Tag Archives: knitting

Artist show recap: 2012

Posted on August 6, 2012 by cliffhousealpacas

Phew! The Cimarron Sky Dog Artist Show is over, and it was a blast. Good food, good friends, and good wine made for a memorable day. We had much more inventory this year, and a wider variety of items. Dad … Continue reading →

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Aunt Geri has been busy!

Posted on July 11, 2012 by cliffhousealpacas

Today I get to show off some of Aunt Geri’s yarn. She has refined her cabled and multi-ply yarn techniques into a fine art. Her two newest yarns used alpaca fiber from Loredo, a friend’s alpaca (the one with sort … Continue reading →

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Sparkly scarves!

Posted on June 5, 2012 by cliffhousealpacas

Thank goodness I’m not the only crafter in the family! Mom, who knits using a rake loom, has been busy. She knit this pile of sparkles using one strand of handspun suri alpaca yarn (that’s the gray) and one strand of blue … Continue reading →

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Random fiber word of the day: pilling

Posted on May 4, 2012 by cliffhousealpacas

When short fibers work themselves out of yarn or fabric and are subject to abrasion, they form little balls of fiber called pills. No doubt you’ve noticed them forming on your favorite hat or sweater over time. Washing clothing inside … Continue reading →

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A few beginning knitting tips

Posted on March 15, 2012 by cliffhousealpacas

I’ve talked before about the importance of crafting with friends, and I can’t say it enough: group knitting (or spinning) is the best way to get inspired to work on a project and have fun while you work. So when … Continue reading →

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The color wheel for crafters

Posted on February 23, 2012 by cliffhousealpacas

An artist friend first introduced me to the color wheel. I had been going by gut feeling to decide what colors to use on any given project, but the wheel gives you a way to organize your thinking about color. These early color … Continue reading →

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Really, really delayed follow up

Posted on February 8, 2012 by cliffhousealpacas

Do you all remember that funky yarn I spun, way before Christmas? It looked like this (because this is it): It’s a two ply yarn. One of the singles has Tuscany’s lovely white fiber as a base, with just a … Continue reading →

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Sciatica, carpal tunnel, and crafters: a public service announcement

Posted on January 20, 2012 by cliffhousealpacas

Most crafts (and jobs for that matter) involve some repetitive motion that can take a toll on your body over time. If you take nothing else away from this post, please remember this: if it hurts, stop doing it. Carpal … Continue reading →

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Artist bio: Aunt Geri

Posted on December 20, 2011 by cliffhousealpacas

My Aunt Geri is an artist, a real one. We are lucky that lately she has been channelling her creativity into fiber art, rather than painting. The results have been astounding. I’ve compared felting to painting, but my work is … Continue reading →

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To block or not to block, that is the question

Posted on November 8, 2011 by cliffhousealpacas

Poor Hamlet, always getting his soliloquy wantonly garbled by bloggers. Mmmmm, wontons. Anyway, this weekend I spun 50 more yards of my deep roots yarn and finished the hat for my climbing friend. And it looks nothing like a dead … Continue reading →

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