Mittens for Haiti

Barb Monroe, who keeps chickens, and knits in Dell, wants to help Haiti. I'd like to help her do that.   She knit these 5 pair of mittens, and would like to donate the purchase price of $45 / pair of mittens

to help Haiti.

Each pair is handknit wool yarn, in traditional Scandinavian knitting patterns.  She reversed pattern colors on the front and back of the mittens. They are medium ladies' size,

 except for the pink and gray "Spring Beauty" pair, which are ladies' small.

 The Mittens (top to bottom) :

Dutch Blue (med.size, Teal and offwhite)  SOLD

Here Comes the Sun (med. size, gold and tangerine) SOLD

Pines (med. size, pine green & deep grape)  SOLD

Thistle (med. size, violet and fog gray)

Spring Beauty (small size, pink & gray)

$45. / pair   SOLD

 She will donate the money from the sale of these mittens to

Partners in Health (a relief organization that has been helping Haiti for over 20 years).

If you'd like to know more about the mittens, or

would like to order a pair,

email me:  susan@avalanchelooms.com

Waiting for the Blizzard

I said I was going to call this post, Blue Balls.  Well, they are.  I've been making them and dipping them in my dye jar, in a double boiler, watching the dye move into the wool, where it dangles from a string, at just the right depth, from a chopstick.   I hold the dye bath at the simmer until the right shade  appears.  It's a good job for someone like me who generally likes to spend a lot of time just standing-there-a-lookin' (from my old favorite folk song about that fine man, Old Dan Tucker).

So far, the blizzard hasn't amounted to much, but it's sure to fall tonight. Meanwhile I'll show you this new store activity:  a paper snowflake cutting station. We have recycled butter paper, and scisssors.  Anyone who comes in can take a pair and start snipping.  So far  some young girls cut flakes, a grandmother, a woman I don't know who was proud of her flake,  and a man who hadn't made a snowflake in years and years.  Elizabeth, my good friend, came in and we cut snowflakes together while we caught up on the news of our lives, occasionally pausing for the reveal of each newer, better, more pointed snowflake.  I call it fun!  Let the clippings fall to the floor.  They look like more snow.   Snow on snow on snow.

m. whitecloud hats

m. whitecloud hats for sale in the store now: Granny Square, all recycled materials, rabbit fur, and double knit striped ties. Handmade, slow design. This one is for a smaller sized head.
$60. + sh/h (WI sales tax applies to WI sales)
SOLD


m.whitecloud hat: Hot Bonnet, hot pink rabbit fur, all recycled materials, handmade, slow design, medium size, $60. + sh/h (WI sales tax applies to WI sales)


m. whitecloud hat: Brocade, faux fur, recycled materials, handmade, slow design $60 + sh/h
(WI sales tax on sales in WI). SOLD


m. whitecloud hat: Double Knit, faux fur, all materials recycled, hand made, slow design. $60. +sh/h (WI sales tax to WI buyers)    SOLD

m. whitecloud works in Viroqua, WI, making bags, hats, and other amazing styles (Amish meets Bjork?) Working in the slow design movement, she makes batches of items, each by each, using local, recycled materials (bike inner tube rubber, thrift store fabrics, unused coffee bean bags from the local coffee roaster). She always pushes the edges on each object she makes, finding "just one more thing to add that will make it better." She's such an inspiration to me! I'm lucky to know her, and to be able to sell some of her work. If you are interested in purchasing a hat, or need more information, send me an email: susan@avalanchelooms.com

Thanks to Sofie, for perching on my uncomfortable stool to model hats!

toys and books

Other than scything weeds in the already overgrown goose lot, and baking coconut macaroons, I've been putting some new children's books on the shelf in the store, and also sewed up a few new bird baby rattles.

There must be some unpleasant jobs I am avoiding.

Making Wood

For several years I have made a small faux birch woodpile in my store when the firewood season arrives.

Birch is my favorite tree, which I like to imitate in rag weave, this time with a rosepath threading. The pillow weft is mainly wool blanket wool, with supplemental rag bits cut from a black and white linen checked weave. The log ends are soft cocoa-colored blanket wool, machine embroidered.

This time I sewed the pillow together, lacing the selvedge edges around the pillow form, then sprinkled the whole pillow with warm water, and tumble dried it in the hot dryer, so it shrank perfectly to fit the pillow form. Yes, perfectly. Which gives weight to the idea that sometimes things work out as planned.

Making Acorn Dolls

A dish of burr oak acorn caps and a few felted wool balls started my acorn doll-making binge. Maybe binge is too strong a word. So far I have made 3, and it seems like there will be a few more before I can corral myself back to the serious work of getting ready for the shopping season ahead. The dolls are innocent, and will be for sale in the store, so are not entirely an avoidance of business concerns.