Kerry Burke | Spinning & Weaving

NEW BLOG

2010-11-26T00:31:00.005-04:00

Hi folks,

I have a new blog! Please update your bookmarks. All future posts will be made here:

http://kerryspins.com/

Cheers,
Kerry

Antrim has a new bed!!!

2010-11-18T11:14:00.003-04:00

Well you saw on a previous post that poor Antrim was trying to take over Charlie's bed but just didn't fit...... one of my friends happened to feel sorry for him and had a couple of dog beds at her house and gave them to Antrim. He is soooo happy now and just loves cuddling up in them . One is in the living room and the other at the foot of my bed. Nacho also likes the one in the living room especially when the sun is shining on it. Don't worry though, when Antrim wants to lay there he just barks at Nacho and she moves......LOL...
A big thankyou to Gloria......
love Antrim

book your appointment now

2010-11-09T18:17:00.002-04:00

Ok folks... Ladies and Gentlemen
Take time out of your busy schedules and book your appointment for a manicure or pedicure today. Remember if you want to keep on walking you must take care of your feet.
What would be nicer than a nice warm foot soak, trimmed nails and finish with a nice leg and foot massage while you sip on a fresh coffee or tea??? Maybe a gift certificate ??
705 632 1911

Dog Hair Hat

2010-11-09T18:13:00.002-04:00

I just finished this hat for a customer. It is a birthday present for her Father . She sent me his faithful companion's dog hair which I spun and made into this hat. Hope he likes it and he will certainly be surprised with this unique gift.

Silly Antrim

2010-11-09T18:09:00.002-04:00

Poor Charlie has been kicked out of his bed. Antrim has taken over. I can't believe he actually thinks he can fit.

Time Change

2010-11-07T08:20:00.002-04:00

Don't forget to change your clocks back one hour. Charlie wasn't taking the time change well and told me to call him when it was "really " 10:00........LOL

rug hooking

2010-11-02T00:17:00.002-03:00

Last Monday we had the pleasure to have Bea Grant show us different finishing techniques for our hooked rugs. Here are some of our samples.

Yippi!!!

2010-10-31T13:34:00.002-03:00

Good news folks. I have found a furever home for Angelo. His new parents picked him up on Friday and I just called them and everything is going well. Best wishes to Angelo and thanks to everyone who helped me find him his new home..... especially Pauline.

Need a good home please!

2010-10-24T12:23:00.002-03:00

I am fostering a cat right now that needs a good home . His name is Angelo and he is a big orange cat who is very affectionate. He is fixed , declawed , very clean and an indoor cat. He is up to date with his shots and has been very well looked after. He is 8 years old. His owner had to go to a retirement home and couldn't take him. I couldn't see him going to the humane society and offered to foster him. He is a wonderful boy and deserves a wonderful furever home. Please call me if you know of anyone who would like to give him a home.
705 632 1911

I don't want to go to bed yet!

2010-10-24T12:18:00.002-03:00

So Friday night I was tired and wanted to go to bed early. I read my book for a bit and then lights out. That didn't stop my Charlie Boy....... he wasn't ready to go to bed. I heard this noise going on and turned on the light and there he was up on the top of my door !! My can he jump. I don't know what possessed him to go up there but it was funny. Makes me wonder what goes on when I'm not home eh??? LOL...

My dyeing homework

2010-10-18T18:03:00.002-03:00

Some of you know I am in my final year of the OHS spinning certificate homework......YIPPI...
Yesturday I completed my dyeing portion and am very happy with the results. We were to choose a picture and use 3 different dyeing techniques while creating colours from the picture. You also had to have an end use for your yarn which I stated a nice shawl would be perfect and made a mini sample to go with my dyeing. I was happy as I feel my colours were successful in matching with my chosen picture. One more step closer to finishing my homework!!

This week's nails

2010-10-18T18:01:00.003-03:00

check it out

Fancy Nails

2010-10-09T23:26:00.003-03:00

Ok folks
I have had a bit of fun with my nailpolish this weekend.
Take a look....

Best Friends and a Special Birthday Girl

2010-10-09T23:19:00.002-03:00

Although we couldn't celebrate Joan's birthday on her real day we did have such fun surprising her with a special lunch at my house. Most of us were able to make it and we had such fun. We are such a thick bunch of friends and drop everything when possible to be together. This was one of those days. Happy Birthday Joan and many many more.
cheers from
The Winsome Women!!

Fun Days

2010-10-02T10:10:00.002-03:00

Last week I had my group of Winsome Women friends come for a day of fun..... We all brought our stuff to work on as in knitting, spinning, rug hooking, and books to share. Everyone brought their lunch and I provided yummy goodies and tea and coffee all day. In between working on their projects a few ladies enjoyed a wonderful relaxing pedicure. Can you think of any better way to spend a day???? So get your group together and give me a call and book your Fun Day.
705 632 1911
Notice how Antrim had to be there too. Thanks Jill once again for the pics.
cheers
Kerry

Bridgewater Retreat

2010-09-06T17:55:00.002-03:00

Every year in August we get a gang of fibre people together and go for a weekend to Bridgewater Retreat just north of Tweed. We have anywhere between 12 to 24 girls come for a great fun weekend of just doing whatever you want!!! We have lots of laughs, stories to tell, ideas to share, and just letting your hair down and waiting for the dinner bell to ring for our meals.....oh yes , 3 days of Heaven.....LOL...
This year Colleen shared her talents and showed us how to paint silk scarves. I decided to try my hand at it and was pleased with my scarf.
Here are some pics from our weekend.
cheers
Kerry

Fun Time with Friends

2010-08-22T22:05:00.002-03:00

Why not try something different with your friends. Consider coming for the day with your spinning wheels, rug hooking, or knitting and relax in my family room while taking turns having a pedicure!
I will supply the muffins, coffee, tea and lunch. Sit back and have fun for the day.
$40 each with a minimum of 5 fun people. So gather your friends and give me a call to book your day.
705 632 1911

Freedom 55

2010-08-15T16:20:00.003-03:00

Well my girls and I have talked about getting "feather "tattoo's for years and I finally did it. I had a fabulous bonding weekend with Abby and Jessica and we got them done.
Here is mine......it's on the outside of my left ankle. One grand feather for each of my dear daughters.

