Frost Feathers

Last night we apparently enjoyed perfect conditions to have this lovely coating of feathery frost appear on everything.  As much as I detest winter I certainly do appreciate that this kind of visual treat can only happen when it's real cold. 

The branches looked  like elk antlers covered in velvet.

Even this metal bird grew feathers overnight.

Holly still looked kind of rumpled and sleepy when we went to do chores.

"Is that a cat?  No, I guess not.  Why are we out here again?  Oh yeah, chore time.  Then I'm going back to my chair."

I'm sure that dogs appreciate winter in ways other than the scenery.

Sub Zero

Minus eleven degrees F to be exact.

January has been a rollercoaster of above freezing temperatures which then drop to single digits within a day.  This morning was one of those deep cold ones.  The sky was pretty but you didn't want to stand still long to admire it.

The snow underfoot squeals and grunts with every step like angry geese.  You can gauge the temperature within 10 degrees by the tone of voice the snow uses.

We take hot water from the sink in the wool shop up to the ram barn and mix it with the cold well water to keep it liquid longer.  Some of the boys like it lukewarm but for those who don't it gets chilly pretty darn quick.  You know it's cold when the hot water bucket is empty and still steams like mad.

When it's very cold and windy we close the barn doors to keep the temperature tolerable - for us that is.  The sheep are fine with cold.

Bunny.   "Since you're here, are you going to feed us now?"

Foxy, Mickey and Fortune.  "Yes, please, yes, please, feed us now, we're starving!"

Coconut, still with the crazy eyes ;-)

It's a pretty comfortable place to spend the day if you're a sheep.  Sit around, eat, chat with friends....

Star in mid-chew and Flower

Then Flopsy charges over for petting and disturbs the peaceful mood.  She looks downright demented in this picture but it's just the way her bangs are hiding her eyes (and the crooked ear set doesn't help).  She's really very sweet and loves attention, even hugs, which some sheep find too touchy-feely for comfort.

The sunset was quite pink so hopefully we'll see an increase in the temperature tomorrow.  Banging ice out of water buckets multiple times a day is a chore we could happily skip for a few days.

Halfway through January...... at least three months to go.  

Tales From the Old Folks Home

AKA 'the wool shop' where I skirt, wash and dye wool from the flock.  I've waffled over how to refer to this building.  It was my father-in-law's woodworking shop before I inherited it for my purposes.  I've tried calling it the wool barn or the wool shed but it's a nicer space than a shed or barn.  Heat, lights, concrete floor, windows, electric, cupboards.... but it's not quite as grand as a certain 'wool house' I know (and drool over) so I guess I'll stick with "shop".  A utilitarian place where work gets done.

But back to the point - the wool shop is now doing double duty as a winter home for two aged barn kitties, Ivan and Natasha.  Ivan is almost 18 and while Natasha is just getting into double digits she doesn't tolerate cold well at all.  I can sympathize.  Losing weight, shivering and obviously miserable - I won't make anybody suffer that if I can help it.  She spent some time here last winter too although it was only a couple weeks of single digit conditions.  I think they are both in here for the whole winter this year, especially Ivan.

"I remember this place.  About time they brought me back here."

"Mom, they're hogging the bed again."

The sun shines on Holly's blanket most of the afternoon.  Pretty nice deal if you're an ancient cat.

Ivan has also discovered the fun of boxes.  Liking cardboard boxes must be written into the genetic code of cats or something.  He's never seen a box in the barn, but put one on the floor and he's a kitten again.  I needed something to keep the cats from having access to the front of the shop which has indoor/outdoor carpet and would not be forgiving of 'accidents' and this big box happened to fit the doorway perfectly.

I've been enjoying the warm shop too.  Washing fleece.....

And being able to indulge in a past passion - orchids.  Because Ivan and Natasha are too well mannered too old to get on the counters this is about the only cat-proof space I have that plants can exist in.  When you can get mini phalaenopsis for less than $10 at the grocery store.....

Hothouse plants and hothouse cats. :-D

Sloth

It's not a deadly sin, it's a sensible energy conservation measure.

Or maybe Holly just found learning to knit to be too tiring. 
Here's to starting the year sensibly, whatever that means to you!

Apparently It's Going to Be a Good Year

Because this must be a good omen, don't you think?

 



This makes me giggle every time I think about it.  Thanks, Camaj Fibers, for having a smart marketing department that made my day!

Happy 2015, everyone!

