WARM SOCKS, COLD FIRE

 I snapped this picture of a recently finished pair of wool socks sitting next to the wood stove in the winter sunlight.  No fire going that day, so I called the photo "Warm Socks, Cold Fire" and thought it was a good title for this first February post of 2014.  As always happens in the new year, I'm full of fiber, spinning and knitting goals that generally fall by the wayside but I've actually done pretty well so far this year including finishing these socks and getting some wool off to the mill to be spun into sock yarn.  Can I continue???  We'll see...

Our dear Ainsley is the Corriedale ewe who contributed the wool to make the yarn for the socks above, and a little while ago I had the camera with me while I was in the top of the barn moving hay.  Always one to be near the food, I looked down and saw her watching me so took this picture of her, now the second oldest sheep in our flock, after Violet.

She's always had those grey markings on her muzzle, including the white at the corners of her mouth - looks kind of like a horse wearing a bit ;)  Her entire fleece used to be the dark coffee bean brown of her face, but its more of a hazy grey now and not as long as it used to be.  She is quite the character and a true mascot for our flock.

I'll leave you with a warmer fire, and pray that wherever you are your feet are warm and dry and your coffee nice and hot.  Hope to be back soon with more progress pictures on the needles and the wheel...