A Few Sheep Shy of a Farm

Blog-lift

Decided the old blog needed a face lift, what do you think?

Noticed a large migration away from blogger . . . . hmm, gets a girl thinking . . . .

actually, for me most of the time blogger is fine . . . . and the occassional outage just helps me break the addiction cycle . . .

Wow, what a busy weekend!

Construction has offically begun on the “shed” in the back yard. A “Bob-cat” was delivered Friday evening and the guys began digging the holes for the foundation post thingys and relandscaping the yard on Saturday. The project was continued on Sunday and into this morning. This means several things. First, they are coming to pour the cement on Wednesday and will begin actually building on Saturday and second, since they rearranged the dirt in 1/2 the yard we now have mud instead of lawn. With men and dog going in and out constantly I now have almost as much mud in the house as in the yard!!!! And from the sounds of it we will have to wait several weeks before we can really start to try to grow grass again (by that time the yard is likely to be solid weeds as they don’t care if they they get stepped on!)

Don’t get me wrong, after two years of planning I’m thrilled, tickled pink, that construction has begun, just now that it has I hope it gets done quickly! Once it is done we will not only have lots more storage, but DH’s “office” is moving to the barn and that room becomes my workshop. I’m already working on ideas for furnishing the space and can’t wait to move into it. It will be nice this winter to have a space filled with my fiber crafts that I don’t have to competely clean up and put everything thing away at the end of the day! There may even be enough room out there fore another wheel! Maybe.

I had a migraine most of Saturday so I didn’t get nearly as much done as I would like to have . . . . but over the weekend I did get some spinning done on the newly available Romney fiber. I now have 4 hanks of fairly even yarn drying (very slowly in this humidity) and waiting to be dyed. I hope to spin about another 10 or so before we have our dyeing workshop as I would like to dye them that day. I plan to do something in Red with this yarn and then I’d like to knit it into a fall jacket for myself. I’m thinking something with some cables and some large wooden buttons or toggles. I haven’t checked WPI or gauge on this yarn yet, but I believe it to be a light worsted or so and I should be able to knit up a jacket pretty quickly.

I’ve also decided that since we are going to Italy in October, it might be nice if I were to knit something for my two new Aunts who live there. I’d love to make something for all the women (Aunts and Cousins) but I just won’t have time to do it between now and when we leave. I still have an aweful lot of holiday knitting to do . . . . However, as an experiment, yesterday I cast on some Henry’s Attic Prime Alpaca (3ply sport weight) in Charcoal that I’ve had sitting around for ages. I only have the 1 skein and it likely won’t be quite enough so I’m planning to knit a triangular shawl with a center pannel of “Old Shale” in the grey and then edge it with something else lacey (haven’t decided what yet) in a cream color (or lighter grey) of the same yarn around the outside of the shawl. I’m really curious to see how this will turn out. So far I love the feel of working with this yarn, it is so soft! The stitches do have a little tendancy to split if I’m not being careful but over all its knitting up rather quickly. I hope to remember to take a picture tonight . . . .

A did some more spinning over the weekend and finished filling the bobbin she started on Thursday. She even got it plied and now has a full hank of yarn toward her sweater completed! She also has about 20 little spindle skeins which she plans to dye when we have our dyeing day . . . . She really seems to be sticking with this, unusual for someone only 11 yr. old. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if I’m working with one of the next big designers in the knitting world once she grows up! She has such an amazing nack for dyeing and has learned to spin so quickly and easily and isn’t afraid to try new things or “think outside the box” as they say. I’ve always noticed an artistic streak in her. . . . I can just see her headed off to some big fashion/design college in another 7 years. Oh well, at least I an look back and say I helped to get her started!

well, I have an appt. in 3 minutes so I’d better run. Have a great Monday!