Well its been a funny old week, I’ve got nothing done which I’d planned to do and definitely no dying. But still these things happen, constantly “say I”. I did a lot of spinning, some Galway, Zwartles and Leicester. My next spin is Merino in yellow, it’s not primrose or buttercup but an in between, pics in the next post. Also more fleeces trying to be washed and dried but with our weather, this is stop and start. I also had a go at Needle Felting a sheep, this is for a present for a friend, I’m quite pleased with it, but only quite. I have a thing that unless what I’ve created looks either totally life like or everything is blending, balanced and impressing me it isn’t used, which means I do have an awful lot of samples. But saying that I had two bags I’d made a year ago, never to see the light of day again so I thought, but after a chat and some insight from another friend, out came the bags a fair bit of reworking and more fulling and I now have two bags which I’m happy with. The saying that you never stop learning is so true. Going back to the Needle Felting I really enjoyed it and I think will get quite hooked on it. The Carlow craft group created by Helena Kelly Maye of Luvee Baby Knits & Quilts at the Carlow Shoping Centre, is on again next Saturday the 14th June and seems to be getting quite popular, this will be our third time of being there and hopefully will go from strength to strength. I’ll be there with Daisy (my wheel) doing my usual demonstrating, some handspun wool, and a small amount of felted items. Also the girls from the Carlow Made group are in the same Center with their truly remarkable hand created items in a pop up shop for Arts week, so if you are in Carlow for their Arts week on the 14th, do call in and visit with us all. To leave you with this post is a pic of a new shape cobweb style shawl/wrap in extra fine merino embellished with firestar for sparkle and a co-ordinating flower brooch, which was the only wet felted creation I made this week. Until next time take care and have a great week. 
Funny Old Week
No felting, still spinning.
I haven’t felted in nearly 2 weeks and withdrawal symptoms are definitely setting in, since I got Daisy (my wheel) back from Suzanna @Zwartbles Ireland after the Goldenshears, where she and Daisy spun up a storm, without me unfortunately, I have been spinning, spinning, spinning. Over the next few days I will be putting this hand spun yarn up on my Etsy page, though I did say that days ago.
This weekend was Market Cross Crafters weekend in Kilkenny City and what a lot of very nice visitors I met from several Countries, so hello again to all and I hope you enjoy the items you purchased from me be they felted or spun. A lot of you asked how I made my felt, so in my next post I will explain my basic technique.
Having 2 exhibitions looming in August, I’m going to have to felt like crazy so after tomorrow which is going to be a dying day, using a new gas contraption which my husband has set up, which I have to admit I don’t really trust, but he says will be Grand, (oh the Irish saying of it’ll be grand means either it’ll be super or a disaster, you won’t know until you try, but every which way it’ll be fine) ha,ha. So I’ll be back again in a few days with hopefully news on successful dying! and felting. Here’s a pic of me & Daisy yesterday and some spun gorgeous green Galway mix. P.s. don’t forget to leave any questions or messages, it’s great to have some feedback from everyone.
Spinning raw fleece in a field and indecisivness
Ages again since my last post, but hopefully more regular now. The boring bit first, I’ve closed my website for the present, just wasn’t happy with it, so I’ve decided to continue with my blog here and a small Etsy page. Now Nicola Brown has been telling me this for weeks and as usual why didn’t I listen to her, so the motto ladies for those of you who Nicola is if she gives you advice take it, she is 98% right most of the time, (though I do love the odd time when I catch her wrong) Lol. Anyway the fun bit from the most recent past, workshops, took an amazing one with Dawn Edwards and made a brilliant hat, so glad I did it her techniques and style are unreal, an altogether brilliant time with another amazing lady. The weekend after I flew to Scotland and took a landscape workshop with Moy Mackay, again amazing. I do have to admit that creating landscape felts are I think my most favourite thing to felt. Then last week well, I received a phone call from Suzanna who has the most gorgeous herd of Zwartbles Sheep, “I am shearing says she, come and spin”, so off I toddle with Daisy (My wheel), which is an Ashford Traditional and rather large to be carrying around, one day I will be able to afford a travel one too. It was brilliant the shearer was shearing and the first fleece off was dropped at my feet to spin in the raw. One of my daughters looked at the pics and promptly burst out laughing and told me that only her Mother could be mad enough to sit in the middle of a field surrounded by sheep and spin. There were a couple of other people there too, Susan from vibrant Ireland, she had two lovely Guys over from Vancouver with her, they really enjoyed themselves and even one of the Guys had ago at spinning, never thought that I’d be teach a male to do that. Anyway I came home with some fleece in the boot for washing, felting and spinning, by this time tired, smelly, dirty but extremeley happy. The clothes went straight in the washing machine as soon as I walked in the back door and I hit the shower. Since then I’ve been washing fleece. Suzanna is having a ball with my wheel so it’s still on the farm. Hope you enjoy these pics. Before I go The Golden Shears starts tomorrow (the World Sheep Shearing Championships) in Gorey, Co. Wexford Ireland. I’m heading up at the weekend so the next post will contain lots of info and pics. 
