Like A Diamond In The Sky

I've spent the last several nights watching for the Comet NEOWISE.  I finally realized that I was probably missing it due to all the trees around our house, so last night I packed up the dogs and my camera (but forgot the bug repellent and my binoculars) and headed for the hill in the back field.

About the bug repellent...I really don't notice many bugs around the house and barn at night.  If the back porch light is on, then yes, but if not, they really aren't a problem.  Bug repellent never even crossed my mind.  The binoculars...never crossed my mind either but that's a mind issue, not an experience issue.

Turns out the bats are taking care of a LOT of bugs each night.  The back field was brutal.  Between not having any luck spotting the comet and knowing even if I did I wouldn't be able to see it very well without the binoculars and The Bugs, I finally bailed around 10:30 and headed back to the barn.  

As I drove through the gate next to the barn I looked up and just like finding a four leaf clover, there it was.  Right over the Wool House.  I took this picture with my iPhone.  I'll try again tonight to get a "big girl camera" shot...or maybe I'll just watch it through the binoculars and enjoy it.  

You can see it pretty well with just your naked eye, but the tail is really incredible with some zoom. Here's a link that might help you spot it.  Sounds like we have a couple more days of visibility.  Go out and find it.  Don't forget your binoculars...and your bug spray if you don't have a hard working bat colony.

Baby Chick Camp

Last Saturday we went to Mt. Healthy Hatcheries in Cincinnati, OH, to pick up some day old chicks.  As we are down to just those three crazy bantam hens, The Crowing Hen and her "sisters", we decided it was time to bring in some laying hens.  I've never raised baby chicks before.  It's been fun so far :-).  

They are currently living in an old sheep water trough in the wash room of the Wool House and that's working out well.  Next week the plan is to move them to a larger cattle tank inside the old coop in the barn.  It's all cleaned out and I bet it's excited to be back in use after sitting idle for quite a few years now.

Today they got to do a short visit to the great outdoors.  They were a bit wary at first, but they built up confidence quickly.  The bars are too wide to hold them in so we need to do a little pen modification, but they stayed together and were easier to catch to go back inside than I feared they might be.

No chickens were harmed by Comby, who I think was mostly just curious.  We would NEVER let Bad Betsy get this close to anything with feathers :-o.

By Cute I Mean Handsome

The hat turned out cute, but Comby's cuter so he gets shared first :-).

Two Table Tuesday

Like Tongue Out Tuesday, but with tables...and, yeah, it's just barely still Tuesday.  It's a fun title though, so I'll type fast :-).  

When you live in a small house and a small wool house, space is always at a premium.  I've been stacking balancing stuff on the back beam of my big loom for years.  It occurred to me that it would be very useful if I could turn that into an actual table.

The "table" rests on the back beam and hooks onto a loop of mop cord (another weaving tool that's not getting used as much as it should around here :-/) attached to the bar at the top.  When I want to use the loom, I just need to unhook the back loops and remove the board.  Pretty clever if I say so myself :-).

The weaving sheep look very interested in the yarn cones.  I need to do a post showing the before and after yarn the next time I'm skeining and washing.  Everyone who's seen the unwashed yarn compared to the finished yarn is amazed.  It is pretty wild.

The other new pretty darn clever table is in the spare bedroom at the not quite as woolly house.  I wanted a way to spread out and package orders without having to carry all the shipping supplies into the dining room, making a huge mess.

Putting a board on some hinges off the shelf was pretty do-able, but setting legs underneath it was problematic and I wasn't super jazzed about having chains holding up each side.  In the process of propping up the table to set the hinges, Tim noticed the quilt rack was the exact height to support the table.  

And when I'm done I just slide all my shipping supplies back on the shelf, remover the quilt rack and drop the board.  How about that!

It's four minutes until Wednesday, so I'm going to table this and go to bed :-D.

Clocking In

You can pretty much set your clock by where you find Salt.  Currently it's Wool House o'clock :-). 

