Author: Nikol

Gorgeous fiber from Zeilinger, just listed on artclub.etsy.com. 3 Local mixes, 2 hand dyed, and one sturdy, trusty mystery wool:

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade artclub.etsy.com

Club members & would-be club members, please come to spin! We do have student wheels and spindles if you can’t bring your own. Bring some fiber to spin and a snack to share. (We also have Art Club fiber for sale if you’re in the mood to blow some cash.)

Please RSVP if you’re coming. See you here!

Directions

On Monday, Jennifer (Whirled Yarn–and a Yarn School teacher) let me come snoop around her place to see her animal set-up. The sheep and goats were all freshly shorn and naked and adorable. And her animals are so tame, and completely unbothered by her dogs. One of the big concerns with sheep out in the country is dogs–not wild dogs, just regular pet dogs, who tend to run loose, and who can chase the sheep for fun until the poor sheep just drop dead of exhaustion. But when your sheep are indifferent to barking dogs, they don’t panic and run like mad and die of exploding hearts (okay, not literally exploding, but you know what I mean). So if you take out the domestic dog element, then you’re just worrying about coyotes, which it seems are a little more predictable and probably a little easier to defend against with good fencing and practices. Another good argument for keeping doggies!

Anyway, her sheep are total teddy bears, and I couldn’t believe how gorgeous and black Daisy was sheared! And you should see her fleece! Long and dark and wavy, with a pretty sheen. I’m very excited to get her sister’s fleece pretty soon. Jennifer said she’s not as dark, but even the ballpark will be dandy. (Daisy & her sister, Chocolate Drop aka Fatty Pants, are from Ewephoria Farm.)

I got to check out her sheep barn and the big old barnyard they use in the winter, and the pastures they use in the summer. I got to ask all manner of stupid questions (my specialty). Aside from her friendly sheep and greedy goats, they also have a horse, a pony, several gorgeous adult chickens, 2 fabulous dogs, 3 energetic human children, and a bin of homely, awkward teenage chicks that are in that mangy quail phase (blogged here). It was very helpful to see how a smaller operation works. Tina’s setup is big and professional, and the Howes’ is downright ritzy, so getting a taste of a family hobby arrangement on acreage on par with ours was very heartening.

As we drove away, I realized I had my camera in the car (for a Slice of Kansas) and I hadn’t taken a single picture! Hopefully Jennifer will post fleece and more naked sheep pictures pretty soon. In the meantime, I’m cribbing one of her nekked sheep:

The Cuckoo for Cuckoobatts club batts are going out late again. I’m resolving to nip this habit in the bud and make April’s batt plenty early. It needs to be plenty early, or it will butt into Yarn School, which I definitely don’t want.

Speaking of Yarn School, I’m getting my house in order. Last week, assisted by hours and hours of entertainment of back episodes of the geek.farm.life podcast (my iPod boom box is the only think keeping my organizing on track), I finally tackled the Home Ec Room. And while it’s not Martha Stewart organized, it is Nikol organized and more or less ready to go. Here’s hoping I don’t fuck it up in the meantime.

I’m also working on January from One Year to an Organized Life (people who know me well are laughing and laughing right now). I’m 2 months behind, not because I’m sooooo slow, but because I didn’t get the book until this month. January is about the kitchen, and last week I moved my pantry into a lateral file with slide-out shelf-drawers, which makes for a rocking pantry, relatively mouse-proof and crammable, since you can see everything on the shelf from above. I’m about to start Week 4, the first really nuts-and-bolts assignment, the firm organization of the kitchen. I need to pain my cupboards before I can really reorganize everything, so I’ll probably tackle the cupboards this week and the main assignment at the end of the weekend. Wish me luck.

Pattern: Improvised. Started as an EZ seamless yoke backwards (top-down). But it was way too bunchy. Afterwards, I unravelled it from the collar down to the pits and reknit with more even shaping–basically decreased every 9th stitch every 4 rows, then did a couple rows of short-row shaping in the back under the collar to raise the back collar up a bit.

Yarn: Beaverslide Fisherman in Bison, about 2 1/2 skeins, plus 3 or 3 ounces of handspun from one of my first yarns.

What I learned: unravelling backwards with increases SUCKS and I will not do it again. If I could do it again, I’d snip across a row and unravel in the correct direction. Unraveling increases backwards means you have to unknot every increase stitch instead of just zipping along in the usual way. Nightmare. I think the problem was that they were M1 instead of kfbl. I’ve unraveled those backwards & don’t remember this level of misery.

Also, the EZ seamless yoke does not suit me. I don’t know if it’s my lack of breasts, or if I have weird shoulders or what. But yuck. I don’t get why it looks so cute on other people. I think maybe busty real estate re-arranges the fabric to eliminate the bunches.

