Coming on Fast

Rhinebeck is one week from tomorrow.  I can't believe it's here again.  I am working harder than ever before on product, and have some beautiful things to take with me.  I am in a constant state of fatigue and anticipation.  The teaching job and farm animals can't be neglected but I have to make product.  I've been making/cutting soap every night.  It's so good to see it curing on the rack.  I have to start my pot of scraps to melting so I'll have the big blocks to put out.  I will spend Sunday making Shepherd's creme and skirting fleeces.  It may not have been a good idea to shear early this week, as I still haven't caught up, but I wanted to take fleeces to Rhinebeck for the first time, and I had to shear now to give the sheep some time to grow back some wool before the snow flies.  As it is, the cold came on us sooner than later.  It' was sleeting outside my classroom window today and it's dipping down to 25 F. tonight.  The wood stove is blazing now and the sight of it is a pleasant reminder that as long as I tote logs we will be toasty warm.  I have so much to do it scares me to think about it, and it's all too much for one person to take on, but it's so much fun.  Rhinebeck pays for the hay I need to keep my critters alive all winter.  I had my big mug of coffee after work, and have my fleece ski underwear on, and will go out to throw down hay.  Hay composts inside sheep and keeps them warmer than grain.  I'm still letting them out to graze, but the pasture is eaten down and I want to keep them fat and happy.  When I'm too tired to sew I spin and ply some skeins.  Here is one mega-skein, at 400 yards, of two-ply (yes, always 2-ply)Bluefaced Leicester/Border Leicester yarn I finished last weekend.