Sheep Shearing at Soule Homestead & wheels

Christopher dying to try out my newest wheel from Poland! It finally arrived safely at home! Thank you so much Lin for picking it up in Poland

Now I have a brother and sister team to drive me crazy spinning my wheels!!! heeeheeeeheeee

hmmm Surprise Charice will be getting one soon too! ;o)))) shhhhhhh! She knows about it but hasn't seen the pretty little thing yet!

My Lucet arrived yesterday with a handpainted sheep on the handle, now to figure out for the third time on how to use it!

Kids at the sheep shearing today at the Soule Homestead Sheep day fair! A little blurry and not all of them staying still of course. We were in/out of the barns trying to get dry we kept getting caught in the rain but had a fun day anyway with Lin and her son Lukas

Here's my fleece getting sheared, it's a horned dorcet about 10-12 pounds! Wooohoooo! I'll be spinning her for a while. I'm going to be doing a project on her for rare & unusual breed project for our guild project later this year. Each of us get to pick either a rae or unusual breed and make a page baout it, have enough for all of us to smaple like an ounce or so I guess, the page have a pice of it's fiber staple raw, washed spun yarn, etc along with all the information we can gather about our breed then have enough copies for all of us to put into a binder so each of us will end up with a nice book. later in the year will be able to add domestic breeds and so on. So if anyone has some helpfuil info they liked to share with me please forward them to me...

Here's another view of her being skirted and sheared.

Also picked up some more fleeces couldn't resist they were so friend, we got up close and personal with them, the sheep cried to me take me home! Take me home! Take me home!....;o)))

horned dorcet, corridale cross/cheviot?? or dorect?

jet black shetland & a HUGE beautiful white merino that they happened to use as a demo and even washed it for me! Looking forward to next shearing....lol

we did enjoy the sheep dog demos, sheep shearing, rug braiding demos, spinning and Katie had a free lesson on a little babe petite so natural wish I had taken a picture of that, children's crafts, plants, washing wool, felting . Kids had to come home bathe and nap, LONG day in the damp rain and running around on a farm in the mud not to mention wet through & through

It was nice to see some familar faces, play with fiber, get yoruself right into it. VERY kid friendly!

Warm Snowdrops

I learned a valuable lesson with these socks, when you knit with alpaca you have to knit it to exact fit! Alpaca has no give , no streatch, ribbing doesn't help it! Only took me three times but I finally did it and got them right. Thereon my feetsie as I post this.....

Warm Snowdrops is form the SOTMClub though The Fifth Stitch wonderful patterns and lucious yarns. Worth every penny. These are made from cascade indulgence 70/30 superfine alpaca/angora in a beautiful shade of purple

Shawl for MIL

Finally!! It's been a couple months in the works... I missed my mil birthday this month so at least she'll have it for Mother's Day! It was a beautiful yarn that Lin gave to me she collected in Taiwan in Feb.30 I started it in the end of March so really it only took about a month to knit up it's huge! I ripped it several times then finally decided to go with cast on 4 sts then knit 2 yo knit across each row until 200sts where completed! Very lacy , beautiful drape and already bordored buy the pattern.

here's another view, it comes across my arms down shoulders and back the point is past my buttlocks just a few inches into the thighs

Well since my mil likes the color ecru I thought this would be perfect the yarn is laceweight with little loops thoughout, just perfect. Will be wrapping it and shipping it to her in OH on Monday. I hope she likes it....

Plantation Lace Square

Our local guild assigned a project that everyone present was giving some raw fleece (cotswold) to clean, spin and knit up 10x10 squares in a lace pattern of your choice. I wasn't at that meeting and offerd to knit a square from it so our project can be completed soon becuase we needed a certain amount of squares which we didn't have. Ben also is knitting a square to complete the project and was gracious enough to do all the finishing touches. After blocking ironing it may have shrunk but I knitted a little bigger and crochet a little border to allow for this anyway. I knitted a pattern called plantation to go along with our town's Plimoth Plantation dating back to the 17th century. it's been decided that everyone's squares will be placed on some black material and mounted so it can be displayed at different events. I think you can see the pattern with the little hunts in the photo. I didn't care much for the cotswold kinda sticky to work with from the lanolin. Some like it that way I guess. I'll have to take picture's when the project is completed. I have to clean my needles there icky......

Picking Llama Fleece!

