WASHDAY

"His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them." Mark 9 3

 

 

Today I put several loads of wash out on the line. It was a beautiful day for washing and drying!

Then some very interesting washing began. Here's the white Romney fleece I bought yesterday in its wash water.

Yes, sir; Yes, sir, one bag full...of unwashed Romney fleece, 5.12 pounds of it, "in the grease!" as spinners would term it. Some like to spin it this way, and wash at a later time. I can't quite wrap my mind around that idea, so I am learning to "scour." I will still run the finished fleece through a drum carder, which will comb the fibers straight and then wash the spun yarn before it ever goes into a project.

Notice how dirty the wash water is after the first soak. (I only washed less than half the fleece and this was after one quarter was soaked). The color reminded me of coffee with a little cream and sugar in it!

Pails all lined up; two to three wash cycles and then two rinse cycles!

Using the slotted spoon to retrieve stray fibers from the wash water. No agitation allowed! This old spoon, purchased at a restaurant "garage sale," has come in so handy for yard duties. It stays out at my chicken coop and its main use is to retrieve ill-placed eggs. Today it became the wool spoon.

I think this was the final rinse cycle with a little vinegar added. See the difference by this time?

Since no agitation is allowed (wool will felt), I decided to "sling" it around. Couldn't find my mesh laundry bag so a lace curtain did the trick!

Wool encased in lace--kinda cool, huh?

An alternative use for the chicken tractor. Parked right up alongside the back deck this made a handy drying rack!

Another handy drying rack. I knew there was more than one reason we bought this mesh table back in the '70's!

Clean locks alongside unwashed locks. See the difference the removal of the yellowed lanolin and dirt makes?

Locks before washing. You see flecks of dirt and such in the locks. Spinners refer to this as VM--vegetable matter. It comes from straw, grass, and whatever the sheep comes in contact with in the field. Tiny bits of this stick into the wool over the season and must be removed.

 

Hope you enjoyed this little wool washing experience as much as I did. How fun to work outside in the beautiful fall weather and learn a new skill called "scouring" the wool.

All day during the washing and ever since, the verse I cited above, Mark 9:3, has run through my mind. This was a big job and the results were stunning from pre-wash to rinse time. Jesus is able to make our sins white as snow by His sacrifice on Calvary. Remember the old hymn, "Are You Washed in the Blood," by Elisha A. Hoffman? It asks, "Are your garments spotless, are they white as snow, are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?"

 

Have you been washed in the blood of the Lamb?

 

"He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments,..." Revelation 3:5

 

"Come now, let us reason together,"

Says the Lord. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow: Though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool." Isaiah 1:18

 

Blessings, Lori

A DAY OFF AND ANOTHER "DAYCATION"

I'd like to share my latest "daycation" with you. By reading this sign, you can see where I went yesterday! To the most popular Fair on earth! Clint and I finally had a day off together and so we went over to Hillsdale to the fair. This has become a family tradition that my Dad startedyears ago. We don't make it every year, but we try. I love the picture of the little girl with the lamb! There were other vintage posters I photographed, but this one became my favorite because of the lamb!

 

 

Next are pictured several bags of judged and priced fleece for sale! I just about couldn't tear myself away from this area where a spinner sat in the sheep barn showing people the art of spinning wool. I finally left the fleeces without purchasing, but not before talking for a long time with a friendly sheep who loved having her nose scratched. I wish I had gotten a picture. Also loved the picture of the sheep and swine barn!

 

What a cute sign hanging above the sheep stalls!

 

Here is a picture of a horse being warmed up for a race. The weather was perfect and so enjoyable to sit in the grandstand and watch the races.

Loved this sign since my grandma always used to say that if the cows were laying down it was going to rain. I always wondered if it was true, but maybe she was right? After all, she grew up living closer to the land than I did.

Loved this pretty canning display. Could only get a small portion of the antique items in the picture. The sign reads, "Have you gotten out your canning supplies lately?" That's almost a joke at my house. Sometimes they stay out this time of year for days or weeks!

 

The pretty Grange Hall. I love the architecture all around Hillsdale and the fairgrounds are no exception. Some of the prettiest old buildings you'll see! I wish the picture hadn't been "blue." The sun was very bright and I had a hard time getting a good shot of this beautiful building. Apparently people sometimes rent this building for weddings according to pictures we saw inside.

Here is a beautiful example of the Grange displays. I remember seeing multiple displays like this in our Grange barn when I was a little girl. It was my favorite part of the whole fair--isn't that kind of unusual for a little girl? I think the "farm" was deep in my heart even way back then growing up in a small town. Each town in our county had a Grange group. They all had displays like this in the fair. The Grange displays were a composite of member farm families' efforts at everything from every possible canned good imaginable to all kinds of needlework and farm and orchard products. I think this is America the way it used to be! I kind of miss it!

 

I love the antique tractors! Which do you think is the older model--me or the tractor? Post a comment, make a guess, and I'll reveal the answer on the next post!

I love sign pictures and thought this was as cute as could be!

 

I hope you enjoyed my day at the Fair! I surely did!

Blessings, Lori