I didn’t take any other photos at Fibre Shindig because I was having too much fun! Thanks for another great day. It was wonderful to see familiar faces, and it’s always fun to meet new fibre addicts. (And yes, you all SHOULD take a pottery class!) Now, I’ll sleep for two days after filling my own mug with something tasty. #fibreshindig #community

Thank you to everyone that came to see us, show off their projects, and pick up pretties from our booth at the Fall Shindig. Thank you for supporting our little studio and shopping local! How did it go? We spent the day laughing! The vendors feel like old friends and there isn’t a table that doesn’t impress. We met crafter families, brand new humans in fabulous knitwear, and repeat customers that had grown taller, more talented, and funnier than since we last met. We made new friends and have a list of new ideas, and matched colours on many a project. Our new booth helper Cheryl loved the atmosphere of the show. Cheryl was amazing in the booth – she IS a knitter and crocheter herself, as well as an accomplished artist – and with her at the booth, Jason was able to take the day off to rest an injury. I always brag that fibre people are the nicest of all people, and you prove me right again. Thank you to our troop of clay helpers aka the clay indentured servants, and a late night Friday truck fixer, who made this show possible: Cheryl, Lori, Jill, Myrna, Shauna, Jenn, Mike are the friends and family that help make dreams soar. Our legions of emotional support keep us going too so thank you for the private messages and offers behind the scenes, the phone calls and emails, those who hand us a beverage when we take a break, and the love. (Hi Mom & Dad!) Today, I spend time on the couch drinking from my own Sheepie mug while I figure out two colour brioche with my new Sea Turtle Fibre Arts’  Breakwater Bulky in Bookworm. I couldn’t come home empty handed, could I? Not seen here but also acquired: Carole pattern by Amethyt Knits Luna Shawl yarn in Spanish Wine by Poppy Yarn & Fibre to make that lovely Carole Glitterati Intense yarn in Highlighter by The Wacky Windmill – watch her shop for deals as she winds down Berry Bergamont, Nutcracker, and Honey & Oatmeal Soaps by 1968 Soap Co who is also a potter! And now, back to that tea and knitting. Today, we rest.

I am thankful for this latest glaze firing! Such a lovely flock of sheep, ready to meet their new friends at The Fibre Shindig on Oct 15. We’ll be onsite from 10am to 5pm on Saturday Oct 15 at the Hillburst-Sunnyside Community Centre in Calgary. One day only! 

I’m so late with this post! Better late than never? The Fibre Shindig in April was a fabulous event as a vendor and as a shopper. It is one of my favourite fibre markets, complete with lovely organizers, helpful volunteers, and of course, the amazing shoppers. Every single booth contains handmade items, and for someone like myself that enjoys skilled craft, it’s a dream. I can’t help but adore a market where people walking by will share the names of patterns used for their garments. My favourite item of the day was a copper Dewberry that I saw wandering the floor in all of its beauty. Another project of note was a long sleeved short cardi in bright stripes. What a joy to see and to wear! This was Jason’s first time vending at a fibre fair, and everyone was so kind to him. He managed packing, credit card processing and answering questions when his wife (aka me) became dazzled by yarn and the many familiar faces that stopped by. He enjoyed himself and I heard him tell his mother later that “knitters and crocheters are SO nice”. FIBRE LOVERS HIGH FIVE! We impressed the man. He will definitely be coming to future shows. I missed my great friend Lori who normally comes along for the fun, and I hope we can figure out how to get all three of us to shows at the same time – there will be even more laughter. We were in the same spot as the Fall 2015 Shindig and I adore it because I can see the entire room easily. I was across from skilled artisans Quirefly, Anna’s Needle Critters, Turtle Soup Crafts, and neighbours with the always lovely Sarah from Sea Turtle Fibre Arts to my right, and a potter and quilter Clay & Cloth on my left. The full vendor list is on The Fibre Shindig page, and you will see that they have gathered wonderful people and I was very excited to be in their company once again. When I had a moment to get away, I blew my personal budget in my first walk around, but hey, Calgary only has a handful of times when such great yarn is all gathered in one place. At the Fall Shindig, a great piece by FemmeBroidery came home with me. This year, I was entranced by the 80s Glam colourway by Sea Turtle Fibre Arts. It will be a hat for ME. Or possibly a Dewberry? Or… well, right now, it sits on my desk and I pet it. The Dragonfly Dyewerx Subversive Sock Blanks have SWEAR WORDS on it that no one will ever know about once it’s knit up. This especially tickled my fancy. I have a weakness for swear words, it’s true – drop as many pots as I have and you’d have a very colourful vocabulary too. I stopped to say hi to Jacqueline of Wicked Potter who also belongs to the Etsy Alberta Street Team – her cold pressed soap and earrings needed to come home with me too! I missed the elephant needle felting kit from Fibre Ark but I was able to scoop the sweetest little blue bird from Anna’s Needle Critters. The beautiful vendor apron in blues with my flame logo is by the talented Tamara from EllSpins. She even used one of my very first buttons to great the snap enclosure! Brilliant. If you are a vendor, contact her for an extremely well designed and robust apron. It holds cash and change, my Square reader, my notepad, and my pen. I, along with many of the vendors, picked up a crocheted sheep from Turtle Soup Crafts. I don’t have a great photo of it since I have not been able to get it back since my son grabbed it out of my bag. He has carted his new fleecy friend about the neighbourhood and slept with it nightly since the velour yarn of the sheep body is so soft. All in all, it was a wonderful day. We stopped off at Brewster’s for a refreshing beverage on the way home, and sent cheers to all of the organizers, volunteers, vendors, and shoppers that we were lucky to meet. Thank you to everyone that stopped by, shared a laugh, purchased an item, and contributed to the great atmosphere. I’m very excited for the autumn fibre markets and can’t wait to see everyone again.

