dyeday is just like washday only bettah

..especially out under the pine tree with yarn and good company!
It's been a hot stifling summer weekend, so the kids and I set up this peaceful afternoon scene in order to get through without tears. I love it when my children ask me to do some dyeing.. it's pretty much a sure thing i'll say yes, so we're all hap-hap-happy! My three were keen to whip out the Dye Kits they had stashed on their craft shelf.

The apprentices' focus on the activity for the afternoon was impeccable. Sheer delight in observing the colours appear on the wool is like magic to them.
I personally vouch for these kits as a popular summer craft activity that is sure to get a good solid hour of Peace for mama! And that's gotta be worth gold!

I have blogged about dyeing with children before & you may think I'm a little OTT mentioning it again, i find it's a savior 'emergency' activity for me.. especially when i want to get some of my own dyeing done!

Happy Dye Kits were really popular at markets last year. I have just listed them in the shop for school holiday activity ideas & they make perfect gifts too! I'm sure your kids will love to paint rainbows on wool.

I will be updating the shop with more items throughout this week.. i'm playing catch up for the lack of activity on the update front late last year. So all batt clubs are getting shipments, custom orders happening & my workshop on the weekend is experiencing final touches too! phew!

Oh, & i haven't forgotten PART 2 of the PINBOARD LOOM art yarn weaving tutorial.. as soon as I figure out how to upload pix from Mr Wooldancer's new Nikon (and if the low-light pix work out) i'll be good to go!

thanks for visiting!
Michelle

New Year, New Yarn, New Knits, New Tutorial

Happy New Year! 2010 is bound to be lived to the fullest around here.. especialy if 2009 was a pre-requisite! I'll spare you the details, suffice to say.. it's a new year, a new slate & i'm feeling inspired!

..as promised.. New Yarn: yes! etsy listings are happening again!

New Knits: ditto the above.. warm snuggly wears are high on my must-make list. i can't get enough.. & my model is the cutest.. don't you think? i will be making many more designs in knit, crochet, woven, yarn constructed items for the shop this year.. it is exciting to see my yarn out there being worn in new & exciting ways.
..jumpin ahead a little here to announce important happenings in Art Yarn..
Firstly, I am teaching a 2day Art Yarn workshop at the NSW Weavers & Spinners Guild in Sydney next weekend, for which I am equally as honoured & excited about presenting. I have taught a similar course at the Summer School for the past 3 years & each time I teach there, i am inspired to do more & more teaching..it's addictive! I LOVE seeing the multi-colour craZy & exciting art yarns that pile up on the tables at the end of two days of hard-core technique toolbox spinning!
Also, if you are around the traps of Lexi Boeger, author of Handspun Revolution & Intertwined and Art Yarn Revolutionary herself, you will know there is an invitation to all spinners around the globe to participate in a real-time YARN exhibition in Norway!
Here is a link to the flyer. Please spin a yarn. or two.
If you are in Australia, you can participate in the Aussie-Collective Lillehammer Yarn Package to help save on postage costs to the US. We are pooling all yarns here at the Wooldancer headquarters & then sending all together in one bulk package to help save on postage costs.
If you want in, please email me: wooldancer at gmail dot com. and make sure your yarn is in my hands by FEB 10th. thanks!

Thirdly, you may be aware the Sit & Spin spinstres, Jacey of Insubordiknit fame, is heading downunder & she is coming to the Blue Mountains for a Spin fest with you & me & us & well, you can tell i'm excited huh! The Accommodation is practically sold out, however there are still some spots left for the workshops. Book Now to confirm your place! 3days of bliss out spinny goodness to rock your socks off!

1.Pinboard Loom Tutorial.. Make a scarflette with handspun Art Yarn, originally uploaded by wooldancer

New tutorial: DIY Pinboard Loom for weaving Art Yarn into wearable fabric.
I thought-up this loom last night specifically for my new yarn Spinning Around the World yarn & thought i'd share a tutorial. This DIY loom is perfect for using every bulky crazy Art Yarn as a weft to display maximum texture.. it creates beautiful soft fabric with your crazy Art Yarns. Please make your way over to the flickr link for 1st part of the tutorial pix. The Weft pix coming in another blogpost tomorrow!

warm fuzzy wishes for a most inspiring new year!
hugs,
michelle la wooldancer

Announcing the once-a-year-only Wooldancer Studio SPRING CLEARANCE SALE !

