Why I love wool... (from an admitted fiber junkie)

 I love wool!  I love the feel of it!  I love the smell of it.  I love spinning it, weaving with it, knitting with it.  I love dyeing it... I love wearing it.  Yes, I even love crocheting with it.  It's been a life-long love... ever since I got my first wool blanket eons ago.

I'm knitting socks & gloves for Christmas this year.  One pair of each got sent off to PA last month & still hasn't arrived.  The box is "in transit" somewhere in rural PA... I hope it's not lost & gone forever!

I'm on my 2nd pair of socks to go to GA to daughter & granddaughter.  Daughter's partner wants alpaca commercial socks, so those are en route to our house. Once I get the fingerless gloves done I'll get that package on the way.

As I said, I love wool.  So... I saw an ad for this merino wool dress on Facebook. Wooland  I checked it out.  Now I'm trying their 100 day dress challenge.  I'm wearing the Sofia midi-dress.  I'm on day 11 & I'm loving it!  I got the dress in navy blue...

I've laundered the dress twice.  When it first arrived and then after the first week.  I simply washed it in warm water in the kitchen sink.  I used a dab of my shampoo, then rinsed it well.  I squeezed out the excess water then hung it up to dry.  It worked well.  The fabric didn't stretch and the color didn't run.

Wool keeps you warm when it's wet... It has natural elasticity, so it has some give.  And you can wear the same garment for an extended amount of time.  I have 1 pair of wool socks that are over 10 years old.  I don't wear them all day every day, but I have been wearing them for those 10 years.

New books

I got a few new books through Amazon last week.  I love books relating to my crafts!  I prefer hardcover books, they hold up better through the years.

So, here's the first book.  Homestead Kitchen

We have enjoyed watching Alaska the Last Frontier for years.  This family brings homesteading to TV in a great way.  They are hardworking.  They have strong family values. They are resourceful.

This new book by Eve and Eivin has lots of great recipes and lots of other useful information.  Great pictures. I'm sure this book is going to be in use in my kitchen for years to come.

As I mentioned the other day, I've been interested in applique quilting for years now.  Recycling wool clothing, felting sweaters from the thrift store, making toys or Christmas ornaments, these all interest me.  I saw these 3 books on Amazon and got a great deal on them,

First is Wool Applique Folk Art

Rebekah L. Smith is a real artist!  Her color pallet is very soothing.  The book is full of great pictures & paper patterns for every project.  The step-by-step instructions are very clear.  Even the novice quilter could use this book to start a project and finish it with excellent results. This is an excellent book.

Gorgeous Wool Applique

This book by Deborah Gale Tirico is wonderful!  Appealing projects, excellent instructions and pattern pieces to help you make these heirloom articles for your home.  This is another book that both the novice, and the long-time quilter can use to get great results.

Summertime Sampler

Erica Kaprow's patterns will help you produce brightly colored primitive quilts.  This isn't a book, per se. The pattern pieces are provided, along with step by step instructions.  I really like the bright colors Erica uses.  Happy, sunny.... They made me smile.