Got the first bit of shearing done this week. Topside of Fiona.
She was pretty felted all down her back, so I tried to get it off in one piece as much as I could.
Gus is pretty taken with it, so I’m thinking that perhaps once it’s washed up I’ll turn it into a comfy bed for the tiny boy.
So that’s Gus’ little comfort.
And for me- this week I’ve been enjoying some corrugated ribbing. So easy and satisfying. Two handed colorwork without any chartwatching or stitch counting, Just round and round in knit and purl. Balanced and relaxing, resulting in a nice squishy substantial fabric.
It’s kinda cool and drippy here, but things feel a lot spring-ier in the hoophouse with the little seedlings making good progress.
Tiny ‘maters are just starting to grow their first true leaves! Such sweet little ‘mater babies.
And I’m continuing to stretch my color palette- this week adding a few more green shades, a juicy orange,
and one that reminds me of dryer lint 🙂 (drum carder remnants blended into a tweedy, vaguely purple-y hue)
And, I had a chance this week to play with a bit of a rare breed wool that I picked up recently at NW Yarns in Bellingham- Manx Loaghtan
Spin notes: spun singles from the fold on Elsa (larger whorl), chain plied on Moto (speed 3.5) 2 oz., approx 83 yds
Was fun to try a new wool- and I’m happy with the result. Toothsome, but cushy and with a bit of bounce. I expected the staple to be a bit longer- I think that this was maybe 3″ max , and the feel of the fiber was quite dry, but perhaps that’s down to the processing. I’d be really interested to get some fleece and see how it works up start to finish.
The other rare breed sample I picked up is Zwartbles. Think I’ll spin it up in the same style, and perhaps use the two together in a small project.
Alrighty folks- take care, and be excellent to each other.
One year ago today The Man and I pulled the plastic over our hoophouse, wiggle-wired it securely into place, and breathed a big sigh of relief in getting it successfully enclosed in time for starting garden seeds.
This year, we’ve been able to going a bit earlier, and so the veggie starts are well underway.
Everybody is coming along really well so far. Those I started earliest, broccoli and onions, have been off heat for a while now and I planted some out this weekend.
The new garden bed is shaping up nicely, and I think I’ll have room for squash (Jarrahdale and Delicata) and potatoes (yukon gold type and some finglerlings) there. Some stray Russian Banana taters that escaped harvest last year have become the seeds for this season and are the first things to go in the ground over there.
I was thinking I might have gotten a start with shearing this weekend, but I kind of overdid it with digging and weeding yesterday, and my left wrist is kinda tender, so I thought I shouldn’t push it. Maybe sometime this week I’ll get a little clipping in 🙂
In wool news, I continue to play with color, blending on the drum carder for nice heathery semi-solid effects.
I think the next round might be darker shades. Some of the same color mixes, but blended with small amounts of black or charcoal grey.
The growing rainbow palette has me starting to think about possible sweater projects, but all I’ve got on the needles right now is a Hat Du Jour- using up leftover bits and little sample skeins in squishy garter stitch, the comfort food of knitting.
On this beautiful sunny day in what can be a very gray and wet time of year, I am finding joy in the many simple, beautiful things I have to be thankful for and happy about.
Seeds germinating
front to back: melons, eggplants, cukestomatoes & peppers in front, broccoli and onions in rear
Quick colorful spins
Beautiful eggs
Sowed more seeds this weekend, too. (Because I must grow all the things! ) – Celery, Jarrahdale and Delicata squash, Zuchinni, and Okra. Though I am being mindful this year to not grow crazy amounts of all the things. 🙂
Also, on a bit of a lark this morning, I decided to try and plant some of the black oil sunflower seeds that we add to the chicken scratch. Don’t know what to expect, but would be super cool if they grew into a blaze of tall yellow blooms in the summer.
Soon it will be time to shear, so I’m sure sheep will be featuring heavily in upcoming posts. I fear that Daphne and Fiona are pretty felted,,, but won’t know what I’m up against until I dive in. But I do love diving into the fleece.
