Woolybuns

What Do You Do When You've Got Too Much To Do?

Blog, of course.  See, I have another quick trip to Maine.  Mom needs a ride to a doctor's appt and there is no one she knows in Maine who can take her.  So tonight, I'm going to half of my class, then catching a few hours of sleep, getting up at O shit am and hitting the road.  Before class, I have to do all the pre-trip stuff.  And, oh, yeah, some  homework too.  As in finish a short story so I can turn it in tonight.  Next week, my classmates get to tear it apart workshop my story.  So of course I turn my attention to pictures and sharing with you.

Three skeins done so far.  About 800 yards.  That makes me about half way to my sweater, right?  This fiber is a powerful distraction motivator. 

I also have to keep track of what the weather is doing, since winter decided February is a fine month to kick ass into gear.  This is my neighbor's Magnolia tree wearing her snow shawl. 

And who can resist a cave dweller? Amika, since she has temporarily moved back in, decided this spot, right where my feet should be while I work on my homework, is her spot.  If I get there first, she curls up on my feet.

Button and Gromit have a new favorite game.  You steal my bone while I steal yours.  Gromit starts it.  So if you ever wondered about a dog's intelligence....

Ok, as fascinating as you folks are, I really do have to get back to homework.

 

Can Plants Be Coy?

This is Paphiopedilum callosum, the other orchid I ordered last summer.  Both Phrag and Paph began their buds at about the same time, late October, but Paph is clearly more turtle.  Phrag's 4th bud is now open with the 5th on it's way (but she keeps dropping the older bud within a week of a new bud opening, so there are no more than two at a time, but usually only one).  Paph - well, I took that photo yesterday.  Uncharacteristically, the stem and bud leaned way over, and tucked, in a shyly flirtatious manner.  Just for yesterday.  I watered them all well before I left for Maine last week, and they were all watered while I was away, so lack of water was not the issue.  This morning, Paph is standing straight and tall, as it should.  How long before bloom, I'm not really sure.  I'm hoping end of next week..  Another of my orchids, Phalenopsis something or other (someday I'll learn to hang onto those ID sticks), is also in bud, also pretty turtle like.  Phrag, of course, is still a shining star in the window.  I love this plant!

I did do some spinning at Spa.  I finished the purple merino singles and plied them.  About 235 yards of worsted weight, a pleasant spin, but not an exciting one.  Now I need to pack the skein up and ship it to my swap pal (who no longer responds when I email her - neither does the swap pal who is supposed to be spinning for me).   The spinning that does flutter my fingers is the champagnie like blend of a one-of-a-kind soft pale moorit crossbred fleece, f awn alpaca and fawn angora.  I spun a single of about 4 oz at Spa, then plied it once I got home.   Originally, I had planned to spin it as fine as I could, with a shawl in mind.  But once the spinning was at hand, images of a sweater just kept dancing through the grey matter.  So I went for worsted and Ooooo, baby!  Yummmmm!  I already have another single finished and ready to ply.  I think the second bobbin is a bit finer than the first, though.  I have enough roving that if there is a big enough discrepancy, this first skein might not make it into the sweater.

Sunday night when I got home from Spa, the family was just about to head out for dinner at a new restaurant near by.  I joined them, so was there when DD made her big announcement.  She's moving to North Carolina in about 6 weeks.  She's happy so I'll try to be happy for her - but.  Shit!  I'll miss her.

