Week 34 of 2025

Still lots of canning happening, but I did wash another raw fleece -

This isn't a full fleece, I am certain that I spun some of it years ago.

There is 682g after washing (should be left with about half after combing).

I combed, spun, and knitted a little sample, and it is so soft.

My husband recently started wood working in his retirement, so this week we figured out how to work our son's homemade Alaskan mill, and cut up a few boards from an ash tree that had fallen.

Photos from Around -

Molly snacking with one of the baby chicks.

The big chicks foraging for grubs.

The baby chicks are incredibly curious - GingerSnap! doesn't mind,

but Miss Maggie isn't too impressed  - here she is hissing at them (they just kept following her).

All the chickens live together now.

We had 3.5" of rain one night earlier in the week, so the yard,

and garden are flooded (it's all slowing drying up, but we did have more rain throughout the week).

With all the rain GingerSnap! had to find ways to use all his energy inside!

All the best!♥︎

Week 33 of 2025

It is that time of the year when everyday involves some kind of harvesting or preserving the bounty of the garden, so not much time for crafting. I did wash a fleece this week so that it would be ready to comb (to remove all the plant bits), dye and drum card this fall/winter.

The fleece is from a local farmer and was destined for the compost. I have had it for years, so it was time to get it cleaned.

After washing there is 2.8kg of fleece. After combing I will probably be left with about half that weight, enough for a sweater, and some yarn for weaving (there is a section that is quite coarse).

Some of the harvesting this week - 

Three types of garlic (over 200 bulbs). My youngest son grows this.

Grapes from the vines we planted last year (made into jelly).

Every year there always seems to be one vegetable that does really well, this year it is the celery.

I pickled some this week (recipe link).

We probably had the main honey harvest this week (~15L).

Photos from Around - 

The canola field around our home was sprayed two days this week - it was amazing to watch.

Miss Maggie had lots to say when GingerSnap! came close to her.

The hens free ranging on a beautiful day.

The baby chicks free range too. All the chickens live together now, but the chicks still tend to stick together.

All the best!♥︎

Happy Canada Day!

A few weeks ago I finished combing another raw fleece, and this week I dyed almost half of it (the other part was left natural).

I dyed most of it shades of grey and then small amounts different bright colours.

Using a drum carder I blended it all together.

Here the fibre is ready for spinning. I chose to divide the colours into two colour groups so that I could make a marled yarn (each of the plies will be a different colour).

I wanted to create yarn for a grey sweater with a bit of interest. I spun and knitted a small sample to see how the blend would work, and I am happy with how it turned out. Tour de Fleece starts on Saturday and this will be one of my spinning projects that I hope to finish during the tour.

These geese held up so much traffic when we went to the city.

yellow wildflowers by the pond

yellow wildflowers in the grass

All the best!♥︎♥︎♥︎

Another Bag of Wool

During renovations I have been combing a raw fleece (when I woke up too early to make noise around the house).

I ended up with 562g of clean fibre. I plan on dyeing about half of it shades of grey, maybe some black, and drum carding it all back together, with some small bits of dyed silk noil or sari silk for a bit of a pop of colour.

There will be enough for a sweater.

We have had some new birds at the feeder this week -

A Red-headed Woodpecker-

and a Canada Goose -

Some other birds that I didn't get photos of are and Ovenbird, Northern Oriole, Gray Catbird, Rose-breasted Grosbeak and a House Wren.

Flowers have really been blooming -

This is a Plum Tree -

It smells so nice.

Tulips -

Narcissus -

Lily of the Valley-

All the best!♥︎

Still Progressing!

My sweater is still progressing nicely - I just have a bit more to knit.

I did finish combing another bit of raw fleece - this one just over 100g.

As part of my experimenting with the raw fleeces, I tried dyeing it in a pot for a change. I find that the spun yarn is easy to dye, but the unspun fibre doesn't take the dye as easily. Dyeing it in a pot seemed to work really well.

I am making a three ply yarn, I hope for socks (the above photo shows the dyed fibre, drum carded fibre and the first spun bobbin).

cleaned fibre drying

I also washed up another raw fleece.

The big news at our house is that finally renovations have started! So many different kinds of baseboards and trims.

the cat watching the partridges from her perch

4' high drifts and more blowing snow

All the best!♥︎

Wool Chair Pad

I finished a punch needle, wool, chair pad this week.

The project started as another raw fleece that I was given.

I cleaned, combed, spun the wool, and dyed it,

Punch needle is worked from the back with a special tool.

I drew the design on a piece of 22 count Hardanger fabric that I had - it worked well (I think punch needle is generally worked on Monk's Cloth or a linen fabric).

When the work was all done I steamed the piece and pinned it out to block it. To finish the chair pad I used the serger to finish off the edge of the fabric about 1.5inches from the punch needle, pressed the fabric to the wrong side and then whip stitched it in place.

This is the first time that I have done this type of punch needle, it was really enjoyable and worked out well.

The wool makes a nice, soft chair pad (I even started another one with the leftover yarn).

the flock of Grey Partridges

All the best!♥︎