Well, I thought it would be a quiet week....

Scarf for Jane

I really intended to be here this week and try to catch up on bunny chores. But the computer came in at the hardware store, where I'm helping them set up an accounting system. And I had a nice invitation from Sandra at Thistle Cove Farm to come over and discuss some business ideas, so I can't pass up the chance to see her and have another fun visit. There's a meeting tonight and another afternoon of computer work in Stuart, plus a busy weekend including a bunny delivery. NEXT week I've got to stay home!

I did spruce up my spinning wheel Sunday and get a lot of knitting done. For me, anyway. I've been checking out the Olympic knitters I've been rooting for. Everyone finished with honors! There was some lovely work: Chris at Woolybuns completed Babushka beautifully, Ranger Susie's beautiful socks came in just under the wire. There were lots of other lovely pieces and all the comments were that everyone learned a lot and really enjoyed the experience. Pressure and all!

I also stated a crocheted scarf for cousin Jane, at her request, from the Coopworth walnut dyed yarn. It's nice to get back to crocheting again, although the knitted scarf isn't finished. I'm carrying them both around, snatching odd moments here and there for work on them. The crocheted one is going fast compared to the knitted one, of course. I'm still sort of bumble fingered with the knitting! The subtle sparkle of the yarn really shows up in crocheted stitches. And yes, Jane, I'm not going to tease you this time. Hope Figaro isn't too distressed by the scarf!

I put up another article at Blue Ridge Gazette yesterday. Mom and I spent a few hours on Sunday afternoon visiting relatives and collecting information about my grandmother's early years for the article. This is one of a series on the life of a woman who probably had the most influence on me and my life. My article about Sammy and Sue is getting great response; the Bluegrass Blog linked to it and the Gazette is getting all sorts of hits because of it. Sue is, too, and it's nice to get some exposure for them. Sue's got some great ideas for the summer; I think we're going to have a lot of fun (and be very busy) around here.

Peaceful Day, Mostly

We had a quiet day yesterday. It was cool but the sun finally came out in the evening. I worked on the computer, trying to dress up my sales web page and working on an article about my grandmother. I think it may wind up being a series! She was an intelligent person living in interesting and changing times. In the afternoon I wound off the skein of silk/Coopworth and started another.

Then we ran up to Galax to dinner with my brother and his family. Nice time with good food at the barbeque place. Galax is becoming a lovely downtown; lots of interesting little shops. It's fun to watch people going by and see attractive shop windows while walking down a street. Not a part of country life!

In the evening we settled down to watch a DVD, and I was plying yarn when I smelled something burning. Dad was sitting by the heater, which I had trouble with, and the dogs were playing around in front of him. I got up and couldn't find any problems, so I figured the smell came from when I had to restart the heater. In a few minutes Lily came around where I could see her and she had somehow scorched her tail! I was NOT happy; I couldn't see what the dogs were doing from my position because Dad was blocking my view. Lily has this long, flowing hair on her tail and it was burned and shriveled in a large patch near the tip. I combed it out and it looks fine this morning, but I'm going to supervise playtime closer until spring. Dad is not a good dogsitter!

Sunny this morning but cold. I woke in the night to hear the wind roaring, and looked out on a dark sky with glittering stars that looked chill and hard. It's going to be hard to get started with chores after the pretty warm days!

Colors of Life

Spent most of a lovely day yesterday working on my sister-in-law's web page. She came over and we scanned some pictures, then I settled in to work on their "About Us" page. TJ ran in and out all afternoon, because it was so nice outside. I flew through the web page work, and the time really passed quickly. I didn't realize how much time until I was done! Poor Sue! She had worked hard on a page to go with the pictures, but when I got into it I realized that we really needed to be pushing the theme of what they're doing here, I changed everything. I can be too pushy, I'm afraid. Sue seemed to like the result, though. I posted a slightly different version of the page as an article at Blue Ridge Gazette this morning.

In the evening after spending so much time working on the computer, I took Lily for a walk down Concord Road. The air is still chill enough to feel like winter, but the sun was bright and it felt warm after we got moving. Lily really enjoyed getting out, with her nose to the ground! We visited with my mom and Wendell, and had fun going through albums looking for old family photographs for an article I'm planning about my grandmother. Then we headed back with Lily secured in the back of Wendell's pickup, an exciting mile drive for her!

Last night I filled a bobbin with the purple and black silk, plied with a Coopworth single. The resulting yarn is more subtle in color than the flashes of turquoise and pink that show up on the first yarn I made with this technique. Dawn suggested the name "Colors of Life" for this line of yarn. I like that and think the purple and black will be called "Passion and Shadow". Not sure what I'll call the first one, something with jewels or something.

Today dawned gray and cool; the weather is supposed to make a drastic change to cold by Monday. But I've enjoyed these days without frozen water bottles! Dad has been out walking every day to try to get his blood sugar numbers back to normal. He really doesn't enjoy the cold, though, and will retreat to his books when the chilly winds hit. We're looking for a treadmill for next winter!

Variations

Silk and Coopworth Two Ply Yarn

I finally spun up 265 yards of this yarn from one silk bell and a little less than four ounces of Coopworth. Enough for a scarf or hat, I think. I have some purple and black variegated silk yarn ready for another run; there will be lots of that. I spun the yarn on a supported spindle a long time ago, I think even before I had the Reeves wheel. It must have been a much larger bell because there is a lot of it.


Silk and Coopworth Yarn

There's a short length of this that I plan to knit or crochet up, just to see what it looks like. Probably should knit it since there are more knitters out there and it can act as a sample for the rest of the 'barber pole' yarns I'm thinking about doing. This is fun! I have to think of a name for the 'collection'.

