Monday Already?

Where the heck do the weekends go?  Seriously.  Isn't it just Friday night? 

Busy weekend here, as you might guess, although most of it was spent indoors as we had a much-needed storm front move through starting on Thursday, with rain and some snow for the mountains, much cooler temperatures, and lots of wind.  When it finally cleared out yesterday (Sunday), we did try to take the horses for a ride, but found that Hap had thrown a shoe at some point, which we didn't know until we got to the trailhead and D checked her feet.  It's been so muddy in the pasture, we couldn't even see that she didn't have a shoe on that foot until we get her cleaned up.  Hopefully the farrier can get out today to replace it. 

So while I mostly got dyeing things done and skeins made, and labels attached to things, I did take a few (and I do mean a few!) minutes and got started on a special order for Norma.  Some of you long-time readers may remember I spun a skein of lightweight alpaca/rambouillet for her several years ago with beads spun into the yarn.  She had asked me if I could manage to get her another skein spun up for her dear Abigail, to knit her a scarf.  We decided on a creamy white rambouillet wool and this time I'm adding silver beads.  I decided to spin the singles with the beads on them first - since that is BY FAR, the slowest part of the process.

The beads that are all bunched up together will get spread out and locked into place when I ply the other non-beaded singles with this set.  Did I mention slow-going?

And even though we had cold temps here this weekend, it didn't stop the iris Cathy sent me last year from blooming.  These are in the front bed right as you come up the walk to the front door.  I thought they were just a solid, rich burgundy, but now that they have opened, you can see they have white "batik" spots on them.  VERY pretty. 

Another shot, just because.....

All for now.........

Comments

[Carole]

When I took spinning lessons I learned how to spin beads onto singles. And then I thought, nope. It's nice to know how but I'm never going to actually DO that.

[Sheepish Annie]

I really love the beaded yarn. It's one of those things I think about doing from time to time...but then realize that my patience isn't quite up to it. Yours is going to be quite beautiful.

What a stunning iris!!!! The color is so deep and rich.

[Cathy]

My brown/burgandy iris haven't bloomed yet. I had to move them yet again - they spread like wildfire - and I don't remember where I put them.

Love your beaded yarn - gorgeous! As usual.

[Judy]

You definitely made a great choice in locations! Just letting you know that as of Friday, we still had snow on the sides of the drive and barn. Okay?

I love spinning with beads. Something about the sparkle.

Off to ask Cathy about that iris. Gorgeous!

[a simple yarn]

Lovely colour on those irises....!

[Rachel H]

The beads spun into the yarn look so beautiful. I aspire to that level of spinning.

[amanda]

I admire your patience and fortitude. 'Nuff said.

[ck]

Wow...maybe you can describe how to spin with the beads sometime. I'd like to try it if it wouldn't drive me completely insane.

[AnnaMarie]

I feel for you on the weather front... I was there and grooming in a horse barn, outside! Sorry we didn't get to meet up, who knew YoYo would go BOB!!! She beat out three champions which was too totally cool!

Looking forward to seeing your yarn and roving in IF in wo weeks. Oh, and you too

[Carol]

Beautiful flowers, beautiful yarn! It IS Friday night...isn't it?

[Marcia Cooke]

Doing some beaded yarn is next on my list of things to do....when I finish the thirty bazillion things I'm in the middle of! I second the motion that you do a little "tutorial"!

[Becky]

The iris is lovely! I'm surfing through the fiber blog ring, and thought I'd stop to say hello.

My dad bred iris, and when he died last summer, most of his iris came to me. I only got a few blooms this year (I think the transplanting was hard for them) but I hope for more next year.

[Kit]

Oh wow, those are the most beautiful irises I have ever seen. And I have a passion for irises.

[Birdsong]

Fabulous iris! I haven't seen this one before. Spinning beads onto singles seems way beyond my comprehension. I bow down to you as the Goddess of Spinning.

[Chris]

I learned how to spin with beads but I'm not sure I want to do it again. I admire you're candoit. And love the iris! Mine are all still emerging leaves, no buds in sight yet. Maybe in a few weeks.

[Liz]

OK, spinning with beads is so far over my head, I am awestruck and amazed...

but talk about amazing, that iris, I don't think I have ever seen one that colour except in a bulb catalogue, so amazing the colours the iris comes in...

We went from 65 to 90 in one day, so we spent a stunned and slightly spaced out weekend, trying to acclimate to the sudden summer... here comes the heat

[margene]

I knit with the first yarn you made for Norma...she was kind enough to share. The weekend went WAY too quickly. I think we need a grass roots campaign to push for 3 day weekends.

[Karen]

Pretty spinning! I have never tried spinning beaded yarn yet. I'm not sure I would have the patience to be honest.

[Margaret]

Well, our irises just bloomed a few days ago in Central VA, so you're doing pretty well weatherwise.

Yep, I'm going to save spinning with beads for another day.

[Teri S.]

I wouldn't even know where to begin with spinning beads. How the heck do you do that?! The iris are very nice. Ours started blooming last week. The lilies-of-valley are also blooming now and are so fragrant! I'm always surprised that your weather is on a par with our weather. For some reason (maybe it's all those snow-capped mountains), I keep thinking that it should be much colder than it actually is.

[cyndy]

You sure have some nice things to look at these days...
beaded yarn (nice color combo) AND "batik" iris! (another nice color combo!)

[vanessa]

can you 'splain the bead spinning please?

[kathy b]

Oh prestrung yarn with beads.. What do you charge? That would be so fun .....

I love your iris' colors . unique and dazzling.