What's with this Wool?

 

Have you ever wondered why sheep don’t shrink when they get wet?  They are ‘wearing’ wool, after all.  And, when we wash the wool we wear, it shrinks, right? 

 

Technically, wool does not actually shrink, it felts. Wool fibers have a cuticle layer and scales much like human hair, although the scales on human hair are much flatter (remember all those hair conditioner commercials?). When wool is washed, under certain conditions, the raised scales of that cuticle layer catch on to each other, which begins the felting process. 

The fibers in the fleece on a sheep are all growing out of the follicles in the same direction, and at a similar rate.  This means that the cuticle scales are all pointed in the same direction (much like the teeth on a saw blade), and they don’t catch, or lock, on to each other, even if wet.



Roving

When fleece is shorn, the processing stages cause the fibers’ natural alignment to get messed up.  As it is cleaned (called scouring) the individual fibers in the fleece no longer line up ‘tip to base’ as they do on the sheep.  They get all jumbled up in various dimensions and directions.  ‘Carding’ realigns the fibers into a parallel arrangement for spinning (roving into yarn/thread) but the fibers are not necessarily ‘tip to base’, so the scales will still catch onto each other.



Drop spinning

 

When the fibers are spun they come in close contact with each other, and that interlocking nature of the scales helps keep the yarn together.  Felting usually occurs in the presence of heat, water, and agitation which acts as a ratchet to tighten that contact between the fibers in the yarn, and then the yarns in the fabrics.  When the wool fabric gets wet and then dries, the fibers that point in various directions latch on to each other and lock closer together, meaning all the strands of wool pull together tighter than before, and your wool sweater shrinks up! With enough heat, water and agitation the fibers will interlock tight enough to form a solid mat.

 

The other factor that helps sheep keep their fleece from shrinking is lanolin, an oily-waxy substance they produce naturally. (Lanolin is used in many products designed to beautify, protect and treat human skin.) The lanolin keeps the scaly wool fibers slick and helps prevent them from locking together, and it is removed from the fleece during the cleaning/scouring process.  Shrink-proofing is a chemical treatment that uses chlorine to ‘burn’ off the scales.  It doesn’t entirely remove them, but it does lessen their profile.  The fibers are then coated with a resin to smooth them further.  This allows the wool to be machine washed without shrinking, or felting.


Before and after felting



We use wool yarns (new) that are NOT shrink-proofed to make Snooter-doots.  We want the yarns we use to felt as much as possible to create a solid shell in the shape of the critter we are looking for.  Different brands, styles, and colors of wool yarn felt differently.  We’ll take a look at that next time. We think wool is quite magical, and since it's a sustainable, renewable resource, it's the perfect material to make Snooter-doots with.

 

Lennie & Bruce inspect our yarn stash.

Meet the Snooter-doots!

Rumors of their existence started circulating about 25 years ago, but they were never seen. Until now. Let's meet some Snooter-doots!


Pete and Repete,Two-Peas-in-a-Pod:

As the older twin, Pete usually did things first. Repete often copied him, which irritated Pete greatly. After a long talk with the Ol’ Bix, Pete realized that Repete was just eager to be as cool as Pete was. So, Pete changed his attitude and accepted the compliment. They are now as close as, well, two-peas-in-a-pod.

Beemer, the Bumblebee:
Beemer thought of himself as the ‘Big Bee on the Block’. As a worker-bee his specialized job was to track down the best fields of blooming flowers, which he thought to be the MOST important position in the hive. Queen Bee became a bit concerned about his attitude so she asked the Ol’ Bix to have a chat with him. When she did, Beemer realized that EVERY job is important and the hive survives because they all work together like a well-tuned German sports car.

Starla, the Starfish:
Everyone in Starla’s tidepool thought she was a little ditsy because she was always staring at the moon. They teased her for being a day-dreamer and thought her to be lazy. That began to hurt Starla’s feelings. When she asked the Ol’ Bix what to do, the Ol’ Bix advised her to remember that the most successful Snooter-Doots (and HumanFolk too) know that you should aim for the moon ‘cause even if you miss, you will land among the stars. Starla liked that!

