Creating Cozy Woolens in My Tiny Studio on Wheels...
When my first child was born, I wanted to find a way to work from home, and so
Purple Hummingbird Woolens was born. What fun to shop and order LOTS of beautiful yarn and start knitting socks and mittens for my business! For thirteen years I taught knitting, crocheting, felting, and sewing to grades one through eight at Monadnock Waldorf School. All the while, I continued to create woolens, which I sold at fairs.
As I was selling at more and more fairs and sheep festivals, I started creating more wearable items for the whole family. At shows people tell me they come across the room or field to my booth because of the stunning display of colors!
To be in My Tiny Studio making all my woolens is the best! Creating the wool fabric, cutting out, and sewing up into vests is so gratifying. From animal fiber, again and again, I make wearable and warm clothing that is beautiful. I love being a part of this ancient, magical art! Whether it's hats, mittens, socks, or slippers…..I love the process.
I use Harrisville Designs Shetland yarn to create my colorful vests. They offer 65 colors in beautifully spun yarn, and I live just 8 miles from their store. For each vest, I knit up two large rectangular pieces on my flat bed knitter. Then I put the fabric into my 1954 (my birth year!) Maytag wringer washer. It is great for agitating and swishing the knitted fabric in hot soapy water, which shrinks the fibers, deepening and intensifying the colors and softening the wool. Shrinkage is around 40% in length and 20% to 30% in width. For a garment chest size of 48” around, each rectangle is knit 194 stitches wide by 370 rows long. The thick, wet fabric dries laid out flat in My Tiny Studio, with a woodstove in the winter and outside in warmer months. When the fabric is dry, I cut and sew it according to the size planned. I always sew zippers into front pieces first (not my favorite part!), then the shoulder and side pieces, and finish with the armhole and neck edges. From here, I hand the childs’ vests off to my lovely, artististic daughter, Lili. She needlefelts sweet, unique designs of her own imagination. I have watched her create animals and flowers many times but still cannot mimic her charming magic.
For the felted hats, I use the same Harrisville Designs Shetland yarn. The process begins the same, where I knit the hat on my flat bedknitter. I begin with cotton yarn to knit the brim lining, which makes the wool hat warm and comfortable, then continue knitting with wool yarn to the top, bind off, and finally sew the back seam and create the ear flaps and cord ties. The final step is to put the hats into the washer to felt. I have worked out the proportion of shrinkage of both fibers, as they do shrink differently. I also just make knitted hats with soft merino wool and cotton, again, for lining.
The process is similar for the felted mittens. The mittens have a nice long ribbed cuff to keep out snow and cold. Customers tell me they sometimes fold back the cuff for extra warmth at the wrist. Knitted and felted mittens are very warm as the fibers have snugged and shrunk together, keeping out the cold and wind. Wool is an amazing fiber because it feels warm even when wet.
I hand crank, on my circular sock knitter, colorful socks from superwash wool (meaning it won't shrink in washer) and nylon blend yarn. I've owned my circular "workhorse" for 38 years and thousands of socks later, we're still going strong. It can easily be moved onto My Tiny Studio porch when weather permits as it's mounted on a tripod stand.
Made from thicker worsted weight yarn from Brown Sheep Co., my slippers are a luxury to wear! I knit them on my bulky flatbed knitter, sew them up, put them into the washer to shrink, and then dry with the desired shoe form slipped inside. I paint two coats of latex rubber on the bottoms for nonskid and durability.
I'm still wearing my 8 year-old purple (of course!) pair with only one small repair at the toe. They are cozy and warm worn with or without socks.
The playmats are needlefelted on a wet felted pad with nature colors of fleece. Woodland, pond or stream, meadow, cave, rocks and bushes create a mat for hours of imaginative play. Playmats are easy to roll up for travel or play outside.
Both my daughters help with nuno wet felting on the silk scarves. I buy my hand painted merino tencel blend fiber from a friend. Laying the fiber on lightly maintains the lovely drape of the silk and creates splashes of color and texture.
A few years ago, I designed and had built a Tiny House on Wheels...8'x12'....that is My Studio. My goods are stored in the loft- up the pull down ladder. The space is cozy and super efficient...every inch counts! A very small woodstove keeps me toasty throughout cold winters in NH. My sewing machine, two flatbed knitters, circular sock knitter, and small work table with chair fit with everything close at hand for sure!
Out one window I get to see the neighbor's horses or deer, turkeys, occasionally a beautiful fox, and once a black bear! Another window looks across my woodpile to the Tiny House on Wheels...8'x24'...I live in. The boysenberry window trim always makes me smile. Simple living with nature, animals, birdsong, sun, wind and rain soothes me. I am grateful for my gifted, loving adult children and the ability to continue to do what I love!