Category Archive: spinning
I find early mornings I am most productive, so I’ve been getting up and spinning until it is time to go to the barn and release the animals for the day. Then I spin when I have little spaces of time throughout the day. It never seems like I’m getting anywhere, but then the day comes and I’m ready to ply what I’ve spun. This week was spent plying. 
Today I finished plying the last of the Merino burgundy (lower photo is real color) and washed these hanks, then hung them out to dry. This amount of wool represents a huge amount of spinning hours. I am hoping I have enough of the burgundy for a cardigan for myself. After it is dry, I will rewind it and see how much yardage there is.New Oven
At long last the new oven is here. We waited for the September sales, then the store sent out someone to measure, who apparently couldn’t measure. We waited for the oven for which he measured. But when it arrived, it was too small. So they measured again, then reordered. This one fits and what’s more was $500 less expensive than the one they brought out that didn’t fit.
I’ve been doing quite a bit of spinning while DH reads the book “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” I have spun quite a few hours on this yarn at this point. Next week, I should be plying it.
Land of living
After 2 weeks of some type of bug, I feel that I’m back in the land of the living. I was not completely without something in my hands though. Here are two fibers which I plied
And I was given a sour dough starter which did very well the first try.
The weather forecast is for a week without rain, so there is much to do around here in that week to get ready for the rainy season. And I am loving the new tractor which is making some chores possible to get done.
Applesauce and plying
Over the last two days I’ve canned 24 quarts of applesauce plus 2 pints. But if I could say 50 pints, it would sound more impressive. They are cull apples because we didn’t get them sprayed with anything so, I’m losing about half of each apple to insects. Still there are plenty of apples to go around. I’m canning the sauce now and when it’s ugly and cold, we can make apple butter.
And in between batches, I’ve decided it is past time to turn some of my spun singles into plied yarn ready to use.
This is the soft luscious wool from our dog, Beau. I am so pleased with the way it spun up, but don’t have a project in mind yet
A pretty red wool, probably destined to be a scarf as there isn’t enough for a sweater. I think I fell in love with this color, so purchased the roving.
I’m guessing this was one of our Babydoll sheep. But when I don’t label things, I forget. Since there isn’t much wool, that’s my best guess.
All of these are now washed and ready to wind and use when I decide what to knit. Plus I am plying a lot of – maybe 2# of brown yarn I have spun singles. It looks as if there is enough for a sweater. Maybe I can show that tomorrow.
Thunder, lightning, rain
The last day and a half, the weather has put on a real show. After being dry for so long, it decided to Thunder, lightning and rain several times throughout yesterday and this morning. Alternating with this was drenching rain. I’m not convinced my shower rains that much. It certainly has been a big change.
I could have quilted, or knitted, but I chose to ply the Pyrenees dog hair that combed from Beau. 
Plied and wrapped,
Then washed
and hung to dry hand – it shows beige, but if off white.
Here is the finished product hanging from the shower. When totally dry, I will put it aside for inspiration to hit me. And of course after this was all done and I was putting things away, I found another skein which still has to be plied at different time as I am done for today.
Chills and fever
Chills and fever, alternating, with no other symptoms have kept me busy this past week. Now I’m trying to get over how tired it made me feel.
I did accomplish some spinning this week. 
then I took two sky photos so that when the rains come, I can remember there was a sunny time.
Spinning, gardening
It’s been another rainy week. Today, I had some time, but not enough time to really get into a project, so I sat spinning for a few minutes.
Gardening:
The lettuce in front is doing well, but the peas behind are overdue for stringing.
Half of the pepper starts are in and doing well.
The Swiss chard, walking onions and winter broccoli are all overwintering and doing very well.
Cabbage starts are in and happy.
Leaf lettuce and more peas that also need stringing
The lime tree that I was quite sure I killed last summer is making a come back.
Happy overwintered kale and new potatoes.
Tiny new beets transplanted today
Spinach overwintered and growing faster than we can keep up
Tomatoes well started.
