Oh Boy-O, Its FARM DAY!!!

http://www.jacobsreward.com

The day before I turn the big 3-0 I'll be spending some time with my yarn-y friends at the Little Red Barn on Jacob's Reward Farm in Parker, Tx. This will mark my second monthly visit. It was just a month ago that I really got the knack of spinning. I told Cindy, "There's something magical about this place because I am spinning so well here!"

It was definitely the support of newfound fiber friends, the sweet alpaca watching over me with their big baby eyes, and of course, the Little Red Barn itself.

Now I'm heading back to Parker, just outside of Plano, for some more spinning and knitting action. I've got a pound or so of fine merino roving that I need re-carded into something smoother that will be easier to work with. So, perhaps this weekend I can expand my knowledge of the world of working with fiber. Maybe my next obsession will be carding fiber into roving and batts myself. Oh Boy-O, this is going to be fun!

Simple Saturday

When work and play clash

I have little energy

Yet, knitting remains.

Rolling out of sleep

Stepping into the morning

Coffee in the fridge.

Looking back on snow

Rejoice for the rest given

Look forward with love.

Behold the wonders

The wonders of creation

Seeps through me and out.

Why do you stare, dog?

Do you want something from me?

Oh, you need to eat.

Draft, spin, give, treadle

Twist, pull, slow down and speed up

Create something great.

Poetry this way

Fingers counting syllables

Try to make funny.

Saturday simply

Is a long day for some folks

Choose your day today.

Wordless Wednesday

Catching the Bug

Angora rabbits! Angora fiber! Bun Bun Heaven!

I've been doing some research and I'm quickly falling in love with these fiber producing rabbits. As some of you know, I've had a rabbit before, Mr. Bun Buns. He had a past and he was not the happiest guy. Luckily, I found him a home where teenaged pet-lovers could tend to him and hopefully see him enough every day that his demeanor would change for the better.

Now I'm catching the bunny bug again. Ever since I got my Ashford Traditional spinning wheel for Christmas (2010) I have been working with fiber and spinning it into yarn. I have had dreams of working and living on a farm with pygmy goats, chickens, horses and now... fiber-producing animals. So, what better way for me to ease into this out-in-the-sticks lifestyle than to just go ahead and get a fiber-producing animal that can safely be cared for at home, without 4 acres?

Enter the Angora Rabbit. Research has told me that there are some differences between Angoras and other rabbits (pictures could have easily told me that, duh). For example, they are bred to be more passive and docile than other rabbits due to the frequency in which they must be brushed and groomed. Mr. Bun Buns, bless his heart, HATED to be touched, especially on the hips where he had a past injury. So brushing and grooming this creature was a task. One time, as I was preparing to brush Mr. Buns, he lunged out of the cage at me (as I sat on the floor), mouth open, incisors bared, in order to protect his precious territory. I guess he didn't like the nail clippers I was hiding behind my leg. I should have known that he sensed my fear.

Erik and I talked about it and he is the one who is concientious about the money in the family, as he should be. And he recognized that having another pet is having another expense. I just thought to myself, how sustainable would it be to have my own fiber producer in the house? I wouldn't have to pay someone else all my hard-earned cash on fiber (as often), I wouldn't have to pay for shipping, I'd be taking the equivalent of 1,562 delivery trucks off the roadways, and I'd be taking the equivalent of 80, 904 lbs. of CO2 gases out of our air! All because of one sweet (herd of) Angora rabbits!

New Beginnings

As the snow melts into slushy stuff on the roads, our hearts warm up as the sun shines from above. The future husband and I went out of the house, that's right folks, OUT of the house for the first time in five days since the big freeze on Jan 31st.

Janie and I are now members of the Textile and Fiber Arts List (http://www.tafalist.com/) and you can find our member profile here. Thanks for snooping around.

Telegraph Canyon Freezes, but Not Tam.

Why does Tam from Telegraph Canyon NOT freeze in this scenario? Oh, because she's wearing some awesome, hand-knit fingerless mittens that I made for her so she can rock the block on her fiddle while remaining toasty as... uh, toast?

Even though the fan pic (provided by Jose from Gingerman) is not the best quality, you can see there, off to the left, that Tam is snug in her stylish mittens. They go so well with that jacket, if I do say so myself. Thanks Jose for the pic!

Don't forget to visit Gingerman on Camp Bowie in Fort Worth for trivia every Thursday night at 7pm.

A Record in Tresuries.

Must be the fact that so many people are snowed in. All they can think of is to sit in front of their fire, computer in lap, cruise Etsy, and create treasuries.

Today is pretty exciting because I've been featured in five, count them, five treasuries! Hopefully this boosts some sales now that I'm offering 10% off PLUS free shipping until Feb 20th, when I celebrate my 30th birthday.

The items featured from my shop (http://dye2spin.etsy.com/) are Mustard Greens Wool yarn , Better Belize It wool roving, Blueberry Afternoon Alpaca roving, and Deep Purple wool yarn.