More Cuteness in Texas

Posted on February 4, 2015 by Robin

After a too-short visit here who was waiting at home:

Visiting Texas

Posted on February 4, 2015 by Robin

This is what I did for the last 5 days. These are just my i-phone photos and it was hard to narrow it down. I still have the other photos to go through. First taste of yogurt. Not a big fan. Helping in the kitchen while I made cookies. Sleeping on Mama’s lap. Carrots are better than yogurt. Ready for the Superbowl. Asleep with me. Trying to catch a ride home with me.

Random 1030 photos

Posted on January 29, 2015 by Robin

I had a good time with this post of random photos so here is another. Jazz (#1030 ) is another one of my ewes. Here is her photo and a bunch of other photos that come up when I search 1030.Jazz as a yearling.

Jazz with triplets.

I took this at Pinnacles National Park when we camped there last year.

Chris showing his goats when he was a sophomore in 2006.

A handwoven vest from the new book Weave, Knit, Wear, that I just got into the shop…the book, not the vest. But I tried on the vest at TNNA and it fit me. Matt & Kaleena in 2009.

Benny & Katie 2002 Katie and Benny in 2002.

Ginny Across the Road

Posted on January 26, 2015 by Robin

Have you seen Rusty’s blog with photos of Ginny and Maggie playing? They look fierce there. That’s a different kind of play than when they go for walks. This is the third successful trip Across the Road With Three Dogs. I think we’ve got it down now that Ginny will walk on a leash without trying to play with the others. Once we’re to the dirt road along the canal I can let her go and all three dogs run free. I don’t worry about Ginny as long as she is with Rusty and Maggie. She stays right with them.

When I take my camera Across the Road my walk could not be considered a workout. It turns into a pretty leisurely walk because I get easily distracted by envisioning things in photos. I guess the dogs like that because we’re out longer.

Can you believe this blue sky? What a day for January! But it’s very troubling that we haven’t had any rain since December. Another thing about a blue sky–it shows up the slightest dirt on my lens or in my camera. But I’m too tired to fix it now.

Distracted

Posted on January 16, 2015 by Robin

I am updating my sheep info in my sheep database. I am looking through the manual to pick up on the stuff that I haven’t figured out or noticed yet–entering photos, entering ancestors of sheep I didn’t breed, etc. I am exporting photos so that they can be entered properly. Searching sheep by # and/or name in Aperture, my photo program. As you can guess from this blog, I like taking photos. I have A LOT of photos. Entering #868, a sheep named Clover born in 2008. Not too many photos of her but when I search 868 dozens of other 868’s pop up–of course these are photos that have 868 somewhere in the file name. So here is a random idea for a blog post and, in my opinion, a better way to “waste” time than on Facebook because I like looking at my photos. Maybe some of you will too. Here is the 868 I was looking for. I wonder if I should put the rest in order by date or not… I think I’ll go with random. One of the wool blankets I wove for my recent show using Sincere Sheep yarn. This is Katie, about 6 years old, and Sequoia, a calf who was born prematurely and I raised on the back porch for months. That’s my first Border Collie, Flash. Kaleena (DIL) and Matt (son) and Guinness and Sam a few years ago somewhere in the El Dorado National Forest. Dan, Matt, and me in my once/year 5 km run to support Kaleena and research on ovarian cancer. This is Chris and Meryl and Matt and me (Kaleena must be taking the photo) taking a Duck Tour in Boston on the way to Katie’s wedding in VT a few years ago. A handwoven blanket of Jacob yarn on Mom’s rocking chair. Spotted in the pasture. My cousin, Kyle Vincent, (who has a new album out) performing in our barn. Christmas in 2013 when all my kids and spouses (and spouse to be) were in one place. Leaping lamb. Chris selling a hog at the auction at the Solano County Fair. He looks young–maybe a sophomore?Tencel scarves woven in advancing twill that made an issue of Handwoven a couple of years ago.

Well, that’s it for 868, Clover. This was fun. I may do it again.

Another View of Shearing

Posted on January 15, 2015 by Robin

I wrote a post about Shearing right afterwards but now I have Farm Club member, Dona’s photos to round it out a bit more or just to give a different perspective. All of these photos are hers. Farm Club members getting organized on a chilly morning. Sheep getting organized. There was a lot of Farm Club help and lots of visitors. A wonderful thing about Jacob sheep is the variety of fleeces from mostly black… …to mostly white… …to some of each.

Gynna was one of our sheep wranglers, feeding sheep to the pen where Stephany had them ready for the shearer. Alison was at the skirting table all morning teaching FC members and other visitors about evaluating and skirting fleeces. An important part of any fiber gathering is the food. We wouldn’t want to starve in the three hours it took to shear the sheep. This is the pot of vegetable chili I made and everyone else brought wonderful side dishes. After shearing we could enjoy lunch. That’s our fabulous shearer, John, on the right. And everyone else are FC members. We missed getting Kathleen and Jackie in the photo. It’s hard to corral this group. (And somehow we missed Rusty. I think he was lying in the sun after a long morning of watching sheep crouched on the concrete floor.)

Amaryllis was grateful to NOT be part of the action. After shearing there was still time for FC members to do additional fleece shopping……and other shopping. Lisa was one of many FC members who helped in the shop so that I could spend time in the barn.

. “Is it over?”

TNNA 2015

Posted on January 13, 2015 by Robin

TNNA is The National NeedleArts Association and there is a trade show every winter. This year’s was in Phoenix where I met up with my friend of 35 years, Irene who owns Cotton Clouds.

We stayed at the Hyatt… …and here is the view from our window. Kind of makes me think of Ghostbusters. But wait……Here it is as I saw it without the aid of the camera.

