A lovely visit from a former student wrote the title of the post... It led me to design a workshop, called Pique Your Passion. Anyone wanting to have me teach this workshop get in touch - it is intense, fun and the only way I can really bring the studio to you.....more on that later !
I am on my way to Convergence in Bellingham this week, so I hope to see many of you there. Please look me up at Booth 16 - would love to meet you! and for more information:
So lots of pictures to show what the last few months have been like.....
Some pictures from the event - Fiona Duthie was there - she is one of my favourite fibre artists in the whole wide world..............
Shibori - another workshop by Fiona
and there were so many other things to see, knitting designers, the Cashmere Breeders of British Columbia - YUM!!!, lace, flax and everyone loved my Cowichan Valley fibres too!
More pictures.....
The lace pictures were for Barbara and of course the women demonstrating there, knew her!
And one of the most wonderful experiences was finally trying an e-spinner and I tried to hold Devon back as I told her that her spinning life would never be the same again.....
My favourite piece - a little hooked bird
And then I am on a tour - the Cowichan Valley Artisans Studio Tour http://www.cowichanvalleyartisans.com
I managed to get a little thread painting on raw silk done as well - fiddleheads were calling me! The tour continues through December.
Okay, now the studio - busy as ever and some interesting things to see!!
I don't know what it is, but I love ALL the parts of weaving - including the ties - the anticipation of another rag rug!!
I can look at this all day - I just find it so pretty - Eastwin Farm Mohair - hand dyed by me!! I like that space dyed yarn works well in a weft face......
Handwoven chenille - all sold!!!
Fenn from Custom Woollen Mills came by - and saw that we were weaving many rag rugs - she said she uses sock tops from the mill to weave hers and would send me some - soon a package came, but all I could think of was rya!! and so now everyone wants a rya rug!
A lot of our local wool is processed at Custom Woolen Mills and on the island as well with Anna Renning and also there is a mill on Salt Spring - we are lucky to have this available to us - I want to weave with as much local fibre as I can - so we have started weaving Cowichan Valley blankets using our local fibre - we have finished 4 already - and looking for fleece to process!!
We are making them about 52 X 72
I have very sore arms!
Rya rugs are fun to make and use a lot of material - if you are using rags and fabric. Some of my young students made a rug using Pendelton Blanket selvedges - it was so heavy - I don't seem to have a picture of it though - will have to get them to send me one and I will add it to the post.
The two looms were next to each other - and were a perfect match - couldn't have planned it. I am always surprised when there is a keen interest in one technique how it becomes infectious! I even had a rya rug walk into the studio to be repaired!!
We love using mohair and especially our local blend from Ann's farm, Eastwin - but I wanted to celebrate it - so wouldn't you know, a knitting designer walked into the studio and introduced herself and I jumped at the chance to suggest she design something for us. And voila - she did. It is so beautiful and luscious and fun to knit. You will be able to purchase it through my website soon, pattern and the mohair blend....or the pattern can be purchased on line from Andrea Rangel's website or Ravelry. It is called Glenora where the pretty goats live.....my sweet student, Katie is modelling it for us in these pictures.
www.andreaknits.com
I mentioned my website - I have an official one now and it isn't quite up to date - one will be able to purchase things eventually but the site is www.leolasstudio.com
and we have had photo shoots as well which have been really fun to watch.
My photographer is awesome. www.kimyanick.com/
And I will end with
one picture that has captured my heart
