Fiber Weekend

This weekend was wonderfully exhausting!

It started with hauling two equines over the pass in my horse trailer – Chris, who was going to a new home (she loves him!) and King, a B Welsh pony for Correy’s next driving project. Talk about Mutt and Jeff! Since the weather has been icky, I figured I’d have to chain up, and needed chains for the trailer. When I went to get them, the ones they had were so slick to put on, I bought a set for the truck too (I have some chain chains that I’ve never opened, and will now return). I had Correy’s daughter, Brin, with me – what a helper! I guess I should admit that until this time, I’ve never put chains on a vehicle… in my whole life! Fortunately, these new-fangled chains are a snap to put on, and easy to take off. It was slow going over the top, but we made it, and everyone was fine.

Got to Correy’s and dropped off the pony (sorry no picture, I wasn’t thinking…). He looks like a miniature Clydesdale. We then went to the fairground to set up (Correy and I share a booth). Again, no picture (ditto…).

We went back the next morning to finish, and these pictures don’t really show much… (Except LindaLou having a good time!!)

I was surprised very surprised by the almost complete sell out of my dyed yarn, and all but 2 skeins of Mom’s “Vintage” mohair yarn. I sold a fair amount of roving, but not as much as last year. The yarn was a total hit, in spite of both of my swifts committing suicide the night before I left so I couldn’t finish rewinding the skeins (to mix up the colors). I sold all of the superwash/bamboo, and all but 1 skein of the superwash. WOW!

I couldn’t resist this picture:

This little guy was “helping” his mom and dad in the booth behind us. It was a very long day for him (and everyone else). I was so envious!

On Sunday, Correy and I traveled out to Ashwood so I could pick up this year’s pigs. After helping with pig rodeo, I brought home these 3 boys:

They’re still pretty wild, and contained in my horse trailer. I don’t think it will take long for them to get used to the human that feeds them, however!

Rainfall total: 75 inches since November 1, 2010.

Have I mentioned that I’m ready for spring?

March Madness (fiber style)

Sometimes, when you’re in a hurry you don’t take the time to check… I was in a dyeing frenzy this weekend, and thought I’d use some of my remaining Gaywool dye for an 8 oz. chunk of Blueface Leicester/Tussah silk roving. When it came out of the steamer, it looked like this – kind of fugly.

Since I had invested 8 oz. in this fugliness, I thought I’d spin some up so that (hopefully) it would look like something people would buy. I think it works really well! Note the sheen - I really like this stuff!!

Ok, so I learned that the roving needs to be really wet to use the shake and steam method with this dye, otherwise the dye won’t dissolve through the roving.

I also tried spinning the moorit merino/alpaca blend again (see this post). I figured out that the whorl on my wheel was not the one that I was used to using, and once switched, it was really a breeze to spin. Ok, it took me 5 hours to spin and ply 171 yds. (about 1.3 oz), but I must say, it’s rather nice. I was going to sell all this roving, but now I need to keep a bit so that I can have enough for something…

Some of the results of the dyeing frenzy:

Yarn (superwash merino/bamboo)

Various rovings

I have 1.5 lbs. of yarn yet to dye, the above yarn to rewind so the colors get mixed up a bit, labels to make, and… Uh Oh – I think I need a list!!

Also found a wonderful home for the big horse, Chris. He’s going back over the hill to 40 acres, where he may be ridden, or be a BIG pasture ornament. He is a) too tall for me and my $100K knees and b) eats 3 times what one of the ponies or all of the alpacas eat. I will miss his sense of humor, and his general doofyness, but I won't miss the feed bill.  He served a great purpose - got me back on a horse before and after my surgery, and for that I'm grateful - but given the investment in my lower appendages, I need a shorter steed. I’m also hauling a pony over for Correy (a driving project), so I’m hauling the trailer full on the way over. I’m bringing 3 piggies back, but they’ll be riding in a crate in the back of the truck (they’re about 9 wks. old).

This will be a fun weekend at Fiber Market Day in Prineville. It will be good to see old friends, maybe make new ones, and sell some stuff!!

Fiber Frenzy and winners!

In honor of the switch to Daylight Saving Time, I have a new verse to my feeding song:

I’m feeding in the dark.

I’m feeding in the dark.

What a gloomy old feeling,

Where’s Noah and his ark?

It’s hardly a lark

Not a walk in the park,

I’m feeding, I’m feeding in the dark!