It's such a beautiful day today just about 70 degrees and the sun shining! I've spent most of the morning picking through my newest fleece. It's a beautiful llama from a local woman who has a few she raising herself after working for a llama farm for many years. More like her babies I should say. She also has a LYS in her barn as well! Her animals are very friendly and the kids love to go there, they get llama kisses. This is the last I need to pick through and pull out all the guard hairs.. The birds are swarming around my yard now..Chirping away, I wonder if there calling other birds...... They'll be busy for a while. I'm taking a break and will be washing some today. It's a lot of work but I'm sure it'll be very rewarding once I spin it up and make something. It's definately quite the experience picking out guard hairs from a whole fleece. The hardest part for me is trying to find soemhitng to knit up with it afterwards.. I get so flustered and undecided I'll put it off and off then I'll start and probably change my mind several times.... errrr! Then do I keep it or give it away as a gift?? hmm? So undecided and such a soft, beautful fleece.

Spun Cashmere and fine wools

The top knity knoty (PVC) is with a blend of fine wools dyed Dark Navy Blue navajo plied. Thin fingerweight

the wooden knotty is cashmere/camel/lambs wool blend in different shades of blues that I tried to spin a bit on the bulky side also navajo plied. Thick, thin bumpy novelty. I have this fiber in 6 colors couldn't decided which one I had to have so I had to get some of them all! !!
Not sure what to do with them yet have lots more to spin up. These are only about 1 - 1.5oz each skein. These skeins are very soft.. I can't wait to spin more so I can start another new project

Organizing Yarn

Today I spent the morning organizing yarn, balls, skeins, end, etc. I have totes boxes, wicker baskets, bamboo baskets, a handy wicker box I bought at someone's home party...LOL
Now to make sense of it all.. hmm Where to start??? Home spun in baskets all set. Fine yarns here, sock yarns in a basket and bag. Found a couple more started projects for the life of me I can't remember where in the pattern I left off... YIKES!
Received a package in the mail of some beautiful wool rayon & cotton skeins.. What to do! Where to start first? I don't think I'll get it all organzied, under the bed, in closets, in the basment, on shelves, in the living room, by the fireplace... What is one to do... Between fiber and yarn I don't know where to start. I guess just spirng cleaning and organizing. It's a beautiful day and thought it should get done. In between I'm trying to vaccum everything from ceiling to floors, and shampoo the carpets in-between stashes. Found some things I had no idea why I bought them. Maybe I'll put them in a pile and put up on Ebay. Defiantely on my list of things to do, take pictures! Doesn't look like I'll be playing today or tomorrow. Back to work

SUPER HIGH Level of Stress

well after a very long week or two of "extremely SUPER HIGH level of stress" as my doctor put it has offered some assitance to help me relax and possibly get a restful night sleep! YAHOO!! I came home after a very long stressful day and to my surprise was my tea order! YEAH!! I'm having my 3rd cup already and WOW what a difference from the local grocers varieties of herbal & green tea bags... Anyway, I'm finally trying to take care of myself catch up a little with emails and enjoy a cup of tea without any interuptions. I love my new little handy contraption from Adagio Teas I even got a music CD with catalog to continue to get the addiciton.. I have to keep making more tea because I was so memorized by the loose dry leaves expanding and dancing as they do... Being new to loose teas I was amuzed or maybe just all the HIGH stress and anixity and caios going on in our lives I know feel like a little child. I mean the littlest thing as steep tea is amuziing me a tthe moment...............hmmmmmmm

I have to come to realize the past couple weeks more so on what goes along with parenting a teenager! the real meaning and how no matter what WE as parents are totally repsonsible no matter what until there 18 years of age as much as they think there adult enough to be on there own. I do know that's it the most challenging experience and trying times to go though. At times I wonder if we'll get through this and survive as a family. At the moment I don't see the light but I do know that with all the testing that someday hopefully soon well be stronger, closer and more solid..... So I hear, from family & friends anyway, that the day will come!!???????? It's so hard to see or picture that day right now. It couldn't come sooner that's for sure in the mean time I'll have my tea & meds.......... and of course stand on my own two feet and hold my head up high. I'm almost convienced that I'm NOT the only one that feels so out of control, lost confused!! I'm the type of person that usually always has an answer or solution for everything! ;oi) But now more then ever I've never felt more lonely confused and totally speechless to stop me dead in my tracks!! YIKESSS!! I think my poor parents would roll over in there grave. God Bless my father's soul I hope and pray he's not watching! Boy do I miss him dearly it's been just over 3 years that he left us!

