tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90281559828778844872024-03-13T18:41:48.817-06:00Mountain Topa small farm where we raise fibers for spinning from sheep and angora rabbits, and raise our own vegetables.Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01431870035925057486noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9028155982877884487.post-52876726304297126682013-03-24T12:47:00.000-06:002013-03-24T12:47:47.753-06:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL5a0e__catD9IsH6pxXNRiQn2ydDsjGoQgu1foLOcjJuhHu26UR2iIMpLoi_1vlLUyQVaVspp-8PgM0jDfUZ2ZpW6mG1SvPb8Ct3AjHUwGQzSeO5B65Ka_J_w0HoE6mKB7lJREIzW6FA/s1600/dyeing+for+wild+night+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL5a0e__catD9IsH6pxXNRiQn2ydDsjGoQgu1foLOcjJuhHu26UR2iIMpLoi_1vlLUyQVaVspp-8PgM0jDfUZ2ZpW6mG1SvPb8Ct3AjHUwGQzSeO5B65Ka_J_w0HoE6mKB7lJREIzW6FA/s320/dyeing+for+wild+night+%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The dyeing to the left is what I did for wild night which is below.<br />
I used slate Blue for the blue on the left and Turquoise, and Teal and Nautical Blue Pro chem dyes for the handspun yarns, and the rainbow dyed fabric was done with Magenta, Basic Blue and Sun Yellow<br />
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Below is my exercise on doing a wild sky for the course. We were to utilize various colors and textures in our wild sky. I named mine BIG SKY NIGHT and it will be a 12 x 12" wall hanging when finished. I utilized all the dyed pieces to the left in this as well as other colors. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR3lHgWt9n7RH7xmDUXSnfNDPqNLE4Uidx_quRH2nTqCRbHBzKx2aLTEEhdITtBoB7kTTLVSbmp4JITiqLtUMSnsdFcm_fx1taQ_FAFvniB5a2HpTDXqrnClciZ_7izUtNYNJS-n41gNg/s1600/big+sky+night+prog+3-16-13+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR3lHgWt9n7RH7xmDUXSnfNDPqNLE4Uidx_quRH2nTqCRbHBzKx2aLTEEhdITtBoB7kTTLVSbmp4JITiqLtUMSnsdFcm_fx1taQ_FAFvniB5a2HpTDXqrnClciZ_7izUtNYNJS-n41gNg/s320/big+sky+night+prog+3-16-13+%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I was unable to complete them during the class but when they are done I will post them here. If this has not locked me out again.Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01431870035925057486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9028155982877884487.post-10294557640785448632013-03-24T12:38:00.000-06:002013-03-24T12:38:21.770-06:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglcgLll58Hl3JyAegZkqF53lOhXMOC83FL_ot-bNNKoRE6DRUusYMUmGDUYgiHHQUvPV9AgBdZ-IqcBSPuauvcdsQiaz2vJSSUkftyMnmEv0Pk-bUHU5ppYR_gxLbaqA_kD33zB68M0XY/s1600/scrappy+squares+progression+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglcgLll58Hl3JyAegZkqF53lOhXMOC83FL_ot-bNNKoRE6DRUusYMUmGDUYgiHHQUvPV9AgBdZ-IqcBSPuauvcdsQiaz2vJSSUkftyMnmEv0Pk-bUHU5ppYR_gxLbaqA_kD33zB68M0XY/s320/scrappy+squares+progression+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
The photo above was an exercise in doing squares and I decided that if I was going to do that I would make an table runner and add some flowers for interest and it is 52 inches long; I will complete it at my leisure as I have scrappy thurms<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQdLrVJ2Bp2AXVkqSSkukOys00Rn0CY4fijFsp_BYnYSnRAvm6ITUFTsu7u4jUb7TqFzSioRjqQG4uejBfH7ACXJqjaBRc-W2q9HkgysgD9IyI73vtW4TVAHoGg4zBH-dEs7YO293E3v0/s1600/old+morris+mill++prog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQdLrVJ2Bp2AXVkqSSkukOys00Rn0CY4fijFsp_BYnYSnRAvm6ITUFTsu7u4jUb7TqFzSioRjqQG4uejBfH7ACXJqjaBRc-W2q9HkgysgD9IyI73vtW4TVAHoGg4zBH-dEs7YO293E3v0/s320/old+morris+mill++prog.jpg" width="316" /> </a></div>
This next photo is of my main project which is about 16 x 20" and is being made as a wall hanging. I call it the OLD MORRIS MILL. It is a an abandoned old mill that is located in the Tobacco Root mountains about 30-40 miles from home. The design was taken from a photo I took <br />
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Here is some of the dyeing I did for the above hooked project Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01431870035925057486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9028155982877884487.post-39779427155383726722013-03-24T12:26:00.001-06:002013-03-24T12:26:38.530-06:00Wild with Wool<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqBZIOxWRgyqfOVgRiXJX8lm6c7AAmhuRiVgImk-EjsOlkZzHW4R-Qo_6ZsaQWD-3IF-ZB4mr2AgSdsrzDMokNqUdFm4u34d18_0KJViWSztBITory1oJFhyphenhyphenAa_8TAVwdCUbVOuGoee2g/s1600/P2230029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqBZIOxWRgyqfOVgRiXJX8lm6c7AAmhuRiVgImk-EjsOlkZzHW4R-Qo_6ZsaQWD-3IF-ZB4mr2AgSdsrzDMokNqUdFm4u34d18_0KJViWSztBITory1oJFhyphenhyphenAa_8TAVwdCUbVOuGoee2g/s320/P2230029.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0-jTAWbR3MuoTF8Pl9jiod4XPJcvfqOM-ZqL8qwvkgKVHsoZcdj8Rs4r2jrJ7RHxoIR9ocpmreVTNHE2XiSCcs-CoYB0EELUm1XffbeXpwwaZeXVySyEamWf9bS6lqTemO_Z1Bbvt9AQ/s1600/finished+ocean+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0-jTAWbR3MuoTF8Pl9jiod4XPJcvfqOM-ZqL8qwvkgKVHsoZcdj8Rs4r2jrJ7RHxoIR9ocpmreVTNHE2XiSCcs-CoYB0EELUm1XffbeXpwwaZeXVySyEamWf9bS6lqTemO_Z1Bbvt9AQ/s320/finished+ocean+(2).jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I just completed a 5 week on line course from Deanne Fitzpatrick called WILD WITH WOOL. It was very enjoyable and I will show a few shots of various things as a result of that class. Shown are some of the exercises that she had us do</div>
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First there were the stars and then second was a lesson on movement and waves, That little blue photo is supposed to be a vertical of the ocean or as much as I could make on a 6 x 6" piece. Sorry it is horizontal but I do not know how to right it in this program. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmx03Zaoz6qs5e0hRKybcdunuHK0P8g9OniE5Ii-5Ds3JhTHtPnPuVVizeFqbFxYxv5d0bkQ7qWAWSdYjWwBjo7YQAIZbYmY1_MgoFJqxlwJEo7V6VN6frxpqm6uaDCQ5YH1rn0rEfyqE/s1600/scrappy+squares+progression+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a></div>
<br />Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01431870035925057486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9028155982877884487.post-61589315705145390062013-03-24T11:53:00.001-06:002013-03-24T11:53:29.366-06:00Hello again,<br />
I haven't been here because Goggle has made it way difficult and I could not even get into it. Finally with the help of my husbands persistence and diligence I am back here at least for now; there is a lot that is different about the site any more and I will a have to get used to it. If this works I will be back and it it gets all screwed up again I have not got the patience to tackle it. <br />
Barb Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01431870035925057486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9028155982877884487.post-22958343519531063322013-01-18T11:06:00.000-07:002013-01-18T11:06:27.794-07:00It's been awhileSince I was able to post on this blogsite. I have been unable to access it and now we wonder if it is again working and if so then I will post more soon but for now this is just a test to see if it works.Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01431870035925057486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9028155982877884487.post-5492161429982136872011-06-19T15:16:00.000-06:002011-06-19T15:16:18.726-06:00Here are the rugs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Now it time to start a new one</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Nr1l3QXcWQQAM-pJU7SxoE0lTirvybPU_XnvR3IiN1J3u-5gqe81n4Qew5FJbQFb9TSMFCU9OtTv5atPoxgptvyCAzqRW6i8a3BzOJ-dWkXFpZsJFo245NCrnjFv4-88-izmZddrLoc/s1600/Barely+finished.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223px" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Nr1l3QXcWQQAM-pJU7SxoE0lTirvybPU_XnvR3IiN1J3u-5gqe81n4Qew5FJbQFb9TSMFCU9OtTv5atPoxgptvyCAzqRW6i8a3BzOJ-dWkXFpZsJFo245NCrnjFv4-88-izmZddrLoc/s320/Barely+finished.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This is my latest creation, also designed by me. It is called BEARLY and shows a mom Grizzley and her two cubs strolling through the woods. It was taken from photos of bears in Yellowstone, with the little cub facing you was seen at Hebgen Lake. I made this for my granddaughter's graduation present.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx3tbVeffr18kX_4Cr76j76VOXeiK2I3SqQui0M-D0u7_BUzhzvps_99y_E9KZjiFD2XJYK3E9GbD0w1Lunf0px0Jopat1K8u_YYs9zOwhhITiW4jmnl1oquVpSLX758IaGwQsyqbe7Ag/s1600/while+Reindeer+sleep+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="193px" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx3tbVeffr18kX_4Cr76j76VOXeiK2I3SqQui0M-D0u7_BUzhzvps_99y_E9KZjiFD2XJYK3E9GbD0w1Lunf0px0Jopat1K8u_YYs9zOwhhITiW4jmnl1oquVpSLX758IaGwQsyqbe7Ag/s320/while+Reindeer+sleep+2.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Here is WHILE REINDEER SLEEP designed by me after I saw internet photos of a moose hitched up to haul logs in the north woods. I figured if they could haul logs they could haul Santa</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This rug is called 3 U's. It was done before Free Ride was started. I hooked the sheep fleece from locks of wool from my sheep so it shows the three colors we were growing at that time. The border was hooked with handspun yarn, and the white flowers were hooked from angora handspun yarns made from our rabbits </div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This rug is Howard's Floral. It is from an Emma Lou Lais pattern; I did it because I wanted to try a primitive, and wanted to try using a number 8 cut. This is the result.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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This rug is FREE RIDE. I took the photo of this elk in Yellowstone Park one year and I had to incorporate him into a rug. The ravens and the magpie were natural companions of the elk so I used them in the compostion as well... <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRDK5VvJq246e3i1-h2ZtubARuUJWMsLkGntQ53JBckEicoAxYbcLhAHhaYlf4P7a7KlbDlNcFAQu_IeFr7BS_aFfUFV_x7DMvmuvLXJ1Xu4p-QuPYbzyVpjxDPGNr-D80cQNKnfgwt3w/s1600/%25231+tara+rug.