A Few Sheep Shy of a Farm

Knitting, knitting and more knitting . . . .

Let’s check in on some of the on going knitting projects, shall we?

First up is Fern.  I’ve been knitting the front and back at the same time so that I only have to work through all the charts once.  I’ve only done about rows since I picked it up again but I’m hoping to work on it for about an hour each night now. At least that is the goal.

Baby Sweaters – nothing to report really. I did a couple of rows on one but I’m still way behind on the baby sweater gifts.

 

Lacey Prairie Shawl – Its a little squashed since its on a shortish needle but I have been working on this one lately and hope to finish it off in the next couple of weeks. Ideally, it will be done and blocked before the weather gets chilly.

 

Prairie Blanket has stalled out at 24 inches.  Since I wound up giving a different gift to the child I started this for I’m considering making it longer than the recommended size and using it for Mimmo for his bed. He’s going to need a new bigger blanket this fall when the weather gets cold as he’s gotten too long for most of the ones he had.  Here is a detail shot of the eding:

 

 

Megan’s Sweater – I’ve actually sewn the bottom but I need to put some sort of an edging and work an I-cord tie for it but other than that its finished.  I’m going to write up the pattern for IY and work a smaller one for her little sister . . . though I may do her’s just a little different so they won’t be entirely identical. We’ll see.

Knitting for Greensboro

  

 These are the squares the ladies from the Monday night knitting group made to send to Laurie for the Greensboro KS blankets she’s putting together.  As a group we managed to come up with 13 squares and I dropped them in the mail earlier today. She mentions on her blog that she doesn’t get a chance to confirm that packages have arrived so I’ve included a SASE postcard and a note asking her to drop it in the mail.  That way we’ll know when they have arrived. 

Oh, and in case your wondering, I made the 3 red ones . . .

Swaps

I want to say “Hi” to my two swap buddies, [Kena] from the Hand Dyed Yarn Swap and “Victoria” from the Hogwarts Sock Swap 2.  I’m currently working on both of your packages . . . and might even post a peak in a few days. . .  I love swaps, they are so much fun!

Stash enhancement and craft projects

I know I don’t need any more yarn . . . but look what I got the other day:

 

More sock yarn . . . everyone’s been talking about the Tofutsies so I wanted to give it a try . . . I’m going to come up with another pattern for IY using this but I haven’t actually started it yet . . . and the Louisa Harding Kimono Angora is pricier than most of what I tend to buy but I was having a very stressful day and really needed deserved a treat so this is going to become my new fall scarf . . .

I’ve also gone through the entire shop and personal stash and reorganized it recently.  I’d take a picture, but its just too frightening.  Though not as bad as some I’ve seen lately.

And just because I haven’t had enough to do lately, I’ve been making these:

 

I finally sent another note to the KnitUFO Group.  I hadn’t been in touch with them for a while, partly because I’ve been busy and partly because I just haven’t been working on the UFOs!

Farm and Home updates

Bathroom report – not much to say, currently without any fixtures as Dom has put some sort of bonding agent on the floor in preparation for putting the “Self-leveling” concrete down to finish the foundation of the floor.  And the nephew is coming by tomorrow to look at the pipes that need to be temporarily moved to fix the floor joists that the previous contractors cut. 

Chickens

They are growing fast now. The smallest is about 3 oz and the largest is 7.5 oz. Here are a few photos:

 

This is the smallest one. We aren’t entirely sure what it is but think it might be Dom’s Sicilian Buttercup Rooster . . . looks like we’ll have to wait and see.

 

The black and white one with the yellow head is the one we thought was the Buttercup but now I think it might be the extra one they throw in and I think it may be a Dominique . . .maybe.

 

This is the big one.  I think its an Aracauna (Easter Egger).

 

This is one of the Speckled Sussex hens

 

This is “Buddy”. Yes, she has a name.  She has figured out how to work the system and has buddied up to the little guy and earned herself permanent resident status.  Smart little girl.  We believe her to be a Black Australope. 

 

This is one of the white rocks.  A few of these are staying but some of the 10 are only here temporarily.

 

This is one of the two I believe to be the Barred Rocks.  If it is then its one of my laying hens. 

Okay, thats all for now. 

The current crop of sweaters is awaiting delivery. One is being mailed later today or sometime tomorrow and another will be delivered soon . . . One of the babies I’m knitting for his getting big rather quickly so he may have to wait a few more days for a larger size sweater and the others are going to their new homes in the near future.

