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It’s times like this when I’m glad to have hobbies that I can get lost in for a bit, and try to tune out the news of the day. Just keep spinning. Just keep spinning. Spinning, spinning- what do we do, we spin (and VOTE!).

So here we go-

Shortly after I posted last week, I washed up that sample of Hog Island fleece. It was nice and fresh, and so cleaned up quite easily to a nice bright white that even seems to have a little bit of sheen.

Little bit of veg material throughout, but that is not a concern. The plan is to spin it up pretty fine, so most of that will fall out in the drafting.

This short, spongy fiber really wants to be spun woolen, so I pulled out the hand cards and whipped up some rolags

And then proceeded to long draw those babies out on the spindle wheel!

That’s just under a half ounce of singles on the quill.

Chain ply, wash, thwack, dry, and voila! Cutest little sample skein 🙂

But check this out- this yarn is so springy, that the finished skein is only about 2/3 the length of the niddy noddy I wound it on. So almost 36 yards turns into just under 25!

I don’t think I’ve ever experienced that sort of shrinkage before. Very interesting.

Progress continues on Candelaria-

I really want to get it off the needles for a quick try-on, but my Purl Strings rubber tubing thing isn’t working as well on these tiny, kind of grabby stitches, so I haven’t managed that yet.

I might have to bite the bullet and use the old needle and thread method. But it’s a lot of stitches. Quick math is telling me approximately 440, given the starting cast on count and 35 rows of yoke increases.

It feels so yummy. Light and fluffy. But I know I’d better try it on before I start decreasing to shape the sleeves.

So i guess I’ll make myself do that.

Ok, folks. that’s all I’ve got for now. Take care, and keep your knitting close.

And I have a little bit of souvenir wool to show for it!

That’s Gulf Coast Native roving from Pioneer Fiber Mill in New Smyrna Beach, with a little bonus raw sample of Hog Island wool, which I haven’t worked with before, and wasn’t available the last time I’d visited. Here’s a closer look at the locks

It’s only about 2 inches long, but seems nice and crimpy, and should be great for long-draw spinning once it’s washed and carded up.

Just before I left, Teti Lutsak came out with a new pattern- the Candelaria blouse, that really spoke to me, so despite it being a small gauge, charted pattern, I just dove in and took it with me as my travel project. Progress has been kind of slow, but I am happy with how it’s looking so far-

I’m knitting it in Esther singles and Knitting for Olive silk/mohair. They are slightly different weights, but I think that the fuzz/fluff factor of the mohair is going to make it work out ok. Or maybe I’m just deluding myself. Only time will tell 🙂 I do love that tangerine color.

And the travels spins-

The uppermost guy in the photo got a little too much spin in the ply, so i might experiment with backing that out just a smidge. Not sure yet. Will see how I feel about it in a few days.

Alrighty. That’s all the woolly news I’ve got for now.

Have a good week everyone-

This weekend I picked the Jarrahdale and Oregon Homestead Sweet Meat squash that were growing in the compost pile.

Lots of good eating there! And with the vines having completed their mission, I cleared them out to prepare for the harvesting of the compost itself, which I think has probably been cooking for at least a year now.

Rich and crumbly- can’t wait to get this good stuff into the garden beds.

Had Daphne and Fiona in the shed for hoof trim/treatment today and got a couple decent shots of how their fleeces-

Daphne’s crazy sunbleached ringlets

And Fiona’s champagne superfluff- which is showing more promise with each passing year

Daphne says “hey”- and wants to know if you brought ‘falfer pellets. 🙂

I will be waiting til next spring to shear these girls- and hoping that they don’t manage to crub them up too much over the winter!

Alas, I’m not any further along with my travel project plan. Lots of ideas, no clear direction yet.

But, thanks to The Man, there is applesauce!

Batch number one canned, subsequent batches probably to be frozen. Made from the transparents on the tree by our pumphouse, and some red delicious from the ancient tree out back.

I love warmed, spiced applesauce as a snack in the winter. And it is also great for baking, so always good to have on hand.

I’ve been working on getting the summer garden wrapped up. Harvesting the last of the tomatoes, cukes, peppers, etc. Yesterday I selected this year’s overwintering specimens from amongst our peppers to move them inside before the weather turns colder. I dug out one jalapeño, one svoboda, and one baklouti, potted them up and pruned them back hard.

The svoboda and baklouti didn’t yield me any ripe fruits this year, but hoping that with a headstart next season they might have more success.

Also planted out some shallots and garlic in the hoophouse. I’ve got kale and broccoli coming up, but they are still too tiny to go in the ground.

In wool work this week, I’ve been focusing mostly on Esther. Two different spins- one high twist, one low-twist.

I’m glad that I have quite a bit of her wool in the stash, but it’s kind of bittersweet handling her locks. I do so miss that girl.

Speaking of sheeps, I was just out giving the girls some treats-apples and yellow squash. What a glorious fall afternoon-

Dottie says “hey”-

While she is still limping , it seems like she is putting a bit more weight on that injured back leg lately, so I’m hopeful that it’s slowly healing.

Have a good week folks-