Off to classes .... again

I am headed to the Kentucky Sheep and Fiber Festival. I am going to be taking 2 all days classes on needle felting. The first day is making Santa Claus sculptures. The second day is making sheep. Since I have never taken a class on the needle felted sculptures I hope to come away all fired up.

I also hope I will get the opportunity to visit all the booths. (Wool for needle felting!!!) The problem being the booths are just Saturday and Sunday and I am planning to come home Saturday evening. I wish the booths were open on Friday after class. Oh, well, guess I will have to walk and shop fast.

I am keeping my Etsy shop open while I am gone this time, since I will be back Saturday evening. Anthing purchased while I am gone will be shipped on Monday.

Latest needle felted purse, finished and listed

This is the purse I showed in progress
(a few post down the page if you want to see it while I was working on it).
The first picture is what I call the back of the purse,
because the flap closure is on the other side.

Once it was completed I had a hard time making up my mind if it was going on Etsy, or my shoulder. (UPDATE: I did take it off Etsy before it could sell. It is regularly on my shoulder)

I know the butterfly isn't really a Swallowtail (at least not one that I have ever photographed). Have you ever tried to needle felt a Swallowtail? It ain't easy! LOL! So this is what I decided on after looking at my own bought clothing that had butterflies. None of those butterflies look like the real thing either. Notice the tiny little bead for his eye. I was afraid to use the size I have been using for the birds, thought it would be too big. Can barely see this one in person.

The last picture is the front of the purse. Notice the green at the bottom on the front and the back. It is needle felted across the bottom and goes up just enough on each side for the flower stems to start in the grass.

When I make these and list them on Etsy my thought is if they don't sell the nieces will get purses for Christmas this year. This past year they all received scarfs, (never listed on Etsy). The purses would be a step up, don't you think? So far, they are selling, some faster than others. The last one I sold was shipped to Alaska.

Knitting Project Update

The collage has several small purses I have made, the coral colored ones are the only ones I still have. The entrelac purple and green ones (little squares) were ordered by one person for his daughters. He also purchased one of these in 2 colors of blue, and the purple peace sign one.

In Atlanta I took 2 classes taught by Gwen Bortiner on entrelac. The first class was design and I didn't even get to pick up my knitting needles. The 2nd class with Gwen was Mix and Match in Entrelac. We knit this cap while in class. For those of you that don't know anything about entrelac, it usually does not have design and different colors in each square. I really enjoyed this class and teacher. She has a new entrelac book coming out August-September 2010, Entree to Entrelac. I do plan on purchasing it.

This purse was not going to be needle felted to begin with, but after I knit and felted it something about it was crying out for some blue butterflies. I couldn't resist.

Now to what I am currently working on. Almost every purse I knit to felt is a new pattern, I keep changing my designs. And with felting you can't be sure how it is going to turn out when it is felted. The one below turned out to my favor, but I had planned on needle felting a Northern Cardinal. Something was telling me to change my mind again and I have now started needle felting Black Eyed Susans, on the front.
And on the back. This is just the beginning stage.
I will show you again when I list it on Etsy.
I have now started another purse with 'basically' the same design as the one above. I have not even thought about what I am going to needle felt on it. Seems like I change my mind by the time it comes out of the machine from the felting process, so why think about it right now?

Two new needle felted purses

I have been working on these 2 purses since I posted the Chickadee purse. Lots of interest in my needle felted purses, so thought I would post these here too. The styles of these two purses are totally different from each other.

Now to go work on a custom order for a dark purple drawstring pouch with a needle felted lightening flash. Have the pouch knitted and felted, now to work on the needle felting.

Fiber Festival in Townsend, Tennessee

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned I was going to go the Fiber Festival. I had a blast. But I didn't do very well with my photography. Been knitting too much and not going out with my camera enough. Forgot a very basic rule. The sun was not shining on their faces and I didn't turn on the flash. Nor did I up the ISO. Hence, cannot see their faces, too dark.
I learned just a little about different sheep. These are Suffolk Sheep. And they herd with Border Collies.
They all want to stay real close to each other, and do not like it when one is separated to be sheared.

