The Titan

There has been a group of sheep here over the years that I've considered titans.  Buddy, Woolliam, Ewen McTeagle, Jester, Marcel, Keebler, Graham Lamb...  Big in stature...and personality.  Count Chocula was The Titan.  

We've been trying to fight through a bladder stone attack for a week.  He patiently tolerated everything we tried and we tried pretty much everything.  I finally had to call it. 

I will sure miss seeing you standing in your doorway.  Thank you for one final classic picture last night.  You were a good sheep.  The bravest Titan of them all.

May 2013 - June 26, 2020

The Start Of The 2019 Tour De Fleece

As I posted last week, our team captain this year is Maisie.  She's let it go to her head just a little, but so far, so good...unless something has happened late today and I haven't heard yet.  I happen to have a small sheep in my "inside flock" that reminds me of Maisie, so I've picked her to be my spinning mascot.

She's wearing a warm jacket because I have turned the air conditioner in the Wool House on high :-o.

I'm spinning something pretty neat this year.  17 years ago, when I was just getting started with our wool flock, we were gifted five Jacob sheep from a kind shepherdess in Indiana.  I really didn't know what to do with So Much Wool (hahahahaha), so I had some processed into roving and some into quilt batts.  

I think I must have divided up the black and white wools because I remember having some light gray batts and one dark one that I kept for myself in hopes I could find someone to make a real quilt from our barn quilt. Sigh...

You know...I thought this spring...rather than just sitting in the loft, that dark batt could be re-run as roving.  Roving from our very first five Jacob sheep.  Wouldn't that be neat?  Like an historical do-over now that I'm a better spinner...and those sheep are no longer with us.

This year for the Tour I'm spinning Elizabeth, Esther, Jester, Joshua and Jacob :-).  There are 2.5 pounds of dark gray roving.  I'd like to spin all of that, but I'm off to a slow start, so I may not be able to reach that goal...but I'm going to try.

So what is Mini Maisie looking at in the picture above?

View this post on Instagram

Posting this here so I can post it to the blog. It will all make more sense in a bit 😉. #tdf2019 #jacobsheep

A post shared by Sara Dunham (@thecrazysheeplady) on Jul 7, 2019 at 7:03pm PDT

The legacy of those five Jacobs :-).

And we're off!

Yarn Along - A Barnyard Scarf

One of my favorite things to do is to sit down and spin yarn from our flock.  I have a big plan for the Tour de Fleece this year involving spinning enough yarn for a sweater, but mostly I only get allow myself an hour or so here and there and then I end up with baskets full of small amounts of yarn...that just sit there.  

I do enjoy the baskets of yarn.  There's something joyful about all the different colors, textures, weights and especially all the individual sheep tucked in there, but I've been trying to think of something special to make that would utilize those small skeins.

I decided to try weaving a multi-yarn scarf.  I used my handspun bits and bobs for the warp (the up and down threads) and some Nistock Farms Golden Fleece Cotswold singles for the weft (the side to side threads).  

Since the warp threads were all different thicknesses, I used a reed that would accommodate the thickest yarns.  Actually, I started with a 6 dent reed (6 ends per inch) but didn't like it and, you know, ripped it out ;-).  The 8 dent reed worked reasonably well, but a 10 would have been better.

I wanted to showcase the individual handspun yarns rather than the solid color weft, so I worked for a warp faced weave (more warp showing than weft).  I know who most of the yarns are.  The white Cotswold is Keebler, the warm brown is Petunia, the thinner white is Peabody, the too thick for the 10 dent reed gray is Rebecca Boone, the medium weight gray is probably Jester...

And it's too hot to even ask 20 to model it, so I hung it on the barn ladder.  Next to the fire extinguisher.  

Some day it will cool down enough to wear.

Regarding books...I have lost the energy to listen to "grown up" books and after thoroughly enjoying the Terry Prachett young adult books last year, decided to delve into the Newbery Medal Winners list this year.  I may just stay there.  I've listened to The Girl Who Drank the Moon, The One and Only Ivan, Moon Over Manifest, Walk Two Moons and Bridge to Terabithia.  

