The Right Words

I'd been thinking about my Tour de Fleece for several weeks and was not getting super excited about any of my possible plans.  I knew Pinto was going to be the captain, but had a ton of trouble coming up with his graphic.  The weather is miserable.  There will be no peaceful porch spinning around here this year.  Honestly, I was feeling a bit of dread thinking about putting it all together.

Tim and I like to play a few of the currently popular word games each morning.  I play Wordle, both Word Hurdle games and the Quordle, which is trying to guess four words at one time.  It took a good while to talk me into trying them, but now I'm hooked.  I sit on the Wool House porch with a big cup of coffee and start guessing. 

The Wordle for July 1, the first day of the Tour de Fleece was...

Can you even believe it? :-o

It gets better.

The TdF plan I was most leaning towards was doing a deep dive into some of my most treasured fleeces.  I'd just finished spinning a bit of PPPP and was feeling sentimental.  I have Woody's lamb fleece, Daniel's lamb fleece, some special Ford, Henri, Petunia and for a really deep dive, some young(ish) Miss Ewenice.  

I was still not completely convinced...but I couldn't come up with any better ideas.  I really needed to find some inspiration or it was going to be hard to cheer lead the other members of my team when I couldn't even cheer myself along.  

I started working on the day's Quordle.  

As you can see from the PINTO graphic above, as you guess words, you almost always get some correct letters and sometimes even get them in the right locations.  Yellow means the letter is in the mix, but in the wrong position.  Green means it's the right letter in the correct location.

Three of the four words in the Quordle game behaved accordingly and I ended up figuring out each of those three words.  The fourth word...

The first guess yielded me no correct letters.  Neither did the second guess.  I did finally get one letter, but in the wrong position on the third and fourth guesses, but back to zero correct on the fifth.  In case you are wondering about my word choices, remember I'm trying to guess three other words at the same time.  STAID, BASTE and RAMEN were the correct words in the other quadrants.

You get nine chances to guess the four words.  I'd used up eight chances and only had two letters and both in the wrong positions.  I had one chance left, but I knew it was hopeless.  Still, a game is a game and I decided to make a wild guess and see how close I could get.

With only one vowel possibility, the O, I knew there might be a chance they were going to use it twice.  Y hadn't been used, so I tossed that in there as well.  Two Os and D and a Y...I had to go with WOODY.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

And I won!

How's that for some inspiration :-D.

It was pretty crazy just to get PINTO, but also WOODY on the same day?!?

 So I started my Tour spinning some Woody :-).

Wovember Day 24. Stash

I've decided I need a new sweater.  While I really don't mind wearing any of my handknit sweaters out to the barn, the sweaters I reach for the most are Baaxter and B. Willard - the simple, dark colored pullovers.  I'd wear Ford too, but that's 20's favorite sweater ;-).  

I was also looking for a simple, almost mindless evening knitting project and a simple sweater definitely meets that criteria...until I mess up something ;-).  I have Jared's yarn set aside for the Iknitarod in March, but who wants to wait that long!

Remember the Jacob yarn I spun for the Tour de Fleece a couple of years ago?  It would be perfect for a cozy warm barn sweater.  I then searched Ravelry for a new pattern and picked the Sophiasburgh sweater by Sam Lamb.  Just enough color to keep things interesting and it has an interesting design feature I want to try.

I was sure I had something in the yarn stash that would work for the patterning and I did.  I could tell it was Jacob, but I couldn't remember which sheep it was.  I had a couple guesses, but unfortunately I hadn't tagged it.  I scrolled back through the blog and found it under a Spinzilla post from 2015.  

To refresh your memory, the dark Jacob yarn was from our very first five Jacob sheep.  I think it was a 2005 shearing.  It had originally been processed by Ohio Valley Natural Fibers as quilt batting, but when it became obvious I was never going to get a quilt made, I had them re-run it as roving.

The light gray? It's a blend of Emily and Annabelly, our very next two Jacobs!  Nothing could be more perfect.  

The historical significance of these yarns is (inspiring/heartwarming/exciting....?).  I'm really looking forward to spending some time with seven of my most favorite Jacob sheep ever and wearing the finished sweater while working around our present day flock.

Stash for the win!

Bring Out Your Wool

"Hey, 20, what are you doing?"

"I'm trying to decide which sweater I'm going to wear to the Hug a Sheep Day farm party on Saturday."

