The first 200 yards spun, of what is no longer mystery fiber, knitted up quickly.  I was anxious to get the Rhinebeck Sweater underway before leaving for SOAR.  That way, if the yarn wasn't what I hoped when knitted, I'd have a chance to swap it or the pattern with something more to my liking.  Turns out that I like it very much.  It has been a while since I spun a worsted wt yarn.  Funny how easy it is to get stuck in a spinning slump / habit.  Lately mine has been lace wt. spinning. Compared to that, it doesn't take long to fill a bobbin or two.  Thursday, as I was getting down to the last of the yarn, I spun and plied another 200 yd. to take along.  I have an old grain bin / chest that I use to store fiber.   I was pretty sure I had at close to 3 lbs of this particular fiber so wasn't particularly worried about having enough for the sweater.  I was curious as to what type of wool.  Rustic certainly, not what you'd call a luxury yarn by any stretch of the imagination.    The mystery was solved when I dug out the bag. I'd bought it from a VT farm, at the VT S&W in 2001.  The receipt said 4 lbs.  

 

Yarn: Homespun 2 ply Romney x Border Leicester

The weather in New England has been dismal.  Torrents of rain, measured in inches, gave me good reason to stay indoors and get some spinning related housekeeping done.  Sometimes I really need a rainy day.  There is something about them that makes me want to stay in my sweats and get stuff done around the house.  Not that I needed an excuse, duh.. I was hardly going to be outdoors doing yard work.  Getting up the stairs is plenty of exercise right now.  But, I'm not one for siting in front of the TV all day, and SOAR is coming up soon.  I needed to clean off bobbins in preparation.  The problem for me is which wheel, which bobbins.  All of my wheels are double treadle.  My dominant leg is (was) my right, the broken one, the one with the big boot.  No way to use it.  The best I can do is try to keep it out of my way.  Friday night I spun on the Schacht.  Not bad once I get it going.  Certainly my wheel of choice, but it is heavy and doesn't sit well on my luggage dolly.  Saturday, I spun on the Joy.  Again, once I get going, I go right along.  Its lighter.  It fits on the dolly.  Dave, of The Merlin Tree, came to my rescue with a left foot Hitch Hiker.  The HH is the lightest of all.  I've got options.  Just like the three bears.  What came off the bobbins was a pretty good haul.  I ended up with 200 yds of a gorgeous dark brown mystery wool that I plied and immediately used to cast on for Lisa Lloyd's Rhinebeck Sweater.

Another couple bobbins of a blend of Bess and some beautiful dyed mohair gave me 260 yds of a very rustic 2 ply DK.  Finally, still in the wash water, 398 yds. of another 2 ply, fingering wt. merino / silk / alpaca that I blended and carded last summer.  Not bad, and at least 6 assorted bobbins have been cleared. 

I leave you with this.  I figure if I can't get out to the garden, I'll put a bit of garden on the deck. 

This time of year always finds me putting up apples for use during the coming year.  I've dried apples, sauced apples and frozen apples.  The later being the fastest and the most useful. While I don't mind peeling them by hand, when there are literally bushels sitting on the floor waiting for attention, this little gizmo, the Apple Peeler Slicer Corer, is a very handy thing to have.  You can find them easily for under $25.00.  There is a bit more waste than  peeling by hand.  However, it sure is easier to get help if you have the little gizmo screwed tightly to your table.  Guess it makes it look fun and easy.  I'll take that page from Tom Sawyer and forget about the extra bit of wasted apple.

Personally, my favorite peeler, by far, is this one from OXO.  I carry one in my pack (guess after yesterday, you'll believe me on that) whenever I travel and know I'll have some sort of housekeeping arrangement.  It is a very handy item.

Since C is home too these days, and he as a real appetite for apple pie; he was easily persuaded to operate the gizmo.  He'd never use the slow peeler.  NEVER.  In under a half hour, we had emptied the first bucket of apples and had them bagged and ready for the freezer. 

How to freeze apples:

I like to freeze the apples in pie sized portions.  Here's what you do.  For one 9-10" pie, put 6-7 cups of sliced apples in a freezer bag.  Add to this, 1/2 cup sugar and a good shake of cinnamon.  Adding the cinnamon will disguise the slight browning of the apples as they thaw.  You could add a bit of citric acid or lemon juice to prevent this.  Not all of the apples will be for pies.  Often, I'll grab a bag, heat it a bit and make apple sauce, as chunky as you choose in 5 minutes.  Some bags are filled with apples only.  I use them for pork dishes, adding to sauces, whatever.  It is important to gently squeeze as much of the air from the bags as you possibly can before sealing them.  Rolling them up like a jelly roll works great.  Seal and freeze immediately. They keep all year and beyond. 

One bucket down, four more to go.