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- A fabulous fibre frenzy today! Thank You to all wonderful fiberistas who visited us and filled arms with warm fuzzies! We heart You all!
- Going to Celebration Of Wool today? Mention you saw our "Colourful Gems" on FB for a friendly 5% off your purchase!
- Colorful Gems ready for market tomorrow!
- Ohhhh! Magic woolly treats sprouting for Celebration Of Wool market at Canberra's Old Bus Depot this Sunday!
- Heart-felt Gift Card range, available soon online & The Nook Leura
- Drying Time = Coffee Time !
- "Today in the Tinctory" : Cria Silk Lace in our popular Greener Shades, Organic Merino bulky 2ply soaking in the Aquarelle Indigo pot, and a few Eucalyptus felt bundles on the stove. A feast for the senses!
- In the studio today.. bundles & batts .. Yipee!
- inspiration point: Artist Hiromi Tango, GOMA art installation & collaborative workshops http://hiromitango.com/Pistil-current
- Photos from my time teaching 'Journey Threads: The Art of Yarn', a 5day workshop with Fibre Arts Australia. http://flic.kr/s/aHsjzFhwS2
- I'm DYEing for this! It's SPIN, KNIT & FELT-makers h e a v e n ! Last year was a HUGE success & we are thrilled to be back! New handdyed Rainbow yarns, lush fibre blends and loads of delicious handspun goodness to keep your fingers warm during the winter! I hope to see you there *-*
- spinning my cocoon for the exhibition 'Design on The Edge', curated by Saskia Everingham & Jude Skeers for Braemar Gallery, Springwood NSW
- Kudos to Glenys Mann of Fibre Arts Australia for picking me up & sweeping me off my feet, immersing me in 5days of an unforgettable teaching experience, having the privilege to meet amazing world-famous fibre artists, many with whom I made hearftfelt connections, and for pushing me into a place where I belong. WOW! If you ever have an opportunity to attend a Fibre Arts Australia Forum, it will change your life! http://fibrearts.jigsy.com/
- Inspiration point: Dyeing to get in your garden? http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/05/garden/a-new-generation-discovers-grow-it-yourself-dyes.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all
- Cocoon progress.. Art Exhibition deadline tomorrow!
- Watching waterfalls with Vilte
- Day 1 with Vilte, Feeling that felt feeling. Working new textural surfaces and igniting my felting mojo & muscles! Beautiful way to spend the day, & looking forward to the next 4!
- Spinning into form.. Metamorphosis has begun for my art piece in the Design On The Edge exhibition. Please Join me at the Opening : 5:30pm Sat April 14, Braemar Gallery, Springwood NSW.
- stunning silver EL locks have hit the virtual shelves! http://shop.wooldancer.com/product/english-leicester-new-curly-locks-perfect-for-vilte-workshop
- Felt/Spin peeps: Curls, curls, Curls } Are you looking for Curly Locks? Clicketty-click.. http://shop.wooldancer.com/product/english-leicester-new-curly-locks-perfect-for-vilte-workshop
- Vilte Workshop materials tip: handspun yarn provides fascinating surface textures too! Contact me if you would like me to spin your some surface texture yarn! http://www.flickr.com/photos/vilte-felt/5240249607/in/photostream/
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- Mar 27, 12There's nothing quite like last-minute deadlines to fuel momentum.. I am on the edge of my seat with excitement to have been invited to include a piece of work in the upcoming group exhibition, Design On The Edge.title: TBAcocoon handspun with finnish landrace fleece; artists hair; wireThe metamorphosis has begun, and I forsee many late evenings in the stars for me to complete this goal of a human-size handspun cocoon.