Fortnight Recap

'Fortnight' sounds so much classier than 'two weeks'.  I'm always impressed to see other people blog daily or almost daily and make meaningful, interesting posts to boot.  Two weeks of gray weather here hasn't helped and we haven't been doing anything especially photogenic on the farming front.  I did manage to get some wool ready and sent it off for processing.

Another run of Ferns and Moss......

 

And some natural colors - white Bunny and Gooseberry and two shades of gray - Tux and Mojito.

 

 

I skeined, washed, dyed and reskeined the last of the 3-ply sportweight Cotswold yarn I had milled earlier in the year.

 

 

We had a great spinning guild meeting with a fibery Secret Santa gift exchange wherein you bring nice spinning fiber wrapped in a festive manner and then you get to pick a gift based solely on which packaging strikes your fancy.  Some participants employ the reverse psychology method and go for the plainest wrapper they can think of, but all fiber is super yummy and selected by a spinner for a spinner so there are no losers!   Some stealing is allowed and the most coveted boxes changed hands several times until all was settled.

 

 

I wish I'd taken a picture of the sparkly batts I made on the big drum carder as contribution.  Duh.  :-(

But I received two lovely coils of hand dyed BFL roving in two slightly different blue colorways.  Yay!  Even the bag is fun - the pattern is knit stitches!

 

 







And while Christmas preparations have kept us busy we can always count on the routine of daily chores to keep us focused.

 

Kittin has grown into a very pretty kitty.  She's also growing into a rather spherical shaped kitty.  This will no doubt change when winter is over and she ventures out and about more.  She's a bit of a couch barn potato in snowy weather. ;-)

 



 

She's also become enamored of the sheep and likes to have them breathe on her and give neck nibbles.

 



 
The sheep really didn't like me taking a video.  I guess they thought that if I was standing still looking at them I must be Plotting Something so they kind of each decided one by one that they had somewhere else to be.

 

Alexi says.....

 

"I just don't know what she sees in those sheep.  She should be out hunting mouses.  Kids these days..... into some crazy stuff."  

Best wishes for everyone to do whatever you're 'into' this holiday season!

Sunny, With a Chance of Naps

After yesterday's ice, rain and overall dreariness a full day of sunshine felt like an early Christmas present!  It was still cold, never getting above 25 degrees but if you're a sheep wearing wool it doesn't matter a bit. 

The big rams have settled down quickly and we released them into a larger pen since they didn't seem to be in danger of damaging each other.... at least, no more than usual.  After all, they ARE rams and will butt heads just for the fun of it.  Except for some token swearing and shoving (them, not us) at chore time they are pretty mellow.  Cotswolds Ike and Ian are using the old wall-pillow.

Isadore and young Nigel are still snacking.

Nigel carries a color gene and has a heavy but silky handling fleece that I really like.  The curls are large but well defined and not coarse feeling.   He's registered in the more recent Cotswold Breeders Association which recognizes purebred colored Cotswolds.   I'm looking forward to some pretty colored lambs from him in the spring.

 

 

He ripped out his flock tag last fall and I will replace it next time we're catching everyone to do some task or other.  There is no danger of mistaking him for anyone else as the other rams are all older and/or tagged.

 



"That's right - I'm ME!"

 

Our other yearling Cotswold is Neville.  He's in the original Cotswold registry (American Cotswold Record Association) which doesn't allow any color so he will only ever produce white lambs.

 



 

His fleece is quite different from Nigel's in that the curls are very small and tight - 'pencil curls' or Shirley Temple curls as I call them.  His fleece is also lustrous and on the fine end of breed standard.  I plan to have samples from these two guys' fleeces micron tested this spring just to see where they stand.

 

Curls over his shoulders.....

 



Closer up from the side...

The sun comes in the big door of the ewes' barn for most of the afternoon.  It's a grand place to sit and rest if you're a sheep.

The bred ewes are still in a separate area so they can get a small grain ration and also not have to put up with the frisky unbred animals pushing and shoving at feeding time.

"Why, thank you.  I am far too dignified for such things - unless pushing will get me somewhere."

 

"I"m not pushy, I"m just an innocent liddle lambie.  Mostly."

 

Peanut was really liking the sunshine....

 



 

And some polite company......

 



"Hi!  I'm just so glad to be here!  This place is great! Peanut's my friend! I'm just so happy!"

 

...and some NOT so polite company.

 



"Hey."

 

"Hey! I'm trying to get some sun here!"

 

"Sheesh.  OK, thank you."

 

"That's better....rrrrr....zzzzzz."

 

Wake me up when it's spring.