I highly recommend them all :-).

This Time With Knitting

While we're on the subject of stuffed animals, my teddy bear turned 50 this summer!  She'd been wearing the same store bought acrylic sweater and worn out blue jeans for many, many years, so I decided to make her a new outfit.  

I started the sweater back in the winter...I think...and finished it maybe in July?  Why oh why didn't I keep the blog current :-(.  I made her jeans just after the sweater...I think.  

The yarn is some leftover Jester and the buttons came from Auntie Reg's stash.  They are actual shell buttons and we decided we liked the colorful natural shell backs better than the polished white fronts.  The biggest design feature is that I knit this sweater in the round and did my first steek...and it worked :-D.

And We're Off

Well, 20 loaded me down.  I knew he would.  We're alike that way ;-).  Since this seems to be the year of color, we settled on the Elizabeth blues, Chocula's light brown, Petunia's dark brown, Murphy's gray, some white over gray core roving from Allie and gray over white core roving from Billy Belly.  Those last three are from deep in the SABLE*. 

The colorful batt in the bag came from a friend and is for one of the challenge days.  Not that I think the batt is going to be challenging but the whole spinning red, green and white into one yarn...  I may have to add in a small ball of Plain White as an antidote.  This Tour will cure me or kill me!  

I think the team ravatar turned out cute.  Muffin and Biscuit grazing nose to nose in the blooming clover :-).

Side by side. #Biscuit #Muffin #friends #sheepfriends

A post shared by Sara Dunham (@thecrazysheeplady) on Jun 30, 2017 at 3:00pm PDT

Just like in real life.

Thank you for all the kind words for Jester.  The very first wool I spun was Punkin's.  I sat down at a friend's wheel one afternoon and she got me started.  And while I was very excited to actually be making yarn, I found myself choking back tears.  It goes fast, that wool through your fingers.  Those twelve years. Jester's seventeen.  I don't think I'll be spinning any Jester this year.

So Much I Should Say

Honestly, I guess at this point I just really can't believe he didn't live forever.   He was a helluva sheep.  It was an honor.

 Jester

2000? - June 30, 2017

Almost As Sweet As Baby Lambs

I glanced out the back door yesterday morning and saw sheep in the driveway.  Wait, just one sheep, not shorn (waiting until hot weather is here aka yesterday and today :-o), it's Jester.

"Yeah, it's just me."

And he tootled around for a good while, grazing in the yard and in the meantime, I posted this to Instagram and headed off to Lamb Camp.

Momentary panic that I'd left a gate open and the sheep were loose. Not that that has ever happened before 😆. Jester has apparently moved from the Del Boca Vista retirement village to the yard. #theybrokethemoldwithhim #oldsheep #17yearsold

A post shared by Sara Dunham (@thecrazysheeplady) on Apr 19, 2017 at 7:54am PDT

Remember this.

My view coming through the gate when I got home.  Glad I had my camera handy.  I just love this scene - sheep, horses to my left, Jester back out looking around.

And there's Hank and even Amelia is there, right above Jester's head.  I think that's Hershey getting a drink.

Sigh...  A peaceable little kingdom :-)

And then I see the Ts walking across the driveway in front of the barn.  Unlike Jester, they do NOT have run of the farm...unless I leave a gate open.  

You just can't make this stuff up...

April Showers

The chickens love Del Boca Vista, especially when it's raining.  Jester is a good sport about it.  Just realized I never shared that we put Ford down a few weeks ago.  Jester was pretty upset about it for awhile, but he's doing okay now.  He's had to watch a lot of old friends go over the years.  There are a lot of old friends...and some sad decisions coming up :-(.

Front row:  Chocula, Burrnie, Levi  Back row:  Murphy and Spud

Chocula

Liddy and Murphy.  I don't really think of Liddy as being super small, but I guess she is.  Or maybe Murphy is just super big, which is true.

