Spinning, Sparkles and Snow

I was going to write a blog post about some things we're working on around the farm, but then I was distracted by some spinning and knitting and the lovely snow.

How many inches fell where you are?  We only have about 2.5 inches but its very pretty.  It seems to have stopped for the day, but the wind is blowing things around out there.

Spinning....spinning batts....spinning challenges.  I was poking around in the fiber stash the other day and came across some pretty batts I'd carded last year at a friends house.  There wasn't alot, just a few ounces, but it was so pretty and so soft.  Corriedale, of course, both natural and dyed along with angora and just a bit of "twinkle". 

Then it just so happened that the lovely group at Ennea Collective mentioned a spinning challenge for 2012, and the first of those was spinning batts.  Well, it was just meant to be that I finish spinning these up, don't you think?  That's exactly what I did, and I loved every single minute of it.  Clean, soft, well prepared fiber, watching the colors glow and change as they slid through my hands and onto the wheel.  Sigh...delightful!  Let me show you a little bit of what I did to spin ~

In the picture above, you are actually seeing two batts but each has been divided in half giving me four lengths of fiber to spin.  In other words, sections one and three are from one batt and sections two and four are from another.  I did this for two reasons.  First to give me a more manageable amount of fiber to draft and spin and second so that I could blend the colors a bit more on the wheel.  I think you can see pretty clearly in the photo that I had more of the dyed wool in one batt than I did the other!   I spun one bobbin full in the sequence above - sections 1,2, 3 then 4.  I spun a second bobbin in the order of 2, 3, 4 then 1.  And then I plied them together.  Is that clear as mud?  LOL...do you even care ((grin))  Was I overthinking the process?  Maybe, but I like the end results, pictured below ~

About 364 yards, 2-ply, both spun and plied on my Louet S-17, medium whorl.  This might become mittens or a hat or a cowl, not sure yet.  Or maybe the Windchaser Shawl by Lori Law, from the same issue of Ennea.  I could spin some solid grey for the border.  Hmmm...my yarn is a little heavier than fingering, more a sport weight, so I may not have enough.  But wouldn't that be pretty?

This was such a happy project for me, thanks Ennea crew for suggesting spinning batts!

Here's another happy project, a knitting one.  At my LYS, Sip 'n Knit, we're knitting socks.  This is actually a pattern that I wrote up called Sip 'n Sock.  It's simple, really, just a basic sock with a coffee cup motif.  I wanted to do a shop sample out of a soft squishy yarn and we had been having those dreary grey days, so I grabbed two hanks of Cascade 128.  How's this for a bright sock, LOL!  I shouldn't lose these, should I?  The red is some of my yarn, leftovers from making mittens.  Looking at it now, I kind of wish I would have made the heel red as well.  I need to hurry up and finish the second sock so I'll have those to wear around the house now that the temperature has dropped into the teens!

Finally, here's what's next on the spinning wheel, another "finish-up" project of just four ounces:

This was named "Ugly Duck" by its producer, but I don't think its ugly at all!  Unique maybe ;)  Anyway, I came across this the other day, too, fiber I received in a swap and thought I just need to finish spinning it as well.  I'm pretty sure its going to remain a single.  And I think I need to check that fiber stash more often! 

I'm looking forward to spinning at Sip 'n Knit on Saturday.  Any of you reading near Ithaca Michigan, feel free to join us!  We'll be there from 10 am till about 2 pm.

Late Summer Passing

The summer, once it finally arrived, seems to be passing by so quickly! A lot going on in our daily lives, so I haven't posted much. 

The giant phlox continues to amaze, blooming now into its third month!

I thought I would catch you up with some summer photos.  Remember in my last post I showed you a wagon load of straw?  Well, thanks to some fine help (ranging in age from 4 to 8 to 33 - grandsons, daughter and son-in-law!) we unloaded it all and got the wagon cleaned right up....

Next, the second cutting of hay.  I wanted twice as much in the barn this year as I had last year (I think hay could be a bit scarce this winter).  I was so relieved when this scene ~

My husband keeping watch on the progress

Turned into this scene ~

Before this scene rolled in!

I even got to do rake part of the field!  Raking is turning the swath of cut hay over - flipping it almost - to let the fresh air and sunshine dry or cure the grasses so it doesn't mold and spoil in the bale.  You do this after cutting but before baling.  I love raking hay, its one of my favorite jobs, with plenty of barn swallows alongside for companionship, gobbling up bugs...