Do join me on Opening night Sat 14 April 5:30pm at Braemar Gallery, Springwood NSW
and hold me to my word that I will emerge unscathed from 2 weeks of mega-making workshop spree I embark upon tomorrow..
firstly, I am hosting Vilte, felt artist from Lithuania, with her 5day workshop, then I head to Ballarat for another 5day workshop with Fibre Arts Australia, this time with moi at the helm.
grab a wheatgrass & hold onto your seatbelt folks, this fortnight is going to be a ride for the books! - Jan 30, 12The new year is symbolic of turning a fresh new leaf, and it is heartening to read around the interweb accounts of the significance this time of year.. there is a special kind of energy that propells us toward, that moves us forward, one step at a time, or in leaps and bounds toward markers in life, achievement of goals, as grand or simple as they may be.
i have been shifting and renewing Beneath My Skin, excited at what this dragon year holds. As a mother to 3beautiful growing children, each a Muse to me in their own unique ways, i observe my own growth as a mother through them. Confronting, enlivening and enriching as it is, I strive to always do better for them.
this year, I resolved to make a huge life change, to live an authentic life and work with dogged determination to make a sustainable existence for my family as a creative being.. To throw caution to the wind, and to live more deeply into my life as Wooldancer.. not only as a business or label, but for all the real qualities of owning my creativity as my vocation. I have been granted such fortune during the years by taking this path, by living into the community as a wool-worker, as a designer, as a teacher, as a student, and I hold my place in this dearly. And so it is, to offer Wooldancer to those who are willing to see my work and attend my workshops, to live into my art in Daily Life as a creative person who longs to derive a supporting lifestyle for my family, propelling me forward into 2012.
This choice has come with some reservation, as the 'job' i took on, guiding & holding a beautiful space for young children as a Family Day Care Educator, as close to my heart as it is, was veering me in a direction I know in my heart is not All That I Am. It is scary to let the certainty of employment go, but I have also found that other doors are opening for my woolly pathway, one that is as warm, trusting & comfortable, enfolding my soul & spirit, holding me up with comfort that It Is the right choice to make. [I am thrilled to have been invited to teach Stage4 Textiles this term for Kindlehill High School.. a challenge I am humbled and excited about exploring; and there are Workshops, ever so many wonderful workshops!]
For some folk this choice may seem obvious. Today, society demands that we be 'other' than who we are, to work at 'jobs' that we really would rather not, had we experienced different life circumstances, or if not, to chase our tails to survive. I have been contemplating & sketching for some yarns that 'reflect" this theme: To make ends meet, to scrape for bread and butter, to keep our head above water.. these notions are the foundations of leading a 'happy life', for most it is simply to get by and make do, to simplify for a 'sustainable life'. I'm exploring this theme for an art project that will be showing in March at Braemar Gallery. If you fell so compelled, do Comment with your thoughts about your views on what a 'sustainable life' means to you.
This choice, for my pursual of a sustainable creative life, is partly due to you my dear friends, who read and follow snippets of my journey as Wooldancer.. with the warmth and enthusiasm I have felt. For if not for your encouragement and continual support with all my endevours, i would not be (wool)dancing to my own rhythm. A heart-felt Thank you.
Shifting again, and rightfully in grey, The 2day Vilte workshop has sold out, as has the 3day Beyond The Surface workshop.
Thanks to those of you who have enrolled. This will be a special experience. Stay tuned for more wonderful woolly workshops with Wooldancer!
xoMichelle - Jan 24, 12Happy New Year my woolly wonderfuls.. I have enjoyed a breathtaking summer break with exciting news to share.. I have had the pleasure of conversation with Vilte, an acclaimed feltmaker from Lithuania, who is traveling to Australia during March to hold a series of her Poetic Felt workshops. I am tickled pink to be organiszing her 'Sydney' trip, where she will be holding 2 workshops in the Blue Mountains.
I have long admired Vilte's textural yet sheer nuno felt, poetic expressions that conjur a deep connection to natural fibres.. As you will read in the link above, Vilte's language about the process of making felt is enchanting and intriguing. Her workshops will be nothing short of a remarkable and enriching 5days!
For participants seeking supplies, I have taken a dive into my extra-special Wooldancer stash & put aside some very special longwool English Leicester fleece, coloured fleece, polworth & finn wool and lovely creamy 18micron merino wool top. I will also have some silk chiffon and paj available for the materials list. Let me know you would like to reserve a bountyful-bundle upon booking your place.Day 1 – working on samples using raw fleece from various breeds of sheep or other animals as well as different untreated natural fibers (silk, flax, banana fiber, bamboo, etc). You will learn how to felt with raw wool and create drapable and live felt, how to create different textures with different wool (long, curly, fluffy...). You will learn how to create a material with new visual and sensual properties using different natural fibers and then manipulate it making the wild fibers speak in 3D form as well.Day 2 – Discussing the samples, choosing the materials for a personal design of a shawl or other drapable accessory, anything that reinforces the free flow of wild fibers and wraps each body in very individual way, creating a very personalized look. Preparing prefelts for manipulation from fibers and beginning to lay out the design. Felting an finishing tips.Please note that workshop program might be adjusted to suit the needs of participants.
