Rain rain rain rain ... and cold.  We've seen snow in the low hills around here, none at our farm but its cold enough.   73° by Tuesday however.  Sounds really good to me!

We had our garden tilled this week.  Then more rain, so I haven't been able to get over there and finish the weeding part.  I have seeds to go in asap ... corn, onions, cherry tomatoes, eggplant, sweet basil, cukes and zucchini.  And I'm still babying my indigo in the starter tray in the house.   Hopefully it will warm up a bit and stay warm.

We've got wildflowers to plant, sweet pea and an old fashioned mixture ... just finding a spot for these beauties is a problem.  They are weeds for the most part and sometimes hard to get rid of in the following years if they are in the wrong spot.

We went down to the river last week to see how high it was with all the rain and snow melt.  We've not seen it this high before.  Usually you can just see it below the road.  It looks level with it from where we were.  What a beautiful sky!

A good friend sent me some of her alpaca for spinning.  It is from two of her animals that are both the most beautiful color ... dark brown / auburn.  I've wanted to spin this color for so long.  It spins like butter.  I'm thinking it will be a nice scarf, maybe a 5/2 rayon warp in black, using the alpaca for the weft.  Let me know if any of you want to buy some and I can give you her number.

Also the autumn-colored scarf on the loom is about 1/3 complete.  I finished enough for one of the three scarves yesterday.  With such a long warp, it may be a while.  But I'm anxious to keep at it, they will be soft and colorful and I may enter one of them in the fair in August this year.

Just realized I forgot to post a picture of the indigo plants.  This was taken outside last week when the weather was so nice.  Those little guys sure liked the sun.  They look like they grew several inches in the two days I set them out there.  They love warm soil, so it will be a couple more weeks before I transplant them.  We have had snow the first part of July a couple of times in years gone past.  Maybe Memorial Day will be a good planting time.

This weekend is going to be the warmest so far this year.  By Monday, possibly 75° or better.  It feels so great!  Got the mower back yesterday, runs like a dream.  Somehow the blades got bent??  I wonder who or how that happened.  Anyway, I mowed today.  Tomorrow early in the morning we are going to spread the weed killer around on all those pesky weeds that grow so well with a tiny little bit of grass in between.  Our animals sure like being outside when the sun is out rather than having snow and rain.  This is Breeze enjoying a little warm weather.

My indigo plants are getting big.  Not big enough to play outside by themselves yet, but certainly doing well.  I need to put them in a safe place outside tomorrow and daily now to harden them a little, then maybe by Memorial Day they can be placed in the garden somewhere.  Those darn kitties love to find a place where we've been digging or planting and plant something very unpleasant there.  Then Bella comes along to 'plant' her latest find in the same place.  Oh well, I may just use containers to plant in this year.

Got some great fiber from Paradise Fibers this week.  I can't wait to try them out.  This summer I definitely need to start skirting the alpaca fleeces from the last couple of years.  I started that project but had to stop in the middle, and I never got back at it again.  Interestingly, it will wait for me For Ever!

Spring has arrived in north Idaho full force this week.  I actually mowed our yard yesterday.  Seems a little earlier than usual but with the warmer weather and nice sunny day I thought it would be a good idea.  So glad I did since we had rain last night and looks like next week for several days also.  We are taking our mower into the shop tomorrow for a spring tuneup.  I usually wait for the weather to turn really nice and warm, then have to leave it in the shop for a week or two because everyone else wants to have theirs done too.  Ha!  I've outsmarted the crowds this year.

Not sure if its the warmer sunnier weather but I certainly have felt a lot more like working this week.  I've got my indigo seeds going strong with a plant light and yesterday afternoon I actually got my loom in the studio working.  You know which one with the beautiful autumn colored warp on it from last fall.  Some days its just to hard to walk all that way across the driveway.  Must be at least 50 feet from my back door to the shop door ... but its working now and I love it.

I also got the plying done on the two merino silk I've been spinning.  The one on the left is called Autumn, the one on the right is Sandstone.



I think I like this.  The bottom pix are the same yarn plyed, left one without the flash and the other with.  Check out how shiny the silk is in that bright light.





Ahhhh spring ... can summer be far behind you?

Wednesday was a sad day for us.  We had to put down our wonderful, smart, loving border collie Savannah.  We bought Savannah for our daughter in 2000, when she bought her house.  Savannah has been her constant companion for 12 years.  Good bye sweetie, we will miss you so much.  You were the best dog ever.  07/04/2000 - 03/29/2012

Last Sunday I got my Japanese indigo planted in the little starter trays.  It took a few days, but the seeds are just starting to come up and look healthy, although I thought there would be more.  Probably after a few more days more of them will be showing their little heads. 

