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A Day in the Workshop

I suppose it might sound better if we called it the "studio". But it's always been "the workshop" to us, and old habits die hard. The "yellow pole barn"? It's green now. The "green chicken coop" houses sheep, in the winter. Never chickens.

Actually, as nearly as we can figure, the studio / workshop / whatever actually started out its life as a chicken coop. So I guess we can call it whatever we want.

Saturday I needed a therapy day. So I ignored what needed doing in the house (and there's always something needing to be done in the house), and headed for the workshop with my earbuds in. "Don't bother me."

Despite my warning, The Farmer tagged along. He's between chicken batches, and not yet to lambing time, and actually can decide what to do with some of his hours right now. I showed him how I wasn't happy with the tie-on system on the cloth beam of Mrs. T's loom. He spent a couple of hours adding an apron. Ah, much better. I spent the two hours assisting, as needed, and cleaning up.


He then moved on to skeining yarn. We just took delivery on some sport weight and worsted weight yarn made from our Polypay wool. We let the mill do the hard part--washing, carding, spinning and plying. Then we skein and rewash it, and sometimes dye it. Here's one of The Farmer's many inventions:



He cranks a certain amount of turns to get 4 skeins of approximately 100 yds. Then he ties each skein off (so they won't tangle) and washes them and hangs them to dry.

While he was skeining, I tied the warp on to the new apron, and prepared some "rags" for weaving. We discussed whether or not to use some of that lovely, expensive new 100% wool yarn as warp for roving rugs. It'll be strong enough, I think, but we're not sure if buyers are willing to pay the long dollar for 100% wool rugs made from our own sheep's wool. We'll start small, I guess, and test the waters.

Here is a bookshelf from the house, serving a new function. These items are leftovers from the Christmas market, and of course the wool yarn.


The "therapy day" was a good day. I just need to find a regular time to head out there and recharge my batteries.



Comments

  1. I love looking at photos of your wool and looms and assorted things!

    I'm glad the therapy day was a good one.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I can seriously sympathize with a therapy day, but really a week or a month sound even better LOL.. One can wish can't they? Love the yarn looks yummy.

    ReplyDelete

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