Color

There are many reasons I love what I do but today in the Autumn Sunshine I was reminded again of why I love dyeing yarn. Color in all it's splendor......

Just about the time I think the summer colors are my favorite, the seasons change and the autumn coolness makes me shift. These are mainly duets that I dye two at a time, one skein is the textural cotton and rayon blend, the sister skein is the rayon ribbon. They are lovely to knit with although I have used them as warp on the loom with an 8/2 tencel for weft. Look for them soon in the etsy shop - all but the red which is already sold.

Although it is beautiful here in the desert today our thoughts are with those of you on the east coast. Blessed Be.

October Moon

The moon was so lovely this evening that we decided to sit outside and make an evening of it. We lit the fire in the outside fireplace and the dogs came to keep us company.

This seemed like such a perfect way to enjoy the fall coolness and the quiet outside in the evening. I always want to tell people - turn off the TV. Go Outside. Do something that feeds your soul. Take your dog along and maybe some knitting. All those sitcoms and sporting events will wait. Do something that makes you feel alive and in touch with the other people around you. Enjoy your life and Give Thanks.

Fleece

With 30 fleece sitting around waiting to be washed and worked into yarn, it was hard to be patient. So what did I do with all that fleece? After washing it, I've been dying it in small batches like this:

Then I carded it on a fine tooth Louet drum carder and added some crystal mylar and sari silk waste - what is life without a little bling?

Then I corespun it into this yarn which is available over in the etsy shop here.

*Sold*

One difference between this corespun and others that I spin is that the locks carded on the fine tooth carder make a smaller and smoother corespun yarn. This is rambouilette with wensleydale locks and is very very soft. The wool takes color well and is not dull at all.

October Spinning

October days seem to be slipping by. Fleece washing is taking place at all hours of the day and it seems like there is little time for spinning. I was thinking the other day about corespinning being a little bit like weaving. The core is like a long warp that you put on the loom. Since in corespinning the core doesn't show it is easy to go from one skein to the next without changing the bobbin. This is really three skeins..........

The Ashford bobbin holds a huge amount of yarn. I've never completely filled one.

Apples Are In

It is turning fallish in the air even this far south in New Mexico. The local U-pick apple farm has a sign out for .50 cents per pound. Who could resist? So off this morning we went to pick apples. As with most things I tend to think I need more than I probably do.....

The house smells of applesauce and cinnamon.

This treasure was out in the old apple tree here and looks like it was well used this year. The gray tufts are wool! A bird after my own heart.

There has been a lot of dyeing this week and there will be new roving at the market soon.

May you all have a wonderful weekend.

The Back of Beyond

 Usually the trip to the Wool Festival in Taos is a destination all on it's own - much anticipated during the year. This time the most exciting part of the trip took place on Sunday when we were invited to go to the Rio Nutrias Ranch and buy fleece. The ranch is located near Tierra Amarilla which is a couple of hours north and west of Taos through the Kit Carson National Forest. This national forest might be the best kept secret in the west as hardly anyone is up there. This time is year is even more beautiful with the aspens turning. We saw a few camps with hunters as it is elk season but even those were few and far between.

The Rio Nutrias Ranch is nestled in the foothills of this beautiful place. The sheep ranching part is run by two sisters, Veronica Montano Coale and Ana Padilla who I had met last year at Wool Festival. They raise mainly Wensleydale with a few head of Ramboulette to round out the herd of about 40 animals. This is sustainable sheep ranching at it's best. These animals are coated in winter and have one of the most beautiful and lush pastures I have seen in the west. It is unusual to find small growers like this who are not raising churro here as that seems to be the sheep of choice among those who don't raise the animals for meat. Churro is wonderful for colcha and rugs but not what I consider garment quality so to find these wonderful people raising garment quality sheep is akin to winning the lottery. 

 Sheep barns where the sheep and their dog spend the nights.

Sheep along the Rio Nutrias river. No fences in sight, just pasture and shade trees and clean water. What more could a sheep want?

This ranch has a good life affirming feel to it where you know that these animals are not dinner when they have been sheered. Veronica and Ana are building up their flock and I saw the new ram who is solid black. Most of the sheep are white but there will be more color in the future.

Updates in the shop as the week progresses - I'm busy washing fleece right now. I'll be back with you shortly.

Travel

We are off to Taos and the wonderful Wool Festival this morning. The etsy shop will remain open this weekend but any orders will go out on Monday. Don't worry, we will take pictures and report back.....

Falling Leaves

Falling Leaves...........Or how the yarn turned out from the previous post. Fall is the one time of the year when I can tolerate much yellow in the pallet. Yellow like falling aspen leaves or turning cottonwoods with a hint of pumpkin. This skein will be listed in the etsy shop here.

October First

This should be an official holiday. The first of October always feels like a milestone to me. The heat is done for the year and the mornings and evenings are cooler, crispy even. I would compare this to how people in the far north feel about the end of winter when the snow finally melts. That is how fall feels to me. The heat backs off and things don't look so burnt around the edges. The roses come on again strong before the freeze next month.

This is the climbing Polka Rose.

This made me think of doing  this...................