Real Keen Leashes

05/16/2024

We are here in Kentucky again!

04/16/2024

From April 6 Frontier Culture Museum Fiber Day, if I sell anything at all, I reinvest in other vendor's pretty yarns! Next door to me was Norsk Mountain Farm, with some very pretty yarns, here was the pistachio and black worked up with a Gina yarn of similar colorway. The awesome striping one was from last year's neighbor Companion Fiber, colorway Morgantown!
I'll have them and more at Scotchtown this Saturday!

04/06/2024

A fun day, great neighbors in fiber, where's the sun? Brrr....

03/28/2024

I'll be hanging out with leashes at Refunkit in town, come visit!

🐎 Saddle up for Secretariat Day on March 30 with the full schedule of events 👇

🤩 Entertainment:
🕚 11 AM: “Secretariat” movie at Ashland Theatre and welcome by Kate Chenery Tweedy and Jocelyn Russell.
🎶 11 AM - 3 PM: Live music by Chad’s Fault, Matt Treacy, The Self-Righteous Brothers, and Bubba Johnson with Mt. Zion Baptist Choir at R-MC parking.
🎉 2 PM: Dedication Ceremony at the Secretariat Reynolds Family Plaza
🗣️ 3:15 PM: Talkback on “The Secretariat Monument’s Journey to Ashland” at Ashland Theatre.
📺 Live stream: Virginia Equine Alliance on Virginia Horse Racing YouTube.

🛍️ Vendors:
🗺️ Downtown Ashland Association: Selling 2024 Ashland Train Day swag featuring Secretariat
🍦Farmview Creamery: Serving “Big Red” Floats!
🌮 Los Regios Tienda Latina: Center of the Universe Tacos
🥞 Monique's Crepes
📚 Secretariat's Meadow merchandise
🎨 Kiddie Corral Activities: Jockey Silks Photo Station & Coloring Station
⏳ Ashland Museum: Time Capsule Station
🖼️ Montpelier Center for Arts & Education
📖 Patricia McQueen: Sharing Secretariat Legacy Books
🎨 Judith McKinney: Secretariat Artist
🏇 Randolph-Macon College Equestrian
🎵 Center Street Sound Company
🐴 Champion Saddlery
🏇 Virginia Equine Alliance
🐎 Virginia Horse Council

12/14/2023

Yarns...some are workhorses, some are artistic whimsy and hand-crafted with love. I've enjoyed working with the yarns from Peace Hill Farm in Charles City, Virginia (a rural county between Richmond and Williamsburg), if I note them on my tags, you'll know I had fun! This one is in the Merle leash I offered recently, and I'm doing a couple of remakes. Love that name, "Dinah's Kittens"
https://www.etsy.com/shop/HistoricPeaceHill?ref=shop-header-name&listing_id=1434876707&from_page=listing

12/09/2023

Bombarding you with leashes! There is time to mail them before Christmas!

12/09/2023

To be fair, it was a bit of a visual mess...

12/09/2023

Spending a lovely day on the avenue, Christmas on MacArthur, Richmond's Bellevue neighborhood! I'll be posting my leashes this afternoon for anyone who might like one mailed Monday in time for Santa!

12/01/2023

Great story!

Kelbourne Woolens has a new retail store in Mt. Airy, where they offer Germantown yarn and other textiles to local knitters and makers.

12/01/2023

Come see us in Ashland! Our hometown holiday market, and at the one fabulous shop that has always shown our Real Keen Leashes !

Not one, but two pop ups on Saturday! Ashland makers, Cece Cox Wolfe and Debbie Crowder of Real Keen Leashes will be set up outside. 🎄

Come see us and the handmade goodness we have every day at Refunkit from 90+ local makers. Open 10-5.

