Monday, December 31, 2012

Please help....,,,,,,a simple request

To all of my knitters, crocheters and spinning friends around the country. I have a very small favor to ask of you.  My friend Marti Kosh had the wonderful idea to do a comfort afghan for my friend Scarlett who lost her 6 year old son to the Sandy Hook tragedy and for her surviving son JT who is 13. . If you'd like to help will you consider knitting or crocheting one or two 8" squares out of either handspun or store bought yarn in either acrylic or wool we will make it all work. Whatever pattern you'd like, whatever color you'd like. If you'd like to include a note we will pass it on. It's a small request but will have a huge impact on the family. Warmth from all around the country!! Thanks guys. You can mail them to Dream Come True Farm 82 Freeman Rd Oxford CT 06478.

Happy New Year to ALL of you! 
The more you bless others, the more you will be blessed
Hugs from all of us at Dream Come True Farm

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Sadness hits us hard

Jesse Lewis Obituary: View Jesse Lewis's Obituary by News Times

Our dear little Jesse Lewis will be laid to rest this week after the horrific event that took place at his school.  Prayers and positive thoughts are needed for his Mom Scarlett and his Dad Neil. Please read about this wonderful child by clicking the link above.

Ill start fiber blogging again after the new year. Need to get through this emotional time.
Be well everyone. Happy holidays to you. Hold your family close and tell them you love them every single day.

XO

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Tis the Season! update from the farm! HO! HO! HO!

 
HO! HO! HO! news from the farm!
I have been making leg warmer - boot toppers of late. Not your traditional colors but colors that will turn heads and show off those leg warmer boot toppers!  Spinning as usual everyday, doing trunk shows and this weekend I will be at The Art Barn on rt 110 in Monroe CT with some really talented
artist, showing and selling our work.
 
Next weekend is the Leather and Lace showing from the Yarn Challenge that was sponsored by Spin Artiste an on line publication. The yarns are travelling the East Coast and will be on display at Madison Wool December 15th and 16th in Madison Ct. These yarns are a must see!!!
The shop is full and really busy this year. I'm doing trunk shows, busy with Etsy and of course busy with holiday prep.
The Secret Angel hat project was a great susscess! Our goal was 100 and we passed that number. Im proud and thankful to know such wonderful caring people! We will have kept some heads toasy warm this season!
 
The open house was a success. A freezing cold day it was but we still had a crowd that enjoyed the farm tour and did some holiday shopping. Thank you to all who braved that frigid day.
Santa and the Mrs made an appearance and then headed back to the North pole.
The shop is open anytime during the season by appointment so give a call,
 203-218-0508
 
Last but not lease the Dalli llama gave an unforgettable performance at the open house day. One that I'm sure some parents had to explain to their kids. The perfect way to learn about the birds and the bees is on a farm. It brought a lot of laughs! Bad Dalli llama!!
 
Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season, I hope to see some of you for holiday cheer. Be well, Hugs to all of you from Pamsfiber and Dream Come True Farm!
 
 
 
 


Yarn Challenge

 Over flowing shop!
 Our cozy cabin!

 Wishing you all a Happy holiday!


 Hats for Yale New Haven!

 Open House day!








 A BAD LLAMA!


Peace on Earth and goodwill to all!
XO

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

You are cordially invited by Dream Come True Farm, Mr and Mrs Santa Claus, and ALL the barn yard critters:
 
This year our farm Dream Come True 82 Freeman Rd Oxford is having another holiday educational open house 12-4pm the weekend of Thanksgiving. My knitting and spinning group has worked really hard this year knitting hats for premature, newborn infants and children's sz, calling ourselves Secret Angels. We will be sending the hats to a local hospital, most likely Yale the first weekend of December. I would like to know if you would come join us for some farm education, meet the animals and bring either a hand knit hat or store bought hat for infants or child sz. We have already hand knitted 75 hats!! I would really like to reach 100 or more. Santa and Mrs Claus will be here Sunday to accept hats for the Secret Angels from12:30-2:30, and of course to speak with children and for photographs. The animals will meet, great and give kisses, the farm shop will be open, selling farm and local made products and we will demonstrate our craft of spinning. Warm cider will be served and popcorn.   Mike and I would like to share our farm with the public and ask that they help the Secret Angels to keep some tiny heads warm this holiday season, if they are able.
Thank you,  XO
 
 








 
PS we will be introducing our newest barn yard family members Chip, Ben and Jerry this weekend. They are our new Pygora goats who LOVE people!!
 
