I taught a carding class this morning. The participants created roving by combining 3 multi-colored batts and also carded blends of wool and alpaca and silk.
Unfortunately I didn’t get any photos of the finished products, but I did photograph the small balls that I carded after everyone left. This is from the waste that was left on and under the tables.
I taught a weaving class this weekend. Welcome 3 new weavers to the community!
I have irrigation water coming on tomorrow morning at 7 a.m. (It comes through Solano Irrigation District and I have to call when I want the water “on”–in my ditches.) Irrigation has been a struggle this year. Even with the water on for 36 hours there are some paddocks that have died back because I can’t get water to them. Part of the problem is probably the old culvert–too deep and too small. It is half filled with mud that I can’t get out. I taught a weaving class today but after that we went out to tackle the problem.
Dan dug the culvert out with the tractor.
For tomorrow’s irrigation the water will be running through the ditch. Eventually we need to replace the culvert with a bigger one.
After setting up the tarps to keep the water in the ditches I checked the paddock where I experimented with burning medusahead. This is the plot that my son burned early in the season. He didn’t think it was effective but the medusahead is still gone.
The area of trefoil is where I burned the medusahead that was growing over it. This is some of the area that got water but that medusahead is still thick. I hope the pasture plants will choke it out.
This is some of the area that I haven’t been able to irrigate. Not much forage there and look at the medusahead cover.
Medusahead closeup.
Here is the trefoil that would be a wonderful replacement for the medusahead. Hopefully irrigation will go a little better tomorrow and we’ll get water on those dry areas.
I have been spending a lot of time learning how to work efficiently in i-photo. I still have about 30 G of photos to move from the PC to the MacBook. I won’t bore you with dozens and hundreds of photos of my really cute kids as they were growing up, but here are two photos I like.
This is my Mom at about the age that I am now (notice no gray hair) with Marie, the Merino and other friends. That goose is Honky if I remember correctly.
Here is the whole family 20 years ago. The kids are now 30, 22, and 20. The rest of us are just older. Dogs = Brandy, Flash (adopted Border Collie) and Dog.
OK. One cute picture.
I have new projects on all three looms. That’s exciting!
This is a warp for 2 shawls. It is a mixed warp of cotton threads, a shiny slubby rayon thread, and Luna ribbon. I have already completed blue and purple shawls in my series of shawls for the Artery.
I know it’s 100+ degrees out but I’m getting a head start on the projects for the winter and I couldn’t wait to try out my new yarn. This is the newest Jacob yarn (1 ply black and 1 ply light gray)–not even labeled or on the website yet–and the project is a v-shawl.
I have been low on baby blankets for quite a while and while this warp may not help when someone needs a “boy blanket” it should give me several for girls–it’s 24 yards. Someone called today looked for a “neutral” blanket and I wonder if I weave with a blue thread if it could go for either. Here’s a small world experience. Yesterday I got an e-mail from a young woman New York who had been sent one of my baby blankets when she was a baby and her mother has been a regular customer ever since. The daughter now has a friend who is pregnant and wants to give one of the baby blankets. The call today was from the person who sent that first blanket to his niece in New York and now wants to send a blanket to Germany.)
I am still trying for those ram photos.
This is Granite.
Clint is still on the run.
The ram lambs that were born at the end of March are finally getting old enough to evaluate them with a little more confidence. I think it’s too hard to tell much about them before 3 months old. Now I can see the width of the horns on the two horn rams. This guy seems to have a nice wide horn spread. I’d prefer that he didn’t have white feet.
Here is another with a wide horn spread. If you don’t start with a wide horn spread at this age, very often the horns grow too tight near the jaw as the ram gets to be a year or two.
This lamb is turning out very nice and I may keep him. He is the last lamb born this year, the son of Clint and one of last year’s ewe lambs. He is a four-horn ram with good horn spacing, nice wool and some leg markings.
I’m trying to get some sheep portraits for a project that I’m doing.
This is Fran, a 3 year old ewe.
The rams aren’t so cooperative. They either stay in a tight group …
…or go running by.
These are my 2 new rams–not a very good photo but you can see the difference in size between Faulkner (BFL) and Hudson (Jacob).
This is Faulkner’s fleece.
I drove to Petaluma yesterday to deliver yarn, fiber, and buttons for a photo session with my favorite photographer, Paige Green. She is photographing items for use on the Fibershed Market place website to be announced shortly. I was amazed at the difference that reflector made for the photos. I want one of those. It was a pleasant afternoon with some of the other people involved in the Fibershed.
I thought the dog was a nice touch.
We had such a good time at Black Sheep Gathering this year.
I never thought that I’d have fun “camping” in a parking lot but when it’s with the right people at the right event it’s a great time!
I’m used to seeing the Jacob horns, but I sure noticed when I saw this Angora goat’s horns.
Sunday evening I left for Bend to pick up a Blue Face Leicester (BFL) ram.
Here is the reception I had at Tumble Creek Farm.
Robina’s BFL ewes come when called.
We set up a pen outside so that my sheep could get out of the truck overnight. This morning we loaded Faulkner in the front of the truck bed with the Jacobs behind.
As much fun as I had this weekend I’m always glad to get back to California.
Here are a few scenes from today’s events.
All the champion ewes and rams return to the show ring for selection of Supreme Champion. Theron and I represented the Jacob breed.
The winner was Terry Mendenhal’s beaufiful Merino ram, the third white sheep from the left in this photo.
The Spinner’s Lead competition was held in the evening after a huge potluck dinner. We were last of 18 entries and had the biggest applause of all (thanks, all you CA friends). Chris, Jackie and I all wove v-shawls from Jacob fiber and had a good story to explain all the details. It’s too late for me to explain more, so here is another photo.
We are having a great time! More tomorrow.