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260px" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRDK5VvJq246e3i1-h2ZtubARuUJWMsLkGntQ53JBckEicoAxYbcLhAHhaYlf4P7a7KlbDlNcFAQu_IeFr7BS_aFfUFV_x7DMvmuvLXJ1Xu4p-QuPYbzyVpjxDPGNr-D80cQNKnfgwt3w/s320/%25231+tara+rug.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div>This shows my Tara rug done for my perky little scotty dog. It hangs in my studio, This was the very first hooked rug I did, about 4-5 years ago now. The border was hooked with yarn and the interior was hooked with wool fabric. This rug appeared in Rug Hookers Magazine under beginners rugs. Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01431870035925057486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9028155982877884487.post-50219172984974997872011-06-19T14:28:00.000-06:002011-06-19T14:28:19.129-06:00ADDING RUG HOOKING AND PUNCH NEEDLE DESIGNS<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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I am going to add some of my rug hooking designs that I have completed so far, and some of my punch needle ones that are either completed or in progress so that folks who are interested can go to my secondary blog listed on the right as the Dragons lair to select and purchase those designs or just look at them if they like.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTr70j9H5maTkM33JudcK4whF355atcim7kx_sI2RgGaOL_ojxR-7EDg7iSh4NIL0rkPxnXi6kb0iJE5b6K3YFELbBC-E5XxYYo-9vSUpXbvmlrRu_YRMX2cEZxvup39ZPgMLJ8ay2NPg/s1600/while+reindeer+sleep+progress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236px" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTr70j9H5maTkM33JudcK4whF355atcim7kx_sI2RgGaOL_ojxR-7EDg7iSh4NIL0rkPxnXi6kb0iJE5b6K3YFELbBC-E5XxYYo-9vSUpXbvmlrRu_YRMX2cEZxvup39ZPgMLJ8ay2NPg/s320/while+reindeer+sleep+progress.jpg" width="320px" /></a>The above punch needle shows the day time version of While Reindeer Sleep in progress, still in the frame I work them on. <br />
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</div> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr7n6zdAFzGE4HhAf9E5A5mYaSbqBxYVvK4oyfUiRMpwEy8ELTUFh0kJeZ2Z8WUq3Xq4iRwypxT8tyBX1sVj3xeV9eqtHp1Sd7LZ71hA_PuxSV1E4CDMxwIRnWAZmBQS9s8PP7_gi-LX0/s1600/while+reindeer+sleep+moonlight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="158px" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr7n6zdAFzGE4HhAf9E5A5mYaSbqBxYVvK4oyfUiRMpwEy8ELTUFh0kJeZ2Z8WUq3Xq4iRwypxT8tyBX1sVj3xeV9eqtHp1Sd7LZ71hA_PuxSV1E4CDMxwIRnWAZmBQS9s8PP7_gi-LX0/s320/while+reindeer+sleep+moonlight.jpg" width="320px" /></a>This is a watercolor of a night time version of While Reindeer sleep. See my hooked rugs to see it done up on hooking<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEp7rnLvmCDGGWkOlbbqZoCym8Gsgny7uTNl2SxMFcfKdgI5CPNEPx9xRsdDEzW61SoptY7-zQHb9OBw9kqacxYSLRJ3gnk0WUTT7F0eTZC_iW2GAv5U8OHDYf4IfdN1AKtqnNP49tlP8/s1600/Ryeland+ram+pn+in+progress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEp7rnLvmCDGGWkOlbbqZoCym8Gsgny7uTNl2SxMFcfKdgI5CPNEPx9xRsdDEzW61SoptY7-zQHb9OBw9kqacxYSLRJ3gnk0WUTT7F0eTZC_iW2GAv5U8OHDYf4IfdN1AKtqnNP49tlP8/s320/Ryeland+ram+pn+in+progress.jpg" width="320px" /></a>The Ryeland sheep punch needle shown here gives you one idea of how it can be worked up.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrmZSvvFJ9UxeOvYNt_clamdsnd87RplEQVDIH8L0pkkVI5d5vvNwfX4Q693CQPUA4mZ1N0t9sZiaW3-c7WJ92XuKq9tZJkg-ebP6OOf3rHo3zndwIYCALRCMvwiFZxxsHsCnJQAkYL4M/s1600/pumpkin+patch+worked+up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256px" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrmZSvvFJ9UxeOvYNt_clamdsnd87RplEQVDIH8L0pkkVI5d5vvNwfX4Q693CQPUA4mZ1N0t9sZiaW3-c7WJ92XuKq9tZJkg-ebP6OOf3rHo3zndwIYCALRCMvwiFZxxsHsCnJQAkYL4M/s320/pumpkin+patch+worked+up.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div>The Pumpkin patch design worked in punch needle and framed up. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01431870035925057486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9028155982877884487.post-78829767180571427982009-10-14T08:11:00.000-06:002009-10-14T08:24:14.287-06:00German Angora trivia stuffI am enjoying the development of my newest litter. They are the first litter that I've had that is totally raised by the mother and she is doing a great job. This is her second litter, but the first one was a hybrid litter, and there were 3 of them. I suppose that was a learning litter! But she had sufficient instinct to use the nest box, and raised them all without any losses, and is likely raising this litter without any losses. One of the trickiest times for baby rabbits, I've found, is when they start eating pellets, and gradually weaning from mother's milk. In about 2 weeks I will do my first evaluation on the litter and sex them. They are a product of brother sister breeding so inbred this one generation, which would not be my first choice but I wanted to emphais the mother's line instead of the father's line so I chose the brother over the father for a stud. I really need to get an outside bloodline but so far it is not working out. I've had another doe Abby, who is the result of a brother sister breeding and she has been an excellent rabbit...great mothering ability, fertility, and high producing wool and the daughters I've kept from her have been as well....plus she is so milky that she is my main foster mother.<br />The mother of the new litter is just 13 months old so I consider she is doing an excellent job. This is a far cry from all my previous purebred German does, who either did not do the job right, in the birthing, in the mothering, in the milkiness, or got sick themselves and died before they could reproduce. I will definetly keep a doe from this litter. Next time I will talk about angora fiber. ( I hope).Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01431870035925057486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9028155982877884487.post-45814766870705870662009-09-20T15:28:00.000-06:002009-09-20T15:59:39.397-06:00The latest in German Angora rabbits<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9eEZ7FexvENnCs5AIyklzjkshGfGkQnGgSF7Ywp8-cHn9dx4x4UPIddIIvZDPKDlATE4ERHfSlZCenAlrdJCBUldr9FpREhz0V5mjIg6rMxIinqEag1CrOiT8cYci4ps0kl_2Hbb_hmM/s1600-h/Little+Joe1.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 400px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 379px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383670415821786962" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9eEZ7FexvENnCs5AIyklzjkshGfGkQnGgSF7Ywp8-cHn9dx4x4UPIddIIvZDPKDlATE4ERHfSlZCenAlrdJCBUldr9FpREhz0V5mjIg6rMxIinqEag1CrOiT8cYci4ps0kl_2Hbb_hmM/s400/Little+Joe1.jpg" /></a><br /><div>Here is Little Joe at 3 months old already. His parents are Absarokee and Bitterrootret. He shows great promise of nice black silky soft wool. He is ready for his first haircut.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh73IC6JvLgPy5Oh7uGx7q99Z42gsf_PJg685LqQBd-aU1yGgyWq5WVDtOmg5HafzQ58TJDEN8ztrKaSxVhmwEke3lT_0LjJftK-Su8UXTn0Icc0XaoQu8PhWbT7mVYtLHE0Vl3MeZnZcc/s1600-h/little+Joe.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 400px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 334px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383670404619334082" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh73IC6JvLgPy5Oh7uGx7q99Z42gsf_PJg685LqQBd-aU1yGgyWq5WVDtOmg5HafzQ58TJDEN8ztrKaSxVhmwEke3lT_0LjJftK-Su8UXTn0Icc0XaoQu8PhWbT7mVYtLHE0Vl3MeZnZcc/s400/little+Joe.jpg" /></a><br />This sweet little baby is the same Little Joe but shown at 6 weeks old. He is my latest German Angora hybrid buck, and hs is a lovely black. He too is over 98% German Angora, and as you can see by his blue eye he carries the chinchilla gene as well as the black gene.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij7HYAA6RYOBamDKLeDZJwcfotZ35ifgYTZdHc5GRDp5WfEaqjbPUUAXBX00v9ylz7Eh5ylcM4lfICj1g1VLz5qNHMMq8mO9Ku9tAWmcCl_667PdZKsSoEoY4XZWJ4pUSdmbROzFyT_Xc/s1600-h/Snowcrest.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 400px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383670399986053074" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij7HYAA6RYOBamDKLeDZJwcfotZ35ifgYTZdHc5GRDp5WfEaqjbPUUAXBX00v9ylz7Eh5ylcM4lfICj1g1VLz5qNHMMq8mO9Ku9tAWmcCl_667PdZKsSoEoY4XZWJ4pUSdmbROzFyT_Xc/s400/Snowcrest.jpg" /></a><br />To the right is Snowcrest with a big black spot of tattoo ink in her ear at 6 weeks old. look how much she grew between 6 weeks and 3 months.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgEDv4BkEf5A7qldRdvUIKeKxOmxIVL7tBTMojKi0zMUQiZoI4tpl5uSZSicBvA4wHFKUIAhDkWPaUTfW6zb27qqxG2rOs96K6eTs3rZogqzfDjhzWRXe3_nIoEoTCYKeGpwBeZgf0Hfg/s1600-h/snowcrest+1.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 298px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383667400848245586" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgEDv4BkEf5A7qldRdvUIKeKxOmxIVL7tBTMojKi0zMUQiZoI4tpl5uSZSicBvA4wHFKUIAhDkWPaUTfW6zb27qqxG2rOs96K6eTs3rZogqzfDjhzWRXe3_nIoEoTCYKeGpwBeZgf0Hfg/s400/snowcrest+1.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>The photo to the left is Snowcrest at just a little over 3 months old and she has already had her first shearing to remove baby wool. It's normally discarded as it's so soft, but it can be handspun to make a delicate and soft yarn that made into knit garments that will get little use, such as a neck scarf.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeCZ1ZfyC-oo_8aL327ApHXA-mhznrM4n7EWsVv3eea7ASGdSer_3pqEVrupMq9oGRidmGOpgxJi-5UHEH2DDyV039-6YMS1MM5vDEqnnpJe2tHfg_Fjz1I_TSxqTcl5mCutAAijAKxBQ/s1600-h/Jack+at+3+months.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 306px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383667398543448866" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeCZ1ZfyC-oo_8aL327ApHXA-mhznrM4n7EWsVv3eea7ASGdSer_3pqEVrupMq9oGRidmGOpgxJi-5UHEH2DDyV039-6YMS1MM5vDEqnnpJe2tHfg_Fjz1I_TSxqTcl5mCutAAijAKxBQ/s400/Jack+at+3+months.jpg" /></a> She is a purebred German Angora from Winter's Dream and Snowstorm.</div><div><br />This is Jack, at 3 months, he is over 98% German Angora and so is called a German Hybrid. It's amazing how fast they grow.<br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNdJF5Z2siHuAZMaAvuiW7PK1cT2xc4nNmMI2gqdu4dHTPqKlsRCSl5pquM-FwDTBMqHDxaQk5_P9rFUC5wQGxJLOZ_41bDJsS2CEx01sexoA0Sz9DA3Y-xX4USGDLss-ujAvIAdDatEA/s1600-h/692.