My Good Deed for the Day...

My Good Deed for the Day...

Last year I was so happy to get a huge amount of Navajo churo for only $75.  It was 2 garbage bags full of unwashed fleeces that I was so excited for.  I was a new fiber artist, just getting back into it.  I crochet and learned to spin ages ago. 

I was so excited but somehow the churo did not capture my heart like the merino did.  I had ordered some jacob, merino and shetland from The Woolery and fell in love with merino!  I also really liked their jacob too!

So, that is how I began my nuno felting lifestyle, through Navajo churo, strange as that seems now!  But decided I am not going to use it anytime soon so told my daughters who work at the hospital to post it on the message board for free to someone who will use it and not just resale it...

So, woot, my good deed for the day!  It is 2 lawn garbage bags full, it will keep someone busy and happy for weeks!  It lifts my heart to know someone will enjoy it and frees up space for me as well!

hugs,

~Sea

A quick Update

A quick Update

I know i have not been active on here but things are happening behind the scenes and I am doing good!  I just finished a shawl for my sister's birthday and think it came out so pretty!  We are planning a photo shoot soon but ran out and took a few so I could post here.

I love how it came out.  I also have a pink one that I have not photographed yet, trying to get them all ready for a photoshoot soon!  This one came out so lovely,  While the pink one came out adorably fuzzy this one I did a tiny bit different to see what would happen.  

I did a few layers like normal but then added 2 whole texture layers and love how it came out.  The texture layers had already been dyed in shades of purple and dark blue to black and then once it was all completed it was all dyed black once more.  Like I had hoped it would, the dye did not absorb to the same dark black and the other colors showed through! 






Here is the textured side, I love how thick and elegant it looks here!

Eternal_Valentina is the model, thanks so much for agreeing to throw it on so spur of the moment for me!!  You are beautiful as ever!

 Here is the smooth side, in places it almost looks striped!

 A better view of the textures:

I loved the contrast of the dark dirty shed to the pretty girl and loved the spray painted heart on the door too  :p

My favorite of this set (well a few did not come out as my camera tried focusing on the trellis she was standing in front of instead of her...) like she is about to enter an enchanted area or start a great quest!

 The side of the shed provided a pretty sort of gradient of grey for a backdrop!

Front  yard and I loved the deep greens contrasting with the darks of the shawl!

I will be launching a kickstarter soon where you can order one 1/2 off the normal price of $200!  It takes about a day of work to lay out all the fiber in thin criss crossing layers then another day to felt and full the item!  Handmade with love and prayers!  But I will be posting more on this later.  But do save up if you want an exclusive and one of a kind handmade with love shawl / scarf / vest / wrist warmers / etc.  by Searean 

hehe, hope everyone is doing good and remembering to keep the indigenous in your prayers! 

~Sea

Fiber Processing

Fiber Processing

I wonder if I will get any takers…  I placed a classified ad for fiber processing in an Alaskan Native newspaper online.  

Fiber processing ad

Lol, I am so willing to work for fiber at this point in my fiber artist life!  Pictured is the Navaho Churro I got from a lady who had moved up here with it but found she had no time to do it so sold it to me.  It was a great haul of 5 garbage bags full of wool!  It was fleeces from many different navaho churro and a few mixed or second cuts that she got for free to play around with.  I am currently drying some tunis/east friesian (spelling??) cross second cuts and plan to work them into a batt once I get a drum carder!  Or I might not have the patience and try to hand card them!  I think the second cuts will be ok for felting, maybe as decoration instead of main material...

Navaho churro washed and drying on rack

I am trying to get the film stuff together for this summer but so love felting and playing with wool!  I am expecting my 16 pounds of unwashed merino fleeces to arrive by this weekend!  I look forward to showing it before and after the washing!  I am not sure if I will try to hand card it or wait a bit.  I guess it depends on if I get any takers who need their fiber processed for them.  I am hoping there are a lot of people who love fiber but don't have the time to process  it themselves and need someone who believes in quality and loves fiber!

It feels like time is flying by!  where are the weeks going?  I guess I get lost in trying to hand card the navaho churro and other stuff that I lose track of days!  But this month has flown by so fast I think I am in a time warp!  You ever feel like that?  

But I plan to try to get some lanolin from the merino that is coming soon!  last time I was too impatient to wait for it to separate and float to the top  :p  But this time I plan to do it and film bits and pieces of it for a BTS episode on my channel!

If only I had been born rich!!  :p   Love you all and please take care of yourself and each other!

hugs,

~Sea

Felt Inspirations

Felt Inspirations

There are so many amazing fiber artists out there!  I hope to get something going as a co-op for the alaskan #indigenous, imagine being able to stay in your village, live as you want and make $$$$!!!  Not that it is about the money, at least not until 'America' came and took over…  So now we are forced to change our lifestyles and driven out of our villages so they can more easily steal our natural resources…  We need to stop that and turn the tide back!

