Chamomile Connection

Julia Louet Spinning Wheel for sale

2012-01-07T15:50:00.000-07:00

This is a rarely used wheel since I have others. I had thought it would be good for teaching and it is, I just feel like it's time to find a new home. $500 plus shipping. It comes apart nicely and can fit into a carry case if you have one or make one.

Great wheel with 4 bobbins and the lazy kate

I have the little piece that fits in the orifice...just afraid I'd lose it and don't really need it.

Organic Cotton on the Loom

2011-12-25T12:47:00.000-07:00

This is an M and O's pattern on the Baby Wolf. It will hopefully be wide enough for fabric to make a blouse or two. This is using mostly Fox Fibre, some Lunatic Fringe and some Thantax in the colorgrown organic cotton yarns. It will darken and get more beautiful after washing sort of like the bottom picture.

Funky colors

2011-12-25T12:38:00.000-07:00

Sometimes the colors I paint on the top is because I want a certain effect...like forest or flower garden. Here is what Forest looked like as a yarn. The fine Aussie roving has sold.

And this is Sunset in Fine Australian top (a medium fine like corriedale) and yarn:

This one is a fairly unusual color combination for me in untreated Merino top

This is a fairly bright combination I would never think I'd like to spin, and yet the yarn looks like a fun project!

this is a technique taught by Kathy Withers at Unique Designs by Kathy. It's using elastic as a core

One of my favorite spinning fiber, SeaCell Merino blend in some blues and hybiscus

And finally the current challenge:

The yarn is on the wheel.....

Snow in the Mimbres!!!

2011-12-03T09:58:00.000-07:00

With 8 inches or more of snow we are snowed in. No traffic on the road and my little low to the ground car is in the carport...no chance of getting out right now! Who would have thought?

Where is my studio?

A display of what I do

2011-11-25T16:45:00.001-07:00

This was a bit of a display of what my studio holds. I handpaint yarn and fiber for fiber artists, weave and sell cones of yarn.

New project on the Loomcraft

2011-11-21T18:04:00.000-07:00

This is a name draft overshot pattern designed by dje handwovens. The one I wove that she put into a kit at IWC was tencel and Rayon in lovely fall colors. This is yarn from my studio, a handpainted 20/2 silk with handspun silk weft. It's looking rather nice! It will be a scarf when finished.

Natural Dye Workshops with Ric Rao

2011-11-20T12:22:00.001-07:00

open fire getting dye stuffs ready

pile of undyed fiber

cochineal very purple

cochineal and oxalic acid for scarlet

snake weed

cosmos

full line of color

full line of colors!

samples of what we were aiming for

extracting liquid of walnut bath

all of us

all of us "down" so you can see more of the colorful yarn
Lots of fun!

Family - special times

2011-10-20T13:03:00.000-06:00

Studio Tour

2011-10-03T15:43:00.000-06:00

It really helps to know people are coming! The place gets cleaned up and there are goodies to eat!!

You are welcome to come visit...please give a call or email first so I'm sure to be here.

Chamomile Connection/Weaver's Cottage Sign

2011-09-09T17:22:00.001-06:00

It's official!!! I have a "real" sign near the road. I have a Studio Tour next weekend and we are trying to get the place ready for visitors! Come visit if you can...Sept. 17-18 from 10am-5pm. You are welcome!

New Babies come in the Fall!

2011-09-04T12:12:00.000-06:00

I was cleaning up around the studio garden and raked up some white eggs. They weren't hard like bird eggs but fairly solid. There was one that obviously had died so Will opened it up and found they were lizards. Our intention was to put them back in the ground like where they came from, but Will kept them in the container just a bit too long. Peeking inside this morning we found:

Hummingbird time again

2011-08-21T16:51:00.000-06:00

We've finally gotten our droves of hummingbirds. We saw one really early and then they just didn't come. They band hummingbirds here and found that they come through the Mimbres Valley on their way to Alaska, where they breed and then return. This is the return of the females and babies I believe.

And the River Ran....

2011-08-21T15:06:00.000-06:00

I've been mending the lane lately with the techniques showed us by Matt, who works with the land to prevent erosion So this is my rendition, hopefully it will stay in place for a while. The first flood over it proved successful! It's a lot more work than it looks from these pictures. I'm glad we have so many rock on the property.

