• Jun. 23, 2009
Wild Kingdom??

Ok, I know we live on a farm and all that, but it seems like there's been a lot of wildlife around here lately.   It's fun to watch the birds that have nested on the front porch, but they make you feel pretty unwelcome, ha!  The little finches on the front door have hatched so we're trying to be extra careful. 


I have a feeling this wreath will be a real mess before they're ready to move out!
We've got another feathered friend hanging around - this little guy hangs around every day except when it's raining...tap, tap tapping on the window.   I've no idea why he wants in so badly!


A couple days ago a coyote ran right along the back yard  in broad daylight - we hear them all the time at night but I rarely see them (maybe because of Eowyn?) and especially not during the day.

We spotted these little guys at dusk while walking down to get the mail:

They are young enough that they were more curious than scared.
One of the farms had a trench dug for a phone line, and a ton of little frogs got in the trench but couldn't get out.   My bil scooped them up and brought them home to go to work in the garden.  They are welcome to eat all the bugs they can!

  
Speaking of the garden, it's really coming along nicely and we've got tons of very nice radishes out there.  (too bad I really don't care much for radishes)  I can't wait for the first tomato!


The farmer is trying to finish the planting - he's still got some beans to go.  It just keeps raining!!  In 22 years, I've never seen a spring like this.  He even worked all day on Father's Day, which has never happened before.   We did bring him some lunch and then around 7pm he got rained out again.


Things have slowed down just a bit now that little league is over for another year.   Youngest boy's coach was a screamer, and the more those kids won, the more he yelled at them.    I really had to bite my tongue as I was ready to do some yelling of my own sometimes - one game he finally got thrown out for yelling at the umpire.   Yes I'll admit, I was cheering that ump on - on the inside anyway.  So we're all a bit relieved to be done with that. 


I started bringing knitting to the games to help distract me from the crazy - once it was warm enough to not sit wrapped in my blanket, that is.   I normally avoid deadline knitting like the plague, but when I saw Girasole and the Loopy Ewe discount on yarn bought for it, I couldn't help think it would be a great gift  for a friend's wedding later this summer.    So I plunged in and I'm really enjoying it- the pattern is worth every dime.  I'm using Dream in Color Classy in a pretty grey color called "Tabby."  (it's much nicer than the picture shows)  It's going fairly quickly but it is after all, a blanket, so I try to work on it whenever I can.  Speaking of which....
I think it's time to squeeze in some knitting before dinner.

ps.  Emma thanks you for welcoming her!  We're still really enjoying getting to know her although I do feel for Max at times - she's a very bossy little girl!

 


 

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• Jun. 16, 2009
New Addition!

Last week we added to our menagerie by bringing home a "sister" for Max!
We've been thinking about this, off and on, ever since we had to say goodbye to our Springer Spaniel Abe, last August.      I really didn't want another puppy, and we thought it might be a good idea to adopt a rescue dog.  After checking out Petfinder.com for several weeks, I came across a little wiener dog that looked like she would be a good fit for our family.   

Meet Emma!!

We adopted Emma through "Magnificent Mutts,"  and I was very impressed with their organization.  After our application was approved, we were able to go up north to the Chicago area to meet Emma.   (Max was required to come with, too!)  Apparently their were lots of applicants interested in Emma so were were lucky to get her.  ( I think the fact that we're home all day most of the time gave us an edge.)   Because Emma was in "foster care," the people she lived with could give us a good description of her personality.   She's good with kids and other dogs, which was important!  She's a very happy little thing and she's only a year old so she's plenty frisky and loves to play.


Emma is fearless and she's giving Max a run for his money, but they are having a ball together!!


Just like Max, she loves to be on someone's lap whenever she can.


She's only been here since Wednesday, but she acts like she owns the place and has been here forever.  Max is learning all about bossy little sisters.....but he's also learning how to hold his own!   And they're giving us plenty of entertainment!

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• Jun. 8, 2009
Lazy Summer Days??

I always picture summer as the time when things slow down, and there's lots of time to sit on the porch and knit with a big glass of lemonade.   I should know better by now!!  The farmer has been super busy trying to catch up after the spring rains - he worked 21 days in a row, all of them long hours, too.   We got a light rain yesterday and the poor man spent most of the day in bed - I think he was totally exhausted. 

    my peonies are blooming - one of my fav flowers

The boys are just about done with school.  Middle boy finished up his last subject today, oldest boy will be done with his last subject soon, and youngest boy finished up last week.  Good thing too, as they've got plenty to do with getting their livestock ready for the fair, mowing & work in the yard and garden.  The older boys will be helping the farmer some, plus the oldest has his job at the karate studio to go to and is starting an ACT prep class today.  Youngest boy is still playing baseball and started swim lessons today.     I don't think any of them will be too bored any time soon!

