# FAC - August '07



## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Sorry! Things have been crazy lately. Sort of in shock today with the bridge collapsing in Minneapolis. Thankfully as far as I know no one close to me was near it. I was just on that bridge a month ago. Crazy and very sad.

Fiber things have been sort of scattered. Ive been carding some black Shetland, and spinning at demos and knitting on some socks. I'm doing another demo at another county fair this Saturday with my guild. I need to work on my son's dredded sweater that I have been working on for years. No it STILL is NOT finished :grump: :Bawling: 

Anyway, it's August, school starts for the kids in another month. My son is in his last year of high school and is playing football. Their first game is Aug. 31st. I'm hoping I can go to the home games and knit in the stands. Maybe I should be knitting myself a pair of fingerless gloves instead of socks.

All you newbies and oldies please check in. I know we have had a LOT of people taking up spinning recently :dance: please let us know how you are doing and if you have any questions. Who was is that got the Golding beginner kit? I'd love to know what you think of it. It sounds like a nice gift idea.

Okay Falcon what did you want to add :dance:


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## FalconDance (Feb 4, 2007)

Not much :shrug:. My youngest son (though not youngest child) was born on this date 20 years ago :clap:. I'm in the midst of packing up goodies to take to a bbq/grill out in his honor. And, of course, the wheel's going.

Friends came over last night. She tried to learn how to spin about the same time I did years ago and never quite "got" it .... but seeing my handspun and wheels set in the living room has made her start thinking on trying again! Plus she's going to ask one of her daughters if she'd like to learn from me (she's very young but loves stuff like that.)

Ok, thanks March for giving us a new FAC . Gotta go make yummy things to eat and to wear now! Bye.


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## Ana Bluebird (Dec 8, 2002)

What a busy summer, hugh? I've been demonstrating at Watkin's Mill some weekends. Our knitting/crocheting group just got started up again--we do our thing plus squares to sew together for the homeless. Been knitting socks, crocheting on a bedspread for the church auction---got to get that done! But my bestest spinning pal is fighting cancer again for the third time. She's been really sick with the chemo. She is such a brave, tough gal---prayers for Liz.


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## donsgal (May 2, 2005)

We're in the process of trying to get our homestead up and running so we can move out there (finally). We are getting our well in Tuesday, and that is a big step. After that, we can pretty much move out any time (gotta buy another air conditioner first and get some propane for the stove) LOL

I've been working on some purchased roving (Merino - I'm in love), and I am still working on my tons of dirty Rambouillet when I can (I need a drum carder or at the very, very least some hand carders - this dog brush thing is taking forever).

I am so looking forward to fall. It is my most favorite season of all and I just love it. Too bad winter is just beyond! Oh well, anything is better than these 95 degree temps with 80 percent humidity. It just zaps the life out of you.

I'm working on a hat, and I will post pics when I get it done!

So glad to be here with all you guys. It's wonderful

donsgal


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## jerzeygurl (Jan 21, 2005)

Ana Bluebird said:
 

> What a busy summer, hugh? I've been demonstrating at Watkin's Mill some weekends. Our knitting/crocheting group just got started up again--we do our thing plus squares to sew together for the homeless. Been knitting socks, crocheting on a bedspread for the church auction---got to get that done! But my bestest spinning pal is fighting cancer again for the third time. She's been really sick with the chemo. She is such a brave, tough gal---prayers for Liz.


when are you at watkins mill, i didnt know they had demo's?

might have to plan on going to see that.


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## FalconDance (Feb 4, 2007)

Donsgal, pm me your address and let me send this extra set of carders to use! Darn it, girl, nobody else is using them now and you _know_ that idle carders are the devil's playground!









(Or was that idle hands :shrug:  ).


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

August is off to a big start!

Our 'rental son' is now ours legally as of 8/2 @ 9:30 AM. The judge signed the petition for legal guardianship. Got him enrolled in school yesterday. Had a talk with the principal and one of the custodians (the custodian is a family friend that relates well to kids like D.)

