About The Cookies

We started with the cookies when Sunshine was a baby.  We are not really treat feeders and probably would never have started with the sheep treats unless we'd had to.  Now we have to keep treats on hand all the time because we are scared to run out they have us well trained.

Tilly was happy to demonstrate to the new kids what cookies were all about.  You can see that Baaxter was an early convert.  Actually, he got started on "cookies" in the house.  He loves baked corn chips.  I can't even remember how that got started.  Then it became Cheerios.  Don't try sneaking a bowl of cereal while he's around. I wish I'd gotten a picture of him standing up on the cabinet door stealing Cheerios from my bowl.  Tim's still trying to forget it ;-).

• The cookie of choice tends to be vanilla wafers.  Preferably not low fat and now Dr. Barron brings regular wafers because she's scared they have her well trained.  

• On days that vanilla wafers aren't the cookie of choice, you should offer graham crackers

• For the days that the sheep want salty treats rather than sweet, you need to keep butter crackers on hand (again because "they have us well trained").  

• Sometime saltines are best (and probably the healthiest of the choices, but I'm not sure that that isn't just relative ;-).

A few more important cookie feeding facts:

• If one sheep touches a cookie, no other sheep will eat it.  Well, except Graham.  He'll eat anything.

• Stale is better - leave the box open.

• Lila will act like she has zero personality until the cookies show up.  Then she begs like Weaslie.  

• Maisie does not like cookies.  She might eat a graham cracker.  She will always eat Cheerios.  From the box.  

I'm sure there are more "rules" and I'll add to this list as I think of them.  For now, signing off from the land of "living the dream" where it's incredibly hot and humid and the sheep have us, um, well trained.

A Blast From The Past

I needed to find a high resolution photograph of Sunshine. I knew which photo I wanted, but hmmm...when was she born? I looked her up on the blog - July 2008. Yikes. 2008? Where on earth would those pictures be?  My photo organizing skills rank right up there with my pantry organization skills.  As in, we could starve to death in this house with a pantry full of food...that we can't find...

This is a picture of Heidi and Sunshine I copied over from an old blog post.  I re-size all my pictures to a lower resolution before I post them to make them easier for folks with slow internet connections to load them.  I'd like to find this in its original form, but that's a job for another day.  I did find the following photos though (and the one I was looking for, so there! ;-) and while they aren't great pictures, it was sure fun to look back at them and I'm so glad I have them...somewhere.

Emily and Casper Belly

Another one.

A group shot.  I'd forgotten that Clover Belly was that much older then Sunshine and Casper Belly.

Sunshine, for all her problems, lived her life to the fullest.  Frequently just a blur :-).

And cheeky from Day One.  Clover Belly looks like she's not quite sure how to take her!

This all seems like a hundred years ago sometimes.

Speechless

I finally made it out to the Finger Lakes Fiber Festival this year. It poured rain almost all day on Saturday, but everyone made the best of it and still had a great day. This is a very nice festival and I'm already looking forward to next year!

Just for kicks I decided to enter the Marcel sweater and Sunshine's hat in the knitting competition. 

Marcel's sweater received a blue ribbon for Knitted Sweater of Handspun Yarn and the Excellence in Knitting award.

And Sunshine's hat a blue ribbon for Knitted Hat and the Best Use of Handspun in a Knitted Item award. 

I was blown away and so incredibly flattered.

Sheep Heid - Jacob Style

Every July 4th I remember the Fourth that I spent parked in the truck just outside the barn watching fireworks out the front window and a small Jacob ewe out the driver's side window.  Jacobs are sneaky sneaky when they are going to lamb and I knew she was ready but also knew that if I was there watching it wouldn't happen. 

I'd made Heidi a lambing stall in the barn aisle where I could see her from the truck.  Stella and I had watched the neighboring town's fireworks from up on her hill for awhile and then I headed back to the barn.  I pulled up out front and watched Sunshine being born. I checked to make sure her nose was clear and then stepped back. 

