Handworks Crochet and then Some!

A new soap coming soon! This is Rosemary Lavender Donkey milk soap! Made with therapeutic essential oils, and premium ingredients like grape seed and sunflower oil! Purifying Clay and minerals give added benefits and pretty colors! I’ve been making homemade soap for several years now. I’ve always used the cold process method but after much research decided to try the hot process method. Mostly because with it I don’t add my milk until the end after the soap is cooling, the ph is balanced and the chemical lye is gone. Leaving behind correct ph pure soap.. which I then add my precious and highly skin beneficial donkey milk too. Looking forward to trying it and seeing it there is a significant difference!!  On the crochet front.. I’m pretty much crocheting everyday again now that I’ve decluttered all that fiber!!  So now I’m trying to get a handle on my supplies and organize.  I love being organized!! I’m not one of those people who can stash yarn in plastic tubs or under th...

It’s been to long!!!  But check out the lovely lace cardigan I’ve been working on! And the Bavarian stitch Afghan below... I’ve not been posting but I’ve been working!  Making tons of changes to our home, farm and life in general. Horses have taken over the farm and a good part of my heart.  I’ve decided to let go of ALL my hobbies but my number one favorite all time ... creating crochet fashion!! I want to be amazing at crochet. Which means more focus on it alone. I started this last year .. the focus to get better. And I did!! Much better!! Then spinning and sheep and other things got in the way so I had to stop and clear my space for good!  It’s all I care to do these days.. doing any other hobby only made me wish I was crocheting instead .. or with my horses! I no longer want to spin yarn.. been there done that. My favorite yarns are made with plant fibers or silk anyways which is hard to find, hard to spin and often more expensive than just buying the yarn itsel...

Wow! Is all I can say about this roving I just got back from the mill! Solid black can be a bit boring for a spinning who doesn’t want to blend her own fiber so I thought I’d add some color to Blackberrys fall wool. I got the inspiration from this picture taken in the fall. The mauve wildflower above her and the yellow/greens of the front flowers just looked so striking against her jet black color. After seeing the picture I immediately contacted my favorite dyer to get her to do some bamboo in mauve and yellow/green. I worked up a sample and loved it!  Despite wanting to hoard it all I will be selling some in my Etsy shop 😁  I also received some gorgeous, fluffy Jacobs and alpaca.. what a fun blend to spin!!!  The color is mostly brown but touches of black and white peek out! It would make the most lovely hat and gloves. Or a rustic style cardigan!!!  I love fiber... it’s filled with possibilities 💕🐑🐑

I'm so happy how this turned out! I was unsure about the color combination but it worked beautifully! This is the second sweater I have made from this pattern. Unfortunately the first sweater I made was in colors that were less than flattering for my skin tone 😔 But this one is all my colors!!  This pattern works up super fast and fairly easy. The only adjustments I have to ever make is on the yoke. Even making the smallest size I still have to make the yoke smaller than the pattern reads.  This pattern is in an oop Crochet Today magazine. What a great magazine... I can't believe it's no longer published... Oh well I have so many back issues and patterns to work through!  Now.... to finish the alpaca mohair cardigan 💕💕 Happy New Year y'all hope your keeping warm and keeping creative 😁 I'm garden planning and dreaming of summer myself! 

A wonderful year.. filled with creative learning , farm fun , city coffee shops and people I love ❤️  A very blessed year.  Some favorite pictures .. favorite projects... And because they make my husband happy ... our Meishan herd and a happy new year recipe!  Praying this year is as blessed 💕💕 thanks to God 

2017 has been a wonderfully blessed year here. My husband fully got the Meishan registry off the ground and the Livestock conservancy was at our farm to look at them!! He was in Out Here magazine with them! And will be in the spring issue of Country side magazine also !  We got horses and started riding together for some much needed farm fun. I did a national seminar on milking donkeys! I found a sheep breed who's fleece I love and can also be milked that does well on my hilly rough lands! Score! All that is so wonderful!! But I had personal goals this year ! That was to get better at my favorite ever fiber art... Crochet!! When I really get my mind on accomplishing something I give it 100%. And well, expanding my crochet skills has been a lot more fun than my last 2 major goals.. which 7 years ago was to grow all our own food ( except coffee, chocolate and salt) mission accomplished!  I'm not kidding And I hope I never have to do it again!! absolutely the hardest most stressf...