# FAC - May '07



## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

For once I'm early posting this. May first is tomorrow and I head back to work and soon to bed so I wanted to get this posted otherwise I would be late.

This Fiber Arts Chat (FAC) thread is just that, a place to get chatty about things in your life and things of fiber content. Newbies and lurkers jump in and introduce yourself. Tell us what you are working on or what you wish to work on. If you have questions feel free to ask. You are sure to get more advice than you need. All of our old friends please say hello so we know what you are up to if you haven't had a chance to post in awhile. If you just need a place to brag or spill your thoughts go right ahead.

I now have heddles made for both of my Inkle looms. Now if I could get at least one of them warped I'd have it made in the shade. The weather is so beautiful, sunny and warm. I've been working on things outside and trying to get things done inside as well. I've figured out where I'm going to put a larger veggie garden and my smaller kitchen garden will go to herbs and perennials.

I am expecting 3 Shetland fleeces to arrive on my door step any day :shrug: I'm hopeless I tell you. Donsgal maybe you and I need to join hands and just jump :baby04: I need these fleeces like another hole in my head but hey, we're all addicts right? Right? Of course we are. Besides these were so inexpensive I couldn't afford not to buy them  

I haven't attempted to spin at all since I got the cast off. Today I haven't worn my brace at all and I can feel it. My range of motion is getting better every day but my strength is pretty much nonexistent. I go back the 21st of May then I'll begin my strengthening exercises.

That's it for me! Hope everyone is busy with the season.


----------



## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

March, keep up the P&T - it's worth it in the end.

In the April FAC, Carol was asking about rug hooking - I think I'll start a new thread on that since I just started locker hooking a rug.

On the homestead, I've converted one 35' x 75' veggie garden into my berry patch. Got in 8 cranberries, 4 blue berries, 3 each of black, red & gold raspberries and 4 blackberries.

I will be moving my perenial herbs & veggies that are in the main veggie garden, (rhubarb, asparagus, comfrey, horseradish, garlic, Egyptian onions) into the berry garden.


----------



## FalconDance (Feb 4, 2007)

Get that wheel spinning, March! Don't need lots of strength -- and it'll perk you right up, guaranteed.

Trying to decide whether to start on the dark brown/black Ramb. or the white fleece(s) first. Although, since I found two bobbins that will technically work for my hand-crafted wheel, I suppose I could always work on both alternatively! :sing: 

Answered a craigslist ad the other evening for a hand-crafted spinning wheel for sale in Olathe KS for $175. Reply was that it was a new "upright type", never used and had 3 bobbins with a lazy kate. Wow, I thought. The gal mentioned that her husband was planning to take a couple pics, would I like to see? Duh! Next thing I know, the husband writes and says, 'well, there's another lady ahead of you wanting to look at it but she's out of state - are you out of state, too _(yeah, a couple hours away at most)_? Oh, and by the way, the price is non-negotiable.' Like I was going to quibble about that price for a hand-crafted wheel?!?!? Guess I'll find out today if it's still available.

Need to find out where the wasps are getting in the house at - I'm allergic to their sting and yesterday, killed three inside. I've already heard one this morning but haven't seen it yet.

Garden spot's been plowed but it's been wet enough that tilling it has been put on hold _again_ (raining this morning). Decided to work up a huge old plot that we haven't used in a few years, wanted the extra growing room and plan to share a bit of dirt with a neighbor who doesn't have a garden spot. At this rate, we'll have fresh veggies for Thanksgiving and Yule! (Actually, it's happened before  .)

I think it'll be the dark Ramb. first. Yep. Executive decision.

~Falcon


----------



## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

Maybe the other lady was trying to dicker down the price??

I hate being a seller for an item that is getting a lot of attention (that doesn't sound right, does it??) When we had a month old jersey heifer for sale last year, we had so many folks respond. Most wanting us to 'hold' her for them. Nope, not without a non-refundable deposit. 'Cora' went to a wonderful HT family


----------



## grams (Sep 10, 2004)

I really wasn't very busy with fiber stuff last month, just about have Tom's afghan done and made several bands on the inkle. That was it. Didn't touch my wheel at all all month. Tom did make me a tape loom, that I plan on wrapping up sometime this week. Anyone every wrapped one? I could use any helpful tips. I have so many projects that I need and want to start on, but I just can't get going, need a good swift kick!

