wooldancer

shifting & shaping + Vitle update

2012-01-25T14:40:00.001+11:00

The new year is symbolic of turning a fresh new leaf, and it is heartening to read around the interweb accounts of the significance this time of year.. there is a special kind of energy that propells us toward, that moves us forward, one step at a time, or in leaps and bounds toward markers in life, achievement of goals, as grand or simple as they may be.

i have been shifting and renewing Beneath My Skin, excited at what this dragon year holds. As a mother to 3beautiful growing children, each a Muse to me in their own unique ways, i observe my own growth as a mother through them. Confronting, enlivening and enriching as it is, I strive to always do better for them.

this year, I resolved to make a huge life change, to live an authentic life and work with dogged determination to make a sustainable existence for my family as a creative being.. To throw caution to the wind, and to live more deeply into my life as Wooldancer.. not only as a business or label, but for all the real qualities of owning my creativity as my vocation. I have been granted such fortune during the years by taking this path, by living into the community as a wool-worker, as a designer, as a teacher, as a student, and I hold my place in this dearly. And so it is, to offer Wooldancer to those who are willing to see my work and attend my workshops, to live into my art in Daily Life as a creative person who longs to derive a supporting lifestyle for my family, propelling me forward into 2012.

This choice has come with some reservation, as the 'job' i took on, guiding & holding a beautiful space for young children as a Family Day Care Educator, as close to my heart as it is, was veering me in a direction I know in my heart is not All That I Am. It is scary to let the certainty of employment go, but I have also found that other doors are opening for my woolly pathway, one that is as warm, trusting & comfortable, enfolding my soul & spirit, holding me up with comfort that It Is the right choice to make. [I am thrilled to have been invited to teach Stage4 Textiles this term for Kindlehill High School.. a challenge I am humbled and excited about exploring; and there are Workshops, ever so many wonderful workshops!]

For some folk this choice may seem obvious. Today, society demands that we be 'other' than who we are, to work at 'jobs' that we really would rather not, had we experienced different life circumstances, or if not, to chase our tails to survive. I have been contemplating & sketching for some yarns that 'reflect" this theme: To make ends meet, to scrape for bread and butter, to keep our head above water.. these notions are the foundations of leading a 'happy life', for most it is simply to get by and make do, to simplify for a 'sustainable life'. I'm exploring this theme for an art project that will be showing in March at Braemar Gallery. If you fell so compelled, do Comment with your thoughts about your views on what a 'sustainable life' means to you.

This choice, for my pursual of a sustainable creative life, is partly due to you my dear friends, who read and follow snippets of my journey as Wooldancer.. with the warmth and enthusiasm I have felt. For if not for your encouragement and continual support with all my endevours, i would not be (wool)dancing to my own rhythm. A heart-felt Thank you.

Shifting again, and rightfully in grey, The 2day Vilte workshop has sold out, as has the 3day Beyond The Surface workshop.
Thanks to those of you who have enrolled. This will be a special experience. Stay tuned for more wonderful woolly workshops with Wooldancer!
xoMichelle

Vilte WORKSHOPS : Blue Mountains March 2012

2012-01-07T21:56:00.003+11:00

Happy New Year my woolly wonderfuls.. I have enjoyed a breathtaking summer break with exciting news to share.. I have had the pleasure of conversation with Vilte, an acclaimed feltmaker from Lithuania, who is traveling to Australia during March to hold a series of her Poetic Felt workshops. I am tickled pink to be organiszing her 'Sydney' trip, where she will be holding 2 workshops in the Blue Mountains.

I have long admired Vilte's textural yet sheer nuno felt, poetic expressions that conjur a deep connection to natural fibres.. As you will read in the link above, Vilte's language about the process of making felt is enchanting and intriguing. Her workshops will be nothing short of a remarkable and enriching 5days!

For participants seeking supplies, I have taken a dive into my extra-special Wooldancer stash & put aside some very special longwool English Leicester fleece, coloured fleece, polworth & finn wool and lovely creamy 18micron merino wool top. I will also have some silk chiffon and paj available for the materials list. Let me know you would like to reserve a bountyful-bundle upon booking your place.

Wild fibers in modern couture : Drapable accessories 2day >>SOLD OUT<<

Day 1 – working on samples using raw fleece from various breeds of sheep or other animals as well as different untreated natural fibers (silk, flax, banana fiber, bamboo, etc). You will learn how to felt with raw wool and create drapable and live felt, how to create different textures with different wool (long, curly, fluffy...). You will learn how to create a material with new visual and sensual properties using different natural fibers and then manipulate it making the wild fibers speak in 3D form as well.

Day 2 – Discussing the samples, choosing the materials for a personal design of a shawl or other drapable accessory, anything that reinforces the free flow of wild fibers and wraps each body in very individual way, creating a very personalized look. Preparing prefelts for manipulation from fibers and beginning to lay out the design. Felting an finishing tips.

Please note that workshop program might be adjusted to suit the needs of participants.

Beyond the surface: fabric manipulation in making nuno felt dresses : 3day

Day 1 – working on samples using different fabric manipulation techniques.

Day 2 –Discussing the samples, choosing the techniques for a personal dress design. Sketching a personal design of the dress. Counting patterns. Beginning to lay out the dress.

Day 3 – finishing laying out the dress and felting it. Finishing tips.

Working hours per day – 6 hours + time for lunch break

Vilte will assist you in creating your very own sheer silk/felt dress of your own design.. imagine!

To Book:
Australian participants:
Bank Transfer is preferred, email: wooldancer [at] gmail.com for details.
Overseas bookings available online

See the Wooldancer studio on TV!

2011-07-09T17:50:00.000+10:00

I was a little nervous when the studio called last year to do a little story on the Fibre Art Workshops I hold in Lawson.. it turns out there was no need.. With thanks to the crew who made the atmosphere in my little studio even more colourful & bright than usual! Huge thanks also to my friends Pam De Groot & Diane for coming along to hold my hand & spin & provide the laughter that made me relax into it all. Enough talking.. here's a peek.. but it's only up for a week, so check it out now!

http://www.sydney.com/A_Woolly_Yarn_p4999.aspx

a little offering from the fibre gods..

2011-05-02T20:56:00.000+10:00

new 6ply chain-cable yarn, in the style of: "This is not a Chain Store"

Time for a freshen-up of my online presence, I have been tinkering with new designs lately.. both wearable yarn patterns (above designs now at The Nook, Leura) + a new image-redesign, with a cute new website, product tags and yarn labels.. & in keeping with all things fresh & new, I thought I'd re-open my studio webshop with a little teaser:

Polworth.. the finest fleece from a fellow handspinner's own flock. These uncarded locks are extra-special.. with a long staple due to an extended shearing season. If you like to spin with soft buttery locks and lurve textural yarns these shimmering bring rainbow-coloured locks take the cake, and are now available by the ounce.
I also popped up new workshop bookings for the next 3 months in Lawson. If you fancy learning to spin yarn or dye fibre, now is the season!

Next up, SPIN CAMP with the amazing LEXI BOEGER, the infamous PLUCKYFLUFF.COM in which
we spun, we plucked, we fluffed till the clouds came down from yonder & sprinkled their star-dust upon us :

corespun yarn plied all squiggly with granny stax to the max!

accidental 8ply yarn.. kinda cool crazy thing happens with navajo plying when you're so high on the spin-love in the room distracted by all the chatter you forget which direction you are going, & then just have to keep on S & Z'ing!

navajo : straight-up

Spin Camp ponderings: YUP we take the high side of making yarn and throw the beacon to the abyss

Some of the wild new yarns that spun their way into the world during Lexi's recent visit.. I can't believe a month has passed by since Sydney Pluckyfluff Camp. It was the MOST wild, intoxicating, enthralling three days, connecting with a friend from distant shores, finally meeting in the flesh and soaking up the beaming creative energy. My heart goes out to each and every beautiful lady who each contributed vast gobs of love, colour and creative beauty & took the opportunity to learn from and revel in new ways of working with yarn from the master Revolutionary.. and to you Lexi, sweet spinsista, such a privilege to hang in my hood with you as one of my family xo unforgettable

You can view pix of the Sydney Spin Camp on flickr and in the Pluckyfluff album on my facebook page.

New 5 day workshop @ Fibre Arts Australia Forum, Ballarat 2012

2011-04-20T10:08:00.000+10:00

We've Got the Whole World in Our Hands, handwoven coil yarn neckwrap

I am thrilled to be offering a new extended 5day workshop with Fibre Arts Australia. The forum is well-known for highly experienced textile arts teachers from Australia and around the world, who gather for 5 days of inspiring creativity. It goes without saying how excited I am to be involved in offering my chosen craft & art skills as an educator in this wonderful environment.

If you have ever wondered what to make with your art yarn, this is your chance! Experienced art yarn spinners, come & extend your textile art-practice. If you are interested but don't already spin, that's part of the course too! Come spin, play with yarn: knit, crochet or weave, and immerse yourself in this exciting fibre-arts retreat. Read text below for course description & Enrol here!

Ebb and Flow handspun journey-thread scarf

Journey Threads: the Art of Yarn : 8 to 14 April 2012

[ Yarn: story; personal narrative; a journey expressed in thread ]

Handspinning is an ancient textile skill currently enjoying a modern revival. The expressive nature of fibre and the dynamic energy of spinning yarn allows for thoughts and emotions to be captured in yarn as it flows through your hands. In this experimental workshop we shall consider the creation of yarn as an act of artistic expression. The very process of hand-spinning reveals the makers’ blueprint, or story, in thread-form.

In this workshop we focus on creative yarn making, in which expressive handspun yarn becomes a focal point in the production of a wearable item. Yarn, fibre and threads meander, intertwine and connect to each other using basic handwork methods: knit, crochet, or weave. The finished piece will become “Homage to Self”: a personal narrative spun into a wearable item.

This course is catered for all levels of experience. The beginning of the course will introduce students to the skill of spinning on a spindle (wheel spinners welcome), and will cover fibre choice, preparation and structural techniques. Experienced students will gain an extended skill-set in improvised technique. Yarn Design (colour, structure, texture) is an important part of the process. Emphasis will be on the process of discovery whilst learning new skills, often leading to surprising outcomes.

A personal narrative will be interpreted into the finished wearable piece. For example, ‘Homage to your Heart’ may be a soft & flowing loose knit or a heart-shaped armour made with knit roving & embellished with handspun crochet. The story you represent in both the threads and the finished piece will be your own creative expression.

Handspun 'Art Yarn' is alive & well in Sydney CBD

2011-04-11T16:49:00.002+10:00

"A Skein of Geese"

Playing catch-up now..
Last week I had the pleasure of collaborating with friend and artist Susie Dereau on a work for an exhibition which is now showing at the infamous Gaffa Gallery, Sydney.

Animal Collective Nouns is a bi-annual exhibition created by the Noun Collective, and features a diverse talent of artists working in a range of media. I was thrilled to have a handspun yarn included in the show. Our collective noun is "A Skein of Geese".

detail. "A Skein of Geese"

I spun this using naturally coloured & rare wools: Polworth, Gotland, Blue Faced Leicester, Alpaca and added some Goose feathers for good measure! This photo details Susie's stunning Oil on Linen paintings.

A Skein of Geese

I wrote and article about it for a new blog 'Spin Artiste', dedicated to the art of creative handspinning, and am more than a itty-bit chuffed Arlene published it today.. woot!

If you are around town the exhibition is definitely one to see, and the jewellery designers' in Gaffa's shop Stirling are amazing to boot!

leo mane

2010-10-26T07:51:00.003+11:00

leo mane, originally uploaded by wooldancer.

further adventures in tailspinning.. the luscious flowing locks of the Wensleydale sheep, courtesy of a lovely lady who visited me a few moons ago for a spin session all the way from the UK. Kudos to you for the amazing curls ;)

During our spin-play session we stumbled upon a new fun way to make cocoons into butterfly wings!

I love the fulidity of spinning yarn.. the continual flow of fibre between my fingers gives rise to many a discovery during the process. I need that outlet, a space where i can give permission to the ebbs & flow of my creative surges, allowing those energies to flow & become & be, a material expression of creative impulse. I believe it to be very healing.. if you are a mama who does not yet spin yarn, you should try it!

- Corespun merino mohair, Fairn McNoon's lovely romney locks from Homestead and batty Butterfly-Cocoons spun in!

(there are more pix on flickr.. take a peek!)

this afternoon

2010-08-27T18:29:00.002+10:00

this afternoon, originally uploaded by wooldancer.

having a tea party with my new crochet handspun wire yarn jewelery pieces, whilst working on some presentation ideas.

I am using my plant-printed & dyed wool felt swatches as backing for the broaches & pendants. These felts were dyed over a year ago when i first experimented with tea & coffee dye-baths, and some flower printing with black-eyed susan flowers, coreopsis (yellow), and various leaves. The swatches were apparently sitting in my studio awaiting this moment to arrive..

all welcome!

2010-08-25T20:47:00.003+10:00

poster, originally uploaded by wooldancer.

If you are in Canberra, or feel like a lovely Fathers' Day weekend outing, come on down to the Belconnen Arts Centre & enjoy fabulous dance, yummy eats & design treats!

See you there
xoMichelle

a little shop corner GIVE AWAY!

2010-08-25T20:26:00.004+10:00

a little shop corner in my studio, originally uploaded by wooldancer.

this is what i see when i walk into my little garden hut-turned studio. it's lovely to see all the colourful fibres there, awaiting transformation.

I have been spinning these organic merino fibres into some simple yet sublime handspun singles yarns.. so smooshy & yummy and scooped off the shelf as soon as they are spun. I am so grateful to all my fibre friends who visit my market booth to snuzzle in & make something with my fibres.. I'm excited to think of what they become.

GIVE AWAY TIME!

Have you made yarn or felt with wooldancer fibre? Comment with a link, or email me a pic to: info at wooldancer.com, share your creations with everyone, and win a chance to scoop up a free handdyed braid !

Comments will be open for one week, & then Mr random generator will draw a winner ;) squee!

xoMichelle

circles, cycles, felt rings

2010-08-23T10:17:00.005+10:00

new felt silver rings, originally uploaded by wooldancer.

I am playing catch up with my blog.. there are many snippets i'd like to share of 'life' over the past few months, during which access to a working computer has been limited to say the least! I have uploaded a boatload of images on flickr if you would like a fast-track preview ;)

i'll do my best to work forward, & with past moments becoming fragmented memories, the timeline may not be accurate.. this venture began during autumn, a few months ago.

Forever intrigued with the ring as adornment of the highest order, i am revisiting making them. Without facility to make bands in silver, my efforts are on the funky focal. Nothing says " i love fibre" more than a fabulous felt ring!

-felt on silver plate rings available by request, and at Very Fashion, Katoomba.

making with wire

2010-08-19T14:17:00.001+10:00

playing with handspun wire yarn this afternoon.. this ring-broach evolved..

as well as some hand-stamped paper bags, with my hand-carved stamp by craftpudding

enjoy xo

how excitement..