Thankfully, much of this swirl of activity I just have to coordinate and make sure everyone's going in the right direction at the right time.   I do squeeze in some knitting time, although mostly on the back deck instead of the porch.   We've got barn swallows and house finches nesting on the porch and my presence isn't really welcome!  

 
I had planned to take this wreath apart and re-do it, but that'll have to wait for now.  Can you see why??  Look closely.......


A little closer...........

Mrs. Finch decided my front door wreath was the perfect place to build her nest!   She doesn't seem too bothering by comings and goings, as long as we don't hang around.   I love how the nest is lined with sheep's wool and goat hair.   
On the needles, a pair of socks for the farmer, a newer Anne Hanson pattern (Bricker) done in some chocolate brown by Hazel Knits.......  (from The Loopy Ewe)   



AND the Lace Ribbon Scarf  from Knitty in Handmaiden Casbah.  



In the works is a pretty big project with a time limit,  just waiting on the yarn for that.  And now it's time to go make sure everybody's on schedule for the afternoon's activities!

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• May. 12, 2009
Home Improvement

It's so great to have some warmish, sunny days - although we're still freezing at evening baseball games.  The farmer can finally start planting today,  which is a huge relief.   We've had the wettest spring, there's only been one other year since we've been married that they got started this late.   I'm sure it'll be fine, but this weather has made all the farmers around here pretty nervous.   They do much better when they can get in those tractors and GO!


He did get his garden started though,  just look at the size of that sucker.   I don't even want to know what the dimensions are - and he's got another one in a separate spot for all the tomatoes.     I see lots of wonderful fresh veggies in our future, if we can keep the bugs & weeds under control that is!   

We manged to squeeze in a few small home improvement projects too - I got a new light fixture for the eating area,  and a new sink and faucet for the kitchen.   Whoever thought a new faucet could be so exciting??  My sink was in really bad shape for being only 10 years old, and the faucet had no personality whatsoever.   I'm in love with my new shiny sink and I think the faucet adds some interest.   (I tried for new countertops as well but the farmer drew the line there-maybe in another 10 years) 

 

And I've been on a mission to re-organize pantries and closets as part of my spring cleaning...It feels so good to take this:
 
 
and turn it into this:


Now if only it would stay that way forever!!

Max the wiener dog needed a little improvement too - he managed to injure his back and was not the same dog for several days.  Two trips to the vet, some meds, and lots of rest, and now he seems completely back to normal.   We were all pretty worried about him, it's so good to see him back to normal, although he's been permanently banned from the stairs to hopefully keep this from happening again.


I hope all the moms out there had a lovely Mother's Day.  I was taken for a nice brunch, to buy annuals for the porch & deck,  given a Starbucks gift card & one of the cool new insulated starbucks cups  , but I think my favorite part of the weekend was when the farmer took me to the movies so I could boldly go where no man has gone before!

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• May. 4, 2009
Knitting Update

Time for some knitting!!   Back in April I started Liesl - my very first non-baby "sweater."   I've got to say, I love this pattern - it's got lots of different options to choose from -I'd definitely like to make another one someday, maybe the longer version, in a cotton yarn.   I was able to get a cropped version out of just 2 skeins of malabrigo, and it was a really quick and easy project.    Here's the finished Liesl before I had a button for it, so it's held together with a Cubs pin.  (I don't think it's blocked yet, either)
 

And, with a proper button:


The only thing I'd change for next time would be to knit a couple rows of garter stitch right under the armhole, rather than immediately starting the lace pattern. 
(I finished this in time for Easter and I did wear it, but I didn't really think it was very flattering - because of the way it hangs,  it tends to emphasize my worst feature.)

Next up, while my current sock project is languishing on the needles, I started a Lace Ribbon Scarf with some Handmaiden Casbah.   This yarn was part of the Loopy Ewe Consolation Kit (for people that couldn't get into the sock club) and it told me it wanted to be a scarf.
   
As beautiful as this yarn is, these aren't really my colors so this may end us as a gift for ..... someone. 

I can't claim to have knitted myself a chicken, but I though I'd post a picture of our new chicks at 4 weeks:


They're out of their brooder and having great times exploring their pen.   Some of the old gals next door look pretty suspicious of the newcomers though:



 

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• Apr. 24, 2009
Barn Talk

When a farmer is antsy because it's too wet to start his spring planting, what happens?  The barn gets cleaned out! and it was really needing it, too)    We don't have a traditional barn, instead we have a big machine shed that was already on the property.   Over the past few years, the farmer and the boys have built stalls, a chicken coop, and a couple of lofts to store hay & straw.   One advantage to this was that it was designed with some removable fence posts & fencing, so when it's time to clean out stalls, it doesn't all have to be done by hand.