I’m in the count-down-to-Fiber Market day frenzy. I’ve started winding off yarn into smaller skeins for dyeing. As they come from the supplier, they are in 8 oz. +/- skeins, and are too fat for all the dye to penetrate. I was trying to figure out a way to somewhat accurately measure ounces or yards, and remembered someone’s tip about using a fishing line counter ($12.99 at Bi-Mart). I put the swift onto the loom so that the skein was vertical, hooked the line counter to the distaff of my spinning wheel (click for big) and then wound it onto an antique clock reel. Linda says I Macgyvered it. (man, I thought I'd cleaned up...)

Now I just need to figure out a way to use the spinning wheel to power the clock reel and I’ll be in business!! Next time, I think I’ll just order the yarn on cones, and wind them off in ounces instead.

In my twitterpated state when I realized that I had been blogging for a year, I didn’t take time to reflect on what’s happened in my life in that time, and there’s been a lot:

• Probably the biggest thing is that I had both knees replaced. Even though it was difficult, and not pleasant, I’m very, very glad that I was able to do it. I am no longer in constant pain. It’s funny – you never realize how pain rules your life until you don’t have it any more.
• I’ve made a number of decisions about the farm, such as no keeping turkeys or pigs over the winter. I’ve also decided that someone’s brain must have left the building when I decided where to put the barn. It’s at the bottom of the hill, so guess where all the water goes? I will be putting up a new barn, on higher ground this year. The old barn will become hay storage, initially, and then repurposed as an equipment shed, or dye house (depending on electricity and water access). Needless to say, there will be French drains installed around it.
• I’ve made some new acquaintances through my blog, all of whom I value and enjoy. I’ve also been able to keep up with old friends through blogging. Everyone has such different lives, and yet we all have at least one thing in common with one another. It’s a form of technology that I’m glad that I embraced, luddite that I am. 

Drum roll please! The two winners of my anniversary contest are: Sharon and Mim! While I know that neither of them really need any more fiber, I’m glad they are getting some of mine!

Thanks to everyone who responded, and thanks to all who follow my perambulations, however erratic!

OMG - I've been blogging for a year!

Actually, the anniversary was March 5th. But since I have teflon for brains, I was thinking that it was later in the month and wasn't worried about it.

In honor of my anniversary, I will give away 4 oz of loveliness to two readers. There are a few different forms of loveliness to choose from:

• Dyed (or undyed) merino/tussah/bamboo
• Dyed (or undyed) BFL/tussah
• Dyed (or undyed) corriedale top
• Dyed (or undyed) yarn (superwash merino, merino/tussah/bamboo or mohair)
• Moorit merino/Brown Alpaca Roving
• BFL roving (white)

Leave a comment, feel free to forward to your friends/blogpals.  Winners will be chosen by random number generation.

Being as ADD as I am, I can't believe that I've stayed with it! And more to come, I promise.

It was a good day to Dye!

It was a wonderful weekend, even though it started Thursday with a migraine that lasted through Friday. However, on Sunday, LindaLou came down from Kelso to do some dyeing. Linda and I met in Reno, and then I moved. She was pissed! She grew up in Portland, and wanted to get back, and finally did about a year ago.

Preparations for dyeing were interrupted because my washer died. It’s really nice to use the washer to presoak and spin out the fiber.

Sunday, we started out by soaking the warp she bought from me when I moved up here from Reno. Its rayon and cotton mixed, and takes the fiber reactive dyes. It’s been eons since I’ve done any of that kind dyeing, so I had to read up. I found the notes and instruction sheets from a class I took many years ago in San Diego. So, carefully following the instructions, I mixed up the dye.

Then we realized that we really didn’t know how long the warp was, because it had been chained. So after we took it out of the activator soak, we measured it – 16 yards! What was I thinking! Anyway, decided it’s probably enough for 6 shawls with fringe. Because it’s boring to weave 16 yards all the same, we decided to bag up the soaked warp, and Linda would take it, the dyes and accessories home to measure out each shawl on the warp so she could dye them all different colors.

We started on some of my fiber (of which I have a lot…). I use a turkey roaster with the little chaffing trays that I’ve modified by drilling multiple 3/8 holes to make them into steaming trays (sorry no picture of that…). I got a pound and a half of the Merino/Tussah/Bamboo (MBT) done Saturday night, and some prep work done for Sunday.


Water Lilies colorway, MBT and BFL/Tussah

Sunday, we did a lot. It was such a beautiful day that we moved everything outside, and even tried to catch some rays. I finished the first colorway, on Border Leicester/Tussah (boy, does that dye well…).