Busy day away from home yesterday. Dad got out and walked, much needed exercise for him, while I was running around to the antique shop and to the aunt on the hill. I was proud to show her my little knitting efforts. She has a gorgeous scarf she has been working on made from a beautiful bulky variegated yarn. It looks woven rather than knit. I didn't know she was a knitter or I probably would have been bugging her for advice, too!

Today my sister-in-law is coming over to work on her web site some more. Then I hope to get down and visit Mom and Wendell, and then this weekend get back on track with my web site and the rabbits. I had two nice book orders through Biblio.com this week, but both of them selected Paypal for payment and neither one of them have paid. Annoying.

Slow, But Progress

Knitted Scarf of Coopworth Walnut Dyed Handspun Yarn

We had a lovely day in the 'big city', despite a few clouds and a little rain. Favorite cousin was in fine form and after a great lunch and the necessary errands for bunny feed and bakery bread, we enjoyed a leisurely browse through a couple of big bookstores. I couldn't resist another crochet magazine, not quite as interesting as the one I brought home in October. But there are a couple of ideas I'm toying with.

Settled in after bunny chores to knit awhile, then switched over to spinning. The scarf is coming along. Slowly. I'm still trying to get my hands trained so that the stitches will slip off the needles easier. Seems so awkward still. But I found myself eyeing knitting books at the bookstores and saw some patterns that I thought I might actually be able to manage. That's really progress!

Finished a bobbin of Coopworth last night and almost filled another while finishing up Oliver's Travels on DVD. The second half of the series was as entertaining as the first. Some beautiful scenery acted as setting for the story, and of course everyone lived happily ever after. Except the bad guys. The complication was figuring out who were the bad guys. A lot like life!

I Passed 8th Grade Science

You Passed 8th Grade Science

Congratulations, you got 8/8 correct!

Could You Pass 8th Grade Science?

I'm so proud.

Skies

We came across Black Ridge slowly in the evening, awed by the sight of Buffalo Mountain looming dark against a sky glowing with color. Flattening clouds spanned the horizon, gold and copper lining a changing drape of crimson that nestled against the hills. A cheerful black dog trotted along the fence line, skirting an expanse of snow silvered by the setting sun. Dark shadows muted the hills.

I got a couple of inches done of the scarf; there wasn't as much knitting time as I thought but at least I remembered how! By the time we got home and settled I didn't get much done, but I managed to finish a bobbin with Coopworth.

It's raining this morning but at least it's fairly warm. Yesterday's nice morning made the day's chores easy; the rabbits were able to get good drinks and the bottles won't be frozen today. Much nicer for me, too. Then if the weather stays warm enough I'm planning a trip to town with the favorite cousin. Rain won't bother us but ice will stop us from venturing!

Got to Town

but didn't get as much done as I had hoped. The computer didn't cooperate down at the store where I'm helping him set up and Dad got tired. So we came on back up the mountain after a nice lunch at Honduras Coffee Company. It's a neat little place, good food and a nice atmosphere. And a little different for our area!

There was a little snow on the ground down below, but daffodils are spiking up and I think we saw a groundhog waddling across the road. Ten degrees temperature between here and there make a lot of difference in the seasons.

Spent the rest of the day putting together another article for the Blue Ridge Gazette, blowing my own horn a little. And adding links. If anyone in the Blue Ridge Mountains, from Pennsylvania to Georgia and the states in between, reads this and is a crafter, please send me your link or add a comment. We'll put you up on the Gazette. A reciprocal link would be nice, too!

Spent some more time spinning Coopworth yesterday. While I was upstairs in the studio I found lots more spun silk; I'm going to have fun with this stuff! The washed skein turned out nice, and didn't kink up, wriggle or do anything horrible. The wool is a bit fluffier between the silk, which makes it very soft!

Today I have to take Dad to Roanoke to the doctor; lots of knitting time!

Experiments

Repose

Haven't had a dose of puppy cuteness here lately.

We had a quiet day yesterday. It warmed up a good bit outside and some snow melted, but the air didn't feel warm enough to me to get out and do much. So I settled in after the morning's computer stuff to watch Oliver's Travels, a charming BBC production recommended by the favorite cousin, and knit. The scarf is coming along. I'm astonished as to how much scarf I'm getting from a skein of yarn. I may be able to make a couple with the pound I dyed with the walnut dye.


Two Ply Silk and Wool Yarn

I've had in mind an experiment in plying, using one ply of the silk I spun from a painted silk bell and one ply of white wool. I chose the Coopworth I just got back from Wooly Knob Fiber Mill. It spins up into a delightful creamy white and I really liked the finished yarn when I plyed the silk and wool together. I've plied other fibers like this but never silk and wool. The test will be what it looks like after it is washed.


Silk/Wool Yarn

Time is passing so fast, and I really need to have some interesting yarns and fibers to sell this summer. This week is going to be so busy and there is something I have to go do every day. Hope the weather lets me. This morning it is snowing again, so I may have to put off the trip to town. There's only an inch but I have to have my dad take me, and I'm not sure how keen he'll be to tackle the mountain.

Tagged!

Hillbilly, Please got me on this one. Believe it or not, it was sort of hard! I read too much!

1. Name five of your favorite books.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.
Or pretty much all Austen's work; partly it's the comedy of manners sort of thing.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
This is the first book I remember reading and re-reading as a child. I'm sure that there were many more. My grandmother was a great reader and constantly had a book by her side; she introduced us to many good books in our childhood.