Our weather has been so cold and constant rain so I set them on my bed upstairs where I get sun most of the day.  The east facing window is perfect for lots of light after the sun passes overhead.  Can't wait to get these guys planted out in the garden.

Exciting news for fiber-aholics or anyone who dyes fibers or cloth.  I received two packages of Japanese Indigo seeds this week.  As soon as I can get down to the hardware store to buy some seedling starter mix I will be planting some of these little beauties.  I'm hopeful we will have enough warmth this summer to get some nice plants with nice leaves and seeds to make indigo dye from.  I've dyed with prepared indigo powder but never from scratch.  It is rather amazing to watch as the fiber is placed in the dye water, which is a slimy-looking greenish mixture, and then when removed as a light green color will turn to darker and darker indigo as it dries..  More pix as this happens this summer.

I've been working on more of the merino silk yarn.  This time I took a very light & blended color called sandstone and spun up a spindle-full, then I started spinning another color called autumn that will be plyed with the sandstone.  I think the two colors will look very interesting together.  I still have enough of each color to also do a hank of each.  The three colors could then be coordinated together in a knitted or crocheted garment of some sort. 

We've had an entire week of hard rain, snow this morning, but its supposed to turn back to rain all next week.  And to think the rest of the country is 'suffering' in an early summer.  Too bad.

What a beautiful day.  We have been having a snowstorm the last couple of days.  Not more than 10" but certainly enough to get our driveway plowed by our nice neighbor with his BIG tractor.  Not as much as those living around the Great Lakes but enough for us.  Now our local weather calls for another foot starting tonight.  Phew!  Its getting pretty late in the winter for this much.  So far its been a very mild one.

I've started spinning the soft superwash merino for my sister's friend.  It spins up very nicely and will be great for next to the skin items, such as a neck scarf or mittens.  Think I will spin more of this right away and have some yarns available.

We're getting a new force-air heater with a heat pump this week.  This is so exciting.  We haven't had a furnace of any kind since we moved here nearly six years ago.  Wood stove, a couple small Cadet heaters in the walls for heat and open windows in the summertime.  Since we live on dirt roads out here, this is a very dusty place.  This system will have a whole house air filtration system, plus our all-electric bill should be a lot less than we're paying now.   I can't wait to try it out.

One last note, when they were cutting through the wall from the pantry to the small room off the kitchen for ducting, they found a wall that looks like a log cabin.  You just never know with this house.

Its no wonder I don't get anything done these days.  My calico kitty River, has chosen my desk or my printer to take her day-long naps on.  I just love her and think she is so beautiful!

I should be starting a new spinning project soon.  A friend of one of my sister's wants yarn, so when she picks out the fiber and color she likes I can get started on it.  Its been so long since I really was very inspired to do anything fiber-y.  And I still haven't worked on that autumn-colored scarf I've got warped on the Mighty Wolf loom out in my studio.

We are currently working on getting our house straightened up as we are finally having a heat pump and forced air heating unit put in.  With no furnace or anything forced air, this place is so dusty at times, especially in the summer when we have to keep the windows open.  We also will have cooling for those few weeks in the summer than can get to 100+ at times. 

I can't wait!

Life on our farm is quiet.  Winter is still with us but the forecast this week is cold but clear.  I took these pictures a couple days ago.  The day had been drizzly and cloudy.  All of a sudden the clouds parted and we were blessed with this fantastic view.  It only lasted for a few minutes, just enough time to snap two pictures.  Then it was gone.

This time of year we concentrate on getting the inside of the house fixed and cleaned.  In just a few weeks it will be time to start on the outside and the yard.  With 10 acres, that can be a daunting task.  But with all the alpacas and goats re-homed now, we can concentrate on our yard and finally on our garden.

We have several blueberry plants, asparagus, raspberries, an orchard with about a dozen different fruit trees, and an entire pasture of mulch in a big pile thanks to the alpacas.  That should suffice to energize all the veggies and fruit.  Now just to have that ground unfreeze.

Friends at Serano Alpacas got a new great pyrenees puppy a couple weeks ago and named him Abe.  He died yesterday of unknown causes.  We are so sad!  They don't know why or what happened.  Farm life can be tough at times. 

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A late update on little Abe.  Apparently he dug out under the fence and was killed by a fox.  They found him with a neighbor's dog laying next to the little guy like she was trying to protect him.  So sad.

 The picture on the left is Abe with his big buddy Thor.  The other one is little Abe inspecting his new yard.  Such a loss.  Goodbye little guy.

