Food for thought

I saw this posted by a commenter on Soulemama this morning and found it so lovely and thought-provoking.  Most of us aren't prepared to follow through on such an ambitious project, but I do so admire this young woman for doing it.  Can you imagine the impact it would have if we all put half that much thought into what we have in our closets?

New bowls

I've been making these felted nesting bowls for a while now.  Not long ago, I had a request for several sets and I spent some time knitting one bowl after another, while we were catching up on the last season of "Justified".  We don't watch much television and have very little tolerance for all the time the commercials consume, so we had used our satellite provider dvr to record the whole season of "Justified".  (Do you watch "Justified"?  If so, please don't believe that all people from Eastern Kentucky are like that!)  Anyway, this gave me several weeks of occasional, night-time, guilt-free knitting.

 

For me, one of the most enjoyable parts of making the bowls is figuring out the color combinations that I want to put together.  Sometimes, I get on a roll and make several different colors in different sizes and then play with them until I find them interesting.  I've been loosely naming the color combinations for the seasons, but maybe I need to branch out and use my imagination a little more?

I'm starting to work on getting my etsy shop back open with some handspun yarns, hand-dyed Tanglewood "Fresh from the Farm Yarn"** and a few bowl sets.  Plans are coming together for an Open Barn at Tanglewood Farm Day, when the weather is a little more conducive to thinking about wool.  That would be sometime in October, I'm hoping.  (If cooler temperatures haven't arrived by then, you may be invited to a farm dispersal sale instead!) 

**Check out the Echoview Facebook page today for a sneak preview of our fiber before it becomes "Fresh from the Farm" yarn.  It's a wool/alpaca blend that will be overdyed to create some beautiful heathered shades.

The trip to Echoview

Not long ago, I did one of those things most people consider a little crazy.  I had been corresponding with a new mill down in North Carolina, close to Asheville, about processing some of my wool/alpaca blend fiber into yarn and after several emails back and forth and them sending me a sample of their work, I decided to try them.  I was curious to see their facilities and, since I was trusting them with a years worth of fiber production, I opted to deliver my fiber in person, rather than ship it.  The drive was 6 1/2 hours one way and I went down and back in one day.  Thank goodness for Audible!  I downloaded the book, Wild, by Cheryl Strayed and it got me all the way there and back with no problems.  Audible books are a godsend for helping pass the hours when I'm driving alone.  Last year, when I drove to Juniper Moon Farm, in Virginia for culinary camp, I listened to Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand.  I'm happy to recommend both books as good traveling companions.

To say I was impressed when I arrived at Echoview Fiber Mill is an understatement, for sure.  It's a brand new facility that has been thoughtfully planned, with so much of their system ecologically friendly and based on sustainable agricultural practices .  The building itself is bright, clean and modern, with lovely light pouring in through clerestory windows, solar panels on the roof and a water reuse plan already in operation.  When I was there, they had been operating a little over two months and were having their open house that weekend.  Best of all, the people I met there were so friendly, I felt totally at ease leaving my precious fiber in their hands.  Marcia, their wonderful customer service person, took me through the whole building and introduced me to everyone (and said good things about my fiber, which is always nice to hear!).  They have great plans for workshops and camps, so it would be worth your while to sign up for their newsletters.  I wish I had allowed more time for visiting, because the whole experience was lovely.

So, now I'm anticipating the message from them saying my yarn is ready!  I can't wait to see how it turns out.  I'm having them spin a two-ply, worsted weight yarn and my intention is to get right into the dye pots with it, when I bring it home.  You can be sure you'll get to see it here and I'm really hoping to revive my poor neglected Etsy shop, once the yarn is ready.  Since Asheville is one of my favorite places to visit, this time I'm going to allow myself a little time to relax and visit some of the many fiber and art related shops and galleries for a day or so before heading back home.

