Sunday, January 4, 2015

Thankful today...



for all the usual things. Like a roof over my head. A warm bed. A wood stove to keep us warm and so much wood. A husband who takes care of all that. A beautiful area where we live. I love it out here.

But for the past few days, it has rained. And rained. And rained some more. When it does this, it reminds me of a movie I saw, years and years ago, of a planet where lots of children lived. I can't remember if there were any adults. But it rained every day of the year except one day. It would stop raining and the sun would shine for the whole day. They all looked forward to that one day and made a celebration out of it. One year though, someone locked one of the girls up in a room and she missed that whole day. It was so sad. I cried for her. I cannot remember what the name of the movie was. If anyone else ever saw it, I'd love to know it. And maybe would like to see it again.

With all this rain and mud and muck outside, it's hard to remember what sunshine feels like. And how much a person can miss it. And how there are so many people affected by that seasonal disorder, where they get depressed with all the dark dreariness.

Yesterday, I had slept later than usual. Had a late breakfast. Went over to my studio, in the rain, with my umbrella. I worked over there all day. About 7 hours. Spinning and plying yarn. Didn't even realize what time it was. I was getting hungry, so went home to fix dinner. I left my umbrella over there. And some lights on, thinking I'd be back after dinner.

But it really started raining then. And did not ever stop at all. It poured too. So I never got to go back over. And everything is over there now. All my yarn and knitting and crochet stuff. So I had nothing to do.

So anyway, I am SO thankful that it has stopped raining!!!! AND the sun has popped out to say hello a few times so far this morning! It feels so good to see the sun again. It did feel like a whole year since it's been out. I know we need rain. But good grief I think that's enough for awhile!

It's also not cold. But this week we could have some nights near 10 degrees. I do like frozen ground better than mud.

This picture is of some of my metal stars hanging in the dining room, reflecting on the wall, from the sun. So pretty. I hope you all have a great first full week of 2015!


Thursday, January 1, 2015

Amarillo and Abraham

More spinning in the studio the past few days. I was doing this last night til about 10:30.

So the brown is from my ram Abraham. He's long gone, but his wool is finally being spun. He was a nice brown-red color and had nice wool. He's the father to all my lambs. So I decided to spin some of his with Amarillo's. She's in the photo below. She's the ewe that had the quads. I think it turned out really nice. I love the natural colors myself. I did one skein yesterday.  Today, spun another bobbin of each color. I had to stop because my shins are hurting, from all the treadling.  And my right hand too. I love spinning, but need to take breaks more between spinning. I'll ply these other 2 bobbins tomorrow. I'll get 4 skeins from them. This would be a pretty sweater, I think. This also has some black alpaca fiber in it. I love alpaca, but can't spin it by itself. It's just too fine for me. So I'll add it to the wool. And some of this wool needs alpaca for extra softness.





I tried to fix the robot thing. I hope I got it right. And thank you, Kimberly, for your nice comments!

Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Prove your a robot?

I have no idea where this has come from. I hate it. I will try to figure out how to get this off. I can't even comment on my own blog. Sorry bout this.

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

I love spinning!


I can't stop. It's so addictive and fun. I am getting better at it, since I first started. I wish I could be more consistent, but that will come with practice, I hope.

This is Adele's wool, all spun. I got 3 skeins of it. I did use a little bit of my white alpaca's fleece in this, because Adele doesn't have the best wool. It needed a little bit of softness added in. This will go to a friend who has a pretty little red headed daughter named Adele. I hope she can knit this into a pretty sweater for her. She can dye it if she wants when she gets it. I still need to set the twist, then it's done.



This is Adele. She's 3. Her mother was part hair and her father is Abraham, the Finn ram. So she is mostly Finn, but still had some course wool. This next shearing will    give me some really nice wool from her. It's looking really good. She is still not letting me touch her. I've had her since she was born here and she's always been this way. Her ewe lamb, Cassadee, is very friendly and will let me pet her all over. But not Adele.





I let the sheep out into the front yard yesterday to eat the pretty green grass. They didn't know what to do with it. Crazy sheep. So this is what some of them did, stared at me through the kitchen door. These 3 brown lambs are 3 of the quads. 2 of them are boys. The ram looked just like them. They were all 3 born jet black.


Here they all are on the green grass. They did eat some of it. Then I called to get a round bale of hay delivered for them. I had them take it next door to the bigger dryer pasture. There's a little barn with a shelter he put it under for them. So they can stay over there for awhile. It's so wet and muddy in the lot behind them in this picture. I sink up to my ankles out there. Not good for the sheep and alpacas to be walking in that.





All the sheep are looking pretty good. They are all fat and sassy. I love these sheep. And am so enjoying being able to finally spin their wool. I have 2 more bags of wool to wash, Annabelle's and her daughter Buttercup's. Then several fleeces I have bought. I need to get these all washed and ready before March. That's when the shearer will be coming. Then I will have 12 more to do!

Happy new year y'all! I hope it's a good one for everyone.

Monday, December 29, 2014

Just a few things...

 Some of the things I made as Christmas gifts for family.


This is my youngest, Abby, modeling her cowl, ear warmers and boot cuffs. I used Wooly Moss Roots wooden buttons. I love them. And I love green. Can ya tell?






This is Jason, Abby's husband. I made him 2 hats. Looks like this one will keep his head warm.




And my mom will hate me for this one, but it's the only picture I took of her 2 cowels.  Seems like I made a lot of these. Made some for the caretakers for Mrs. T too. They are fun to make. I am working on a knitted cowel for someone now. It takes forever to knit though.



I have been spinning for a few days now. I am sore. It takes a long time to get a few skeins of yarn from these sheep. I'll do another post tomorrow.

Saturday, December 20, 2014

Ornaments...


I put some ornaments on the other tree this morning. I love seeing all the old ones I have had for years.

On the left here is an ornament my oldest daughter Heather made from an egg carton. It used to have a few more and some little bells. But it's only about 30 years old, so some things have fallen off. But I always put it on the tree.

The round ball in the middle is Heather's 1st ornament, from 1979. It goes on every year too.

And the little red box is an ornament our good friend Libby made for one of her Sunday school classes that Abby was in. 1983. I miss Libby so much. She died this past March, from a long battle with cancer. Still can't believe the Lord took her so soon.



And this is a little card a friend of Heather's gave her in school way back in 1987. I still put this on the tree every year too. Funny how certain things just mean so much this time of year.



This is my oldest grand daughter, Chloe. I made one of these for all 3 of my grand daughters for 2003. And I try to get them each their own ornament that has something to do with what they like, so they can have them when they get their own trees.

The little mice in the stocking is one of many ceramic ornaments I made a few years after my husband and I were married back in '78. A friend's sister had a ceramic studio and I'd go make some ornaments there. I made several of these little mouse ornaments.






 This is Coryn's, the middle child. She loves shoes.



And of course Kansas, the youngest.



I do wish each of you the merriest of Christmas' and the best new year ever!

Friday, December 19, 2014

Merry Christmas y'all!


                             Just wanted to pop in and wish everyone a very merry Christmas!