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 278px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383667391191628882" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNdJF5Z2siHuAZMaAvuiW7PK1cT2xc4nNmMI2gqdu4dHTPqKlsRCSl5pquM-FwDTBMqHDxaQk5_P9rFUC5wQGxJLOZ_41bDJsS2CEx01sexoA0Sz9DA3Y-xX4USGDLss-ujAvIAdDatEA/s400/692.jpg" /></a><br />Here is Jack at only 6 weeks old. The number is his ear tattoo<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5mLieAlm5YGiXBXVv6oPW3zPpvVb9gy2osWGD6nPKPIoHqdw0qMUhztSygoXY0T_IOheTN_e9X-SVPX9-GrXSNj84CkEnXbn_o1JWKiXIC77X2YryXGHTUbgXsy3QaIBo-4MVVqGXjmY/s1600-h/GA+baby+1.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383667382383496418" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5mLieAlm5YGiXBXVv6oPW3zPpvVb9gy2osWGD6nPKPIoHqdw0qMUhztSygoXY0T_IOheTN_e9X-SVPX9-GrXSNj84CkEnXbn_o1JWKiXIC77X2YryXGHTUbgXsy3QaIBo-4MVVqGXjmY/s400/GA+baby+1.jpg" /></a><br /><br />This is a newborn shown at day 7<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXYyB6HnfXiNKzhXeg7KaWFHScD1oOa-jb-oMrP3g6RqEcYs3zMlPMekPVC0aDoIdP7_mT7KT5-X7HrgjHcATkpoFr56tzmEfBaqnel6bKq0rE-xIVtNO3z16qpxkbI6WemNpkgVpvOlE/s1600-h/GA+Litter+9-13-09.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 305px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383667373053732642" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXYyB6HnfXiNKzhXeg7KaWFHScD1oOa-jb-oMrP3g6RqEcYs3zMlPMekPVC0aDoIdP7_mT7KT5-X7HrgjHcATkpoFr56tzmEfBaqnel6bKq0rE-xIVtNO3z16qpxkbI6WemNpkgVpvOlE/s400/GA+Litter+9-13-09.jpg" /></a><br /><br />Here is a photo of the purebred German Angora litter of bunnies born this month and they are about 5 days old here. They are born nearly hairless at birth and you can see that they are already getting furred.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh58XN2kmJXgLSstb3aUg-glEfS_GwLmwr-EUwhc_gPJGnrmYW4qYDkdKlXpCUTEdCIpr7h38bxXxUWzETYwrScr-iSOtIFIN3CBEO0YCI-ZkS9vz67kuCu-bPnD-N-bj_AvNhp9Zjyw90/s1600-h/WS2.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 400px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383665675626998050" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh58XN2kmJXgLSstb3aUg-glEfS_GwLmwr-EUwhc_gPJGnrmYW4qYDkdKlXpCUTEdCIpr7h38bxXxUWzETYwrScr-iSOtIFIN3CBEO0YCI-ZkS9vz67kuCu-bPnD-N-bj_AvNhp9Zjyw90/s400/WS2.jpg" /></a> This is a pic of Winter Storms as he was as a youngster. I need to get some adult pictures. He is the sire of the upcoming baby littler that I am going to show.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5E-THfnmlvTPxfIMTkmRPMt1jqgSWHxY80FicwgNg1fX2stAtvw-nKqDLbNBvVJcjtgpn0DfSVlpwlezL8f-ZvGfxfISf_eQZproZsXruwmTP6elOLozpKt88OfGo2OrsUuj-ZQOZWvk/s1600-h/snow+storm.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383665093355057906" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5E-THfnmlvTPxfIMTkmRPMt1jqgSWHxY80FicwgNg1fX2stAtvw-nKqDLbNBvVJcjtgpn0DfSVlpwlezL8f-ZvGfxfISf_eQZproZsXruwmTP6elOLozpKt88OfGo2OrsUuj-ZQOZWvk/s400/snow+storm.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>This photo shows Snowstorm; she is the mother of SOW. </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01431870035925057486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9028155982877884487.post-5240173035668938732009-09-20T15:17:00.000-06:002009-09-20T15:28:30.558-06:00Angora photo updates<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzJh_rmrhtgQolE0N-yNY7vn5cnOFqWXGD4bTaVIxYer9DyxAf1hFGgV08ZkeKOudhkRTrmklAQojWrcGxZ07MxuoFUREa9L3ICu-UZqy1GRWHcsh-4RxSJIMIWXSlWrNXWF2g7JDuYyY/s1600-h/winterdream++5mos.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383663480361236274" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzJh_rmrhtgQolE0N-yNY7vn5cnOFqWXGD4bTaVIxYer9DyxAf1hFGgV08ZkeKOudhkRTrmklAQojWrcGxZ07MxuoFUREa9L3ICu-UZqy1GRWHcsh-4RxSJIMIWXSlWrNXWF2g7JDuYyY/s200/winterdream++5mos.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB80p5Fc9ZCjZQdwIyQldogjf4odAVVNh5U0_sljcZBIwve_a6OjKtRk_AutPj7yg_uyFeDtI0FTRFknUJN6z82wdYKnLAcHBrTdfGF5fb6WiqnwVsdFW2lkakUYdQG3Hj5_OhvsRQR3k/s1600-h/sow3.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 187px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383663474253995698" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB80p5Fc9ZCjZQdwIyQldogjf4odAVVNh5U0_sljcZBIwve_a6OjKtRk_AutPj7yg_uyFeDtI0FTRFknUJN6z82wdYKnLAcHBrTdfGF5fb6WiqnwVsdFW2lkakUYdQG3Hj5_OhvsRQR3k/s200/sow3.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibrgWPGOqgHvCUQ1UuMt5uiS8Y79IA2DiF8zir8k6opkicFA43AXwTEJ3GKmaMrd1bftO-dsh8ugJNSlCdhtsGn0JLxTSU6b3pK0MQBnLVUynHUlD2iY11W2iB-mK7LGCW2Bo9_fjAXlA/s1600-h/SOW+4.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 153px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383663462030097858" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibrgWPGOqgHvCUQ1UuMt5uiS8Y79IA2DiF8zir8k6opkicFA43AXwTEJ3GKmaMrd1bftO-dsh8ugJNSlCdhtsGn0JLxTSU6b3pK0MQBnLVUynHUlD2iY11W2iB-mK7LGCW2Bo9_fjAXlA/s200/SOW+4.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div>Here are some of the most recent photos I've taken of the Angora population here. The top photo shows Winter Dreams as he was at 5 months of age. He is my senior purebred buck here and he will be five years old next year.</div><div>The middle photo is Snows of Winter (SOW) as she was as a baby, and then as she is now as an adult. She is a shade over 1 year old and has had 11 babies. Amazing rabbit</div></div></div>Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01431870035925057486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9028155982877884487.post-8425836961489181912009-09-19T08:44:00.000-06:002009-09-19T08:58:25.170-06:00How time fliesIt's been ages it seems since I have had time to post to this blog. Maybe I can start catching up. We've had a cooler, later, and somewhat wetter summer than normal and I have relished it. However, now in September we seem to be experiencing summer. Much hotter and very dry. the poor plants wither so bad I can hardly keep up with their watering. The garden has been growing but slowly and I just hope that the frost stays away long enough to harvest the tomatoes. The poultry have been having a good year, raising chicks, and ducklings and gunieas. Our guineas flock increase this year by 6 new ones, and they are all running wild. They do drive me slightly nuttier because I have to think of ways to keep them from eating newly sprouted greens in the garden, and they chatter continueally.............But the grasshoppers have been way down this year, and tick season was short so I credit them with that. I wish they would catch hornets! They do catch and eat mice though! Sheep wise, that status quo is about the same. We still have 4 ewes, and 1 ram. However, we are likely to add another ewe lamb and we did replace our ram. This new one is 50% Icelandic, and the rest if a border Leicester/cormo complicated cross. His wool is white, lusterous and has a nice handle.<br />The rabbity has been thriving and we had out first large litter of purebred German Angoras and and all raised by the mother which makes me very proud of her. We've had other purebred German Angoras before, but none that were from large litters, or that were successfully raised by their mother. I gave her the unglamorous of SOW hoping she would raise her babies as easily as a pig does and she seems to. :)<br />Time to go now. Hopefully pictures next time<br />BarbaraBarbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01431870035925057486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9028155982877884487.post-19474001708274687662008-11-20T13:33:00.000-07:002008-11-20T13:36:28.573-07:00CLOSE UP OF MORE SKIEINS FOR PN<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpnZdzRTK54YQvQdDMhvHRDginSprDSeOIhwlme3XXfEg7Zn6tuKi1miK-52ai26X0VsO3bJVNDRuefCgs0KhyphenhyphendRGZUq1iUiiSA8Z0E-Yfrq7FVVcSFwmBZkHsR2Nbnb2oJBdCZtgcTHA/s1600-h/Dyes+009.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 350px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpnZdzRTK54YQvQdDMhvHRDginSprDSeOIhwlme3XXfEg7Zn6tuKi1miK-52ai26X0VsO3bJVNDRuefCgs0KhyphenhyphendRGZUq1iUiiSA8Z0E-Yfrq7FVVcSFwmBZkHsR2Nbnb2oJBdCZtgcTHA/s400/Dyes+009.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270840913376091522" border="0" /></a> THIS SHOWS THE RAINBOW DYEING ON PN SKEINS. This was all rainbow dyeing as talked about belowBarbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01431870035925057486noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9028155982877884487.post-38679906515724698462008-11-20T13:20:00.000-07:002008-11-20T13:27:06.599-07:00CLOSE UP OF SKEINS FOR PN<span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzehIuGhpVm9fRHpNU4E9NkaiZweZnbKUkq9QXliI-xKQwRQzlJyrD_GVKjOLYqBdVzPT-BBGre19eFqpyLj2HZYvIr7bHNRaxb5Fv0lg9FFMBiFCV1kXwR3RS5eEYsf2gmfvmq6X6hYE/s1600-h/Dyes+010.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzehIuGhpVm9fRHpNU4E9NkaiZweZnbKUkq9QXliI-xKQwRQzlJyrD_GVKjOLYqBdVzPT-BBGre19eFqpyLj2HZYvIr7bHNRaxb5Fv0lg9FFMBiFCV1kXwR3RS5eEYsf2gmfvmq6X6hYE/s400/Dyes+010.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270837844900571458" border="0" /></a>Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01431870035925057486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9028155982877884487.post-75701352419520172082008-11-20T12:49:00.000-07:002008-11-20T13:13:15.951-07:00WEEKEND DYEING<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw9etujrYoH6sKOMaOB1KvZyOMKyqFupn1m6liD9vRXI7jV3SvgnH4k_XHbh-sCnu1Um0M5Ee9t1HRfOviH7KyiSsquHB1-3cD16Ma22tO5tslN7myX6Ph8Xr_UyXYV8BXVWbNSuEO_fU/s1600-h/PN+skeins.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 227px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw9etujrYoH6sKOMaOB1KvZyOMKyqFupn1m6liD9vRXI7jV3SvgnH4k_XHbh-sCnu1Um0M5Ee9t1HRfOviH7KyiSsquHB1-3cD16Ma22tO5tslN7myX6Ph8Xr_UyXYV8BXVWbNSuEO_fU/s320/PN+skeins.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270830754223486802" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhi_MZv9D6DSK3Yt7xXgTz80g5KNNM944-iQbPPDmCFPy97zUVA0Whc5j3DJqxwERfGcO_sP1dnyvzVC1JsCEw7lo0-oX79eWLGX_iCQH037ILKjGr6Ozy3f1fOeCgEi2xuH31EdFpqmA/s1600-h/sock+blank+dyed.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhi_MZv9D6DSK3Yt7xXgTz80g5KNNM944-iQbPPDmCFPy97zUVA0Whc5j3DJqxwERfGcO_sP1dnyvzVC1JsCEw7lo0-oX79eWLGX_iCQH037ILKjGr6Ozy3f1fOeCgEi2xuH31EdFpqmA/s320/sock+blank+dyed.