HOLIDAY HOURS

Better late than never, I guess...
Hours at the shop over the Holidays will be:

WEDNESDAY 12/23, 11-6
THURSDAY, 12/24 (Christmas Eve Day) 11-3
FRIDAY, 12/25 (Christmas Day) Closed
SATURDAY, 12/26, 10-5
SUNDAY,12/27, 12-4

MONDAY, 12/28 Closed
TUESDAY, 12/29 Closed
WEDNESDAY, 12/30, 11-5
THURSDAY, 12/31 (New Year's Eve Day) 11-3
FRIDAY, 01/01 (New Year's Day) Closed
SATURDAY, 01/02, 10-5
SUNDAY, 01/03, 12-4 -- SPINNING GROUP!

It's been a difficult year for a lot of us, we just have to believe that 2010 is going to be better. I'd like to thank all of you for your support and friendship over the past year, it means a lot to me. Wishing you and yours a safe and blessed Holiday Season.
Warmly,
Pam

A NEW RAVELRY GROUP, SURI ALPACA, CHINA SILK and MORE

I'm very excited...there's a new group on RAVELRY for friends of The Fiber Studio! I hope you'll join! In case you don't know how to find it, go to http://www.ravelry.com/, click on Groups, then do a search for The Fiber Studio. And if you're not a member of Ravelry yet, now would be a good time to jump in, you won't believe what a fantastic community it is! Thank you so much, Michelle, I can't wait to see how the group evolves! My name on Ravelry is fibrgrl, let's be friends!

I have some wonderful SURI ALPACA in the shop, unwashed (it's easier to spin it before you wash it), all of it Prime...in white, black and chestnut (sort of auburn, don't remember what color it's called). The white takes dyes beautifully, if you're into dyeing.

Do you know that we sell undyed HABOTAI SILK (also known as China Silk) by the yard? It's a perfect silk for Nuno Felting, very light and airy.

And, just in today:
A new shipment of ANGELINA FIBERS, more GREAT BOOKS (perfect for your gift giving), and Pro-Chem came in, all the SABRASET DYES are restocked, along with Synthrapol and Citric Acid Crystals.

I think I've told you about the hand carded CRAZY BATTS I'm doing since attending Camp Pluckyfluff with Lexi Boeger...well, they sell just about as fast as I can get them off the drum carder. It's "crazy." And do you know that The Fiber Studio is selling HANDSPUN YARNS from hand carded Crazy Batts? So far we've got Handspun from 3 spinners, all of whom were at Camp Pluckyfluff!

More news soon...keep up the Fiber Mischief!

Website: http://www.thefiberstudio.com/
Online Store: http://www.etsy.thefiberstudio.com/

CRAZY BATTS, ART YARNS, NEW ORDERS

I am loving my new LOUET DRUM CARDER and have been carding Crazy Batts whenever I can...it's always exciting to see what the Batt looks like when you pull it off the drum! You can spin them into fabulously interesting yarns, you can use them in wet felting and needle felting projects. I've been spinning some Batts into Art Yarns, and my friend Zoe brought some of her Art Yarns in on consignment, check them out next time you stop by. I hope to get some of my Batts into my Etsy store soon.

I bought some Hand Dyed Carded Wool from my friend Celeste...Romney, CVM, Corriedale, Shetland, it's a riot of beautiful colors, all of it locally grown in Minnesota and Wisconsin!

A new shipment of GALE'S ART arrived yesterday: Fresh BFL in Semi-Solids (some new colors, too), Hand Painted Black BFL and her lovely Hand Painted Alpaca/Silk blends.

An order of Hand Painted Bamboo from THE FIBER LADY should be in today, too.

The Winter issue of WILD FIBERS magazine has just come in. Haven't had time to look at it yet, but as usual, the cover photo is amazing!

And, last but not least, our SPINNING GROUP meets again on Sunday, December 6, from 12-4, and we hope to see you!

That will do it for today...until next time, I hope you find yourself deep in Fiber Mischief!

Some Corny Stuff, Gale's Art, Hand Painted BFL

Disclaimer: there's some corny drivel coming up...

