Off the Grid a Bit

It is entirely too long since I posted last, especially since I had vowed to start posting more regularly than my once a week routine!  However, it seems like  life is rather conspiring against me.  Major change of diet has me a bit distracted while I go wheat/dairy/corn free.  I'm getting the hang of it now and it's going well.  Then I fell into a more than full-time job and that has kept me REALLY busy.  Nothing to get excited about, but I do have to take a break from creating full-time to pay the bills back down and reassure my lonely bank account that I do not intend to abandon it (and possibly reassure my bank of same).  I am not giving up felting, just spending more time experimenting and ENJOYING felting, versus producing on such a high level.  As sales are not great in craft at the moment, I can't justify spending so much time and money there.  It's nice to enjoy the nice weather and relax a bit without last year's incredible pressure to produce and sell.  Anyone would lose their mojo in the midst of that!

Bin Ban Beach in Dingle.  The weather has been pretty
good this spring!

And, sadly, my mother passed away last Saturday, April 7th in Seattle.  She was ill for a long time, but she rallied back from death so many times that we began to think that she just wouldn't succumb.  In the end she did pass rather quickly (and mercifully) and it has been hard for me and Fionn to be so far away.  I had two rough days and now I feel numb and rather shell-shocked, like I could go to bed and sleep for two weeks straight.  But I decided not to take any time off as I thought sitting around the house thinking too much wouldn't do me any good.  I don't think its all really sunk in, to be honest, but it will.  When one or both of your parents pass, it's a milestone; the people who loved you the best and the most are gone.  Thankfully I still have my father.

For now, I am keeping it pretty simple.  Still working on a freestyle crochet cardigan that will be done soon and I need to get cracking on a baby blanket for my new niece who will be here in May at some time.  I started deep cleaning the house, which I am sure must be one of the little-talked about stages of grief.  I may not be the most mentally healthy, but dammit my house will sparkle!  I also am working on felting and patterns for new items, but its all in a muddled state--pics to follow!

Enjoy the spring and I hope to have some decent pics soon as I can't keep cleaning the house at this pace!

Blurry Picture in the Distance

There are times in life when all seems muddy and unclear.  It's really that time of year, isn't it?  Time to wisely listen to the animals and hibernate a bit.  Its the time of year when I drag out magazines to look at new projects, new fabrics, and to think about people I want to work with and skills I need to learn.  I read a lot and cook and try to actively NOT think at times.

After a few weeks of this, something generally starts to emerge.  I am a list maker, essential for anyone balancing too much in their life, and if I lay the lists out next to each other I generally start to see a pattern of interest.  I can see now that there was no way I could sustain the amount of work that I was doing.  I think less teaching, or at least more isolated teaching, is in my future.  I love teaching, but I end up giving too much of myself and the transition between designing and teaching isn't as fluid for me right now.  I think now is a time to concentrate on design ideas and working on selling.

I went up to Showcase on Monday, just to have a look around. I was nearly certain that it wasn't for me, but I wanted to get some feedback on designs.  Not only did I get excellent feedback on my hats and scarves, but I really do think Showcase will be for me next year.  I have a lot to do to get ready, including perfecting my begging face when I have to go to the bank and look for a small business loan, but it will be worth it for the exposure.  The addition of the fashion show this year was really the clincher.  I was told that my work would have been perfect in the fashion show the night before, that I was on track with the style and textures and colours.

And I took a good hard look at what the other knitwear and felt people were doing.  There's no point replicating the same designs as we all look the same and it only creates a price war.  So I now have a fair idea of what I will make that will stand out from the crowd.  Now to just find the space to do it!  I am also seeking advice from a mentor and I am toying with the idea of changing my company name and re-branding. It's a bit fussy, but I think the name I have hasn't been connecting at all and now is the time to do it.  I have arrived at a name and mentor thinks it's good, too, so just have to think about it over the week and then order new business cards and labels for clothing.

Some progress is being made on sorting my house out.  I made a space for my dyeing microwave and now just need to find a space for all my dyeing equipment.  Not easy!!  Hopefully some space will be made available in the near future.  Meanwhile, I am working on samples to show a couple of shops who I am going to approach. I need to get all my details all organized so it looks like a cohesive package.  The mist is lifting and I can see the blurry picture in the distance!

And I also need to get taking some pics because this is all I had this week!

Oh, Knit & Stitch, how I do love thee....

One of Ruth Issett's stunning
textile pieces on exhibition
at K & S 

 We made it up and down to Dublin, Fionn and I, and had a great time.  Knit & Stitch time is my favourite time of year: a chance to get great new supplies, take in inspirational exhibitions, and meet up with friends you see mostly online.  I took a mini-workshop with Ruth Issett called "Running with Colour" and it was fab.  I adore her work and her use of colour--so vibrant and full of life.  I tend to like a lot of abstract work in the last five years and so I could get lost in the piece on the left.  I had this one on my computer desktop to study every day and so it was a thrill to see the original!


