The weather here has been a bit frightful.  There has been a lot of snow and this past weekend there were the winds……THE WINDS.  They were a howling for sure.  Ken gets all worked up and worried, but I tend to hunker down and find something to do.  When the winds are a howlin' for some odd reason I enjoy it, as long as I am not living in a house where I am worried about a tree crashing down.  This weekend…no bad trees and some free time before the big yarn club mailing next week, so I took some time to play with dolls…..yes, you read that right.

I talked about my discovery of Blythe dolls a little while back and shared that I had purchased one or two.  One of the dolls named Autumn has lovely red hair, but it was a bit tangly and not smooth, so I spent some time researching how to wash a Blythe's hair and this is what I found.  You do this:
1.  Wet her hair down in hot (boiling hot) water
2.  Shampoo (I used my Aveeda damage control shampoo)
3.  Condition (used Aveeda damage control conditioner) and let it set for a few hours.
4.  Rinse, rinse, rinse
5.  Plunge into an icy cold water bath to bring back any of the natural curl that the hot boil took away.

The end result was silky soft hair and a happy doll (if a doll can be happy…LOL)…and if did you notice…her dress is full of sister bees!  That just makes me smile. 🙂

I know….you think I am crazy, but really there is this huge world of Blythe, just like the huge world of fiber….if you look closely at my picture links, you will see a girl who looks just like my Ashley…so crazy weird!  Different things to keep us busy and happy. 🙂

Well, it's been a while hasn't it?  Today is the first day in a long time that I was able to plant myself in my office chair and work on the computer…and work I did!

I finally got around to getting the new soaps listed in the shop along with some new rovings.  The roving you see above is a new version of my SPLISH SPLASH roving, which is a superwash roving.  It seemed like SW ran it's course a few years ago and we moved on to other things.  I never really thought much about it until I was going through the mitten box this winter and pulled out the colorful mittens above.  I made those for Courtney, but they hadn't been worn in a long time because they didn't match her new jacket.  They matched my new jacket however so I started wearing them on my walks.  Wow, I was really surprised at how warm they were.  In my mind I thought the SW would somehow have a fake feel to it, but it doesn't at all. I loved them enough to pull out my old recipe book and recreate some of the rovings.

They are not always pretty in the braid, but all of that white and the speckles here and there breath life into the yarns.  I know I tucked a few away for myself. 🙂

I hope that you enjoy Valentine's Day in all of it's chocolate goodness!!

Imagination, song, the soaring spirit.
Separate them to know them as aspects of the whole,
Join them to know the mystery of totality.
Deng Ming~Dao

This weekend was a busy one.  Serious SPA preparation is underway now. 
I did decide to go with "TWR Soap Company" for soap and hand cream labels.  Hopefully no more rabbit questions.  It's been a lot of fun making these soaps and creating the labels.

Anyone who knows me, knows that my brain is always busy and I am not the most organized person. Time management is always a challenge, as I am so easily distracted.  When I am about to embark on a big project however, I need to totally clean my space from top to bottom, so the only clutter is the never ending clutter in my brain..LOL.

The shop both up and down is now sparking clean and everything is ready to be cranked out for SPA.  I love getting ready for a show…I get to play with color and come up with some new ones.  I have a new DK weight yarn I am excited about and some lovely fiber for spinning and of course the soaps/cream, along with some of the usual suspects that I bring to a show.

I did manage to squeeze in a little knitting time this weekend as well.  Of course most of it was during the disappointing football game for those of us who live in New England, but it was still quality knitting time inspite of the loss. 
The purple yarn behind the mitt is going to becomes this shawl….love it! 
I am hoping to finish it for SPA, but you know me…very.slow.knitter.  Who knows, maybe I will get lucky. 🙂

I hope you had a wonderful weekend too!

Peacock iridescence in veridical shadows,
Violet blooms spread to noonday sun.
The world's beauty is a swirl of color,
But in the flower's center is bright stillness.
Deng Ming~Dao

Where does the time go?  In the blink of an eye another week has passed by.  I got a lot of work done during the week and had planned to work through the weekend, but my back had different ideas, so I worked on other things and rested it in between.
Soaps……I have SO enjoyed getting back to soaping. 

