Stansborough Grey Part Two

The last you, unsuspecting audience, knew I was awaiting a package from New Zealand. 

Well, it arrived a couple of weeks back and I haven't had a lot of extra time to play with it!  I did share it out to a few lovely folks who were interested and made a couple of new friends in the process from another part of the globe.  A win-win situation for sure.

I got the call from Dorothy at the post office that the box was there and I needed to come sign for it.  I hopped in the truck, visited with Miss D for awhile, and then brought it home glancing at it anxiously all the way while driving.  I opened it on the bed and released it from it's bags to fluff up.  I went to grab the camera, and by the time I came back....someone had made herself at home.

Naughty Hedwig!

Fortunately, she laid in the pile that I was keeping for myself so no one else got cat hair in their sheep fleece.

Closeup of its locky, lustrous, loveliness.

I put some through the Pat Green triple picker to fluff it up a bit and then onto the Strauch Petite drumcarder.

Yumm....

The finished batt.  I've already spun it and it filled up about half a bobbin.

Now, I'm not sure when I'm going to get time to process a few more of these but I'm anxious to get a skein spun up so maybe I'll sneak in a few between making waldorf dolls.  I'm right in the middle of holiday doll making which takes precedence at this point!  I'll post a picture of the finished yarn when it is done.

First Spinning Lesson

Duncan has been pestering  persistently asking me to teach him how to spin.  So, I brought out the Ashford Traditional (Josie is her name) and let him go.

Note my wonderful spinning posture...NOT!  I wish my mother would have nagged me more about sitting up straight.  Here Duncan takes instruction about drafting.

"Hey Look-I'm doing it!"

Closeup hand shots...lessons in holding your hands apart....

More drafting...(Nice slubs!)

Getting a little fine there!  Definitely getting the concept of drafting down.

I love those wee chubby hands.  They are quickly turning to small boy hands, which will quickly turn into big boy hands, and then man hands....sigh.

Proud of his accomplishment.  I need to figure out a way to use it for him.  Lila has a bit on there at the beginning as well.

Samhain Beasties

Well that old holiday rolled around once again like clockwork.  Duncan decided he'd recycle the bat costume, Sam wanted to be a werewolf and Lila little red riding hood.

  As mentioned, Duncan's costume was recycled from a few years back.  It was easy to make- cheap felt cut out to look like bat wings, stitched to mimic veins on the wings and sewn to a black shirt.  Ears were folded felt attached to a black headband. He mostly wore that mask on his forehead.

Sam's costume was made of some fake fur I bought at Joanne's Fabric.  It did the trick but was really gross to work with.  It shed constantly while cutting and sewing but stayed together after it was sewn.  It was half price though!  Sewed some of the fake fur into the holes in his pants which were too small (didn't try them on him before I sewed all the fur on!), so I had to make cuts all along the waistband so they'd fit. 

Bad planning!  Yes, those are plastic orange teeth.

Lila's costume was a snap!  A yard and a half of red cotton linen from Joanne's (again half price!), super easy cloak.  I think I might have to find an occasion to wear this!  That is the picnic basket we usually use, for-uh, picnics.  I'm sure that the original red riding hood also wore Converse sneakers.

The town is normally subjected to an annual parade through town by the school kids.  The road is closed of to all traffic for about twenty minutes. Will had fun after the parade watching all the grouchy drivers go by. This year is was neither raining nor snowing.  It was a touch windy and cold however.

After dinner we went to the Curtis Ladies Aid Halloween Party.  They have a trunk-or-treat in the parking lot and then a party inside the community building.  We set up the van to pass out goodies.

And finally, when all the kids were tired out from playing games and winning bits of plastic that are soon to be broken, we rounded out the night by trick or treating at Dougette's house.  This is where the parents get a pale ale for all their efforts.

Only one humiliating animal shot- Couldn't resist getting poor old warty Waters into the witch hat!