Please stop on by, FREE to the public
Join the Holiday fun! And be sure to bring a camera for pics of your day on the farm. And if you can bring a hat, not necessay but if you find the time to knit a pirchase one it would be great. See all then.

FAF will be returning soon. With the arrival of the new goats and my new grandson and with the holiday around the corner it been crazy here on the farm. But I am working on some ideas and some great tips to share with you all. Id like to share my crockpot dyeing techniques with you first seeing there were alot of questions about it. So please stay tuned!

Friday, October 19, 2012

Fiber Arts Friday FAF Quickie green saving idea

Hi everyone, its been a really busy week here on the farm with the arrival of the new pygora goats. The 2 year old came with the name of Chip so we kept that name and the little boys have been named Ben and Jerry. They are doing fine, but Ben is TROUBLE! He jumps on everything in sight and he has found his way our of his pen!! Yup, every time I looked out the window the other day, there he was in the back yard hanging around and investigating with not a care in the world. So that's where my busy week came in. Changing fencing!

Im displaying some things this Sunday at the Made in Connecticut Fair here in Oxford. Leslie Alexander has a both and offered me some space with her. Ill enjoy my time with her and enjoy seeing all the wonderful handmade things that will be there. Check the web for details.

So for this FAF I'm going to share a little idea that was shared with me a few weeks ago by my friend Linda Hooper. Great little idea she got from a Lilly Chin class. Its so simple its silly, but green, recycled and saves on cash. These little tie off gadgets are $$$ in the craft shops so why not acquire them for free.

Save the little plastic closures from your bread bags and use it to keep the excess yarn or tail you may have when you cast on. Sometime you need to leave a tail to seam with and its in the way. I have made them into the little tiny butterfly ties, but then I go to undo it and it to tight or gets knotted. Also great for embroidery floss!

This is the idea shared with me that I'd like to pass on. Simple, but useful and GREEN!



 
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Monday, October 15, 2012

Keeping Our Pygora Goats Fleece Free of Chafe

I did a short video that I would like to share on how Im going to keep the pygora goats fiber free of chafe. Three pygora goats arrived here on the farm October 12th from Hawks Mountain Ranch in Oregon. They are prescious and loving. The fleece is to die for and their personalities are awesome. So spinners have been asking the question of how Im going to keep them clean and free of chafe, so here is short video on my method of keeping chafe free curly locks. More news on the goats later.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gT1BNz3Zw8&feature=BFa&list=UUqRsUUC5RELHiUbtv7XwBjg

Check back often for FAF fiber arts friday ideas and all farm news and updates.

Friday, October 5, 2012

FAF Fiber Arts Friday-Knock Off Boot toppers!

Hi Everyone, finally we have some sunshine here in CT.  We had rain all week and its just been so dreary. The sun was well needed here on the farm by both 2 legged and 4 legged creatures. I want to tell you that I will be at Stitches East in Hartford Next Wed. the 11th through Sunday the 14th. I will be in Madison Wool's booth displaying my wire core spun yarns and art yarns. Stop on by and see us if you attend the event. Its going to be a great show.

So, for fiber arts Friday Im going to share a wonderful sassy boot topper/legwarmer idea. The first time I saw these, they  were created by Jazzturtle Creations. As soon as I saw them I said "I'm going to knit a set before the fall". Well fall came and no boot toppers. So I started thinking about knitting the legwarmer part to top it off with handspun lock yarn. The idea of getting the legwarmer part knitted was over whelming to me at this time of year. Lots of fiber commitments. So I took a pair of store bought legwarmers and a crochet hook, cut my yarn into long fringe lengths and fringed it through the top of the legwarmers exactly as you would do for a shawl or scarf fringe. A total knock off! But it worked and I have a pair, all within 2 hours time. It took about an hour for each one to be fringed. VIOLA! I love them and will get loads of use out of them. They even look good with short boots and the right shoe as a leg warmer. Tip, if you cant find leg warmers, a consignment shop visit for wool sweaters for the sleeves would work with the right fit. Or An old pair of knee socks would work as well. Whatever that fits on your leg well can me fringed and made into these awesome leg warmer/boot toppers. So onto the idea.
Here we go:








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One more thing our Pluckyfluff reunion was a great success with some of the most wonderful creative women! Atay tuned for pics of our day and the wonderful creations that were shared on that day.
Until next time, be well, happy fiber arts friday!! XO

Friday, September 28, 2012

FAF Fiber Arts Friday tip!

