Joys of October

 Apple crisp!

 Knitting a new hat for Jesse from my latest homespun.

 About a quarter of our pumpkin harvest (none of which we actually planted!). That's my dad :)

 I finally finished my shawl that I started last year!

 

I hope you are enjoying your fall, as well! It is my most favorite time of the year :) Some news for the locals:: we are going to be selling at the North Attleboro Farmer's Market, which runs year-round. Check our shop announcement page for the exact dates.

Have a great week!

Cuff Bracelets!

Something new here at Olive Spoon Studio! Cuff bracelets made from vintage butter knives! These are gorgeous and so unique - a great affordable gift for the holidays (or treat yourself!).

We are working really hard right now to stock the shop for the holidays. Keep checking every day for new listings!

Have a great week, everyone :)

Our "Thankful" Butter Knives are Back!

Just in time for the holidays!

Many patterns to choose from in the shop now. Also, many "Spread Love," "Spread Peace," and "Spread Hope" butter knives have been listed.

New

We have been asked many times to make these, and I never get around to taking pictures of them before mailing them off. Now I have, so they are an option up for sale in the shop.

It is really settling into fall weather here, in New England. The leaves are just starting to turn, and the sky is that incredible blue. Fleece jammies are on the kids at night, and pancakes have made an appearance or two at the breakfast table. I am furiously knitting away on my shawl, which I started last fall. I'm determined to wear it this season! The best time of the year has arrived!

Mike has been very busy working on an entirely new recycled silverware creation. As soon as he has perfected it, I will be previewing it here.

Have a wonderful week!

Wax Seal Necklaces

Something new in the shops! Wax Seal Necklaces, made from vintage wax seal stamps from England and Italy. Each one is handmade (by Erin) in fine silver and strung on sterling chains. Lovely, sweet, and romantic!

Next week, we are off to the Brimfield Antique Show again! It sure seems like we were just there. 

Have a lovely week!

Thinking ahead

Even though it is still summer, I've been thinking a lot about Christmas gifts. I like to hand make most of my gifts, so the sooner I start, the better. One gift I've been planning on making for a while now is a Waldorf-style doll for my daughter. Last fall I took a sewing pattern book out of my library, planning on making the doll, but was overwhelmed by the pattern. Being a very new sewer, it was just too complicated for me. I thought I might end up buying one for her, but after looking online at all the various choices, the high prices made me reconsider real fast!

So, I recently thought of the perfect compromise: buying a naked and featureless doll body (which was the part that was so daunting for me), and making everything else myself. Perfect! A partly Mama-made doll. Works for me. There are a few different Etsy sellers who sell the plain doll body, and at a reasonable price.

One of the parts I've been most looking forward to is spinning the yarn for the doll's hair. I already had this gorgeous braid of roving in my stash, and it will be perfect for my little redhead's doll.

 I decided to spin it up on one of my favorite Tom Forrister spindles (it's a low whorl). I spin on spindles while the kids are playing around me, and I like the idea of them watching this yarn take shape, even though they don't know what it is for, yet.

 I also finished wheel-spinning this alpaca fiber from Upstream Alpacas.

And finally... we are rich in zucchini!! This is about 1/3 of the squash harvest, so far this summer.

Have a lovely week!

For the Mamas

I've been pondering a mama's necklace for a long time, now. I wanted a design that could easily be added to, for all the mamas out there whose families may not yet be complete. This is the sweet result! A mama dandelion puff with little seed charms bearing her children's initials. Charms are completely hand made and drawn, so no two will be identical.

Dandelions have a special place in my heart - I have many memories of my son, and later, my daughter, out in my parent's large garden plot in the early spring, racing around and picking all the dandelion puffs to blow in the wind. My parents always viewed this with smiles and slightly gritted teeth, watching all those seeds fly all over their yard. But, the delight of their grandchildren always kept them from stopping the fun.

The Dandelion and Seeds Mama Necklace has been listed over at my silver jewelry shop, Purple Blossom Studio.

Have a wonderful weekend, friends!

Spinning

I've been on a real spinning kick, lately. First with my spindles, and most recently, on my wheel. I have always before spun roving, but thought I would try spinning up a batt.

 This art batt came from Nunoco on Etsy. It was actually a freebie they gave me because I was their 100th customer - so neat! This was a random small batt, that they call a "batt dropping", as it is made up  of all the little bits and pieces left over from the art batts they make.

 I simply divided it into four long strips, still quite wide, and started spinning. It was great fun to draft from different parts of the batt and watch the colors and texture of the yarn form and change. I think I'm now addicted to spinning batts on the wheel, and I'll keep roving for just my spindles.

 The batt was 50 grams, and made 58 yards. It will become something small, like an earwarmer headand, or it will be added in to a larger project. 

 This is my way of drying the yarn under tension after soaking it to set the twist. Hanging from cup hooks in the kitchen, and weighted down by my daughter's filled water bottle.

 It made such a pretty skein of yarn! I'm content to just admire it for a while :)

Have a lovely week!

(As before, I purchased from Nunoco, and shared my happiness with their goods. I do not do reviews on products, I just like to share the Etsy love sometimes.)