Busy Month!

2011-08-11T08:40:00.000-06:00

This has been a busy month or so...travel, fiber festivals and just plain busy. Here are some color glimpses of some towels I've been working on. Each square has a little something going on in it, which makes it fun to weave. This is the 8/2 dyed organic cotton yarn.

Shawls/Bath Towels Hot off the Loom!

2011-07-17T17:17:00.001-06:00

These are some towels I've been wanting to weave for a long time, ever since I saw them in Handwoven Sept./Oct. 2003 pg. 52. Karen Tenney put a lovely selection of hand towels, face cloths and Bath Towels together using the organic cotton yarn I have in stock or used to have for sale. Here is a picture of the 2 I've finished recently. They turned out longer than expected and really felt nice as a shawl...so the white one sold as a shawl!!! I put fringe on the green and white one and am making a couple more...then on to something new...fabric made of silk noil..yes!!!

New Handmade Paper bags with my organic cotton cloths!

2011-07-15T15:48:00.000-06:00

These cloths are cut from absorbent organic cotton fabric and finished with a rolled hem. They are about 10-12 inches square. The new bags are adorable and each one unique. If interested they are $12 plus postage and available through my website: http://chamomileconnection.com

The new bags are really cute in natural, and subtle colors of yellow, green and pink

some are really special!

Organic Cotton (dyed) Towels I just finished

2011-06-13T19:07:00.000-06:00

This is called Log Cabin...the squares look like they are going in different directions

A New Friend

2011-06-09T13:01:00.000-06:00

These little guys seem to be a bit rare now...so it's fun to see one in the yard and fairly big!

Reflections

2011-06-02T12:37:00.003-06:00

Thank you for all your support. Albuquerque Fiber Arts Fiesta was a great place to share with people and sell my work! I made new friends and bonded with several "sisters". I kept very busy all three days!!! Friday slowed a little, so I got to go see exhibits and run about a bit. It's nice to be appreciated and be able to share the organic cotton yarns, fibers and woven items, as well and beautiful colors. It's fun to be so immersed in color.

We had a moment to spin while everyone was busy at the fashion show

On the way home we met Robert, a CDT ~ continental divide trail hiker. He was taking refuge from the amazing blow you off the mountain wind at the top at Emery Pass. We are finding there is a need in our Valley for providing services to these hikers and we have opened our home and lives to these precious people. We are becoming Trail Angels. We took Robert to the Trail head up hwy 15 to continue on to the next destination, Pie Town, and had to introduce him to our favorite homemade ice cream stop at Doc Campbell's. We saw how much had been burned and how close the fire came to the buildings. Makes us appreciate the fire crew that much more!

New Friend Robert on the CDT

Our son Jeremy is home for the summer working on the Forestry Fire Crew, he's done his 14 days on the Miller Fires and is home for the next 5 (I hope). It's getting so he doesn't know exactly who he'll see when he comes back from a fire! Last time it was Steph, Em and Drew on the CDT. Our dogs are barky Australian Shepherds and all these new friends have been very calming (socializing) for them. Will (husband) is putting on a metal roof and all help is appreciated

: ) thanks Jeremy!

Jeremy home from the Miller fire
I'm trying to get my studio back together. Took the opportunity while it was empty to clean the floor. It looks much better. As I unpack the Ashland Bay fiber I am going to be putting it on sale, buy 3 get one free. I'm taking pictures...so if interested check out my website and I'll direct you to the page....up and coming! Fun times!

These trees just looked so much more exciting on their sides...casting their reflections into the fish, huge frog and tadpole pond

New Lines of Colors

2011-05-15T15:26:00.000-06:00

The winds have been amazing, first blowing down the valley then up the valley bringing dust devils and cleaning out the old branches and leave in the juniper trees! The goal is to dye every dyeable skein and I'm just about there! The weather is finally cooperating...Great fun. Come see me, the colors, and feel the scrumptious fiber in Albuquerque May 26-28th at the Fiber Fiesta. It's at the fair grounds.

Just a little peek of the line of color!

pun intended

Continental Divide Backpackers (north bounders) and New Friends

2011-05-15T14:22:00.001-06:00

We found some Continental Divide hikers walking along our road and wondered where they were going to get groceries, a shower and internet. So, we brought them home. We now have some new friends that hopefully we'll be able to reacquaint again when they come to finish the trek. The Gila Wilderness fire closed the trail, so Will took them around the area to Pie Town and found out they really do have pies!!

