Back from Holidays!

 Sleeping kids after being woken up at 5:30 am to depart

 Jared's face after being told we were just stopping for breakfast and then going home again :)

 Realizing where we are!

 Look at the stink eye from Jared -priceless!

 New friends!

 Mobbing mom!

 Handsome men in their bathing suits!

 Happy smiles after being waterlogged all day!

 MOM!!!!!!! You promised no embarrassing pictures

We surprised the kids with a trip to Great Wolf Lodge in PA. Lots of fun was had by all~!  It was fun to watch the kids from grumpy at having to get up to surprised to thrilled beyond belief :)
Back to work now but it was so much fun!

I SAID I was SORRY....

 "I'm not talking to you! I'll sit here in the middle of the floor so you know exactly how upset I am with you!"

He won't talk to me -he's still mad - His Lord Majesty Shenanigans is not speaking to his lowly servant (read slave) -I sat on the couch without looking and somehow almost squashed his lordship. I received a swift slap with the paw and got nipped for my crime.  I offered him food and worship but nooooooo we are on the outs!
And let me tell you when he is not happy he is more than capable of letting you know. 17 years of love and worship and it all goes down the drain with one slip up.  I keep telling him I still love him and we could snuggle on the couch but no deal.  He's still very handsome though and I love him to bits.

More spinning

Natural and dyed cashmere for a customer -nice and soft -superfine to spin though so takes hours to get anywhere LOL

Random Rabbit pictures

Out in the barn -nobody is properly groomed - the weather has been to crazy but I think my kids look fantastic anyways :)

 Madolyn -broken chocolate french angora

 Ms. Snippy -chocolate french

 Luella -chestnut angora french -a traditioanl wild grey agouti no rufus factor

 Boomer and Bopper -broken chocolate and black french

 Snapper and Eclipse -REW and broken chestnut french

Doodlebop -chocolate chinchilla satin angora

Gorgon Knot unravelled

I knew better -never ever leave yarn unattended or loosely tied. But the lesson apparently had to be relearned -three days of untangling later it is done!  250 yards of 2 ply cashmere. It only weighs 2.5 ounces too!
Its very soft but I love my angora more :)

More spinning

Love the multicoloured yarn effect :)  So do the customers thank goodness. One of my favorite things to spin -there is just over 12 ounces here -the bobbin was almost overfull but I got it all on to ply. It's for sale if anybody is interested $75 for the finished skein. I also have a smaller 6 ounce skein of similar yarn $35.

More Drop spindle demo

I love ccorrupting I mean teaching the kids spindling from a historical point of view. Today was a demo of medieval life and times from a textile and historical point of view. It was great to watch the kids try spinning, carding wool and figuring out how it all worked. They asked a lot of great questions about dyeing, spinning, weaving and even how the animals all fit it :)

It was a great day for me and I hope for the kids as well.  The teachers already asked me if I would come back next year so I think it went well :)
HUGs all
Kim

Happy Imbolc!

Brigid, (Brighid, Brigit, Bride,) the Celtic goddess who in later times became revered as a Christian saint. Originally, her festival on February 1 was known as Imbolc or Oimelc, two names which refer to the lactation of the ewes, the flow of milk that heralds the return of the life-giving forces of spring. Later, the Catholic Church replaced this festival with Candlemas Day on February 2, which is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and features candlelight processions. The powerful figure of Brigid the Light-Bringer overlights both pagan and Christian celebrations.

New rescue bunnies

Two lovely little bunnies who were an impulse purchase that quickly became a problem for their owners - they didn't realize they would have to groom them and clean the cages as often as they need.  They are suppose to be both girls but I'll let them settle in and then check.  They are pet store bunnies so one never know exactly what breed they are but they will make some great 4-H rabbits if they have the personalities to make them good pets.

Teaching spinning

I LOVE drop spindling and I love corrupting (I mean teaching) it to others :) Today 5 brave souls joined me as I got to do what I love to do spin :)  They all walked away very happy with their new knowledge and their ability to make yarn!