First the posts, etc are taken out, and then the skid steer goes to work.    There is still some hand work, but not nearly as much.

Talk about a handy piece of equipment!!   There's a bucket on the front so the manure can be dumped directly into the manure spreader, which then goes out to the field and spreads it - best fertilizer ever!
Here's the spreader being pulled by an antique tractor, as you can imagine oldest boy loves to do this job!


And here's one end of the barn, with just the permanent posts/fencing in place, and most of the debris dug out.   Now to be honest, I don't really do any of this work!   I bring out drinks & snacks, cook dinner for the work crew, and wash all the really stinky laundry.  And of course I tell them what a good job they're all doing.

 
That white stuff is lime, which we always spread as a base in the stalls before adding the bedding (straw).   But until now, the large open part of the barn was always just a dirt floor, which made for a lot of dust.  A LOT.   This time,  the entire barn got dug out, every last square inch, so that the entire thing could be spread with lime, for a much nicer surface.  Yay!  This is a project we've been wanting to do for ages.  The floor will drain better and the entire barn should be less dusty.

Today was the day for the many truck loads of lime to come- it takes quite a bit as a 6 inch layer was put down.   This is looking at the north end of the barn, with the chicken coop to my right.  

   
The chickens get fresh lime too!   This shows a corner of the chicken coop, and you can see the loft build overhead where the straw is kept.   The farmer built this coop a few years ago and the chickens have a small door so they can go outside during the day into their little run.  


For now, the chicken coop has been divided in half to keep the new chicks separate from the old gals.   My cute little chicks are already looking like gawky pre-teens, they are half feathers and half fluff, which just looks silly.


The job is just about done - the boys are putting back the other fencing and dragging feed barrels and equipment boxes back into the barn.   Talk about a huge job - even with the machinery, this has taken a work crew of 6 about 3 days. Three VERY long days.  Sometimes I wonder about the money and effort spent on our little livestock endeavor - it's really just for the boys to have 4-H projects and so we can have fresh eggs, it's not like we make any money from it.    But the boys (well, all of us !!) have learned so much, and barn chores are a great outlet for all that young male energy.   (and I NEVER hear "mom, I'm bored!")  It's sure different from the way I grew up in suburbia!  

And what do the goats do when their stalls are being worked on and they are locked out for the day?  Just enjoy the sunshine, of course!

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• Apr. 7, 2009
April Showers

Well, it's not supposed to be April snow showers that bring May flowers, is it???  I didn't think so, but that's what we woke up to yesterday morning!
 

Thank goodness for heat lamps, or our new arrivals would be frozen solid!   Last week, our order of future laying hens arrived in the mail.   It always amazes me that they can pack these little guys off, ship them out, and they arrive the next day, safe and sound.    They had to stay in their box in the kitchen for a bit while we finished getting their area ready in the barn.


You can see even in the house, they need some extra warmth at this stage.   We had to divide the chicken pen from top to bottom with chicken wire before we could put them in the barn, as adult chickens do not take kindly to new additions.  These little guys wouldn't stand a chance!


While they were waiting for their permanent quarters, we put a few at a time into a big basket so they could get a drink.  They have to have their beaks gently dipped into the waterer, and then they get the idea.  


There are 25 new chicks and we got several different breeds:  white leghorns, black australorps, silver laced wyandottes, barred rocks, and my favorite, buff orpingtons.    They are doing really well so far, and you can already see a change in them after just a few days.    I think they have the funniest expressions on their faces - these two don't look very happy, do they?

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• Mar. 27, 2009
Spring has Sprung

So why is this poor blog so neglected??  I'm afraid it's a case of lots to do, but most of it is routine and not too inspiring to blog about.   Or maybe it's just a case of the March blahs - in any case, we've had plenty to keep us busy.  In addition to the usual round of schoolwork and the boys' activities, we're had a flurry of FFA suppers and 4-H pizza parties.   The farmer had some unpleasantness with an employee to deal with, which caused plenty of stress all around.  Yuck.    My bil and nephew came for a week to work on the farm, and we also hosted some friends of the boys for several days, while their parents house-hunted in another state.


There has been knitting though:  I made myself a new ballband dishcloth,  worked on some socks, and managed to get Alhambra (ravelry link)  both knit and blocked in time for my mom's birthday.  (you know how scarves can just seem to take forever!)   I can highly recommend both the pattern and the yarn, which was laceweight merino from The Woolen Rabbit.  (There's definitely some Woolen Rabbit sock yarn in my future!)  I had a hard time picking out a colorway for someone else, but I think Mom looks very nice in the fiddlehead green!


