A Child's Drawing in a Window's Reflection...

One day I wanted to work with my stained glass but did not have a pattern so I asked my daughter, who was 5 at the time, to draw a picture.

Immediately I set about capturing its likeness. How wonderful it was to see the world through her eyes, matching colors where possible.

This drawing now graces my studio. There have been many windows since, she is now 10, but that first window of flowers and butterflies will always be special.

"The first Window"

"My younger daughter's BumbleBee drawing"

After hanging windows throughout my house, the chicken coop, the goat-milking house and the garden, my husband suggested I capture other children's drawings and let their families share in the joy.

I now create windows reflecting children's art for others. Each window is custom-framed and I wood-burn their signatures, date and any other special requests.

These unique one-of-a-kind pieces reflecting the art of unique one-of-a-kind children have made thoughtful gifts for grandparents, graduation, first-homes, weddings, as well as gracing childrens' bedrooms or playrooms, as my children's windows do.

-A series of four windows designed by the Mack Elementary 4th grade students for the Bellevue Christian School Gala Fund Raiser, raising a total of $2000.00

If you would like to have a special child's work reflected in a window, please contact me at:

FoothillsFarmFiber@yahoo.com

Catherine Lowell

The Coffee Bar...

"Barista" my Angora Buck

Living in Seattle, coffee is our lifeblood! So, Coffee had to be the theme when I started naming my goats. Five years ago I got my first 2 bottle-fed doelings, and named them Latte (for her coffee color) and Espresso (for her jet-black coat). When I decided to expand my herd from Kinder goats to include Angora's, I brought in a little buck and called him Barista, for he was to start a new line of goats...Kindora's...a cross between kinder and angora...The Master Barista!

Mama "Espresso" scolding her kids-

This combination produced 3 beautiful babies with both cashmere and angora qualities as well as the hardiness of the kinder. The first baby to hit the ground we named Half-and-Half. She was a tiny 2lb pure white doeling, looking just like cream. Shortly after, a 3lb Frappuccino with Whip Cream looking fluff arrived, and thus we named her Frappuccino with Whip (Frap with Whip for short).

The following month, our little boy arrived.

He had the beautiful markings of his mother, Latte, much like the spices of chai tea in cream prior to stirring, thus the name Chai.

-Mama "Latte" cleaning her newborn boy

Valentine, our Dexter Heifer, thinks that these three babies belong to her. When the babies were 3 weeks old they found a way to escape into the pasture, leaving their mamas behind. I feared the worst when I arrived home that day, for the mamas were panickingly calling their "kids". Much to my relief, the 3 little wobbly kids were content playing under their new found nanny's legs.

Prior to this, Valentine (who is named after her birthdate, February 14th) had been a kicker and a child herself...not anymore!

Often I lay down next to Valentine with my arms wrapped around her thick neck in the pasture...how many people can say they have napped with their cow!

My first needles...

I still have those first size 8 golden aluminum knitting needles my grandpa bought me from the Giant T store. Though the matching golden ball of yellow yarn has long been lost, the memory of sitting on my end of the couch next to grandpa's chair listening to him reading the how-to-knit booklet to me as I try to coordinate my 8-year old fingers, are never to be forgotten. When I pick up those needles, I am once again standing in the store aisle against the far wall trying to choose needles. My Grandpa Lee, who was a teamster truck driver not an afternoon knitter, expertly suggested I choose the size 8 to match my age. I, taking his lead, chose the golden size 8 for it matched the golden yellow ball of yarn that I was holding. In that moment, my heart's love of textiles was unleashed...my grandpa and I would sit together many times over the next 10 years watching my passion grow.