Winding down for Christmas...

I am winding down the markets with only one to go at Girgarre before Christmas.
We are having a surprise party for my father's 80th birthday the week before Christmas, so will be able to catch up with family that we haven't seen in awhile.
Fleeces have been baled up in the North East for value adding.
The remainder of the fleeces will be taken over to Riverina wool company in Moama, and some will remain for wool dyeing and spinning. I am hoping to have 100gm lots of hand dyed Corriedale fleeces for sale on the website and at the markets, next year.
A gentleman has approached me asking if I could use his Saxon merino fleeces. As these are very fine fleeces, I have offered to trial washing and dyeing and making small rolags with the handcarders as I don't think they will be suitable through the motorized carder. Could be very interesting. I will be getting these samples sometime after Christmas. The possible outcome may be suitable for felters.
The Vat room has almost been cleaned out of fleeces in preparation for the dairy revamp. Hard finding a new home for fleeces.
In the garden, tomato lants are growing, beetroot, zucchini, and bean seeds have sprouted. Have to keep up the watering with a lack of rain.
I am now ready to do the bands on the grey cardigan. I am happy with the lacework, and my compatriots love it, so I might get this in the Beechworth Old Schoolhouse Gallery for display.


 I am having a serious look at my natural fleeces and am working at spinning these for most of the summer, as well as my spinning commission.

Just another scarf that has been knitted on the machine.

Easter Markets...

Easter is coming TOO quickly and I have to do lots of work. More beanies, more fingerless mitts, scarves, handspun yarns.

I am currently working on as much as I can because there is a big Market at the Rushworth Festival this Saturday with a big crowd usually visiting this historic town. On Sunday the Tongala market is also happening.

I always look forward to all the visitors.

The lambs are still coming, now at 12 beautiful black lambs.

On the work front, I am Retiring from Nursing after 36 years. I will be looking forward to spending more time in the garden to get up to scratch, and keeping a better eye on the animals, and best of all start all the crafty wool things that I have been planning.

Bendigo Wool Show.... I am especially looking forward to this, as I will be sharing a stall (in my own right) with the North East Yarns. It is especially satisfactory because I am a member of this group of very talented people from the Nort East, where we bale our wool together to be processed into our yarn and jumpers. Amongst this group there are very talented, weavers, felters and knitters.

The North East Yarns products can be found through their website and at the Old Schoolhouse Gallery in Beechworth. Follow the link from the website.

Gardening progress....

Last year gardening was put on the back burner a bit, so a non-producing,weedfilled garden was all there was. It has made me very distraught as I had such plans. Anyway some effort has put gardening back on the agenda, as has been previously blogged. Some production is occurring, and some weeding is being attempted. Due to a persistent back problem (spondylolithesis, grade 2)and many visits to the Chiro, it will take me quite a while. (It is also not very good for my crafting either, but we won't go there.)
So some photos of growing.....

....peanuts
.....tomatoes
....

Gardening...

Gardening hasn't featured much in my life for a while. Very depressing going outside looking at the extremely dry grass and the huge collections of weeds in every garden bed you can find. So, I have made a decision to only do bits at a time so it is not so daunting.
Today, just cleared some top grass around the manderin tree in the veg patch, planted some zucchini seeds, two tomato plants from their pots, and some peanut plants which have grown in their pots(hope these can be successful).
This small area is easy enough to water with the hose in the mornings.
It still continues to be hot here, with temperatures in the mid 30's.
What will our summer here be like, I dresd to think?

Girgarre market yesterday was quite warm with a reasonable crowd attending, but not many buyers. Woolly things do not figure much at this time of year, but as it is in our local area, I still attend. Some nice lady may like to start knitting for next year.