Grey

The word describes our weather and my mood. Since I PREFER our cool, cloudy weather over the oven-like atmosphere covering the rest of the country, I don't think that's contributing to my mood. Part of it is the burden I feel for the many people I know who are dealing with health crises. But moods are fickle things, not worth dwelling on, so let's not!

Yesterday Marta, Cadbury and Inky got sheared. I always look forward to the chance to get a good look at structure and condition - and then cover those freshly sheared fleeces for a clean harvest next year! My new gulmogets are quite small but correct and in good flesh; Inky was thin as expected. After shearing I trimmed hooves (Cadbury, Browning and Bart), then shuffled sheep to where they will remain for the rest of the summer. Browning, who was being a bully to Bart (and pushes the girls around sometimes) was put out with the big rams - where he immediately started trying to bully Blake! Marta and Sarai were moved to the corner pen of the ewes' fold, so they could get acquainted without harm, and Bart was put in the Ram-ada Inn where the new girls had been, next to Cadbury. Bart still needs to be wethered (the cobbler's children have no shoes), but at least he's weaned now.

Theresa Gygi has a most excellent post on Shetland sheep, their heritage and characteristics on her blog today. Check it out, and be sure to follow the link to the article from 1900! After reading this I feel even better about where my breeding flock is right now, bolstered by my three newest sheep with their wonderfully fine, soft, crimpy fleeces.

The resident barn swallows are raising four future fly-catchers. I feared they would run afoul (afeline?) of Oreo when they start to fledge, so last night I moved Oreo to the tack room for a few days to give the fledglings a better chance at surviving first flight. I hope the parents are able to forage enough food during this cool spell to keep their chicks fat!

Yesterday I started plying my Inky singles, using my beautiful tulip Jenkins Swan spindle for the first time. I got the mugs in Kentucky when we visited Sara a couple years ago (they are available here); they make perfect yarn bowls to hold my balls of singles.

Speaking of Inky, she looked pretty tough this morning. I'm not sure why; my shearer was kind and did what he could with her standing (I got the rest with scissors). Getting old is not for sissies, nor is it a picnic for those of us who love them.

That's it for today from . . .

Sunday surprises!

1) We got way more moisture than I expected - it might have actually rained for awhile! (That means today's marching orders are weed-weed-weed, while the ground is soft.) :-/

2) After winding my purple singles into a center-pull ball, I called Laura with a plying question. I didn't get an answer - I got LAURA! I think she was tired of packing to move soon, but who am I to crack the whip? She grabbed her combs (to loan to me for Cadbury's and Marta's VM-filled fleeces) and was on the road before we finished talking. Not only did she help me learn to ply more smoothly from a center-pull ball
and teach me how to not kill myself use her combs (those Lincoln lamb locks look strikingly like Laura's hair!),
she gave me a hands-on tutorial in knitting her wonderful colorwork hat formula. LOVE this so far!

We had a great time; what an unexpected treat to have her come.

Before Laura arrived, I spun more of Inky's roving on my myrtle Jenkins Swan, enough that I'm going to start plying with the singles from my Kansas trip:

After she left, I finished plying my merino/silk singles - the most trouble-free plying I've ever experienced!

Apparently, having company exhausted the canine crew. Ha!

What a great way to start the week at . . .

Summer showers

Yesterday and today we awoke to raindrops; not rain, but the light drizzle so typical of here. (Sometimes I yearn for a good ol' Midwestern toad-drowner, with thunder and lightning!) Not much accumulation, but every little bit helps.

Rick and Brian took off after chores to check on a couple horses and pick up a very special something that has a certain lad positively quivering with excitement. A client offered us a go-cart their child had outgrown. It needs work, but that will be part of the fun, I'm sure. So I am going to wind off my pretty purple singles, which I finished spinning last night. Woot!
Plying (and meeting two of my team goals for the Tour de Fleece), here I come!

This morning I found Sarai uncovered, her coat trampled into the bedding. My quilting friend Jeannie had loaned me two size C coats, so I put my one size C on Sarai. After Marta is sheared tomorrow she'll get one, too (I think Cadbury might take a size D), leaving one for Bonny once I get her cleaned up. I'll do the sheep shuffle (Browning and Bart to the Ram-ada Inn; Sarai and Marta to the corner pen of the Sheep Sheraton to get acquainted with the other ewes) after shearing.

That's it for today from . . .

Back to parenting

Brian's first summer camp experience ends at 2:00 today, at which time I will commence parenting again. Not that we truly stopped parenting; once a parent, always a parent, no matter where your child is, right? We have lifted Brian up daily in our prayers, and thought about him much. Nevertheless, I have enjoyed this week, even though I haven't accomplished as much as I had hoped. I did spin every day, thanks to the motivation of the Tour de Fleece. Here was my progress as of bedtime last night:
How many different ways can I take a photo of the same two tools spinning the same two fibers? I sure hope I'm plying both of these by the end of the tour!

I was planning to work with Marta and Sarai, my two new ewes, every day this week, but that hasn't happened. Still, they have made remarkable progress in the few sessions we've had. Here's a video of their walkabout this morning, after their pedicures:



I was also hoping to get this beautiful boy wethered so he is ready to go to a fiber pet home. (Anyone interested? He's friendly and sweet, and has FABULOUS fleece!) Rick hasn't cooperated on that score, so I need to proceed with a major sheep shuffle to at least get him weaned and away from the ladies.

Off to bring my boy back to . . .