Living by Dying....Wool

What a wonderful day I had in Sperryville Virginia, just a hop over the mountain from our place, to play with yarn. The dye workshop was hosted by Jen, owner of Spirit Trail Fiberworks. Her studio is bright and spacious. The ladies in attendance delightful and Jen herself is a great artist and knowledgeable instructor. 

We experimented with dying three ways.

Hand painted, tonal and speckled.

Speckling was not only a fun process, but I love the looks of it.

I am quite please with my first attempts.

So much so that I did what any yarn crazed person would do.

Bought some dye color charts.

Because despite all that spinning I have done over the winter (LOTS!) I still have all this from last year and in need of some inspiration: 

{Yes Sir, yes Sir, three bags full}

After all,

 Big Guy Carnie and his barn mates are ready for the shearer next month.

{He's not fat, that's all a very thick and beautiful fleece}

Jen and all her lovely custom yarns will be at the  Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival May 5-6. 

You won't be disappointed if you stop by. 

March...

...Has never been my favorite month. 

It's stillness, the brown and grey of the earth, the dark and cold of the air.

That Wind.

Growing weary of all the favorite winter time activities....knitting, spinning, reading, baking...

This March the stillness is even more profound
as we continue to fight for my husband's health.
So on I bake and spin,
and knit...

{It seems I overdid my need for color to combat the bleakness on what I now laughingly call the' circus' pullover! 

The middle frame is my first serious attempt at intarsia knitting.} 

...and read.

My current is Snow Child  which seems to be a favorite among many of the blogs I frequent. 

I have read or listened to more books in the past year (14+) than I have all my other years put together.
A few I have enjoyed the most are My Antonia Willa Cather, We Are Not Ourselves Matthew Thomas, All the Light We Cannot See Anthony Doerr and The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert.

Fritz is doing well, but treatments take a toll.
We are, as always, grateful for the visits to and from those we love to much.

Bring on Spring!

{but I hope these plum buds do no open all the way just yet! Way too soon.}