Christmas Past

We have decided not to decorate this year, as we are going to spend Christmas with my Father-in-law in Arizona, I just couldn't see doing all that work just to leave it.

But, even though we have nothing up this year, I wanted to share pictures of Christmas Past.

This is Tug, our tea-cup/toy chihuahua. We feel very fortunate to have him. It is really strange how he turned out to be the biggest pup in his litter, strange because I think if he hadn't been, he wouldn't have made it as a farm dog, and would have been one of those ankle nipper, yapping annoyances that people call dogs. He outweighs his sire by 4 pounds, and his dam by 6. No, he isn't fat :)

This is Spaz. It is strange happenstance that brought him into our lives. My Mother-in-law had just passed. She had had stomach cancer for 4+ years and had succumbed. She passed peacefully, at ease with her fate.

At my FIL's house, I heard a strange noise that I decided must be the weirdest bird in the world. It sounded kind of like a crow, but bigger and it said something like 'ka-ow, ka-ow'. Like I said, it was weird. The lot of us walked out the front door the next morning to go make arrangement for interment, and my DH said, 'Dad, you have a cat!" To which my FIL pointedly said "I do not!" to which the kitten replied 'ka-owwww'

I can only guess that the little guy had to have some siamese in his blood. He was so tiny, he was dirty, and he was very hungry. To my FIL's chagrin, I bought some kitten chow, put out a bowl of water and the little cat/bird got his fill. Three days later, we put a ferret halter on him and drove him home to Nevada.
He isn't small anymore, and he certainly doesn't go without his chow. My son named him Spaz and he is his cat. He holds a special place in our hearts, its almost like Marge is with us in him.

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

This was the scene outside my office 5 minutes ago;

By the time I downloaded this picture, and went back out side to take the next one...

5 minutes later, it has almost stopped and is already melting... It will pick up again though :)

Beamer posed for me last night when I was taking pictures of yarn to sell on eBay; in't he bootiful!

Then there is Zip, Tug and Kujo. You don't think they are posing do you?

So, not much happening here, had a long weekend at the community Christmas party, where we had a vendors table for the 4-H Livestock Club. We sold evergreen wreaths and handed out literature for the club. Its always nice when the kids come together to accomplish something. Sunday was spent lounging in my robe, mostly because my heater isnt working properly, and experimenting with my carder, and a little spinning mixed in.

Work? What Work?

For those of you who read this blog now and then, you are probably aware (or at least suspect) that I work in an office all by my lonesome! That's the way, uhuh, uhuh, I like it uhuh, uhuh!

I am getting a new computer tomorrow (yay! 21" flat panel screen woohoo!) so I am going to have some down time today whilst I back up all my hard drives. Soooo, I brought some busy work with me to keep me sane while I wait.

The grey matter is a batt of my favoritest (is that a word?) fleece, my romney/romeldale feel-good fleece (freshly carded on my newly acquired Clemes & Clemes (I love saying that :))
The spindle is one of my home made jobbies, 1.5 ounces; thought I would try it, I haven't used one in a while, my Joy has me spoiled. The yarn is homespun (of course) 50/50 merino/angora and I am making my .... ooohhh cant put that here, she might read it! I'll tell y'all after Christmas.

So that's it for today, I am going to start the unimaginably boring process of backing up. 'Till tomorrow! ...or the next day

Yarn, Yarn, Glorious Yarn!

Does anyone else have as much fun as I do with this stuff? It almost seems illegal...

I posted a picture of this middle skein in my last post, but the color didn't come out right. This picture is better but the colors are still a bit too bright, but it is much closer. The skein on the left is the natural color, the one on the right is dyed with navy blue. I have another one, dyed last night, but the color is more subtle than these and I have to work on the picture. I asked my daughter if I should make a scarf out of these three and she suggested I use a lighter color with the two dyed skeins... I have a skein of merino/cashmere that will fit the bill nicely :)

And the fleece that started my hunt for a carder! Thanks Mim! Soffie is a shetland ewe that has gorgeous fleece! This is the 2 lbs of fleece that I couldn't walk away from a few weeks ago and I am finally getting round to carding it. It is a beautiful lustrous, variegated grey. When I finish this first bobbin I will post pictures.

I have been wanting to take a picture of this fleece, just kept forgetting to :)

This is one of the fleeces I traded that ewe to Terry Mendenhall for. It has been described to me (who doesn't really know the difference) as a bond merino. I love the crimp in this fleece! It is nice and open, not like most merino, which is normally tightly crimped. Anyway, whatever it is, its not a typical merino fleece and lands more in the range of the fleece I am usually attracted to, which is more often than not, corriedale or romney.

Since I'm at work, I should probably do something that would make it seem as if I were working... too bad they won't pay me if I'm not here....