A Chilly Morning

It was in the low 40's this morning but also quite windy.  I wandered around doing my morning check of everyone and decided to take a few pictures of their attempts to warm up.  No one was miserable but obviously a few looked like they were appreciating the warmth that reflects off of the barn wall as the sun shines on it.  And there is nothing better than mamas snuggling with their babies.  Of course, a few of the creatures were doing their morning scratching and stretching as well.

There is no catching up....

But I can hope!

Now that my seven weeks in the public schools as artist in residence is over, I am really trying to catch up on fiber.  Just a few weeks ago we sheared a small flock of Jacob so I decided to wash one of those fleeces.  I don't mind spinning "in the grease" but decided to give this fleece a quick soak and rinse so that I could work at my wheel in the house without leaving an enormous dirt pile at my feet.

We were terribly blessed several years ago when the head chef at the Hyatt asked if we had any use for the two enormous 40 gallon stainless steel steam kettles that were being replaced.  They are amazing!  They even have a mechanism that tilts them all the way over to dump.  They are simply perfect for soaking fleeces.

Since we live in an area with red clay in the soil, the first rinse is usually just an orange mud.

Since this fleece is not too greasy, I was content with two simple soaks and then laid it out to dry.  I am hoping that, since it is a warm and sunny day, I can begin to spin it up into a pretty natural colored yarn by tomorrow.