Friday, February 29, 2008


We're finally starting to see bare ground in spots due to the 50 degree weather we've had the last few days. Finally! I'm so tired of this snow, until next year at least.

I've been weaving a new scarf from a painted warp I got from Heritage Yarns. It is so beautiful, I can't wait to finish it. I also have been spinning up some really pretty apricot colored silk and today decided to dye Diego's fiber from last year a teal to blend up with the silk. Here's a picture of the alpaca fiber in the dye pot. I used Wilton's that I dabbed on in places to give it a variegated look so hopefully it won't turn out too dark. I will spin it up and ply it with the silk, and hope I can get this alpaca dyed and dried and ready to spin before next week. I can't wait to see how it looks against the silk.

I'm trying hard to get enough stuff together this winter so that I have something to sell at our local Art Guild sale we have in August. My problem is I always give my things away to family / friends instead of buying a present.

The goats are getting cranky. They are sick of this sloppy snow also. Its almost time to start combing the cashmeres, which means its almost time to shear the pygoras. The alpacas will get sheared by a professional in early May, so I don't have to do them myself. Serano Alpacas has a great shearer that does theirs and mine at the same time. Thank you Ron and Judi!

Tuesday, February 19, 2008


Kitties! We have kitties! Mama kitty has a new litter, born Feb 8. There were five but we're down to three now. The two littlest ones were just too small and weak. We are a foster family for Priest River Animal Rescue (www.pranimalrescue.org) and were called last week to get this cute little family. The mama is beautiful, very small and young, and the prettiest calico I've seen. One of her kittens looks just like her. The second one is predominantly black and the littlest one is mostly gray. All three calico-ish. I think the two that died were males. One was orange striped and one was light gray. My daughter buried them out by the hay barn. It was so sad. They all will be ready for adoption around the middle of March.

My computer has been in the shop. I had my HD increased from 20 gigs to 80 gigs. Now I should have room for lots more pictures and music. Its a good thing I got it back, I was having withdrawals!

Since I didn't have my computer to play with, I did get the warp and weaving done on the new hand painted warp I was working on. All I have now it to finish the fringe, and wash and iron it. It is so beautiful with the two different yarns. Thank you Margaret for another beautiful dye job. I have ordered another one from her and I think its at the PO waiting for me.

The snow has been disappearing slowly thank goodness. If it melts too fast we flood. I thought it was all done but last Friday night we had another 4-6" of new snow. About this time of year I always get sick of it and start dreaming about spring. My neighbor (bless him!) came down with his ATV and plowed us out again. He has been my guardian angel all winter. I wouldn't know what we would have done without him. Thank you John.

I let the alpacas out of their pen while I do chores and feed the goats over in the pasture. They are so happy to be free! They've been running up and down the driveway and over the paths my daughter has created in the snow with the snowblower. They are so funny and have discovered the hay barn. They think they are doing something really sneaky by running down there and gobbling up as much hay as they can before I come back to feed them.

We have errands to do in town today so I probably won't get to 'play' much with my weaving. Hopefully I can get the scarf done and pictures taken in the next day or so.

Friday, February 1, 2008


The snow continues to fall in north Idaho. We have exceeded what our normal snowfall is and still have several weeks left of winter. The animals are getting restless and my daughter had to snowblow paths for the goats so they could get out of the barn. The alpacas are let out of their pen into the big yard twice a day and love to walk the driveway and around the house where it has been plowed. They have discovered the hay barn and I know exactly where to find them now.

I'm still working on getting the warp on the Ashford. All this snow causes so much work that I haven't had time to do any weaving or spinning and when I do have time, I'm just too worn out to do it any good. C'mon spring! I will be happy to see a little sunshine one of these days. The worry now is that it will all melt too fast and I will get flooded downstairs. We will just keep praying that God protects us as He usually does.