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270830746725841682" border="0" /></a>This picture above of the sock blank after it has been of rainbow dyed. This will hopefully make<br />an interesting pair of socks. This was done with Pro-Chem's wash fast acid dyes using the colors<br />of boysenberry ( darkest value) Mulberry medium value) and buttercream ( lightest value). It<br />is drying on a sweater rack.<br /><br />The photo top right is the whole of 5 batches I did for punch needle embroidery. The burgunday colored ones are two batches of rainbow dyed ones using the same colors as in the sock blank on the left. There are 3 seperate batches of 3 skeins each in solids also for PN.<br />The colors used were Prochem Avocado and Spiced Pumpkin but neither at full strength. The blue is Kiton Acid dye turquoise, again not full strength. some of these were heat set in the microwave, and some heat set in the oven at 350 degrees.Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01431870035925057486noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9028155982877884487.post-80012935368064525312008-11-19T08:54:00.000-07:002008-11-19T08:56:34.427-07:00The Latest in DYEINGI've started building a palette of colors in yarn for my needle punching projects. I started with a skein of merino 2 ply yarn. I broke it up into useable skeins that average 25 yards each. I've since tried it in the needle punching and it works great with enough "bloom" to puff out on the right side. I need both solid colors, and varigated. I used squirt bottles and sponge brush to apply the dye to the skeins for both the solids, and the varigated. I heat set the dyes by: some in the micro wave, and some in the oven, speed. I used Pro-chem Wash Fast Acid dyes, and one Kiton Acid Dye . Here are the results.Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01431870035925057486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9028155982877884487.post-67020033472203843582008-08-18T08:25:00.000-06:002008-08-18T08:58:38.543-06:00ART...........scratch board<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgOyBhfM4wVLc9Vh4_pLby_QCeKbWnkrlGlOKDPg7FjGenhBuw4Hw4A67-zajddV0y0t7ot71p_f36vDNF7LN5AvZsJWnfQwQjbtKQEqeoWDpXhkj9AlBhsqblO2ql7wg1sUIzeeBYCqQ/s1600-h/%233++progress+final+painted+Lady.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235869639326282338" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgOyBhfM4wVLc9Vh4_pLby_QCeKbWnkrlGlOKDPg7FjGenhBuw4Hw4A67-zajddV0y0t7ot71p_f36vDNF7LN5AvZsJWnfQwQjbtKQEqeoWDpXhkj9AlBhsqblO2ql7wg1sUIzeeBYCqQ/s320/%233++progress+final+painted+Lady.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQSeQ9WfypYCY3XHYHlwriNDAv02_STOR1uuoYLo8O514dPQuJQL8kD_jmgOukhud-cj5MDbb4dnMOV5lRD1xEr2vgYR9Nm4WAafPQkvOIVTbVBTsOadOPQ64A_mqWxNPHYYCEQ7DA710/s1600-h/%234+final+American+Copper.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235869639713415650" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQSeQ9WfypYCY3XHYHlwriNDAv02_STOR1uuoYLo8O514dPQuJQL8kD_jmgOukhud-cj5MDbb4dnMOV5lRD1xEr2vgYR9Nm4WAafPQkvOIVTbVBTsOadOPQ64A_mqWxNPHYYCEQ7DA710/s320/%234+final+American+Copper.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />The brown eyed <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Susan's</span> picture with the Painted Lady is # 3 and the American Copper on a daisy is #4 and the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Monarch</span> on a thistle is #5 and all are done on 5 x7" boards. <br /><br />The giraffes drawing is a sketch for a future one, I plan to do in larger size. Next I am working on the horse to try that in a 5 x 7. I love this size because is you make mistakes or have flaws in some form, you haven't <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">ruined</span> as much material.<br />fun, fun, fun.<br /> <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoD2g4wlrZITy-LchersMFsqZgDq66DRxcw1xzz52qSWIp9QZW6YXtnjFPCe0geCMfEQ8GaRovSx1fEC5jcgHSzKp7GS4qNhDyfSTuAv0MZflASt8sR6pQAmT90qV_yqcSDSgoWHmPmAs/s1600-h/%235+final+Monarch.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235869644949736466" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoD2g4wlrZITy-LchersMFsqZgDq66DRxcw1xzz52qSWIp9QZW6YXtnjFPCe0geCMfEQ8GaRovSx1fEC5jcgHSzKp7GS4qNhDyfSTuAv0MZflASt8sR6pQAmT90qV_yqcSDSgoWHmPmAs/s320/%235+final+Monarch.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVfq6CcJY33gTIdwkByZ72rd5bIa3FPDswhz67TGgtw9zi9ngNQdRSTn0qcd6PyzEmhci23QOEcIO96iQbVYDfB-m_fW9ElgUT1wIhGZco-SlfHC9_Tq23iViWM9F3VSuv52xt2LScxOI/s1600-h/giraffe+sketch+(2).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235869643856898802" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVfq6CcJY33gTIdwkByZ72rd5bIa3FPDswhz67TGgtw9zi9ngNQdRSTn0qcd6PyzEmhci23QOEcIO96iQbVYDfB-m_fW9ElgUT1wIhGZco-SlfHC9_Tq23iViWM9F3VSuv52xt2LScxOI/s320/giraffe+sketch+(2).jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin4ajmvQQaZWVSGD3j3j8swauFt4zg3Rfv3mSxvSC86RjgVkWK1W0JCn8UK8FX5yTCtD0bso8ed_jLz6r-gUKDFtoq0bGj3nM9NG4ThzcRlE8GoTTugJ-LppGKd98U7PDIwl-pTYAFbMM/s1600-h/%232+progress+2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235868918753788386" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin4ajmvQQaZWVSGD3j3j8swauFt4zg3Rfv3mSxvSC86RjgVkWK1W0JCn8UK8FX5yTCtD0bso8ed_jLz6r-gUKDFtoq0bGj3nM9NG4ThzcRlE8GoTTugJ-LppGKd98U7PDIwl-pTYAFbMM/s320/%232+progress+2.jpg" border="0" /></a> Finally here is step 2...the actual scratching part<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMoyd1-Lc7XxPQ9nNJbdIZWj3IzABFhrKWMk3YfmCP4G7vTEfTuhR_UptMal5-bG4trwbC5cjp-idn8Usf-jrxkktLk34YvutDSpzMGUfx47C_RsFqkOi6l70NVZ1iFboqL4wP4qQrHic/s1600-h/%232+finish.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235866862316764722" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMoyd1-Lc7XxPQ9nNJbdIZWj3IzABFhrKWMk3YfmCP4G7vTEfTuhR_UptMal5-bG4trwbC5cjp-idn8Usf-jrxkktLk34YvutDSpzMGUfx47C_RsFqkOi6l70NVZ1iFboqL4wP4qQrHic/s320/%232+finish.jpg" border="0" /></a> Things don't always go like I planned. this is the completed picture and it shows a Swallowtail butterfly on a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">tiger</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Lilly</span>. This is a 5 x7" panel and is not step two but the final result. Somehow the second step got left out and I will try to add it now.<br /><br /><br /><div><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirOC26gUnI5cG5mB82wUAmGXAnTvm1prSrv5kgBqRiQFSnNx7acb5VJp0Isv7MW3KZk60c-TgyHD4qeuW-9UONVxt9IRWCfw3R5-A9UsvMnd4C0dvaCwzqQu2bRMacEg3izcZ0gn6abWg/s1600-h/%232+progress+1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235866594610454546" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirOC26gUnI5cG5mB82wUAmGXAnTvm1prSrv5kgBqRiQFSnNx7acb5VJp0Isv7MW3KZk60c-TgyHD4qeuW-9UONVxt9IRWCfw3R5-A9UsvMnd4C0dvaCwzqQu2bRMacEg3izcZ0gn6abWg/s320/%232+progress+1.jpg" border="0" /></a> This is the first step in the process...adding the chalk lines.<br />Below is my first piece and it on a 5" x 7" board. The butterfly is supposed to be a Swallowtail on a thistle bloom.<br /></div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip5QPoNbeTz6Somt7UYbA5RMnPXVdOVKWNHrBGQ5CcwYw5VWcSTSHl1LgmpMsGbOwadUrNJPTv34UeoGgIgDbvzPfL2hc9WuNOUOPV9-ehydfYHT-d6tHRgWrYx-GANsF0L_yhIhWrJ1Q/s1600-h/%231+scratch+swallowtail.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235866032914532706" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip5QPoNbeTz6Somt7UYbA5RMnPXVdOVKWNHrBGQ5CcwYw5VWcSTSHl1LgmpMsGbOwadUrNJPTv34UeoGgIgDbvzPfL2hc9WuNOUOPV9-ehydfYHT-d6tHRgWrYx-GANsF0L_yhIhWrJ1Q/s320/%231+scratch+swallowtail.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><div>I discovered recently a new technique of art for me. It was shown to my by my daughter Kathy who is proficient in the medium. It's a simple as drawing and goes quickly which I consider a plus. I will show what I have done already, and the progress of one of those so you can see the process. You start with an original drawing on paper, minus the details, so it is essentially an outline; then you chalk the back for transferring to the scratch board. Once it is done you lightly scratch over the chalk lines using a stylus or pen like <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">scratcher</span>. Then you remove the chalk lines with a soft cloth and begin scratching in the details. Afterward you can begin painting or inking in the color if you wish to do it in color or leave it in dramatic black and white. Very cool process. </div><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><div></div></div>Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01431870035925057486noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9028155982877884487.post-46736264867602929362008-07-26T07:50:00.000-06:002008-07-26T08:11:13.179-06:00SHEEP<p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0KkuCybiYD8hENNxgAaVor5nIVk7AWaHdeOeU-mdXvhEzWIXOC_5AmucGmwRHk8v_5M4wQl9MYxSG3_HaiIdLfsT-86ll0kqasa0c6eZEHEer1jucd0H4mCSabzpJuDWGSAD03fk5MOM/s1600-h/Cammila+head.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5227324314587692658" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0KkuCybiYD8hENNxgAaVor5nIVk7AWaHdeOeU-mdXvhEzWIXOC_5AmucGmwRHk8v_5M4wQl9MYxSG3_HaiIdLfsT-86ll0kqasa0c6eZEHEer1jucd0H4mCSabzpJuDWGSAD03fk5MOM/s320/Cammila+head.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNbgoH4hd5JFPVVCi13P-Ty-Bo8uPIOUE9tH04of58l56O_MPtBEOLBiruWO-KVuOGR8JpqvGgWP-mFRlyEqCY4VPQSWTJ91_rTnewlX_j46sTV5pLLtuSGOvmjZKJKc4alBzVfUyQcXY/s1600-h/ewe+001+(2).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5227323632438984962" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNbgoH4hd5JFPVVCi13P-Ty-Bo8uPIOUE9tH04of58l56O_MPtBEOLBiruWO-KVuOGR8JpqvGgWP-mFRlyEqCY4VPQSWTJ91_rTnewlX_j46sTV5pLLtuSGOvmjZKJKc4alBzVfUyQcXY/s320/ewe+001+(2).jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXHI1BDilpmAllSVmzkox7fHiZEzjfdd3pi4GFBZK0Lrh2J7bF3tkeNARwRF3ddIMsRnlh9uD2v9qGYnZ6yGi_sfAJA2euhYjD9J4MTA950QHpm2woISf_V6lw6MVQ1ycTwX3MTKeddbs/s1600-h/ewe+002+(2).jpg"></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1DYU_ESHh6ksD6_prZEkLh7cZyIErzpFI-dJp9phH0Pyfswqcb-mC8bK-ItiD_Qp1A-yrv4aFITNJZnAVj3NCG7m5qX7jrOhh-80VGldqSKU0jqOFIIJ6BGPQPHDFPeZx0J2mrpoLyWg/s1600-h/ewe+001+(2).jpg"></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIwxpJ3T2010klOTr5AhgXL2dWK95JOCu8G73uFkxNluYGZDQtT1CNUU0YQ7nQUi71TlP9fN6LLR7tpr3TPA6hyYPELinZAruAVsSeNRt4kC4fnNL3o9OY27wReDJZ0KMSpd4zuPEL2Kg/s1600-h/ewe+001+(2).jpg"></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtAXE2qY6TFDv9IiP4G42Slks6S9AJQEn-f3mDEmJF2NHKBj32usDphWYfz74UIIPPklpCLcwdrbJ_cFKoOeHTJWEeR75I0O4yUkobAx7QoEjHUZ8ZzUPW8InFGl6Ih4mLhstfSUIjky4/s1600-h/baby+wool.