Ralph, the Hand Puppet:
Dave loved to talk. Talk, talk, talk. Snooterville Junction folks thought it to be more like “blah, blah, blah’, as he didn’t seem to care what he said, as long as he got to talk. The Ol’ Bix took him aside one day and, when she could get a word in edgewise, she cautioned him to think more carefully about what he said before he opened his mouth. Luckily for all of us, he took her advise.


We're all looking for good homes; you can adopt us at www.snooter-doots.com !

"Mama Snooter, where do Snooter-doots come from?"

Well, Virginia, that’s a pretty long story. Let’s start here:

I knit each Snooter-doot to-shape first. It is a mostly a series of increases and decreases in just the knit (garter) and purl stitches. I use 100% wool, or wool/alpaca/llama, yarn. I buy it new rather than using upcycled sweaters because after all that knitting I need to be sure it will actually felt well. (We’ll discuss wool & felting later.)

Before & after felting

I’ve got a pretty good understanding of my basic proportions now, and have standardized most of my patterns, so I can usually ‘guess-timate’ what it may take to produce a new critter if it is based on an existing shape. There’s a wide range of shrinkage to account for when you are felting wool. If it’s an entirely new Snooter-doot shape, it usually takes at least three or four prototypes to get it just right. (I’ll tell you all about inspiration another time.)

I run what I call ‘blanks’ on my knitting machine. That produces a straight ‘tube’ that I then finish by hand with all the shaping it takes to create each different softie. Some of our Snooter-doot friends must be knit entirely by hand, like Carl Carrot, Morrie Monster, and our newest BFFs, the Hearts. (I can show you some knitting basics later, if you are interested.)

Once all the knitting is done, wings and fins and greens attached, everybody takes a hot, bumpy ride in the washing machine. Sometimes it takes several ‘rides’ to get the felting done just right. When it is, they all sit out to dry on their special drying rack in the basement.

Now comes the fun part! When they are all completely dry, I stuff ‘em! I use polyester fiberfill, and pack it quite tightly so they will hold their shapes well, but they are still called ‘softies’ even though they are so firm. Then, I attach their whimsical, wonky eyes – that’s what makes a Snooter-doot a Snooter-doot, you know! I do that by ‘needle-felting’ (I’ll show you how that works later).



Needle-felting the eyes



Once their eyes are securely in place, I determine what their name will be. Sometimes they tell me; sometimes I have ideas of my own to suggest. That day becomes their official birthday, and my softies are then ready for adoption into their forever families.

 

That, Virginia, is where Snooter-doots come from.

Gardenin' with Gertie - Fall Cleaning

Goo’day all, Gertie Geoduck here! I’ve got another gardenin’ thought to share with you  - fall cleaning is for gardens, while spring cleaning is for our homes.


We’ve had our first serious frost here in Snooterville Junction. That signals deciduous trees and shrubs to ‘head south for the winter’, well, to their roots any way. As these plants shift sugars and energy down into their root systems to overwinter, their leaves turn color and fall off. I look forward to seeing Mother Nature’s brilliance every year.

This also sends a signal to us gardenin’ geeks – time for ‘fall cleaning’. If there are any plants that you have recurring pest (disease or insect) issues with, you can reduce that issue by cleaning up any/all leaf and twig debris from under and around that plant. Pick it up now, and dispose of it.

Here in S-J we have garden waste collection, and, most of our garden ‘goodies’ go to a composting company where their process ‘cooks’ the compost to the point that most pathogens and weed seeds are deactivated. Although I have my own compost bin, I try to put only ‘clean’ clippings and material in it, as I can’t guarantee that there is enough consistent heat within the pile to really ‘cook’ things. Either way, we can then use that nutritious compost to fortify our planting beds next spring – what a Snooter-abulous way to recycle and reuse!

Miss Mary Jane-cat agrees that fall cleaning in the garden gets us a great head-start to a Snooter-ific spring (and she is more than happy to supervise)!


Happy Snooter-gardenin’!

