February 2010 Update

Please pardon our laxness in posting lately. I'd say we've been busy but this is honestly our quiet season and we've enjoyed our first winter in the new house along with blazing fires in the wood stove.  Spring will arrive soon and we'll going in circles trying to keep up with the schedule of herb and plant festivals, caring for the greenhouse (which will start next week), and attending the farmers market at Cherry Street.

Until then, let me share what's happening this winter on the farm.  Soap - yep, it's soaping time.  Handmade soap takes at least four weeks to cure and I've been in the studio mixing up our first batches of Lavender Patchouli Soap (as well as our usual line-up of fine hand crafted soaps).  I'm very excited about this blend.  For years I've thought I'd never make anything with patchouli because it wreaks havoc with my asthma.  What I've discovered though is that while incense and dried patchouli cause problems for me, the essential oil doesn't (I only use essential oils never synthetics).  The sweet scent of patchouli is a perfect match for the richness of lavender.  The first bars will be available in about two weeks.

The studio has been a busy place this winter. On the outside we've finishing priming it for new paint and are waiting for a few warm sunny days to finish putting on the final color.

On the inside of the studio not only have I been mixing soap but dyeing plenty of yarn.  Silk, alpaca, merino... all lace weight or ultra-fine weight.  The shop yarn is located on my knitting blog  (it's easier to update than the official website) where you can purchase using Paypal.  Shipping, as always, is USPS Priority Mail so knitters have their yarn in 2-3 days.

Here's a look at what's currently available in
The CCL Yarn Shop

Lost City Silk in Silver Bells and Pink Champagne.  

(lace weight) 1000yds/90grams & 500yds/45grams - 

coming next week Wild Violet (1000yds/90grams) 

This is the same yarn shown in the Wild Violet Echo Flower Shawl.

Pink Champagne was used in Mom's Echo Flower Shawl.

North Pasture Alpaca in Turmeric, Saffron Threads, and Paprika (Paprika is sold out) 

(all ultra-fine weight) 950yds/90grams

Oak Barn Merino in Fleeting Moments Dawn and Fleeting Moments Dusk 

(1000yds/90grams)

Inspired by those fleeting moments of color at dawn and dusk as the sun sits below the horizon casting the spectrum across the Oklahoma sky, these laceweight merino skeins are subtly shaded and soft to the touch.

Chris has been chopping wood, cleaning pastures, and baking cupcakes this winter.  Of course, he's also our face on Facebook you can keep up with Clear Creek Lavender there as well.  I'm a single-social-community-website-type-gal so you won't find me on Facebook but I am on Ravelry as Lostcitydenise.

.........................

Two chances to win!

Pssst....

Two contests are underway.

One on Clear Creek Lavender's Facebook page and the other on the Lost City Knits blog.

Get creative and have some fun!

Introducing - a new line of yarn!

I'm pleased (and a bit nervous) to offer our new line of hand dyed yarns.

The holiday selection features 100% silk in two colorways, Pink Champagne and Silver Bells, and two skein sizes approx 1000yds/90grams and approx 500yds/45grams.

Perfect soft shading designed to show off intricate stitches.

Limited availability.

Click Clear Creek Lavender to purchase.

Next month's fiber selection will feature alpaca - because everyone deserves to start the year with a little halo.

cross posted on Lost City Knits

Coming Soon -

My first offerings of the hand-dyed yarn have been successful at the last two events

and more hand-dyed lace weight will be ready soon.

Within the next few weeks the first online purchasing will be available here.

But for now... teasers.

Each skein unique, but all are rinsed in a gentle bath of lavender.

Silk, merino, alpaca...

  Now don't you want to knit something?

Back in Tulsa!

After a wonderful week of vacation fun in New York, we're back on the farm.  For a bit anyway. There are a few photos of our trip on my knitting blog if you want to see what we look like when we're stoked up on Magnolia Bakery cupcakes.

Tomorrow begins the Garden Deva Open House in Tulsa.  The studio is easy to find on Trenton between 3rd & 4th and I highly recommend everyone coming out to spend an hour (or two or three) perusing the art, crafts, and delicious food available.  This is the last event for us in Tulsa so be sure to pick up those lavender holiday gifts!  We'll have Handmade Naked Lavender Soap, Soap in Sachets, Shea Butter, and several options of gift combos.

The music at the Garden Deva is always outstanding.  Especially fun is the final hour of the event on Saturday when the djembe drummers from the Tulsa area show up in great numbers and really get the crowd's mojo working.

Don't miss it!

Edited to add:
Sadly the djembe drummers did not make it the Deva this year - but there were fire dancers!!

War Eagle Weekend

We're home again after the four day weekend that is War Eagle Crafts Fair.  It always takes a few days to recover after a long stint of festival fun and talking lavender non-stop.

War Eagle 2009 was a bit slower than years past due (I believe) the big Arkansas football game at Florida. (It was a heartbreaking loss for the Razorbacks.) The mornings were cold but without fail there were shoppers lined up at the front gate waiting for entry and the shopping frenzy to begin.  While we sell at other events that are as big as War Eagle, there are unique traditions at this long time festival.

For instance, the costumes.  Not the vendors (thank goodness!) but the shoppers show up in funky and fun Halloween hats, shirts, and vests.  My guess is the tradition began with groups of women who wanted to be able to locate each other in the crowds.  Obviously this was before you could stand at one end of Tent 2 and call your shopping partner , who had gone on to Tent 4, on her cell phone to come back and taste the salsa or give her opinion on the jewelry that you think is destined to return home with you.

This year we went armed with a camera to catch some of the War Eagle fun and preserve it for all eternity.  (Or until we're bribed to take down photos that are evidence of non-sanctioned shopping sprees.)

As you can see War Eagle is not just about shopping.

It's about fun, family, and friendship.  The revelry crosses all generations.

I love when women show their witchy side!

Celebrating forty years of friendship!

It's been decades since Carol and I rode around on our bikes singing Moonshadow.

What say we meet on Aspen Drive and do it one more time?

Eastbound and down...

We're loaded up and truckin'....

Well, enough of Jerry Reed's classic song.  It's War Eagle Weekend in Northwest Arkansas and Chris and I have loaded the van with a bevy of lavender products to sell.

If you're heading to the many craft fairs planned for this weekend in the War Eagle area be sure to stop by and say hello.  We'll be found in Tent Two, Side One, Booth Six.

Personally I'll be stocking up on Jalapeno Jelly from WHH Ranch, candles from RC, and woven towels.  Maybe a new broom from the Grassy Creek men.  There's also a yarn barn that I've been coveting from the potter Kevin Byrnes. Who knows!