Macy's fleece

Yesteday washed some of Macy's fleece and today spun and plyed it. It's very easy to card and easy to spin - thicker than the usual romney, but more slippery, and a great length, just about 8" long. The only problem is since it's dark it's tricky to spin, I need to put a white cloth on my lap so I can see the fibers. I was afraid it would be scratchy, but it seems okay. I spun thin, it's ~22gm for ~50yd. The color is very heathered dark gray with brownish touches; nice but a bit masculine. It is a little nubby, with a busy color yarn and some texture the knit will need to be plain... if this works out, I'm optimistic about the sweater. I also figured out the top of the fair isle hat - I can do the decreases in pattern. Weather was nice but all I did outside was a couple of loads of dirt out of the new tomato bed. Tired. It's January, after all.

New Years Day

Day started sunny but clouded over and a touch of rain. Noticed that the cold weather pretty much wiped out the calendula - this is the coldest winter since they've been growing here - and icey; see what the ice looked like on the rosebush.

Wormed goats. Cleaned up the greenhouse; removed the dead tomato plant and pruned peppers. And started some seeds (first this winter): 4 kinds of onions and 6 kinds of lettuce, one pot each.

Made a good, warming stew out of odds and ends - stored onions, garlic, potatoes, butternut, fresh tomatoes, canned tomato sauce; purchased ginger, spices, peanut butter; from greenhouse and garden, jalapenos, leek, bok choy, kohlrabi; already in fridge: carrots, a bit of white beet, a little chicken.