Two groups of small tomatoes that have volunteered. There will probably be many more as it gets warmed. Last year, I promised myself to not let any of these live, but since I haven’t planted any of the cherry size, maybe I should keep 2-3 of these volunteers. They are ready to eat before the others.
In addition to these photos, is garlic and overwintering broccoli on the far side. The garden is doing very good so far. I still want to plant celery, cucumbers, cantaloupe, and sauce tomatoes inside. Outside, I’d like to get potatoes, green beans, corn and squashes going. I just need enough days without rain to start them.
2017
12/28
Category:
farming
Knitting
Life
machine embroidery
quilts
Schedules
Serger
Sewing
spinning
COMMENTS:
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2017 Recap and 2018 goals
2017 Recap:
Finished 3 pair of the 12 pair of socks that I kitted, ready to go.
Finished 29 quilts, 10 of which were ready for the quilting. The other 19 were in early stages or not started.
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I also made 2 bags and 2 pillows plus embroidered 4 sets of towels. I embroidered a Hatched in Africa set each month for their challenge, two of which were jeans.
There were bowl cozies and pea pods.
Then there were the baby lambs and additional sheep and puppy. I don’t want to forget there was a garden with canning and freezing.
Plus the hospital stays. It appears to have been a very busy year. But there were things I did not finish or even start, so they can become goals for the next year.
2018 goals:
I’m expecting much more “out of sewing area” activities. My sister-in-law has Alzheimer’s and is near the end. There will be many more lambs plus sheep activities including at least one fair where I will be showing them. We are moving the garden to a more level spot this spring. DH is needing more attention. And there is a big wedding in California in April. I have fewer flimsies, so most quilts still need much work.
Quilts to do: Goal is 200 yards usage
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Mystery quilt: Merry Mayhem – NY day mystery
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Mystery quilt: “Scrappy friends” – NY day mystery
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Bonnie Hunter “On Ringo Lake” – finished clue #1
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Daffodil flimsy – to quilt
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Roses flimsy – to quilt
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Teddy Bear picnic – to quilt
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Celebrate flimsy – to quilt
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Bear paw quilt – large, cut out
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All aboard – not started twin bed size
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Fish quilt – not started applique – large wall or lap quilt
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Tulip quilt – flimsy – needs quilting
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Sunbonnet Sue #4, have sue blocks, needs setting and quilting
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Bonnie Hunter 2012, needs to be finished for King size, quilted, etc.
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Baby Hono – I want to make a child size turtle quilt
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Finish all the paper piecing blocks and finish the wall hanging with them.
Socks: I’ll keep working on my last year’s kits, since I only finished 1/4 of them.
Other goals:
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Learn Electric quilt
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Learn cutting machine
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Make 10 Alzheimer’s activity mats
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Try 2 new recipes a month
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Gym 2x week
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Make garden plan with plans for starting, fert, etc.
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Make hoop house plans as above
Obviously, I will come across items during the year that I will tuck into my weeks.
Beehives and spinning
It was a beautiful morning, so we decided to work outside. I finished skirting the fleeces and then we started to set up the beehives for the bees coming to live with us on Sunday. We bought new frames as the old ones were well used. The location is set and one hive is ready. The other is still here in the garage as the weather suddenly changed and we had a good blast of hail and a downpour. It is still raining.
A short nap and then spinning seemed like an excellent idea. I filled the bobbin and this is the swift that I put it on. The yarn broke at about the half way point on the bobbin, so I just wound off to that point as I think I can get the rest of the yarn spun on this bobbin.
From there it gets washed, dried and then a sample is made. I counted 460 yards in this hank. This is about a sport weight yarn or perhaps a bit less, so I should have enough for a simple cardigan.
Here is a photo of the roving that I have been spinning along with the spun wool. My memory failed me a bit yesterday when I thought I had 2#. 
I actually had a pound of this and a pound of the one on the right. I have finished the spinning, which took most of the day today. Next I will take these two spools and ply them together.