Desert Garden Farms

2011-09-17T19:32:00.000-06:00

Last night was the first cold night of the season. Hubby and I celebrated the cooler temperature with a good, old fashioned blanket war. He opened with a little tug on his edge of the single, lightweight quilt we are currently sleeping under, proceeding to uncover my hip and leg. I returned with a slightly more insistent tug of my own, uncovering his feet. You know how this goes. After some jostling for advantage, I finally ended the foray by tucking my edge under my hip and planting myself firmly upon it. A couple more tugs from him got no results, and in my half dreamy state, I snickered to myself over having won this round. Neither one of us ever got up out of bed to close the window, add another blanket or even to turn off the fan!!! bwahahahaha

This afternoon we laughed about the whole thing and then we talked about the coming cooler weather and what preparations we might need to make before truly cold weather gets here. The first thing on both our lists was our winter quilt!

Our first winter together as husband and wife was spent on the top of a butte in a single wide, nineteen seventy something mobile home with a wood stove for heat. We were cold!!! We were poor!! We were creative!! So, we decided we needed a heavy quilt. We went to all the local thrift stores and begged for any jeans or corduroy pants they had that were unsaleable. We got garbage bags full for free just because we asked.

Hubby was in charge of cutting out all the squares. I was in charge of sewing them all together. We stitched a denim quilt that we have treasured and we have spent 16 fantastic winters together underneath it.

Back then we were sleeping on a full size pull out loveseat. So the quilt we made is really only a skimpy double size. We've since graduated to a queen sized bed, but we are stubborn and have continued using our beloved quilt.

We've had four children since that quilt was stitched. It's been washed and hung to dry hundreds of times. It's been camping with us and thrown in the bottom of a closet through the summers. It's been hauled in the car and draped over the sofa. The poor thing is looking pretty shabby. Still, we are undeterred!

So, this afternoon we dug the ole thing out and set to work on it. We removed the old blue satin binding and the pink floral pillow ticked flat sheet we backed it with. We cut loose the old yarn ties and laid the top out on our bed. We took stock of the situation and came up with a plan. The worn spots will be patched, just as our jeans are. New squares will be added along both sides and the bottom to enlarge the quilt to a more currently usable size. A new backing will be scrounged and our beloved quilt will be made servicable once again. And, the best part of all, parts of a pair of jeans or overalls from each of the kids will be used in the process. Each child brought us a contribution and I'm so excited that this time a piece of each of them will be included in the project.

This winter looks to be warm, toasty, and filled with love.

Homestead Improvements

2011-05-09T09:11:00.001-06:00

It's Spring and that means we're hopping here on the 'stead to make any planned improvements for the year before the weather turns too hot. We got a lot accomplished this weekend. One of the things we did was to cover the area between the existing bunny housing and the turkey pen. This will keep that area cooler in the summer, drier in the winter and will allow me to hang additional bunny caging so we'll have room for mommas and litters. Yay!

This is the area we wanted to cover. We've been covering this space with a tarp for shade every summer for the last few years. Time to do something more.

Rafters are in and now it's time to send our resident Monkey Boy up to install the metal. He's half Monkey...on his Father's side.

And he's up!

Metal's on and look at all this great space we have to use now! With all the recycled materials we were able to pull from our stash, this addition only cost us $24!!

And, while we are on the subject of bunnies....gratuitious baby bunny shot!! Oh, and cute kid, too!

My Garden Will Always Include Marigolds

2011-05-03T16:22:00.001-06:00

I love to garden. I come by it naturally. Both sets of my Grandparents love/loved it. My Mother loves it. My cousin really loves it. And for me, it has become a large part of our homestead lifestyle.

My Grandpa Roy died when I was maybe 12 years old. He was fun and silly and hardworking. He was also a true gardener. He planted a garden every year and each and every garden could be described as nothing less than.... well, epic. I remember those gardens. I remember that he always planted giant pumpkins. He told us that his pumpkin patch was always the most Sincere and every year he would convince us that one of those monsters was "The Great Pumpkin". He planted all the usual stuff. Tomatoes, sweet and juicy and red. Beans and greens and onions. One other thing his garden was never without is Marigolds.

I don't know if he planted them for their beneficial bug reducing properties or if he just loved their bright color and happy faces, but his garden never lacked for several varieties.

