Asleep at the wheel

                                          Before-
                                          right off the sheep

                                         Washing

 It's a good thing I wasn't out on the streets this morning in my car, and in front of my spinning wheel instead. I became so relaxed while spinning, and having my morning coffee, that I actually fell asleep. It's not that REM kind of sleep, but in any case, it was just weird. I've done that once before and mentioned it to my friend Toni, and as it turns out, she has admitted to doing the same thing! It's no wonder. We both go full speed; her with working full time and keeping up with two adult kids, one of them pregnant with her first child, another grandchild, a husband, plus keeping house and trying to find time for herself. Me with keeping up with a husband that is constantly on the go, my kids and enough grandkids to form our own soccer team, an aging parent that I help, a family member that is gravely ill which means trips back and forth from California to Idaho, and still find time for ME! I guess I thought all of that wasn't enough, so I took on sprucing up our main bathroom with a fresh coat of paint, AND was given a raw and dirty fleece from a friend's sheep, as well as a llama fleece that is waiting for me at my daughter's yarn shop, Aimee's Yarn Cafe in Paradise, California (sorry, had to get a plug in there).

                                         Medicine cabinet
                                         from bathroom

Yeah, those last two things...what the hell was I thinking!?!? I don't care what anybody says, it is a LOT of work skirting a fleece. I went into it rather green...ok, a lot green, but I did a lot of reading and watching videos on how to do it, as well as spending an afternoon with my friend Sue, watching how she does her washing. The fleece she had that day though, I am pretty sure wasn't as dirty as the one I was given. I wasn't afraid to spread it out on a tarp on the lawn and dig in with bare hands. It actually didn't feel bad, especially since it has a lot of lanolin in it. Unfortunately, our friend mowed his pasture the day before the sheep were sheared, so a lot of vegetable matter wound up in the sheep's coat. While Tom isn't exactly sure what breed of sheep he has, he thought they were a cross breed with Suffolk. From what this greenie can tell, it's beautiful fleece with some crimp, not a lot, but some in it, and about a 5-6 inch staple. It would be nice to know the micron count, but nonetheless it seems to be fairly soft next to the skin, so maybe mixed with some merino? I don't know. When I got up this morning, I was ready to throw in the towel and either give the whole lot of it away (two trash bags full), or send it to a processor I know of. I mentioned this to Scooter, and he wants to keep plugging away at it. He helped me last night with skirting it and I guess actually enjoyed it! Maybe after I get the little bit I did last night hand carded, I will be able to make friends with it.

                                          After the bath

I had to include a pic of Maggie showing how curious, but confused she was with all this sheep business. Lol Once we got it all spread out on the lawn, she did nothing but bark at it, which would turn to a fearful sort of whine, and back to the fearless barking again. It was hilarious watching her get some of the wool caught on her nose, and her chin. She didn't let her dad out of her sight!

One whole sleeve has been added to my granddaughter's cardigan, so the Tiny Tea Leaves cardi is coming along nicely. This isn't the greatest picture due to lighting, but progress is being made on it.  It really is a beautiful lavender color.I was struck with a case of startitis on Wednesday. My fingers were itching to cast on for something with the beautiful Noro Aya yarn I got from my daughter's shop. I decided to knit the Summer Flies shawl, just so I could watch the progression of colors take place with this yarn. So far, I love the cotton silk blend of this yarn and this is a gorgeous pattern!

Some of you have asked about my brother-in-law, and Scooter and I both are so appreciative of the many prayer chains he has been added to. We learned yesterday that he is definitely on the liver transplant list (finally!), and is so sick that he has even been moved to the top. We aren't sure if he is next in line, but it's a little comforting to know that he is at least somewhere in the queue towards the top. As soon as we get the word that a liver is on its way to him in Salt Lake, we will be hitting the highway to be there with the rest of the family. It's such a strange position to be in. You feel awful for the person who has lost a loved one, but at the same time, you are so very grateful that their liver has been donated so that your loved one can have a chance at life. We will gladly continue to accept all the well wishes and positive thoughts, so thank you!!