For a long time now, I have wanted to write a book on carding with color. When I began to look into it, however, it became apparent that anything I put together would be cost prohibitive due to all the photos and/or end up being printed in China. Sorry. I’m not going to put that much work into a product only to have it say “printed in China” on the cover. And then it occurred to me that I could do up chapters as pdfs that could be displayed on one’s computer. Is there interest in such an animal? I would greatly appreciate your input via the poll below.
as far as the calendar is concerned. But around these parts, it has looked more like spring this past week. Members of our community placed and decorated a Christmas tree on the village green. It was so warm, though, and the sky so blue, that it appeared the tree was left over from last year, rather than heralding in this year’s Christmas season. All that changed this evening, however, when Mother Nature realized that she had yet to bestow any snow upon us.
Now that looks like a Christmas tree!
‘Tis also the season to grace yourself or someone you love with a work of art:
Gorgeous, no? You can find it in our Etsy store. Ho ho ho!
Life in Vermont can be wonderful. Life in Vermont with no transportation can be quite challenging. Such was life here for the past two weeks when my little Toyota decided she just couldn’t hang in there any longer. Thus began the search for a replacement.
Car shopping with very little money – I mean very little money - is always interesting, and this time around proved no different. We met a number of new people, from a hauty Frenchman to a rather wasted young woman. We found some good cars, some decent cars, and some real scary cars. We ended up with a beautiful car purchased from a stone mason who lived miles up a dirt mountain road in the middle of nowhere.
Is she cute or what? And not a speck of rust on her anywhere. Anywhere. Amazing that one can find an 18 year old car in Vermont – that has always been in Vermont – and has absolutely no rust. Not even underneath. None. She’s gorgeous, will hold all the boys, and has enough room that, should we need to do a show or two, all our racks and supplies will fit nicely in the back.
Anyone need an inexpensive Toyota that no longer runs?
We can all use a little instant gratification from time to time. To facilitate that for our customers, we have opened an Etsy shop where we can list items that we have completed, done, polished, ready to go. We have knitting needles, both straight and double pointed, listed, along with some fibers, some shawl pins/awls, hat pins, some fibers, and this baby:
Pretty. Paduak with a black Dymondwood shaft. This spindle glows.
On the home front, it is the end of Thanksgiving vacation. The boys are tired – too much playing all week. We’re a bit tired – work and tryptophan don’t necessarily go together well, though it is nothing that a little pie can’t compensate for. Even while under the turkey influence, Tom and I both managed to get a fair amount accomplished this week.
All in all a good week, even though I had to unexpectedly bid farewell to my car. Anyone need a 1994 Toyota with nearly 250,000 miles that no longer runs? If you’re handy and know how to change a timing belt, she could probably be convinced to continue carrying folks around.
know how to throw a party. Lois, of White River Yarns, is one of those rare beings. The Holiday Fiber Festival was a resounding success.
Throughout the weekend one could find folks spinning, knitting, felting, and making the coolest buttons. Ellen and Cathy of Ellen’s Half Pint Farm were there as well with all their lovely yarns on display and demonstrating dyeing and clay work. Terry Miller of Snowshoe Farms had an array of beautiful alpaca yarns. The Fuzzy Bunny had beautiful milk and bamboo fibers and handspun yarns. The Wee Piper was there with beautiful baskets, hooked rugs, nostepindes, and a multitude of handmade goods. I had the good fortune to be parked next to Kim of Vermont Grand View Farm. Their rovings were delightful – I had to restrain myself. Her daughter, Heather, did a fantastic job teaching felting – and well she should. She has built quite a business of her own through Vermont Fairies.
As for me, I managed to get November’s colorway spun up (several times, as I couldn’t remember the color proportions, so I covered my bases!)
thanks in large part to the coffee Lois supplied. A class act, Lois made sure she had plenty of coffee and treats on hand, and individual mugs as well!
Thank you to all who came, who vended, who taught – and especially to Lois for her willingness to pull all this together on such short notice.
That’s what we’ll be doing this weekend at the Holiday Fiber Festival, hosted by White River Yarns. Lois, our hostess and purveyor of fine yarns, has put together a lovely weekend that begins tomorrow evening and runs right through to Sunday afternoon. There will be vendors, classes on knitting, spinning, dyeing, and needle felting, goodies, and Lois – bless her – is preparing plenty of coffee. The nearby Comfort Suites is offering a great rate on rooms for those with a longer drive. It promises to be a lovely and relaxing weekend – a perfect way to unwind before the madness of the holiday season sets in.
I will be there with fiber (that I still have to card!), needles, spindles, spinning kits, and whatever else Tom has to offer. I plan on spinning up the November ColorWays selection (provided I can find an extension cord, having realized too late tonight that the only wheel I have here at this house is the electric) and, if I spend enough time spinning instead of socializing, getting the monthly project underway as well.
That’s how I feel about September and October ColorWays boxes. It’s been a long two months – but the boxes are beginning the journey out of the studio and into your homes.
That’s Charles, who supervised the loading. Singles are up front.
Double monthly boxes are in the rear. Charles, obviously pleased with the packing, is thinking he earned a little stroll on the village green.
More will leave in the morning, and the final ones should be gone by Friday, as soon as Tom has turned the last of these:
Thank you all for your kind thoughts and words – and for your patience. Spinners are exceptional human beings.
We have changed our name. Grafton Fibers is now DyakCraft. Why the name change? We are no longer connected to Grafton, Vermont other than waiting for our house there to sell. We wanted a name that reflected us, not a place. Dyak is the traditional spelling of our last name. In Ukrainian, dyak means cantor. Tom’s father was a cantor and Tom is an incredible singer/songwriter in his own right. He wanted a part of our name to reflect his musical heritage. And the Craft part – that’s what we do.
There is a new logo:
And our site redirects to a new site: www.dyakcraft.com
There are also new projects in the works – a combined effort with Claudia Chase, owner of Mirrix Looms, (as soon as we get something up on that one, I’ll publish the link here), and work forthcoming from one of our favorite artists/craftsmen, Eva Komura. We just need an extra 30 or 40 hours per day to get everything accomplished.
There is still a bit of work to do to complete the change – working on new labels and such. Okay, there’s still a lot of work to do. But there’s no need to worry if I work up a sweat getting it all done, however, thanks to the lovely and talented Aubrey, she of Goodies Unlimited fame. I put in an emergency order for Everything Balm the other day. Everything Balm is amazing stuff, perhaps because it is crafted by an amazingly kind woman. Not only did she fill my Everything Balm order with lightning speed, she filled the box with a multitude of small wonders:
Yes, that is all handmade soap – and it is all mine (save the bars my oldest snagged immediately!)
