UFO's

Last week, I was rummaging through my spinning stash and equipment to get Lou Ann started on the basics, so that when her wheel came she would be one step ahead of the game.  While I was rummaging, I ran across some unfinished business.  Three of them (so far) as a matter of fact!  Two full Ashford bobbins, and a bag of blended batts. These three items had been spun / blended several years ago, and then forgotten.

The batts are a beautiful blend of Silver Shetland and Burgundy Merino, just enough color to liven it up a bit.  I had just borrowed the drum carder from the center, and was really happy with the results.  I don't know why I didn't even try a sample, but I didn't.

I left the picture a little larger than I normally do, it is a good representation of the colors.  And then a close up of the bobbin half full.  I have enough to make 2 good sized skeins 2ply, and I have enough of the Silver Shetland to use for contrast.

I am thinking along the lines of a shawl that is mostly this lovely blend with silver accents, and I think I am going to be weaving it!  I have not woven with my handspun yet, but I have knitted with it several times.

I will post about the full forgotten bobbins later on this week,

Until next time, Happy Weaving, Tina

So Simple Sock

I have noticed, even if you haven't, the absence of my sock project pictures for the month of April.  I believe that with one sock barely past half way, this pair will have to do for April and May! It is a lovely sock pattern with lovely yarn, I think I just have no drive to knit on them!

Maybe it is because I finished the shawl, and I feel a little lost, maybe it is because Lou Ann got me spinning/plying/combing fleece again, maybe it is because my mind and internet searches are full of Nigora Goats.  I don't know, but it is not the socks fault!

A simple sock, in fact it is the "Noro Silk Garden So Simple Sock".  I am using a different yarn that is just scrumptious, "J A Woll Color, Aktion " put out by Lang Yarns, I love these colors with the simplicity of the design.  Most of the leg is 3/1 rib, which continues down the foot.

 If you look closely at the front of the sock there is one rib that is 4 stitches!  Every seventh row I simply do that one cable!  Love it!

Why then am I not knitting them!  Probably all of the above reasons and more!  Life is full around here, and since I gave myself permission to stretch these socks to May, I am breathing just a little easier!

Until next time, Happy Weaving, Tina

As Promised

I finally found my supported spindle, and was able to spin up that lovely bit of  Nigora Top!  It spun up like a dream!   I was surprised at how easy it was to spin, even negotiating the few neps that were there was not a problem.

As they say a picture is worth a thousand words!


On Tuesday, Linda is going to bring a clean larger sample, and I am going to bring my combs. We are going to play just a little with the fluff while others weave.



I forgot to mention that a Nigora Goat is a cross between an Angora Goat and a Nigerian Dwarf goat.  The resulting goat is said to be dual purpose, milk and fiber!  The fiber does not have the lanolin that is present in sheep breeds.  That, my friends is why I am so interested in this fluff, I cannot handle fibers that have lanolin in them for very long, my skin will turn red and blister if I am exposed too long.

I am loving this research, and I know that Nigora's are hard to find, but I just might have to find some!

Until next time, Happy Weaving Tina

Playing with Nigora Sample

My dear friend Linda gave me a small sample of her goat "Kami's" fleece.  I was thrilled to see that there is no lanolin like substance in the fleece.  I am allergic to lanolin and had to give up my Shetlands several years ago, because of it.  I washed it in Euclan as soon as I got home yesterday, and by the evening it was dry enough to handle.

This picture is a little blurry, but I think you might be able to see the small guard hairs among the fluffy stuff.  I set to work de-hairing the sample.  It is a bit tedious, and I think that I could just comb it with my Viking Combs, and the hairs might comb out, but that will be for another sampling. (I might research some of the other breeds that have guard hairs, and how their owners handle the fleece.)

Fluff!





                                        Hair!

Here they are side by side.  The amount of hair you see is not just from that bit of fluff, there is more fluff that has been partially de-haired.   The fluff is much, much finer than the hair, and I suppose I could leave the hair in, but I think I will like the finished product much more without the hair.  Once I finish de-hairing, I will pull out my combs and see how it does!




ETA!  I have some pictures of the processed Nigora.

