Please visit if you like that sort of thing!  xo Dawn

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!

I’ll be updating yarns today and batts this evening or tomorrow am.

30 lbs colored now.

Lilzee even got in on the action with her Kool aid.

Here’s a clip form my upcoming “Spinner’s Meditation DVD.”

not really.  But it’s very relaxing.

Next up– Less Fiber– MORE YARN!  This is my mantra.

I’m getting plenty excited about the upcoming homespun yarn party.

This year’s is taking place on March 27th, and I am honored to be a part of it once again.  I have been dyeing up a STORM of fiber.  The next 2 weeks will be a frenzy of spinning and making beauty to sell there.  Please come out and visit if you are a fiber aficionado– it’s one of my favorite local events, and a good warm up for the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival coming up in May!

Here are the particulars from the site–

About the Homespun Yarn Party

What: Yarn Party! Check out local yarn vendors, sit and knit, meet new people!

Who: All your favorite local yarn dyers and spinners, plus some extra crafty goodness! And all our knitting/crocheting/spinning friends (you!) of course!!

Where: from 2009-2011: Historic Savage Mill 8600 Foundry Street, Savage, MD 20763 | Just off I-95, plenty of parking! – – check the main page for this year’s date and time

When: Usually the last Sunday in March, 12 PM to 5 PM – check the main page for this year’s date and time

Why: Who needs an excuse to get together and craft?! We wanted to get together and spread some fiber love!

In addition to some great crafty vendors, we also have:

• free lessons on knitting, crochet, spinning, and maybe more
• fabulous door prizes to be given away throughout the event
• weather-permitting, a sit and spin/crochet/knit area out on the deck

And we collect knitted and crocheted items for local charities!

Admission is FREE!

Things are pretty much the same with Miss Chloe.  She has settled back into her old meds.  We return to Reston this Friday to see if Dr. A will make any changes.  It is all sooooo. slooow.  The meds take so long to show if they will benefit at all.  The Doctors … well, are so busy.   We are working on some additional options and now have a case manager to help in the crawl towards wellness.   Phone calls today might mean help in a few days or few weeks.   Lists are long. Improvements are so tiny, if  they come at all, and hope is so hard to believe in.  Alas and alack– it is the only way right now.   We’re all hanging in just waiting for a grain of sand to shift and movement towards the positive.  Spring is coming– those few nice days were great, weren’t they?  Got the windows open and made friends with a few more stink bugs.  Going to get the garden catalogues out soon and start to think on this years growings.  Also this years groundhog hunting, else the growings are in vain!

Keeping busy– Chloe is still drawing loads of eyes, writing art-letters, keeping at her school work, and skyping with her cousins.  Lil has been sewing and is about to begin embroidering some dish towels.  She is also getting ready to play cello at her first public appearance!  Very excited about that.

I’ve been doing lots of dyeing and spinning.  Went to a small show last weekend and had a nice day.

Jim has been making some amazing tiny dioramas and was a “Pick of the Week” online and made Flickr’s explore.  Check it out.  I think his new stuff is awesome. ( photo stolen from jim’s blog)

More news as it happens.

Family Art planned for this weekend.

Here are some  days…

What else? Scones. ( In her Coraline sweater)

BOB!

Sometimes…

Other times…

Lil in with the faeries

DAISY!

Pigs in a blanket

Wool for dinner, again.

On “special” last week at Trader Joes

Play it 20 times!

The Indie Artist Celebration

Secret Equipment.

ESME!

Again with a DAISY!

Prickly snoogling.

Who does that without checking the weather forecast??  Now, imagine a drying rack filled to collapse and fiber strung from every pipe and rogue nail in the basement.

Lesson learned.

Didn’t check rightwaytodothings.com.  again.

Weather is to be drippy or flakey for most of the week.  Guess it’s time to spin some wool instead.  I suddenly have a few shows lined up and some good yarny things to share.  More on that a bit later.  Time to get the little to bed.  Test is over for Chloe tomorrow!!!  So glad to get back to some medicine!

sweet dreams.

I am getting ready for a fiber festival on the Easter Shore of Maryland.

I’ll be teaching a class on Sunday at the Upper Room Studio– More on that next post.

Have a great day!

Here is the scoop from the museum site:

Annual Fall Textile Arts Festival!

VENDORS 2009

Misty Meadow Alpacas
www.mistymeadowalpacas.com
Handpainted yarn, roving, Dorr Mill wool, alpaca fiber rugs, and rag rugs

Seaside Siren
www.seasidesiren.etsy.com
www.lollishops.com/seasidesiren
Felted wool bags and jewelry

CrewelWhorled
www.crewelwhorled.etsy.com
Embroidered jewelry, buttons, and ornaments

LuckyGirlz Alpacas
Live alpacas! Alpaca products and nature materials jewelry by Green Dog

Daye Dreams and Postage Stamp
Soaps, lotions, and giftbaskets

Home Sweet
www.homesweetbyhand.com
www.homesweet.etsy.com
Textile company specializing in block printed, environmentally friendly fabrics and home goods in original designs

Pizza Shoppe Inc.
www.crisfieldpizzashoppe.com
Pizza and other food

ALA Church
Hamburgers, hot dogs, drinks, etc.

Coastal Cottage Soaps/ Liberto’s Art
www.coastalcottagesoaps.com
www.libertosart.com
Handcrafted natural bath soaps, laundry soaps, dog soap, crocheted spa cloths, dishcloths, and hand-painted canvas floorcloths

The Fine Needle
www.fineneedle.com
Snow Hill’s local yarn store

Return to Splendor
www.dmvtatter.blogspot.com
Tatted items, knitting accessories, hand-dyed cotton threads for tatting, drop spindles
Upper Room Studio
www.upperroomstudio.blogspot.com
Handmade fiber creations, spinning and knitting equipment, fibers, etc.

Sage & Thistle
www.sageandthistle.etsy.com
Native American and Southwest style jewelry, including dreamcatcher earrings, beadwork, stone necklaces, dreamcarchers, and sterling silverwork

Gregory Road Handspun
www.gregoryroad.etsy.com
Lovely handspun yarns in a variety of fibers–alpaca, superwash, a variety of wools, and more.

Heidi Wetzel
www.heidiwetzel.com
Traditional and contemporary baskets that are utilitarian and decorative, and woven wall hangings.

Bead Obsessions
www.beadobsessions.com
Knitting with beads demonstration from 10am – 2pm

Shelby B’s Designs
Stitchmarkers, handpainted yarn, and roving, some inspired by Harry Potter
www.shelbyb.etsy.com

Bizzie Lizzie Creations
Handcrafted bags, purses, totes, and accessories
www.bizzielizzie.etsy.com
mybizzielizzie.blogspot.com

Generations Tie-Dye
Hand dyed tie-dyed garments and accessories, including baby/layette, children, adult, scarves, scrubs, playskills, and more
www.generationstiedye.etsy.com

Sand In My Stitches
www.phototw.etsy.com
Hand-painted yarn and stitch markers

Wooly Bear Beads
www.WoolyBearBeads.Etsy.com
Hand-made felted bead jewelry

Teresa Levite Studio
www.teresalevitestudio.etsy.com
www.teresalevitestudio.artfire.com
www.store.teresasdesk.com
Hand-dyed fiber (wool, silk, bamboo, etc) and yarn, commercially dyed spinning fibers, drop spindles and spinning wheels

Society for Creative Anachronism
www.spiaggia-levantina.org
Demo of Middle Ages fiber arts and clothing

ALL ARE WELCOME!!