Lenora Jenkins Designs

One, Two....Three!!!

Full on excitement here. Our first ever set of Triplets. 

Triplets are rare in the world of cows. At first we thought they were two identical heifers and one bull, but today we can see they are clearly three fraternal calves.  Mum is doing a great job, especially as it is her first calving.

And there is other exciting news.

'The Sheep Paddock' is officially taking shape. We have been super busy trimming hedges, levelling ground and removing rocks. There is still a bit of work to do, but at last it is starting to happen.

I have been busy spinning lots of different fleece, trying to establish what breed is going to be the best to run. I find some wools quite prickly, so much so that I can't wear them. I need to have sheep that will grow fleece that I know I can wear and enjoy.

This is what I have spun from a lovely Corriedale fleece that I purchased from here.

I love the smoky grey colour, I cant wait to see how it knits up.

Lenora X.

 

Still In A Spin

I am a little shocked to see how long it has been since I last popped in, I guess time flys when you are having fun. I apologize if you have been popping in regularly.

The spinning bug has well and truly got me. Most of my spare time has been spent asorbing myself in books such as these, and practicing at the wheel.

These are the first two skeins that I have made.

My first effort.

Second effort.

 

After plying my second skein I was disappointed to see no great improvement, and my frustration was building not being able to get to a beginners class.

I was sharing my frustrations with a friend, when she told me that she may know of some help.

And then I met Jenny. Jenny has been spinning for years and she has the art of being able to teach what she knows. She has taught me about the tensions on my wheel, how to prepare my fibre and has guided me in the finer points of spinning. Here is the skein I spun from our first meeting.

 

And this is what is on my wheel at present.

I cant wait to ply it and see the results.

It is fate or luck how these people come into your life?

 

I have been contemplating the whole spinning thing and why it has taken me by hold.  

I am a very sensory person. I always have the urge to touch and feel most things that I see. I vividly remember going to my mother's friend's house for lunch, and being served vegetable soup. I just had to smell it before I could possible eat it. On the way home I received some sharp questioning. "Why do you have to smell everything...it is very bad manners.....just eat it up next time without smelling it"!

With spinning there is something about the smell of the fleece, the feel of it, the texture. Then there is the whirl of the wheel and the anticipation of not quite knowing what you are going to get until it is finally done. Maybe that is it, I am not quite sure. I am not really sure whether this is just a passing fad, or whether it is something I would like to continue on with. What I do know is that you are bound to see wool in my future patterns.

Lenora X.

 

Walking on the other side.

Sorry, my blogging has been rather dismal of late. You see I have hanging out on the other side....caught up in all things woolly.

It all started with Pinterest. So many lovely photos, so many links to blogs and websites. I found myself on a continuous roundabout of woolly wonderment. 

I will not bore you with the chain of events, but one blog led to another, then another and my mind was a whirl wind of thoughts. My thoughts wandered back to my mothers spinning wheel, and I made an inquiring phone call. The next day I welcomed a new member to my family. Let me introduce "Warnie".

(I made the fatal mistake of proclaiming to the family that we needed a name for the spinning wheel. The man of the house instantly yelled "Warnie!....the greatest spinner of all time!" I was thinking something like..... Suzi. But the rest of the house thought that Warnie was the only possible name, so Warnie has stuck. Six against one is totally out numbered.)

The wheel arrived with a huge bag of fleeces......I am not even going to guess the age of them, and since then I have been in another world.

There is so much to learn, like a whole new language. Terms such as 'Mother of all', whorl, scotch tension, and that is just the wheel. Roving, batts, slivers, drum carders, dofflers, s twist, z twist, plying. And then there is the fleece....Merino, Corriedale, Romney, Blue Faced Leicester (? spelling) and so much more. 

Ideally I would love to do a beginners course, but so far I can only find them in the city. So for now I am learning with books and lots of on-line videos. 

I have managed to spin my first yarn,

I think it is absolutely lovely, but hopefully in a few weeks I will be laughing at how terrible it is.

And on top of all that.....wait for it............I am getting some sheep!!!!!

My DH is absolutely pulling his hair out, but I have managed to find a small parcel of land that is not being used and would be perfect. It will take a few weeks, but I can wait. 

So life is good in my neck of the woods, hope yours is too.

Lenora X.