Hey March, I saw your message on small looms. Yep it was me.


----------



## FalconDance (Feb 4, 2007)

Got pics of the wheel for sale in Olathe. They were a bit small and darkish, and I couldn't tell if it was a double drive or Scotch tension. But it is an upright similar in design to the Traveller - but appears a little clunky (not at all streamline like the Traveller). I'll pass the info on to my girlfriend and think I'll stay with my present wheels and prepare for the restoration of the European ones (a couple only need the footman tied back on and oiling, some need more).

More rain and gloom. I'm telling you, the ducks are crying "Uncle!" again at this point!

~Falcon


----------



## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Ree I'm glad that was you! Did you see that Phil posted a link for Tape looms today? It looks really interesting. Have you begun weaving on it yet? I would imagine you would warp it like a RH loom, it's just smaller.

Falcon you are right I do need to get my wheels out. The poor things sit in the corners calling to me and I ignore them and step around them to get to my books :Bawling: My Inkle looms have been calling to me louder than the wheels have and right now I have to ignore them too. At least until the weekend. I'm having a lot of fun reading about all the different ways to weave. Most of it I understand but I won't really understand it fully until I try it. I'm such a hands on person.


----------



## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

I haven't made a dent in my top or roving. Black Welsh Mountain X Corriedale. Super black, but I've been trying to use up the other stuff I had.

At our Spinning guild a couple of months ago we all brought in samples of our fleece. I don't need any more fleece! Well, I spun up some Suffolk. Gosh, I hated it. The fibers were very short and not at all fun to spin. I did one bobbin, and used the rest to stuff a doll. It makes great stuffing!

I'm almost finished spinning some mohair/wool. It is beautiful and dyed in dark autumn colors. I've got to finish spinning it before diving into the black. If I didn't knit so much I could spin more.


----------



## grams (Sep 10, 2004)

Marchwind said:


> Ree I'm glad that was you! Did you see that Phil posted a link for Tape looms today? It looks really interesting. Have you begun weaving on it yet? I would imagine you would warp it like a RH loom, it's just smaller.


No, I was going to wrap it tomorrow, but those plans have changed so it will be this weekend. I started to wrap it earlier this week thinking I will just do it like a RH, but I decided that my wrapping board would be to big, so I think I will just use some chairs and measure out the wrap and go that way. One of my problems is that once I get a loom warped up, all I want to do is weave, so I am really driving myself with the promise of this weekend.


----------



## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Big fiber day today, for me anyway. I took my small Inkle loom to work with me today wanting to warp it. My supervisor was gone for the day and Tony, our beloved was the acting supervisor. We always have a great time when Tony is working and an even better time when he is the supervisor  

I got my loom warped, it took me only about 30 minutes or less :dance: Then I was weaving on it. It did a very simple pattern with two colors, red and yellow. I have no plans for this project, maybe book marks.

After work my two sons and my older son's girlfriend went out to dinner and were going to see Spiderman 3 but it was sold out :Bawling: so we got tickets for tomorrow afternoon.

When I got home my three Shetland fleeces were here waiting for me :baby04: My house now smells like glorious sheep.

Do any of you know what it is about raw wool and cats? No sooner did I open the boxes and my cats all came around wanting to dig and burrow into the wool. I closed up the boxes and they are still trying to get inside, crazy!

Tomorrow I'll wash up some of each fleece to play with.


----------



## FalconDance (Feb 4, 2007)

I know what you mean, March! We have one cat who gets heat rash in the summer if he overheats and lanolin is the only thing that cures it - so he does NOT like the smell of wool (could it be because we call him silly names when he smells all sheepy  ). But the other sleeps on top of the woolbag every opportunity - and actively tries to get into any opening to root around she can find!

The crazier thing is, she cannot stand the wheels. They take mama's attention away from her, so spinning wheels are all evil in her eyes. So evil, in fact, that one day she slapped the flyer hard --- as I was spinning! I tried to tell her it would hurt. But she had it in her mind to whallop that darned machine and whallop she did. She then sulked when the machine didn't go away after its whupping .