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5227322408287157394" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtAXE2qY6TFDv9IiP4G42Slks6S9AJQEn-f3mDEmJF2NHKBj32usDphWYfz74UIIPPklpCLcwdrbJ_cFKoOeHTJWEeR75I0O4yUkobAx7QoEjHUZ8ZzUPW8InFGl6Ih4mLhstfSUIjky4/s320/baby+wool.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>Gosh...a long stretch of time has gone by since I entered anything into this blog. I will never catch up so won't even try.</div><br /><div>In early July we picked up a new lamb from a Shetland breeder not to far from us, and she is a cutie. We named her CAMILLA. That is supposed to be German for Chamomile which is the name I wanted for her. We have loosely followed a botanical theme in sheep names. She's white because she is meant to be a replacement for Fleur who we were culling.</div><br /><div>However, Fleur is still here, as she pulled a sly one at loading time and got away from us. We'll try taking her in when we load fall lambs now. She is isolated and feed until I think it safe to release her. That way she doesn't get knocked away from the feed, and can have some goodies that the others can't have. She is also somewhat more catchable ( but not very) for vaccinations, and physically checking over. It also allows her to get acquainted with the flock without getting harmed. Here's a few photos.</div></div></div></div>Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01431870035925057486noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9028155982877884487.post-20337494030368236112008-03-14T09:00:00.000-06:002008-03-14T09:29:54.901-06:00Skirting and Picking<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqZ_RfqK6o4PCNTYy_UbaWX64toKIzbO-MAJVzNKYle76xue6o5uDunDJD4torwSSFEtVcGbQqCrQXGC00kBmuLF4aTNeN9RIvdl6HGoYcvMHs-YQwb-z161-ltY0pOoJCwjU3UmnoDa8/s1600-h/priss+08+underside.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5177614004891714466" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqZ_RfqK6o4PCNTYy_UbaWX64toKIzbO-MAJVzNKYle76xue6o5uDunDJD4torwSSFEtVcGbQqCrQXGC00kBmuLF4aTNeN9RIvdl6HGoYcvMHs-YQwb-z161-ltY0pOoJCwjU3UmnoDa8/s200/priss+08+underside.jpg" border="0" /></a> These photos show various steps in the skirting and picking process. The two photos here, on the left, and below on the right are both from Priscilla. ( You can scroll down into the blog to learn more about her, and see her with her full fleece intact.)<br />The photo on the left is the skin side or cut side exposed. The photo below shows the mostly the top side, so you will see the tipped ends of the staples and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">wel</span> and the gray undercoat.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-nok45KCjASTncNp0dEWTWy-_9AH1TAIjHcfl4y1cmXLH5FMnWeQchbJXt77fQyEoiH_K9hglYLcV8-NX0fHnBeQ9hIAzIR_g9TBGj_atCwdw_2czZypYgyl6OzP16fcnQuOXTokcXVQ/s1600-h/priss08+outside.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5177613635524526994" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-nok45KCjASTncNp0dEWTWy-_9AH1TAIjHcfl4y1cmXLH5FMnWeQchbJXt77fQyEoiH_K9hglYLcV8-NX0fHnBeQ9hIAzIR_g9TBGj_atCwdw_2czZypYgyl6OzP16fcnQuOXTokcXVQ/s320/priss08+outside.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />The photo to the right shows, a small sectioned off portion of the whole fleece that I am working with. If a fleece is not intended for competition, but is to be used primarily as a hand spinning fleece this is what I do to ease the picking part. <br />The small section is moved away from the main body of the fleece and then I tease the fibers apart, and flip them over several times, sometimes shaking this portion in the wind so that the smaller parts of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">debri</span> are removed and as much vegetable matter ( or <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">VM</span>) as <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">possbile</span> is removed. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0m3DpyugsKJ6rJyUlS2_x6yoTybhwoZUJ_cPQiMC4Ymr7J6qR05jcF92Xi8zc2FZnx7YuI4u9QoHiw3H3DwNYHx1eTSfIkjInX_j_x9fY_PiFDsVeT2KOlNAWJduKV3uvVR7-BtrVGLk/s1600-h/IF+08+sm+section.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5177613253272437634" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0m3DpyugsKJ6rJyUlS2_x6yoTybhwoZUJ_cPQiMC4Ymr7J6qR05jcF92Xi8zc2FZnx7YuI4u9QoHiw3H3DwNYHx1eTSfIkjInX_j_x9fY_PiFDsVeT2KOlNAWJduKV3uvVR7-BtrVGLk/s320/IF+08+sm+section.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdhGJ6t7QYLVCd8hC75x2t2pNvNuD5eO3WVKM0SKsgo2tjgotDr7_WuDbM3HVM9om9R2Fb98pQnHeOaJ7YJTHOKuiMJWvMLEY4qAezU8HckS0KFQGi_pvIXdUrB03LiSdntFNvuxBg0WE/s1600-h/if+08+skinside.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5177612969804596082" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdhGJ6t7QYLVCd8hC75x2t2pNvNuD5eO3WVKM0SKsgo2tjgotDr7_WuDbM3HVM9om9R2Fb98pQnHeOaJ7YJTHOKuiMJWvMLEY4qAezU8HckS0KFQGi_pvIXdUrB03LiSdntFNvuxBg0WE/s320/if+08+skinside.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />The next photo shows the skin side of Irish Frost's fleece prior to the small sectioned off piece. You can see also some smaller pieces, that are called second cuts, and all of those as you can reasonably find are removed as well.</div><div> </div><div>Once the smaller section is picked over it is placed back in the plastic bag, and another small areas is removed and worked on until the whole fleece is done. At this point I then weigh each fleece again, and that is my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">yeild</span> weight...both the raw weight and the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">yeild</span> weight are <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">recoreded</span>. I also decide that that point what I am going to do with a fleece. Sell it, or use it myself. I usually have more than enough for myself which is why my stash is so huge, but I normally offer the best ones for sale, because I can deal the fleeces with too much <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">VM</span> later in the process, but you can't offer it to the public.</div><div> </div><div>This year, out of the fleeces I have I am keeping Nightshades, Cinnamon, and her black <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">wether</span> because there is just too much <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">VM</span>. The rest are cleaner fleeces. Nightshades fleece has a wonderful soft handle and is a solid jet black and a non fading black which is very rare but it is just too contaminated. The black <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">wether</span> is the same, but he has just started the greying process. And Cinnamon is too small a fleece weighing only about 1 1/2 lbs, and there are those annoying tips, from last years fleece which occur because Shetland "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">roo</span>" or molt after shearing.</div>Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01431870035925057486noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9028155982877884487.post-4460456545811637262008-03-14T08:19:00.000-06:002008-03-14T09:00:44.025-06:00SHEARINGS FINISHED....NOW WHAT?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuUGzUmyxTBqoIrgBoSXIS8QNmD4k1cczj0qcho5ThZ4H-_tAIFttq5tCBM0lY6SGIuf87KXzuZMznnRU4-rECqt21VB4FZWmYkTdD01ueVbhssPl1a0B7bH50RaerT1O7rpLjSuJ8bKA/s1600-h/if+08+topside.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5177611668429505378" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuUGzUmyxTBqoIrgBoSXIS8QNmD4k1cczj0qcho5ThZ4H-_tAIFttq5tCBM0lY6SGIuf87KXzuZMznnRU4-rECqt21VB4FZWmYkTdD01ueVbhssPl1a0B7bH50RaerT1O7rpLjSuJ8bKA/s320/if+08+topside.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCKA4tarORLlxxYCWI0ydxaEv6FhRFB99LLeVWCXBHP2WvFuhwAJPu3DN2LEOc7RKz_IKIbp3SnS2pw21ZvY4G7RLI6a10AHlV_EhzPteEusq3XRggSBNV50yX74_YTrFMuqWpL-jk-eA/s1600-h/skirting+board.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5177610723536700242" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCKA4tarORLlxxYCWI0ydxaEv6FhRFB99LLeVWCXBHP2WvFuhwAJPu3DN2LEOc7RKz_IKIbp3SnS2pw21ZvY4G7RLI6a10AHlV_EhzPteEusq3XRggSBNV50yX74_YTrFMuqWpL-jk-eA/s320/skirting+board.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>So the fleece is off the sheep. What happens after shearing? </div><br /><br /><div>The next step is skirting. Usually at shearing when there is enough help there is someone designated the "skirter." That person or persons is the one that handles the fleece and starts the process called skirting. Normally they are set up at a skirting table near the shearing area. They retreive a fleece once it is shorn off the animal, or it is brought to them by someone else. A skirting table is some kind of a perforated top set up high enough for the skirter to work without hurting their backs. I've seen some pretty neat skriting tables especially made for the purpose; even round ones that even revolved so that the skirter did not even have to move around the table, but instead turned the table to reach the various areas of the fleece. The fleece is laid out on the table and then the skirter proceeds to remove the icky parts, like the manure tags, clumped wool at the tail end, and normally skirts an area about 2 inches wide all around the fleece, as this removed wool of a different texture, and most of the belly wool, and shortened areas, and a lot of grosser dirt. When there are a lot of sheep being done and pressure to get the fleeces out of the way the skirting is brief, and relatively incomplete. The skirter does a visual inspection of the overall fleece, tests the strength of the staple, skirts as described, and then rolls the fleece and bags it. If is is a larger operation the various colors might be bagged together instead of each fleece into an individual bag. </div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>How to roll a fleece. With the skin side down, starting at the neck or the rear, 1/3 of the fleece is folded over across the center, lengthwise. Next on the other side 1/3 of the fleece is folded over that.. then the rear end is rolled towards the shoulder area. So that when finished rolling it should be the skin side or the cut area that lies exposed for viewing. In the old days these rolled fleeces were each individually tied, but no longer. After the rolling practice each fleece is bagged, and labeled. Clear plastic bags are used for competiotns or if the owner just wants to visually see what's in a bag.