Tag Archives: Fourth Saturday

Summer Toes

Posted on June 23, 2012 by | Comments Off on Summer Toes
If the thermometer didn't scream the arrival of summer today, the toes in the Little Red Barn did.  Usually when we get together, I like to take pictures of all the pals who drop by to spin and knit and create together, but it feels like they're all starting to blur together.  So I made it my task to find something unusual about our assembly today, and it hit me like a ton of bricks.

Toes.

Almost to a person, the pedicures were out and proud today.  Except for Greta, who had her very cute red Keens on, and me, who is constantly in nerdy white socks and rubber pasture shoes.  I'm jonesing for a pedicure, so this was probably creeping forward from the recesses of my mind.  Check out the cool colors:

Ms. Mairead and her blue metallics

Rita's wedding pedi is holding up remarkably well

Chiyo in green

Desiree in green sparkles

Lisa in sparkly orange

Denise goes with a classic French pedi

Virginia in floral blue...
...and our first time visitor, Sheila, who had gorgeous bottle green toes, too, but she got away without getting her toes photographed.  She's obviously heard about me and the ubiquitous camera.

I think I feel a farmer birthday pedi in my future very soon...

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Fill ‘Er Up

Posted on May 27, 2012 by | Comments Off on Fill ‘Er Up
Today we filled up the barns.  Filled.  Up.

The Cadillac shed (it's a long story how this structure got its name) we filled with over 200 bales of hay.  Ted has a friend at work who raises cows on the side, and had some square bales to sell.  He gave us an outrageously good price, plus delivery and tons of help unloading and stacking.  An amazing deal.  Thank you Roger, Kim and Riley!  Thanks also to our friend Will, who loved playing farmboy by tossing bales down from the trailer.  All that hay going in the barn was like watching art happen.  If I can keep this dry, and if the sheep like it (ohpleaseohpleaseohplease...) we'll be set for months.

Will and Roger lead the hay brigade.

By the time they were done, the barn was filled to the doors, and we all heaved a sigh of relief.


Meanwhile, at the other end of the property, the Little Red Barn was filling up with a near-record-breaking turnout of knitters and spinners.  We've observed a law of nature that when someone has to leave early from the LRB, more people come to take their place, and we always seem to have enough chairs.  It's a mystery beyond science how this happens every time...


All we know is, we've never had the barn so full of friends that crazy fun didn't break out in large quantities.  A bountiful selection of baked goods never hurts either.


Beautiful projects form on needles, coffee and sweets are consumed, stories told, jokes shared, fresh air breathed, nerves soothed... it's what we do.


We got our money's worth with the AC blasting today.  Even with oppressive heat outside, the LRB stayed cool and refreshing.


Had to capture Chiyo modelling her knee sock in progress... 'specially because it coordinated so well with her gangsta outfit.


We're already looking forward to next Saturday's special workshop: Skirting a Raw Sheep Fleece.  Details coming up tomorrow...

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Vanni Owns Fourth Saturday

Posted on April 29, 2012 by | Comments Off on Vanni Owns Fourth Saturday
Fourth Saturday - a wonderful busy time with knitters and spinners coming and going from the Little Red Barn.  But it was also busy in the pasture, with a steady stream of visitors coming through the gates on this sunny and windy day.

For instance, while Mia was busy filling some bags with 'paca poo for her urban homestead, her son Levi was having a great time playing ring-around-the-rosey with Vanni.




A lovely group of girls came to visit the animals and learn about spinning wool.  They loved the alpacas, but, as usual, Vanni stole the show.


A sweet young couple came to see what alpacas look like in person, but had to deal with Vanni's... uh, curious nature.


Thanks to all the Barnies who dropped by today, including our first-timer, Debbie... Denise, Rita, Lisa, Lisa, Karen, Kris, Gail, CJ, and Anela (who'd I miss?).


Hopefully next time we get together, there won't be a huge moving van in the front yard... We'll let you know when the garage sale is on.  Some of Grandma's stuff is awesome.


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The Many Faces of the LRB

Posted on February 26, 2012 by | Comments Off on The Many Faces of the LRB
Fourth Saturday - a smashing time here on the farm at the Little Red Barn...  Dina got here early and started the coffee, but had to slip out early...

Gay arrived and I got to deliver her JRF Golding Spindle.  She promptly fired it up and made some sweet yarn on it!  It all comes back, doesn't it, Gay?

Got to meet Patricia for the first time - what an incredible blanket she's working on - a diagonal crochet project for a friend...

Carla came by the farm for the first time.  She's very interested in fiber and felting and well, soon we'll have her knitting and spinning - right ladies?

Shareholder Katy came by with her kids Will and McKenna - Ruthie made them feel right at home.