We spent Saturday and Sunday on the show floor. I hadn’t planned to buy anything for my shop this year because it is already pretty full. But there were some things that I couldn’t resist.

This is just to pique your interest. I will be selling these kits and developing a new class in this technique for making very cool scarves. What a way to use up leftover yarn! Sincere sheep cormo I already sell Sincere Sheep’s Bannock Targhee yarn but then I saw their Cormo yarn that is grown and spun in Wyoming. How can I choose from all these colors? I really can’t have them all. Sincere sheep cormo (1) These will be in the shop in a couple of months. I saw the “Olympic sweater” in person. This sweater was knit with very soft wonderful yarn that I sell here and that I used in some of the pieces in my November show.

Irene and I took a class taught by Judith Sangold who wrote a wonderful book called Weave-Knit-Wear which I will have in the shop shortly. An advantage of taking the class was that we got to try on the garments that are in the book. They all fit me just right!

There were photo ops…

In the Spinning and Weaving Group’s booth with Liz Gipson, promoting Spinzilla……and with Irene. Hey, why am I wearing the funky hat and she didn’t dress up?

This is in the Lavishea booth. I’ll be getting new scents of this great lotion bar. Is there something about us that says The Beautiful Hero and the Weird Sidekick?Speaking of weird, what about this book? I love some of the projects in it. How about a knitted moosehead to hand over your fireplace or a knitted wolf head hat? Hey, I’d wear that scarf. Did you know that I made my husband a cow tie once complete with head and tail? But that’s another story.This is Irene and me sandwiching a new friend who also designs kits for Irene but whom I’d never met.

And speaking of yarn, here is more that I bought:Unfortunately this lovely lady won’t be coming home with it because she had to return to England. The yarn is called Titus, after Sir Titus Salt who became important in the burgeoning textile industry in Yorkshire in the early 1800’s. It is a wonderful blend of Wensleydale, BFL and alpaca. I couldn’t afford to buy bags of all 13 colors but will be getting these 4 as well as packs that include all the colors in small quantities.

Here is one more photo of Irene and me. I just learned how to use Instagram and this is my first photo on it.

After getting home I emptied all my loot out on a couple of tables. Can you believe that I got all of this into my carry-on suitcase along with my clothes?

Ginny – 3 months old

Posted on January 9, 2015 by Robin

Ginny has been here a month and will be 3 months old on Monday. I still feel this pressure to turn her into a Well-Mannered Dog, but I think we are doing OK. I have decided that puppyhood is like condensing the childhood years from 0 to 15 into about 8 months. That’s how much time I have to get it right. She has a smudged face from rough-housing with Rusty. He is still stand-offish a lot of the time but he has his moments. In the early morning I can see Rusty playing with Ginny in the yard but I think he doesn’t want me to know. After doing chores Ginny and Maggie play (me bribing Maggie with treats) and Rusty will chase, but not get involved in the actual tussling. When I am finished at the computer it’s Rusty’s turn for a blog post and he’ll show the photos of this morning’s play time.Here is the doorway. Rusty is in his regular spot at the backdoor. Maggie has the mat to the right and Ginny has a couple of towels…and a stick. It’s a good thing that when Dan built this back porch he used two doors. We are now using the door to the right that leads directly to the laundry room because if you go in the usual door you have to climb a puppy fence. When we all go in I open that door for Ginny and the other door for the rest of us.

Yesterday I tried to take all three dogs for a walk Across the Road. That was a mistake. Ginny was way too excited and distracted and trying to play with Maggie and pull on the leash. Today I took her on her own walk and she did very well. This is the latest photo while I’m at my desk.

Shearing 2015

Posted on January 3, 2015 by Robin

Although we had a cold start the weather for Shearing Day turned out great and a lot of people came out to watch and to buy fleeces. Ewes before shearing. Farm Club members handled all the jobs. I don’t have photos of all of them but FC photographer, Dona, will probably have some for me to add to another post. That’s Stephany and Gynna who wrangled sheep all morning. Alison and others helped skirt fleeces that people purchased. Here is a view from above. Carol and Amy are in place to sweep between sheep and to let the shorn sheep out the gate.

John Sanchez has been our shearer for several years. The fleeces are always beautiful and the sheep look great too. He’s prompt and he’s fast too. He finished everything in 3 hours.Looking at this photo I wish that I’d done a series of photos of footwear. There are a lot of stylish boots in our Farm Club.

Jackie kept track of names and cards… Mary scooping fleeces

…while Mary scooped the fleeces into bags. All Farm Club members rotated tasks and helped all day–answering dozens of questions from visitors and also helping in the shop. Thanks to everyone: Alene, Alison, Amy, Betty, Carol, Dona, Gynna, Jackie, Janis, Joy, Kathleen, Lisa, Mary, Peggy, Polly, and Stephany (and to Judy for joining us).Jimmy is one of two wethers (castrated male) who was well marked so that the shearer would be told to watch for different parts while shearing off the belly wool.

Amaryllis was probably glad that she wasn’t on the shearing list.

This is what Dan made out of the pressure tank we had to replace a couple of months ago. It provided a welcome place to warm hands. Maggie behaved admirably all day.Rusty kept watch.Ginny was in the barn with us but had her own pen to keep her out of trouble.

Bags of fleeces for me to sort through. 937 Donna (1)

This is how I felt at the end of the day.

Ice

Posted on January 1, 2015 by Robin

The older I get the less I want to slip and fall. My body sabotages me enough without doing something that is more likely to break a bone. So on our hike yesterday I was very careful to avoid the icy parts on the trail. But not everyone else seemed to care so much.Sam on ice. Ginny on ice.Kirin on ice. Chris on ice.Meryl and Chris on ice.