2010-08-19T12:23:00.000+10:00

I have just received *exciting* news I have been accepted into an art & design market in Canberra in two weeks!
I'll be head down, fingers furling, making new neckwear for the next few weeks in my studio/loungeroom/kitchen/at swimming lessons!.. I'll be making stuff everywhere i go to get it all finished, whilst remaining totally calm, of course

stay tuned for Market info .. & mark Saturday 4th September in your diary pretty please with warm fuzzies on top!
xoMichelle

Nikki Gabriel workshop

2010-08-17T14:56:00.001+10:00

Sydney Design is in full swing.. this naturally called for a trip into Sydney-town on Saturday with my friend Pam to attend a knit workshop with designer Nikki Gabriel

Construction No#1 was on the menu & had us click-clacking away on hugenormous number 25's for the morning.. loving those pins.. i'm impressed to have started & finished a garment in under 3 hours!

casting off the first shape

Pam & pins

me wearing Nikki's hoodyscarf in her purpose-made screenprinted knitting tent

I love how Nikki takes simple shapes & creates totally wearable & gorgeous designs. If you have ever been stifled by a knitting pattern, this is the knit system for you! Nikki demystifies the knitting pattern & simplifies it into shapes. These shapes can be knit quickly, & built upon to create multiple garment possibilities using the accessible language of shape. I began my 'hoodyscarfvest' with the hood, but opted instead to make the hood into the top of my vest, which i quickly finished with a wider rectangle.

vio'la!
To top off the day, we spent the rest of the afternoon strolling & drooling over Young Blood Designers Market & DesignBoom Mart meeting designers, talking the talk, chatting up ideas, many of which are brewing away nicely...

my new made-it

2010-06-09T13:58:00.004+10:00

I have just uploaded my first two listings to the Australian handmade online market, Made-it. It feels great to be part of an online handmade community on my own shore. Now I can post my southern-hemisphere (winter) woolly wares on Made-it,

while my northern-hemisphere (spring/summer) range hang out on etsy!
For those of you who are savvy in reading about changes with my website cart, this is part of the process. I'll keep you posted.

Now I can be across the seasons on the two sites, and i confess it will keep me sane.. as making summer neckwear during the brisk chill of winter is challenging.. when all i want to crochet are snuggly woollen sleeping bags! [mental note.. stand-by for snuggly woolly sleeping bags OTN (on the needles) ] hmm.. i'll have to spin me a river to make enough yarn!

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A quick update on Wooldancer outlets:

wooldancer.com ( fibre supply store )

etsy ( batts, art yarn & wears )

made-it ( winter wears )

brick & mortar:

The Nook Arts & Crafts Co-op, upstairs 133a The Mall, Leura NSW

next market dates:

* Sun 27 June: Old Bus Depot Market
* Sun 11 July: Creative Fibre, OBDM, Canberra

* Fri 16- Sun 18 July: Australian Sheep & Wool Show, Woolcraft Shed 3, next to main gate.

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Clicky the linkys, or come visit me for loads of woolly yarn & fibre products not listed online!

I hope to share the warm fuzz with you soon,

Michelle

Customer Creations: Kay Petal

2010-05-31T11:35:00.002+10:00

Daisy - A Felt Alive Needle Felted Doll, originally uploaded by feltalive.

I was contacted quite a while ago by super talented fibre artist Kay Petal, to custom spin some Art Yarn for use as hair for her needlefelted dolls. Browsing my flickrstream today, I see a photo of a most playful character called Daisy, whose spirit lifted me off my seat for the joy & expression of spirit she holds. I made a double-take to see that her hair was made with Wooldancer Handspun. How exciting to see my own yarn featuring as the hair on this delightful art doll!

Daisy is one such spirit that manifests from Kay's talent.. isn't it amazing that she is created from wool.. I have every inclination to believe she has imbibed flesh & bones due to the realness she exhibits. To view more of Kay's beautiful incarnations, visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/feltalive/

to market to market

2010-05-14T00:02:00.001+10:00

to market to market, originally uploaded by wooldancer.

I have been busily preparing new handdyed & carded Fibre Batts, handdyeing lush wool top and trying to gather all my fibre-delights together for a mini fibre-festival this coming Sunday..

I am heading down to Canberra for the 'Celebration of Wool' day at the Old Bus Depot Markets. I am totally last-minute with the prep's, but it will pull-together i think (ever the optimist!)

DIYDad & I are always scheming little projects to keep us busy.. he is fabulous at rummaging & recycling bits & pieces to upcycle into new experiments.. His is a way of life many green-conscious aspire to nowadays. We are gathering 3 doors & hopefully i can locate another log from a woodpile we can slice up for my neckwear display. They worked really well for the display we designed for The Nook.. big kudos to Georgina whose skillz with wood came thru with the goods, yo! I'll pop up a piccy here soon..

In the meantime, some of the deluxe batts I have been cranking out for market.

Warm Fuzzies!
Michelle

Spinning out with Insubordiknit

2010-05-10T21:45:00.002+10:00

Jacey demo, originally uploaded by wooldancer.

I have finally had a chance to upload pix of the 3day Spin Fest weekend I hosted in the Blue Mountains back in late March!

No thanks to a low-blood-sugar moment & smashing my iphone on the bare concrete-laden floor during the set-up, it's a miracle I could even take photos with it!

So, please excuse the poor quality of some of these pix, tho if you look thru the whole set you will see we had a most excellent time with Jacey teaching a panting crowd her most fabulous Art Yarn skillz. I especially loved every single moment, albeit exhausting, I can't thank her & Mandie enough for making this event a possibility..

And most enjoyable was that I went home from a weekend with a nigh 2dozen new friends! You spinsistah's rock!

'vegie garden' artspun knit beanie

2010-05-08T11:45:00.002+10:00

'vegie garden' artspun knit beanie, originally uploaded by wooldancer.

when the weather turns to knitwear...

I gravitate to my growing stash of fibre tools : knitting needles, crochet hooks, looms etc and let inspiration strike for what the yarn is to become. I usually work backwards, like reverse engineering, gaining ideas from the textures & colours of the handspun.

I had the idea for this yarn after receiving the beautiful handdyed fibre from Cindy, www.studioloo.com, quite a few months back. The colours simply sprouted a Spring theme, and i began gathering add-ins.
Included in a package from Lacey, www.moonrover.etsy.com, was the perfectly coloured needlefelted wool 'leaves' which became the coil vegetable-esque forms. I also found a lovely icord my 5year-old daughter had knit on her french-knitter.. she loves to collect scraps of yarn i leave around the house to knit. It was perfectly matched to suit the theme for this yarn, so I spun it right in.

The spinning of this yarn began at Spin Fest completed shortly after. I knit it straight off the bobbin after a week of letting the yarn sit & relax its twist a little. I loosely followed the Slouch hat pattern from Lexi's book, Intertwined (i say loosely as I am a freeformer at heart and deviate from patterns as a general rule of habit!)

I have this beanie now for sale at The Nook, Leura, NSW. I hope to be adding more beautiful noggin-warmers to this collection soon.

xoMichelle

Visit me at Old Bus Depot Markets, Celebration of Wool day!

2010-05-07T13:57:00.003+10:00

I have breaking news that I will be at the infamous Canberra OBDM on Sunday May 16, 2010!

This is absolutely an honor to be offered a spot so late in the piece.. with only a week to go, I am in complete (insert adjective of choice) hyper-making-mode of procrastination.. right now within the necessary lull before the storm of productivity!

So, instead of working thru the midnight hour tonight, I am going to visit Finders Keepers with my friend Pam.. we are attending with bated breath after our joint-application was not accepted this time round. We will be scouting all fibre stalls hungry for hints on what to do better next time when applying ;)

To Do list:
make make make until i drop:
- handdyed top & fibre packs
- batts
- art yarn
- NEW winter woollie designs : Artspun Neckwear

( - and, time permitting, possibly even a few brand new (shh) wearables I have been making with my Grannies vintage yardage.. but it is still top secret, my lips are sealed for now.. )

Can you come visit? I hope to see you there for some yarny hugs
xo Michelle

New work, new store

2010-05-07T12:29:00.001+10:00

The weather has turned to knitwear...
& I have a bit of news to share.. the kind that has cranked my work-load up a notch to 10!

I have moved into The Nook, Leura.

Well, my wool has. I have designed a new range of woollie neckwear : cosy woollie scarves & beanies for us mountain dwellers who love to cosy down into some warmth this time of year. I even designed a Nookie Neckwarmer as my feature design for the Nook ;)

I am crazy about knitting icord yarn jewellery.. soft & sweet petite necklaces made from handspun & handdyed wool that you can wear all year long .. I'm thinking it will be perfect for the many tourists who frequent the beautiful Leura village.

Handspun yarn will also grace the display, as will a tinsy bit of fibre.. so, from now my local peeps can enjoy a quick "brick & mortar" purchase at whim .. so no more midnight phone calls about running out of yarn y'hear!

Next time you are in the Blue Mountians, drop on by 133a The Mall, Leura, and you may even see me behind the counter!

xoMichelle

Spin Fest, Wooldancer + Insubordiknit Workshop

2010-05-07T12:10:00.004+10:00

Workshop, originally uploaded by Donyale..

Due to smashing my iphone on the day of set-up, I still have many photos to upload from the wonderful 3day Spin Fest, Art Yarn Workshop & Retreat held recently in the beautiful Blue Mountains.

This pic was snapped by the lovely Donyale (thank you!)

To kick off the 3day weekend, I had a most outstanding experience teaching many enthusiastic fibre-friends the art of dyeing wool with Greener Shades. We dyed some beautiful fibres every colour of the rainbow using low water immersion microwave method, and also squeezed in kettle dyeing. This left us only a short time to overview Drum carding basics and Felt Sushi beads were made & fondled with guest tutor Pam De Groot in the afternoon.

We were totally geared up for what turned out to be a wild & wonderful weekend spinning, learning & sharing inspriation with Jacey.
To top it all off, the weekend was spent spinning with 20 fabulous ladies all hyper to learn from international superstar spinster Jacey Boggs aka Insubordiknit.. a most informative & fun time indeed!

Here are pix of (some) of the yarns I spun up during the weekend..

The energised singles from my Cocoons sampler are already a knit WIP, I am making a freeform scarf with this beautiful handdyed BFL/BOO (bluefaced leicester & bamboo blended by the EGMTK Beast!)

I am obviously in blogville today.. get ready for another post shortly!
xoMichelle

dyeday is just like washday only bettah

2010-01-10T20:42:00.007+11:00

..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

2010-01-08T22:09:00.004+11:00

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 !

2009-10-21T14:27:00.004+11:00

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

2009-08-07T12:22:00.004+10:00

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

2009-05-10T21:24:00.010+10:00

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

2009-04-23T12:25:00.013+10:00

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!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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?

2009-03-25T14:08:00.002+11:00

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

woolly wednesday today!

2009-03-18T21:37:00.005+11:00

oooh.. i snuck this one in just in the nik of time!
it's Wooldancer woolly wednesday again & you know what that means.. new handdyed fluff-candeh:
degummed silks & spin sets today.. in gorgeous colourways to boot!

And if you ravel in my wooldancer spinstars group, you get 5% off your order at the checkout! yay i say!

there are fresh fibres awaiting your spinny fingers to spin like the wind.. be swift my friends
Happy hump-day!
xoMichelle

handspun wire yarn

2009-03-16T13:17:00.005+11:00

Take a humble bobbin of copper coated wire,

..give it a spin with some fibre batts &.. voila! A handspun wire amulet is born.

I have been spinning with wire for a while now and decided to teach the technique at my Freeform Spinning Art Yarn workshop.

There has been a bit of interest online as to which wire to use. I now carry the wire i use in my store so you can have a go spinning some wire yarn too.. it's easy & so fun.. not to mention functional too. i love the sculptural possibilities of wire yarn.

I have been contemplating applying for a little retail space at The Nook crafts & arts cooperative in Leura for some time now. I have been working on some wire yarn objects & neckwear, thinking they will make unique & interesting gifts. I am often asked if i have a retail store & perhaps it will be a nice compliment to what i do online. Being a co-op, stallholders work behind the counter 1 or 2 days per month, which might also be a lovely break from working from home. Still thoughts right now, i have to be accepted before i get too excited!

newsletter + shop update

2009-03-04T11:43:00.004+11:00

I just sent off my first newsletter for 2009 & it's huge! If you receive my SPINnews, I do hope you will take a few moments to read thru, as there has been a lot to say lately.. just not much time to blog about it all! I am not too sure if all of it made it to you, so i'll post it here too.

Hello wooldancing friends,

2009 has seen a new level of crazeh here at the wooldancer hq. We have had a few personal struggles that serve to remind us how to pave our way forward despite hardship. No doubt all of us are familiar with being faced with life challenges, and in light of the fires still raging down south in Victoria, we are reminded to hold in our hearts those moments that bring joy & happiness.. the value of love & opening our hearts to one another is evermore present.

This is a time to rejoice for the gifts of life and work. Now more than ever, we are turning to our skills & abilities to create with our hands. This is one of the greatest gifts of mankind.. that we will pick ourselves up, build new houses and create life comforts. I revel in this grassroots level of resourceful creativity.

Moving into March sees the leaves slowly beginning to change colour and cooler temps here in the Blue Mountains. Mums are taking their hooks & needles to the park to knit whlist watching the children play. I love this time of year!

Celebrate Woolly Wednesdays with Wooldancer!

In shop news, I have begun a new updating system for the shop, so now we can look forward to new woolly wednesdays! i will not be sending a newsletter for each update, i only send SPINnews quarterly.. so please remember to put me in your blogroll or commit woolly wooldancer wednesdays to your weekly diary. i'd love to see you.

guess what?! i did a HUGE update today.. can your fingers run?

For fibre lovers:
Outta this world new handdyed fibre - Optim milllends, organic merino, a couple of alpaca, more kid mohair locks and fibre for you DIYdyers.. ok, don't run..sprint!

Beautiful handdyed silk cocoons, a lovely mixture of bombyx mori & Bangalore Peace Silk cocoons. These are organically handraised in small family farms & each moth happily emerged from it's cocoon before harvest.

New Batt Clubs - come play with our blissful batts.. need i say more!

For adventurous spinsters:
Exciting spinning accompaniments i like to call spingredients new in store! We now stock corespinning & knitting wire & elastic (coming soon) + lengths of sequins. I love to work with these in my Art yarns..

My latest spin-love is corespinning Highly Sprung(tm) & Highly Wired(tm) yarns from which i have been making some adornments.. BTW, we learn these techniques in my workshops - woot!

For yarn lovers:
Check out this trio: urban farmland cityman too! If you can come up with a musical rendition of the ditto, the yarn trio is yours for free! seriously!

One lone new crescent moon-inspired Art Yarn from my current Lunar series has made it to the shop, I have many more still to come with next weeks update.

New spinz from The Spun Monkey will feature in next week's update. There are some more Indie spinstars coming soon too.. i'm so excited i'm nearly bursting to tell you.. but i'll not spoil the suprise!

Workshop news:
Thank you to all who have emailed me about Art Yarn spinning workshops.. it's thrilling to see you all wanting to learn to create & be inspired by yarn making. You can see pix of the NSW Guild Summer School workshop on flickr & ravelry.. there are still more pix to come!

