Tumbled Apples

It's been a bit of time since I last posted. September is always a busy time around here. It's fair time. Things went really well at the fair this year. There were lots of demonstrators so I wasn't stuck behind the "wheel" spinning for ten or more hours a day. And there wasn't the normal drama that there usually is in the barn. Reason for this......no sheep!!! The sheep numbers were incredibly low.....and the goat numbers were incredibly high. So the barns were switched. The goats got the big barn and the sheep were moved into the little barn. The wool department (which is what I run) is located in the big barn so I didn't have to worry about being moved. I did, however, get quite a bit of grief from the "sheep people" because they were "kicked out of their barn". I honestly couldn't believe how rude they were!! It's not like I had anything to do with it either....because I didn't. It was sheer numbers. When you have close to 500 goats and barely 100 sheep.....well, which one do you think will be getting the big barn. Goats, of course.

I will confess to really enjoying having the goats in the barn. The breeders were nice....the barn was always full......and it just made the entire fair really pleasant. Even the demonstrators for the wool department commented on how nice it was having the goats in the barn. And the fair goers really didn't seem to mind that we were spinning sheep wool in a barn full of goats. :.) Plus the breeders played games with their goats and invited the public to join in. Really filled the barn....which meant plenty of people at the wool department. Kept everyone busy spinning, carding, and answering questions. :.)

While the fair went well, things at home did not go as smoothly. Came home late one night only to discover that I was short a sheep. Did a head count to make sure.Then went walking the pature with a small headlamp on. Found my little yearling ewe. She had passed away sometime during the day.....from scours. My hubby had told me that she was off her feed and staying away from the rest of the flock. I was hoping it would pass, but had this awful feeling that I would end up losing her....which we did. She was buried out in pasture the next morning where she will always be with the rest of the flock. With being so busy at the fair and my hubby's long work hours.....well, it's just hard to always be there for the wooly ones. I'm not sure there would have been anything I could have done for her anyway, short of a vet visit. And even then........no point to dwell on should have's, would have's, could have's.

Well, it's been a week since I finished things up for the fair. I'm finally getting caught up on things around the house. I still have a lot of singles to ply and finish up. I spun a whopping two pounds this year at the fair. Most of it on a spinning wheel.....with about four ounces of it being spun on drop spindle. I didn't get to finish up the socks I have been working on. People wanted to see the 'Tank" in action. So no knitting for me. I do hope to get those done sometime this week though.

Last night I took the time and finally finished up my Tumbled Apples quilt (pictured above and below). It felt good to finally finish something. :.) I had bought the blocks already pre-cut so all I had to do was sew them into rows...and the rows into a top. I really loved the apple fabric and wanted to use it as a border. In order to tie the apple fabric in with the quilt center I decided to embroider the apple trees. Unfortunately, I didn't take into consideration the fabric background on which the embroideries would be. So they don't "pop" like I was hoping they would. Oh well. Live and learn. :.) It is something I will definitely try again. I'll just make sure the fabric background will enhance the embroidery, not hide it.