Jacobs are usually up right away, but Sunshine didn't get up.  Heidi did all the right things, but the tiny lamb was unable to stand.  I tried to help her but she was just. couldn't. do. it.  Heidi let me hand milk her and I dribbled milk into her baby's mouth for about an hour and finally if I held her up she could nurse on her own.  That's when I realized there was something wrong.  Her spine looked like an accordion.

I stayed with them to the wee hours of the morning hoping eventually the little lamb would strengthen up.  I knew I'd intervened with something that nature probably would have dealt with differently.  Heidi loved her though and the little lamb didn't know any different so I got her latched on for one last drink and headed to bed. 

The next 36 hours continued in this way.   We didn't name her and figured we were just putting off the inevitable, but couldn't stop trying to help Heidi take care of her.  The third morning I walked into the barn and found her standing up, just as bright and perky as could be.

"Good morning, Sunshine!" 

And that's how she got her name :-).

Sunshine had a variety of medical issues including no bladder control.  We knew we were going to have to be able to catch her and wash her every day and since Jacobs are not known for being super chummy...we got her eating cookies.

And that's how the cookie eating got started :-).

Sunshine was a delightful lamb.  She didn't live quite a year, but she packed a lot of joy (her own and ours) into those months.  It's fun to scroll back and remember.  She was the princess of the farm.  Everyone loved Sunshine.

Kate Davies' Sheep Heid was designed as a Shetland pattern, featuring nine different colors of Shetland wool...from nine different sheep.  I instantly fell in love with the pattern and thought it would be fun to try to  make it from just one sheep.   

By blending different amounts of Sunshine's black and white wool I was able to come up with six of the nine colors.  Janbaby re-worked the original pattern to accommodate those colors and the pattern knit up like a charm. 

I used duplicate stitch to add some different markings and horns to the thirteen sheep around the bottom.  Sunshine had more black than white so while these aren't true to breed standard they are pretty close to Sunshine :-).

I changed the pattern to knit white stitches down the middle of the faces around the top to look more like Jacob sheep.

And I like how they all look a bit different too.  Sometimes the inconsistent thicker and thinner of handspun comes in handy ;-).

Loved the crown shaping.  Such a clever design.

Sunshine

And She's Off!

For the Tour, the TOUR!

Yeesh ;-).

Okay, here's the line up.  The main/overall goal is just to spin every day. 

And by doing that,  making a good dent in the mongo bag of black wool shouldn't be so daunting.  It's a Texel/Jacob cross - to be woven into a throw - Hansen miniSpinner.

The silver is 2 1/2 pounds of Rebecca Boone, to be spun for Auntie Reg - Ashford Joy.

The white?  Why that's Blossom herself :-D.  Three ounces to be spun for socks - probably three ply - wheel TBD.

The orange is some Keebler dyed with walnuts two falls ago - a little over an ounce - various spindles.

Paper bag - 6 ounces of Buddy - to be hand combed and spun into lace weight for an upcoming Iknitarod challenge - Jensen Production wheel.

Missing from photo - Elizabeth - Great Wheel challenge for the Mountain Day - already up at the house...from a previous TdF challenge.  Sigh.

.

Yes, I finished the knitting portion of my Sheep Heid - a photo finish in the wee hours before the Tour de Fleece started.  Now to weave in a bazillion ends and add the final touches and blocking (my favorite part :-) and THEN official photos. 

Here's the Bag O' Buddy.

I started combing this afternoon.  I'm still loving my Valkryie Combs and I LOVE fluffy Buddy.  Can't wait to start spinning this!

I was concerned that dyed Keebs wouldn't draft like un-dyed Keebs (the way I like) so I ran him through the drum carder to loosen everything up.  Looks good!

SO, didn't do any actual spinning yet.  I'm counting any wool work - washing, prepping, spinning, sampling...  As far as fulfilling the nap portion today...hanging head.  I did sit down and watch a TED talk though over lunch.  I doubt Blossom would approve, but it was sorta restful.  

Tomorrow.

As Blog As My Witness...

There WILL be knitting today.  Half (not quite) finished hat removed from bag for photo only.  That's ridiculous.

