good fit (see pic.1):From neck to "tail" (#1).
Around neck - at midway up the neck (#2).
Chest between front legs (#3).
From neck to underarm (#4).
Chest - around the widest part of the chest (#5).


A journal about my hobbies and businesses and anything else that strikes my fancy!
good fit (see pic.1):


n VERY busy getting fibery stuff ready for Christmas. I went nuts dyeing Superwash Merino, Border Leicester from Susan Withnell’s flock, Angora from the bunnies, and luscious silk top that I bought at the Mannings a while back. I think the frenzy started out of necessity to have various samples ready in time
for my spinning demo at Elioak Farm in September. The demo went really well, and a reporter from a Baltimore paper did an entire article for their weekend section on me – ooh la la! I even got a COLOR picture with my article – aren’t I special?!!! Anyway, after dyeing several pounds of fiber for that event, I sat down to make out my schedule to spin, k
nit and complete the various Christmas presents that have to be finished from this stuff before December hits. Let’s face it – December is a wash when it comes to trying to finish any fiber project, so I mostly turn my efforts to the Temari Balls that family and friends have come to expect as ornaments for their trees. I can tuck the Temari into my bag and work on them easily at Stephen’s playgroups, etc
, so I feel like a woman possessed trying to spin up and knit everything in the next month and a half. I love Gaywool Dyes because of the intensity of color and reliability in exhaustion of dye into the fiber. For the Border Leicester (BL), I soaked the roving in a vinegar-water solution first and then placed it in the dyepot with just enough water-vinegar to keep the
roving from burning. I sprinkled several colors randomly on the roving, turned on the stove, and simmered for about 35 minutes. I usually allow the pot to sit overnight to allow the roving to come to room temp before rinsing. The incredible variety of color striation through the roving was just gorgeous, and I repeated the process with a batch of Superwash Merino as well.
which I snaked the roving after I had removed it from its water-vinegar solution bath and squeezed out most of the liquid. I painted on the dye from stock solutions I had already prepared, and rolled up the batches so each color stayed separated from the others. Instead of nuking in the microwave or steaming, I place the packets on my driveway in the full sun of the afternoon when the temps for the day had soared to about 91 degrees and left them there for the day. I had about a pound of Merino, so this was a great way to do a large batch of space-dyeing without dealing with steamers or other kitchen equipment. I left the packets on the driveway till the sun went down and the packets had cooled, and I REALLY was impressed with the results. The singles on this bobbin are the result.
h of Angora was an afterthought. I realized that I had gone back to the same several colors in various colorways in the different batches of BL and Merino, so I decided to dye the Angora in a limited color palette that would unify the other fibers if I chose to incorporate a variety of finished skeins into the same project. I usually blend my fibers before spinning, but in this case, I will spin singles of pure fiber types, with the Angora singles being the unifying ply in the finished skeins. I am planning on one ply of BL or Merino plied with one ply of Angora. The Angora will so
ften up the BL and make a very nice sock yarn that will feel super-soft to the touch but will have the strength of the BL to keep the sock structure from falling apart. I am not sure yet if I will ply Angora with the Superwash Merino. It is such a decadent fiber on its own that I am thinking about sock and mitten sets might be in order for those batches. We’ll see.
icest surprise was the experiment I did with a batch of BL on the bottom of the dye pot with a batch of Superwash Merino on the top. The Merino sucked up the intensity of the colors, leaving several areas of und
yed fiber which added to the interest of the finished product. The interesting thing is the soft, muted overall tones that the BL produced. No undyed areas, and the gorgeous muted tones could not have been achieved through space dyeing. Since both fibers are the result of the same colorway, this may be the only batch where I will ply a single of each together to produce a BL/Merino skein. Again, I am thinking comfy boot socks are calling out!
