Hello again! After putting the Cariboo Handwoven blog on hold for a few months, I decided to post individual towels from my latest batch should anyone want to order specific ones for shipping or local delivery-at-a-distance in lieu of a studio visit. These are my usual cotton hand towels which work well, last long and look great in the process.  Prices are $36 each, three for $105 or four for $140.  Let me know if you're interested in any and I'll update the blog as required. Stay well everyone, and I hope you are coping as best as possible in these challenging times. 1 ..read more

This will be my last blog of 345 in almost eight years of blogging.  Blogs have helped keep me connected with readers, organized with my projects and other work, and clear in how I want to present myself to the world. However, it's time for a change.  I have a new and improved website with a Gallery for posting my latest blankets and other items, and I'll be setting up a "Where to Find" tab at the top for posting my upcoming whereabouts at markets and craft fairs.  This should be easier and more organized for anyone trying to find what's available or where I'll be. I was really honoured to b ..read more

At this busy time of year, we in the northern hemisphere have been eagerly awaiting the winter solstice today while running around getting ready for Christmas.  For artisans who sell their work, this time of year has the added bonus of craft fairs and restocking their gallery outlets. This makes it all very engaging and fun! And for those artisans, the last two or so months of the year constitute a good portion of annual sales.  It's true for me and I know for many others.  Once Christmas arrives, we are pretty well sold out in our studios and at our outlets. My main aim is to make more, not ..read more

Fort St. James is almost in the middle of British Columbia, since it's about 70 km north of famous Vanderhoof, the geographic centre of BC. Vanderhoof is an hour's drive west of Prince George, and PG is 250 km north of me. It's a beautiful trip. I went up last Friday for their craft sale on the weekend. I was fortunate to stay with a very good friend who is not only a superb cook but an excellent companion and helper in my booth. I do love Fort St. James for its indigenous heritage, interesting history with the Hudson's Bay Company, the beautiful site on Stuart Lake, and the great people. I ..read more

After my second season at the Williams Lake Farmers' Market, I'm looking to fall projects and craft fairs. But first, I want to send huge thanks and and an attagirl each to market manager Jane Bowser, and market promoter extraordinaire, Barb Scharf. Without those two, our market would not be the success it is today. I had a lot of fun setting up each of the six times I had a booth. Blanket scarves  Towels Cotton blankets on top, bath towels below Cariboo Handwoven booth at the Williams Lake Farmers' Market And I enjoyed seeing friends and visitors, lots of hugs and getting to know my vendor n ..read more

I've been working with local fleece for quite awhile now and am always on the hunt for something new and interesting. A new relationship and friendship often develops as the producer and I get to know each other over the years. The Cariboo hosts a variety of sheep breeds that produce some very high-quality wool for spinning, such as Icelandic, Shetland, Romney and Texel. And lately I've been finding new producers, including one in the Chilcotin, to the west across the Fraser River. I've said for years that I'd rather spin with roving that's ready to go rather than mess around with dirty fleec ..read more

My idea for these blankets was brewing for awhile, so I was happy to receive my order of cotton yarns and dive in. The lengthwise stripes are threaded in diamonds of advancing twill, which creates shadowy and sometimes rather mysterious effects that I really like. These blankets are 100% cotton, hemmed, machine washable and dryable, and lovely to use in the summer. C343 | 100% cotton | 183 cm x 135 cm (72" x 53") | $170 C344 | 100% cotton | 188 cm x 133 cm (74" x 52") | $170 C345 | 100% cotton | 183 cm x 133 cm (72" x 52") | $170 C346 | 100% cotton | 176 cm x 135 cm (69" x 53") | $170 C347 ..read more

At the recent (and wonderful) conference of the Association of Northwest Weavers' Guilds in Prince George, I spied an interesting corner of the vendor market piled high with beautiful handwoven baskets from Ghana. Big Blue Moma display at "Confluences" in Prince George, BC At the vendor market at any conference, you have to think about your possible purchases and kind of plan it out. So I did and I had a plan - to buy one basket that I really liked. But when I went back on the Saturday morning and talked to owner Karie it turned out she asked me a wild question: "Would you like to be a suppli ..read more

A big fan of Cariboo Handwoven bought a wool blanket in January for her son and daughter-in-law for their wedding in late April. She and I met for lunch and had a lovely time, and I delivered the blanket then at the restaurant table. I remembered the date coming and wished her well before. A few weeks later, I learned that everything went off without a hitch and it was a lovely wedding and wonderful family celebration. I couldn't help but wonder how the blanket was received - well, this couldn't be nicer to hear: I wanted to let you know that the blanket was a huge hit - apparently the one ..read more

I usually weave wool blankets through the year and I finished my latest batch in March. Now they're all fringed and ready to go; one has even sold already. This batch has a very simple pattern of a wide centre stripe in charcoal flanked in light grey, with wide white edges. Cariboo Handwoven wool blankets are really my classics. They are beautiful in the home, cozy and warm for reading or watching a movie, and they last for years and years - decades, I would say. At this time of year, people looking for grad and retirement gifts might find one here that could suit their needs. Here they ar ..read more