Tour de Fleece!

I joined the Tour de Fleece yesterday, just a little bit late. My goal is fairly modest, to finish spinning the last quarter of my Spinners Hill Rhinebeck fiber, and then to ply everything. It’s the perfect goal because it’s not so ambitious it will kill me, but it’s really important I do it very soon, so that I have time to design and knit my Rhinebeck sweater before I get too busy with our August residents and preparations for Fall Yarn School.

The Spinners’ Hill batt (I only have about a quarter left to spin):

The stuff that needs to be plied:

I started my Tour in the chicken pen, where Bridgette made herself at home in my lap as long as I’d let her. Like spinning with a cat in your lap, it can be done, but it’s a little weird and annoying.

Bridgette is healing well, but my attempt at letting her join the general population has been postponed. Initially, she did really well. The only chicken after her was Inara, but as long as Bridgette dutifully ran away when Inara loomed, she’d leave her alone and go about her business. But then Faith, who has been a broody pain in the neck for the last couple of weeks, hauled her fat ass out of the nest box long enough to attack, and unlike Inara, Faith was out for more than just respect.

For the record, Faith is a dick. She’s the one who pecked two of the baby chicks so bad their eyes swelled shut when they were all just ONE DAY OLD! I had to make her a separate brooder and keep her apart from the others until they outgrew her enough that she was too short to peck their eyes (every time I tried to put her with the others, she’d immediately leap at their eyes). Until now, she hasn’t been a problem since then, but man is she all over Bridgette (who, consequently, is one of the two she attacked when they were chicks). Faith drew blood and got Bridgette so worked up that she dove straight into my lap for protection.

Since then, she’s been way too chummy, hopping on my lap or arm or shoulder every chance she gets. It’s kind of adorable, but keep in mind that chickens have pretty sharp claws, so having one on your neck isn’t the most cozy sensation around.

Peanut used to hop on my shoulder as well. She was the smallest one, as Bridgette is now. I’m sure being on higher ground (on, a higher human perch, as the case may be) makes them feel more secure. Anyway, my new plan is to go back to penning Bridgette separately morning and evening for the next week to let her better heal (and bringing her in most of the day and at night) then moving her in with the other girls but moving Faith (and anyone else who attacks–I’ll have my eye on Inara and Buffy–the others are either docile or subservient) into the separate pen.

Hopefully, this will keep her from becoming a big ninny who can’t remember how chickens are supposed to act. As it is, I’m going to need to add an extra couple feet of chicken wire to her little pen, because she’s figured out how to jump up above the wire and through the cattle panel to hop on my arm. I’m also going to avoid hanging out in her pen like a neurotic mama–I was only in there to watch out and rescue her if anyone tried to peck open her wounds. Once her feathers grow back and her wounds close up completely, I’ll be way less nervous about her.

Her feathers are already coming in on her intact skin, but the wound is still an ugly and delicate mess:

Anyway, despite all the chickeny commotion, I was able to accomplish a little successful spinning. I think I’ll be able to finish this off and start plying by the end of the week.

P.S. Partly due to clouds, partly poor attention/engineering on my part, the solar cooking is on hold for a bit while I get my act together.

P.P.S. Cuckoobatt Club shipped earlier this week, except for Joanne’s. I’m doing your custom Blue Streaks tonight & they’ll be in tomorrow’s mail. (Yes, that’s June. Yes, I know it’s July. At least I’m only getting closer to being on time. I was actually ready to go Friday, but I forgot my post office was closing early for the holiday weekend.)