Sister Visits

When I looked at my blog today I noticed I had a draft of one I never published. Don't ask me why, because I don't remember. This was around the first part of summer.

We are still bottle feeding calves. It is so funny to watch these calves come running to their bottles. They will jockey for position at the gate and butt their behinds into a calf that they feel like is invading their space. When Spunky, who is the youngest, gets done with her bottle, she will suck on anything else she can get in her mouth. It's usually one of the other calves ears, but sometimes its my shirttail! They are so funny and sweet!

My sister, Sandra, who lives in Orange County California, came to visit with her son Colton. Here is my beautiful sister styling and profiling in my mucking boots.

Colton got a lesson in tractor driving by Uncle Randy, and they both got a taste of bottle-feeding calves.

The Story of Wool

Hey there! Long time no see! :-) I know, I know, I haven't blogged in a while. I've just been so busy. What with the garden, and incubating chickens and quail. Also lot's and lot's of family get-togethers, canning and processing, and of course, spinning and knitting.
Speaking of spinning (glad you brought that up :-)) I'm starting a new spinning project. Today I opened up a new bag of wool, and it is gorgeous. I haven't ventured into the world of raising my own sheep, shearing and processing it from start to finish. I can usually find a good deal on eBay for some that is ready to start spinning.

This is what I opened up today.

This is some gorgeous superwash merino with about 30% silk. It is deliciously soft and I have a pound of it. :-)

Poor Ginger, she thought this might be nice to nap in, but she was denied. Sorry Gingin.

First I divide it up into eight equal piles.

Then rolled them up into easily managed balls.

Now I'm ready to start spinning. 

Before I do that let me real quickly show you what I just finished. This was a pound of 100% Shetland wool which looked pretty much like the merino superwash above before I spun it up. And this is what it looked like after I spun it. Believe me, it IS as soft as it looks.

This was of course before I dyed it.

This was after I dyed it a soft red. 

Brittney once wrote a two part story about the memaw who loves red. :-) 

And now I shall start spinning so, to be continued...