"I wish this awesome fall weather would last all year, but it's supposed to be cloudy and kind of cold on Saturday.  We are all going to need to wear wool, especially me since I just got sheared at the Kentucky Wool Festival*.  I found my Ford sweater, B. Willard's sweater and Jester's, but I couldn't find Baaxter's Carbeth."

"It's at the house.  I took it to New York last week.  Um, could I wear your Ford sweater this year?"

"If I can wear your Carbeth!"

"Deal!"

Don't forget this Saturday, October 27th, is National Hug a Sheep Day!  We are once again having our Open Farm Day from 1:00 to 4:00 that afternoon.  Dress warm, because as of right now it's looking a bit chilly, but you never know with the weather.  If I could order up a day like the last few we've had...well, I'd be pretty popular, eh?  ;-D

As always, there will be sheep to hug, sheep to feed cookies and crackers to (but not too many cookies, please!), some dogs to feed (VERY few cookies to :-o), hot cider and snacks, a bonfire, some spinners and knitters (bring your current projects!) and I'm sure another very heated game of Lego Sheep Shearing.  We are also happy to talk sheep, sheep care, answer questions if we can...

If you need more information or directions, please shoot me an email.  Hope to see you on Saturday!

*If you missed the video of Bill shearing 20 at the Kentucky Wool Festival, you will want to go watch it.  Just follow the link above.

April Showers

The chickens love Del Boca Vista, especially when it's raining.  Jester is a good sport about it.  Just realized I never shared that we put Ford down a few weeks ago.  Sigh...  Jester was pretty upset about it for awhile, but he's doing okay now.  He's had to watch a lot of old friends go over the years.  There are a lot of old friends...and some sad decisions coming up :-(.

Front row:  Chocula, Burrnie, Levi  Back row:  Murphy and Spud

Chocula

Liddy and Murphy.  I don't really think of Liddy as being super small, but I guess she is.  Or maybe Murphy is just super big, which is also true.

In case child services comes after me, I had to pick up a new sheep arthritis prescription for Woolliam at the "people pharmacy" today.  I had to sign off on my "relationship to the patient". Since there wasn't a check box for sheep/pet/animal...I checked off that he was my "child". They'd put it under Murphy's name I guess because he was the most recent animal on the ugly vet bill this month.  He's fine now, but gave us all quite a scare.

  Maisie: "I stay inside when it's raining."

Not sure why Hershey, of all sheep, felt like he needed hair extensions.  Kids...

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...

I Still Haven't Made It To The Post Office...

...and after the THREE HOUR ordeal last night trying to do a stupid mail merge so I could print address labels, I'm half afraid to even get in the car this morning!  Well, and that won't be until after I seal the envelopes - and now I'm having a Seinfeld flashback :-o.

Most years have some "issue".  Either the design is hard to come up with, the painting takes forever, we can't come up with a name, the story on the back doesn't flow, we can't get the colors to print to our satisfaction OR the post office runs out of the stamps I want...  This year the only thing that's gone smoothly is the stamps.  After they ran out of holiday stamps last year, I bought early this year...and that's probably where the trouble started.  The ole Christmas card jinx ;-).

*     *     *     *    *

We are rapidly running out of winter scenes - skating, sleighing, sledding, caroling, decorating barns and trees, knitting sweaters, baking cookies, snowman building, snowball fighting, live nativity play...  Eating Christmas dinner seemed like a perfect choice, especially for this year.

With so many of our flock getting up there in years, we are now special feeding 13 of the "old guys".  How on earth did cute little Keebs get old?  Ewen McTeagle is going to be 10?!?  Jester is 17!  We also feed the two lambs separately.  Dinner time is, um, exciting, with everyone fighting for a spot at their respective troughs.

Okay, so that's a cute idea.  There could be a main "table", a "kids table", Ford and Jester at the, what, "grandparents table"?  Uh oh, so now we have yet another problem.  For the story on the back, is it kids table?  Kid's table?  Kids' table?  Seriously?!?  A grammar dilemma?  Grammar guides were consulted.  Online searches were made.  Phone calls to grammar police were made.  

It was rapidly approaching the end of a Very Long Day at the print shop and we were not going home empty handed.  There was no solid consensus so we finally went minimalist (no apostrophes anywhere) and are now just waiting for a grammar judge to hand down a verdict.  

Wait, let's back up to the painting problem part (see, even this blog post is becoming an ordeal!).  As usual, I sketched the card out pretty quickly and was pretty happy with the layout.  I should have stopped there.  I then spent/lost an entire day (basically) screwing up the background...that I Paint The Same Way Every Year.  Sigh...

