FEATURED ARTIST : Ruth Ticknor
	Ruth Ticknor walked into Margie's Muse when the shop was still a baby - probably 4 years ago. In the follwoing years, she has been an enormous inspiration to Margaret as the shop has grown and found its identity.
	Ruth's enthusiasm for all-things-fiber educated Margaret in the world of knitted and felted items, as well as hand-spun yarns, and continues to spark excitement as Margaret learns more. And now Margaret is the appreciative and proud care giver of one of Ruth's very sweet and very soft angora bunnies. Margie's Muse would be a different place without Ruth's presence; from the knitted, felted, and handspun items she has brought to sell and which have enhanced the beautiful offerings in the shop, to her generous and creative presence. Ruth has also volunteered her time and efforts with the annual Jamaica Fiber Festival with her spinning, and she wet-felted a rug one year as a childrens' activity. People like Ruth make the fiber world a rich and colorful place. Her husband Ed is a photographer, and is to be credited for the photos on this page (http://studio-one-photography.com).
Growing up in a family of creative women has always been an advantage for Ruth Ticknor, fiber artist and owner of Sunrise Hill Farm in Windsor, Vermont. Her grandmother and mother, both German immigrants, brought their needlecraft talents to the States and passed them along. “My mom, who is in her seventies now, continues to be an inspiration to me. She has had great influence on both my sister and me. She’s taught us not to limit ourselves to one craft, but to explore others. Everytime I see my mom she has a new creation to show me!” Crochet was Ruth’s first love and she has 30+ years of experience with the craft. Knitting was an adult-venture even though Ruth’s mom taught her the basics when Ruth was 5 years old. Knitting turned out to be a blast---yet another way to manipulate yarn! What’s not to like? After knitting for several years, the next intriguing question was: “How is this yarn made?” Taking it back a step, Ruth learned how to spin wool into yarn at a fiber arts business in New Jersey. Spinning provided endless hours of relaxation, but what about this wool? She needed to locate a real source of this wool. Totally “hooked”, Ruth delved full-tilt into the fiber world—meeting and making friends with men and women who raised sheep, llamas, alpacas, and angora rabbits. Wouldn’t it be fun to actually raise one’s own fiber? To be a part of the everyday lives of these animals was truly a dream. At the time, Ruth and her husband Ed resided in a New Jersey suburban neighborhood which could not accommodate barnyard animals. Their backyard however, could accommodate a small animal……and soon, the Ticknors owned a handful of sweet, fiber-producing angora rabbits. Ruth has been raising angora rabbits for 10 years now and breeds twice a year. The animals are available for purchase. The rabbits have a friendly temperament and produce wonderful angora fiber which is combed or plucked from the animal every 3-4 months. The fiber is then spun into yarn on Ruth’s wheel.
In 2003, the Ticknors moved to Windsor, Vermont and started up Sunrise Hill Farm. The farm is perched upon a hill with a view of Mt. Ascutney, and it is home to eight French Angora rabbits, five Shetland sheep, two Golden Retrievers, and a cat.
		Original knitting pattern designed by Ruth Ticknor; pattern available for purchase in the shop.
		A relatively new-found passion of Ruth’s is dry needle-felting. This technique uses a felting needle to “sculpt” wool into one-of-a-kind objects. Ruth started out making pumpkins and gourds. This year, she has made Santas, snowmen, and penguins. Ruth had the opportunity to share her skills during a needle-felting class which she taught at Margie’s Muse in December. Stay tuned for more!
Please feel free to contact the Ticknors at rlt72364@earthlink.net if you are interested in purchasing an Angora rabbit or if you have an interest in knitting, crocheting, spinning, or needle-felting.