Fibery Projects and Something to Crow About.

I'd been waffling over what project to weave next.  I decided on using some of the basket of Shetland yarn.  I've got lots of spinning happening and yarn does start to build up after a while.
It's going to be a shawl.  I only had enough of the handspun yarn for one project, so there is a necessary although in my mine somewhat unacceptable amount of loom waste.  I was a little concerned that the grey and white would have a lot more contrast, which is not quite what I wanted.  I wanted a soft colour combination and a discreet  patterning.  This is working well.    I will have to reset my tie up as one of the shafts is not rising quite as much as the other 3, creating a really iffy shed on treadle 4.   I'm alternating between basket weave and straight twill to create a checky pattern. 

I couldn't wait for my handspun, indigo dyed, superwash merino sock yarn to dry.  I found a skein of sock yarn which I'd purchased in the fall.   It was on sale for such a good price, I couldn't resist the bright, pretty colourway.  I'd told myself that I needed more solid colour sock yarn but it was pink and blue and telling me it wanted to come home with me.  I'm glad I didn't ignore it as the socks are really pretty.  As I normally do, they are fraternal socks.  I love the difference that having the cuffs different colours is making.  It will be interesting to see if it will hold for the whole second sock.  It would be fun to have one which looked to be blue with pink and the other pink with blue.

We've had the oddest winter this year.   It's mainly been mild, with a few frosty, cold days in between with bits of snow here and there.  A couple of days ago, we had one of those snow falls.   We got a few inches of it - nothing compared to normal snowfall amounts.  It brought the wild birds to the birdfeeder.  One day there were Blue Jays, Cardinals, Juncos, Wrens, Woodpeckers, Chickadees and Mourning Doves.   The next day, we had a visit by some Crows.


I don't mind the Crows.  They are interesting birds.   They don't eat the food in the feeder, only the ground fall.  I'd rather they eat it than rodents.  They are very wary and watchful.  I can't get to the window of the back room without them noticing and unless I'm really, slow about it, they scatter.  If I do get close to the window, you can see them keeping an eye on me and if I lift my camera up, they are gone!  Last year the Crows used to strut around the garden, looking oh so funny.  This year, they have to compete with the chooks, who still go out and about, so whatever they were hunting for, is likely in shorter supply. 

Notice that one of the birds is hanging out on the tree.  It always seems that there is at least one, often more birds keeping a watch.   We had 7 regularly last year.  Before I took the photo, there were 12 on the ground and 2 in the trees!