~Falcon


----------



## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Falcon, my cats and dogs are all fascinated by the wheel. Most of the cats have learned but some have not. All of my cats are long haired. When I sit there is at least one that wants to sit in my lap. That isn't a good thing when I spin. inevatably their fur gets caught up on the draft and they become part of the project :nono: You would think they would learn. They also like to attach the treadle and the flyer. The dogs are nosy and stick their nose in the flyer or the wheel when it is running. Like I said some learn some don't :shrug: Maybe if I made it an every day occurrence they would get bored with it all


----------



## betty modin (May 15, 2002)

Hello to all. I feel like a stranger,it's been so long since I've been here. The foster child takes ALLLL my time! She needs all my attention, all the time. We've had three bad evenings in a row, and I'm pretty tired tonight. We'll seek advice on Monday from the experts...she's got such low self-esteem that any time I need to correct her she tantrums, then begins to try to get me to pack her up and out of here. Attachment disorder is so hard to know how to deal with at times. 
On the fiber front I've been working with the creative arts group at school and have two groups of kids knitting with the needles they made and using the wool yarn they dyed too! It's fun to watch the older children help the younger ones. The groups are mixed age groupings from preschool to middle school age. Even the staff are wanting to learn. Two of the other teachers had another staff member teach them to knit in their monthly 'outside of work' craft sessions, and now there are three of us knitting our way through morning staff meetings. 
I've got the back of the sweater finished, and all the fiber spun and three plyed into 10wpi. Now I get to start the hard part, the part with the celtic knots up the front and around the hood...I'll let you know how it goes when I get there. 
I started to spin up another one of last year's fleeces. It's a very soft and fine near-black fleece. I'd spun some earlier, and had forgotten how fine it was. It should make a nice sweater too...something close to the skin and lacey!?! We'll see what it wants to become.
The weather has been 'interesting' to say the least. After a bit of a warm spell the rain returned and it's been a cold storm system. I had snow in the rain on Thursday, and hail too. The mountain to the east of me had snow almost all the way down, so I know that I was just below the snow line. It's been woodstove and down comforter weather all week! Today it was finally sunny and I had to spend the day with the computer. I had made arraingments for respite care and spent the day working on the last project for the transition of my credentialing to this state. Now I've only got to work on it for about another 10 hours...before the end of the month it has to been in to the university for assessment. Maybe I won't get that fleece spun up after all. I have only one more respite day this month...
I hope to get some garden work done tomorrow, at least the mowing done before I lose my little min pin in the yard! The grass is almost as tall as she is (my cat if bigger that she is too). I'd love to get my peas, lettuce and chard in too. We'll see what gets done...
Hope all is well and you all find room to stash your new fiber. (my newest fleeces are still waiting for the final skirting-patiently sitting in their giant paper bags watching me do chores twice a day from their table in the barn-five silent sentinals) betty


----------



## Katherine in KY (May 11, 2002)

Betty, you are a saint with all you do for your foster kids. I hope this one improves--so sad to see them so damaged when they're so young.
Not much exciting going on here. I was at my parents' for a couple of weeks and finished a gansey sweater for DH. I've always wanted to knit a gansey and this one I designed myself, with underarm gussets, etc. It came out pretty well. Now I'm trying to get the garden weeded and planted, but we've been having rain. I've planted out a few tomatoes, but wanted the bulk of my plants to go in late. Unfortunately I'm having horrible problems getting them to germinate. There seems to be a mouse in our basement (with 4 cats!), and it's digging up the cellpacks looking for seed. I finally moved everything (heat mat and all) upstairs. What a pain!

Yes, March, I am taking another fiber adventure this summer which is why I wanted the tomatoes to produce late. The ladies I went to Fair Isle with last summer are having a reunion there again in July. We're going to help the one who lives there clip her sheep, and we're planning a short jaunt up to Faroe. I can't wait--more sheep, more knitting and spinning, good friends from Iceland, Scotland, and the US :dance: 

To defray some of the cost of all that I've been making baskets again and will be a vendor in a few weeks. I sold some herb seedlings this year, but the lady I sell to is cutting way back on her business--she just can't compete with the big box stores. It's too bad as it's the small nurseries that usually have the most interesting plants.


----------



## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Betty bless your heart and soul you deserve a double set of wings :angel: Your 5 fleeces understand I'm sure. They will be content to side idle and watch you work until you are ready for them.