Thomasina by Paul Gallico
Another book I have read over and over snce childhood. I stole my copy from the library's discard pile; for some reason they wouldn't sell it to me. I'm sure the librarian turned a blind eye to my theft!

Writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson
I discovered Thoreau in the back-to-nature years that were happening when I was a teenager. But when I started reading Emerson, something inside me said, "Yes!" I have a picture of me somewhere standing by Emerson's grave.

Fair and Tender Ladies by Lee Smith
I knew every woman in Lee Smith's books, and have been and will be some of them.

Hard to trim this down just five, ya'll know it?

2. What was the last book you bought?

For me, oh, dear! I buy a lot of books for the business...it might have been Little Earthquakes by Jennifer Weiner. She's a good writer of very entertaining books; In Her Shoes was great. I bought it because I needed a book between meetings and there was only a chain store in town. Wouldn't have done it if I didn't like her stuff, though. I can be so cheap!

3. What was the last book you read?

Man's Rise to Civilization by Peter Farb. It's been here for awhile and is for sale, so I thought I should read it before it leaves. Supposed to be about the evolution of human society, it is a fascinating study of Native American culture, from an unusual viewpoint.

4. List five books that have been particularly meaningful to you (in no particular order).

I thought that was what question 1 was about. Like I said, I read way too much and it's hard to pin that down. At different periods of my life different books have been more meaningful. Religious works of many religions and spiritual thought have always been part of my life and reading.

5. Name three books you've been dying to read but just haven't yet.

Bloodroot: Reflections on Place by Appalachian Women Writers by Judy Dyer
Because Jane says it's wonderful and because Marie recommended it!

Collected Poems by W. H. Auden
Given to me as a gift several years ago and I just haven't gotten to it yet.

A few more books by Anthony Trollope that I haven't tracked down yet.

6. Tag five people and have them fill this quiz out on their own.

Chris at Woolybuns
Becca at Becca and Bella
Sandra at Thistle Cove Farm
Cyndy at Riverrim
Anyone else that wants to.

Ah, so this is why...

"Typos are very important to all written form. It gives the reader something to look for so they aren't distracted by the total lack of content in your writing." - Randy K. Milholland

Coldest Morning So Far

Lily and the Snow

It's three degrees. Three. WE don't have that kind of weather. Well, it's not the norm, anyway. There have been a few years when the temperatures dipped below zero, even, but it's not common. The first years I lived in this house the pipes froze and burst two winters in a row. Everything seems fine this morning. So far.

Yesterday's snow was lovely, though, fine and soft with just three inches. The wind picked up and some has drifted; I took the dogs out last night and snow swirled around us as we hurried through the evening necessities. Already the birds are flocking to the feeders; I hurried through the feeding of the cats and birds this morning. Lily came out with me but was glad to come back in, with TJ right at her heels.

Yesterday was a day of computer work, with another funeral in the afternoon. The face of our community is changing fast. But it's hard to be terribly sad when someone has gone through such a long period of decline, with a devoted family working so hard to care for him. And the clan gathers; familar faces that have surrounded me all my life. But every year sees a few more missing.

I was able to exchange a few opinions with JAG's father, always a pleasure because of his sharp wit and sensible viewpoints (sensible to me, at least, because I agree with him). It's easy to see, in looking around at one of our family gatherings, where JAG came by her intelligence. There are a lot of quick minds and clever eyes dwelling among us.

It was growing colder when I came home, so I tackled the bunny chores swaddled in more than my usual layers. My sister-in-law compares my winter outfit to that of an old Russian woman. Maybe she didn't say old. I'm not sure why that particular image occurred to her; maybe it's the scarf draped over my head to hold the hat on. The rabbit bottles were frozen, of course, so I thawed and refilled them. They are solid this morning, of course!

Sort of an exciting thing for me here. The author of Blue Ridge Gazette paid a visit to my blog yesterday and I had to check his site out. In an exchange of messages I decided that I might have something to contribute to what looks like a very interesting new venture. So my first 'article' is posted; let me know what you think!

Peaceful Village

Ice on the Blue Ridge Parkway

After another beautiful day yesterday, snow is falling thick and fast outside, obscuring the horizon and fast covering the ground. The little houses nearby look vague, nestled into their hills as if to shelter from the wind.


The Farm

Yesterday I spent the morning on the computer, working on several different projects. I did decide to 'blog' the book reviews for Greenberry House; have to get another written today, maybe. I spruced up some of the sales pages on the web site and worked a little on my sister-in-law's, putting in some navigational links. Then Sue came over and we took some pictures for a Round the Mountain slideshow. I don't know if they needed scenery or will use them, but along with pictures of Sue and me in our studios, I sent some shots of the unique rock churches here and of our little community. I may try to get more pictures of town in the snow today.


Sue in her studio

Sue has set up a charming place to work, in a little building outside their house up on Mountain View. She works with natural materials and her benches and tables are adorned with the elegant shapes of deer horns and the soft curves of dried plants, shells, nuts, feathers and the many textures and shapes of the gourds that serve as raw materials. Overhead she has bundles of dried plants and broom straw, and a storage area piled high with more gourds gives a hint of big plans for many beautiful pieces to come. Sue has been creating gourd art for only a year and a half, but her pieces are beautifully done, with a charming simple style and character all their own. I'm scanning in some pictures (slowly!) and we hope to add a section to her web page offering her gourds for sale very soon.