A fiber friend that I met last fall at a junior tackle football game (she was knitting, I was crocheting) got into spinning on a spindle a couple months ago and called me last night to tell me she purchased an Ashford Traveller. She'll probably join me at tomorrow's farmer's market with her wheel.

Oldest daughter (20) is moving to her own place. As soon as she has her stuff moved out of her room (hopefully this weekend) we can move 'D' into her room and I'll have my fiber room back. Maybe then I'll be able to get the promised merino weighed up and shipped out. I did find them - that's a start! Both of the fleeces have been scoured - one still needs more though.

Got in 3# of loverly Corriedale X roving (it was listed on the barter board - nice stuff - I recommend it!). Need to start combing the black icelandic fleece and get that spun so I can start on DD's hoodie sweater.

Started my canning. Saturday 'Madame' will be down for a soapmaking lesson, I'm sure we'll get some spinning in there too! Sunday, there are more tomaters to get canned up, probably some more pickles too.


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## therealshari (Jul 10, 2007)

Our weekend will be spent building lamb jugs... our first lambs are expected next week. Yes... more black Merino/Suffolk cross... 3/4 Merino as the momma's are 3/4 Merino X 1/4 Suffolk and our ram is 3/4 Merino X 1/4 Suffolk (and he's black, too). 

Right after that, we have to move our round pen... bought another horse this last week. That means we have to add a stall to our horse shed (just can't call it a barn). A friend is bringing his BIG tractor over to level the site early this next week. 

Of course, that means I'll have a really big pile of horse manure to work with at the composting site. Guess it's time to build another compost pile with the sheep litter, horse manure, and whatever other green stuff I can find... Oh, and about 20 pounds of coffee grounds.

At some point, it's time to butcher the roo's... then I can clean the hen house and get the young girls settled in and ready to lay eggs. To do that, we still have to finish the nest boxes. They need sides, a top, and a way for Mom to reach the eggs without having to go into the hen house.

Oh, and we're finally eating a little bit from our garden... we've enjoyed a couple rounds of broccoli, and our very first carrot. We had a fair amount of "firecrackers" (radishes). Soon we'll have sugar snap peas, cucumbers, and then corn and tomatoes (if they ripen).


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## Meg Z (Jun 8, 2004)

August already! <sigh> My summer of freedom is coming to a crashing close soon. I still have lots of wool to sort and clean, but it will go slowly now. 

I think I'm going to have a talk with hubby about some changes that need to be made around here. I think I'd like to quit doing turkeys and geese. Chickens, sheep, and angora rabbits are enough to keep me busy, I think. The water needs of the geese take a lot of work. The turkeys just stripped my grape vines :flame: ...again.

I know that he's looking forward to having the full homesteading experience next summer, but I've been doing this basically alone for three years now, and have figured out what I am willing to deal with and what I'm not. He hasn't had the chance yet. So, I'm torn between just telling him what I plan to do, or waiting, dealing with it all another year, and then bringing it up, after he gets to see for himself who causes what work for what return.

Possibly I'm down on parts of this because the last two summers I've been doing this alone and damaged. Last year it was a broken ankle. This year the broken knee. It's made me look harder at what is important to me.

When he was home last winter, we did do some construction changes, to make things easier on a damaged person...just in case, we said.  I'm grateful now that we took the time to raise doors and gates so they would swing more easily, and install a couple new gates, so someone didn't have to walk around the long way. But those changes really aren't enough.

For three years now, he's home for a few months during the winter, and we build, and put up fence. He leaves in the spring, this year in March, and I do lambing, incubating the poultry and raising them, breeding rabbits and slaughtering those by myself. We did shear before he left. When he gets back this November, we'll butcher all the poultry I've raised. He'll get a few days to visit in September, and we'll do the fall shearing then, a bit early.