I plan to do my part, I hope to get my first feature film out this summer!  It is on schedule and is a low budget one and I will soon be holding auditions for it…  but mainly the idea is to show we can do a film, start to finish!  Hopefully that gets us some recognition and some funding so we can begin working with bigger groups of indigenous.  If they are not into film and acting, there is costuming, set building, etc.  If that does not interest them there is the crafting/felting to learn and do!

I am planning to get some merino sheep this next summer!  this summer we are buying some land in Kenai Peninsula area.  If I cant interest an #indigenous corporation to let us lease their land for grazing then we will start small and buy our own plot!  

But it is easy to get inspired by it.  It is "traditional" skills updated to modern tastes!  Using the same sort of techniques but changing the design or adding labor saving tools.  

I watched this video and just think it will help explain my desire to get us our own sheep/goats/alpacas/musk oxen!!!!

Maybe once we get better established we can work with this group to learn skills!  Ladies from Peru keeping knowledge and skills alive, so inspiring!  Either send some down to learn or bring some up to teach :p  

I hope to get an outfit completed in time to enter the local spinners guild fashion show!  it will be fun to try!  I went to my first meeting and really liked it, I plan to get more involved, but been so busy trying to get all this stuff done!  I made some wrist warmers today, my "post apocalyptic" ones are almost dry and I will get pics of them.  I made some today for my daughter.  I used some left over merino from other projects and used them as the base layer then over that I did stripes of navaho churro, Cheviot, and alpaca.  They are drying but I will get pics of them up sometime.  I think they came out cute!  I remembered to do the pattern the right way so it came out even when cut in half  :p   

But I think my "Post Apocalypse" outfit will be good!  I love the dark purples and blacks of it!  I ordered some more merino that had purples and black and one with more black and greys to make the rest of it.   I plan to dye some of the merino I am getting from Australia black.  It might not get here until the end of the month though, but here's hoping the flight connections work and it comes quick!  I ordered some merino yarn (a bulk purchase from a person who is trying to help make it affordable to fiber artists:  poundOwool on Etsy   I ordered his pound of sport weight yarn since one of my daughters is getting into crochet, got a pound of her and one for me  :p   With mine I plan to make the top of it, creating a criss cross pattern and using some roving to cover it but I think it will help create the shape and keep it's form better using the yarn.

I am so excited, ever feel your life is finally on the right path?  that you finally found what you were always meant to do?  I am so glad I got the courage to go for my dreams!  It is easy to remain too timid after a lifetime of abuse, but you need to let all that go and decide to thrive not just survive!!  the courage of it seems so impossible to muster but one big push and you are free!  and then free to do what you like!  It wont be easy, fighting the bad thoughts and feelings that do not disappear overnight, though you wish they would!  but it is such a great feeling to get away from the bad and work toward the good!  

go for your dreams!  it is worth the risk and the hard work and all the sweat and tears and drive!  

hugs,

~Sea

Fiber Arts

Fiber Arts

I got the spindle kit today!  yeah!  I am excited and practiced a bit with my navaho churro before attempting to use her pretty fibers included…  What I really liked about her kit was the variety of fibers, we get to try a couple to get a feel for the differences!  nice!

The Hippie Homemaker Deluxe Drop Spindle Kit

I have been busy…  The merino I ordered from the local farm in Fairbanks (if we can call hundreds of miles apart "local"  :p  ) is half carded now.  I need to wash the other one but look forward to it.  I like having control of the product this way.  I think when you wash it yourself, hand card it yourself then you feel it much better.  

This merino I mixed with angora rabbit fur but forgot to weigh it or keep track of the ration of merino to angora…  since I plan to use it to wet felt a skirt, I think it is ok, but I do need to get into the habit of tracking it and making notes.

If you follow me on Instagram you can see a lot of the fibers there.  I also bought some mohair from her and am amazed at how pretty it is.  I didn't think I would like it so much, but her grey mohairs were amazing!  I think I prefer the darker colors so if I got a goats for myself they would need to be silver/grey/black…

Oh man though, I am feeling so happy.  I washed the Tunis cross I had gotten with the navaho churro.  It was thrown in for free for the lady I got it from because it was second cuts and the lady wanted to try it anyway.  It is soft and nice but hard to hand card since it is seconds (meaning short pieces).  I put it aside until I can get the drum carder.  

I am awaiting an order of silk hankies and "waste" to make my skirt.  I plan on redoing the Kickstarter once I have that and see if I can raise some money that way by offering felted items since crocheted did not seem too popular  :p  

I cant decide whether to film me attempting to wet felt the skirt or not.  I am much happier on the other side of the camera but also want to show what we are doing too…  So I think I will set it up on the table in here and do it that way…  I think it is wider then this table and I had planned to do it on the floor so maybe will try that and see how that comes out and if needed we can move it to this table…

What kinds of hobbies do you do?

