue Pufpaff's hand dyed and felted wool vest and jackets. This picture shows items in the Felt United color range, on the left is yours truly in my orange hat wearing one of Sue's warm, comfy vests.

Sue Pufpaff of Pufpaff's Fiber Processing is in the middle. The felt fabric hanging to the far left will be used by Sue tomorrow at her fiber mill with a group of 4H students learning to needle felt.

On the right is Suzanne Higgs of Hooked on Felt with a few of her designer hats, including the one she is wearing. Tomorrow she will be demonstrating some basic felt making and probably answering lots of questions. If you are in the southwest Michigan area, do plan on coming by.

only 1 more week to Felt United

This is a teaser for the actual event. The banner is over 6 ft long in the Felt United theme colors. Circles and ovals of red, yellow and orange embedded in the banner depict felters worldwide connecting in many ways. Hope you will be here to join Suzanne Higgs and I celebrate the First International Day of Felt. Noon to 4 pm next Saturday, Oct 3, 2009 click here for maps.

Wish the Felt United yard sign to the left of the banner was clearer in the photo, but the wind was having a good time with the camera and me.

Diane's Basketweave Hat

Another example of the fun I had earlier this month when my friends visited, Diane started the hat while she was here. She finished it when she went home and sent this photo. I do think the model has had too much of that California sunshine though, nice tan but a little wrinkled.

September has Lazy Days

The song says the "lazy days of summer" but to me September has the perfect lazy days. The garden has slowed down so no frantic picking of veggies every night and then doing something with them. Now I can appreciate every thing I pick, thinking it won't be long and it will be gone.



The glads above are left from 3 of my greatest lazy days this month. My friends, Karen and Diane, along with other goodies brought this gorgeous bouquet. I only wish I had taken the picture right away, this photo was after 7 days. We talked and knit till late at night, ate alot, walked the pier to the Big Red Lighthouse at South Haven and waded in Lake Michigan. Really relaxing for all of us.

The Allegan County Fair is on for 10 days and since we don't show sheep or goats now, I can attend and enjoy the noise, people, other people's animals and the harness races. The races were really good last Wed. Air was cool and the track was fast, the 14th race was a dead heat (means two horses tied for first place) and the last race was run at 2:02 - that has to be close to the track record for pacing horses.

Knit then Felt with Marr Haven worsted

It is always true that a picture is worth a thousand words. Leslee Perez of Texas shared this photo of the box she knit then felted with our yarn. The photo arrived at a perfect time as a customer was asking about using our yarn for a knit the felt purse. I always explain it takes our yarn much longer to felt in the washing machine because of the fine grade of wool; but Leslee's picture said it much better.

I have the banner done for the Oct 3rd Felt United event. I can't show it until after 10- 3 but I can describe it. It is my hand dyed shades of orange with interlocking circles and ovals just beneath the surface of the felt. It depicts the united groups of feltmakers all over the world creating the total fabric of felt.