A few years ago I started planting Marigolds in my garden in rememberence of his lovely plot. Marigolds weren't my favorite flower, and in fact, I wasn't really all that enthusiastic about them as a flower at all. But they made me think of him and smile and so I always bought one four pack to tuck in amongst the veggies. One four pack soon became two, and then three, and then many. One day I realized that I have fallen in love with this unassuming beauty. I look forward to picking out the Marigolds almost more than surfing the seed catalogs for heirloom tomatoes and beans. I cannot imagine a garden without them in it.

And so now, with a tip of my sun bonnet to my Grandpa Roy, and fresh dirt between my toes, my garden will forevermore include Marigolds.

Resurrection Day Supper on the Homestead

2011-04-25T11:13:00.001-06:00

We kept it fairly simple for our Holiday Supper this year. It all came out wonderfully, though, and we really enjoyed this homestead-y family meal taken together.

We started with a smoked ham that I had saved from the half a pig we bought earlier this spring. This is some of the most delicious ham any of us has ever had. We'll definitely be getting another hog from these folks down the road. Add to that some homemade baked beans, green beans, and biscuits, and you have yourself a wonderful meal! I also put out some homemade apple butter for the biscuits and some fresh pineapple that a friend brought over earlier in the morning for an Easter present. The pineapple was sooooo good!

I'm particularly proud of these biscuits. I've been working at getting them right and I think I've got it!

And here is dessert! A mock pumpkin pie made with applesauce. I used a crustless pumpkin pie recipe and substituted some home made applesauce for the pumpkin puree. It came out so good! Will definitely make that again and am thinking I'll try it with some peach puree and see how that comes out, too. You will also notice, in the background of the first picture, some lovely cupcakes and some chocolate petit fours. Also delivered early in the morning by a dear, sweet friend. What a treat! (the petit fours are banana bites...banana bread layered with cream cheese and dipped in chocolate. oh la la!)

This Week's Spinning

2011-04-22T09:52:00.001-06:00

Did a bit of spinning this week.

A "Piece of Cake" sample from the shop. This was soooooo much fun to spin! The tencel nepps are a kick in the pants and the colors are so delicious!

I also held onto a "Hopper" sample. The merinos in this one are extremely soft. I love the bold colors and the funky pink sparkles are a hoot! I thread plied it with some beads.

And, I worked on a custom yarn order for a special someone. It's a CCR themed package. Here you see "Jeremiah Was a Bullfrog", "All the Little Fishes" and "In the Deep Blue Sea". I'm still spinning "Was a Good Friend of Mine" and "I Helped Him Drink His Wine". Sooooooo loving how this is coming together! The whole package is going to rock!

Nice Ta Meet You!

2011-04-19T09:19:00.001-06:00

Spring is a busy time for so many people. It's no exception here on the 'stead. We're in high gear doing cleanup after a winter of sloth and 'just getting by' plus we're gearing up for summer and the garden. We've been getting all the beds ready to accept this year's seed and plants, plus we've added some new beds to enlarge our garden space.

One new addition is this strawberry bed. I'm so excited to get this one up and going! A friend had a bed of strawberries that they were planning to take out and they offered the plants to us. We built a nice home for them and then went over and dug up all these treasures last night and brough them here to their new digs. Yay!

Right next door to the strawberries is this bed which is planted in potatoes. We have two large potato beds planted this year.

Look! Some lettuce is coming up! Yay! Salads aren't far away!!

Tulips! I'm so happy to see you.

And, look, there's Mr. Grapvine! Wake up Sleepyhead!

And meet Mrs. Scarecrow. The girls made her yesterday and got her all situated here in the garden. Then, Baby Girl the Little'un came out and found her. It melted me all over to watch her walk right up, shake the scarecrow by the sleeve and say, "Hello, nice ta meet you!" My sentiments exactly, my Little Sweet Potato. Well said!

The Studio is Humming!

2011-04-14T10:39:00.001-06:00

I have stuff in the Tumbler...

And drying on the racks...

And waiting to be carded...

Also have a bathtub full washing and dye pots on the stove. Lots of fiber in the works!

Meet and Greet

2011-04-09T07:52:00.001-06:00

Meet Bess. She is an agouti pygmy doe who just came to live with us. Isn't she a sweet potata? We think she's just as cute as can be and look forward to having her company in our barnyard!

Other doings around the 'stead include a major cleanup day of the rabbit commune. Much raking and tray emptying was done by the worker bees here. We repaired some caging and prepped some new ones that we want to put in. It's looking pretty good over there. We also got the posts put in for the area between the rabbits and the turkeys that we want to get covered. It will mean shade in the summer for everyone and a drier walk and feeding experience in the winter. Yay!

