October 21, 2025 · 5:42 pm

Oh What a Lovely Evening- The Opening of The Oracle of Stillness-Weaving Coherence in the Chaos

The opening on Oct 17, 2025 at Harcourt House Gallery in Edmonton of my solo mixed media show of Woven Women Tapestries: ‘The Oracle of Stillness- Weaving Coherence in the Chaos’ was wonderful.

I made a wobbly little video after the show was hung but before the lights were set, so some of the pieces don’t show up too well….

Here is the explanation of the show:

This little video by Noreen Crone-Findlay is a glimpse of her solo show of mixed media weaving: The Oracle of Stillness: Weaving Coherence in the Chaos. This series of Woven Women tapestries were created by Noreen Crone-Findlay over many years and include many mediums: fused glass, steel rod, steel and copper wire, beading, Teneriffe lace making, Tatted lace, lace and tapestry and narrow band weaving on looms specially constructed for the show by Crone-Findlay, thread, yarn, painting on wood, painting on watercolor paper, found objects, leather work, crochet, wire work, carved Tagua nut, and carved wood. The Oracle of Stillness speaks to the heart about navigating grief, sorrow around personal loss and chronic illness, as well as the shock of living in social and cultural upheaval. Noreen Crone-Findlay works with her dreams, meditations, prayers, poetry, and deep conversation to create Woven Women who embody presence, mystery, magic, The Great Beauty and the Feminine Divine. The Oracle of Stillness Woven Women are immersive, textural, layered and complex. Each one has taken hundreds of hours to complete and invite the gaze of the viewer to listen with their hearts to find the ‘ring of truth’ and point of Stillness int the quiet of the journey ‘Home’. Noreen hopes that you will find a moment of wonder or Beauty in the Oracle of Stillness Woven Women and to follow the complex threads that lead to the very center of our Being-ness. There is love in every stitch, every molecule of each of these mixed media weavings. May they bring healing…. with love. Please go to http://www.tottietalkscrafts.com for more information

Our dear friend, Andrea Gray took photos at the opening, and oi vey, when I was captioning the pics, I spelled her name wrong! For crying out loud! I had one job to do….. sigh… my apologies… its’ GRAY not Grey….

The gallery was packed to the rafters, so it wasn’t easy for her to get the photos and I am grateful to her! ❤

Anyhow here are the pics:

Just a note… they were taken at the end of the evening and I was exhausted, so I do look mighty droopy!

I will keep working on getting photos of the individual pieces up here and on fb and ig.

Hugs all round!

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February 23, 2025 · 12:44 pm

My Kindness Pin Loom Project

Kindness is important, isn’t it?

When we offer a tiny handmade gift that shows another person that we care about them and that they matter, it is a small act but an essential one.

It’s so lovely to brighten another person’s day by delighting them with a tiny handmade comfort gift.

Amazingly enough, that makes your day so much better, too! What a good way to help to create connection, community and hope.

That is why I have designed a whole bunch of charming little woven ‘Kindness Gifts’ and a small simple, eco friendly pin loom, the Kindness loom, that people can make for themselves using just a few household tools and upcycled materials.

The Kindness looms are perfect for weaving all manner of petite, simple and sweet Kindness gifts that are easy to make. They are a lovely a way to say: “I wish you well”.

The Kindness Pin Loom is all about weaving small tokens of caring, kindness, comfort, wishes for good luck, sweet peace and blessings! From the tiniest flying pigs, Lucky Penny pouches, Comfort Bears, Vasilisa Dolls, Angels, Goddesses to ‘Portrait’ Dolls in homage to family and friends, the Kindness Pin Loom can weave them all, because I am designing them with love and best wishes!

Making things that embody joy and whimsy in small things can add up to great goodness, can’t it? Yup. ❤

As I make the pdf’s for the Kindness projects that I have designed to weave on the Kindness Loom and load them up to my etsy shop, where they will be for sale for a modest fee, I’ll post the links to an all links page LINK And, as I make youtube videos on how to weave on the Kindness Loom as well as some freebie projects, I’ll post those links on the same page, too.

ALL THE LINKS FOR THE KINDNESS LOOM AND PROJECTS BY NOREEN CRONE-FINDLAY

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Filed under doll & dolls & dollmaking & doll making, eco crafts & green projects, free pattern, gifts & easy to make gifts & presents, KINDNESS LOOM AND PROJECTS, Loom & looms & small loom weaving, pin loom, Simple Little Things That Make Me Happy, tutorial & how to, weaving & handwoven, Weaving Kindness Project by Noreen Crone-Findlay, Woven Dolls and Toys

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February 23, 2025 · 12:39 pm

ALL THE LINKS FOR THE WEAVING KINDNESS LOOM AND PROJECTS BY NOREEN CRONE-FINDLAY

Here are all the links for the WEAVING KINDNESS PROJECT by Noreen Crone-Findlay

1– What is the Kindness Loom Project all about? LINK

2– LINK to my etsy shop for:

PDF FOR STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS SHOWING HOW TO MAKE A UNIQUE KINDNESS LOOM

This PDF of Step by Step Instructions shows how to make a Kindness Pin Loom. It’s the instructions for you to make the loom, not the finished loom. You’ll make your own unique one of a kind Kindness loom using these instructions purchased from my etsy shop.

