A Good WoolFest

We had a great time at the 2014 Wool Festival this past weekend. We had beautiful weather, except for when we didn't. The wind was a little scary there for a bit on Friday... Other than that the weekend was very pleasant. It was so much fun to see all of our fiber buddies again. It was great being next to our friends in the Wool Tent and have friends to talk to and visit with during the slow points. For the most part, we didn't get in very much visiting because it was so very busy ALL three days!

ewefluffyewe had a great weekend, for which we're thankful. We sold out of pumpkin hats. We never seem to have enough of those. Mama took over the spinning for me on Sunday. I just couldn't sit still much longer... Papa loved helping fetch good food for all the vendors. Keeping everyone happy with full bellies helps when you're away from home.

There was fluff, music, yum-yums, peeps, and well everything a girl could want, but it's still nice to be home.

Yarn Along - Knitting Farm Slippers

 Farm yarn makes knitting so much more fun. To look at the yarn I'm working with and think to myself, "This fluffy stuff came off of my critters..." It amazes me every time. Sometimes I just feel the project and think of how it reminds me of feeling my sheeps. Sometimes, the project seems all the more special when you've lost a critter and their lovely fleece is part of that yarn. These slippers that I'm working on now, have a little bit of my sweet Clara in them. I miss her so. How sheeps can tug on one's heartstings. :')

Yoda, watches my stitches and reminds me that "the force is with me."

Yarn Along - A Pink Swirly Hat

Pattern - Swirly Hat by TChemGrrl

Yarn Along - 2014 Ravellenic Games/Finished Socks

Yarn Along - 2014 Ravellenic Games/ We Have Turned the Heel

Yarn Along - 2014 Ravellenic Games/Hannah's Knitting & Reading in SlowMo

I am challenging myself to knit a pair of socks during the 2014 Winter Olympic Games. I really enjoy watching the games in Sochi, Russia. I gasp whenever someone falls. Have nervous goosebumps whenever someone waits to do their great routine. I cry at the family embraces, and smiles of pure joy.

Needless to say, it's been very hard to knit and be so emotional at the same time. 

But, I'm trying. I am hoping to be up to the gusset by the first week. Hopefully with setting little goals for myself, I will overcome the daunting part of the dreaded heel. That will be so hard to do while watching figure skating or trying to understand the fundamentals of curling.

Also, I am slowly reading Desiring God by John Piper.
"The chief end of man is to glorify God by enjoying Him forever."

Yarn Along - Ripit goes the Cowl

I just recently finished The Book Thief. An excellent and worthwhile read, just have tissues nearby. :')
And I've had a rather slow start into John Piper's Desiring God. Seriously, I've not even begun chapter 1. It's seems good so far to me, then again how can a book that relates so much of the Bible and quotes so much C.S. Lewis be bad? It's just so very deeply thought-provoking. A more serious read. About joy. In God.

The knitting, well, it's a bit of a story, but for your sake, and mine, I'll summarize. I designed a hat for Valentine's Day. I'm trying to make a matching cowl, but I didn't take into account the extra 6 inches for the back of my neck. yep. I will learn from that one.

I'm hoping to join the 2014 Ravellenic Games, in which I will be knitting some cozy socks for Yarn Along'ing'. :)

KY Sheep and Fiber Festival

Day 1 of KY Sheep and Fiber Festival:

Rainy.

But, even though it was rainy, Mama and I were happy to be there! 

The sun came out! The lollipops were a huge hit with the kiddos!
Fluffy goodness was not soaked = One happy shepherdess

ewefluffyewe shared a space with A Yarn Well Spun

A Yarn Well Spun

Luna, from Tanglewood Farm was across from us.
She looked so cool, calm, and collected.
You know that you're crazy about sheep when you try to emulate them. 

Day 2 of Festival:

Lovely

Check out the shop! ewefluffyewe

Simple Gifts

One of the great joys that comes from living and working on this "pretend farm" is having so many opportunities to appreciate what only God can make...and some of what results from being created in His image.

Only God can make a sheep! Like us humans, they don't just happen - they are made by wise and loving Hands to accomplish His particular purpose. Looking at Aliyah, it is not hard for me to see the wonderful work of wise and loving Hands. She is a beautiful animal with a beautiful disposition (most of the time!) and soft and beautiful wool. The action of the sun on her naturally black wool produces an incredible heather brown (is that really a color?) that just can't be reproduced by dyes. Here is what Aliyah's fleece looks like on the hoof.

And this is what wise and loving hands (with a lower case "h") make from Aliyah's beautiful coat - home-grown and hand-spun yarn that is an absolute treasure. The picture doesn't do it justice!

By the way, the wise and loving hands belong to my daughter and not to me (so I don't mind calling them wise and loving at all)! It is a very real, very peaceful, very deep joy that comes from seeing once more that God's simple things - I say "simple" and not "easy" - are wonderful and beautiful. Humans just can't do what only He can do, can't improve upon what only He can do. But we can work with Him to offer likewise simple and wonderful and beautiful gifts, using well what He has first given. And in the doing of it, we reflect the image of our Father who created all things and said that it was very good. Very good indeed!

Spinning Snowflakes

A mess of fluff has been tamed.


This was a small chunk of my afternoon today. Spun on a drop spindle that Papa made, this yarn is spun from some fiber that Sarah Dunham gave to me at the Woolfest this year. This is core roving. Meaning there is a different color in the middle of the roving creating a variation in shade as you spin. This yarn looks like snowflakes to me. I think I'll make a little coaster or something. What can one knit with 32 yards? Any thoughts?