BRUCE'S BOOKS Club ~ Vol II

NOT-SO-BIG KIDS DEPARTMENT


submitted by: Mary Mc

If I Could Keep You Little…..
Written and Illustrated by Marianne Richmond

We love this book by author Marianne Richmond but quite honestly we love all of her books! ‘If I Could Keep You Little’ celebrates the wonderment of a child growing up and how exciting it is for parents to watch the exciting changes a child makes coming into their own.

My five year old little guy, Jack, enjoys drawing parallels to things he can now do that he couldn’t do even a couple of months ago while reading this book! It’s a fun read and a great way to help the child communicate things that are successes to them.

With the weather cooling down and school back in session, why not add this book to your list of winter reads? Marianne’s books inspire both child and parent which is something we could all use a bit more of in our lives!

submitted by: Mama Snooter

Jake O’Shawnasey, Wheedle on the Needle, and all the whole Serendipity Press series
Written by Stephen Cosgrove, Illustrated by Robin James

I have endeavored to collect, and save, this entire collection for the day when there are Grand-Snooters running around Snooterville Junction. There must be nearly 40 stories at this point, but my favorite of them all is ‘Jake O’Shawnasy’ – the story of a ‘strange looking green Irish seagull’ who didn’t believe he could fly. Once he learns ‘The Secret of the Cliffs of County Cort’, Jake takes off to change his life and learn some important life lessons.

Each of the stories in this series comes with a moral or lesson that is as valuable today as they were in the 1970’s when I started reading them to my daughter. The illustrations are bright and vibrant, and as paper-bound editions, they are reasonably priced, and a quick, fun read. I saw a news story recently that these books are being re-released for a whole new generation to enjoy.

Other titles include: ‘Flutterby’, ‘The Gnome from Nome’, ‘Leo the Lop’, and so many more. Some days I pull one off the shelf and read it to myself, just for the whimsy and the uplifting, encouraging message. We can all use some whimsy and encouragement in our lives these days!

TRAVELING WITH YOUR SNOOTER-DOOTS, cont'd

Snooter-doots like to travel, don’t you? Snooterville Junction is a pretty small village, and we love it here, but there’s so much more to see and do out there!

We really hope that the same phenomenon as happens to garden gnomes (stolen, and photographed in various locales around the world - minus the ‘stolen’ part, of course) starts happening with Snooter-doots.

We know of one SnooterFolk family who took their Snooter-doot BFFs to Paris! They shared some pics with us on our Facebook page; that’s a great start! And, of course, Lennie and Bruce travel with Mama Snooter to every show she takes us handcrafted art-dolls to.

You may be wondering, just HOW do I travel with my Snooter-doot BFF? Here are some thoughts:

Since they are handmade from felted wool, Snooter-doots are quite packable, so any suitcase will do. But having their own backpack, like Lennie and Bruce do, is even better. That way they can be close to their HumanFolk, and easily accessible for that one ‘great’ photo opp.

Snooter-doots are satisfied with most any mode of transportation, just as long as they get there! But, if you choose to let them drive, be sure that they stay in their seat and use their seatbelts.

 

You may be tempted to let them take some photos. They’ve got a good eye and lots of whimsy, but with no hands, their attempts may become quite frustrating, so it may be best to just let them do the posing while YOU snap the shots.

When you’re on the road again, remember to bring your Snooter-doot.


And, please share some of your photos with us!


Happy Snooterin’!

Traveling with your Snooter-doot

Snooter-doots like to travel. Lennie and Bruce have made it their goal to see as many, or more, sites than the Travelocity ‘Traveling Gnome’.

They’re off to a good start. The boys went to the Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival in California last year with Patty Pumpkin and the rest of the gang, and are looking forward to their trip again this October.

And, they’ve been all over Washington State, via the various festivals and art-fairs we’ve participated in. They’ve met lots of friendly SnooterFolk along the way

– often getting a photo with them.

Why should we travel with our Snooter-doot? Consider these thoughts:

• Since they have no mouths, they won’t be asking “Are we there yet?” incessantly.