 Here's another shot, modeled by a table lamp:


As for socks, I've been working on a pair from a Schoppel-wolle Zauberball in a fun colorway called tropical fish.   It's not got the tight twist I usually like for sock yarn, but the colors are great and it's very soft , even with the 25% nylon.  (eta:  the socks are called Primavera, a free pattern you can find here - it's in the sidebar)


We've really been fortunate with our weather lately - it really feels like spring is here with the grass starting to green up and the perrenials starting to pop - and the farmer is starting to go into it's-almost-time-to-start-planting mode.    AND, most fun of all in my book, there's a barn full of baby animals who love to get outside in the pasture on a nice day.  Don't I wish I had their energy!!
(and all that background noise - the wind.....there's a reason we call it Weathertop!)

 

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• Mar. 1, 2009
March Snow

Wow, March 1 already, but it's snowing like crazy right now so it doesn't really feel like spring is coming -- yet.   It feels more like this:

a new kind of sled dog??

Eowyn's main duty is guarding the livestock, but she really loves the snow and the boys love to get her out when they're playing in it.   Even a guard dog needs a little fun time!!

All of our midwife duties are done for now, the last lambs were born 2 weeks ago today.  We thought we were home free, with no bottle lambs or kids, but the last ewe to give birth, "Cornflower," decided to be a problem- once her twin lambs were born, cleaned up and nursing on their own, we went back into the house.   When we went back out an hour later to check on them, she'd chewed off about 1/2 their tails - some kind of weird mothering instinct gone wrong thing!!   (EWWWW!) She obviously couldn't be left alone with them, so they've required some extra care.     
This year we've got 17 assorted babies out in the barn.   When our first set of goat triplets were born, we thought for sure we'd loose one, as they were all pretty week and it was pretty cold that night.   We got out the hairdryer but we ended up bringing them all in the house to try and raise their body temps.   Two responded really quickly, but one of them just did not look good.  We put her in front of the oven, on a heating pad, rubbed glucose on her gums, and anything else we could think of but she just seemed like a limp rag.   I've seen that before and usually they just fade away.    We finally went to bed about 3am, leaving her on the heating pad, wrapped in towels.    I was really shocked to find her alive and perky in the morning, and she's been doing great since- a good lesson not to give up!

warming the triplets


Another set of triplets- these didn't have any problems, thank goodness!   That little guy on top there is really cute, and he's got more coloring than any other Boer we've ever had.


Even with all the new additions doing well, there's lots to tend to:  they all need shots, a few got "pasty" butts (sticky poops that need to be clean off), one of the moms got  chapped teats and needed some extra care,  the lambs' tails were docked,  and creep pens need to be set up once they're a couple weeks old.    I'm looking forward to watching them all play in the pasture once we get some warmer, sunny days.

I've still cranked out a couple pairs of socks though - socks are really the perfect portable project, I'm sure that's one reason they're so popular.  They go with me to the orthodontist, karate, etc.  And I have to admit, I've gotten pretty addicted to wearing them in this cold weather, so I keep wanting more!!   The farmer loves the pair I made him so much, I really wanted to make him another as well:

  "Globe Trotters" in Berroco Sox yarn

Not so sure I'd be in a hurry to use the Berroco Sox yarn again, it was softer than the Opal I used for his other pair while knitting, but didn't soften up as much upon washing.   meh.   I also wasn't nuts about the colorway, another instance where buying yarn online can be frustrating.    But he likes them, and they fit well.


This yarn I LOVED, by Gaslight Dyeworks.  I used the bluebell rib pattern from Charlene Schurch's "Sensational Knitted Socks" and it went super quick - just 11 days for these socks, which is a record for me!!  (or it could just have been that I really loved this yarn!)
At least my feet are warm- hope your are too!!

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• Feb. 14, 2009
Happy Valentines Day!!

Happy Valentines Day!!!
Find someone and give them a little extra hug today.   I've heard people poo-poo Valentines Day because you should show people you love them all year round, not just on a few select days.   Well, of course that's true!!  But a little extra in the middle of cold and dreary February doesn't hurt!!
Here's a little goat love:

Awwww, could this little guy get any cuter???   Last week was pretty crazy with new baby goats popping out all over!  (more pics to come)    We had a combo oldest boy/youngest boy birthday party with the relatives last weekend which included goats being born right in the middle of it!

