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!