Tucson Spring Shearing Wool Festival

2011-04-11T08:07:00.000-06:00

Well, I can say I have been very whiny about the cold and rain lately...not usually my style. It was 17 degrees this morning, fire started in the stove, and I complained about the rain and a little cold in Tucson!!! we really need rain. It just never dawned on me that Tucson could be cold and that I'd have frozen droplets on my canopy, car and trailer in the morning! We had some great visiting time though...lots of spinning. And thanks to the wonderful people who did brave the weather I came home with my sink faucets! This was my goal for the weekend...have enough to purchase sink faucets so we can put the Mexican sinks in the bathrooms...so a big Thank You for that! I didn't even think about the camera this weekend...so I'll search to see what pictures I can add. I have a lot of new colors in hand painted tops and yarn...It's been a fun dyeing season.

New scarves

2011-03-17T14:18:00.000-06:00

I've finally finished the crazy lace shaw/scarf in the handpainted variegated blue lace weight silk and other silk scarves/shawls. Here is a little view into what has been completed.

Crazy Lace knitted Shawl/scarf from handpainted 15/3 (Maharaja) Silk

silk scarf/shawl from handpainted 20/2 Silk

detail of the 20/2 handpainted silk scarf/shawl

Same 20/2 handpainted silk warp with a hand dyed weft in blue...it looks purple!

detail of the above scarf/shawl

Views, Weaving and Copper Cold Connections Workshop

2011-02-27T18:08:00.001-07:00

We have some great skies in New Mexico. This is a view from our front porch.

I'm weaving a waffle weave on my Baby Wolf loom. It's looking pretty good!

At the beginning of February I enjoyed the gem and mineral show in Tucson, Art Festival in Tubac and a workshop with Mary Hetts in Tucson. It was a great time. Here are some of the pieces I made at the workshop.

Organic Cotton Yarn, dyed yarns and fiber

2011-02-20T10:14:00.002-07:00

Hello Everyone...sorry to be so slow to post. I suppose you could say I'm keeping busy!! I've been working on getting established in a new region and getting over health issues for the past 2 years!! What I wanted to tell you is with the cotton industry and crop failures around the world cotton prices have risen higher than my parent company can absorb, so they are passing the price increase down to us. I will have to raise all my cotton prices 15%. I'm running very low on the green and caramel colorgrown cotton, so will be pulling most of my stock and the foxfibre for personal use. I've noticed Sally's prices have far exceeded mine..so I need to rethink what I have in stock.

The organic cotton blankets I have are superior quality. I had company coming this past summer, and thought "I have to get a new blanket"...duh...there are blankets in the shop! So, I've put them on the beds and wow...what a pleasure they are. They wash well and feel wonderful. I'm mostly using the chenille cotton blankets, but do have a few more summer weights. The point is, I don't have much of a mark up on these blankets, basically cost + a very little. I will be raising all these prices by at least 15% also.

Thanks for all your support over the years. I really value you as friends!

Warmly,
Lynnae in NM
http://chamomileconnection.com/

Scarves Scarves Scarves!!!

2011-01-07T14:05:00.003-07:00

I've been working with an 8/4 Rayon yarn. It's such a lovely drapey yarn. Also put a space dyed painted silk yarn warp and plain dyed weft for a lovely twill scarf. This is the lighter version. I just washed the purple version, and I'm finishing a window scarf which I will post soon.

This is a 4 harness draft from Davidson and the variations:

Rayon and wool fulled

This is an 8 harness twill from Handwoven's Scarves:

Rayon Diamonds in purple

Rayon and wool twill

New projects on the loom

2010-12-26T16:31:00.000-07:00

I've had to bring looms inside near the fire, and I am weaving a lot! We haven't gotten my studio heated as yet (my engineer is working on it). 50 degrees sounds warm, until you try to work in it. Last spring Kathy, from Unique Design's by Kathy, and I traded some yarn. It's been a challenge to think of a way to use her coils and keeping the integrity of the yarn. I've been experimenting with "window scarves" and this is what I came up with. Sorry for the blurrrrrr.... It's fun the way it fulls after washing and fills in all the holes. I sort of like the holes!