In the meantime, Linda was thinking that I was wasting dye, so she brought out some mohair locks. I used them to blot the dye off of the roving, and then put it into a plastic bag to steam. It turned out really lovely.

Water Lilies in progress with mohair

Mohair "blotter"

She also does really cool scarves – nuno felted, felted and shibori. She brought some silk scarf blanks and we blotted color with them too. The one on the right is my favorite – it looks like aged copper.

Silk Blotter scarves - future shibori

The next colorway is warmer, also done on both the MBT and Border Leicester/Silk. I like the MBT better, personally, but they’re both pretty cool!


BFL/Tussah Smith Rocks Colorway 

About the time we were hanging stuff out to dry, it started clouding up. When the temp started dropping, we moved everything back inside, leaving the roaster on the covered porch. The fumes bother both Linda and I, so leaving it outside was the best option. I also moved the poles that I hang stuff on to the porch.


Relocated Drying racks (note undyed fiber - it won't last)

However, with some snow, and more rain last night, not much dried! I’ll have to bring it all inside to dry.
The good news is that I’m picking up a washer today after work, so I’ll be able to rinse everything that needs it, and spin it out, which will hasten the drying process. UPDATE: The guy's wife gave it to a co-worker, so I'm back on the hunt...  I hate going to the laundromat...

I made up a new song for farm chores (to the tune of “Singing in the rain”):

I’m feeding in the rain

I’m feeding in the rain

What a soggy old feeling

Slip sliding away

I’m slogging out the hay

Keeping the ‘pacas at bay

I’m feeding, I’m feeding in the rain.

Looks like I’ll be singing this song for the foreseeable future! I've had 52 inches of rain since the beginning of November.

Hello, my name is Laura...

And I have a problem. I collect horses. I should be happy with one. But then there were two. Both are rideable, though one isn’t sure she should have to be…

FIBER NEWS: I’m gearing up to go to Fiber Market Day in Prineville on the 29th of March. I have lots and lots of fiber/yarn to dye. I’ve also been asked to do a Natural Dyeing demo, and will coordinate that with a class on Sunday. I’m really excited – I’m going to change my normal class to include a skein from each of the participants of different fiber (from their own animals). In addition to making it more personal, it will also give all the participants the chance to see that not all fibers take the dye the same way. My goal for the future is to expand this class so that people will have a sample book like the one that I did for myself a few years ago with different yarns, overdyeing, and a record of the % of dye to weight of fiber. To an extent, natural dyes are repeatable, though they’re dependent on the mineral content of the water. If you’re using well water, that is variable, depending on the time of year, just like the color content of the plants. The scientist in me loves this!

Back to the title content: When I got back into horses, my first horse was a Haflinger mare, named Honey.

Honey had been injured, and I thought that I could let her heal for 6 months to a year, and then ride her. Unfortunately, x-rays showed that her injury was much more extensive than first thought, and riding (and breeding) were out of the question. She was the blond bombshell in the pasture, until I found what I thought was the perfect home. A family had a son who didn’t want to ride, but wanted a horse to lead around, groom, and generally be a buddy with. The agreement was that she would come back to me if circumstances dictated that they needed to lighten their equine load. She didn’t. Last fall (a year later), I found an ad on CL, which from the description, was Honey. I emailed the poster, with Honey’s name in the subject line, and told them that I would pick her up on the weekend. The woman was very nice, explained how she ended up with Honey (the people lost their home, and “boarded” two of their horses with her, but never paid).

When I picked her up, it was obvious to me that she hadn’t been getting bute (horse aspirin) for a good long while, as she was quite lame. I made one of those difficult decisions, and had her put down. I kept a lock of her flowing white mane in memory of the pony who got me back into horses.

Fast forward to 2 weeks ago. I was cruising CL (there should really be a 12-step program for that site!!), and found a 4 year old Haflinger mare for free. She is untrained, other than haltering and leading. I called my horse conscience, who gave me the go-ahead (she knew Honey, as well). I took the afternoon off, went home to pick up the trailer, and headed north. The mare was in far northwest Oregon, which you get to by going through Washington. I got there just after dark.

The mare had been caught, and as I walked around her in their barn, she was snuffling in my hair. She was curious, but unsure, but seemed very sweet. They called her Annie – I’ve renamed her Sweet Annie, since she has a nice golden color, which reminds me of the citrusy scent of the herb (sometimes odors have color for me).

 Ann had not been in a trailer since they picked her up as a weanling. I led her up to the trailer, she shuffled her feet for a couple of minutes, and then walked in. YAY! From there, we had a long drive home.