Hey everyone,
I know that I said I had a knitting idea that I wanted to share today, but life got in the way as it so often does here on the farm and the knitting part is not completed for photographing. So I have someting to sahre with you anyway. Its a great tip for those BIG knitting needle projects.

So here it is, I want to share a quick idea that for me was an amazing simple discovery! You all know I spin and knit with mostly big bulky yarns and art yarns so Im knitting with BIG knitting needles. I started knitting the hexagonal shawl/afghan throw's (5 of them) this summer and needed needle stitch markers which needed to be really big! I was knitting with sz 19 rounds. I had no stitch markers to fit the big needles. So I went to the craft store and bought a package of key rings! Yup, plain old key rings. They had them in 2 sizes so I bough both. One sz fits 15 to 19 and the next size up fits 35 and 50! Perfectly! They come in colors and silver tones. The package held about 25 rings each and was about 3.99! I was previously making my own markers with yarn and found myself knitting them into the project and needing to snip them out and make another. I was spending $5.00-6.00 on a package of 8 stitch markers! And only geting about 2 in the package that would fit sz 15, never mind anything bigger!
Amazing discovery! I hope this little tip will help you out when those big needle projects come out!
A small post and tip, but a huge savings in $$ and aggravation! (:

Farm News:
Sunday 9/30 Camp Pluckyfluff reunion, shop is open and two week count down to the arrival of the pygora goats! 10am-5pm

Fall is here and being enjoyed fully by both humans and critters on this farm

Etsy being updated on a regular basis, lots of new items click here: PamsFiber shop

Luke my 4 yr old grandson got a guinea pig that resides here on the farm with us. So adorable. Both Luke and the little piggy!

A new batch of goat milk soap has been made and is curing and will be in the famr shop, you can order some through the blog as well.

Our really big open house date is set for Thanksgiving weekend, stay tuned for details

See you all soon! XO
 
 

Two sizes hown here:
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Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Big Etsy Update! And Farm News

Hi Everyone!
Today I listed a number of new items in my Etsy shop. This is the time of year to start thinking about our fall winter fiber fun! I will be listing new items weekly if not twice a week through the fall and winter. The shop is full! If you have a special request after visiting the shop please be sure to drop me a line and Ill try to accommodate you..A sneak preview below!
click the above link to visit my Etsy!
 


 
 
*Don't forget our Pluckyfluff reunion gathering is this Sunday, September 30th, details in the previous post.

*I'm working on what I think is an awesome project for this Fridays Fiber Arts day, so be sure to check in

*Two and a half weeks until my pygora goats arrive!! Then I will share some pygora fiber! Watch my Etsy shop for some dyed pygora locks to be listed soon.

*Im working on some new You Tube Videos by requst, so check back for that update!
Braiding your roving for neat storage and display
Spinning a core yarn without a core
The knit CO cast on

Im teaching a two day workshop at Madison Wool in Madison Ct on wire core spinning. To complete the work shop we will use the yarn in 3 projects. You may visit Madsion wool on the web for details or feel free to email me.

Thanks for checking in. Remember leave an email address above so as not to miss a posting! Free give aways coming up so be sure to join this blog as follower so you may participate!!
XO

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Pluckyfluff Reunion Here Sept. 30!

Hi Everyone, I just wanted to do a quickie blog about this Sunday September 30th there will be Camp Pluckyfluff reunion here at Dream Come True Farm. It will be a day of sharing, bartering, selling, teaching and learning! Bring your wheels, knitting and whatever you like to share with the group. We will have a grand lunch of 3 cheese baked ziti, salad, bread and an assortment of baked goods. Lemonade, coffee and sangria! The only missing link will be Lexi Boger! We will certainly miss her. We can also discuss next years Camp Pluckfluff which will be held here on the farm with Lexi. This invite is for all the girls that attended the camp and anyone else that would like to join us for a day of fiber Fun!0
Check our the pics below to view some of the fun we had.....




















So that was just a few pics of what we did a Camp Pluckyfluff in June. It was awesome fun and I though to recreate it in a small way, we can have that fun all over again! We did have fun!