Despite the heat, we’ve been busy.  In no particular order, here’s a look at what’s been going on around here!

Georgia came to visit and helped me card some batts.  Stanley2, one of the cats that live in my shop, fell in LOVE with her!  That crazy cat has NEVER been so friendly!  In fact, he’s been in hiding practically since he and Ninja came to live with us.  I’m glad to see him out and about.

I’ve been making spinning batts like a crazy person!  These were luxury batts for a contest winner (lots of silk and Suri alpaca).  I’ve also been experimenting with a 50/50 blend of Shetland wool and Suri alpaca, both dyed and undyed.  Look for the launch of our own “Suriland” (TM) spinning batts and yarn (hopefully) later this year!  (Crossing fingers.)

Sweet little Tornado got his first haircut.  His long kid mohair curls are truly luscious!

I can’t explain it, but Pachinko (the alpaca) stayed right there, nose to nose with Tornado, the entire time that Tornado was in the shearing stand.  Interesting.

Ken proved, once again, that he is the Animal Whisperer of the Farm.  Apparently he gets smooches from Pachinko on a regular basis, and the lambs frequently come to him for neck scritches.

Bear killed a coyote in the front yard of the house next door in one of his many “My job is to protect all the land I can see” escapee runs around the neighborhood.  I’ll spare you that picture.

Lizzie learned to spin on a spinning wheel, and knitted this fingerless glove out of wool she dyed and spun herself!

My spinning wheel broke (again), and Majacraft is sending a replacement part (again).  Let’s hope this is the last of this issue.

And finally, a lady driving down our road ran into our fence.  Thankfully, she wasn’t hurt.  The Welder will fix the damage for us in due course.

Those are the highlights for August, so far!  Come see us and join in the fun!

The celebration of Christmas goes through at least the first week of January for our family.

There was our traditional family gathering that takes place each year on January 1st.

Our spinning group Christmas party which was on January 5th and included a downright cut-throat gift exchange.

And then once school was back in session, Jamie gifted Nikki with her I’m-gonna-kick-cancer’s-butt pink hat and scarf.

We sincerely hope so, Nikki. Merry Christmas.

Back in October, my three local grandgirls came out to the farm for a few days and each dyed some roving (blog post).

The idea was that I would then take their roving, spin it into yarn, and then knit something from it which is, in fact, what I did. The girls all decided on hats. Lizzie and Ally specifically requested ear flaps.

Now I can check this little project off my list.

Lizzie and her blue hat

Ally in yellows and purple

Georgia (whose hat was finished first)

I raised two daughters who are now adults. In their childhood, they were exposed to all manner of fibery goodness.  They went to yarn shops with me (and read books by the door until I was through shopping), they had hand knit sweaters in every size, and they had LOTS of opportunities to learn how wonderful a life in the fiber arts is.

DD#1 eventually asked me to teach her how to knit, and did a little knitting, before 3 daughters of her own stole her away for their own agendas.

DD#2 hissed and shoved garlic in my face every time I even mentioned learning to knit. But this is how miracles are made.

First we dyed some roving.  Once I showed her how it was done, she took off on her own.

Jamie Leigh dyeing roving

By the way, she is not wearing a mask because of the dye. She is wearing a mask because she is allergic to my entire farm.  Thankfully she had flooded her system with antihistamines before she came over.

Then, while we waited for the fiber to steam, she learned to spin on a drop spindle. (Be still my beating heart!)

Jamie drop spindling

When the fibers were steamed, washed, and rinsed, we laid them out on the drying rack. I think she did a beautiful job!

Jamie with her hand dyed roving

And why would DD#2 suddenly decide to partake in the fiber arts? Not because of her mother, but because of a friend, a friend who is battling cancer in a big way.  Jamie wants to give her the most special pinkish chemo cap ever. When the roving dries, I’ll spin it and knit it for her. [After all, we DO want her friend to have the cap in the NEAR future!]. Maybe the hat will be her friend’s Christmas miracle, too.

My darling husband, Ken, had a birthday this past week. (Our wedding anniversary was this week also, but that’s another story.)

When he’s not working on the farm, he’s working in an office in Dallas to pay for the farm!  His office has a tendency to be cold, but he can’t wear gloves at work because he has to use a computer all day.

Enter, Papa Ken’s birthday present from me:  Fingerless mitts!

These are made of fingering weight superwash sock yarn. I made them on my 72-slot cylinder circular sock machine.

Rather than having just a slit for the thumb (thumbs get cold, too!), these have a gusset and knitted thumb that was also done on the CSM.

I did add the thumb ribbing by hand, though (28 stitches on a size 2 knitting needle using Magic Loop).

With these finished, it’s Happy Birthday, Papa Ken!  I hope these mitts make your working environment just a little more pleasant.

Much love,

ZuZu