I’m leaving toward doing the rest with the shell buttons . It makes for a nice unisex button and since I don’t know what all the babies will be it might be nice to have a few either/or sweaters on hand. I’m also going to be getting more yarn as I’m running out of acrylic or acrylic blend baby yarn in this weight! Can you imagine?

I had planned to dye more yarn today, however the little guy has had a nasty stomach bug since Saturday night and still woke with a temp of 103 this morning. We did the emergency does of both motrin & tylenol thing and that brought it down to near normal pretty fast. Boy was he ever hot though! He started to get it back around lunch time today but another does of “medcine” as he calls it and he was back near normal again. He’s whiny and difficult and watching “Cars” for the 4th time today right now . . . I’m just hoping he’s feeling better by tomorrow!

Time to go sit with him again for a bit, he’s been very clingy while he’s sick so I’m doing a lot of sitting and holding today . . . perhaps he’ll let me knit a little on sweater number 7 while we cuddle . . .

Too many ideas, not enough time!

Things have been sooo busy lately. I’ve been dyeing up more yarns. . . . and just got a new shipment of sock yarn in that I need to start skeining up for Monday so I can dye more. This past week I did a restock of some of the “classic sock” colorways that had sold out and I dyed up some “Caffine” in a blue/purple colorway that I really like, perhaps enough to add it to the permanent line of colorways. . . .

I’m also working on several design projects at the moment. I’m knitting up a sweater that will be submitted for publication . . . and I’ve got ideas for at least 2 3 more that I want to get done in the next few weeks . . . 2 of them for fall and one for winter. And I’ve got 2 sock ideas and another small project idea that I want to submit different places and I’ve got 3 Mystery kit ideas that need to be worked up!

Yeah, too many ideas and not enough time.

Oh, and I’m still working my way through the baby sweater list; I’m knitting them while I wait for my “baby” to fall asleep each night since I now have the pattern totally memorized and can knit them almost entirely by sense of feel rather than needing to actually see what I’m doing. I’ve finished (except buttons a couple) 5 of the so far and I’m on the button band on #6 with #7 already on the needles and started just a little and another version for a photo for a pattern about 1/2 done but that doesn’t really count since I won’t be giving that one away . . . I’m actually thinking its time to design another soon since I’m getting bored with making this one, I need to do something else relatively simple so I can keep knitting them at bedtime. Luckily some of the babies I’m knitting for are not due for a few months yet!

Okay, off to send a couple of emails and then the little guy and I need to run to the post office

Can you believe it?

We just found out that another friend is expecting! Due in September and having a girl! Its her 2nd but there is a sizeable gap in age so she may not have much baby stuff left around . . .

And I just learned that someone I had on the list is having a girl.

Guess I’m going to need some more pink yarn!

That will mean 15 baby sweaters to make this year, so far!

Gram update

We went to the little party for Gram last night. She’s about as I expected. She loved having everyone there and watching Mimmo and his cousin M run around the place. He had a ball getting to visit with his cousins. I’m so glad they have so much fun together. We’ll be having them over a lot this summer I think.

Well, gotta run, still have yarn to skein and now I’ve got to reorder some as well . . .

I’ve got pictures . . .

I just haven’t had a chance to get them out of the camera yet . . .

I’ve also got updates to the baby sweater list . . .

1. Shower gift sweater – done
2. Friend of a dear friend – sweater knit, needs sewing and to finish bonnet.
3. Dear Friend’s sister expecting her first – due soon
4. Dear friend’s daughter expecting #2 – due?
5. Friend from playgroup – had a baby boy last month.
6. Friend from playgroup – due late June, isn’t telling pink or blue!
7. Friend from playgroup – due in August? doesn’t know pink or blue yet
8. Friend from playgroup – due ??? pink or blue???
9. Friend from playgroup – had a baby boy 2 wks ago.
10. Friend from playgroup – due???
11. DH’s coworker who just had a boy
12. DH’s coworker whom he believes to be due in June.
13. DH’s coworker – due date unknown

Yeah, he came home the other night and asked if I happened to have an “extra” baby sweater lying around! Okay. So I’m giving him one that I was going to give to someone else and I’m back to knititng more anyway . . . . and then he tells me that one of the girls from work is also expecting and he thinks she may be due in June and having a girl, though he’s not sure. So the list keeps getting longer . . . . I actually did go buy another bag of the baby yarn I’ve been using, the DK weight stuff cause with a list this long fingering just isn’t going to be fast enough!

Off to get DS ready for playgroup. Pictures later if I can manage it.