With the warmer weather these last couple days, I plunged into bunny coats.  Here is BB, more than ready to lose the coat.  She's still on the small side, only weighs in at just under 8 pounds.  But she did produce 12 oz of fiber, 11 of it prime.  She has zero interest in bucks.  She's from a family that seems to mature late, so both size and libido could increase in a couple months.  I'd love to breed her to my blue buck and see what genetics she's hiding.  Next up was Berry, my blue doe.  She has gorgeous deep blue color.  She hasn't been eating well over the winter and her fiber production reflects that.  Only 4 ounces.  Unusual for her.  And when I checked her over, I suspect there is an unhappy reason.  She has some abnormal tissue growth growing out of her anus.  Raising animals is not for the faint of heart.  I moved on to Mysty.  She produced her usual glorious 12 oz of unmatted chinchilla color fiber.  I checked her over and she has some kind of abnormality to her vent.  It is not like Berry's abnormal tissue, more like a sore, possibly from an attempted breeding which she resisted, but I'm not sure.  I think Mysty will heal, but I think I'll be taking Berry to the vet to see if he thinks it's what I think.  I moved on to Orinoco Doe.  No issues with her and she happily romped with Chuck Berry (Berry's lynx son who I thought was a Halle Berry until "she" started a hump train with Berry last spring).  I'm quite looking forward to babies from that breeding.  And to have a "spare" and experienced nursing mom on hand, I also popped Tinkerbelle in with Toffee, a chocolate agouti buck who carries dilute (also, Chuck's brother).  Both TB and Toffee carry a self gene and TB carries chocolate, so I'd be delighted to get a self chocolate doe out of this breeding.  Of course, cute bouncing baby bunnies of any color are good for the heart. 

My Spa Experience

Folks, fiber and fun - that just kind of sums it up nicely, don't you think?  Anytime you put a group of fiber folks together with all the tools and materials, fun happens. And maybe a little drinking, too.  And definitely more than a little spending.  We do love our vendors, don't we?   I opened the wallet Friday night, Saturday morning, Saturday afternoon, and yeah, again, Sunday morning.  Ya know, with MaryLynn of Indigo Moon going back to school, a spinner's got to get while the getting's good, right?   So I got.  And yeah, it's good.  First I fell for the cranberry red roving. Then there was pink/red/yellow Indigo Moon roving.  Just not enough to suit me.  But there was red Indigo Moon roving, pink Indigo Moon roving, and soft yellow Indigo Moon roving - the individual colors in the multi colored roving.  So I had to, right?   And there was also yarn.  Pogo at Friend's Folly Farm spun up some dark blue merino in a worsted weight, then plied it with multi colored silk for a gorgeous stained glass like yarn that just kind of cuddled up to me and looked at me with those puppy dawg eyes and gee mom, it followed me home I have to to keep it.  1700 yards, I think.  Swatched a bit Friday night.  Oh, the sweater to be!  Mostly stockinette to let the yarn sing it's solo, but some kind of collar treatment for fun.  And from Ball and Skein I got some glorious alpaca silk in denim blue.  I see a half circle shawl.  And I had to get some sock yarn, right?  It came from Unique One.

There was also reiki, with the practitioner telling me he kept getting the message "trust yourself," kind of meaningful for me at this transitional time of my life.  And a massage.  Oh!  The massage.  Puts the ahhhhhhhh in Spa.

There was also that night at the bar, as someone else explained.  Ahem.  I learned a bit more than I really needed to that night.  Seriously, do any of us really need to know the meaning of the phrase hump train?   I suppose those participating were having fun but that kind of fun is outside my realm of comprehension.  I laughed a lot.  Kind of OMG people really do that.  Yikes.  I hope my kids don't.  I took pictures, but I don't think they belong on the blog.

Mostly, Spa is about fondling all that lovely fiberly stuff connecting with the people.  Have you ever seen a cuter pregnant woman than over there on the right?  We fiberly folk come in all sorts. Especially the fun, kind, supportive and distinctly special types.  You know who you are and I thank you for being there.

NETA Spa Knit and Spin

I'm here!  At the Doubletree.  Instant relaxation.  So here I am, sitting at breakfast.  The waitress came to our table and said someone was on the phone looking for information about joining the group, both in person and at the group website.  It's not that easy to get to without an invitation.  So for anyone looking for a link, go here.

Lilting Lyrically

Language flows poetically, sometimes painting pretty pastoral scenes, sometimes evoking strong emotion.  Language at its best clearly expresses a point.  The poem Winter by Abigail Elizabeth McIntyre is worth the read.

Full Cuteness Ahead

Almost one month old now.  Getting busy learning to use the feet, the bounce, voices, water bottles and feed bowls.  There are two does and a buck.  This little wild gray agouti doe to the right will most likely stay here.  She carries one non-extension gene (2 non-extension genes make for fawn or torte color) and shows evidence of good rufous (red) under her agouti coloring, which makes her valuable to me in furthering my fawn colors. I hope she might carry a satin gene also, but there is no way to determine that unless she produces a baby with satin type coat.  To bring that satin out, I may have to breed her back to her sire, who I know carries a satin gene.  Both ruby eyed whites (REW), one buck, one doe, are available, though need to grow still.   The white one to the right is the buck.  Pandorable's instincts towards her babies seem conflicted.  She's not crazy about feeding them but when I reached to pick one up after feeding, she nipped me in what seemed to be defense of the baby.  I think she will be a better mother next time. 

