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

Beanie making bonanza

stopp press: i have just updated the shoppe with new Fluff Fibre Fantasy packs, handdyed locks sets. Plus i added a new handdyed yarn category + two new DIY custom listings: Card-It & Make-It. Go peepy, pronto. i don't want you to miss out on your Fluff Fantasies!
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Lately i've been hooked on making uber functional pieces. When a new wearable design presents me with the ability to function as more than one thing, then i'm crazy about it. Check out this newly spun neckband[headband]: Bandit.
Sleepless at 3am the other night i whipped this Bandit from some luscious studio-loo roving.. so excitement: i've been stalking our postie-van for 4 months ..(Canada Post loses ten points for sloooow postal service).
Bandit luxe headwear is a warmer, huggier version of my Choker design & made in the same style using Wooldancer Highly-Sprung line of handspun yarn (spun onto a heavy-duty elastic core). So soft & stretchy & snuzzly. I'll be popping more of these cute Bandit warmers into my shoppe & on etsy so you too can warm your neck &/or your forehead, whichever fits the chill.

The chilly temps of the school hols rapidly inspired frenzied Beanie-making.. i have been toting my crochet hook everywhere i go making beanies & headwarmers. i am inspired by the ease with which you can create 3d shapes organically with crochet. Hot off the hooks, I have invented two new beanie styles, & yes, they possess dual-functionality.

Allow me to introduce the Hipster Helmut.


This sensational helmut-style beanie comes with a built-in scarf. but don't stop there. this hip hat doubles as a pouch with carry handle.
Fedup with your kids losing their beanie? You need one of these.
Beanie/scarf one minute, flip it over your shoulder & it's swingin on your hip as a pouch. instant carry dilema solved. phew.

The Hipster Helmut is SO perfectly practical. Don't want a scarf? Easy, simply wrap the scarf around the top of the hat to keep it out of the way.
You could seriously sort the whole family out with this hat & you will all be 'good to go'. & look spunky at the same time. boon.

Another eye-catching piece i have been enjoying is the Audrey visor. This beanie can be worn with the flap at the back to hug & warm your ears & neck.. OR flipped around as a visor cap. sa'weetness. i love that dual-wearability.




You can fit yourself up with one of these styles in the shoppe. Want to choose your own yarn? You can select from our indie spinstars handspun yarns in the shoppe & have me create your ultimate handspun, handmade beanie.. yes, your noggin will be crazy 'bout that! and thankful. Simply purchase the yarn + the make-it listing & we're good to get your hat on.

a little warmth goes a long way.
Thanks for reading & keep warm,
Michelle aka wooldancer/yarnmaker/hook-toting beaniemaker/xo

how did we get around to happy hump day so soon?

WOW - it's Wednesday again & you know what that means: woolly wednesdays @ wooldancer.com ! whoopee

Check out the dreamy handdyed fluff candy:

• there are 4 Spinning Fibre Set's,

• 10 hues in mmm so soft Kid mohair

• 3 silk throwsters - perfect for drum carding your own batts

• Awsome Art Yarn spinz from moi la wooldancer .. Did you see my new Caterpillar Shoes?
• & The Spun Monkey : queen of corespun yarn.. Bubblegum Pop will make a beautiful Easter basket for your special little monkies.
  

And, to thank you for your loyal custom, I will issue a new coupon code each week for SPINnews subscribers, blog followers & Ravelry spinstars..

• CHECK OUT WITH TODAY'S COUPON FOR YOUR 5% DISCOUNT: woolly3, then

• pop your Rav name, blogger name or write SPINnews in the comments at checkout.
  

& you're fluff-honeys will be on their way to your door!

enjoy & spin well,
Michelle