Beyond the surface: fabric manipulation in making nuno felt dresses : 3dayDay 1 – working on samples using different fabric manipulation techniques.Day 2 –Discussing the samples, choosing the techniques for a personal dress design. Sketching a personal design of the dress. Counting patterns. Beginning to lay out the dress.Day 3 – finishing laying out the dress and felting it. Finishing tips.Working hours per day – 6 hours + time for lunch break
Vilte will assist you in creating your very own sheer silk/felt dress of your own design.. imagine!
To Book:
Australian participants:
Bank Transfer is preferred, email: wooldancer [at] gmail.com for details.
Overseas bookings available online - Jul 09, 11I was a little nervous when the studio called last year to do a little story on the Fibre Art Workshops I hold in Lawson.. it turns out there was no need.. With thanks to the crew who made the atmosphere in my little studio even more colourful & bright than usual! Huge thanks also to my friends Pam De Groot & Diane for coming along to hold my hand & spin & provide the laughter that made me relax into it all. Enough talking.. here's a peek.. but it's only up for a week, so check it out now!
http://www.sydney.com/A_Woolly_Yarn_p4999.aspx - May 02, 11new 6ply chain-cable yarn, in the style of: "This is not a Chain Store"Time for a freshen-up of my online presence, I have been tinkering with new designs lately.. both wearable yarn patterns (above designs now at The Nook, Leura) + a new image-redesign, with a cute new website, product tags and yarn labels.. & in keeping with all things fresh & new, I thought I'd re-open my studio webshop with a little teaser:
Polworth.. the finest fleece from a fellow handspinner's own flock. These uncarded locks are extra-special.. with a long staple due to an extended shearing season. If you like to spin with soft buttery locks and lurve textural yarns these shimmering bring rainbow-coloured locks take the cake, and are now available by the ounce.
I also popped up new workshop bookings for the next 3 months in Lawson. If you fancy learning to spin yarn or dye fibre, now is the season!
Next up, SPIN CAMP with the amazing LEXI BOEGER, the infamous PLUCKYFLUFF.COM in which
we spun, we plucked, we fluffed till the clouds came down from yonder & sprinkled their star-dust upon us :corespun yarn plied all squiggly with granny stax to the max!accidental 8ply yarn.. kinda cool crazy thing happens with navajo plying when you're so high on the spin-love in the room distracted by all the chatter you forget which direction you are going, & then just have to keep on S & Z'ing!navajo : straight-upSpin Camp ponderings: YUP we take the high side of making yarn and throw the beacon to the abyssSome of the wild new yarns that spun their way into the world during Lexi's recent visit.. I can't believe a month has passed by since Sydney Pluckyfluff Camp. It was the MOST wild, intoxicating, enthralling three days, connecting with a friend from distant shores, finally meeting in the flesh and soaking up the beaming creative energy. My heart goes out to each and every beautiful lady who each contributed vast gobs of love, colour and creative beauty & took the opportunity to learn from and revel in new ways of working with yarn from the master Revolutionary.. and to you Lexi, sweet spinsista, such a privilege to hang in my hood with you as one of my family xo unforgettable
You can view pix of the Sydney Spin Camp on flickr and in the Pluckyfluff album on my facebook page. - Apr 19, 11We've Got the Whole World in Our Hands, handwoven coil yarn neckwrapI am thrilled to be offering a new extended 5day workshop with Fibre Arts Australia. The forum is well-known for highly experienced textile arts teachers from Australia and around the world, who gather for 5 days of inspiring creativity. It goes without saying how excited I am to be involved in offering my chosen craft & art skills as an educator in this wonderful environment.
If you have ever wondered what to make with your art yarn, this is your chance! Experienced art yarn spinners, come & extend your textile art-practice. If you are interested but don't already spin, that's part of the course too! Come spin, play with yarn: knit, crochet or weave, and immerse yourself in this exciting fibre-arts retreat. Read text below for course description & Enrol here!