TJ went along for playtime with Lucky, although he spent a lot of time checking out Sue's shop and trying to see what we were doing. I had to crop him out of the best picture; he showed as a brown blurr by her chair. But he was really very good, running in and out and then spending a couple of minutes on a rug by the door. He didn't snatch any of her lovely materials, fortunately! He and Lucky romped hard in the house, with TJ discovering suddenly that he could jump onto the sofa instead of painfully crawling! They invented a game of tag that involved TJ tearing around the chair, up across the sofa and then down to plow into Lucky as hard as he could, where she tumbled him over only to have him scramble away and fly around the room again!

Last night I visited my mom and Wendell, and came home with another selection of grape vines for starting. We had a lovely visit and a good meal of chili! When I went down it was warm, and I had planned to walk back. But the temperature dropped abruptly just before dark, and I was glad to accept a ride back from Wendell. When I took the dogs out for their last ramble of the day, the sky was hazed with clouds, while stars peeped through in a hesitant show. A nip in the breeze shorted our stay out, and I came in to knit in my corner, with my big shawl across my shoulders, a spaniel by my side and a worn out puppy at my feet.

Quiet Routines

I woke up early this morning to hear the wind howling in the eaves and banging the windows on the porch. It picked up last night, and when I walked with the dogs around the barn last night they were both nervous of the rattle of loose tin and the moan of the wind in the nearby woods. Clouds covered the sky when I got up, but the wind has scattered them and hints of blue are straining through overhead. The snow is nearly all melted; a few patches are lying in the shadows of the woods and along cold spaces by the creek.

The warm day yesterday was wonderful to work in. I raced through the watering and feeding chores, promising the bunnies some cleaning when I came back. The rabbits are all feeling fine; with the warmer days they are getting plenty of water and eating well. If it gets cold again I may have to rethink water bowls; they just don't seem to be an effective way, at least for me, to keep water in front of the rabbits.

A quick trip through the lovely hills of Floyd County, and then I settled in front of the computer to work on my web page. I've done some remodeling, must be spring, at Greenberry House. I only managed to get the first two pages done, but I plan to dress up the rest, simplify some things and try to make it easier to get around. There are a lot of pages on the site. I deleted a couple and added a link to the blogs in place of them. Last night I realized that my book review section might work better as a blog; have to think about that.


Woolybuns Snickers

I sheared this lovely doe yesterday afternoon, just before the wind picked up. I harvested a nice nine ounces of beautiful wool from her, with a gorgeous color. To me the color matters as much, if not more, than the quantity, when I'm looking at a colored animal. Snickers was in a wonderful mood, very sweet and patient with shearing. I think she was enjoying the sunshine. It was hard to get a picture of her because my calico cat came to inquire what was going on. As you can see, Snickers wasn't frightened by the cat but she was curious and wouldn't look up for her portrait!

Snickers was also in another mood, so I popped her in with my lovely lynx buck, Delly's Delight Quenten, so see if she was interested in being a mother. She was, so hopefully we'll see some lovely chocolate colored bunnies in the middle of March! I'm eyeing a couple of other girls in the barn that are close to their shearing dates, thinking to take advantage of the sunshine and warmer days!

Not so much progress on the knitting yesterday but I did a few rows. I finished spinning the silk bell and need to hunt up another bobbin for the next part of the project I plan. Crocheting has been neglected but it's taking all my concentration for the knitting. I still haven't totally gotten the hang of the rhythm of sliding the stitches from one needle to the other. I've been checking in on some of the Olympic knitters and I'm seeing some lovely and challenging work. Go, knitters, go!

Memory

I caught myself making a gesture today that my grandmother often used. That felt weird.

Progress

Knitting Progress

Going along with the knitting nicely, if I do say so myself. I've made plenty of mistakes, I'm sure, but this is the furthest I've ever gone with a knitting project. That looked like knitting. I have a scarf I made awhile back that I wear to the bunny house. It was made on knitting needles but other than that bears no resemblance to knitted fabric! This piece mostly looks like what it should! Thanks for all the cheers and encouragement!

I went to a meeting yesterday, which was why I made so much progress. On the drive up and back I was able to knit. Progress was made in the meeting as well, I think. I'm not good at committees but things seems to be shaping up. This organization, Round the Mountain, is attempting to find ways to help artisans in Southwestern Virginia promote themselves and their crafts. I had a few reservations going into this meeting about what the definition of an 'artisan' might turn out to be but I was impressed with the attitudes that I saw as people struggled with a difficult issue. I was also a little concerned about the fact that there might be membership fees, but on thinking about it I can see that there might be advantages to both artisan and guild to have them. I don't know that things were hammered out to the point that final decisions were made; we needed to leave a little early and things were still being discussed. It's exciting, anyway, to be a small part of something that could benefit an area so long neglected by state and federal governments.

I was also able to discuss NAIS with a member of our local government and she's working on the issue. She has run into the same misinformation that many people are getting, but is very intelligent and has spent some time getting real facts. I'll be interested to see what happens next. Knowing this woman, she may single-handedly defeat the whole problem!

New Project

Living Water Farms Angel

Despite moderate temperatures for February, yesterday seemed very warm here. So I got busy and sheared Miss Angel, because she was overdue and looked uncomfortable in her heavy coat. She seemed very happy to have it taken off and was prancing around at feeding time as if to show off! Angel is a nice doe from old lines, very quiet and easy natured.

