Wild weather - and a peeping surprise!

Last night as I came home from Salem, I did a double-take as I turned onto our gravel road. There was white stuff along the road! At first I thought it was hail, because it was raining sideways like someone was throwing buckets of water as I was leaving Costco. But Brian said, "Daddy said it was snowing like a blizzard when he came home to get his guitar." I know some of you are still suffering through winter-like conditions and I'm sorry, but snow on the first day of Spring in the Willamette Valley is crazy talk! These photos were taken after quite a bit had melted...in the dark....
Rick took Brian with him this afternoon so they could have some father/son time together. Rick often demonstrates the truth of Matthew 7:11 (about knowing how to give good gifts to your children), so it wasn't a big surprise to get a call from Rick saying he'd gotten Brian an Easter present. It WAS a surprise to learn that said gift was chicks! Rick and I have both had and like chickens and have talked about getting some off and on over the years, but Rick has always decided that we have too much to take care of already to add more creatures. Now, apparently, he's ready to prepare a chicken palace to house three Rhode Island Reds (Rick's favorites) and an Araucauna (I would have gone with four of these). Photos will be forthcoming!

Oh, and Brian has already come up with names for the girls: Abby, Playful Rachel, Morgan and Samantha.

That's it for now from . . .

A yarn "high" - and low

On Monday I went to the post office to pick up some packages. I was expecting a couple - some shoes for Brian for a wedding he's going to be in next month and the recycled sari silk yarn I purchased on eBay to complete the Sonnet - but there was also a little surprise from my sister and a "mystery parcel" there as well. Not recognizing the name or address on the latter, I opened it and saw yarn - beautiful, even brown and purple yarn. I didn't remember any recent purchases of yarn other than the sari silk on eBay recently and was mystified until I found a folded piece of paper. It was a letter from Becky, one of my homemade PIF responders, telling me all about the yarn she had spun and died purple (yes, even the brown is overdyed purple), just for me! I was overwhelmed, not just by her thoughtfulness and generosity, but also by her amazing spinning - look at how even and perfect it is! The flash washes out the colors a bit, but shows detail. Hmm, now what to knit? The two colors look so nice together that I'd like to figure out a way to use them in one item, without resorting to horizontal stripes.
The thrill of Becky's unexpected gift was tempered with the reality of the newest batch of recycled sari silk yarn for the Sonnet that arrived the same day. The colors were okay; I picked the skein that best matched what I had going in the one sleeve, wound it into a ball, and proceeded to knit with it that night at a meeting. After a few rows, I realized it was NOT going to work. This newest yarn is MUCH finer than what I had been using, and not only did it look obviously different, the gauge was going to be off as well. I had to frog all I had done on the sleeve. At first I thought I could just knit a new gauge swatch, adjust my figures, and knit both sleeves from the finer yarn, but then I realized that the top of the sleeves would have more stitches than the sleeve openings in the body. No local yarn shop carries this stuff, and I won't know if what is on eBay will work until it gets here. As it is, I have 10 skeins of beautiful recycled silk yarn that won't work for my WIP. I could turn the Sonnet into a very heavy vest, but I don't wear vests much. What to do? I'm bummed!

A lemons-into-lemonade aside: If anyone knows of a lacy tunic pattern, let me know. I think this finer yarn would look neat knitted into such and worn over a camisole or blouse.

Oh, and Happy Spring, everyone!
That's it for now at . . .

A pregnant pause

Yep, I'm finally convinced I will have lambs, although I still don't know when. Sunday morning I felt the wee beginnings of an udder forming on Rechel, to go along with her suspiciously bulging sides (I didn't think it was obvious in my photo of the three ewes, but Lauren picked up on it). This morning I checked everyone's udder area again. To my surprise, Dinah is starting to make a bag, too! I saw Dinah bred on November 25; she should be five weeks out from lambing if that's the breeding that took. (Would she have allowed Braveheart's advances if she had settled earlier? Anyone out there know?) Below are top and side views of the two expectant ladies, Rechel first:
Valentine is still a mystery; she is as slab-sided and "flat-chested" as ever. She was covered on November 29; I suppose she could be carrying a single and not show a thing for several more weeks.

That's it for now at . . .

Spinning and knitting progress

I got the natural-colored Romney locks flicked and spun, and am ready to start on some off-white Gotland from the same flock of sheep that provided the wool for the cloaks in The Lord of the Rings movie. I think I'll get all the fibers Kathy sent on this bobbin, but it will be FULL. (Love you, big Louet S10 bobbins!)

Saturday night I reached the end of the recycled sari silk yarn that I had, and am waiting on another batch I won on eBay. The body of the Sonnet is done, and one sleeve is started. As you can see, there is a distinct color shift from the first three skeins on the left to the second three skeins on the right and the sleeve. I'm not exactly thrilled with that shift, but I think I can live with it. I just hope the lot that I bought on eBay isn't another color mix entirely!

Tomorrow: more revealing photos of the "ladies in waiting." No, you don't get any more hints until after the contest closes at midnight tonight! Just guess already (if you haven't)!

And here's a heartfelt nod to Patrick, Scottish missionary to Ireland and fellow Sabbath-keeper!

That's it for now at . . .