All fired up... well sort of..

On the weekend we started a small fire in the pizza oven to help it dry out on the inside. It took a few goes to start the fire (I have only just mastered being able to start a bonfire - and burnt half way up the front of the block, but that's another story) and in fact it was friends of ours who finally got it going well. It sounds quite odd when the fire is burning, with a sort of drumming/deep sound. Can't wait to get it going a bit harder so we can cook our pizzas in there... Only a week and a half before the party, so hopefully the oven will be ready for a good fire by then... finger's crossed.

Spring has really hit this part of the world - not such a good thing, as we seem to have missed winter again... not good, when we are suffering from drought - makes me nervous about the summer ahead. The peach tree has it flowers opening up, and I"m holding my breath that we don't get any frost. Which reminds me I think we only had ONE frost this year... We normally get lots of frosts... Not good - lets hope this isn't part of global warming, because if it is, its already making fairly dramatic changes around here... hate to see what another few degrees would do...

Yesterday I got in the mail a package I had been waiting on, the books I purchased from the Interweave hurt book sale. Yay! I got 2 books on spinning, a book on dye gardens and Wrap style. Happy with all of them, but one book Colour in Spinning has just blown my mind. It has so much practical info on how to use the drum carder to full effect - I've been using mine for years to prepare my alpaca fleeces, but just too tease them out a bit, this is a whole new world, and I can't wait to play some more!

Also on crafty stuff, I've decided to participate in the Ravelympics (Ravely is just the most amazing place for knitters - but those of you who are part of it already know that!). I've decided to knit our daughter's birthday top as part of the 'handspun heptathalon' and do some 'wips wrestling' with some grey mohair that I have to finish spinning. This probably sounds like I'm speaking a different language to the non knitters out there! I wish I could take on more challenges like others, but unfortunately my craft time is so limited that I'm afraid I wont finish these projects by the end of the olympics. Such is life with children... especially those that don't want to sleep...