Ebb and Flow handspun journey-thread scarfJourney Threads: the Art of Yarn : 8 to 14 April 2012
[ Yarn: story; personal narrative; a journey expressed in thread ]
Handspinning is an ancient textile skill currently enjoying a modern revival. The expressive nature of fibre and the dynamic energy of spinning yarn allows for thoughts and emotions to be captured in yarn as it flows through your hands. In this experimental workshop we shall consider the creation of yarn as an act of artistic expression. The very process of hand-spinning reveals the makers’ blueprint, or story, in thread-form.
In this workshop we focus on creative yarn making, in which expressive handspun yarn becomes a focal point in the production of a wearable item. Yarn, fibre and threads meander, intertwine and connect to each other using basic handwork methods: knit, crochet, or weave. The finished piece will become “Homage to Self”: a personal narrative spun into a wearable item.
This course is catered for all levels of experience. The beginning of the course will introduce students to the skill of spinning on a spindle (wheel spinners welcome), and will cover fibre choice, preparation and structural techniques. Experienced students will gain an extended skill-set in improvised technique. Yarn Design (colour, structure, texture) is an important part of the process. Emphasis will be on the process of discovery whilst learning new skills, often leading to surprising outcomes.
A personal narrative will be interpreted into the finished wearable piece. For example, ‘Homage to your Heart’ may be a soft & flowing loose knit or a heart-shaped armour made with knit roving & embellished with handspun crochet. The story you represent in both the threads and the finished piece will be your own creative expression. - Apr 11, 11"A Skein of Geese"Playing catch-up now..
Last week I had the pleasure of collaborating with friend and artist Susie Dereau on a work for an exhibition which is now showing at the infamous Gaffa Gallery, Sydney.
Animal Collective Nouns is a bi-annual exhibition created by the Noun Collective, and features a diverse talent of artists working in a range of media. I was thrilled to have a handspun yarn included in the show. Our collective noun is "A Skein of Geese".detail. "A Skein of Geese"I spun this using naturally coloured & rare wools: Polworth, Gotland, Blue Faced Leicester, Alpaca and added some Goose feathers for good measure! This photo details Susie's stunning Oil on Linen paintings.A Skein of GeeseI wrote and article about it for a new blog 'Spin Artiste', dedicated to the art of creative handspinning, and am more than a itty-bit chuffed Arlene published it today.. woot!
If you are around town the exhibition is definitely one to see, and the jewellery designers' in Gaffa's shop Stirling are amazing to boot! - Oct 25, 10further adventures in tailspinning.. the luscious flowing locks of the Wensleydale sheep, courtesy of a lovely lady who visited me a few moons ago for a spin session all the way from the UK. Kudos to you for the amazing curls ;)During our spin-play session we stumbled upon a new fun way to make cocoons into butterfly wings!I love the fulidity of spinning yarn.. the continual flow of fibre between my fingers gives rise to many a discovery during the process. I need that outlet, a space where i can give permission to the ebbs & flow of my creative surges, allowing those energies to flow & become & be, a material expression of creative impulse. I believe it to be very healing.. if you are a mama who does not yet spin yarn, you should try it!
- Corespun merino mohair, Fairn McNoon's lovely romney locks from Homestead and batty Butterfly-Cocoons spun in!
(there are more pix on flickr.. take a peek!) - Aug 27, 10having a tea party with my new crochet handspun wire yarn jewelery pieces, whilst working on some presentation ideas.
I am using my plant-printed & dyed wool felt swatches as backing for the broaches & pendants. These felts were dyed over a year ago when i first experimented with tea & coffee dye-baths, and some flower printing with black-eyed susan flowers, coreopsis (yellow), and various leaves. The swatches were apparently sitting in my studio awaiting this moment to arrive.. - Aug 26, 10If you are in Canberra, or feel like a lovely Fathers' Day weekend outing, come on down to the Belconnen Arts Centre & enjoy fabulous dance, yummy eats & design treats!
See you there
xoMichelle - Aug 25, 10this is what i see when i walk into my little garden hut-turned studio. it's lovely to see all the colourful fibres there, awaiting transformation.
