Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, and I, I took the one less travelled by. And that has made all the difference.

-- Robert Frost

******

I received a HUMONGOUS box yesterday from one of the mills I use to process fibers. Very exciting ~ it's all the fibers I was hoping to have ready for Maryland Sheep and Wool. Here's a preview:

Tunis dyed dark blue and sky blue,

blended with some white Huacaya Alpaca

Pear and celery colored CVM (California Variegated Mutant)

blended with white Huacaya Alpaca

Natural CVM in dark brown, grey and cream


CVM in greens

CVM in natural brown

I also picked up a package yesterday afternoon at the post office: the Manx Loaghtan I ordered from a farmer in Great Britain arrived! I called the mill to see if there was any chance they could have it ready for Maryland, and it looks possible. So, back in the mail it goes today, with fingers crossed. I haven't had any manx loaghtan for several years, because the former farmer I purchased it from stopped selling it. Happily I found another source, and hopefully this one will continue in the future. Anyway, it's a brown color a bit lighter and golder than the CVM above, with cream-colored tips.

CVM is really soft fiber, and the celery/pear color blended with alpaca is really, really nice. I am going to have to get my act together and spin up a bit of all of these, just to see what they're like (and to torment myself, since I try to be disciplined and not use any of the fibers I get to sell for my own personal use) (no fun, that) (but seriously, I'm not even spinning the stuff I have in my own stash, so why add more?)

Still, as always, on the search for new fibers ...

Okay, Ten for Tuesday is Ten for Friday this week ...

My Ten Favorite Actors

1. Judi Dench (amazing, amazing) (I loved her in Mrs. Brown and Mrs. Henderson Presents especially)

2. Colin Firth (love him in so many movies, not least of which is Pride and Prejudice, Girl with the Pearl Earring, The Advocate)

3. Clive Owen (love him in Elizabeth: The Golden Age ... he's probably on the list because I just watched this movie)

4. Johnathyn Rhys Myers (he's so good as Henry VIII in The Tudors, and fabulous in the diversity of roles he can convincingly portray)

5. Johnny Depp (he can just do any role ~ from Edward Scissorhands and Chocolat, to The Libertine and Captain Jack Sparrow ... he's a truly amazing actor)

6. Cate Blanchett (love her in the Elizabeth movies, what a fabulous actress)

7. Robert Redford (love him in SO many movies ... not least of which are Out of Africa (love this movie), The Horse Whisperer and A River Runs Through It)
8. Tom Hanks (amazing in The Green Mile, The DaVinci Code (I liked it, though yes, the book was better), he was so funny in The Ladykillers, Castaway ... then there's Forrest Gump, which I love, too)

9. Scarlett Johansson (Girl with a Pearl Earring, The Horse Whisperer ... looking forward to seeing her in The Other Boleyn Girl)

10. Meryl Streep (in a league of her own. The Devil Wears Prada, Dancing at Lughnasa, Death Becomes Her, Out of Africa, The French Lieutenant's Woman)

And last, for your amusement, a photo of my "puppy" Phoenix (now a little over 10 months old) and my friend's puppy, Chelsea (and 8 week old Airedale who just arrived to their home last night). Chelsea was not impressed by Phoenix's size in the least. He didn't know quite what to make of her (was she a play toy, or a snack?):

Too cute.

Off to work now on a washer full of different combed top blends. And merino lace.