It was Saturday (ya know)...and Lawrence Welk was on! I got to watch the whole show with my Uncle Lyle...woo hoo! It was a Thanksgiving show from 1973! OMG, talk about COR-NY! The (scary) hair, clothes, uber-sweetness, "Bobby and Sissy." I was surprised at how much Lyle knows about all of the characters..."those two were married but then they got a divorce and he married someone else," Lyle knew about every single person on the show.

After Lawrence Welk, we were watching Antiques Roadshow and I started feeling kind of sleepy (no matter how hard I tried, I nodded off a couple times). Then, I realized Lyle hadn't said anything for a little while. I looked over at him and he was asleep...I thought, well he'll never know if I just close my eyes for a few minutes...nothing like a little Lawrence Welk to put you in the mood for a nap.

For those of you who have been waiting for more Gale's Art, it will be shipping from Atlanta today and I hope to have it by Saturday. I talked to Gale yesterday, part of the Firestar on order will come in with this shipment and the rest will come in a couple weeks or so. The Hand Painted Semi-Solid BFL and the Hand Painted Alpaca/Silk fibers will be in this shipment, for those of you who have been waiting for it.

More of the Hand Painted Bamboo is coming too, I hope (fingers crossed) it'll come in Friday.

In case I don't post again before Thursday, I want to wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving!

A HOME STUDIO and THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Some of you already know that I live in the house I grew up in. There are two bedrooms upstairs, and my sister and I used to share the biggest one. It's really big, like 16' x 19', and I'm finally getting around to organizing and rearranging everything up there into a home studio for myself for jewelry making, mixed media, etc. I have always loved ephemera, found objects, the quirky, the offbeat...and I've collected a ton of it over the years. I'm excited to get it all set up, and painted. When I get a more done I'll snap some photos and post them.

Soooo, anywho...while working upstairs I ran across this quotation, which I thought I'd share with you:

"Notice what happens when you follow your intuitive feelings.

The result is usually increased energy and power,

and a sense of things flowing."

-Shakti Gawain

JUST IN: Wool, Ashford Merino/Silk, Mohair & Angelina

Just in this afternoon, another 84 lbs. of wool and other fibers...mostly Corriedale (what we use for Tote Bags, Slippers, Handbags, other wet felting projects and needle felting). There's plenty of Black, Lima Bean, Lime Green, Periwinkle and more...one of these days I have to get those listed in my Etsy store.

There's also another bump of the lovely Multi-Color Merino 80/Silk 20 from Ashford in the Woodland colorway, and two new colorways that I haven't had in before, one is Mango and the other is a very pretty blue (don't remember the name right now).

I also got some fine white adult mohair top that will be great tossed into the mix for Crazy Batts, and a bunch of new Angelina and Crystalina fibers are also in.

Monday I was finishing up my yardwork, when my birdbath caught my eye. No water in it, and the pottery shards that have been sitting in the bottom of it were beautiful! That's what's going on in the pictures at the top.

THIS IS GOOD TO KNOW (ya think?)

I've been meaning to pass this along... :)
Do you know that you can still watch Lawrence Welk? woo-hoo! Every Saturday evening at 6:00 PM on Comcast Channel 13 (TPT 17) there's this great Lawrence Welk program (they show reruns and tell behind the scenes stories). My Uncle Lyle (he's 90 yrs. old, dear man) turned me onto it...when I can visit him on Saturdays we watch it together! It's actually a great show, and seriously, if you live in this area you should check it out, no matter what your age is. Nice, mellow music, kinda corny, lots of memories. Hey, let me know if you happen to check it out!

Crazy Batts & Kris Post's 3rd Annual Holiday Sale

Oh my, the big Crazy Batt Carder (ala Lexi Boeger of Pluckyfluff fame) came in late last week and wait until you see the batts this thing cards. We've done a little playing around with it at the shop and everyone who has seen what it does (and how it does it) is awestruck. I hope to get pictures of more batts online this week, and I hope to list some in my Etsy Store (which is: http://www.thefiberstudio.etsy.com/). Hope you'll come back and take a look.

_______________________________________________

HOLIDAY SALE OF UNIQUE HANDMADE ART

A lot of you know Kris Post, she teaches some of the great classes offered at The Fiber Studio. You've loved her work, this is a great chance to buy hand felted works of art directly from Kris, one day only...maybe something for yourself or for those on your holiday list. Kris and some of her friends hold this Holiday Sale each year, this is the 3rd Annual Sale.

