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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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!

pamsfiber Etsy Shop

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

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!

FAF Fiber Arts Friday project....Enjoy

Hi Everyone! Here I am today Saturday for FAF Fiber Arts Friday! A day late and a dollar short as the saying goes!

So anyway my project for this week is so adorable for the fall fashion! Really fast to knit and assemble. Its a knitted bow headband for the hair. These work up really fast and will make great gifts for the holiday.

All you need is some wonderful soft handspun or mill spun worsted weight yarn. I used some alpaca for the brown bow shown and a sheep/angora painted yarn for the other bow.

Sz 8 or 9 knitting needle

and a sz 5.5 mm crochet hook or whatever sz close to this that you have.

CO 13 st and do a seed st or whatever st you like and knit for 5"

BO off in pattern that st you chose.

Next CO 5 st and knit in chosen pattern st for 3" BO

Sew the 3" knitted piece around the center of the 5" knitted piece to make a bow

Now crochet 4 to 6 chains( 6 make it thicker to use as a light earwarmer) long enough to go around the wearer's head and tie.

Simply slide the ends of the crochet chains through the middle of the 3" knitted piece and VIOLA!

A wonderful hair decoration!

The bow can be slid to wherever you like. Adorable! 

I hope you try these hair bows. In person they are adorable and you cannot help but knit more! Imagine it on an infant, toddler, teen or adult! Size the bow according to the wearer! Try just one and you'll be hooked.

Dont forget, leave an email address so your notified of each blog post so as not to miss one. And sign on as a follower so that you will be entered into our free drawings! Free gifts! What is better then that?

Happy End of Summer to you XO Fall has been in the air and it's a wonderful thing!

Meet the Barnyard family members! FAF post

Welcome to Dream Come True's barnyarnd family members. Today for FAF Fiber arts friday I thought I would share with you our barnyard and you would meet our fiber critters along with the rest of the barnyard members. I have been asked a number of times since FAF what we had for fiber animals. So this post is for you to become really familiar with my family of 4 leggeds!

Welcome to th barnyarnd:

 

 This is our Shetland Pony Khota and our miniature horse Pony Boy. they are just the greatest! I adore them so.....Mane and tail hairs are used from these guys in some of my weavings.

 This is the Dahli Llama, our guard llama and boy does he do his job. Hes been emplyed here 12 years! Dahlis fiber is not the softest, so he is used for felting decorative items or purses. But he holds his weight in gold with his guarding efforts....He has a wonderful smile doesen't he?

 This is Serianna and her daughter Dahlia, Nigerian goats. They were used for their milk to make goats milk soap. And they are mascots for the farm. They love people and especially kids! So they welcome folks as they enter the barnyard



Tis is Angel our second llama with some of the  Babydolls, Jelly Bean, Raisinette and Winny. All of these guys are used for spinning yarns.

 This is Hershey's Kiss-Babydoll Southdown, my oldest gal on the farm. Some of the other ewes are her daughtes!

 Breakfast on the farm and enjoyable activity!

 Two of our Weimeraners, Sage and her daddy Zeeke basking in the sun.

 My most loved little rescue, a dwarf horse, Spartakus!  OMG I just love him. Id bring him inside if my DH would let me! I brough him up on the deck and got the warning of "You better not bring him inside!" Oh well, we tried.

 Hershey, looking pretty.

 Some fo the critters sayin "Good Morning" as I walked up to the barn.

 Mowing the lawn.

Our third Weimeraner 12 year old Mama Zoe! enjoying the sun and warmth on her old arthritic bones. Such a good girl.

Some of those sheep just would not be photographed! Stayed tucked away, must have been a bad hair/wool day, maybe next time. I think we only missed two... And dont forget soon we will be adding 3 Pygora goats to the farm. So next farm phoot session will include them. I hope you enjoyed meeting my beloved barnyard family members. Maybe someday some of you will meet them in person.

XO

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Delivery date!

I'm very excited to tell you ( im actually busting with anticipation) that my 3 Pygora goats are making the cross country trip in October.  They will leave Hawks Mountain Ranch October 11th, arriving around the 13th. One 2 year old friendly loving type A fleece, 4-h boy named chip and 2, 6 month olds with no name yet.  Locks, locks and more locks!  Pygoras are shorn twice a year so that's six fleeces a year.  So I'm like a new Mom in waiting!!   So there you have my news!!

Off to do chores and open the farm shop.
XO

FAF Fiber Arts Friday! Quick and fun idea

Hey All, here we are another Friday, so this means another week flew by! Its been a really busy week here. Lots of farm work, lots of fiber work. Its that time a year. We start to get ready for the cooler months and winter. Soon the sheep will be coated. I wait until the fleece is long enough to start getting chafe stuck inside and then I cover them after blowing out any tiny bits that may have worked its way in. This is usually around end of September when its a bit cooler. By doing this I can produce a beautiful clean fleece that has not been weathered badly. Bringing hay up to the barns and straw and storing it in every available space and taking cob webs down, another chore completed.
Of course this is the time of year that fiber arts sales kicks in. I have been creating and adding things to my Etsy shop and farm shop on a regular basis. Ill be all ready for the fall schedule. My previous post has a lot of information on our farm schedule and fiber festival and all things I'm involved with for the fall.
Today I'm sharing the" how to" on  finger knitting. Using art yarn will produce an awesome end result using the following technique. I use this with kids, who love doing it, making things that make them proud and that they can wear to show off their work.
I myself use the technique and make hair accessories, belts, lariats and even garlands adding on charms and fun things to display! But I say it again, art yarn and this technique is a lot of fun and will give you great end results.
This weekend, craft shop for the chain purchase to make and art yarn necklace! Im loving this idea. Think holidays and gifts!