Abundance

( this is how our week started )

Yesterday I drove up to Ohio Valley Natural Fibers to pick up yarn they had spun for me.  (Of course, I had to make the obligatory visit to Ikea while I was that close.)  It was a miserable day.  It poured rain all day and I got soaked every time I got in and out of the car .... not to mention how nerve-wracking it was to be on the interstate in heavy rain with all those tractor trailer trucks.  Today,  it's a brand new scene,  just very soggy under foot.  The sun is shining brightly and I'm feeling the urge to get the dye pots out.  The Kentucky Sheep and Fiber Festival is not that far off and I need to get myself in gear to actually have some things to sell.

The abundance I'm referring to is that pile of yarn.   That's almost 24 pounds of yarn just waiting for me to do something.  You know you're a fiber junkie if,  after driving in the rain all day,  as soon as you get home you wash a sample skein,  put it on the heat vent to dry and knit a swatch immediately !  This batch of yarn is another sheep wool/alpaca blend and is a combination of white and black fleeces to create a beautiful gray heather.  Most of this will go into the dye pots,  as soon as I can decide on colors.

( and this is how it ends )

The shearers are supposed to come next week and then the task of sorting, weighing and washing fleeces will start.   Lambing begins in a little less than three weeks!  You'd think after all these years, I would not find that exciting, but I still do.  I can hardly wait to see what the Wensleydale ram crossed with my ewes will produce in the way of fleeces.  You can expect that the Lamb-cam will be back on line in about two weeks and even that is exciting to me!  I love being able to spy on the sheep when they don't know I'm watching.  It has felt a little like I've been in hibernation since the end of the holidays, but soon, very soon, a lot will be happening around here.

Curly

Want to guess what this is?  Here's a hint - she has four legs and some big ears that she needs to grow in to.  I was out in the little girl's pasture this afternoon,  just checking up on Aslan and how he was getting along with his charges.  Anytime I'm with these little girls,  I can count on Luna and Birdie coming in close for a scratch under the chin and a little sweet talk.  I so love that about my bottle babies.  No matter how old they get,  they never forget that I'm their mother.  Of course,  once I've fed them for months and spent so much time with them,  I don't forget either and can't bear to sell any of them,  so I have quite a collection of sheep that see me as their mama.  Anyway,  back to the picture.

Do those look like a shepherd's hands, or what?  I need some hand care!

This is Birdie's fleece and I think it's  gorgeous.  I already know I won't be selling this fleece at shearing time next spring.  It already has my name on it!  There are other ewe lambs in the flock with similar fleeces,  including Birdie's two sisters,  and those I'll be willing to part with because they are not my special babies.  The ewe lambs are still a little shy about Aslan and,  when he walked up beside me,  Birdie got those ready-for-takeoff ears going on.

As you might be able to see,  just below the dried up stubble,  our pastures are starting to come back to life after the many inches of rain we've had this past week.  I'm so grateful for the remnants of hurricane Lee making it's way to us.  A week of cloudy, drizzly days has done wonders for my frame of mind.  I think we might actually survive the summer now!

Luna hopes you have a great weekend!

Fibery Friday

Shearing time is nearly upon me and I'm just getting the rest of last year's fleeces processed. I made the trip up to Ohio Valley Natural Fibers on Wednesday and had my very first alpaca fleeces made into roving and, oh my, they are wonderful. This morning was the first opportunity I've had to open these boxes of goodies and pull out some samples to play with and I am so pleased with all of it. I had them processed so that the roving is 70% alpaca and 30% wool, and what little I've spun is beautiful. It makes me want to forget all my commitments and spend the next few weeks playing in the dye pots and spinning this luscious stuff. I spend the whole year nurturing these fleeces (and the sheep and alpacas who are growing them), and I always feel a bit of trepidation when I get to the mill and hand them over. Not that I'm worried about how the mill will process them. Just that maybe they aren't as nice as I was thinking. No need to worry over this batch. All seven boxes are fabulous......if I do say so myself!

Finally, finally, finally the sun is out today and, according to the local weatherman, we have a bit of a warm-up on the way. Not a moment too soon, as far as I'm concerned. I bought these daffodils at Trader Joe's in Cincinnati on Wednesday and I'm wishing they would last until I can pick some from my very own garden.

I'm hoping you have a sunshiney weekend and golden daffodils to brighten your windowsill.