Christmas Crafting!

I love making things for my family for Christmas. Here's a little sneak peak at what I've been up to:

These Easy Envelope Clutches were made from a pattern by Kekalou on Etsy. She has great deal with 2 patterns for $10. I also got the Pixie Handbag pattern to make for myself somewhere down the road.

In the meantime I'm still working on getting more Indigo dyed yarn up for sale and I also got an order for more of these: 

and my bread turned out great! And it was even better the next day when Jeff and I made French toast with maple yogurt and pears.

That's all for now!

Apples, Indigo, Bread, and Mittens.

My my my I am really slacking at the blog thing. School kinda put my dyeing on hold and plus I didn't really have the space to do it. However, I got the itch and started an Indigo dye vat. In my kitchen. The results have been great!

The only problem is that whenever I open the lid it fills my kitchen with a stinky rotten fish smell and I have to open all the windows and burn a candle...yuck. I need to set up the garage for this outfit and then buy a little heater to keep the vat warm.

Other than that I have been working on EZ's mitered mittens:

They are super easy and fun! I'm using Malabrigo Worsted in Azul Profundo and I'm going to create the thumbs using the tutorial here. I'm really excited to do it especially since I'm obsessed with steeks. I haven't attempted this yet but there is something frightening yet extremely thrilling when CUTTING an (almost) finished garment.

Which brings us to bread? 

I love bread. This thanksgiving we'll be staying with our friends here in Los Angeles and I can't wait. I'm going to make bread/rolls from this recipe. My friend just picked me up some spring form pans from Sur la Table. I'll let you know how that goes.

Which brings us to apples?

Whenever I'm purchasing apples I find myself buying the same kind every time: pink lady apples. Being from Michigan I take my apples seriously and so I decided to take a break from my habit and see if I like any other kind better. So far I've only tried the Gala (which I usually don't prefer red apples anyway) and I'm not that impressed. 

But I still have a Granny Smith, Fuji, and yet another Pink Lady (maybe to confirm my suspicions) to go. This may take me a while....

And lastly, I leave you with a picture of me and my musical gang at our first show last Monday at the Hotel Cafe in Hollywood:

(that's me on the left).

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

branching out

Beretin' it up!

don't know why i love these hats so much.

pattern: jo sharp's beret pattern (this book is full of classic patterns with nice shapes that you could easily modify to suit your creative needs)

yarn: alchemy's tranformation in bronze.

notes: since i always knit in the round i think i may have messed up where the increases and decreases needed to line up. it puckers a little weird, but i still like it.

pattern: i vaguely used the same jo sharp beret pattern as above (but i also read the purl bee's rochefort chapeau for inspiration)

yarn: malabrigo worsted in paris night and rowan's silk wool dk in lime wash.

notes: i used stitch markers so the increases and decreases lined up and also made it about an inch longer.

ps-these photos suck. can you tell i'm greasy and sweaty since it's so freakin hot in echo park???

pps- i have buttons for sale and more yarn coming soon!

we live in l.a. now...

i love these t-shirts from lucha workshop. i think i just might have to have the last one.

it's funny that besides a pair of socks, these wedding wash cloths are the only items i've knit this summer. but they're great and the bride really liked them. i used cotton classic by tahki and i believe a size 4 addi turbos. they knit up so quick it's only a matter of time before i make them for myself!

still trying to get more yarn up but since moving i don't really have a workshop. oh well, we'll see what happens.

we're back from israel and jordan and it was a pretty incredible trip. i don't know when i'll have photos but when i do i promise to share. jeff is doing a job in san jose for about 3 weeks while i will be making a mini-move to los angeles to get school and job taken care of. so right now i'm trying to get some linen, cotton, and silk spun and dyed for the shop. i'll show you my current projects soon when we aren't moving or traveling or celebrating our one-year anniversary.

I feel like this post speaks for itself without words because there are so many pictures. Summertime is at our heels and it is full of cool fibers, good reads, and growing produce.

After failed attempts at dyeing flax (it becomes brittle and breaks) I have succumbed to undyed. The natural color is still great but I have visions of jewel tones and summery tops. I'll keep trying though.

It's hard to believe but our long awaited trip to Israel is coming up this week. I'm so excited! I haven't left the country in a while and it will be my first time with Jeff. We will be in Haifa for our good friend's wedding and then be traveling all over Israel. We even get to take a ferry to

Jordan and go to Petra! I'm so excited yet feel like there is so much to do with this yarn business that I'm slightly overwhelmed.

But, at the end of the day we get to sit back, enjoy a home brew, and eat fresh picked wild strawberries from my in-law's back yard.

And then later I sit and read the plunder from the farm. Can you believe I got these books? Amazing.

This is an old text book all on textiles. Very interesting.
This book is all on lace and is mostly crochet with a few knits. But is seriously makes me want to take up crocheting again!
Knitted lace dress anyone? I thought so!
This one I thought was a pretty good pattern, too.

Well, that's all for now. I will have cabbage dyed silk and some sandalwood bamboo in the shop within the next couple days but then there will be a lull. A travel lull! Happy summer!

rootandleaf

another one!

www.rootandleaf.etsy.com

Ok, I finally have something for sale! It's only four items so far but within the next week I'll have some silk and flax dyed with sandalwood and cabbage!
Phew! Spinning and dyeing your own yarn takes so long. It always seems that there's not enough time in the day. So it was really nice to take a break and visit the farm where my mother-in-law grew up in Willows, Ca.





We discovered a library in one of their many old garages filled with HUNDREDS of books. And what did my mother-in-law say? Take whatever you want. We were like kids in a candy store. Books on boat making, book binding, old crochet and knitting books, lace books, loom and wheel construction books, jewelry making, sewing! It was amazing. It seems I married into a family after my own heart.

Intro:

Working my tail off over the past month is starting to pay off. Soon I will have finish products ready to sell and I can't wait to see them. One of the things I learned about myself in art school was how much I enjoyed finishing something. I love to just sit and stare at it, criticizing and glorifying every minute detail.

Chapter One:

"She says she's a slave to the details"

Hi. My name's Ruthie and this is my blog. I pursue many interests including but not limited to: knitting, spinning, sewing, baking, gardening, music, bicycles, and photography. I'm an art school dropout. I realize now that this is because I have a hard time just focusing on one thing.

Currently my energy has been invested in spinning and dyeing. I am pretty obsessed with learning how things are made and trying to make them better, more healthy for the environment (including for us humanoids), and more like something I would buy.

I am right in the midst of creating handspun, hand dyed yarns. I buy fibers from healthy, cruelty-free environments and all my natural dyes come from a fair-trade company.

Tussah silk is gathered after the silkworm has emerged from the cocoon.

A sportweight silk hank ready to be dyed.

Three hanks of merino ready to be dyed.

More fleece waiting to be combed.

mmm m mmm. Powdered Indigo extract.

So keep dropping by and check out my etsy shop. I should have some items for sale within the next couple of weeks.

rootandleaf