My reading life

(Autumn is definitely on the horizon)

Though I haven't mentioned it, I have been reading and listening to some books as I go about my chores and while I'm sewing or knitting. I really enjoy my Audible membership and have used up credits faster than I can earn them lately. Actual sitting down and reading hasn't happened a lot, but as part of my goal to not be scrolling through Pinterest until the wee hours, I have managed to read a little at bedtime before drifting off. I pre-ordered The Shepherd's Life by James Rebanks back in the spring and when it finally came, I didn't get around to reading it for a while. Too bad I didn't jump right into it because it probably would have lifted my spirits while I was convalescing. It's a lovely book about a way of life foreign to most people, but with which I can totally identify. Having finished it, I have somehow managed to get Mike to start reading it and I am now listening to it just because I love hearing it read in a Lake District accent.

I recently read Grandma Gatewood's Walk and then just after I finished, saw it mentioned on Facebook in A Mighty Girl post, which in turn led to this article in the Washington Post. What an amazing and inspiring woman! Following her example would mean I'm not quite ready to turn in my barn boots. And, all those women and girls posted about on A Mighty Girl .....  how I wish I'd had regular infusions of that kind of reading material when I was growing up.

Audible enables me to put books on my iPhone, which I can slip into my pocket and listen to anywhere, and that works perfectly when I want to be on the move. Nothing makes dirty work go faster than having a good book read to you, coming through loud and clear with your ear buds. First, I listened to The Girl on the Train, which was very well written, but in the end, I felt no sympathy for any of the characters. None of them were likeable. I was left wishing I hadn't spent a credit on it. All the Light We Cannot See was a really good book. Also, I found The Nightengale quite good. I've noticed a spate of books based on World War II appearing recently. My father was a tank commander during the war. I had no idea that he'd been in North Africa and Italy, until I found his discharge papers recently. He was only seventeen when he enlisted and what he experienced had a devastating effect on the rest of his life.  It's very thought-provoking to read how it might have affected others. I'm ashamed to admit that I hadn't thought much about how it was for the people of France and Italy to be occupied by Nazi troops and the cruelty that was inflicted upon them. Another Audible gem was The Signature of all Things by Elizabeth Gilbert. Though late to the party, I finally got around to Cutting for Stone and then The Snow Child. Lastly, I want to mention Our Souls at Night by Ken Haruf. I thought it was such a sweet little story and holds lessons for those of us with aging parents or are aging ourselves (that would be me).

Mike and I went to see Shaun the Sheep Movie a few weeks ago and found it to be so fun and clever. I'm a huge Wallace and Gromit fan and have collected many of the DVD's to watch with the grandchildren. (And, often by myself.  :-) I'm pretty sure I enjoy them more than the kids do). I can highly recommend it, with or without kids along!

Lastly, a few friends and I went to Louisville recently to check out the new Dyescape dye garden and learn about their program. I so admire the work these young women are doing and hope they are able to accomplish all they've set out to do.

Blessedly, fall is in the air here in central Kentucky. The sheep and I are loving the cooler temperatures and clear (not muggy) days. I'm sure summer heat and humidity are not through with us, but relief is clearly on the way.

Living it up

(Meanwhile, back at the homeplace, Aslan and Peegee contemplate nature)

 I've been absent from this space so long, you might be justified in wondering if I've had a relapse or become incapacitated, when in fact, it has been just the opposite.  If there is anything this past year has taught me, it's that I want to seize opportunities when they present themselves. So, I've been living it up. Sometimes that means stepping outside my comfort zone, pushing on through some discomfort and extending myself beyond what I think I'm capable of at the moment. That's exactly what has been happening this past month and I believe I'm better for it. I've been participating in a workshop extravaganza! Three workshops in four weeks!

