I Need A Bigger Plate

Because I certainly seem to be piling more stuff onto the one I got! Last week before the neck went south, I managed a quick drive by in town. I have been awfully inspired by Annie over at ASpinner Weaver and her inkle woven belts and sashes. In fact I was thinking how nifty it would be to make fancy bindings for my handwoven blankets and of course that lead to other ideas and uses for narrow bands. You all know how it goes down the slippery slope of fiber pursuits.

Needless to say, I was primed to just take a peek at Schachts Inkle loom when I stopped in the Web-sters. As DH would say, "Peek my a**!" It's like going to a shelter and leaving without a dog. It's just not happening. A few library additions were also made although not all on this particular trip.

Our time together was rudely interrupted, but I'm optimistic that I can manage some monkeying around on him before I go. And then there is the tapestry loom sitting up in the bedroom with a warp on just waiting for me to experiment.....

The neck and shoulder is feeling better. I'm being careful because it's at that stage when you know it's calming down but could easily be woken up again and it's best to let sleeping injuries lie! :-) It hasn't stopped me from gathering the stuff I need to make a raddle for Julia. I like to leave it as an insistent reminder in an obvious place to someone (who won't be named), that I need a couple of cuts done and some holes pre-drilled. Please! ;-)

I'm also going to mention that a cause VERY near and dear to my heart, Col. Potter Cairn Terrier Rescue, has been trying to win at least fourth place at the Animal Rescue

Site. It means $3000.00 for rescue and I know they could use it and they could also use a vote or two to get there. If you have a moment, click on this link and vote for them. You don't have to join or anything, just click and do their security thing and you're done. The contest ends tomorrow at midnight.

Along with the inkle loom, I'm itching to start Gene's sweater. This is the project I'll take on my trip and to that end I bought some of the newer Addi Lace needles.

I like these much better than the Knit Picks interchangeable ones. They are pointy without being too sharp. With luck I'll have the sweater done by the time the snow flies next November or so. And let me tell you, the snow better fly next year because this years meager offering was a bust as far as I'm concerned, even if I did run out of hay before May!

Leigh had questions about the art of hay buying. Obviously I'm not the one to answer them. Some years, I have left over, some I don't. A lot depends on weather, and of course, numbers. I've added horses after the yearly hay purchase has been made. That always makes for a fun spring hay search. If I was to run out any year, this was a good one in which to do it. There was lots of tonnage stored since so many people dumped horses with the bad economy and outrageously high hay prices the year before. I had options this year. My shortage is due in part to the really wet winter. A wet horse is not a happy horse and a horse that is wet on and off for the better part of three months really needs a lot of hay to generate heat. I fed generously even though the temps weren't terribly cold. That went for the goats too. Dry cold sunny weather is easier on everyone. They only have to stay warm, wet weather means they have to stay warm while being soaked. I am happy to report we had no rain rot or grease heel or any other malady that comes from being too wet for too long and for that I am grateful to the farm gods and all of my farm animals for being such a hardy bunch. So Leigh, in closing, just buy at least a third more than you think you'll need. ;-)

Lastly (but certainly not least), my heartfelt sympathies go out to Jill and her family both at Yarns in the Farms and home on the passing of Chaco on April 9th. You would have had to go really far and wide to find a sweeter shop dog. He always made my annual treks to the store especially delightful.