Bee Happy

Spring is here!

I almost hate to point this out, but I think it's kind of funny. Look closely. Wool blowing on the upper branch. It's everywhere!

Click to biggify. There's always more to the picture than initially "meets the eye".

Progression Of The Wensleydale/Cotswold Fleece

...or how you can tell I'm getting excited about the spring shearing.

A properly shorn fleece will come off in one piece - similar to, but much nicer than a pelt. This was obviously a professional job. I can't shear each sheep fast enough to risk keeping them upside down for so long, so I've learned to shear them standing up. I make one pass down the center and work down from there on each side. The best I can hope for is a two piece fleece.

So, after it's rolled out - I usually use a skirting table rather than the porch - it's skirted (all the cruddy stuff removed) and washed.

I hand pick, or fluff it, as it dries. Mostly to make sure there is as little vegetable matter in it as possible.

Even though I had plenty of other things I needed to be doing today, I then carded (all the tangles combed/brushed out) up a small sample.

An spun it using one of my kit spindles. I can't believe I can make something that spins yarn. And spins well.



I then wound it off into a center pull ball so that I could use both ends to make a two ply yarn.





Look at the combination of beautiful colors and textures. (Definitely click to biggify.)

Now isn't this fun?

Eli

Eli doesn't get too much press around here. He's likes it that way I believe.



I snapped this picture last night because I liked the light behind him. As frequently happens though I ended up seeing something I hadn't really noticed. A hint of green grass!

Eli is Saint Tim's cat. Eli likes to eat, sleep, hang out at the creek and fish. And not necessarily in that order. He also likes to be carried back from the barn at night when the chores are done. He's a bit shy and doesn't ask for this special treatment, but if Saint Tim calls to him and asks him if he'd like a ride, he happily comes running.

We aim to please around here ;-).

Slumcat Millionaire

I don't believe Comby would trade his low rent digs for a million dollars!

Egg Sighting

So I go out to collect eggs the other day - the ones I can find that is (crazy adventure chickens - grumble grumble... ) - and I found an egg the size of a duck egg! This morning I found a teeny tiny one. I'll let Stella display them for you, because when you find something like that, you've got to call your neighbor.

And here they are with a "normal" sized blue egg for perspective and one of the fat Welsommer eggs, just because I love their color.



We cracked them open and here's what we got.



My first double yolker! And look at the tiny egg. Isn't it just the cutest? I scrambled them up and they made a fabulous egg sandwich for my lunch.

I'm headed out to play with one of the green broke "ponies". It's gorgeous here - blue skies and sunshine. I smelled dirt last night, so spring has got to be close at hand. I just hope I'm not getting ready to smell dirt up close ;-).

Enjoy your day!