Tuesday, September 13, 2016
Dye-ing Weekend
Friday, September 9, 2016
Time has Wings and it sure does fly
Tuesday, May 10, 2016
Big D's Big Sax(aphone)
Duncan's last band concert for the year was this past Wednesday. He started out playing alto sax but they really needed a baritone and his band teacher managed to talk him into it. I managed to snap a couple of pics this time.
When he sits down it almost rests on the floor!
He's had a good year and seems to be enjoying sixth grade and being in middle school though he says his favorite period after band is lunch.....
I'm sitting in the school parking lot waiting for Lila who is in her second day of drivers training class. She takes the wheel officially for the first time on Sunday. I'm being entertained by three high school boys on skateboards on the school service road and feeling nostalgic for the 1980's. Lila will be subjected to some Siouxie and the Banshees on the way home I think! It will keep my mind off drivers training....
Coming up: Sam Fin turns thirteen in five days and the sheep are shorn on Sunday!
Sunday, May 8, 2016
Ramps (or Leeks) for Mother's Day
Found this sweet Ramp Pixie in the woods today as we went gathering ramps, or wild leeks, in the woods today.
We gathered a bucket full and then just as the serious work needed to be done,, the rest of the gatherers disappeared! After cleaning the dirt and old layers off the bulb end I separated the leaves from the bulbs. The bulbs were pickled in a white vinegar and sugar brine with some tarragon thrown in. We picked enough for 3 pints.
Chopped a bunch of leaves and got a couple of pints of beef broth out of the freezer and whipped up a leek soup with sweet potato, one small russet, and some celery for tomorrow's supper which will be h ad with a crusty sourdough loaf. Tonight's supper is a Will special- chicken tikka masala with roasted sweet potato, rutabaga and russet Indian spiced fries. Yumm!
Tuesday, April 19, 2016
Erm, Hello?
Monday, October 5, 2015
Lourre
Meet "Lourre" (pronounced lore-ay). She is a Shetland-Cormo cross and is sister to our Daisy. (That is NOT our grass; I wish it WAS our grass).
She came to live with us this summer. She is a big girl it's a big luscious fleece! (Photos courtesy of Karen Valley).
Here she is with her mum, and two sisters; Daisy is the white lamb and Lourre the one it's the adorable dark spot on her nose.
And here is herself as a wee lamb. She knows she is important. Photos courtesy of S. Rouse.
Wednesday, June 17, 2015
Ewe-per Fiber Fair 2015
Please join us on Saturday July 11th from 10-3 at the Three Lakes Academy on Main Street Curtis in Michigan's beautiful eastern Upper Peninsula! We are a small fiber fair with a big heart, and the lovely town of Curtis is hopping with activity this time of year.
Local vendors will be selling handspun yarn, woven rugs, handwoven bags and purses, knit items, wool roving, exotic luxury fiber for spinning and felting and other knitting, felting, spinning and weaving supplies. Artisans and vendors will be on site offering free demonstrations and learning events. In addition, at 11:00 and 1:00 there will be a Children's project- Wet felting a bar of soap.
Lodging and meals are available in the town of Curtis and surrounding area and there is a playground on site for the kids.
Confirmed Vendors to Date:
Windy Acres Fiber Mill- Wolverine, Michigan
Offering alpaca yarn, roving, felt, batts and raw suri and huacaya alpaca fiber
Sheltered Shetlands- Bark River, Michigan
Coated and skirted raw Shetland fleeces, Shetland Roving and 100% Shetland yarn
Homestead Acres- Ionia, Michigan
Alpaca socks and fleece, fiber related books (she has the best kids selection EVER!)
Ye Olde Rug Weaver- Rapid River, Michigan
Handwoven rugs, placemats and runners. Crocheted items for the home.
Fiber Whims- Houghton, Michigan
Handwoven scarves and other items; knitting, weaving and spinning supplies; some roving and yarns at a reduced prices. Also offering books and felted items.
Studio A- Curtis, Michigan
Handwoven ethnic bags, sashes, rugs, pillows and costumes.
Spinner's End Farm- Curtis, Michigan
Homegrown alpaca roving, alpaca yarn spun from our animals, handspun yarn, Shetland roving, hand dyed roving and silk hankies, an assortment of exotic luxury fibers, bamboo knitting needles, Kookaburra wool wash, and Shepherd's Wool yarn.
Cedar Lake Farm- Gulliver, Michigan
Alpaca roving, Jacquard dyes, handspun alpaca yarn, raw suri and huacaya alpaca fiber and llama fiber.
Jan Fergin- Engadine, Michigan
Hackles for fiber blending
Jane Forslund- Gould City, Michigan
Triangle looms, scarf looms, hand woven bags, shawls and shawl pins.
Jim Engle- McMillan, Michigan
Hand turned wooden yarn bowls.
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
Best Laid Plans......
My good intentions to be a better blogger seem to have "gone to hell in a handbasket", as my Grandmother would have said. Though, really, there hasn't been a whole lot to say.
As you can see above, my work schedule has been rather sucky with many meetings and a few overnights away downstate the past month. The weather has been dismal as well....just when we finally broke fifty degrees last week, we went back down into the 30's and below with some solid precipitation in the form of the S-word. So, had I blogged you would all have suffered more of the driveling discontent you are hearing now. It has all been rather blah lately.
We did work up the enthusiasm to catch and change sheep suits on ten sheep this weekend and harvested the fiber from seven rabbits....with five more to go next weekend. I have a buyer for all of the fiber already; a lovely lady from Maine who spins it all into beautiful yarn. I need to get back to a knitting project to finish because I think I have found another one I want to start! :). I'm not a huge fan of UnFinished Objects (knitting UFO's) so will get my hands working to finish what I started first, which is a lacy red sweater like the cream one I knit for Lila. Below is the Bottom up beginning of a sleeve.
Sam turns 12 next month which is rather startling! Hopefully all the snow will be gone by then.....He actually has "Spring" on his birthday wish list.
Monday, March 30, 2015
Joey Ramone's Cat
I'm not sure how or why I came across this photo originally....
But Joey Ramone's cat sure looked a lot like Spotty Spock!