Just a few photos from the week

We are deep in the midst of the birthday craziness that is June. G., L., and B.'s birthdays were yesterday. G. and L. turned 14. I made stuffed spinach pizza for G.'s birthday dinner last night, J. grilled fajita filling for L.'s birthday dinner tonight. No gifts though because we are doing a big June birthday bash tomorrow night where we'll also celebrate D. and J.'s birthdays which happen next week. I guess we'll also celebrate Father's Day tomorrow, but you can understand why that always seems to get short shrift. 

So all I have for you tonight is a few pictures from the week. 

Mulberries are ripening and will continue to do so for the next week or so. We have so many mulberry trees. So. Many. H. loves to pick fruit, so all last week she and R. (who she pretty much ordered to go out with her) have been picking mulberries. I have had to work to keep up with them. Here is the first batch of mulberry syrup which is now canned, and I have another batch in the refrigerator just waiting for me to get to it. Thankfully, H. took a break from picking the past couple of days.

Nefertiti is the only animal allowed in my studio for various reasons. She will often come in while I'm working and walk out with me when I'm done. The other day I thought she had gone in, but I couldn't find her. It took a bit of searching before I discovered her curled up asleep on top of the alpaca fleece. (It's next on the list to get dyed, I just have to get to it.)

The topic of fleece is what brings me to this photo. I might have a fleece problem. Yesterday, I couldn't take this pile any longer and did some serious organizing. 

Here is that same space afterwards.

Look! You can see the floor! I can also get to my sewing patterns which live in those white boxes and had been virtually unreachable. This makes me happy. But where did it all go, you ask? 

I moved out quite a few craft supplies that I don't use and they went to the shed which now houses all the kid's craft supplies as well as being J.'s remote working space. So far this arrangement is working. We'll see what happens when it gets cold. But that made room for all my dyed fleece waiting to be spun. I can see what I have. 

The washed, full fleeces are here underneath the shelf of weaving yarn. It's not ideal, but it works and it gets them out of the way. 

Now, full confession, I do have a fleece problem still, because a few days ago I bought a Clun Forest sheep fleece. It was only supposed to be a few pounds, but it turned out to be seven. It may just have to live in its unwashed state for a bit while I work on some of this. And this is absolutely, positively my last fleece for a while. Like maybe a year or two. Really.