Fionn learned a bit of weaving, but it was disappointing that much of the student classes were rather flat.  There were school tours there on the day we were there and most of the craft learning stations were geared towards girls, which was unfortunate as there were plenty of lads there.  I am a strong believer in teaching boys to sew as its part of my Basic Skills for Life training that I teach.  Who wouldn't have to know how to do an emergency repair of a seam or how to sew a button back on?  Even if they aren't going to pursue a creative career, its a great thing to learn to express yourself creatively.  I was told that a group from England decline to come over and tutor in craft.  My response to that is WHY do they have to come from England?  I know Twisted Thread, the organizing group for K & S, comes from England, but there are plenty of talented people in Ireland who could organize and teach young people interested in craft i.e. patchwork, weaving, spinning, felting, stitching.  I did love their great emphasis on repurposing and upcycling clothing and the awareness of who is producing clothing and how they manage to keep their costs low (cheap labour overseas...).  But, it's my third show now and I do notice that the cream of the craft doesn't always travel over from the English shows; it's time that we make sure that the Dublin show is just as good as the English ones.


Now I am back in Dingle, it's time to start working on the Kerry Christmas Market full-tilt.  The deadline to apply is tomorrow and I have lot of PR to do, a poster to design, and one more celebrity Santy to find!  It's coming along great and we have a wonderful group of artisans so far.  The children Christmas carol service will be wonderful on the Saturday and I am working on music performances for the Sunday.  If you have time and a few presents left to get, please DO come to Dingle for the weekend of December 17/18.  Come on the Saturday and spend the day taking in the wonderful food and craft at the Christmas Market and the unique and vibrant shops of Dingle.  Splurge and spend the night and have a fab dinner at Doyle's or Global Village.  Appreciate Kerry as much as we do!


Craft club is going strong.  We felted the pieces to make angels for the top of the tree and next week we will sew them together.  For now until Christmas, we will be making Christmas decorations or presents.  Great fun and the kids are learning so much (and they are a great bunch to work with).


If you have any inquiries about workshops or participating in craft club, please ring 087-9111793 or email sharon1_crandall@hotmail.com to register.

Hats

Tuesday, November 29th
Wednesday, December 7th

Scarves

Wednesday, November 16th
Tuesday, November 22nd
Saturday, December 10th

Absolutely amazing quilt close up.  Won Judges Choice 2011.  Artist is
Janneke de Vries-Bodzinga.

Love this guy!!  

I also loved her sketchbook on how she designed the wonderful seahorse

Very impressed with this one as it was a kid!
Leif Sinclair from Leominster.

This is a panel of a quilt series from Genesis.

Part of Seascapes exhibition sponsored by CCOI.  This is
Marika Miklosi-Manning.

October is Transition Month...

Crocheted merino hat with hand-dyed felt pieces

Lots of transitions these days.  Transition to self-employed person, which is simultaneously exhilarating and creative and also very worrying on how I will manage a regular income.  Transition to a car owner once again.  Yep, I picked up my darling on Monday and so I am now the proud owner of a 2000 navy blue Ford Escort station wagon.  She has low miles and is ready to go!  I must get her washed again because she is filthy after driving up from Cork, but otherwise seems in great form.  The relief of having a car again!  Plenty to be doing, but must get the final license sorted ASAP as motor insurance is shocking here.

Felted and dyed three scarves yesterday with pics to follow.  Craft fair on tomorrow, so must get labels sewn in and all new pieces tagged.  Trying to keep a high production level, but darn busy life keeps interfering!  I do have samples to make and send to the USA for two shops who have expressed interest, so that will help me sleep at night if I can get that going.

All Kerry Christmas Market on at An Díseart in Dingle December 17 & 18 (Sat & Sun) from 10-5pm.  Standard 6 ft stalls INDOORS €25 per day.  Please give me a ring to register as space is going quickly!  There will be charity Santy, facepainting, excellent food and craft, and more surprises being organized.  Should be great craic! 087-9111793 for more info.

If you are interested in felting workshops, please note the dates below...

Hats

Saturday, November 5th

Tuesday, November 8th

Tuesday, November 29th

Hand-dyed merino felt hat with seed bead
embellishment

Wednesday, December 7th

           

Scarves

Friday, November 4th

Wednesday, November 16th

Tuesday, November 22nd

Saturday, December 10th

Ring 087-9111793 or email sharon1_crandall@hotmail.com to register.  Space and materials are limited.  Plan to make something lovely for yourself or a loved one for the holidays this year!

Sundays are my best day...

Teal hat: merino, alpaca, and silk.

Thank God, August is over!  I am thoroughly exhausted and run-down, despite eating properly and getting enough sleep.  Working 60-70 hours per week just does not suit me.  Or, rather, I could do it for a week, but heading into the sunset working that much is not good.  And no holiday in sight it seems.

The Heritage Week event with Camphill went very well and we had a modest turnout of 125 people.  Despite our best planning, we ended up competing with the Dublin/Donegal match to see who Kerry would end up playing in the All-Ireland Final--you just can't compete with football around here!  Many thanks to Camphill who demonstrated candle-making, weaving, and spinning and Craft in Kerry demonstrated felt making, wood turning, and pottery.  Kerry County Council Heritage Office was kind enough to give us a bursary for the event, so that helped sort out operating expenses and gave Camphill a bit for their time and effort.

I got quite a few scarves made in August, so I am in a good position to start on hats. It is time to consider hats! I made a lovely teal felted hat and now much start a range of colours going. I am also crocheting hats because they really do sell well and are less expensive for me to produce and for consumers to buy. As per usual, nothing drab.  If we are to endure these cold winters, we need a little colour to pick ourselves up!  