Here’s the original bunchy yoke:

And here’s the new one:

In other news, I’m trying to get the Home Ec room (aka my craft room) sorted out and it’s a nightmare. But I’ve been devouring old episodes of geek.farm.life podcast on my little ipod boom box, which makes it all a bit more pleasant. In fact, I’m going to get back to work rignt now!

Well, shearing day kind of made up for fiber retreat gaff last weekend.

Marilyn & I went out to Ewephoria Farm in Lawrence yesterday to help skirt, bag & label the fleeces from the sheepies that were being undressed. Ewephoria farm’s just south of Lawrence, about an hour from my place. Tina & George are just delightful, and they let us tag along and see how it all works. It was such fun! I also go to see the llamas Carmelita & Aphrodite running across the field. I can’t believe how gracefully they run! They look feather-light, their little hooves curving daintily under as they glide through the air.

They didn’t shear everyone yesterday, maybe a dozen or so? But one of the sheep in question was the spotted merino ram donor of my beautiful new fleece.

He’s the dainty-nosed charmer I met a couple of weeks ago when the Spinsters Club visited Ewephoria Farm. Here he is with his little wool outfit still intact:

I love how the greasy merino looks like lava on the outside. His little jacket just came off, which is why he’s so clean. He’s a very sweet guy, like a big, goofy dog. Now here he is naked:

What a difference!

And here’s his glorious fleece, still warm:

Tina bags them in clear bags. Look how pretty!

I think this is destined to become a colorwork sweater. And a closeup:

I also a lovely fleece from Ninny (ewe), a spotted Merino ewe with an adorable freckled face.

Not quite as fine as Mr. Fabulous, but an absolutely dreamy dark color I want to eat up with strawberries and whipped cream on top!

The rest of these aren’t the same sheep all the way through (next time, I’m going to take a minute-by-minute shots of the same sheep, so you see what the process looks like beginning to end), but they’re representative, so you can get the idea.

Before Romneys (The Romneys aren’t coated, but there was very little VM in their fleece & Tina skirts pretty fearlessly–Marilyn & I kept asking “Does this go out?” and the answer was always to chuck it. I wish all the fleeces I bought were so nicely skirted. Marilyn had a better instinct for skirting. I think I was a little timid because have the stuff we were chucking was nicer than stuff not skirted out of allegedly skirted fleeces I’d bought in the past.)

So here’s how it went. Tina or George would go into the little side yard next to the barn where all the girls (and a few boys) were waiting, grab one, halter her, and lead them out. Then–Darn it, I forgot his name!–the nice man shearing them would deftly roll them onto their butts, holding them with his whole body and shearing at the same time. Most of them didn’t bat an eye, and lolled docilely throughout the shearing. For all I know, they were resisting, but it looked very natural. I think the sort of wrestlers’ grappling hold hindered any resistance, and they were mostly pretty experienced with being sheared (or could watch while they waited to see it wasn’t a big deal and their flockmates returned unharmed a few minutes later). Once on their butts, they looked like big, fat, woolly teddy bears, and they’d just sort of stare idly around, no fearful rolling eyes or anything.

He started with the belly, and you could tell right away some were pregnant. Others weren’t as obvious, and the 3 of them would conjecture. Then the legs.

Then he’d start at the top and kind of work down and around the body until it was like a lady climbing out a fur coat in slow motion. You know, a goat-lady. Or maybe a snake shedding her skin is a better analogy. Except yuck! Or an orange peeling. You get the idea.

You can see the cut side, which is the lighter, free, crimpy side that is falling off the shoulders. The grease holds it together into more or less on piece on the outer side. At the bottom , you can see the outside of the fleece, which is generally darker on light colors and lighter on dark colors.

And he seems to do the whole thing in a pretty fluid, continuous movement.

Afterwards: Live! Nude! Sheep!

He’s waiting for his shot. He was very patient.

Then they get their shots if they didn’t already, George or Tina examine anything that needs checking, maybe trim a hoof or two, and back in they go. It all went very smoothly, with one exception. I think it may have been that white sheep in front, and it was my fault. I did a pretty fair job of holding them steady before and during shots, but this one got huffy after her shot, and I gave her too much slack on her little lead and she threw a little hissy fit. I got in the way repeately and apologized lamely while Tina and the shearer wrangled her back into the pen. But it was all over in a minute or less, and nobody shamed me about it.

In between each animal, they rake the carpet, and Tina gathers up the fleece, skirting up big hunks of it as she goes. Then it goes up on the skirting table (the top of which is a screen covered with half-inch mesh hardware cloth) and gets skirted some more, and second cuts get shook out and either fall through the holes or get brushed away. Afterwards, there was a wheelbarrow full of waste fleece next to the skirting table and another next to the shearing carpet. The cheapskate in me got a little of the impulse that always made me wrap up everyone’s restaurant leftovers and take them home. But I was taking home two huge, beautiful fleeces that I’d bought, and who needs a Hugo when you’ve got a Rolls Royce? (As sensible as that is, not hoarding ANYTHING is very contrary to my nature. But I’m working on it.)

