Getting My Goat Out of the Closet

An Angora goat, part lawnmower, part yarn store. He's what I'd call an investment. If you agree, talk to my husband.

I am in a funk.

I don't know if my biologic or my antidepressant is failing me, if it's the combined stresses of upcoming changes, if it's this never-ending shoulder pain that migrates between and up and down both arms, but I'm definitely not well.

In a practical sense the why doesn't matter as much as the what. What this does is leave me tired, apathetic, and peevish, not the sort of person I want to be around. And I'm pretty much stuck with being around myself.

Look up "adult coloring" on Google images--it's safe, and cheaper than coloring books

I need a pick-me-up. Careful calorie counting eliminates the ice cream option, though I could have some in place of lunch. Consumer therapy (shopping) is also off the table because due to all the future job/benefit/insurance/life changes potentially looming, we are being careful with money.

I tried the coloring thing. This last month I've colored my way through half of two different coloring books. It beats eating while watching TV or playing computer solitaire, I'll keep doing it. But it isn't distracting enough.

I'm only sure two of these bags are goat. Labeling things is important.

 I need a project--something I can get excited about, something more frivolous than all the cleaning and organizing I should be doing.

And in one of the cupboards I've been organizing is a frivolous project I've been postponing because there are so many other things I should finish first.

I have a several bags of washed, but not combed hair/wool from an Angora goat. I have no idea when/where I purchased this. Angora goats are supposed to be the source of mohair, which itches me to work with, but this goat fiber is soft and lovely. I've only used it for one project because it needs to go through the whole combing and maybe dying process before spinning and knitting. This is the complexity I need.

I'm serious, order anything from Created by Elsie B on Etsy. I'll work it up for you.

My plan is to combine the goat with some already dyed and ready to spin fiber I have from Created by Elsie B. (If you buy me anything she makes, I will joyfully spin and knit it into an item of your choice.)

clean, combed goat hair

 Fortunately, I even have some goat hair already carded. I need 12 ounces of goat to blend with 4 ounces of wool, which will give me a pound of finished fiber, enough for most projects. Now I just need to finish this blog, eat breakfast (?11:35 AM? I spend too much time in bed.) and clean off the drum carder.

dirty drum carder

THE PODCAST is about the music of the wind, which Emily Dickinson can hear, but I can't. Maybe Amherst is windier than Sandy. Most places are. Maybe one of us is a little crazy.

THE KNITTING

Hats, so many hats, I think six of them, in need of photographing and listing in my shop on Etsy.

I don't know why it is hard to do that final step. I don't know why it's hard to return emails or make phone calls. Sometimes I just get stuck and I'm stuck right now. Here is a picture of the only hat I haven't already posted on the blog. 

And here is a darling new dinosaur I met yesterday at the museum of natural history. He is a Utah native who was hiding in the politically controversial Grand Staircase Escalante Monument. His story is worth reading.