Are you following your dreams?

It is so important to go for it!  Life seems crazy and sometimes so scary with so much craziness happening, but for our own sense of self and mental health we need to keep positive and active.  

Hopefully that package comes soon and I can do the skirt.  I cant wait to try it!  I have been doing some and hope to get a bunch of merino to felt with soon!  It is hard sometimes to get started when everything costs so much!  But it is worth it and working slowly toward it makes you love it when you take that next step!

hugs,

~Sea

Cutest Dream Ever!

Oh man, I had the most adorable dream in a long time!  I have been feeling so positive and hopeful lately, like life might actually get better!  I am cheerful is one way of describing it.

I am interested in opening a fiber art studio (kickstarter thingy) and have been watching videos and found myself at a felt rug making one.  It was impressive.  a sweet older man plying his craft and you can feel the love!   

At about 10:04 he begins to walk on the rolled up rug to help felt and full it and it is adorable!   It made me want to clap a rhythm to his walking on it!  It is true that you are never too old to do what you love and follow your dreams!

But that night I had the most amazing dream.  I was the sorceress of my tribe, newly appointed and I was creating a prayer rug sort of thing.  Instead of walking on it like he did though, I did Goddess Yoga.  Not even sure if that is a real thing or if I just made it up in my dream…  but I was doing a sort of handstand with just my fingertips walking along the rug as we went across the room and back and forth.  I did an incredible backward stretch where my knees did the walking as I was folded back stretched to the max.  I did some twirls like an acrobat even.  It was deeply spiritual too, not just fun stretching.  The Goddess and I were doing it together, she teaching me and me eager to learn and serve.  But that is how I became the sorceress.

I am happy though, I can see several costumes using the felting methods!!  I think my 4 pounds of fiber that are coming soon will be gone in a few days!  I know I want to try it all!  I will definitely card it all first.  It is 2 pounds of tunis/shetland blend and 2 pounds of wool~though not sure which kind that comes with the handcarders.  

I was hoping my felt bookmarks that I added will catch on and I can meet the kickstarter goal.  But if not I will do one for just fiber, like $300 or something like that to begin creating it all.

I think the bookmarks will come out beautiful as I have the perfect fabric to use for it!  I will make a few to show what they will look like when it gets here.  It is still processing so hopefully it will come by Friday!  I am too impatient and want it yesterday  :p 

The best news is I will have samples to show for my next attempt at it.  I will ask for less this time, enough for a good sampling of fibers to unleash my creativity!  So the next kickstarter will be even better!  

But in my good mood I applied for some grants to try to create a fiber farm to go along with the fiber studio!  I also applied for a documentary grant so please spread the word around how you would love to see a documentary about Attu Island done my an actual member!  :p  lol, I am not sure if they will look more then a few seconds at them but at least I applied!  The second one, the film one, is a sort of "play" of a woman from Attu trying to stop her tribe's erasure!  I am also applying for an individual award grant from the Rasmusson Foundation!  

But grant searching is so often a roller coaster, too many good causes and not enough $$ to go around.  I wont get my hopes up to high.  I feel hopeful though and that is a good feeling!

I hope you are going for your dreams!

hugs,

~Sea

Woot, ordered hand carders and joined the local guild!

Woot, ordered hand carders and joined the local guild!

I am excited!  I ordered some hand carders and wool from The Woolery and also joined the Anchorage Spinners and Weavers Guild!  

I ordered the Hand Carding Kit that comes with 1 set of oil finished 8" wool carders 72 TPI, 2lbs of raw fleece, and the BOOK "Ashford Book of Carding".

I also ordered some I saw on clearance, 2 pound Batt of Tunis / Shetland wool!  


While my fiber Art Studio Kickstarter Campaign is going nowhere, I am getting there bit by bit!

We can rent equipment from the local guild, so I will be able to rent one by the end of the month I think!  :p  So I can practice and by the time I can afford my own I will be able to spin good yarn!

I really hope the kickstarter takes off but all I get is the "marketing" people and I am not interested in that…  so think it will fail but at least I got some good practice for it.  All that means is that the Attu Series will cost a lot more  :p  Plus I dont mind keeping them to myself if it comes to that!  

One thing I can do it break it down into smaller pieces even!  I can try one for $800 for the spinning wheel alone and hopefully find one locally that is used and cheap!  hehe…  but who knows, maybe everyone is waiting until the last moment  :p 8 more days of nerves and hopes and sighs!  :p  

I love being a dreamer and picturing things coming easy but am used to working hard for it, so it is win win for me.  I think as long as you are realistic and practical it is really good to dream!  I think it is partly why I write!