This tractor belongs to our friend, the hay farmer.  You can see the sky getting darker back behind the Burnham barn!

Four year old Elliot is glad the hay is in the barn, too!  We now have hay (both first and second cuttings) and straw filling both mows of the barn as well as this last load on the barn floor.  You can see we go all the way to the beams and nearly to the lower roof line - woohoo!!!  There may a third cutting of hay yet, but we won't keep any of that. 

A 2011 lamb can't wait for me to spread this straw around!

Having the top of the barn full of hay and straw not only will feed the animals this winter but will provide much needed insulation to the lower part of the barn.  This will be especially important this year because we are planning to lamb much earlier than usual - February, if the rams do their job!  Brrrr....

Along with all of this, we have had a bit of a garden to keep up with and some other projects I want to share more about in another post.  Now, suddenly it's September.  My youngest grandson (above) started preschool  (how?  when?  the time goes faster and faster....)

This week the barn swallows lined up in rows on the wires.  And now they are gone....

They left early this year. 

First Day of Winter

Here in mid-Michigan, we welcome the official first day of winter with an Alberta Clipper.

This on the heels of a massive storm that gave us over a foot of heavy snow two days ago. The bitter winds associated with today's storm is having a grand time blowing the earlier snow into monster drifts across the landscape. Its funny, Friday's storm blew in from the north east. Today it's coming straight out of the west. So the house and outbuildings are surrounded with the drifts and it is beautiful.

We are content, here at Serenity Farms, and thankful. We have food, hot coffee, warm woolen socks. I let the old mares inside to eat in comfort while above and around them (and the sheep and chickens and barn cats), the old barn groans and creaks but holds its own. Hmmm....much like my creaky bones! They protest, but thankfully they still manage to get me around ;D

I've got several little projects I have been anxious to share with you. First of all, my Bittersweet Serene Hands Mittens were sent and have been received my spoilee in the No More Hum Drum Mitten Swap 3. I love how these turned out! The pattern is my own entrelec mitten pattern but the color is what really made these, I think! Cascade 220 superwash wool is the main red, with some Orchard Hill Skinny Skeins as the contrasts.


(Sorry for the slightly fuzzy photo...but I kind of like the warm glow look of it) This is the third pair of mittens I have made from this (my own) pattern. It has also been knit by two other "test knitters" (Okay, they are friends from my knitting group, but they did knit and let me know of problems!) I am working on a pair now that I want to put a lining in, and am thinking I will add that feature to the pattern...what do you think? A bit more tweaking and then I will consider offering it to others. I have had requests, but hate to send it out into the world full of errors!

Now, here is another small finished object that has already been gifted and so can be shown...

This is a wonderful little project from a pattern I have completely fallen in love with! The Cabled Neck Warmer is available from my friend Joanne through her etsy store, Terrific Creations. I highly recommend this pattern, and Joanne offers wonderful customer service. It uses only 100 yards (or less in the case of my project) and has just enough to it to keep you interested, but easily enough memorized to work in busy situations. This was my second one, made over the course of two evenings but probably only a total of four hours. The first one I made was a bit to loose and floppy for my taste, so I went down a needle size for this rendition, using the same yarn (Serenity Farms blend of Corriedale wool and Alpaca from North Star Alpacas) and working one extra pattern repeat. It is perfect and the recipient of the gift seems to agree (it looks great on her, too, but I didn't get a photo of her modeling it) I am hoping to cast on another in a different yarn this afternoon. Or take a nap, I'm not sure....

The UPS man knocked on my door in the middle of Friday's storm. A small package was left behind. I quickly grabbed it up, thinking it might be MY mittens from the swap (which I still haven't received....nor have I heard from my spoiler....hmmmm) Anyway, the return address was California and I opened the box to reveal - not mittens - but YARN!!! Yummy, delicious, soft, lovely, beautifully spun yarn! Four skeins worth! A bit over six hundred yards worth! With a very sweet note from my across the country friend and "fiber partner", Tina at Take Heart Farm

This fiber is a blend we made from one of her angora goats, Jasper - his kid fleece. A beautiful strawberry blonde that blended so perfectly with our Violet's multicolored Corriedale fleece. I loved the results so much that it has never been offered for sale (keeping it all myself) and I even offered to buy Tina's portion from her. I understood why she declined, wanting to have some of Jasper's fiber for herself. Then, along comes the fiber back to me in this sweet gift of yarn! Could anything touch a fiber person's heart more than that?!? Thank you, thank you Tina!

