Like the rains that are mostly absent in the winter here, but are now back in earnest with thunderstorms nearly every night, so have I been absent this winter/spring but now I'm back.  To be more precise, I've been here all along, only I haven't created anything new for the shop in much too long.  My time has been filled with the ranch, more animals, and simply re-charging my own well of inspiration.  

But I have been paying attention to the stats for the shop -- where people come from and what they look at.  My sense is that people are looking to see if there is anything new for sale.  I do know that the 4-way wrap has been my most popular item and I just completed a special order for 3 more of them.  Its always a kick when someone hears of my work by word-of-mouth and makes a big order.  With that in mind, I'm in the process of creating more of these in several additional colors.

​Here are 2 recently completed wraps, one in teal, the other magenta, and soon to be listed for sale:

​There is also a moss green in progress:

And, soon to come, one in indigo.

As much as I work to get the colors true in my photo editing software, when I upload them here they appear very dull to me -- not nearly as beautiful as they are in reality.  I expect them to look more true to life when I get them listed for sale.  I'll post an announcement when that happens, so stay tuned.

And here's one of the creatures that I've been occupied with lately:

I believe he/she is a Harris Hawk.  I've been caring for him since he apparently fell out of the nest and barely had any true feathers, about 6 weeks ago.  Its amazing how much personality a bird like this can have.  I think we have bonded.  

​Cheers,

I've been intending to write this post for quite some time, but something I read recently has compelled me to postpone it no longer.

You probably know by now that I only use natural, i.e. non-synthetic, fibers in my work.  There are numerous reasons for this, some of which include the fact that animal fibers such as wool and alpaca have insulating properties and plant fibers are breathable, whereas acrylics and other manmade fibers are not.  This has to do with the microscopic scales found on animal and plant fibers, which create space between the individual fibers.  Synthetic fibers are completely uniform and don't have this property.  Shown under a microscope, the different fibers appear like this:

For me, personally, it also comes down to which fiber is more sensually pleasurable to work with and a superfine alpaca is a joy to have running through my fingers, but I can't say the same for polyester.  I also consider the processes used to create all these fibers, and without going into a great deal of research on the subject, I can only imagine the toxic chemicals used to create man-made fibers.

So the environmental factor has always been a consideration for me, and reading this article in The Guardian just added to my concerns.  You can read the article here, but I'll give you the basics.  Ecologist Mark Browne has been studying sediment along shorelines around the world and has found that it is full of fibers, the greatest concentration near sewage outflows.  "In fact, 85% of the human-made material found on the shoreline were microfibers, and matched the types of material, such as nylon and acrylic, used in clothing."  Studies have shown that ocean organisms ingest microplastics and introduce toxins into the food chain.  The article goes on to say, "By sampling wastewater from domestic washing machines, Browne estimated that around 1,900 individual fibers can be rinsed off a single synthetic garment - ending up in our oceans."  I don't know about you, but this was an eye-opener for me.  This is not to say that natural fibers do not end up in the wastewater, too, but the difference is that natural fibers will break down over time.  Synthetics do not.

There's an additional point to be made in the Guardian article regarding some of the big clothing manufacturers, but you can read the piece yourself to learn more about this issue, if you're interested.

So there you have it; possibly more than you wanted to know.  I promise prettier pictures next time!

Cheers,

Just a quick posting about what I'm currently knitting.  I'm working with a superfine (i.e. a very high grade) alpaca yarn in some rich, heathered colors.  I ordered this yarn back in the spring and I'm not quite sure what I had in mind at the time.  I might be using some paler, more wintery shades if I were to choose them now.  But because I live in Mexico and sell my work here, as well as online, most people here expect bright colors.  Perhaps that's what I was thinking.

Above is a sneak peak of what I will soon have listed for sale.  A couple more color combinations are in the works, including the same purple heather, as on the trim above, used as the main body (that's it below).  Still not sure if the trim will be light blue (not shown) or the same coral red as above.  Any preferences?

What you can't see very well in the photos are the other colors spun into the yarn that finally create the color you see.  The red has yellow, pink, and a tiny bit of lilac in it.  And the purple has red, blue and a bit of turquoise. 

I'll keep you posted when these are available for sale, but expect them "muy pronto" (very soon).

Oh . . . and while I was uploading these photos I came across some others I'd taken a week or so ago here on the ranch.  Two different evenings, two different skies.  Can you see the eagle sitting near the top of the joshua tree?