Having Lambies in My Jammies

For a while now I have been making regular trips to the girl's shed to check on everyone and see if there are any new babies. Frequently in the middle of the night or early in the morning I go down in my jammies just to check on them.  This cold weather is really brutal on newborns.  Last night though, I just couldn't get to sleep and when I finally did, I slept like a log - all night.

First thing this morning, I threw on my work coat and boots and ran down to check on everyone and guess what?

      

Hazel surprised me with twins, even though I had told her it was fine to wait another day or two till the temps warmed up a bit.

       

The little ram lamb had some how slipped in between the stock panels that the lambing jug is made from and the piece of plywood that I have set up against it (to keep them from coming through the stock panel of course)  and gotten himself quite stuck.  He was ok, but rather chilled.

     

So in the house we came for a little warm up and a small bottle of colostrum.  Don't ya just love my polka dotted jammie pants?

    

Didn't take long and he was ready to go back to momma who took him right in and added to his breakfast.  Now, if it will just warm a bit before the other girls get busy.

 

  

 

The Love of the Process

       

       

       

       

       

                                     

       

       

        

Sometimes a picture says it all, or a series of pictures at least.  This is what I made from that little bit of fluffiness that was in the last post.

TADAH

        

Here's the final pictures of the sweater that pretty little Liza and I made together.  She is such a sweetheart.  I wish all my sheep were more like her.  She is a BFL/Finn cross and so friendly.

        

                                                    She is also scrumptious.

        

I'm looking forward to next year's fleece and all the fun we can have with it.  I have a hard time letting some of my wool products go.  It's just so special when you have had the chance to nurture the animal and have done every step of the wool process yourself.  It's truly an art form that expresses your inner being in some ways.

A Little Activity

I'm finally feeling better.  I'm sure it was the flu as the morning I came down with it was the same morning I finishd up a round of antibiotics from a sinus infection and I also had all the tell tale signs;  was terribly achy,  fever, and a very unhappy stomach.  So glad that is over and that I felt up to doing a little more today though.

I actually think I did a bit too much, even though I only did a little bit.  That is I did a litttle cooking, a little bit of outside chores,a little bit of laundry, a little wool combing, a little wool dyeing, a little carding, and a little spinning.  

Here is the result of the dye bath.   I had a hard time starting to spin this.  It just looked so neat the way it was.  I do believe dyeing batts is about my favorite part of the entire process, next to baby lambs being born of course, but we have a month or two still to wait on that.

     

Raging Combs

                                  

Here's a picture from the Raging Combs class I took at Fiber Fling.  It was taught by Susan MacFarland.  It was a fun class and I left only bleeding a little.  She brought lots of differrent kinds of fiber for us to practice with.

                                  

A Little Update

Here is the first skien toward my sweater.  Only 6.6 ounces and about 280 yards.  I have a lot more to spin and I need to decided on a set pattern, which usually means how I " plan to wing it."   

                           

                           

And here is a little something I made the other day.   I need to work on learning more about felting.  I enjoy it, but have a lot to learn yet, like how to make a really durable item.  I may just have to break down and buy that book I've been looking at.

The Beginning Of a Sweater

Now to start spinning.  I haven't spun anything for myself in quite a while.  I think a sweater or vest is called for, especially since the weather is turning cooler.  I promise photo updates soon.

Something New

I've been wanting to try my hand at felting.  

              I do believe I like it. 

                                  

Here's a peek at the inside.  I made the cover by wet felting some of Amos' wool, then I needle felted the front.   I had to run to Cape today to pick up some fabric for a project I'm doing for our church and while there I picked up a few things to make a purse and coin purse.  Hopefully there will be more pictures soon.