Sorting Things Out

4 F. this morning - crisp and clear on the farm. I have to carry a hammer around the Hobbit barn with me to knock the ice out of the buckets before I pour the hot water in. I've been sorting through fleeces and picking out hay, dirt and matted parts in front of the fire. My Bluefaced Leicester is deliciously soft and beautiful wool with the tiniest little crimps. But everything sticks to it and the tips become "cotted" (felted) easily. Rain falls on on the wool and the heat of the sheep causes it to felt. Still, there is no other wool that can compare to it for next-to-the-skin wearability...and the sheep are so nice. I pick apart the long locks before washing so the soap can do it's work and the dye can get in. If only people knew the blood, sweat and tears it takes to raise this fiber! I am drying wool in the apt. now, which requires cleaning off the big table, but that means removing the fabric and then where can I cut??? I will get some bags cut out this morning, store them in the big zip-lock bags, then clean off the table for wool drying. The heat of the wood stove makes the apartment the ideal place - except for the kitties who race in under my feet and find the wool oh, so nice for napping! Still have to get to the soap, but that requires cleaning off the drying rack. Never enough space for the busy crafter. It's Sunday and I have electric, firewood, and hot water. The big pot of chili I made for the weekend is almost gone. I have a cute little runty angora goat who has been hanging on for months with no real growth. Matt wants to put her down, but I think I can get her going come spring and green grass. I call her my "fainting goat" because I find her flat out on the hay as if she's fainted. I stand her up and she's fine! She eats hay and tries to squeeze in between the big sheep and goats to get corn. I can't see putting down an animal that is well enough to eat. I was giving her nutridrench and my own molasses mixture for a while but I didn't see any real improvement. She grows nice mohair despite her health issues. Mr. Simmonds alfafa mix hay is gone. Now he gives us some rather brittle first cut. Lucky lambing is over. Hurry up, spring, we need some green grass.