I guess I'm feeling a bit disillusioned here. I've ahd the summer off, and feel like I haven't accomplished a thing. Now it's almost time to go back to work, and I feel like now I never will get anything completed.

<sigh> Short-timers disease, I reckon. I'm very glad he's going to retire when he gets back. Maybe I'll just let him take over all the farm chores for a while, so he can really get the full homestead experience! Then we'll discuss the geese and turkeys. 

So, I just used this to talk out my current frustration, and figure out a tentative plan. The question now is, do I delete this as I usually do, or post it, just for the heck of it?

Ah, why not.......


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

What the heck is right Meg! Get those frustrations out here, we have strong shoulders and maybe a few good ideas. Besides aren't we almost like family? Now you have a plan and you have worked things out in your head, sort of. How easy was that?

I had a nice surprise when I went home on break to do chores. I had a mama hen greet outside the coop :flame: with 6 tiny chicks, awwwwwwww! Cuteness factor is so high on those little balls of fluff.

LFMenagerie was kind enough to give me 4 of her great laying hens, man those hen are happy girls and love to lay a lot of eggs :dance: I have another hen sitting a a bunch of eggs, she got off the nest one of the really hot days, and I noticed that they are almost all eggs laid by LFMenagerie's hens  Clever girls! I hope they hatch out, it should be in a few weeks I think.


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## LFmenagerie (Mar 29, 2007)

Marchwind-
Glad to hear those chickens are still dropping eggs in every nest they find. They are good at that  

Meg-
OOOOH! No wine for you with the grapes gone. I have some good recipes for other fruit wine if you need it. Just tell me the berry you have lots of.  
Hang in there, girl. I'll send you a bottle, finished, if you need it!

I already updated some of the things that I am up to. Our rooster was dead one morning about a month ago. That was weird. :shrug: Good thing one of the Auracanas hatched those little 'eagles' to choose a new rooster from.
Two of my new goats are showing thier pregnancies. No idea when they would be due except we seperated them (from the buck) in the end of May when we brought them home. Not looking forward to Fall kids :grump: . But the addition of the barn has insulated walls and almost all the sheeting up on the walls too (good job Tom). The older section is already insulated so it is relatively warm (for Northern Minnesota - did I tell you we are 20 miles from the Ice Box of the Nation?)
The garden is asking to be frisked, one of my daughters packs and moves to go to Cosmo-school in two weeks. Another daughter came back home after living on her own for two years so she is waiting for that room to be hers. My youngest daughter is a Senior (I just took her up for Senior pictures) and oldest is having a baby (as if I didn't tell you already). I will be starting work (sigh) in the end of August and my DH will begin Cross country for the highschool he teaches at in the middle of Aug. To much to do before that starts for us both. :stars: 
Chickens, two turkeys, and a couple goats to butcher, some goat horns to remove, rabbits to get rid of, garden things to take care of. :hobbyhors I'd better get off here and get busy.
Pam


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## Meg Z (Jun 8, 2004)

LFmenagerie said:


> :
> 
> Meg-
> OOOOH! No wine for you with the grapes gone. I have some good recipes for other fruit wine if you need it. Just tell me the berry you have lots of.
> ...


 :rotfl: 

NOW I understand the reference to wine in your pm.....  

Yep, half the grapes are wine grapes. But they're all gone. I had picture perfect clusters of grapes out there, for the first year ever. Now I have little stems where the grapes used to be. :flame:


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## LFmenagerie (Mar 29, 2007)

Yep, half the grapes are wine grapes. But they're all gone. I had picture perfect clusters of grapes out there, for the first year ever. Now I have little stems where the grapes used to be. :flame:[/QUOTE]

I can understand your :badmood: . Hope it has lifted now. 
Since you make wine, too I'd be embarassed for you to taste mine. I have to use other fruit cause I don't have any grapes. But Raspberry makes a great fruity wine that you can get make so it give a serious kick in the shorts and it can be blended with chokecherry for a bit of dryness.
Makes me want to go and try a bottle from last year....but I can only drink a glass cause I don't drink very often therefore I get fruity fast. :buds: 

Wonder how many others make wine? We could start another forum  

Pam


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## grams (Sep 10, 2004)

Tom had to have knee surgery this afternoon, and we were sitting here this morning before going to the hospital, the electric appliances were busy doing the housework, Tom was playing his guitar, the dogs were playing and being very cute and I was weaving on a triloom.