These lovelies are a pineapple/lime blend (the greenyellow ones) and a soft lavender/rosewood blend.  I had a lot of fun with the purple soap, embedding little rolls of curled soap within the soap base.  The girls though it was just about the coolest thing ever.

 

I also worked on what I have promised myself will just be a hobby (creepy dolls as my daughters always say).  I shared the red haired doll with you a few weeks ago.  The girl with the white hair will be the one that I will customize.  It is amazing to see the transformation from a base Takara Blythe doll to a doll that has a lot of life painted into it's face, especially through the eyes.

I purchased a faceplate a few weeks ago to practice on before opening up Simply Vanilla's head (still a bit nervous about doing that).  Carving these plastic faces is more work than you would think it would be, but I can sit and do it while my dye pots are boiling, which gives my back a break in between batches.  I still have some more carving to do then I will start the painting with pastels.

I do however has some ideas of a clothing line floating around in my head…but it's just floating right now.  I love how all of the crafts that I enjoy seem to all come back around in a different way.  I used to sew all the time when my children were young, then stopped for years until I became interested in quilting and here I am again full circle back to making clothing again. 🙂
A friend of mine this weekend made a very kind comment about my energy that sparkles and I had to smile.  There's no doubt about it, I am ADD to the nth, but from now on I will forever refer to it as Sparkling energy.  It sounds so much kinder and definitely more positive. 🙂

….and lastly, a brisk walk…
Last week when I visited the doctor for a physical and to discuss my next round of action for my back, he told me that my blood pressure is too high and he wants me to go on a low dose diuretic.  Uggh…I HATE taking meds, so I have made a commitment to myself to get out and walk 2.5 miles a day and to lose 30 more pounds, so that I can stop taking them sooner rather than later.  When I lost the first 40 pounds my cholestrol responded favorably, so I am hoping the same will happen when I lose the remaining 30.

….and that was my weekend….what did you do?

Hey there….I took a little time off from blogging to recover from the holidays and crank out the big yarn club mailing, but now that all of that is behind me, it's a new year and a new year of blogging. 

I have been having a lot of fun getting re-acquainted with soaping.  It's a little easier on my body, than lifting heavy wet wool. I tend to go through cycles of being enthusiastic about the different crafts that I enjoy, as I am sure so many of you do as well.

Ken and I were talking last week and I told him that I was going to label my soap and hand-cream a bit differently.  Instead of using my business name, "The Woolen Rabbit", I thought about using "TWR".  When Ken asked why the change, I shared with him the question I am almost always asked at each show.  "Is there rabbit in this?"  Ewwwww!  If one person asks me that then I am sure that 10 more people think the same thing and really, I would hate for anyone to think that a rabbit may have been harmed to create these products.

I really take extra pains to make my bath and body products very soothing to the skin and pleasant to the senses and truly the thought of anything bunny-like in these items, well…ick, so "TWR" it is, unless any of you have a better idea.
….and I would love to hear your suggestions…..

It's hard to believe that 6 months have already passed since the mailing of this year's Roaring 20's yarn club.  Time really does have a way of flying by.  Anne released the pattern today and I am taking pre-orders for the Kashmir Colorway ~ Water Study, which will start shipping right after Spa.

Anne Hanson, the designer of this lovely scarf,Isadora, writes this:
 The wide lace scarves of the 20's were worn long and silky to accent the new slender figure and clothing of the decade, but probably came in handy, too, for those baring shoulders for the first time.  This fine, silky rectangle features a shimmery damask that relies on changes in stitch direction for the play of shadows across it's surface.

This club has been completely designer driven.  When the designer gives me the color and I see the pattern, I then set about doing some research on how that design and color speaks to me.  In researching Isadora Duncan to find a name for this yarn color, I spent some time watching her dance videos.  Anne had requested a pastel blue/green, the shades of beach glass, which was a popular color during that time as seen here.