Until next Friday! Happy thoughts, Happy Life! XO

Fall Schedule for Pamsfiber

Hey Everyone! Just wanted to do a quickie blog about my schedule.  My farm shop is full of new items. Loads of new yarns, pottery, jewelry, and a lot of hand knit accessories. Just in time for the upcoming holidays. Fall is only 3 weeks away so be sure to stock up your yarns for knitting in the cooler months.  
The shop is open anytime by appointment and most weekends, but call to be sure of the day and hours 203-736-2630.   
September 30th is a Camp Pluckyfluff reunion gathering here 10-6, shop will remain open
October 11th-14th I'll be at Stitches East in the Madison Wool booth with Dayna.  She has offered a corner for me to display some things.  
October 20th-21st is Rhinebeck Sheep and Wool Festival in NY. I will be going one day but the shop will be open the day I do not attend.
October 28th I'm teaching a wire core spinning class at Madison Wool in Madison Ct 1pm-5pm if interested give me a shout or call Madison Wool.
November 3rd New England Fiber Festival it the Big E fair grounds.  Look for me at Short and Sweet Farms booth in the fiber animal building I'll be hanging around the sheep!  
November 4th class #2 creating with your wire core spun yarn.  At Madison Wool.
November 23-25th Holiday shopping in the farm shop with an Open House on Sunday,  Santa and the Mrs. Will be here, visit with the farm animals, try your hand at spinning and more. Details to follow. 
The shop will stay open weekends and weekdays by appointment right to Christmas.

Spinning lessons start up in September and go through the fall.  Beginner lessons.  Lessons for the seasoned spinner, core spinning with yarn and batts, spinning with locks and more . Give a call. 
I am an Ashford dealer, ALL products available, some samples here on the farm. Orders arrive one week from day order is placed.  
Pygora goats arrive on the farm 2nd week in October!
My Etsy shop will have regular updates starting this week.  New yarns and some really awesome new hand knit  accessories that I have designed using art yarns
Ah yes and final note: I am participating by invite in a yarn challenge sponsored by the on line magazine Spin Artiste and Picasso Moon Yarn Shop.  I'm to spin from fiber, leather and lace adding one of my own elements into an art yarn. A number of folks were invited to join in. After the yarns are spun they will travel the East Coast stopping at a number of shops for display. After the journey the yarns will be auctioned off to one lucky winner!  I can't wait to see what kind of yarn designs will be produced.  
So this is what is scheduled as of now. I certainly will add news if it pops up. As usual see you here every Friday.  

FAF fiber art friday! Hexagonal afghan/shawl

Hey everyone! Its Friday so here is my fiber arts project of the week! I have been making these afghans all summer  and I love them! And I love making them. I have posted photos of 4 out of five of them on FB and have had many a request for the pattern. So here it is. I took a few patterns and combined the recipes to make the following, to my liking. I have to tell you though I'm not a pattern writer so I hope you can understand what I have done.  I wrote it exactly like I would knit it. If your not clear on something, don't hesitate to write and ask me to clarify and Ill do my best. Have fun and enjoy. Oh Id love to see your afghan when completed! These are made all from my handspun hand dyed yarns, alpaca and Babydoll Southdown. One is my grandsons, one is mine, one is for sale and one was an order as a gift. I also did one not pictured for my new granson expected in November.  They are great for anyone! This can be worn folded in half as a shawl or fold 1/4 of it over as a collar for a shawl! Its a two in one project! It also makes a beautiful nursing blanket.

As always please share by blog info with your friends and on Facebook. And sign on as a follower and leave an email address if you'd like so as not to miss FAF ideas! All followers are eligible for my free give a ways! Always fun....

My favorite afghan pattern from Pamsfiber Dream Come True Farm

Sz 15 DP needles - and 17 or 19 round needles

Bulky handspun yarn



Chain 6 or co 6 onto sz 15 dp needle. Join chain in circle and pick up 2 st on each DP needle OR join your Co st in circle. Don't forget to put a marker at the join. Do not twist your st

K

Increase every st around once

K

* Now increase 1st, and in between middle 2 st and last st on every needle

* K

* K

Continue last 3 rows (*)until you can transfer st onto round needles sz 17 or19 or whatever you have

Place marker at the 1st st on every needle, in between middle 2 st and last st on each needle continue the increase You should have 6 markers

Continue the three pattern rows increasing before and after each st marker

Increase to approx 250 to 300 st on needle or however beg you'd like

BO in purl st loose. your edge will curl a little but I thick it adds to the design, framing the hexagonal shape

See you next Friday! XO