Tag: sheep

Todd Morrison Jan 2002 – August, 30, 2014

Todd Morrison Jan 2002 – August, 30, 2014

Posted on by Melisa

August 30, 2014 was a sad day for Charlie and I.

Another of our furry family members passed.  It has taken me some time to be able to write a post about Todd’s passing. Todd came to us when he was about 8 years old.  I had started herding lessons with Kathy in Ft. Lupton, CO for Abbey, my red tri color border collie.  During the time that I was taking a few lessons with Abbey, I met Todd and we bought Todd.

Todd

Todd wouldn’t always work for everyone.  He did like to work for me.  He occasionally worked for Charlie but most times he would not work for him.  Todd needed a firm but patient handler and if anyone shouted at him, he shut down and would refuse to work.  He and Kathy had a difference of opinion.  He wanted to gather up the sheep and bring them to her, she wanted to train him to go further and drive and do other things.  If the sheep or goats were moving away from the human, Todd was NOT happy.  Well for us and our minimal needs, Todd’s style worked well.  He could gather up the sheep and goats and bring them to us all day long so I didn’t have to go down that big steep hill on the Colorado mountain side.  He understood that he wasn’t required to work every day, that when we walked even without any critters to herd I would run through his commands for practice, and that this was his retirement home.  We had about 6.5 years with Todd.  He adored my husband Charlie, me too, but there was a special bond with Charlie.  Charlie was his playmate.

Todd moving Michelle, one of our angora goats

Todd started going downhill dramatically about 2 weeks prior to our decision to let him go.  We did run numerous tests and our best guess was that he had a bone cancer in his back hip and some sort of spinal injury as no messages from the back end were reaching the brain.  He was staggering, struggling to use the bathroom, didn’t want to eat, and in pain.  It was the correct thing to do for him, even though it sucked for us.  I waited a little bit and tried a few pain medications and he had some initial improvements but not any significant increase in the quality of his life.

Todd and his mate, Charlie

I had hoped the medication would turn the tide and was going to give him a few days to look for improvements, but unfortunately that wasn’t the case.  Charlie was offshore at the time but the extra few days making him a bit more comfortable with the pain medications allowed Charlie to get home to be with Todd that last evening before going to the vet the next day.

 

 

Todd working the training sheep

Our Todd would gather up the sheep, but he really enjoyed the belligerent stubborn goats.  Those were his favorite to herd and bend to his will.  He had a great eye and barely made a sound when doing any herding.  It was a joy to watch him work.

Todd will be missed.

 

Fibery Goodness Module Six Yarn

Fibery Goodness Module Six Yarn

Posted on by Melisa

I have had my Module Six yarn spun now for several weeks but hadn’t taken any photographs of it.  I know….I was slow.  It is a 2+ ply hand spun yarn of the 15.5 Micron Merino.  Natural white with a 3rd ply if you want to call it that which is a silk thread with garnet seed pearls strung on it.

Mod 6-3

I have spun some beaded spirals in the course but was having troubles with the merino shrinking and fulling a bit in the setting process with the silk thread staying the same.  The end result was that the thread hung loose with the beads on it and would get caught and break…. losing beads.  This made the yarn super fragile.  I wanted to make my usual go to yarn that is a medium weight 2 ply, mostly evenish.

Mod 6-1

I decided to spin the 2 singles a little bit finer and try for a much more even yarn with a tad bit more twist in the final plying to give it more strength than usual.  I trapped the silk thread with the garnet seed beads on it in between the two merino plys to give it some added strength.  I was going for a 2+ ply that was 2 plys for strength and softness, and 1 ply for bling and character.

Mod 6-2

I do not usually spin fine or even like this so this was rather outside my comfort zone.  Probably not even in the room where my box was….that is was soooo far out my box.  I am over the moon pleased with this yarn.  I really like it.  I spun the Mod 6 yarn in the morning and the Mod 7 yarn in the evening.  They are two very different-night and day yarns even though spun from the same white 15.5 micron merino wool.  Look for Mod 7 yarn coming soon.

Mod 6-4
Fibery Goodness Module Three Yarn

Fibery Goodness Module Three Yarn

Posted on by Melisa

Mod 3 yarn. Hmmmm… What can I say? I was on a roll and spun up mod 2 and rolled right into Mod 3. Module 2 was about Trials and Tribulations but I swear Mod 3 should have been the trials and tribulations!!

Mod 3 Yarn Attempt 1 and 2

I was going for a gimp spiral yarn as on page 118 of the Spinners book of yarn designs by Sarah Anderson. Did I succeed? You tell me.

 

Same commercial prep combed top 15.5 micron merino. Pure white. Yarn on left is first attempt. Yarn on right second attempt.

