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Someone forgot to put a bow on this puppy!

And shortly after this photo was taken, over went the tree.  Good thing it is a fake.

I missed my usual posting on Thursday from the office because I just had not had a chance  to get any photos and in truth, there is not a whole lot going on around here that's noteworthy.  Of course, Christmas is a week from tomorrow, and if I ain't bought it yet, it ain't gettin' bought.  I have stuck to my resolve to boycott Wal-Mart this holiday season.  I'm sure no one there cares.


I have been busily working away on various gift items, and no I will not post them here til after they are given.  I did finish the first sock, an in-progress photo of which I posted last week.  The problem with finishing up a sock is that there is still a second sock to be knit.  Knitters have a term for those socks which the knitter just never has the heart or time or inspiration to knit a mate for:  SSS or Single Sock Syndrome.  This is why projects such as this headband I knit from hand spun hand-dyed  alpaca  are so gratifying.  When you are done, you are DONE!

My sock will get its mate.  I can be disciplined.




I also finished spinning up the lovely braid of roving I purchased back in September at the Wool Gathering when I was there with Tari.  It is a blend of merino wool and bamboo (which gives it a nice shine) and I got about 500 yards of 2-ply out of about 3 oz of roving.  It is very pretty.  Yarn bling.  I see lace and beads in its future.

Merino/bamboo

Another little project I finished up was some rose grey alpaca I had spun for the cowl I made for my cousin't mother-in-law.  I finally took the rest of it off the wheel.  Not much yardage, about 100 yards, but I have LOTS more of this fiber to process and spin.

rose grey alpaca

Weather-wise, wow, guess what?  It has been raining!  I have to be fair and say that last weekend we had about 3 days of clear, dry COLD weather.  The moon was full and the temps at night were in the teens.  If only we had had a few inches of fresh snow on the ground, a moonlight hike would have been called for.  Even without the snow, it was bright enough to cast shadows.  

Even the alpacas are tired of the mud, as you can see from Dulci and Grand Design, who are taking advantage of the rubber stall matt which has been laying out in the pasture for years now.  

We lost 2 of our chickens this week.  It was a combination of chicken stupidity and dumb-doggedness.  Last Friday night when I went into the barn after being gone all day Christmas shopping, I heard a definite "burble" (this is my description for the soft noises the chickens make) coming from the isolation/maternity pen.  Upon inspection, there was a slightly damp chicken in the pen missing many feathers.  I scooped her up and took her to the chicken coop and turned on the light to do a head count and came up missing 2.  The next morning I found them.  I am sure the dogs played with them until they killed them.  Poor dumb birds.  Obviously, 3 chickens flew over the fence and were unable to get back out.  They really aren't very bright.  Somehow, 1 managed to hide.  She is doing fine now.  I can't really blame the dogs.  Their job is to protect the alpacas from any and all threats.  They aren't all that bright either!

Last night about 4:30 pm I was in my studio weaving and I heard a 4-wheeler and then shortly thereafter a chainsaw started up.  When I came out to see what was up this is what I saw

That's Lee in the tree and brother Jesse on the garage roof.  It was decided that this tree needs to come down because it is too close the the garage and is damaging the roof.  They also brought good beer with them, the kind you cannot buy in our county.  The tree has not come all the way down yet as everyone has been out hunting all day today, but I figure it will soon. 

Meanwhile, there are a lot of branches that need to be hauled out of the yard.  It sure smells like Christmas!  Wreath anyone?




Sam and his dad made a run up to north east Ohio on Thursday and one of the stops they made was to Morningstar Fiber Mill where they picked up my rug yarn which was finally finished.  Looks like I have about 16 huge "bumps" of rug yarn, each of which will make  a 3 X 5 rug I think.  I guess I will be busy weaving rugs this winter!

Rug Yarn!