When family comes to visit...

...spinning takes a break (note Suzie in the foreground).

Prepping crackling roast pork (recipe based on Nigel Slater's and Jamie Oliver's).




Portrait of the bro as a gourmand.

Lunch over, Mr. JumpSheep is ready to take my niece shopping.

Indeed, this long weekend has been eat, sleep and shop.

A Happy New Beginning for Charkhas for Africa

Charkhas for Africa. The name has stuck, but it has actually moved on to spinning wheels. Following my Skype conversations with Sidiki Ouattara of Tissutèque, I have pledged a delivery of a Babe Pinkie and a Strauch hand carder for every month of the year 2008. Each package, a wheel and a hand carder, will be given to a Malian spinner.

As always, I'm grateful to Otto Strauch and Nels Wiberg of Babe's Fiber Garden for giving me a favorable arrangement. The packages will be sent by DHL and they should be received in a matter of days. My office is kind enough to extend to me its discounted rate.

Happy New Year to all!