In the meantime, I am planning 8 week courses for autumn.  I will be teaching a basic felting course at Pobalscoil Chorca Dhuibhne and a class in Handmade Home.  This class will focus on personalizing your home with your beautifully made items, concentrating on Christmas decor as the term ends.  The first few weeks will be spent on basic instructions and practice and then students will have time to concentrate on an area that particularly appeals to them.  We will felt, crochet, stitch, and see what comes out on top!  I am looking forward to it.  It will be offered 1030-1230pm and also 7-9pm, both on Thursdays beginning September 29th. Leave a message here and I will get back to you with details.

New nuno felted wrap: silk chiffon and merino/gotland curls.
All hand-dyed.

Yes, it is what you think it is!  People keep asking me
for tea cosies and so I finally made a few. These are
hand-dyed with silk pieces.

Mastery, Anyone?

Hand-dyed lambswool hanks 100g

It must be Sunday, because I am sitting here at my computer trying to put together another blog post! Despite the best of intentions, I only seem to be able to put together one, perhaps two, posts per week.  So much going on and no time to write about it. Nationwide was a great success and we are all just composing ourselves and trying to take in the spotlight.  I think we all appreciated the spotlight and here's to hoping that the artisans that need Craft in Kerry find us!  Sadly, they edited out our contact details in the interview, but people are quite good at Googling these days, so they should find us either on  our blog on  http://craftinkerry.blogspot.com/ or on our Facebook page.

Mosaic felted wrap by Pam de Groot

Our craft showcase went well and I have plenty of hand-dyed yarns left, if anyone gets itchy fingers to start a new knitting or crocheting project!  I need to get busy as there are plenty of new babies showing up in our circle of friends.  A friend of mine, having her third baby, was sure she would be overdue again, but that baby just could not stand the idea of hospital and she ended up delivering him HERSELF in the bathroom!  I about died when she sent me a text with the news.  Mother and baby are doing wonderfully, but if that child doesn't deserve a special present, I don't know who does.

The big push now, besides the Handmade Sessions, is Pam de Groot's master level dyeing and felting workshop that will be held in Dingle, Co Kerry on June 17/18/19, 2011.  The 17th will be a day of resist dyeing to prepare for the 18/19 felting days.  Pam is Dutch by way of  Australia and in Ireland for a short time.  Her work is mainly in mosaic felting, which is comprised of individual panels of pre-felts that are inlaid or tiled and then felted into another, larger piece or garment (thus mosaic).  Much of her work is in wearables and they are very beautiful; more examples can be seen here http://pamdegroot.blogspot.com/.  The workshop will allow time for participants to dye the silk and felt pieces on the 17th and then make the prefelts on the 18/19 to end the weekend with a unique and fabulous piece (or two, if you are quick and ambitious!) to wear for the cold weather months.  Pam also does quite a bit of natural dyeing and I am hoping that she brings some of the eucalyptus that is native to Australia as I have seem some of her work on her blog and the end result is really lovely.  A day of experimenting with dyes and two days of felting with talented and interesting women--HEAVEN!

Mosaic felted tunic by Pam de Groot

Cost for the three days of master level work is just €150.  A deposit secures your place and I have just a couple places left.  Originally, I wanted to start organizing these workshops in Dingle as there isn't much outside of Dublin or Cork.  It would be nice to have advanced level craft education on the West end of the country to make it more accessible.  Kerry is off the beaten track, as they say, but it is also a wonderful place to visit and get inspired.  The workshop fee does not include accommodation, but I can help with referrals.  Many people are staying with friends in Dingle, so I wanted to keep the price as low as possible for participants.  Lunch will be provided by the Goat St Cafe (http://www.thegoatstreetcafe.com/), which has a wonderful reputation and very good vegetarian/special diet food for people who need to consider those options (again, not included in the overall price, but their prices are fair). Great desserts, too!

If you want more information regarding this workshop, please email me at sharon1_crandall@hotmail.com.

Now, if I can get back into my own studio now, I have a fairy blanket to finish for that lovely, new baby....

Long Time No Blog...

Pat Lawless' regal chairs

We are over the Easter holidays, thank God. My son was quite happy to put on his uniform and walk to school.  He was ready a half hour early!  I think we definitely are both ready to get back to routine.  I spent a manic amount of time in my studio trying to get ready for the Craft in Kerry craft fair and then the admin work to get the craft fair ready (with the help of the wonderful Fiona Crinnion and partner Ronán and Colleen Bowler).  Nationwide has come and gone and it should be on tomorrow night (Wednesday May 4 at 7pm in Ireland, but you can view in on Player at www.rte.ie).  I was happy enough with the feature and so we just have to wait and see how we end up after editing.  The weather was beautiful on the day and we all came outside.  Actually, it was too beautiful and people were down on the waterside part of town soaking in the sun and sea, but no matter.  We made a start and it's onward and upward!!

Colleen Bowler's beautiful pottery.  All items at the CIK
Craft Fair were handmade in Kerry.

