Yarn Along

The woven throw turned out exactly how I'd envisioned.  It's light weight and soft, pretty indoors (and out ;-) and cozy warm. 

I'm was very happy with my yarn - nearly 2000 yards of a soft woolen yarn spun from roving (not rolags, so probably technically not truly woolen spun) using a supported/modified long draw to give it a little extra loft.  Not so soft and light though as to be fragile.  I didn't suffer a single broken warp thread.

The weaving went off without a hitch and it was nice to hang out with my big loom for a few days.  I did run short of yarn and had 20 spin up some more.  He pegged it right down to the inch and as I finished up the last hem stitch, I had 4" of yarn left - just enough to weave in.  Can't beat that.  I guess that's why you need a sheep helping with your wool projects ;-).

I wanted to post this for Ginny's Yarn Along today, but as long yesterday drew to a close I realized I hadn't taken any pictures.  The only decent light left was all the way across the front field next to Stella's driveway.  I grabbed everything and started hoofing it.  The wind was sharp, but the sun was still warm(ish) and I enjoyed the walk. 

Yes, there's a tag :-). 

These come from Leafcutter Designs, a new favorite website.

There are still a few bits of hay chaff left in the yarn.  I think I'm going to leave them.  They aren't scratchy and the person this was made for threw all that hay to her sheep herself...  I think it's part of the blanket's story.

I'm just finishing up reading Knitting Yarns - Writers On Knitting compiled by Ann Hood.  It's excellent, especially Barbara Kingsolver's story.  Just perfect.  However, since this is a woven item, I pulled out This Is How I Go When I Go Like This, a neat weaving collection by Linda Ligon.  Somehow I ended up with two copies of this book and I'd love to share one.  Any weavers or aspiring weavers interested?  Leave a comment and I'll have 20 draw a winner in a few days.

I want to thank everyone for their kind comments about Peabody.  I'm trying to figure out how to say something I'm thinking - about how every sheep that's come on this farm for the last ten years, Peabody was already here.  The longest other than Jester and Elizabeth, the remaining sheep from my very first group, Peabody's been here.  Before any of the others.  I can't figure out what I'm trying to say.  The barn was weird last night.

I posted that pretty picture of him yesterday, but that's not what Peabody's looked like.  For a long time.  He was old and frail and feeble and I was a little angry about that picture for some stupid reason.  That also I can't figure out why and what I'm trying to say.  That wasn't Peabody to me and I sort of couldn't remember that Peabody.  And then someone left a comment about that being "a beautiful portrait to remember him by" and I finally got it.  That is was okay to remember that Peabody.  We've all been there. 

So, here's one of my favorite pictures of Peabody.  And it wasn't that long ago that he was still okay.