Need help with carding wool please!

This is my new Ashford carder. I would love some input here. Because I really don't know if I am doing this right. I'm thinking I have more felt than really good crimped wool.

And this is so not a thankful post right now! Because this is frustrating to me.

Because this looks like a nappy beard here to me. I am adding Alpaca wool to this sheep wool to make it a little softer. Maybe I'm putting too much wool on the carder? It's pretty thick.

                                                    You can see it a little better here.

This is it rolled up. I am loving the blended colors a lot. I'd love to knit a sweater and hat some day from this.

Here is some I added white wool to. I like this color so much. I am drawn to soft warm brown colors.

So the lady at Ketner's Mill who let me use her carder for the very first time, made a really long piece of roving as she took it off the wheel. She took off a little section at a time and it just all stayed together and she rolled it all up in a ball and let me have it. I can't figure out how she did it. When I do it, it's just one small piece and never stays together.

I have to say this is a little frustrating for me. I have not even tried the spinning wheel again. Well, I did once and just cried because I cannot get the wool to go onto the bobbin. No matter which way the wheel spun. I so need help.

But if any of this makes sense and you can figure out what I'm doing, please let me know. I would love to know if I'm just wasting my time right now.

Day 16: Home grown, home raised and home made.

I am so thankful that I can raise and grow my own food right here on our farm. I never use anything processed. Not much store bought. I always make from scratch. If I don't grow it, I buy or barter from the farmer's market. It's just something I have done now for many many years.

I'm making vegetable beef soup from beef I raised. And broth I made from the bones. Tomatoes, basil, corn I grew. Carrots from another farm. Potatoes from the store. I didn't have much luck with potatoes this year.

I am hoping the doctor will let Tiny out, at least by Sunday. He's doing so much better. His feet are looking really good now. He's restless. Wants out of there. He's walking all over the halls. The doctor had to chase him down yesterday. So hopefully he'll get out soon.

I'm cleaning today. Won't mop til I know for sure he's coming home.  It's been raining and I have 2 dogs who come in and out. Like children. So no sense in mopping. I need to make a menu for a week at a time now. I'll need to see what all I have in the freezers and pantry. I have plenty of meat and canned and frozen veggies and fruits. I will start making bread again too. I got lazy getting bread for the pigs and other animals. There was always some really good bread in the bags. I hated to give it to the pigs. But I got lazy and quit making my fresh ground whole wheat bread.

So today, I am thankful for home grown, home raised and home made foods.

Day 15: Getting better

My husband is getting better. Slowly. But better. He had a test done on his kidneys this morning to see if that may be why they can't get his blood pressure down. His kidneys are good. I told him not to eat salt and see if that helps. His BP this afternoon was 176/75. So down a lot.

He also had a foot specialist come to see him last night after I left. He checked his feet and said it looked like he was burned. Tiny said it made him mad because he'd try to explain to the guy what happened. But the specialist kept saying it was burns. So they are now treating him as if he were burned.

So the more we think about it, the more it could be possible he was burned. He has a new truck with a really good heater. The heat comes out under his bed. He sometimes sits on the bed with his bare feet on the floor for a long time. He cannot feel anything below his knees. So, with the heat blasting on his ankles for a long period of time, it could have caused 2nd or 3rd degree burns. And burns make blisters. And that's what he had. The doctor said this could take a long time to heal.

We also saw his other doctor as we were walking down the hall. He told him about the results on the kidney test. We asked how much longer he has to stay. Doctor said they need to get his blood thinned first. So who knows how much longer.

But he is getting better, day by day. We just need to get him home now.

PS: Tiny just called. He said the nurse came to change the bandages on his feet and they look so much better! I could tell by his voice that this has made him a lot more positive about the outcome. Thank you all for your prayers. They really do help.

Day 13: Thankful for sheep.

This morning before going to the hospital, I had to load up 2 lambs and take them up on the mountain to a slaughterhouse. I have 4 people who are getting halves.

It's a process getting to the 2 I needed. Call friends to come help. Put up the boundary fence. Get them all over to this side of the farm. Get the feed pans and feed. Get them all in the stall with the door. Let most of them out. Wait for friends to get here. Get all the sheep back over to the other side, except the few who are still in with the 2 leaving. (It's easier to catch the 2 when there are more in the stall. Not much room to bolt then.) Take fence down. Drive Trooper in as close as possible to stall.

Friends got here. Me and Craig went in and got rope around one. Stephanie was going to shut the door after we get the one lamb out. Then open the door to put him in the Trooper. Well, she didn't get the door shut fast enough and they all got out. Craig held onto Bo and I grabbed Tater Tot and help on. And Stephanie got the door open and we put the first one in then got the other one in! Done! So easy with more hands and bodies to help.

This was all the sheep except the 2 new smaller rams. They weren't used to this routine so stayed out. Looks like sheep stuffed into a stall, right?

And here are the boys. Their first and last car ride. They were so good. And I thanked them all the way for what they will be doing for so many people. And what a good life they've had here, with all their friends and moms. I am so thankful for these guys.

Just an update on Tiny. His doctor has raised ALL his meds up. He'll be in the hospital at least a minimum of 5 days, but will probably be more than that. He has also developed a sore mouth from all the antibiotics they're filling him full of. I just want him home. I asked the doctor if laying in bed for days at a time, being on all this fluid and eating fruit several times a day, had anything to do with the high numbers and he said yes it does. I had him up today, walking up and down the halls. He needs to be up. It's not like he's bedridden and can't be up and moving. The doctor agreed. So, on the way to the hospital in the morning, I'm stopping to get him plain yogurt for his mouth. Because it could be days before he gets the stuff the doctor ordered for his mouth. It took a few days to get his cream for his feet. Can ya tell I don't like hospitals or doctors?

