General news and MOPACA Fiber "U" update

Well, it has been a long, long time since I posted last so I won't delay...on with the news...

I've been so busy with non-fiber related things for the past month.  I built a website for my brother-in-laws company.  And, now I'm working on another website for a fellow artisan.  I am enjoying doing some graphic design work after a little hiatus from that type of professional work when Rowynn was born.  I am thinking of doing for-hire freelance graphic and web design work again on a regular basis.  It might be nice to cater to the artist since I know where they are coming from concerning business and dedication to their craft... just something that I'm still pondering.  I'd love to know your thoughts on it.

I've also been busy doing an array of fun stuff with my baby girl including her first zoo trip this past weekend.  She adored the meerkats as they bobbed their heads around and scurried from hole to hole.  She was also quite smitten with the sheep, and they were with her as well.  You can see Rowynn and her daddy admiring them in the photo below.

 And, I've been planning a birthday party because my baby girl enters the realm of toddler when she turns one year old on Friday.  Yay!  Happy Birthday to my fiber princess!  I can't believe that it has already been a year!

Now for the MOPACA Fiber "U" update...
I attended most of the day on Saturday, July 10th, and took a few classes.  It was well worth the small registration fee.  I learned a great deal, and of course, came home with a big sack full of fiber goodies.  If you live anywhere near Lebanon, Missouri, I absolutely recommend that you jot a note on your calendar for July 9 - 10 next year to attend.   If you are a fiber enthusiast, I feel it is 100% worth your time!  I also got to meet Ron, the maker of my lovely fancy kitty drum carder that you can see in the photo below.  He is super nice in person (as he is online).

Here's some alpaca that I purchased from Whirlwind Ranch.  It took a bit of effort to clean and card, but it super soft!  Also, the natural brown color as seen on the left above is just gorgeous.

Here's some wool that I purchased from the Ozark Carding Mill.  They had a very large selection of different sheep breeds to choose from.  The above fibers are friesian (in green), romney (in purple), and merino/bamboo blend (in turquoise/purple on top).  Below is a corriedale/bamboo blend that I spun a small skein of on my drop spindle.  I think it turned out wonderfully.  I like that the fiber is already pre-drafted for spinning, but the super thin roving is a bit cumbersome for laying out to wet felt.  I still plan to make something felted with it soon though.