So Busy

2010-07-22T08:40:00.002-03:00

Well folks
Sorry to let you down and haven't been blogging lately but I will soon be back on track.
For starters I sold my farm and moved to Campbellford. I just love being in town and the neighbours are all great . I haven't finished unpacking and still tripping over boxes as I spent the last 8 days at Loyalist College in Belleville taking my last classes for my OHS spinning certificate. It has been a long 6 year course and I have tons of homework that will be the last in March to hand in.......get out the champagne in March!!! Meanwhile I am also trying to scramble and get my Manicure and Pedicure business up and running from my home. Antrim is adjusting to town life but the cats are not happy with being housebound... LOL..
So pics will come soon and more updates... I promise
Have a great day folks and enjoy every wonderful moment....
cheers
Kerry

On The Move and New Beginnings

2010-05-09T17:11:00.002-03:00

Well, while in Mexico my country house sold. Closing is June 23....YIKES!.... It's coming up fast and I haven't found a house yet in Campbellford. It's a tough one as I have a few demands for my new house.....like room for my fibre and studio and it has to be "Collie friendly" which means not many stairs and a nice back yard that can be fenced. Not sure how my Antrim is going to like town life...... but he will have to get use to it. I wonder what he will do when he sees his first squirrel...... we haven't got them here at Antrimlea as we have too many predators that take care of them.
Stay tuned and if you hear of a nice place let me know eh??

Our Mexico baby "Vannya"

2010-04-30T08:58:00.002-03:00

My daughter Jessica and I just got home from another fabulous time in Mexico visiting my daughter Emily and her husband Bencar who live in Mexico. The wonder of this trip was the arrival of our new baby girl "Vannya" . Jessica took this great picture and yes she is soooo perfect!! I'll post some of my picks soon.

A sad day

2010-03-16T19:03:00.003-03:00

Today was a sad day for a lot of us. Our friend Carolyn (see my previous post) passed away from cancer. She had a courageous battle over the past 2 years and was an inspiration to us all. She was always looking at the bright side and always smiling. She was only 34 . Our hearts go out to her husband and two loving dogs.
We will surely miss her.

Mark your calendars!!!

2010-03-14T11:35:00.005-03:00

Ok folks
It's that time of year to mark your date for "The Gathering"..... a blended fibre day of knitters and spinners all bonding under one roof. Just a splended fun day . Bring your spinning wheel and knitting. We have 18 vendors coming with lots of yummy stuff to sell you , so bring lots of money and stock up..... remember not all the vendors take Visa, Mastercard so have some cheques or cash.
I have been busy this week dying my rovings with lots of colours to tease you! If you have bought from me before and know what colour you got you can pre-order it and I will bring it to the Gathering. So where is it you say??? Well
Town Park Recreation Centre
62 McCaul Street
Port Hope
On Saturday April 17 from 10:00 to 3:00
Bring a mug for coffee (coffee and snacks provided) and your lunch if you don't want to buy a famous BBQ Lamb or Beef burger from Oslands farm meat.
call me if you need more info or email.
Hope to see you there.
Kerry 613 475 0880 email. antrimlea@gmail.com

Attitude helps

2010-02-28T08:56:00.002-04:00

Yesturday was a special day for all of us spending time with fellow fibre people and working on our projects. We got to participate in a fundraiser for our friend Carolyn who has cancer and so far has lived over a year beyond the doctor's predictions. Carolyn has exhausted the medical system of their treatments and has found a natural way to build the immune system and detoxify the body allowing it to heal itself. But it is expensive. She juices about 600 pounds of organic carrots, apples, oranges and greens per month plus supplements and twice daily detox. This gal is amazing . If you met her you would never know she was sick. You seldom see her without her smiling face and cheery attitude. I have never heard her complain. She must have a "screaming room" somewhere to vent but we have never seen it. Carolyn is the strongest person I have ever met and it was an honour to be able to help out. Carolyn is the one in the green vest. A bunch of us have knit these vests and decided to wear them yesturday and show them off. It was a great day. If you want to donate to Carolyn's cause , just email me please.
Our day was called "Carrots for Carolyn"
Thank you Jill for the pictures.

my house

2010-02-26T12:20:00.002-04:00

Ok folks
Here is your chance to buy a great house.
mls listing #2101154
Yep it's my house for sale.

loom for sale

2010-02-23T16:42:00.001-04:00

I decided to sell my Leclerc 45 inch loom and bench with additional reeds.
email me if you are interested
antrimlea@gmail.com

I'll miss this place

2010-02-21T09:56:00.003-04:00

Sorry not to be blogging lately folks but I have been very busy purging my house and getting it ready for sale. The realestate people are coming on Wed to list it. Am I ready???? Nope. It is really hard to depersonalize your home for sale and not take it personally . I have taken pictures off the walls and put away my hooked rugs, changed the furniture and stored a lot of things at my friend Joans. She and her sister Linda came for a whole day and helped me greatly. I am lucky to have such good friends. It doesn't look or feel like my cozy home anymore but people buying a house want to see the house not "your stuff" so those are the rules I must follow.

Today I must finish the upstairs and then start on my studio. Oh where to start in there!!! It looks like a bomb went off in there. You can hardly get in the doorway. You know when you live alone there is no one to complain about your creeping projects and of course my Antrim doesn't care where my stuff is as long as there is room for him to lay at my feet. .. Well during the clean up of the rest of the house all projects and fibre got tossed at random and is now a very high pile. Not to mention I have been busy with my OHS homework too!
So I will start blogging soon but meanwhile here are some pics I have taken of scenes I have seen here. I will miss this place.
cheers
Kerry

A Mexican Wedding

2010-01-18T21:13:00.004-04:00

On January 5 ( my birthday) my Emily and her beloved Bencar got married in Chetumal Mexico. They live in Mexico City but have a house in Chetumal where they spend their holidays. I don't mind going there either...LOL...
Here is a couple of pics from their fabulous day.
Don't Jessica and Emily look like sisters?
Bencar also has a wonderful family and I love spending time with them.
What a cute couple. Jessica has more pics on her blog at http://www.jbsmithblog.com

I am so happy for them .

It's my turn for the box!!! MOMMY!!!!!!

2010-01-18T21:09:00.001-04:00

Poor Charlie wanted his turn to play in the box but Nacho wouldn't budge! You should have heard the wailing...