The rest of the day was spent wrestling with this:


Coopworth Walnut Dyed Hand Spun Yarn

This must be my 27th "First Knitting Project". Thanks to Chris, though, this time I may get it. I learned about swatching from her and it was easy to see why that's necessary! My swatch went beautifully; every stitch looked right and I was comfortable with how it was going. Naturally when I started the 'real' project I messed up. First I somehow managed to get extra stitches per row...rip...figured out what I was doing there and now things seem to be going along evenly. There are a couple of weird looking bumps but I'm chalking that up to handspun yarn and not looking too closely. Chris was very patient and strained her eyes over a picture to tell me what my gauge was. No telling how many more silly questions I'll have for her, and this is just garter stitch!

D is for...

Darling, Devoted and Dearly Beloved Dogs...

...finally inseparable.

Around the House

Northern Wall

I came home from a meeting yesterday evening to discover that we had no heat. No gas. Chilly night on the couch with Lily finally managing to crawl up somehow and take my pillows! I've called the gas company; hope they get here soon!

Yesterday morning I went down to the bunny house to discover that several rabbits hadn't cleaned up their pellets. Not a great thing. It stayed very cold the day before and I had to take down water for bowls. Some of them froze over quickly and some were dumped. The rabbits that ate well had ice in their bowls; I suppose they got more water. I took water bottles down during the day, hoping they would have time to drink before the sipper tubes froze up. A few of them did freeze but I thawed them back out one more time. Heading down in a few minutes to see how everyone is doing.


Walnut Dyed Coopworth

Contrary to the information I found about walnut dyeing, the skeins did not dry any lighter than they appeared after I rinsed them. I expected this caramel color because of pictures that I'd seen, but every comment was that they would lighten. Now that they are dry, I think they look a little darker than they did when they were wet. It could be the light, of course. Natural dyes are very subtle in color.

Early Morning

I'm up early because of a gym date, but my partner hasn't turned up. I was sitting outside, warming up the truck, watching the morning star rise above the line of trees behind the bunny barn. I've never been still long enough to watch a planet rise. The moon was behind me, brilliant on the snow, but Venus was even brighter as almost imperceptably it moved beyond the horizon into the dusky sky. I couldn't see it rise, but I could glance away and look back to see that minute by minute it was climbing. Part of a great dance of movement that is larger than I can comprehend.

Walnut Dyed Coopworth Skeins

Here they are...

Very pleased with the color; it's a nice caramel that is a little darker right now than the picture shows. According to the directions, the color will lighten as they dry. Just right, I think, for the use I have in mind for them. Chris, I'll be pestering you about knitting when they dry!

Snow Day

Single from Painted Silk Cap

The world is white outside and all my recent spinning has been white, too. So last night a strong urge for color had me pulling a lovely silk cap apart that I bought at SAFF last fall. The vendor didn't put a name on the receipt (hint to all you vendors; they would have gotten a link!) so I don't know who I got it from. It's spinning nicely and I'm thinking of using it in a different kind of spinning project. I'll let you know if it works!

Finished plying the pound of Coopworth for the walnut dye pot and got it heated up last night. The stuff didn't smell as bad once I took the hulls out. The skeins have been sitting; as soon as I get a few chores done I'll take them out and see how it worked.

There was a flock of crows under the bird feeders when I got up. I have some old bread I'll take out, in the hopes of distracting them from my expensive seed for the little birds. It's very cold out; 14 degrees first thing this morning and some snow was falling before daylight. Now the sky is very clear and the sun is bright on the snow. Warming slowly. The dogs dashed out and then back in and I haven't seen a whisper of a cat, but the birds are twittering anxiously in the shrubs by the feeder. Time to hit the chores!

TJ's First Snow

Digger!

We had about eight inches of snow, I think. During the night the wind kicked up, bringing in very cold air, and snow is drifted on the farm. I went out early to check the animals because of the sudden cold; cats were snug and the wild birds were hungry. Rabbits calm, waiting for breakfast!


Wild Romp!

The dogs love playing in this new environment, where they can get thoroughly soaked and kick up clouds around them as they wrestle. It was too cold this morning for much of a romp outside, though; they're continuing the mock battle in the living room.


Drifted Fields


Wind patterns in a drift


Bunny barn and snow



Snow Day Accomplishments

I spent most of the day spinning and plying the Coopworth. Following the directions I have for the walnut dye, I heated the pot up to simmer for a couple of hours. The stuff stinks! I'm supposed to get the hulls out today and then I think I can use it. Since it's so cold I'll probably finish plying the singles today and maybe start dyeing tomorrow.

Really Snowing, at Last!

Snowy Morning

When I got up to let TJ a couple of inches of snow had already fallen. The puppy hesitated on the top step, reluctant to touch this strange surface that had mysteriously appeared overnight. Then, with a yelp of mingled fear and delight, Georgia dog plunged down the steps, big paws scattering icy crystals as he went. He ran circles and then flew back to the house, uncertain and a bit timid.

Just after daylight I looked out to see that the birds were already crowding the empty feeders, so I took both dogs back out with me to tend to the chores of feeding birds and cats. With Lily along TJ was much braver; she enjoys snow and he takes his cues from her. Soon he was discovering the joy of plowing his nose through the snow (joy for a dog; I wouldn't care for it!). And of course it was more fun romping with Lily when he could get thoroughly soaked and scatter snow to the four winds!


We are not amused.

The cats do not find much joy in a snowfall. The calico cat was snug in the barn, and didn't come up for breakfast at all. Malachi doesn't mind weather much and was sitting out on a post this morning with his back covered in snowflakes. Mani, the tabby, came out to eat from his refuge on the porch; he carefully avoided letting any wet touch him as he navigated his way to the shelf for his meal. After he eats Malachi will probably slip inside to snooze the day away on the back of the couch and watch the birds. Yesterday I saw an odd little bird creeping up the trunk of the apple tree. It was only a flash; he was so quick. I don't think it was the woodpecker but couldn't be sure in the evening light.

