Getting ready for Michigan Fiber festival

Well, getting all set for the Michigan Fiber Festival on 8/15. I have been working very hard to get all my stock up and I feel like I am in good shape. Usually, I have a slight panic attack just before a show and I run around looking at my product muttering "must dye more, must dye more..." with this little twitch going in my eye lid . But I am feeling like I'll be ok for this show....which makes me wonder if I have overlooked something. LOL
Mango is adapting well to life in our home. He thinks I am ok but he is really fond of Mr. M. and comes hopping over to him every chance he can. I guess my husband has some bunny MOJO I am not aware off. Hobbs, our german/akita mix, is fascinated by Mango which I find alittle alarming. I don't think we are ready to let them play together yet...... maybe never..... One thing that is absolutly ADORABLE is when you give Mango a little bit of peach or banana. Apparently, fruit is like bunny crack cocain. Mango goes nuts for the stuff and makes these cute smacking noises.
Going off to The Whole Nine Yarns for spin night on monday with (perhaps) the evil Eve B. She knit these wonderful socks for me with my new sock yarn. Really cool for display in the booth at MFF. I'll post pics this weekend before I go.

Mango has arrived

Hello all. I want to introduce you to our latest editon, Mango, a 3 month old angora rabbitt. Mr M and I went out and got him at our friend Sharon's House last Saturday. He is sooo sweet and soft. Of course we had to immediatly traumatize him by shearing him for the first time. We didn't do such a good job so he ended up looking like "punk rock frankin" Bunny but Sharon says it gets easier. Sure hope so......

In other news, I have been dyeing like a fiend for the Michigan Sheep and Wool show on Aug 14. The other day, I did almost 3 lb of silk hankies and created this "leaning Tower of Silk" haha... and I have also been working with this cooooooweeeelllll new stuff that I call "Chocolate Swirl" roving. They take 25 %brown and 75% ecru blue face and swirl it all together. Check out the before and after pics. I want to have some of this ready to sell as well. I like it a lot.

class offering for april, may and june 2009

Hello all, I am sorry to say that due to technical issues beyond my control, I have had to alter my last class schedule for this new one...please note the change and if you want to attend a class then contact me. my email is galesart@mindspring.com or phone 404 457 4015 thanks gale


NEW CLASS POSTING FOR APRIL,MAY AND JUNE 2009
Gale’s Art
Studio Class offerings
April, May and June 2009
Fellted Mosaic Scarf - One day class from 10:30am to 3:00 pm $60
A class that takes raw, dyed wool and shows you how to create a wonderful, felted scarf using soap, water and your hands. It looks complicated but it isn’t. Instruction and the creation of one scarf should take about 3 hours with the free option of after class “play” time should you wish to stay in the studio and create a second or possibly third scarf. Wool and felting supplies for the first scarf are included. ** 4 students per class **
April 10 (2 spaces left)
May 15 (Friday)
May 16(Saturday)
June 12(Friday)
June 13 (Saturday)

Acid Dye Without Tears -One day class from 10:30 am to 5 pm $85
This is my very popular, ever filling class on the techniques of hand painted yarns and roving. In my studio, you will learn the fundamentals of color mixing and dyeing and then apply these principles to your own masterpieces of yarn or roving. Students will leave with at least half a pound of dyed material (blue face roving or sock yarn ) and a small dye kit to play with at home.
***4 students per class**
May 22 (Friday)
May 23 (Saturday)
June 19 (Friday)
June 20 (Saturday)

back from Destin Spin In

Back from Destin, FL after a super great weekend. What is Destin? It is about 160 crazy spinners, 12 vendors and 2 outrageous hostesses stuck in a giant ball room for 4 days with nothing to do but spin and talk of fiber and life adventures. Soooo much fun! We have it every year in Jan in Destin, Fl but this year was in a brand new condo building called The Palms at Destin. They didn’t know what they were in for- hee hee hee..... Here are a few pics of everyone spinning.I was vending as well so I don’t feel I got in my full spinning time :>(
but I must sacrifice for my art! I also took the opportunity (while I was with such friendly folk) to do a survey of fiber preferences. I had questions like “what colors do you prefer?” and “do you normally have a project in mind when you buy fiber” etc.... They surpassed my expectation as I got 95 surveys back....maybe the $75 prize drawing I had for the ones who completed the survey was a factor?
But honestly, it is a great way to start the year. Ruth R and I shared a condo with Ginny and Sally from the Peachtree Hand Spinners guild and we had cocktails and seafood every night. What is better then that ?

where does the time go????

It has been how many days since my last blog entry????? I can't believe it...sigh... but the good news is x-mas was great and we gota NEW HOUSE.

Well ,not NEW really but NEWLY PAINTED so that it feels like NEW. HAHA

It was a very mundane off white color (body) with a spruce green door and shutters. Not bad but....boring..... for a dyer,color is everything, ya know? So Mr M and I decided it was time for a change :>) (maybe the peeling paint was a prompt too) and we got the ole homestead painted. I am including a couple of pics. The body is now Duron "livable green" and the shutters and door are "oak moss". I think it is beautiful and the painter said he liked it even though he normally did not like green on a house. The two neighbors on either side of us, both with very conservative shades of ecru on thier houses, also gave a seal of approval after it was finished. I guess I have better taste then everyone thinks :>)

Now,New Years is just two days away! I am still working on my resolution list. I'll post on Jan 1, 2009. Stay tuned... gale

look at that face!

Things are really getting hectic for the christmas holidays now. I am going to make this entry short as - I HAVE TO DO X-MAS CARDS TONIGHT! "no excuses are exceptable" says Mr. M.- but I still want to show you what made me laugh today. Look at this pin, my friend Ruth R, gave me a few years ago. He was hiding out in my jewlery box just chilling until I re-found him while hunting for my mother's pearl necklace. Isn't he sweet? what a face! It looks like he just asked a question and is waiting on the answer......I think the question must be..."why am I just hanging out in this dumb jewlery box, when I could be out and about on your coat?" So I put him on my coat lapel and laughed.....

Knitty.com like me!

I wanted to share the exciting news that my lovely Blue face fiber has been reviewed by KNITTY.COM!! You can see the review if you go here:

http://knitty.com/ISSUEwinter08/FEATwin08FF.php

They gave me a wonderful gift for the holiday season by saying nice things about “Iris” in both my blue face and my over dyed black blue face. These are pictures of my roving, the first one is of the color way “ Proud Peacock” dyed on white Blue face (and the yarn it makes when it is spun) and the second is of the exact same colors dyed on a dark brown Blue face roving ( and the yarn it makes). Can you believe it? I really like the cool way the natural browns and tans take the color.

What made me laugh today......
Well for the first time in a long time, Gale dyed herself. Yes sports fans, this is what happens when there is the tiny, tiniest whole in the rubber gloves that I did not notice before I started dyeing. It really was funny to see the clerk’s reaction when I hand over change at the supermarket. HAHA.