Sunday, January 25, 2015

2 old retired guys.

 2 old retired bored guys did this Thursday. There  was a huge brush pile  at the end  here and a huge evil nasty horrid wild rose tree by that phone pole. Then I had a field fence to the right of the pole dividing the garden to the left from the orchard to the right.

So my husband's friend Kid came down Thursday and together they cleaned off the fence row of all the trees and briers and crap and burned the brush pile. It looks great now!


This is looking the other way toward the south pasture. I am going to have to keep the garden looking good now. It was hidden behind all the mess.




            Here comes Black Bart, checking for any good bugs left. I hope all those big dandelions will come back though. Under all that brush grew some huge ones.


This next week, they are going to start working on all those downed tree trunks in the back pasture. I'll be getting pigs in March so need it all fixed up for them. There is also another pine tree leaning toward the electric fence back there that needs to come down. Gotta keep these old bored retired guys busy, right?

Now to get the rest of the garden cleaned up and get some seeds ordered and start dreaming of a new garden.

Friday, January 23, 2015

BIG difference!

 I grabbed the 2 skeins of the brown Romney I spun last month and wound it up so I could knit a cowl for me. And I can really see a big difference in the way I am spinning now from just a little over a month ago. This is pretty thick. The wool I'm spinning from Amarillo is really thin. I have to make myself make it a bit thicker. I like a bulky yarn though. And I like size 13 needles too!





This is SO soft and not stiff at all. I love it. I have only spun the 2 skeins so far and still have a huge garbage bag to wash and spin. It's almost got a hint of lilac in it.




I only really know a few knit stitches yet. I did make half a hat using 6 different stitches and will try to use them in something. But I always end up curling when I knit and purl. I've read different ways to prevent that but I just wanted a quick project now.




I have got to find a Romney ram y'all. There is someone in Kentucky who has beautiful Romney sheep. I may try to go up there in the fall.

Thursday, January 22, 2015

More yarn. More sheep.

 I finished spinning the big bag of Romney wool the other day. It's so pretty! When I put it up to white wool, it's a pale yellow color. I just love the natural colors right now. I'm sure I'll try to dye some. But right now, I'll stick with natural. If I do sell any of this yarn, then whoever gets it can dye it. I just wouldn't know what colors to dye them anyway.

Some of the lambs, checking out this strange stuff. They are so funny, these lambs. Very curious about everything. Where the adult sheep will run away from anything strange, the lambs will walk right up to it. They ain't skeered of nothin'!



Isn't this so pretty y'all? To me, it looks like a fresh water pearl necklace. I love it. I am getting better about spinning smaller. But it takes forever to fill a bobbin with really small yarn.



                        Just look at all these big fluffy wooly sheeps! I hope to have them sheared in March.




This is Adalaide's back wool. Is this not just the most beautiful wool ever? It's SO soft and crimpy. I still have some of hers from last year but I am waiting on some combs so I can get all the locks apart to be able to spin it. This looks a lot better though. I posted this pic on a fiber forum and lots of people are interested in her fleece.





So then I started in on the rest of Amarillo's wool. It's so white and soft. I love it. Sure do wish I had hand combs though. The batts would be so much smoother and I could get out all the little nibby-nubbies.


   

Clack had to come up on the porch Monday while I was spinning, to check it out. This is his mother's wool. I wonder if her knows it's hers?




A close up of the fibers. I just love watching it as it goes from my fingers to the bobbin. I am so amazed  that I am even doing this. I love it and cannot stop. I still have a bag of Annabelle's and her daughter Buttercup's wool I need to be cleaning. I will when I get these 2 bobbins plied.  I started that last night.




Well, I think our really nice sunny warm days are over for awhile here. I have so enjoyed being able to sit on the studio porch and spin. It's been so nice this week. But today is a bit overcast and cool. Supposed to be a 90% chance of rain tomorrow. And just when the ground was starting to dry up. UGH, I hate mud!