Just another fabulous day!

2010-01-16T10:55:00.004-04:00

Well , what can I say about my friends except they are just wonderful and we have such a great time together. Yesturday we gathered at Gloria's great home and she spoiled us with lunch to boot! Some of us were knitting, some rug hooking, quilting and even spinning. We are such a talented bunch. And of course I was gabbing away about my trip to Mexico and my Emily's beautiful wedding there.
I also got my socks finished. Here is a pic of my foot trying it on to see if the toe could be done now. Another reason to keep up with your pedicures Ladies!! LOl..... call me for an appointment...LOL...Thank you Gloria for a wonderful mental health day and to Jill for the pictures. We meet again in 2 weeks .... can't wait!

Time for a change

2009-12-19T09:39:00.002-04:00

After many nights of thinking I have decided to sell Antrimlea Farm and move into the town of Campbellford. Not sure how Antrim will like it but he will adjust. Soooooo if you know anyone who would be interested in a nice peaceful place with lots of stars at night and the most beautiful sunrises and sunsets a person can see, please send them my way.
Here are some pics to tease you.
cheers
Kerry

New Toy

2009-12-14T18:14:00.002-04:00

Ok so I bought the kitties their Christmas present today but couldn't wait till Christmas to give it to them. They just LOVE it. Antrim was trying to figure out why Charlie was just batting the ball in circles. He eventually got up and some how got the ball out and walked away with it. After I rescued it and put it back Nacho left frustrated as Charlie would not share and let her have a turn. Hopefully it will keep Charlie busy for hours as he is sooooo bored with not going out due to the cold weather.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

2009-12-12T14:39:00.001-04:00

Have a safe and happy holiday everyone.

Gift Certificates

2009-12-12T14:35:00.002-04:00

Don't know what to get for that special someone for Christmas or just need a little extra gift for the stocking???? Why not give a gift certificate for a manicure or pedicure at Antrimlea.

Nacho

2009-12-09T10:04:00.002-04:00

It's a tough life at Antrimlea when you get a snow day. The woodstove goes on, coffee is made and the spinning wheel goes. Here is my Nacho trying to relax in front of the woodstove. I think she is really enjoying this day.......LOL...

Just another sunset

2009-12-09T10:03:00.002-04:00

Here is another wonderful sunset that I get to see out my kitchen window.

My Charlie Boy

2009-09-20T10:19:00.003-03:00

My poor Charlie just won't give up waiting for a fine feathered friend to come by and "play" with him......

YIPPI!!!

2009-09-07T18:15:00.002-03:00

Ok Folks
Today I finally finished hooking my rug that I have been working on the past year of Monday afternoons in Campbellford. Now I just have to do the whipping around the edges which will probably take up the next 4 Monday afternoons.....LOL...
Oh what will I hook next???

Fibre Alert!!!

2009-09-02T17:44:00.003-03:00

Attention all you fibre people. You must put Sunday September 27 from 10 to 4:00 on your busy calendar. The Wilton Road Custom Fiber Mill is having their Autumn open house of their wool mill and have invited many vendors to come including your's truly. There will be Mill Tours, spinning and weaving demonstrations and lots of fibre in various blends and yarns for sale. Learn from local producers of Alpaca, Angora rabbit, Mohair Goats and Wool sheep about their animals and their fibre.
Some yarn , raw fleece and rovings will be for sale amongst other things. . Food and beverages are available.
I also heard with weather permitting that there may be an Alpaca that you can get close and personal with. So grab your friends and plan your road trip!!
I have been busy dying lots of corriedale rovings to sell so bring your cash......LOL.....
Make sure you stop by my booth to say hi.
cheers
Kerry

Wilton Road Motel
1153 Wilton Rd
Odessa, Ont
613-386-7379

Attempt at Lace Knitting

2009-08-25T22:07:00.003-03:00

Well this is the 2nd kick at the can..... I bought this lace shawl kit 4 years ago. Two years ago I attempted to knit it and made a mistake after knitting quite a bit of it. I was frustrated with it and tore it out where it sat for the last 2 years waiting to be started again. I took it to Bridgewater Retreat in the hopes to maybe start it again. Well with the encouragement from my friends I have started it again. I have since learned about placing "life lines" every couple of rows in case you need to rip it out to fix boo boo's. Here is my progress so far and I will keep you posted . Don't hold your breath for any quick progress as Life gets in the way and I should be working on my OHS spinning homework,,,,

Bridgewater Retreat

2009-08-25T22:01:00.002-03:00

This past weekend 10 of us stayed at Bridgewater Retreat for a relaxing weekend. Spinning , knitting, reading, winding warps for weaving, card playing, and dying wool were among the activities. No subject in conversation was untouched and lots of laughter was had... Joan and I are addicted to playing Skipbo cards so a few games were in order in between spinning. At great time was had by all and we plan to do it again next year. Want to join us??

Happy Ending

2009-08-14T18:21:00.002-03:00

Well about 4:00 the hound dog's owner came to pick him up and was very happy to see him. He was missing for 3 days. No wonder his feet were worn and he was starving. Between chasing coyotes (which he is trained for) and out for 3 days in these thunderstorms I would be a little frazzled myself. He perked up seeing his owner and hopped in the truck to have a well deserved rest at home. I will have to remember his name "Patrick" as this is the 2nd time he has showed up in a year.

Who Am I????

2009-08-13T16:02:00.002-03:00

Well you never know what you will wake up to in the morning eh?? This morning I let my Antrim out as usual at 6:30 and he started barking up a storm!! As there are lots of coyotes out here I ran out to call him. To my surprise he was busy sniffing a hound dog about the same height as himself. This dog had a tracking radio collar on along with his I.D. collar. He belongs to a fellow on the other side of Warkworth about 20 miles from here. He obviously has been running for some time as he can hardly walk on his feet. I gave him water and he wolfed (no punn intended) a bowl of kibble. I called the owner from the info on his collar this morning at 7:00 and had to put the poor thing in the barn while I went to work. I came home 4 hours later and checked the barn only to find he was still here.He was curled up in a wood pile shivering. It took some coaxing and a biscuit to get him to come to me. I took him outside and tied him to the tree for shade and gave him more water and more food. He is soooo skinny. It is now 3:00 and no sign of the owner. Perhaps the real owner (the husband) is out working today as I spoke to the wife this morning. I remember this same dog came to my house last year too. He had escaped the night before and was running all night then too. That time the owner came right away to get him. I feel bad for the poor dog and will certainly find out why he is so skinny and shy....... don't worry folks I took lots of pictures of him from all angles in case I needed them!
Animals know what house to run to for protection!