– my favorite current project! My dear friend, Elaine Harvey of Crystal Creek Rabbitry (aka CCRFuzzy!), is the moderator of a great Yahoogroups list called EZasPi. It is devoted to making Pi Shawls in the method “unvented” by Elizabeth Zimmerman. I had thought about joining the group last year when it was being created and discussed on the Spin-List, but was too busy. After seeing the shawls at Elaine’s house, I HAD to join! Good thing I joined when I did – Elaine’s good friend, Liz Lovick, who lives in Orkney (an Isle south of the Shetland Isles) has agreed to teach an online workshop on Shetland Lace via the EZasPi group. Our group grew from 200 to 800 in about 2 days! I have knitted lace before, but thi
s workshop has put on hold all of my other projects as I have become addicted to Shetland Lace. Since I breed and show Shetland Sheepdogs, I definitely have a love affair going with anything coming from the isles. Participating in this workshop was a no-brainer and I rarely am seen anywhere without my handspun alpaca lace WIP (work in progress). The first stole I finished was done using Chris Morgan’s (Woolybuns German Angoras) Feather and Fan pattern. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this pattern. Fortunately I started this project after the beginning of the workshop, so it is eligible for the contest that is being held. I can’t believe that I will have a finished project to submit in time for the deadline! Definitely a first!
front yard in the middle of the night with no wind or storm provocation (very scary since Stephen and I were playing under that tree just that evening) and that took some time to clean up! It brought down a live power line that was in contact with our yard and went about 3 blocks down the street. I watched the power line blow up like a firework display from the kitchen window and had no idea the tree had fallen till Ken came out and told me. The scariest thing is that there had been a huge party next door and the last guest left about 10 minutes before the tree came down and the power line crossed right over the party had been.
rated our 5th anniversary over Labor Day Weekend. We have both been married before and have done the elaborate wedding “thing.” We decided to have a good time with no stress at our wedding, so five years ago we got married on a friend’s sailboat (our immediate family was on another friend’s sailboat) on the Chesapeake Bay. We had our rehearsal dinner at Harris’ Crab House on Kent Island next door to Mears Point Marina where the boats were slipped. We had a huge pig roast at our home the
next day to celebrate and had a ball. So…every year since, we have tried to spend our anniversary on or near water. This year, we had to be at the track for the MARRS double, so we didn’t have a full day. We decided to go back to Harris’ Crab House for lunch and recreated a picture from our rehearsal dinner 5 years ago. It is scary how the parents of a toddler spend their time when they actually get out on their own for a few hours!
Most recently, Chris Morgan of Woolybuns German Angoras drove down from Connecticut for the weekend and hosted her famous Felted Angora Mittens Workshop. It was AWESOME!!!!! I only finished one mitten and am waiting for the felting needles to arrive to start the second one. Once both are done, I will dye them something really obnoxious, I mean, BRIGHT, so that no one can mi
ss my really cool mitts! I am also thinking about trimming the edge with a brocade fabric - too many options!!!
with the mittens, Chris and I decided to take an impromptu road trip to introduce her to The Mannings about 45 minutes “up the road!” We brought the mittens and showed them to Carol, who owns the Mannings – hopefully we will see Chris on the class schedule next year! I indulged in several more hard-to-find books on knitted lace and Chris picked up some gorgeous Koigu and some other stuff. I am so glad I was able to act as Fiber Enabler and ruin Chris for good now that she has been to fiber Disneyworld
!!
Hi there! Here is the press release from Elioak Farms for the Farm Days Celebration being held in the Fall of 2005. I am doing the Sunday, Sept. 18th, spinning demos and would love other spinners to come out and have some fun! This is aimed at kids - I am planning on having some toy wheel drop spindles for them to try out as well as the wheel. If you know of anyone in the area who you think might be interested or could pass this Press Release along, that would be great! The Farm is located just outside Baltimore, MD.
Thanks!
Daniela
Clark’s Elioak Farm
SCHEDULE of WEEKEND EVENTS
Fall 2005
SEPTEMBER: TUES thru SUN 10 AM to 4 PM
Also open on Monday, Sept 5
(Labor day)
OCTOBER thru NOVEMBER 6:
OPEN DAILY
Seven days a week
10 AM to 4 PM
10500 Route 108
Ellicott City, Maryland
410-730-4049
Attractions include the petting farm, hayrides, pony rides, hay bale maze, picnic area, country store,
Enchanted Forest figures, mini-farm play area, Fall decorations, pumpkins, and birthday parties.
