Gray Aland Fleece....REALLY!

     As promised, here is a picture of the gray Aland fleece we bought from a gal in Helsinki Finland.  I am still not happy with the photos!  For whatever reason, I can't seem to shoot gray without it either looking blue or white....so trust me... this IS gray! (I still owe pictures of the black Aland but I'm having MORE problems with the black shooting right than I did with the gray! Man I miss my 35mm!)

Praying For Better Times!

     As we came in from scouting out more firewood this afternoon, Susie reminded me that it was that time of year to start our cotton plants.  For me it's hard to imagine that we've arrived at this point again since last years crop was SUCH a bountiful one...as seen in the picture of our 2012 Pima cotton yield.  Actually this really is just a Q-tip but you get the idea!  With last years heat and drought I think the grand total of developing bolls was either 3 or 4.....it was SOOOOO many I couldn't count!  I think this year we are going to plant only white Pima again but if I can find an area away from the main planting, I would really like to plant more of the colored cotton.  It could have been just the difference in the growing season but the green & brown cotton we planted a couple years ago did much better than the white.  Once again I am also reminded that the growing frame that I promised Susie several years ago is still in the wood shop in pieces so that is going to have to be the next project I face.

Snowed In!

     Well....snowed in may be putting it a little dramatically! In actuality we had a dusting last night and much colder temps today, which in this area of Tennessee is enough to make Kroger and Walmart go into survival mode with traffic being directed in the area around the stores as people circle like buzzards for a parking spot.  I have NEVER been able to understand the absolute crazed desire for pork rinds, toilet paper, milk and beanie wienies every time the weather even threatens to get "bad".  Fortunately I was off work again today so we decided to "hunker down" by the wood stove and stay off the roads.  What better thing to do on a "snow day" than sit by the fire and knit and card wool?  As you can see, Susie continues progress with her black shawl. She hand spun the lace-weight yarn from some black alpaca roving we purchased a few years ago from a breeder at the Greencastle Indiana Fiber Event.  The pattern is from Knit Picks by Rachel Schnelling and is adapted from an original pattern in a book called Danish Lace Treasures.  I asked Susie how far she was along with it and after counting, it appears she's about a third of the way done.  Whenever it is finished and blocked, we will be sure to post pictures of the finished piece.

     I have promised shots of the Aland fleece we recently purchased from Finland and I have NOT forgotten!  I have tried numerous times to shoot these fibers but have yet to hit the secret setting on the digital camera that shows the fiber in its true color.  For whatever reason, EVERY time I shoot gray fleece, it either photographs as blue or white....and as far as the black Aland goes....it shoots as a dead mess.  I realize my eyes aren't as good as they were 30 years ago but I sure didn't have this kind of problem shooting 35mm FILM! (Yes!....FILM!....I AM that old!)