La Vida del La Fiberistas

Some months are just special, you know.  July is probably high on my list of favorite months. I love the warmth of July.  The air is sweet with the scent of flowers (exnay on the pollen count, for now), the spring frenzy is past and its time to just enjoy La Vida de La Fiberistas (Life of the FiberWorker).  Visit with Special Friends like the Friendship Spinners.  The monthly meeting was July9th.  Being surrounded by Creative Energy has got to rub off.  I feel energized by the sheer convergence of the multiple fiber talents.

And the things I learn!  Did you know the first computer was was designed to keep track of weaving patterns?  I don't know the name of this ....er....contraption, but it is beautiful and much more understandable than computer code.

I bought this beautiful black Lincoln/Shetland X fleece from Tori K at the meeting.  Whenever she brings her fleeces, one or two always follow me home.  You can see the slight curlyness of the Lincoln with the super fine Shetland, and the glossiness of both. The little bits of hay will fall right out.

Into the dye pot it went the next day.

Ooooo it turned into this glossy blue/black.  this will go straight into the carder to keep some of the curl.

Then I decided that it was time to dye another fleece that I had waiting in the barn. An unknown breed but likely a BFL from the picture I was shown.  

It turned into this beautiful blue cloud when run through the picker.  Can't wait to do something with it.  I think I will dye the rest of the fleece different colors and then mix them up....oooo fun!

A few days later I had a visit from fellow Fiberista Stephanie of LunaBudKnits.  I have been out of her fabulous hand dyed Lace and Sock Yarns and it was time to restock.  Nothing like the personal service. It was fun hanging out and talking Fiber Shows and Fiber Business.  Her shop in Nicolasville will be opening soon.

I picked her loveliest colorways.  Do I have to share? Oh ok, you can see them and pick up a few at the shop.

Some wonderful new goodies are coming into the shop all the time and I will write about them soon.   I've been delayed on getting the July newsletter out, having too much fun playing as I hope you all are able to. I'll get to the newsletter.  In the meantime, these days should be treasured.  Soon enough , it will be cold and gray. 

Winter has its virtues too, but for now, lets enjoy the slow, dreamy days of summer. When magic happens, and a beautiful young couple comes into the shop unexpectedly, after hours, to have their wedding pictures taken in the shop window:

and play with the yarn

and  gaze into each other eyes, dreaming of their enchanted life together:

I think I made the right choice in coming here.  Despite the hardships and difficulties in the world, it can be a beautiful life.  Treasure the moments that you are given with friends and strangers alike.

Happy July!

Tour de Fleece - Just for Fun

Even though I'd rather be spinning than most anything else.  I find I have to schedule my time to fit it in to everything else.  The Tour de Fleece, a, mostly on-line fiber marathon promoted very effectively by Ravelry, allows just that for me.  Everything else that is not vital gets pushed aside while I schedule time to spin as much as possible.  Here is a bit of the the results from this last week.  Still not as much as I'd like.  More spinning will be scheduled into my life.  It is like Food, Air, Water, Spin.

There are many fiber preps to choose from and each gives a different result.  Spinning from a layered batt is one that I love.  From making it on the big Strauch Double Wide to the finished yarn:

The Layed Batt from one end.

Opening up the treasure chest.

Stripped and rolled into pretty rolags.

Spun into a thick and thin singles on my Schact Matchless.

Plied with a fine laceweight on my Gorgeous Green Country Spinner.

Skeined and ready to wash.  

The question remains: Shall I keep it or sell it at the shop.  It will be there, till I decide. Lots more pictures and information are on my FaceBook Page ( Blueball Mountain Spindle and Needleworks ). 

Hop on over and become a Fan, if you like.

Celebrating the Fourth with Some Down Time

July 's warm moist days and long evenings are the perfect times to contemplate the journey.  There seems to be color and scent everywhere flooding  the senses. It is a great time to  kick back and take it all in for a little while and celebrate the abundance of one's life. 

It has been five years now since leaving the hustle and bustle of my past.  When I first saw the house there was not a flower or plant other than straggley lawn grass around the house.  This is what it looks like today.

The front porch still needs work but it is less noticeable being surrounded by a variety of summer blooming perrenials.  I loved those columns from the first day I saw them.

The daylilles and the hollyhocks are past their bloom but their luschious leaves still frame the east side of the house. The old bourbon barrel stands guard in its corner.

The side porch seats have peeled down a bit more of their red paint revealing the lovely mustard underneath.  This wonderfully shapely old bike will either go to the shop and be covered with knitting or become a planter near the front fence.  I'm searching for a metal basket for the front and side saddle newspaper baskets for the back.  We shall see. Today it got scraped of loose rust and sprayed with acrylic to protect its soft brown and worn blue finish.

Ah! Chickens! Can anything be more entertaining? They have multiplied and set up their little family groups headed by a rooster. The Buddy the Rooster and his two hens that we got last year, have thoroughly adapted  and flourished.  I've lost count of how many therre are now.  They free range throughout the entire farm keeping the whole environment free of excess ticks and other pesky bugs.  They roost in the trees and the ram shed in addition to the chicken coop. They also love hanging with the Ewes in the front pasture.  In spring there are plenty of eggs to share with friends but by July those smart chickies  hide their clutches and soon parade their babies around.  Right now there are two little families of baby chicks.

The garden project has not been as  successful the last three years for a variety of reasons having to do with weather and timing (plus focusing on the wool and yarn shop. )  Luckily, I can raid my down the road neighbor's peach tree.  These beauties are almost ready to go into a pie.

Two new Shetland ewe girls, Coco and Ashley, joined us this spring and most of the rams born two years ago have found new homes.  The pastures can now be managed better for breeding and hopefully, next spring, we will again have lambs born at All One Farms. Can't wait to see what the rest of the year brings!