Here's a funny/odd story.  We've been under the impression that our sheep go to the barn at night and stay there.  Graham likes to wander out around the corner sometimes and B. Willard frequently has to be coaxed into the barn lot at dark, but once they are in for the night though, I believed they were in for the night.  I've made many late night checks and they are always asleep in the barn.

Last night I woke in the middle of the night to ding-a-ling-a-ling-a-ling-a-linga...  I thought I was imagining it.  Our sheep sleep all night in the barn, remember?  Ding-a-ling-a-ling-a-ling-a-linga...  I got up and walked out the door.  At least two distinct bells out grazing in the dark.  Graham?  Yeah, I could see that.  Petunia and Rebecca Boone (the other bell wearers)???  Never.

Now I'm wondering if they all have a secret life.  Does someone stand guard and watch for our lights to turn out and then wait just a little longer until the coast is surely clear and then all go back out???  What else are they up to?!?

Grayscale

Sunshine's yarn.  Six colors blended from one black and white spotted sheep. 

And yes, there's a blue ribbon tied to it.  Don't get excited.  I was the only entry in that class ;-).  I left the ribbon on there to prove I got it finished in time for the skein competition :-).  And also, because I did make the effort to prep and (try to) spin really good yarn, even going so far as trying to count treadles while drafting, and follow the requirements and guidelines on presentation, thereby learning even more, it was a win. 

Still...even with all the care and effort, it's the same marginal yarn I always spin.  It's thick and thin, three skeins ended up bulkier than they should even though I used the same spinning ruler/guide throughout and I then had to scramble and spin more to meet the two ounce minimum.  While I am a completely functional spinner, I'd like to be a good spinner.  Practice, practice, practice...

So, the moral of this story?  Soap box number two (the first one having been a bit vague - enter a spinning competition and even if you don't win a ribbon you've still won the much more important experience!).  I've lost track of how many times I've heard, "My yarn isn't good enough to make anything."  Sigh.  Git ta knittin' (or weaving, crocheting...)!

I can will nitpick anything I do or make To. Death.  And nothing I've made with my handspun has ever gotten even a hint of a second glance from me in disappointment.  Yarn I thought was too bulky and overspun made a great woven rug in front of our couch.  Yarn I spun too thick for a DK weight sweater made a great worsted weight vest.  Yarn too underspun and soft made perfect weft for the Punkin throw.  Did you notice any bad spots in the Marcel sweater?  Neither did I :-). 

Nothing "wrong" with your yarn will ever "show" once it stops being yarn and becomes a finished item.  I promise.  Use your handspun, even your very beginner "practice" yarn.  Need a super small project?  What about a mug rug?  Hats are fun and easy.  You can never have enough mittens.  Knitting will teach you about spinning. 

Soft and sweet.  This will knit up just fine :-).

Never stop learning (and practicing, asking questions, watching videos, reading books, taking workshops, entering competitions...

The Puzzle Master

The Sheep Heid hat pattern is made for nine colors of Shetland wool. I have six colors of Sunshine wool. Figuring out how to divide up and order the lesser amounts of colors is a huge challenge.  I have been stumped on how to best showcase the beautiful pattern and Sunshine's beautiful yarn.

One of the "rules" of Fair Isle knitting is there are only two colors alternating on each row, so as you knit across/around, you may use brown and gray on one row, gray and white on the next...  Then, to complicate things, there are sheep heads and horns and other geometric patterns working throughout from bottom to top.  Then it hit me.  It's a puzzle!

Luckily the Puzzle Master is here this weekend :-D.

 

Janbaby will have me knitting in no time!

Just Enough Knowledge To Be Dangerous

When I was combing wool for the Sunday Stills - Hand Tools post a few weeks ago, I kind of enjoyed working with the combs and that wool, but I was kind of beating myself to death doing it and once again thought "maybe this combing wool just isn't for me". 

I have a couple friends that are combing fools though so I figured, as with most things, I either didn't have the right tools for the job or didn't know how to use them correctly.  I happened to see a combing workshop at the Fiber Event in Greencastle just the next week so I signed up and hit the road.

