extra hours

Spring is now in full swing, everyone and everything feels it. The young cockerel announces it several times a day and the songbirds agree.

The oriels have arrived, and the American Redstarts are back as well. Catbirds are late this year, along with the hummers...and we have not had a sighting yet.

Some of the late spring perennials bloom, while others are fading already. The sister to the cockerel hides behind the Bleeding Heart blossoms.

I've been making a point to get the eggs out of the henhouse early each day. I have 2 broody hens who keep looking around for eggs to set on. One of the hens has been sitting on a billiard ball for 2 weeks now! As a result, I have to collect the eggs before they find them. Part of my routine includes checking the asparagus patch and picking a few spears to add to the zip lock bag in the fridge. It is a leisurely task that I enjoy, as it gives me time to notice new sprouts of peas and lettuce and radishes that were recently planted.

A birthday gift of this beautiful support spindle by Fred Hatton holds a blend of Alpaca and Cashmere that will become the edge of the pashmina shawl/scarf that I am working on. Support spindling is one of my favorite things to these days. When I get a spare moment, I sneak off with one...maybe over a second cup of coffee a little after sunrise...or after supper on the deck..just before sunset.

BTW..sunset is happening as late as 8PM. This gives us a full fourteen hours of daylight to enjoy. Good thing, because there is a ton of work to be done around here! And it leaves little time to spin.

However, with something as enjoyable as sitting down to relax with spindle, it is easy to squeeze in a few minutes somewhere during the day...and it is amazing how quickly all those moments turn into yards!

forcynthias

The Forsythia is blooming. Forsythia is named in honor of William Forsyth, a Scottish botanist...but when I was a child, I thought that it bloomed for me..."forcynthia". Look at these blooming "forcynthia", I heard them say. (A touch of narcissism..)and more yellow.

The ones that bloom around the riverrim are 50 year old plants and older. The big bush shown above suffered during a late winter snowstorm when a branch fell from a tree above. Still, it flowers profusely in spite of the fact that the branch still weighs heavy on top of it.

At the advice of my sister, I took these cuttings for my window box in late February. There was still snow on the ground that day. I bundled the twigs and stuffed them in coffee cans filled with water. Surprisingly, even after the water has frozen and thawed several times over, the cuttings are now blooming...and I expect they may have rooted at well!

The Narcissus are blooming yellow too. There are two different origins, of how this plant got its name. One derivation is that they are named from the Greek word to grow numb..based on the narcotics contained in the bulb.

The other derivation is based in Mythology...

and this photo demonstrates the story beautifully!

I am working on several projects at once, and my worktable is cluttered, from left to right...bottom corner, silk/angora lace shawl, alpaca locks and combs, alpaca handspun being woven, plying of angora/silk on russian style support spindle (I worked the shawl as far as I could and then had to spin up more yarn...what a very bad habit!.....haven't I learned my lesson by this point in time!)

From my vantage point, I can gaze out the window and watch the yellow.

perfect imperfections

A few months ago, when there was snow on the ground, I was reading about the Knitted Lace of Estonia, by Nancy Bush. What a terrific book, the photos, the descriptions, the history...all of it is so interesting! Thanks to Grace, a knit-a-long was arranged, and I started my journey into learning some of the Estonian patterns and techniques.

Grace selected a smaller/ scarf version of the Queen Silvia Shawl for the KAL, and I followed the center panel (leaving out the gathered stitches and the lace edge). I worked the pattern in one direction. I was having so much fun knitting merrily along that I passed the mid-point and forgot the other side and the graft in the middle. There are imperfections, but I still like the way it turned out.

Most of my satisfaction was due to the lovely yarn that I was working with. 315 yards of "Zephyr" from Ball and Skein. Gorgeous Hand-Dyed Merino and Silk Lace Weight threads that slip through the fingers, and pour down from the size 3 needles. I had first intended to gift this yarn, as a yarn package...but I am very glad to have decided to knit with it and gift the finished object. It was a pleasure!

Captivated by lace, I begin to plan another project. This next lace work will be constructed from my handspun angora.

I have plied a single strand of angora with a single strand of silk. ..both singles have been spun on the Russian Style support spindle. There was not much information available to me on how to ply the singles onto the support spindle. From what I could gather, a plying card or disk is used to hold the singles that are first wound together. A found tea box is used in place of a disk. I had to reverse my hands for plying, funny and odd to me that I just could not get my flick on for a z twist with my right hand- so I switched over to using my left hand.

I'm sure I could have created a yarn with a better ply if I had used a suspended spindle to do the job, but I wanted to stretch my skills. Sometimes the best way to do that is to embrace the imperfections!

clara

I want to spend the day with Clara. There is always so much to learn.

the narrows

Valerie left me a comment -inquiring about how my support spindling has been coming along. I'm so glad that she did! I have been enjoying it. The Kingwood Russian style support spindle is exactly what I have been needing to spin the short and lofty fibers from my bunny, Lakota.

So, after finishing up the sample, which worked up to be something like 37 yards of a 2 ply with 20 wpi, I opened a bag of Lakota's angora clippings that I harvested last spring. The wool is very soft, and silky. Lakota's locks do not have a long staple length. On average, they measure 2 to 3 inches (some areas are an inch at best). These short silky fibers are perfect for spinning on the support spindle. To prepare the fiber, I simply take a pinch or two of fiber in one hand and draw the comb through the ends. I'm getting more confidence as the days go by. My fingers are feeling relaxed with the flick and have settled into a nice rhythm of drafting and twisting. Support spindles seem to be a good way to slow down and study the way that twist runs into the draft. I usually spend a few moments with my spindle in the morning after I pour my coffee and open the stove draw to kick up the heat - there have been some very cold mornings of late.

The drive into town for chicken feed took me past beautiful ice forms. The waterfall is running beneath the frozen exterior shell. Underneath the ice, the rush of water over rocks makes a soft shushing sound. There are some areas where the ice is thin, you are able to see the water flowing.

It is a curious thing to watch the frozen water at the Narrows, large slabs of ice are jutting up out of the river, jamming up and sometimes breaking off and joining the fast open waters. I stand and watch for as long as I can, but the winds are high and the cold bites at my skin.

singularity

The January Thaw is right on schedule. It is a singularity.

Inside of a few days....we went from this:

to this:

A nice respite from the winter. There has been fog. And high muddy water on the river.

By Friday, ole man winter and freezing temperatures will return.

I won a small amount of $ with a lottery ticket that was given to me as a gift. I put it towards a support spindle that I have been wanting to try out. This spindle is handcrafted by Lisa Chan of gripping yarn.com

This beautiful spindle is made from Kingwood and weighs 1 ounce. Lisa tucked a small amount of fiber in the package (Thank you, Lisa!)...making it very easy to sit right down and try my hand at the new spindle. Oh my. Who cares if winter returns to the world outside my door...I'm going to be busy....there is much to learn!