I thought, man life is just GREAT! Fast forward to the afternoon, Tom came through the surgery great, not in a lot of pain and we were home before 4:00. Life is still GREAT!

I went out right after we got home to check the rabbits and they were all 4 dead. I feel so BAD! I am afraid to even go check my chickens. I know it is silly to be so upset since it is really hot here and it is not at all rare for heat related deaths in this kinda heat, but they were really sweet rabbits.

I need a hug.


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## Meg Z (Jun 8, 2004)

grams said:


> I need a hug.


 :grouphug: and also :kissy: 

I'm very sorry. 

Meg


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## swamp_deb (Jan 9, 2004)

Aw grams :grouphug: I'm sorry.

This heat is bad on everything that breathes.


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## Liese (Dec 12, 2005)

[
I went out right after we got home to check the rabbits and they were all 4 dead. I feel so BAD! I am afraid to even go check my chickens. I know it is silly to be so upset since it is really hot here and it is not at all rare for heat related deaths in this kinda heat, but they were really sweet rabbits.

I need a hug.[/QUOTE]

Very sorry to hear about your bunnies. I do checks now about 4x/day and everytime I wonder what I'll find. Farming seems to be either surviving one diseaster after another or averting one diseaster after another. Either way it takes a toll. With the summers so brutal I am thinking to have a bunny area in the house - unfortunately I can't extend this to sheep! We sheared one of the lambs this morning at 6:30; I figured we'd do one a day before Bob leaves for work. But what I noticed during my rounds was that she was puffing just as much as her unsheared sister. Perhaps I am not doing her any favour? I think we'll observe the situation another couple of days before we unzip another since those fleeces will be more saleable with a longer staple. Their health and comfort comes before sales but if it doesn't make one wit of difference that's different.

Hey, can I have that raspberry wine recipe? That sounds wonderful - we had lots of wild blackberries this year and I'd rather drink than eat!

On a fibery note, I did some kool-aid dyeing yesterday. All pink or red colours. I also gathered some golden rod flowers. WIll pick up some cream of tartar tomorrow and have some experimentation.

Best to all.


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## Meg Z (Jun 8, 2004)

Liese said:


> Hey, can I have that raspberry wine recipe? That sounds wonderful - we had lots of wild blackberries this year and I'd rather drink than eat!.


You make yourself sound a right lush here :nono: ...'rather drink than eat'...LOL. It's a good thing I know better!


Meg


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## frazzlehead (Aug 23, 2005)

I sat down last night & skirted a fleece.  I am sending some out to be processed, and when I did the shearing I didn't keep things very clean so it needed a bit of cleanup. I sat on a stool and just pulled chunks of fleece from the pile, shook, picked out vm, and dumped the very best and cleanest into a box I'll keep and hand process, and the medium into another box to go to the mill, and the yukkiest bits into a pile that'll end up on the compost heap. It actually was a fairly pleasant experience, I listened to an audio book while I did it. When I finished, I hand carded some of the nice stuff & started spinning. In fact, I'm gonna go do some more spinning of that stuff right now.


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## Liese (Dec 12, 2005)

Meg Z said:


> You make yourself sound a right lush here :nono: ...'rather drink than eat'...LOL. It's a good thing I know better!
> 
> 
> Meg


Well, a couple of glasses of wine in the evening probably doesn't make me a lush...but the idea of turning blackberries into wine does appeal more to me than eating them. Unless you have to sieve out the seeds with your teeth


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

I'm so sorry Grams 

:grouphug: 

I'm glad Tom did well with his surgery.

