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By popular demand (Just Flouride), here are some photos of el nino

Having a bath

Fluffy hair



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More Footwear

It's January in Wisconsin. Time to keep those extremities warm!

I made some more slippers from some thick felted wool. They were crocheted together with perle cotton.

I used cheerful colors for the dead of winter............

Here is the finished bag, from this post, complete with snap closure, who says I don't finish any projects?

mother-of-pearl embellishment

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Aren't these slippers cute?

They were knit and felted by a customer, they look so toasty.

It's already below zero.....time to find your slippers?

Nice Plan,,,,,,,,,,but

So, I had this idea to make a purse/bag from a felted wool blanket,,, do some crocheting..... and the felt it again, thinking that the part that was made from the blanket would not shrink anymore,,,, but the crocheted part would shrink, and create an interesting texture for the gusset. Then I would overdye it,,,,and the dye would "take" differently on the parts of the bag that were different fibers,,,,,,,,,,Follow me? So, I cut the bag parts from the preshrunk blanket.

I intentionally place the plaid design on the diagonal.

Crocheting around the flap and the gusset

Still has no handle.

Handle is applied, and I did some chain stitching for surface design...... I kinda like the color, so I rethink the overdying idea while the bag is in the felting process

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After felting, I see that it has not worked as I planned,,,, the whole bag shrunk...including the part made from the preshrunk blanket. And there is no interesting texture in the crochet part, AND I hate the securely felted in chain stitching.Into the dye pot with the dang thing! It can't get any worse,,

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I was wrong. The dye job makes the bag look very fuzzy, and there are spots where the dye did not reach,,,,,,,,, UGH.................I always tell my customers that felting is unpredictable.....I should take my own advise, I guess.

So, I just ignore the project for a few days, hoping it might go away,,,,or something. Maybe the cats will use it for a bed..

I looked at it again this morning,, decided to dye it again,,,, to try to salvage it,,............................turned the bag inside out to prepare for the dying process and VOILA! There it was! The inside of the bag was an appealing color,,, not quite as fuzzy (I did shave it a bit)
The crochet texture shows, and the backside of the chain stitching is much more subtle......... and I LIKE IT! It was there all along, just waiting for me to discover it.

"What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered."

-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Sheep, silliness and big words

Anthropomorphism, I do it all the time.

With my cats, my car, my spinning wheels.........my children,,,,,,oh,, no wait, they ARE human........most of the time, anyway.

Today I am anthropomorphising (thank heavens for spell check) a pair of sheep. If you don't know what the word means, I advise you to look it up.....and get your mind out of the gutter...

Some friends of mine made these sheep. They were delivered in a velvet box with a gold ribbon. The sheep, I mean. Aren't they cool? Both the sheep and my friends. The girl sheep's name is Cheryl.

Check out the horns on Jim. That's the boy sheep's name, Jim.

Did you guess that the humans that made these sheep are named Jim and Cheryl? I am just so clever today!

Ideas, Inspiration and Footwear

I get these ideas,,, I have no idea how or when it starts......but suddenly, or slowly over time, I am running into inspiration... the ideas pile up and pile up until I just have to get it out of my system,,,for example...........

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My sister moved here from Japan last year. As soon as it got cold enough, she appeared in these fantastic boots. They are leather and knit fabric, and are like nothing I have seen before. Sin or not, I covet those boots. Of course, she purchased them in Japan. Nothing like that fabulous footwear is available in rural Wisconsin. Another thing,,,,,I am not sure I could carry off the look,

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Then I made these felt slippers at Susan's Retreat.

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Then my friend Jennifer showed up at my shop with knee high boots made from elk skin, and fur and beading, and my heart skipped a beat when I saw those boots! I am SURE I could not carry off that look,,,,,, Jennifer looks like a Native Ameican princess wearing those lovely boots, I would look like an old, fat squaw. (not exactly PC, I know) Still, the ideas......

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See how the universe is putting footwear in my mind?

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So, I finally decide to make myself some slippers/boots/footwear to satisfy my urge to create,,,, and make something I would actually wear.

I drew a boot shape free hand on some wool fabric to make a pattern.

Sewn up, I could see the instep/ toe was too full, but otherwise a decent fit.

I just happen to have some leather slipper soles that I got at Loose Ends Yarn Shop.
I decide that the some seams should be on the outside, some on the inside, for comfort.


A felted wool blanket, nice and cushy.


I draw on the basic shape....




Cut soles, too.

I decide I do not need a back seam. After machine sewing, I sew a small dart partway up the back of the leg for shaping.

Using perle cotton, I hand stitched the leather soles over the wool soles. I tried them on.

Not a bad fit, so the cats and I take a nap.

Refreshed from my nap,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,using handspun yarn, I crochet an edging around the slipper.
I crochet the yarn as a single, right off the spinning wheel.

This is the part I enjoy, freeform crochet.

I add some buttons, and Voila!

My urge to make footwear has been satisfied!

Bonding

New Year, etc

I have lots of things to say about the new year, and fresh starts, and all that......but no time right now..... I am off to spend the day doing inventory at the shop.......
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. I think this photo of Gael David says it all......... Happy New Year!