Fiber Arts Friday: Mohair

Soon after my trip to Stitches West, while I was cataloging my take, I was feeling inspired to make something with some of my new yarn.

This Japanese Mohair+Silk yarn is very special.  I knew it had silk as soon as I walked into the booth.

The people working the booth had asked me what I planned to make when I purchased the yarn.... I had no idea other than it would be something to go around my head, because I love the smell of silk.

I decided on a simple pattern that would feel lacy, without having much lace.

After playing around with the pattern, I decided I didn't like the color change, so I decided to make the piece with only the gold yarn.

After working on it for a bit and ripping it out, then starting again a slightly different way, ripping it out again, and then starting a completely different pattern, I have decided that I don't love knitting with mohair... or at least I don't love knitting with mohair lace weight yarn and the needles I was using.

I think I need pointier and smoother needles.... even though I was using Addi Turbo Lace needles.

I do love the colors, so maybe these will be better for a weaving?

The last time I used a mohair lace yarn, I added it to a thicker yarn to give a little fuzz to my SantaClava's beard... so maybe that's another idea.

In the meantime, this yarn has been sent to my stash.

Happy (frustrating) Fiber Arts Friday.

Spring!

I love this time of year.... aside from the mud.  ;-)

My cherries and apples are on the verge of leaving out.

 

My plums have started to flower.

The pasture is delightfully green.

We haven't had a freeze in a little over a week, and there's no indication of freezing over the next couple of weeks.

Spring is here!

Fiber Arts Friday: Shave 'Em to Save 'Em

Have you heard of Shave 'Em to Save 'Em?

It's an initiative sponsored by The Livestock Conservancy to boost demand for rare and endangered sheep.

The project awards people for completing projects containing the identified breeds.

Each breed is to be worked on it's own, but can be combined with other breeds into a larger project.

I love the idea.  Especially since the basis for the initiative is the same as the basis my projects.  I think it's very important to understand each breed/type on its own before combining or blending with another.  Only when working with a single-sourced fiber, can you truly understand its characteristics and therefore understand the best uses for the fiber.

Sheep Breeds:

Prior to today I have spun the following:

• Shetland
• Southdown
• Lincoln
• Navajo-Churro
• Jacob

While I do have a lot of interesting and unusual fibers in my fleece/roving stash, I don't have any of these rare sheep breeds in anything prior to finished yarn.

The Shave 'Em to Save 'Em initiative officially started in January of this year and runs for three years, ending on December 31, 2021.

If you're interested, register to participate on the Livestock Conservancy Website, then learn more about the initiative on their Ravely Group.

If sheep aren't your thing, take a look at The Livestock Conservancy anyway.  Their mission is to protect all types of endangered livestock and poultry from extinction.

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!

Landslide

On the eve of my birthday, I heard this song on the radio... Landslide by Fleetwood Mac.

I've been a fan of Fleetwood Mac for almost as long as I can remember and this is one of my favorite songs.

I have a couple of their albums on my iPod (yes, I still have one of those), and this song, in particular, always gets me in the feels.  I can't help but stop what I'm doing... and... just listen.

Nearly every time, I am brought to tears.... and since I'm getting older too, this song gets to me even more.

Fiber Arts Friday: Diversification

After I learned that the Fiber Celebration was cancelled, I've been spending more of my available time working on other projects.

Isn't it funny how the removal of a deadline allows for the diversification of activities?

In this photo is Pussy Hat #9, Twined Mittens, Rill Scarf, a cashmere version of the Surfinia Wrap, and a couple starts on my own designs.

Clearly I have a preferred color palette, but this diversification of projects makes me a happier artist.

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!

Mud Season

Mud Season has arrived... and for the first time since buying our farm, I have mud season appropriate boots.

and shoes.

These Sloggers are easy to slip on and off and are also made in the US.  Hopefully they last a few seasons.

At least I won't have to wear my (awesome, -20F) Sorel Snow Boots on warm days this spring.

Don't say I don't have my priorities straight.  lol.

Fiber Arts Friday: Twined Mittens, part 3

The second mitt is going much faster than the first.

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!

Travel Reading, part 4

My last installment was focused on Agriculture and Dogs.

Being that we are farmers and raise dogs, I have a good-sized stack of books on these topics in the queue.... and being (mostly) from Colorado, I've heard about Dr. Temple Grandin for a long time.  She is a professor at Colorado State University, who's Veterinary Teaching Hospital is one of the primary reasons we located in Northern Colorado in 2009.

A friend had the opportunity to hear Dr. Grandin speak recently which got me looking into her schedule and publications (autism, livestock).

I've added a couple of her books to my library.  Animals Make us Human is the first to read.

Each chapter is dedicated to an animal type... Dogs, Cats, Horses, etc.  But each chapter covers more than just the type identified.  She talks about family relationships, and how domestication is believed to occur.

I especially appreciated the discussion about symbiotic vs mutualistic relationships between humans and dogs vs humans and cats.

She also talks in depth about the Blue Ribbon Emotions (Seeking, Rage, Fear, Panic, Lust, Care, Play) and that we as keepers should be working to maximize seeking and minimizing fear thru the environment we provide for our animals

In this social media world we live in where "everyone is an expert" I find it refreshing to read a text with cited references and objectivity.  I love scientists because they are clear about what is known and what is not known... there is skepticism around certain techniques, but allowance for why they seem to work in some situations.

Nothing is 100% right or wrong.  Scientists know this, where social media posters don't often seem to understand it.

Animals Make Us Human is definitely worth a read... Especially if you don't understand why your animals are doing certain things.