Sheep to Shawl at Grasscreek

2009-08-13T15:46:00.002-03:00

On August 8th I had the pleasure of being on the Belleville Team competing in the Sheep to Shawl competition at Grasscreek Sheep Dog Trials. We had just 4 1/2 hours to spin a raw fleece and finish weaving a shawl. Esther Grav, Rosemary Morris, Anne Buckley and myself were the spinners and our wonderful hard working weaver was Diane Wludyka. Diane had also spun all the wool for the warp and had some of it dyed too. The precious grey/brown in the warp was spun from Wendy Pullan's Border Collies making it extra special. Unfortunately we ran out of time due to our unique weaving of the shawl and we came in 3rd. But our beautiful shawl took the highest price in the shawl auction the next day which the money goes to our guild . Congratulations to all of us . It was a wonderful fun day with lots of chatter and laughter as usual.......LOL.....

NEWS FLASH

2009-08-05T15:52:00.002-03:00

Looks like I will be going to Mexico again within the year..... My daughter Emily got engaged to the love of her life Bencar. They live in Mexico and the wedding will be there too. I am so happy for her and me too as I will be getting a wonderful son-in -law.
All the best Emily and Bencar.
Meanwhile check out their website where they offer custom tours.
www.ohpana.wordpress.com

Colours to dye for!

2009-07-28T15:53:00.003-03:00

On Sunday we spent the day at Mara's beautiful house in Cobourg (she is the red Tshirt) She had everything arranged for us to do some natural dying of our wool and rovings.
We had lots of fun and the weather co-operated as best it could.
Some of the naturals we used were Flowers from Black-eyed Susans , Stems from Black-eyed Susans, Walnuts, Jewel Weed, Umbillicaria and Avocado.
Here is a couple of pics to show off our wonderful colours.
Thanks Mara for the fun day....

5 down , one more to go!

2009-07-28T15:46:00.002-03:00

Well we just finished our classes for another year for the OHS Spinning certificate. It is a 6 year course and we just finished the classes for year 5 at Loyalist College in Belleville. Now on with the homework!!!
This year we learned to spin flax, synthetics, and cotton. It has been an interesting adventure but a lot of work. We started year 1 with 60 students and 3 classes. We are now down to 17 students and one class so that tells you how tough the course is. I'll keep you posted.....

Model 101

2009-07-28T15:44:00.002-03:00

Can anyone tell me why this stunning gal is not a model somewhere?

Sad day at Antrimlea

2009-07-21T15:36:00.002-03:00

Why is it that things happen that seem so meaningless and almost to the cruel side. It makes you think about life and what the heck are we doing here. I feel I am truly being tested some days and today is one of them . While cutting my grass I had the grim discovery of finding a beautiful little fawn deer dead on my fence. She had caught her hind leg on the top of the fence while no doubt following her mother jumping over it last night. Her body is perfect with tiny spots covering her back. I can only imagine the agony of death she went through and I can't even fathom the feelings of her mother as she looked on unable to do nothing.
Sometimes life sucks and this is one day that does....

Happy Canada Day!!!

2009-07-01T13:39:00.002-03:00

Antrim and I would like to wish everyone a Very Happy Canada Day! We are so fortunate to live in such a wonderful country and should count our blessings every day....
cheers everyone
Kerry and Antrim

Gel Nails

2009-07-01T13:34:00.003-03:00

I can now do Gel Nails along with regular manicures and pedicures. The long tips are placed and with a little work the finished nails are done for my latest client. She loved her new nails!

Back to Back

2009-05-31T08:35:00.002-03:00

There is always fun things to do in the "fibre world". Last weekend we formed a team of spinners and knitters and entered the International Back to Back Wool Challenge. This is a challenge that started in 1811 in Berkshire ,UK. and has continued world wide each year. The challenge is you get a raw fleece (preferably sheer the sheep at the contest) and without carding or any other prep work, spin the fleece into yarn and knit a sweater as fast as you can. The sweater pattern is a standard pattern to be used by everyone in the contest. You are allowed to have 7 people working on your team and one spare who fetches you water, food etc. The world record is just under 5 hours. The Canadian record was set in 2001 with a time of 7 hrs, 25 minutes. The InSein Yarnspinners from Manitoba hold this honour. It was a very tiring day but we had a lot of fun and finished our sweater in 10 hours and 41 minutes. Grace kindly rewarded us with a lovely lasagne dinner at her house afterwards.

My Little Princess

2009-05-20T17:34:00.004-03:00

Just thought I would post one of my favourite pics of my grandaughter Katerra.... she is just adorable isn't she???

Good news!!!!

2009-05-20T17:30:00.004-03:00

Great news Folks. My foster girls found their "furever" home. They have gone to live with a fabulous family in Ajax. Thank you to all my friends who were scouting for a good home for them. We wish them a long life and know they will be well cared for. It was nice they were adopted together too! I was getting too attached to Misty.......LOL...
cheers
Kerry

We had a wedding!

2009-05-11T20:01:00.005-03:00

On Friday my youngest daughter Abby Jean Smith got married to Anthony Justin Smith. What are the chances of having the same last name eh?? She doesn't have to change her name anywhere. It was a beautiful wedding and everything was perfect. You can see in these pictures how much in love they are. They wrote their own wedding vows and as you can imagine there wasn't a dry eye in the crowd. Congratulations to you Abby and my new son Anthony! Love you both..... Moms..xxoo
Photos were thanks to
http://www.jbsmithphotography.com/blog
http://www.johnedgar.net
Please go to their sites to see more photos.