Now I need to get the Handmade Sessions on the map.  If we are going to get started for the beginning of June, there's a good bit of work to get done.  I have a flyer done, but we need to adapt that to a brochure and have leaflets printed for all the hotels and B&B's.  We need to build a great table to work around and have a real kit the building out session.  We don't need much to get started, so we might just squeak by on the cheap.  It's a bit ambitious to get us started on this so soon after starting Craft in Kerry, but the time is now and I know it will work.  There are also so many promising artisans that are not working and I am hoping that this will not only raise their profile, but also their income level!!  We all need a boost and a break from the Irish economic doom and gloom. Lots of meetings to get through this week, but I am hoping to have a good answer on funding and getting our foot in the door soon to get the premises ready.

A final pic of some of the journals that I felted for the craft fair.  I am happy enough with them and hopefully they will be part of my off-season woolly stock.

Felted journals by Chiarrí Creations

Felting Workshop

Life-transforming ideas have always come to me through books. --bell hooks

Learn the easy and transformative process of felting, one of the oldest textiles in the world.  With wool, warm water, and a little soap and energy, you can create all kinds of wonderful items.  We will focus on the process of making felt and then felt book covers that can be used as journals, sketchbooks, or photo albums.  Materials provided on the day, but space is limited so please book in advance.  All abilities welcome, but preferably age 14 and up. 087-9111793.

Time:         Wednesday, April 27^th 1-4pm, at An Díseart (next to St Mary’s Church)

Price:          €25, plus materials fee €5

Sharon Crandall is a textile artist based in West Kerry.  She enjoys making things with her hands and crochets, embroiders, quilts, and makes jewellery.  Four years ago she discovered felting and Zing! wool and natural fibres became a passion.

Sharon Crandall, Chiarraí Creations; chairperson, Craft in Kerry; member, Craft Council of Ireland; member, Feltmakers Ireland. http://www.etsy.com/shop/kerryfelter http://kerryfelter.blogspot.com/

http://craftinkerry.blogspot.com/

A Pox Upon Your Houses...

Newly framed piece on the way to Killarney!

Where have I been?  Why so silent?  My young son got the chicken pox this week.  Not plain old chicken pox, but a rather hard dose so I have been up at the wrong times of the night for the wrong reasons, running soda baths, visiting A&E, rubbing lotion on spots, checking fevers, hugging gently, and silently cursing chicken pox.  Thankfully no new spots today, so we are on the way to shoving them out the door, thanks for calling, bye now!!

What have I got done this week?  Precious little.  Hard to feel creative when you are so tired that even coffee isn't appealing.  I dropped off my last few pieces to the framer to get ready for Killarney, so they are in my possession and ready to head over.  Not as thrilling as I originally envisioned since I just want to get them there and go on to salvaging the train wreck of a week.  No time to celebrate as I have so much coming at me next week that if I don't clean my house today then there will be no chance of getting it done for another week.

I have been able to do some things by phone and Craft in Kerry is building up to be quite a great group.  Fantastic people that I have met so far and so enthusiastic about the work we are doing.  The craft fair is all set to go and we are planning a trip to Dublin to promote our summer craft sessions to tour operators.  A premises is being looked into and so there will be a flurry of activity to get ready, as Failte Ireland hasn't given a lot of notice.  Spring is in the air, but so is change!

Mixed media collage with embroidery, water soluble
fabric, beading, organza, Wensleydale

Sunday is My Day of Rest??

Jewelry by Alison Walsh

My days are so busy that it seems like if I don't get everything done on a Sunday, then the list of Must-Do's gets carried over to the next week.  So, when I should be thinking Christian thoughts and relaxing, I find myself pulling the oven out and washing underneath, planting the garden, checking my son's head for lice, cleaning toilets, mending, washing floors, filling out forms, and baking granola for the coming week.  Did I mention laundry?  It never ends. 

But I am working really hard on a number of textile pieces to get to the framer.  I am joining the Back Lane Artist Co-operative http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Back-Lane-Gallery-Killarney-Artist-collective/183402851690156 in Killarney.  Deborah O'Keefe is the woman who had the inspiration to get it started back in November and she is doing well, recession be damned!  She paints herself and she has a number of artists and craftspeople under her roof, including Bluebell Eco Candles and painter Tina Reed.  Take a look at her blog at http://thebacklanegallery.blogspot.com/.

Work in progress

So, I need to step up my game to present some quality pieces.  I had stacks of dyed and stitched pieces, it was just a matter of deciding what to do with them.  I finished stitching three pieces yesterday and it's a matter of deciding if they need more embellishment.  One needs a few seed beads and another one I am going to play with text and stitch some paper onto it and see how it looks.  

Plenty to do!  Tomorrow is the meeting at Kerry County Council Offices in Tralee with Fruition, the new Craft Coordinator for the Year of Craft.  It runs 10-1130am and will hopefully generate some great new ideas on how to boost Kerry artisans into the national forefront, or at least give a strong profile for all those people in Kerry who want to buy locally.  

Gearóid O Duinnin's stunning abstract, "Horsie."

Felting Through the Fog....

Is the fog literal or metaphorical?  In this case, both, I think.  The day is dull and white, with a steady drizzle.  It makes it hard to get up and going and after three cups of coffee, I know it just isn't going to be a productive day.