Katherine, I am so glad to hear you are going again and with all your friends. What fun you must have. This trip sounds like it will be very rewarding. And you get to go to the Faroes too? You will have to post all about it when you return.

For all of you who don't know Katherine; she is a fabulous basket maker. I have an egg basket I commissioned her to make for me :dance: it is beautiful! Nothing like having a basket made specially for you


----------



## jerzeygurl (Jan 21, 2005)

bought some electric shears at auction, needs a 16 dollar part but they work,

hand shears were a joke, the 2 poor things i did are so embarassed

need to get a wheel next

suppose i will break down and get a new one

eek


----------



## FalconDance (Feb 4, 2007)

What kind/type of wheel do you want, jerzeygurl?

My girlfriend had her first impromptu, informal lesson yesterday on spinning. Actually, she sat down near the wheel and felt the overwhelming, irresistable urge to spin (apparently) and so began to try to card some wool. After trying with limited success to spin with clean wool, I broke out some still in the grease and she had a bit better time. Will need a LOT more practice to get a usable yarn (didn't we all) but I think she'll pick it up. Her biggest problem is _severe_ over-spin because she wants to put all the spin into a small section of the thread then stop and draft to play catch-up. No matter what I said yesterday, she insisted on doing it that way. I told her that if she doesn't stop, she might as well just get herself a drop spindle and forget about a wheel altogether. Upset her a bit - but it was intended to. (I know her _very_ well and for this skill, her tendency for "good enough" -instead of right/good/best she can do - will not be acceptable to me!)

Dreamt of spinning wheels all night. Woke up at 4, fought to go back to sleep til 5 and then gave up. Whoever out there is thinking so hard about spinning needs to stop, I tell you! :hobbyhors 

~Falcon


----------



## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

Lighten up Falcon.

If your friend takes up spinning, she'll develop her own rhythm and style to please herself.

One of the beauties of our craft. There just isn't one right way, only the way that calms our individual soul.

Had a lady stop by the farmer's market today. She's a quilter and uses her leftovers for locker hooking. I had my rug at the market and she was fascinated that locker hooking could be done with raw wool also. She has a friend out west that spins and weaves and has always had an interest in it. 

She wants to take spinning lessons and I gave her a quick, 'look see' with the 3 elements of spinning (drafting, twist and take up) on a spindle, then showed her how all 3 interact as one on the wheel. she bought a couple skeins of grey 2 ply 70% shetland/30% blue kid mohair (plus soap, linen sprays and lotion). 

I just love passing along the craft!


----------



## grams (Sep 10, 2004)

Cindy,
It is really nice to pass along an appreciation of the craft isn't it. I was at a historic event yesterday. I just took knitting and sewing as I didn't know where I would be setting up and didn't want to carry anthing else a really long way. The other two women from our group that I was with though brought a wheel and a drop spindle. At the end of the day the musemn people commented on how many people we had go though. One thing that really amazed me yesterday was the little boys, about five to eight years old. The girls in this age didn't pay any attention to the wheel, but the boys were really wanting to get their hands on it and see how it worked.


----------



## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Ree boys and men are always fascinated with the spinning process. I put it down to the mechanical thing, they just want to know or have to know how it works. When I have taken my spinning (drop spindle) to work with me the cops (the males) are always fascinated and want me to teach them how to do that. I'm never sure they are really all that interested in actually learning how to spin rather they are interested in the process and how it works.

I think my knitting prodigy, Stephanie, will be ready to learn to spin this summer. Right now she is busy with work and final exams at college. Finals end next week, I know her husband is busy with his studies too.

I did take my spinning to work this week and I was able to do some spinning :dance: My thumb was a little sore afterward but not too bad.


----------



## FalconDance (Feb 4, 2007)

Nah, Cyndi, it's just that she has a prediliction to half-grits things - as in if it squeaks by as passably functional, she'll settle and never try to improve. Ex. she has chickens and decided to "free range". Ok, no problem. But her idea of free range is the chickens have absolute freedom to go anywhere on 13 acres, anytime. They have a chicken yard and rudimentary coop but the roof is faulty and no one seems inclined to fix it (the goats are also technically housed in the chicken yard but they're also "free range" since the yard is always open). It's not used, so why bother? So, she not only loses a majority to predators (well, isn't that "survival of the fittest?") but she has to search out the eggs (and trust me, they're all over the place, she often finds a nest of rotten ones because they were never found and collected). The percentage of roos to hens is overkill so the hens are always half-plucked raw (she doesn't hatch nor have brooders) and typically they don't butcher (because the number of birds is usually so decimated by predators). She can't plant veggies that they don't eat part even though there's a fence up, they've destroyed things in their scratching and roosting (like the insulation under her mobile home). BUT, it's "good enough" because she gets a dozen eggs a week or so _if_ she can find them all.

