Knitting Life

I have been working on the usual things blankets, socks and I have finished a very nice shawl.  The Find Your Fade shawl that can be found on Ravelry.  Ravelry makes it so easy to find knitting patterns, see finished projects and purchase and then download so many patterns.  I really enjoyed this shawl pattern and I will likely make another.  

Here is a photo of it finished however unblocked.  Looking forward to wearing it this winter. 

We are Kidding Again

This is my newest favorite farm photo.  One of my angoras with her set of triplets.  Two black bucklings with a few stray white hairs on their head and one brown doeling.  The boys were needling a little extra help and are bottle babies.  All are doing well.  

New Babies on the Farm

We have a variety of animals from pets to a menagerie of 4-H projects.  For the goats kidding season is underway.  Here are a few pictures of lively, wiggly critters.

These are angora goats.  The Nubian dairy babies are so wiggly they are quite challenging to photograph.  I hope to get pictures of them and our pigs soon.  Stay posted.

What's in the dye pots?

Weighing out one ounce increments of Romney wool roving in a light gray.  Then I tie them with cotton.  I add two to each crock pot to dye.

They soak in a water bath with a couple splashes of vinegar for 20 minutes.  I can then prepare the dye solution. 

Then I add dye.  This time three colors.  A blue, light green and teal.  I turn on the crockpot on high.  I let it sit covered until heat set or starting to steam.  I turn off the crockpot and I leave alone until cool.  Rinse and let dry.  

The top once was my first attempt.  No natural color remained and a bit dark.  The second a bit too light.  Similar with the third.  Getting closer though.  One spun into a two ply it looks like this:

  I have washed and hung to dry.  I hope to start the sweater spin soon.  Ended up with a Dk weight.  Now off to pick a pattern.  

Start How You Plan To Continue

I am starting the year off with a bang!  I have started several projects in knitting and am in the process of learning to crochet.  As part of my cast on projects I started a couple of blankets including a mitered square blanket technically Memory Blanket by Georgie Nicolson found on Ravelry.  I am casting on 64 stitches with 3.0mm needles. I am hoping to make one square a week for awhile- in hopes to get to a lap sized blanket. Here are a couple pictures of my progress.  

 

It is coming along well so far and is quite enjoyable.  I encourage you to start something new for 2017 and begin as you plan to continue this year.  May we all make it a good year.

Holiday Baking

I am to the point in holiday planning that some of my idea/ recipe books come off the shelf.  I have recently purchased sourdough starter and have the flour flying in the kitchen.  I have started gifting loaves of bread just yesterday!  This year my daughter has a variety of high school gift exchanges and secret Santa duties and she is (finally) interested in baking, making of snacks and home made hot cocoa mix.  These books as well as many others share our favorite family recipes.  I will include a family favorite for hot coco mix for gifting.  

All ingredients well mixed in large bowl then packaged in smaller gift giving amounts perhaps with a mug, peppermint stir stick and instructions for prep.  Here goes:  1 1/2 cups mini milk chocolate chips, 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 1 1/2 cups powdered coffee creamer, 1 1/2 cups powdered chocolate flavored drink mix. 1 1/2 cups powdered instant dry milk, and lastly 2 cups mini marshmallows.  One serving is 2 tablespoons mix with 1 cup boiling water.  Stir well to melt chocolate and enjoy.  

Have a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Japanese Maple

This is a photo of our Japanese Maple tree.  It has so many pretty colors.  The leaves are very lacey as well.  Enjoy.