Yesterday we worked more on my sister-in-law's web page, reworking the home page, adding information about the corn maze they are planning and some pictures from last year's festivals. I don't have all the pictures arranged quite the way I want and there are more to scan in and add, but the site is shaping up nicely.

Then last night my friend Kym and I went to dinner and did a little shopping. We had a lovely time over our meal, although she is still very sad about the loss of dog Roxy. It's going to take some time. We visited the bookstore to browse; I saw lots of interesting knitting books but decided to wait until I could try to learn to knit again before buying! Picked up some puppy food because TJ was out and then headed over the hills under a sky that was starting to cloud over. I managed to resist the temptation to stock up on milk and bread, once again!

Cold Weather Odds and Ends

The snow vanished into sunshine yesterday morning. But the weather stayed cold, below freezing, and I filled water bowls for the rabbits instead of water bottles. The birds hit the feeders early; it was all I could do to stand going out to fill them in the early morning wind. I saw a larger woodpecker yesterday at one of the feeders I fill with sunflower seeds. I think he was a red-headed woodpecker but I didn't get much chance to observe him. Four noisy blue jays are trying to patrol the area and keep all the other birds away. The little ones are quick, though, and seem to take care of themselves just fine.

Since it was so cold, I stayed in and worked on the computer most of the day. Spruced up the other blog a little, more to see if I could do some designing myself in the template than for any other reason. But I added some resource links and pictures. Had to get Lily on there!

Filled a bobbin with the Coopworth; need to wind that off today and start another. Dad and I made a dash to town to pick up bunny feed, since the forecast is for snow over the weekend. It was a quiet, clear night; doesn't seem possible for a storm to move in but conditions change fast sometimes. There are thin clouds above this morning and a chill to the early sunlight.

My sister-in-law is coming over in the afternoon to work on her web page. My mother says that my great-aunt, who had surgery yesterday, is doing pretty well. A cold time for them to be traveling up and down the mountain to be with her.

The wind has picked up a little, the bare vines of the Virginia creeper on the house are rattling against the window. Small birds are huddled in the apple tree, waiting for me to brave the cold and fill the feeders. The cats will be ranged on the shelf in the pale sun near their food bowls, and will try to hurry me along with yowls and weaving capers around my legs as they lead me over to the dishes. As if I've forgotten the way!

Snowing at Last!

Yesterday evening when I went out to tend the bunnies a few flakes of snow were drifting on the breeze. This morning it is snowing in earnest, already covering the cold places and whitening the ice on the pond. It's cold and looks like it might actually amount to something. I don't love snow, but it seems appropriate to have a little in winter!

Yesterday I collected some ambition and went out to start the grape cuttings that Wendell gave me last week. It was still cold out; colder than it's comfortable for me to shear a rabbit. The rabbits don't seem to mind losing the coat no matter what the weather. They are sheltered from the wind in the barn. But I mind sitting outside when it's below freezing!

There's a description of what I did to plant the grapes on my other blog. I'm really looking forward to seeing how they do. Yesterday evening I had to add a refinement to my setup, though. TJ discovered the little sticks and thought they would be wonderful to play with. So now there's a fence around the pots!

Instead of shearing I worked on the computer in the afternoon, putting up some of the scarves I've been making on my web page. It's fun to go back over my work and see how it turned out. I'm still happy with all of them, oddly enough. Sometimes I look at something and wonder what on earth I was thinking when I did it!

There was a downy woodpecker at the bird feeders yesterday afternoon. Lily was whining at a dove so I went to see what was so interesting and sat watching the birds with her for awhile. I had put out some suet for the birds, which attracts the woodpeckers. The downy was climbing on the apple tree when I saw him, while the finches, sparrows, juncos and other birds flocked to the feeders. The dove was on the ground; sometimes there can be a dozen doves there feeding. In the late evening the birds rush the feeders to get enough to make it through the night. When I came here I didn't feed the birds, because I was working long hours and didn't think I had time. But during an ice storm I went out and found a dozen little birds lying under the big spruce tree. I picked them up and put them in the barn with some water, and they recovered and flew away. I started feeding the birds then; just couldn't stand to think they were dying like that. Over the years they've gotten quite tame when I'm around, only flying a few feet away when I fill the feeders and sometimes staying right in the tree. This despite the fact that I'm usually accompanied by at least one cat or a frolicsome puppy!

I received a box from Wooly Knob Fiber Mill yesterday. I hadn't exactly been haunting the mail box waiting for it but it came back way before I could become impatient! About six weeks, not bad at all for a turn around time. The Coopworth I sent was one that was a little rough because I wanted to make rugs from it. What I got back is very, very nice. It's an ugly yellow color (not the mill's fault, of course!) which I'm planning to dye. I spun up some last night. Spinning from roving is SO fast! I started soaking my walnut hulls last night; they should sit three days, according to the dye recipe I found, before I do the rest of the process.

Winding Wool

Shetland Two Ply Hand Spun Yarn

This morning I sat in my big window, winding yarn and watching the birds as they flocked to the feeders. The black cat purred on the back of the couch, twitching a lazy tail when a bold chickadee snatched a seed from the feeder by his head. A sleeping spaniel, tired from a romp outside with her puppy, rested her chin on my ankle as I worked, and the puppy curled on the rug at my feet in a rare moment of restfulness.