I'd been feeling bad about the new kids always hogging the cards lately so a design featuring the classics was perfect...until I painted everyone in...and somehow lost Buddy.  What the heck!?!  Can't do the card without Buddy.  Okay, B. Willard's been in several cards.  I'll trade him out.  

Wait...

I can't bring myself take B. Willard out...

By this point I've put so much paint on the canvas that I had to Sand It All Off...and start over. 

I need to start this whole blog post over!  Or move some paragraphs around like a hard puzzle.  It's going together as well as the card did ;-o.  Actually, I really need to go out and feed (because every day is Christmas here ;-), so I'm just going to wrap this up with the finished card and everyone can pretend it all went smoothly...but I might seal those envelopes with a wet sponge just in case ;-).

Merry Christmas!

Oh for crying out loud!  I'm trying to scan the back of the card and the scanner won't turn on! :-o

Let's try this again.

Merry Christmas!!!

Sigh...  Now I'm getting this error.   www.blogger.com’s server DNS address could not be found.

Okay, let's try this One. Last. Time.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!  

Our Little Girl Is (Maybe) Growing Up

Today is Maisie's birthday. Well, actually I guess technically it was the 24th, but in my mind/heart, she was born the Sunday after Thanksgiving...so it's sort of a floating holiday ;-). "Cake" for all!

"What is the hold up with my cake?!?"

Oops, false start.  We forgot something!

"Wait....what the heck is that?!?"

Everything seems pretty calm, cool and collected...so far...

Yep, that's the Maisie we all know and love ;-D.  She actually tolerated her party hat pretty well after the initial fit.

And proceeded to stuff herself with birthday cake (Cheerios :-)

"Hey, what's going on over here?"

"REG!!!  Don't give her all my cake!!!"

The candle didn't last long in the "cake", but held just fine in her, um, fluffy-ness.

And as long as Reg tossed the Cheerios behind her back...

...she was okay with sharing.  One of these two sisters is the "sheep chicken".

And even Jester and Ford got a few handfuls.

"I  need more cake in my cake box, Auntie Reg."

And then, as with all good Maisie parties, things deteriorated quickly ;-).

The rest of the flock got to share the goodies, too.  More pictures tomorrow!

*     *     *     *     *

Kate and I had a blast working at the dog trial!  Here are some gorgeous pictures from Friday.  I'm hoping he took some on Saturday, too, and will share them if I see them.  Thank you thank you thank you!!!

Bring Out Your Wool, Yarn, Books, Used Equipment, Spinning Wheels, Cookies...

Don't forget about the Yarn Sale/Swap Meet/Open Farm Day this 
Saturday from 10:00 until 3:00!

Come out and meet the sheep (and dogs, cats, horses, chickens, birds...), talk sheep "til your eyes glaze over", catch up on your Tour de Fleece spinning (or whatever project you are working on), do a little shopping, selling or trading (fiber related only, please) or just hang out with Jester, Ford and Emily in the breezy barn aisle.

If you are interested in learning about spinning, knitting, weaving or probably most any fiber craft, this would be a perfect opportunity.  Interested in learning about different breeds of sheep, their wool, how to care for them...Robin and I both love to "talk sheep" :-).  Interested in learning how to run a tractor or weed eater?  Yet another Perfect Opportunity - just kidding ;-).

We have plenty of space and cool breeze (and if we run out, the tack room is cool, the Wool House porch and neighboring trees are shaded and pretty cool and the Wool House itself is air conditioned. Jester might even share his fan.  Or not.

Everyone seemed pretty excited about the PB&J offer (my kind of crowd!), so I'll have that and a big bag of apples and a cooler full of water.  Considered it a shepherd's lunch!  I do know some shepherds that can put out a fancier spread than that...but this will the "realistic shepherd's lunch" ;-). Feel free to bring your own.  

"Will there be cookies?"

I'm sure there will be.  Or maybe some tortilla chips, saltines or Cheerios... :-)

Just a head's up - we'll be sharing the barn with Del Boca Vista.  They come in the aisleway when it gets too hot and humid in their little shed.  Keep in mind that these three sheep are quite elderly and not in the best shape.  We love them anyway and as long as they are happy and want to stick around, they can.  

If you have any questions or need directions, just drop me an email.  If you are planning on coming and want to advertise what you'll be bringing to swap or sell, you can do so in the comments or send me an email and I'll post it for you.  

