New Year, New Work Space

I don't know about your house, but in my house, clutter has somehow figured out how to multiply and take over. My sewing/craft room became a prime breeding ground the last few years for the clutter monster. I was ashamed, and every time we had company, I thanked the good Lord that room had doors I could close. It had become so bad that I wound up sewing at the dining room table and all of my spinning and wool equipment was now in the den. Don't believe me? Well, here is proof:


Bad, isn't it? Well, frankly dear Scarlett, I was tired of it and I did give a d**m! So, since it is the new year, and since hubby and his muscles were home, I made plans and tackled it. How long could it take? I put on a pot of beans and ham and started at 9:00 Thursday morning, went to bed exhausted and sore that night, and by noon Friday it was done. First, EVERYTHING got hauled out of the room. Where did all this stuff come from? The room isn't that big, but it had all been crammed in there somewhere. The rest of the house now looked horrible! Boxes and piles everywhere, the kitchen table was covered, and I was filling up trash bags in rapid succession. I knew it was bad when the 10 year old walked through the living room and said "Mom, I sure am glad the house doesn't look like this all the time!" It was almost overwhelming, but thank goodness for a husband that is patient. He stuck right by me and helped all he could. We did some re-arranging, threw a bunch of stuff away, and brought in the big work table from the storage building. Here is the progression:







And here is the final result, I have room to work and a space that I am proud of!




Now, with my neat, accessible work room, maybe I can get more accomplished! It sure was worth it. Maybe I should call it a "studio" instead of a work room!

Christmas break has been very busy. I worked like a crazy woman trying to finish knitted gifts. Stan has built a new shelter for the ram pasture. We also took new pictures of all the sheep in their full wool, and I hope to have them up on the Fiber Herd page attached to this blog up in the top, left corner.

Oh, and I almost forgot, I GOT A NEW SPINNING WHEEL!!! WHEEEEEEE!!!! I will post pictures and talk about how totally awesome and wonderful and amazing, and, and, and,....... well, you get the idea.

Hope everyone has a safe and wonderful New Year's celebration. Make resolutions you can actually keep!

~Lori

December 17, 2010

Well, here I sit, one week before Christmas, and the tree still isn't up. That is why there is no picture - nothing to show. Yeah, I know, I am a terrible mother. In my defense, the tree is in the loft in the storage building, and the only way to get it down is to climb up the extension ladder and hand the cumbersome box down to someone while you teeter out over the edge of death. You ain't gettin' me anywhere higher than the third rung on that ladder, let alone in the loft. I felt really bad tonight when the 10 year old asked, again, when we were going to put the tree up and I snapped at him "If you don't quit pestering me I may just wrap you in a string of lights, stick a star on your forehead, and you can stand in front of the living room window yourself!" Yeah, I know, I am spiraling ever downward on the terrible mother path. For what it is worth, I did apologize.

I hope after the holidays to begin spinning some more yarn. We sold many skeins of our handspun at the Arkansas Fiber Arts Extravaganza, and a couple of personal friends purchased some treasures for their loved ones this week, so our yarn stock is running low. I am also planning to try my hand at dyeing sock yarn. I have seen some beautiful yarn on Etsy, and my ravenous desire to conquer all things crafts has begun tickling around in my head. I also plan not only to wash and process into roving, but to spin some of our own sheep fleeces this spring.

Since next week will be very busy, I doubt I will have time to post anything new. I hope you have a very Merry Christmas, and you are with the ones you love. Please remember to pray for our military personnel and their families, many of which are separated by half a world.

Merry Christmas!

Countdown to Christmas!

WHEW!!! I loved going to the fiber fest at Mt. Magazine this last weekend, but I am also glad it is over. Now I can concentrate on Christmas gifts in the three weeks I have left! I think the plans in my head are physically impossible to accomplish in that amount of time. Especially since I was counting on the kids being in school for two more full weeks, but my sweet daughter reminded me that she hasn't missed a day this semester, so her last day will be Monday, as in 6 days from now! ARRRGGGHHH!!!

I would post a pic or two of the fiber fest, but the camera got left on the cabinet at home. I will share that my favorite part of the weekend was seeing all of the neat items people had made. I recognized several patterns that I have been looking at to make (in all my spare time), and got some great new ideas. I also wound up with a simply gorgeous curly brown Wensleydale fleece from Lowder Farms to play, AHEM, I mean, work, with after the first of the year. Thanks Mom! Also got to see all of the fiber-y friends I have made since beginning this adventure, and made a few more!

I borrowed Kate's picture - isn't it pretty?

Well, Big Mama, the world's fattest sheep, is honing her David Copperfield skills once again. Yesterday I found her in the calf pasture, remember, it is net wire fenced. So I pondered, then fussed at her, and wrastled (that is a southern word) her back in through the gate. I checked closely, but all I could find was some wool stuck in the bottom of the fence which goes all the way to the ground AND has barbed wire running along under it. Surely not! After work this morning, I took off to feed, and she was back in the calf pasture! I think I figured it out, though. She is using all that mass to her advantage. The gate looked a little strange, and I think she shoved against it until the gate hangers swiveled which allowed her to squeeze out between the gate and the post. Well, I fixed her! Gate hangers are firmly back in place, and the chain latch is shortened.

Well, everyone, even the dog, is snoring. Early to bed, early to rise - so off I go!

~Lori