(Nicola demonstrates lay-out for eco-dyeing)

First, I took a two day eco-dyeing and felting workshop with fabulous Irish felter, Nicola Brown. Nicola is not just a wonderful teacher, but someone who is a friend and I'll seize any opportunity to spend some time with her. (Mike and I spent four days at Clasheen, her beautiful farm in Ireland, last September, on our way to Scotland, and hope to go back in the future.) The first day of the workshop was spent felting a vessel or purse and the second day was eco-dyeing our felted items along with silk scarves. Eco-dyeing is so much fun because you can never quite predict the results. Nicola encouraged us to bring different plants and leaves to press onto our felted items. I gathered leaves from our Catalpa tree, some sprigs of crown vetch growing on the roadside, ferns and rose leaves. We dipped the leaves in iron water before arranging them on our items, then rolled them into tight bundles and steamed them. The results were fantastic - all different, all equally beautiful.

(the "hinge" is the secret to the bust adjustment)

Next up was a trip to Nashville to Anna Maria Horner's new shop, Craft South, for a workshop on pattern fitting with Liesl Gibson. If you ever have the opportunity to take this workshop, do it! Don't even hesitate to sign up if you are at all interested in making garments that actually fit you correctly. I've complained here often enough so that most of you know, fitting has been my downfall in sewing endeavors. Now I know why and believe I have the knowledge to prevent my mistakes. (Ever heard of a full-bust adjustment?) Liesl also has some great classes on Creativebug that should keep me from forgetting everything I've learned. I can hardly wait to get back to my sewing machine (and I might have made a few fabric purchases in Anna Maria's beautiful shop). Oh, the fabric ... beautiful Liberty, Nani Iro, Cotton and Steel!  It was too much good stuff to resist.

(And here we are, proudly displaying our perfectly fitted muslins)

(a little detail on my muslin)

The workshop was filled with the usual mix of beginning to very experienced sewers. I would guess I fell somewhere in the middle and I tried not to be intimidated. I met some really nice women (Hi Karen!) and thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. One of the bonuses in spending time with a group of like-minded women is the generous sharing of information and sources. It was also a joy to spend time with Anna Maria, Liesl, and the young women who work for Anna Maria (Pierrette and Anna Michelle).

(here's a hint)

As soon as the Nashville workshop was over on Sunday afternoon, I loaded my car and drove straight to Sewanee, Tennessee. Until recently, I had never even heard of Shakerag. Cal Patch taught there last year and it was her blogging about it that got my attention. Here was an incredible workshop resource within 4 1/2 hours of home!  I'll save the details on my week-long natural dye workshop for next time and I promise it will appear in this space within the next week. (I promise!)

I have been overwhelmed with catch-up work since my return. Of course, Mike kept all the animals alive while I was gone, but this is an extremely busy time of year for him, so not much else was done. I spent all day Monday mowing. The garden has a glorious assortment of healthy weeds. (Have I mentioned how much I hate wild morning glories?) and I'm not at all sure I will ever catch up with the laundry and ironing, not to mention filing all those patient records. It is taking all the discipline I possess to stay away from the sewing machine and the dye room until I can bring some semblance of order to the rest of my responsibilities.

(Then there's Midgie, always looking for a little attention)

On the road again

It seems as though I just returned from Scotland and here I am away from home again.  My friend, Teresa, and I planned this trip to the New York State Sheep and Wool Festival about a year ago, long before I imagined that Mike and I would be going to Scotland and Ireland.  I love this festival best of all the ones I have ever attended.  They always have fabulous workshops, wonderful vendors and who wouldn't want to be in the Hudson Valley when the leaves are turning such fabulous colors?

Today I had a great workshop in handpainting yarn and roving with natural dyes.  It was taught by Jackie Ottino-Graf.  We worked outside in a tent and enjoyed the perfect, clear blue sky and just-warm-enough weather.  (I took that top photo with my iPhone, just a few steps from where we were using the dye pots to steam our hand-dyed fiber.)  Jackie taught the workshop in a casual and fun way and I think we all felt relaxed and reasonably confident at the end of the day. (Well, except I'm not sure I will ever be able to figure out that stock-solution-percentage-thing without a worksheet in front of me, but that's because I have a long-standing case of math anxiety, not because it wasn't explained well!).