Day 12: Thankful for friends and family.

Right now, I am so thankful for family and friends. For all the prayers being sent up for my husband and even me. Last night, I emailed our church to be put on the prayer chain. This morning I had several calls, concerned friends. Even the preacher came to visit him. It's nice, if he has to be in the hospital, to be so close to family and friends. Last time, 5 years ago, he was in Memphis, over 6 hours away. In Feb. And it was freezing! And Obama was being inaugurated. Bad time for all. And so far from home.

This is an old Pres. church in St. Elmo a block from the house me and Tiny met. I love this church. And it's always so pretty. I had to turn around and take pictures of it today on the way to the hospital. It just feels so friendly. My daughter and I went there a few years ago. It's all wood inside. Nice people but long service.

Thank you all again. I hope to have happier posts again soon.

Day 11: What I come home to.

My good friends  Stephanie and Craig came this evening and let the dogs out, gave them their bones, gathered eggs and locked up the chickens. Even checked on the goats and sheep. They are the best. They even left on the porch light and dining room light.

So this is what I saw tonight when I came home from the hospital. My best dogs ever. Stella and Bubba. sitting on the window box, all excited to see me. I love these dogs. (Sorry for the red eye and flash.)

My husband called early this morning. 1:30 this morning. Scared me to death. I saw it was his name on the phone and said hello. Hello hello. I could hear him talking but nothing. I kept saying hello. I thought I was dreaming. It was so weird. I kept trying to get him to hear me. He was talking to a nurse and telling her his doctors names. I finally hung up and called him back. He answered right away. He said he had looked on his phone to get my number. Didn't know he called me.

Anyway, he said they had just done an ultra sound on his legs. They found a blood clot behind his right knee. He got a shot to break it up. We don't know if it had been there for awhile or just happened. And he was hungry so had some crackers and milk. And was freezing cold. Covered up with 4 blankets.

I could not go back to sleep after that. It was 1:30 in the morning on May 28th that my mother called to tell me my step dad had just died. So when I saw the time on my phone, it freaked me out really bad. I did finally lay down and slept a little. But it really shook me up. But then, I thought if my husband had died, the hospital would have called, not him. Geesh.

I was at the hospital til about 7 tonight. Both daughters came. Poor Abby is so sick with a sinus infection. I am making her some elderberry syrup right now. I still hate when my kids are sick.

Tiny has something called Venous something. That's what the wound specialist is saying is on his feet. She explained how this happens. Especially to diabetics. So she had ordered a silver steroid cream to put on the wounds. But it had not come in when I left. So his feet have not been treated at all. He is being pumped full of antibiotics though. Blood pressure and blood sugar are quite high right now as well. With all he's been getting, it's to be expected.

Oh Lord, this is really something I have not prepared myself for. I know people go through this all the time. I was just not ready. My mother wrote a post about him. How he always gets me roses for our anniversary and how he waited til he got nearly home to go in to get a dozen roses for me. As sick as he was, he got me roses. Then called me and said he didn't think he'd make it home.  It hasn't hit me yet. I love him.

He's here. But not home.

I got a call from my husband about 2. He was at his truck parking spot where he parks his big truck and gets in his pick up truck to go home. He said he didn't think he could make it home. He was shaking like a leaf and felt sick. So I called both daughters, who live just a few minutes from where he parks and could be there faster than me, 20 miles away.

So they got him and were going to take him to Urgent Care in Ft. O. We all got there and they sent him straight on to the ER. They were waiting for him. Went right in an ER room. He had a fever and had thrown up before they got there. Really weak. Could hardly walk.

Quite graphic here. So sorry.

While I was taking care of business, he was getting into a hospital gown. When I walked in the room, his feet were right there. And I almost passed out when I saw them. He had told me over the phone he had blisters on his legs. I was not prepared for what I saw. His left ankle on the inside was totally raw. The bottom half was red and the top part was green. Not a good thing.

Then his right ankle did have a big blister. But the outside at the ankle was red and raw. Skin off. Horrible. I was not prepared for this at all. But I made it. They came and did blood work and EKG and all that stuff. Put the IV needle in his hand. Gave him a bag of antibiotic. After 4 hours, moved him up to a room.

Doctor came in. Asked a bunch of questions, trying to figure out what happened and when. They will clean his feet and wrap them tonight. Do more tests and blood work and all that. He had a good dinner and ate everything on the plate. He looked really good when I left.

So, he is going to call his boss in the morning and tell him what's going on. I hope I can wait til they come get the truck to have help to get all his things out. It takes hours to do it alone. So I hope they will just come get the trailer and leave the truck for a few days.

I have no idea how long he'll be in the hospital. But we both think he won't be going out in that truck again. I just hope he doesn't lose a foot from this. I don't think he will, but it's possible.

I have a wonderful friend right up the road who came and gathered eggs and let my dogs out and fed them. And locked up the chickens. And she swept the house and straightened up for me. She even left the porch light on. And got cat food because I was out. She's a great friend. Her name is Stephanie. I really appreciate her. And all I have to do is call and there she is to help. I am so thankful for her.

So please, send up a prayer for him. He will need it. He is in good hands there. I really didn't want him to go to this particular hospital. It's where my step dad was for 3 weeks. And he died there. So there are a lot of memories there. And Tiny is right down the hall from his room and the ICU. It was hard for my mom to be there tonight. The first time going back there. I didn't think I'd have to go back there this soon.

PS. I AM thankful that he made it home. And that he IS here so close. 5 years ago, he had something horrible happen to him in Memphis, Tn. and was in the hospital there for 8 days. He almost died. It was SO far away from home. No one came to see him. So he's here, where his family and friends are now. And I am close too.