Studio of Straw

Tucked away near the South East corner of British Columbia, in a community called Crawford Bay, is a enchanting craft "village" overflowing with creativity. Little artisan shops line the road on both sides for a distance and provide an interesting day of browsing. A tourist with a pocketful of cash, or unafraid to put his/her credit card into action, can come away with some truly unique items. No mass produced trinkets stamped with "Canada" here! These one of a kind items are real works of art and you can watch the talented craftsmen/women at work making them.

I really liked these. They are towel/quilt stands, but also looked lovely with colorful weavings displayed on them. And I couldn't resist placing a custom order with Fireworks Copper and Glass for these buttons.



They'll be for that new "One Stitch" sweater I am knitting for myself.

My personal favorite is Barefoot Weaving, a studio/shop with colorful woven items displayed everywhere, two large looms inside and at least a couple more outside. The whole place is eye candy to me. Mmmmmm, wouldn't I love to have their stash of fiber to play with?



The weaver's husband, Ted Wallace, is an artist and his paintings are on display along the tops of all the walls.







The building itself is quite unique as well. It is constructed using haybales to form the basic structure and provide insulation. This photo shows a little window near their till. Through the glass you can see into the interior of the hay filled wall.



The sign dares you to try to "huff and puff".