SEPTEMBER 3-5, 2005 LABOR DAY WEEKEND CELEBRATION! What better place to celebrate labor than a working farm! Visit our museum and see the different types of work farmers and their animals do on the farm. Goats, sheep, cows, chicken, donkeys, ponies and horses all work on the farm. Can you guess what they do? On Saturday THE HOWARD COUNTY ANTIQUE FARM MACHINERY CLUB will have hands-on exhibits and machinery. Come learn about farming in a by-gone era.
SEPTEMBER 10-11, 2005 GRANDPARENTS WEEKEND. Free hayrides for all grandparents accompanied by a child. Don’t forget to take a pony ride, too.
SEPTEMBER 17-18, 2005 SPINNERS WEEKEND! Talented spinners will show us fibers from raw to finished, different types and qualities of wool and do spinning demonstrations. LESLIE SELBY from Cedar Wool Farm will be on hand on Saturday and DANIELA ANDERSON will delight us on Sunday. Other spinners will join them as well. Kids of all ages will get a hands-on opportunity to experience the art of spinning. Demonstrations throughout both days.
SEPTEMBER 24-25, 2005 FALL HARVEST AND COWBOY ROPING WEEKEND. Celebrate the harvest with apple cider, apple butter, pumpkin butter and pumpkin bread. It doesn’t get better than that!! Also, enjoy a cowboy trick roping demonstration by GLEN HOPKINS at 1 PM both days. NOUVEAU FACE PAINTER LAURA RENEE DAVIS will delight you with incredibly beautiful designs for your face and hands (10 AM to 4 PM both days). A work of art!!
OCTOBER 1-2, 2005 FARM-CITY CELEBRATION WEEKEND! MASTER FALCONER MIKE DUPUY will do a Hawk Talk and Falconry Demonstration at 1 PM on Sunday. Learn about incredible birds of prey and the 4,000 year-old art of falconry. Sunday is our PUMPKIN GROWING CONTEST WEIGH-IN!! It’s time to see how big your pumpkins grew over the summer. Bring your biggest pumpkin to the farm for weigh-in and display. The winner will be announced on Sunday at 4 PM and will receive a special prize and a season pass to the farm for 2006. Full contest rules available on our website. Facepainting by LAURA RENEE DAVIS.
OCTOBER 8-9, 2005 TEDDY BEAR FARM VISIT. Bring your bears! Free hayrides for all children who bring a teddy bear. Teddy bear contest (1 and 2:30 PM) both days. Folk singer TONY McGUFFIN (Noon-4 PM) both days. Scarecrow making available. Visit the pumpkin patch! Take home some cider. Facepainting by LAURA RENEE DAVIS (10 AM to 4 PM) We can paint a picture of your teddy bear on your face or hand.
OCTOBER 15-16, 2005 THE SOUNDS OF THE SEASON. Choral director, Jim Carothers, brings his students from CATONSVILLE SCHOOL to sing for us at 10 AM and 11 AM on Saturday. Visit the pumpkin patch, build a scarecrow. Facepainting by LAURA RENEE DAVIS.
OCTOBER 22-23, 2005 PUMPKINS, PUMPKINS, PUMPKINS! Come to the pumpkin patch to get your Halloween pumpkins. Take a hayride, take a pony ride, get your face painted by LAURA RENEE DAVIS and make a scarecrow. A great Fall outing for the family.
OCTOBER 29-31, 2005: HALLOWEEN WEEKEND. Costume Contest (11:00 AM and 2:00 PM) Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Prizes for all. Scarecrow making and facepainting by LAURA RENEE DAVIS too. Cider and pumpkins at our country store. Take a hayride to the pumpkin patch!!
NOVEMBER 5-6, 2005: PUMPKIN CHUCKING WEEKEND. In the spirit of the season, let’s have some special fun with pumpkins!! We have a specially-designed catapult that will launch your pumpkin across the farm. Bring your own pumpkin or purchase one of ours and let’s see how far it will go!
CHECK WEBSITE FOR DIRECTIONS AND POSSIBLE SCHEDULE CHANGES FOR EVENTS.