</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>For hand spinning fleeces. The skirting practice is carried a bit furthe. Again depending upon how much help you have this can all be done at shearing. but in our case, since we are a very small opeation. Skirting is not done at shearing time because often it is only myself and husband to help the shearers. So it is bagged and labeled, and I do the skirting job later myself when time and weather permits.</div><br /><br /><div>( I was going to include photos at this point but this program will not let me. I suppose I should feel lucky because for over a week now it has reported "network error" and not even let me post....so I will try posting the photos later.)</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>What I do is called "skirting and picking" I first weigh each fleece for the raw weight. Then it is removed from it's bag and spread out on my skriting table. My "table" consists of a rectangle made from 1 x 1 wire that we put onto wooden framework. I'd estimate it is about 4 1/2' x 5 1/2'. Then I stack my two picnic table benches on top of each other about 3 to 4 feet away from the picnic table and lay my wire skirting board down as the table part of the contraption; the benches and picnic table are the table legs. That puts it at a good height so my back doesn't ache during or after the process. ( Hurrah, it accepted my photo) so up above you can see the skirting table before any fleeces are put on it.)</div></div>Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01431870035925057486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9028155982877884487.post-25470304933945010732008-01-28T13:09:00.000-07:002008-01-28T14:37:46.050-07:00THE SHEEP FLOCK<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2A12LoFjFL69sKBKKXHd-7cfkU6qEK5I88a4Y8M-W-A1M7BtBYnJHrStRIrzrp3sHgo4QaEuY_nw1FxhaXRH8GKt0mcDKri5Ze0KdHRx8JWrS127zMOCWKeQ7DIR-xA2TkUAXpO5JXKU/s1600-h/ram.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160642229947321122" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2A12LoFjFL69sKBKKXHd-7cfkU6qEK5I88a4Y8M-W-A1M7BtBYnJHrStRIrzrp3sHgo4QaEuY_nw1FxhaXRH8GKt0mcDKri5Ze0KdHRx8JWrS127zMOCWKeQ7DIR-xA2TkUAXpO5JXKU/s320/ram.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Baby Nightshade below and to the right is what he looks like as of yesterday and he is almost 10 months old here.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifcBpyQ2BvCziAr6vxgR09gry6FXzaaZ9d-wCIYEj2TY1wKdiCF7zlvyJPi7fyhGcSPFiEwKKRsJQHXJm3XzFu0hUE7XvJz3fdzWdRt7lOOipwLChyphenhyphenyIPZgEaZ8qlb9CaFzUX2rTuTmn0/s1600-h/NIGHT+SHADE.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160641285054515986" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifcBpyQ2BvCziAr6vxgR09gry6FXzaaZ9d-wCIYEj2TY1wKdiCF7zlvyJPi7fyhGcSPFiEwKKRsJQHXJm3XzFu0hUE7XvJz3fdzWdRt7lOOipwLChyphenhyphenyIPZgEaZ8qlb9CaFzUX2rTuTmn0/s320/NIGHT+SHADE.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_uJp9B5bfPJuiadBLfFQnOeQMves4uL1pD6lvVfs_C75jDGcOrDSwdGg74JQqdNUxa86OsB4Sz4hKxis4Z9qY1MIg7P12IfrStfT0K4hjhPrlAH-EMPW2z5b236HypIkcJqEuPBwZ-QM/s1600-h/5+mo+old.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160640030924065538" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_uJp9B5bfPJuiadBLfFQnOeQMves4uL1pD6lvVfs_C75jDGcOrDSwdGg74JQqdNUxa86OsB4Sz4hKxis4Z9qY1MIg7P12IfrStfT0K4hjhPrlAH-EMPW2z5b236HypIkcJqEuPBwZ-QM/s200/5+mo+old.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><br /><br /><div>This is our new ram. Meet NIGHT SHADE.</div><br /><br /><div>He is a tiny fellow. He is 3/4 Shetland and 1/4 Romney. Black as coal and it doesn't appear to have luster. Very long staples, and appears to be a single coat, but that remains to be seen for sure. He came from the flock of LaVonne Stuckey in Belgrade, Montana. We got him as soon as he was weaned and he started out with these tiny little spike horns you can see in the photo above. I expect him to have a long staples wool in the lower medium grade range. It has a good handle. I would love it if he would develop some luster. We think he bred the ewes this fall as there was a lot of commotion but some of the ewes laughed at his efforts<br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkW9o3eEn0yShheODNHqVDg0YGR4WhT21v1_-vobGMETZ5diAlqNHhwjyC_Xwh6IZYRZIjoP5fVoW6xUPC2GN20zxGJ-OGx2maLQKnCCx7FRX4RJ1X1xW9ZzKOWJO3jDDc8MftXCXrD0E/s1600-h/IF+as+tall+as+momma.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160637213425519346" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkW9o3eEn0yShheODNHqVDg0YGR4WhT21v1_-vobGMETZ5diAlqNHhwjyC_Xwh6IZYRZIjoP5fVoW6xUPC2GN20zxGJ-OGx2maLQKnCCx7FRX4RJ1X1xW9ZzKOWJO3jDDc8MftXCXrD0E/s200/IF+as+tall+as+momma.jpg" border="0" /></a> Next is IRISH FROST. She is a beauty and is a daughter of Priscilla by Donegal and so that makes her roughly 70% BFL and the rest Shetland. She is 10 months old now, and is shown standing behind her mother who is eating on the photo to the right. The small black one you see the behind all is a lamb.</div><br /><br /><div><br /></div><br /><br /><div>Irish is another black English blue pattern like Priscilla but she is a suntipped black which means her black wool bleaches to a brown shade whereas her mother remained a charcoal black. She is long stapled with a semi luster, and is too young for a micron count, but her wool has a softer handle than her mother.<br />Below is a head profile of Irish Frost; she was born on a snowy St. Patrick's day<br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO3b6elbxKwlxAs6m-Vv8dF14uCSYGTiOWHVBGi0DAN5RRcQfTw0U-GyCKRMfYmtNFl5k9U-4VZJnZuo0tS8EekyebnGnJSOiJn0x4f6yOkkk3pQ8Wz41E-cDG5JbUxZj1CwvNgM1zvAs/s1600-h/if+PROFILE.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160636552000555746" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO3b6elbxKwlxAs6m-Vv8dF14uCSYGTiOWHVBGi0DAN5RRcQfTw0U-GyCKRMfYmtNFl5k9U-4VZJnZuo0tS8EekyebnGnJSOiJn0x4f6yOkkk3pQ8Wz41E-cDG5JbUxZj1CwvNgM1zvAs/s320/if+PROFILE.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8N80wYuetB40BRXaHuvLXqdsXBcxu22CWkjYRGDIjdXMsscK02JxWmXgqzyMNwxmaWOlpRuvYzWMgU3BTcx1YUr9wQ9mz96xhXecthLMsCbnYBC-saXj_jmKdkjbo950dK69T0w0VWd4/s1600-h/Fleur's+first.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160635658647358162" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8N80wYuetB40BRXaHuvLXqdsXBcxu22CWkjYRGDIjdXMsscK02JxWmXgqzyMNwxmaWOlpRuvYzWMgU3BTcx1YUr9wQ9mz96xhXecthLMsCbnYBC-saXj_jmKdkjbo950dK69T0w0VWd4/s320/Fleur's+first.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>THIS IS FLEUR. She is a daughter of Cinnamon by Donegal, who was a BFL/shetland cross ram that we had for one season. She has the Shetland size but is larger than her mother and she is 2 years old. She has a bit of luster to her wool and appears to be completely single coated. Her wool is short and thick, and has a medium crimpiness, and good handle. Her micron count if 30. Her first baby was last year and she was a good mother. Her pretty face, and long back and luster came from her father. Her wool went into the BUNNIES OF JOY skeins I had spun up in 07 at 13 Mile Mill here in Montana.</div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKJFouQgo9y1fnCq2rHCCviEtfeet1aW0zPB7kWS_aQsIt1fv_Q1QB2mCdN15trQsCKip7dLCq5N6xH8SdDD21xp1gVW08tQh-FGLuIANbCSS-6yelnQvMEpApQye91WyeCoHZwE6DohU/s1600-h/PRISS+1-08.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160627042942962338" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKJFouQgo9y1fnCq2rHCCviEtfeet1aW0zPB7kWS_aQsIt1fv_Q1QB2mCdN15trQsCKip7dLCq5N6xH8SdDD21xp1gVW08tQh-FGLuIANbCSS-6yelnQvMEpApQye91WyeCoHZwE6DohU/s320/PRISS+1-08.jpg" border="0" /></a> This is a sheep called PRISCILLA.</div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>She is from Judy Colvin's flock and she is 50/50 cross of Bluefaced Leicester/Shetland. She is about 5 years old, and makes maybe 2 and a half Cinnamons. She loves to eat. She is the "boss" ewe. She is friendly as well, but not as affectionate as Cin. Her wool I consider to be luster long wool. It is about 6-7" staple with a semi-luster and it is single coat with a loose crimp. Her micron count is 34. Her last years fleece is made into a charcoal gray roving. She does not "roo." She is a good mother and raises a bigger lamb<br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmR9lluXmtEmawS6TihAIEgWIfF98fATeNwWFABAOkr0jBzAeciak7R3UpNTHrVENl49wpw6yYuoVH6afbSnACoErOdEy3GAe75Cz5A-y_ThBjrLLN2Ec153cZF0ZWl41BevuA-WreWMg/s1600-h/Cin's+head+08.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160625780222577298" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmR9lluXmtEmawS6TihAIEgWIfF98fATeNwWFABAOkr0jBzAeciak7R3UpNTHrVENl49wpw6yYuoVH6afbSnACoErOdEy3GAe75Cz5A-y_ThBjrLLN2Ec153cZF0ZWl41BevuA-WreWMg/s200/Cin's+head+08.jpg" border="0" /></a> 2008 photo of CINNAMON.<br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgamZs4AYCtDu6EO9hUiPooBk9kGdVQwWg6JVgx_pNkQIXE59IU4Sg7ff7q15H0w7Yz2_NX-gheabcCbTgvTBBuK4359QIuR1cY7gXjpIF90lzaiYNBy4BTOSGRDZ5tVjU7yaenLDDb-lY/s1600-h/Cinnamon+1+06.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160623310616382082" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgamZs4AYCtDu6EO9hUiPooBk9kGdVQwWg6JVgx_pNkQIXE59IU4Sg7ff7q15H0w7Yz2_NX-gheabcCbTgvTBBuK4359QIuR1cY7gXjpIF90lzaiYNBy4BTOSGRDZ5tVjU7yaenLDDb-lY/s200/Cinnamon+1+06.