Christmas approaches and a hot summer follows...

And so I have had my last market for the year. It was raining at the start, so waited a
while for that to settle. Thought it was going to be a bit quiet but made a few sales of my poncho/shawlettes, which are so ideal for any season. and had to pack up quickly at 11.30am as the heavens came down with thunder and lightning in the midst. so now drying out gazebos and the van awning.
so time to slow down and reassess what new items I can add to my stock. Plus restock beanies and mitts for adults and kids.
Handspun yarns I just keep adding, trying different colours.
I have purchased local fleece for yarn processing. This is a shared project, but my share is 75kg minus the loss in processing. This is white Corriedale and it is a very soft yarn and I will have fun dyeing it.

We are now in 2015...

Christmas is over and the New Year has been hailed in.
I hope you have all had a safe and Happy Christmas and celebrated the New Year.
After a little break, crafting has to get going, and here in Australia we are going to experience some very hot days.
My Studio is equipped with a great air conditioning unit so I will be comfortable.
Today, I was able to do some wool carding of some white Merino fleece and some Corriedale grey fleece. And I have some Merino fleece in the dyepot.
2 skeins of merino yarn are soaking pre dyeing, and I am spinning up some more.
Back to work, now, while watching a favourite British murder mystery.

Christmas is nearly here...

....and little Mackenzie had a creche concert last Monday.
....Work Tuesday.
....Then Wednesday off to Echuca pick up two daughters and two grandaughters and off to Ballarat to see the great grandparents who are in their late eighties, and are now still living at home even though they have had several stints in Hospital this year. Pa is keeping better health but Nanny is very tired. He is doing very well looking after her with the services they receive. Then back home again, 6 hours travel with 2 hours visiting.
....Thursday was another big day, because we needed to check up on Leigh's mother this week as well while she has been ill.
...and the good news I have another great nephew. My parents now have about 14 (or is it 15) greatgranchildren.
...work today,
...and tomorrow off to the airport to meet Leigh's son who has been teaching in the Czech Republic all this year, so he is having a few days with us, then back to the Gold Coast to spend Christmas with his Mum.

And of course, I have been doing lots of spinning, and washing of fleeces for more spinning. I have a small of amount of Llama fleeces so will look forward to spinning that. I have to get more photos of the dyed fleeces as well and then make up some batts for spinning or to sell.

Big Weekend...

...coming up.

Saturday starts up with a rugmaking workshop with Ann Churches, Kyabram from 10.30.

Tongala is having a market from 4pm to 8pm. Carols by Candlelight will be the feature for this market.

Sunday is, of course, the Girgarre Market.

So, lots of spinning and some sewing to add new products to the stall and to the website.

With all the rain, giving us overflowing tanks, I have been dyeing fleece lots, both white and grey. I also have some natural grey skeins that I purchased and have over dyed. So am now waiting for them to dry before winding into balls.

Work...

My colleagues were away during last week and this week so I was working extra days and longer hours.

In the meantime I developesd a chest infection, but I still went to work came home, let Leigh cook for me while I sat at the spinning wheel. A girl's got to get her priorities right. My left ear has also bothered me with no let up with ringing day in day out for the last couple of months. Ear candling has been slow to relieve as I had oedema in the ear canal, but another trip to the doctor next week and I hope will end my problems.

This is the white corriedale fleece I recently dyed, it is a little lighter than I thought but should blend well.

Today I am....

...picking, carding and spinning some Suri fleece for a client. It is an extremely long fleece, and I wanted to spin it as a raw fleece. Because of it's length it has proved a little challenging. I cut it half and hand carded originally, but now I am picking as a whole length then drum carding several times before spinning. I think the skeins still look lovely. This I am spinning on my Ashford Joy.
Over the last week or so I have also commenced another alpaca fleece for another client, this is on my electric wheel, another alpaca fleece is being spun on the Tara wheel.
In the meantime a grey fleece has been picked and carded, the remainder of a white fleece is halfway through being carded, and the brown fleece has been picked.
Out on the verandah a tan alpaca fleece, and a dark brown sheep fleece are drying after their washing process.
I now feel productive. Will get more photos on here soon.
I might go to Merrigum this afternoon to catch up with the ArtMooveau girls.