I am still taking interest for Art Yarn spinning wokshops.. Newcastle is on the boil, Melbourne is coming soon & Brisbane is propogating. I'll post an email as soon as the dates have been confirmed. Hang in there, it won't be long before the announcement!

Women's Woven Art:
Some of you are aware we started a fundraising initiative to donate spinning & weaving equipment and supplies to women artists from East Timor. Conscious gift giving is satisfying for both the giver & recipient. Your purchase of our handmade items & help village fiber arts to survive.

If you are keen to donate your handmade product to assist Weaving a Future, please email me: fundraiser@wooldancer.com

We will be attending more market fairs this year...very exciting for Aussie knitters who like to fondle fibers before purchasing.. well who can't resist! oh that reminds me, if you are an artyarnie.. shoot me an email if you would like to enqire about consignment at wooldancer.

As you know, all items at wooldancer.com are meticulously crafted by hand.. it's our Artisan philosophy.
We take great joy in the making of our yarn & fiber, and we always endeavor to leave you feeling warm & fuzzy with beautiful, top quality fiber for your textile needs.

Hug the ones you love & enjoy your craft-making!
love & warm fuzz,
Michelle
wooldancer.com

On the homefront, my eldest daughter is loving to read & crochet in Class 2, my twins have begun their journey to school to blossom in the Kindy-garden - climbing trees & making rainbow wool urchins (pompoms) & next week i will be helping to felt tipi's for the smallfolk who dwell in the nooks of the classroom. we are savouring these moments indeed.

catching up.. along the vine

2009-02-03T13:20:00.006+11:00

along the vine, originally uploaded by wooldancer.

Is it too late to wish you a Happy New Year?
i realise i am a whole month behind.. which is a revelation, as it means i am in-front of my 2-month lag that was 2008! [friends who see me daily know i have "better late than never" tattooed to my forehead.]
i used to blame it on having twins...

I'm back from my summer break.. the famdamily & I enjoyed a lovely holiday in Melbourne.. i even managed to spin out at Ceres Environmental Park with some fellow Ravelry friends - yay!

January for the wooldancin scene saw an outta-this-whirld Freeform Art Yarn Workshop, which i held at the NSW Weavers & Spinners Guild 2009 Summer School. (pix on flickr soon!)
I had the pleasure of spinning out with some of the sweetest, wide-eyed & creative spinstars.. & reports back from them they had a wonderful spinfest of a time too *-*

I am slowly getting some of my progress pix from the summer holiday work onto flickr.. the yarn pictured here titled Along the Vine was spun in the first week of Jan to get my spin-mojo ready for a crazy session of workshop prep. I was gifted 2 embroidered leaves from my friend & colleague Abby aka Folktale Fibres, along with some felty baubles.. they inspired this botanical boucle-esque yarn..

it was my first attempt to add just a section of 3ply boucle into a yarn (boucle is a 3ply technique usually done the entire length of the skein).. it was totally fun & i LOVE the results.. you can see the shiny boucle-bamboo in this pic.

off to catch up on some custom orders *-*
spinlove
Michelle

Wooldancer Spinstars Ravelry Group

2008-12-01T13:56:00.003+11:00

I have begun a new Wooldancer Spinstars Ravelry group.. please go forth & join in the buzz. I have been keenly reaquainting myself with the ways & workings of Rav since I joined way back.. and it's not only a knitters paradise.. there's plenty of fibery mustering, spin swaps, spin challenges, and other yarn-like gafauntry goings on.

- New Leaf SPUN choker

- Hot Candy Frangipani superwash angelhair merino

- handdyed Kid Mohair in earth hues

My website update is experiencing intermission due to a lack of camera batteries, so.. here are some pix to peruse of a few latest etsy listings whilst we await the return of the woolly update.. enjoy!

gifting + november in a nut shell

2008-11-19T14:55:00.017+11:00

Allow me to introduce my latest original design: stretch yarn neckpieces for my recently upholstered wearable accessory label, SPUN originals

These are now in the shop, ready for your last-minute gifting spree. Made using elastic-spun yarn, these versatile neck-accessories are stylish, chic and totally one-of-a-kind.

At a bargain introductory priceof $45, they are hot neck attire for all seasons! There is a wool version & a vegan option to suit all next-to-skin-soft persuasions. Custom-spun to your desire, you can request the perfect colours for that perfect person in your life.

Thinking of a unique Christmas gift? Order before December 1st for international Christmas delivery.

:: playing catch-up now..
A few friends have asked what exactly have i been up to recently.. or under which rock have i strayed.. so, here is a rendition in a nutshell of what exactly i have been up to.. for it seems i fell into a vast black hole of motherdome & other things.. please excuse bullet points, there appears to be quite a bit of news to share!

- Took my wares to 2 markets since the Guild Open Day in mid-october.. There was a keen interest in SPUN designs & in my homemade handdyed cd spindles and workshops, which always puts a spring in my step.
[note to self: lock in dates for 2009 BMtns spin-circle to ensure it's a happening actuality]

- all 3 kids birthdays in the first week & a-half of November always puts me outta cyber-fiber-land action, and onto mini steam ride-on trains..

- making stuff for our school craft stall:
felt food (sandwich + pizza slices), dyeing felt & making animal decoration kits.

- spinning & knitting 2 pieces for a local Heart-inspired art exhibition for the Love Lawson Festival..
- Goldenheart, handspun yarn was my 2nd entry, as i simply HAD to submit some ART Yarn to the ART exhibition on principle.
-Heartstring, handspun & handknitted heart hung on a painted knitting needle was my official entry.. which would have been hung against a wall, lest wall-space was lacking. For this piece i was initially going to leave the tail un-fastened with a tag that says "PULL".. hmm.. get it? "pull my heartstring" .. well, dh didnt get it, so i left it off. i think the interactivity would have been drastically underplayed, but i did conjure many wild plans for a whole gallery solo show!

It was a personal achievement to see my Art Yarn on a plinth, I have to say it was quite a thrill for this yarn artist.. how does the song go? from little things big things grow..

- dyeing mohair + drying mohair.. still..with the inclement weather it's taken me 3weeks start to finish! have to say i dont mind having it around.. the rich earthy colours are somethin else!

- knitting some folktale fibers goodies into (1)a spring-garden birthday fairy crown

(2)freeform neck-piece with this awsome handspun acquisition

(3)skein-love table-piece on my sideboard (yes, not technically actually doing anything with the third yarn other than admire it!)
-made a market banner & decided it was too dark for markets, so relegated it to the studio.

- much wanting for free time in my life to be "just" a mother.

- trying to fit in some custom orders that are way overdue.. and dearly thanking my understanding customers who know they may have to wait.. & who also know the waiting is worth it :)

-i am excited to be welcoming the New Year at the Freeform Spinning Workshop..
heres a shout to Aussie spinsistah's!! The Guild workshops are sweetly priced, what better way to have the excuse to spin-play for 2 whole days, and have a weekend in the big city!
go forth & grab a space before it's too late.

hope see you there!

warmest fuzz xo

Art Yarn Workshop now signing..

2008-11-19T12:36:00.006+11:00

Why not come spin, play with fiber & push your creative limits at a Freeform Spinning weekend in January..

Start the year with a creative burst of activity!

Eager to learn some new Art Yarn techniques?
or, looking for a great excuse to spin for 2 days straight & have a fun weekend with like-minded people too?

Try your hand at coils, corespun yarns, wrapped yarns, trapped objects, nubs & crescents, spinning with wire, elastic, fabric and other unorthodox materials..

Buddy bucket-batts and a communal fibre sandwich will get your New Year spin-mojo rocking! .. perfect for texture lovers and adventurous spinners..

Workshop specs:
Contemporary Freeform Spinning weekend with Wooldancer

where?
2009 Summer Spin School -
NSW Weaving & Spinning Guild
St Pauls Church, Burwood Rd,
Burwood, Sydney

Are you from the country or Interstate?
The Guild has a list of nearby accommodation options - why not treat yourself to a fabulous weekend in Sydney!

when?
Sat/Sun Jan 17 & 18
9.30am - 4pm
for 2 whole days of fiber bliss-out fun..

cost?
the cheapest way to spin-out with Wooldancer
$50 members or $70 non-members per day.

skillz:
Ability to spin confidently with your wheel. Jumbo or delta flyers are helpful but not essential.. we are flexible!

more info:
wooldancer.com
NSW Weaving & Spinning Guild

bookings:
NSW Guild

You deserve to treat yourself *-*

I hope to see you there!

on dyeing vegan silks

2008-11-04T22:16:00.000+11:00

with the warmer days i am moved to dyeing vegan silks again this season.. last summer i took a brief sojourn dyeing bamboo and was rather taken by the amount of colour run-off in the dyepot, that had me rinsing until my fingers went granny-soft.. the lustrous shine of the boo is certainly worth the huge amount of effort involved in dyeing this cellulose fiber.

I was thrilled to read about some recent research undertaken at the Guild about the properties of bamboo, though i have to note any experiments with heat on this fiber will render it dull & without strength.. so the acid dye, although will render some pale shades, is not the best environment for bamboo, which prefers the cooler temperatures of fiber-reactive/alkaline dye environment.

i digress however, as the photos above are of seacell, soysilk and milk fiber, also known as Silk Latte. I bow to the latter as i do the feet of my yoga guru.. honestly.. i am having much more sucess dyeing silk latte than i am soysilk, though further experiments with this fiber now reveal a highly (read: higher than average) acid environment will render the dyebath clear.

It is no wonder wool blends with these fibers are becoming more prolific around the fibre supply stores.. they are very laborious to handle nekked. Since I dye my own fibers for retail, I am very pesky about perfection.. I will not send handdyes out knowing there could be a chance of dye-particle run-off.. some people are sensitive to chemicals and i just dont think it's a good practise to get lazy with one's product.

i once bought a handdyed tops because the colour was just right for a felting project & the dye bled like crazy on my fingers & into other colours & re-dyed my white areas.. not happy Jan.. so NO, i just wont do it.. i will rinse unitl the cows come home to get the all-clear result. oh yeserie, it's all about care & craft here at the wooldancer headquarters!

And I have to agree with the citric converts out there that it is much much better than vinegar.. worth the extra expense ten-fold.

SPIN update: I am back spinning again.. the brief 2week market-stall frenzy followed immediately by the lead-up preparations to my twinnies birthday had me out for the count for the last 4 weeks.

If you are graciously awaiting a custom order - please know I am spinning like the wind right now & during the next few days to get them in the post.. before I enter the "week-before market stall phase" again for the Indigo Fair on 15th Nov. phew!

spin & dye well *-*
Michelle

through the number 4 door..

2008-11-04T13:59:00.001+11:00

when you were 1, you had just begun,
when you were 2 you were still quite new,
when you were 3, you could climb a tree,
now you are 4, so much bigger than before!

To Imi & Mazi ~
you entered the world together
my life blessed anew
one yin, one yang
he your sun, she your moon.

you seem to know
her comfort when she is blue
you like green, she likes pink
sing a complimentary tune.

you meet in the middle
where night meets day
imi & mazi
you bless my life with Angelic rays.
Happy Birthday!

Weavers & Spinners Guild Open Day

2008-10-13T17:06:00.010+11:00

I was able to book a last minute Open day table, as being school holidays I wasn't sure if i had a munchkin-sitter.. & if you know me at all, then there's no need to guess i hit the ground running! Up til 2am the night before last-minute labeling, making a banner & checking inventory will ensure my morning start is a little slow off the mark.. i had the wind beneath my wings for the man & kiddos spent the night away, so starting the day in true bachelor-esque style i devoured a mango weiss bar at the petrol station for breakie! life on the wilde side i tell you! the holidays have been supremely nutso, well more so than usual for me, tho I shall not digress.

I don't often choose to drive the M4 to Sydney-town.. i forgot how freekin fast that thing travels.. I'm over the speed limit & being overtaken.. weesh.. my life in the fastlane has hit adrenalin highs these last 3 weeks.. and NO i'm not going to take you there.. but today i'm heading for the NSW Weavers & Spinners Guild Open day.. so, please join me while i muse.
Fortunately for me Sue (above piccy) was in fine form.. I can always count on her to be early & set up with extra time to spare to help me, who arrives with 10mins to spare, set up my table before the insuge.. we had to precariously bulge out the sides of the rather smallish trestle, and have to say that lady is a Gem... and dyes some glorious colour too.
Happy to report the day was a huge success for Wooldancer.. here's some pix of my table, full of yummy colour & texture. My woolly wares [read: batts] were a hit.. i think i sold out before morning tea *-* thanks too to the lovely Ravelers who popped by, said Hi & danced away with some bootilicious fluff too.. It's great to hook up & put faces to avatars.. you are such a friendly bunch :)

I was nigh cleaned out of the ecospun/recycled denim.. handdyed organic merino tops were a hit.. black diamond was swooned, needlefelting kits were popular, a delish Spun Monkey yarn found a new home & there was interest in the Handwoven Tais from Women's Woven Art in East Timor too. Wow!

Thanks so much to my customers who lit up my day, & to the woolly traders and guild members for making me feel so at home.. The day made my holidays! seriously *-* I would have loved to participate in the demonstrations & managed only to watch in awe out of the corner of my eye whilst attending my table: the feltmaking demos, Phil skirting a fleece, and spinners working their wheel magic.. somehow the hackle & combs, weaving & other demos I missed completely.

The entries were a little light-going this year in the Designer Yarn competition. I tied a piece of string on my pinkie so as not to forget to submit an entry next year.. my fav this year was the yarn spun from vintage Vogue sewing patterns & rice paper serviettes [alas i have no pic]. After casting my vote I discovered that it was spun by Jenny aka Virginia Farm/my spinning teacher/ President of the Guild.. Her yarn came a close 2nd to a sweet 2ply feathered yarn. Here is a tutorial on spinning newspaper if you're keen to prep some paper & give it a go.

I also got to see the Ashford Knitters Loom up close & personal & have to say Spun Out (above) Open Day special was calling my name.. but i somehow left w/out it. hmmm, maybe not such a good move.. but heh.. i dream.

what's that? did i come home with stash? i thought you'd nary ask!
i did however come up trumphs in the bleet department.. these things are never planned, my fiber-frollicks are fulfilled intuitively.. i rarely set out with purchases in mind, but i did somehow end up with a generous flock of goats..

1st up Waratah Yarns & Fibers.. i snatched a lovely handdyed kid mohair top, a couple of gaywool dyes, lime throwsters silk, and was happy to hear & chat about the trials of spinning a supercoil yarn.
Next for missA's 7th birthday pressie was a visti to Glenora for a pair of mushroom needles.. then on to a lovely couple for a handmade weave-it loom.
A natter with Freelance fibers always comes up trumphs.. her minimill always has me drooling, so yup.. i weakend & simply had to have her white mohair/soysilk roving & splendid kid mohair/soysilk/merino batts, & a pair of awsome handmade square bamboo knitting needles and strangely a bag of picked dyed mohair ended up in my possession. Anyone notice the goat fetish yet?.. well, if that wasnt enough, at close of curtain I lamented & took home with a 1.5kg curly kid goatie fleece from a lovely local angora stud. oh.. and when i was supposed to be packing up my table, i was in the boot of Pat's car getting her gorgeous 0.5kg washed & carded chocolate romney.. it appears i just cant stop myself when there's a good lot of fiber at my feet..but had no luck gettin my man a b'day gift.. luckily the tunes store was open & John Butler fell into my bag or he would have been pretty dark with me buying myself birthday gifts on his birthday. heh.