(Some samples from my classmates)

(Anyone who knows me could figure out that these were my handiwork. My color choices are so predictable!  This is madder, logwood and weld with a few drops of iron solution added to the weld.)

I am wishing now that I had come up soon enough to take the Thursday and Friday classes.  I wanted to leave Saturday open for enjoying all the vendors have to offer (ahem) and having the chance visit with friends from Squam and past workshops. 

So, one last photo before I get too sleepy.  I spied this after the workshop was over, when I was walking through one of the many areas where the vendors were in the process of setting up. I was scouting walking toward the exit gate and just happened to see it. Needless to say, I'll be heading for that booth in the morning because I'm pretty sure the standing stones were telling me I need a Sassenach Capelet Kit to go home with me! I posted this same picture on facebook on the Outlander Pattern Central group page and caused just a little stir of wishful thinking on the part of some fellow Outlander obsessed folks.

(In the booth of Bijou Basin Ranch)

 

 

 

 

 

Crossing it off the list .....

Good afternoon, all.  I'm able to cross a major event off the to-do list now.  The Kentucky Sheep and Fiber Festival was last weekend and it went off without a hitch.  The workshops were well attended, sales looked to be very good (I did my part in helping boost sales, after all, it was the least I could do, right?).  I bought some (okay, maybe a little more than some) of Anne Hanson's Bare Naked Wool and have already cast on for the Tidal Sands Infinity cowl, using BNW Breakfast Blend DK in Cocoa. Anne's patterns are perfection and the various natural shades of the Bare Naked Wool line are especially beautiful when seen displayed altogether. I could not resist!  Be sure to check out Anne's write up of her time here in Kentucky.

After the festival I had the pleasure of hosting Mary Jane Mucklestone and Dagmar and Chet Klos at the farm for overnight visits.  It was wonderful to spend time with each of them and get to know them a little better.  Regular readers might remember than Dagmar did a fabulous natural dye workshop here at the farm last May and we're doing a little thinking and planning in hopes of putting together another one in the future.

Midgie and Phaedra went to the festival with me on Saturday because they are still getting several bottles a day and there was no one at home on the farm to do that.  I set up their pen under a shade tree outside the workshop building and they got lots of visits from friendly people, had their pictures taken a bunch and even got to take several walk-abouts.  (Phaedra got lots of compliments on her beautiful fleece coloring.)  My grandson, Coleman, and I used the opportunity to train the girls to walk on a lead and they spent some time visiting at the Locust Trace plant sale booth.  Halter training them is a gift that will keep on giving because from this time forward, I'll be able to take them almost anywhere and be confident that they won't have a nervous breakdown (nor will I).  By the way, those teeny little halters are actually extra small alpaca halters and they work great on lambs.

Meanwhile, here on the farm, the grass seems to have grown about 2 feet while I was otherwise occupied.  I'm seeing a fair amount of time on the ZTR mower and the tractor in my future.  It's hard to complain about having lush grass when I know there are parts of the country that haven't had rain in ages.  Once again, it's important to be grateful for where I am.

Starting tomorrow I have the pleasure of taking part in a two day workshop Nicola Brown is teaching in Lexington.  As part of my continuing quest to learn more about natural dyes, I'm excited to have a chance to do some eco-dyeing.  We'll be printing on fabric with leaves, onion skins, flowers and who knows what else.  Workshops with Nicola are always fun so I have a lot to look forward to.

This week it's been back to my real life.  There are fleeces waiting to be skirted and fleeces waiting to be washed and shipped off to their new owners. There is grass that needs immediate attention and a garden that will soon disappear under the weeds.  I am much more interested in catching up on "Call the Midwife" and "Mr. Selfridge", reading Heather Ross's new book and knitting on my cowl.  It's not at all like me, but I may even be a little bit interested in taking a nap or two.