Organic Cotton Cloths and Towels

2010-12-19T15:50:00.001-07:00

The sets are Banana paper bags, reusable, with 3 10 x 10 cloths....

The towels vary in size and types of fabric...all 100% organic fabric and thread!

Tucson Wool Festival

2010-12-01T21:22:00.004-07:00

We had a great time at Kathy's Unique Designs. It's taken me a while to post...I have another festival coming up this weekend! Yikes!...Kathy introduced me to Crazy Lace and I thought I'd post the scarf I made with this design. Also some pictures of the festival and a handspun, handwoven ruana.

Crazy Lace knit scarf...in silk

The booth!

Mindy's handspun yarn and fiber

My Friend Mindy

Handspun and doubleweave ruana front

ruana back

smaller windows silk scarf

Silk windowpane scarf

Fall in the Mimbres

2010-09-26T12:14:00.000-06:00

We've had a great autumn this year. The valley is wonderfully green with rains nearly everyday in July and August and periodically in September. I have "chamomile" growing outside my studio!! We made a little garden at the east end and have harvested zucchinis, have climbing beans for shelly beans, and lots of sunflowers. It's been a great creative space!

The Mimbres Valley Harvest Festival was this past Saturday. I met a lot of people from the valley and visited with many friends. I found quite a few spinners and weavers that need just a bit of encouragement to begin "playing" again. Next is Kathy's Tucson Wool Festival in Arizon, Nov. 6th. I'm looking forward to seeing lots of familiar faces! I'll have more of my hand dyed rovings and yarns available this year, plus I'll be bringing items I've woven for sale and handspun yarn.

Chamomile

Cone flower

These are the last of the hundreds of hummingbirds we've fed throughout the summer

roots and rocks

Studio Garden

Handpainted Top and Curlie Yarns

2010-08-24T15:06:00.001-06:00

Handpainted Aussie Top and handspun Curlie Yarn

Handpainted Seacell Merino Top

Curlie Yarn from Fine Australian Wool

Bamboo Merino painted top

handspun seacell merino

hand dyed fine Aussie Wool

What's on the Loom?

2010-07-20T15:59:00.008-06:00

The latest project is a 20/2 hand painted silk warp and dyed silk weft. This is a 4 shaft advancing twill scarf. It's coming out lovely and really something to keep on top of the treadling!!!

I'm always playing with colorgrown organic cotton. This is a towel or table runner....might even make it into a wider scarf...in a modified Star of Bethlehem pattern. I've used the olive green, sage green and caramel in the warp. For this particular piece I'm using dark green for the weft.

My rug loom is warped and working. I have two small rugs on already. I thought I'd use us the cut pieces I had on hand and cut the and dye the next colors as I want them.

Our daughter Annah makes fun creatures...these are my mascots cheering me on. I have some of my woven items on the second shelf and 10/3 pearl cottons and mohair yarn for sale on the 3rd shelf. the first shelf has some white pearl cotton in 10/2 I think and some sunbrella.

I am busy in my studo!!

2010-07-10T18:07:00.010-06:00

I've been filling this shop!!! There is a small sign on the road that says "Weaver's Cottage"...we'll need to make a larger sign soon. This one isn't too visible really. The clutter comes and goes. I am finding I need space to process orders...Will brought home a counter top that will fit beautifully. New warps on the looms and the fun continues!

Susan's double weave shuttle holder is in constant use...it looks great on the wall!

This is a wallhanging made by Jean for my studio!!! She used my curlie yarn...

Gila Cliff Dwelling Hike

2010-07-10T17:30:00.010-06:00

Our friends Haruko, Sanae, and Midori recently visited. We only had 1 day so of course we took them to the Cliff Dwellings. It is amazing the ancient American influence in this area. We find pottery shards on our property with an amazing history. We are very humbled.

Chamomile Connection Studio!!!

2010-05-07T10:37:00.008-06:00

Thes are the guys who made this all possible. They did a tremendous job!

