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.

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?  

2014 Hug A Sheep Day - Part Three

"Look at me.  Look down.  I'm over here."

"Hey!  I'm over here.  Can't you see me?!?"  

"Much better!"

Baaxter LOVED Hug A Sheep Day.  He worked first shift and then when the whistle blew for a shift change, he refused to go back to the barn.

He never let up, working straight through, late into the afternoon.  

And when we opened the gate to lead everyone across the driveway into the front field at the end of the afternoon, he ducked away and headed down to the kids playing bag toss. 

He obviously wasn't leaving, so they decided to play through.

And then one of his new friends bought a hug from him for a handful of clovers.  (He's pretty cheap ;-).

He made another detour when he spotted the treat table.  (He's very smart ;-).

So Auntie Reg made him work for (yet) another cookie.  (And quite clever ;-).

And then he went to check out the spinning wheels.  (Not a bit shy ;-).

And got to try on a warm wool scarf.  (And very handsome ;-).

He can't wait for the next party!

Sunday Stills - Looking Through Windows

I've missed so many great Sunday Stills challenges this summer.  This one was extra fun - anything you see looking through a window.  I picked the Wool House because I have lots of great views from there!

The boys.  Baaxter is doing great.  He loves his "brothers" :-).

This purple flower in the Dye Garden blooms and bloom and blooms.

Horses and sheep on the outside, spinning wheel on the inside.

Baaxter and an odd view/angle of the lavender.  Everything looks small and crunched together and it's really not.  I did have to replace quite a few plants after the hard winter, but it really looks pretty nice in real life.

Another view of a couple of the boys.  I think Baaxter is behind the "bars" on the right.

For more Sunday Stills...

Spinning Wheels

I'm counting any wool work as applying to my Tour de Fleece challenge this year.  This includes washing fleeces, prepping washed wool, spinning wheel maintenance, sampling...and of course, spinning.

My Jensen wheel was in dire need of a good cleaning and reconditioning.  Anytime you need steel wool to remove dust from something...  A little elbow grease?  Good as new :-).  Such a pretty wheel.

Here are some freshly washed Buddy curls ready for the combs.

I love how the Cotswold curls remain even after carding or combing.

A small sample - ready to Andean ply.

40 wraps per inch.  Within the range I want (36-40), but I'd like to try for just a tiny bit thinner.

But see how the curls shine through even after spinning?  Cotswold is fun :-).  Buddy's going to make a beautiful lace project.

Lamb Candy

I've spent the last two afternoons working on Mama's yarn. Blossom still needs some momma time (and momma could use some Blossom time, too ;-) so that worked out perfectly.



Such as clever little lamb.



Who loves yarn (more pictures of that to come :-).



My wheel was sitting on one of Charlotte's handwoven rugs - the one that looks like it's covered in little sheeps. Blossom thought that was a great nap spot. For awhile.



But next to momma is best.



Little heart breaker with hangy-down sleepy ears :-).



Asleep at on the wheel.



Just the best company.



And at the end of the day, still ready for more.

Mama spun up beautifully. I took some pictures in progress and a short video as well (that a couple Adventure Chickens video-bombed). More tomorrow.

Ingenious!

I love great ideas.







This is one I've come across lately that has really impressed me.



I needed a stand alone, off to the side and behind you lazy kate at a recent plying workshop I took at Midwest Fiber and Folk Art. I thought the kate the comes built into the Ashford Joy would be just fine, but I needed one that wasn't under my feet. I had to borrow the instructor's. She was sweet about it, but still, I felt unprepared. And not ingenious.



Then, to make matters more complicated, when I spun up B. Willard for the Tour de Fleece, I used my Hansen miniSpinner. No problem. I have three bobbins. Spin singles on two and ply onto the third. The bobbins are huge and wouldn't fit a standard lazy kate. I ended up having to wind each bobbin off into a ball and ply that way. It works, but isn't ingenious.



Now there are all sorts of ways to make your own lazy kate. Heck, you can make one out of a shoe box and a couple knitting needles. Still though, I was curious as to what the other miniSpinner folks were using, so checked in with the Ravelry group.



That darn Ravelry - without a doubt the most ingenious website ever. Of course I found exactly what I needed to know. Most are using a ogledesign portable kate and I was able to find her on etsy, another ingenious site.







The kate comes as a small box, tightly latched with a magnet. Inside are all the posts, a support rod and a short post to create enough of an angle to provide gravity tension for plying.











And it's big enough for three miniSpinner bobbins.







When you are finished, you unassemble everything, stash it inside the box and stow the box in your bag.



Ingenious.







This gorgeous sunset is pretty darn ingenious as well. Another great idea.

Coasting

I made it over the mountain!



My Team Russian Underpants mountain stage challenge was to learn to spin on my antique Great Wheel.



It's not perfect, but I made yarn :-). Those are pictures of Punkin by the way.



I ended up switching out my original fiber selection with some of Elizabeth, our now oldest Jacob ewe and the one formally known as "the smartest sheep in the world". Now known as the most persistent sheep in the world. Or the most annoying. The loudest mouthed sheep...

I figured a strong dose of persistence might be required today plus Jacob spins so easy I didn't think that would hurt either. Actually this all started because I can't remember where I stashed the original selection ;-).



So I couldn't really find much on exactly how to wind a quill (the paper bobbin) so I played around and got this configuration. It seemed to work, but might not be right. Jump in with any suggestions/critiques. Likewise on the winding the yarn. I think I may be doing that not so great as well. Regardless, we made yarn today.



I decided to set the bobbins (?) on the wheel as a sort of trophy for her, having survived my hack spinning and being happy to be used again. As I walked out of the room, I glanced back. I'm pretty sure she was smiling.

There's Still A Sheep On The Porch

Sadly it's not Lila. She's doing fine though, away at Miss Ewenice's Finishing School.



As you can see, I completely missed painting under the stairs and have already trashed the place. I'm going with the flowers and sheep planter are so pretty that no one would ever notice...except for the fact that I just pointed it out.



Another sheep on the porch - some Clun Forest I'm spinning for one of our neighbors. Fun sproingy yarn.

This picture is included not to give Hansen Crafts a plug (although I can fully recommend the miniSpinner for sure :-), but to show the freshly painted swing that I love to use (especially in the afternoon light) to photograph yarns, felted sheep, lazy cats...but has been so grungy looking lately that I just. couldn't. do. it.



Wheeee!



An old friend.



And some BRIGHT RED (leftover paint from the wool house doors). The jury's still out on this, well sort of. Saint Tim likes the look. I'm just going to go back to my white chair and spin some white or light gray or medium gray or dark gray wool ;-).

Have a great weekend!

Sunday Still - Macro

I don't normally like doctoring photos, but this particular shot begged to be converted to black and white. One of the Photoshop options was "newspaper" and I love how it washed out the white yarn and upped the contrast. Hooks on Kromski spinning wheel.



A friend's Lincoln longwool fleece.



There's a name for this part and I am drawing a complete blank - Jensen wheel.



Punkin yarn on the Jensen wheel.





On the steps out front - Doone Valley Thyme in melting snow. A nice little hint of green.

For more Sunday Stills...