And the one being captured to be sheared isn't too excited about it either.
But once the shearing begins the sheep are really very calm.

Every few minutes could hear a very quiet "Bhah, Bhah"

And look at the wool off just one sheep. I am sure there is some work to do with it before it gets to the consumer (me) even when we get it in close to raw form for needle felting.

I bought lots of rovering for my needle felting and even found a wonderful blue for bluebirds. Now if I can just needle felt a bluebird I am satisfied with. I only get to keep the purses to use for myself when I don't think they are quite up to selling quality. Ladies, it looks like I might be getting the first one. No, I didn't do this on purpose so I could have the first one.

My needle felting purse

The company I purchase my needle felting supplies from sends out a newsletter every week. This week my needle felted purse is featured on it, with a link to their blog. On the blog they have the same 4 photos I have below. I can't figure out how to get the newsletter linked here, but you can click here for the link to their blog to see my purse on their blog.

I 'had' to add a bead for the eye. We need that shine in the eye when we photograph them, so I wanted it in my needle felting.

I put a pocket on the back of the purse (thanks, Wendy of It's Just Me for the idea) and added sead beads in the center of the dogwood blooms.
The purse is listed on Etsy, to see my Etsy listing click here. From there you can go to 'shop' on the right side and see all my needle felted purses that I have currently for sale. I have sold 3 locally.

In the needle felting world the thing to try is 3D. So after needle felting a few of my felted purses I decided it was time to try my hand at the 3D of needle felting. My first (and only, so far) is pictured above. This is a very time consuming art form. Not sure how many of these I will do, but it does have my interest right now. This little bear has moving parts. His head, arms and legs move. Notice the eyes are also beads.

The link to Living Felt for needle felting supplies is http://www.livingfelt.com/ they are great. Real fast shipping. and they accept Paypal.

This weekend is a fiber festival in Townsend, Tennessee. The quiet side of the Smokies. I hope to go and photograph the sheep, some as they are sheared. I am also going to Stitches South in Atlanta late April to learn more about knitting and needle felting. If any of you that knit are going to Atlanta please let me know, maybe we can meet up there.

My knitting projects update

Well, it is VERY COLD here for the Tennessee Valley. It has not reached 32 in the last 8 days, and no chance of it in the next week. Thinking we are going to break the record of 12 days. The edges of the lakes are frozen, and all the ponds are frozen. I am not out taking photographs of the snow we received yesterday because I HATE the cold! So I continue to knit, and thought I would show you some of what I have been knitting.

The first photo is Mason showing off his cap.

These two are Noah showing off his cap. The male adults think the caps are cute on backwards. Me? I like it on the correct way. And Mason in his newest cap. This one has the earflaps and ties. It was hard to keep him still to take any photos. It has been cold and he was so excited about being outside.

So here is the cap laying on the sofa.
After I made my first pair of fingerless gloves (for Lindsey) I decided for myself they need to be a little larger. I designed this pattern myself. I am currently knitting my 6th pair of fingerless gloves.
The first sweater I sold on my Etsy site.

The 2nd sweater I sold on my Etsy site (to the same customer).

I have labels I ordered from another Etsy person. I also have labels that say "designed and hand knit by" for the items that I design. Although I don't put any labels in the gloves, don't figure they will be very comfortable in there.
My "Big Orange" purse. I designed this one, and have enjoyed it more than I thought I would, because I don't normally wear alot of UT orange clothing. I have been stopped in the stores when I am out and about with it. What an opportunity to give out business cards. One lady wanted to know if I would be willing to make her a Kentucky one. She got a business card, but I have not heard from her yet.

Still tweaking the design and will be making more in other colors.

Been doing alot of other knitting too, it is TOO COLD here to be outside with a camera, even for snow photos.

Hope everybody is staying warm, no matter where you are. Miss everybody, but life is still busy, and yes, alot of the busy is knitting.