10/11/2023

Yes, I make slip leads! This one I might have to keep (pretty short!) I used Brown Sheep's Nature Spun chunky (two ply wool) with a roving type wool in slow variegated colors and it shrunk up (felted/fulled) tremendously. Good for a big dog or one that needs to be close. It's solid! It helps to know how your yarn is going to perform! I have lots of this purple!❤️

10/09/2023

https://www.facebook.com/100083092252338/posts/302232495889823/
The comments...if you talk color with me, we could talk forever!

10/09/2023

Wheeee!

And we are off......... Wool Month activities and events start NOW.
Thank you to all who are supporting us 🐏 🐏

During October we will be highlighting the natural benefits of using wool.Wool has so many properties that make it a truly wonderful fibre

"Girls sheep racing on a farm, in Cornwall, England, 1969"
The Greatest Leap: a great read, and available in print from Hatcher History.

📸 Credit: John Drysdale Photo finish in the sheep-stakes as two Cornish girls race to the line on their woolly 'steeds' . The sheep were bottle fed by them as lambs and cared for by the girls.John Drysdale grew up in East Africa acquiring an early interest in both photography and animals. He trained at Guildford School of Art and has worked in photo-reportage, advertising and won numerous awards. But perhaps his most memorable work has been in the field of humour, working with children and animals in real life situations.

09/23/2023

I never met Laura Tomaszewski, but I knew she was one of those people you just love. She passed away yesterday unexpectedly, and those who were close to her must be stunned and struggling with grief for their loss. Laura and I shared a few fun messages this past week, I know her to be kind and joyful, and was living her life to it's fullest. Look at this gal! (I borrowed someone's photo) Is she not just stepping up to that post and sending that beautiful dog off to bring her those woolies? Beautiful! I love it! When we meet in heaven Laura, I'm giving you a big fat hug! Rest easy, friend.
Live every day you're given, folks. Share your joy!

09/21/2023

https://www.woola.io/wild-side
Fascinating! I imagine you could compost these mailers. Think about it! Trying to see how much they'd be, I think they'll be way out of my league, but I did ask for samples.

The Woola WIld Edition is for the crazy ones, who want their packages to have an extra dose of "wow".

08/30/2023

Summer leashes!

08/12/2023

Nice to have a slip lead on hand when traveling!

07/24/2023

Meet woolgrower Barbie, surrounded by cute sheep and wearing wool garments 💖🐑

Courtesy of The Woolmark Company, Barbie is ready for her new career as a passionate woolgrower. Her mission? To celebrate the magic of slow fashion and highlight wool's eco-credentials from the farm to your wardrobe, offering a new channel to provide wool education 👏👏

🖼 AI generated

06/06/2023

I'm not doing this! (...but yes, I am a dog groomer🤣)

06/02/2023

Have a great first weekend in June!

05/25/2023

The heartbreak of Superwash! I was so excited about these colors and apparently too tired from sheep handling to read the tags! Looking for a new home, or sending back to it's "breeder" 😂!

05/22/2023

I got a skein of this one from our friend Creative Twist! Funds earned from the Bag Sale at the Bluegrass, I'll let you know how it turns out!

KSFF this weekend and a SUMMER KAL coming! - https://mailchi.mp/77906f6ba944/lys-day-is-saturday-april-29th-9573761

05/22/2023

Family....❤️😘

You might be a REAL Farmhouse if you...
▪️ hang your herbs to dry
▪️ bring frozen hoses into the house to thaw
▪️ nurture rejected lambs in your mudroom sink
▪️ have a need to vacuum your mudroom everyday bc... manure happens...
BTW, the VERY CUTE watermelon, wool dog leash was made by my fabulous aunt who owns Real Keen Leashes.

05/18/2023

Tomorrow's the day the bag will be headed your way if you're here in Lexington (The Bluegrass Classic ). Time to empty the stash! Bluegrass price, $20.

05/01/2023

Weekend leash making...before and after!

04/25/2023

Monday leashes washed on Tuesday! I'll be headed to Kentucky three weeks from today, if you'll be there and want something in particular, I have time to get it done, let me know!