Before dawn she's in the garage.  As the sun rises she moves out to the front of the barn.  After breakfast you can find her in the tack room.  Mid-afternoon she sits in front of the Wool House.  Late afternoon she's back in the tack room.  Early night she's still in the tack room.  I'm not sure what time she moves back into the garage.  

Got The Rhinebeck Blues?

Next weekend is one of the country's best loved festivals, the New York State Sheep and Wool Festival, more commonly known as "Rhinebeck".  I've been several times and it's always an amazingly good time.  Here's a fun link with a good short video.  Go watch!

This year a bunch of my long distance friends are going.  Robin and Julie will be there with the Nistock Farms booth (Building 22D) and a group from the Meridian Jacobs Farm Club are flying in from California.  

I really toyed with making the trip to meet up with everyone.  What fun that would be!  Leaving the farm though is very hard for me.  Even though we have great farm sitters, I worry about everyone, especially with so many oldies now.  Add in the 14 hour drive and how homesick I get...and I've decided to stay home.

That's not to say I'm not really sad about it though.  Rhinebeck is one giant party for sheep and wool people.  Everyone wears their best hand knits, there are sheep galore throughout the barns, the shopping can't be beat, you can learn so much in the workshops, the book signings, competitions and demonstrations are top notch...and there are cider donuts and artichoke french ;-).

If Auntie Reg didn't have such a loser friend who doesn't like to leave home, she'd be on her way to New York next week.  Everyone should go to Rhinebeck at least once.  Instead, we decided it could be fun to have a stay at home Rhinebeck party here on the farm.

• We have sheep! Sheep for breed representatives, sheep that are cute, Livestock Conservancy/Shave Em to Save Em sheep, sheep for selfies, sheep for hugs...

• We have shopping in the Wool House.  There is some roving left from last weekend, plenty of gift items, hopefully the 2020 calendars will be finished!  

• I can teach some informal workshops - maybe a beginning spinning class? Shepherding? Fleece washing?  Sheep to Shawl/Sweater discussion?  I'm open to suggestions!

• I've got lots of fiber related books I could set out for the "author area".

• Everyone can wear (or cast on ;-) their Rhinebeck Sweaters and I will take portrait pictures.  

• Instead of a competition area, we could just show off our favorite yarns, shawls, sweaters, hats...

• Reg will bring in cider donuts from that terrible (in a good way ;-) donut shop in Winchester.

• And if we get really ambitious we Reg might even try to make the famous Artichoke French dish.

• The best part?  No pan flute music ;-D.  If you've been to Rhinebeck, you know why that's funny.  I actually kind of like it...but maybe not all day ;-).

So if you've got the Rhinebeck Blues, come out to the farm next Saturday the 19th from 10:00 - 4:00.  If possible, please RSVP via email so we make sure we have enough donuts, goodie bags...  Also, let me know what sort of workshop you'd like.  Or just bring a current project and sit on the porch and [sheep] watch.

*     *     *     *     *

NOT to confuse things, the 9th Annual National Hug A Sheep Day Farm Party is still on the schedule for the following weekend, the 26th.  Yes, that will be two farm parties in two weeks :-o.

Hey, any excuse for donuts ;-).

Watching...

...for fall?  For rain?  For cooler temps?  For the upcoming Kentucky Wool Festival?  For a new puzzle :-).

This has been the hottest September I can ever remember.  We are still in the 90s and my "if I can just make it until Thursday..." has been changed this morning to "if I can just make it until Friday."  If this trend of pushing back the end of this brutal heat stretch continues, it's just going to become "I hope I make it..."

To make matters worse, other than a freak rain storm yesterday morning, we have had no rain.  Everything is brown and crispy and when the wind does blow, it's a hot wind that does nothing to help anyone.  Speaking of the freak rain, it rained 2" at the house, but only 3/8" at the Wool House, just yards away.  The rain was that spotty.  

Hank is doing pretty well.  His foot has healed up beautifully, but he's back obsessively licking both of his elbows now and right after I took this picture I had to stick the cone of shame back on him :-/.  They are actually blow up pillows now and if it wasn't so blasted hot, it probably wouldn't be that uncomfortable to wear, but still.

