Saturday, May 02, 2009

A Late Post Due to a Busy Month

Easter has been celebrated. Fiber festivals have started. Warm weather seems to be making plans to stick around for a while. I've been busy lately and haven't had a chance to post.

Easter at my house is a simple quiet day. My meal this year was a stuffed pork roast, scallion and sour cream mashed potatoes, yellow squash, salad, and rolls. Fruit or apple pie and ice cream for dessert was served with coffee.

I decided to try a different way of preparing my roast for stuffing. I did a fillet method. The stuffing was spinach with garlic and cheese, which I've used in pork chops before. After filleting the roast, I seasoned some gluten free bread crumbs first and rolled both sides of the roast in it. Then stuffing was put in the middle, then rolled up jelly roll style, and tied with string.
Roast being prepped (left), and ready for the oven (right): The cooked roast and rest of the meal:It came out quite well except for the string getting a little stuck in the breading on the top. lol

A couple of Wednesdays ago was spent on Sandi N.'s farm during sheep shearing day. She had 19 of her flock left to be sheared. Monet, Marva, Sandi, and myself spent a few hours skirting all the fleeces. Mr. N. helped the shearer with the sheep and cleaning up the shearing board. It was a lot of work, but, we had a good rhythm going and managed to keep up pretty much. Only one sheep "tried to make a run for it" and gave up fairly quickly when she realized she couldn't get out of the barn. I came home with my Junebug's fleece. I've been watching her grow up since she was a day old and waiting patiently for her lovely dark brown/black fleece. I do plan to get some more of Sandi's fleece when she is ready to sell some. All of her sheep have wonderful, gorgeous fiber. It's hard to choose which one to buy. I really do love the gray one from Junebug's brother. :)

I've been spinning for the April CJKopec SAL. My "Midnight Desire" didn't get finished in time for me to post it for voting, but, that's o.k. I think it's beautiful and will make a wonderful yoke in my February Lady sweater. With the black fiber for the lace part, I think it will look better than the "Inquiry" from last month's SAL.

As for knitting, I'm still working on the same projects - Dragon Scale Shawl, a pair of socks and a special gift project.

The last Saturday in April was the CT Sheep and Wool Festival. I went along with Jean, Marva, Sandy C., and Beth. I only bought 2 things, some suri/silk fiber and a bag of alpaca which I split with Marva. I was planning to go to MA Sheep and Wool, but have changed my mind. RI is the week before and I think that will take care of my festival urges this time.

Last Sunday was spent planting my vegetable garden in pots and containers in the back yard. I have 2 cherry tomato plants (2 pots) 2 green peppers (1 pot), lettuce, and carrots. I forgot to get the bush cucumbers and green beans, but the pots are ready. Pat can move them to work on the lawn and put them back after. It's also much easier on my back when I tend to them. I'll put a few of my ceramic "critters" around tomorrow if I get a chance.

Tomorrow will be spent trying to get some organization done in the basement craft room. Hopefully, I can get the loom out of the living room finally and into the craft room on the main floor. Then the living room won't be so cluttered looking.