She's a good person and cares for her animals, don't get me wrong. But spinning is a skill she wants to learn and I don't want her to settle for half-arsing it just because it's passably functional if, with more care, she will learn how to do it properly from the very outset. 

*And by properly, I do not mean that individuality should be discarded! 

*sigh* Maybe I do need to lighten up some. Heavens knows, I'm no object of perfection myself.

Hopefully we'll have enough room in the car on the 24th I can take my wheel with us camping! Can you imagine the looks on people's faces when they see someone spinning at a campground/festival? (It's our annual trip, a huge get-together on 168 acres.) Uh-oh, I just had a nasty thought, though. We usually camp down by the pond to get away from the crowds but if I have my wheel, the crowds might start finding us just to watch. :help: Hmmmmm, better think this through a little more.

~Falcon


----------



## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Falcone it sound like your friend needs to learn a hard lesson rather than her animals. I have free range chickens and they can go anywhere they want to on my 40 acres but they are closed in at night. I'm sorry you friend doesn't see fit to take batter care for her critters. She sounds more like a wanna be than some one who really cares or gives much thought. Maybe she is just really over extended, I don't mean to judge her.

I hope you have success with her. I'm not sure you can teach someone how to care if they don't already by nature.


----------



## FalconDance (Feb 4, 2007)

I know, March. As I said, if it's "good enough" then she settles and doesn't seem inclined to improve on the idea. Maybe it's just the perfectionist streak in me (only pops out sometimes) but I want to teach her how to spin beautifully, not just good enough.

Come to find out, in visiting with friends yesterday whom I rarely see (not because they live a long way away but rather because they're usually really busy), there's an art studio just outside town. And I mean this gal does ART (as in beautiful painting not some of this grafitti stuff that passes now). Well, seems as if she's trying to find local artisans of various skills for demos and possibly classes ...... She also, if agreed upon, provides a sales venue for handcrafted goods (not the artsy-craftsy stuff like crocheted dolls and magnet craft-show stuff). See where I'm going with this? The next big to-do is in October, and I plan to meet with her soon to see if she considers handspinning an art to spotlight at the studio. (Although I cannot fathom a reason it would not be.) By then, I'll have the 'new' wheels restored and at work and quite a bit of handspun.

~Falcon


----------



## FalconDance (Feb 4, 2007)

I don't want to start a new thread just to ask this question, so here goes:

How much attention to you gals pay to the "wpi" and categories of handspun yarn? For instance, I plan on entering a skein of handspun - the first I've done in about a yr - into the silent auction at our camping festival next week. The proceeds go towards improvements on the land (so to speak) such as a children's area, upkeep, etc. It's not much of an auction donation, but I've not seen anything like it in the eight years we've been going and thought it would be something a bit different. The skein weighs 5 oz and is 2-ply medium grade wool (not fine and soft but nice and has character) and I would call it a sports weight. But I thought I'd try using the wpi way of figuring it out officially (never used it before - simply labelled my handspun 2-ply or 3- and they could go from there. Now everybody wants to know ahead of time, it seems!) 

According to the chart, mine is 3-ply baby weight! Ummmmm, it's only 2-ply, guys, and not *that* thin (well, I've done thinner :shrug: ). Should I simply forget all the 'official' nonsense and guesstimate the yardage (approx 132 yds) then give that and the weight only? In the general scheme of things, is the wpi and steadfast categories all so important?

~Falcon


----------



## Flwrbrd (Jan 14, 2007)

Well, I find it all so dang confusing anyway....I'm lucky just to get a good 'thread' goin, most of the time....
So, personally, I just chock it all up to the uniqueness of'handspun'...and what you see/feel is what you get....and darn lucky too!


----------



## homebirtha (Feb 19, 2004)

When I'm buying yard, I never look at wpi, because it gets so darn confusing. LOL. I go by the yardage and the type of yarn it is. Now, when it's not labels in yards, but in cm's, then I chuck all that and just get extra, so I don't run out. LOL.