One evening last week we lost power for several hours (thankfully no one was in labor) and it was a bit dark to knit socks so I went back to one of my old favs- the ballband dishcloth.   Can you tell I was in a Valentines frame of mind??


Have a great day!!
    

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• Feb. 3, 2009
The Lambs Have Landed!

Last week all our careful checking finally paid off, and Doodle went into labor, eventually delivering 2 healthy female lambs!! It's a big relief to have them here and doing well. Doodle was considerate enough to go into action in early evening (instead of some ungodly hour like 3am) and it wasn't the coldest of nights- I think it was about 25 degrees in the barn. (still cold but much better than the 8 degree night we had last year)

just born - wet and weak

This is a perfect example of why we try to watch them so closely - the first lamb was breech, which involved a good amount of effort on our part as well as hers. When they were finally born, they were pretty weak. We spent some time toweling them off vigorously - this both dries them off and helps get their circulation going. As they were still so weak we "tubed" them, which involves taking some milk from mom and feeding them via a tube down their little necks. (not something I'd like to do myself but we had an experienced helper here) The milk really helped get them going and before long they were up and on their feet, staggering about, trying to figure out how to get more milk.


Doodle has proven to be a very good mom, she is gentle and careful around her babies - much more so that her own mother, which was how she ended up with a broken leg back then. I took a little video of the three of them - just listen to the little noises she makes as she tends to them.




We've also been celebrating a birthday (oldest boy turned 17!!) and tending to the farmer's Nana (who turned 93!), and keeping up with the normal activities. Thankfully there's a little breather before the next round of babies and we can catch our breath a bit. Congratulations Doodle!

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• Jan. 21, 2009
A new arrival

Recently I was lucky enough to win a blog-contest over at Thimbleanna's.... go visit her if you never have - she's got the most adorable projects and good recipes too.  Not to mention, super cute pin-cushion bunnies that seem to have a mind of their own.   I felt very lucky to win Mr. Stick-me Bunny,  but I'm not sure how he felt about making a cold journey to the farm.    He arrived yesterday, along with an adorable Mary Englebreit needle folder and some yummy chocolate that lasted maybe 2 nanoseconds.   


He thawed out quickly after his journey, but he looked worried about his new surroundings, so I let him hang out in the kitchen with me while I fixed dinner.


We even introduced him to one of his own kind, Eleanor the rabbit.   I'll bet  Mr. Stick-Me wonders if we use her as a pin-cushion, too.  


My boys already told me there's no way I can put pins into such a cute little rabbit, so maybe that will help Mr. Bunny relax in his new home.    

We're waiting for some other new arrivals around here too, the ewes and goats are all getting closer and closer to baby time -- we're doing our best to keep a close eye on them, so barn cam 09 has been set up. 
 
Of course we can't watch them all with one camera, so we put whoever seems closest in this pen.   Doodle is in the pen right now and she seems very close - I'm crossing my fingers and toes that she decides to go into action this evening, so we don't have to continually check her all.  night.  long.    (Doodle is the ewe that lived in our laundry room for the first six weeks of her life, due to a broken leg)   She is still such a sweetie and I'm really hoping for some nice healthy lambs from her.

The socks are still in progress but I couldn't resist casting on the latest Knitspot pattern, la Novia.   (Ravelry link)  (the yarn is Alpaca/Wook DK from Fearless Fibers)   I have to admit to casting on for yet one more pair of socks, this time some for the farmer in Berroco Sox.    He really likes the first pair I made him and wears them a lot, so it only seems right that he should get another pair! 

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• Jan. 13, 2009
It's a New Year!

Happy New Year!   (Ok, I'm a little late)  There's just something about the start of a new year - I think almost all of us feel a little excitement in the idea of a fresh start.   Personally, I'm not making "resolutions,"  instead I'm thinking more along the lines of goals, or habits that I want to create.  One is the ubiquitous exercise more/eat less, but there are others.... spend more time knitting and less looking at patterns on the internet, for one.   Knit a sweater!   Do some nature journaling with youngest boy, and of course.....work on organizing the areas that need it.  


The start of the new year found the farmer and his crew cleaning up the mess made by the December ice storm.   One huge storm plus multiple farmsteads equals a ton of work.   He also had bins to level and an elevator pit to clean out, and he likes to line up some high school and college kids to help with it all.    It's a great way to get lots of hard work done, but he didn't take much time off over the holidays....ah well.     This was them clearing up our yard........sometimes I really don't want to know what he's up to, I think!

      yes, that's a chainsaw he's got

As for knitting, it's been back to socks!    I got some beautiful Sophie's Toes before Christmas that I couldn't wait to try, so once my Christmas knitting was done I got started.   But sadly my pattern choice resulted in some pooling I just wasn't happy with, so this

 
ended up at the frog pond.    I decided to switch gears and go with a colorway that could handle a more complex pattern,  and got started with some of the new Malabrigo sock yarn.  This is the Child's First Sock from Knitting Vintage Socks, with some Lantern Moon sock needles (Sox Stix) which I love - they are only 5 inches long,  I wish all my sock needles were an inch or two shorter!


