Tag: fiber art

Felted Hats

Felt Like Making Hats with Alpaca Fiber from Our Spring Harvest! ( see what I did there?)

This spring, we took on the fluffy mission of harvesting alpaca and sheep fiber, transforming our farm into a scene straight out of a Pixar movie. Think Cloudy with a Chance of Woolballs. Now, it’s time to put that fiber to good use: making fabulous, one-of-a-kind felt hats!

Picture this: You’ve just spent a solid hour shearing an alpaca who—let’s be real—is giving you some serious side-eye and yes, some of them do spit.🤢 Their fleece falls in tufts, and you suddenly wonder if there’s enough coffee in the world to get through this. But then, magic happens! You look down at the fiber—soft, luxurious, and you see all the possibilities.

Here’s how we’re turning fluff into fashion, and I promise it’s easier than talking an alpaca into a haircut:

  1. Prep the Fiber – After collecting this year’s fiber, we clean it (this means less hay in your hair), comb it out, and get it all fluffed up. Yes, there’s something so satisfying about fiber prep—like untangling holiday lights, but softer.
  2. Wet Felting – Grab your soapy water and prepare to get messy! Felting is all about coaxing those fibers to shrink and lock together. It’s like giving your wool a spa day, with a little elbow grease. Who knew? Spa days for fiber are a thing.
  3. Shape the Hat – As the fiber turns into felt, we shape it into hats that could rival a royal wedding. Whether you want a classic cloche or something with a bit more flair, you’re only limited by your imagination—and your ability to keep your pets from destroying your project mid-felt. (Don’t ask how I know that.)
  4. The Finishing Touches – Every great hat needs its final flourish. Whether it’s a flower, feather, or something wild like a yarn pompom, you can customize it to fit your style. Need to blend in at the next fiber fest? Or make a statement? I’ve got you covered.
Here’s a short video with a look at the process.

Want to learn how you can create your own felted fun projects with fiber? Join me on Patreon for behind-the-scenes videos, tutorials, and insider access to special deals on all our creations. Plus, keep up with sales and new fiber-related shenanigans by following me on Instagram.

So, whether you’re into DIY fashion or just want to stay cozy this winter, grab your fluff, follow along, and let’s get felting! 🎩

Don’t forget to sign up for updates and exclusive offers on our upcoming sales! You won’t want to miss our next trunk show or fiber drop!

Join me on Patreon!

Discover Your Creative Potential with Our Patreon Community!

Hello! I am thrilled to share the news of my new Patreon channel with you. While I enjoyed getting to know so many of you during my in-person workshops, I want to make my workshops more accessible. The goal is to build a community where we can meet, share our progress, and encourage each other.

Eleanor at spinning wheel on a dock.

Why Patreon?

I searched for a good place to meet and share exclusive content like behind-the-scenes views of the farm, share news offer previews of workshops, and support and offer guidance to the attendees of my workshops. Patreon feels like the right place. It is an environment where I can share weekly updates, workshops, and tutorials.

two alpacas

Let’s grow and create together!”

I invite you to join me there to build what I hope will be a fun place to share, learn, and grow. This is a great opportunity to join me on the ground level to build something together. As an early Patron, you will help me set the sails and chart the direction for this new adventure.

Become a Patron
Take me to Patreon

Artist Talk

Earth, Water, and Life

I am hosting an art talk relating to my practice in Clay, Fiber, and Watercolor art. This project is part of a grant from the Arrowhead Regional Arts Council in Northern MN.

I will be exploring the results of agitation and water to create works of art and how the same art can be therapeutic while being reshaped by life’s agitations.

You are invited to attend and participate.

****This activity is made possible in part by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Arrowhead Regional Arts Council, thanks to appropriations from the Minnesota State Legislature’s general and arts and cultural heritage funds.**

Beginning with the End

I completed my residency in June 2023. The experience was cathartic and was a turning point for me professionally. I had personal struggles including estrangement from a child. The loss of a child, by their choice, is a crushing blow. I had to face my failures as a mother and come to terms with what was left of me absent from that role.

Choosing to be anything else was like searching through the darkest room with sharp obstacles at every step. I spent much of my time in the Attic working on the mediums I find most rewarding to work with. I found that the components of my art coincided with the stage of my life I was grappling with.

Taking form

The most significant thing I learned was that I had no choice but to feel my way through the darkness. It wasn’t going away on its own. I had no choice. As I worked with the Clay, I added water and pounded it, wedging it between my hands against the hard surface of my workspace. I manipulated what amounts to a bit of earth and water into a sculpture that told the story of how I felt. I cried and my tears added to the moisture of the earth in my hands.

The same formula held true for the fiber that I used in my studio. In an effort to make something beautiful from woolen scraps, I had to add water and pound the fiber until a felt sculpture emerged.

Lastly, came the realization that the watercolor paintings also required the agitation of the pigment blended in water to complete the process of painting an image.

The Agitation was Key

In the darkness, I found the answer to my becoming. I found the value in the agitation and the pain that life brings occasionally. Just like the pain of childbirth, we endure it to find the beauty of a new creation. In my case, I gave birth to a new version of myself. I welcome the process and am less afraid of the pain and agitation that leads to form. I see it for what it is. I necessary step in the process of living this life. It changed my perspective completely.

Water Breaks

I named this sculpture Water Breaks. Originally, the name indicated the break in my relationship with a child. The sadness of the loss. Then I imagined the joy I’d want my child to experience. I was relieved that I had raised a child who had the wherewithal to choose herself and her happiness, above all. I had not been a good example of that kind of personal strength. The darkness was lifting as I observed more closely. It was not my child that was playing in the stream of my tears. It was me. I had found the joy in my work and I was exploring a part of me I had not known and never allowed into the light.