"The Girls"

2009-05-02T20:56:00.004-03:00

Well, my foster girls came tonight and are they ever a couple of Ladies. Misty is the Blue Merle and Roxy is the Tri -colour . They are 8 and 9 years old and are just sweeties. Please pass the word around for us if you know anyone who would like to adopt them. They are in perfect health and are kid, people and cat friendly. They would like to be adopted together as they have been together since puppies but will consider separating them to the right home. Just call or email me for more info.
cheers
Kerry

Misty and Roxy

2009-04-26T09:54:00.002-03:00

Well sometimes you just can't say no. These are my new foster girls that I will be fostering for the Collie Rescue until they get adopted. Roxy and Misty are 2 beautiful female Rough Collies who need a home. As they have been together since puppies it would be great to see them adopted together . Please contact me if you are interested. Misty looks so much like my Antrim doesn't she.

Spring is here for sure!

2009-04-26T09:38:00.003-03:00

Well you really know it is spring when the sheep get sheared for the season. On Friday I went to help my friend Cindy Osland with her shearing. The famous shearer Ruco Braat was doing the shearing and we were doing the skirting and decision whether the fleece went for sale to hand spinners or got shipped to the wool mill. I really enjoy this day and as payment we get to pick what fleece we would like to take home... tough decision of course as their are so many nice ones. I did settle for a dark brown fleece and can't wait to start working on it. 90 sheep were shorn on Friday and another 60 will be done next week. The little white lamb was so cute watching his mommy get shorn. The noice in the barn is incredible from crying moms and babies as they are temporarily separated. They are so cute. One little lamb is so small it had to have a sweater on. I cuddled him and he weighs nothing.....

Mexico again!

2009-04-26T09:27:00.003-03:00

Well I had another fabulous time in Mexico. My daughter Emily Smith and Bencar are starting a tour business and they took us touring EVERYWHERE! It was fabulous. We started in Mexico City which is just beautiful and ended at their house in Chetumal. We saw lots of pyramids and ruins and got to swim in this fabulous lake as shown . The colours of the water were unreal. Check out her website... www.ohpana.wordpress.com

2009-03-30T17:47:00.002-03:00

Sorry Folks to rub it in, but I will be in Mexico again for the next couple of weeks but will be home for The Gathering.....
I will be going with Jessica and Kate to visit my other daughter Emily who lives in Mexico. First we will spend 4 days in Mexico City visiting different sites and pyramids then fly to Chetumal to tour around and stay at Emily and Bencar's home there. They are starting up a custom tour business soon so check out their website!! www.ohpana.wordpress.com
We are honored to be their first guests!!!!
Poor Antrim will be left behind with the housesitter and cats.
Cheers
Kerry

The Gathering

2009-03-30T17:41:00.005-03:00

Be sure to come to The Gathering in Port Hope on Saturday April 18.... I'll be there with my many coloured rovings for sale.

New Challenge

2009-03-18T17:23:00.002-03:00

Ok so you all know of my Winsome Women girlfriend group and our usual get togethers spinning, knitting, rug hooking etc. Well, Grace is always coming up with these new ideas to keep us EXTRA busy, as if we don't have enough to do in our busy lives.....LOL... She has once again challenged us to a project. Making a "Stash Bag" from wool in your stash. You knit the bag and then felt it in the washing machine. The pattern called to knit it in stripes but as you know I am a bit of a rebel and have chosen to make mine in a knitted honeycomb pattern from wool I had in my stash which was one day going to be woven into a rug. (I've had it for 8 years!!) So now it is going to be a felted bag.
Stayed tuned for the finshed project in a few weeks. Not sure if I will get it done before my trip to Mexico in April.

Sleepovers at Antrimlea

2009-03-18T17:16:00.002-03:00

These 2 cuties have had sleepovers at Antrimlea for the past 3 weeks staying 3 nights a week while their "Daddy" had to go out of town for work. He did not want to put them in a kennel so contacted me. They are so cute and so well behaved they were allowed to come and stay with my Antrim and me. We had fun with Buddy and Charlie. Just look at those little eyes eh???

2009-03-13T19:05:00.003-03:00

Ok all you fibre folks. You must come to "The Gathering", a blending of knitters and spinners.
The Great Pine Ridge Spinners and Weavers together with the Northumberland Hooks and Needles are hosting a fun day of knitting and spinning. Bring your knitting and spinning wheels and have a play day and bond with other fibre people. There will be 18 vendors selling rovings, yarns, fleece and many other things so bring lots of cash as not all vendors take credit cards. Entry is $6 and includes your door prize tickets. Coffee and snacks are provided and for those who do not want to pack a lunch Cindy will have fresh BBQ Lamb or Beef Burgers for sale made from meat from her farm.l
Last year we had about 130 people come so it is a very fun day.

It's on Saturday April 18 from 10 to 3:30
Town Park Recreation Centre
62 McCaul Street
Port Hope

Hope to see you there and be sure to drop by my booth to say hi and check out my hand dyed rovings for sale
.
cheers
Kerry

COME AND BE PAMPERED....

2009-03-07T13:46:00.003-04:00

Need to escape for a couple of days???? How does a relaxing weekend or a couple of weekdays in a quiet country home with all meals prepared for you sound?? I can sleep 5 in my home in a casual and shared accommodation atmosphere. 6 if you wouldn't mind being more cozy. We can be as busy as you want and offer interesting courses or just sit and relax and do nothing. My home is awsome for enjoying the beautiful sunrises, sunsets and night skies filled with millions of stars. Sometimes you can get to hear the owls and coyotes sing at night. My fee is $260.00 and includes 2 nights,6 meals and a relaxing pedicure. ( I have completed my courses and offer pedicures, ultra spa pedicures and manicures.) So you can sit and soak your feet while sipping on a wine and watching the birds at the feeders.
So gather some friends together with your spinning wheels , rug hooking, knitting, quilting or just a book and give me a call to arrange your stay. I do have a very behaved and friendly Collie dog and 2 cats for those with allergies beware. This is a fibre house so you will come in contact with pet hair and wool.
You are welcome to bring any alcohol or music to play. I also have a smoke free home but you may smoke outside on the screened porch. There are also 4 Golf courses near by if you need to break up your day.
One more thing.... only giggles , laughter and good times are allowed at Antrimlea...
I'll wait for your call. ....
cheers
Kerry
613-475-0880
email: antrimlea@sympatico.ca

A way to end a week!!

