The King and Queen (that would be me) ventured to Soldier Hollow on Labor Day to view the incrediable Border Collies from around the world. No pictures so close your eyes and i will give you visual. The Handler and Collie come to a starting point at the base of a quarter mile hill. On the upper slope of the hill are 8 dog naive stubborn sheep. Yearlings i believe that have never been herded by dogs. The Collie is given the command to bring the sheep and at a dead run races up this slope looking for the sheep. Finding them the dog then carefully but quickly herds them down to a gate they need to go through and then to the handler. Upon completeing this task the dog again races up the hill to retrive another 8 red collared sheep that are herded through a different gate and then joined with the other 8 sheep. On command the dog then herds the sheep through 2 gates. These gates are and opening of normal gate size, then 8 foot of fence and nothing else, so the dog has to keep the sheep together and not let them go around the fence portion. Did i mention this is done on the clock of 24 minutes. Now the 16 sheep are returned to the handler and driven into a pretend corral where the Collie and the handler shed or try to get 5 red collared sheep to separte from the group, drive them off and into a very small corral. The reward for all this hard work is for the Collie to jump into a tub of water to cool off. This is amazing to watch almost unbelievable. Try it, if you get a chance.
Duchess of Yarnnation
Yes, although the Duchess didn’t feel up to snuff, she still consented to sing in our Sunday Sacrament meeting. I had both Queen Mothers attending with me, the Princess was excused due to the fact she was still in the hospital. We do accept some excuses. It was just beautiful and touched all there. She sang All Gods Creatures. (they told me after and even the next week) Wow, she moved us all. Thank you Duchess. We then cuddled W a whole bunch because the time with the Duchess was winding down, she was getting home sick if you can imagine. And there is nothing like a snuggle from a new baby to make discomfort a little easier to endure. Just take a look at the slide show.
Then the sad day i do think i used more tissues. Darn it all anyway. But what a great time we had with the Duchess for over 2 weeks. We were going to hold her hostage but then we felt bad for the Duke and the dogs so we sent her on her way. We miss you Duchess.
Yes, I am sooooo far behind and what is your excuse?
We should have a contest. Okay, the best excuse of why you are so far behind in life, blogging, knitting, spinning, or what ever will receive a surprise from the Queen. It will be better than a 3 foot zuchinni also.
Oh my I am still writing about August and i do believe we are roaring into mid September. Bear with me it’s just all good stuff to be remembered, rekindled, revered, loved and enjoyed again in writing. As you could see W was well worth waiting for and now we have a new little family. The Queen almost didn’t cry, but then that would have been uncharacteristic so i did. Thank goodness for tissues and long sleeves.
Well after hanging out at the hospital on Friday the Duchess and I had to prepare for our Dyeing class. Yellows, that would be Marigolds, Rabbit Brush, Osage Orange and Madder. There are others but those are the 4 we would work with in class. I must have witches in my ancestery, I love this mixing, boiling, dipping and singing (in my head only) witches witches, boil and bubble, toil and trouble to come. And then giving a lovely witch laugh out loud. Wait till you hear about morning glory but that will be later. Yellow is a common naturally occuring color. There are lots of good books about natural dyeing, but the books are not near a fun a the class that we took at Three Wishes.
W is due………………….
To start the week we the Duchess and I helped the Princess get her sale stuff unpacked for her sidewalk sale. Then we went shopping then we all worked on projects down the basement. Painted onesies (where are the pictures of these girls?) worked on quilts again, and what a joy to have the daughters together working together on projects for there new arrivals. This was a great joy to me and i loved every minute of it. Both the Queen Mothers were in town so they got to hang out with us too. Now where is W, predicted the 21st and we sailed right on by that day. The doctor told the Princess that W was just to comfortable and she would have to have a few contractions to get him moving. W took his own sweet time but arrive he did on the 24th. Labor was long, but everyone is great, and now my pictures are 2 weeks old. Good Grief time flies faster and faster.
Knitting the Duchess & the Queen
Well here i am again, I have to look back on my photos and go oh yea and we did that too. August was lots of fun. The first week the Duchess arrived she showed off her stash that she procured in NY at School Products and I showed off several socks one pair finished. Koigu handpainted sock yarn and another on the needles. Sock yarn dyed by the Duchess, pattern from Interweave Socks, twisted cable.
This was done in the Queens courtyard (backyard). We also captured some photos of the King’s Mother, the Duchess and the Queen. Good Work camera, along with the shawl that the Duchess knit for the Queen Mother F. Beautiful isn’t it.
This little cake of yarn in my vacation yarn that the Duke and Duchess presented to me. I am rubbing my hands together deciding what it will become.
I am so proud of myself, finished JH sweater which included the sewing and weaving of at least a thousand ends and no one died. Therefore i am showing it off again as a finished project. 
We will throw in the Frisbee Kids because they think if you are outside you are there to throw the frisbee.
Andean Plying—Very Cool
The night before our silk spinning class the Duchess taught me how to Andean ply a bobbin that i hadn’t split for plying. First she showed me how to do it on my hand ( Hopefully I will remember it in a month.) Then we made a raft thing to do a bobbin full. Then you put it on your wrist as a bracelet and ply onto to new bobbin on the wheel. It was great because the next day at spinning we andean plyed lots of small silk singles.
Aug 16th & 17th Quilting, 18th Silk Spinning
Now after the shower for JH and the Duchess we sent the Princess to the Doctor to check W’s progress and then continued our quilting madness, no pictures but let me tell you the Princess was a strict task master. We had 2 sewing machines going at top speed, a cuting table wearing out rotary blades and a Queen Mother with smoking knitting needles. W are almost all caught up and JH has a good supply. The Queen was all confused (that would be me) because i was having a hard time keeping up with which prince we were working for the one that was due or the one that is 2 months away. Then Saturday the Duchess and i loaded spinning wheels and headed to the city and Three Wishes for a Silk Spinning class taught by Jill Dahle. We had a great time and are now very informed about the many different types of silk. Take the class if you get a chance. The Queen is quilting JH quilt for the shower on Friday before. Our Spinning teacher Jill and the different silk applications
The Duchess and the teacher.
The End of Summer 2007
Wow ! Where to begin, I thought this summer was jam packed but it couldn’t hold a candle to what went on in the month of August. I started by getting released from my long time church calling (time for a short break) then the Duchess arrived and we were off and running. The Princess and I had been planning and planning. We did let the Duchess rest part of one day then off we went shopping and dinner then to the theatre. Secret Garden has long been a favorite of ours and it was playing at the Hale theatre. The next day we threw a baby shower for the Duchess and JH with lots of great grandmas, aunts, cousins and friends. Thats were we’ll start.
And of course Gnome and friends were in attendance.
We are beginning the celebration of cousins….
The Queen was in attendance and so were the twins. And lots of Great Queen Mothers.