----------



## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

WPI seems to be a spinning term. Knitters and Crocheters, unless they are also spinners don't go by that for a weight reference. Generally knitting yarns are termed, Sport, Lace, Fingering, or Worsted weight. 

One other thing you may want to think about is just what can be made with that amount of yarn. Maybe donate another skein so you would end up with enough for someone to make something substantial. Then you could call it "sock yarn" and include a pattern off the web. It may sell better if you made it into a kit of sorts. Just a thought. I've donated skeins to things like this and not had luck with them selling.


----------



## FalconDance (Feb 4, 2007)

Great idea, March (as always). I've got more of the grey wool I used for that skein that I was thinking of taking along with the white to work up -- seems like a good on-site 'selling point' if they see some actually in progress, I think.

I found an older canvas (!) tent at an auction today and bought it for only $45!!! It's 11' 2" x 8' 2" - and SO roomy. We set it up - it's all there - and scotchguarded it just in case although I think it was still water-tight. We're going to rig a tarp overhead for more shade and between the two, my wheel will always be nice and dry and visible (when I want it to be) for visitors . (Otherwise, the tent will be closed and the wheel left inside.)

~Falcon


----------



## Katherine in KY (May 11, 2002)

Our computer was down for a week; boy, talk about withdrawal! But I sure got a lot done around the house, no EBay purchases, lots of gardening  We've been having gorgeous weather here; I wish summer would be like this -- cool nights, days in the 70s and 80s, low humidity. The peas are starting to come in--froze a batch last night. And we've been eating lots of broccoli. I'm having to put chicken wire around every young veggie I plant; the skunks and rabbits are really numerous this year and can really eat a lot overnight. In fact, I've never seen so many skunks as this year. The dog has been sprayed twice, yet he still wants to chase them--no sense! 
On the fiber front I dyed a bunch of roving from Sheep Shed Studio (great source for inexpensive fibers--www.thesheepshedstudio.com), recarded it, and put that with some toy wheel spindles to sell at the sale on Sat. It was fun to demonstrate spindling to people, and I'm hoping those who bought some will really try to use them. I sold some baskets and herbs as well, so it was a good day.


----------



## Aunt C (Aug 29, 2005)

I haven't had any spinning time since my grandson moved in. I did however have a total breakdown and I ordered some raw Shetland. Then I figued what the heck and I ordered a lb of beautiful blue merino roving. Now that I have some wonderful fibers, I'll have to come up with the time to work with them. 
I really miss the feel of the wool gliding through my fingers. And the smell of unwashed fleeces I find comforting. I know I am gross, but I can't help it. 

Non wool related is my garden. I enlarged it greatly this year. I planted 3 blueberry's and 3 raspberries. My rhubarb looks great this year. I moved it to its own rock garden area last year. We planted lots of asparagus too. Well 28 plants of it. I really don't know how much you can harvest off each plant, but around here there is never to much. 
Today and tonight we are under a winter storm warning. So my garden is covered and I hope most of it will be ok. I am sure my tomatoes won't make it.


----------



## redbudlane (Jul 5, 2006)

Aunt C said:


> And the smell of unwashed fleeces I find comforting. I know I am gross, but I can't help it.


I love the smell of raw wool too! It reminds me of my sheepie friends. I've been trying to get Mullers Lane to make her wonderful lotion in a raw wool scent. hehe


----------



## arabgurl88 (Jan 12, 2007)

This is my first time posting in one of these. so first a little about me. I have been spinning since I was 9 years old. I started using a onld ashford traditional my mom had picked up in college. I knit, weave and crochet ( a little). Ok so know with waht I am doing this month. I got a great buy a new ( to me anyway) spinning wheel at an atique shop in town for $42!!! That cheaper then my mom got hers for and that was many years ago. Yesterday was shearing day!! my sheep are to young to be sheared but I help out at a farm up the road during the summer with feeding and haying. Over 40 sheep were sheared there yesterday. I will be going back later this week to pick up my payment ( all in fleeces of course) I will be getting a rose grey navajo, a apricot navajo, 1 white and 1 black babydoll, 1 rose grey english leister x babydoll, 1 white english leister, a clun, a brown cheviot, a correndale (creamy on the tips coco at the base) and maybe some others. Any suggestions on what else I should get? It was lots of fun but man do I ache today. I just spun up some brown/black navajo I am washing it today and will be knitting it into socks. I am looking to get a drum carder. Hand carding all of this takes way to much time  I have been needle felting again and just finished a small dog.
On non fiber related issues. The peas are sprouting in my garden, the lettece is up, the transplanted rhubarb is ajusting well. Its kinda cold and rainy. Not much else.


