Almost the New Year

Well the New Year is almost upon us. I will need to get busy making my yarn for my secret pal! I have no idea what she likes since she hasn't replied to my email yet.... I'll try one more time. I'm planning on hand painting the roving in her favorite color then spinning...... I'm gonna make a big batch, and sell the rest to Purls! Or use it to pay Michelle, who is making a stamp for me so I can have some nice labels for my products.....

Have a Blessed New Year Everyone

Roving

We have all heard the nursery rhym, Black sheep, black sheep have you any wool? Yes, sir, yes sir three bags full...... Well in my house we say, Yes sir, Yes sir, three rooms full..... and we aren't kidding. I had ordered 25 pounds of roving from a mill in Colorado last week, and I'm splitting the order with two other people. It was a huge box stuffed and I mean stuffed full of white roving. It all has been carded, its a mixed bag of different wool, some with mohair. You know it has mohair because of a pink strip. That strip really bothered me, and it turns out that it washes right out. So I'm gonna try to dye about 8 ounces later today for a scarf my niece and God daughter. My sister suggested either green or black. Black? Well I can dye black easy enough. I also will try using different colors on a another batch, I think vermillion, yellow and burnt orange. I'll post pictures as soon as I'm done.

Happy 1st day of Christmas!

Well, my slippers were a huge hit! My Father-n-law opened his gift early, and wore his slippers right a away, and even took them to work to show his secretary them. God Bless him!

I still need to make slippers for the other men in my life, my hubby, my father and my God-son...... not to mention I'm spinning some pink mohair blend for slippers for my two younger girls.......

Today is also the first day of school since Dec. 5th! So back to school folks and I'll check back in later.....

Merry Christmas

I found out who my secret pal is for the spinning swap! Gosh I sure hope she isn't an experienced spinner, because she might be a bit disappointed!

My other secret pal contacted me and asked me some neat questions, like what is my favorite color, what do I like to spin and knit with.......

I got my package out to my mom. I felted her some slippers from my Icelandic stash, overdyed the gray, spruce for the trim and sole, and the top was plyed white and gray. They turned out so cute! I also gave her some homemade soap, and bath scrub and our own honey..... but the package is still in transit. Was supposed to be delivered yesterday, so I called. They'll call me later today to see what the problem is.....

Secret Pals! Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year

Spin, spin, spin!

I never thought I would see the day when I would say that I was sick of spinning! But we have done just that. Not that I don't like spinning, its just I have some projects to make and not enough time! Currently I spun about 12 ounces of Clover, my gray and white Icelandic roving, and am dyeing it spruce. I don't think I have enough to make a pair of slippers so I'll go to the yarn store tomorrow evening and purchase some gray. The slippers will still be hand knitted and felted, just not all hand spun. Whew.....

Unitl later

Chloe with her sheep

This is Chloe, our Great Pyreenes puppy. She is around 12 weeks here and we are training her to stay with her sheep. She has a very large pen, with a creep gate that only she can get thru, that has her food and dog house. Then a pen around that holds up to 6 six sheep comfortably. I try to cycle different ewes in there for her and the sheep. Today was very warm for Iowa. I think it reached mid 50's so I did some work outside, clipped Chloe's nails and let her romp with the rest of the sheep. She did well, 4 more weeks and she can live with the herd full time. The rest of the day was busy spinning Clover. My Icelandic roving for some felted slippers for my dad and mom. Christmas presents.

FIL's slippers after felting

Look how much they shrank! Sadly not enough, since my FIL has small feet, but they should keep his feet warm

FIL's slippers before felting

Christmas projects

I haven't posted forever!

We had a lovely Thanksgiving. I finished my father-n-laws slippers, and I just finished my mother-n-laws slippers today! They were both knitted with Lopi yarn,and the n felted, my father n-laws yarn was store bought, and I used the left over gray for my mother-n-law's, but I got to spin my new roving into lopi yarn and then I dyed it because it was too close the the gray store bought yarn. Color wise I mean. So we dyed it gunmetal blue and it turned out so wonderful! It had some shades of black mixed in, totally awesome. The slippers should fit my mil, but I'm afraid the slippers for my fil will be too big. I gambled with the size, he's a size 9 and I made him a large womens. Oh well, hopefully with socks they won't be too bad. I made them slippers manly because my fil has poor circulation and his feet and hands get so cold. Wool is good for keeping you warm.... plus they are made from us and from our sheep. Well some of it was......... NowI finish my scarf for Danielle. My sixteen year old. We purchased some white Shetland fleece, washed it and carded it. Its so soft and such a pretty scarf. Now I need to make my mom and dad their slippers and my God son, Daniele his hat. All this in 18 days!

Later