Author: denisemor

Took part in a garden swap event this afternoon over in Alger-

and found homes for a bunch of extra seedlings. In exchange I got bunch of other cool stuff- rosemary, lemon verbena, wild bergamot, bee balm, echinacea, shasta daisies, golden hops, calendula, and some beefsteak tomatoes. So that was awesome. Nice that it was good weather for the outside event.

Some shots from around the garden-

And in wool news, I’m planning another sweater vest for my friend The Shepherd, of Marietta Shetlands. So, getting to know the yarn, and swatching to find the right gauge for the project

The lighter yarn above is for the vest. First one I did (on the right) on size 5 needles, second one (top) size 6. Think I like the feel of the second one a little better. So now it’s time to do the math and get this baby cast on.

But what is that other pretty little swatch? the smaller gauge on in the rich brown? That is a sample of a fleecy treat that I acquired as a prepayment for the vest project. Just couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. Really beautiful stuff from a sheep named Cali.

I know. Like I don’t have enough wool. 😉

Tiny chickens transitioned to new living quarters this week! They are now out in the shed with the big chigs- though they have a separate area set up with their baby food that the grownups can’t get into. They seem to be adjusting well, and sticking together, so that’s cool.

First night they made some questionable decisions about where to sleep, but they are figuring things out now and mostly keeping out of trouble-

And on the sheep side, I made more shearing progress on Saturday-

Daphne was surprisingly cooperative, and I was able to get her tidied up quite nicely. But Dottie and Felix weren’t really into it. I got halfway done with Dottie and only about 1/3 through Felix, but at least they are started. For me the neck and chest is always the trickiest bit, so it’s good to have that part done on each of them.

And here is a cute photo that The Man took of Fiona this weekend-

So sweet. You’d never guess from this photo what a crazy little bugger she is. 🙂

Have good week everyone!

First the Robing- Dolores’ judicial gown and lace collar ala RBG!

I love how the pearl earrings complete the look. I’ve still got two other collars to finish, but she seems pretty happy with this one, so we’re good for now 🙂

And in the Disrobing category, we’ve got Esther, who gave up her fleece earlier this week-

And now she’s a white sheep again! I haven’t sorted her wool yet, but there is a whole lot of it- maybe 10 pounds?

Out in the hoophouse, seedlings are mostly potted up- and there are a lot of them!

Potato sprouts in the feed beds are starting to pop up too! Carrots, parsnips, snap peas are sown in the raised beds, and broccoli starts already planted out. Feels like things are moving really fast this spring-

Despite some recent crazy weather, including sleet/hail, Spring is definitely in the air!

Baby chickens are growing fast- now about 6 weeks old

and Yellow Chig is keeping a close eye on them

She’s such a sweet old gal. Yesterday I dug back in my photos to figure out how old she is- I was thinking she was probably about 6 or so, but it turns out she’s 8 years old! And still laying the occasional egg. She loves to hang out in the hoophouse and dust bathe in the warm surface soil, and I like to watch her enjoying her retirement. 🙂

In the hoophouse, the seedlings are coming on strong

And on the pasture side, I’ve gotten one sheep sheared. This year, first haircut honors go to Fiona

I even got it all in one go- except for her belly, which will need to be cleaned up later.

And I’m striving to wash as I go, so I don’t have a lot of raw fleece hanging around-

It’s a lovely creamy taupe color. Will be so fun to work with. Had some issues with felting along the mid-back, but those bits, with their curly tips, will make excellent toupees for future sock monkeys!

Not sure who will be next in the beauty salon, but there is a lot of fleece out there on the hoof right now. Check out Esther’s current style-

She’s a walking wool festival!

Have a good week everyone-