Weaving Lessons at Crooked River Ranch, Oregon

I was blessed with the opportunity to take a full week of lessons 

with Jolene Northup a few miles north of my home, at Crooked

River Ranch. I have never learned anything so well or quickly. She

is an especially gifted teacher. The class was lots of work, sprinkled with

fun and new learning opportunities. I had never woven anything in my

life! Not at least on a real loom. Now I have my beautiful Glimakra 42"

Countermarch loom, (Her name is Geirdriful- spear flinger), I would

do well to learn to use her properly!

Lovely studio with great light and FIVE looms!!!
this one is my favorite and is a Gilmore.

The famous Crooked River just minutes from the studio

700 foot drop off. I got a little scared just standing by the edge.

Color sampler woven by Jolene. Fantastic!!!

Huck Lace sample, example for our class

Overshot sample for us

Twill gamp for us to follow

My plain weave color change sample in progress

A wonderful Overshot place mat of Jolene's I think
woven at Madelyn Van der Hoogt's studio

Jolene's Color change sampler

Jolene's Overshot sampler

Jolene's twill gamp closer up

My color change sampler off the loom

My twill gamp on the loom

My twill off the loom with extra playful parts in black. I
was having a very fun time. There is at least one mistake in
every block! So what!!! This was after what? weaving maybe 10 hours!!!
(in my whole lifetime!!!)

My overshot... I think this may be my favorite type of design.

My huck lace. Much, much easier than it looks!

                  I certainly don't remember having so much fun in a class and am
 just thrilled that I will be able to use my loom. Jolene is even a member of 
my new guild and is around for questions, as are many other good weavers. 
I love it that I have a guild!!! for great support.   So... I am  buying books, more 
books, tools, warping board and waiting for a used bobbin winder from Sweden.
When next I blog, dear reader, maybe I will have Geirdriful warped!!!
Oh, and when our class was finished last evening, we had a celebration

with champagne, brie and pears!! Lovely end to the class.

Fiber Arts and Farms

I was able to attend the Wool Gathering in Madras Oregon yesterday. 

The best part was spending the day with my friends, who are also fiber addicts. Fiber show, nice lunch then the farm. The drive there was beautiful, only 25 miles.

The major difference I noticed in Central Oregon, from the coast by Newport,

is there is way more alpaca and mohair here. Very many of my friends have animals.

Thunderhead Farm Mohair and Projects

    Thunderhead Farm : Exceptional luxury fiber.

                   Go to this link... great pictures. The scarves and
                    neck pieces from Toni Selk are just gorgeous.
                   She is quite a talented artist.

Shaggy Bears wonderful colors
Every show I attend, she is getting more breeds of wool and more great colors

Fleece, ready to spin

The Butterfly is because Debbie, on right, is a favorite teacher there!
(downtown Redmond: Butterfly Yarn Shop)

High Desert Fiberworks
Lovely yarns Web site: High Desert Fiberworks

                                  This site has wonderful pictures of bunnies and fiber!!!

From the fiber to the farm. Best sunny, not to hot, weather ever.
Can see for miles!!!


   

Sandra's donkey (one of many)

View to the east

and... to the west

Mt Jefferson from the east. At our house it is north

Trace the Border collie, super nice dog!!!

The horse that wouldn't look at me!

More donkeys. Didn't realize how friendly they are.

                                  Fun day in Central Oregon!!!!

Spinning in Paradise at Crescent Moon Alpaca Ranch

Every year The Crescent Moon Alpaca Ranch near Terrebonne, Or 

has a wonderful day of celebrating their alpaca with shearing, Bar-B-Q 

and music. Also, lucky for me, spinning! They invited spinners from the

area to participate and for a present, gave us the alpaca fleece of our choice!!!

My choice after hard deliberation of all the gorgeous colors!!

 Any of you can purchase fleece at the above website. It was $50 for a fleece
of 16 different choice colors!!! They also usually have yarn but I didn't see
any available now. Check later!. In the boutique there are also coats, scarves
and sweaters. Gorgeous, soft and a little shiny.

Little shorn baby, cria the softest fleece

This is the only spotted alpaca I saw

Newly shorn

Saying "HI"

Careful shearing

The animals are restrained and remain perfectly still. 

It seems he was sleeping! Notice the old fashioned shears the man on

the left uses. I just saw the same ones in a really old book. The

other man has electric clippers for the body.

The ranch has about 400 alpacas and can shear about 10 a day. Lots of

work. They keep the grounds spotless and the animals so well cared for.

Spinners happily spinning, from my new guild here in Redmond

My friend Helen with her drop spindle. Very relaxed and enjoying the day

Their swimming pool

 You can see the 3 Sisters mountains in the back, Faith, Hope and Charity.

Great place for me to spin by the pool

Helen's very well behaved dog Ginger, getting love from a cute baby!!

It couldn't have been a more perfect day. I actually got a lot of wool spun 

(didn't have any alpaca yet)  The weather was super wonderful. It is that 

way a whole lot in Central Oregon. It is super fun to spin outside.

From the Ocean to the Mountain

We are getting settled in the High Desert of Central Oregon

 surrounded by the Cascades and Smith Rock state park.

What a splendid view.

3 Sisters to the West

Mount Hood farther to the North

Mt Jefferson, fairly close to the northwest

Smith Rock State Park to the North

All of these pictures were taken from our den on the

second story. It has windows all around and it fantastic to stitch there

Pond dogs, extremely HAPPY

Annie

Mac

swimming in irrigation pond

Most of the reason we moved here in the country was to
give the dogs a place to run free

 . We still have to watch them closely so

they don't go through the fence and chase chickens, horses etc.

We are getting the fences mended bit by bit but it is a long way around.

Neighbors quarter horse

 He is a farrier and has lots of gorgeous thoroughbreds too.
 Beautiful animals-
I love to wash the dishes and look at the horses while I am doing this.

One of our deer

Momma and baby robins

They are starting to get big. We can watch them closely when we sit out

on the back deck. I stitched there a long time the other day and

it is super enjoyable, peaceful!!!

more deer in the backyard

clearing brush for fire prevention

                                        ( I just posed, Alan did all the work!)

Lower back yard by pond, just gorgeous

Back yard

This is more up by the house. Obviously the property is why we moved here!

Progress on "A Forest Grew" from Rosewood manor, nearly finished!!!

Big Red Beast coming along, I have Angels and maybe one or  2 borders to go

                                        I have to finish this one before it is too long to fit on a wall.

Chullo hat I am making for my friend Kim... a Knit Picks kit

I think I will spend more time on stitching this summer when it gets hot.

In the fall I plan on teaching at a new local yarnshop:

Butterfly yarn shop in Redmond Oregon

We will have some classes on Norwegian knitting which I LOVE

 to teach

I am finding Spinning and Fiber group and am so happy we moved here.

I won't mind the snow in winter either, I'm from Duluth!! I feel like

God Bless America, from the prairie to the ocean to the mountains!!!!