Next on the agenda is to get garden beds prepped, empty last year's compost bin, and clean out the goat barn to fill the compost bin back up again. Hooray for compost!

More Spring Critter Pics

2011-04-05T15:44:00.001-06:00

Star Spangled. He's such a silly boy!

Muddy lambs. Don't they look like they are about to get up to some trouble?

Blue Moon. Hello, pretty girl!

Oh, the Babies We've had!!!

2011-04-04T14:37:00.001-06:00

So many lovely new babies running around the 'stead! Lambs and kids are playing in the yards again and it does my heart so much good! I thought I'd share some gratuitious baby pics just to prove that Spring Is here!!!!

Inspiration and Spinning Unite!

2010-05-19T15:37:00.005-06:00

A very exciting project is on the horizon for me and several of my indie artist friends. In June we plan to debut a monthly spinning treat for the peeps we serve. It's called Inspineration!

What is Inspineration? It's spinning. It's inspiration. It's a treat for the senses! Each month we will be uniting to explore a common theme through the creation of fabulous art batts and fibers. We will then package a variety of those fibers into a unique package and make the whole thing available to discerning spinners! Inspineration!

Who are the uber cool artists who are providing delicious themed fibers? First we have the always classy, ultra chic Melissa of Banana Migraine. Melissa's fibers are hip and edgy with a focus on raw color and emotion. Next we have the oh so sophisticated, ever elegant Dawn of Dawning Dreams. Dawn provides fibers with heart and texture. Her fibers ooze taste and refinement without overlooking fun and a touch of your inner child. Then, we have the zany, creative and vivacious Sue of The Critter Ranch. Sue brings the farm to you with farm fresh fibers. Always fun with a twist, Sue's fibers will delight, amaze and uplift you. Finally, I round out the team with penache and a Desert Garden Flair.

Each box will contain a one ounce offering from each of these super shops. The first month's theme will focus on an 80's Flashback! Other eras will follow. Stay tuned and watch our groups, shops and tweets for more information to come. Inspineration is on the way!

Paper Pterodactyl Sculpture

2010-03-15T12:06:00.003-06:00

Many of you know that I teach an art class to some primary aged kids twice a month. Today was one of those classes. We made Paper Pterodactyl Sculptures. The one pictured above was done by my four year old daughter who went to the class with me. I got the idea for this project at the Creativity Portal website and only made a few changes to the plan. We glued our projects to a base of tagboard and used some white wrapping tissue in place of the newspaper. We had fun and the kids added lots of different embellishments including eggs, babies and one boy even added a person that his Pterodactyl had carried up to the nest!

The Recycled Bead Caper

2010-02-06T16:14:00.004-07:00

My darling, charming and funny friend, Miss Julep (of Yarn Juleps on the Veranda) has appointed herself the "Collector of Mardi Gras Beads". Last night was the first parade of the season and Miss Julep has gathered together a small group of Bead Minions and together they are collecting as many beads as they can to ship to us here in Idaho so that we, in turn, can recycle them and throw them out at the Fiddlers Festival Parade in June. Check out her blog for great pics and progress reports on the giant pile of beads getting ready to make it's way accross country. So far, they have collected 16 pounds of beads!

The Proposal Master Painter KAL!

2010-01-21T14:12:00.003-07:00

This is so incredibly exciting! We are spilling the beans, here folks! I get to work with an amazing designer and hand paint merino yarn for you all! What am I talking about? I am teaming up with the super talented Dani of Danido Crafty to put together a Master Painter themed KAL package based upon this painting, The Proposal by William-Adolphe Bougureau.

This package will include a never to be repeated hand painted, merino yarn dyed by me and a pattern for a darling beret written by Dani--both inspired by the painting. You can be among the first to own this pattern before it is released to the world and to have the companion yarn designed specifically to go with it. Come on over to our Ravelry group to see all the chatter and get in on more details!

Hank

2010-01-01T11:16:00.008-07:00

This is Hank. He is my constant companion, my loyal little buddy. He is a terrier mutt of unknown origin that we got at the pound about two years ago. Hank is wierd. He is a picky eater (only dog I've ever met who doesn't like hotdogs!) and he lays along the back of the couch, behind my head, while I'm knitting or watching tv. He follows me wherever I go throughout the day and takes up residence on the sofa in my studio while I am working. He sleeps on my feet at night.

