Howdy Strangers!

For the few of you who still read my blog on those rare occasions when I post, Hello & Thanks for stopping by! It has been a busy time on the farm. The lambs are growing, and we are beginning to practice “fancy pageant walking” with the lambs that we’ll show at Black Sheep Gathering. This is always an adventure. Some lambs are much more cooperative than others. We have everything from the princess/divas who take to it naturally (rare), to “jumper/floppers” who vertically pronk for several minutes and then go flat on the ground, to those we call “Ghandi” - the non-violent, non-cooperators. We’ll be sure everybody is trimmed (but in a natural way), and lip-glossed (just kidding), and we’ll head down to Oregon with high hopes. We have some beautiful colors this year, & pretty faces, but the bottom line (aside from fleece quality which is 60% of their total score) is body structure. We’ll see how our ram, Esteban el Guapo, did as stud muffin. He’s from the original CVM flock in California.

I have been knitting up a storm. Finally finished making the Must Have Cardigan (a Patons pattern) out of mill-spun yarn from Helena’s fleece. It’s so nice & cozy to be wearing her. She was one of the original four in our flock, and is a treasure. Ten lambs in three years earned her a little vacation this year from lambing. Her fleece is turning a warm milk chocolate with bits of frost. It should be a very special fleece next year, since she’s not going through the stress of lambing & lactation.

The other current knitting project is a shawl from Olive, our yearling ewe who will be part of Spinner’s Lead with me (provided I finish the shawl) at Black Sheep Gathering. This is hand-spun lace weight, in which I separated the fleece into six shades of silver to charcoal. With beads. Mmmmmmm. The big news at our home is that we’re hearing the patter of little feet. . . four of them, actually (puppy feet). MollySchnauzer has joined the family & is under the care & teaching of Shaela, our gracefully aging Boxer. She is joyful & loves most everybody. She is such fun that we are considering a second. The only one here with reservations about the new family member is the cat, who is used to having a monopoly on mommy’s lap.

Oh, yes, and I have taken up viola. I suppose you could call it a “bucket list” kind of thing, but it’s just something I’ve always wanted to do. I recently connected with the teacher at Lynden’s new Jansen Art Center. Her studio is adjacent to the weaving/spinning studio, where I was demonstrating spinning. A pleasant conversation led to a new viola (from Doug & Brian), and lessons. I’ve had two so far. And now, Molly & I are often found practicing “Duet for Viola & Squeaky Toy”.