I have been spinning these organic merino fibres into some simple yet sublime handspun singles yarns.. so smooshy & yummy and scooped off the shelf as soon as they are spun. I am so grateful to all my fibre friends who visit my market booth to snuzzle in & make something with my fibres.. I'm excited to think of what they become.
GIVE AWAY TIME!Have you made yarn or felt with wooldancer fibre? Comment with a link, or email me a pic to: info at wooldancer.com, share your creations with everyone, and win a chance to scoop up a free handdyed braid !Comments will be open for one week, & then Mr random generator will draw a winner ;) squee!xoMichelle - Aug 24, 10I am playing catch up with my blog.. there are many snippets i'd like to share of 'life' over the past few months, during which access to a working computer has been limited to say the least! I have uploaded a boatload of images on flickr if you would like a fast-track preview ;)
i'll do my best to work forward, & with past moments becoming fragmented memories, the timeline may not be accurate.. this venture began during autumn, a few months ago.
Forever intrigued with the ring as adornment of the highest order, i am revisiting making them. Without facility to make bands in silver, my efforts are on the funky focal. Nothing says " i love fibre" more than a fabulous felt ring!
-felt on silver plate rings available by request, and at Very Fashion, Katoomba. - Aug 19, 10
playing with handspun wire yarn this afternoon.. this ring-broach evolved..
as well as some hand-stamped paper bags, with my hand-carved stamp by craftpudding
enjoy xo - Aug 18, 10
I have just received *exciting* news I have been accepted into an art & design market in Canberra in two weeks!
I'll be head down, fingers furling, making new neckwear for the next few weeks in my studio/loungeroom/kitchen/at swimming lessons!.. I'll be making stuff everywhere i go to get it all finished, whilst remaining totally calm, of course
stay tuned for Market info .. & mark Saturday 4th September in your diary pretty please with warm fuzzies on top!
xoMichelle - Aug 19, 10Sydney Design is in full swing.. this naturally called for a trip into Sydney-town on Saturday with my friend Pam to attend a knit workshop with designer Nikki Gabriel
Construction No#1 was on the menu & had us click-clacking away on hugenormous number 25's for the morning.. loving those pins.. i'm impressed to have started & finished a garment in under 3 hours!casting off the first shapePam & pins
me wearing Nikki's hoodyscarf in her purpose-made screenprinted knitting tent
I love how Nikki takes simple shapes & creates totally wearable & gorgeous designs. If you have ever been stifled by a knitting pattern, this is the knit system for you! Nikki demystifies the knitting pattern & simplifies it into shapes. These shapes can be knit quickly, & built upon to create multiple garment possibilities using the accessible language of shape. I began my 'hoodyscarfvest' with the hood, but opted instead to make the hood into the top of my vest, which i quickly finished with a wider rectangle.
vio'la!
To top off the day, we spent the rest of the afternoon strolling & drooling over Young Blood Designers Market & DesignBoom Mart meeting designers, talking the talk, chatting up ideas, many of which are brewing away nicely... - Jun 09, 10I have just uploaded my first two listings to the Australian handmade online market, Made-it. It feels great to be part of an online handmade community on my own shore. Now I can post my southern-hemisphere (winter) woolly wares on Made-it,while my northern-hemisphere (spring/summer) range hang out on etsy!
For those of you who are savvy in reading about changes with my website cart, this is part of the process. I'll keep you posted.Now I can be across the seasons on the two sites, and i confess it will keep me sane.. as making summer neckwear during the brisk chill of winter is challenging.. when all i want to crochet are snuggly woollen sleeping bags! [mental note.. stand-by for snuggly woolly sleeping bags OTN (on the needles) ] hmm.. i'll have to spin me a river to make enough yarn!-------------------------------A quick update on Wooldancer outlets:brick & mortar:The Nook Arts & Crafts Co-op, upstairs 133a The Mall, Leura NSWnext market dates:* Sun 27 June: Old Bus Depot Market
* Sun 11 July: Creative Fibre, OBDM, Canberra* Fri 16- Sun 18 July: Australian Sheep & Wool Show, Woolcraft Shed 3, next to main gate.--------------------------------Clicky the linkys, or come visit me for loads of woolly yarn & fibre products not listed online!I hope to share the warm fuzz with you soon,Michelle - May 30, 10I was contacted quite a while ago by super talented fibre artist Kay Petal, to custom spin some Art Yarn for use as hair for her needlefelted dolls. Browsing my flickrstream today, I see a photo of a most playful character called Daisy, whose spirit lifted me off my seat for the joy & expression of spirit she holds. I made a double-take to see that her hair was made with Wooldancer Handspun. How exciting to see my own yarn featuring as the hair on this delightful art doll!