I'm in the final crunch week of getting ready for the wool festival.  My Ohio Valley Natural Fibers run scheduled for last week was cancelled, but they are hoping they can run my roving this Tuesday.  I have my fingers crossed, but am still stressing about a contingency plan if they can't get their machine back up and running.  

I've got a good amount of wool pumpkins made, lots of wool balls, quite a few mini wreaths and I'm finishing up some big wreaths.  I'll also have all the usual Punkin's Patch "swag" in tow and hopefully some felted sheep as well.  The calendars won't be ready until after the festival, but we have plenty of the "...and to all a good night" Christmas card packed up and also mixed sets of all 15 years.

Tring Farm has eight pretty raw fleeces to sell and for some reason Andy and Tavia's fleeces (two of my favorites) didn't sell back in the spring, so I'll have them there as well.  Everything else is washed and ready to process,  so it will all work out somehow.  

The booth will be full and fun and pretty and if the forecast holds, it should be a great weekend.  We might even be able to wear some wool in the evenings...which seems odd to say after so many weeks/months of not breaking out of the 70s at night.  

I'll believe it when I see it.  I'm watching!

Work In Progress

Sadly not new pictures of my only knitting WIP...which is a basically just a work with no progress :-/.

Just a pretty fleece and a bunch of drop spindles on the porch.  Yep, it's that time of year.  Time to be getting ready for the upcoming fall festivals.  I have two coming up - the Millersburg Chautauqua Days festival this weekend and the big Kentucky Wool Festival the first weekend of October...which isn't far away...but it sure feels like it.  96 degrees this afternoon.  'Nuff said.

Happy thoughts, happy thoughts...this is Hershey.  Remember when Hershey was...Hershey colored?  2013 :-o.  How did that happen?  

He's a beautiful silver now.

Sure looks pretty and cool and relaxing on the porch this afternoon...  Luckily now that "August" is finally here (after two months of July apparently) the evenings cools off pretty nicely.  The Wool House Crafters meeting tonight shouldn't be too awful.  Auntie Reg made chocolate cake so that will make it all better...until tomorrow when it's 96 again.  No break until at least next week.  'Nuff said.

Busy As A Butterfly

My Tour de Fleece spinning the first four days was...a bit disappointing. I did spin every day, but not the two ounces I'd "budgeted" for each day and I was slipping way behind.  After some encouragement from the Wool House Crafters last night, I put my "butt in seat" this afternoon and got quite a bit done.  The "butt in seat" principle may apply to other aspects of life, but I haven't fully researched that ;-).

As I worked, I watched a beautiful butterfly working the Blanket Flowers outside the front windows. I now know it's a Red Admiral.  I've seen one Monarch so far, but haven't started looking for eggs and caterpillars.  I've also seen a couple Swallowtails.  I planted parsley and dill to encourage more of them and milkweed for the Monarchs.  

 

Click to biggify this picture :-).

Yarn Along - June

I decided if I was going to get back to normal regular blogging, I'd better have something ready for the Yarn Along.  That and I'd picked up a skein of Rhapsody in Hue's Equinox Farm yarn and I was dying to try it out ;-).

Melanie did a spring and fall colorway and I picked spring.  I'm not sure why, as I much prefer fall, but I was probably feeling sentimental about the redbuds, which were as beautiful this spring as they were when this picture was taken several years ago.

The redbud blooms might be gone, but the yarn still looks right at home with a backdrop of Johnny Jump Ups on the Wool House porch.

My knitting mascot for this project is Silke, a super sweet lamb from Little Cotton Rabbits.  I've been trying to purchase one for several years and finally got lucky (they sell out in a minute when she lists them!) last fall...winter...?  If I'd kept the blog current I'd know for sure :-/.  Anyway, she took the first frogging with great courage and luckily we haven't had any more trouble.

Melanie did half the skeins with Merino and half with Blue Faced Leicester.  I chose the BFL since I'm...all together now...a coarse wool girl ;-), but it's not coarse.  It's very soft and smooth...and I'll be happy to get back to some good old Texel or Jacob when I'm finished ;-).  

