Finally (finally for me, my lovely swap haul showed up on time), here’s what my swapper, Nicola, sent me (please note the amazing dark chocolate):

This was her first time dyeing roving and I think it’s marvelous! The fiber is blue faced Leicester from the UK (where Nicola lives). She was concerned it was a bit felted, so she sent along additional white fiber for me to dye. It’s the perfect goodie package for me . . . especially with the chocolate. It’s not easy to find bars of Lindt chocolate in the wilds of Maine (though I have been known to track down stores in Boston!).

Nicola is having a fun Tour de France competition on her blog. It’s too late to enter, but it should be fun to follow along (it’s guessing how many days during the Tour that it rains).

Now, if I can ever find time to spin, I’ll be making stunning yarn from the UK! Thanks again, Nicola!

More specifically, lambs! I usually help my friends at Hatchtown Farm with shearing, and make a trip to see the lambs in the spring. The on-going storm this week has preventing me from making that trek, but a friend of a friend has some wonderful lamb pics up on her blog: Sheepgal. Click over there right now to see all her small furry friends (and one big, furry friend). There’s great info on the life of a shepherd during lambing season as well.

In the last two weeks I’ve almost completed the “China Doll” baby sweater from Minnowknits. I’m using Vermont Organic Fiber Co’s O-Wool and am completely in love with it. The feel of the yarn and the way it knits up are fabulous. I want to make something cabled out of it. This weekend (when it’s complete), I’ll post pictures–I need to pick out buttons and do some finishing.

This particular sweater is now known as my “Friday Night Lights” sweater. I’ll tell you all about that this weekend