Got a Chibi!

I finally got my chibi the lys always seems to be out. ( I really wanted the pink one but I was lucky to have gottten this one I guess) It came with 2 darning needles and plenty of room for my yarn needles for sew up ends, seems, toes, etc. I also bought more yarn (only a couple skeins of galway to make a felted purse, will post it as soon as it's felted).. I also won a few auctions through Ebay so that will make me feel better looking forward to receiving a few packages within the next week!! YAHOO!! Yarn tea, always makes you feel better when your down and it really does seem to help. Now to find the time to knit more. I haven't been spinnign lately or even making any soap. Good thing I'm pretty well stocked up for now. My first fair of the season was last Wed. which was very slow so I still have a good selection left. I need to get myself organized soon before the tourist season thats for sure!!

I place an order with Adagio Teas this morning.. I ordered a ingenuiTEA set as well as a couple 1 oz tins and some suger shot. It should be here in a couple of days.. So excited!! Already scoping out what I'm going to order next.. There's so much to choose from and so hard to decide on what to get!! I hear that there really good teas. I've always used tea bags so the loose tea thing with the strianers is a new thing for me. I'm sure I'll enjoy them all!

I got RAOK'd & went to my LYS

Well I had a very long heated stressful sleepless weekend to say the very least. (Teenage DD, need I say more!) So late this afternoon I had a few moonets of things a little calmer and off a LYS I had to get more sock yarn of course.... Not such a good thing to go to a LYS when your stress, tired, confused, hurt, emotional.. You just BUY MORE!!!! LOL This will make me feel better looking at it since I haven't been able to concentrate on knitting, spinning or anything for several days now. Not looking forward to the next couple days or so. Going though alot at the moment not sure how I'm going to handle it or where I'm going to get the stength to get through it. Now that I had some time to get online my mail was flowing with warm

welcome's from several RAOK women!! I have some wet eyes now. Someone must be watching over me because this

ramdom act of kindness couldn't have been timed any better! I'm overwhelmed! ;o))

thought I'd share a photo of my neglected rogue in progress, we sure missed each other the past few days or so.... I was hoping to be finshing up the sleeves and on thehood by now. Oh well such as though, but when life throws curves I seem to get the neverending HUGE one's with a BANG!

Hopefully I'll be back soon to post. Thank you so much and I"m looking forward to recieving my tea order from Lu at Adagio Teas
Much appreciated

Katie's 5th Birthday Today!

We off to start decorating for her special day she wants pizza and cake, be a princess and has been asking for a walking dog for several months now........will she get it?? hmm I don't know.....;o)) So I thought we'd have some balloons and princess decorations and princess hats I think my DH found a little princess tiara. So off I go to blow balloons! YUK!!! lol

Here's Katie's Cake


Waiting patiently for the candle to be lit


Just after she blew her candle and the light turned back on


Christpoher just waiting for a piece of that cake oh so tempting to just dive in.....;o))


Licking his lips now of course still wearing his princess party hat for that cake..........


I bet Christopher is thinking 'can you believe what I have to go through to get some cake around here'.....



Over all the kids had fun, had some cousins over and run wild inside outside long night but they had fun.. I asked Katie what the best part of her day was and of course hse said getting her walking dog! (she's been asking for a gigi walking dog since before the holidays, Mr & Mrs Santa couldn't find them anywhere at all!) Couldn't find any this year either until last night Daddy found one! Thank God!! I was giving her a bath and gettign them ready for bed tonight, the doors where closed and house was quiet except the runnign of the water, all of a sudden I heard some noises like screaching... I open the bathroom door and the dog was sitting there barking!!!! ROFL!! I guess it must have a sensor for noise or something because we left it in the living room???? ( and I thought it was my 16 y/o aruging with my husband at first??) I did have the bath water running so the noise was distorted.

Way past my bedtime and I wanted to get a little more knitting time in, maybe a couple little small rows on something.. What should I do??? Sleep or relax & knit??? KNIT!!!

More finished socks

Westport Waves (Jeanie Townsend Knit a long) made of a wool/nylon blend mostly wool

kool-aid dyed romney spun then navajo piled (triple plied) and knitted into these wonderful socks for my friend Lin.