Rhinebeck

(glorious New England color)

This week, well actually this whole month, has been a bit of a blur and a slowdown is not yet on the horizon.  It seems we've either had some big activity going on here at the farm or we've been on the road, away from the farm, for most of October.  I'm thinking some quiet time settling into the coming winter will be a very good thing during the month of November.

Last weekend was the glory that is Rhinebeck.  Friday we drove 13+ hours to Rhinebeck, New York for a nearly perfect weekend of beautiful foliage, good food, wonderful weather, meeting new and old friends (it was so great to be reunited with my Squam cabin mates!) and the ultimate in fiber festivals.  It's surely a combination of all of the above that makes me love Rhinebeck so much.  I have gone to a lot of festivals over the years and this is the one that continues to top my list of events that I'm willing to travel long distances to attend.

(my 36 colors)

Saturday was my day to check out all the vendors and because we arrived at the fairgrounds well before the gates opened and were close to the front of the line, that was mostly accomplished before it became too crowded.  Sunday was devoted to the "36 Color Wheel Workshop", taught by Gail Callahan (The Kangaroo Dyer).  It was an eye-opening class for me and I think I finally understand the process of combining a few primary colors to achieve just the shade I'm looking for.  Gail explained and demonstrated the process in a clear and easily understandable way and then turned us loose to try it for ourselves.  It was fun and educational - the best possible outcome for any learning experience.  Gail has inspired me to be more creative in my color choices for this year's palette.  As soon as I can stay home for more than a day or so, I intend to pull out the dye pots and start working on the mountain of my "fresh from the farm yarn" that arrived back from the mill a few weeks ago.  (More on that in a later post.)

(buttons & detail of front)

My Olive "Antler" was indeed finished in time to become my 2013 Rhinebeck sweater .... just barely!  She made the drive on Friday, stretched out on top of the luggage in the back of the car,  feeling still slightly damp.  One of the best parts of the weekend were comments and questions from other knitters.  I love that walking around Rhinebeck in a handknit starts so many conversations with people you don't even know, who immediately become your friends.  For someone as introverted as I am, it's the best possible way to talk to strangers.  Even more fun, was spotting other "Antlers".  Because Olive was handspun and a little larger gauge than the pattern called for, she was somewhat different from other versions.  It's a great pattern to knit, easily adaptable and I can highly recommend it.

(the back view of Olive)

Tomorrow,  my friend Teresa and I are heading to Asheville, North Carolina for the Southeastern Animal Fiber Fair.  Asheville is such a great town and SAFF is a fun place to catch up with fiber friends in this part of the country.  It's an easy drive through beautiful mountains and I'm looking forward to a relaxing weekend of (more)food, (more)fiber and (more)friends!

A Topsy-Turvy Inside-Out Winner!

(early morning fog coming up from the river)

 Alrighty then!  Today is THE day to announce the winner of Susan Anderson's "Topsy-Turvy Inside-Out Knit Toys".  Thanks so much for all the praise for Susan - she deserves every bit of it.  She's a special person and it's evident from your comments that I'm not the only one who thinks so.

Random.org has chosen number 63 and that belongs to a comment from Ashley (ashleym103) (I eliminated any accidental duplicates).  Ashley,  I've sent you a message on Ravelry and as soon as I hear from you, I'll send your mailing information on to Susan's publicist.  You should be receiving your very own copy of the book soon.  Thanks to all of you who took the time to enter and, if you'd like to have another chance at winning, the last stop on the blog book tour is with Angela Tong on her blog Oiyi's Crafts and is scheduled to start sometime today.