Vanni showed Carla how to reach just the right spot on the tummy for the perfect scritch.  Amy's ready to dive into farm life!

Denise and Lisa had very interesting projects to work on.  Today was Lisa's first time to the LRB, and she fit in like an old-timer.  So enjoy her company!  And Denise went home with a Golding spindle, too.  Spin on, my friend!

The other Lisa, and Linda compared notes on some knitting issue.  Linda was remaking the sweater pattern she was wearing, this time in green.  If it ain't broke...

Karen cracked Angela up over something.  It was so great to see Angela again after a long break.  Then she went out and brushed the dogs for me.  What a lovely gift!  (The dogs love to see Angela coming...)

 Karen told us that she had to put her kitty down a couple of weeks ago.  Smokey seemed to know that she needed some feline love and affection.  Good kitty.

Barbara came and brought lots of awesome snacks today.  Sorry for the blurry picture, B, but your smile was so sweet!


Virginia bought some yarn here at the barn last Saturday and returned to day with a completed crocheted scarf/cowl thing.  Beautiful and snuggly-warm!  Way to finish your projects, Virginia!

Beth and Maryann were about the last to come, so we had some catching up to do!  Hadn't seen these ladies in quite some time.

Yep, Lisa - blocking is going to make one awesome scarf out of that - so, so pretty!

Our new friend, Chiyo, is just as cute as she can be.  Who can resist Hello Kitty and red boots?  She's working on an incredible fair isle felted bag she learned from Alissa Barton.  You go, girl.

Also, Anela and her husband Matt dropped by to ply the alpacas with carrots and win their hearts.  Bonita and her husband Dennis got the quicky tour and promised to come back soon.  Kris from the Farmstead Museum got to spend some time with us today, but somehow avoided getting her picture taken...  It was a busy, busy day at the farm - please forgive me if I forgot to mention you.  We talked about how my memory has a thick coat of Teflon on it, and I have to write everything -- I mean everything -- down nowadays...  Who did I forget?

Regardless, we had a spectacular day today.  So warm, we kept the barn door open.  And the only downside to that was...

Uninvited guests...


 Uninvited guests with an attitude...

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A Fine, Fine Day for Fiber

Posted on January 29, 2012 by | Comments Off on A Fine, Fine Day for Fiber
Does it get any better than this?  Sunshine, brisk breeze, and a dozen sweet friends crafting together with fiber of all sorts - roving, yarn, delicate thread...


Anna brought new baby Ike by for his first visit to the barn.  The last time he'd been here, he was still a bump.  Now he's a doll--a gorgeous boy.

 

That's tough for big brother Brian to compete with, unless you blow bubbles in your water.  That makes everybody smile.

Peggy showed Leslie some spinning tips.  Leslie's going to be spinning soon.  She's already rocking the knitting thing.


Anela told her all about knitting with those mysterious double-point needles.  Nothing to be scared of...


Karen got to be with us again today, and this time, she brought her amazing Drudik wheel.  She got this wheel from the Oregonian wheel maker back when they didn't cost as much as a used car, like they do now.  It's a beautiful wheel that spins like buttah.


Her daughter, Lisa, brought her bobbin lace project with all its pretty bobbins and beads and pins, on the velvet pillow...  It's intricate and amazing, and I was fascinated watching her.


The lace formed steadily under her fingers, following the printed pattern, twist by twist and knot by knot.  Watching her helped me understand the experience of an uninitiated person watching a lace knitter or a talented drop spindler.  It's all magic, until you get the knack.


Rita took a break from knitting her wedding veil to work on knitting her lace garter.  How amazing will that be?


We enjoyed finally getting to visit with Karen and Gail, who hadn't been able to come to the LRB in a while.  Barbara came again this week, and invited her friend Linda.


Linda found herself adopted by Smokey, who draped herself across Linda's lap and didn't move for ages.


Virginia got to drop by, too, and she worked on a pretty kettle dyed wool purse.  Maybe she'll felt it, or maybe she won't.  Such are the quandaries of a fiber artist.


Leslie had really come to the farm to work, so we spent some time skirting and tumbling Solomon's black alpaca fleece.  She caught on quickly, and now has achieved the elite rank of Certified Fiber Tumbler here at Jacob's Reward Farm.  Solomon's pretty fleece is medium fine and open, so we had to spend some extra time opening the locks and blowing the dirt and grass away.  But that shiny black fiber is so, so worth it.  Great job, Leslie -- thanks!

You are always welcome at the Little Red Barn to share these days of friendship and fiber arts.  Learn something, share something, experience something beautiful in this sweet little community.  You make a difference...  At the bottom of this page is our Google Calendar.  That's where you'll find all of the goings on here at the farm.  We'd love to have you join us!

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