The colors are really pretty though and I'm having fun working with it.  I think she may have a few skeins left from the festival if case you are interested in knitting along :-).  

For my book...well, I listened to some really good ones over the winter and during the Iknitarod/Iknitaredux.  I actually have some Friday Flashback pictures to post from the epic journey, so I'll share that list then.  

For this spring?  Meh... I've only listened to one book that I've really enjoyed.  But I really enjoyed it.  It's the final book in a series of three.  I've listened to them all and loved all three.  They are The Rosie Project, The Rosie Effect and The Rosie Result, but Graeme Simsion.  

I think you could listen to just the last one and not be lost, but why.  Start at the beginning and fall in love with all the characters and the last one will be just that much better.  They are cute and funny and the last one really makes you think.  Just brilliant.

Joining in with Ginny.

Fast Food

This nest is on the corner of the Wool House and was actually built last year and remodeled for this year.  Look at all the wool and yarn :-).  

I'm not sure how momma birds do it.  All those open mouths.  I guess they are able to somehow keep track of who's been fed each trip.  It looks like she fed half of the worm to one baby and the other half to another.  I didn't notice that until I looked at the pictures.

In and back out in a flash!

Welfare Check

When a musher gets stopped out on the trail and the GPS tracker doesn't move or moves in circles...they try to find someone in the area who can get out to them and do what's called a welfare check to make sure everyone is okay.  

One of the musher I am following this year is Blair Braverman.  She appeared to be having trouble at a creek, or was maybe trying to get back to a cabin, or...her gazillion Twitter fans were all panicked.  I felt bad as well because I too feared the worst.  Turns out her GPS unit was malfunctioning and she was still on the trail.  

No such luck here.  I left "Unalakleet" in good spirits, knitting on strong.  I did my short rows, divided for the sleeves, added 8 or 9 inches to the body...started second guessing how it was going, hesitantly knit another inch or two...and stalled out.  

I needed a break anyway.  I'd knit to where my hands were sore.  Bill was in town so I was helping with shearing at Final Frontier Farm on Monday and then we sheared here Wednesday.  The Wool House Crafters met on Tuesday and I asked a couple folks for their opinion on the fabric I was getting and I think we all agreed that it was okay, but could be better.  

I ripped it all back to Unalakleet.  I figured if I was going to get stuck out on the trail making some necessary sled repairs, there'd be no better place than to hang out with fellow Iknitaroder knitski and eat sourdough pancakes ;-).  20 caught up with us there.

20:  Glad you've made it back here to Unalakleet and everything is okay.  Sounds like you've had some trouble this year.  What can you tell us about that?

TCSL: Well, the theme this year so far seems to be gauge.  Gauge too tight, gauge too loose, gauge not making sense, gauge inconsistencies due to sloppy or inattentive knitting on my part...  

20:  Why is gauge so important?

TCSL: Gauge affects how the fabric feels and how a garment fits.  If you knit it too loose it's "sleazy".  If you knit it too tight, it's feels stiff and harsh.  If your gauge doesn't work with the pattern size you've chosen, your sweater won't fit.  There are frequently gauge issues with stranded knitting versus straight stockinette as well.

20:  I thought you did some gauge samples before the race though.  Shouldn't that have helped?

TCSL:  Yes, absolutely.  My mistake was only swatching the plain knitting, not the colorful patterning as well.  I lost two days right off the bat because I didn't do that and had to restart 2-3 times.  After I finally felt like I was on the right track and finished the top section, I started down the body and all was okay for awhile and then I started knitting tighter for some reason and the fabric started feeling "off".

20:  So what are you going to do about that?

TCSL:  I did what Stella always says "Take it back out and do it right."  I unraveled it all the way back to the bottom of the yoke last night and I am going to go up a needle size which will make the stitches bigger and the fabric softer and smushy-er and I'm going to pay more attention this time.

20:  That sounds like a good plan.  So other than the sled runner issues, how have you enjoyed the trail so far?

