I wove these recently but they are from a warp I dyed several months ago. Can you tell that the warp was folded in half while I applied dye? Each half became a scarf.
These are the two pieces just off the loom before wet finishing.
These cotton shawls are also woven on the same warp. I used a lighter weight cotton weft for one.
This is a tencel scarf. There is another but I haven’t finished the fringe yet. The photo below gives a somewhat better idea of the iridescence to the pieces.
These are weavers at the end of the V-Shawl class I taught last weekend.
The exciting part of this shawl is the back so we always have to have that view. Fringes were left to finish at home. The shawl that is still on the loom in the photos is finished now! These are beautiful pieces.
This was another morning when I got up before the others and went for a walk. I headed south and saw flashing lights and road closures. There was a half- marathon scheduled to begin in about a half hour.
Screenshot
I thought I’d catch the start and headed south and east.
I like seeing these well maintained older houses. What I’d really like is to peek inside.
I took this photo from that small park that shows on the map. I realized that the traffic control people had disappeared and there was no sign of a race. I checked my phone and found that it started in Golden Gate Park.
I walked back in that direction. This is the NDGW Home where we were staying–not the one on the corner, but just to the left of the palm tree.
I started to see spectators. I was amused by this sign and asked to take a photo.
These runners came through before we saw the lead motorcycle and bicycle accompanying the first in the race. I learned something after looking up the logo on the yellow shirts.
There were more of the yellow shirts along the way. They are part of Achilles International, an organization made up of people with disabilities who want to be active and people who volunteer as guides. There were two guides with each athlete.The athletes I saw had signs that said blind or deaf or both. After watching awhile I went back to the Home to join everyone for breakfast.
Our Retreat was only a week ago now but it seems in the distant past because I’ve been so busy. Catching up with my photos since, as I’ve said before, this blog is in place of a scrapbook. Blog post of Day 1.
I decided to get out for a walk before everyone else was up. I didn’t have a plan except to explore some of the streets and head towards a park. This is a view looking north from Buena Vista Park.
A screenshot from my phone showing my route. I like this app because I can figure out where I’m going as well as track the details later.
When I got back to the Home most people were in the dining room and ready for our customary breakfast–PIES! With apple, pumpkin, peach/berry, lemon custard, quiche, and a couple of breads, I think all the food groups are represented!
We gathered in the parlor for more spinning and knitting time with plenty of good conversation. As our group expanded we gathered all the furniture in this room for our circle.
By late morning we had a plan. Most of the group decided to check out some yarn stores. Two of us decided to walk into Golden Gate Park and go to the deYoung Museum.
This was one piece of art along the Golden Mile in the park. Another is visible through the center.
I took lots of photos in the Museum, but include only a few here. It is so easy to take dozens (or hundreds) of photos, but in reviewing them I wonder why I did. Most can be deleted.
There are a few pieces that I like to remember. The photo doesn’t capture what I saw. I was taken by the perspective–the back part looked so three dimensional but it is only the lower part that really is.
This one makes me wonder WHY? This is part of an exhibit of glass art, but I don’t understand the dog attached upside down to the table.
A contemporary Diné (Navajo) rug called “Sailing the Cosmos”.
This one is created, according to the sign, of “yarn affixed to a wax covered board”. You can’t tell from this photo but when you see it close up you see the individual strands of yarn, not sewn, not woven, just in place to cover the board.
The description of this one says something about exploring where the boundaries of tradition and innovation begin and end… Cotton warp and weft; plain weave with symmetrical knots, wool pile, and cotton fringe. I couldn’t tell if the lower part is coils of yarn (reminding me of the piece in the photo above) or if they are attached in some way.
I was impressed by the detail in these pipes carved of walrus tusk.
We ordered dinner in on this night and had a few intense games of Battle Sheep, another Retreat ritual.
The rest of the evening was spent relaxing in the parlor.
We plan our Farm Club San Francisco Retreat for a weekend that is after shearing and before lambing. We were introduced to Native Daughters of the Golden West by one of the original Farm Club members who was also a member of NDGW. Members and their guests can stay in “The Home” designed by Julia Morgan and built in the 1920’s. This time thirteen of us gathered for the weekend and three others met up with us on Saturday.
Since Farm Club members are scattered around several counties we couldn’t all meet here to carpool. Four of us left from the farm and decided to check out SCRAP on the way. SCRAP is “a non-profit organization working at the intersection of arts, eduction, and the environment”.
This building holds an amazing amount of STUFF that has been donated–all things that someone could imagine using for an art or craft project, however wacky it is. There is a complete list on the website of what they will and won’t accept. I have included just a few photos here, although it is very difficult to portray what it is really like inside.
We spent a couple of hours here and then drove to our destination.
A feeling of serenity after the chaos of SCRAP. This is the room that I had for the weekend. We usually don’t spend much time in our rooms because we are gathered in the parlor, the dining room, or on an adventure of some kind in the city.
We ate dinner at a Mexican restaurant within walking distance of the Home…
…and spent the rest of the evening in the parlor spinning and knitting and visiting. To be continued…
Two rams got in with the ewes on September 1. One ewe was cycling and was bred (as confirmed by the vets on ultrasound day. We knew that she would lamb in the week between Shearing Day and the Farm Club Retreat. I went to the barn the morning that we were going to leave and found lambs!