The class was taught by Nancy DeCapraris of Sheep Street Fibers.  Not only was she an enjoyable and knowledgeable instructor, but she also brought a bunch of different sizes, types, brands... of combs and we tried them all.  That's exactly what I needed.  I ended up coming home with a smaller, lighter weight set of two pitch combs and a better understanding of how to use them.

This is a very special fleece I've been saving for several years.  It was from a dear Jacob lamb that was not with us very long, less than a year.  We had to have her put down when her kidneys finally failed and after the vet left I decided to shear her so maybe I could make something from/for her.

I divided her fleece into three main piles - mostly black, mostly white and some of each.

It was short to begin with and sheared through many tears, which didn't help matters any.

Under normal circumstances, no one would have thought to ever use this fleece.  I knew my only hope was combing.

Here I'm making a light gray blend.  I picked out what I hoped was the right color combination and placed it on the new combs.

Being by myself, I can't think of any way to show you exactly how the combs work so we'll just leave it as you use one comb to comb through the fiber on the other and the good fiber ends up sticking on the second comb.

And the original comb is left with the ratty stuff, which you discard.

After a second pass through.  See how nice and neat and smoothly blended?  There are still some funky bits on the other comb so I discarded them and made one more pass.

Then, and I have no idea how to explain how/why this works, but you stick a tiny bit through a hole in your fancy handmade wooden diz that you can't find so you make a temporary one out of an empty plastic beer cheese container lid and start pulling and out comes a long piece of ready to spin "top".  Magic.

Did I mention the beer cheese container was empty?  Just checking ;-). 

Here I'm making a medium gray.

See all the bits and pieces and scraps of hay that's removed?  This would card terribly, but combed out...

...beautiful.

I mixed different amounts of black and white together and ended up with six different colors all from one sheep, Sunshine.  My plan is to spin this for a Kate Davies Sheep Heid hat.  I think the Jacob sheeps can give those silly Shetlands a run for their money ;-).  Ideally I'd like to have the yarn spun in time to enter it in the skein competition at the rapidly approaching Kentucky Sheep and Fiber Festival, but we'll have to see.

Speaking of the festival and different breeds of sheep, Deb Robson, one of the authors of  The Sheep and Fiber Sourcebook (yes, that awesome big red book) is teaching a two day workshop this year.  Talk about  some inspiration and better tools in your tool box! Here is a link to her class and several others interesting offerings. 

Sunshine

Extreme Barn Makeover

Part two.



Nice and tight. Although...a wooden barn is never completely tight. That's what makes them so nice. Ventilation is important even when it's super cold. Old tobacco barns make great animal barns.



Now we can shut up the entire back of the barn.



Or open it all the way up or anywhere in between. The four doors are running on a double set of track so they can overlap or stack up all the way down to the right.



This new little door is super exciting. It's the simple things ;-). We'd cut out a sheep sized door years ago and had been crawling through it when we needed to. Mostly it was easier though to go out the stall door, down the aisleway, out the end gate, around the back, herd the sheep through, shut the little door, go back through the barn gate, down the aisle and back in through the stall door. Now we can just walk in and out the new people sized door.

If you'd like to see what the "original" door looked like, here are two posts with fun lamb videos. I'm sure we'll make good memories with this door, but it will be hard to beat:

Sunshine and Caspar Belly hiding from their mommas

Stupid Woolliam Tricks



And while I thought the old lady sized door would be my favorite part of the renovation, it was trumped by these door latches. This will only make sense to you if you've ever tried to latch or unlatch a plain, old fashion door hook. The wood has warped, rain swelled, iced over or the wind is blowing the door and the latch is pulled tight and $&*#@!!! you just pinched your finger... These work on a lever system. Ingenious.

Time to let the sheep in. They've been waiting patiently. Mostly.



Willard, what are you and Lila doing out behind the barn?



Marcel, leave Rebecca Boone alone!



Sweet Hank, catching a nap before evening guard dog duties call him.

The sheep weren't jazzed about the new look. They all ran in, stopped short when they saw the door, turned around and headed right back out. Sheep don't like change...but I bet they will next time a rain storm blows in from the south!