3– Video tutorial: How to weave a square on the Kindness Loom by Noreen Crone-Findlay

LINK: https://youtu.be/2fzG2l-Hyzg

4- The video tutorial link for the how to’s for making the Lucky Penny Pouch is on

Weaving Kindness Project- How to weave a Lucky Penny Pouch

4- How to weave a Rectangle on the Kindness Loom: L I N K

The links to both the Square and Rectangle are on this blog post L I N K

5- How to Weave a Kindness Butterfly on the Kindness Loom: L I N K to free video tutorial

6- Tiny Flying Joy Pigs – L I N K to my etsy shop for the pattern

7- An update about pins for the Kindness Pin Loom L I N K

8- The woven Kindness Kittens- so adorable! L I N K

9- The Wise Little Mouse- L I N K

10- The Gentle Restful Rabbit- L I N K

11- Tiny Birds of Hope and Happiness and Comfort and More – L I N K

12- A New Version of the Kindness Loom L I N K

13- Kindred Spirit Comfort Dolls L I N K

14- Tiny Kindness Angel Dolls L I N K

15- Tiny Flat Comfort Bears: LINK

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March 18, 2026 · 8:32 pm

Day 25 of #100daysofspoolknittersandlittlelooms- My spool knitted heart was once on the cover of a Harlequin Romance novel

Day 25 of #100daysofspoolknittersandlittlelooms- My spool knitted heart was once on the cover of a Harlequin Romance novel

Years ago, I designed a heart that is woven with spool knitted cords made on large spool knitters.

The pattern is in my etsy shop:

https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/48409277/woven-spool-knitted-heart-designed-by

Way back in 2008, an editor at Harlequin spotted it online and got in touch with me and asked if I would be okay with having it on the cover of one of their books. AND…. would I be willing to have it be part of a contest that their readers could participate in to win the heart.

I knew that my Mom would LOVE this, so of course, I cheerfully said yes indeed!

They paid me nicely and were a treat to work with. As well as a check, they also sent me a box of copies of the book (a pleasant read) which I happily shared with family and friends.

My work has been in a lot of books- ones that I have written, as well as books that I have designed projects for, but this one is certainly one of the quirkier experiences of co-creating with a publisher.

Spool knitting for the win!

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March 17, 2026 · 1:00 pm

Day 24 of #100daysofspoolknittersandlittlelooms- Well Well Well Spool Knitted Dolls

Day 24 of #100daysofspoolknittersandlittlelooms- Well Well Well Spool Knitted Dolls

I designed the Well Well Well Spool Knitted Dolls as a wish that everyone, everywhere, would feel well, and that our precious planet would feel well, and that anyone who makes these dolls will feel well, and happy, and safe and hopeful and live in peace, and equanimity.

As I made them, I asked myself: What does JOY look like today? What does peace and safety look like today? What does this doll want me to know? How can this doll feel like hope or sweetness today?

I invite the doll makers to play with drawing their own unique, one of a kind faces for their Well Well Well dolls and have made a video tutorial to help them do this.

I hope that these joyful, playful, happy dolls will bring all good things to the people who make them, and if the Well Well Well dolls are meant as a gift that they will bring love, light, laughter and hope to those who receive them.

The pattern includes links to 3 video tutorials for how to make your own larger spool knitters as well as videos on how to spool knit in the round, and how to spool knit flat panels as well as spool knitting 2 peg/nail cords.

The pattern has complete step by step instructions for making the Well Well Well Spool Knitted Dolls with yarn and with fabric strips too.

The pattern is available in my etsy shop:

https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/4473549156/pdf-pattern-for-spool-knitted-well-well

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March 16, 2026 · 5:28 pm

Day 23 of #100daysofspoolknittersandlittlelooms- A video tutorial for making a tiny upcycled sketchbook and easy ways of drawing simple faces in it

Day 23 of #100daysofspoolknittersandlittlelooms- A video tutorial for making a tiny upcycled sketchbook and easy ways of drawing simple faces in it

I made a video tutorial that shows how to make an upcycled tiny sketch book and then how to draw simple faces in it as an ongoing daily practice.

That’s because I am going to be releasing a new pattern tomorrow for wonderful spool knitted dolls and I want people to be able to draw unique, one of a kind faces for their dolls.

I have found that using tiny upcycled sketchbooks to practice drawing faces is a lot like practising a musical instrument.

Daily drawing is the way to build creative stepping stones.

A little bit at a time, all the time.

Large gorgeous sketchbooks with expensive paper can be really hard to work with, but tiny ones that fit in a pocket and are humble paper make for carefree drawing.

And that’s what you want for these new dolls.

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March 15, 2026 · 1:27 pm

Day 22 of #100daysofspoolknittersandlittlelooms- But what do you do with all the spool knitted cords?