When I got home, it was 11 pm. She very calmly let me lead her out of the trailer, walked over a tarp like it wasn’t there, and into the barn, where Chris tried to eat her over the fence (the big turd). She was the bottom of the order at her old place, and seems to be at the bottom of the equines here, too, but over the alpacas.

Last Saturday, my farrier came out. Kiri was a poop, and had to have the stud chain to stand. She shaped up. Annie wasn’t sure about picking up her feet, but we were able to get her front feet trimmed, and her back ones picked out. I’ve been working on picking up her feet and she’s getting much better. Next weekend, I’ll have my farrier back to do her back feet, so she can be on the same schedule as everyone else.

I’ve actually put a saddle on her back – this for a mare that basically knows nothing. I didn’t have a girth on it, but she let me put it on and off.

The reasoning for this acquisition is this: I’m tired of dealing with other people’s baggage when it comes to “used” horses. I have trained a horse before, and it was the most satisfying relationship I’ve ever had with an animal. Sure, he had baggage, but it was my baggage and I knew how to deal with it. Annie will be trained my way, with my methods, and it will be all she knows. I won’t have to convince her that it’s a good idea (Kiri…) – she’ll just do it. She’s calm, accepting, curious, and will be great fun. She will be the last horse I have in my life (I hope!).

FARM UPDATE: The free chickens have turned out to be all roosters, after all. I’m able to take them back, so Monday, they will go with me to work.

I installed my new-to-me stove. My old stove's igniters quit on the right side, and then a couple of weeks ago, it started smelling like propane in the house - not good. In the process, it drained my 25 gal. tank. The new one is a 5 year old Kitchenaid, convection oven with probe, jetted for propane (this is why I like CL). There are no gas leaks, and all the burners light automatically except one, which needs a match. Hey – it’s better than nuking everything. I’ve been subsisting on Ramen and pasta (8 minutes for ramen noodles, 12 minutes for pasta). Don’t even try to do meat in a microwave…

As soon as I have some stuff dyed, I’ll post pictures. I’m always surprised at how they come out – like Sharon’s son’s comment: “Where came this?”

Happy New Year!

Ok, so I’m a little late, but I can explain…

I had a wonderful time for Christmas with my cousin, Glenna (see this post). We sat around and I knit and she read, and we talked and laughed and cried, ate prime rib, drank wine and margaritas, and generally let our hair down. The time was too short. She is the perfect guest!  I also dyed some yarn for projects - some are included later in this post.

The day that she came, I had a farrier appointment (pony pedicures). It took me 20 minutes to catch Merlin after he busted out of the barn :-(  I’ve been having trouble with him for awhile, and have hesitated to mention it here – the upshot is that he’s dangerous because the human race let him down. I had decided to take him to the local livestock auction while Glenna was here (some of the source of tears).

I have $100,000 knees – I don’t want to mess them up “saving” a damaged horse. His behavior is like that of a fear bitter dog. If he’s cornered, he fights – he’s too big to fight with. He also picks on Chris, who is currently injured and lame because of some interaction (but getting better), and harasses the alpacas. Life will be much calmer for the large quadrupeds when he’s gone.

I hadn’t planned to get another equine (you can tell where this is going...).

There is a feedlot in eastern Washington that a group rescues horses bound for slaughter and rehomes them. I was cruising CL last week and found this:

(can you say "dressage pony?")

She’s a 10 year old, grulla quarter pony, 13.3 hands. I called – she was still available for adoption. In their evaluation, they found her responsive to leg and rein, and very calm.

My New Year’s plan was to go to Prineville, spend the 31st with Correy, cook duck and hang out. We did that, but on New Year’s Day, she and I drove to Washington to pick up the pony. We arrived at the holding area (half-way house for feedlot rescues), to find her happily munching away on a large bale of hay with other horses. Since she was near the fence, I held my hand out with a treat. At first, she was “busy” eating, but kept looking over. Finally, she came up, took the treat, and let me scratch her – ears, neck, shoulder (beautifully sloped), pretty much anywhere. When I put the halter on her, she just stood there calmly. She leads beautifully – slack lead line, head just slightly ahead of my shoulder. She also loaded in the trailer nicely. All in all, she seems to be a very level-headed, easy-going, and very friendly.

