All Things Fiber…

Posted on May 16, 2014 by Deborah

I am not talking about the stuff that makes your colon happy either. I am talking about the wonderful things in this world that are made into fiber. Whether it is the wool from sheep, cotton, hemp and linen from plants, angora from rabbits or mohair from goats, the common denominator from all of them is that they provide humanity with the necessary fibers to be made into all types of clothing.

Otherwise we all would be cold and naked. Not a pretty sight I can assure you. Even ancient man knew to cover up with a fig leaf or … Read more...

This and That & Things In Between

Posted on March 31, 2014 by Deborah

Hi! How are you?! Where the heck have you been?!!
I have been looking for you everywhere.

I know, I know… I said I was going to be posting *regularly*…but in my defense, there are just too many things happening around here that are keeping me from sitting down to this medium.

This will be a fairly short post, just snapshots of what is happening in the Southern Homestead…

Bob the loom is naked. It is time to plan the next project now that my table runner is complete although it will be heading to the Northern Homestead as the … Read more...

WIP’s & FO’s

Posted on March 11, 2014 by Deborah

Have you missed me? I know I have missed sitting down here writing out my thoughts but life just seems to be getting in the way of my writing these days. I will try to become a little more regular…emphasis being on the word ‘try’.

Now I am sure you are asking.. “What the hell are WIP’s and FO’s?”. Well, WIP’s are “Work-In-Progress” and FO’s are “Finished Objects”. Acronyms of the fiber/craft world and I am sure many other pursuits either hobby related or career related.

I have a lot of both going on right now. Actually, I think there … Read more...

Ewe Send Me Spinning

Posted on February 27, 2014 by Deborah

Last week my daughter and I went yarn shopping. Just writing that sentence is a big load off my shoulders. You know, like admitting your a crack addict (something Rob Ford can’t bring himself to do), and now my daughter, through my enabling efforts, is also hopelessly addicted to yarn just like her mother. Thank goodness it’s an addiction cheaper than crack.

We planned a day together last week to go fiber shopping and she had been to a yarn shop before in a neighbouring city, but I hadn’t, mainly because I would not be able to control myself if … Read more...

10 Random Tips To Make Your Life Easier

Posted on February 25, 2014 by Deborah

Don’t you wish that there was a book or manual you could buy that would tell you exactly what you needed to do for just about anything? Me too…. but if there was, it would be the size of Lake Erie and not all practical as a coffee table book.

Over the years I have come upon or discovered tips that make my life easier. Most come from happy accidents or the “what happens if I do this…?” scenario or passed down from older relatives who have gone down the wrong path to discover new ideas. There may not be … Read more...

Yup…I Am Still Here

Posted on February 10, 2014 by Deborah

I haven’t fallen off the planet…close, but not yet.

I am just very, very busy trying to get all the stuff done that is currently piled on my plate…2 sewing projects and one knitting project that are all commission jobs while continuing the de-cluttering of the house (Yay for garbage day today!) and toss in demolishing a basement office area to become a future bathroom ~ which has created clouds of drywall dust that wafted throughout the house leaving a fine, white residue on everything…now I have to clean too.

Oh, and try and fit in that job/work schedule into … Read more...

Running on Empty

Posted on January 31, 2014 by Deborah

Almost running on empty….It has been a very busy week here at the Southern Homestead, hmmm… maybe I will call it the Southern Plantation…seeing as the house here is about double the size of the Northern Homestead….anyway, it has been very busy with work, house, knitting, sewing, weaving and cooking.

So busy that I haven’t had time to get into regular posts, but I figured I would toss out a quickie for Friday while my ginormous batch of meatballs is cooking in the oven after having pulled out a small dish of yellow beets that were finished roasting.

I have … Read more...

DIY Knitting Needle Carrying Case

Posted on January 29, 2014 by Deborah

Necessity breeds…too many ideas and not enough time.

Last year I made a knitting needle case for myself to travel back and forth with between the Northern and Southern Homestead’s.

I hate it.

The tutorial I found on-line *looked* nice enough, and my chosen fabric was perfectly suited for me (horses of course), but the end result was that it lacked enough room for my needle and accessory collection as well all the pockets were not deep enough. If you didn’t pick it up the right way, everything would fall out the top. Major PITA.

So before Christmas I did … Read more...

Last Minute Gift Idea For Knitters

Posted on December 16, 2013 by Deborah

This post appeared last December just before Christmas and I am running it again because these knitted slippers are so darn cute and so quick to make, you will have them done in a day. I am sure there is someone on your list that would really get a kick out of a pair of these…or maybe just for yourself.

Santa Slippers

Not just any slippers either…..but slippers in the likeness of Santa, complete with red nose (from being out in the cold) and white pompom on his hat. These are just about the cutest things I have seen. Very … Read more...

The Manly Scarf

Posted on December 9, 2013 by Deborah

Every time I start a new knitting project, the following conversation happens between hubby and myself.

Hubby: What are you making?

Me: Socks

Hubby: Great! But I don’t like that colour.

Me: They are not for you sweetie.

Hubby: (Big pout) You never make me anything!

Me: I made you the gigantic Homestead afghan.

Hubby: And it took you long enough to finish it too….

Me: Pfft! Would you like to be stabbed with a knitting needle?

Hubby: Ouch! What did I do to deserve such animosity?! You are so mean!

Me: You haven’t seen anything yet…

Me: So what … Read more...