Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Please let it warm up!!


Things are slowly greening up around here but we had some snow again last night and the temp got down below zero. The snow is melted this morning and the sun is out but it is not that warm out. I keep putting my plants out in the day and bringing them back in at night as it is too cool to plant them out permanently. Sunday Mothers Day was such a nice day we went to the local berry farm where they sell trees, plants etc. with the thought I was going to bring all these plants home......plant places should have have animals too...too distracting for me. First we found a potbelly pig in one of the greenhouse, RH said we are not getting a pig! (been there done that)I thought ...maybe if I said I was thinking about getting a pig and he would be so upset about it....and then ( I knew they they had bought some Baby Doll sheep) I could say....well I will get a sheep instead and he would be sooo relieved not to have the pig....that he would say yes to the sheep. All of a sudden here came four beautiful Bantam roosters marching through the greenhouse, they looked like someone had groomed them, I need a new rooster for the girls and these were so colorful. I did get a rhubarb plant, it is supposed to be the sweetest around but after I seen the animals the list of plants I had in my head disappeared. I could not find the sheep so asked the owners where they were, they said they were away at the farm having a holiday as they had just been sheared......you have already guessed what happened next....yup.....I asked what they did with the fleece..... they said do you know of anyone that spins and could use it.....well I now have two large bags of Baby Doll sheep fleece!! One bag of white and one bag of dark wool. I said I would spin them a skein of each color in exchange for the fleece. I have to go back with a list of what I wanted in plants....a list written down on paper....(and I am whispering this)......I also want to see the sheep, will try not to touch them.....as I have sticky fingers....and animals have been known to stick to me. Not much in the way of fibre stuff has been going on except the same old sock knitting, always have some on the needles. I did card some wool I had dyed purple at one time, had to take a picture of it coming off the carder as it looked so beautiful with the light from the windows shining through the fleece. What I have been doing is cleaning house, like really cleaning house...moving stuff to clean behind and under plus all the light fixtures. After all the working on the basement all winter there is dust all over. Have to stay at it while I am on a roll, as soon as the weather smartens up and decides to warm up it will garden work and fibre work. Well am off to clean some more....am finding all sorts of treasures hiding....like a large bag of cashmere roving....when did I buy that???? That is one good thing about getting older and forgetful.....you do not have to go to the store to shop.....just clean out the corners occasionally and find all the neat stuff you forgot you have!!

Monday, May 4, 2009

Snow is finally disappearing



Am I right to assume that winter is finally gone and we have spring?? O.K.....I am assuming...so am going to plant some seeds today...and put out mouse bait at the same time as last year we had a fight over whether they were my seeds or food for mice....this year I am determined that they are my seeds and they are going to grow!! My tulips were up about four inches before the last snow covered them...snow finally melted off the flower beds a few days ago....and the #%$#$%&*&^%$ mice had chewed some of them off. I will have to wait a bit to see what damage is done to the rest of my perennials, at this time I am trying to stay calm...and not say anymore bad words. I stopped in at a greenhouse yesterday but controlled myself and only bought a geranium....now I probably have at least twenty-five geranium's living in my house already....but I did not have this color....I have to confess to a plant stash too.
Have not accomplished much in the fibre area as I have been trying to get the downstairs sorted out and cleaned up as the ceiling is finished and everything moved out of the center of the room, did card up and spin a bit of the white alpaca I got back from the mill but not really happy about the wool I mixed it with, it did not turn out as soft as I imagined it would, because they just washed, picked the alpaca and put it through the dehairer it is also full of static so is hard to handle, have mixed fabric softener with water and have sprayed it on the batt after I card it but I think maybe I should spray the alpaca fibre first with the softener and let it dry before I card it and see if it makes a difference. I did get four pet beds made up with the fibre that was too coarse for spinning, just have to put the two buttons on the casing to cover them and they will be ready for the market stash. Our farmers markets start the middle of June so are coming fast!! Well off to plant some seeds!!