Roc Day Eve

Tomorrow is Roc Day or Saint Distaff's Day, the day "all spinners go back to work" after the holidays.  It's basically a holiday in itself if you need an extra excuse to pull out a spindle or wheel.  I've picked out my spinning for the day.

I'll be spinning some California Red from one of my favorite local shepherdesses, Andrea from Morgandell Farm.  This is Patch and Levi :-).  

I'm hoping to spin off and on all day, but will definitely have my "butt in seat" between 2:00 and 4:00 in the afternoon and 7:00 and 9:00 (eastern time) in the evening if anyone would like to join me via zoom to share some spinning, ask questions, talk sheep and wool...

To join in, click the Wool House Crafters button at the upper right of your screen or you should be able to  follow this link. You shouldn't need a password.  Give it a few seconds and I think it just prompts you to turn on your microphone and camera.  Once in I usually switch it to "gallery" view so I can see everyone and what they are working on.

I look forward to this day every year.  I traditionally spin on my Canadian Production Wheel, but I usually try to give everyone a bit of a go.  I'm also working on my Jared sweater, so I may take a break and do some knitting too.

Whatever you do, enjoy it :-).

And We're Off

Well, 20 loaded me down for this year's Tour de Fleece.  I knew he would.  We're alike that way ;-). Since this seems to be the year of color, we settled on the Elizabeth blues, Murphy's gray, Chocula's light brown,  Petunia's darker brown, some white over gray core roving from Allie and gray over white core roving from Billy Belly.  Those last three are from deep in the SABLE*. 

The colorful batt in the bag came from a friend and is for one of the challenge days.  Not that I think the batt is going to be challenging, but the whole spinning red, green and white into one yarn...  I may have to add in a small ball of Plain White as an antidote.  This Tour will cure me or kill me!  

*Stash Accumulation Beyond Life Expectancy

I think the team ravatar turned out cute.  Muffin and Biscuit grazing nose to nose in the blooming clover :-).

Side by side. #Biscuit #Muffin #friends #sheepfriends

A post shared by Sara Dunham (@thecrazysheeplady) on Jun 30, 2017 at 3:00pm PDT

Just like in real life.

Thank you for all the kind words for Jester.  The very first wool I spun was Punkin's.  I sat down at a friend's wheel one afternoon and she got me started.  And while I was very excited to actually be making yarn, I found myself choking back tears.  It goes fast, that wool through your fingers. Those twelve years. Jester's seventeen.  I don't think I'll be spinning any Jester this year.

Yarn Along - Make Yarn Use Yarn - Week Two

So far, so good...even if the Yarn Along post (that I am GOING to do every week this year!) is a day late.  I even doubled up posts for Tuesday so there wouldn't be a conflict for Wednesday. Sigh...

I've now spun two bobbins of Liddy and a small skein of Emily/Annabelly on the CPW.  At the house I clocked 310 yards of Hershey on the Joy.  I also found (another) hat pattern I just can't live without, so Miss B and I dyed some stashed Jester yarn for that.  We also dyed some roving for her and half of a 2013 Elizabeth fleece that I found when I cleaned up the barn last year.

We started with a skein of medium gray and a skein of dark gray.  I also had a skein of dark green and medium green Jester already dyed from a project from several years ago...unfinished, like so many others, languishing in my stash.  

I was happy with the dark green, so left that as-is/as-was.  The light green (far right) got over dyed to make the dark navy and dark brown.  The dark blue was done with one of the three blues I have that I didn't think to make a note of.  I'm pretty sure we added some black to darken it as well, but again, no note.  Make Yarn. Use Yarn. LABEL Yarn :-o.

The brown was done in stages.  First we used red over the green and then over-dyed that with yellow. We still weren't happy, so over-dyed that with brown.  Jacob is a great yarn for beginning dyers because it takes a ton of abuse.

The white is a small skein of Annabelly I had left from what I'd had to spin to finish off the collar of the Jester sweater several years ago.  I love that she is going to be part of this Jester project as well :-).  She was the first of the Belly lambs he adopted all those years ago.

I should have been ready to cast on, but I decided to take down of the Christmas decorations yesterday...which then gave me too much time to stew on everything...and this morning I decided I wasn't absolutely happy with the dark green, so we over-dyed it a couple more times again.

The small squiggle of yarn next to the light green is where we started.  The brownish green next to it is the original dark green over-dyed with orange and the skein next to that was the same original dark green over-dyed with brown.  I think I'm leaning towards the orange green at this point.  Now I just need to "git knittin".

Here is the hat.  It's Gone To The Mountains by fellow Yarn Along-er Andee Fagan.  Here is the story behind the pattern.  Not only is it really pretty, but the pattern is for a good cause as well ;-).

Here is the Hershey skein.  New followers are probably wondering what I used to dye this chocolate color. Actually, you are probably wondering why a grey sheep is named Hershey in the first place, now that I think about it ;-).  Here is why.  Isn't he cute?  And wow, look how young everyone looks! And the "big white lamb"?  That ended up being Rocket - Andy and Levi's dad :-).

I have a couple neat books to share and I'd include one here, but it's getting late and I need to go haul all my house plants back in the house.  Yes, after several days in the single digits, it's been raining and mid to upper 60s. Everyone got out for a good shower and drink and needs to come back in in the off chance it hits freezing tonight.  Plus, I'd like to actually Cast On and Use Yarn! :-D 

Joining in with Ginny...