----------



## Aunt C (Aug 29, 2005)

Redbud, I am so glad I am not the only one with that funny quirk. 

Arabgurl: Sounds like a wonderful selection of fleeces. And what a great bargain on the wheel. What type is it? Do you have links to pictures? I love pictures.


----------



## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Aunt C and Rosebudlane you two are far from alone in this area :shrug: I think it is a spinner thing actually. But I have always loved that smell, that and horses, mmmmmmmm!

Welcome Arabgurl! It sounds like you have some beautiful fleeces coming your way. If you can post pictures please do. That might be something we could think about. Those who have cameras and fleeces take a picture of your fleece and describe it for us. Maybe we could start an online library of fibers with pictures so we can see. Raw, washed and maybe knit up. You know how they do it in Spin Off when they feature a fiber? Maybe we could do a fiber of the month.

I really need to get a camera. My son looked at the one I had and it isn't working :shrug: He has an old one but maybe I can get him to charge it up for me and show me how to work it.


----------



## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

Marchwind said:


> A If you can post pictures please do. That might be something we could think about. Those who have cameras and fleeces take a picture of your fleece and describe it for us. Maybe we could start an online library of fibers with pictures so we can see. Raw, washed and maybe knit up. You know how they do it in Spin Off when they feature a fiber? Maybe we could do a fiber of the month.


Great idea March!! I love fiber porn!!

Speaking of which - I just realized I haven't gotten a Spin Off in a while. Off to check Interweave ....


----------



## jerzeygurl (Jan 21, 2005)

FalconDance said:


> What kind/type of wheel do you want, jerzeygurl?
> 
> 
> ~Falcon


i have no idea, still need to finish shearing, need to get carding instruments of sorts as well, im thinking hand carding will be too much for me as milking is just about pushing my arms to their limits this year, stirring curds is killing me even, I suppose it will pass soon enough....

the sedalia thingy is coming up soon isnt it...


----------



## redbudlane (Jul 5, 2006)

www.moncwga.com

June 1-3

Can't make it again this year. No money for gas. This makes the second year in a row that I've missed it.


----------



## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

redbudlane said:


> I love the smell of raw wool too! It reminds me of my sheepie friends. I've been trying to get Mullers Lane to make her wonderful lotion in a raw wool scent. hehe


I need to block off the time to do this. Just keep reminding me!


----------



## FalconDance (Feb 4, 2007)

jerzeygurl said:


> the sedalia thingy is coming up soon isnt it...


Yeah, and I don't know if I'm going to get back to KS and pick up the wheels before or not. 

I just had the most relaxing (if wet) weekend camping festival! The same group of folks that have camped down by the 12 acre pond (The whole place is 168 acres with most of the thousand folks congregating and camping in just a few spots - there's only about a dozen of us in total by the lake.) for the last 8 years were there (well, we just added the one young family into our little 'clique' last year) and it was great. In fact, I'm bartering a weekend of spin-intensive lessons for tickets to this year's Ren Fest this fall! Is that not the coolest? The wheel only got to come out once due to the on-again, off-again rains we had, but all in all the weekend was superb; got to visit with old friends and made a few new ones. :baby04: 

~Falcon


----------



## FalconDance (Feb 4, 2007)

Oh oh oh, I forgot to tell you the absolute bestest! Husband asked me to spin and then weave a cloak for him! He's _never_ asked me to craft anything for him, ever .... talk about exciting, daunting and ..... well ....... ah crap, now I'm gonna start crying thinking how touching it was ......

~Falcon


----------



## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Awwwwwwww Falcon that's really nice.


----------



## jerzeygurl (Jan 21, 2005)

dh likes for me to make him socks... cant ever get wool, so hence the sheep lol

I hope i can find a wheel or at least what type to get when we go to sedalia...


----------

