Less than a month from shearing and lambing - the excitement builds
Rich is adding to the pasture, posts are in, next to stretch the fencing.
My first skein of chain ply waiting for its matching skein and then I'll wash them together
Finished Will's socks, I don't think he has taken them off since he found them in his room when he came home for the weekend.
Received invites to a couple upcoming festivals which is flattering, but sadly, no Rhinebeck again this year.
Finished the solid skein of Jon Snow plus a couple small skeins for the Sheep heid kits, then will spin up a gradient skein with the darker grey.
Miss Elizabeth Bennett is still on the carding table, next to Anne Elliott.
And am washing the end of the neck wool from 2017. I actually think I'll have all of 2017 done and dusted before shearing day. That will be a first for me!
Plying the light grey of Jon Snow, the darker grey will be made into a gradient yarn. I'm thinking I'll also need to use some of the light grey for the sheep heid kits, as I am running low on them.
Knitting up the chain plied self striping yarn, making a pair of fingerless mitts from a free pattern on ravelry. Dreaming about getting the next pair of self striping yarns on the bobbin. Can't decide if I want to try a 2 color stripe, or a big variety of colors for my next attempt.
Still working on the hat.
Got the micron results from the rams yesterday, very pleased with our results on the keeper ram lambs. Decisions just got harder.
Application was accepted for CNY Fiber festival, that was a nice email I was very happy to get.
I'm also planning on vending at the Shepherd's market in May.
I am very excited to announce that I now chain ply.
Yes, I have advanced one rung up the ladder of spinning enlightenment by adding chain plying to my list of skills. I have been trying to figure out how to make self striping yarns for my knitting clients. Did the rolag idea, not a fan of the blending board, spent way too much time trying to get the rolags off the sticks.
I couldn't figure out how to make them look pretty
Then did the weighing of each color and splitting it and putting it in the same order to the point where I was doing this:
Ridiculous
Then this week I watched a youtube video on chain plying, and then just got on my wheel and did it. Struggled a little to figure out how to minimize the barber pole at the point where the new color starts.
Sent out a question to my instagram friends and got this guidance, "Make the loops smaller". Smack my forehead with the ball of my hand, "I shoulda had a V-8 Style". It worked. How did we learn stuff before social media?
I love chain plying!!! I feel like I am back playing cat's in the cradle with my little sister. Hope you like self striping yarns cause this is my new thing. Next trick will be to make two skeins with same striping scheme so you can make a pair of matching socks or mittens.
The other amazing thing this week was Jon Snow's rooed fleece. It is crazy soft. I know I say that about everything, but this wool feels like it came off our Hazel, our angora bunny.
Who I found out doesn't hate me because every time I reach in her cage she scratches me. She hates my gender. Apparently she sees me as a threat to her breeding prowess. She looooooves Rich though. Wouldn't dream of scratching wonderful Rich.
Anyways back to Jon Snow's fleece. I am carding now, little different experience than a sheared fleece, but I'm getting the hang of it. Will spin into yarn and be very happy.
Move over Elizabeth Bennet, Jon Snow is now first in line on the carding table.
Here is a skein from Elizabeth Bennett - nice moorit yarn.
Here is a hat I've started from Vogue's yarn which was left over from the Bousta beanie.
Cody is a looking a little embarrased this morning as he pooped on the floor. He hates himself when he does it. I keep telling him its my fault, I was so engrossed in my chain plying I didn't notice his signals.
And here is the view from my kitchen window this morning.
Good morning my beautiful girls, you lovely little lamb factories!
Scheduled the shearer for mid April. Very big day for us, can't contain my excitement. Here is all that's left from prior year's clip.
Rich took fiber samples during the week from entire flock and got those sent over to Texas A&M so looking forward to getting our AFD data back in a few weeks.
I am working on carding and spinning Elizabeth Bennett's lovely moorit fleece. I was demo-ing flicking and spinning her during the fiber festival last week.
Also washing Anne Elliott today, very pretty katmoget with exceptional crimp, this will be really springy when spun up.
Jon Snow, our grey kat ram lamb, has been shedding a little, so Rich and I roo'd him. Thought I had videoed it, but of course screwed it up. Here he is mid way through.
Here is the fleece we got from him:
And here he is afterwards. Didn't bother with the britch, looks a little silly but the shearer can clean him up in a few weeks.
And here is the hoof print he left on my face while I was plucking his wool.
And here is the mess I will be organizing this weekend after the fiber festival. Love organizing.
I always think about that lady that went from farm to farm pulling wool off the fences to spin. You could make 3 sweaters from the wool I have laying around on the floor of my workspace. Disgraceful.