Last night we had our Craft in Kerry meeting and we are progressing along nicely.  It's a lovely group of people to be working with, happily everyone seems concerned with the group and not individual needs/wants.  There's a lot of start up work to get underway and really things should settle down a bit once we have our first event under our belt.  The great news is that the craft fair is going great and we have a photo in the Kerry's Eye coming up this week.  An interview with Weeshie Fogarty should really get the word out in Kerry. The next meeting is on March 27th in Castlemaine.  Keep an eye on the Craft in Kerry page on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Craft-in-Kerry/172314459478834 for up-to-date information.

Sneak peak

I took the plunge and joined Back Lane Artist's Cooperative in Killarney, run by Deborah O'Keefe.  I am working on textile pieces like mad that I will have to get to the framer soon if I will have them ready for the beginning of March.  So far, I am using merino, silk, bamboo, cotton scrim, cotton calico, and a couple of them are resist dyed with more soy wax.  They have all been hand-dyed for specific colours that I wanted to work with and seem to be coming out well enough.  I am doing a lot of mark-making with machine embroidery.  I do love machine embroidery and it is especially satisfying to take out my frustrations with the machine and just hammer things into their place.  Perhaps I have revealed too much....:)

Enough about me, how are you all surviving this end of winter/beginning of spring?  Daffodils are sprouting in Kerry....

Rain, Wind, Felt...

One thing that you can say about Irish weather: it is really conducive to staying in and crafting!  It's Day Three of the rain and wind, although the wind is a bit calmer this morning, and I felted a book cover for my new diary and I will be stitching that.  I have a patchwork project to finish.  I don't know if any of you have a clean dinner table, but mine is always half-covered with projects waiting for time and supplies.  I am determined to have it clear by tomorrow night to start the week off right! 


Felted and dyed using soy wax

 I got one of my UFOs finished this week: a piece that I had felted and resist-dyed with soy wax earlier in the year. The soy wax was great, but it's supposed to wash out with simple soap and water and I had a little trouble getting it out.  I went online and did a bit of research and lo and behold! if you read directions things DO come out better.  Turns out the wax has to be pretty hot when applied (but not smoking, as there is a flash point) or else it doesn't saturate properly.  I ended up using too much wax and so it was harder to get out.  Learning curve!  Essentially it's a batik process.

I couldn't decide what to do with it and I just decided that I was being too precious about it and collaged some fabric onto it.  It turned out great (I think!) and I am going to develop a line of fibre collages as the woolly hats and scarves will not sell well in July and August!  I also stitched a paper and fabric piece that I am happy enough with, so more time for experimenting with that if the weather continues to be dire.



Closeup of the centre flower



I also started felting again after the right arm decided to get cranky and have tendinitis.  Not sure what aggravated it.  This is the answer the doctor gave me: "Yerra, it could be anything really."  Very technical.  So I had a highly unproductive January.  I decided to start small and felt a cover for my diary as it is a really icky green and I couldn't be looking at it anymore.  I love my purple, so I picked out a nice mix of merino and silks that  I had dyed and felted it using foam underlay as a resist.  Design came out well = the diary fit in it, and I want to stitch it a bit, so I will post again tomorrow with the results. 

I have ordered an instructional DVD from Interweave Press in the US and I am dying to receive it and the back issues of Cloth Paper Stitch that are on the way.  I ordered it December 31st and it has not arrived yet.  Needless to say, I will not be ordering anything from them again soon.  I order hair conditioner and soap from a US website and it's at my door in 10 days in total and they don't charge me a fortune in shipping, either.  Interweave has got to get their act together.  Unfortunately, I love, Love, LOVE Cloth Paper Stitch, but I can get it from http://www.rainbowsilks.co.uk/ fairly quickly.  I can't seem to get anyone in Ireland to stock the magazine and I NEED it :)  Their mixed media stuff is always interesting and always makes my brain hum. 



I also have a copy of the book I have been coveting for some time on the way!  I had been *hoping* that Santa might bring it to me, but I guess he had his hands full trying to sort out the Irish government.  One of the many ways we are being made pay for their incompetence.  Jane Dunnewold is supposed to be the surface design guru, so this book has me drooling.  I hope this book lives up to it's reputation as there aren't many textile courses going in West Kerry at the moment, so it's all DIY for me! 

I am taking Karen Flannery's sewing course, which will be good for patterning and finishing clothing.  I more of a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants seamstress and really I need to be more precise with my work.  Karen has the horrible task of trying to rid me of bad habits.  Has to be done or else no one will buy a nice tunic or jacket from me.  I didn't get the piece I wanted to work with felted, so I worked on a piece of felt I made before Christmas and designed a cuff necklace.  My neck isn't long enough for it, but it isn't necessarily for ME.  Pics of that to follow when I finish the beading touches...

Now, must get off the computer and get some work done! 







Finished product

















 

Where Did January Go...?

I usually find that January and February are the dullest months of the year, but that was before I decided to start a Scouts troupe and a craft guild simultaneously while working, cranking out new stuff from my studio, and cleaning (hah!) my house.  Some of those things are going well and some things are falling down the rabbit hole.  Scouts and the craft guild are going great!  House is okay, not bad, but studio is not going well at all....In desperation, I moved a load of stuff back over, to tempt myself into taking up camp and getting stuck in again, but it was freezing and so I unpacked the boxes and hightailed it out of there.  I will be heading back tomorrow, but it won't be for long periods of time until the weather warms up some.  It's just hard to stick -5 with no heat, especially when sewing requires sitting for lengths of time and felting is a wet process that would leave me with even colder hands.  My right arm has also been giving me some grief, something about tendonitis, so I've had to take it easy.  Never a dull moment.