The Shetland from Thistle Cove Farm is lovely to spin. I have a nice two-ply, two ounce start on the six pounds of lovely wool and have barely made a dent in the fluffy cloud that I washed. Plenty of beautiful shawls in the future. The color is hard to describe. Sort of cream with a few strands of dark running through it. There's a sheen on this yarn that I haven't seen in the previous Shetland I've worked with.

Yesterday I went to the little town at the foot of the mountain to talk to a fellow about setting up an accounting system for his business. He lost his office help who had been doing the work for 19 years, and wants to have the new young lady put everything on the computer. I'll probably go down next week and spent a day setting things up. I wasn't able to get the bunny bottles done before leaving because it was so cold. So most of the afternoon was taken up with the regular morning chores. Very unsettling! Last night I finished the Shetland bobbin and plied it. I love plying; it's so fast!

My young friend lost her dear dog this week. I haven't been able to talk directly to her about it yet but I know she's having a hard time with it. Things were very bad for poor Roxy, though, and it was time to let go.

It was really cold this morning but it's warming up fast. I went out early to feed the birds because they were flocking around the feeders. A lot of birds out there today; finches, with the goldfinches starting to look more yellow than green, bossy blue jays that scatter the little birds when they bomb down and stut about, juncos, sparrows, chickadees, a sassy little tufted titmouse. There was a wren on the roof outside the bedroom window on Sunday; I'm not sure if they visit the feeders, though. Sometimes it looks like a sea of little bobbling backs on the ground under the old apple tree.

Clouds

Shetland Wool, Teased by Hand

I couldn't wait to get my hands on it, so after morning chores and some bill paying and account balancing, I started spinning the Shetland wool I washed. It's lovely to work with. I've been just grabbing a handful here and there from the washed wool, teasing it up by hand and then spinning. Filled nearly a bobbin yesterday while watching Dorothy Sayers mysteries on DVD. A few minutes carelessness taught me that TJ is very good at teasing wool! Unfortunately he doesn't know when to quit! No real harm was done to either fleece or puppy.

Another cold day yesterday, more seasonable than January has been. There is a bit of ice on the pond. A few flakes of snow drifted around me as I worked morning and evening. The dogs romped, to keep warm, I think, but hurried in when I beckoned. Malachi haunts the back door, darting inside at every opportunity.

Last night I worked more on the crocheted scarf. I think it's going to need some sort of border; haven't decided. Very soft; this is some of my last millspun from my first run. I'd like to have the next run done in 50% wool and 50% angora, but the 60% merino and 40% angora from the first run is pretty nice!

Journeys

Merino/Angora Scarf

This is the scarf I was so discontented with last Friday. I feel much better about it now. I guess I was just in a mood! And even though the weekend hasn't turned out fantastic, things still look a lot brighter!

It rained Saturday, so we went off to an auction, only to find that the items we were interested in weren't going to be sold that day. So we headed over the mountain to have dinner, shop a little and then planned to head home to watch movies on DVD and stay warm out of the rain. The rain cleared as we were heading into the next county over, but then the little truck gasped, wheezed, and finally crawled over to the side of the road. It was hauled home in shame by a neighbor who has a towing service, and is now back at Wally's, waiting another diagnosis.

I read this poem over the weekend, probably while I was still in the mood. For some reason, though, it said a lot to me. I know people are posting poems here and there; don't know why but this isn't really part of that.

Journey by Edna St. Vincent Millay

Ah, could I lay me down in this long grass
And close my eyes, and let the quiet wind
Blow over me—I am so tired, so tired
Of passing pleasant places! All my life,
Following Care along the dusty road,
Have I looked back at loveliness and sighed;
Yet at my hand an unrelenting hand
Tugged ever, and I passed. All my life long
Over my shoulder have I looked at peace;
And now I fain would lie in this long grass
And close my eyes.
Yet onward!
Cat birds call
Through the long afternoon, and creeks at dusk
Are guttural. Whip-poor-wills wake and cry,
Drawing the twilight close about their throats.
Only my heart makes answer. Eager vines
Go up the rocks and wait; flushed apple-trees
Pause in their dance and break the ring for me;
And bayberry, that through sweet bevies thread
Of round-faced roses, pink and petulant,
Look back and beckon ere they disappear.
Only my heart, only my heart responds.
Yet, ah, my path is sweet on either side
All through the dragging day,—sharp underfoot
And hot, and like dead mist the dry dust hangs—
But far, oh, far as passionate eye can reach,
And long, ah, long as rapturous eye can cling,
The world is mine: blue hill, still silver lake,
Broad field, bright flower, and the long white road
A gateless garden, and an open path:
My feet to follow, and my heart to hold.

Wish I could write like that.

Fleeced

Shetland Fleece from Thistle Cove Farm

Another gorgeous day yesterday, and I pulled off a small section of the Shetland fleece first thing to wash. It dried beautifully outside in the sun, with no wind to lift it from the improvised drying rack atop a rabbit cage. I imagine TJ would have fun if he found a fleece within reach!

For the rest of the day I was remarkably unambitious. I needed to shear a doe but just couldn't find my scissors anywhere. Irritated me, since I'm usually not quite so disorganized. I worked on the computer instead, wound off the Coopworth I spun up into a center pull ball, and started a crocheted scarf that so far I'm not satisfied with. Maybe it will look better to me this morning.

Since I was so uninspired, I took off to town to go to the bank. Lily went with me. Since we have our own truck now she can go along and she loves it. At least for short trips. When we were traveling a lot she got tired of it, I think. At the bank the drive-in teller gave Lily a treat!