Here it is in the comb, almost finished!

Here is the finished Top!   It is not perfect, I know, there are a few little neps in there, I think that a 4 tine comb set might be in order to comb this really super fine fleece.  I wish I could convey just how soft it is, it must be like angora rabbit!

Maybe later this week I will have some spun up to show you.


Until next time, Happy Weaving, Tina

Farm Stuff

This weekend I have been working on fencing in the wooded area of our small "farm", so that the goats can have fresh grazing.  I finally finished it up this morning, whew!  Pounding posts and stringing fencing is not for the faint at heart!  I took some pics this morning of the latest things happening around here.

This young lady has decided that she would like to hatch out some eggs, thank you very much!  She is the same breed as my roosters so I am going to let her do it.  I checked last night and she had 1 egg!  If only I had know she was going broody, I would have saved her a couple of her eggs from the last couple of days!

 The Pyr Pup is very careful not to disturb!  I am not so sure about the goats however! They are likely to pluck her feathers out!  If they really start doing damage, I can close up that door to keep them out.

I got this nice shot by taking 2 pictures in a row, at the sound of the first he perks up his ears and sometimes he will cock his head to the side as well.

Here he is checking out the woods with the goats.  They are still very watchful of him, but at least they don't move around all bunched together now!  He is in with them full time now, and he is doing very well.

 He was introduced to my in-town grandchildren this weekend.  Again, he was wonderful.  My 4 year old grandaughter M pronounced that he was "Indescribably gentle"!  Of course she is comparing him with Scout, who is a wild woman! No word about who is owners could be, I will give it another couple of weeks, then I will proceed with the neutering and he will be ours, and we can name him.  Dear One likes Duke, and I don't.  The in town grandchildren like Skippy, I don't.  I like Hagrid, they don't!  We are at an impasse!  Good thing we have a couple of weeks to think about it!

Finally, this is a shot of the playing field.  It was put to the test on Easter Sunday.  It was the site of the Easter Egg Hunt, it was the soccer field, the wiffle-ball field, and the Crochet field.  It was wonderful to have so much room to use for the kids!

Dear One is right, it looks so much better than the garden gone wild of years past!


It is lunch time for me, and then I will go upstairs to the fiber studio to re-thread a loom, and maybe do some wool combing.  It will be much gentler on my body than pounding fence posts into the ground was!

Until next time, Happy Weaving, Tina

First day back to work!

I had my day planned.  I would feed the chickens and goats, take my run with Scout, then feed her when she was quiet.  I had already hung out the clothes to dry, and straightened up a bit inside.  I had planned to go straight to work re-threading the white 12/3 cotton warp that is on the little Leclerc.   I wanted to take out the center 2 motifs and just have a twill in the center of the towel, and a motif in each corner.

 There are 4 motifs in this original threading and I think it is too busy. I think it would make stupendous napkins in all white.

That is not exactly how my day went. You see, I found something while Scout and I  were running this morning, or I suppose I should say he found us!

He is 7 to 9 months old, and sooo skinny!  He has ribs showing!  There is a collar (too small), but no tags, I took him in to the vet to see if he has a microchip, he doesn't. ( I had him dewormed while we were there!) I have called the area vets to see if he has been reported missing, so far nothing.

He is a Great Pyrenees, but so thin he doesn't seem it!  I don't want to put him in with Scout cause she is just too dominant, so I fenced off a section of the goat pen for him.  We did spend about an hour with the goats, and unlike Scout, he behaved himself wonderfully!  No chasing of goats or chickens!  I am going to put a notice on Craigslist for the owner, but I don't expect to find one.  In the mean time we will fatten him up, and see if we can place him with some nice folks, that just need what is going to be a gigantic dog.

This is what the goats thought of him. There was much stamping of hooves and huffing.  He would just wag his tail and pay them no mind. It was hilarious!  I am waiting to see what Dear One has to say on the subject, but we really do not need 2 big dogs!!!

I did get to that threading late in the afternoon, I hope to be weaving samples on Friday so that I will have something to post over on Loomy Tunes!

Until next time, Happy Weaving, Tina