What have I been up to?

As winter hangs on, I find myself with a severe case of 'cabin fever'. I'm desperately ready to get outside and start to garden! I have all sorts of plans for this year (hopefully some of those will actually come to fruition). It never hurts to dream big, and that's what I'm doing. As the ground is beginning to thaw, you can smell spring in the air. Though it is only 55 degrees out today (really a far cry from the -10 wind chill we had a few days ago) I've opened the windows to allow some of the stagnant air out of the barn and the cool 'spring' breezes in. So what have I been up to? I'm always looking for new hobbies, crafting ideas and the such. Usually I have about 5 things going at once, and this winter has been no exception. Along with launching my Etsy site (mountainmud.etsy.com - this has been an endeavor in itself since I'm teaching full time this semester), I've become addicted to spinning! Fibers, that is, mostly wool. I love it! Looking for ways to wind down, relax? Needing therapy? This is it! I've been spinning for about a month now, and I just can't stop! I've been spinning with a homemade drop spindle, made from a 10 inch paint brush handle, small tea cup hook, and two CDs, and a turkish drop spindle purchased from a the new aquaintance that got me started with spinning. Such an easy DIY project, and dyed and carded wool is easy to find through Etsy! Perhaps someday I will afford an actual spinning wheel, but for now, I'm really enjoying the simplicity of a drop spindle. See my before and after pictures above!