How to Make Felted Soaps: Part Two

This post is over due because of the blizzard, but that is behind us now, not to much longer until Spring! So onto how to make felted soaps...go back to the previous post where I list the supplies you will need. First select some wool and fiber, use wool as your base.

Begin wrapping the wool around the bar of soap as tight as possible. I was working with heart shapes here which was a little bit difficult...

Honeybee and Alpaca Rescue from their Snow Prison!

When you have a storm of epic proportion like Blizzard "Charlotte", you really have to deal with priorities. Each day you face and do what you are physically able to do. This morning I would set out to free my bees. I was so worried about them. Their hives buried in the snow and I was afraid it was very bleak. 

 I dug and dug and checked for life. Even banging on the side of the hives to irritate them and get them to come out...and then, there was life! I was so happy to see them!

Next task was to dig a trench in the 3 foot of snow to free the Alpacas from the hill where they rode out the storm. Tim has been able to trudge through the snow to get hay to them but they would not even attempt the snow.

 I was helped by my two wonderful companions, Jesse and Autumn who tried in vain to get them to follow them...

My dug path was at least 100 feet long and looking back I was pretty impressed with what me and the dogs had done. I can't take all the credit for it, they blazed and I dug!

 I just had to take this picture when I got to the other side of the gate. If you remember the previous post where the snow was up to the gate...

and then, the last shovel full! I was done! Victory was mine!

The "boys" finally decided to come down when they heard the grain bucket, using the trail dug for them. Even awnry old "Royal", pictured there on the right, was a bit thankful!

The Epic Blizzard of 2013!

We have been just a little busy here with 3 feet of snow! When we awoke on Saturday morning we went to the front door, ah nope...

 so we tried the back door, no there too! So back to the front door, the priority for us was to get to the animals!

Timmy's car was under there somewhere! That is him in the foreground...

 Tim's truck suddenly had a larger cab and is under there as well!

This is our road, or what used to be the road. I used a small groove in the snow to get thru so I could get to the barn.

Jesse and Autumn thought this new tunnel was really cool! hey ran up and down it many times!

My Greenhouse and chicken coop was holding up a lot of snow but it's construction is sound so I wasn't too worried.

 After all that shoveling I had had it! However I found that snow is very comfortable, my back felt great!

This was the path dug and you can see how high the snow is beyond that gate. That is our next task is getting to the Alpacas. 

 Many breaks were taken and we found that snow makes a wonderful cooler for beer!

Boys and their toys! This was Tim's first time out with the Quad and plow and the snow was just too high for the plow. It was great for taking layers off, maybe next storm!

Felting Soap:Part One

 This post is going to be in two parts. I will post the next part in a day or two so you can get the things you need to do this wonderful craft! They are ideal for gift giving and adds fun to the bathroom!
So to start you will need some soap. In my case I had some old soaps hanging around in the shape of hearts and rectangles.

 The next thing you will need is an old stocking. A knee high is good but you can cut an old one as well.

Some very hot water. I fill my sink as well as work over a hot running stream of water, hot enough to stand.

And last but not least a Felting Needle for embellishing and to fix some of the straggly fiber that does not come together. You can get these on line, at the craft stores or my good friend Pam from Dream Come True Farm in Oxford, CT is a great source. She sells the Ashford's which by far are the very best in felting needles. A link to her blog is on the right column of this blog.
And of course some roving and fiber which I forgot to picture here! I will be back in a day or two to show you how I make these fabulous novelty soaps!

Getting ready for Maple Sugarin'

I just love this time of year! It's sugarin' time! We have been busy getting the equipment cleaned and sterilized. Here we are boiling the spiles...

 and cleaning the hoses and hooks...

the buckets have been scrubbed and cleaned. They get stinky in the basement all year. We will begin to tap tomorrow and get sugarin' season underway!