Morning Chores

This time of year, the morning barn chores start to take a little longer. It's not as involved as when lambing is underway, but still takes some time. I try my best to avoid making any kind of appointment during morning hours because it's just too stressful (for me) to get everyone taken care of, get myself ready and then drive the minimum 45 minutes or so to get where I'm going on time.

Feeding time is serious business around here. You can be assured that I have everyone's attention when they see me heading for the barn. And you can also be sure that they all want their breakfast right now! Then, when everyone has their food, it is blessedly quiet, except for the sounds of munching.

If I had to choose my most important "tools" for the work I do around the barn, my little cart might be number one. It's a garden cart that neatly holds one bale of hay and because of the big wheels, it is easy to push around even with several hundred pounds loaded in it. I can load the hay bale, then push it from field to field to feed everyone (so much easier than carrying it). My "wardrobe" might be next. I love my Cabela boots (with the side zipper). They're comfortable, sturdy and waterproof. I've had several pairs and they last for years and years. They are by no means a fashion statement, but fashion has no place in my daily chores. Sara and I were commiserating on the unpleasant weather we've had so far this winter and both realized that we've worn our insulated bib overalls a lot this year, after not wearing them more than once or twice last winter. I know none of this seems "normal" to most people, but I've long since given up trying to pretend I live a normal life.

(no fashion statement here!)

All these different critters look to me for their food and care. Sometimes it feels overwhelming, but usually it feels as though they pay me back double in entertainment-not to mention their wonderful fiber. It's hard work, but rewarding, and a way of life I can recommend.

F.O.

And not just a small finished object either. I finally have something to show that is not a fingerless mitt or a hat! Back last fall sometime, I found this yarn and fell in love. It is Malabrigo (soft, soft, soft) and the color is Stonechat. I bought all ten skeins on the shelf, even though I had no idea what I was going to knit with it. (Well, you know how awful it would be to find the perfect project and be one skein short?) So, anyway, the light bulb came on one day when I remembered a sweater I had seen in this book. It's not exactly where you would expect to look for a sweater pattern, but there it was, nonetheless. I have been referring to this as my "bathrobe" sweater because it is just the kind of thing I like to put on first thing in the morning, even if I'm still in my nightgown.

My model is certainly more svelte than I am (and she has no shoulders!), but what do you do when you're the only one home and are ready for a photo shoot? (And by the way, I have enough yarn left over for several pairs of fingerless mitts and hats...maybe even a cowl!)
And while my model was patiently waiting for me to get everything adjusted, behind me was the usual farm "drama". Mr. Dandy was inspecting something (or maybe nothing) when along came a friend and he felt he needed to strut his stuff. As always, they were not impressed. I'm impressed with the color in those tail feathers. Aren't they gorgeous? He's growing them back out after moulting in the fall.
And what is that mess behind Mr. Dandy, you say? That is the project that is responsible for the endless days of rain we had this past week. Finally, work has begun on my studio!! I'm so excited about it. I keep telling myself, after waiting nearly 30 years for my own workspace, a few more days don't really matter. But, I sure wish it would quit raining and the sun would come out.

I hope the sun is shining for you this weekend, wherever you are!

Hello World!

Though it is a damp, gray day outside, today was Huckleberry's first time out in the big world. I've kept he and Strawberry inside the barn in the big pen during the day, gradually allowing Huck to get used to all the different animals and sounds around here. I was a little worried about putting him in with the ewe lambs because they are at that silly teenage stage. Those girls out-weigh him by a bunch and I didn't want him to get knocked over by their rowdiness. I needn't have worried. Yesterday morning when I went to the barn, the two CVM girls and Gabby (no surprise there) had managed to get into the llama pen and all were getting along famously.

I don't think I have ever had a more confident and sociable cria. Maybe it's because I was there at his birth and able to imprint him immediately or maybe it's just his sparkling personality! Of course, especially with a male llama, he will need to be managed in a way that doesn't allow him to become too pushy or aggressive toward people. Right now we are just enjoying watching him greet the world and make friends with all the other animals.

Of course, it helps to be able to grab a snack once in a while to keep the energy going!

Some smalls

I've been knitting a fair amount, off and on, since Christmas. Mostly, it's been small things that are easy to pick-up and put down and can be finished quickly. I've not been taxing my brain with anything complicated. I will say, I have been enjoying myself (and my right hand carpel tunnel pain has decreased considerably). It feels good to be taking things off the needles and adding to the stack of completed projects. Oh, I still have lots and lots of unfinished knitting languishing in baskets and bags, but for the moment I'm not stressing about them.

I keep a basket full of hats and mittens and a tub full of barn boots in all sizes for the grandchildren because whenever they are here they always want to go to the barn and/or the creek. Occasionally, one of the kids will take a liking to a particular hat and it will end up going home with them. I love it when that happens. It pleases me so much when they actually like something I've knitted enough to want to wear it. I hope having handknit hats, mittens, scarves and sweaters from their Nana will be a memory they keep long after I'm gone from this earth.

So, these are some of the newest additions to the basket. The chunky blue hat is a basic hat pattern knit from some of my own hand dyed, handspun thick and thin yarn. The other three are all the "Quarters Hat" that Kristin Nicholas designed. (You can buy the pattern at the linked page.) I cannot get enough of knitting this hat. I've knit a total of five Quarters hats so far and have more on the needles. This pattern is a great way to use up stash and I'm endlessly amused with picking out colors and types of yarn to combine. The pattern is designed with short rows and once you knit the first one, you can figure out how to adjust the number of cast-on stitches to adapt to most any weight of yarn. I used left over chunky handspun on one, the grey and white is some Patons 100% wool that I found at Michaels! (I know-I was really surprised at how nice it feels) and the multi-colored one is a combination of Kristin Nicholas' Julia yarn (really nice and it's soft enough to pass the kid non-itchy test!) and some Crystal Palace Taos from the stash. You should definitely add this to your to-do list. Just don't say I didn't warn you. They're like those old potato chip ads "betcha can't knit just one".

I'm off this afternoon (after a long, long list of errands to be completed) to my spinning group's annual retreat. We all look forward to this little get-away as a time of much spinning, much knitting, much laughing and way too much eating! So, I hope you have as great a weekend as I'm planning on.