I am so delighted with the bouncy, lofty quality of the merino skeins - so soft and so fluffy - I can't wait to get them on the needles! The Mohair/silk skein is so lustrous that I can't wait to see how it knits up. The only two projects left on the bobbins from months past are one partially filled bobbin of 100 percent silk in deep tones of navy, teal, aqua and white, and a bobbin with more brightly multi-colored merino singles for more kids' socks! I had all these skeins drying in my kitchen, hanging off the baker's rack and various other places, but St
ephen kept trying to pull them down to play. After some thought, I remembered this great, display stand that I bought from a craft store that was going out of business. I intended to use it for the Fetching Fashions vendor booth, but it seems custom made for hanging up the skeins. So...here is a picture of the skeins shimmering in the sun on our back deck, safe from little hands until they are dry!
my family or volunteering for various clubs, or running the businesses. Instead, I played hookey for the first time in MONTHS! Stephen and Ken had a father/son day while mom ran off to play at one of Susan Withnell’s (Storybook Dreams Angoras) legendary Spin-Ins!
I met some great people, including a spinner named Lissa, who was seated next to me and kept the group in stitches with extremely funny stories! Alice, seated next to her, owns a fiber mill called the Drafting Zone, and it was interesting to hear her talk about the various ways they prepare fiber and what works and what doesn’t. I found out that she hosts a spinner’s group every third Sunday of the month, so maybe I will get to play hookey more often!
skyrocketed in the last few years. I know I LOVE mine, even though I kept eyeing the Ashford Joy being used next to me. One spinner brought her new Hitchhiker, which has received a lot of attention lately on the Spin List. The hitchhiker was designed to be used in the passenger seat of a car, and the aesthetic design of this wheel is very whimsical. She was kind enough to let us all try it out. I thought I would really like it, but was disappointed with the amount of energy required to keep it going. The single treadle is shaped like a foot, which is really cute, but I felt like I had to contort my body to push down on the pedal, and the action definitely was very choppy. Oh well – great concept, but I will stick to drop spindling in the car.
practically nothing. It had a very smooth action, and it was nice to get to see this wheel in person.
nies , great people, and fantastic food (Susan’s layered taco dip was a big hit!). I am really pleased that I was able to attend and s
pend a great afternoon with fellow fiberholics. The best part was that I actually got an entire project done from beginning to end – an absolutely delicious alpaca merino blend in various shades of dusty rose that I Navaho plied and wound off before the party was over. Here is the skein, after being washed and twist set, dried and ready to go!
Hi. My name is Daniela Anderson. After repeated nudging from my friends, I have entered the 21st century and decided it was time to create a blog. I plan on using this blog to talk about my various interests and businesses: breeding and showing Shelties (Adiron Shetland Sheepdogs) and Angora bunnies (OakGrove Angora Rabbitry), fiber and art related passions including Hand Spinning, Knitting, Temari, Kumihimo, Dyeing, Stained Glass, Mosaics, Quilting, Cake Decorating and whatever other project I have going at the moment, Organic Garde
ning, Tennis, and Book Collecting (thanks to Ebay, this passion is now much easier to indulge, much to my hubby's dismay!). 

My husband's main hobby (besides golf and skiing) is running a Ford Mustang in the SCCA Club Racing American Sedan class. We currently are in the middle of the MARRS season - Mid-Atlantic Road Racing Series. We belong to the Washington DC Area SCCA
I hold a B.A. in Fine Arts from Dickinson College, but always have been passionate about animals, so in the past I have been a professional riding instructor and coach, sport horse breeding farm manager, dog obedience instructor and dog show handler, and currently own a grooming shop called the Dapper Dog Grooming Salon. I have been a professional groomer for over 10 years and LOVE it! I have been fortunate enough to apprentice under top breeders and handlers over the years and work in top-ranked salons, and finally opened my own shop after the birth of my son almost three years ago. I love the fact that I can be a stay-at-home mother and run a business at the same time. My other business is called Fetching Fashions. I do custom appliqued silhouettes of show quality dog breeds on garments, travel luggage, etc. This started out as a lark about 9 years ago when I designed some nice garments for some of my sheltie friends to wear to a show - I now have seamstresses working for me helping me create and produce high-end, quality items that I have been pleased to see go out by the hundreds every year! I have taken a break from vendoring at shows this year to focus on some new lines, but I PROMISE not to leave my clients hanging in 2006! I plan on vendoring at a few Nationals in 2006 - I hope to post a schedule as I finalize plans for next year.
As you can see, we keep busy in the Anderson household. I will post as often as my schedule allows! Thanks for checking in!
Woof Woof!
-Daniela