Yarn Along - For The Winter Olympics

It's here!  It's here!  It's finally been FOUR WHOLE YEARS and time for the Winter Olympics! I enjoy the Summer Olympics too, but a whole Olympics devoted to my favorite time of year?  Oh you know it! :-D

It's also time for the Ravellenic Games, formerly known as the Knitting Olympics.  The Olympic folks came after the Ravelry folks for using the word Olympics two years ago.  Same ultimate challenge with a clever new name ;-).

The goal of participating in the Ravellenic Games is to set a fiber art (I don't think it has to be knitting) challenge, start it no earlier than the opening ceremonies, work hard to complete your challenge during the games, watch along if you wish and be finished by the closing ceremonies.

Your challenge can be anything that's a true challenge to you.  Push yourself.  It could be knitting a huge lace shawl or just learning to knit.  Want to spin up an entire fleece or just learn to drop spindle?  Weave something?  I think it all counts.  Or at least it counts on our team :-).

If you'd like to join Team My Favorite Sheep, we have a fun group over on Ravelry.  Just drop in, join the group and let us know what your challenge will be.  If you'd enjoy keeping everyone posted on your progress, we love to hear and see pictures.  We are great cheerleaders and there is a ton of talent there if you crash your sled ;-).  There are also a whole list of other teams and groups and "sports" and on and on and on...

I worked up a fun ravatar for our team.  Originally Maisie's head was a little too big.  When I showed it to Saint Tim his comment was "Well, her head's too big for her britches anyway."  So I fixed that! Also, Boudreaux is a bit over-tall, but since he's spent most of his life being "under-tall" he said he was okay with it ;-).  

Feel free to take and use it as a button if you'd like - just please link it back to this post or to our Ravelry team thread.  And, hey, if you'd like to participate but you aren't on Ravelry (gasp! ;-), just leave your comments here on the blog and enjoy the games! 

Joining in with Ginny's Yarn Along.  My Ravellenic Challenge is to design and knit a Rebecca Boone vest, so the only books I'm reading right now are pattern books ;-). 

For The Farm Records...

Remember the super sweet pictures of Comby and Eli sleeping together?  Eli using Comby's foot as a pillow?  Something happened between them last week.  We don't know what.  We just know that Comby moved out and into the other condo.  For several days!  Two cats who have been best friends for years!  

They seem to have worked whatever out even though they both still look a little grumpy sitting "together" on the fence yesterday.  We don't know if the gash on Comby's ear came from a domestic or international incident, but it's healing up now as well.  Maybe all that cold just took it's toll.  Definitely an odd chapter.

The Wool Anniversary

Time flies when you're having fun.  Yesterday marked my 7th blogging anniversary!  Blogging is a lot of work.  Honestly.  But it's also one of the most rewarding things I've done.  Rewarding in the records I have of our life and our farm and farm family.  Rewarding in the good friends I've made from all over.  Rewarding in all I've learned and will continue to learn.  Rewarding in knowing that sometimes my crazy little world brightens up someone else's crazy little world.  It all matters.  

Since the 7th anniversary is wool, I used that (and the fact it was warm in the Wool House :-) as motivation to finally do some sample spinning with Rebecca Boone's pretty Cotswold roving.  I have big plans for her for the upcoming Ravellenic Games (formerly known as the Knitting Olympics).  More on that tomorrow.

"So, is this how you want me to pose?"

I have a little over 30 ounces of her 2013 fall roving.  That should be plenty.  Our little tomboy cleans up pretty well :-).

I spun a small sample and wound it off on my hand to Andean ply.  This is a neat trick and one I use for drop spindling and for plying small samples off the wheel.

Basically you wind the single strand into a center pull around your hand.  You gather up the front and back end of the yarn, pull your finger out of the middle so the yarn slips down onto your wrist and you can safely ply the two ends together without things getting crazy.  Usually ;-).

It's pretty, but I had a feeling it was too thin for what I wanted.

So I spun up another sample.  This time I had more yardage so I wound the center pull ball on my plastic ball winder. 

I liked this much better.

And then I pulled out a stitch book and sampled three different patterns.  I like the Eyelet Zigzag lace the best.  It's a super simple pattern and I think the zigzags look a bit like her curly locks.  It's a start!

Sunday Stills - Extreme Weather

I just noticed this was supposed to be "bad" weather, but for some reason I had "extreme" in my head and figured -10 and miserable to 62 and fishing was pretty darn extreme.  I have a feeling after standing in the icy river for an hour Saint Tim is probably voting for "bad" ;-).

For more Sunday Stills...

 

Momma?

"Can I please have some extra hay in my secret hideout?"