Jason is busy packing up a herd of sheep and hand carved yarn bowls to accompany all of the buttons, bookmarks, and diz for tomorrow’s sale. We’ll be at the Fibre Shindig Hillhurst Sunnyside Community Centre from 10am-5pm with so many wonderful vendors! We will be joined by vendors selling their handdyed yarns, spindles, roving, and all the accessories and fabulousness that you could ever want or need.

Here’s a sneak peek of some of the buttons that came out of the latest kiln firing. This batch was heavy on square beauties since I was completely out of square stock. There are hundreds of unique buttons, but I can’t help but show off some of what I’m packaging up tonight! My favourite glaze combination, this time on swirly squares: For those, like me, that like some fancy added to their knitting, crochet, and sewing projects: My newest glaze which proves again that taking a chance on a new glaze can be a wonderful decision. These are so full of depth and gloss: A lovely group of serene glaze colours that complement the great textures: If you’re in Calgary and you love shiny things, come see these in person Oct 7 or Nov 17! I have many sets of 2-5 that are great for cowls as the chill of autumn reminds us that it’s time to get the needles and hooks going to get our projects ready for the first snowfall. I’m going back to packaging handmade buttons and getting them prepared to find their new homes. Have a great night!    

325 buttons are on shelves, waiting for their turn in the kiln. Final count = 460 buttons loaded in the kiln, although, to be honest, I started to lose count after 325 during the marathon glazing sessions on the weekend. I could use a hand massage…

We get by with a little help from our friends. In this case, it is my niece (and an artist in her own right) Jill Reynaud at the button table with me. Her eye for texture makes it easier for me to accept help, and she didn’t even flinch when I used the term “aggressively sponge”. I am a control freak when it comes to accepting help in the studio, and up until now my Mom, with a lifetime of artistry under her belt, had been the only other to touch the buttons. There are many that have offered and I’ve always declined because quality control is my #1 priority, and I don’t want to offend helpers by harping at them to “do it my way”. I need for ceramic buttons, diz, pendants, and everything else coming out of the studio to have smooth edges so they never catch or cut yarn. Smoothing every edge and hole is incredibly time intensive, but I personally feel that the final product quality is worth it. With two fibre shows coming up, and custom orders waiting for my attention, getting some help is the only way to get clay beauties into everyone’s hands. The clay gods heard my cries, and Jill arrived, eager to jump in. And I don’t offend her (or if I do, she just smiles and keeps making beautiful things) Thank you, Jill!