It has been since before Christmas I've had time to post here.   But it is 2012 now and we've had no snow ... that is, until a couple days ago.  After the first little bit we got in November, our weather was cold but clear.  Then we got the huge storms this week.  Schools are all closed and the roads are snowy and slick.  Oh well, this is winter after all.  I haven't been spinning or weaving for a couple months now.  I think now that the holidays are over I am getting anxious to begin again.

My camera battery went dead, but I found the charger (finally!), got it all charged up and now I can't find the camera.  In the meantime, I have discovered the joys of Kumihimo braiding.  I ended up using my daughter's camera which is why there is a date stamp on the picture.  Here's the picture of the new disk I got and my first little braid.  Its more like a small keychain.  It is easy and fun ... if you get going the right way.  There's several you tube videos on the internet that make it a lot easier than trying to read the instructions.

My niece is leaving next week to return to her home in Calif.  We all have mixed feelings about this.   She is anxious to go home, but will also miss all her friends who love her here.   Our house will certainly be empty and quiet when she leaves.

Yeaa, Christmas is next week.  I can't believe how quickly it is coming.  We celebrated Christmas last Saturday because my niece who lives with us was leaving to spend the real Christmas with her parents and other family members.  I got in the spirit so much,  I'm not sure I can do it again next weekend.  I think I ate too much.  Phew!

My daughter has been ill, so I haven't been spending much time at spinning and weaving.  Actually I haven't touched any of it for at least two months.  I've just got to get back into it again.  Probably right after the holidays.

Because my daughter has been so sick, I decided to rehome the alpacas.  The first four went right before Thanksgiving, the last four will be going to their new family this coming Sunday.  I'm so sad and miss them all so much, but I still believe its the right thing to do.  I just don't have the time or energy to tend to them like I would like.

We had our first big snow last month, since then the weather has been dry and cold.  Most of the snow is gone except in the shady places.  Last night we had a light dusting and nothing due in the next couple weeks.  Woohoo.  Nice traveling weather for those who are heading out to spend Christmas with family. 

Here's a pic of our Great Pyrenees Bella playing with our 5 month old chihuahua puppy Emmy.  This can be scary!

Merry Christmas everyone.  Remember the true reason for the season we we celebrate the birth of our loving Savior Jesus Christ.  God bless you all.

This new painted warp on my Mighty Wolf loom seems so appropriate for fall.  The colors are bright and the yarns are incredibly soft.  There is enough for two scarves, or one ridiculously long wrap.  Probably one scarf will go as a gift for someone, maybe I will keep the other one.

I have a lot of new fiber to try spinning thanks to Paradise Fiber in Spokane WA.  Since I joined their fiber club I get three different types of fiber each month, each one being around 4 oz each.  If I blend it with anything I can get pounds and pounds!  The fibers are beautiful and a lot of them are not ones I would normally buy.  They are either unusual or the cost might be a little high.  But this way I can try out those and I have to say I've been very pleased with the quality.

Had our first snowfall this weekend.  It only was about and inch or so, but very pretty.  Since we still have leaves on the ground to rake and quite a few left in the trees, I'm hopeful more snow will hold off for a while until we get the raking done.  Our barn and alpaca sheds are finally cleaned out and looking pretty good thanks to some very good friends.  Now if we can just stop the alpacas from 'going' where they are supposed to sleep ...

I've had the pleasure of going to my mom's 90th birthday this month.  There were nearly 50 family members that attended.  I think she looks just beautiful.  Happy Birthday Mom!

While I was there visiting, my daughter got to feeling sick.  We took her to the doctor when I got home a week later and she has been diagnosed with acute kidney failure.  She is now on dialysis and will remain so until a suitable donor can be found.  Please pray for her.

Since things have been so busy here most of my spinning / weaving has been put on hold.  I have plenty of fiber so no worry about what to do with myself these days.  The alpacas are in the process of being re-homed as I don't think I can care for them properly by myself.  My niece is such a huge help but she will be returning to her parents in the near future.  Plus with winter coming on sometimes we can't get over to the pasture with the deep snow and spend a lot of the day just digging out.  This winter our snow is predicted to be heavy and our weather colder than usual.  Our snow blower does a great job but there are still areas to shoveled by hand.  I have been fortunate for the past several years to have great neighbors to help plow us out too!

Here is a picture from a couple years ago when we had over 100" of snow.  This big guy (and six more like him) was inside our property.  The snow was so deep they simply stepped over our 6' fence.  This one saw me and tried climbing up on the roof when I ran upstairs!  They were down here eating my shrubs and fruit trees because the snow was too deep higher up the hill for them to find food.