Make a beautiful felted book cover?

We had our first meeting for the craft guild, changed the name to Craft in Kerry due to Google search engines, and are off to a flying start!  We have our first event, a craft fair, scheduled for Friday, April, 29th at An Díseart in Dingle from 10-4pm.  We will have craft demonstrations and try to give it a real family atmosphere, given that two festivals will be taking place at the same time.  We have our next meeting scheduled for Monday, February 21st in the Carlton Hotel in Tralee at 7:30p.m.  Lots to discuss!  Details for membership to finalize, publicity ideas, logo's hopefully will be ready to vote on, and we have an interview on Radio Kerry to get ready for!  Weeshie Fogarty rang me and said he would be delighted to give us an hour's interview on his "In Conversation with..." show on Wednesday nights from 6-7:00pm.  Our slot isn't until March 30th, but we need the time to get press packs ready, start a blog, decide which five members are doing the interview, and get him some background info on our coming events.  Meanwhile, Nationwide was in contact and they are coming to Dingle to film us for the craft fair, so it's time to get organized!  I did get a Facebook, page up and running, so you can look us up under http://www.facebook.com/KateOConor?ref=ts#!/pages/Craft-in-Kerry/172314459478834.

I'm also teaching a felting workshop during the Feile.  It took me awhile to decide on what to concentrate on since by the end of April it will be warmer and a new winter hat will be at the back of everyone's mind.  So, this is what I came up with...

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Life-transforming ideas have always come to me through books. --bell hooks

Learn the easy and transformative process of felting, one of the oldest textiles in the world. With wool, warm water, and a little soap and energy, you can create all kinds of wonderful items. We will focus on the process of making felt and then felt book covers that can be used as journals, sketchbooks, or photo albums. They make a wonderful gift, but you may want to keep it for yourself! Materials provided on the day, but please book in advance. All abilities welcome, but preferably age 14 and up. 087-9111793.

Time: Wednesday, April 27th 1-4pm
Price: €20, plus materials fee

Sharon Crandall is a textile artist based in West Kerry. She enjoys making things with her hands and crochets, embroiders, quilts, and makes jewellery. Four years ago she discovered felting and Zing! wool and natural fibres became a passion.

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I know the workshop fee is very small, but it's really hard to fill workshops right now.  In the good old times, I could easily have charged €50 for the three hours.  Any thoughts???

Turning the Corner of October....

Well, it was a quiet week of thinking and sleeping and trying to figure out what to do next.  The only thing seems to be to just push forward, but perhaps not take on too much at one time.  Three workshops on one day seems a bit ambitious, but the lesson is learned.  I think some people might have stayed away because of the economy, but I think many more can afford it and I didn't focus enough on niche markets.  I know that sounds a bit vague, but I have some new ideas that I am not about to divulge yet!

My Junior Felter having a go at a flat piece of felt

I did get my big box full of supplies from Wollknoll finally and that alone is enough to inspire!  I have a hat block to play with and lots Merino and I got some Gotland, which I haven't used before.  I think that it will be a bit more sturdy for the outside of the slippers as Merino tends to pill with tough use.  The Gotland is really beautiful and smells nice (me and my smells--I like the smell of fresh fish, too) and is a rich silvery gray.  It will look beautiful paired with purple and gold!  I am going to re-attempt to make slippers for my brother again.  They didn't turn out great last year, but I crocheted them.  He has very large feet (size 17) and so I have a pattern of his feet, but I am going to have to guess a lot while fulling to make sure I have them right.  I think the wool will give a bit if they are snug...I will tell him to wet them and wear them to allow them to shape to his feet anyway. 

So, hats and slippers and Christmas stockings and ornaments and scarves--and what did I do?  Get a cold.  Damn.  It's almost gone now, but I had a headache for two days and didn't get to play much yet.  Tomorrow!  Back on track again.

Rush Week

Merino with silk threads and cotton
crocheted snowflake

This week is passing in a blur.  I am working my PR skills like crazy, trying to get the word out on the workshop in (yikes!) three days!  The first one is always the hardest, but once the word is out then things fall into place.  I suppose that is providing that people will enjoy themselves!!  I think they will....

We have three outstanding instructors, a lovely setting, and great food--what more could you ask for?  Food shopping and prep tomorrow after work and then Friday afternoon will be spent getting the room ready and baking desserts.  All things going well, we should have a great time on Saturday!  I will take lots of  pictures....

So, plan to arrive at 1030am to register and have tea/coffee and homemade scones.  You will have time to get acquainted with other participants and check out the pop-up shop we will have there.  There will be quilting supplies, yarns for crochet, and some felting fibres.  I had planned to have lots of hand-dyed fibre goodie bags for felting, but my large order was apparently not received online, so we will be rather limited.  I will bring ordering catalogs so people can see what is out there to order and get an idea of pricing.  Check out our Facebook page 'Lámhdhéanta' for more information about the workshop and instructors.

I have started felting Christmas stockings!  Two down, a zillion to go. The weekend's activities will stop production for awhile, but then full steam ahead next week!   And once my order comes in, it will be hats, hats, hats!  And perhaps a few pairs of slippers....