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />She was named for her reddish moorit color. She is a purebred Shetland from a dear friend and mentor who is now deceased. She is about nine years old this year. Her wool is very soft, and fine and there isn't a lot of it. On a good year she will give me 2 lbs as sheared, and after skiring and picking it might weight 1 1/2 lb. Her Micron count is 23. I consider her a single coat Shetland, but she has whisps of hair that stick above the rest so I guess those are the remnants of a double coat. She's fairy tiny around 55lbs as a fullgrown ewe. She is also a sweetheart and likes to be petted. She would love to be the "boss" sheep, but she is too small so no one pays attention to her. She used to single for several years, but in the past three years she has twinned. this past year, she again had twins but one was so big, that she could not deliver it unassisted, and by the time we got it out it was dead; the 2nd twin came fine and was a normal small one and is now bigger than she is. </div><div> </div><div>This is our flock with the exception of the two lambs we are raising for meat after they get shorn. This is about all I can manage with our resources any more...but it is enough. If I had my druthers I would keep them all...but that is not practical.</div><div align="center">THE END<br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div>Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01431870035925057486noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9028155982877884487.post-37699595779497649002008-01-15T08:42:00.000-07:002008-01-15T09:27:33.348-07:00ANGORA AND DYEING<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRNqL5zHw9h2Yxr__b5Ah6l-8N1pCBSQFa2REdeGh_G19KF81fvf_rwaL9vsJ_BCmvEyxAUfoTQxpe8z4jDKmIUY_1z9GvOMvGXlNw49FQ9imTz22OvqtwgAKWFmbfTgnZvLzcxqsFqVY/s1600-h/tealrainbow+BJ.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5155738423243930978" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRNqL5zHw9h2Yxr__b5Ah6l-8N1pCBSQFa2REdeGh_G19KF81fvf_rwaL9vsJ_BCmvEyxAUfoTQxpe8z4jDKmIUY_1z9GvOMvGXlNw49FQ9imTz22OvqtwgAKWFmbfTgnZvLzcxqsFqVY/s320/tealrainbow+BJ.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhuP8Xn11E7nx5JuNlguMPMFB8WC-3pfxC2Y51_885JcBcEGNl_iA_H5l2j6HAXY97xeK9FQuqgqslmpLoLhQmH4s1HCyzYJW5Qu7X8M7c9r2eyUBYWmpuyh7eGVeVg_qJRP86sddpXSo/s1600-h/rainbow+BJ+violet.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5155738427538898290" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhuP8Xn11E7nx5JuNlguMPMFB8WC-3pfxC2Y51_885JcBcEGNl_iA_H5l2j6HAXY97xeK9FQuqgqslmpLoLhQmH4s1HCyzYJW5Qu7X8M7c9r2eyUBYWmpuyh7eGVeVg_qJRP86sddpXSo/s320/rainbow+BJ+violet.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoZydmZfeGom0hiVJIEoQBpOB3YE_pJ7r0-KmFapY77LxRvR9pyz8uDg6-F72rd84fjgqIfoXoaGwy1WgLx4UCtvV_mgEeFDjc6pUemigmNMiRIYQOADymeTEIgjSy9ORuDcXgHQc3XyU/s1600-h/SanteFe+angora.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5155737233537989954" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoZydmZfeGom0hiVJIEoQBpOB3YE_pJ7r0-KmFapY77LxRvR9pyz8uDg6-F72rd84fjgqIfoXoaGwy1WgLx4UCtvV_mgEeFDjc6pUemigmNMiRIYQOADymeTEIgjSy9ORuDcXgHQc3XyU/s320/SanteFe+angora.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiubaYzBIQOqHCMzyu2Y6FSKTB-KTJPS6c40S-Rp9PB2LN2pApb1lc1dOPbCRkk67L4GpmXpWtEkhRgWctFhzBLRKRXF-WeDMj6N0ovMPL4tq0lsJyttH6zZMznL2ls3ycPoF0kC4uVP8A/s1600-h/santa+Fe+closeup.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5155737242127924562" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiubaYzBIQOqHCMzyu2Y6FSKTB-KTJPS6c40S-Rp9PB2LN2pApb1lc1dOPbCRkk67L4GpmXpWtEkhRgWctFhzBLRKRXF-WeDMj6N0ovMPL4tq0lsJyttH6zZMznL2ls3ycPoF0kC4uVP8A/s320/santa+Fe+closeup.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhHtEv870W3Tj-ae3R2aUI8aOMgW2Xa-2a27g8xViIJ25kY8H0Nd6YOdxda6GalpN4F_aIAcHh_LriRmY25j-CRNGm0AgTmcn5ByRxGZ47Be82me8SPDBP_AZyZtmNT6Pk81mvpKPnK3s/s1600-h/5-1+silk+c+angora.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5155736189860937010" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhHtEv870W3Tj-ae3R2aUI8aOMgW2Xa-2a27g8xViIJ25kY8H0Nd6YOdxda6GalpN4F_aIAcHh_LriRmY25j-CRNGm0AgTmcn5ByRxGZ47Be82me8SPDBP_AZyZtmNT6Pk81mvpKPnK3s/s320/5-1+silk+c+angora.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDLLlTz5jT2v8QzCRdwVgZtHMPLlrf0Byr5lyfF_KuiN9v-ARj-lT5_NJFzdrYmIncsf_TLku5Be7EE9yFIU3Bkh9si-tsBeRs2Bm_wRli1xUQsJkALgwZsE-l8G61gPGFllFM8YC7Rv0/s1600-h/closeup+of+silk+and+blendBJ.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5155735425356758306" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDLLlTz5jT2v8QzCRdwVgZtHMPLlrf0Byr5lyfF_KuiN9v-ARj-lT5_NJFzdrYmIncsf_TLku5Be7EE9yFIU3Bkh9si-tsBeRs2Bm_wRli1xUQsJkALgwZsE-l8G61gPGFllFM8YC7Rv0/s320/closeup+of+silk+and+blendBJ.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiufs9gYYMJYnazK8aXvBN7Uzr7D6I9xDrwu0j5r1P47aU8Uz59q_97lfoz_8gBpdds1lFfdVXN-A4MrglgFU52cQ9kYkbq6kKyZL0hu8zuVJk-x16uKu8kkX_FeTyIwoSmsRe4o_qj4C0/s1600-h/closeup+2+ply+blend.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5155734695212317970" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiufs9gYYMJYnazK8aXvBN7Uzr7D6I9xDrwu0j5r1P47aU8Uz59q_97lfoz_8gBpdds1lFfdVXN-A4MrglgFU52cQ9kYkbq6kKyZL0hu8zuVJk-x16uKu8kkX_FeTyIwoSmsRe4o_qj4C0/s320/closeup+2+ply+blend.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_mOYEyu3lkpbTJl45PPW7DAclwYP9ia6DrKd4mVhMJlX42447VtZhHX5BvSENwHMigHHBuWi9XJygQZKkNWAx7ltUZ0oUiT5EipsZmQXaoXqiGTAnnm900GP6c1ZawPjK7UPyBBEmw8w/s1600-h/EFF+07+wins.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5155731839059066114" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_mOYEyu3lkpbTJl45PPW7DAclwYP9ia6DrKd4mVhMJlX42447VtZhHX5BvSENwHMigHHBuWi9XJygQZKkNWAx7ltUZ0oUiT5EipsZmQXaoXqiGTAnnm900GP6c1ZawPjK7UPyBBEmw8w/s320/EFF+07+wins.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>I am hoping that I can get this to do what I want so I will just start out and see what happens. </div><br /><br /><div>First, after shearing, there is the fiber. This summer I entered some of it in a an wool compeition at the Eureka Fiber Festival in Eureka Montana, and this was the result. There were no guide lines issued as instructions so what I did was I took all the prime wool for a years duration from one rabbit, and put it in a clear plastic bag for display, and labeled it as required. I figured that by doing that the judge, or anyone else, could see how much prime wool was produced by one rabbit in one year, and could see and feel the texture, and color and crimp. This is the result in the picture above. It was fun....I wish that more fiber festivals has a competiton for angora fibers as well as their wool compeition.</div><br /><br /><div>This past year, I took 5 lbs of prime angora wool and took 10 lbs of unwashed white fleeces from my Bluefaced Leicester/shetland cross sheep and sent them off to 13 Mile Mill here in Montana for processing and spinning into 1 ply yarn of 1600 YPP. Since the wool needed washing, picking, and cardiing prior to blending it was reducded in volumne so that the blend came out about 60% wool and 40% angora. It is not as lacey looking as merino blend, but has more substance, but the hand is marvelous, and it is a great knitting yarn. It is also perfectly white.</div><br /><div>I plied it it through my spinning wheel into a 2 play yarn... for the most majority. However, I also plied 1 skein of bombyx silk 5/1 with 1 ply of the angora-wool blend as far as that would go, and another skein of 8/1 bombyx with some more of the blend. I wanted the picture inserted here, but I see it went to the top. Fortunately the photos have text added so it can be identified.</div><br /><div>The next picture is a close up of the 5/1 silk plied with the wool blend ply...it's just that the luster did not show up on the silk much but it is there.</div><br /><div>Then there is a photo of complete skein of the blend and the 5/1 silk yarn. I took all of this and dyed it in rainbow fashion in bright colors and call this batch "SANTE FE" because of the colors remind me of the SW country. There are four color coodinated skeins but each one is different.</div><br /><div></div><div>Next I did more single skeins of the blend in rainbow fashion in the microwave, and these two singles are the result. They are the blend 2 ply only without the silk ply. </div></div></div></div></div></div>Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01431870035925057486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9028155982877884487.post-72274015933977923842007-12-22T06:50:00.000-07:002007-12-22T07:24:27.168-07:00ANGORA: grooming and shearing<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz6kt6Em0B8HvqQTqfhTyPz2XLy0y8t9z3hnfoMTji2AOXrnmJHdRm-aUZ6FB5fo35H8JFVKpC3U5WVfDdywJEQ-U5oTHfm9D98vFLB7zRekWDGfQGSuyFBF53U_dsS0-r9CRHo6V03mI/s1600-h/before+shear+(2).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146802955251254770" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz6kt6Em0B8HvqQTqfhTyPz2XLy0y8t9z3hnfoMTji2AOXrnmJHdRm-aUZ6FB5fo35H8JFVKpC3U5WVfDdywJEQ-U5oTHfm9D98vFLB7zRekWDGfQGSuyFBF53U_dsS0-r9CRHo6V03mI/s320/before+shear+(2).jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoL0UqhS_c-HydvyHJ0msCIxJXDgmwPC5lRFsxw_nsJIlJsvib630LRNgLHJaXrYr_IY5k3ZoSedmuPOZL1WO7Df7oGsV0mv9iIopP66kNIOQJHmHbypCrVyltsiZWuStZej3Uigxvpfo/s1600-h/after+shearing.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146802564409230818" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoL0UqhS_c-HydvyHJ0msCIxJXDgmwPC5lRFsxw_nsJIlJsvib630LRNgLHJaXrYr_IY5k3ZoSedmuPOZL1WO7Df7oGsV0mv9iIopP66kNIOQJHmHbypCrVyltsiZWuStZej3Uigxvpfo/s320/after+shearing.