Fiber, Family, and Fun

I didn't get the chance to take photo's on the farm this trip. The rain didn't let up at all on the way down there or during my visit. I came home the same day, and thankfully traffic was better for the 100 mile trip North. I had a wonderful time visiting with my Mom and Dad and my sister, Sandy.

Sandy gave me a birthday gift that made me smile. I'm sure it will give others a smile as well. She took the photo of Dad and I when we were crab fishing and had a cup made for me. Here's the cup and caption!


Mom and Dad gave me a necklace (seen with the cup). It's a beautiful thick chain and it's a great length for wearing with sweaters or just whenever. It's very comfortable and doesn't pinch :-)

Tina got some buffalo fiber on-line and shared it with me. I've spun a little on the drop spindle to see how it goes. It really is nice! I am excited about sitting at the wheel and working this up.

Tina also passed on a gift from Bijoux, her fiber bunny. Bijoux had been brushed on Thursday and this is part of the day's brushing. Tina says Bijoux is very patient with being brushed and likes to sit beside her on the chair. When she's had enough brushing she gives Tina "the look" (I'll have to experience it - I've never gotten "the look" from a bunny before). This fiber is SO soft! It's like a cloud of warmth in your hand.

Sam gave me some wonderful fiber that I can dye and spin or spin and dye (decisions, decisions!) and it is so soft and wonderful. It's superwash merino and silk. There's enough there for me to do something really nice.

I have been working on Wayne's sweater. I'm doing the back right now, and it's over 1/2 way knit. It's out of some handspun superwash roving I purchased online.

Here we have Snickers, the lonesome diamond dove. His mate passed away last year and he's in need of some company of his own kind. I would like to see this little male either go to a home with other diamond doves, or I would like to get a friend for him. He's at least 3 years old, and he's a sweetheart. He's not used to being handled but I thought for this on line dating advertisement, a photo was necessary ;-) As you can see, diamond doves are tiny doves about the size of a small parakeet. They have a nice cooing song, though I suppose in large numbers it would be quite loud. There are various colorations of diamond doves. I'm not sure what color Snickers is, but he has chocolate looking wing tips, and he's a little nutty - thus his name.

You may have noticed I have created a Unalong group list (see the button to the right) I did it as a lark, because I don't seem to do real well doing true knit alongs. I figure a Unalong is just my cup of tea. Now that I think of it, there is a good reason to have a Unalong. I can't post about my fiber happenings on my blog for anyone that I want to surprise. I don't know if many of my friends or family read my blog, but if they do they would see what I'm up to here. The Unalong rule is that we can't disclose specifically what we are working on, so even if friends join there they won't know what each other is working on. Okay it's silly, but it's fun to be part of a secret fiber society. Admit it, we've knit with (or stared dumbfounded at) double otts and we've knit with sevens - just put them together and we're 007 secret fiber fan. Okay, there's too many fiber/knitting groups it seems, this one may just stay secret for a long, long time :-) Click on the button for the Unalong and read more about it if you'd like.