Tag: Frank

Loom-ing Improvements

denisemor 3 August 21, 2011

First, I repurposed a quilting frame-

Then I rigged up a pedal thingee to control a heddle bar below the frame-

And finally, I found a shuttle lurking in a kitchen drawer-

(actually works better as a shuttle than it ever did as a spatula)

The treadle-operated thingee and shuttle are really speeding up my progress. So far I’ve got about 12 inches of fabric from my handspun leftovers.

And I think they look pretty cool. Mighty good use of spare bits. Maybe I’ll turn it into a handbag or something.

Handsome Frank says “Better get busy. I’ll have another 6 inches of fleecy goodness for you in no time!”

Out and About

denisemor 2 May 22, 2011

Pups in motion-

Go Walla, go!

Fetch, Sadie, fetch!

Good girl, Sadie.

And sheep at rest:

Handsome Frank (sporting an almost all white face these days. Weird, eh?)

Edgar on the rocks (with a twist?)

Snuggle sheeps getting their chin schritches

Chone trying to nibble my earlobe

Stashbuster top-down raglan sweater marches on-

I really like how it’s coming together, but it’s becoming apparent to me that there is not going to be enough of the darkest color to finish up the sleeves, so I went back to the stash to formulate a Plan B-

I think I’ve got enough of Mariah, (of Little Country Acres) to pull me through
And it’s an amazingly close match for the Border Leicester I used at the neckline.

Long live the stash!

Ovine Artifacts

denisemor 4 April 10, 2011

Cleaning out the sheep shed today and found a couple of objects of interest in the sofa cushions, so to speak-

Felix’s recently shed mini-horn.

What I find so interesting about this is that it’s all hollow inside- where there was another little horn right behind it. That’s kind of neat. It did bleed some, though. That’s how I’d noticed that he’d lost it Friday morning.

And someone’s regurgitated CoSeCure bolus.

Dang.
So I’m only 4 for 5 (as far as I know).
No telling who coughed it up. Oh well.

Have made fairly good progress on the vest this week, but it became very clear by the time that I finished the fronts

that I wasn’t going to have enough Huey left for the whole back.

So, off I went to the stash to see what might work.

Among all the skeins of handspun that I have hanging around, I have a few that would have been a nice color complement, and another couple that might have worked texture-wise, but nothing that was the right weight.

Amazing.

Water water everywhere, but not a drop to drink.

The solution: Back to the wheel!

Texture-wise, I figured that Frank’s long, wavy rear-end fleece would probably be the best match.
My thinking- spin the long silky locks into a nice low-twist single, that I could then chain ply into a soft, lofty aran-weight yarn.

Thankfully, I already had a batch washed up!

And I think that the creamy white looks really sporty with the caramel-y Huey hues.

That’s a solid base hit to center, scoring Huey from third.

Way to go Frank!

Will Work For Fleece

denisemor 10 March 6, 2011

It’s been a good weekend.
Always helps when you have a couple extra days.

I really should do that more often.

Thursday I went over to Schoonover Farm to help with their shearing.
I always jump at the chance to help with something like this, because it’s a great opportunity to learn (and earn a really nice fleece!)

This year I chose Spike.
Here he is being shorn:

The fleece:

And the first yarn:

Mmmm mmmmm good.
Good show, Spike!

Saturday, we did our sheep maintenance routine- hooves, deworming, and administering the CoSeCure boluses for the first time.
It was a bit hairy, getting the boluses down them, until we developed a technique,, but they all got done. And it doesn’t look like anyone has spit them up, so I think we’re good!

This afternoon was really beautiful, so I was going to go out and get some fleece photos, but the boys wouldn’t cooperate.
So, I decided I would take samples instead.

Went back to the house to get the nice new little shears that got just recently.
Thought I would just get a couple snips worth, as a preview.

But when I got out there, Edgar just walked right up and said “Take it off. Take it all off”

And so I did.

First he just stood there while I was clipping.

Then he sat down.

And I just kept on clipping.

At some point, the other guys got curious and came around to see what was going on.

I had Frank climbingup on my back, and Chone nibbling on my ear.

Crazy guys.

But it was fun. Edgar was so relaxed, and I just kept chatting him up, telling him how sporty he was gonna look in his new ‘do.

Probably took an hour or more.
I just took it slow and made sure not to get too close to any skin.
He’s still got a half inch to an inch of wool on him everywhere, so I don’t think he’ll get too chilly.
Seems mighty relieved to be rid of the heavy coat, actually.

And I’m glad to take it from him.

Edgar’s a bit lumpy lookin’ and the fleece is a bit jumbled,, but I think we’re both pretty psyched about how it went.

Who’s next? Perhaps on we of the big boys?