During this heat, we put frozen bottles of water in the rabbit cages. It helps some, but it's no guarantee


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

Meg Z said:


> You make yourself sound a right lush here :nono: ...'rather drink than eat'...LOL. It's a good thing I know better!
> 
> 
> Meg


  

I remember on a soap forum when someone asked about using left over wine for making soap .... my first thought was, "What is _leftover_ wine????"

:shrug:


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Oh Grams I'm so sorry to hear about you losing your bunnies :Bawling: The water bottles are a great thing to have on hand. They will help your chickens too if you can freeze some of the larger ones and keep them in the coop for them to get near.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

I posted some more pictures here http://www.kodakgallery.com/SelectPhotos.jsp? Look under the fibers spun at the fair.


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

It's asking me for an email address and password, March

here, have some more leftover wine ....


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## Liese (Dec 12, 2005)

MullersLaneFarm said:


> I remember on a soap forum when someone asked about using left over wine for making soap .... my first thought was, "What is _leftover_ wine????"
> 
> :shrug:



And not to be found at this house either!

Today I have drum carded the Black Cherry kool-aid dyed fleece (quite red) and then carded it again with some naturally cream coloured; both Dorset. Am spinning this up to do a two ply sock yarn. The Pink lemonade kool-aid colour came out looking like cotton candy, so I'm thinking about how fun it might be plyed with a turquoise colour. Are they still putting out a Kool aid flavour that gives that or are they all discontinued? Anyway this is a long way from the subtle natural tomes I am usually spinning. 

Whilst out doing the mid-day check I noticed that Mabel, who we sheared yesterday, was huffing as much if not MORE than Betty her sister. Bob's comment was "guess insulation works both ways" Poor damn thing, having to deal with the consequences of my good intentions. Thankfully they have a lovely tree line to lay about under and a good slave to bring them cool water.
Inside enjoying the A/C I have 1 bunny running at large, 1 in the bathroom and 1 in the bedroom.

Well, keep cool everyone back to my slave duties.


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## Meg Z (Jun 8, 2004)

Liese said:


> Inside enjoying the A/C I have 1 bunny running at large, 1 in the bathroom and 1 in the bedroom.


So does this mean Ranger finally decided to come out and play? 

I've got a line on a new buck...self lilac, which will be a new color for me. Hopefully, I can go see him this weekend. There's a possibility of a blue doe, too, but I'll have to check her pedigree against my existing herd, as she may be too closely related. Cross fingers please!

Meg


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Hmmmm! Let me try to fix it.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

See if this works any better http://www.kodakgallery.com/MyGallery.jsp?UAUTOLOGIN_ID=543898617109

If not I may have to create a password for everyone to use.


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## jerzeygurl (Jan 21, 2005)

nope still asks for password


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## FalconDance (Feb 4, 2007)

SCORE! Saw the friend who gave me the llama fleece today at the cafe. Told her that while I deeply appreciated the free llama woolie, could I please be there next time to teach the shearer how to shear for a spinner since he ruined a great deal of the fiber. She said no problem -- oh and by the way, she says, she just bought a beautiful dark chocolate brown llama and I COULD HAVE HER FIBER, TOO!!!!!!! :bouncy: Not only that (you mean it gets better?) but the friend whom she was lunching with asked me if I had any llama spun up because she'd dearly love to have some to knit. I told her no, not yet, but I'd let Anne know when it was ready. More fiber goodness _and_ a market for it...... what more can you ask?

Trying to schedule at least one spinning demo at the school this fall, maybe one in the spring, as well.


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

That's WONDERFUL Falcon!!


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## FalconDance (Feb 4, 2007)

I got a pair of mini wool combs today . Went by a new "antique" shop out in the country and *surprise* she had a nice great wheel (minus its spindle, unfortunately), a Louet Jr. drum carder, as set of mini combs and lots of Louet yarns. (All new goodies.) Kinda sad when an antique-type store carries more spinner friendly stuff than a so-called spinning/weaving shop!