TCSL:  Honestly, the trail this year has been one of the prettier ones.  We got all sorts of beautiful snow early on and Pip and I really enjoyed that.  I took a bunch of pictures of that and all the sheep and even did some videos that I just haven't had time to edit together.  

20:  I've noticed you've been knitting in the Wool House more this race.  What changed to encourage that?

TCSL:  I loved that cute little tan couch, but it wasn't the most comfortable sled ;-).

20:  It's been fun catching up on all the Iditarod race videos and interviews up there with you as well.  

TCSL: Yes!  I've really liked being able to run my iPad up there this year.  It's been fun to keep up with the race a little better while I'm knitting.  I've listened to some good books and podcasts as well and I like that better than trying to knit watching tv.

20:  What's been your favorite? 

TCSL:  Ooh, hard to pick.  I really enjoyed Winterdance: the fine madness of running the Iditarod and Dogsong both by Gary Paulson.  I listened to Call of the Wild by Jack London as well.  I liked it...I mean it's a classic, but some was hard to listen to.  I'm going to look for another sled dog or Iditarod story to keep us company as we get back out on the trail.  I also have a few episodes of the Iditapod to listen to.  That's a really fun podcast.  And you know, the race isn't over so there will still be more race updates from Iditarod.com :-).

20:  Do you think there is any chance you could still get finished before the Red Lantern?

TCSL:  Not really.  I'd have to think we are mathematically out at this point, but I'm basically okay with that.  It's disappointing for sure, but I'd rather be disappointed by not finishing quickly than disappointed in the finished sweater.   My sheep team worked hard to get here and I want them all to be happy and proud.  Sometimes what you learn out on the trail is more important than the race itself.  I'll come off this race a much more skilled knitter...and that will help me for next year!

The Other News

I've had some inquiries lately about spinning and weaving guilds in the area.  Luckily we have several throughout the state and I'm always happy to forward on information about them.  Before we moved to the farm, I participated with a couple of the groups and really enjoyed the camaraderie and educational opportunities.  

Post farm, I haven't been to a guild meeting in years :-(.  Heck, I have a pretty darn complete studio right here on the farm and I still don't show up near as much as I should I'd like.  I always have big hopes that various events we've hosted here will allow me to sit down and spin, but I always end up talking and teaching...and watching over my shoulder while everyone else makes and uses yarn.

I've decided to start a small guild here on the farm.  It will work like a traditional guild and is open to anyone interested in wool crafts.  Any wool crafts and not just from our sheep, although if you show up with some alpaca, mohair, camel, rabbit...we might make you sing a silly sheep song! ;-)

We are going to meet on the second Tuesday of each month, starting at 6:00 p.m.  While that sounds like an odd day and time, I don't want to conflict with the Monday, Friday and Saturday meet times of several other local groups.  Plus, it's nice to have something mid-week to look forward to :-).

Most folks coming out to the farm enjoy visiting with the sheep.  Some even want to learn more about what it takes to have sheep, how to care for them, shearing...  If that's you, come a little early and you can help with the evening chores (or just watch if you prefer).

We'll even have food!  Don't get too excited.  It will most likely just be a loaf of fresh bread and a Trader Joe's soup...or blue box mac and cheese...just kidding...mostly ;-).  You are welcome to bring something to share, but absolutely can just show up and relax.

The first meeting will be next Tuesday, January 8th.  I sure wish everyone was "local" or they'd get that stupid teleporter working.  Please join us in spirit!

2019 Is Off To A (Not) Racing Start

Well, I thought the big news for New Year's Day was going to be something fun I'm going to try with the Wool House this year, but it turns out the big news is we got a new horse!

Being without a horse this past year has been...so...(insert so many words).  Robin helped me clean all my tack for my birthday in Auguest and it was a Job as I hadn't even been in the tack room all year and everything was molded and...so sad.

I had several kind people offer me horses throughout the year, but I knew the only horses I'd be willing to try on our rich grass were Thoroughbreds...and I am not a Thoroughbred person.  They are beautiful and versatile and talented...and, as a whole, way more horse than I would ever feel comfortable with.  I'd accepted that my horse days were over until a driving friend asked if I'd considered a Standardbred.  