Resist-felted, hand-dyed Merino
stocking with hand-dyed tussah silk

Another Educational Opportunity....

Well, we are all back in the swing of Autumn and life is returning to a somewhat normal pace.  I have been taking classes with Una Ní Shé for the past few years and she is starting another creative embroidery class in Dingle on October 14th for eight weeks.  You finish in time for Christmas holidays and then she will be teaching a FETAC textile course in February for a much longer session.

Una is very easy-going and an accomplished felt maker.  I owe my love of felt to her :)  She's good at giving instruction without INSTRUCTING, if you know what I mean.  Encouragement without telling you how to make your piece.  We dyed pieces in the last class and stitched, learned reverse applique, and learned a lot of new stitches.  She will be using a lot more multi-media techniques this time, including wax resist, printing, and collage.

A piece-in-progress from Una's last class

This is the official blurb....Please join us for our fun and inspired course where students are introduced to creative embroidery while also developing skills in mixed media materials, including printing, wax, collage, stitch, and dyeing. This 8 week course is starting at an Mhainistir in Dingle, Co Kerry on Thursday, October 14, 2010. The cost is €45.00 and will run from 10:30-1pm. For further information, please ring Jeannette at 066-9152280.  You bring the imagination and we will provide the tea and biscuits!

So!  You have been duly informed.  If you are able to get to Dingle, I highly recommend it :)

After the Wedding

My head does not ache, despite having plenty to drink and getting to bed after 3am, but my feet sure do!  We danced the night away at Siobhan and Thomas' wedding and it was fabulous!  The bride was gorgeous and the groom was very sweet in his speech at dinner.  A great night, really. 

I finished my dress the morning of the wedding, just in time.  I thought I was going to have to wear the felted top wet and smell like a sheep, but I ironed it dry and left in on the laundry line to air in the breeze.  There are plenty of mistakes, but I suppose I am the only one to see most of them.  I ran out of silk chiffon to nuno felt the sleeves, so I had to do them pure Merino, which was a bit warmer than I wanted.  I cut down the neckline a bit lower and over the shoulders to balance it.  If I ever do another dress, I will try to do the whole thing chiffon.  It was hard for me to see the whole thing seamless, but maybe when I start tackling seamless creations then the patterning will make more sense then. I initially made the bodice far too big and I had to add darts and cut it down. I was very happy with the texture and colour, though.  I am glad to have it behind me as it took up so much time with the learning curve and I have a lot to get to this week.

Hope it doesn't spoil the surprise, Woollove!

I have to get started on (YES!) Christmas items.  I am felting Christmas stocking samples this week.  I am going to try and resist felt them and see how they turn out.  And I think the scarves will sell well, so I am felting more of the silk and Merino scarves as soon as my order arrives.  I did a book cover that I sent to Woollove as part of the Clasheen Summer Crafty Swap.  You can see the pics on Flickr.  It turned out well and so I will start a series of those because I think they will sell well for Christmas.  I'd love to receive one! 

The view of Dingle Bay from the Skellig Hotel

This week I have started cranking into high great the publicity on Lámhdhéanta.  The first workshop in the series is on September 25th in Dingle from 11-4pm.  You can drop by at 1030am and have a cuppa and see what we will have to sell there in our supplies shop.  Options in the fibre day are: beginning crochet with Orla Breslin, felting with Una Ni Shé, and patchwork with Nikki Foley.  I have a Facebook page under 'Lámhdhéanta' with more information or you can email sharon1_crandall@hotmail.com.  All are welcome and it should be a great day.  The price is €65 for the day, including all materials and a fine, handmade lunch.  All instructors are very talented in their field and reside in West Kerry.  While I will not continue to use exclusively Kerry artists/creators, we simply have too much talent in the area to not start with the people around us that are making wonderful and diverse pieces.  I think that Dingle is also a wonderful place to come to for the weekend and if anyone is travelling over to Dingle for the workshop and would like to stay overnight, I can recommend decent accommodation. 

Okay, must feed the Small Boy and do a few mundane and decidedly uncreative household chores.  Has to be done!!!

What a Difference a Day Makes...

Yesterday was stunning, the kind of postcard day in West Kerry that makes your heart sing and so glad that you are lucky enough to live here.  Blue skies, a light breeze, and 2,000+ people in Dingle for the 2nd Annual Dingle Marathon.  Fionn and I were signed up to volunteer down at the finish line, handing out goodies as the runners entered Dingle once more.  The forecast was given very poor for the day, so we were very lucky and since most of the runners were not from Dingle, it was even luckier to be able to show off the Peninsula at her best.  We handed out goodie bags from the sponsors, water from Kerry Spring, and passed out t-shirts to the breathless finishers.  I have to say, there was a fantastic atmosphere and the operation was very well organized.  There was great music from a slightly mad Kerryman (never did get his name, but he kept the crowds going) and the locals and visitors alike hung around longer than I thought they would.  Fionn got to hand water to the finishers as the crossed the line and even got to put a few medals around their necks.  Great fun and a wonderful afternoon. For all the events that are put on in Dingle, this one is great: good PR  and money for the town, lots of visitors who seem a largely positive bunch, and the whole lot is cleaned up and tidy afterwards. Win-win!

