A Liddle Blast From The Past

I'm frantically scrambling (as usual :-/) to get the Equinox Farm and Lamb Camp calendars to "the printer" so they'll be ready for the Kentucky Wool Festival next weekend (!).  Look what I found when I was pulling pictures for the lamb calendar!  

It's cute little Liddle :-D

When she was just little and not yet Liddle (Liddy).

I think she was dreaming of having a real mom to sleep with.  

And her dream came true :-).

Stories To Tell

Here is a short video. I tightened up the distance between the flyer and bobbin whorls and added lots more oil and she's gotten quite a bit quieter...I think. Still has lots to say though, maybe at different points between drafting and winding on? What do you think? Normal noises or do I need to look further?  

Yarn Along - Long Sleeves Needed

Not much knitting going on because my focus needs to be finishing up stuff for the Kentucky Wool Festival the first weekend of October.  I am working on one small project I've had in the queue for a year though.  Just in time for cooler weather, I've decided to change my 3/4 length sleeves on the Marcel sweater to full length sleeves.

One down, one to go.

Since the yarn used in the sweater has seen all sorts of sunlight and might not still be exactly the same color as the leftover yarn from my stash, I am alternating a few rows of old and new yarn to ease the color transition.

I didn't make any notes (yeesh) about what needle size I used so I had to guess on that.  I know my knitting has changed significantly since then (I knit tighter now) so I had to try and figure that in as well.  I test blocked the first sleeve and it's pretty darn close.  I can see some slight differences, but anyone else would have to look really close...and that would be really weird...so I'm not too worried ;-).

When the single beds turn to double beds...yep, time to be thinking about long sleeves.  Comby and Eli aren't thrilled.  I'm jumping for joy :-D.

And another beautiful officially first day of fall morning.  Half the sheep have already headed back in.  I think Hank would like to as well, but he's got some making another pass through the breakfast bar on the hill, so he's splitting the difference.

We are often asked why our farm is named Equinox Farm.  It's because that's the day we closed on it back in the fall of 2003.  A very happy anniversary :-)

My book for the week was Don't Let Me Go by Catherine Ryan Hyde.  It was cute and a fun listen.

Joining in with Ginny...

The Evening News

An evening as beautiful as the morning.  I carried my work outside and enjoyed the golden sun, hummingbirds feeding heavy, Claire Bear and Comby checking in, Liddy in the yard and lots and lots of wool :-).

I was packing my basket for the Finger Lakes Fiber Festival this weekend.  Some yarn for "show and tell", roving to be wound up for the drop spindling classes I'm teaching...

...some extra spindles for anyone who needs one.

Doesn't this look like fun?  I think there are still a few openings if you'd like to come out and play learn to spin :-).  

So, who is Liddy's new best friend?  There were quite a few good guesses!  I do think that Maisie kind of likes Liddy...but she'd never show it ;-).  Blossom is definitely a favorite buddy, but she's a "old" friend.  The surprise new BFF is Baaxter!  I keep finding them eating together, sleeping near each other and Baaxter is being surprisingly sweet to her.  I just can't get over it.

Today though...I was Liddy's best friend.  She's been so good throughout "weaning" and seems to be fitting into the main flock just fine.  Today?  Not so much.  Lots of crying for momma.  I sat down in the barn with her this afternoon and she climbed into my lap and took a nap.  This evening she had to come out and "work" with me.  That's okay.  I'm not all the way weaned either ;-).

Random.org picked Laurie from Maine as the winner of a new farm calendar :-D.  I'm still working on them, but they are getting close to "going to print".  Next week!

My biggest news is that one of my photographs made the cover of one of my favorite sheep magazines, The Shepherd!  It's a picture I took at Kathy's last fall.  They also used a few more inside and included pictures of the scarf and shawl that Karen made.  I am so excited and flattered!  

I have more exciting news to share, but it's late and I need to get to bed so I'm going leave Hank in charge.

What a beautiful evening.

Another Beautiful Morning

If you got to sound like a broken record, I guess this is the one you want :-).  I love walking out on the back porch as the sun starts to peak over the hill in the late summer/early fall .  The sheep, Graham's bell, Hank making his rounds, birds waking up, mist over the field...  Amen.

The Best Way To Start The Day

Enjoying a good cup of coffee on porch.
Surrounded by the early morning gold of fall.
Watching Hank making a security check up by Stella's house.
Wearing. A. Jacket. :-D

A Collective Sigh Of Relief

With a little rain and some 80s instead of 90s...

Hershey's back in front of  "his" fan, Emily and Casper Belly (left) and Baby Belly and Clover Belly (right) are all settled back in "their" spots in the outer stall.

No one is crowding Daniel or getting on B. Willard's last nerve and even Hank (sleeping in the back) has come out of his "dog cave".

Whew!