It's bitterly cold right now and supposed to get worse (a high of 1 degree on Thursday) so I'm really hoping none of the sheep or goats will decide it's time to deliver a baby right now.   I think we've got about a week before it's time though, so we're all keeping our fingers crossed it'll at least get into the double digits by then!   Here's one little guy we had to say good-bye to last week, youngest boy's little parakeet, Rocket.    Rocket started looking poorly and we took him to the avian vet.  (Not something I ever thought I'd be doing, let me tell you!   I was shocked to learn we even had an avian vet around here!)  But despite that and some special meds and supplements, he didn't make it.  We'll miss you Rocket!

   
 

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• Dec. 29, 2008
Whoosh!!

Whoosh!  There went Christmas, almost before I knew it was here.  It always seem like so much preparation goes into an event that is here and gone almost before I know what's happened!   It's all worth it when you see those excited faces though!

         sometimes they like each other

On Christmas Eve we went to my parents home, and boy were the country roads slippery as we were still stuck with all that ice.......I was worried that my poor birch tree would never be the same.

    Since then, we've had a freakishly warm day and the ice is all gone, gone, gone.    (and the birch tree seemed to recover just fine)     At mom & dad's we exchanged gifts with my sister and her family, so the first knitted gift was also given out.   I made "Mitt Envy"  for my sister, they seemed to fit well and she seemed to like them!  The yarn is a super soft blend by The  YoYo, very pretty and very nice to knit with.  



We had a nice dinner and slid home on the ice to finish getting ready for the big day.   The boys had received a Wii from grandma & grandpa, they were so excited I think they could have floated home!  I never did get a picture of all four pairs of the slippers I made for all the guys - and I'm still sewing the leather bottoms on!   But at least the ones for the boys were all knit and waiting for them with their stockings in the morning.


    
The only other hand-knit gift I have to show for myself are these two coffee sleeves which I used to dress up a couple of Starbucks mugs which got sent off to an aunt and uncle with gift cards inside.   Now that was a quick project!!


We are taking this week off from school, so I'm hoping to do a little organizing around the house but also relaxing!  The farmer has lots of year end work, some of which is leveling bins and cleaning up from the big ice storm, so the older boys will be busy helping with that.    I'm looking forward to things getting back to normal a bit more, and hopefully getting some projects done around here during the long winter months that are left.   And after all this celebrating, my waistline is telling me that I need to get back to normal eating as well!!

  the farmer just thinks it's hilarious to take shots like this

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• Dec. 19, 2008
Treacherous

My older boys had their first "snow day" today - they've never really enjoyed that before, but the class they are taking at the high school was canceled as the entire school is without power thanks to this stuff:



It's beautiful to look at, but this ice storm is causing lots of problems around here.   I don't think I've ever seen a layer this thick on everything, some of our poor trees look like they may not recover, and there are branches down everywhere.

Thankfully, our power hasn't gone out but many people have lost power.   We've got the generator ready to go, just in case.  Meanwhile, I think Max has the right idea:

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• Dec. 17, 2008
First Christmas!

It feels like we should be on Christmas break here, seeing as we already celebrated with the farmer's side of the family - it was hard to get back into the normal swing of things on Monday!  Before everyone arrived, I finished up one more little snowperson, using the same SnoBuddy Family pattern.

   

We had a great weekend with all the extended family and of course ate way too
much.   We ate, exchanged gifts, played games, ate, stayed up too late talking, laughed, ate...well, you get the idea.    I gave my sil a little knitting lesson, and she gave me a crochet lesson- I even made a little granny square.  She was trying to finish up a couple gifts so she was crocheting every minute she could be - I'm sure many of us can relate!!    I have to show the beautiful family tree that she made for us as our Christmas gift:


I love it!   She hand drew and lettered all that, and my nephew and his girlfriend helped her color it all in.   I wasted no time in getting that hung up on the wall!

In addition to feeding our guests, the farmer cleaned up all the birdfeeders last week and filled the with fresh seed.   We had some very happy birds - but also an unintended guest to the feeder:

 Surprisingly, I haven't seen this little guy come back yet - I thought he'd be back soon, and probably bring some of his friends!   Maybe it's because of this very interested (and loud)  critter:


About a milisecond after I snapped this picture, he went completely bananas and scared Mr. Bunny away.  

