May Day Special of Green Heather

We won't have a Maypole but we are celebrating Spring and the green that is now in our lawns, pasture and trees.

The shop will be open Monday the 2nd from 10 am to 4 pm and of course the website will be open 24 hours both days for the sale price.

Order online Sunday or Monday or visit the shop on Monday to get 4 oz. 210 yards worsted skeins for $7.65 each or a full pound of sport weight, 1,750 yards for $30.60. Multiple skeins or cones are okay, only in Green Heather, shipping is not included.

Wool Trivia - we Need to know this.

Lots of interesting information this week from our American Sheep Industry Association.

How about a bright red Ferrari - made of wool. After traveling the world for the past five years, British artist Lauren Porter is seeking a permanent home for her knitted red Ferrari sports car.

The Royal Wedding Merino Suit Finished

A suit made from wool donated by over 200 Australian woolgrowers to celebrate the union of Prince William and Kate Middleton has been finished in anticipation of Britain's royal wedding on April 29. The cloth is made of fibers sent from wool growing properties representing every Australian state.

From Sydney, the donated wool was scoured and combed in Biella, Italy, by Pettinatura di Verrone, before being dyed and spun at Bulmer and Lumb in Bradford. The cloth was then woven by Taylor and Lodge in Huddersfield, United Kingdom, before being tailored into a suit by Anderson and Sheppard in Saville Row. A small sample of the final cloth will be sent to every Australian woolgrower who contributed to the bale.

Lastly, a practical note: The American Sheep Industry Association (ASI) will be holding a wool handling school at the John Oswalt farm in Vicksburg, Michigan on May 1-2. To register, contact Zahrah at ASI by calling 303-771-3500, ext. 54 or by email at zahrah@sheepusa.org. Additional information is available from Ron Cole, ASI Wool Education Consultant, at ihrcole@comcast.net or by calling 970-302-4117.

April White Showers Confuse Flowers

Hanging their bright little heads, looks like the daffodils are not enjoying their blanket of snow.

The violets are in full bloom but the snow is deep enough they can't show their pretty faces. Wonder what the snow peas think that were planted last week ?

Spring Colors in Hand dyed Yarn

Like everyone else, I am impatiently waiting for Spring. In the meantime, I tried to create my own with colors that matched my thoughts - or senses.

I want to smell masses of fragrant violets and lilacs.

Little grape hyacinths and regular hyacinths, all of these reminded me of Shades or Purple and/or Blue.


Imperial Crown is one of the early bulbs in our yard, usually before daffodils, this year a little late but it's orange red blossoms last a long while.

The final color in this group is denim, what I will be wearing as I enjoy working outside.

Camp KIP only a week away.

Camp KIP is a first time knitting retreat that seems destined to succeed. Hopefully, for those of us who didn't get registered in time, it will become an annual event. The organizer is an energetic woman with a full time job, family and more than a full time love of knitting. She is known on Ravelry as PinkTiburon.

If you are near St. Louis, Missouri you may know of the location, Cedar Creek Conference Center. If you want to learn more about it and wait to see the photos Jackie will post after the Retreat, click on the Camp KIP website. I am certainly envious of those attending and will vicariously enjoy the fun via the photos.

New Nuno Felt Artists

I just love showing what others have created.



I had another great afternoon with Barb Bare and Sue Hale as they learned a different wet felting technique called Nuno Felt or Laminated Felt. Fine fibers are wet felted into, or through, an open weave fabric.

Barb used solid color dyed merino fiber while Sue used a multi colored merino as her main fiber with solid color merino accents. The base fabric for both is 3mm silk gauze. Their individual designs make each scarf totally unique. Barb used a silver grey random pattern for her dying of the silk which complimented her overall design while Sue used a periwinkle dye and centered her design to give a ruffle effect on each side. The photos are small portions of the finished scarves, just enough to show the well fulled, pebbled appearance desired.

Needle Felt Dragon by Kris Allred

Kris Allred has been needle felting for less than a year. Her very first pieces were so well done it was as if this fiber art was made for her. She began making miniature teddy bears, some as small as 2 inches high, but this fellow is a grande size.

The dragon is 19" long, 9" tall at the back, and 14" tall at the top of the tail. The color work on his body is the Mystery Roving , a fine grade wool blend that may have Alpaca, Llama or Mohair in it. She will be doing a demonstration soon for the South Haven, Michigan schools furthering the education of this fiber art. Thank you Kris for letting me share your work.