I’ve been working on a couple of new things…
Here are the “Raga” yarns. Named for a Sanskrit word that means literally “color, hue, beauty, and melody” and ALSO the term for some really nice Indian music— they are mostly cotton yarns that are complex and so textural. The process of making them is a bit long, but results in a yarn that isn’t too primitive and also very strong and balanced, structurally speaking. I really like it, and hope you do too.  I am dreaming of great summer bags made from it!

New to the gnomegarden etsy shop, and spun in limited quantities, are the Charms yarns.  Trouble dolls are not new to art-yarns, but these have a bit of a story behind them…ready?

These are inspired by my girls.  Like a lot of kids, both of them have a penchant for talismans, amulets and magical thinking.  With the stress of this past fall and winter, Lil took to some pretty complicated before -bed rituals.  She was having such a had time sleeping, so I dug out a box of old worry dolls from my own treasures.

She started using them ardently.  Each night before bed there was the telling-of-the-worries, but also, the dolls were very real for her, so they had to be free at night.  You know, to do their work I guess.  That started out with a very organized placement around her pillow–

add a bunch more dolls.  Um, the cup– that’s full of cardamom.  Yes.  We played “dreidel” at the Holidays and for lack of pennies, I grabbed the giant jar of pods in the pantry.  I might have also mentioned something about the scent of them being comforting to me… and maybe as I was trying to get her to STOP dreideling and go to bed, that she should take the pods with her because I thought they might just help her bad dreams…  Ker-plunk.  Its like that falling-blocks  computer game, but with parenting steps and miss-steps.  Suddenly Cardamom pods had to be a part of the nightly ritual.  Oh, and that cup also has all of her baby teeth mixed in with the pods.  It does.  I dunno about that one…( cue voodoo drumming. )

Inevitably, the mornings brought a gorgeous sleepy-eyed girl with worry dolls and cardamom pods all tangled up in her hair.

SO around the Holidays I made my friend Sue at Lovely Yarns a gift of a yarn inspired by this story. It spun like this– and it smells so nice.

I spun in a few Latin American “miracle charms” or Milagros for good measure. While not of Latin descent myself, I have been fascinated by these since my friend Cat told me tales of them from a trip to Brazil.:)

Milagro refers to an ancient aspect of Hispanic folk culture: small silver or gold votive offerings in the shape of arms, legs, eyes and other body parts; animals, fruits, vegetables, etc. These milagros are often attached to statues of saints or to the walls of churches/shrines.  In the classical sense, milagros are offered to a favorite saint as a reminder of the petitioner’s particular need, or they are offered to the saint in thanks for a prayer answered.  If, for example, someone has a sore arm, a tiny silver arm is hung on or near the favorite saint; the farmer who hopes that his pig will bear him many healthy piglets, asks his patron saint for intercession, and pins a pig milagro on the saint’s robe. Milagros can be flat, three dimensional, tiny or large; they can be of gold, silver, wood, lead, tin, bone, wax or whatever the petitioner desires.

So I’ve been working them into some yarns as a sort of magical-intentioned-adornment.  I like the idea of a garment or object made from the yarn that feels sort of cosmically hopeful or even protective.  That’s how I like to think of them anyway. here’s a few shots.  I have a bunch of really bright offerings right now and will keep them coming in various colorways until the blessings are all spun up.

bless y’all.

( If you click on the photo mosaic, you can see a larger one.)

That’s all for today.  Have a great one!

Loads of yarn and fibers in the Summer Sale happening now at Gnomegarden!

I have so many stories…

I guess that’s how the future’s done.”

That’s just one of my favorite songs.

I named one of my yarns Mushaboom this go round, in it’s honor.

I just finished a big update at the gnomegarden etsy shop.  Here’s the scoop:

Here is an update that was a long time coming   ! go to the ETSY! Please  share it with your fiber loving friends and family!

Look for more frequent updates this Spring with lots of spinning fiber, and luscious yarn.

Many of the yarns in this update look fabulous in combination, thus alleviating the ever present question “well, what would I do with one skein??”   If you need more ideas though, there is a fab website of low yardage genius at simple patterns to knit with 1-285 yards of yarn and on Ravelry for  “free knit patterns– 285 yards or less”

Please visit me this Spring and let me know how you are!
xo Dawn

This will be the post Thanksgiving feast!