2009-02-14T11:19:00.005-04:00

Ok ,, so to finish off another week the Winsome Women got together for a spin day. We met at Joan's and of course we all dropped everything in our busy lives to be there. All 13 of us made it again!!! Nice to know where our priorities lay eh?? We also went all out and had our lunch catered by Marcus owner of Edelweiss Fine Foods in Campbellford. For those who have not been to his shop, shame on you , you are missing out bigtime. Here is a picture of just the salad that he brought. The lunch was fabulous right down to the variety of cheese cakes for dessert . All the food is tenderly made by Marcus!
Joan also had a table display with the ongoing self patterning sock yarns to inspire all the knitters in the group.
We had a mitten challenge too. Everyone was suppose to knit mittens and wrap them up. We then drew numbers and picked out packages. What great knitters we are and everyone loved their mittens. Some were done with handspun yarns too.
Grace made our next challenge to knit and felt a "market bag" so stay tuned for the future post on that one.....LOL...
cheers
K

What a Weekend

2009-02-10T20:01:00.003-04:00

You just never know what a weekend will bring eh?? I went to Toronto to see my precious grandaughter Katerra who just got a Golden Retriever puppy. "Tyson" is just 8 weeks old and is just adorable and soooo cuddly. Katerra and him are just buds as you can see. It will be so fun to watch them grow up together. And my Antrim can"t wait to play with him too.! Have you ever seen anything so cute?

So then I come home and my neighbour had a kitten dropped off on our country road. I just couldn't see him going to the animal shelter so I offered to bring him in for the night. Well, as the saying goes.... if you name it , it usually stays....So we are trying "Charlie" at Antrimlea to see how it goes...and oh ya ,he is going to the vet on Thursday for a check up so I guess his stay here is looking a little serious...LOL.. My Antrim and cat Nacho are adjusting well so we will see eh?
Does it say "sucker " on my forehead???

Spin day in the country

2009-02-02T19:05:00.003-04:00

On Sunday we were invited to Wendy Pullan's country home to spin for the day. It was also her birthday!! We had a great time and here are some pics. She has 5 border collies which are amazing and so well trained by her. They are all working dogs as Wendy has several sheep. Her dogs are just amazing to watch herding the sheep on her quiet commands. She also has angora rabbits and we were able to snuggle these 3 week old bunnies. I am so proud of myself for not putting myself on the list of being a future bunny owner. They were sooooo cute.
What a great way to share a winter Sunday. And thanks Jill for the pictures.

Robbie Burns

2009-01-25T19:33:00.004-04:00

On Friday January 23 , Janis and her husband Jim Darrah along with the help of Joan put on a Robbie Burns lunch for our devoted Winsome Women group. We met at Joan's for the fabulous happenings. Janis plays the bagpipes. Jim with his thick Scottish accent addressed the Haggis and told us stories of Robbie Burns. Janis outdid herself with her fabulous cooking. We had a fun day of spinning, eating, laughing and a few tears at the end when Janis played Amazing Grace on the bagpipes. It's one of those wonderful tunes that means something different to everyone and there wasn't a dry eye in our group. No worries , we quickly rebounded and the laughter continued. We are blessed with such wonderful and devoted friends. Thankyou Janis, Jim and Joan.

Fun in the Sun in Mexico!!!

2009-01-25T19:17:00.004-04:00

My daughter Jessica surprised me with a trip to Mexico!! Here are some of my favourite photos. The trip was perfect from the drinks, food, resort, weather and of course the company.
On our adventures we had the pleasure of taking part in releasing just hatched baby sea turtles into the ocean. Bless them on their new adventures and keep them safe.
902 baby turtles were released that night.

Mexico!!

2009-01-04T18:23:00.003-04:00

Sorry to rub it in folks, BUT..... My eldest daughter Jessica is whisking me away to a resort in Mexico for a week! Poor Antrim and Nacho will be left with the babysitter. Stay tuned for pics when I get back. And remember...... what happens in Mexico .... stays in Mexico..... oh yaaaa baby!
cheers
Kerry

Say Farewell to my foster girl Cassidy.....

2008-12-13T18:48:00.003-04:00

Well it happened just like we always hope it does. My foster girl Cassidy has found her "forever home" after 5 short weeks of staying with us. We like the collies to find their home before they get too attached to the foster home and vice versa!!!! LOL.. She went today to live in Ottawa with a really nice couple. She now has a new 2 year old Tricolour Collie brother and 2 cats to live with. It was love at first site for both Cassie and her new family. They were able to see past her blindness and looked at her qualities. They have been searching for a while for the perfect match for their family and after meeting them , I know they have found it. Cassidy deserves the best and she has found it. We were blessed to have met her and wish her all the best in her new life.
Love , Kerry , Antrim, and our cat Nacho.

Socks, socks and more socks!

2008-12-13T18:42:00.002-04:00

I have to admit, I am addicted to knitting socks lately. I have neglected my rug hooking on Mondays and been taking my socks there too!!! I have been having so much fun knitting socks from the left over self patterning sock yarn from previous socks. A couple of friends have given me their left overs too adding more colours to my basket of yarn. I knit the 2 socks at the same time with the same ball of yarn. This produces similar colours but different patterns with the 2 socks. What fun!!

Cassie

2008-12-05T19:57:00.002-04:00

My foster Collie "Cassie" has settled in well. She is just an adorable dog and needs to find her "forever" home while I can still bare to part with her. She is the perfect dog and so well behaved. Her only handicap is that she is blind since birth. You would never know it and she acts normal and does all the doggie things including running outside full speed with my Antrim. She is amazing!!! Please email me or visit our website www.collierescuenetwork.com for more info on Cassie and other beautiful adoptable Collies.

Jill's fabulous scarf

2008-12-05T19:52:00.002-04:00

My friend Jill Purcell is a great fibre artist. She has learned so much since she retired to the "good life" . Recently she bought some of my hand dyed Corriedale roving and spun it into yarn. She then taught herself to lace knit and the results were this beautiful lace scarf which she recently finished. Nice job Jill. You are amazing!

Fibre Bonding

2008-12-05T19:39:00.002-04:00

Want to do something fun on a Friday??? Just email your friends for a day of fibre fun. 12 of us got together at my place for a great day of spinning, knitting and rug hooking. It's a great way to spend the day. Good friends, lots of laughs and just female bonding. My newest spinning student Sarah (in the ball cap) couldn't believe how much fun us "older women" could be and wants to be included again! LOL... I am truly blessed with my wonderful friends.
Cheers to the Winsome Women!!