When we got back I found my scissors, wadded up in one of the dogs' beds. I wonder how they got there?

Spinning Along

Yesterday I did paperwork at the antique store, had a lovely visit with the aunt on the hill and then another nice visit with my mom and Wendell. Riches; he gave me starts of two grapes!

Nice to be able to use my own truck to run around, and not incovenience Dad. He has his routine of visiting the stores and wandering back roads, and I don't like to interfere. Not that I will become a roving rambler! I like being at home, but it's sort of nice to be able to just hop in the truck. With the gas prices the way they are I'm not tempted to go far!


Winter Evening at Home

Last night I went back to the spinning wheel and finished filling a bobbin with the Coopworth sample I kept from the fleece I sent off to Wooly Knob Fiber Mill. Jamie called yesterday to let me know my roving was ready; I'm excited to see how it turned out! The bio page on their site is right; Jamie is a riot!

TJ is settling in well, fitting into our little family. The cat occasionally has to discipline the puppy if he gets too familiar, but otherwise it's pretty peaceful here. Lily sometimes gets cross but he is learning when to leave her alone. TJ still plays hard and when he runs across the floor he sounds like a herd of buffalo all by himself. Then he collapses, puppy-style, in a heap when he just can't play another minute.

Thistle Cove Farm

Thistle Cove Farm American Curly Horse Stallion

Today was a special day. I ventured away from Greenberry House to visit with one of the best fiber people I know. My cousin RJ and I traveled up into the mountains of Tazewell to see Sandra and Dave at Thistle Cove Farm. I had asked Sandra to save a merino and a Shetland fleece for me, and since time is passing fast, I decided it was time to go get them to be processed for summer selling! RJ is a wonderful traveling companion, and the miles passed swiftly as we talked over our usual range of favorite subjects.


Thistle Cove Farmhouse

The trip was lovely, winding through mountain passes and into beautiful coves that reminded me so much of the Scottish Highlands. High mountains with hilly pastures, sparkling streams and beautiful old farmhouses along the way kept us watching the scenery as the miles flowed. I had been to festivals at the farm and knew the way, so it was pleasant to be able to enjoy the beauty of the winter landscape. I knew when we had arrived by the sight of the wonderful old farmhouse, nestled into the cove and surrounded by beautiful fields and sheltered by the high ridges.


Sandra and Dave

We were fortunate in the timing of our arrival; Sandra had just finished penning her escaped American Curly Horse stallion. I think this is Danny Boy, pictured above, who seemed placid enough when we drove up and came to greet us. But apparently we had missed the show when he got out of his pen and found his way to the fence, where his son was waiting to challenge his authority. Poor Sandra managed to separate them without loss of life or limb; not an easy chore, as my own limited experience tells me!

Relatively unruffled, Sandra invited us in to a lovely lunch, served in her beautiful kitchen. A handsome gas stove heated our meal of homemade multi-grain bread (I was gifted with a loaf to bring home, marvelous!), October beans and apple crisp, my absolute favorite. RJ and Dave's mother found common ground in the shared experience of teaching, and compared notes and adventures while we ate. Soon enough, they found that they knew many of the same places and some people, and several interesting stories came out. The family dogs and cats kept us company, a tradition that felt as homey as the warm kitchen and beautiful views.

Sandra and I slipped away, as fiber folk will, for me to view my new fleece on the back porch of the farmhouse. We were accompanied by a most delightful gray cat, and the inquisitive dogs, who didn't want to miss anything important. It's hard to describe how lovely it is at Thistle Cove Farm, standing on that porch and looking out over the rolling fields, with a craggy mountain high behind the barns and long ridges framing the valley on each side. Nothing could be better, except for plunging your hands in beautifully soft fleece!


Shetland!

This is the lovely Shetland fleece I purchased, so soft and with a lovely crimp. I really enjoy spinning Shetland, more than any other wool, I think. The fleece I had before, purchased quite some time ago, was the source of several lovely shawls. This fleece is SO much nicer than the first; I can't wait to get into it!


Merino!

And the merino. Lots of crimp and I think this will have a lovely loft, spun with my angora for a 50/50 yarn. I plan to send it off to be millspun; millspun angora/merino in the past has been quite successful. I think this will be even nicer than the previous yarn; Sandra's merino has a lot of character!

We came back in and found RJ and Dave comparing notes on books. Sandra and I talked fiber and projects for awhile, and then, although I was reluctant to do it, we had to collect ourselves and head back through the mountains toward home. It was a lovely trip, thanks to the special hospitality of Sandra and Dave, and the beauty of their charming home in the cove.

New Web Page!

New Orleans Scarf

Lovely day yesterday but windy! So windy and cold that I didn't do much outside other than the necessary chores. My sister-in-law came over and we worked on her new web page. We made great progress: check it out at www.mountainmeadowcrafts.com!


Close-up of New Orleans Scarf

I finished this alpaca scarf last night. It's made of a commercially spun Alpaca yarn that I hand painted. I made up the stitch pattern with a sort of twisted stitch I found in a pattern for a hat. It has a little texture and the colors are lively but I hope not overpowering!


Nap Time

Lily hasn't been feeling well the last couple of days; I think her arthritis is bothering her after the cold, damp day we had. She still romps with TJ; they wear each other out and it's good for her to get the excercise. But last night she was cross with him; it hurt his feelings and I finally got her up on the couch beside me so he couldn't be such a nuisance. Hard for him to understand, I guess, that his big dog doesn't feel like playing right now!