January 2010 Canadian FibRE Box
Happy new year everyone! I'm starting the new year with a new look - a custom designed banner by an artists from Etsy - Jerise, who can be found at jerise.etsy.com. I love it!
Since we're celebrating six months of the Canadian Fibre Box this month, it was my turn to have a little fun! First, the contents of this month's box. You have a roving or batt, hand dyed or carded by me, a needlefelting fibre packet from Art-by-Ana, handmade Goat's Milk Soap from Carvel Country Soaps, and a sample of Northern Lights roving from Louet NA. I hope you enjoy the Box! (PS if you like Northern Lights, you can get more from the OVFA shop here.)
Ottawa VAlley Fibre Arts
My love affair with fibre is relatively recent, and it snowballed into a fibre business fairly quickly. Ottawa Valley Fibre Arts was created to share my love of spinning and everything fibre, and with the Canadian Fibre Box I try to introduce people to Canadian fibre producers and Artisans. This project has been really great - I've met so many wonderful farmers, artisans, and mill owners from across Canada, and even more fabulous people who subscribe to the Box.
My
inspirations for colour are two fold. I enjoy working both with earthy,
natural colours, and bold, fun, almost childish colours. In this month's
boxes you may have either of these! For example, there are two sets of
deep blue, green and brown rovings dyed so that they can be spun into a
beautiful marled yarn like the singles on the left:
In
contrast, some boxes have the Winter Melons colourway which can be spun
up like the two ply yarn on the right. Whatever the colourway, I try to let the colours lead me in the
dyeing process. This means that even within a colourway that I repeat,
like Autumn in Gatineau park, no two runs are ever the same. I find that
spinning in colour keeps me engaged and is a lot of fun!
Art-by-Ana
In our first box, Ana of Art-by-Ana had sample skeins of handspun in the box. This month she's back with really great needlefelting fibre packets. Each packet has about 5-6 grams each of three colours of hand dyed merino top. They can be used for needlefelting, or even for adding colour to your handspun if you want to card them into other fibres or use them in your art yarns. You can find more of Ana's fabulous stuff at her Etsy shop artbyana.etsy.com.
Carvel Country Soaps
Finally, I thought as a nice addition for January, some Goat's milk soap would be in order! Goats are related to fibre, sort of, right? Anyways, it may be a stretch, but each of you have a small bar of artisan made soap in your box as well. The soap is hand crafted in Alberta by a stay at home mom. Thanks Krista! You can visit her etsy shop here.
Ideas welcome!
Suggestions? I'd love your thoughts on other fibre producers and artisans to include in the box. Just send me an email! If you provide me with an artisan/fibre producer who is featured, you will received that month's box at half price!