A Glimpse of My Fabric Stash

 

A random stack of fabric from my stash.

Some of this is destined to be handspun into my signature Ragamuffin yarn, some for doll clothes, some for quilts. Oh, the joys of fiber!

Bohemian Manor Ragamuffin Handspun Rag Yarn

Bohemian Manor Ragamuffin Handspun Rag Yarn, originally uploaded by confections.

Here is my latest skein of Ragamuffin handspun yarn. I got lots of premium quilting fabric from vendors at the recent San Diego Quilt Show and I have been turning some of it into my signature Ragamuffin yarn. I've been making a few yo-yos, too.

Indra Batik Ragamuffin Handspun Cotton Rag Yarn

Indra Batik Ragamuffin Handspun Cotton Rag Yarn, originally uploaded by confections.

I love batik fabrics and have quite a collection, including an antique piece that a friend of mine brought back from Bali in the 1980's. I'll have to photograph that piece and share it with you.

This handspun Ragamuffin yarn features a distinctive modern batik in earthy tones--one of my current favorites and available in my Etsy shop.

New Mother Marion Kick Spindle "Little Meggie"

 

 

 

 

Here is my first yarn spun on my new Mother Marion Kick Spindle "Little Meggie" made by Jan at Heavenly Handspinning on Etsy.com. I haven't plied it yet, but I had to photograph it on the spindle because it looked so yummy. It is made from continuous fabric strips that I bought at JoAnn's last summer and is a cousin to my Ragamuffin skeins on Etsy. Just had to share!

Molly Ragamuffin (tm) Style Handspun Primitive Cotton Rag Yarn

Molly Ragamuffin (tm) Style Handspun Primitive Cotton Rag Yarn, originally uploaded by confections. Created with dumpr.net--fun with your photos

We fiberartists can dream, can't we?

Featured here is one of my latest Ragamuffin handspun primitive cotton rag yarns, named after my Dad's Mom, Molly. She was one of my original fiberarts mentors. I remember her patience as she taught me how to embroider on her front porch on lazy summer afternoons when I was a very little girl.

Somewhere in my archives I have a portrait of her that I wrote a dozen years ago in a memoir class. I'll have to excavate it from my files and share bits of it here.

And, as I discovered in my genealogical pursuits this past year, Molly comes from French/Mosellan stock, making me feel "Oh, so very French!" these days.

Freshly Spun Ragamuffin Yarn

Freshly Spun Ragamuffin Yarn, originally uploaded by confections.

Here is a bushel basket of Ragamuffin yarn that I have been spinning this week. The unspun strips are shown below. I'm going to experiment with some two-ply rag yarn tonight. I'll post those pictures later this week. Happy December!

Bubblegum Retro Circles Ragamuffin Handspun Yarn

Bubblegum Retro Circles Ragamuffin Handspun Yarn, originally uploaded by confections.

Yesterday was a red letter day for me in my Etsy career. The EtsyFAST (Fiber Arts Street Team) had a trunk show in New York City, which was a blast (I watched it on the Etsy Labs webcam), and this skein of my Ragamuffin yarn was featured on the front page of Etsy! And to gild the lily, my items were featured in three Treasury lists. This list expires in ten hours, so please view it while you can. As Jared, creator of the Treasury on Etsy, says about its ephemeral nature, "Embrace the decay!"

I'm back at my novel writing, and my good friend in New Hampshire has joined the nanowrimo (National Novel Writing Month) crowd, too. She's starting half-way through the odyssey, but I have no doubt she will meet the goal of 50,000 words by November 30th. We'll spur each other on as writing buddies.

National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) Calendar

nano-cal11.jpg, originally uploaded by Gun-gun.

I found this inspiring calendar page by fellow flickreeno Gun-gun while surfing flickr a bit ago. It will be essential to refer to it as I write my novel this month. The target word count in a cumulative sequence is given at the top of each date, with the goal of 50,000 words by November 30th in bright red. I can contemplate the beauty of these blooms as I meet my goals each day.

I'm trying to maintain a balanced schedule as I undertake this task, taking time to exercise and eat good meals, make sure I have my daily ritual of tea, spin some of my Ragamuffin yarn, keep in touch with friends and writing buddies, talk to my mother every day--she is a great source of storylines--and not overwhelm myself in the process. On with the novel writing!

Bowl o' Ragamuffin Mini-Skeins

Bowl o' Ragamuffin Mini-Skeins, originally uploaded by confections.

I have been having lots of fun making handspun rag yarn over the last few months. I like the larger skeins, but I wanted to create and play with miniature Ragamuffin skeins, too. I spun up six of them last night and they are just too cute! Each one is about 10 yards/9 meters of handspun goodness for any primitive project you might have in mind. I'll be developing simple patterns to use with these yarns, but frankly, I like 'em just as skeins, like little vintage rag balls in this bowl.

The Germans have a phrase, "ein Ding in sich" (a thing unto itself), which I believe describes these little skeins. You are not required to do anything with them, simply enjoy!

Yellow Ware Bowl Full of Ragamuffin Yarn

Yellow Ware Bowl Full of Ragamuffin Yarn, originally uploaded by confections.

Here is a batch of my handspun cotton Ragamuffin yarn photographed before I sent it off to a customer. There is lots of potential in this bowl. I'll be thrilled to see what she does with the yarn. I plan on using some in my stash to weave a rag rug.

I have a lovely cherrywood counterbalance floor loom that my sister and I found through our weaving guild nearly four years ago. It is perfect for weaving rugs. I haven't warped it yet, but I think a rag rug project will be great for the fall.

I'll gather some of my weaving friends and we'll have a warping party. I don't need too much provocation to plan a celebration of life's good things. The sun is in Leo, after all, and it's time to play!

Collage of Fiberarts Tools in My Studio

Collage of Fiberarts Tools in My Studio, originally uploaded by confections.

Here is an array of equipment and tools from my fiber arts studio. In addition to my designated studio area at home, I can sometimes be found working in the yard, on my little porch, at a community center with a few of my fiber friends, or at my local Starbucks. My little bungalow is bursting at the seams with my fiber goodies!

Missing from this collage are the many volumes of books and magazines in my personal library. I'm gradually cataloging them all at LibraryThing.

Fiberarts are the answer.