Robin is packing her truck tonight and leaving at dawn tomorrow.  If there is something special you'd like her to bring from NY - prize winning fleeces, roving, sparkly colored roving, Cotswold yarn... let her know right away.  She's bringing two rams for The Training Center, so doesn't have a ton of room, but she's a pretty clever packer.

See you Saturday!

Yarn Along - Are You Ready To Make Some Yarn?

Other than taking care of the "live" fiber, there has been very little "fiber" work done here lately. Am I just not good at prioritizing my time?  Probably.  Is there really just not enough time in the day? Surely I could Find Five somewhere.  Am I just lacking some inspiration?  Uh, I'm surrounded by inspiration every day :-o.  

Well, guess what!  It's Tour de Fleece time...again...seriously...it is almost July and the Tour de France already...again?!?   Time to prioritize my time, Find Five (why do I have to keep fighting the same battle over and over?!?) and get ready to be inspired.  Hopefully this will be just the kick in the pants I've been needing.

I did actually finish skirting all the spring fleeces the other day.  Well, almost all the fleeces.  Right after I took down the skirting table, put away all the sheets and bags, cleaned up the discarded wool...I found two huge bags of wool from Baaxter's cousins at Foxglove Farm.  Sigh...

As I was skirting, I started washing fleeces headed to the mill next month.  Boudreaux was his usually messy mess, Ford is so old and frail that I wasn't sure his fleece would even be salvageable, and Graham...  I'd taken some fleece off him before I took him to the diagnostic lab.  I'd not saved any of his adult fleeces, assuming he'd live forever :-(.

My dear old guys...  Three of my fanciest and favorite-est fleeces over the years.  How did it get to be so many years.  I knew Graham would be okay.  Ohio Valley Natural Fibers always does an amazing job cleaning up Boudreaux.  Ford...I wasn't so sure.  I decided to dig out my wool combs and see what I had.  

Gray - Ford    White - Graham     Dark gray - Boudreaux

Beautiful, as I knew it would be.  I'm not sure how I'm going to spin this or what I'm going to make, but I'd like something to have and to hold from one of the funniest, most irritating, Why you little...! wanted to strangle half the time, dearest sheep ever.

Ford.  You can almost tell by looking this is a bit iffy.  Not only is the fiber maybe not as sound as it used to be, but he has some skin scurf in there that would be gross not be fun to work around. Combing is always the best bet for fleeces like this.

The combs will catch most of the VM and it did take out almost all of the little stuff.  And yes, it does look like a lot of waste...

...but what is left is classic silky soft Ford :-).

Sheepmom - don't look at this next picture!

Boudreaux came from Nistock Farms and should have stayed there and been the superstar of the wool world that he could have been if he'd lived the life of luxury, wearing a protective coat and been meticulously maintained.  That's what it would have taken. Missing something?  Boudreaux probably has it stuck in his fleece somewhere ;-).

Luckily the big machines at Ohio Valley do a great job cleaning most of his yearly collection. Combs would be my choice if I wanted to process it all at home.

Ooh!  Ahh!  Sort of...

This picture looks horrible here now that it's uploaded and that's because blogger "auto enhanced" it. There is a way to turn that off, but it's 71 degrees this morning and I have better things to do than sit in front of a computer.  Sigh...

And yes, I'm still using my trusty beer cheese container lid diz.  Boudreaux and I are classy if nothing else ;-D.

Boudreaux's "bird nest" - an actual spinning term, not just a reflection on his (lack of) cleanliness ;-).

Have you ever tried to take a picture of dark wool or yarn (or other dark items) and had this happen? The color is correct on the pictures above this one.  Would you like to know why your camera does this and what to do about it?

A tiny gift basket, ready to kick off the Tour de Fleece Saturday.  

Once again we have a Punkin's Patch/My Favorite Sheep team started on Ravelry.  This is open to anyone!  You do not have to be a good spinner.  You could even use this event to LEARN to spin. It's just for fun and to challenge ourselves to make yarn, maybe lots of yarn, maybe just a little each day, learn something new...actually get a wheel out, dust it off and see if you remember how to spin.  

Not to worry, it's just like riding a bike! ;-D

*      *       *       *       *

I have no books to share this week.  I started three different (very popular) ones and haven't loved any of them enough to keep listening.  Wait, I did listen to the latest Stephanie Plum mystery, Tricky Twenty-Two, and Bullwinkle and I powered through that.  

Any recommendations for something silly like that?

Joining in with Ginny...