Um...no...I hadn't.  

I honestly didn't really know anything about Standardbreds other than seeing them pulling Amish buggies around town and that a girl I groomed Saddlebreds with many years ago told stories about jumping on and riding them around the backside of the tracks in the afternoons when they weren't racing.  

I talked to our vet and a friend who has handled Standardbreds, did some research online and found the Standardbred Retirement Foundation and New Vocations, a race horse (Thoroughbreds and Standardbreds) adoption program.  The SRF had several nice sounding possibilities, but they were all in NY and NJ.  New Vocations has a Standardbred facility much closer, in Ohio, and they had a couple strong candidates as well.  

With high hopes, but no expectations, we hooked up the trailer yesterday and headed north to check out a couple horses we'd been approved to adopt.  I was extremely impressed with all the horses we looked at, the knowledge the manager had of each horse, the talented rider who came in to show the horses...and the breed in general.  Without further ado...meet Frankie's Rockstar :-).

Frankie is a three and a half year old gelding who has had some soundness issues and was not going to make it as a race horse.  Apparently the groom who cared for him throughout thought enough of him that she bought him herself so she could send him to New Vocations in hopes he'd find a safe pleasure horse home, not pulling an Amish buggy or...

Frankie walked right into the trailer and rode like a trooper all the way home in the horrible rain and wind yesterday afternoon.  We got home in the dark, but he quietly backed off the trailer and walked right into the barn full of sheep.  We got him set up in one of the outside stalls and while he was obviously scared and missing his buddies, he handled his first night here like a...rock star :-).

Because the weather in Ohio has been as wet as here, he hadn't been turned out for a good while.  I turned him out in the arena this morning rather than the big field.  He skipped around for few minutes but then settled right down.  After about 45 minutes I brought him back to the barn, brushed him, trimmed his bridle path, took him outside to hose his muddy legs off and put him back in his stall.  He was a complete gentleman.

Now keep in mind that even though he IS very well mannered, he's honestly just a baby, even more so because of the time off he had due to his leg injury.  We have plenty of ground work to do before we can safely ride or drive off into the setting sun ;-).  That being said, I'm very excited to have a horse again.  The relationship you have with a horse is something so different than any other.  

And while Frankie is puzzling things out... ;-)

[Sheep] Business Saturday

Because shopping with Maisie is way more

...um...interesting than going to the mall!

We are developing an exciting new program here in the commonwealth (Kentucky is a commonwealth, not a state), The Kentucky Fiber Trail.  Kentucky is already well known for it's Bluegrass Trail (horse farms) and Bourbon Trail.  Now you can discover fiber farms throughout the state as well.  

Okay, let's give this a try!  Our farm shop (and barnyard) will be open this Saturday from 1:00-4:30 for Small Business Saturday.  We'll call it Sheep Business Saturday :-D.  

We'll have calendars, fleeces, roving, spindle kits, Christmas cards and ornaments, wool sheep pins, a few wool wreaths, maybe some felted sheep and for fun, let's make Maisie Orneries!  I'll have a basket of "Ornery"  supplies set out and teach you how to make your own wool roving wrapped ornament.  

So, come hide out on the farm with us this Saturday and take care of all your sheep and fiber-y gift giving needs.  We promise you won't be mobbed by fellow shoppers...unless you have cookies ;-).

If you need directions, please drop me an email.

You Think You're Funny?

"You just wait."

I think Maisie was actually happy to take the blame for a natural disaster.  She's got an image to maintain you know!

In the middle of the "natural disaster" I almost forgot to do the farm-iversary drawing.  Random.org picked Michelle  :-D.  As soon as the calendars are printed, I'll get one sent out.  

Speaking of the "natural disaster", thanks to Stanley Steemer and Auntie Monica, the Wool House has dried out and we are close to putting the carpet back down.  It could have been much, much worse. 

Now to deal with the barn.  The friend rebuilding our skid steer has "run out of parts", so it's apparently ready to be picked up ;-).