HUGE storewide sale on handdyed, handspun knitting yarn & spinning fibre

Many *items are discounted between 10-25%

1 week only : sale ends midnight Wednesday OCT 28th 2009

*discounts already applied to listings. New specials added daily in store & on etsy.. check back often & grab yourself a BAAgain!




Spring has well & truly arrived here in Sydney.. so it is time I dust off my blog, clear out my studio & pass on some fiberlicious BAAgains to my beloved customers & blog friends.

This exercise is timely, not only because Spring has Sprung, but I have been steadily dusting off the memoirs & memories of my Grandma's possessions these past couple months & feel ready to apply the same process to my material possessions.. heralded by a successful Garage Sale & Magpie Market last weekend!

The sale has begun on my website store and will spill into etsy each day as I discover new fun crafty specials to offer you. I am even placing a few vintage & pre-loved items onto ebay!

And so without further adew
I hope you enjoy fossicking & finding textile & treasured goodies over the coming week at Wooldancer.com
*-*
Michelle

Felt workshops during August

This is your chance to learn to make felt with my friend & fabulous fibre artist, Pam De Groot.

If you came to the Australian Wool Show a few weeks ago you will have marvelled at her Wearable Art piece on the catwalk (above), and seen her display in the Woolcraft Awards Shed.

Here are the specs:

A Beginner Felting Workshop with Pam de Groot
1 Day workshop 10am-2pm
Learn the very first steps of felting.

Create a sampler of flat felt , learning to manipulate and add in other materials.
Make a piece of felt using a resist. This is the basis of bags, pockets and hats.
We will make a bowl.

Requirements:
• Byo Lunch, morning tea provided.
• We will be using bubble wrap, soap, netting and fleece with additions of silk, mohair, spun fibres and fabric. If you would like to bring any of these you may.
• If you don’t have any of these the equipment can be borrowed from me and materials can be bought on the day.
• Resist material will also be provided.
• Bring an old towel or a couple of cloth nappies

Dates:

Sunday 9th August or
Thursday 13th August or
Sunday 23rd August Cost

Cost:
$45 per person plus materials.

Where:
In the artist’s Blue Mountains studio, Lawson NSW 2783

Booking:
email: pamdegroot.fibre [at] gmail.com

winter crafting: painting rainbows on yarn

The crisp wet days of Autumn here in the cold Blue Mountains stimulates much woolly activity around my home.. the spinning wheels are oiled and on the ready. Fortunately, due to my influence on my children, our home is full of rainbow colour yarns to keep us feeling bright & cheery on drizzly days.

sweet dappled confetti skeins, dyed by my 4year old's (yes i have x2!)

My twinnies & I hosted a little workshop in non-toxic wool dyeing in our studio recently. They turned white 20gr skeins of yarn into little rainbow colour-pots of wool! Food-colour dyeing is a funtastic school holiday activity. The joy of dyeing wool with my children is one of the most enjoyable passtimes we share together.. memories are created each moment we squeal with joy at the colour blends we spontaniously create!


Arli, now skilled at using medicine-droper applicators, literally paints a flower garden on her skeins. She also loves to pour lovely saturated rainbow sequences.

top: rainbow yarn
bottom: flower garden skein by Arli

Can you see the golden tipi in the photo above? Arli came home with it one day from school.. she even made a beeswax campfire to sit inside ;) sweeeetness(10000) i wish i was 1" small so i could toast marshmallows inside!

Dyeing wool with your children can be really quite inexpensive. Here are some tips:

• use non-toxic food-colouring (the kind you colour cake icing with) + white vinegar.
  

• keep your thrifty eye out at the op-shops for wool balls, or unravel an old woollen/nylon jumper.
• Unwind wool balls using your elbow & hand as a skein-winder.. the skeins only need to be short.
• use a cake dish or recycled plastic bags
• cook in the microwave or see my tutorial for other passive heating ideas.
  

enjoy your winter crafting!
xoMichelle