Category: Blog

Earlier this week I had to say goodbye to my good friend Yellow Chig. It seems silly to be broken up over the loss of an old, mostly blind chicken, but I had grown quite attached to her over the years. She was kind of a special case. A sweet, feathery ray of sunshine bopping around the garden.

It’s been so cold that the ground is still frozen and I haven’t had a chance to bury her yet. Hoping I can maybe do that later today.

Ideas are also coming together about a Yellow Chig memorial project. Thinking along the lines of felt, with embroidery embellishment. More on that later.

That leaves Speck on her own in the hoophouse for now. Not sure how she’s feeling about being a solitary chicken. I expect it will be easier in better weather when she can range around the yard.

Despite the chicken drama, I did manage to finish the unspun sweater this week-

I’m really pleased with how it turned out! As I was knitting the body and sleeves with the carded Alice wool (which was still kind of greasy) I was a little worried about the texture. But it washed up beautifully, and feels lighter and fluffier now. I also was a unsure of how I was going to fix a ugly smudge of oil or grease or some thing that somehow got on the sleeve I was working.

Gah! Crubbed even before it’s gotten worn!

I decided to just knit on and address it afterwards, when I was washing and blocking.

It turns out that my handy Tide To Go pen was effective on whatever crud had gotten on there. I wonder if there also being natural sheep grease left in the might have helped with the stain not penetrating the fibers (?) Anyway, it all came out in the wash. Thank goodness. A fresh start for the Unspun Sweater (neckline finishing question tabled for now).

Have a good week folks-

Been mighty cold the last few days.

Spent most of my time hunkered down near the pellet stove, with trips out to tend critters.

No snow to speak of, just cold and wind.

The sheep don’t seem to mind, thankfully. I’ve got a defroster in their water, so that helps.

Speck the chicken would probably be ok in the hoophouse overnight as she’s pretty robust, but almost lost Yellow Chig overnight Thursday, so I’ve been bringing them both into the laundry room in a dog crate the last two nights. Despite that, Yellow Chig seems to be losing steam. Way too skinny, and having crop issues but still hanging in there. Poor girl.

Anyway, one bright spot this week was getting a completely unexpected package in the mail from The Shepherd, whose fancy vest I finished up a couple/few months ago.

12 oz total of Sister Jean roving. What a lovely surprise!

Not sure yet what it wants to be, but I took it for a test spin yesterday (Dala) to get a feel for it.

Notes to self: chain ply, .455 oz, 23 yds knit on size 3/4 needles, 5 st/in, 7.25 rows/in .455 oz, 23.5 yds

If my math is correct, and I spun it all up to those specs, I could get about 600 yds. or I could go finer with a two-ply. Two ply would be nice for colorwork. Decisions, decisions.

While hunkered by the pellet stove I’ve made more progress on the unspun sweater, serving as background here for my most recent blendy spin.

Really close to done with the knitting now (though, as I mentioned last week, I expect I’ll need to reknit the last few inches of the other sleeve)— so the finishing bit has been on my mind a lot lately.

I’m considering steeking it up the front and making it a cardigan/jacket. Been thinking about the best way to do that, and if button/loop closure would still be viable, or if I’d be looking at working a button band.

But I’m tired and grumpy from the cold, and having a hard time making a decision. Maybe once my brain thaws out.

Take it easy, and stay toasty folks-

I had the pleasure of going to a spinning event yesterday! St. Distaff’s Day Spin-In in Burlington, hosted by the Bellingham Spindrifters, NWRSA area 2015.

It was great fun, and very well attended. I’m thinking maybe 200-250 people? A nice range of vendors, used equipment for sale, raffles, door prizes, some snacks. I had a really nice time browsing wares, spinning, and talking wool and wheels with folks.

I took Sophie with, as she’s an easy traveler, and spun up some blendy batts that I’d carded up the day before

And I picked up some more recycled sari silk from Siren of the Skeins to play with on the carder.

like so

Back at home, The Man made great progress on Dala’s end cap repair

We’re almost there! Endcap looks great. Just need to do some shaping on the reconstructed peg, and she’ll be whole again. Here is the repaired piece in place

And today I completed my first sleeve on the unspun sweater-

I’d carefully measured out my remaining Nutiden-

and divided it into two batches for the two cuffs, thinking I was being all clever and organized. But now that I’m ready to start the second sleeve, I’m reminded that I knit two rows of the green just below the yoke. So I’m probably going to have to unknit/reknit the first cuff before I’m done. Oh well.

That’s all I’ve got as far as wool-related content today. But I also wanted to share a link to a video I was watching this morning that really resonated. Jessica Soward of Roots and Refuge Farm on resilience.

Have a great week-

Took some time this afternoon to give the spinning wheel herd some love.

Dusting, polishing, oiling- got the girls all spiffed and ready for another year of wool work!

Also enlisted The Man to make repairs to Dala’s (Mighty Red’s new moniker) front upright endcap. Here it is in it’s original state

And here is the repair in progress. Epoxy curing around a framework of copper wire to fill the void.

Been spinning on her all this time with the compromised piece, and it will be nice to finally have her axle securely tucked in.

And speaking of spinning- I turned a few blendy batts into singles this week-

Also continued to make progress on the unspun sweater, which is really starting to look like a sweater now that it’s got part of one sleeve

And with that, 2023 is a wrap. Really hoping that the neighbors aren’t planning fireworks (for the sheeps’ sake). Would appreciate this year going out without a bang.

Happy New Years, everyone- and all the best in 2024!