Now, if I was more computer literate I would have been able to figure out how to get a copy of their postcard uploaded...until I figure that out, here are the details of the Holiday Sale:

where: 4047 LINDEN HILLS BLVD., MINNEAPOLIS, MN

when: SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 9-5

Hope you'll stop by, do a little browsing and some buying!

_______________________________________________

Coming to The Fiber Studio!

There's lots of wool and other fibers on their way this week. About 80 lbs. coming from Ashland Bay Trading on Friday, and about that much coming from Ashford the first of next week.

An order of Felting Needles, Foam Bases and Multi-Needle Tools will also be in this week.

And then there's the Drum Carder I ordered...it should come into the shop by Friday, and I cannot wait! The Camp Pluckyfluff "experience" has opened up a whole new way of looking at fibers and the wide world of add-ins and all that. Yow.

Here's a heads up on the next Spinning Group, which will meet again Sunday, December 6th, from 12 to 4...it's a great group and all are welcome!

I think that will do it for tonight, as always keep up the Fiber Mischief-making!

CAMP PLUCKYFLUFF...Oh, My!!!

Oh, geeez, did we have fun at Camp Pluckyfluff!!!

Lexi Boeger is amazing...and a great instructor! She was so generous in sharing her techniques, knowledge, tips and tricks, I swear it was just the best workshop ever! There were 22 of us in class and we just carded and spun our little hearts out all week-end. It was two days of pure sensory overload, and I don't think that even begins to describe it! Actually, it was so exciting that, when I got home Saturday night, I ordered a drum carder just like Lexi's! I can't wait for it to come in! More about carding to come...

FIBER NEWS

Due in Friday, an 80 lb. order from Ashland Bay Trading.

REMINDER, SHOP HOURS

Thursday and Friday, 11-5

Saturday, 11-5 Sunday, 12-4

Hope you're all gettin' into some good ol' Fiber Mischief!

SHOP HOURS HAVE CHANGED

Holy Cow, it's been a long time!

Just a couple things this post. First off, due to unforeseen circumstances, the shop will be open shorter hours through Fall and Winter. Here are the new hours:

Thurday-Friday 11-5
Sat 10-5 Sun 12-4

Oh, and the shop will be closed this coming week-end...we're going to "Camp Pluckyfluff" with Lexi Boeger at the Weavers Guild of Minnesota (at The Textile Center). I can't wait! I've never closed the shop for a whole week-end before and I know it will be an inconvenience for some of you (for which I apologize). But this is such a great opportunity, and a bunch of us will be there.

Also coming up is the 35th Annual FIBER FAIR sponsored by the Weavers Guild of Minnesota. It is a huge sale and goes Friday, November 13 through Sunday, November 15. I'll post more about it next time, with the hours and more information. It's a great sale!

I also have to tell you about some lovely hand painted SUPERWASH BLUE FACE LEICEISTER that's just come in. It is supersoft and the colors are deeply saturated, and it was a big hit with the Spinning Group Sunday!

I hope you're all finding the time for some "Fiber Mischief." I'll post again soon!

Pam

Fall 2009 Class Schedule

Our FALL 2009 CLASS SCHEDULE has gone out to the email list, and it's also up on the website. We are offering a ton of classes this Fall and there should be something for everyone! If you would like to see what we have put together for you, click here: http://thefiberstudio.com/classes.html. And, if you have any ideas for classes we'd love to have you share them with us, as we all love learning new skills!

JUST INTO THE FIBER STUDIO:

HAND PAINTED SOCK YARNS from Pigeon Roof Studios, these yarns are 80 Superwash Merino/10 Cashmere/10 Nylon, 380 yards per skein, size 1-3 needles (US) and very yummy!

Lovely HAND THROWN PORCELAIN DROP SPINDLES by local potter Dyann Myers! These spindles are beautiful, and little works of art...and they spin and spin and spin!

A new shipment of TOP WHORL DROP SPINDLES from Steve Kundert of Wisconsin! A wonderful selection of perfectly balanced wooden spindles, each made one at a time by Steve.