Some of you may notice i took my store down while i went trading, so wink wink nudge nudge.. it's back up now, until this friday afternoon when i pack up & do it all again. sigh. i think i could get used to the travelling nomad market lifestyle *-*

Opening Sale ends tonight & SPINews

2008-10-10T09:30:00.005+11:00

Hello wooldancing friends,
Our wooldancer.com web-store has now hit the scene! Your newest Aussie-based online store for creative contemporary handspun yarn, fiber supplies & wearable art.

Please join us to Celebrate our Grand Opening Sale!
Many items are marked at least 15% off until midnight tonight!

Friday 10th October 2008.

Announcing fellow Indie Yarn artists..
I wish to warmly welcome one of my favorite spinsis*stars, Shannon Herrick, corespun goddess herself from The Spun Monkey.. Her handspuns are immaculate & we also carry her Monkey Wrap pattern..
be sure to check out all the spinny goodness..

International and local Indie yarn & fiber artists are arriving each month to our online store.. Now fellow Aussie fiberistas will be able to buy some fav Art Yarns & pay only local postage - woohoo!

Also, now you can find Indie-spins from around the world on Aussie soil at Wooldancer Events.. Very exciting for Aussie knitters who like to fondle fibers before purchasing.. well who can't resist!

Workshops & Events Breaking news..
Saturday, 11th October:
I am trading at the NSW Weavers & Spinners Guild Open Day in Sydney..
If you are in town, be sure to come by & grab your fluff cuddles:
9.30am - 3pm, St Paul's Church, Burwood Rd. Burwood.

Sat 18th October:
Lorien Novalis Steiner School market in Glenhaven, with Wooldancer & Timor Tais.. See website for details.

We are now organic..
We have switched to 100% certified Australian organic 19.5micron merino & are loving it.. we bet you will too.. check out the new handdyed tops section & you'll see why! 10% of sales from organic tops go toward Weaving a Future

Weaving a Future Fundraiser..
A new fundraising initiative to donate spinning & weaving equipment and supplies to women artists from East Timor. Purchase handmade items & help village fiber arts to survive.. updating regularly.

If you are keen to donate your handmade product/s to assist Weaving a Future, please email me: fundraiser@wooldancer.com

let's see what else you can squizz at, there is so much to mention!

There is an awsome selection of Art Yarn growing.. including my latest megaspun, Archaelological (above).
And some fab spinners kits too.. Copper Patina Bliss Batt set pictured here.. we are having a right fuzz-fest here!

As you know, all items at wooldancer.com are meticulously crafted by hand.. it's our Artisan philosophy.
We take great joy in the making of our yarn & fiber, and we always endeavor to leave you feeling warm & fuzzy with beautiful, top quality fiber for your textile needs.

Please browse around our store & take advantage of the Opening Sale.. discounts can only offered every blue moon at wooldancer.com.. be sure to make the moment last!

**If you are on my newsletter list & did not receive this newsletter in your inbox, please re-subscribe & leave a comment here so I can send your additional discount coupon code *-*

hope you can join me in the fuzz-fest!
spin well *-*
Michelle

Organic merino handdyeds in my new web store!

2008-09-29T10:29:00.003+10:00

Yes - We are now open for business at www.wooldancer.com hurrah!

I hope you can feel the behind the scenes bliss here.. there is much ravelment & party goings on.. and we are passing Celebration Sales on to you my friends..

so please check out the shop & be sure to have yourself some Celebration sales fun! We are listing new products daily, be quick.. many are one-of-a-kind.. sale on until Oct 10 2008.

This is a quick post.. much more news to follow..
Fizzy fuzzbubbles,
Michelle

one moment in time..

2008-09-25T21:17:00.001+10:00

Reading Intertwined, originally uploaded by kay be.

to the spinstar pausing at this page, funny how i feel like i'm reading over your shoulder, sharing a moment together.. i could break into conversation about my collier right now! thanks for sharing this moment. it's heartening to be reminded how honored i feel to be a small part of Lexi's amazing book.. i could just jump through the photo into the workshop room you are at & just hug her for adorning her pages with my work.. man.. sigh. thankful is one sweeet understatement.

Looking at all the recent Camp Pluckyfluff flickr photos from Vancouver & Seattle, i feel the enormous gift Lexi has given all spinstars who have liberated their handspinning skillz via her generous spirit. I would love to one day attend a Camp Pluckyfluff so i can squoosh the mohairy outta her!

handspun collective

2008-08-28T10:59:00.001+10:00

View my page on Handspun Collective

Crochet Cocoon

2008-08-15T22:57:00.003+10:00

and other crochet inspirations... i hope to post a little more often to share some of my textile findings, musings & intrigues.

The Making of Mongolian Felt

2008-08-15T21:38:00.002+10:00

sit thru the beats.. it's definately worth it, and the nomad rug designs are stunning.

she sings like an angel

2008-08-14T12:41:00.003+10:00

as written on my daughters' school report last term. i have to agree! Arly sings joyfully at the end of each night.. and we begin nighttime ritual with her concerts. last night was the first time I heard this song.. most probably an original composition by her class teacher which I called 'From an Acorn to an Oak.. the Tree of Life song'. I hope you can hear the LOVE!

Growing up.. The oaktree of Life from Michelle Snowdon on Vimeo.

2008-08-14T10:51:00.006+10:00

some of my most vulnerable moments happen when my children are ill. I find the need to retreat within our hearth fires to stoke & rekindle inner warmth. The unfathomable generosity & love from my herbal healer provides me a confidence that we are on the right path toward a healthy recovery, & even the strong mouth shuddering taste of the herbs is welcome when we all feel so erky in our bodies.

The moment when the GP says "you have a very unwell toxic listless child who should be assessed in hospital for pneumonia" sends shivers through my being & the reaction in my body tells my brain that i should be worried.. & the panic sets in. the worry is bone-deep inside me.. the anxiety palpable. I couldn't face the verdict, & fortunately my husband walked in to the surgery just in time to bear the news. Needless to say, her twin who was coughing up his own lungs was not going to escort his twin to hospital, so i took him & we spent a very anxious afternoon attempting to undertake the most mundane of activities, green with anxiety.

That was 2 weeks ago. The ensuing verdict of Tonsiilitis, indeed not pneumonia as anticipated, and bronchitis for the other twin, as opposed to the suspected Whooping Cough, were successfully treated with herbs & homeopathy helping to kill the bugs, strengthen immunity & aid recovery, and I reconfirm the reasons why we choose to use alternative medicine for our healing. Somehow, our experience with the Western Medical system sees people herded in & out like we were lining up at a checkout, ready to package up our diseases like groceries with little regard for emotional wellbeing.

Visiting my naturopath in her octagonal home replete with herbal apothecary, hot-stone massage table, tibetan prayer room and cosy logfire while she cooks up pure face creams using freshly grown garden plants, heals me from the inside-out every time. Needless to say, my children are not nervous to meet her for a cranial sacral treatment or to heal a deep cut with stingy herbs. Any anxiety is left at the door of the medical emergency room.. and thankfully for me we don't have to use it very often.

With the rain & snow, chilled outdoor temperatures of below zero and winds that blow you in the opposite direction, it has been timely to spend time indoors.. though Welcome are the recovered rosy cheeks in my little ones happy faces, and we are vernturing slowly outward again. With the twinnies at family daycare yesterday, I was able to consecrate my new studio with my first dyesession - yeeah! Pix to come.. but here are some belated pix I have just had time to upload onto flickr.

I did manage to card a handfull of batts during the creative down-time..
Raincloud Custom Colourway batts I managed to roll off the carder during these last few healing weeks.. they are on etsy as Custom 'made to order' style batts.. the BEST way to get your Wooldancin fix!

And a belated swap gift for faun.. batts to match this yarn.
Be strong. Be dyeing, but Be well!
Michelle

the partial ply discovery & some homely wonders

2008-07-29T21:26:00.002+10:00

I seem to fall into the abyss of familydom & take ages to resurface! School resumed this week, so there is some semblance of normality going on now. Speaking of the home front, we took the plunge & finally moved the wooldancer squooshiness into my new studio (have i even uploaded pix of my new garden studio space yet?? has it really been THAT long?) .. which led to the major decision to relocate bedrooms which has been the BESTY thing we have done since buying the house a year ago..

We are all enjoying a little more breathing space now, with all 3 children sharing the main bedroom together.. after all the beds were moved MissA remarked "ah, back to normal again", which i thought was *so* sweet. . i obviously never realised how much she enjoyed being with the twins (they all shared a bedroom in our last house too.. she must have remembered!) Marcel & I have squeezed, literally, our bed into the front small room - very zen & loving it, and the other small room is now the walk in wardrobe.. it all makes so much sense now! The children even have floor space to play in their own room so I am not constantly tripping over the train track each time i walk thru the front door into the loungeroom. le sigh. It WAS a frantic weekend to achieve all that..let's just say two trips to ikea in the space of 3 days is enough!

So, now i have the studio to organise so i can get in there & dye up a frenzy.. I need to put the services on, yah, i NEED electricity & water up there, and insulate with some enviro foam.. or even some of that crappola downy fiber i was given a few years back could do the trick on a portion of the wall space.. we'll see. All i know is this is the crispiest coldest winter we have endured in the cool mountainous regions for some time.. & we are ALL over it. Spring - bring it on!

I shall leave you with a cheery woolly wonder that had me up until 3am one morning not so long ago, frogged only twice before i nailed the pattern that became this luscious Asymmetrical neck attire.. i just LOVE the wee hours for delerious moments of creative clarity!

For this neckie I used one of my terrabellaspun batt yarn & trim sets & it's heavenly! see the luscious onion-dyed organic merino lockeys in there as stripping sections.. oh, they are *so* soft n lushious n something else..

For my new Scarf & Trim sets I corespin the trim at the end of the yarn & turn around & part-ply it.. i winged that technique so dont ask me how i discovered part-plying.. but it is totally FUN.. i may show you guys one day at a workshop - it's a horror of a technique to do, you get a rush from it! yeah.. so now i am doing it to all my trims!!

see you soon *-* happy spinning

wooldancer.com is now LIVE!

2008-07-18T20:17:00.005+10:00

I am over the moon in intergalactic bliss-out mode right now.. say anything to me & i'm a yes man.. i have the glass of red as i type to celebrate my new site's up! wooldancer.com has hit the scene! & i'm swinging off the rafters with the glee & elation to have a beautiful ethereal home. i am sure you can imagine this is a galactic happening to actually achieve this amount of work infront of the pc during school holidays, the very same day my wares are being shown down at the Aussie Wool Show ! oh.. it's all too much!

I have a boatload of work ahead of me, making fluffiliciousness to populate my new cart, and also get the wonderful fundraiser up & running called: Weaving a Future, helping to preserve traditional culture of handwoven "tais" cloth of East Timor. There will me more info on my site really soon..

Please.. go check out the new website.. and please, let me know if you notice anything other than superb.. & i'll fix it like the wind *-" must sign off & go happy dance at the drum carder - i'm into my new system of custom orders like no tomorrow!

a red world exhibition

2008-07-16T21:54:00.002+10:00

A Red World - Contemporary Australian Textile Art

21 july - 27 july @ Wangaratta Exhibitions Gallery

curated around the theme of the colour red.

note to self: must get to wang.

hilltribe anyone?

2008-07-08T21:17:00.002+10:00

The sounds of quartz crystal bowls cleared a path as if overnight. Fortuitous fruits sprang from the heavens leading me to a meeting the following day with a lady who travels to Northern Thailand. She trades directly with the hilltribe women handworkers, paying them well for their stunning handcrafted textile cloth items. As it happens, I now have this stunning antique tribal textile skirt available to whomever first connects with me for it. One of three skirts, all unique & of vintage beauty, the other two are already spoken for..

so, email me: wooldancer @ gmail .com if you would like this beautiful pleated skirt to be your very own.

With elegant bell shaping, this is a fitted skirt with a light flare at the base with fresh green hem. Pink embroidery detailing on white background. Black line geometric motif prints look stunning on the white cloth. Heavily pleated creating a lovely hemp drape. AUD$90
size 26"/66cms unstretched elastic waistband.. will stretch to max 36"/92cms. Australian size span: approx 10-14.

There is wonderful fortune on the horizon, so if you like what you see, please stay close by *-* Thanks for viewing

a quickie update

2008-07-07T11:46:00.004+10:00

Just squeezing in a quick update before i take all my items down from etsy this coming wednesday to send off to Bendy wool show! If ya see something you like, grab it now ok.. before it's swiped *-"

Sadly I can not tear myself away from my littles that weekend.. but this beautiful spin-Diva is setting up my wares for me! How incredible is she! I am sending down some fiber Art batts, handdyed yarns & a few handspun scarf kits, along with some phase out sale fiber items too *-*

'Colour of Money' FiberArt Batts with shredded currency for Bendy.
This will possibly be a line i continue to make.. i find the sound of grinding money quite satisfying in a quirky way!

The word is Mandy, a la ewe give me the knits, will be taking a loom, some wheels & loads of her georgous exclusively blended handdyed yummies along, and i hear some other fabo people will be there too! squee!

If you are in Aus & into all things woolly, then the Australian Sheep & Wool Show is the place to go: 18-20 July 2008
the wool show will be 3 days of sheepy bliss no doubt! So, make sure you go say a HUGE hello to Mandy if you are there, wont you *-*

yesterdays robe

2008-07-04T21:23:00.002+10:00

yesterdays robe, originally uploaded by wooldancer.

Skirt: hmong hilltribe northern thai embroidered, pleated skirt.
Jacket: Womens Woven Art, East Timor
Sakura Floral T: reconstructed colorado number

I could go on about how remarkable the East Timorese people are.. they live in a 3rd world country, the newest nation on the globe, communications are scarce & yet the people are so rich in integrity to rebuild their nation & regain economic independence.

The women weave traditional cloth known as 'tias' and it is the only source of income for entire villiages.. however there is a lack of tourism & trade. I had the fortune of meeting two of the women from WWA & i offered to help provide a means to generate income for their handwoven wares.. thinking i could help sell them on etsy - but BOY was i wrong!

shall we go over Etsy's motto?

What is Etsy?

Etsy is an online marketplace for buying & selling all things handmade.

Our mission is to enable people to make a living making things, and to reconnect makers with buyers.

Our vision is to build a new economy and present a better choice:

Buy, Sell, and Live Handmade

Something in the rulebook about not being able to sell anything not handmade by yourself.. yet i see countless etsyers selling only commercial & vintage supplies which were not handmade! ugh! the loophole is totally unjust! My enquiry was met with a copy & paste of etsys Do's & Dont's.

