Hot Off The Wheel

This is my very last bit of a Shetland fleece, from Brava of Boulderneigh. This natural colored fleece had, like many other Shetland fleeces, some color variation, so I decided to make a subtle gradient yarn. I wish I'd decided to do this earlier, while I had more of the fleece left. I really enjoyed spinning this fleece. Thank you Boulderneigh!

A Cowl for a Special Gal

A little something to help keep Sam warm during her winters in Michigan.  It should be long enough to wrap twice, or one wrap over the head and another around the neck. Adapted to knit in the round from the Holding Hands, Feeding Ducks scarf. I spun the yarn from hand dyed roving by Capistrano Fiber Arts.

Tell Me Why Baby

Why Baby, why

You made me ply Baby

Ply Baby, ply Baby ply

Intended for a weaving project, the brown yarn is Romney, and the white is Border Leicester. I've spun over 2 pounds for this project, I guess I should do the math and get an idea of how much yarn I'll need. Off the tool of my head, at least 5 pounds. Good thing the Romney is a big fleece.

In my last post, I complained about the heat, and wondered if it would ever rain. The last 2 days we've had little bits of rain, not enough to even measure, but I'll take it.

Not Exactly Lemons

But that's what came to mind, making the best of the weather. The last few days have been hot. Especially Friday, oh my goodness! I think it hit 93 or 94 F. Too hot to do anything that didn't need doing. But, a good day for a Friday Fall fleece flout. (hehehe) A hot, dry sunny day is a good time to haul the fleeces out of the closet, remind myself what I have, and check for fleece pests. Here is what I pulled out of my closet. This is like a fleece buffet, and I want to take a little of everything and spin it right now.

All out enjoying the sun

Those, plus a few other bags in the shed equals 24 bags. Mostly wool, mostly colored, which surprised me. Mostly luscious too. There are 4 bags of alpaca in there too. Not counted; commercially prepped fiber in batts or rovings, and various bags of dog hair suitable for spinning, and a few ounces of flax and hemp. I guess I'll go through all that another day, that would be a good rainy day activity. If we ever get another rainy day. Here is a link an album, but there are no notations on the pictures.

Randoming

The most ramdon thing about my blog these days is how often I post. Or not. I am still here. Some time writing wants to happen, and sometimes other things want to (or need to) happen more.

Reese, the puppy of unknown parentage, is nearly 6 months old. She is as big as Rowyn, and weighs a few pounds more. With great relief, I've noticed her growth rate has slowed down. Maybe she'll merely be large, and not a moose.

Rowyn and I went up to Oregon, to participate in the 2016 ASCA National show, the big, annual show for Australian Shepherds. We entered tracking at the TDX level (didn't pass) and several agility events (we earned one qualifying score out of 11 runs). We had a great time staying with our friends at Morgan River Ranch.

Rosie

Rowyn and his mom, Cricket

Rosie, Cricket and Ro. The girls competed in stock dog stuff.

After that, Ro and I drove to Idaho for the almost annual sibling get together. We stay in a little town called Victor, just over the pass from Jackson Hole. My brother lives out there. We fish and raft and sight see and visit.

Out on the Snake River

Sight seeing in Yellowstone

Caught one! A cutthroat trout.

We've been back for a few weeks. I've knit a few things and spun some stuff and made some things.
Gifts for Evan's girlfriend, Sam. She's attending law school at Michigan State, and I've decided she'll need many, many knitted things. I found some pretty-close-to-Spartan-green yarn in my stash, and turned it into fingerless mitts and a headband.

The mitts are Lambing Mitts and the headband is based on Calorimetry, just few turns, as I didn't have very much green yarn left. The green yarn is something discontinued, and I've no idea what the white was.

I've been making felted dryer balls. I was going to make some for myself, and then the dog rescue group we adopted Reese from, Aussie Rescue of San Diego and Friends, put a call out for crafty things to sell as a fund raiser at a craft market. Well, if I was going to make some any way... And its a great way to use up odd yarns and bits.

I needle felted the paw prints on, I thought maybe more people would like them that way. I decided I preferred winding yarn balls and felting them to wet felting the balls. And even better yet, most of the waste wool I'd saved from combing, carding and spinning worked out great when spun into fat, low twist singles and then wound into balls and felted. By the way, one full bobbin equals two dryer balls.

From this

To this

To this!

More spinning, from the lock

This is Leicester wool.  Pretty luster, no crimp, just sort of wavy.  I should dye some of this, I bet it will be stunning.  

Green silk

Spider egg sacs. Green spider silk. I wonder if it can be stretched out like a silk hanky? A really small one.