Merry Christmas y'all!

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

Lots of spinning going on in the studio.

 I've been spinning. A lot. And I love it.

It's funny how some things are meant for certain times of your life. Like I've had turkeys, ducks, goats, cows, pigs. I've worked different jobs. Had 2 kids when I was 20 and 22. I could handle things at different stages of my life. Some things I've tried and will probably never do again. Just wasn't for me. Or it's just too much to handle. Then some things come back around and I start all over again. Like pigs. Which I will be getting 2 of in March. But I think I'll be ready for them by then.

But this spinning thing, I guess it's the right time for me now. It wasn't last year, when I bought the spinning wheel. Things just didn't work out. And I got too frustrated. And I had way too many sheep and goats. And life was just crazy.

Now I am ready. I knida sorta know what I'm doing now. Thanks to the class I took last month. And my nice pretty calm clean happy studio too. I can go over there now and spin all I want. I have everything I need there. And a good radio where I can listen to good music. It depends on the weather what stations I can get. But the past few days, it's been classical. Which is great to listen to while spinning. Country is good too. But the classical is calming.

So I went over to my studio yesterday and started spinning the beautiful Romney-Mohair rovings I got from the fiber show a few months ago. It's so pretty and soft. It's called Sea Turtle. I finished it today. Set the twist in the 3 skeins along with 2 skeins of the brown Romney I had done last week. And tonight spun some gray-silver roving I got from Polly at All Books in Chatt. plus some roving Sandra sent along with some fleece I had gotten from her. It was perfect to go with that little bit of roving. Made a whole bobbin full. I had some white Merino wool I had spun a few weeks back when I was practicing. It was pretty thick in some places. I spun the grays real thin. So when I plied them together, it turned out so pretty. They are all hanging on the drying rack in the studio to dry.

These are the 2 bobbins of single ply, ready to ply.

This is one of the balls of roving. I just love it. And my home made Lazy Kate, for holding the bobbins while plying. It works!

This is one bobbin full of the plied yarn. It turned out so pretty. Now to figure out what to make with it. It will go with my brown felted jacket, so maybe a scarf.

Isn't it beautiful? I am rather pleased with myself for being able to even do this. It is so fun! It's on the niddy-knoddy here.

Then off, ready to go in the wash water, to set the twist. I watched a video today and did it her way. It's so soft and smells good now.

On the left is the 2 skeins of the Romney. I still have about 5 more pounds to wash and card. On the right is the 1st skein of the  Sea Turtle.

This is the gray-silver I started later tonight.  It's all plied and washed and hanging too. I love this yarn. I'm going to use it to make something for Mrs. T's oldest daughter for Christmas.

And this is a little cowel I crocheted for one of my kids. I don't even know if it's really a cowel or not. I just started making it up as I went along. I did the popcorn stitch around the outside.  I like it. And it's fast and easy to make too. I need fast and easy right now.

So I am just happy to be spinning right now. I think I need to be able to do this. I hope to start spinning some of my own sheep's wool soon after Christmas. I want to take my time and do it right. Then in March, I'll have 12 more fleeces from my sheep to work with. I love my sheep. And the alpacas are growing on me. Poor Sugar King had some barbed wire caught on his tail yesterday. Of all the animals to have that happen to, it had to be the one who will not let me get near him. I had to go get feed and heavy duty gloves on. The grabbed the wire and pulled. It was wound around his wool, but not the skin. I got it out and he was just fine. He didn't struggle or freak out. He knew I was helping him.

Another long day tomorrow. Spending it with my mom. Then to the middle school to watch my youngest in her fist band concert. Then one more market and I am officially done til spring. I thought I would have a soap sale. Then I might start a Shopify account. See how that goes for me.

Happy week before Christmas, y'all!

Markets and dog fur.

Went to the last holiday market yesterday. Only had enough room for the length of 1 table, so had to get creative and go up. I asked my husband to make a tree out of the free wood a friend gave us, to hand ornaments from. And stacked the crates up for the soap. Brought the wire rack for soap too. I had the basket of dryer balls on the floor in front. So it all worked out. And got lots of compliments on how it looked. It was a really long day. It was over at 4 but by the time I was loaded up, it was 4:45. And still had to go shopping for Mrs. T.

And 2 of my lambs, Cara and Campbelle, were in a live nativity at a church in Lafayette Friday and Sat. night. So had to go get them. We all went and made it to the last tour though the town of Bethlehem the night Jesus was born. It was a really good depiction of what it was like, with people dressed in the clothing and selling things like bread and fish and baskets and oil. And live animals. My lambs were a big hit with everyone. And they were so good. I think they liked laying close to the little fire the shepherds had going.

This is the tree my husband made. He did a really good job. Everyone loved it. And this will be our Christmas tree! I'll put some lights on it and put some little ornaments on it and call it done. I sold several little sheep and pins cushions and dryer balls.

And this is some of the softest ever dog fur. I have been asking for a year now for some of Chester's dog fur from a customer. She brought me this bag full of it yesterday. I love it. It feels like alpaca. So I am going to spin this in with some of my gray-brown Romney wool and see what happens.

I think I'll go to the Main St. farmer's market this Wed. and that will be it. I said yesterday was the last market, but I'd like to sell more soap. So I'll have a sale buy 4 bars of soap and get 2 free. If anyone needs some, let me know. I can get them in a flat rate envelope or box. I know the box is $5.95 but the envelope is probably cheaper.

After Wed. my car will be cleaned out and stuff put away til next spring. I am tired. And need to be making Christmas gifts.