Rooted, Issue 6 (July
2008)
We lost June in a blur of First Anniversary celebration but we're back for some summer fun!
An interview with a wonderful yarn dyer, a toy feature, product review and more!
We always welcome feedback, comments
and suggestions about our little publication.
The Adventures of Puppy
Puppy is Rowan's constant companion.
She attached to him just after her first birthday and he was her lovey for sleep until this spring when he rose in status to Imaginary Friend. I now feel like I have two children (and one of them insists her only name is Pup's Mom and gets quite irate if you call her *anything* else, even 'Rowan'!).
Pup isn't too bad. It is the fact that Pup comes with (as the situation demands) Pup's Dad, Pup's Grandma, Pup's Mouse, Pup's Penguin... cat, dog and so on! The cat and dog have to be walked on their leashes (and frequently tangle) and the mouse has caused many tears as he is always being sat on or stepped on by unknowing adults.
We spent an entire day on a trip with Puppy stinking of pee because I didn't realize he had been leaked on overnight until we were on the bus to our destination~ and the day ended with us at the urgent care clinic after a fall, explaining to the doctor that the smell was Puppy and not my child. I love that Puppy, but some days...
No, I really do love the little beggar. Ratty and smelly and surrounded by freeloading family and pets as he is. He is Ro's best friend. She reads to him, she tells him her secrets and her stresses. She reaches for him in her sleep. I learn about her thoughts and worries through Puppy~ who doesn't like the loud trains and worries about falling down on the street and thinks that maybe dandelions are very beautiful flowers even if they are not in a garden.
Looking through our family photographs, there is no question
that Pup is part of the family!
Hope, The Traveling Doll
 I want to tell you about Hope.
She is the creation of Annette of Wool Creations~
a super talented and sweet felter. Annette has a dream she is bring to
life in order to support children and families in need and crisis.
That
dream is Hope. Hope is a Travelling Doll~ she will start out in North
Carolina and spend a year travelling the world. As she goes she will
blog (with the help of her host families), get her passport stamped,
keep a journal and collect small gifts in her suitcase.
At the end of the year she will return home to be raffled off (journal, suitcase and all!) to raise money.
Hope is a lovely handmade doll in the Waldorf tradition.
Please be sure to follow Hope's journey! She will be visiting us at BTRT in Northern Ontario sometime in the fall, we can't wait!
In The Language of (Fiber) Love: Laines Magnifiques
Laines Magnifiques ~ Magnificent Wool.
 I'd like to introduce you to Nicole and her almost-one-year-old business: Laines Magnifiques. Nicole hand dyes gorgeous yarns, knits lovely woolies and embellishes matching shirts. She is a gem to work with and has top notch, professional service.
She is also the married mother of two busy kids (Ryan,5 and Sarah,1.5). A former Child and Youth Worker, Nicole has recently completed her BA and made the move to being a businesswoman and stay at home mom.
Nicole's adventure in fiber began after her daughter's birth, when she applied her knitting skills (learned at age 11) to creating soft and wearable cloth diapering woolies for Sarah. Like many of us, Nicole stepped to the top of the slippery slope when she thought it might be fun to *try* hand painting yarn.
Now very active in her home based business, Nicole is continually inspired by her children and the beauty of nature in her (and my!) native Ontario. Trips throughout the province send her home with bright visions of Autumn Sunset or Tree Tops colorways.
While Nicole is always on the lookout for volunteers to reskein yarn (her least  favourite part of her work), she love making customers happy and seeing their lovely results.
At this time, Nicole is busy filling co-op and group buy orders as well as developing her new line of organic and chemical-free dyed wools ~ be sure to watch for these beauties soon. She is also planning to launch a website for semi-custom work and is planning for her one year anniversary in September. Catch her if you can!
When asked if she has any tips for yarn buyers or new buyers, she says:
"I buy yarn with my heart...if I love a colourway, or if its named after
my kids, or it just speaks to me. Until I started this business, I
bought any kind of wool and didn't know the
difference. But because hand painted yarn isn't cheap, I recommend reading
the yarn specs in each listing. If you are working on a specific
pattern or project, make sure to check that the yardage is what
you need, that the weight of the yarn required in the pattern matches that
of the yarn you're buying, and look at the type of yarn ~make sure its
appropriate for your project. Other than that, have fun shopping and drooling!"
You Can Count On Us!
 In the past few months I have become a needle felting madwoman! And I am loving every minute of it! It combines fiber, colour and art/sculpting in a way that just jives with me.
With my passion for creating natural toys that are bright, simple and have multiple uses across multiple ages and stages, I have developed a series of critters for counting/ colour learning and play.