Anyhow, the drum carder is $350 and she'll do a 60 day layaway. Think it's worth it? (Rhetorical question  ) I'd much rather give a local my hard earned money than send off to a faceless merchant somewhere.....



 I just priced both the roving carder and the combs online. The carder is about right, but the combs are apparently ~$70 retail! I got mine for $15!!!!!!!! :bouncy: I'll do business with her again! Oh yes I will!


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

Great find for the combs!!!

Now the carder - $350 sounds like retail for new - see if she'll deal with you. Make sure all the parts are there. Take in some fiber to card. You might impress her enough with your knowlege that she'll give you a deal.

Sounds like she got lucky by buying the items from an estate. If there isn't a lot of spinners in your area, you may be able to deal if you let it sit for a little bit.

I'm excited for you!


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## FalconDance (Feb 4, 2007)

No, no, Cyndi. These are brand-new-in-the-box Louet goodies! In fact, she had gotten them in so recently, they weren't even price-tagged yet! The accessories for the carder aren't even displayed; they're still shrink wrapped in the box. That's why I almost fell over myself when I got home and priced those combs (which, btw, when she said $15, I knew _just_ enough on prices to snatch them straight away before she could come to her senses!).

If the roving carder had been from an estate, I'd likely have forgotten all my good intentions, haggled her down on the price considerably and temporarilly dipped into the "roof fund" if necessary (was on the way to the store as it was). As it is, I can, if I choose, put it on layaway and bring it home in two months at the latest .

Tried the combs last night. Have no idea if I'm using them "right" but they worked very well and I was pleased with the results :shrug: . Be better if they were a little bigger, but I kinda like the portability of them. Besides, if some stray psycho lost his/her senses to the point of trying to come between me and my fiber, I could poke them with the tines! Don't you think I wouldn't! :nono:


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## LFmenagerie (Mar 29, 2007)

Hey, can I have that raspberry wine recipe? That sounds wonderful - we had lots of wild blackberries this year and I'd rather drink than eat!


Hi Liese!
Sorry I didn't see your request. I'd be glad to share that recipe. I PM'd yo. I would like to copy the recipe and send it as an attachment so I don't accidently misquote anything. Can I do that in a PM? Or do I have to send to personal e-mail for That?
Or if many people would like the Recipe I could put it on here and Tom can proof-read to catch any typ-o's  .
Let me know  
Pam


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## FalconDance (Feb 4, 2007)

*sigh* It's hot.

Finally got the llama skirted/sorted/bagged. No kidding, even with some guard hairs still in, I'd guess that 75% was wasted due to a HORRID shear job :Bawling:. Second cuts? Try thirds, fourths, fifths........ And this was on a sedated (i.e. non-fighting) animal! Made me want to scream.

Also have 'laid in' Shetland (thanks donsgal!  ) and a Churro/Cotswald fleece (*gorgeous* is an understatement) with more Romney (colored and white) still en route. Maybe I'll stop there til spring. The Romney that Meg bartered with me - still feel guilty 'cause I _know_ I got the far better deal - spins like a dream. The lanolin glistens on the fiber, and my hands feel so soft when I'm done for the night.

The local fair is next weekend. The Fair Board demands $15 for a booth/table/display of any sort, content subject to their approval and placement. We live next door to the fair - literally! I think I'll sit on the porch and spin. Let them trespass to tell me I need to pay a fee :flame:. The City Council has allowed them to believe they are demi-gods for years now - and I've taken steps to begin reminding them that they are not (sometimes you have to stand for what's right, not what's popular or comfy). The Sat. night concert (which, while the band is GOOD, the revelry is always loud and drunken) is also moved to next door instead of the usual down at the park where there are very, very few houses. So guess who gets to have drunken arses in her yard until well after 1AM. I think I'll have a little chat with our deputy. He knows us and will understand my concerns. Bad enough people ride horses through the garden and treat our yard like a driveway (yes, the Fair Board and their friends drive through and sometimes park in our yard!), but now to have all the partiers, too. We're not the only house on the street, of course - just the one next door to the festivities this year with no thought as to our wishes/safety!


