Process Milestone: Combover Complete

One of my goals for vacation (Really? Who sets vacation goals?) was to return home with all of the combing done on Caora Dubh.  To that end, I enlisted the help of two of my favorite smallies:  Lindsay, and Susie's son, Adam.  Lindsay is exactly three weeks older than Adam.  When they were really wee, Lindsay took to calling Adam "Baby" as soon as she learned that she was older.  He somehow put a stop to it around the time they turned three.  But I digress.

Lindsay taught Adam how to comb the locks, and keep them pointed all the same direction, lined up and ready to spin.  What could be cuter than smallies with fleece and dog combs?

I have no idea what they are plotting here, while I spin along innocently in the background, but you can bet they are up to something.  Not for nothing:  The photographer here is none other than Campbell.  Something's clearly afoot.

The smallies got a lot of combing done, and while I didn't make the goal, I was able to complete it this morning.  It didn't hurt my motivation that the new coopworth fleece arrived while we were gone.  In a bizarre fit of self-control, I told myself I couldn't open the box until the combing was complete. 

Here is the finished Pile O' Fluff, ready for spinning:

I can now officially state that it's all spinning from here on out.  No more processing left for Caora Dubh.

Let's hear it for Child Labor.
 

Getting Enough Fiber

The Smallies and I have been on vacation, which I combined with a teaching excursion: 

On Saturday I got to play with the lovely and talented knitters of Wild Fibers, in beautiful Mt. Vernon, WA.  

Leslie, Karin, Charisa and Piet all steeked like rock stars,

And owner Sarah looked in on the proceedings while Kristina and Aldene compared notes. 

One of the many special charms of Wild Fibers is a special nook set aside exclusively for baby knits:

I could hide in this corner all day - isn't it cozy?

I'm not confessing to anything, but I might have bought yarn. Okay, I did.  Just wanted to be sure I'm getting enough fiber.

Full-Time Job

Would you believe that being a Mom was a full-time job this week?  Of course you would.  I mentioned earlier that this was the last week of school for Lindsay, Campbell. and Phillip.  What I didn't tell you was that Lindsay was graduating the from the fifth grade, and commemorating the move from elementary school to middle school.  Both she and I have been a bit in denial about it.  Transitions are always difficult, but the big ones can be more than we expect.

So this week I decided that whatever needed doing, I would be the mom on hand, ready for action, and that's exactly what I did.  I attended the awards assembly.  I chaperoned the field trip.  I went to the band concert.  I took Lindsay and her special dear friend, Colin out for a special graduation dinner at the restaurant of their choice (along with both kids' families).  I attended graduation.  I came to the talent show assembly, and sat through all the acts, even though mine was the only kid I really wanted to see.  And then I went home, drank a cup of coffee, told myself that it was a good job well done.  And then I sobbed my ever-lovin' eyes out.  Snot bubbles and all.

See, this is the kid I have in mind every time I mention the Smallies:

But this is the way things really are:

Lindsay is the 3rd from the left, clarinet employed (note arrangement of Birkenstock-clad feet for maximum musical efficiency).

Here are Lindsay and Colin, dressed to the teeth and sporting Lobster bibs.  I was thinking that the blackmail opportunity was too good to pass up - putting bibs on fifth-graders.  But it turned out that it also saved their swell outfits from death by drawn butter.  They elected to split a pile of crab legs.  Not much in the world cuter than that:

When you are result-oriented, it's hard to remember that the human being in front of you is the proof of your hard work.  You parents know what I mean.  Here's what I really accomplished this week:

Fifth grade, elementary school, and all that comes with it:  Done and Done.

I'm sure that I could have accomplished more knitting, but at what cost?  Sometimes the thing in front of you is what really matters.  Blink an eye and you'll miss it.

Thank you God, for making me available to do my REAL job this week.  And thank you, Gentle Readers, for allowing me a self-indulgent post about it.

Next week:  Camping in the back yard, Spinning with a dear friend, and teaching in Snohomish.  Same thing we do every day, my friends:  Try to Take Over the World.