Just Completed a Handwoven Scarf

I finished weaving a great scarf yesterday. I used a weaving pattern I've never tried before, Eight-Fold Basket Weave, and used the "ribbed weave" treadling. I alternated a wool yarn and a rayon yarn in the warp, forming narrow wool stripes and wider rayon stripes. Then, I used a wool/nylon mini boucle yarn for the weft.

It worked great! There are stipes of textured boucle between columns of wool tabby on one side and columns of rayon tabby on the other. The twisted fringe turned out terrific, as well, with one fringe being wineberry rayon, the next rhododendron wool, and then back to wineberry rayon.

The scarf has a luxurios feel to it; I'm really pleased.

Spring

It has been sunny and warm all week! I can't tell you how nice it is to go out and feed the sheep without slogging through mud and snow and ice. We've had way above average amounts of rain and snow this winter. The sheep have enjoyed it for the most part; they don't like heavy precipitation, but they seem to enjoy light rain and snow, and they certainly appreciate cold weather.

We're up to nine lambs so far, all born within a three-week period in January: eight black and one white. It goes without saying that they're adorable. Lambs do define the word "cute".

With the warm, dry weather I can start washing fleece again. I've had several orders recently for wool, and it's a lot easier and faster to wash it outside. I need to start planning to shear in the near future, weather permitting.