She’s still at Correy’s, in quarantine. Being a feedlot rescue, they have been exposed to various diseases, and Correy has the ability to separate her, where I don’t. After a couple of weeks, depending on the weather, I’ll drive over to bring her home. I’m hoping to get some riding in this winter – hauling the little one will be much easier than shoe-horning Chris (once he’s sound) into the trailer! I’ve named her Kiri – her previous name was Jingles. My mom’s childhood nickname was Jingle, and somehow it just didn’t seem appropriate to call her that.

The kittens are running rampant – Chaos has slept under my bed, and in the living room on a sweater – he’s really coming around. The other two, Mayhem and Ted, are still pretty standoffish, but they come running for food. Last night, they were both in my bedroom while I was reading; Mayhem sniffing my hand, Ted just watching from around behind the dresser – progress.

Harry and Lyra are good, though Harry is fighting his flea allergy. I’m going to try some new stuff, as Frontline seems to have stopped working.

I’ve also been knitting. I used some of the yarn (see this post) that I had spun to make this cowl. It’s warm and I really like it!

Note the tassel - it's kind of my signature.  I love putting I-cord and tassels on things - this helps me get it on the same way each time.

I’m making another out of merino/silk from KnitPicks that I dyed – the Victorian Neck Cozy from Ravelry (link here). The copy of the pattern that I printed was in black and white – the yarn I dyed is a lot like the yarn in the color picture!

I’m also working on another hat, this one’s for Correy. Her maternal line is of Sami extraction (Northern Scandinavia, Lapp, with a little Alaskan native thrown in), so I’m using some of those colors and patterns in my “yurt for your head” style. It’s barely underway here, but it’s a start!

 I have resolved to increase my fitness level and eat better. It’s so cliché, but I really need to do something about my cardio-vascular fitness. To that end, I’m embarking on riding my bike (on a wind trainer) three times a week, and looking for healthier meals. I’m starting slowly – don’t want to shock my system, or anything…

So far, I’ve had almost 30 inches of rain since 11/1/10. The storm on its way this week should top that. The ground has been frozen for the last few days, giving everyone a respite from the mud.

I’m also welcoming back the sun. I did chores last night until after 5:00, and it was still light enough to see – YAY!

Of cats and wool (and rain)... Picture heavy

Before going on a tour of the Creekside Fiber Mill, I’d like to introduce you to the rodenators-in-training:

Chaos and Mayhem

Ted

I went through many possibilities of names for Chaos and Mayhem, and ended up coming back to the original idea after all. It’s hard to tell them apart, though possible if you get close, but the end result by either one is still the same – chaos and mayhem!! Ted is the anti-social one – you can tell, since the picture was taken of him hiding under a desk behind a box!

Unfortunately, after I picked up the fiber from Creekside, I attempted to organize my stash.  I have a garden bathtub under which the floor is rotten, so the bathtub can't be used.  Perfect, non-floor covering stash location!  However, the kittens did very naughty things and ruined a significant amount of the wool that was stored there.  I have two contractor's size trashbags full of stinky wool in the back of my truck to go to the dump.  The good news is that I got it all organized, labled, and stored in a kitten-proof manner.  I borrowed the idea of hanging bags from Mim - I call them the pod people.

On to the mill. It’s nice to have a fiber processor within driving distance that can do everything. They wash, blend, card (bats or roving), spin into your choice of yarn and make needle felt. Check out the website (Here). I have no affiliation, just a satisfied customer, yadda, yadda…

The front Door

Drying lovelyness



The Picker/Blender



After going through the Picker once

Through the carder once

After going through the carder twice - into roving

The pin-drafter

The spinner

The plyer

The needle felter with some alpaca felt

And here are some of the results of their efforts:

Yarn porn

This is 47.2% wool, 37.3% alpaca, 10% Mohair and 7.5% silk, sport weight, 2-ply. It knits up at 6.5 sts/in on size 3, and 6 sts/in on size 5 needles. The wool is from a crossbred sheep – Rambouillet, Romeldale, Montadale (known as a Rommanot), and was a nice variegated gray with really nice crimp. The alpaca was white, as was the silk, and the mohair was brillo pad gray (though not texture!). You can see the sheen of this yarn in the photo – it’s really luscious to work with, and I’m sure will dye really well. I have calculated the info for a couple of scarves – one on my loom (4 shaft) and one on my Mom’s (8 shaft). Should be as fun weaving with this as it is to knit.

Merino Alpaca Roving

The picture doesn’t accurately show the color of this fiber (it's much darker). It’s 50% moorit merino, and 50% Rose gray (though it was really chocolate brown) alpaca. It’s also really wonderful to handle, and I need to work a little on my slow skills for this – otherwise it becomes very thin rope… I’m hoping to make something for myself out of my half – Correy contributed the wool, I furnished the alpaca, so we’re sharing the result!