With all the family care that doesn't show a lot of sign of abating anytime soon, I would like to cut down on number of animals living here.  Some of the adult bunnies are available as fiber pets, great coats, no pedigrees = lower price for you.   Anyone up for 2 female cockatiels?  They are the ones who are most likely to be overlooked while I'm gone.  They deserve better. Both are females, one pearl color, one pied (though only lightly).  Crackers, the pearl sitting on the food bowl, is the mother of Piper, the pied perched on the side.  I didn't intend to breed cockatiels but the breeder thought I had two females.  Eggs showing up is not a big surprise as the hens will do that whether they are bred or not.  Eggs hatching however, was a very big surprise.  I kept the male (cockatiel dads care for the babies as much as the mom does until libido kicks in again) until he started plucking the babies bald.  Piper has never really gotten used to people but Crackers loves a shoulder to sit on.  Email me if you're interested  - they are free to a good home.

Corky also needs a home.  Husband and children are allergic to her.  She was about to be euthanized at age one because she was pregnant, so I took her, raised and placed the babies, then spayed Corky.  She's been with me for over 11 years now, but has been an outside only cat due to the family allergies.  Since she's now heading towards getting old, I'd love to see her have  a home where she can be in and out.  We think she's got Siamese genetics behind her.  She's vocal and opinionated and doesn't like other cats, but she's very people friendly and loves a good warm lap.  Give a holler if you're interested.

My Sock is Progressing

During Mom's crazy ride in the hospital, I worked on a sock, stopped at the point of turning the heel since I need to do that without distraction.  So I started another pair of socks, this pair in Trekking.  Mom was doing well enough that I went home on Sunday.  On Tuesday, I spent the day in a different hospital with a young relative having outpatient procedure.  Overnight, she started some violent stomach stuff and by morning, it hadn't let up.  Take her to the ER, the doc said.  So that's where I've been for the last several hours.  She's on her 3rd bag of fluid.  The theory is a couple of the meds prescribed yesterday are doing this, or maybe she picked up a bug before the procedure.  In any case, expectations are she'll be fine.  For the moment, she's feeling pretty miserable.  But, my Trekking sock is now also ready to turn the heel, so at least I'm getting some good knitting time.  Just wish the relatives felt better.  And that I had time to snap some photos of the baby bunnies and post them here.  You'll like them!

Is It Raining Out?

Cause it sure seems to be pouring here in health issue land.  As I'm sharing the good news on Mom (she continues to do amazingly well - should be sitting up in a chair later today, finally able to have some jello), I'm finding out news of other relatives.  My uncle is afraid he's dying of bladder cancer as a result of a doctor visit he had on the day Mom was having her whirlwind tour of the hospital's cardiac facilities.  Another close relative is dealing with the same well medicated but still uncontrolled high blood pressure that brought Mom to the hospital, and is scheduled next Thursday for 4 separate tests dealing with that.  A third has a hospital procedure involving general anesthesia scheduled for Tuesday.  I will be the transport for that relative. 

DH reports from home that the baby bunnies are doing quite well.  I look forward to seeing them!  At this point, they should be in that oh so cute no one can resist them stage. 

And you folks.  Well.  You are just terrific.  Please, do something nice for yourselves. You deserve it. Your support is wonderful and I do appreciate each and every one of you. 

A Long Night

But Mom is doing well, considering what she's been through.  She ended up with quadruple bypass.  She's got no complicating factors to compromise recovery so prognosis is good.  She's surfacing from anesthesia and responding to conversation, though not able to talk, of course, with a respirator still.  The hospital staff here at all levels are amazingly wonderful.  I'm very grateful for the really cute male nurse who tended so carefully to Mom overnight that.  Thank you all for those wonderful, soul sustaining messages.  They make for great comfort in the middle of the night while waiting for the long surgery to end when tired eyes can't focus on tiny sock stitches one more second.