Daisy is one such spirit that manifests from Kay's talent.. isn't it amazing that she is created from wool.. I have every inclination to believe she has imbibed flesh & bones due to the realness she exhibits. To view more of Kay's beautiful incarnations, visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/feltalive/ - May 13, 10
I have been busily preparing new handdyed & carded Fibre Batts, handdyeing lush wool top and trying to gather all my fibre-delights together for a mini fibre-festival this coming Sunday..
I am heading down to Canberra for the 'Celebration of Wool' day at the Old Bus Depot Markets. I am totally last-minute with the prep's, but it will pull-together i think (ever the optimist!)
DIYDad & I are always scheming little projects to keep us busy.. he is fabulous at rummaging & recycling bits & pieces to upcycle into new experiments.. His is a way of life many green-conscious aspire to nowadays. We are gathering 3 doors & hopefully i can locate another log from a woodpile we can slice up for my neckwear display. They worked really well for the display we designed for The Nook.. big kudos to Georgina whose skillz with wood came thru with the goods, yo! I'll pop up a piccy here soon..
In the meantime, some of the deluxe batts I have been cranking out for market.
Warm Fuzzies!
Michelle - May 10, 10I have finally had a chance to upload pix of the 3day Spin Fest weekend I hosted in the Blue Mountains back in late March!
No thanks to a low-blood-sugar moment & smashing my iphone on the bare concrete-laden floor during the set-up, it's a miracle I could even take photos with it!
So, please excuse the poor quality of some of these pix, tho if you look thru the whole set you will see we had a most excellent time with Jacey teaching a panting crowd her most fabulous Art Yarn skillz. I especially loved every single moment, albeit exhausting, I can't thank her & Mandie enough for making this event a possibility..
And most enjoyable was that I went home from a weekend with a nigh 2dozen new friends! You spinsistah's rock! - May 08, 10when the weather turns to knitwear...
I gravitate to my growing stash of fibre tools : knitting needles, crochet hooks, looms etc and let inspiration strike for what the yarn is to become. I usually work backwards, like reverse engineering, gaining ideas from the textures & colours of the handspun.
I had the idea for this yarn after receiving the beautiful handdyed fibre from Cindy, www.studioloo.com, quite a few months back. The colours simply sprouted a Spring theme, and i began gathering add-ins.
Included in a package from Lacey, www.moonrover.etsy.com, was the perfectly coloured needlefelted wool 'leaves' which became the coil vegetable-esque forms. I also found a lovely icord my 5year-old daughter had knit on her french-knitter.. she loves to collect scraps of yarn i leave around the house to knit. It was perfectly matched to suit the theme for this yarn, so I spun it right in.
The spinning of this yarn began at Spin Fest completed shortly after. I knit it straight off the bobbin after a week of letting the yarn sit & relax its twist a little. I loosely followed the Slouch hat pattern from Lexi's book, Intertwined (i say loosely as I am a freeformer at heart and deviate from patterns as a general rule of habit!)
I have this beanie now for sale at The Nook, Leura, NSW. I hope to be adding more beautiful noggin-warmers to this collection soon.
xoMichelle - May 07, 10
I have breaking news that I will be at the infamous Canberra OBDM on Sunday May 16, 2010!
This is absolutely an honor to be offered a spot so late in the piece.. with only a week to go, I am in complete (insert adjective of choice) hyper-making-mode of procrastination.. right now within the necessary lull before the storm of productivity!
So, instead of working thru the midnight hour tonight, I am going to visit Finders Keepers with my friend Pam.. we are attending with bated breath after our joint-application was not accepted this time round. We will be scouting all fibre stalls hungry for hints on what to do better next time when applying ;)
To Do list:
make make make until i drop:
- handdyed top & fibre packs
- batts
- art yarn
- NEW winter woollie designs : Artspun Neckwear
( - and, time permitting, possibly even a few brand new (shh) wearables I have been making with my Grannies vintage yardage.. but it is still top secret, my lips are sealed for now.. )
Can you come visit? I hope to see you there for some yarny hugs
xo Michelle - May 06, 10The weather has turned to knitwear...