I hope you are going for your dreams!  It will take time and hard work but so so so worth it!  

hugs and love,

~Sea

Unangan Spinners & Fiber Artists Group

I am starting a group on Ravelry for the spinners and fiber artists!!  I know how hard it can be to get the items needed for the hobbies so starting a group so we can help each other out.  I am in Anchorage AK so if you are local, lets get acquainted!

I am Unangan from Attu, Alaska so called it "Unangan Spinners & fiber Artists" but welcome all #indigenous!  

Or if there is already an existing one let me know!  I am just recently getting back into this…  

Happy New Year!

hugs,

~Sea

Woot Youtube intro video done!

It is uploading now, pretty exciting!  But took forever to do!  I think it was about 25 minutes rendering, 35 minutes uploading and it is processing for another 20 minutes...  After all this, I hope you like it (me)!  

Wow, not as nervous as I thought I would be... guess because I started this around midnight and now it is almost 7:30am!!  time flies!  dreaming of my soft fluffy pillow...

 I filmed some quick intro's to the Frugal /Unangan style playlist and for the Fiber Art one... but will not get to them until later today...   I am starting the kickstarter soon!  If you cant support financially then you can follow me on my social medias!  

We did some test video of The Forever Fear this past weekend and we are ready to film the it this weekend!  So exciting!  I feel like this next year will be so amazing!  Living without fear and going for my dreams with both hands!  

just checked... the processing is at "about 6 minutes"  yeah!  

Woot, sitting here thinking of what to say next took it down to 3 minutes, hehe...

So, without further ado, "ladies and gents and those who have not made up their minds" here is the long awaited intro video.  

Well, maybe a bit more ado...  maybe it's resting..  hehe...  not quite there yet...  it says it is done when thumbnails appear... none yet...  lol, cant rush a good thing!  Anyway, should be any time now! 

 hope you like it!!

~Sea

Searean's Treasures

Searean's Treasures

woot, my new Etsy shop is open!  I have only the crochet shawl, using store yarn, for sale right now but soon will be able to offer my fiber art!  

I dont expect to sale a lot of this shawl, but once I get the fiber studio going…  that should be creative and fun!  But for those who want a handmade crochet shawl should keep my shop in mind!

Searean's Treasures is the shop name!

The model is the beautiful EternalValentina!  

This is a view of the back, just to show how pretty it is.  This is the snuggle one, to wrap around yourself at the computer.  this is store bought yarn called Monet I think…  We can discuss color schemes and types of yarn if you want to place a custom order!

A close up of the stitches…  

This one is more of a neck decoration then the snuggle one.  It is meant more for around the neck to keep it warm then the regular shawl.  the tassels are a fun element and some people just love them!  

You can see I am still working on this one.  I am adding the tassels and then will need to finish the hem of it.  I will probably add another row to help hold in the tassels! 

This is showing how big it really it, very nice size for those who love to cocoon themselves up!  

This is them overlaid to show the size differences.  the snuggle is meant to keep you warm and cozy while the Tassle is meant to be fun and fashion.

This is the logo for shop, a pretty shot of her and the shawl!  I will update it once I have my own yarn and crochet one from that!  

I am about to launch a kickstarter to get the fiber studio equipment!   the spinning wheel, hand carders and combs, the blending board, skein winder and ball winder and…  fibers!  I hope to raise about $2,000 for them.  

I will be offering "landscape rolags" as a reward and hand spun yarn as a another one.  It will be interesting because each spinner can create a different look with the same rolags depending on how he/she creates them!  My favorite part will be the  as part of my 'Attu' series!  I will make rolags, yarn and a crochet shawl as the rewards!  These series will be 1 of a kind that I wont repeat!  I sam pretty excited for it!  Especially as these will all help us create the  studio we dream of some day!  baby steps but we are awake, unafraid and going for our dreams!

Go for yours!  You are never too old, too poor, too whatever!  

hugs,

~Sea

Fiber Art

Fiber Art

I am getting into fiber art and can't wait to get my first carding tools!  I hope to get them by February at the latest!  Saving up money and hard to budget since we are saving $$ for the movie stuff too..  

Lol, I hope to find someone who has a spare set that can send them to me with some fiber to card for them!  It would be a great learning experience for me and a way to pass it on for them!  If you know anyone into fiber art, sent them my way!

This site is local and I hope to save enough to buy a set from her!

FarNorthFiber.com

What hobbies do you have?  I am not sure how much time I will have to devote to this but sure want to do some!  I love yarn and am getting back into crocheting that got me interested in yarn and spinning again!  I am hoping I can find someone who fell in love with it years ago and no longer does it so I can get a good set for cheap!  They are so expensive, the tools for it! 

This is the one I watched that ignited the desire to do it now! :p

Here is local fiber that is one of the most luxurious in the world:  Qiviut!

Remember to keep the #indigenous in your thoughts and prayers!  

hugs,

~Sea