Saturday, May 30, 2009

Off to Fiberland

It's late, and I should have been in bed long ago. Today was long and productive - I got my papers for the research ethics board submitted just under the wire, confirmed my job placement for later in the summer, crossed 16 things off my to do list, and packed. Ahhh, it feels good to be done.

Tomorrow I head off on an adventure of sorts: after many failed summer plans I decided on a whim to take off to BC for a few weeks. I'll be at Joybilee Farms exchanging my labor for a place to stay, and hopefully some lessons in spinning, weaving, homesteading, animal rearing, and whatever else I can get my hands on. Joybilee is a fiber arts farm, run by a husband and wife team who rear their own fiber-bearing animals, spin the fleece, and dye their yarn using natural methods. They also do some other nifty things like making their own cheese and goat's milk soap. I've been wanting to learn how to spin for quite some time now, so hopefully this will be a good chance to get a firsthand look at how it's done. I also have a pipe dream of moving somewhere out in the country and having my own hobby farm with fiber animals and dogs and vegetables... for now I'll just escape to my dream life temporarily:)

Not much knitting has been going on here lately. The gathered pullover now has a sleeve, but I'll admit to being a bit bored by all the endless stockinette. For the trip, I'm taking along a mystery project (it's a gift, so I'll add a Ravelry link later).



I'll be back in three weeks, hopefully with lots of pictures and stories. Here's hoping to get a healthy dose of dirt, animals, fresh air and sun before returning to the sterility and order of the hospital!

3 comments:

Don said...

Hi Jess,

This sounds so exciting. Wish I could come. Hey if you have your hobby farm close to Fredericton I'll be more than happy to help you out. Once I've retired of course. Just as long as you have a horse for me to ride. Safe travels!

Love ya!!

Dad

Heather said...

Good luck, Jess! I can't wait to hear about everything, and the animals especially.
Have fun getting your hands dirty!
xo
Mom

Cha said...

Wow, Jess, sounds wonderful.

Please do take lots of pictures.

We have Great-Nan Newhook's spinning wheel in our shed. If you come to visit for her 102nd birthday later this month, she'd show you how to use it...

Cha