Hank is named for the "Hank the Cowdog" series of books by John R. Erickson. They are a favorite of kids and adults alike in this house. Like his namesake, my Hank truly believes that he is the Head of Ranch Security on this farm and there is little that goes on without his knowledge and say so. He has been known to chase a chicken, or two, and to get himself into totally undeserved trouble now and then and he is always on some mission or other, for the good of the farm.

January's theme for Phat Fiber is "For the Love of Books". So, in honor of that theme and in appreciation for Good Buddies everywhere, I created these batts.

"Hank, the Cowdog" 4 ounces total. Hemp, bamboo, and silk. A lovely coppery, rosey, brown-tan and heaven to touch. Available in our shop now.

Handspun Revolution

2009-12-18T10:48:00.000-07:00

Spinners go check this out. Speaks for itself.

It's Fluffy Out There

2009-12-15T12:37:00.007-07:00

Almost all of this is just since last night and it's still coming down heavy. Yep, we must be in Idaho.

Flat Christmas Tree

2009-12-11T12:33:00.003-07:00

The first contribution to the Flat Christmas Tree project arrived in the mail today! I'm so excited about it. Sue at The Critter Ranch created and sent this darling felt Christmas Llama piece to go on our special project. The fibers were donated by her own critters and we just love it! Check out the cuddly cuteness!! The kids are just in love with this piece and so looking forward to seeing the other pieces that are coming!

What We Did On Black Friday

2009-12-02T11:44:00.001-07:00

We did NOT go shopping. In fact, I have never been to a store the day after Thanksgiving. Why ruin a perfectly happy record. What we DID do is remodel the outdoor cooking area in our front yard. And when I say WE, I mean the Farmer Man did all the work while I supervised from a lawn chair. This is the old, much beloved cooking area. We have made many meals here in the last two years. We learned that it had some flaws, however. Notice the crab apple overhanging the whole affair. Every summer for the last two years that poor tree has borne the crisped evidence of a family who loves to cook out. We also learned that our original plan was too small and it blocked traffic flow in the yard. So, we finally set out to improve the plan and clean up the mess.

Here is the site for the new cooking area. Everthing was leveled, mostly, and roots etc were removed. The excavated area behind the cooking area will eventually be a small patio where I can set up a prep/serving table. We do a lot of entertaining in our yard in nice weather.

The base is being laid. Moving these cinder blocks wasn't too bad, though a couple of them are fairly heavy.

Here is the finished overview of the new cooking area. There is a flat spot to the left where we can put lid lifters, rest lids, put the salt and pepper shakers, etc. Next to it there is a cooking well that accomodates on of our grill racks perfectly so it can be used for either dutch oven cooking or grilling. The next well will serve as a place to start the coals and keep additional coals heating. Love this! It also fits the smaller grill perfectly so we can use it to cook if needed. The third bay is perfect for dutch oven cooking or for setting finished ovens to rest before serving. There is another, smaller, flat area to set lid lifters and utensils. The front features a lovely stone landing which I adore. Now, those stones were a buggar to move. Made me hurt to watch!

A close up of one of the paver stones. Isn't it cute?

Here you can see the diffenrent wells and the grills we use. I can hardly wait to cook here!

Turkey Hunt Winner!

2009-12-02T10:56:00.004-07:00

The Turkey Hunt "Gobble Gobble" yarn was inspired by this guy. This is Little John and he is my son's Blue Slate tom turkey. Isn't he gorgeous? He knows he is! I love his colors and his "I'm too sexy" attitude and so from his inspiration this was created...

This is a pre-washed photo of "Gobble Gobble". It is approximately 64 yards of bulky spun merino lamb, silk, banana fiber and bamboo. The grey sections are lumpy, bumpy and squishy and the pink sections are sleek, smooth and ultra shiny. I love it!

Now, who is getting this fun bit of fibery, turkey yumminess? Drum roll, please......craftypuppylover! Come on down! You will be receiving this quirky yarn in the mail. Thanks to everyone who played. Stay tuned for other games and specials for the remainder of the Christmas season. We've got some fun stuff planned.

Big Shopping Weekend Specials!

2009-11-25T10:06:00.002-07:00

Exciting specials going on around here. Through Cyber Monday we are offering Free Shipping on orders over $50 in both shops. Also, all clubs are marked down 15% and all totes and bags are also marked 15% off. Great deals to be had!

