Silk

Our little guy has begun to build it's cocoon! Nature is a wonder.

Fiber Fest

This past weekend our family was apart. Daddy took the kiddos camping and I headed to OFFF Saturday morning. Giddy Up! Last year I went with rabbits to sell but this year I was a consumer. A gauker. A budget was set and stuck to. I determined that I wasn't going to buy pretty braids of painted roving this year but instead went with a list of potential future sheep. We've had Romney in the past and while they were gentle sheep, I've been studying other sheep. The guy who's picture is above is a CVM / Romeldale. After spending TONS of time talking with breeders/ranchers of these mellow sheep I think I'm pretty well set that they will be the sheep in our future.

Hopefully a couple alpacas will be in our future too. I don't want to breed Alpaca...just have a couple for my own personal spinning use.

This is the "loot" I came home with. Really it's not much. The black fiber at the top of the picture is Gotland. It's a rather new breed in America and I was curious. It has an open crimp so is more like curly locks. Dark brown stuff on the right hand side is Romeldale / CVM, the stuff at the bottom is my splurge. 50/50 yak/merino. Oh.my.softness! It will be saved for a later date. The fiber on the left hand side is romeldale/CVM from a different farm. Told you, I'm in love. :-) All in all it was a nice weekend but the silence gave me a lot of time to think. I realized just how much I need my family and caused me to appreciate so much more the blessings God has given me. At times I feel like throwing my hands in the air. Child rearing is so frustrating...and ever so worth it. Because of my children, I am learning how to love unconditionally just as they do. I miss them and the Mister terribly when they are not near me.

Last but not least we have a new "pet" erm...science study living on the coffee table. You can't see it in the picture but there is a caterpillar hidden in the leaves. My little Em was beside herself with excitement over a "live surprise" she had for me. Through a little research on my part I've become certain that it will (hopefully) emerge as a moth in the spring. It has given me a perfect opportunity to add more "school" to our day. The best part of the whole thing? The excitement and interest the kids have. I love that the kids have a zeal towards nature. This has also provided me with the opportunity for us to put together our first lapbook. Yippee!! Oh...dirt has been added since this picture was taken since several moths go into chrysalis in the ground.

Trust and Obey

Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the sky,

not a doubt nor a fear, not a sigh nor a tear,

not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share,

not a grief nor a loss, not a frown nor a cross

can abide while we trust and obey.

We never can prove the delights of His love

until ALL on the altar we lay.

For the favor He shows, and the joy He bestows

are for those who will trust and obey.

Cedar lined closets

She's here!!! Oh my loveliness! Mr. Postman handed me the box just a little while ago. My poor kids thought it was something better than a spindle. My heart raced while opening the package. Within it was a treasure that I had custom ordered. A Victorian Lace Spindle done in Cedar. I am aware of the toxicity of cedar and some people's sensitivities to it but to the Mister and I, nothing smells as wonderful as cedar. Oh, she is gorgeous. Mike did a wonderful job and boy oh boy was he fast. :-) Right now the spindle is set beside me and I keep sliding her back and forth near my nose. I'm going to sit down and begin playing with her all the while I dream of cedar lined closets and chest filled with hand knit sweater and quilts.

Rainy days

The weather has definitely turned fall-ish here in the Pacific Northwest. While the summer was not all together warm, the nights are now in the low 50's with an occasional upper 40. On Labor Day the rain set in. At the moment I love it. The smell of new rain and the turn of colors is the best in my opinion. Fall has long been a favorite season of mine. Truthfully I tend to adore each season as it approaches but fall has a special place. It's a time to finish up canning, enjoy fresh greens from the garden again and a season in which I don't feel guilty sitting down to the sewing machine, spinning wheel or knitting needles.

In the kitchen I've been working on putting up more peaches, pears and apples. Produce seems to be a bit late this year, most likely due to the cooler summer, and I didn't have much of a choice when it came to apples. In a few more weeks I'll head back to obtain more apples. While I have plenty of applesauce and preserves I still need to put pie filling in the freezer and plan on canning apples like you would peaches or pears.

On the handiwork front I need to finish the Mister's quilt. I've decided to hand quilt it and while it's all sandwiched up, I still haven't begun. I also need to finish sewing together his sweater, work on socks (there are always plenty of socks to work on), a quilt for a special someone and other goodies. In the fall my mind runs rampant like it does in the spring about the upcoming garden.

I have picked up a new passion. Hand spindles. I've used my spinning wheel off and on over the last 6 years. It has always been a pleasure to spin up fluffy wool, turn it into yarn and knit something with it. After being intrigued for a while with the idea of a hand spindle I picked one up last September. I didn't take to it. Who knows why. It wasn't difficult. It just took time, something I'm not very useful with yet. During the course of the last year the beautiful purpleheart spindle sat with braids of roving. A couple weeks ago the Mister was in Chicago on business and for whatever reason I picked up the spindle. The kids and I headed north for the weekend with the spindle in tow. The portability is alluring. Oh my. Love. Complete love. Perhaps more love than what I have for the spinning wheel. It's portable. Compact. My wheel is the Ashford Traveller which, to me, does not travel very well at all. With the wheel there are steps to getting set up. With the spindle all I need is fiber, spindle and 2 hands. The most exciting aspect to the spindle is that my little ones can spin. Little Miss has asked repeatedly to be able to do so and once I can get to the craft store to purchase a dowel and wood car wheel I will be happy to oblige. I love that my little ones will learn the crafts of old. It's a romantic idea to me. It seems to put us in touch with the past, in touch with the natural world around us. This pay period saw money left over from the grocery allotment. With some of the extra I put in a request with Mike at the Spanish Peacock for a custom cedar Victorian spindle. I received a note from him today that it is ready to be on it's way to me. Oh the joy!

So, if needed, I can be found working around the house, in the kitchen canning or sitting in a favorite chair with handiwork in hand.