COMING SOON - Audio and Video Podcast!!

Recently I have been thinking that it is time for me to take the leap into the world of PODCASTING! I plan to introduce my very first Audio Podcast sometime this week, with a video podcast to follow shortly thereafter.

I have been listening to several knitting podcasts this weekend and I have decided that it would be nice to get a peek at some of the projects and techniques that many of the podcasters discuss during their segments. So when I start my own podcast, I am going to include a video segment later in the same week which will show details of the projects, tips, techniques, and other things of interest that were discussed in that week's Audio segment.

I am very excited about this idea, and I hope to be able to include my Cousin Holly as a special guest in several of my Audio and Video Podcasts as well, as she is a superior knitter and I have learned much from her and her mother, my Aunt Mary over the past year.

Topics will include Knitting, Spinning, Fiber, and for those of you in my local area, a glimpse into the fiber related activities and events coming up or currently going on in the community.

So STAY TUNED........for now I will leave you with my latest Youtube Video

How-to Make your own Wool Combs

Not long ago I was browsing on YouTube and came across the following videos showing the proper way to use wool combs.....and the wool combs themselves were quite nice.

I especially liked these English Combs ( and the 4 part video series is quite informative)


And this comb and Hackle set


So with a little more research I also found a HOW-TO blog post here that was very informative.

Well I took a little bit of direction from the blog post and some ideas on style from the videos and sketched up my own little comb and hackle pattern.I took a trip to Home Depot to pick up a 2 ft piece of 1x6 Oak ( and my dad had a nice oak dowel to use for a handle. I did the cutting, Dad did the sanding, assembled the comb, and drilled the holes for me after I marked them out. He even stained it for me. I put the wax on this morning, and just finished gluing in the 4 rows of nails with 2 part epoxy.

I still have to make the hackle, it is all drawn out and ready for cutting when my dad gets home from work today. But for now I am quite pleased with the finished comb.Dad had the great idea to wood burn the word PROTO and the date on the back of the comb to record that it is the PROTO-type and when we made it.

I have enough wood left over to make a set for my mother too.

By the weekend I should be able to wash and comb this lovely 1lb batch of raw wool I bought at a recent fiber fest.I am so excited.....I can't wait to show you the finished set...not to mention the final roving I will make with this wool. Maybe I will even try my hand at dyeing it too.

Once the hackle is complete I will write up step by step instructions for you to make your own, and I will include a PDF link with a template for both the comb and hackle design. So stay tuned. I should have the hackle finished and ready to use by Saturday.

Spinning Flax into Linen Thread

Here is my very first YouTube Video! How exciting. I am still getting the hang of my video camera. I have had it for a year, but I have just started using it to make videos of my spinning and other crafts.

This video is a close-up view of drafting and spinning flax into linen thread using the Wet-Spun method. This is my first time spinning flax. It sort of resembles a twine when finished and this type of flax is Line Linen I believe as it is the longer fibers and it does not need to plied at all. It can be used as a single. I plan to use my linen thread to knit a lace tank top. It is large enough that it is worn over a lighter blouse and long similar to an apron style in the front. I thought I had a copy of the pattern, but I cannot find it in my stash. I will have to hunt it down online and see if I can post a link to it here.

This is just the first of many more videos you will see from me in the future!

Happy Spinning!

Theoretical Girl

I discovered this video on Youtube this morning and thought you might enjoy this beautiful song.

Recapturing my MUSE!

I have been in a sort of funk lately. Dealing with all the issues of home and family, my art has taken a back seat to everything, and when I would finally find some time to sit and create............I drew a blank!

Well, thanks to a LIVE TRADING SESSION with some women on my ATC trading site AFA, I have successfully recaptured my MUSE. After spending this past Saturday creating and socializing with these wonderful women I returned home renewed , my creativity revived.

Here is an example of the cards I have made over the weekend......and I am pulling an all niter tonight to finish up some cards and other mail art for swaps that I have been putting off.

Since Saturday I have been spending a lot of time on the AFA site and I stumbled upon a thread by one of the members showcasing her very first Video Tutorial. It is wonderfully made and interesting to watch. Check it out below. I have added a video reel of her Youtube Channel under Tutorials in the Menu at the top of my blog, so keep checking in for new additions to her video library.


I have a lot of plans to add much more interactive and informative links to my blog that I find interesting and I hope you find them interesting too.

Little Boots ROCKS on YOUtube!

I will be the first person to admit that I am completely lacking in internet savvy. So, now you will understand when I tell you that it took me several hours of messing around on YOUtube to figure out how to attach this clip to my blog.

I opened up firefox this morning, logged into my igoogle page and saw this interesting looking video on the YOUtube listing. All I can say is this video totally rocked my socks off. It was made by a girl in England who calls herself "Little Boots" and she is sitting in her bedroom with her keyboard and this nifty little gadget called a Netorion (Which I absolutely love and have to put on my wish list of gifts to buy my daughter for Christmas). Watch the video and see for yourself, this girl is awesome. If she had a CD right now I would go out and buy it.

Obviously I have spread my wings a little in joining the YOUtube community (Scary), but I wanted to keep up to date on new songs this young lady comes out with. I have already tried getting a hold of my daughter to tell her to check out this video, but I was unable to reach her because like most teenagers (she is 18) her phone is either not on, the battery is dead, or she left it at home.

Since I am in SC visiting my parents and am just getting ready to drive back home within the next couple days, I will have to wait and see if my daughter actually checks her messages and calls me back.

Well, I haven't got much time left for surfing the internet. I have to get packing and load up the car. I was planning on leaving tomorrow morning, but the way things are going, I might just leave Saturday morning. I hate feeling rushed. I almost always forget things when I feel rushed, and I can't turn around and come back if I leave something behind.

Take Care everyone. God Bless and I will catch up with you again later:-)