Got an email with the link to this cute sheep video, and decided to add it to my blog. It's fun to see this again, and the novelty doesn't seem to wear off, either. The border collies are just amazing dogs the way they herd the sheep.

Spring is sprung

The grass is riz

I wonder where

The flowers is

They are in my garden for one place! This is my favorite time of the year, seeing all the flowers coming up and blooming. I find I have a lot of early flowers here. This is a double bloodroot that I got from the Putney Nursery many years ago.

Sad to say that they are no longer in business.

This trillium looks

pretty with a little spray of

pulmonaria next to it. The pulmonarias are happy in my

gardens and have self sown in multiple places around the yard.

Don't remember where this white trillium came from. It took several years to get established and bloom.

Planted asparagus last week. This is an investment in the future, as none will be harvested this year, just a little can be harvested next year, and more the following years. Gives me something to look forward to each spring!

Today I planted snow peas. These are dwarf plants, only 1.5-2 feet tall. Tomorrow I will plant the others, they are taller.

New spinning wheels.
Yep, plural. First came the funky one off eBay, that I thought I could make a treadle easily for and be able to spin art yarn on. Haven't gotten to that, yet. Also need to make a tensioning knob. There's a hole below the flyer to put it in, just have to figure out how to make it.

Then I found a listing on Craig's List for a Great wheel in nearby Colrain at an affordable price. So of course I had to get it. I really don't know what I was thinking, the thing is huge! The wheel itself is 46" in diameter.

I have already spun a little yarn on it. Have to make some rolags, tho. Roving wasn't all that successful. So many projects, so little time!

Dyeing

It's been a stressful few months here. My dear Mom got sick in October with pneumonia. She has dementia, and each illness has taken away cognitive skills. After several weeks of rehab, she just wasn't getting better. She has had to stay in a nursing home, and has moved to the Alzheimers unit. She is much happier there, as there are a lot of others at her level of functioning, so she has more people she can socialize with. She has always enjoyed talking with others.

I took a week off work to finish moving her stuff from the assisted living facility she had been at for the past years. What a chore! My garage is overflowing! Come warmer weather, I will go thru all the wonderful stuff that she had there, as well as what was at her apartment (and is also in my garage). As a life long crafter, there is plenty to go thru.

Part of my vacation time was also for myself. I had great plans to clean house and organize my stash, what a joke! I think I made more of a mess than I did to clean up

All the wool I've been collecting was calling to me for color. Recently I found the dyepot and a collection of dye stock that had to be nearing 20 years old! So I got busy

On the left is part of a pile of silk hankies that had been languishing upstairs for a couple years. They look much prettier in color! There are still a few white ones waiting... Next to that are some Cotswold curls, in back are more curls in yellow. The pink and light green is Suri Alpaca. The yellow is overdyed light brown. The other assorted colors are mill end merino/nylon.

A little spinning was also done. Finished the first bobbin of slippery merino/tencel laceweight. Now need to spin the second bobbin and ply.

This pretty little batt was spun into a small skein of thick and thin, plied with a Crystal Palace glittery yarn. It's only 20 yards. Spinning art yarn is my next endeavor.
Yesterday I took the drum carder apart, cleaned it, and put it back together. The drums were too close together, there is now a little space between them. Have been reading Intertwined and Ravelry groups for art yarn spinners. Just need to get going with the drum carder now that I have clean and colorful yarn. That will be the subject of another posting, hopefully not too far in the future.