East Timorese women simply do not have the means to ship reliably, as the postal service is often attacked by guerilla warriors & there is most certainly no reliable internet/digi camera service! It makes me cringe, when these women are the authentic cultural example of attempting to earn an income from handmade traditional wares (meaning basic necessities like providing food, medicine & education to their children), & yet they aren't eligable for a surrogate etsy store! OMG! i'm writhable.

etsy can say that now tho, because they have reliable electricity, running water, sewerage that isn't running past their doorstep & money enough to purchase handmade luxuries.. double cringe.

needless to say, i have a newfound edge about etsy now.

sounds of quartz

2008-07-04T17:37:00.004+10:00

I urge if you ever have an opportunity to experience a crystal bowl session, that you absolutely do not falter. My home, my heart, my family have been enriched beyond belief.
I am truly blessed to have had my friend and his teacher, Susie Nelson Smith from Karyna Centre, come into my home & conduct an environmental cleansing for my business. As if by magic they came to me in a time of need, guided by a higher force, to lift me up & hold me.
I feel so supported.
There truly is "enough" for us all.
I am reconnected to my inner knowledge of healing energy, of deva's who live in the vast valleys of the mountain landscape. My training a decade ago in Reiki has been reawakened and I feel incredibly alive. today.
I came to realise a 7 year cycle as a mother of young children has reached fruition, and i am now ready to reach out & BE in the world again, beyond my family fold. I nearly feel ready to reinvent myself & Be my truth in the community.. to show my Self as a mother & an artist. Being the matriarch of my home for so long, this is both exciting & a little scary! As long as I have the courage to hold my vision, I know I am on the right path.
& So be it!

Winter Magic & other woolly wonders

2008-07-03T08:34:00.008+10:00

So where have i been? if you could let me know that'd be wonderful.. cos i seem to have left the planet. The crazy buzz of activity around my hive has sent me skyward, my feet not touching solid land due to the rush of activity. All the commotion must have been due to the skies opening up, the days gradually becoming a "little" warmer since the Winter Solstice last week (or was that 2 weeks now?! huh) and the apparent sun shining on us a little more than, well, before the solstice.

Speaking of that great celestial time, Katoomba comes alive Mid-Winter in honour of the grand occasion.. the near infamous Winter Magic Festival has to be the most exciting occasion for our little groove along the mountian-top.. many many thousands of people emerge from hibernation to dress up & party on the streets. I took some snaps of the 2008 Winter magic Parade.. check the first one out of my littlest.. i had NO idea the photo was taken during last year's Winter Magic until i stumbled upon it a few days ago whilst browsing the Magic photo gallery! *ha* she's been famous for a year & i had no clue! i am emphasising the Magic of the Winter Magic event, because the atmosphere, the drum, dance, performances are simply Magical! I am reminded how i love being a part of this vibrant community of Blue Mountain folk.

On to other things wooly now.. my website is *so* close i can practically touch it! YAY!

i didn't want to give a Launch Date perse, as way too many variables happen in my WAHM life for me to put a finger on which exact day it will indeed happen to grace the cyber yarn whirled! All i can say is .. any day now.. so keep clicking away & it will magically appear before you any moment! You will NOT be disappointed.. there's going to be some great art yarnie stuff happening *-*

The great news is that my site will definately be having a cart added.. can you see i'm liberated by the elevation from mere splash-page status to full-kit & caboodle *-* it's the little things in life that make me so happy! We have some work still to go with the shopping cart, so etsy will be business as usual until the cart is ready to go.. & yes folks, my etsy will take a back seat from then on.. but i'll keep you in the loop about that.

Theres a new studio in my garden! it grew in under 2 weeks and i'm beside myself with glee, as you can well see!

Here's the fruit of what has been taking my focus & pumping my shoulders these last few weeks. My family will be elated i'm sure to have the kitchen table back.. no more eating off lap-tables.. hehe. My dad came up & announced he was going to extend the little hut he built as a shed 6months ago, & promptly set to it - "all haste no speed" as went the mantra for the entire project.. but it went up in 2 weeks - seriously now!

It will double as a dye-kitchen & fiber studio - feltmaking, spinning, maybe even some intimate spin circle could eventuate in there, once the electricity, plumbing & insulation is in! what do you think? sweet huh! the colur is called Artiset by the way.. hmmm, very apt *ha*
Thanks for tuning in.
spin love,
Michelle

update & a new spinlove

2008-06-14T10:44:00.007+10:00

De-lectable handdyed's now in store, ready for your hooks & needles!

LOPI is a bulky quick knit, perfect for fulling or making hundreds of pairs of shoelaces!
My Mum wont let me draw on the walls (pictured below) is saturate with a striking rainbow palette, dyed using non-toxic dyes. Each skein is a whopping 200gr/7oz! and one-of-a-kind. If you see something you like, don't leave it behind ok!

Thick & thin lambswool with nylon binder is a dyelicious very luxurious yarn. Individually handdyed with natural, non-toxic & acid dyes. Lime Zinger, Creme of the Crop & Vegie Garden pictured here. 285m per skein & each is unique!