& I have a bit of news to share.. the kind that has cranked my work-load up a notch to 10!
I have moved into The Nook, Leura.
Well, my wool has. I have designed a new range of woollie neckwear : cosy woollie scarves & beanies for us mountain dwellers who love to cosy down into some warmth this time of year. I even designed a Nookie Neckwarmer as my feature design for the Nook ;)
I am crazy about knitting icord yarn jewellery.. soft & sweet petite necklaces made from handspun & handdyed wool that you can wear all year long .. I'm thinking it will be perfect for the many tourists who frequent the beautiful Leura village.
Handspun yarn will also grace the display, as will a tinsy bit of fibre.. so, from now my local peeps can enjoy a quick "brick & mortar" purchase at whim .. so no more midnight phone calls about running out of yarn y'hear!
Next time you are in the Blue Mountians, drop on by 133a The Mall, Leura, and you may even see me behind the counter!
xoMichelle - May 06, 10Due to smashing my iphone on the day of set-up, I still have many photos to upload from the wonderful 3day Spin Fest, Art Yarn Workshop & Retreat held recently in the beautiful Blue Mountains.
This pic was snapped by the lovely Donyale (thank you!)
To kick off the 3day weekend, I had a most outstanding experience teaching many enthusiastic fibre-friends the art of dyeing wool with Greener Shades. We dyed some beautiful fibres every colour of the rainbow using low water immersion microwave method, and also squeezed in kettle dyeing. This left us only a short time to overview Drum carding basics and Felt Sushi beads were made & fondled with guest tutor Pam De Groot in the afternoon.
We were totally geared up for what turned out to be a wild & wonderful weekend spinning, learning & sharing inspriation with Jacey.
To top it all off, the weekend was spent spinning with 20 fabulous ladies all hyper to learn from international superstar spinster Jacey Boggs aka Insubordiknit.. a most informative & fun time indeed!
Here are pix of (some) of the yarns I spun up during the weekend..
The energised singles from my Cocoons sampler are already a knit WIP, I am making a freeform scarf with this beautiful handdyed BFL/BOO (bluefaced leicester & bamboo blended by the EGMTK Beast!)
I am obviously in blogville today.. get ready for another post shortly!
xoMichelle - Jan 10, 10
..especially out under the pine tree with yarn and good company!
It's been a hot stifling summer weekend, so the kids and I set up this peaceful afternoon scene in order to get through without tears. I love it when my children ask me to do some dyeing.. it's pretty much a sure thing i'll say yes, so we're all hap-hap-happy! My three were keen to whip out the Dye Kits they had stashed on their craft shelf.
The apprentices' focus on the activity for the afternoon was impeccable. Sheer delight in observing the colours appear on the wool is like magic to them.
I personally vouch for these kits as a popular summer craft activity that is sure to get a good solid hour of Peace for mama! And that's gotta be worth gold!
I have blogged about dyeing with children before & you may think I'm a little OTT mentioning it again, i find it's a savior 'emergency' activity for me.. especially when i want to get some of my own dyeing done!
Happy Dye Kits were really popular at markets last year. I have just listed them in the shop for school holiday activity ideas & they make perfect gifts too! I'm sure your kids will love to paint rainbows on wool.
I will be updating the shop with more items throughout this week.. i'm playing catch up for the lack of activity on the update front late last year. So all batt clubs are getting shipments, custom orders happening & my workshop on the weekend is experiencing final touches too! phew!
Oh, & i haven't forgotten PART 2 of the PINBOARD LOOM art yarn weaving tutorial.. as soon as I figure out how to upload pix from Mr Wooldancer's new Nikon (and if the low-light pix work out) i'll be good to go!
thanks for visiting!
Michelle - Jan 08, 10Happy New Year! 2010 is bound to be lived to the fullest around here.. especialy if 2009 was a pre-requisite! I'll spare you the details, suffice to say.. it's a new year, a new slate & i'm feeling inspired!