I sure her toes are kept warm and cozy. Enjoy! Working on some for myself ;o)

My Crown stitch socks (Jeanie Townsend knit a long) are made of a swedish superwash wool and I also used coordinating reinforcement thread on the heels & toes

Chocolate & Ketchup Chips

Just have to tease ~ someone neener~neener~ neener............ I got my chocolate from Canada & the only chips I eat Ketchup!! Wish they sell these in the states!!! ;o((((( Sorry I ate them all now or I'd share, need to lick my fingers again......ROFLMAO!!!! My very nice neighbor came home for the weekend to watch the red sox opening game and has left this morning back to her Moms' in Montreol so I'm sure I'll be getting more when she retiurns home.. Her DH is remodeling the entire house so she's visiting her Mom for a couple weeks... a very nice treat for me, too!! ;o)) I want to do something special for her when she gets back. Maybe a basket of goodies soaps, sprays, creams all I have made some teas, cookies, candles, maybe a pair of socks or scraf but winter is gone for now I hope????? Who know's it is New England and we've been known to have snow in May even! I'll surprise her with something just haven'd decided. One ramdom act of kindness always deserves another ;o)) Any ideas out there??

Pretty Petal socks

Close up of the Pretty Petals Jeanie Townsend knit along

Turned the heel & working instep gussets

Thought the coloring was nice touch of petals and the added green strips ;o))

here's some photos close ups of the pretty petals socks on the needles from a couple days ago. I'm actaully working on the toe now and will post a complete picture soon. The yarn was brought back from Germany 'Meilenweit Fun & Stripes' by my dear friend Maggie

Last night on the roof

Well yes my husband just had to get on the roof to see if he could take care of the noises in the chiminey.

Well between 9-10pm he went up on the ladder with a blow torch and flashlight. What a sight for me to watch him hanging his feet from out the chiminey... he didn't really see much of course I tried to tell him hello it's dark out!! Let's call someone to take care of it. He insists that he can take care of it. The only thing he could find is what he beleiives to be is racoon [aw prints from the cimminey down the roof and even down our freshly painted molding on the the corner of the house. White of course now with sut black prints all the way donw to the back deck.. Needless to say I won't be going ouit back alone for a while. I think we really need to call someone to deal with this but he said if anything jumps out at him he'll blow torch them....
Early in the morning and late at night we continue to hear all kinds of restling noises in the chimeny boy am I glad that the flute is broken and the kids can't get it open at the fireplace!!! ;o)
Can only imagine myself sitting on the couch late at night with everyone in bed knitting away and having a visitor come done the fireplace!!! I'd be certain it wouldn't be a santa clause!
Men are sure stubborn and hate to admit they need help for anything! I hope he relizes this soon. Even though he thinks it's a racoon stuck in there and can't get up the chiminey. It oculd very well be a very large shirrrel or some big birds??? Still frustrated though! Anyone want to rent a hubby????

Spiral Socks

Well here's my spiral socks that got around took a while one ran away and was lost for a while but made a safe return home.....;o)) My first pair without heels but they are comfortable, about 15-16 inches long made from a beautiful wool yarn a friend brought home from Germany a couple months ago.

I've been offline for well over a month or so now. Boy did I never realize how much I really used my computer until it wasn't available. During the last storm we lost signal from our cable company and after 4-6 weeks of service calls and techs coming in/out and all around the neighborhood trying to get me online. They did manage to get our TV signal back but only after we bought new TVs then I bought a new computer thinking it was the putter, nothing! The cable company just couldn't get it back for me so I canceled all their services and got direct tv installed right away and DSL which took a couple weeks to get but at least we had tv to watch while awaiting. I did some spinning and knitting actually lots of knitting. I'll be uploading more photos soon! I did pull out a sweater again and again! Now working on a couple other and started more finsihed one, another was almost done just need to do the sleeves and a hood then BAMMMM!!! I had to pull it out about 1/2 because I missed something!!!!!!! I don't even want to talk about that one!!!!!!!!!!! A different one then some might think though. I think I just might have to keep this one once I get it finished after all the hours I 've put into in I could've made 3! Oh well.

Now my DH is up on the roof with a blow touch and flashlight I need to go outside and watch out for him. He makes me nervous!!! We had a racoon on the house eariler this week and now lots of noises in the chimminey! Pretty freaky when I'm sitting here at night knitting and everyone's in bed and early in the morning.......

I gotta go for now be back with more later