Each set is made with 100% new wool and completely needle felted (which is thousands of jabs into raw fiber with a special needle until it takes shape!) with a combination of Corriedale and Merino wools. Wool is fabulous for young children as it is hardy, safe and warms up so nicely in their hands. Some sets (ladybugs, fish) come with a hand dyed silk pouch and small playsilk to encourage play.
Each set helps toddlers & preschoolers learn as they:
- feel
the wool, its warm and lively textures. Feel the difference between the
dots/ numerals and the bodies. Feel the number of raised dots to help
identify quantity.
- practice colour identification
- practice ordering numbers by numerals and quantities (dots)
- match numerals to their amounts (flip the critter)
- identify numbers and amounts they represent
- do simple math
- play imaginatively
- props for acting out songs and rhymes
- active play~ stack them, toss them, catch them in a jar (with holes for air!)!
- ... and of course, much more in the hands of your child!
As each set takes a fair amount of time to complete, I am accepting custom orders for the holidays, now. Please inquire with interest.
Newsletter subscribers save 10% on Counting Toy orders for the holidays, just be sure to remind me that you are a subscriber when you contact us!
 TRUE COLORS
Our first True Colors event has wrapped up with great success! Sixteen dyers worked on the same colorway (turquoise, brown, sand) to produce a beautiful array of items in shades of the beach and desert. The items were auctioned off and nearly $550 was raised for various charities close to the dyer's hearts.
The Fall Edition of the challenge is in the planning stages, with a date of September 30th for the auctions to begin. The colorway is in the process of being chosen by the Hyenas at Hyena Cart and we have nearly 30 dyers signed up to play!
And Now For Something Completely Different
 Because I needed more to do~ I decided to have a go at creating some Scrabble Tile pendants. They are all the rage on Etsy and I keep buying them... but then realized I could make my own (the crafter's curse!). Rowan likes them, too, and we share the ones we have!
On Thursday, July 3 at 2 PM there is a stocking of pendants at BTRT.
The pendants are $6 each or 3/$15.
Just purchase and wait for revised invoice.
 As a subscriber, if you buy three, I'll throw in one chain or cord of your choice free!
Just make sure you tell me you are a subscriber.
Also, I'll give you a hint~ I can make more of any of the images, so if you see something you like and it is out of stock, just purchase and indicate your choices in a note to me!
A
Few of My Favourite Things
The following reviews are independent and unsolicited, I just love these things and want to share the love! I will try and include a review or two each month~ gives me a reason to shop!
Beeswax Crayons by the Clear Hills Honey Company
 I
want to share a real gem of a shop with you! This shop stems from a family based beekeeping business in Oregon. Clear Hills Honey Company
are the creators of many wonderful honey products, not least of which
are some of the most delicious lip balms you'll ever smooth on in a
plethora of flavours! I always enjoy working with Carmela from CHH, and
was so excited to try out her newly developed Beeswax Crayons.
A
staple in the Waldorf educational system, beeswax crayons are made with
beeswax rather than paraffin and have the added bonus of blending more
smoothly (like paints) than regular paraffin based crayons. They are
completely non-toxic and made with natural pigments, too.
This past month we received our 5 colour (pictured) set and they are a hit with our
33 month old. The decorative tin was a nice touch, too (5 to choose
from)!
The
colours are more muted than your usual Crayolas, and the texture is
different (they do have a gentle beeswax scent, but not overpowering~
generally I am sensitive to beeswax smelly things and these are fine
for me!)~ not soft, although they are softer by nature than regular
crayons~ but with a bit of that beeswax 'stick' to them. Nonetheless,
they flow smoothly and easily and are definitely a great alternative!
Having
looked into making beeswax crayons ourselves and having chosen to run
away from the complexity, we admire Carmela and her innovative new
product and wanted to share it with others!
 I
also have to throw in a good word for the Busy Bee Bath Crayons (non
toxic, natural pigments)~ gentle on skin, easy to clean up with the
included sponge (kids will clean it themselves!) and lots of fun!
So take a peek at Clear Hills Honey Company~ I am sure you'll find something to love!
Share yours for our next newsletter ~ you can remain anonymous! Just contact us with your tale of shame.
Here is mine~ it isn't really my fault, but the fact that I caught it on camera and *cannot* stop giggling when I see the pictures puts me firmly on the Wall of Shame.
Rowan pushing Puppy on the swing:
Rowan getting clobbered with the swing:
She was not hurt, just surprised! And Puppy was just fine. We all had a good giggle!
Be sure to stop in
and visit us at:
We'd love to do a
blog link exchange with you, just contact
us!
Share this newsletter with a
friend.
If they make a
purchase from BTRT and mention your name,
we'll send another
10% code your way!
As always, your
information is private and will not be shared.
Next issue: August 1st
(God willing and the creek don't rise, as they
say!)
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Please be sure to check out Nicole’s work!