More naturally dyed onion & indigo skeins will be listed throughout the weekend.. keep watch!
Thanks *SO* much for looking - you, my friends, are the beesknees!
~~~

Do you wanna hear about my new behind the scenes Spin Love?
Serendipity brought me a new wheel not so long ago.. enter Poly. She arrived just in time to meet our country Goddess before we had to bid her farewell.. & i managed to snap a pic of the three sisters before the imminent departure that i now cannot find. ek. here is Poly after her first wooldance session displaying her first yarn:

the yarn, titled What came first, chickn or the egg?, is spun in true easter-style with pink yarn from a romney named Baxter at homestead wool & gift farm, & an assortment of easter chicks and whole plastic glitter eggs from my kiddos loot wrapped into some locks. I'll make this into a sweet easter basket for next years' festivities.

Poly, a vintage spinstress, was handcrafted in NZ in the 1980's by Philip Poore. She's a little shorter than my traveller at only 70cm, but she brings with her small stature some very large 11.5cm diameter bobbins. There are 4 drive band settings & the slowest ratio is 3:1. Her delta-style (translates as orifice-less) allows me to spin practically enormous doodads into my yarns without hitch.. & also the reason i could finally say goodbye to my country Goddess.

Poly & I seem to have hit off to a great start. Her brake spring required some minor adjustment as it wasn't pulling in as fast as i liked, resulting in excesively coily yarn, something i prefer to do with a sense of control.. coils are pretty but it's no good serving them up uncontrollably - I think it's important to have your equipment work for you, not the other way round! Initialy I cut the old stretched spring in half, but I ended up ditching the spring alltogether, preferring a trusty elastic band (the purple ones saved from bunches of asparagus) to do the trick. Here's another i spun from these fav batts of mine, turqoyz & ornj:

thanks for tuning in.. and checking out our yarn love
spin love to you *-* Michelle

update now rolling

2008-06-06T00:14:00.004+10:00

Finally, my may update has begun .. & yep, i do realise it's now June.. i have one word to say about that lapse - vampires (see previous post). I hope to have my newsletter issues sorted out so i can sent one off to all my lovely spin-friends who are on my newsletter list.. i have been having issues retrieving the addresses.. wish me luck. I actually plan on having a whole new newsletter when my new website is up & running too.. just a heads-up for you guys (which incidentally, should be up in a matter of days folks!woot) ok, on with the UPDATE:

I have 4 spin kits on their way. . OMG irresistable 25gr battlets + spindoobie add.ins for creative spin-play: so nifty! Get your art yarn penchants pumping! These spin kits were introduced last update, and i am continuing to offer these colour coordinated batts with matching assortment of goodies to spin into creative yarns.. there's peace silk cocoons, sparkle pompoms, sequins strips, silk fabric strips and more.. go check them out *-*

New Solid-Wash Batts in 3 colourways.. 50gr batts - 2 of each colourway.
These are my semi-solid duty to those who resist variegation (i know you are out there!).. but really, semi-solids are something special - so handy to add to other colours, & to boost up some batts you already have. I personally love superwash as a mum, terribly practical when knitting for the kiddos -you can just chuck it in the wash & it'll come up as sweet as before the wash - i'll give it 10 points for no shrinking!

A couple of New Pinata Batts: These are simply AWSOME! Ultra fun mozza batts with surprises inside! Each is OOAK - never to be repeated, so jump on your horses i say! BEautiful random batts to free up your creativity *-* mmmm.... art yarn lovers idea of paradise!

Also, some divine handpainted silk caps, a few card-your-own grab baggies, and also some handdyed yarns coming back in store too. Keep a look out over the next few days, as i'll be updating infrequently! that'll surely keep you coming back, right!
Thanks much my fiber friends - i do hope you enjoy my fruits *-*
Spin on & spin well,
Michelle

handspun collective

2008-06-04T15:19:00.001+10:00

Find more photos like this on Handspun Collective

Celebrating the Art of Handspun yarn at the Handspun Collective. It's a haven. say no more.

fibergasm

2008-06-03T14:28:00.004+10:00

weesh! i'd spend my live-long days on Ravelry if i had the chance.. there's so many amazing threads going there at the moment, & such a hive of activity i'm soooo envious of people who get to craft daily! and post to forums daily! and update their shops daily! and read blogs daily! and... anyone want to look after a few kiddos for me for a few weeks so i can catch up on the forums & groups i've been meaning to get to for months now, eh? any takers? i swear i need a doppleganger to complete all the tasks i know i'm meant to.. but that's OK - i'm fairly used to my job-lot by now: you know the story.. two 3.5year olds & a 6.5 yo going on 12.5.. YEAH! Now THATS Ravelry i tell ya! *joke joyce*

fiber p0rn installment#1. LtoR: secret swap batt sneek peek; NEW Pinata Surprise Batt's (to die for) x2.

Some of you who are actually able to hang at Ravelry may have seen some new ads for my website happening this month. [ shriek] I know that means i "should" have had my NEW WEBSITE up by now.. but as per usual.. things around here became a little delayed, when last week i was out for the count - struck down by aliens testing me for fatigue-blood-boil-breath-sucking vampire virus.. mmm as they do. I'm actually able to catch breath now, & am carding like a mad woman on steroids to catch up for the lost time.. Don't aliens know how inconvenient it is to get sick? as a mother, there's never a good time. As a crafty fiberista/spin-diva, sick days are crewel. So i have taken my 'sick leave' sign down from my shop & am back for business. HA. that'll show em.. we only accept higher beings raying with love & light around here.. right *-*
So.. i promise, new website will be alive & kicking as soon as ethereally possible folks.

Playing with an amazing shipment from mandie.. whom i adore to bits..[carding up a storm & more for you spinsistar!] I made some silk cocoon lanters ready to spin into something totally wall-art worthy & yes.. a new product range is in the wings - woot!

Also, just received an amazing set of batts from Eling aka Travelling Rhinos.. she is one damn hot batt-maker, and a fabulissimo store owner too. I don't often treat myself to a fiber purchase, but i simply had to have this. I am sure you will understand. They never turned up due to some unknown black hole, and she offered to make them again for me (OMG) & do a swap with me to justify the extra postage..how fricken amazing is that! well she didn't have to ask me twice!

& here's fiber pOrn installment#2 for you spinstars out there. LtoR: some HollyEQQ handyed optim roving (smooochable indeed); new landscape batts; NEW Solid-wash batts: my new semi-solid handdyed superwash batts too! new batts in store soon ok i promise ohh the excitement! or is that fibergasm *he*

live gigs - do you dance?

2008-05-21T09:02:00.008+10:00

let's talk about dancing. not wooldancing, cos all fiberistas know at least the basic steps to get a good twist happening.. no. I want to know about shakin' your bootie.. does anyone here go see a band and not actually dance?

i'm curious because i went on a date last night. (blushing) yeah.. with my partner, who is incidentally the father of my/our 3 children.. he's amazing (but that's another story). So, with free tickets at the door, & my future hubby by my side, we rocked up to Pete Murray's album launch. It's a media gig for Monday Night Live, one that my partner is often Production Manager at, but chose instead to attend as a punter so as i could have a boogie partner. yippee.

Anyway, after getting over the shock at current Sydney bar prices, we get stuck into a few red wines.. which is fortunate actually, because i'm playing 'handbag' whilst Mr says hello to all the crew & whoeverheknows.. i'm limbering up for a boogie.

After the interviews for kids music shows, drivelling answers like: "what's your fav song from the new album" & me saying.. "well tonight's the album launch honey, go figure i've not heard it yet!" & "what's the best thing about Pete Murray" & me totally unprepared for appearing on camera says "his sublimity of tone" ..*ha*.. The show kicks off an hour & a half after we all arrive.. no doubt so as to give all the SonyBMG crowd enough time to get slobbered at the bar with their free drink cards.. an effort my man informs me, is to lubricate the crowd so they'll look good on camera - you know, shaking their bootie n stuff.

or not.

i swear, i'm the only chick letting my body feel the groove. umm : live music.. subime tunes coming from the stage.. what else is there for it - dance people dance. i'm thinkin the next few upbeat tunes & everyone will be jumping up & down in classic crowd fashion rockin the floor. but no. i'm there, up the back near the mixing desk by default & out of camera view, shaking my bootie.. & i swear people must think i'm tripping or else, just a middle-aged raver from way back (which may be true). Back in my early twenties, only 15years ago mind you, the crowds at a gig just totally went off. I don't know if it's a "Gen-Y" thing.. or are people really that self-conscious? Excepting the girlie fanclub in the front-row, the audience are stagnant, as if standing up at a boring lecture or something. oh man. no pics of me sorry, Mr was too busy grooving beside me doing the Melbourne shuffle.. OH wait - It must be a Sydney thing.. right.. 'cos if this gig was in Melbourne, the crowd would undoubtedly be movin' to the beats for sure. oh, how i miss my hometown!

anyhow.. go watch the concert & tell me if you would have been by my side, feeling the music & letting your body go. All i know is, I'm 35 with 3 kiddos & i don't get many opportunities to go see a live band much nowadays, so i'm gonna make the most of it *-*
uhhum.. apologies for the poor quality photos of the gig.. these are the only ones we managed to snag with the camphone.. we were too busy actually enjoying ourselves!

Ashford Country Spinner!

2008-05-16T21:08:00.005+10:00

[EDIT]: SOLD - Country Goddess has a NEW OWNER, and she will be very happy with the sheepies at a very wonderful, animal friendly Aussie farm *-* Jane will be wooldancing her heart away, to the cheers of her un-mulsed woolly friends. Please do check out her farm pix , & her lovely farm-fresh handdyed fiber too while you're there!

Thanks to everyone who connected with me about your interest and who left comments - I truly appreciate you all.

i know this is pretty dramatic, i mean, who in their right mind would sell their Country spinner? well, dear friend, believe me when i say, It's not entirely all my idea.. but really, it's crunch time around here.. so

Here she is, my Country Goddess, looking for a new spunky spin*star to keep her twirling out the good stuff!

The Ashford Country Spinner is re-known for her huge-normous 1kg (2.2lb) bobbin capacity & larger than life 2.3cm (7/8") orifice, and really requires no introduction.. but just to tickle your fancy a little more..

practically like new

double treadle: runs like a dream

4:1 ratio, perfect for super bulky thick & thin handspun,

king o the jungle bobbin, just goes & goes & goes.. you can fit up to ten 100gr skeins on this baby - all at once! So if you spin for production, this baby is perfect.

weighs in at 6.6 kilos, so she is still light enough to travel with.. i take her to workshops when we need to work with the BIG orifice..

BIG orifice (just thought i had to mention that again for the art yarnies) because you just won't have trouble fitting most knick-knacks thru that mama, oh no
stained a lovely deep brown tinged with red.. possibly called mahogany. yummy.

additional pictures at flickr

* my only request is that i would prefer to sell her in Australia (forgive me please if you live OS).. she is just *so* heavy to send.. but if you really want to pursue it, save your pennies for the shipping cost.

You're in luck however, if you happen to live in Australia.. postage estimate is around $10-40+ depending on where you live. I will flat pack her, but because she is already assembled it would make life easier for both you & i if she could remain intact & we could arrange pick-up/drop off. just sayin.
price is AUD$450, make me your best offer.. she's nigh AUD$600 new, be quick, if you want to spin out your dreams with her!

so, you want to know why i am selling her?
i actually own 4 wheels.. yes, i do need to take a pic of them all together, as a family, before she moves on (sob). I mostly spin on two of them. i favour my Ashford Traveller with Jumbo flyer. I learnt on her, and we SING together.. she understands me, and i her. and we are a team. we go wooldancin together most evenings. and then there is my newly acquired Poly wheel, whom is yet to make her debut appearance on my blog, but she & i are thick as thieves as only new aquaintances can be, and being a delta type, she doesn't actually have an orifice to "deal" with.. plus she is travel savvy too, and my newest toy.
My Country Goddess is swoonable & i will miss her terribly, but i really don''t find i am using her like i thought i would, and we are dry as a drought-filled river round here right now, so i have to let her go. sob.

so if you are her new owner.. please be good to her, won't you? she comes with many skeins of love in her past & many many more in her future ahead. *-*
spin on, Michelle xo

introducing: Spicy Spin Kits - Garnish for your handspun yarn

2008-05-08T00:49:00.005+10:00

wooldancer wednesday update is once again rolling along, & I'm so excited to introduce these little batt-buddies to you: our new " Spicy Spin Kits" are finally in store - now you can add Spice to your Spin with these totally consumable kits:

Are you looking for a gift for a fiber friend? In need of a little inspiration for freeforming spin-play?
These Spin Kits have been waiting in the wings for their moment, & i'm gleeful the time is now! If you came along to my Funky Fibers Art Yarn workshop at the NSW Spinning Guild, you will have already feasted on one of these little surprise packages of fiber goodness - in fact, we played with the contents all day whilst learning 4 art yarn spinning techniques!

These garnishes are a fantastic quick fix when you need that something extra to add interest to your yarn.. keep them by your side at the wheel, & add a little bit of "this" to one skein, & a little bit of "that" to your next spun yarn. There is enough joy in here to spread across a few skeins really. fun fun fun i say. All the info is on the listings.

i am going to be adding them daily over the next little while, so keep your eyes peeled over at etsy for them.
It's past midnight & i'm weary.. but just had to share the GLEE with you all *-*
*-* muah

a dyeing extravaganza

2008-05-07T08:38:00.005+10:00

i have been so crazily busy dyeing dyeing dyeing, filling custom orders, prepping for our school Autumn Fair, spinning & making hats for the beanie festival, creating product for etsy.. i have only now just come up for air & thought it high time for a blog post to share what I have been up to. i'll dedicate this post to my recent foray in the dyepots.

firstly, i have been busily renewing my handdyed stash of fiber. i had the fortune of dyeing with my friend in her newly built Poured Earth felt-making studio a few weeks back.. we are practically neighbours, so she has very kindly offered me the use of her space when i need it.. yeeeAh! bring it on i say!

I received a shipment of merino/seacell mill-ends from canada which are absolutely Divine. and then some. I love the sheen the seacell gives on the merino.. oh, & the softenss.. did i mention baby cheeks soft?

Popped some superwash roving into the huge electric copper.. gawd i lOVe that thing! it's huge, & could easily fit multiple kilos at a time.. splendid.. just need to play with the heat, & remember to take my thermometer next time so i can gauge when to add subsequent colours & have them strike right away instead of blending to achieve nice colour separations.. kettle dyers would know what i mean. i confess to being a microwave dyer.. so when it comes to kettle dyeing, in a gigantic copper pot, not so much. i'm forced to have to go and play i guess.. *ha* what next.. some merino mill-ends, kid mohair locks, all acid dyes. Did i mention she has 2 microwaves in the studio.. i was in heaven! i can see many more earth-studio dyepot sessions in my future thats for surely sure *-*

Pam was playing around with dyeing some silk scarves using a mix of acid dye & eco printing with eucalyptus leaves. Pam is a highly skilled felt artist, hat maker, ceramicist, and keen dyer of heavenly shibori scarves. If you are local to the mountains, you might have seen her work at the Nook in Leura? If you are visiting the Blue Mountains i urge you to check out the local arts & crafts upstairs on the main street in Leura Mall.. there is some gorgeous handmade work to see.

During this dye session we were doing first experiments with printing from leaves, as seen in the inspirational book eco colour by India Flint - [available from Artisan Books or run (sprint) to the local book store, in my case Megalong Books in Leura Mall].

This book is stunningly beautiful, informative & a treasure to hold.. it is a tactile emporium of colour, displaying a plethora of ideas about renewable colourants & ever so much more. India is a botanical textile artist, costume designer and inspirational author. Of the ideas presented to me, i found most striking & undeniably refreshing as a dyer to know extraodinary results can be achieved dyeing with plants sourced from your own garden. I am in awe of "slow-dyeing" using discarded plants & sustainable harvesting methods (which translates to using compost, clippings, fallen mulch etc.. never stripping from a living tree & devastating the local ecology - a misconception that is prevalent around the adverse effects of natural dyeing). The book is an in depth study of sustainable dyeing techniques for fabrics (plant & animal fibers) using readily available plants, and covers various methods to achieve colour using non-toxic mordants aswell.. such as the soymilk method from Japan, using pomegranites, wee et al, and informs us of Australia's own substantive dye source, the native eucalyptus - a wonderful dye for children to use. Playing around with the botany around me has never been so exciting. We enjoyed the chance results that happened using the processes.. we had mixed results, and are definitely enthused to make more living eco prints.

naturally this aspect of dyeing without mordants is fascinating to me, as i love to dye wool & cloth with my daughter & her friends at her school. here are some of my experiments:

L-R: top row: eco print on silk with mulberry leaf; dahlia on wool; eucalyptus silk,wool; mid row: tea on wool; mulberry on wool; coreopsis flowers on wool; base row: eucalyptus on wool; eucalyptus graduation on wool; eucalyptus on silk.

We have our Autumn Harvest school fair on the weekend & i thought it timely to do some natural wool dyeing with the children, and spinning of course too! We will dye indigo, onion skins, beets & berries.. pop on by if you are in the area:
Kindlehill School, Lake St, Wentworth Falls. Sat10th May 10am-3pm.

intermission

2008-05-03T21:12:00.000+10:00

wooldancer Woolly Wednesday Update now rolling

2008-04-09T22:02:00.006+10:00

update time again spindiva's.. get your shimmy on down to the etsy store for some lovely handdyed vegan fibers tonight.

Colliers will most definitely, without further ado, appear in the next few days.. & oh my! they are all AmaZing!

and lastly, a shout out for the first Wooldancer Stash Party of the year, set for ~~12/13 April!~~ rescheduled due to school holiday chaos.. now set for woolly wednesday 23rd April.. stay tuned for loads of wonderful yarn & fiber offerings..
yeah, get your bootie on my friends, i will be cleaning out the fiber stash & passing the goods your way!

see you real soon *-*

Urban Excavation Effect #1 - the lotus effect

2008-03-30T16:04:00.007+11:00

I was out of action last week being mother-bird to my 3 littles who were all home from school with the dreaded lurgy. I rarely set them all up infront of the screen, we have made the choice to have very limited viewings.. and that decision was only implemented when my first-born was 3years old & coincided with mama bringing 2 newborn babies home.. my coping mechanism screamed louder than my ideals for the "no tv" rule that persisted up till then), but Charlie & Lola was a welcome distraction from them all feeling so yuk, and also meant i could set to some chores.. seeing i knew there was not going to be any wooldancing with the entire crew all at home, tv or no tv..

