Making Things Is Fun! I Think...

Fern waits for her children to arrive and is soon rewarded with the appearance of her daughter, Elowen. A huge smile is beamed to the pup as the little one moves to her side and the gray woman wraps her legs around her daughter’s frame and pulls her in for a hug. The girl barks a greeting and the gray woman chuckles softly, aiming to place a gentle lick between her daughter’s ears. As the girl questions what they are doing, joy sparkles in the gray woman’s eyes as she says, “Well, I thought the three of us could make some dolls for all of the children that will be attending the bonfire festival! Now, we will give your brother a few minutes but, he might be helping your fatherclean. So, it might just be you and me!”

A genuine, heart-felt laugh fills the air as she gives Elowen a squeeze before releasing the girl from her embrace. Happily, Fern explains, “You know the alpacas that the pack keeps? Well, when we sheer them for their warm wool, there are often small scraps left unused. I thought we could roll them up or fold them to form shapes and sew them together to make little dolls. What do you think?” Eyebrows lift in question and, after she speaks, the gray woman offers her daughter yet another smile. Pulling a few strips of different colored furs toward her, Fern then sets about bunching one up until the soft fur loosely resembles a ball. From there, she ties it off with a piece of leather before helping Elowen to make her own ‘body’.

Next, Fern shows Elowen how to make another, small ball for the head and ties it off with another piece of leather. Then, the pair roll four long legs and one short piece for the neck, all tied in place tightly with a piece of leather. Once her daughter has set her pieces aside, Fern looks to the girl and thumps her tail happily, saying, “Good job my dear! Now, you keep making all those pieces and set them aside, okay? I am going to assemble them.” A wink is tossed to her girl as the gray wolf produces a small pouch that she had hidden from view. She withdraws a needle and black thread. Since her mother was a healer, Fern learned how to make her own thread from the tendons of animals and the woman has simply dyed this one black.

Palming one of the fur ‘bodies’, she quickly spears the area where the neck will be with her needle before pulling a short neck piece toward her. With deft paws, Fern quickly attaches a neck to a body while offering Elowen tips and tricks she goes. The head is attached next, then the legs and once everything is tacked on, with a few extra stitches going in to keep all the pieces closed, Fern then unties the strips of leather and shows off the little alpaca wolf. Her smart child reminds her that all wolves need a tail and she gently laughs, before finding a tiny piece of fur that she then attaches to the rear of the doll. Just for Elowen, she tacks on two small ears before getting a quality check from her daughter.

After, the first doll passes inspection, the pair continue to work with Elowen assembling the pieces and Fern stitching them together. They share the afternoon, swapping stories and laughing while the two make dolls for the pups.


"Fern Carpathius"