In the note Tina included with the yarn surprise, she encouraged me to make something wonderful from it. Oh yes, surely I will!!! But what? I was thinking of more mittens (for myself this time) A scarf...but then I discovered just what it will be! I'm sure you are dieing to know what, aren't you? How about this:


"This" is the Trinity vest from the fabulous, fabulous, fabulous new book by Lisa Lloyd "A Fine Fleece". Do you have this book yet? Have you seen this book yet? Quick, put it on your last minute Christmas wish list! Or if you receive a gift certificate to a book supplier of any kind, treat yourself to it! I didn't take any chances, I got a copy for myself that arrived just a week or so ago. I can't put it down! I can't (or couldn't, till now) decide what I wanted to make first! I just keep drooling and dreaming (this is all fueled by the Ravelry group devoted to the projects in the book) Anyway, Trinity only requires 600 yards to make the smallest size of the vest and though I am definitely not the smallest size, my dear daughter is! So, the plan is for a lovely vest for her.

But not to be cast on for until the first of the year. I am still finishing a pair of special socks for a special friend (hope to deliver them in time for Christmas) and then I want to finish my Fiddlehead Mittens and my lined Entrelec Mittens. I would like to pick up my Wrap Me Up Shawl and get that finished (so close on that one, too!) And trying to find time for some spinning. I'm looking forward to Christmas, and am keeping myself immersed in God's Word as the winds of the world swirl around me, and finding Peace there. Peace and Joy ~ oh such Joy! How can so many Christians walk around with sour faces and sour attitudes, petulant and defeated? I'm not trying to be judgemental, I just don't understand how. We serve a living, loving, all-mighty triumphant Lord!!! What about that is there to be defeated about? And if you are feeling that way, turn to Him! Tell Him how you are feeling, draw near to Him, let the winds of His Mighty Spirit lift you!

My prayer for my Christian friends this year.

And if you don't know this wonderful living Saviour of mine, please offer Him a place in your heart this Christmas. Just offer Him the chance to show you what His love is all about! Even if you have tried before, and thought it not for you...give Him another chance. He has not turned His back on you...He is waiting. If you have been to a church, and didn't find Jesus there (only groups, and social networking and rules and disapproval) then try another church and another until you find Him! Or maybe, sit down in a quiet place all by yourself and speak to Him. He will be there. You will find Him. (Now, you won't usually find a call to salvation here on my blog, though I would never hide my Christian beliefs. But today....today I just felt the joy in my heart to much not to share!)

Last of all, a final finished project to show, this one created by my daughter.


The wonderful Heartstrings pattern, Cascading Hearts Faroese Shawl. She made it for her grandmother, my mother, and many of you know that Mom has been ill this year. We have many afghans and quilts between us, gifts crafted from Mom's hands. Nakia wanted this one to be a gift back to her Grandma, a hug for those times when she couldn't be there to offer one in person.

From one heart to another, looking forward to Christmas!

Stained Glass Window...or Mitten

The mittens I made for the No More Humdrum Mittens 2 swap are finished. What fun they were to knit and I already have another pair planned for myself. I don't really like this shot (below) but it does show the different colors pretty well:



I much prefer this picture of the mittens making a snowball before getting ready for their trip to my swap partner in a different wintery state:



In the photo above, the mitten on the left is turned inside out because I think it looks pretty cool that way, too! Details:

Pattern: Honeycomb Mittens by Jean Newsted, from the book Homespun ~ Handknit (love that book!)
Yarn: Mostly Cascade Yarns Bollicine, 100% extrafine shrink resistant Merino wool in various colors. There is also just a little bit of a special handspun in one mitten that I won't talk about here...until after my partner receives the gift ;)
Needles: Size 4 Addi Turbo (knit Magic Loop style)

Though the pattern is called Honeycomb, I think that in this colorway (which includes most of my partners favorite colors!) it looks more like stained glass.

This was such a fun, no-stress knit a long...if there is a third, I would really like to be a part of it ;)