WOW! What a week! Alisha (my step daughter) arrived from Belgium (Europe) for a too-short visit and we all just returned from a weekend at Running Moon Farm. Our "primary" purpose in driving the 7 1/2 hours to western Louisiana was to pick up my Christmas present.



A new Running Moon Farm Tri-Loom! We decided Alisha would get the first shawl from the loom. Too tired to do much, we did manage to run out and pick up some Lion Brand Homespun in a marbled black color for Alisha. It is weaving up much nicer than I ever expected! We are using the 5 foot insert here.

The whole family had fun this weekend. We got to see the baby goats and lambs.



Ever since we planned this trip Gabrielle only talked about petting the babies. The animals had other ideas however about my energetic youngsters. The children had fun anyway.



I can't say that the animals had as much fun as the human children. They were definitely wary of the children. The children were oblivious to it however.

We also made a trip down the road to Nightsong Farm. We got to see goat milking and a variety of other farm animals as well.



The geese were less wary of the children and in fact Gabrielle got nipped through the fence.



You can see the goose eyeing its target. . .

Running Moon Farm is a spinner's paradise!



Margrett didn't have too much wool left when we arrived and I managed to further lighten her load.



I had fun poking through the dyed mohair.



And the new bunny fiber too!

But the hardest fiber to resist was the freshly sheared and dyed mohair!



This reminded me of an artist's palette and I had a tendency to wander over to blend pinches of different colors. I did end up with a combination I liked enough to bring home!

The Strettons are wonderful people with kind and generous natures. Margrett is a riot and kept us laughing the entire weekend! She also shared her vast knowledge of fiber arts with me throughout the weekend and more than once I wished I'd brought a tape recorder!



Margrett spins the loveliest yarns! She is especially good at putting together great designer yarns which weave so well on the tri-looms. She showed me that even a broken fleece could produce a lovely designer yarn with the right spinning technique.

Margrett opened my mind to a vast world of weaving possibilities on the tri-loom. She is an awesome weaver!



She taught me how to weave with a "regular" warp and weft technique on the tri-loom for a denser shawl. Since I love to spin lace weight yarn, this will be perfect! She also showed me her collection of floor looms and planted another seed in my fertile mind. I think I might see if I can trade one of my Husqvarna Viking sergers for a floor loom. Can't hurt to try, right?