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## betty modin (May 15, 2002)

I've missed you all while I've been busy with 'real life'! All the weather and strange happenings have had me concerned for the safety of many of you-we've just had our usual weather all summer-and now the air has a hint of autumn in it.
I finished ,and packed to send ,the sweater I've been working on for so many months. Now my other daughter wants one just like it-just using the fleece from my other fawn shetland who's a bit darker. It only took about 8 months to spin, knit (figure out the mistakes and redo...) and then figure out how to put the pieces together (the pattern just says 'sew the back to the front'..which doesn't explain about the sleeves and the arms and the hood-)that took about a month to figure out and included several times taking it all apart! But, now I know how so it shouldn't take quite so long for the next sweater from that pattern. 
I was offered and accepted a new teaching position for the fall (starts on Monday). This change has kept me very busy the last five or six weeks. I had to finish up the summer term and do all the paper work for the students, clean out my classroom, leave readable instructions for the special education paperwork, the book programs and several other extra jobs before I could feel okay about leaving. I will miss the program and the children so much. I plan to stay involved in the treatment foster care still-after I get adjusted to the new position first. I will be teaching less than seven miles from home now-I was driving 35+miles each direction- and the pay is $10K more per year. It will be an entirely different sort of job, but I'm excited and ready to be part of my own community in a new way. I will even have over an hour extra ever day to spend on fiber arts! (thinking about a 4H club...there's not one here)
I feel good about the approaching fall-hay in the barn, firewood stacked, garden thought out and fall crops planted. My three adult children and my parents were here for a long weekend and we got the barn cleaned and the pasture cleared up. I still have a bit of fence repair and a few thistle to take care of over the next couple of weeks...but all should be done before the rain and cold weather arrive. I'm so excited about the short commute that I have to be careful not to put things off thinking that I'll get to them later...I want to have time to spin later!
Glad to see many of you have checked in so that I can quit worrying about you. I'm still here too. betty


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## Katherine in KY (May 11, 2002)

Betty, it's great to hear from you and especially to hear how well things are going. The short commute will really give you time to breathe for a change. How selfless you are, though, to be planning already to use that time for a 4-H group instead of for yourself 

It's still horribly hot and dry here. I find it hard to do much of anything although today I have to get to making and canning tomato sauce. I haven't done any spinning since I got back from my trip--just too hot, but I have been knitting--mostly on a lace shawl because it's not too heavy to work with. I can't wait for cooler weather so I can get back to a more normal routine.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Betty, I'm so happy to see you posting again. Fantastic news about the new job have you actually calculated how much time and money you will save? And that pay increase, OMG, that is wonderful. I remember when you made your move to where you are now, boy have you done well for yourself there. Congratulations on all the positive changes!


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## Oceanrose (Mar 25, 2005)

I have a few days off of work heading my way. With the state fair going on, I'd put in for vacation since work will be S-L-O-W.

So, today, I'm going to card out a beautiful moorit shetland fleece, and finish washing the Rambouillet I have. The Ramb taught me, that while I enjoy working with raw fleece, I lack the patience (and the time) for dirty uncovered fleece. This stuff is GORGEOUS fiber, and not too much VM but dirty and icky and fairly unskirted. I did buy some new wool wash I really like though, while I was at the spinning shop the other day, it's the Patchouli scented from Louet. Nice and light but it gets the fleece clean.

Yesterday I finished spinning up some dark Shaela roving I had. Did 200 yards of a cabled yarn (4 ply) and 200 yards of 2 ply. My mom crocheted a super cute hat too out of some homespun. Will be going on the website once I get that up (my labor day project).