Urgent feedback needed please!
Hi folks, it’s Nicola here with Anita and we’d love some feedback please about this blog! Anita set up a new website about six weeks ago and firstly we’re wondering which of you, if any have been following that and secondly if you prefer the format of this WordPress hosted site, especially if we make some updates and add in a page of work for sale. Unfortunately Anita didn’t realise that she had not posted here about the new website and now she’s wondering if it just might be best to update this one instead, bearing in mind how simple it is to use and have fibre buddies follow posts. The advantage of the other site is that it has an integrated shopping cart, an alternative would be to set up a different site altogether with Shopify, any feedback gratefully received thanks!
Jacobs fleece with Daisy. (My spinning wheel)
Here’s a recent post of Anita’s on the other website, please have a look and leave a comment here or there if possible!!! The bottom line is she would love a friendly and interactive site with a professional look, hence the appeal for feedback.
Felting frenzy
Hi everyone, I’m back trying to felt like mad to make up for the time lost over the past couple of weeks. Yesterday I was going to make a hat, but whilst talking to an Artist friend about the use of fibers in felting as opposed to paint, I remembered the Wensleydale I had stashed away so out it came for a large shawl.
And so the shawl was born. Merino, Weneslydale, Soya and wool Nepps, And the finished item.
On Saturday I’m back in Market Cross in Kilkenny City so hope to see you there. Also a BIG congratulations to Nicola and the upcoming Showcase at the RDS. Well that’s it for now going to get something to eat. Take care, talk soon
Back to felting
Well, I’m back to felting at last, too many things happening all at once, meaning felting became almost impossible. Now back on track. Also new supplies arrived, a new hat block, which I’m thrilled with and some cashmere. So at that point I felted. A shawl to use the lovely cashmere. Silk chiffon Nuno with merino, silks and cashmere, plus a hat to match a scarf and beret I’d already made, I just love the autumn colours.
Gowran Park Santa Train and Craft Fair and Market Cross Crafts are both looming so now I can happily carry on felting. Watch this space. Oh and fit some workshops in busy times ahead.
Christmas mayhem already
Hi everyone, first I’d like to thank everyone who visited me at Market Cross, with Market Crafts last weekend (please note the new name for the crafters). I couldn’t believe my ears this morning when I heard someone on the radio say 55 days until the end of the year, I hope they’re wrong as time seems to be slipping by very quickly. I am in full production mode with Nuno Scarves, hats, bags and Jewelry for the Christmas Fairs and hosting workshops.
Unfortunately this means that I am not doing my passion of pictures, as they take me so long, I think I may have to wait until after Christmas. So in the mean time I hope you like this landscape of Tramore Bay, Co. Waterford. The fibers I used in the sky just shimmer in the light. It is from a photo my sister in law Bur, took last winter. She is an excellent photographer, so much of her work gives me inspiration.
On a footnote, I am hosting a Flower felting workshop at my Ballybur Studio on Saturday 23rd November, I have a couple of spaces left if anyone would like to join in, please contact me.