Now that last weekend is over, I really need to focus on the rest of my preparations, especially those slippers I need to knit!!       Hope everyone enjoys their last week to get ready before the big day, and isn't too stressed out!    
ps.  Need some free printable gift tags?   Bella Dia has rounded up a huge list - go check it out!

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• Dec. 9, 2008
Keeping Busy

I'm sure I'm not the only one keeping busy right now!  We are celebrating Christmas at our house this weekend with the farmer's side of the family, so my head is spinning a little!!   In addition to getting ready for that,  we've had a few holiday activities going on, like youngest boy's piano recital.   He naturally wasn't looking forward to it but he and all the kids did a great job.


Last night I had a Christmas gift exchange with some ladies that I've known ever since I've been married.   I always have a hard time coming up with a gift idea as it's got to be something that would be enjoyed by any of them, and there's a pretty wide range of ages and interests represented.    When I saw the pattern for this little guy,  I  decided it would be the perfect thing to make!

 
He's from the Snobuddy Family pattern by Knitting at Knoon Designs.     I went down a couple needles sizes from what the pattern called for, I like a tight fabric for stuffies so that none of their stuffing shows through.   Hopefully his new owner will give him a good home!

  Linda with Jolly the Snowman

The friend that hosted our little party had her home all trimmed out beautifully for  Christmas.  Her style is very different than mine, which makes it even more fun to check out all the decorations.   Her tree was beautiful, all white and pink with beautiful glass ornaments.



I haven't done a livestock update in quite awhile.......it looks like we've got a barn full of expectant mothers, which is exactly what we want!!  A couple weeks ago the boys and their dad took all the bred females over to a neighboring farm to be checked out by the traveling ultrasound guy.  


   The boys helping the ultrasound guy

Looks like cold work, doesn't it!!   The good news is, all the goats and sheep that are supposed to be pregnant are, some with singles, several with twins,  a few with triplets and one that he said could have quads!!!    Triplets (not to mention quads) make things tricky,   because at least one is usually very weak and takes a lot of extra effort, not to mention probably needing to be bottle-fed.   Also, it's even more important to be there when the mom gives birth, as there's no way she's going to get 3 babies cleaned up and dried off in time in the cold weather.    They all have due dates from mid-January to mid-February, I think my wool socks are going to get a lot of use!!


ps......someone left a comment about my Louisiana basket - yes, that is exactly what it says on the bottom, and I'd love any info about this type of basket if you've got it!   

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• Dec. 5, 2008
Catching Up

I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving!  We did, altho that's starting to seem like a long time ago, already!   We will be celebrating Christmas with the farmer's family at our house, next weekend (!)  so we've been scurrying around trying to get organized for that.   

But back to Thanksgiving weekend - on Saturday,  my parents, sister and her family came over for what may be a new family tradition.  My dad used to make homemade pizzas when we were kids, but he hasn't done it in years.   We decided it was time for him to start teaching the grandsons!   (actually, just about everyone helped out)  I made some crust and he brought all the toppings and expertise. 

 
It was fun to do, not to mention delicious!!   And for dessert - oh boy!   I don't know if it was because we were celebrating my birthday or if I just got lucky, but my sister brought over a homemade tiramisu.   Best I've EVER had, yum yum.   She used the recipe over at PioneerWoman.com - and I'm telling you, pure heaven!!  

   so good - they are all lucky I shared!

Let's see, what else- I had a very nice birthday on Tuesday, many lovely gifts from the fam.  We went out for some yummy Mexican food and then the farmer and I went to the movies.  My oldest also started his first non-farm job that day - his karate instructor has asked him to help teach classes two days a week.  We think it'll be a great learning experience for him, but life is just getting busier and busier!

I didn't think I'd be doing much Christmas knitting this year - maybe a dishcloth here or there.  I'm never really sure people WANT my knitting for Christmas, so I tend not to do it.
But then I had an idea for my gift exchange.........and my four guys also all requested slippers.   Not just any slippers, either, they want ones just like the farmer's Nana used to make.   I didn't have a pattern but thanks to Ravelry I've got one now!!  With 8 slippers to knit, thank goodness it's a quick and easy pattern.


Yesterday some fun came in the mail -- I'd won a blog contest held by Oiyi, and this is what arrived - some lovely worsted weight yarn that she dyed herself!  Pretty!!

         
And just one last thing, especially for you wiener dog fans out there- (I'm looking at you, Mrs. Farmhouse!)  a friend alerted me to this adorable pattern.  (just scroll down to Dec 3)  If it weren't for the slippers, I'd be working on it right now!!   Just leave a comment on her blog, she'll email you a pdf of the pattern.   Cute!!   And now, back to the slippers!