In case child services comes after me, I had to pick up a new sheep arthritis prescription for Woolliam at the "people pharmacy" today.  I had to sign off on my "relationship to the patient". Since there wasn't a check box for sheep/pet/animal...I checked off that he was my "child". They'd put it under Murphy's name I guess because he was the most recent animal on the scary vet bill this month.  He's fine now, but gave us all quite a scare.

  Maisie: "I stay inside when it's raining."

Not sure why Hershey felt like he needed hair extensions.  Kids...

Yarn Along - More Hats...Really?

It's not midnight yet! Close though :-/. Got my iPad updated (finally) and sat on the couch for probably two hours working puzzles this evening. Who's big idea was it to make sheep puzzles??? Sigh...

Meanwhile, back at the Yarn Along, I finished (well, mostly) the Gone to the Mountains hat.  It, of course, doesn't fit quite the way I want and I toyed with frogging the whole thing and trying to knit it tighter, but decided a re-knit probably wouldn't make it significantly different so have decided to try fulling it a bit to see if I can shrink it just a hair...or a bit...shrinking a hat a hair sounds kind of funny ;-D.  

I'm in a huge quandary about what to knit next.  I've yet to complete a project that really felt like I'd done a good job and was back on my game.  This is troubling on several levels, but the most timely reason is because we are about 16 DAYS UNTIL THE START OF THE IKNITAROD! 

Yeah...  

I have another hat in my queue, the Owl in the Thicket hat.  I have the perfect yarn for it (Hershey's lamb fleece).  I think the pattern is neat.  And it reminds me of a fun afternoon spent with good friends.  We'd gone to a raptor presentation and been able to see a Great Horned Owl up close.  I love owls.

Here is some crazy strategy for you.  The last several projects I've attempted have been pretty straightforward and "easy".  And I've "failed".  This seems so improbable after some of the complicate projects of the past.  I'm thinking I need to go harder rather than easier.  Maybe I just need more focus.  See that chart above?  That ought to give me something to focus on!  There's even a cable in the brim. 

I could have cast on this afternoon, but I ended up getting distracted while trying to take pictures of the hats.  Winter sunshine is the best...if you can stay out of the wind.  Come sit on the bench in front of the Wool House with me.

And Hickory and some sheeps.

And Kate.

Even Betsy.

Something set Hank off and he called everyone in.  I could tell that bark was different, but I'm still trying to figure out exactly how.  I'm impressed I knew they'd all come running though, just by the tone of his voice.  I might turn into a sheep yet.  Fingers crossed!

I don't think I've read anything new this week.  I need to be reading the inside of my eyelids.  Off to make a barn check and then it's lights out!

Joining in with Ginny... 

Ten For Ten

Today is my 10 year blog anniversary. Well, for another few minutes at least.  I'd like to write something profound and memorable, but it's late and I'm beat.  It's been a long day - some good, some bad.  Like most days. 

Here are ten pictures of some of my friends, to share with my friends.  Happy Blogiversary :-).

Yarn Along - Three For Three!

Joining the Yarn Along group is not only fun, but it's also a great way for me to account for my goal of Make Yarn/Use Yarn.  I'm three for three (weeks) so far!  Can I keep it up?

The Jester hat...going slowly, but not going as poorly as I've been worrying about the last few days.  I thought my floats were too loose and I was going to have to rip it all out and start over.  Most (normal) people get their floats too tight.  Me?  Abby-normal....shut up!  I slipped half the stitches to a second needle to check and everything looks fine.  

Liddy.  Spun on the CPW and plied on the miniSpinner.  I really like the yarn (very soft and smooshy)...except it's thinner than I like to knit.  I also had some plying inconsistencies...that may have been due to plying it during the Packers/Cowboys game :-o.  This picture doesn't look too bad, but boy, it's inconsistent (some good, some over plied, some underplied). 

