Fibery Goodness Module Four Yarn

Fibery Goodness Module Four Yarn

Module Four Yarn.  Another spiral yarn with some added construction.

Mod 4 yarn beaded spiral

I chose freshwater pearls strung on a silk thread plied with the hand spun 15.5 micron merino single that I have used in similar construction spiral yarns.

I have never spun a yarn with beads before so it was interesting even learning how to string the beads, let alone how to spin with them as well.

Mod 4 yarn beaded Spiral

 

 

This yarn is so very pretty, elegant and super soft.  I am really pleased with it and can’t wait to make more beaded spiral yarns.

I was up late about 1:30 am spinning this yarn.  I could hear the goats starting to call me in the baby monitor as I hadn’t been out to throw them any hay that evening as I was way too immersed in spinning with these pearls.  I decided to run out quick and throw the hay, check on Bernie an expectant goat mom who was pregnatn for her first time, and come back in to string the last of the beads on and finish the spinning.  Out I went, threw the hay, checked on everyone, locked up the kids that I am starting to wean, checked on Bernie and there were no babies.  Came back inside and started to string the beads on.  Was only in for a few minutes and Bernie started to scream.  Now mind you, this goat screams all the time.

Bernie and 10 hour old twins

I don’t pay attention most times as she always screams.  But this was definitely different.  Her tail tendons and ligaments had loosened off completely and she had been super quiet which for her was an out of body experience, so the screaming I took as she was in labor.  I only had about 30 beads to string so I calmly threaded them on and put the beads up high and walked out to the barn just in time for the arrival of twin does.  One had the sack off her head and was already crying and trying to stand.  The other was stuck with the sack on her head, and Bernie standing at the other end of the pen looking at me in terror.  I am evil.  She appears to be terrified of me for some reason although I told her yesterday we WILL be friends and she gave me that wide eyed you have got to be joking look again!!  I grabbed a towel and went in the pen to get the sack off the babies head as I could hear her sucking it in and about suffocating.  Once it was off and she was breathing and crying normal like, I stepped back and Bernie ran past me to attend to her new babies. I helped her dry them off a bit more, checked and saw that I had two girls and left them alone since it was a nice warm evening and both kids were trying to stand already.  I have included a photo of Bernie with the twins at 10 hours old.

I would have finished the yarn before bed but by that time it was 2 am.  I opted to finish the spinning and setting the yarn the next morning….or should I say later that same morning.

Yes.  From merino, fresh water pearls and silk out to the barn to hay, dirt, amniotic fluid and blood.  This is my life.

 

Garden Photos on Alba Ranch

Garden Photos on Alba Ranch

I have been snapping a few photos here and there of the garden over the last week as it is so in bloom.  Tulips, Lilacs, Bleeding Hearts (Grace’s plant), Choke Cherry Trees and others too numerous to mention.  All my Columbines are starting to pop and it is super exciting as I bought about 20+ of them on clearance last fall past their prime and stuck them in the ground here and there everywhere.  I am excited because now I get to see what colors they are.  Every time one opens it is a surprise as I didn’t really know what they were going to be.  Soon more of them will be open as the flower heads are just starting to open and I will get some photos for you.

Grace’s Plant aka Bleeding Heart

In the mean time, I have included a few of my favorites.  Grace’s Plant aka Bleeding Hearts are one of my all time favorites.  When I was first married to her son, Charlie, and living in Scotland newly transplanted from Michigan…..I was sometimes lonely.  I started talking gardening and plants with Grace and we both had a passion for it.  One day I remember she handed me this root thing and said “plant it and it will grow”.  I looked at it and she said “No, really.  Plant it.”  Apparently my face showed my thoughts as if I was screaming.  I did plant it, and it did grow and it was stunning.  I love the little hearts with their little bleed bit.  I had the pink with the little white bleed from Grace.  I started calling it Grace’s plant and have ever since.  When I see them I always smile and think of her.  It is hard to believe that she has been gone almost four years now.

White Bleeding Heart

For variation, I tried to grow the all white version in Scotland and it died on me.  But the pink and white one that Grace gave me thrived.  When we moved back to the USA and out to Colorado, one of the first plants that I bought at the garden center was another bleeding heart.  Even at 7500 feet above sea level, on the side of a mountain, in a high altitude desert, that pink and white bleeding heart thrived in my garden.  I would sit on my chaise lounge and look off the mountain ridge down in the valley in direct line of sight of that bleeding heart so I could see them both and talk to Grace.  I remember saying to her “See your hearts and the mountains. Aren’t they lovely?”  I again tried to grow the white one, and it died.

Once we moved back to Michigan, I dug up my pink and white bleeding heart from Colorado and drove it all the way to New Era, MI in a feed sack and pot.  I bought another pink and white form the garden center here as well as another white one.  Third time is the charm right?  The white one faded away, the leaves browned and fell off and the flowers died and it just shriveled up and disappeared.  The pink one that I brought from Colorado and the new one that I bought from the garden center were still going strong but the white one had gone and died on me again!  Imagine my surprise this spring when that white one popped up again.  Success…finally.

My Choke Cherry trees also were dug up from Colorado and drove here in a feed sack. They absolutely adore Michigan weather and climate and I am going to be making a lot of choke cherry jelly this fall.

Newly resided and roofed wood shed with winter wood started

I know that it is June and everyone is thinking of summer and warm weather, but WINTER is coming!!  For those that Homestead and live closer to the grid, we prepare all year long for winter.  Charlie has roofed and sided the woodshed in metal siding to match the garage, studios, hay barn, lean too and wood shop.  Eventually all our out buildings will be done like this and the house will have its copper roof with white stucco.  We thought the out buildings could handle being white metal siding rather than posh stucco.  What I love about this photo, is not only the great job that Charlie did re doing it, but also that our wood supply for the winter is about 25% there.  We are on our way and once we get the wood split and stacked down in the orchard I expect that we will have this years and a good share of next years wood already laid up.  Yes, that is how I like to go into a winter!