Finished!...Well almost.

Ta-da! I need to tuch some ends and do something about that first skein (dip it in clorox water?) but its pretty much done! :)

Wool Swaps, Weird Weather, Sheep FS

Wool Swap
I started a Ravelry group, called Raw Wool Lovers Unite! We have a lot of fun there just talking about our mutual interests, but we are just finishing a raw wool swap and it has been wonderful! I wasnt sure I would enjoy moderating something like a swap; there always seems to be someone that makes it tough on everyone else, but it went over really well.
This is what I got from my Swapper. This is a very clean moorit Romney. Sooooo soft!
The big pile is washed, the stack is seperated locks and of course there is my trusty doggy brush and cutting board I use for flick carding.
My swapper also sent a generous handfull of Lincoln (right), and a bit of Wensleydale (bottom left), the top left is a small handfull of Gotland from my friend Laurie at Laurie's Lambs in New Jersey. Thank you Laurie!!!

Weird Weather

Besides the pogonip, we have had some really interesting inversions lately.

Check out this cloud. It is sitting on the ground, in the middle of the valley!!! Wow.
Sheep FS

My daughter and I have decided to sell some sheep. With me not working it is going to be really tough for me to buy hay this year.

Back: Misty, full blooded suffolk ewe (registerable), 2yrs old, twinned last year (first year lambing), $150

Front: Eliza, full blooded registered Dorset ewe, 4 yrs, trips every other year. $200

Neither have been bred this year.

All of the following are bred to lamb in mid March.

Center: Ewenice, registered Tunis ewe, 3 yrs, singles. $200

Back: Tweedle, registered Tunis ewe, 3 yrs, twins last year (first year lambing). $200

Front right: Gus, registered Tunis Ram, 1 yr (Hotis 108 great grandson). $200

Vanila, registered Tunis ewe, 3 yrs, twins last year (first year lambing). $200

Center: Babs, brockle (suffolk/dorset cross), 3 yrs, single last year (first year lambing). $125

Pogonip! Again :)

For the third day in a row we have fog in our valley, apparently, its only in our valley. My DH works in a mine to the east of here, and says all is clear about 6 miles up the road.

I still love it! For now :)

Brrrr!

This is what we woke up to this morning; NOAA says its supposed to get up to 48 degrees today, I think they're full of it :)

The neighbors house, on the next 5 acres... at about 11:00

I dont know what it is about fog, but I love it! The thicker the better! This bit is also leaving frost all over everything, which makes for beautiful ice crystals.

Progress...

I cant seem to get in the right light so you can see the details well, although you can definately see where this ball of yarn starts! I dont know what I am going to do, I guess I will have to order more pink Cushing's and dye it again after I finish it. Orrrrr, do any of you wonderful ladies have any suggestions? I'm pretty new to dying and colors are not my best suit.

Other than the hue issue, it is coming along great!

OK, so I have a lot to learn...

I have to start spinning again, I completely underestimated how much yarn I would need for this project, but all is not lost. I will use what I have already dyed for a bunting or something... this is the pattern I have decided to use. It calls for 5 ounces or 1640 yards of worsted weight yarn. That is about 7 or 8 skeins at the rate I can get on one spindle. Picked up this pattern on leisureartslibrary.com

Back to the drawing board!

A Project!

This is the biggest project I have taken on to date with my handspun.

I have decided to make a baby blanket for a friend who is having a girl in March. This is, I guess, either a sport or fingering weight merino/alpaca blend. Very soft, so snuggly!

Into the dye pot...

What the ?????

Two hours later...
I wont be able to use this skein in the blanket, untangling it kinda boucled it; now I'm rethinking my design strategy, pretty sure its gonna be pink and white...

The stuff that didn't swim around the dye pot and get tangled is really striking!

Snowing here again, going to go to my sis's house to watch Tropic Thunder and have a cocktail.