We want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! May you all have a peaceful day filled with family, friends, love and good food. Thank you all for your continued support and friendship. Our homesteading dreams are bolstered by the love, shared knowledge, friendship and interest in our products that you all contribute. We are truly thankful for so many things and look forward to enjoying a quiet holiday in contemplation of those blessings. And in turn, Blessings to you all!

Turkey Themed Contest!

2009-11-23T16:18:00.002-07:00

Announcing our first ever Hide and Seek Turkey Contest. Each day this week I will hide the word "Turkey" in one of the listings in our shop at www.desertgarden.etsy.com and in one of the listings at www.prairiestyle.etsy.com. Find the listing/s and email, pm or convo me to tell me which item is hiding the Turkey. For each listing you find with the word, your name will be entered into a drawing for a special art yarn entitled "Gobble Gobble" which I am working on right now. This means, that you have two opportunities each day to earn a spot in the drawing from now until Friday for a total of 10 possible entries if you find them all. So, start checking those listings and find that Turkey!

Monsters and Menaces

2009-10-10T14:06:00.003-06:00

Our new collection of batts designed and named for various mythalogical baddies. The kids had a great time helping me come up with monsters and color combos for these.

A Fun Project

2009-10-07T20:40:00.006-06:00

Started to work on a fun project today. I brought home a new toy from a visit with my mom. It's a Viking Plus! sewing machine! I'm so excited I can hardly stand it. Squee! Of course, such a gorgeous machine deserves a really cool place to hang out so I picked this baby up at the junk shop downtown. Okay, so it's kind of a mess and a little on the ugly side right here.

But look at how it folds out and there's some really neat storage and shelving inside. So, I thought about what I wanted to do and a few hours later, voila, check out my new baby's home now....

That's a Rustoleum spray paint in a hammered finish. I adore this color! Sonny Boy painted the hardware for me while I was working on the cabinet. Those handles are so cool! It was a glitter Rustoleum in a soft black with silver glitter in it. I love it! Marshall the cat thinks it'll do, too.

Here's a closer shot of the door and the hardware. I'm so thrilled with how this cabinet turned out. As soon as the paint is cured, I'm getting the machine in here and taking it for a test drive!

Where have I been?

2009-09-21T17:27:00.006-06:00

Honestly, I don't know. I mean, I've been around. I've been working on stuff. But, I just can't really account for my time. Here are some things I know I've been doing. Chickens got a new house and run. Much more space, much more escape proof and I can find all the eggs in one place.

Floyd has grown. That's about how I feel some days! LOL

Lots of dyeing and carding.

More batts.

And more batts.

Been Busy

2009-08-12T11:51:00.002-06:00

Lots of stuff going on around here lately and I haven't had as much time to spend on the computer. We spent a week in Cambridge, Idaho at the Washington County Fair. The kids had a great time and enjoyed showing off their livestock projects. We spent a quality week together camping, seeing the sights and showing and made lots of great memories. Another 4h year is complete and the kids learned so very much. We're looking forward to getting started on next year's projects!

Now we are cleaning, reorganizing the house and cupboards, doing some canning, putting parts of the garden to bed for the year and prepping the barnyard and livestock for winter. I'm also planning the school year and figuring out with the kids what activities they want to do this fall and winter.

We are still on cria watch with Miss Rosie. No baby llama yet, but she grows and is looking very healthy. I hope she's not just messing with me!

I'll try to update more regularly now that fair is over and to get some pictures up to share.

Mmmmmmm, Fiber!

2009-06-19T16:43:00.003-06:00

Here's is part of what I've been doing for the last two days.... Dyeing, blending and carding these lovelies. Most are Rambo and Icicle, but the red ones are a merino/corrie/rambo cross with some merino lamb and angelina. Don't you just want to roll in them?

Stormy Surprise

2009-06-05T17:14:00.004-06:00

We didn't think Xena was bred so I had her back in with Cypher to see if we could get some Fall babies from her. Then, we had a heavy cloudburst last night and when it was over, we came out to find this little cutie. His name is Floyd and he is the most luscious shade of coal black.

While I was out taking pics of the new little man, I couldn't resist sneaking a shot of this sweet little nap. Courage thinks his momma is just so soft and cushy!

Last of the Spring kids

2009-05-21T12:43:00.003-06:00

Ella finally had her kids this afternoon! These are also Cypher babies and should be the last kids we are expecting until Fall. This is the doe kid whose name will either be Harriet or Gretel.

