Spring fever

This morning I got up early (Rick had an early-morning meeting) and finished spinning the Romney/NZ possum fur roving. This fiber was an interesting experience. I don't know what NZ possums look like or how the fur is harvested, but every once in awhile a tuft of fur would come along that almost looked like a downy feather, with a "quill" holding it together at the base. Some were dark, some were tan, some were quite red. Anyway, the resulting yarn did end up having noticeably more color than the white BFL (you can see just a glimpse of the BFL peeping out at the far end of the bobbin below the baggy). The next roving I chose - dark brown Pitt Island - has plenty of contrast. On the bag, Kathy wrote, "Pitt Island - A subtype of merino that roos its fleece - can only be found on Pitt Island in the Chatham Islands - 700 miles east of NZ." Sounds like a long way from nowhere! It is pencil roving, so it requires little to no drafting, and is very soft.

After Rick got home we all "hit the dirt" for the rest of the day. In the spring my man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of food - fresh fruit, specifically. And when that fancy hits him, he is as dangerous in a garden center as some women are in a shoe store. Friday he came home with a Rainier cherry tree to replace the one that didn't make it last year, two more blueberry bushes for his patch, and two rhubarb plants (he showed more restraint than usual :-). While he got those planted and put up support wires for his raspberry canes, I cleaned the leaves out of most of the planting beds and pruned trees. Brian helped here and there, but mostly enjoyed romping in the sunshine with his dog. Around us all, signs of spring were unavoidable:
We're supposed to have one more warm, clear day before rain and cooler temps return. I think I'll do some weeding tomorrow.

That's it for now at . . .

Fantastic Friday

Yesterday morning I had to get myself and Brian up and going so we could cover Rick's office for a few hours, so I didn't have time to go jogging. But as I headed to the barn to do chores, I was treated to an "electric baby blanket" sunrise, all vibrant pinks and blues. And as I stopped to give Valentine a parting scratch on my way back up to the house, Brava stepped up for some attention. Ah, the joy of being the instrument of bliss for TWO sweet chocolate sheep!

After Rick's secretary arrived, Brian and I left the clinic and sped through some errands (including dropping off all our tax stuff at the accountant's - YAY!) so we could be home by noon. That's when a cabinetmaker friend of ours was showing up to install laundry room cabinets. Finally - after more than five years in this house, I have some storage in this little space! The need was getting critical, too. We use the laundry room as Jackson's kennel, and he's getting tall enough to reach things atop the washing machine when he stands on his hind legs. Below are before (taken when Jackson could still fit in a crate) and after photos showing the transformation from bare walls to bountiful, beautiful wood. (See the gorgeous grain in the doors?) If you look closely at the last photo, it shows the short rod between the two big cabinets below the header beam where I can hang up shirts as I take them out of the dryer. (And yes, a door is missing; it should be on by Sunday.)
But wait – that's not all! On my way home I stopped by the post office since Adrienne said she mailed me a package. I learned about the "homemade gift Pay It Forward" challenge on her blog, and I took her up on it. Now, waiting for me at the post office, was a package from Illinois. It was so hard to wait until after I got home and after I helped hang cabinets to see what Adrienne had made for me! When you don't have any idea what has been sent, it is delicious anticipation. But the realization was even better! The first tissue-wrapped bundle contained these wristwarmers. Not only is the colorway and pattern stunning, they are incredibly soft, too.And see, Adrienne? They fit!The next tissue-wrapped bundle revealed a second pair of wristwarmers, this time in thick dark chocolate yarn.They fit perfectly, too - although I had to wrestle them from Brian to try them on!A THIRD parcel contained a scrumptious scarf to match the first wristwarmers!When a fourth bundle came out of the box, it felt suspiciously hard, unlike something homemade. I was right; Adrienne "cheated" on the homemade part and included this gift pack of Cedar Mountain products because I had said I like the smell of cedar.
On the back of this beautiful Border Collie postcard, Adrienne told me that the scarf and wristwarmers were knit from Fiesta Boomerang yarn (the Alaska colorway) in the Irish Hiking Scarf pattern, and the brown wristwarmers were made from her very first handspun. Knowing how I feel about MY first handspun yarn, I was even more deeply touched by her gift.

My Mary Engelbreit calendar page for February 13 contained the following quote from Barbara De Angelis: "Love and kindness are never wasted. They always make a difference. They bless the one who receives them, and they bless you, the giver." I have experienced both ends of this truth, most recently through the Pay It Forward homemade gift exchanges. Thank-you, Adrienne, for giving me the chance to get involved!

That's it for now from . . .

Happy Valentine's Day!

On this beautiful, mostly sunny day, I offer you a small bouquet from Boulderneigh:Snowdrops;
Sarcacocca, modest in bloom but powerfully fragrant;
and yellow crocus, which opened just in time for the occasion.

I hope YOU had a good day, and if this finds you still buried in snow and/or ice, let it encourage you that spring is on its way!

That's it for now at . . .

If I could just sit and spin all day...

Today I felt a bit like yesterday's sunrise - partially obscured by fog. My system is fully engaged in germ warfare, and I didn't sleep much last night. About the only thing I felt capable of doing was sitting at my spinning wheel and staring as the wheel turned and the fibers twisted. Duty called, but I did sit down long enough this morning to finish the last of the white Blue-Faced Leicester (BFL) from Kathy's sampler pack. Oh, what lovely stuff combed top is! I am anxious to see how Bella's fleece compares when prepared the same way. Is what I love most the fiber, or the preparation?

Although the colored BFL was next in the pile, I decided to set it aside; I wanted to save something yummy until the end for dessert, if you will. :-) Instead I chose the 80% New Zealand Romney/20% New Zealand possum fur (an entirely different critter than our North American opossums, I understand). It's a light grey, which I thought would contrast enough with the white BFL to see where one ended and the next started. Not! So I backed up and spun in a tiny whisp of black wool at the join, so I can separate them when it's time to ply. I probably won't knit these two yarns next to each other because of the lack of contrast.

When I told Kathy how much I loved the BFL top, she told me she purchased it on eBay from Coppermoose. She went on to say in her email, "Bill has a website as well: www.coppermoose.com. I like supporting him. His wife started Copper Moose and also rode horses. A couple of years ago, she was killed in a riding accident and left Bill with a two-year-old son, Billy. He had a very rough time that first year. So, I bought my fibers from him, trying to help out and chat with him a bit over the internet. He's a nice guy. I like doing business with him."

If that isn't a compelling testimony, I don't know what is! I have a feeling I will become at least a sometime customer of Copper Moose, too. Like the song says (and I paraphrase), "we get by with a little help from our friends."

That's it for now at . . .