Take it from me that when you set your sick kid to lie on the new re-housed (thank you susie!) Ikea Nikkala couch, that you, unlike I, ought to procure a bucket nearby in case the inevitable were to happen. well vomit she did, right on the couch. calm. breathe. remain calm in face of a storm, the mantra chimed in my head. don't panic, the covers are washable afterall. So, in a very smooth, buddha-mama style, i proceeded to the task, trying my best to hold in my ferocious tiger-mum that was growling on the inside. quite irrevocably mind you. but when i took the cover off, the most auspicious thing revealed itself!
a whole bag full of feathery down feathers. little did i know there were hundreds of these little gems, astray from the innards of the cushion-top.. they floated around the room as i gently peeled off the cushion cover & revealed dozens! i was so taken by the prospect for a (da na na) Urban Excavation project, that i forgot all about the grossness of cleaning up vomit.
yup.. what better use for a whole bag of clean, upcycled duck-downy feathers, than to make some fiberlicious batts! woot!! i'll be wooldancin' after all!!

i chose some locally carded natural-coloured heathery grey merino top, replete with noil & earthy naturalness to match the colours in the feathers. Coupled with a handdyed roving i dyed ages ago & have been hoarding.and made beautimundo feather-light batts!
Ahhh! i LOVE it when a good thang rises from the murky depths.. very "lotus-like" wouldn't you say?

Urban Excavation Effect - an invitation

2008-03-30T10:13:00.010+11:00

This is an event i have affectionatly called Urban Excavation. It is a challenge of sorts, to clear one's clutter & uncover the forgotten objects that slip to the bottom of the pile hidden from view, and to transform them into useful objects. No-one likes to tidy up.. let's face it. That's why we end up with all these loose threads in the first place. NO, this is not a tidying exercise people, we are not into boring mundane routine rituals here (housekeeping included!)..

Urban Excavation is a way of thinking about the possibilities of something you have forgotten about. It is a process of deciding if you can work with said unearthed object, or to give it a new function by repurposing it (to re-create a new function so it becomes useful). If you don't need it, the action is to rehouse it in a useful way.
There, no mention the word tidy!

It is my mission, over the next little while, to gather & nurture all my buried fossils, to dust them off, catalogue & honour the existence of all the little castaways in my life.. to resurface them & give them new meaning.

Urban Excavation Effect:
There are any number of steps you may take while exploring the fields of your own Urban Excavation. They typically begin in your home or studio. There is no time limit on the duration of your own Urban Excavation.

step 1. Unearth = find, uncover 'things' (objects, waylaid to-do-list items etc);
step 2. Action = recreate, transform or rehouse the 'things';
step 3. Document step 1 (Before) & step 2 (After) = in written [blog], photographic form or both.

For example..
Step 1, Unearth: loose threads in your yarn stash.
Step 2, Action: knit some simple rectangular armwarmers, or donate threads to your local school or charitable cause.
Step 3, Document the process/proceedure of transformation.

Actions may include but are not limited to:
* excavate your studio or creative space;
* unearth the things that lurk under your bed;
* ~~tidy~~ sort out/update your photo files, accounts, paperwork;
* get the crap out of the cupboards & take the unwanted bootie to your nearest thrift store;
* repurpose the clothes your children have outgrown & are no longer using, or pop in a box & take to the op shop;
* ditto for excess toys;
* consider as you walk past that old box of old school records, why you are actually keeping them hidden in a box, & what you are planning to do with them ie. scrapbook, purge, or keep in the box for an occasional trip down memory lane.. then actually do it!
* de-clutter the entire house [studio, shed] and start again!
* all of the above;
* clense other needs as they arise along the way.

If you would like to join me & partake in the Urban Excavation Effect, please link to this post & begin documenting your finds & resurrections on your blog, aptly tilting with "Urban Excavation Effect", so we may find you *-* Have fun!

we have a winner

2008-03-29T14:35:00.012+11:00

i am thrilled to announce the poll winner... [insert faux drumroll].. Congratulations Anne, you can now flaunt your foxy stylee with this cute Purpleheart Collier.

Thanks to all who voted for the 'store name' poll.. i am pleased to reveal that wooldancer took the cake and won the naming contest hands down. So, here's to times ahead, strutting my stuff with wooldancer on the boogaloo -
onward & upward!

i know the other names i heart will emerge in my future, some place some time, so until then, they are on the drawing board, brewing & baking all that will become of them.. Corespun & Avante Yarn definitely have a future for me in some way or other (ideas are already circulating).

Thanks for viewing *-*

a bit of housekeeping & a poll

2008-03-25T11:31:00.008+11:00

There has been so many ideas circulating around my wooldancing lately & i have been rather waylaid from blogging about it all. partly because i have needed time to reconcile all the loose threads, and partly because i seem to hold my process rather than devulge.. but my balloon is popping so it's time to start to share some of the changes i have been considering with my work.

i have been considering changing my store name.. don't gasp.. i know..Wooldancer has it's certain ring, it's been going for over 2 years now..

what do you guys think? vote in the poll, and grab a chance to win a free Collier >>>
all you have to do is vote in the poll, then leave a comment in this post saying you took the poll.
i will put the names into a knitted beanie and draw it on 1st April

thanks for your help *-*
I'm off to Mangrove Mountain to set my 'yoga in daily life' ideal back on track...

offline announcement

2008-03-17T10:33:00.005+11:00

unfortuntely i am experiencing an internet service outage in my area, and am unable to access the internet. There is no indication as to how long this will occur..
i am however able to drive half an hour away to access the internet, so i will be checking the store twice a week, until my connection resumes.
Please be patient if you are corrensponding with me, especially regarding custom orders.
Thank you for your patience.

on the upside of my downtime, I will be using my extra-time to move into a new studio - woot!
I have been offered 2 rooms in a beautiful house with views to the mountains close by to my home, so, cross-fingers it will work out for me! I am really looking forward to moving out of my kitchen & giving the dining table back to the family.. and hopefully i will be more productive in my two whole days that i get to work on wooldancer.. the two days my twinnies are at family day care. It may even set me on track to making wooldancer more than a part-time venture.. we'll see *-*
my only quip wilth having a studio away from home is that i lose my creative time when my littlies are sleeping - i do most of my work at night, so working during my 2 days will be an exercise in time-management.. i am trying it out for a month or so to get a new rhythm established & if it works, i'll be having designated "studio days".. i'll keep you posted of the ins & outs when i get back online.

You rock my whorled! Thank you to my fab Customers -

2008-03-04T21:47:00.005+11:00

*Ha* unbelievable! the new Batts were like hotcakes tonight, they were going as soon as i finished listing them!
I feel overjoyed at the support of you all, and truly thankful for the confirmation that I must make nice enough fluff! *-* So, now that 8 of the 10 new Batts have been swiped by the hungry batt-munchkins, i am feelin a momentum to get me moving into the Second Round of the Autumn update.

Well sadly no pix yet, but I do have the launch of my new Spinnybitz Art Yarn Kits (only two more sleeps hint hint !), some handdyed soy silk & bamboo roving, and a huge destash is coming up too.. loads of fibery goodness still to come.

Also, I will periodically be listing my 'Custom Carding service' notices in the store too. I have done this on occasion & have been flooded with requests, so they will be appearing periodically as space in my schedule becomes available.. I don't like to take on more than I can estimate time-wise. Custom Carding is a great option if you have a special project in mind and require certain colours, fibers or textures. I handcard to your request, Tame, Wild or inbetween!

One of my favourite parts of running a fiber business is that I get to meet & work with really wonderful people - textile people have to be the warmest hearts on earth *-" I love to collaborate with you to make your fibers dreams come true.

TO THE AMAZING GALS WHO MADE MY DAY & BOUGHT ME OUT TONIGHT, THANK YOU FROM THE DEPTHS OF MY BEING

~ hari om~
Michelle xxx

Autumn Update Announcement

2008-03-04T14:05:00.006+11:00

I have just begun to list some new season handcarded batts in my etsy store.

I have been playing with 3 grades of carding, and enjoying how each produces different textural qualities. Being the fiber textural junkie that I am, I like to mix up my styles of drafting with a variety of spin techniques which i find keeps my spinning fresh. After I have spun a boatload of worsted-weight (the thinnest gauge i prefer) or a whole bunch of bulky singles skeins, i have taken to loosening up my creative output with a Treasure-Box Batt.. perfect for when you're feeling a little tired with the smooooth & steady life!
Landscape Batts

For those who enjoy the smooth draft of fairly-finely carded fiber, the Landscape Batts are made on a base of Australian merino corriedale wool and occasionally include a light sprinkling of sparkle & shine. Airy & light fluff clouds, with occasional textural undulations - they are as fine as my textural penchants will allow me to go! The colourways are dyed in response to hues of the Australian landscape. These batts are perfect for wet & needle felting, as well as for spinning.
Wilde Card Batts
Twice carded Wilde Card batts include as many as five different fibers on a base of Australian merino. Wildly carded, these batts will produce random textural elements during spinning. I prefer to zigzag strip these batts, and may choose to spin in sections for stripes, but they are really fun to just spin worsted right off the tip of the batt. Some pre-drafting could be a good idea with these batts as there is often recycled sari silk & other longer fibers that require a little taming!

Treasure-Box Batts
If you are really in for an adventure, all free-spirited batt-lovers will adore our Treasure-Box Batts (formerly Scrapbox batts). Get ready for a wild ride fellow spin*stars, these wild & crazy batts are sure to take you on some twists & turns as you spin.. Crafted for maximum texture, Treasure-box Batts are a total random mix of neps & noils, dis-carded fibers, bits & bobs and all-sorts of wisps & tufts. Made from the dis-cards off my carder, each one is a Treasure-box waiting to be discovered. One-of-a-Kind and perfect for freeing your creativity!

Spin out & spin on my friends,
Michelle

ArlyCAM

2008-03-04T00:57:00.003+11:00

my daughter who is 6, is picking up the lens.. i love her unaffected gaze, the pure spontanaity of capture.. the instant bears itself openly, without adulteration to her.. something so simple, yet it truly moves me.

Wooldancer Stash-Party on flickr

2008-02-28T19:20:00.002+11:00

YOU ARE OFFICIALY INVITED TO OUR
Wooldancer Stash-party!

Well my customer gallery that has been waiting in the wings for a while is finally up & groovin right along over at flickr.

If you are a customer of Wooldancer or have been lucky recipient of our yarn or fiber, then please join me at the Wooldancer Stash-Party to flash your stash for all to see! It's a communal space just for you guys, and we are all as warm & welcoming as our fiber stash, so..

We would absolutely LOVE to see pictures of our yarn you have in your stash that is either still waiting for inspiration to strike, & especially if you have made something from our Handspun Art Yarn : pop a pic into our stash-pool and show off your creations.

If you have purchased some of our spunky Wilde Fiber Batts, handdyed locks or Eco-Samplers & have spun them up, or are displaying them in a vase on your kitchen bench to pat & fondle daily, then this is the place to rock them out..

And, if you have been inspired to make a supercoil 'Wooldancer Collier' from the pattern in Intertwined, well, you know we'd all lurve to see it (and you!) at the stash-party, okay!

So, dig out your Wooldancer booty & mosey on over with your fiber tools of choice & get into the groove!
I'm looking forward to seeing you there
spin-out & spin-on!
Michelle

a handspun Spring in the Kindy-Garden

2008-02-19T13:58:00.008+11:00

Last Spring I helped to teach our 4-6year old Kindy-garden children (my Arly's class) how to spindle spin yarn. We began by reading 'Pelle's new Suit" by Elsa Beskow. Their teacher introduced the spindle a few days prior to my lesson, and before long they were standing on their chairs spindling their little hearts away!

Naturally some of the children found it easier than others to draft. I made up a little story about a baby Giraffe wanting to stretch his neck as tall as his mama's, so we all practiced stretching out our washed wool locks to make long Giraffe necks! We also had fun playing with the word giraffe, saying giraffe like d(g)raft.. [it's harder to write than to say].. but you get the idea - dgggraft!

Each child had a turn helping me on the wheel, the children tredling whilst i spun a little extra yarn. I wanted them all to have a little skeinlet to dye & make something with.

The following week we dyed the yarn with food-colouring using medicine droppers. They were having so much fun applying the colour, that many of the skeins ended up very deep autumnal colour's with the colour's bleeding & mixing together! i cooked the yarn at home and dried them ready for the next lesson.

I made a little sample the night before class of a nest with little felted eggs. When I arrived the next day, the teacher saw the nests and immediately made up a story on the spot about two little birds living in trees across the field from one another. The two birds met after hearing each other's calls, and decided to make a nest together.
After the beautiful & unbelievable apt story, the children finger-knit these little woolen nests & hand-felted their little eggs.

Aren't they just the cleverest little gardeners! & they loved every moment of it.. they do wool-craft every day with their teacher, and are always making colourful rainbow-wool masterpieces.. For me to take them through each step toward making colourful wool was truely a wonderful experience. i wholeheartedly recommend you play with wool in a kindy-class if an opportunity ever comes your way.
Blessings,
michelle

more than words.. SORRY

2008-02-16T19:42:00.001+11:00

evolution of wooldancer.. my journey

2008-02-14T22:06:00.008+11:00

Many times I struggle between the two most important aspects to my life : my 3 beautiful children & my creativity (all creative products of my own self i should add). It seems apparent that as soon as I relent to a strong urge to honour my creativity by listing new items on etsy, my children seem to need me more (or should i say holler for me more). This is not a new realization, but one that became evident when i first began wooldancer.etsy.com 2 years ago when my twins were only 1 year old.

I was often asked what it's like bringing up twins, & my favourite answer was 'like keeping your head above water in a storm'. I was being pushed & pulled from every possible mental, emotional, physical direction, and coming up for air only due to the simple act of survival for my two babies.. i desperately needed some space in daily life (& still do!): to not breastfeed all day long, to not have to make more food again, to be able to go for a walk by myself at a faster-than-toddler pace.. just a little space for me to punch some prana into my Self. The quiet space for resuming my yoga practice was impossible to achieve with 3 children under 3years old to care for, so i needed something i could do while my bubbies were sleeping and my 3year old was having "quiet" time.

I honed my spinning skills and instantly found the healing qualities of the craft to fulfill a creative inner-need and a physical need for balance as well. As I spun yarn, I thought about something i learned during my study for steiner school Craft Teaching Certificate, which reflected upon craft related activities, namely knitting, as healing for the mind. The concept is this:

The use of both hands working simultaneously works on both halves of the brain,
right & left hemispheres working in unison,
effectively promoting a balanced mind.

I considered this to translate to the craft of spinning also, & concluded as the feet are also involved, spinning had to be even better for promoting BALANCE for the body & mind than knitting! I am sure many spinners would agree, & even without that knowledge you feel calmer after a good spin-session! a perfect remedy to the throes of motherhood..

Needless to say i was hooked on spinning, & somehow wooldancer.etsy.com naturally evolved as I had a lot of yarn, & i confess I chose to use my "spare time" to make thread, above making things from it. Wooldancer gave my yarn surplus a home, and as my sales began to pick-up so did my need for production output. How I longed to be able to call this my full-time job, & list on etsy multiple times every day as some other yarnies who were not mothers could (no i'm not the jealous kind)!.. Like most fiberistas i love the entire process from choosing the fibers, washing, dyeing, preparing etc.. It takes me back to my photo-lab days at uni in the darkroom, creating magical colours with chemicals & silver-gelatin in the darkroom - only with textiles you get create magic in daylight!

Now with a mini-business, I suddenly became even more responsible to my time-limited creative space & inner outlet. No matter how much I pushed to get product in store, my children called me louder. I savour my moonlit hours for my crafting, and try to be as present for my littlies by sunlight as humanely possible. It is not always easy, especially working with global time-differences! I imagine many WAHM's who have etsy stores or websites feel the same way: that we are always striving to validate what we are doing with our creativity is "justifiable" (indeed one of the reasons i have a shop).

Not long ago a friend who is also a customer of mine said to me that because we, mothers, value our time so highly, we utilize our space (time) well and churn out better product for it. I like to think that each yarn I make is finely tuned & crafted from the impulse that I am making something new in the world that has an inherent beauty, is useful, admirable, and a reflection of my inner experience in one way or other..

Consider this: handspun yarn (or indeed artworks of every kind) is born from our own creative blueprint: the aura of individuality that imbibes our creative products with our unique fingerprint, and shall never be born again. The sense of care I have for the products I make is how I care for my own flesh.. & while there are not enough of my hand-crafted products to be listed regularly (read: every day on etsy), it is this sense of hand & heart-crafted quality reflected in my yarns & fibers. Each one brings me a new-found joyous & rhythmic journey, and is a little time-capsule or snapshot of a moment in my life.

Finding Balance in one's life is like tightrope walking. I do not know many people who tread the rope of 'time' in a balanced way without feeling the need to stop & apologize for our slipping, wobbling & falling off. It is often our own sense of responsibility to always have one foot in front of the other that we pressure ourselves when we don't.. & yet in truth, life is fickle like that! We will always feel it out, like you feel the quirkiness of each different fiber in this yarn : some sections are smooth, others are lumpy & all are as perfect as they are in their own way. To 'Trust', well that is the key.

When you see new listings in my store, know that the universe has been on my side, that the clouds have parted, that my kids are sleeping well, and that Balance has been kind to me for a little moment in time. All yarns are priced accordingly - as much as Balance is very hard to put a value on - as is balancing twins on two knees while i spin!!
oh, & Next time you buy some handcrafted yarn, see if you can feel a sense of the 'moment' in which it was created, the journey along the yarn-thread of the maker - it is the connections we seek when buying handmade that hold us up.

Open it..Open it..Open it UP! my little story of Intertwined & the coiller

2008-02-14T09:59:00.011+11:00

Most of the yarn-iverse has by now heard of Lexi's newest compendium that has hit the scene.

Intertwined: The Art of Handspun yarn, Modern Patterns & Creative Spinning is one helluva compilation showcasing a diverse, talented & rich contemporary handspinning community, and puts ART YARN up in lights. If you spin, knit, crochet, freeform or love the feel of fiber, then this book is a must-have for your coffee-table.. it is simply not worthy of a bookshelf - this book deserves the central-most location in your household, studio & on the kitchen table. It's a little big & heavy to be carting around all day in your bag, but i'm gonna try!