Florida - flowering mountain

2010-04-14T20:14:00.005-06:00

The Desert Blooms

2010-03-31T11:49:00.005-06:00

Tucson Spring Shearing Festival - the animals

2010-03-30T20:10:00.009-06:00

Tucson Spring Shearing Festival

2010-03-30T19:26:00.011-06:00

This is a festival at Kathy's Unique Designs in Tucson. She has a lovely ranch and hosts the tucson Wool Festival in fall. We had a lovely turn out and great time with new born lambs!

studio there is progress

2010-03-12T09:37:00.004-07:00

The inside is getting completed, 8 windows and 2 doors. The ceiling is causing a few issues and will be done a little differently because I I want to leave the space open. It won't be long! Weather permitting...we keep getting some snow and cold

2010-01-22T12:11:00.004-07:00

It's so hard watching this cute little studio lay dormant until we finish her enough for me to use. We have the floor nearly finished inside, just a plywood floor and a nice little bit of stain with the linseed and varnish finish. Will put some lattice at the bottom just to give a bit of a finished look and we now have 6 windows. The next even are the final two windows a large sliding or french door to the west end and skylights. Then we are ready to begin inside!

Metalwork Designs

2010-01-01T18:03:00.010-07:00

Metalwork Designs has been so much fun I've decided to include it in my repertoire. I'm adding a few of the recent pieces and can find themon my website for sale. I am changing the pendant with copper, brass and antique copper from a Silver City roof into a pin for someone. So if you have requests that's good too!

Something New for the Studio

2010-01-01T17:56:00.003-07:00

Here she is! This is my new baby. She is 36" 8 harness and 12 treadles Loomcraft, made in Littleton Colorado. I'm not quite sure what I'll do with 12 treadles...but I have a feeling I'm going to find out. I've got her warped with the 5.5/2 dyed organic cotton for towels. It's a great little loom and so far I haven't found anything I don't like. I'll be changing the treadle tie up to texlov and pegs, but other than that...the dry gun lube did the trick on the harnesses and all is well.

This is the twill pattern I'm weaving on the new loom and below is the window pane color study really...on the baby wolf

Studio in progress

2010-01-01T15:10:00.001-07:00

In between storms and cold we've made some progress on this adventure. The copper roof is doing exactly as I had hoped, by changing colors with the sunlight and alternating between a homey brown and sparkly copper. We have 4 windows now! They need to be trimmed and thanks to George for all his wonderful help this much is finished.

The Studio is Here!!

2009-12-15T18:22:00.001-07:00

Hopefully I've gotten the pictures of this event in some sort of order, included everyone involved and given a representaion of what "happened" today!! An amazing dream has been accomplished...from dream, to ground, foundation and now here it is. It actually looks like we had pictured it would. The copper roof fits nicely among the trees...not to shiny and coppery looking. We had a wonderful crew, Steve from down the valley, Jan and George from Silver, Bob and his helper from Alamogordo and Will and I. Jan and I played photographer.

Now for the grunt work...skylights, windows, insulation and walls. After the move a porch and side shed for a pottery studio. It will be wonderful to finally have everything in one place and actually know where everything is!!!

New Studio

2009-12-04T13:04:00.000-07:00

For the last 10 years or so my work has been taking over more and more of the family household. We recently decided to set up a studio. This is a little bit of the progression of this event. I will have an area for retail sales when we are all finished!

The great fall tree is right in front of where the shop is going to be. There are willows behind by the little river. Snow came and took all the color away! The snow covered the ground for a while and wood piles had to be moved. Foundations poured, then all smoothed out. We have been leveling a spot for a bit more parking. Building should arrive next week (of the 7th) if the weather permits...

Spinning, Weaving, and a new interests! Metal work

2009-11-28T12:21:00.000-07:00

Introducting Metalwork Designs by Chamomile Connection!
Copper, brass, silver and gemstones!

SPINNING

Spinning has been the thing that brought me into the world of fiber. I've been spinning for about 28 years. This is a skein of City Lights Polwarth from Rovings. I love Navajo plying it for the long color repeats. The Mikado gives a great variation when 2 plied. It is also the Polwarth from Rovings.

WEAVING

Organic Cotton became my passion quite a few years ago. This is a recent scarf that was woven with the houndstooth/huck pattern from 8 Harness Weaves by Stickler

Mimbres

2009-11-26T17:26:00.000-07:00

The Valley turned shades of yellows with the cottonwoods, rust reds, sage greens and deep browns. Colors asking to be dyed and woven. We had an early flurry of snow and cold that took the color, but left the rose. This is home.