COMING IN SOON:

"INSPIRATION" YARNS from SouthWest Trading Company, 50 Alpaca/50 Soysilk, these yarns are beautiful!

I swear that Summer is flying by! I know I've said it before, but where does the time go?

Kris Post is here tonight teaching her Nuno Felted Scarf Class. We've got a full house and, from the sound of it, they're having fun. The class participants are always awe-struck, because Nuno Felting is such a magical process...who'd a thunk a little wool and silk could do that?!

A quick update for those of you who like to dye. Another order of the Cushing's Perfection Acid Dyes came in this week, including 17 brand new colors (and now there are 67 colors to choose from). Summer is a great time for dyeing, come in and check out the expanded Cushing's color line, and the Sabraset/Lanaset in all 22 colorways.

And today, the new Fiber Arts and Quilting Arts magazines came in. I'm hoping to have a look at them in the next day or two.

Here's a reminder that our Spinner's Group will meet again on Sunday, August 2nd, 12-4, and everyone is welcome. I think we had 8 or 9 spinners for the July meeting, and it was the 4th of July week-end!

I'm need to scoot for now, hope to post again soon(er than usual).

Pam

New at The Shop - Lutradur and Cheesecloth!

I now have Lutradur available for sale at the shop. Lutradur is a 100% Polyester Interfacing that comes 36" wide. I have a 50 yard bolt of the 70g weight, sold by the yard for $5.25/per.

Lutradur has many interesting uses, it's a fascinating material. You can paint on it, heat/melt it with a heat gun (or soldering iron) for lacy effects, rubber stamp it, image transfer, needle felt into it, foil and emboss onto it, print on your inkjet, melt it with angelina fibers, and who the heck knows what else!

I also nabbed a box of very lightweight, airy cheesecloth, I think it's 20 weight (?). I'll have to check the width and figure out what the price on it will be. It will also be sold by the yard.

I think both of these fibers have a ton of potential in fiber arts, surface design, bookmaking, altered books, artist trading cards, doll making, greeting cards...!

If you know anyone who plays with Lutradur and could teach a class, I'd love to know more about them and what they're doing with it.

Reminder: Spinning Group is Sunday, June 7

Just a quick reminder that the Spinning Group meets this Sunday, June 7th, from 12-4 PM. I know there will be lots of stories told about last month's Shepherd's Harvest Festival, the fibery treasures that were found, wooly encounters that were had, and more!

BTW, SHF is so DANG FUN, is there anyplace else that we can have so much fun for free?! (I don't think so!)

The Festival set a new attendance record, too...over 6,000 fiber nuts attended the two-day event! It was so fun to see SO MANY of you turn out for Shepherd's Harvest, y'all seemed to be having a great time! Thanks so much for supporting the Festival, for stopping by my booth, and thank you so much for your continued support of the shop, it is appreciated!

Oh, and don't you think we need a better name than "Spinning Group" (yawn)? Put on your think-caps and let's see what we can come up with!

Hope to see you Sunday!

Pam

SHEPHERD'S HARVEST FESTIVAL, May 9th & 10th

SHEPHERD'S HARVEST FESTIVAL is just around the corner and I've been stocking up! Here's a preview:

-A new shipment of KUNDERT DROP SPINDLES (see the photo).

-I also have an order of TURKISH SPINDLES coming from Ed Jenkins (including his new, smaller style TURKISH DELIGHTS, which I hear are fabulous).

-A shipment of GALE'S ART came in, in a really BIG box (see the photo). I have SEMI-SOLIDS and HAND PAINTED BFL and MERINO, yummy HAND PAINTED ALPACA/SILK BLENDS and something new...Gale's LIMITED EDITION HAND PAINTED CORRIEDALE CROSS TOPS in striking colorways (each is a one-of-a-kind, 4 oz).

-I have HAND PAINTED BAMBOO coming any day. It's wonderful to spin and it has such a luxurious drape and luster!

-I'm very excited about PIGEON ROOF STUDIO'S HAND PAINTED FALKLAND WOOL TOPS coming in time for Shepherd's Harvest! And after SHF, Krista will be sending me an order of her HAND PAINTED SIREN TWO SOCK YARNS (Superwash Merino/Cashmere/Nylon)!

-An order of deeply colored HAND PAINTED BFL from Lisa at DICENTRA DESIGNS will be here next week, too.