i'm still breathless that Lexi included my Coiller in the book.. FLIP! my first yarn pattern published in print form! It's a Celebration, & I'm not holding back the glee, 'cos it's just *so* humbling to be part of the global handspun revival that has us all excited about YARN-creation in megalithic, stellar capacities.. & this book is a remarkable celebration of the galactic creative potential for handspun yarn making.. i'd go as far as to say the book validates the very reason why we WAHM's sit up late, sleepless by the wheel to play with fluff-balls of fiber till moonlit early hours in order to make yarn-art! & so here it is, a peek at my debut in print:

The Wooldancer Coiller
A purely handspun accessory - made right on the bobbin from supercoil yarn, it's a spinner's delight! The Coiller has no need for hooks or needles, in fact, if you can spin, you can make this in 20mins & go to dinner with a brand spankin' accessory to boot! It's HOT wearable fiber art, a cinch to make, and looks AMAZING any way you coil the coils!

images courtesy of the lovely mandie

You can grab a copy of Intertwined in Australia from ScribblyGumBooks, or if you are brave go to amazon (i won't bore you with the fact they lost my copy in the post ) BUT, my lost copy arrived this morning, on Valentines Day OMG!, so i'm off to ogle at all the wonder that is between the covers of Intertwined *-* Grab a cuppa & join me - Intertwined will change your spinning world [whirled], & elevate you to spun-out heights for sure!

painted prayer...

2008-02-11T23:02:00.001+11:00

painted prayer..., originally uploaded by archanasr.

a little happiness and prosperity goes a long way toward abundance. This is my New Year resolution
yup.. it's know it is now Feb, & i'm just resolving to feel a little less timed-deprived each day, and a little more space in my life..and by declaring my resolution 2 months belated, i've just effectively gifted myself another two months in the year. Things, including people (aka my twins), seem to come in pairs around here, so i figure an extra pair of months isn't going to phase me, & at least provides a good excuse to be late.. on a daily basis...
as for happiness and prosperity, well, it's all about viewpoint, and chalk.

Circling the Wagons Spin Challenge

2008-02-11T19:58:00.000+11:00

The latest Spin Challenge hosted by Pluckyfluff is a moving display of friends helping friends amongst our online fiber community. Held in response to helping a fellow fiber-artist in a time of need, spin*stars have gathered, reflected, poured their hearts & thoughts into creating yarns for the theme 'Circling the Wagons'.

View the yarns now in the Yarn Museum, or place your bid until 18th Feb at the auction.

Entries for the Spin challenge closed yesterday, but there is still opportunity to help out.
If you would like to participate & be a part of the fiber-artist wagon train, contact Sandy about donating your fibery-goods.

I checked out the donations & ordered some supplies.. i scored some delicious locks from Baxter sheepy, and one hello of a batt that i can't wait to plunge into, and some elastic ply i just know is going to be a month of elastic core-play fetish!

I am also donating some Battylicious Batts & will have them over to Sandy as soon as i get me some of the other kind of batt(erie)s for my crazy camera.
And my yarn-reply to the Circle the Wagons theme..well i didn't get spun in time to enter the challenge.. I was just too hectic redying myself for my Fresh & Funky Yarns workshop held on the same day as the deadline ): anyhow, I'll be donating it to Sandy & i'll post pix of my 'Circle the Wagons' yarn ASAP! k!

30 hours in a day

2008-02-06T10:23:00.000+11:00

a little message to say i'm on a minor hiatus whilst i run around like crazy doing last minute prep for class on saturday.. carding like a maniac, writing tute notes and generally pushing the limits of the midnight hour.. so, i'll pop by with heaps of pix in a while.. gimme a few days to recover from sleep-deprivation.. oh, and the crazy sty in my eye that i woke up with this morning! ugh! what is that all about anyhow, it's not like i'm not frazzled enough with class-nerves to show up looking like i've got a bung eye! double ugh. lucky my soon-to-be-released Spinning Kits are nearby to cheer me up..

Frangipani Spinning Kit - New Release
in store week beg. Feb 10.08

new listings now rolling in store

2008-01-29T15:25:00.000+11:00

we have some gorgeous handspuns, vibrant & fluffilicious kid mohair curly locks for spinning, and some more fibery surprises too *-*
do you need some fluff-cuddles today?
I look forward to seeing you there!

sneek peek at new handspun yarns

2008-01-28T23:13:00.001+11:00

eucalypt handspun art yarn - listing in store Tuesday 29 jan
.. after a few hiccups during the long weekend, i have a few exquisite yarns ready for a peek over at flickr..

eucalypt.2, originally uploaded by wooldancer

Eucalypt and Bluegum are part of a series inspired by the beautiful landscape of Australia, and the walks i take with my children through the bush in the Blue Mountains. They are home grown fleece, handdyed, carded & sculpted on my wheel for softness and presence, finished with handfelted gum-leaf forms which will adorn the knitted fabric with a sense of natural beauty.

Bright City Lights is a candly-stripe singles spun from a gorgeous batt from fellow etsy seller Loop. this skein is woollen spun with loads of alpaca and other fibery goodness for which her batts are reknown.

Ice Queen holds her presence beautifully with a smooth sculptural drape from my own blended Botanica Batts: ingeo corn, tencel, bamboo, soy silk and sparkles with irridescent tinsel.

Mermaid's Tail (currently NFS) - soft, lofty wool & silk fibers selected for colour & texture went into 2 batts, once drum carded for maximum textural fullness. Handspun quickly with random slubs & spiral plied with coils, highlighted with a strand of seaweed cocoons. Contains merino, mohair, recycled throwsters silk, glitz, angelina, doe locks and silk cocoons.

swap with yarnpunk

2008-01-25T18:12:00.000+11:00

do you remember this amazing yarn?

the inspirational yarnpunk approached me to get a swap happening last autumn (yes i know we have nearly come around full-cycle since then) but, we decided to do a seasonal swappee together, with the added challenge of incorporating felty bits.

well you can see her masterpiece. needless to say i needed a whole lot of time to create something special for her.
& when i held it between my hands, i started to sweat,not due to the yarn no, .. like really sweat.. and whenever i see her work, let alone feel it on my skin, i seem to feel my mouth gaping in awe. goes without saying i have a total crush on her. anyhow, here i am creating her a yarn, and i'm getting sweaty just thinking about it.

i often venture into the infamous moontree in Leura and find a plethora of inspiration in the beautiful interior scenes they create .. the window displays have to be the best i have seen anywhere.. the place is an oasis, and if you had to go to a brick & mortar store to shop, this would have to be top of the list. i'm straying.. so i find beautiful colour & textural combinations, and my mind starts buzzing with ideas of making chinese lanterns from bamboo nuno felt, or silk paper lanterns, or brown pussy willows with white angora puffs.. alas none have eventuated (yet).

i wound up deciding on drawing inspiration from one of my favourite things to do with my children in autumn.. to run & kick & leap into huge piles of maple leaves in the park, and the living changing colours of chamelian autumn leaves.
i came up with this:

Leaves of Autumn is a singles yarn spun from handcarded batts: alpaca, 22micron merino, English Leicester locks, glitz, spun with bamboo slubs, e.l nubs, candy-striped with a golden thread, with needle felted leaves spun throughout.
gawd i hope she likes it.. it's like writing your first love letter, only in yarn.. i'm sooo nervous!

Art Yarn Workshop Announcement

2007-12-31T11:21:00.001+11:00

The date has been set, so I'm on a roll writing a fun-filled workshop plan - & what a fun-fiber-filled day we'll be having! I'm excited, and a little nervous - it has happened so fast really, but without further ado here are the details:

Wild & Whimsical Art Yarns Workshop with Wooldancer!

Sat 9th Feb 2008
9.30 - 4pm POA
NSW Spinning & Weaving Guild
St Paul's Church, Burwood Rd,
Burwood, Sydney.

We will explore contemporary art yarn techniques, with a focus on core-spinning supercoil yarns, plying beehives, splicing fabric strips & sequins, creative play with nubs, add-in's (whole cocoons, felt beads/shapes) & more. We will discuss uses for Art Yarns and yarn composition, which will be practiced throughout the day.
It is advised you have a knowledge of spinning & a zest for creative yarn making! It is also helpful if you have a large flyer & bobbins, but don't worry if you don't, okay!
A party bag of fibers will be supplied, and please bring some of your own aswell. Further details & notes on what to bring are available upon registration.

Please email me if you are interested in attending: wooldancer at gmail dot com.
There may be a follow-on workshop on Drum Carding & prepping fibers for making Art Yarns. Let me know if you would be interested in this too *-* Further ongoing 'Spin Circle' workshops will be starting in the Blue Mountains in 2008, so drop me a line if you would like to know more about these. I'm looking forward to spinning it up with you!

yipee, i'm in a Treasury!

2007-12-30T19:42:00.000+11:00

the Loop-alicious Steph made this inspiring Art Yarn mosaic of lovelies - What's in a Name?.. a whole lotta SPIN! check it out via the link.. coZ i still don't know how to take a successful screen shot, blah!

-can anyone help with how to edit the two screen shots together so as to avoid all the top of frame stuff happening in the center of the image? this has me stumped ):

on the upside - I'm spun-out to be added into a Treasury I have actually caught in time for a peek before it dissappears into the ether! I think the Glee has me in the mood for a whirl *-*

favourites for a handmade christmas

2007-12-12T11:53:00.000+11:00

Etsy
Buy Handmade
wooldancer

some of my favourite things *-*

Women Weaving a Future, together

2007-11-30T21:59:00.001+11:00

- continued from previous post...

I arrive at the exhibition to hear a talk by Sr Susan Connelly, political activist for the Independence of East Timor . The room was resplendent with colourful woven cloth, the traditional Tais woven on backstrap looms by women in East Timor - a small island 400kms north of Australia.
I knew of the struggle many East Timorese women faced during the plight of the most recent 24year Indonesian invasion, and to hear of the recent violence and the refugee status of women in poverty plucked deep into my heart-strings. Seeing the incredible talent, resilience and hope for the future not only of these two East Timorese women who attended the exhibition, but that of an entire nation of women to rebuild their lives, confirmed in me that there must be a way I could help .. in a small way, to be a vehicle for generating an income so they can have food, medicine & education. After all, I do have education, I don't live in a third world country, I have privilege and I must feel empowered enough by those standards to be in a situation to help women who are not in my situation. I recalled a conversation I had with a friend 3 months ago of how I longed to be involved with helping preserve handcraft traditions from a cultural context, but not yet knowing where, when, how.. & I knew this was possibly a way of achieving that desire.

I soon fell into a conversation with an Australian lady who lives in East Timor, and it came to light she heads a not-for-profit organisation who employs Timorese women from a variety of districts to weave Tais. Some of the Tais are sewn into bags, wall hangings, and other products in her women's sewing workshop.. I suddenly found myself at the back of her car viewing beautiful, high-quality products sewn from Tais, priced & ready to be sold..

And, today (Sat 24th Nov), I held my first market stall peddling Fair Trade traditional Tais handwoven cloth products at our school Spring Fair! Needless to say, I had a great day, sharing the stories of the women & this handwoven cloth..
who knows what lies around the corner now!

L - tais bag holder; Arly's doll Rosie modelling Tais Feto (female dress) & Selandang sash; R - Tais Mane (male sarong) bought in 2000 by my Mr whilst filming a doco for Year of Independence.

Isn't LIFE Amazing! Keep dreaming your dreams, & let life take care of the details toward making them happen.
I will leave you with a shared wisdom a dear friend & mentor once told me, and it never fails:
what you focus on is what you get
every time *-*
Bless,
Michelle

a whole lot of serendipity

2007-11-24T20:09:00.000+11:00

This week has just flown by for me, and I have to say it has been a most eventful week.

It began with my beautiful Arliah's 6th Birthday party last saturday. We actually had scheduled her picnic party by the pool for the Sunday, but when I arrived at school with the invitations (on her birthday-day), another mum had just handed around her son's birthday party invitations, scheduled for the very same day, at same time as ours! OK, not to be miffed by this, i had to re-jig our arrangements as there was no budging the other fence.. a little rearranging with interstate visitors, and swapping of plans & a few phone calls is really all it took, but i have to say tho, it did ruffle my feathers for a bit.. i can't stand confrontation, and it was Arly's birthday, our birthday ( i always celebrate my childrens' birthdays as the day i gave birth) and i didn't really appreciate the hole in my stomach i felt after being "told" to move my party by the other mother on our special day. Anyway, luckily everyone could still make the Saturday - phew! I shook the oil off my feathers.

The day came and the weather was perfectly hot, a great day for splashing in our little local outdoor swimming pool, a treasure hunt in the park, a shared picnic & over 20 friends to share it with! The best part was i didn't have to clean my house after excitable little party-goers *-* I even got to have my first swim of the season by revisiting the country-side pool I fondly recall from when M & I lived here 8 years ago BC - it's wonderful having that 'place' become a memory for my children too.

The next morning I took my 3 munchkins, mum & sis to the Magpie Market at the local school.. we arrived to a sea of 2nd-hand treasures spread across the entire school ground.. I knew I had to reign in the spendings, as I'm a junkie for a good fossick! The live Jazz music set the scene for a morning of wandering & pondering, dreaming of treasures i could turn into a new yarn, or make something else from. I met with a friend who has a new rammed-earth studio-space up for possible hire next year for my new spinning & dyeing workshops (can you tell i am trying to contain the glee - she lives seriously 2 blocks up & over the highway from me.. and is the most fantastic feltmaker! oh!!)

Then, just as the beaming midday-sun was becoming too hot for me, & the faintness i was feeling due to thrifty-zing getting the better of me, I turned the corner to find a Brolga spinning wheel standing proud before me. I have never heard of a Brolga wheel, the plate said manufactured in SA.. but it didn't matter because it was the cutest little saxony i had ever seen! I slowly inched toward the price note tucked under the footman, so as to not appear too zealous. AU$38. The vendor proceeded to tell me how he fixed it up with new screws & put a new treadle plate on.. "i was going to put a nice pot-plant onto it", he said.. i'll give it to you for $34. Before I could say anything, the wheel was firmly under my grasp and I was skipping though the lane way grinning smugly!

I made like tour de force with this little spinner! (& yup, I nearly swore when i saw this pic resembles a bike!!)

My only falter was how was I going to explain to M that i really do need 3 spinning wheels, and that we absolutely actually do have room for it in out floor-space deprived mountains cottage. He met me with a wink!
SO, all it needed was a flyer, I fitted my standard Ashford (i use my jumbo all the time now on my Traveller) and woo, we're in business!! I immediately took it for a spin, while the sleepy-eyed littles were a'slumber. I got all excited, that I looked at the clock, and the 2hour weaving exhibition I wanted to see was to be over in an hour.. run baby run...

All along I have been feeling the serendipity of my weekend, changing plans has turned out to be for the better, as is often the case - we just need reminding that life is fickle, always changing & obstacles are indeed presenting us with new opportunities.. it's a matter of viewpoint..

to be continued next post...

2007-11-16T20:00:00.000+11:00

wow! the notice was up less than 24hours & we hit the centennial sale! The winner is now joyously wooldancing with this new Yarny Gift *-*

Thank you everyone who has been a part of my etsy life,
all my customers who keep me inspired,
my incredibly compassionate family who tolerates the dining room, bedroom & loungeroom, oh & kitchen & little backroom (ok, the entire house) being overtaken by my fiber-fluff & coloured by my dye buckets..
to the etsy community who I adore being a part of,
and to my many spinsis*stars who continuously inspire & enrich the globe with Handpsun goodness *-*

buy handmade!
keep on wooldancin!
loving you,
Michelle *-*

100th etsy Sale Giveaway!

2007-11-15T21:46:00.000+11:00

*****FIBER FLASH*****
I am fast approaching my 100th etsy sale!
I'd like to say a HUGE Thank You to my wonderful, inspirational customers for keeping my wooldancing spinning around *-*
To celebrate I am giving the customer who makes the 100th purchase a free Gift Certificate.
This entitles the winner to choose a listed item in store to the value of $25, offer excludes Samplers..
are you dancing yet?

New earthly WilDe Fiber Batts now rolling...

2007-11-14T13:40:00.000+11:00

yes! beautiful handcrafted artisan batts for spinning & felting are now rolling into my etsy store. With an array of fiber content, and handdyed hues inspired by our magical mother earth, I have a dozen to upload over the next two days. I will break on friday/saturday for my biggest princess' 6th Birthday Celebrations! my house is a constant party in mo-vember *-"
Thank you to everyone who has been keeping watch during my listing hiatus - I am back!!

wooldancer

shifting & shaping + Vitle update

Vilte WORKSHOPS : Blue Mountains March 2012

See the Wooldancer studio on TV!

a little offering from the fibre gods..

New 5 day workshop @ Fibre Arts Australia Forum, Ballarat 2012

Handspun 'Art Yarn' is alive & well in Sydney CBD

leo mane

this afternoon

all welcome!

a little shop corner GIVE AWAY!

circles, cycles, felt rings

making with wire

how excitement..

Nikki Gabriel workshop

my new made-it

Customer Creations: Kay Petal

to market to market

Spinning out with Insubordiknit

'vegie garden' artspun knit beanie

Visit me at Old Bus Depot Markets, Celebration of Wool day!

New work, new store

Spin Fest, Wooldancer + Insubordiknit Workshop

dyeday is just like washday only bettah

New Year, New Yarn, New Knits, New Tutorial

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

Felt workshops during August

winter crafting: painting rainbows on yarn

Beanie making bonanza

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

woolly wednesday today!

handspun wire yarn

newsletter + shop update

Celebrate Woolly Wednesdays with Wooldancer!

catching up.. along the vine

Wooldancer Spinstars Ravelry Group

gifting + november in a nut shell

Art Yarn Workshop now signing..

on dyeing vegan silks

through the number 4 door..

Weavers & Spinners Guild Open Day

Opening Sale ends tonight & SPINews

Organic merino handdyeds in my new web store!

one moment in time..

handspun collective

Crochet Cocoon

The Making of Mongolian Felt

she sings like an angel

the partial ply discovery & some homely wonders

wooldancer.com is now LIVE!

a red world exhibition

hilltribe anyone?

a quickie update

yesterdays robe

sounds of quartz

Winter Magic & other woolly wonders

update & a new spinlove

update now rolling

handspun collective

fibergasm

live gigs - do you dance?

Ashford Country Spinner!

introducing: Spicy Spin Kits - Garnish for your handspun yarn

a dyeing extravaganza

intermission

wooldancer Woolly Wednesday Update now rolling

Urban Excavation Effect #1 - the lotus effect

Urban Excavation Effect - an invitation

we have a winner

a bit of housekeeping & a poll

offline announcement

You rock my whorled! Thank you to my fab Customers *-*

Autumn Update Announcement

ArlyCAM

Wooldancer Stash-Party on flickr

a handspun Spring in the Kindy-Garden

more than words.. SORRY

evolution of wooldancer.. my journey

Open it..Open it..Open it UP! my little story of Intertwined & the coiller

painted prayer...

You rock my whorled! Thank you to my fab Customers -