Spiral Staircase -- first step completed!

Sid and I had a busy weekend!

I did the Fall Fiber Festival in Hopkins, MN on Saturday. Thanks to all who came and purchased fiber and felt! It was my first time vending there, thanks for the warm welcome!
We came home to house guests, Jake and Marie, who had brought a delicious crock pot lamb dinner. Yumm!
Sunday was the big day to install the 25' white oak tree trunk.  This will become the center pole for a three level spiral staircase in the house. The tree was cut early last spring by our good friend, Randy, on his land.  Last June, Sid, along with Randy and his brother, debarked the trunk and it's been drying all summer in our pole barn. It weighed 830 lbs.

After much discussion, plans were made to cut a hole in the north side of the house and slide the tree trunk in; hoist it up to the top beam of the house and then cut a hole in the floor and lower it to it's intended position in the basement. Three guys and 4 hours later, it was done. What a relief!

View from the outside the house...

View from the inside...

Let the hoisting begin! Sid and Randy guide the big end while Jake pulled the chains on top.

It's getting there...the tip eventually was all the way up against the top beam at the peak with the windows.

A short espresso break before cutting the hole in the floor...

Then to lower the upright trunk down to the basement through the hole in the floor..

With the trunk finally in place, Sid gave Randy a big hug. After all the years of thinking and talking about it, the pole is in!

What a great work group, Randy, Jake, and Sid!

And here is the upper portion in the master bedroom upstairs.  Eventually there will be railing and the risers will be installed so we can quit climbing that ladder!

Fall Fiber Festival this Saturday!

I am going through my fiber and finding lots to sell this Saturday at the Fall Fiber Festival in Hopkins, MN.  I really haven't been up to speed on selling my fiber for a couple years and I have so many beautiful natural colors of Shetland combed top and roving!

I'll also have Bluefaced Leicester combed top and roving; some raw fleeces to sell; raw and washed Cotswold, BFL, and BFL/Teeswater locks; felt pelts; tanned sheepskins; Bluefaced LeicesterX, Wensleydale/BFL, FinnX, Karakul, Lincoln, Icelandic, Cheviot, Suffolk, and English Leicester roving and cloud.

Hopefully there will be room in my van for all the fiber, pelts, and some felted hats. It's going to be a fun day, hope you can stop by if you're in the area. Hours are from 10-4 p.m.
In other news, I have a purchase agreement on my house! If all goes as planned, we'll close before Christmas. I'm going to be busy these next few weeks getting everything moved out. Things really accumulate in 28 years of living in a house. I've been working on downsizing all summer, but I think a roll-off might come in handy.

The weather this past week was incredible. I took advantage of the warm temps to get three fleeces felted in 24 hours. My body is feeling it now.

The beautiful fall leaves are history, but it's still so nice and peaceful to work outside by the wood-fired oven.

Sid hatched out 35 baby quail last week. They are SO tiny! We're planning to use them for meat and eggs. I thought it would be fun to make pickled quail eggs to sell at the Farmers Market next summer.

 The breeding pen is set up and my Teeswater ram, Jester has been busy. I'll be breaking them up next week.  He will be available for purchase anytime after November 15th. He's the sweetest ram and his fleece is absolutely amazing.  I hope to get a bunch of ewe lambs from him again this year. I am keeping 5 of his daughters in my flock.