Back From Taos

I had a lovely time in Taos, didn't come back with more wool than I took so that is good. I did find a pair of patterns for knitted dragons and bought 2 types of roving to make a knitted dragon like our logo and sign. My test sample looks pretty good so I'll continue to spin it and hopefully manage to get the dragon knitted this winter.

Several people, Patricia, Suzanne and Erika, all helped me figure out the double knitting for the Monmouth cap and I finished rev 2 while I was there. It came out much better and much closer to the original. As soon as I finish weaving in the ends and fulling it a bit I'll post pictures. I'm still not happy with the increases at the top after finding some more pictures of the original and also the increases to set up for double knitting but I am getting there.

Erika showed me the first couple of stitches for naalbinding. I can see it as being a really great way to make very flexible but warm mittens and hats for winter. It may also work for socks, the ones she had were very nice but they looked rather difficult. Now I have to spin some appropriate singles yarn for that technique.

When I got back I had to start sewing on sheep coats again. I have about a dozen more to finish and we can pull the rest of the ladies in off pasture. I should finish those this week and then I can clean up the sheep coat mess from the living room.

I need to get the ram lambs sorted and evaluated but it's not likely to happen this week. They are looking good so it will be difficult to pick out the top dozen or so to keep as potential breeding animals.

Skirting of fleeces continues. I have about 7 more to get up on our web site under the wool for sale section. I still have quite a few to skirt. Hope to finish that project this month as well.