Gus did a brief stint at the Humane Society of Skagit Valley after having been picked up as a stray, and is now happy to be learning the ropes here at the homestead.
Everything is still very new, and he’s a little too excited about chickens right now, but he’s a smart boy, and I think that with time and supervised/controlled exposure, he’ll become a little more savvy about these things.
He’s also making good progress on his “couch dog” skills
In other news, I’m pleased to have been accepted to participate in the Bow Farmers Market Holiday Festival, which will be 10 am- 4 pm Saturday, Nov 11 at Beau Lodge.
I’ll have handspun yarn, hats, carded fiber, and holiday ornaments (still in the works, pictures soon!)
Thanks to everyone who came out to the Holiday Market on Saturday. It was a nice day hanging out with other craftspeople and drinking spiced apple cider, even if it was really rainy and nasty outside.
I was able to rehome a few hats, but still have plenty of inventory, and so I’ve finally got my stuff together and listed items for sale on Etsy.
So if you still need a one-of-a-kind, homegrown and handcrafted hat for a gift (or for yourself!) please go take a look. Many thanks to The Man for taking all the photos.
I have earflap and stranded colorwork styles listed so far. Hope/plan to have the remainder listed within a few days.
Things keep rollin’ along here at the homestead, and I think I’m finally ready to start writing about them again.
I just returned from my yearly knitting retreat down on Whidbey Island with some friends, and it seemed like a good time to get this thing back on track. 🙂
So let me tell you about a cool little adventure we had while we were down there.
Shortly before the trip, I happened upon the website of a new fiber mill in Clinton, WA at the far south end of the island- Abundant Earth Fiber Mill
I was excited to find out about a new custom fiber processor in the area, and contacted the owner to ask if I (we) could come down to visit the mill. And she said yes!
So we drove down Tuesday morning and met Lydia, who welcomed us to her amazing operation and gave us a tour.
We followed the path of the fiber being processed from the skirting table
to the drying racks
and on to the picker
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Carder
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And then,,,,, wait for it,,,,,,wait for it,,,,, the Pin Drafter!
Look at those beautiful coils of wool. Mmmmmmm.
Everything is pin drafted many times to ensure uniformity of the roving before it goes to the spinning machine. Yes, Â she’s got a spinning setup too! Here’s a little video I took-
And here are some of the yarns that she produces
Pretty, pretty neat.
Some beautiful dark chocolate alpaca followed me home. (because souvenir fiber does not count as stash!)Â It’s practically spinning itself.
I’ve also been getting ready to participate in the Little Bow Market Fiber Day next week. I’m going to take yarn, as well as some carded fiber and some small knitted items I’ve completed over the last few months. First time vending- wish me luck! I’m sure it will be a fun time, whether I make many sales or not.