• They don’t get carsick, so they won’t throw-up all over the back seat. Keep them inside the car windows, though; they don’t make good hood ornaments.

• Since Snooter-doots have no hands, they won’t lose their mittens.

• Snooter-doots are knit from the finest wool yarn and, when wet, will still keep you warm. Although, we do admit, they’ll smell a bit like a wet dog.

• They can act as neck pillows on long airline flights – saving you the outrageous costs of purchasing one of the airline pillows.

• Handcrafted and felted, Snooter-doots are very sturdy, so they won’t break if packed tightly in a suitcase.

• They can be a great conversation piece while being frisked by the TSA.

• Snooter-doots are warm and fuzzy, and a great companion for cranky young’uns to cuddle with.

• Since they are pretty much all eyes, they love to see all the sites. And they provide just the right perspective when placed near serious or overwhelmingly large vistas for those commemorative photos.

• For you single’s out there, they offer a refreshing ‘pick-up line’ - “Hey, wanna come back to my place to meet my Snooter-doot?” After all, as felted art-dolls, they’ll class up the joint.

• And, Snooter-doots just make you smile. Don’t we all need that these days?

So, when you’re on the road again, remember to bring your Snooter-doot.

Keep on truckin' (and send us some of YOUR photos)!

Travis & Jig's Worldly Adventures

We'd like you to meet our Guest Blogger, young Master Travis. He has agreed to share his virtual travels around the world with all of us here in lil' ol' Snooterville Junction.

Hi-ya! My name is Travis, and this is Jig, my awesome dragon-tadpole Snooter-Doot! Thanks to the Snooter-Doot website, I can tell all of you about our expedition around the world!

I recently went down to Alki Beach, in West Seattle, to watch the pirates land, and I found a special Snooter-Doot, named Cap’n J. Fishee, the pirate’s companion. Apparently his right eye was ripped off by a black and white dog named Lucy, so he wears an eye patch in its place.

I also went to the Street Fair that was exclusive to Saturday and Sunday and, guess what? I found a Snooter-Doot booth with Mama Snooter running it! That’s when I learned that Jig wasn’t the only dragon-tadpole Snooter-Doot! At the end of the day we got our passports!

So we’ll see you next time in Asia’s Japan!

The Creative Process

Lennie and Bruce Beet were discussing the creative process recently, over a warm cup'a Joe. Snooter-doots are the perfect example of originality and inspiration. Mama Snooter wanted to make a fun, durable toy for her grand-dog, and, as she was already knitting and felting warm hats and caps, she pulled out some left over yarn and started to knit, free-form.

The results were the origin of what is now the phenomenon called Snooter-doots, whimsical and unique, handcrafted, art-dolls of felted wool. They have morphed a bit from that original creation (which, by the way, the grand-dog loved!) into soft-sculpture critters with tons of personality. Snooter-doots are now spreading joy and whimsy throughout the nation when 'adopted' by their new forever-families. They are even named with birthdays, all ready to go!

Lennie and Bruce find it interesting to consider where creative inspiration comes from. True artists find their muse in many places. Snooter-doots are inspired by nature. Mama Snooter draws from her horticultural background, love of the outdoors and food, through a system of 'what if's'. She designs and develops her own ideas into loveable characters that have become quite collectible. Strict adherence to the artist's creed, 'thou shall not copy', results in unique and original pieces that bring long-lasting joy and pride to their owners.

Patrons can best support true and original artistic concepts by talking to the artist about where their inspiration comes from and how they make their product. We have been contacted by several SnooterFolk who saw product recently they thought looked like Snooter-doots, but wasn't. Look-alikes are not original artistic concepts, and do nothing to enhance a person's collection. Accept only the best, the real McCoy, from a true artist.

Snooter-doots are handcrafted in Seattle, WA. They are available online at http://www.snooter-doots.com/ and at many fine gift shops thoughout the Pacific Northwest. You can also 'adopt' them directly at local arts/crafts fairs and festivals. Follow our adventures on Facebook, Lennie and Bruce would love to meet you!

Happy Snooterin'!