I had a mad week full of two children's birthday parties, work, sewing labels in clothing, and trying to get a dress sewn/felted for the wedding next Saturday.  I need to just take a look at measurements in my studio tomorrow and we might have a nearly finished dress!  I might want to add a bit of embellishment around the waist area and I need to felt some cobweb felt for fluttery sleeves, but we are nearly there.  I will post photos when I get it done! 

My very grownup little boy started the boy's school for 2nd class/Ranga Dó this week.  He was very nervous about the Irish, but when he got home the first day he told me "Mom, I hate my old school and I love my new school!  We got to play basketball!"  Boys.  They can be bought with food and sports.  Here he is with the new school uniform, which he wore the first day and then he will wear the blue polo shirt and navy track suit bottoms with the sports jacket.  He would live in track suit bottoms if I let him.  I am just relieved that we are off to a good start.  It seems like homework is going to average an hour this year, so it may be hard to get a lot done in studio until he gets it done.  I know he is supposed to start doing a lot of it himself, so once we get a routine going I am hoping he evolves into my little self-starter! 

Not many pics this week as I am getting ready to photograph EVERYTHING for ETSY this week.  Weather forecast is not good...sigh.  Weather has been very good on Sundays, but it's hard to get people to drop everything and model on a Sunday as they often have family plans.  Perhaps the sun will shine only in Dingle once again this week and I can snap everything quick!  Must finish dress and felt some kind of vessel to nicely present our cash present to the bride and groom.  And this week I start Christmas items!  If you think I am a bit daft, then you are forgetting that it takes time to make these lovely, handmade items.  Only 112 days left til Christmas!!!

Back to School....

Saturday afternoon's efforts!

Well the silence in our house at 8:45pm was simply blissful.  For those of you who do not have small children, it is very hard to get them to go to bed in the summer due to the long evenings and the fact that they can't really tell time well yet.  So they are monkeys by getting up early with the light and staying up late.  What it means for me is that I did not have any peace in the evenings.  I know with the shorter days we are a bit less productive and the weather might be bad (it might be bad in summer also), but having the small boy in bed for 8:30pm is WONDERFUL.  The stillness to hear myself think and to potter around the house--ahhhhh!  Back to school, but also back to normal.

Fionn is quite nervous about starting the boy's school tomorrow.  He is a bit sensitive and he is particularly upset about their strictness on Irish language.  I have heard that they are not to speak English on grounds at all and he is worried because he doesn't think he has enough to understand or talk, but I think he probably has a lot more than he realizes after four years of school.  I completely believe in immersion to learn a language, but I hope there isn't a penalty for not speaking Irish; negative begets negative and the kids will not love Irish like they should.  There are other boy's in his class that don't speak Irish at home, so I keep telling him that he won't be alone.  He will know a lot of boys there already, so I think once we get past the jitters then things will be fine. 

I got a lot of dyeing done yesterday with the fine weather.  I have a fibre swap to get in the post and a nuno dress project for myself, so I had to get dyeing while I had the weather.  Hopefully with small boy back in school I can get back in the studio on more regular hours as I have only been in on Fridays lately and it is not getting the big or small jobs done.  Still have yet to sew labels in--sigh. I did finish the lacy scarf and it's long and drapey and fab in a Mae West kind of way, but when I put it into the washing machine to felt it stripped the colour out of my lovely hand-dyed silk yarn.  I used acid dyes, so did I not use enough vinegar to set it???  I am wondering if I can put the whole lot into fuchsia dye and try to over dye it again.  Any ideas fibre people?

My first soy wax resist attempt

I felted a sample piece to start playing with the soy wax that I got from http://www.corkartsupplies.com/.  They stock it now and I can get my acid dyes from them instead of ordering from the UK.  Cork Art Supplies ship fast and I receive it next day, so it's wonderful to have them stock things.  I dyed the felt piece with chartreuse (light bright green) first and then heated the wax and painted it on in a random design.  I was more interested in the wax resist, not the design elements really.  I then dyed with turquoise and the silk fibres too the turquoise, but the wool turned a deep green.  After rinsing in cold water, I filled the sink with hot, soapy water and started rubbing the wax out.  Contrary to their claim (I should know better by now), it did not come out all that easily.  I left the piece to soak in hot water and Googled soy wax and it turns out that the wax has to applied very hot for it to absorb well.  I think that I had probably used too much wax in an effort to make sure that it penetrated the dense surface of the felt.  So it took a little work to get it all out.  I think I will do another sample tomorrow and try to keep the wax constantly hot and be a little lighter with it.  It also warned that rinsing out can add waxy build-up in your plumbing, so it might be a good idea to use a bowl and then you can pour it outside because it is all bio-degradable.  So more to come!

And my final piece of news is that I did a big Christmas-Come-Early order from WollKnoll in Germany and I got lots of Merino, Wensleydale, silk, prefelt, shoe lasts for felting slippers, and a hat block, which I have wanted for a long time.  I suppose I need to get going on these things to start making more things for ETSY.  I really need a long table for laying out the scarves as I am working with two tables pushed together in the studio and they are both too short and I have to roll and flip to get coverage on both sides.  It's awkward, but I know it will get easier.  Santa please bring me a long table to felt on!!