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Thursday, July 4, 2019

Yarn Along - A Barnyard Scarf

One of my favorite things to do is to sit down and spin yarn from our flock.  I have a big plan for the Tour de Fleece this year involving spinning enough yarn for a sweater, but mostly I only get allow myself an hour or so here and there and then I end up with baskets full of small amounts of yarn...that just sit there.  

I do enjoy the baskets of yarn.  There's something joyful about all the different colors, textures, weights and especially all the individual sheep tucked in there, but I've been trying to think of something special to make that would utilize those small skeins.

I decided to try weaving a multi-yarn scarf.  I used my handspun bits and bobs for the warp (the up and down threads) and some Nistock Farms Golden Fleece Cotswold singles for the weft (the side to side threads).  

Since the warp threads were all different thicknesses, I used a reed that would accommodate the thickest yarns.  Actually, I started with a 6 dent reed (6 ends per inch) but didn't like it and, you know, ripped it out ;-).  The 8 dent reed worked reasonably well, but a 10 would have been better.


I wanted to showcase the individual handspun yarns rather than the solid color weft, so I worked for a warp faced weave (more warp showing than weft).  I know who most of the yarns are.  The white Cotswold is Keebler, the warm brown is Petunia, the thinner white is Peabody, the too thick for the 10 dent reed gray is Rebecca Boone, the medium weight gray is probably Jester...


And it's too hot to even ask 20 to model it, so I hung it on the barn ladder.  Next to the fire extinguisher :-o.  


Some day it will cool down enough to wear.

Regarding books...I have lost the energy to listen to "grown up" books and after Thoroughly Enjoying the Terry Prachett young adult books last year, decided to delve into the Newbery Medal Winners list this year.  I may just stay there.  I've listened to The Girl Who Drank the Moon, The One and Only Ivan, Moon Over Manifest, Walk Two Moons and Bridge to Terabithia.  I've also listened to Some Kind of Courage and The Last Bus to Wisdom: A Novel.

I highly recommend them all :-).


14 comments:

Michelle said...

Perfect way to showcase your special handspun from special sheep! Can't wait to see what you spin for TdF; I know it will put me to shame. ;-)

Cheryl West said...

It is a beautiful scarf and a great remembrance of those sheep.

egeneh said...

So glad to see your recommendation of Ivan Doig's Last Bus to Wisdom. I finished it a couple weeks ago and it is vying for top place in my heart with Zusak's The Book Thief and Jim Lynch's The Highest Tide. I've just ordered (from my public library) Some Kind of Courage and, based on a mention in a review of that title, Cracker!, The Best Dog in Vietnam. I often find that titles by my favorite (print) authors just don't work for me as audiobooks, but I've found several authors in the Young Adult/Teen Fiction sections that I enjoy both ways. Thanks for sharing your audiobook suggestions along with the other delights of Punkin's Patch.

I need orange said...

I *love* your scarf. I love "scrappy" things made from different colors and different weights. How perfect that all of this warp is from your very own sheeps.

This is just lovely, and I can't wait until you are able to wear it. :-)

Thanks also for the book suggestions. It seems to me that everything I pick up is either too fraught, or too much "protagonist gets overscheduled with all kinds of icky tasks by other people deciding what she will do -- because she won't say NO."

I can't bear either of the above.

Even the kids' books I've picked up have been too fraught. Sheesh.

I can only re-read Dorothy Sayers so many times in one year (and even there, the classism is starting to get to me). Sigh.

I need orange said...

ps -- did I miss a blog post about the new kids?

Sheepmom said...

Love the scarf! The colors show up well but don't fight. Good job! I'll have to look into downloading some of those titles.

thecrazysheeplady said...

Oh, whatever Michelle ;-D.

Thanks for the book suggestions!

No, you didn't miss a post. I'm just behinder all the time. The heat has been a challenge. Hopefully I'll get some good pictures tomorrow.

knitski said...

Scarf and your weaving look wonderful and one day it will cool off when . . . well, not for some time!

Books . . . it is not often that I read a meaty fiction piece anymore. I read to relax and not to hear about some horrible events in someone's life that they need to overcome! I have a friend here in Montana that writes YA fantasy and her books are well done and positive. You can find in her on Amazon, indie books, or her web site----she is working on getting them into audio but for now one would have to just read them.

http://www.jessowen.com/

karen said...

beautiful scarf!! Love the fringe and the neutral color.

Far Side of Fifty said...

Beautiful Scarf of many sheeps...perfect! :)

The Odyssey Farm said...

Oh gosh, it's gorgeous. Have you read I Bought a Mountain by Thomas Firbank?

thecrazysheeplady said...

Thanks for all the great sounding book suggestions! :-D

Bekah said...

I love your scarf! What a beautiful way to use up your small skeins. And, I love the fact that you can tell which sheep produced which yarn. I wonder if they will notice as well when you wear it down to take care of the sheep in the winter ;)
My boys and I read Moon Over Manifest a few years ago and loved it! Vanderpool's other book, Navigating Early, was good as well.
Have a great weekend!
Bekah

Kristin said...

Oh, I so want to have my own sheep and learn to spin! I love that you know which one provided which piece to your scarf. And I love that you are reading (listening) through the Newbery winners. That makes my librarian heart happy.

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