I've been knitting a baby sweater for a co-worker - pictures next time.

Current rainfall since November 1, 2010: 21 inches.  I'm trying not to float away...

It only takes time...

As you can see from the following photo, I've had another set-back in the knee healing process.  I jinxed myself last Sunday by saying they felt almost Normal...  After going to the doctor, he prescribed being in an imobilizer brace for 2 weeks, and then we'll recheck. He thinks it's the chip from when I ran into the truck hitch (back when I was still in crutches), but I'm not convinced, since the discomfort is on the other side of my right knee.  The brace actually feels good, and I slept with the "real" imobilizer the other night, which I think helped.  Considering that I had both knees done, and that the right one has always been the weaker of the two, I guess I shouldn't be surprised that it's being a little slow, but geez - let's get on with it, already!

A Merlin update:  He has, after 6 months, decided that I'm more or less ok.  He seeks me out in the pasture if I'm out there doing something, and follows me around out there.  In his own unique way, he's "joining up."  I'm really looking forward to working with him, and more so, riding him!  He's a very sweet horse, kind of a turd to his own kind, but is really softening his attitude towards people.  Interestingly, he really likes men, of which I have few around, so when a male type visits, he's all over them - pretty funny, since he's 16.2 and seems rather large (until you get around Chris, who is 17.1 and makes Merlin look petite). 

Both boys have had 2 trims by a natural hoof farrier, and their feet look like horse feet should.  With the biotin supplementation, their crappy thoroughbred feet are looking much better!  My new farrier is about 5'2", and rides her Haflinger in dressage.  She really admires Merlin's conformation, and thinks he will be really good at dressage (assuming I can get his brain to stay with his body!).

The last of the turkeys have been butchered and delivered.  I have an Auburn trio left, a pair of Blackwinged Bronzes and the Peafowl pair.  I'm going to move them down to the front of the barn, along with the chickens (in a separate pen) so that it's easier to feed them in the rain.  This has the added benefit of moving the peacock away from my neighbor's bedroom...  I learned alot this year (as I do every year after harvesting the livestock): A)I had about equal numbers of people wanting big birds and littler ones; B)The Auburns don't get that big (the toms dressed out in the 12-13 lb. range); C) I need to be able to separate the smaller, slower growing birds from the faster ones; D) I'm going back to getting standard Bronzes for the big ones, the Auburns will be the mid-sized birds,and I may get a few Midget Whites for those who want a really small turkey.  I need to get an incubator, and have a brooder room for the eggs that the girls lay this coming spring.  I'm thinking about a permanent "bird pasture" and turkey building that I can move them through to use the pasture effectively.  Of course, this will involve using, you guessed it, a tractor and power tools!  Arr, arr, arr.

I've been dithering around with fiberish things.  I have a sweater that I'm knitting for my sister; unfortunately, I think the colors are hideous (sorry, Mary), and it's really hard to work on it!  I have a couple of things on the needles for me, including this shawl:

As a bonus, when the turkeys were butchered, I was able to save some wing primaries from the Auburns - Is this just too cool, or what?

It has all sorts of possibilities, now.  The yarn is a mohair/viscose/nylon that was in Mom's stash that I inherited.  The shawl is loosely patterned on EZ's Pi shawl, but knit back and forth instead of in a circle.  In the increase rows (yo, k1, repeat), it leaves these lovely spaces to put things, like leather stips with silver cones and turkey feathers...

Somehow, I've not found the time/inclination to spin lately, and as such I'm taking my mom's wheel back to my dad at Thanksgiving.  He has more room, and can gaze on it lovingly and remember putting it together and finishing it for mom.  Eventually, it will come back to me, but maybe by then I'll have more room!!

A friend of mine and I are driving down to my sister's in Reno for Thanksgiving - I'm bringing the bird.  It will be fun to see the Homies while I'm there.  My dad is bringing up his travel trailer, an older 19.5' Komfort, which he is no longer using, and is giving to me.  I'm going to use it as guest quarters, and the party pad at sheep shows!  In addition, if next summer is too hot, I'll just go in there, since it has air conditioning!  I'm hoping that I won't have to drive back through snow, but it's not looking too promising...  Gotta get chains, dang it.  I'm planning to split the drive home up into two parts, which will make it way easier, and I'll be able to drive during the day, when it's warmer, and I can see...