Muddy Models

Well, if it would ever stop raining I would get pics of the boys modeling their new saddle blankets, but since this is spring in Oregon that picture will have to wait. No doubt when the rain finally stops we will bypass spring all together and go directly to summer. It is one thing here it rarely is and that's humid. My sinuses kind of like the relief from the typical dry air, my hair, not so much. ;-)

The yarn softened beautifully in wet finishing. I soaked these blankets for about a half hour each in Kookaburra Wool Wash, my favorite for all woolens and fine washables.

Stuck them in the washer to spin out and waited patiently for them to dry. They are just right for my saddles and horses. I'm not a fan of over thick pads and these have a little cushioning but will mold to the horses back beautifully. My saddles have wonderful felt undersides and mostly I use a blanket to protect the saddle from sweat and help the horse stay cool by soaking up all that sweat on the back. 

 A properly placed saddle pad will have an inverted V over the withers (shoulders on the top) so that it isn't tightly laid across cause rubbing and chafing. By lifting the blanket with your hand once the saddle is set it also allows for some air flow. Saddles are built with a center channel underneath for just this purpose. Look for good wide ones! The blankets are pliable enough to allow easily for that "skooch" room and dense enough to hold it. As you can plainly see, one of the skeins of natural dark grey was a bit off. I didn't notice until I was into it and these being for me and not gift blankets, I let it go.

 It is in the endless center body of the blanket that will be under saddle. It also shows just how much these weft faced blankets use. The two dark stripes are one skein of heavy worsted weight yarn.

There is another cashmere scarf on the warping board, ready to be tied up and taken over to the Murphy loom. The knitting project is almost complete and pictures will be forthcoming PDQ.

I promised Gene I would make stuffed cabbage today, so sauce will have to get on the stove to cook early. The dogs will all come into the kitchen in hopes that there will be fallen treats. They are all SO helpful you know. 

Puck, being the smart little kitty he is, has saved himself from weathering this rainy period outside by hiding on top of the stack of hay in the barn. Yesterday morning I had to finally get up there before feeding to heave some bales down and we had a Home Alone moment. He booked down that stack lickety split. In the afternoon he was back. Starting up Bob was the catalyst for sending him out of hiding into parts unknown. No doubt he is there this morning too although I won't go searching. It's pouring rain and no need for him to get wet if he doesn't have to. I've dragged my feet enough getting out there to feed as it is. Time to get moving!

May Day

The 1st of May has been celebrated by many but for me at least, I think of dancing and Maypoles. No dancing today outside, the promised rain has finally arrived.

Inside, I'll do my final loom dance on the saddle blankets. The hem is being woven and should finish up quickly today leaving time to weave in ends, hem and do the wet finishing. Since I am heading to MA for the annual lengthy visit with my parents I won't put a warp on the Barbara V until I come home. I will get pics of the models in their blankets though and post.

All sorts of fun stuff has arrived for future fibery goodness though. I was lucky enough to find a very good buy from a destash of lots of good tightly spun moth proofed wool in shades of orange for that rump rug. The blue is certainly bright! 

A new to me yarn has come home in the last week or so, which is being knitted up into a quick and very fun project. I'm not going to let the cat out of the bag on this one until it's done and I'm over half way with it. 

The yarn itself is grown and processed in Oregon by Imperial Stock Ranch and what got plopped into my basket is their "Lopi" style of yarn, a thick, bouncy and lightly spun single. 

 This isn't cashmere or merino but I am always attracted to a good sheepy wool and it's getting harder and harder to find. It is perfect for the project in hand.

Websters also is carrying another of their products, a not spun at all pencil roving and I am going to certainly pick some up for use as weft in a project or two. There is a good color range and they are very soft on the eyes and allow the nature of the wool to come through. The pinky peach ball is Nashua's Natural Focus Ecologie Wool which will also make it's appearance in the surprise project. 

On the farm front, finally after 3 years of struggling to shear the goats with scissors, I acquired a used pair of Oster shears. Yippeee! I need to change the blade out with one more suitable for doing goats instead of making cows pretty, but that's small potatoes compared to the cost of the shears themselves. Another score for craigslist!

Puck has been seen back on the farm. In fact I came around the corner and ruined what was probably a very nice cat nap in the sun for him. He's a very fast cat. 

It's also official that the deer have arrived. Our first band of 5 does tiptoed through the property on Wednesday morning. It looks like 4 yearlings and a mature doe, pretty typical to have a few first year maidens with a seasoned matron.

Trust me, although hard to see there is a deer in that picture. They are so skittery the first few weeks it's hard to catch them well. By June, I can go out and try to chase them away and they will just look at me like I'm nuts until I get within 20 feet. Then they may slowly move away. :-)

 The bucks will arrive in small bands also. Last year we had a spectacular group of three well pointed bucks, all big and robust and by fall, full of themselves. The yearling bucks seem to have it the hardest, no one wants them in their group. Too old to hang with the girls and too young to be allowed with the big boys. We had one that did like to spend time in the paddock with the horses and during the end of summer when it was very dry, my water tank provided for a lot more than 5 horses. We also had a doe with twins that would bed down in the late morning with her two babies in the upper paddock. It was not uncommon to see the horses sleeping not more than 30 feet away from Momma and babies and her hiding place for the fawns was  in some dense shrubs just outside the fence. The babies would dance around the horses in play, Imp even tried to get in on their games a few times that I saw.