Not everyone got sheared today.

The handsome lass on the right wants to come home with me.

Lambs! These little moorit cuties were tiny last time I was here.

Mama & baby Merinos.

The little boy wants to come home with me, too.

Without grain for bribes, I got a lot of pictures of sheep butts.

And if that’s not enough fibery goodness, I just got 3 of my tops back from Zeillingers! They’re all lovely and I can’t wait to spin them! They’ll be for sale this weekend at artclub.etsy.com.

I’m such an asshole. I can’t believe this. Months ago, I signed up for a fiber retreat for next weekend. I wrote it down on my calendar, and I’ve been looking forward to it with all my heart. I booked a rental car, I made a little list of what to pack and a little folder with my confirmation postcard and my class schedule and required supplies and printouts of the emails with information and driving directions.

Except none of the information in my little folder had the dates on it, just days.

And just now, Ron was complaining about daylight savings time & I said no, no, it’s next weekend, daylight savings starts during the fiber retreat. And of course when I went to look it up, I realized my error. Two days into the retreat, 3 classes missed, all the money paid (it was a bargain, so it’s not too much money, but it ain’t exactly growing on trees around here), and too late to bother going out for the Sunday class (it’s a 4-5 hour drive and the class starts at 9am, so I could either get to the camp at 2am and wake everyone up or leave at 4 in the morning; and even I’m not stupid enough to drive 10 hours round trip for a 3-hour class).

And this whole time, I’ve been looking at the web site, anticipating my classes, seeing who the teachers are, getting totally excited, never realizing my mistake.

Last time I registered for a workshop, I had to cancel for work commitments for a stupid job that I never should have taken, and now I do this. And I love hosting Yarn School, but it’s not like I ever get to just relax and enjoy it for more than 5 minutes before something needs my attention.

Yeah, so I suck. I’m going to try to quit bawling and blow my snotty nose. I feel like throwing up.

Help me destash! (Follow this link for prices, quantities & links to ravelry profiles.)

1. unknown silk with fake pearls 1 hank, 2. Filatura de Crossa Anna 9 100g balls, 3. Jo Sharp Soho Summer 10 balls, 4. annaclose.jpg, 5. Bucilla Tapestry Wool 2 hanks, 6. Jo Sharp Silkroad Tweed and Laines du Nord Giunco 1 ball each, 7. Berroco Denim silk 3 hanks, 8. Knit Picks Alpaca Cloud 1 hank, 9. Knit Picks Alpaca Cloud 1 hank and partial, 10. unknown silk with fake pearls, 11. Bucilla tapestry wool 1 hank plus partial, 12. Elsabeth Lavold Angora 2 hanks, 13. Schoeller and Stahl Microcable 8 balls, 14. Schulana Morbido 8 balls, 15. Jaeger Chamonix 2 balls, 16. Jo Sharp Soho Summer 10 balls, 17. Elsabeth Lavod Angora 2 hanks, 18. K1C2 Angora Soft 10 balls, 19. Colorado Yarns Durango 19 balls, 20. Rowanspun Chunky 1 hank, 21. Colorado Yarns Durango 19 balls

Today I’ve been sewing. I’m working on little recycled flannel cinch bags for some batt & spindle kits I’m making for the craft magazine store. They’re made of old flannel sheets. I decided to go with French seams because: 1) I don’t feel like wrestling with my neglected and ancient serger; 2) the pinking shears hurt my hands; and 3) I think French seams are just nicer, don’t you?

I  haven’t quite  figured out the 100% best assembly order for my own little one-woman sweatshop, but I’ll think I’ll have it down a few bags from now.

Kevin has set up a little printing room under the stage, so I’m thinking of getting him to screen print them, or showing me how. I’ve done some very small scale screen printing, but I’m not what you would call expert. Let’s face it: I’m barely adequate. I’d be adequate for maybe a first-time middle school art project. Which really might be kind of what I’d be going for with this print. Or I might try a gocco print, but I’m not sure how gocco will interact with flannel. Only one way to find out. Except that: where’s my gocco? It’s around her somewhere. (Story of my life: it’s around here somewhere.) Or I might monogram them. I have a fancy monogramming embroidery machine, after all. That might be cute. Also the most time in the doing, though less in the set-up.

Anyway,  assembly-line question marks aside, I’m pleased with them. Once you’ve spun up the batts inside, you can use it as an on-the-go spinning bag or a small knitting project bag, or one of those little bags you loop through your belt or over your wrist to manage your yarn when you’re knitting on a stroll. Yay, reuse! I so love packaging (such a weakness of mine) that I’m always pleased when I can minimize the disposableness of it without sacrificing cuteness.