FIBER & ME by Donna Jo Copeland

It's cold, too cold for late April. The northern breezes do nothing toward lifting my spirits as I walk the weathered, old brick path to my barn. Faded Virginia Bluebells and goldenrod shoots dance with the wind.

As I open the squeaky barn door Mr. Violet, Mollie Malone, Snow, Rosey Posey, Beauty, Garth, Emily and Jello perk up and watch me to see what I might bring. There is a sadness now that there are so few angora bunnies in the barn. Downsizing has been hard and will be for sometime to come. But that too is a part of fiber and of life's tapestry.

Cage cleaning and brushing are still among my favorite chores. I do so love the bunny hugs and kisses-and their soft fiber!! One more harvest, perhaps two. Precious memories. As I brush the wool off the bottom of cages, gather the soft airy down my mind remembers a full barn, many bunnies, vast amounts of angora wool-oh my! And the myriad of blends I have made---the wonderful yarns and textiles. Angora-the perfect mixer!!

With the cold rainy weather I haven't been keeping up on outside farm chores, haven't had much interest in painting inside either. So I have been Fibering--------washing fleeces, dyeing fibers, picking, carding, felting, spinning some really unique yarns! Tink has been helping me-she is quite a talented fiber artist in her own right and very patient when her "tailfeathers" get caught up in the new yarn. Tink often spins herself into exhaustion!

At the Fleece Fair I bought some really wonderful fleeces: Cotswold, Romney, Border Leicester/Shetland, llama---and another spinner bought the Icelandic fleece I had eyed too long. Peg and I traded rovings for handwoven tea towels. And I bought silk and bleached flax roving. Happily everything is now washed and finally dry! Even though the Persians loved having piles of wool all over the living room, kitchen, studio and bathroom, I am glad it is all sacked up. Some even blended and carded. Two fleeces and some dyed fibers I sent off to Wooly Knob for blending and carding into roving. They are due back this weekend and I can't wait!!!

And I have a new toy! For years I've wanted a McMorran Yarn Balance-and it is so much fun! I have been "balancing" everything I have been spinning. Last weekend whilst the rain and snow fell and the wind blew I spun over 1500 yards of very unique yarn! Tink helped of course (I'm not sure of her production, but I'm sure she rivaled mine) Some of my wools I'm spinning at 1800 yards to the pound, some at 900. Ok, I'm pretty eclectic!

Since I am incapable of doing only one thing at a time, I signed up for 3 Learning Exchanges thru HGA-Fiber Identification, Spinning Unique Yarns from your Stash and Designing and Weaving a Lord Of The Rings Cloak. Somehow I volunteered to be coordinator for one of them. I have received packets from Hawaii, New Hampshire, Washington, Texas, North Carolina, Minnesota to name a few----and inside each a real treasure!! The Fiber ID is a fun thing-I thought I knew each one as I opened it but the proving has been challenging. So far I have done quite well with the bleach, burn, feel and smell tests. I'm just not sure how well the evaluator will like my unique version of spinning……As for the cloak---since I have already woven one of purely Breezy Manor inspired color and texture, I am planning this next one more Middle Earthish. And, ahem, it will probably be based on my "signature" weave structure.

Of course life won't stand still while I test, document, spin, plan and weave. My basket never empties. The tapestry of my life is undergoing many design and texture changes. Oftentimes the greys have outnumbered the blues. And once in a while, a bit of pure delight.

Last month my dad suffered complete renal failure and 2 heart attacks. He is better and everyday is a blessing, a gift. We're all living life in small doses now---capturing moments, laughter and tears, more hugs, more I love yous. Thankful for the threads of gold we can weave.

As for my own Breezy Manor realm, things are changing greatly. Someone once told me the only constant we can hold to is change. Like throwing a new shuttle into a shed, change is there. Its how well we handle the transition that tells in the finished tapestry.

More weaving, spinning and life stories to come………….Happy Fibering!