Merino, Finn, Corriedale, Blue Faced Leicester.

The current shop stock is 10% off for the Holiday season, plus free US shipping and 1/2 price international.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Yep, this siter has been *sitting and spinning. (*repeat from asterisk. for days.)

I have a basket full of string that I have been listing on etsy all day.

I have yet another basket in process that should be up there in a day or 2 and a handful of batts.  I am binge spinning.  It feels great, plus we have a sick bird ( hedwig) that needs some tests– please go shop!!

Thanks to everyone who has sent along great reviews so far.  I spin because I LOVE to, but it is so nice to have my work appreciated and used so beautifully in other peoples work.

Also finished a November Ruffle shawl ( by Kate Jackson)  It is a handspun silk and merino mix.  Exceedingly delicious.  I had to shorten the ruffle as the yarn just ran-the-hell-out. But it is ruffle enough for this spinny girl.

I also have some art to conjure for this round of spark ( see sidebar) more on that in the next week or 2.

more in a day or 2!

xo dawn

( clickable)– Thanks to jim for helping.

I have been at the beach again.  With the whole family this time– hedwig and esme too!

Besides that…

I had my kitchen “stealth-cleaned” by the dear Erin while I was away last time. ( you KNOW that is a wunder-friend!!)

I cleaned my fridge. Every little bit of it.

The pool is up ( and has a lot of walnuts in it)

I painted the poppets room. Alot.

I carded and am spinning the jacob fleece from MDS&W.

Am making progress on the tiniest pair of pink socks ever, the nightsongs shawl and the beach-begotten pink lacey-leggy socks.

I promise to fill in the blanks with pictures in the next few days… it is summer, after all.  I am busy living the life.   Summer goes by in a blink.  Almost unbearably so.

xoxo

Tell a friend!  I am home from the shop with the kids for the summer you know… I need to make some money on etsy for summer-adventuring!!!

I’m only showing you one– you’ll have to go to the shop and look!

Some other weird but true news is that I have been interviewed by spin in public.  You can check out a short sketch about the fiber in my life here.  It was a fun exercise to sit and think about how fiber art and creative endeavors unfold for me… I am usually not so conscious of it.   I am excessively thankful to Cindy for asking me to be a part of her magnificent new site.  It is a wonderful resource and inspiration for spinners- new and expert!

Ok.  I am off to the beach for a visit to the family this week.  I’ll be checking in and taking lots of photos…

xo

It’s the eve of Summer Vacation and we’re celebrating~~ This Summer is about having fun fun fun in the Doran house. Part of that fun is lots of dyeing and spinning and random Surprise SALE DAYS!  Please  invite a friend!
xo!

Dawn

~~~Tangental Interlude~~~

RING DANG DOO
Sam the Sham & The Pharaohs

Well – you can have your gold and your diamonds too
All I want is a ring dang doo
Well I’ve been all over this great big world HEY
Looking for a ring dang doo
I’ve fallen in love with a thousand girls YEAH
Looking for a ring dang doo
I’ve got a mojo and some voodoo too
But I ain’t never found a ring dang doo
Well I was down ina New Orleans
Looking for a ring dang doo
I fell in love with a girl in blue jeans
Looking for a ring dang doo
But I can’t stay though my love is true
I gotta keep looking for a ring dang doo
Ring dang doo
Where are you
What are you
>From Mexico to the Philippines YEAH
Looking for a ring dang doo
Well I’ve drunk with peasants and I’ve dined with kings
Looking for a ring dang doo
But I ain’t never found a single clue
I’ve gotta keep a-looking for a ring dang doo
Well people call me crazy every single day YEAH
Looking for a ring dang doo
But I don’t care what people may say NO
Looking for a ring dang doo
I don’t know what it looks like
Or what it can do
I gotta find that ring dang doo
Ring dang ring dang ring dang doo
Ring dang ring dang ring dang doo
You can have your gold and your diamonds too
All I want is a ring dang doo

Did you ever watch that crazy movie from the 90′s –Hugo Pool? It was one of our life-before-poppets favorites. Quirky and funny , and It had a great cast– a gorgeously insane Robert Downey Jr., Alyssa Milano, Sean Penn, A BABY Patrick Dempsey, Cathy Moriarty, Malcom McDowell.. on and on. This is a long clip, which mentions the ring dang doo…. Looks like you can see most of the movie in parts on Youtube.