(Luna's always ready for a little extra attention)

So, with the excitement of reading all those comments behind me, it's back to my real life ... which is  tending the sheep, alpaca boys and llama girls and spending my days with my hands on this year's fiber harvest.  I'm not going to be vending at any of the fall fiber festivals this year.  I'm still waiting on my yarn to come back from Echoview Fiber Mill, but I'll be making the drive up to Ohio Valley at the end of this week to have some wool/alpaca blend roving processed, then it will be into the dye pots for me.  I'm planning on an open farm day sometime later this fall and I want to have a nice selection of yarn and dyed roving available.  As always, the hardest part for me is settling on the color palette to dye this year's "Fresh From the Farm Yarn".  After hosting the natural dye workshop here at the farm in May, I'm excited to use as many natural dyes as possible.  Stay tuned for progress reports!

(definitely want to repeat these colors from logwood)

It's also time to be making decisions about which ewes will be put in with Rowdy.  I have twelve half Wensleydale yearling ewes that I think would make a fine cross, but they are yearlings and have never lambed before, which means they'll need more hands-on attention than the older, more experienced ewes. Given my plans to simplify by only breeding a few girls (and the on-going issues with my shoulder), experience may be the winner here.   I'm still mulling over all the possibilities.

Here on the farm, we're moving into another part of the yearly cycle.  In most ways, we're getting ready for the cold winter days ahead.  At the same time we'll also be looking ahead to warm spring days of new lambs and fresh, green grass coming up in the pastures.  (And, unless there's another no-show year in the lambing maternity ward, the LAMB-CAM will return!)

This week in the garden

(sage, rosemary and parsley doing well - thyme, not so much)

This garden of mine has been erratically productive this summer, mainly because I am an erratic gardener.  I'm always full of enthusiasm in the spring, make big plans and get most of what I planned for planted.  Then it gets hot and humid and I avert my eyes from the chaos as I walk by on the way to the barn every morning and evening.  This summer has been a little better because we've had plenty of rain and very little extreme heat, as opposed to the last several summers of heat and drought.  It's been a banner year for cucumbers and the tomatoes are finally ripe, the onions did well and it's looking as though the watermelons are going to make it.  Winter squash was an epic fail, for the first time ever.  That's a big disappointment because butternut squash is a favorite winter-time ingredient.

(Ivy - the garden thief)

I've spent quite a lot of time in the garden this week, planting for fall crops.  I've planted Swiss chard, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, leaf lettuce, Romaine lettuce, broccoli, pak choi, beets and kale.  I still need to get carrots and spinach planted and hope to construct some row covers or hoops to add some protection mostly from the peacock, but also because of a certain corgi who is near and dear to my heart.  Ivy is an unapologetic garden marauder and nothing is safe if it's within reach from her short little height!

Here's one of things I've enjoyed most in the garden this year.  I planted a patch of marigolds in hopes of harvesting the flowers to use for dyeing and it's been a joy to pick off all the flowers and in just a few days, find that the plants are full of blooms again.  I'm thinking how great the garden would look next year if I planted a row of marigolds right down the middle of each raised bed (and, it would likely discourage some pest problems, too).  The coreopsis I put in, also for dyeing, has done well and I'm planning to expand the selection of dye plants next year to fill out a whole raised bed.

Those towering tomato plants (over 6 feet tall) are producing enough tomatoes that it's time to think about putting some in the freezer for soups and chili during the winter.  That mess on the right is what happens when you don't cage a cherry tomato - it becomes a corgi snack bar!  (Notice the electric mesh fence in the background - works for corgis and chickens, but not peacocks!)

Learn to Dye Naturally - (a workshop for you!)