I can't think of any way to easily fix that without going through it yard by yard and adjusting according, which I've done before...but it's yarn that I'm probably going to just look at and never use, so I'm not sure I want to invest that kind of time.  Probably more useful as a reminder of how NOT to ply yarn...

And this is what I get if I try to take pictures on the steps of the Wool House.  No, Hickory, it's not dinner time yet.  Levi and Bullwinkle are hopeful as well.  It's just 3:30.  On a Wednesday!  I'm not a day late :-).

My book this week is Brave and Loyal: An Illustrated Celebration of Livestock Guardian Dogs, by Cat Urbigkit.  Perfect timing with the pictures and video yesterday, eh?  I love sharing stories about Hank and love reading about other amazing guardian dogs.  I'm parceling it out a couple chapters at a time. 

I've recommended her Shepherds of Coyote Rocks book before.  It's one of my all time favorites. I looked back to see if I'd recommended that with a Yarn Along post and found this.  Sweet little Liddy, now all grown up (and out - no, that's not all wool :-o) and making yarn :-).

Joining in with Ginny...

Yarn Along - Make Yarn Use Yarn - Week Two

So far, so good...even if the Yarn Along post (that I am GOING to do every week this year!) is a day late.  I even doubled up posts for Tuesday so there wouldn't be a conflict for Wednesday.  Sigh...

I've now spun two bobbins of Liddy and a small skein of Emily/Annabelly on the CPW.  At the house I clocked 310 yards of Hershey on the Joy.  I also found (another) hat pattern I just can't live without, so Miss B and I dyed some stashed Jester yarn for that.  We also dyed some roving for her and half of a 2013 Elizabeth fleece that I found when I cleaned up the barn last year.

We started with a skein of medium gray and a skein of dark gray.  I also had a skein of dark green and medium green Jester already dyed from a project from several years ago...unfinished, like so many others, languishing in my stash.  

I was happy with the dark green, so left that as is.  The light green (far right) got over dyed to make the dark navy and dark brown.  The dark blue was done with one of the three blues I have that I didn't think to make a note of.  I'm pretty sure we added some black to darken it as well, but again, no note.  Make Yarn. Use Yarn. LABEL Yarn :-o.

The brown was done in stages.  First we used red over the green and then over-dyed that with yellow. We still weren't happy, so over-dyed that with brown.  Jacob is a great yarn for beginning dyers because it takes a ton of abuse.

The white is a small skein of Annabelly I'd had to spin to finish off the collar of the Jester sweater several years ago.  I love that she is going to be part of this Jester project as well :-).  She was the first of the Belly lambs he adopted all those years ago.

I should have been ready to cast on, but I decided to take down of the Christmas decorations yesterday which then gave me too much time to stew on everything and this morning I decided I wasn't absolutely happy with the dark green, so we over-dyed it a couple more times again.

The small squiggle of yarn next to the original light green is where we started.  The brownish green next to it is the dark green over-dyed with orange and the skein next to that was the same original dark green over-dyed with brown.  I think I'm leaning towards the orange green at this point.  Now I just need to "git knittin".

Here is the hat.  It's Gone To The Mountains by fellow Yarn Along-er Andee Fagan.  Here is the story behind the pattern.  Not only is it really pretty, but the pattern is for a good cause as well ;-).

Here is the Hershey skein.  New followers are probably wondering what I used to dye this chocolate color. Actually, you are probably wondering why a grey sheep is named Hershey in the first place, now that I think about it ;-).  Here is why.  Isn't he cute?  And wow, look how young everyone looks! And the "big white lamb"?  That ended up being Rocket - Andy and Levi's dad :-).

I have a couple neat books to share and I'd include one here, but I need to go haul all my house plants back in the house.  Yes, after several days in the single digits, it's been raining and mid to upper 60s. Everyone got out for a good shower and drink and needs to come back in in the off chance it hits freezing tonight.  Plus, I'd like to actually Cast On and Use Yarn!  

Joining in with Ginny...