As I watched some of her dances, one of them struck a chord.  The Water Study Solo.  So full of movement like the ebbs and tides of the ocean…a place dear to my heart.  There is a lot of subtle movement in the yarn as well.
 Isadora led the movement of modern dance that we still see today.

I had so much fun with this package and am now happy to be able to offer the pattern/yarn for everyone to enjoy. 🙂

 

This is the moment of embarking.
All auspicious signs are in place.
Deng Ming~Dao
In the beginning, all things are
hopeful.  We prepare ourselves to start anew.  Though we may be intent
on the magnificent journey ahead, all things are contained in this first
moment; our optimism, our faith, our resolution, our innocence.
(More Deng Ming~Tao)

Almost every year I use this Tao quote to start off my year, because it is so full of hope.

This year I have only a few aspirations to get me through the upcoming year.  Aspirations that will help me maintain my optimisms, faith and resolutions.
~
* Work less ~ I am way too tired all.the.time.
* Get re-aquainted with my hobbies and try not to make them become work.( I am famous for that if you haven't noticed.)
*Complain less
*Join 365 days of pictures so I can use my camera better.
*Address my back issues so I can get back to enjoying my daily walks.
* Find and enjoy the smaller things that one can see when they slow down long enough. (refer back to #1)
* Be better at responding to email…..I'm so bad, but sometimes it's just so overwhelming.

All in all, for me, this year it's about taking time for myself. Slowing life down to a more managable pace and taking care of my mind, my body and my spirit.

How about you……what are your aspirations for the new year?

It's been a very busy week with Christmas shopping, Christmas,cooking, company and a yarn club mailing, so I thought I
would share a song with you instead of the Christmas post that I had in
my mind, but never managed to get it on paper. Needless to say we had an amazing time and of course someone who recently turned 21 had her nose in the nogg just a little too long…..nuff said. ;-)  It always warms my heart to have my family home for the Holidays and this year did not disappoint.

As you know, I love when Ashley sends me a note with a song attached.  For her this song was a big leap in her guitar skills that she has been working hard on.  I hope that you enjoy it as much as I did.  There are so many music changes within the song.  Great job Ashley!

…..and you may have noticed that there has been some snow all across the country and right now it is hovering directly over us.  Today we had approximately 15 inches dumped on us with more to come over the next few days.  Poor little Goose could barely move.  Thank goodness for the girls…Ken usually stomps down a few mazes for them. 

Courtney has been working hard at her photography skills and took this picture this morning during the storm.  She is getting really good at getting just the right angle.  Thanks Courtney!

I hope that you all had a wonderful Holiday!

 

But the fire is so delightful

And since we've no place to go

Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

….snowing it is!  This is going to be a busy weekend, getting ready for the Holiday cheer.  There will be shopping, wrapping and baking.  It will be fun!

I hope that you have an enjoyable and peaceful weekend before the holidays.

Just when you thought this was no longer a knitting blog……here's some knitting. 🙂

I did take a little vacation from knitting, not because I wasn't enjoying it, but after working with wool all day, I found my mind drifting in other directions at night.  With Christmas nearly upon us, the knitting mojo kicked in.  I am making a pair of bright green Eliza mitts for my granddaughter. (they lean more towards jungle green then in this picture).  I made the largest size for myself as I have man sized hands, so I opted to make the middle size for McKayla, but my inner voice is saying they will be too small.  I will give it a few more rows before I decide weather or not to start over again.  I am hoping that I won't have to start over, but that little voice is usually right.

I have also started a new sweater, Folly Cove, written by Julia Farwell-Clay.  This is the perfect project for when you just don't want to have to think, only knit, and it's soooo pretty too!  There is something so soothing about plain stockinette knitting.  Back and forth, back and forth….I love the quiet rhythm.

….and that's it.  I am really trying to not overwhelm my brain with too many projects.  Leaving is still waiting for her last sleeve, but for some reason I have hit a wall with that sweater and it is taking a little time out for now.  I will pick it up again after the holidays.

What are you knitting?