(My dye pot of madder extract)

Last summer and fall I finally got around to dyeing some of my 2012 Sheep Dreams yarn, using natural dye extracts.  I'd been dyeing with a commercial dye for several years, but had been feeling that I wanted to do a selection of naturally dyed colors with my wool/alpaca blend yarn.  To say I was happy with the results would be an understatement.  The subtlety of the colors was so appealing, I fell in love with them.  Recently, K. Crane and I were discussing how great it would be to have a workshop on natural dyeing and the next thing I knew - it was all arranged!!  It just happened that K. knew Dagmar Klos, who wrote THE book on dyeing - "The Dyer's Companion" and it also happened that K. was going to be visiting Chicago, where Dagmar lives.  So, the two of them got together and talked it over, Dagmar and I talked by phone and email and now we are set to host a fabulous, three day natural dyeing workshop on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, May 2-3-4, 2013.  I'm so excited about being able to offer this workshop!  It will be a wonderful opportunity to learn in a fun and relaxed atmosphere here on the farm.  We're planning on serving refreshments morning and afternoon and have special plans for providing lunch each day - all included in the workshop fee.  We'll be dyeing with fustic, osage, weld, madder, logwood, cochineal, indigo and marigolds.

(Two shades of purple logwood - naturally dyed)

I had hoped to attach the workshop flyer to this post, but so far haven't figured out how to do that :-(, so here are the details.  If you have any questions at all please email (diannemac1010@yahoo.com) and I'll get right back to you.

Event:                Natural Dye Workshop taught by Dagmar Klos (author of "The Dyer's Companion")

Date:                  May 2-3-4, 2013 - 9 am to 4 pm each day

Location:           Tanglewood Farm, 4565 Cummins Ferry, Versailles, KY 40383

Workshop Fee:  $180, which includes all three days of instruction, plus refreshments and lunch.
                          There is a $15 materials fee that will include dye matter, sample skeins and printed
                          materials supplied by Dagmar. You will leave with approximately 75 sample skeins
                          of yarn that we will have dyed during the workshop.
                      
You do not have to be experienced at dyeing to participate in this workshop.  It is for beginners and for experienced dyers alike.  This will be a wonderful opportunity to learn from someone who excels in the art of dyeing.   There are limited spaces available for this workshop, so please don't delay if you are interested in joining us.  Email me at - diannemac1010@yahoo.com



                                     

The color purple

 

 This post was originally written several days ago, but in the mysterious ways of my (lack of) computing skills, combined with the unimaginably poor service from my DSL service provider, it somehow disappeared into the great unknown.  I was so anxious to show you all how wonderfully the new yarn was taking to the dyepot,  I was ready to do war (again) with Windstream.  We are in the midst of a battle at the moment and I'm not going to subject you all to the rant that's going on in my head.  So, onward .....

Above is the first batch of circa 2012 yarn being mordanted and below is the actual dyepot.  I'm using natural dyes for a large portion of this years yarn crop.

The first dyepot is purple logwood and though I used enough dye matter for the medium shade, there was plenty of dye left in the pot at the end of the recommended time, so I took out the first batch and put in another.  I'm so enamored with the two shades that resulted and I especially love how well they coordinate.  They just beg to be used in a project together.

(first batch)

(purple logwood - first and second batch together)

(first batch of madder)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Many

 

Over the years, I've taken many dye workshops; some natural, some chemical.  The best workshops have been with Michelle Wipplinger.  I admire and respect her so much for her knowledge and commitment to natural dyeing (and she is a sincerely wonderful person).  I've had the honor of staying with her while visiting Seattle and the last time I was there, got to see her beautiful studio at Earthues.  When I first got to know Michelle, she and her staff were working out of her basement.  Now, Earthues and Michelle are known far and wide.  I'm really pleased with the colors I'm getting with Earthues and plan on working my way through my current supply of dye matter, before deciding what to use for the rest of the yarn.

I don't know about the rest of you, but I for one am glad to be tearing off the August page on the calendar.  Fall is my favorite season and after the summer we've had here in Kentucky, I'm even happier than usual to see leaves turning and cool weather on the horizon.

Opinions, please

I've been doing a little dyeing lately, though not near as much as I should have done by now. The Kentucky Sheep and Fiber Festival is fast approaching and I'm running out of time to get myself ready.