I am so anxious for fall, cool days, and colored leaves. Perfect weather for spinning up this lovely wool


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## FalconDance (Feb 4, 2007)

Got my latest batch of Romney fleece, a very dark grey and a white, today. Thanks to Meg, I think I've found a new fiber-love. Well, right up there with donsgal's Shetland and the Wensly/Cots/Churro I just got. 

Does that make me fickle?

At any rate, the new Romney is enough darker than the Meg wool that I think it'll make a pretty tweed-ish yarn. (Who says tweed has to black and white? :shrug: ). Of course, that's when I have the time to work up enough for two bobbins full to ply with the two already done to test the idea ....

Oh, and our boss informed me Sat night that we're going on a "mandatory" (slightly tongue-in-cheek) company float trip Wed evening til Sat sometime. On first glance, yay! BUT no one thought to ask if we had any plans already - supposed to be having friends down for the weekend and I'm giving her spinning lessons! Haven't been able to get ahold of them to make sure they're coming, so am rather upset at the guys. Plus missing two days of work is a pain - "you can work Sat and Sun to make it up". Uh, how 'bout NOT. Saturday is the fair and we always have friends over for the day and barbeque. Have done for 3 years! Besides, with the whole shebang in the side yard this year, I don't know if I want to be away Fri night. I mean, son will be here, but still.

Can't figure out how to take fiber stuff with me, though. We'll be canoing, so it might be hard to keep things completely dry. And except for husband, none of these guys know/appreciate anything related to fiber except that they go to Wal-Mart for their clothes made from China. :flame: My "little hobby" is quaint, but really, why do I want to mess with stinky wool anyhow? Ok, that's a little unfair. ONE of the other gals going thinks it's neater than anything even if she doesn't spin.

Sorry, guess I'm just a wee bit ----y right now. On one hand, I really want to go (and husband certainly deserves some down time) but on the other, the whole thing is so inconsiderate, I want to scream.

I think I'll just go fondle some wool before heading back to work. :baby04:


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## therealshari (Jul 10, 2007)

Wow, what a whirlwind three weeks this has been. 

We got a new horse, and have been working to enlarge the stable. Tonight we brought home still another horse. This time a yearling we've wanted since she was born.

Of course the lamb pen had to be enlarged. Thought we were on lamb watch, but after doing some re-calculation, the babies are due first week of October and they are from our handsome ram, Algernon. He's a BIG BOY at about 350 pounds. 

Then it was time to eliminate the cockerels from the chicken coop. Oh, that was after we gave a day's labor to the local Senior Center for their annual fundraiser. I'm the "chief griller". 

Somehow in between all that, Bev and I got my new skirting table built, so will soon be skirting the fleeces. I've still not heard back from my local mentor on what she thought of the fleece.

Oh yes, and I've started working on a book. You can read along at "Four Country Gals ". It will be the story of how we got from there to here. I'd appreciate if you PM me any errors or typos. Can't have too many eyeballs for proof reading.


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## Sherri C (Jun 21, 2002)

Oh my gosh, all of a sudden I'm feeling very "unreal". hehehehe :baby04: 

I pulled my wheel out of the closet where it's been for over a year now, fixed the broken brake band, and spun about half a bobbin of some mystery roving also stashed in the closet. So I guess I'm back. :dance: I was pleased and suprised to see that the yarn didn't look like "novelty yarn". I guess it is kind of like riding a bicycle.

The little man turned two on Monday. Time sure flies!


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## Katherine in KY (May 11, 2002)

"The little man turned two on Monday."

Wow, Sherri, he'll be grown before you know it , but first you have to get through the Terrible Twos! Glad you're back spinning. It's so easy to do what I did-turn around and 20 years have passed without touching the wheel!


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

The new FAC is up and running. Please post here http://homesteadingtoday.com/showthread.php?p=2484441#post2484441

Thanks!


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