 And their teacher was thrilled to have been able to share her love of fibre and spinning. One of the lovely ladies was going home to her grandmother's spinning wheel ready to give it a spin :)

Still spinning

Working on this lovely yellow mohair blend from Maggie's Farm :) I'm hoping to start plying it this week and then see how much yardage there is - I have an idea in mind but it needs a HUGE amount of yardage so we'll see. It makes me happy to spin it though.

FO's and an almost FO

 Just need to finish shaping the brim for Meaghan and her hat and mittens will be done.

 A special request for a special friend :)

These are mine unless Lindsay gets a hold of them LOL

Turn the page....

Another year, another blank page to start a new chapter in our lives. A day to realize that no matter what is going on it is the little things that really matter.
A hug from my children, a wagging dogs tail, a smiling face at work these all mean more to me than anything else.
Wishing you all a Blessed and Happy 2012 -may only good things come your way but know that if there is darkness I'm there for you :)
HUGS
Kim

Litters in the barn -babies everywhere!

Here's some of the presents Santa brought to me -a lovely litter of French angoras and a fat and chubby bunch of American Chinchillas. And of course my own baby snuggled safe and warm with her buddy Dutch guarding her.

HUGS all

Stopped by a friends today

She has taken up rug hooking - I want her to teach me or in the spirit of the season let me take this spectacular rug home with me ;)
Its beautiful in its simplicity - I hate to think how many hours of time this took for her to do it though.

Happy solstice!~~

The food is put away for the winter,
the crops are set aside to feed us,
the cattle are come down from their fields,
and the sheep are in from the pasture.
The land is cold, the sea is stormy, the sky is gray.
The nights are dark, but we have our family,
kin and clan around the hearth,
staying warm in the midst of darkness,
our spirit and love a flame
a beacon burning brightly
in the night.

Sunday spinning

This week in the mail was a secret Santa present this week from somebody who knows I love to spin. Today I spun up the lovely superwash merino that was in the box :)   4 ounces now waiting to be washed and the knit up.

Santa came early

And brought me sparkly little satin angora babies all tucked down in a warm little nest -there are 9 to first time mommy Arwen and daddy Twister. :)

Gratification as a fibre artist :)

I attended the amazing and fun Plowshares show in Syracuse this past weekend. Beside having great food and music all weekend long I got to hang out with Maggie -aka Wonder Woman!!
We even got time to spin together !! Me on my spindle and her on her beautiful Robin wheel.

 We rocked it all weekend long and both of us were very proud of our accomplishments of the weekend :) The best compliment I got paid was a lady looking over one of my angora yarn skeins for $80 and telling me "its worth that for your time and skill alone" -boy does that make a spinner feel good !!!!
HUGs all I'm off to play on the spinning wheel again!

Sweater project

I love the slubbiness of this yarn and the glow of the fibre is just magical :) This sweater pattern just seemed a perfect match~
Maggie makes the BEST rovings!!! And they are so easy to spin! 

Best Christmas Display at the Mall

Thought these were awesome and very lifelike!  Wanted to take one home with me but they don't produce spinnable fleece LOL

More angora yarn

100% Angora yarn awaiting a knitter with ideas LOL

Another mans trash = this Spinners new treasure

Can you believe this...Its stunning and just the perfect height for a spinners stool. So it's my new treasure and cost nothing -it was sitting on the curb with a Free sign.

Happy Spinning ahead!!!!!

Spinning = Happiness

Doesn't matter how upset or flustered or rushed I am - if I can spin all is right with my world.  The fibre flows through the fingers taking with it all the bad stuff and leaving only good happy feelings. Unless I'm forced to use synthetics or cotton but we will not go there LOL
Wool, angora, mohair, cashmere, silk all are wonderful and fun to spin!
Here's some of the latest -warm, cheerful and glowing with colour!

 And here is the next lot waiting, calling my name .............I could just sit and spin for hours lost in the feeling of it all. Too bad housework and other work is calling me away. But a quick fondle of fibre before I go. SQUEEZE and SNIFF AHHHHHHH Wool.

BFN

My beautiful daughter

She is so darn cute in the morning all bright and bubbly and ready to go to school NOT! But she does have the most stunning eyes and when she smiles she is wonderful!
She is independent and clever and oh so smart too!!!  And very very creative especially when it comes to crafts.
Love you baby girl!

HUGS