 These skeins are a small sample of what I''m working on right now. So, here's where I need your help. The skeins are arranged in pairs that have been dyed exactly the same. The only difference is that one of each pair has been rewound so the colors are a little more subtle. Mike and I have been discussing which version is more visually appealing for a knitter to think about knitting with. He has his opinion and I have mine and I think we need some other folks to weigh in on this! What do you think?

Making my own

Okay, so if I can't have trees full of beautiful fall color, I'll just make my own. I've been in the dye pots, getting ready for the Kentucky Wool Festival (held in Falmouth, Kentucky, October 1-2-3). Fall is my favorite season and the colors of fall are my favorite colors. Actually, I love everything about fall.....the food, the clothes (you know----wool!!), the smells, the light, the weather. All of it. So, even though it's still in the 90's, I've decided to mentally put myself into fall by dyeing plenty of yarn and roving in fall colors.

Looking ahead to the festival, it looks as though the weather is finally going to be perfect for shopping for all things fibery! I hope you will come to Falmouth, stop by the Sheep Dreams/Tanglewood Farm booth and visit for a while. There are going to be some wonderful fiber folks there in the Wool Tent and I'm pretty sure one of us can satisfy any yarn, fiber or equipment need you might have. (We are all about making you happy!) There will be plenty of sheepy stuff, too.

Still going

I've felt a little like that ever-ready bunny lately. I'm still washing, sorting, remembering and trying to organize my handspun yarn and in between washing skeins of yarn, I've been dyeing some roving in preparation for the Kentucky Wool Festival in Falmouth, which is fast approaching. It seems just a few days ago, I was packing up stuff to take to the festival in May. It's been a miserably hot summer around here and I couldn't be happier that it's time for a fall festival (though it might be good to be a little better prepared).

After my last post, there were some questions about what I was planning to do with all that yarn and I've been thinking about that. The weights and yardages in the skeins is all over the place. Some are small amounts left over from previous knitting or weaving projects and some are larger amounts that were spun up because I loved the color or the particular animal the fleece came from and then just never made it onto the needles or the loom. I'm going through those skeins now, counting yardage, weighing and labeling and I'm going to put them in a big basket and sell it all by the pound. That way, someone can put together lots of small skeins for a fair isle hat or mittens made with all natural or hand-dyed colors or a truly individual vest or sweater or just pick up a few small skeins to use as an accent with a commercial yarn.

The thing is, I love to spin. I love the tactile-ness of every stage of the process. I get a thrill from looking at my animals fleeces while they are still wearing them, on shearing day when I'm skirting those fleeces, later still when I'm washing and spreading them out to dry and then sitting down at my spinning wheel and feeling those precious fibers slipping through my fingers and magically becoming yarn. So, Alice, just because you have a lot of skeins already, does not mean you stop or even slow down with the spinning!

Sorry, I got a little carried away with the pictures there! I'm into washing the handspun, hand-dyed skeins now and am loving the subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) color shifts in these skeins.

Three things

Three things are making me really happy today. The first thing is the sun is shining and the temperature is going into the 60's. It's a great day for doing some dyeing in my "dye studio" (ha--that would be the barn aisle at the moment!)

The second thing is there's a great big concrete truck at the studio site pouring the pad and there are actual men up there working (and there's hardly anything better than watching men work, especially if they are working for me!)

The third thing is actually three more things. Last night around 9 pm, the first lambs arrived. We hit the jackpot with set of triplets and all girls! Two of them are solid black and one is black with a silver blanket over her back. Mom and babies are all doing great. This ewe has produced three sets of triplets in less than three years. That's a pretty impressive record, by anyone's standards. These babies are a little on the small side, but so strong they were all on their feet quickly and looking for a bedtime snack almost as soon as they were born. This morning they are romping around in the lambing pen as if they are weeks old already.

So, I'm out of here and into the sunshine for as much of the day as I can get away with. I hope it's sunny and warm wherever you are!