The Country Life???

2008-11-18T18:37:00.003-04:00

For those who live in the country do you ever question why? Sometimes I do when it never seems to end the grass cutting on my 2 acres or hours of chopping wood and bringing it by the wheelbarrow into the house for the woodstove to heat my house. At these times I often wonder what the heck I am doing on a dead end road and maybe I should follow my friend's advice and move into town for an easier life. It never fails that my "angels" send me a message to straighten me out. The things I have seen by living in the country have been incredible. The deer, the foxes, the wild turkey's, beautiful soaring hawks, my yearly nesting Osprey's and yes I must admit , even the songs of the coyotes. I didn't really appreciate the bears tearing down my bird feeders last spring but hey things happen eh? The skies have also played a big role here . From the beautiful sunrises and sunsets in my previous posts. Today was special too. I came home and saw the most enchanting snow squall cloud. It came quickly and left quickly dumping only a few snowflakes. Enjoy the pictures of it. I surely did and it made me realize once again why I love living in the country. I am truly blessed with all the beauty I have seen at Antrimlea farm.
cheers
Kerry

New Foster Girl at Antrimlea

2008-11-11T13:55:00.003-04:00

We have a new foster girl at Antrimlea. As some of you know I help out with the Canadian Collie Rescue as a foster mom. On Sunday we got this beautiful female Sable Merle Collie named Cassidy. The amazing thing about her is she is blind and has been since birth. How she maneuvers herself around is amazing. I keep forgetting she is blind , she acts so normal and seldom bumps into the furniture. She knows exactly where the water dish is and chases my cat in playing! Antrim and her like to play constantly. Here are some pictures of them . Notice Antrim's hunting coat . Deer hunting is on right now and he likes to do his business in the field so hence the coat until the end of December. They got a little wild playing and Cassidy's collar came off. No fears though , they kept playing and when I wistled and called her she immediately came right to me. She is incredible!
Please check out other Collie's for adoption at collierescuenetwork.com
cheers
Kerry and Antrim

GIFT CERTIFICATES

2008-11-01T09:40:00.003-03:00

Don't know what to get for that special friend for Christmas. How about a hint to your partner for a gift for you???? I have gift certificates for fibre, lessons, and if you want to be pampered,...... manicures and pedicures.
Or just need a break with you girlfriends???? Book an afternoon for pedicures or manicures at my country home. I have the music, just bring your wine and snacks and lots of giggles.
Cheers
Kerry

Katerra's Faces

2008-10-26T08:37:00.001-03:00

This week my grandaughter Katerra visited her Auntie Jessi's photo studio in Toronto for some goofing around. (jbsmithphotography.com)
I can just hear the giggles as they made Katerra make different faces for the camera.....

Hook -in

2008-10-26T08:26:00.002-03:00

On October 6 The Northumberland Rug Hookers had their annual Hook-in. Lots of people were able to come and the day was wonderful. Everyone brought their hooking to work on for the day and it was great to see all the fabulous things that people were working o. I brought my dyed rovings to sell and the crowd went wild !
Another great fibre day.....

My Lady Isadora

2008-10-15T16:14:00.004-03:00

We had a very sad day today at Antrimlea Farm. My beautiful Sable Collie, Isadora had to make her last trip to the Vet. It was her time after 13 years to leave us for a pain free life from her arthritis. She was a fabulous lady and will be truly missed by everyone who knew her. My Blue Merle boy Antrim will be lost without her. It will be a big adjustment for all of us.
We were blessed to have her in our lives.
Rest in peace "Izzi"

Antrimlea from a distance

2008-08-21T08:58:00.001-03:00

My neighbour Dorothy took this lovely picture of Antrimlea. My place is just behind those trees. She lives next door up on the hill and took this picture with the morning mist still showing. Thanks for sharing Dorothy.

Sunsets

2008-08-20T21:56:00.001-03:00

Bet you wish you saw this in person!!! Each night and morning at Antrimlea is special with our view of sunrises and sunsets. This was the beauty I saw tonight. I am truly blessed to have such wonderful sights in my daily life.
Cheers to each new day.

Rural Ramble

2008-08-20T21:08:00.003-03:00

On the weekend of August 16,17 it was Rural Ramble in Northumberland County. This is a special weekend when participating farms open their farms to the public and educate them about farming. Each farm is unique in the way they operate and what they produce.
It is a great opportunity to learn about farming and certainly gives you more respect for our hard working farmers and their families. I had the opportunity to stay for the weekend at my friend Cindy Osland who is a sheep farmer. She has at present about 200 sheep. Her and her husband Darryl also have chickens and a few beef cattle. She sells their meat and eggs at the local farmer's market and at her shop on the farm. Her lamb is so good. She served lamb burgers from the BBQ over the weekend and they were soooo good. We had a fun weekend demonstrating the art of spinning and showing off some of our products. Most people were from Toronto and had great questions to answer. This weekend is all about educating the public and it was a great time had by all. To top the weekend off this ewe gave birth just before the weekend was done. I missed the actual birth but the ewe was still laying down when I arrived with my camera. These twins are about 5 minutes old. They were so cute and started walking right away and nursing. A great ending to a swell weekend!!

Sheep to Shawl

2008-08-20T20:27:00.003-03:00

On August 9th I participated in a Sheep to Shawl competition at Grasscreek near Kingston Ontario. There were 4 teams competing. Kingston, Belleville, Prince Edward County and Guelph. It was a fun day and the weather co-operated with a cool breeze. For those who do not know what a Sheep to Shawl is, let me explain. You have 4 spinners and 1 weaver on each team. You bring your loom already with a warp of your choice. You are given a raw fleece at 9:00 and have to have your shawl completely finished and off the loom by 2:30. The shawl has to be a certain regulated width and length. It is a lot of work but a lot of fun too. If you ever get the chance to be in one ...go for it.
Here are some pics of ours. Our warp was special as our weaver Diane hand spun all the warp. It was mostly Shetland fleece but the best part was the dark stripes. They were from Wendy Pullan's Border Collies who happened to be competing in the dog trails at the park. Wonderful!!

YEAR FOUR!!!!!