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><br /><br />The wool on an angora rabbit needs to be harvested about every 3-4 months. The recognized breeds of Angora rabbits in the US are the English, the French, the Satin and the Giant/and or German. The first three breeds are considered to be "molting" breeds, and the Giant/German is not. The molting breeds are supposed to an undercoat, and guard hairs. The Giants have 3 types of hairs. I will discuss my own rabbits, which are mostly German and German crosses. My rabbits do molt a bit, and this is noticable as trailing wool strands and wisps of wool sticking above the rest. It is easily removable...as no longer anchored into the skin. This is a sign that they are ready to be harvested. You want to get this wool when it is prime, and before webbing occurs. Webbing is where some of the loose hairs appear to be lying across the vertical hairs deeper down...it's very easy to spot when the animal is being blown. Webbing can be combed out. If webbing is allowed to accumulate, then matting will eventually happen. Best to get to the job prior to webbing.The tools I used are as follows:The Air Force blower. A canister type similar to a vacuum cleaner, with a long hose and several nozzle attachments. This blows air instead of sucking like a vacuum does. It has two speeds...high and low. A grey hound comb. This is a metal comb about 7-8" wide, with narrow teeth at one end and wide set teeth at the other. Used for general combing, and to remove webbing. A slicker brush. a smaller sized one for the rabbits. This brush has numerous small fine wired bent teeth set in a flat base. It is a major grooming tool. You can groom the surface wool and by layering cam brush the depth of the wool all over the body.A stripping knife. This is a dog grooming tool that was designed for using to strip the coat of terriers. I use it to get small mats out of the wool. When I used to have English Angora I used it to pluck with. Nail clippers for trimming toenails. Scissors: I use a pointed barber style scissors, but this is a very individual preference sort of thing.Clippers: used for cutting the hair. Some folks use their scissors. I used my scissors for getting the matted areas under the front legs, around the neck, and cutting the odd areas...clippers do the rest. I will discuss clippers more later. If you use a blower as the mainstay of your grooming, you will not have to brush an animal very much....at least my breed. I generally use the blower at least once between harvest sessions, but I try to do it monthly. Often about midway through a 3 month stretch, I will shear down the butt area, down the back of thighs, and around the genitals to prevent the area from getting into the condition I call "dirty butt." Incidently, my animals are not show rabbits, and the grooming and harvesting of those animals is probably different from my method. I clip toenails during these sessions if they need it. THE PROCEDURE: First place the rabbit on the grooming table, and give them a few minutes to relax while I check them over, and pet them a bit. Then I will begin by blowing them. If the bunny involved is a baby or is a nervous sort, I will start out on low speed. If they used to it we start with high speed. I blow them all over top and underparts as well. I turn the bunny over for the underparts, while cradling them by my left arm with their back resting on the table with the hind feet pointed away from me. Once that is complete the rabbit is placed back on his own feet on the table. Reblow the back, and then start cutting the prime area which is the back and down the sides. I have a catch bag placed conveniently close. I only save the prime wool and the 2nds...the rest is tossed. Some folks save that for various uses and for weighing but I don't. I weigh the rabbit before harvest and after so I know how much wool he/she had. I cut a small area where I want to start either by the base of the neck of near the rear on the back. Once I have that cut made I can take my clippers, and shear a straight line down the center of the back. The this first strip is the only one that is has no second cuts, and it is placed in the Prime bag. Following that I do one side and then the other, one strip at a time. I gather a hand full of wool and blow with my mouth to rid it of any second cuts and put it in prime bag. This stopping to blow is time consuming, but I would rather do it now than go through all the prime cleaning it out later. Seconds are the wool that is closer to the tail that is shorter, or on the belly or lower abdomen; sometimes on the brisket. Seconds are generally shorter, or a mix of long and short, might have a little VM (vegetable matter); a few more second cuts, maybe a small mat or two, and possibly some staining..but it is useable wool and good for blending, dyeing, and felting...just require a tad bit more work than the prime. Once the majority of the top work is done it is time to do the underparts. This varies for me depending upon the animal and how they are responding to this procedure. If they are limp and calm, I will generally sit down in a chair, and cradle them upside down on my lap and proceed that way. If they are large, or unruly or nervous, I will put their forequarters, and head between my knees and restrain them , while I work on the hind end. Again, for the same reason, above, I will reverse this by putting their hind quarters between my knees, and work on the front end. Once the harvesting and grooming is complete I fuss over them a bit to relax them. Rubbing the abdomen is very relaxing and almost has a hypnotizing effect on them. I then put the animal back in his cage, and clean up the area, and the tools. It takes my quite a while to do this. For one relaxed rabbit in good condition it will take me an hour just to do the grooming and clipping. For a bad conditioned animal or a nervous animal I have spent as much as three hours on them. In the beginning when I was learning it might tale me three hours to do just one relaxed rabbit. I'm sure there are folks out there who are more accompolished about this and are much faster...but I'm not there yet. Now to discuss clippers. When I started out about 2 1/2 years ago clipping angoras, I had an Oster Golden A5 clippers that I used to clip my dogs. This tool worked fine on the dogs. However, I soon found it would hardly budge through the fine wool of the angora rabbit. It was constantly jamming. So at that point upon a recommendation I purchased a mini Lazor clippers made by the Laube company. It buzzes through a prime coat like a hot knife through butter. It cost me around $200 plus or minus. Since that time I have heard of the German clippers used by many of larger breeders, and the literature on it reads well. I know there are numerous brands of clippers out there and so if you have opportunity to try them you are lucky. However, I am going to list some that I have either used or heard about and you will can then start your own research about them. </div><br /><br /><div>OSTER: I was unable to find a website from the company so therefore not a lot of information. This was the clipper I first had and it did not do the job for me. They can be found at <a href="http://www.householdappliance.com/">http://www.householdappliance.com/</a></div><br /><br /><div>PREMIER: a great company, with lots of supplies related to sheep and goats, such as tags, fencing, shearing supplies. I have a friend who had one of their smaller clippers and she had a fair amount of trouble with it; I believe but am not sure that they have discontinued this model. they can be found at <a href="http://www.premier.com/">http://www.premier.com/</a></div><br /><br /><div>LAUBE: this is the company that I bought my current clippers at. It is a USA product and they will communicate with you. <a href="http://www.kimlaubeco.com/">http://www.kimlaubeco.com/</a></div><br /><br /><div>GERMAN CLIPPERS: <a href="http://www.germanredclipper.com/">http://www.germanredclipper.com/</a> </div></div>Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01431870035925057486noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9028155982877884487.post-79384380992231789882007-12-12T06:52:00.000-07:002007-12-12T07:51:26.066-07:00TRYING AGAINThe photo to the right with the fawn color is made from handspun yarn. The white yarn is a wool angora blend yarn and the fawn yarn is made from Belgiun Terveren...or Cheingora....dog wool. this yarn was spun without carding or washing, but just by polucking from a bag, and teasing it as I spun in a loose semi worsted method; then two plied it. It is knit in all garter stitch<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPg6hYa-30zisYxJszNvVtWgkLxlr5ZHMm863oyOB1n-frAMdDtVgr4meNAZ4iFfcDVmn_B2W-3RNrWjR1HN8n-exGff38og24SFEUyF4yJaXpaIagascqAFuVwSUq-aXbY-RP1zNs1fo/s1600-h/9-07+BT-woolang+earband.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143088100026239826" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPg6hYa-30zisYxJszNvVtWgkLxlr5ZHMm863oyOB1n-frAMdDtVgr4meNAZ4iFfcDVmn_B2W-3RNrWjR1HN8n-exGff38og24SFEUyF4yJaXpaIagascqAFuVwSUq-aXbY-RP1zNs1fo/s320/9-07+BT-woolang+earband.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Below is another version of the earwarmer. The white wool is the wool/angora blend yarn and the top yarn is more textured and is made from nautural colored sheep wool. It was done using my version of tailspinning. I took a class in that but never did quite get the hang of it...nevertheless it made a textured interesting yarn.<br /><br />The wool used was a Wensleydale cross. As you can see I made this one longer to cover more of the head. It's very warm.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgXdaRJYtKt2a0h6DIijRNgI4sCsKcPN9LHqPR90mEuhUzQ9LXG-5sVDzGI95pDx-VkJJruaEaC_y4ZlBED9FwbNgMF5koAulirePEVejIrJ3WJwDh12ZCkVDMy4dtd0MZnvTxLauOTy8/s1600-h/ear+warmer+c+tailspun.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143086721341737794" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgXdaRJYtKt2a0h6DIijRNgI4sCsKcPN9LHqPR90mEuhUzQ9LXG-5sVDzGI95pDx-VkJJruaEaC_y4ZlBED9FwbNgMF5koAulirePEVejIrJ3WJwDh12ZCkVDMy4dtd0MZnvTxLauOTy8/s200/ear+warmer+c+tailspun.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC0GB-c5zUw60pawtRxiHl9DFw4V0XfLkQ3wjhiHlxE4-HEp9o91BiLBTP1a7RJEUj_YwRwxOur3-6nLWnT3NyLuWmM55hFcAjOtSCqPoX8ZTJqtZCS2Vt6xoKAMXeHXUeXugXm5LWWNw/s1600-h/9-07+ear+warmer+2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143084947520244530" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC0GB-c5zUw60pawtRxiHl9DFw4V0XfLkQ3wjhiHlxE4-HEp9o91BiLBTP1a7RJEUj_YwRwxOur3-6nLWnT3NyLuWmM55hFcAjOtSCqPoX8ZTJqtZCS2Vt6xoKAMXeHXUeXugXm5LWWNw/s200/9-07+ear+warmer+2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />The photo to the left is another version. The white wool is from my yarn that was made from Bluefaced leicester x Shetland sheep and blended with my white angora bunny wool. It's about a 70/30 blend. Very soft and lovely and warm. It is knit in garter stitch from a pattern in the Interweave book called Handspun, Handknit. On the color side the yarn used is scraps of my left over stash. The blue is blend of wool and silk noils, and the black is wool and mohair. Court has modeled all of them for me.</div><br /><br /><br /><p>I made these as Christmas presents, and made about 8 of them</p>Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01431870035925057486noreply@blogger.com0