Yarn Along - The New Year

After a supremely disappointing lack of spinning (and knitting and weaving) last year, I've decided my theme for the new year is Make Yarn. Use Yarn.  Short, sweet and to the point.  

I've moved the CPW (Canadian Production Wheel) out to the Wool House and the Joy to the...house house (main house? people house? slightly larger house full of wool?).  I miss seeing "Hyacinthe" in the house, but I wasn't using her there.  She and I can chatter away out in the Wool House and the Joy and I can spin quietly in the evenings without being distracting.

I brought Hershey's lamb fleece in for the Joy and look who's on the CPW today.  It's Liddy!

I really enjoy spinning on this antique wheel and it truly is a productive wheel.  I didn't think to look at the clock when I started this bobbin, but I have 2.4 ounces packed on there.  I'm not in a hurry and speed is not a priority, but I do have to admit being pretty happy to fill a bobbin in one sitting.

Isn't she pretty?

Before I could spin that though I had to free up the bobbin.  If it takes you well over a year to ply off two small skeins, you need to Make Yarn. Use Yarn.  The gray skein is some Jacob I picked to use to learn how to use this wheel last September.  The "red" is some California Red gifted to me from, wait for it, California :-).  It had been sitting on the wheel since February :-o.

Both skeins ended up a bit underspun, but not horrible.  I keep walking past them and find myself picking them up and smooshing on them, smiling.  I especially like the Red.  There is definitely a hint of red color to the wool, but also has a darker red hair blended in.  You may be able to biggify these picture to see it.  

Wool is fun.  Spinning is fun.  We are going to Spin Wool this year!

Starting with Liddy.

*     *     *     *     *

And there will be a Roc Day party at the farm this Saturday from 1:00 to 4:00!  Bring your wheel, spindle, current fiber project or just an interest in learning to spin.  And some cookies or crackers or Cheerios if you'd like to party with the sheeps as well ;-).  I'll have some people cookies, coffee and tea.

*     *     *     *     *

Meanwhile, back at the barn...

The long lost sun provided a welcome boost to everyone this afternoon.  Jester and Ford were able to soak up some rays.

And the main flock headed out back.  Or got herded out back ;-).

Thank ya, Kate :-).

No knitting and no new book to share this week.  I'm just happy to have some yarn to share. Make Yarn. Use Yarn. Report Back Next Week!  It's going to be a great year :-D.

Joining in with Ginny...

A CPW Play Date

Last fall, when two Kentucky spinners ended up at the same New York fiber festival playing with a nice CPW (Canadian Production Wheel) for sale (that I ended up buying :-), we laughed that we were going to have to have a CPW play date when we got home.  Pat already had a CPW as did another friend, Debbie (debky on Ravelry).  

Spin Ins are not uncommon.  Spin Ins with three antique wheels (I'm guessing each wheel is somewhere around 100 years old) are a bit rarer.

Spinning (or knitting or crocheting or weaving...) with a cat sitting on your lap - not uncommon (as anyone with a cat knows ;-).

Being able to spin with a cat AND and dog - a bit rarer :-D.

Debbie and I did some wheel maintenance and Pat happened to have a new bobbin that didn't fit her wheel, but fit mine perfectly, and she was able to get my wheel's excited chattering down to an acceptable purr.  

Check out these neat shoes.  They are see-through to showcase your hand knit socks!  I think those were hand dyed, too.

What a fun afternoon.

Even if you'd maybe rather have gone for a walk ;-).

Stories To Tell

Here is a short video. I tightened up the distance between the flyer and bobbin whorls and added lots more oil and she's gotten quieter...I think. Still has lots to say though, maybe at different points between drafting and winding on? Possibly a clue?  What do you think? Normal noises or do I need to look further?  

She Followed Me Home ;-)

I've been keeping my eye out for an antique Canadian Production Wheel (CPW) and found this pretty wheel at the Finger Lakes Fiber Festival.  Diane from Acorn Fiber Works had just picked her up from an estate sale the week before, so I think it was destiny ;-).

This wheel was made by Frederic Bordua, from Sainte Hyacinthe, Quebec.  It was likely made between 1870-1923.  1923 because that's when he died, so I'm guessing the wheel is easily 100 years old.

Apparently most people "name" their CPWs (and other wheels).  I don't have any of my wheels named, but maybe I could be uber clever and call her Hyacinthe ;-).

Her "chicken nut".  Do you see it?

Cast iron treadle.

This wheel has worked very hard.  See the groove from where the yarn travels from the hooks through the orifice?

See all the tiny grooves on the back side of flyer?  I think those are wear marks, too.  I believe I've seen someone make a cross over a flyer to change tension or draw in or something, but I'm not sure if that would cause those marks.  Would wool even do that?  Maybe cotton or flax?

No marks on the hook sides.  Any thoughts?  

A trait of the CPWs is that they chatter to you as they spin.  This wheel has a lot to say!  She spins perfectly, but I'm wondering if she's a little louder than she should be.  Sounds like it's coming from the bobbin area.  The only thing I see that appears a little suspicious is that the two maidens don't seem exactly even.  The left one is a bit tipped forward compared to the right.  Is that a clue? Anything else I should look for?

Or should I just listen to her stories and enjoy her?

I think she was pretty happy to spend some time stretching her legs on the back porch yesterday :-).

Don't you wish these wheels (and other antiques) could really talk?