Fun with fiber blending

Yummy spring colors! Thank you to Patty for lending me her wonderful Pat Green carder to play with. What a difference a full size drum carder makes versus my little Louet roving carder.
The weaving above was my idea for our little lap looms, it works great! All kinds of inspirations come to mind when I see those beautiful blended clouds!

My next adventure will be arriving in a couple weeks... I broke down and ordered the electric Crazy Monkey Creations triple skein winder. My wrist is very excited.

Knitting Truckers

Check this out! I love it!
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704896104575139990857438962.html

Thank you Amanda for sending this great article!

Spring

Wendell Berry

When reading this poem I can remember vividly coming home not long ago to our first time mamma ewe Betsy and seeing her out in the middle of the field with twins. Berry's words just fills me with peace.

They are fighting again the war to end war,
And the ewe flock, bred in October, brings forth
in March. This so far remains, this pain
and renewal, whatever war is being fought.
We go through the annual passage of birth
and death, triumph and heartbreak, love
and exasperation, mud, milk, mucus, and blood.
Yet once more the young ewe stands with her lambs
in the dawnlight, the lambs well-suckled
and dry. There is no happiness like this.

The window again welcomes in the light
of lengthening days. The river in its old groove
passes again beneath opening leaves.
In their brevity, between cold and shade,
flowers again brighten the woods floor.

This then may be the prayer without ceasing,
this beauty and gratitude, this moment.

Wendell Berry: III
-from Given: Poems, Shoemaker & Hoard Publishers, 2005

Snow Flower Mittens

As winter and spring collide, I still want to wear mittens some mornings but flowers are at the forefront of my thoughts, hence the "Snow Flower" mitten design. These snazzy mittens even have a built in double cuff for extra warmth. I have designed them to be knit with our very own Ewetopia Farm Chocolate worsted and our hand dyed Stranded Merino & Mohair.

New Lambs

What would spring be without new lambs! We have 6 new lambs so far from 4 ewes. All has gone well, only one sorrowful experience (you can read more about that on our farm blog - http://www.ewetopiafarmfibercsa.blogspot.com) 11 more ewes to go.. hopefully not until May!

Hand Dyed Local Merino

Check out our new local hand dyed (and natural) merino/nylon blend. Super strong and vibrantly dyed, did I mention local?

New hues

As the Madison Knitters Guild Knit-in approaches we have many new colors emerging from the back room. Does anyone have a good name for this color way? I'd love some idea's! I swear that is the hardest part for me... naming....