About 30 years ago, I bought a small loom online and the seller tossed in an old spool knitter. Ooh! it had a face on it! My childhood spool knitters were spools with nails and NO faces. That little face on a faded old spool knitter inspired me. I thought: I could make dolls with spool knitting!

Ever since, I have been designing spool knitters and spool knitting. Hmm: Why only 4 nails? Can spool knitters be bigger? How can I use spool knitters in unexpected ways to make fun and useful things?

As a child, I loved spool knitting, and competed with my siblings to wheedle more yarn from our mother and grandmothers so we could furiously keep spool knitting. We would eye each other’s spool knitting to see who had the biggest ball of spool knitting and the longest cord. It never occurred to us that the spool knitting could actually become something useful!

Last summer, I wondered if my nephew, Kieran, (who is training in woodworking with his Dad) might be into turning spool knitters on the lathe. I suggested to my master woodworker brother Jonathan (@distinctivewoodworking), that we co-create some spool knitters. And, so we are working together (even though we live almost 4000 Km apart) to make wonderful, one of a kind spool knitters. (and small looms- but those are still in the ‘R&D’ stages).

I’ve made 3 tutorials showing to make papier mache spool knitters as well.

AND most important! I have been working on fun designs for things for people to MAKE with the spool knitted cords, because after all, you can infuriate your sibs by having a bigger, better, longer spool knitted cord than they do, but really- there’s a lot more fun to be had than just one upmanship in the realm of sibling rivalry. 🙂

And now, I’ll get back to work editing photos and finishing projects and writing instructions…. more will be unfolding as my 100 day project moves along.

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March 14, 2026 · 1:05 pm

Day 21 of #100daysofspoolknittersandlittlelooms- How to make a spool knitter from upcycled cardboard and bamboo skewers

For Day 21 of #100daysofspoolknittersandlittlelooms- I made a video tutorial showing how to make a spool knitter from upcycled cardboard and bamboo skewers, finished with papier mache whimsy.

It’s a lovely and sturdy little spool knitter that is a delight to work with. For more information, please go to http://www.tottietalkscrafts.com

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March 13, 2026 · 8:00 pm

Day 20 of #100daysofspoolknittersandlittlelooms- What does joy look like even when things go splat?

Day 20 of #100daysofspoolknittersandlittlelooms- What does joy look like even when things go splat?

Oh crikey, today was one of those incredibly frustrating days when the gremlins seem to get into all the technical stuff and one thing after another goes splat.

GAH! I found myself crumbling and I stopped and thought- Time to change the channels… So?

What would joy look like right now?

I immediately grabbed one of the spool knitters that my brother Jonathan (@distinctivewoodworking) and his son, Kieran turned for me, and I drew the sweetest little face that I could summon, and a flower, and for good luck, a Lady Bug, too.

And, it made me feel so much better.

May a Lady Bug land on your shoulder and may sweetness rise up to cheer you up!

Big hugs all round!

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March 12, 2026 · 6:15 pm

Day 19 of #100daysofspoolknittersandlittlelooms- Video tutorial- Hints and tips for spool knitting with fabric strips on large spool knitters

For Day 19 of #100daysofspoolknittersandlittlelooms I made a video of hints and tips for spool knitting with fabric strips on large spool knitters.

There are so many creative possibilities and I will be showing more of them during my 100 day project.

Spool knitting with fabric strips is a fun spool knitting technique that is an excellent way to upcycle worn out clothing or scraps of fabric.

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March 11, 2026 · 2:35 pm

Day 18 of #100daysofspoolknittersandlittlelooms- Video tutorial- How to spool knit a flat panel on a 5 or 6 or 7 or more pegs spool knitter

For Day 18 of #100daysofspoolknittersandlittlelooms I made a video showing how to spool knit a flat panel cord on a 5 or 6 or 7 or more pegs spool knitter.

This is a VERY useful spool knitting technique!

Happy Spool Knitting! ❤

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March 10, 2026 · 7:32 pm

Day 17 of #100daysofspoolknittersandlittlelooms- Video tutorial- How to spool knit round cord on a 5 or 6 or 7 or more pegs spool knitter

For Day 17 of #100daysofspoolknittersandlittlelooms

I made a video showing how to spool knit round cord on a 5 or 6 or 7 or more pegs spool knitter.

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March 9, 2026 · 9:15 pm

Day 16 of #100daysofspoolknittersandlittlelooms- A video tutorial for making square 2 peg cord on almost any spool knitter

Day 16 of #100daysofspoolknittersandlittlelooms- A video tutorial for making square 2 peg cord on almost any spool knitter

For Day 16 of #100daysofspoolknittersandlittlelooms I made a video showing how to use any size of spool knitter (with any number of pegs) like a lucet to make square cord by using only 2 pegs of the spool knitter.

The pattern for the Tiny Spool Knitted Angel is available at https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/48409301/pdf-pattern-for-tiny-spool-knitted-angel

And here’s the video:

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Filed under angel dolls, Lucet, spool knitter & spoolknitter & spool knitting & spool knitting, the 100 day project, tutorial & how to, video tutorial

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