-And, don't forget the FIBRE FUSION FELBI PREFELTS! I'll have a bunch of prefelts at the Festival, some silk kits, and who knows what else. Afterall, I've still got 2 whole weeks to get it together! (Those of you who know me will understand that joke.)

-I'm also hoping to have some of the RUBBER BULB SPRAYERS left for sale. They are great for you wet felters (for wetting out your fibers), and they've been selling well.

Now, you be sure to visit us at SHEPHERD'S HARVEST FESTIVAL May 9th & 10th. Takes place at the Washington County Fairgrounds at Lake Elmo and for more information you can go to http://www.shepherdsharvestfestival.org/.

WE HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!

Teen-Age Girl Discovers New Use for Wool!

You may not recognize her. This is Pixie, and she's going to make a wig! I can't wait.

Lookin' good, Pixie!!

(That's Pixie's Mom, Marjorie, in the background...they're two wild and crazy girls!)

Delicious Silk Scarves from Thailand!

Wow! Over the week-end I had a woman stop in to find out about fibers and felting. Turns out she imports silk goods from the Far East and other areas and she happened to be on a selling trip to Minneapolis-St. Paul. She brought her goods in and I nabbed some really lovely silk scarves (like those in the pictures above). They have a very nice hand, and are quite an open weave. I think they'd be beautiful Nuno Felted! Some are tie-dyed, others are dip-dyed, and I bought a dozen to see if they're something you all might be interested in.

Heck, you wouldn't even have to Nuno them, they are lovely and drapey just as they are!

Bulb Sprayers

This is one of the Bulb Sprayers that have just come in. I have them in this blue, a dark green and an orange. They are amazing for wetting out your fibers when you are wet felting. The price is $24.95. I have them for sale on my Etsy Store (http://www.thefiberstudio.etsy.com/), and you can also contact me at the shop (612.822.1600) or at pamangier@comcast.net and I'll be happy to ship one to you.

Artists Trading Cards Class

This is a photo from the cover of the

Artist Trading Card Workshop book by artist bernie berlin.

This class is next Tuesday evening, April 14, from 6-9 with Kathy Coulter. Kathy has been playing with collage and altered art techniques for many years and you're sure to learn a TON about the process of creating these little works of art. For more information about ATC's (as they're called), do a Google search and you will be amazed!

No experience is necessary, just a desire to have fun and to meet others with like interests.

Finally, the Pre-Felts and Sprinkle Bulbs, More!

I am so happy to be able to tell you that the FIBRE FUSION FELBI PREFELTS have come in, as have the RUBBER WATER BULBS for wetting your fibers in wet felting!

The prefelts are so soft and they're very generous in size, approximately 60" x 80". I have them in 17 beautiful colors, from neutrals to earths to brights, and they are priced at $38 each. You can use them as a base for wet felting (and needle felting) and save a huge amount of time not having to lay out multiple fine layers of fibers. They're also perfect for cutting into shapes and patterns to incorporate into your projects, as some of you have done in the Felted Tote Bag Class for embellishments and flowers. I've also got some new colors in the SUPERFINE MERINO tops.

SPRING CLASSES, OTHER NOTES:

The BEAD EMBROIDERY CLASS (with Jennifer Diedrich) will be Tuesday, April 7, from 6 to 8:30 PM. There are still a couple spots open in the class for anyone who would like to learn how to embroider with beads on fabric! (And don't worry, even though I'm closed on Tuesdays, I will be here!)

The REVERSIBLE FELTED HANDBAG CLASS (with Leslie Granbeck) is coming up Saturday, April 11, from 10 AM to 4:30 PM and there are still a few spots available in this class.

And, finally, we need to get some of you to come out for the COLLAGE: ARTIST TRADING CARDS CLASS (with Kathy Coulter) on Tuesday, April 14, from 6 to 9 PM. I'll try to find time over the week-end to post some links you can visit to learn about ATC's (as they're called). I think a lot of people aren't familiar with them, but they are so much fun. It's art-making on a small scale, about the size of a playing card. You can do a Google Search for ATC and/or artist trading cards and you'll be amazed at what people are doing on these little pieces. You need absolutely no prior experience to participate in this class, and you will learn a TON about collage, distressing, and many other techniques you can use in altered art projects. Come join us for a soul-satisfying evening that is sure to open up a whole new world to you.