..as promised.. New Yarn: yes! etsy listings are happening again!
New Knits: ditto the above.. warm snuggly wears are high on my must-make list. i can't get enough.. & my model is the cutest.. don't you think? i will be making many more designs in knit, crochet, woven, yarn constructed items for the shop this year.. it is exciting to see my yarn out there being worn in new & exciting ways.
..jumpin ahead a little here to announce important happenings in Art Yarn..
Firstly, I am teaching a 2day Art Yarn workshop at the NSW Weavers & Spinners Guild in Sydney next weekend, for which I am equally as honoured & excited about presenting. I have taught a similar course at the Summer School for the past 3 years & each time I teach there, i am inspired to do more & more teaching..it's addictive! I LOVE seeing the multi-colour craZy & exciting art yarns that pile up on the tables at the end of two days of hard-core technique toolbox spinning!
Also, if you are around the traps of Lexi Boeger, author of Handspun Revolution & Intertwined and Art Yarn Revolutionary herself, you will know there is an invitation to all spinners around the globe to participate in a real-time YARN exhibition in Norway!
Here is a link to the flyer. Please spin a yarn. or two.
If you are in Australia, you can participate in the Aussie-Collective Lillehammer Yarn Package to help save on postage costs to the US. We are pooling all yarns here at the Wooldancer headquarters & then sending all together in one bulk package to help save on postage costs.
If you want in, please email me: wooldancer at gmail dot com. and make sure your yarn is in my hands by FEB 10th. thanks!
Thirdly, you may be aware the Sit & Spin spinstres, Jacey of Insubordiknit fame, is heading downunder & she is coming to the Blue Mountains for a Spin fest with you & me & us & well, you can tell i'm excited huh! The Accommodation is practically sold out, however there are still some spots left for the workshops. Book Now to confirm your place! 3days of bliss out spinny goodness to rock your socks off!1.Pinboard Loom Tutorial.. Make a scarflette with handspun Art Yarn, originally uploaded by wooldancerNew tutorial: DIY Pinboard Loom for weaving Art Yarn into wearable fabric.
I thought-up this loom last night specifically for my new yarn Spinning Around the World yarn & thought i'd share a tutorial. This DIY loom is perfect for using every bulky crazy Art Yarn as a weft to display maximum texture.. it creates beautiful soft fabric with your crazy Art Yarns. Please make your way over to the flickr link for 1st part of the tutorial pix. The Weft pix coming in another blogpost tomorrow!
warm fuzzy wishes for a most inspiring new year!
hugs,
michelle la wooldancer
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stockists
stockists- wool & wearswebshop { fibre art supplies & workshops }
etsy { handdyed fibre & wearables }
Brick&Mortar:
The Nook Art & Craft Co-op,
133a The Mall Leura
NSW Australia
Open 9:30am-5pm daily
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workshop map
workshop map
- 14 Somerville St, Wentworth Falls NSW 2782, Australia
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workshops | events
workshops | events
- April 2012:
5day workshop } Journey Threads
FIBRE ARTS AUSTRALIA
BALLARAT 8TH - 14TH APRIL 2012
Events:
Feb/March 2012:
Kindlehill High School Artist Mentor in Textiles
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Vilte Felt workshops 2day + 3day Blue Mountains retreat : see weblog for details
SUN 20 MAY 2012
Celebration of Wool
Old Bus Depot Markets, Canberra
Wooldancer Studio Sessions:
i lteach hand-spinning & eco-dyeing workshops
Beiginner & Creative Handspinning
Make a luxury wool scarf
Eco-Dyeing wool yarn and fibre
hello & welcome to Wooldancer fibre studio
home of artisan handspun, sustainable threads and wearable art accessories.
My creative studio is located in the World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains, 1.5hrs west of Sydney.
Wooldancer began in 2002 in a warm barn on the edge of the Yarra River,
where straw turned to gold
with a flick of the wrist & a low-tech cd spindle..
skeins are now whirled upon a wheel named Poly.
i like the connection between making yarn & creating life, as it ebbs & flows
with the colour & texture of a handmade ball of yarn..
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Contact me below to request a workshop booking
Visit the studio shop for :
Greener Shades eco-dye | Inwood Smith Carding tools
