Week 45 of 2026

This week I finished spinning the raw fleece I washed and dyed last month -

Ended up with over 600g/1100m of about DK weight yarn.

I spun a three ply yarn to make a round yarn, and to blend the colours better (I didn't want a striped sweater). I could have dyed the yarn after spinning, instead of dyeing the fibre and blending it, but when knitting with hand dyed yarn it is recommended to alternate skeins, and I don't enjoy knitting that way.

I started knitting the Climb Every Mountain sweater by Heidi Kirrmaier.

This past week I also finished a personal challenge to paint/draw a bit everyday. It started November 1st 2025, I thought I would do the month, loved it so much decided on 100 days, still loving it, challenged for a year. It was tough during the summer when days are full - some days it was a very quick sketch, but I am so glad that I stuck with it, and I am definitely going to keep going, just maybe not every day.

I am still working on my 60 mini watercolours (2"x3") to celebrate my 60th year.

The youngest chickens are blending in well now.

All the best!♥︎

Week 44 of 2026

This week I finished knitting a cardigan -

The pattern is the TANi cardigan by ANKESTRiCK.

I knitted it with handspun yarn that started as this bundle of fibre. 

Some natural wool (white and brown) from local fleeces I was given years ago (I washed and combed it), that I drum carded with beige cashmere, white Angora, a bit of green sparkle (trying to use up my fibre stash), and cut up scraps of handspun (for flecks of colour).

I ended up with these batts (the ones on the left had the scraps of yarn, and the batts on the right had the sparkle, for a two ply yarn with different add-ins in each ply),

and spun them in to this yarn - about 400g/750m of sport weight yarn.

I am so happy with how the cardigan turned out. The pattern has really nice details.

More details can be found on my Ravelry project page.

The new chickens are settling in OK, still very skittish, but I think they will always be since we didn't raise them from day old chicks like the other hens.

All the best!♥︎

Week 43 of 2026

This week I sewed a fabric box/basket for my parents - 

A Christmas decoration made with a piece of cross stitch my Dad stitched.

I thought a box/basket would be nice for a plant, greenery or pine cones.

It has a layer of light weight interfacing and another layer of very heavy interfacing. I like the heavy interfacing because it could be folded away for storage, and then steamed back in to shape.

I also finished spinning another skein of the raw fleece I washed, dyed and carded.

I am lucky to have a little spinning helper - he doesn't seem to mind the rhythm of my knee going up and down.

We have had great weather, and all the gardens are ready for winter (this doesn't happen every year).

All the best!♥︎

Week 42 of 2026

This week I prepared and spun some more of the raw fleece I was given -

This was the beautiful locks I washed last week.

I dyed abut a third of it with black and grey acid dyes.

Drum carded it a few times to open up the locks and blend the colours together.

I used a diz (it's a button) to remove the fibre from the drum carder.

Creating little nest of fibre (I find this easier to spin than tearing pieces off a batt, and in a way it aligns the fibres a bit more).

This is the first skein so far - about 140g/230m of about a sport/DK weight, 3 ply yarn (I have about 500g of fibre in total).

This week we added to our flock - three new pullets (young hens not yet laying). I think they are Orpington crosses.

All the best!♥︎

Week 41 of 2026

This week was all about spinning and washing fleece -

It started with buying some minimally processed wool from a local shepherd - I recently decided I wanted to try spinning some different breeds of sheep just for the spinning experience. This first one is Wendsleydale - a sheep with long curly locks. When I spun it the yarn was smooth, but after washing the finished skein the curls popped out. About 100g, and over 300m of light fingering weight, 2 ply yarn.

The day after buying some different types of roving for spinning, a friend gave me different types of raw fleece.

I spent a couple days washing fleeces. It always surprises me how dirty raw fleece can be, and then how beautiful it cleans up.

I received six different types of fleece (I don't know what they are), and these are the first two I spun. These both had quite long staple lengths, and some other similar properties, so I think they are the same sheep breed, they are just different natural colours. I drum carded the clean fibre, and used a diz to prepare the fibre for spinning. The finished skeins are about 50g and over 100m each, of fingering weight, 2 ply yarn.

This was the biggest lot of fleece (photo before washing),

it came out amazing after washing, long, shiny locks - the most beautiful fleece I have ever prepared! I should have enough to knit a garment with this one. 

Even GingerSnap! was involved with spinning this week.

All the best!♥︎

Week 28 of 2026

Tour de Fleece (an annual spinning event) started this week (this is usually when I do most of my spinning for the year) -

This week I finished spinning fibre that I washed, combed, blended and spun a bit last year. The majority of the fibre is local wool in natural white and brown, along with some Angora and cashmere, as well as bits of dyed handspun and sparkle blended in for interest. I have another finished skein from last year, and it should be enough for a sweater (almost 500g total).

I was recently given an Indian head flyer and bobbin. We found an inexpensive treadle base, and used a salvaged piece of wood for the table top, to complete the spinning wheel (just in time for Tour de Fleece).

It has been a fun challenge to learn to spin on it. I am spinning some fibre that a friend in Australia gave me when I first learned to spin (she recently passed away and this is a nice reminder of her).

An Indian head spinner (also called Cowichan or Salish spinning wheel) is used to create bulky yarn, which is new for me.

Photos from Around -

Nap time

Hi

All the best!♥︎

Week 12 of 2025

This week I finished spinning a skein of yarn -

This is a 3 ply, BFL/Nylon blend for socks (the little skein is the leftover).

The fibre started like this (I dyed it last December).

I started another spinning project. This time something I saw on Ravelry about spinning a braid of fibre two ways for striped socks. I divided the fibre into two (about 60/40), one part will be spun in a way to create a long colour changing yarn (chain plied), and the other a traditional 3ply creating blended colours.

I dyed the fibre with bright colours I don't usually use, just to see how it works. This is another BFL/Nylon blend, dyed this week.

I finished knitting the Bubbly Shawl, it was fun to knit and the pattern well done, but I just didn't think the final product would work for me (the points along the edge stuck out of my coat in an odd way), so the yarn is back in a ball (it is handspun - merino/tencel blend that I dyed too).

The Pets - 

Miss Maggie was trying to hide from GingerSnap! with no luck.

A walk in fresh snow this morning (lots of new coyote/fox tracks too)

The chickens took a bit of coaxing with treats to come outside in the fresh snow (not too cold).

All the best!♥︎🇨🇦

Week 43 of 2024

This week I finished spinning a skein of yarn-

It is about a worsted weight, 3 ply yarn.

I won this beautiful fibre batt during Tour de Fleece this past summer. It is a mixture of all kinds of fibre, and was a joy to spin.

Colder temperatures on the blanket (and more yarn finished).

Photos from Around -

I finished canning yesterday (the last of the tomatoes in chilli) - the shelves are nice, and full for the winter.

Still some drying to do, and fermenting some of that garlic too.

The days are getting shorter, but the hens are still laying lots of delicious eggs.

They have had to spend more time in their enclosed run because we have seen coyotes and foxes around.

Sunrise.

All the best!♥︎

 

Week 28 of 2024

This week I finished a second skein of yarn for Tour de Fleece-

 A BFL/Nylon blend for socks.

Works in Progress-

A warm week and some new colours for the temperature blanket.

Chickens added to the cross stitch.

Photos from Around- 

Molly on a morning walk.

Tiger Lilies at their peak.

Tall Day Lilies, and some purple Poppies.

10 Week old chicks.

Changing everyday.

With all the heat (and pumping out the water last week) the garden is doing great, and I was able to finally get it weeded out (so many bullrushes growing in there!).

All the best!♥︎