For information about all of our classes, go to http://www.thefiberstudio.com/. There are also photos of the Bead Embroidery example and Reversible Felted Handbag example on the "Classes" page.

FINALLY, don't forget to mark your calendar for SHEPHERD'S HARVEST FESTIVAL on May 9th and 10th at the Washington County Fairgrounds in Lake Elmo, Minnesota. For more information go to http://www.shepherdsharvestfestival.org/.

Classes, New Items and Shepherd's Harvest!

Spring 2009 Class Schedule... I've got some of the classes on the website (http://www.thefiberstudio.com/), with a few more to come. New offerings are:

~Try It, You'll Like It! one day, 6-hour spinning class
~Drop Spindle Class
~Artist Trading Cards (ATC's)
~Bead Embroidery
~Knitting with Roving
~I'm still working on a few other ideas, so be sure to re-check the website. If you have any ideas for classes, I'd love to hear about them! Call 612.822.1600 or e-mail pamangier@comcast.net.

We've got lots of new items in the shop...

~hand dyed silk fabric for nuno felting, hand dyed silk hankies, silk caps and throwster's waste
~luscious 70% Alpaca/30% Silk top, hand dyed for us by Gale's Art, 4 lovely colorways
~a fresh shipment of hand dyed BFL and Black BFL in semi-solids and hand paints
~hand painted Merino tops, perfect for your nuno projects
~fresh shipments of our Corriedale, Merino solids and Harrisville batts
~custom blended batts

And, coming soon (next week?)...

~rubber squeegee bulbs for wetting your fibers, these are great!!
~Felbi prefelts and Superfine Merino Wooltops from Fibre Fusion in Australia

Remember to check out our Etsy store at http://www.thefiberstudio.etsy.com/ where you can order through PayPal (you don't have to have a PayPal account to use PayPal). And, as always, you are more than welcome to call the shop (612.822.1600) or e-mail me with your orders at pamangier@comcast.net. We always love to hear from you!

Save the Date: SHEPHERD'S HARVEST FESTIVAL

It's that time of year and our wonderful Shepherd's Harvest Festival is coming up soon! I can't wait! If you've been to the Festival you understand my excitement, and if you haven't been you should definitely make plans to attend!

Mark your calendars, it's Mother's Day week-end, May 9th and 10th, at the Washington County Fairgrounds in Lake Elmo, MN. I'll be selling there again this year with my trusty sidekick Leslie, I'll post more in the days to come.

The Latest

I just don't know where the time goes, January has flown by!

New hand painted Targhee tops are in, lovely colorways. The New Zealand Corriedale Sliver and Merino Tops have been replenished, a great selection available. Hand dyed silk hankies are in stock again, and I'll have more Gale's Art hand painted BFL by the end of next week.

A new order of Cushing's Dyes came in yesterday, and the latest Quilting Arts magazine is in.

And just a reminder...Sunday, February 1, is SPINNING GROUP here at The Studio, 12-4. Hope you can make it!

I've got to scoot, I hope to post again soon.

Happy New Year!

Hi everyone. Hope your holiday season was bright and merry. Now it's time to get our noses back to the grindstones! Speaking of grindstones...New Year's Day was "Rock Day" for the Weaver's Guild of MN at the Textile Center. It's a once-a-year event and it's really fun. The idea is: after a season of merry-making and celebrating the holidays, it's time to get back to work! This was my second year at Rock Day and I love it. Virginia Parent is our gracious hostess, it's pot luck, and we spin, knit, weave, visit, eat, drink!

The 2009 Winter Class Schedule is online now, take a peek. We've put together some great classes (as usual).

Just a reminder that the shop will be closed Mondays and Tuesdays through the end of January (and possibly longer). We will maintain our normal Wednesday thru Sunday hours.

Spinning group is tomorrow. Of course it's gotten to be the joke that I schedule the group for a Sunday when the weather is inclement! (not true!) We'll see who the hardy Minn-e-so-tans are...we're supposed to get up to 4" of snow between now and tomorrow.

Have to run, hope you're having a great extended New Year's week-end.