 

I spun a super fine single. More fine than I have ever done in my life. Probably not terribly even and too much twist as I wasn’t even in the ballpark of comfort zone!! Spun a bobbin of single that was supposed to be twice as thick probably was more like 3-4 times. Had way too much twist in it. Bobbin wasn’t taking up properly. Thought it might be OK when I plied.

Mod 3 Yarn Attempt 1 and 2

Tried plying on my new CS2. Didn’t go well. Came off bobbin like a rubber band hung around the door knob and snapping back in your face!! That’s the left yarn. It seems like a cross between a super coil and a core spun and an angry rubber band. And it feel like I spun it out of a Brillo pad. Looks cool. Not even close to what I was going for.

 

Attempt 2: When my big single bobbin ran out, my thin single bobbin was still half there so went and spun up a new thick single with very little twist in it but again probably a whole lot more than just half bigger than thin one. Tried to keep it even. I plied on my CS2 again. Got half way through the 2 bobbins when I realized I was plying to the right the same way both singles had been spun. Crap!!! Cut the yarn and wound off bobbin back onto my left hand until I got to beginning. Had a lot there and being over energized it was tight as well as unruly. Thought if I just started it back at beginning and doubled plyed to left it would untwist the wrong bit and re twist it up right. It did. Sort of. Tangled it in knots. Had yarn everywhere. Had hubby waiting on me to do something but me not able to put ti down as it was a tangled mess on my left hand when trying to re ply and untangle with both hands at same time. I obviously didn’t think this one through!!! Eventually got it sorted. Than joined on with the last half of bobbins, join didn’t take the best so will have to be careful of that bit when I weave with it but got it going.

Mod 3 Yarn Attempt 1 and 2 Close Up

 

It is easy enough to do when you do it right from the start!!! I believe it is a nice soft relatively even medium weight spiral, but is it a gimp spiral???

 

I do love my second version even if it is not a gimp spiral yarn and may have a new best favorite yarn. Thoughts??

Artful Women’s Exhibition with Zonta in Canon City, CO

Posted on by Melisa

The international organization, Zonta, has an annual fund raiser.  This fundraiser is for their scholarship fun and local and international service projects.  It is called the Artful Women’s Exhibition.  An Art Show that has 3 categories.  Drawing/Painting, Photography, 3D and Fiber.  I have 3 pieces that will be in the Fiber category.

Pastels

We will be having one or two fiber artists from Ft Collins, Colorado judging the 3D and Fiber category.  I believe this is the first Art Show that I have entered any Fiber Entries that will be judged by actual Fiber Artists.  Most times, the judges are NOT fiber Artists so I have never been able to understand how they could JUDGE Fiber.  I am looking forward to this.

The opening night is October 5, 2012 from 5:30-7:30pm.  The show will also be open October 6 and 7, 13 and 14th, and the 20th.  It will be at the old Sunflower Bank Building at 531 Main Street, Canon City, Colorado.  Admission is $5.00.

I plan on getting to know more about the Zonta Organization and the local chapter.  Their mission statement is:  To empower women to improve their status through education, economic stability, health and wellness, to serve our community through local and international projects and through contributions, and to further the mission of Zonta International.

Bits and Bobs

This is a good thing and I hope to find out more about them.

The 3 pieces that I am entering will show hand spinning, hand painting and dyeing, spinning from carded art batts, spinning from locks, crochet, weaving on a rigid heddle loom and free form crochet.

Beehive Art Yarn Shawl

My three entries are Pastels, Bits and Bobs, and Beehive Art Yarn Shawl.

Pastels is an 8 ft triangle shawl.  It was woven in continuous warp method on an 8 ft triangle loom from yarn that I hand painted.

Bits and Bobs was hand spun from art batts, rovings, and various other bits and bobs of fiber received over the years.  It has alpaca, merino, wool, angora rabbit, angelina for sparkle and glitz, and other assorted fibers that I have no clue about as they came in art batts.  I hand wove panels on my rigid heddle loom and free form constructed this jacket.  I also wove a bag that I later felted for extra durability and wove a panel to be used as a wrap skirt to complete the outfit.  This outfit has not been exhibited in Fremont County.  It was my entry into the Art Prize Competition in Grand Rapids, Mi in 2011.

Beehive Art Yarn Shawl was spun from locks and hand painted in vibrant colors.  The yarn is extreme chunky and bulky.  I used a crochet hook that is much bigger than my thumb and free form crocheted this into a unique OOAK shawl.  Ribbon was added for a nice touch and to close the front of the shawl.

I am looking forward to this exhibition and hope to see you there.  Come Look for me 🙂

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Update:  “Bits and Bobs” won Third Place in the 3D and Fiber Category at the Artful Women’s Exhibition.  The judge particularly liked the different textures, colors, and seeing the “hand” of the artist in the weave and spinning.