Lambs up and nursing, just the way I like to find them! Good job Hailee!
acobI brought the lambs and ewe to the barn. The ewe lamb weighed 8.3 pounds and the ram weighed 11.2 pounds. Dan was happy because he didn’t have to be on lamb watch while I was gone.
After I brought the ewe and lambs in went out to move the fence and let the sheep into a new paddock.
Even though the sun was up, the fog started to roll in again.
First daffodil, brightening up the gloom of fog!
I was gone from Friday through Sunday. I took this photo Sunday evening. The next lambs aren’t due for three weeks.
Check out the previous two posts for Shearing Day photos and info. Here is one more post.
The last group of sheep is gathered waiting for shearing. Farm Club members did all the work of gathering sheep and passing them off to the shearer.
I had spent a lot of time cleaning skulls so that I could offer them for sale. Most of these will be in the shop and/or on the website.
Roy, Hank, and Gynna help every year at shearing.
Two people brought Shearing Day Cake! Both were excellent. Maybe this has started a tradition.
We work on shearer time. When John called for a lunch break everyone was willing. We’ve seen so little sun this winter that this was a real treat.
I think the sheep also enjoyed the sun.
Meridian Hunter, officially still a lamb since he was born last March.
Meridian Elvis is a yearling. He is a light lilac. “Lilac” is the term Jacob breeders use to describe a sheep that has grayish markings on the face instead of black. That coloration is also in the wool.
We work up the next morning to thick fog.
The new BFL ram that we call Clancy (although he is registered under another name).
Shearing Day was yesterday. I have far too many photos for one blog post. Starting with the beginning, the night before.
Lots of barn cleaning and organizing. One of the last things to set up is the shearing corner. This board has been in use for many years, labeled so that it never is cut up to use for something else.
The evening before shearing Dan and I went to Trish’s farm, a few miles away, to pick up her 24 Jacob sheep. With sheep in full fleece it took two trailer loads. After shearing they all fit in the trailer with room to spare. These are Trish’s three rams.
I put 10 or 11 ewes in each of two stalls for the night.
I recognize this ewe’s hairdo from when she was here last year.
John began with Trish’s rams.
As John was shearing the three rams we moved the ewes from a stall to the shearing corner. The shearer doesn’t want to stop once he starts, so we do our best to always have the next sheep ready.
I woke up early on Shearing Day so I could finish the prep for the day. One of the jobs was to get all of our rams into the shearing area before people got here. While John was shearing Trish’s sheep I worked on the rams, vaccinated and trimming hooves on all. That way I didn’t have to think about catching them later to deal with that.
After Trish’s sheep were loaded back into the trailer John started on our six rams and the wether.
In the meantime Farm club members started gathering our ewes. This photo shows what a fabulous day it was, after so many days of thick fog. We were really lucky, because that drippy wet fog was back today.
I am fortunate that I have such a willing and capable team of people.
Sheep are in the lambing area and this will be the next group to move in.
Thanks to Roy Clemes for sharing some of the photos I used here.
Shearing Day is Saturday and I decided to try and have the skulls ready to put out for sale. This is a work in progress. Others will be offered for sale as DIY projects because they are not as clean.
I just finished a warp with ten baby blankets. My niece will get first choice of these, because she wants a gift for a friend. Then they will be offered for sale.
Speaking of weaving, I finished these scarves last week. These are woven using Art Fiber Frenzy yarn, in the style of the class I teach, Wild and Craze Weaving–Breaking the Rules.
Sheep at sunrise.
I entered a photo on the last day the Farm Bureau called for entries. Mine was selected! You can probably figure out which is mine.
This photo shows one reason coated fleeces are priced higher. Not only do they need changing at 4 to 5 times each year, they also require constant vigilance. I took this photo a few nights ago when doing chores.
I don’t know how the leg strap got through this hole.
Fortunately the ewe wasn’t injured and this hole won’t be too difficult to fix. I had to just get through four more days until shearing.
The last batch of sheepskins came back. These are available in the shop and are listed on the website.
It was a foggy morning and the fog didn’t lift until mid-afternoon.
The sheep had already been out before I walked to the pasture so they didn’t bury their faces to start grazing immediately. It was a good opportunity to take sheep portraits.
Yearling ewe, Meridian Zoe, a 4-horn lilac.
Meridian Hailee has a nice wide spread to her horns.
Meridian SallyR, a ewe lamb.
Patchwork Amara, a lilac ewe, who came from Patchwork Farm in Georgia.
This is yearling ewe, Bide a wee Bobbie Jo, one of two ewes I got last summer, originally from Oregon.
Meridian Lenore, another lilac ewe.
Meridian Pecan. The ewes born in 2020 didn’t get as much handling as in other years because that was after my accident and head injury. They were all a bit nutty and that’s why most of them have nut names.
Jannie, a ewe whose horns took an interesting twist.
Corri-3, one of the three Corriedale ewe lambs I got in September.
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