2008-07-24T18:33:00.002-03:00

Well I just finished classes for the fourth level Master Spinning course with the OHS held at Loyalist College. Now the homework begins for the year. This year we learned about spinning Silk, Camel, Buffalo, Muskox, Llama, Alpaca,Cashmere, Angora rabbit and various breeds of dog hair. It was a lot of fun. Here are a couple of pictures with one of our special guests.
For those of you that don't spin, this is a 6 year course with the seventh year held for your indepth study to get your Master's.
I have just done year 4.

Teddy Bears

2008-06-24T13:27:00.002-03:00

I was recently contacted by a very nice woman who had lost her dog and cat close together. She had heard you could spin their hair so over the years had saved their brushings. After a lengthly conversation we decided she would like teddy bears made with the spun hair. So off to my wheel and knitting needles I went to create these bears. The lighter one is made with the dog hair and the darker one is her cat hair. She was so pleased with the results and greatful she had saved their brushings.

Colours,colours and more colours!!!!

2008-06-09T21:54:00.003-03:00

My friend Julie Verge just can't get enough of my dyed rovings. Here are some pictures of her fabulous spinning. Don't you just want to touch the yarns??? yummy

New Foster Boy

2008-04-27T15:05:00.002-03:00

As many of you know I belong to the Collie Rescue. We are a non profit organization to help Collies in need of finding their "forever home" . They come to us and get fostered out to good homes who take care of them until they are adopted. Every dog has it's own story on how they became "orphans". They may have been seized from a bad home, maybe the owner passed away or sometimes people move and just can't take their dog. I have fostered 4 dogs now and none of them had been abused and were totally obedience trained. Very nice well behaved dogs just looking for a "forever home". Yesturday I had the pleasure of getting a new foster boy. His name is Shine and he is a registered tricoloured Smooth Coated Collie. He is such a loving dog and in excellent shape. He is a little older (11 years) but you would not know it. He plays like a puppy with my Antrim. He loves kids and other dogs and cats. I just tested him with my neighbours 2 yellow labs and no problem at all. If you would be interested in adopting Shine or know of someone please email me at antrimlea@sympatico.ca with the title Shine. We try to get the Collies to their forever homes before they become too attached to the foster home.
cheers
Kerry

Traditional Rug Hooking

2008-04-21T22:17:00.003-03:00

Recently I hosted a two day workshop at Antrimlea on rug hooking. 6 of us gathered to hook our own purses. Day one of workshop was held in February with a 2 month delay so we could get the hooking done. Then in April we had our second day and finished our purses. Here are pictures of 3 of them. We had lots of fun and we all love our purses. Thanks Jill Purcell for taking the lovely pictures for me.

"The Gathering"

2008-04-21T21:51:00.003-03:00

On April 19/08 The Great Pine Ridge Spinners and Weavers which I am a member of and the Northumberland Hooks and Needles hosted their 5th annual 'Gathering" of hand spinners and knitters and other fibre artists for a day of great fun in Port Hope. We had 18 vendors and about 170 people for the day. Some people brought their wheels and knitting to work on and others were too busy socializing. It was a great day. Here are some shots of my vendor booth and my fabulous hand dyed rovings which can be knit right from the roving or spun into yarn. 100% corriedale. Thank you to Julie Verge for taking the pictures. So mark down April 18/09 for next year and don't miss out on the fun.

Antrimlea Retreat

2008-04-13T19:59:00.003-03:00

This weekend Nicola and Vi were two of 5 people that came to Antrimlea for a weekend getaway from the city. They enjoyed their stay ( it was Nicola's 2nd time here) and left with their "felted knitted purses" that they worked hard on and finished. Shhhhhhh!!!! It's a secret but they both bought enough roving to make another couple of purses for their friends......
Thanks girls, it was a fun weekend. See you in August when you come again for another knitting weekend with your friends.

colours and fun

2008-04-06T12:28:00.006-03:00

I have been having so much fun with my hand dyed rovings. Here is the latest projects. You can knit these right from the dyed rovings. Size 7 or 8 mm needles for the slippers and size 10mm needles for the purse. Both items are then felted. These knit up really fast and are so much fun to knit. The pattern is free with the purchase of the skein and one skein will do either the slippers or the purse for just $30 The tough part is choosing which colours!!! New colours are being dyed almost daily as these skeins are going fast.... don't miss out on the fun...

What to do??

2008-02-07T16:41:00.000-04:00

So it's a snowy day so what do you do??? Stay at home and get creative!!!! I was busy dying some corriedale rovings. These hanks are measured out in 300 gram skeins and are all unique in their colours. I am selling them for $30 each and they are going fast. What fun they are. The rovings can be spun or are strong enough just to knit. I am going to knit "slippers" and then felt them. I'll post a pic as soon as I get a pair done. One hank will make a pair.

my baby

2008-02-07T16:26:00.000-04:00

Have you ever seen such a little sweetie.??? My grandbaby Katerra.

Snowy times in the country

2007-12-22T15:48:00.000-04:00

Oh there is nothing like a quiet walk in the winter on a country road. Here are a couple of things you would see at my place. Then a sit by the woodstove to warm up with a nice hot cup of hot chocolate...... aahhhhh

GIFT CERTIFICATES

2007-12-19T18:41:00.000-04:00

Do you have that special friend who you want to get a present for but just don't know what to get?? How about a gift certificate for a manicure or pedicure?? Everyone loves to be pampered and one size fits all....

Today's Birds

2007-11-24T12:17:00.000-04:00

I thought I would share with all you birders the different birds that I am blessed with today at my feeders.Here's the list so far today...Gold Finches, Mourning Doves, Bluejays, Juncos, White Breasted Nuthatch, Rose Breasted Nuthatch, Downey and Hairy Woodpeckers, Pileated Woodpecker at my one tree, and todays surprise is a flock of Evening Grosbeaks!!! Last week I had a group of Pine Grosbeaks which I have only seen one other time in my life so that was exciting.
Bet you wish you were here sipping on your glass of wine ... get your friends together and book your weekend at Antrimlea...
cheers
Kerry

Check these colours!!

2007-11-12T13:07:00.000-04:00

Ok , yesterday was such a nice day and I just HAD to spend it outside with some friends. So we decided to dye a bit of wool fabric for our next rug hooking projects. I also threw a skein of my handspun yarn in the pot. YUMMY colours. Can't wait to do more....