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• Nov. 25, 2008
Still Lazy

I guess I'm still the lazy blogger as I can't even manage a post a week - or maybe it's just that I'm sitting here in stunned amazement that Thanksgiving is just a couple of days away!!   The good news is, harvest is finished, woo hoo!   There is still some fall tillage to get done but the big push is OVER! 

I'm always reading about blogger/internet meet-ups that other people have with envy- it sounds like so much fun to meet people you've gotten to know online face-to-face.
Guess what - it is fun!  A couple weekends ago I finally got my chance as 5 knitting friends from a Ravelry group were all planning to meet at The Fold.    It's quite a bit north from me, but Erika kindly offered me a ride if I got myself as far as her house.  Thanks again to Erika for hauling me all over the place!  

The Fold is really the place to go if you're interesting in checking out spinning wheels, not to mention all the great fleeces and yarn.   No, I did not come home with a spinning wheel,(this time) but The Fold is also known as a Socks that Rock mecca, so I couldn't pass that up!  Not to mention this yarn that was labeled Chicago Bears, but we all know these are really Illini colors!!

After The Fold, we headed in closer to the city to go to Chix with Stix, which was an adorable shop with lots of temptations.   I couldn't resist some Misti Alpaca Chunky after admiring Jen's scarf she'd made from some - soooo soft!!

with Becca & Kristy at Chix with Stix - wish I'd gotten a group picture of us all!

We couldn't resist the tea shop right across the street so we headed over there next.  Todd & Holland had lots of neat accessories and tons of teas but I was reserving my purchasing power that day for knitting.

We finally headed over for lunch at a nearby Flattop Grill  for lunch at about 4pm!  The farmer couldn't believe that we ate that late, but he doesn't understand the sacrifices that must be made in search of yarn!    Lunch was wonderful (didn't hurt that we were starving) and then it was time for everyone to head home.   It was so great to meet all of them- I had a great time and I think everyone else did too.   The farmer, not being into all this blogger/ravelry stuff was maybe wondering if I was headed out to meet a group of crazy internet stalkers but I phoned him a few times during the day to assure him the only thing being stalked was yarn.

I couldn't resist that Misti Alpaca, so even though I have a bit of Christmas knitting to do, I cranked out that scarf last week,  and I just loved knitting with it.   I may have to order one more skein so there can be a matching hat.

Max thinks alpaca feels nice and soft too!!


Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!

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• Nov. 13, 2008
The Lazy Blogger

The lazy blogger - that's me!!  I guess I'm just not feeling much blog inspiration these days....it seems that life goes in a real cycle around here,  dictated by the animals/farm/school schedule, and each cycle is very much like it was last year.   (So that's the long way of saying not much new is going on here)

I did finish my Sleepwalker Socks a week or so ago.   This is a pattern I'm sure I'll make again, it seemed to go really fast and the sock fits perfectly. The pattern would be great for someone who hadn't much sock experience as every step was spelled out in detail.  And I can't forget to mention the yarn - loved it!


pattern: Sleepwalker Socks by Dream in Color
yarn:  Autumn Harvest by Sophie's Toes

Is everyone else in disbelief like I am, that Thanksgiving is around the corner and Christmas will be close behind??  I'm trying to get myself out of denial and into the swing of things, so that December isn't hectic and crazy - a few Christmas gifts have even been purchased!   I didn't think I would be doing much knitting for gifts, but the farmer and the boys have all requested slippers, so I'll need to get on that soon! (and I've got a couple other little things up my sleeve)

I really like to spend some of my gift budget with small businesses and indpendent crafters, and I'm sure we all know how addictive etsy.com can be!  I thought I'd share a few people I've bought things from online and have had good shopping experiences with, maybe it'll be just the thing someone needs for someone on their list.

The little ornaments were made by Barb, who sells handmade goodies at A Chelsea Morning's Little Shoppe.  These Santa Stars looked adorable online, but when they came I was even more impressed- they are perfect down to the tiniest detail.  I'm sure all her other items are made just as carefully.   Aren't they cute??


I don't think she has any available right now but I know she's working on more in time for the holidays.   I'm tempted to get more when they're ready- they'd be so cute on a package or attached to a gift card.

This key chain is from Sommer Designs, who can resist wiener dogs in sweaters?
She's got lots of other tempting items, like bags, aprons, and  lavender drawer liners, all in some really fun fabrics.  

Speaking of wiener dogs, here's how ours stays warm at night:


Have a great day!  (and find someone warm to snuggle with!)

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