The other is a buck kid who was being difficult to photograph. Sorry for the wierd, grainy pic. I'm still figuring out the settings on this new camera. Anyway, he'll either be a Harold or a Hansel. What do you guys think? Hansel and Gretel or Harriet and Harold? Hmmmm......I'm torn.

Llamas and Chickens, Oh My!

2009-05-21T09:45:00.007-06:00

By request....pics of some of the other animals that live here. A golden sex link hen searches for bugs in the garden.

These birds sure are good at bug control.

This is Ricoh, one of the four llamas that live here. Ricoh is our smooth talking, ladies man with a cool attitude.

This is Hudson. He is the class clown and if anyone is going to get into mischief, it will be Hudson every time.

This is Hot Shot. He is laid back and spends most of his time sunning in a nice dust bowl.

And, this is Rosey. Rosey is Queen Bee around here and will let you know, in no uncertain terms, that you are here to serve her. She is expecting a cria this year and we are very excited to have a baby llama running around.

Special Surprise

2009-05-20T20:55:00.004-06:00

Look what we found when we got home tonight! Born to Dori and Cypher....triplets! Our first triplets ever. A doe kid named Truth.

A buck kid named Honor.

And a buck kid named Courage. Sonny Boy will be taking mother and children to fair this year. Yay!

And, the promised picture of Temperance. Isn't she a lovely girl?

May Phat Box

2009-05-20T13:26:00.003-06:00

Got my Phat box for May today and boy was it nommy! Here's a shot of the fibers. Top row includes: Crocus Merino from www.Chimera.etsy.com; gorgeous sample batt from www.froggyfibers.etsy.com (love this!); Alpaca sample from www.alpacanation.com/sciotovalley.asp; Bellino mohair/merino from www.natchwoolie.etsy.com (I've been eyeballing this!). Bottom row includes: Superwash Merino from www.twistedfiberyarn.com, Chloris SW Merino from www.spincerely.etsy.com, and Flourish Merino/Bamboo roving from www.lotusjulie.etsy.com.

Here are the yarns. In the top row: Sprinkles handspun by www.ambrosiaandbliss.etsy.com (we love this one), Tigerlilies and Nasturtiums handspun by www.rsuntop.com (another fav), delicious Petal Pushers hand dyed from www.my8kidsmom.etsy.com, and Poppy organic merino sock yarn from www.extremespinning.com. Bottom row: Spring Shower sock yarn from www.sqwish.etsy.com (love the bus name!), brilliant Victory yarn from www.epicurus.etsy.com, and Appletini cashmere lace from www.JagsFunkyFibers.com (makes me want to learn to knit lace!).

Then there are goodies. Tons of coupons and cards tucked into this darling notions wrap. Also included: tiny project bag by www.BlueTulips.etsy.com (amazing!), gorgeous shawl/kilt pin from www.dawningdreams.etsy.com, ceramic buttons from www.heartstone.etsy.com (I'm a button freak!), tiny stitch marker from www.twiceshearedsheep.etsy.com, and a darling raindrop stitchmarker and cute rain themed bookmarks from www.winemakerssister.etsy.com.

All in all a very satisfying box. I'm off to fondle it some more! Thanks to all who contributed!!!

Catching Up

2009-05-19T14:58:00.008-06:00

If feels like forever since I posted. Well, I guess it has been awhile. But, I'm BAAAAAAACK and with a camera. So, to catch up on some of the stuff that's been going on around here. Loved these shots of the kids at 4h meeting the other day. We practiced our herding skills and even had a mini timed trial. They were in teams and had to put the sheep in the barn the fastest and even got extra points if they put them between two obstacles in the yard. I loved this shot of Hubby and Baby Girl, the Oldest flying behind the beasties.

Here, the kids worked as a group to bring the whole herd in off the pasture. They did an excellent job and didn't even leave any strays.

Whoosh, right through the gate.

Gratuitous baby pic! This is Patience. She was born to Grace and Curly Joe on May 4th. Grace's sister, Felicity, had a doe kid who is a sister to this one on the 11th, but I guess I didn't get a picture of her yet. I'll go back out and get one shortly.

And, a fluff piece. These are some batts that Sonny Boy and I carded from a blend of lincoln lamb and kid mohair that we grew right here on the 'Stead. This colorway is called "Tiptoe Through the Tulips" and was part of the samples we sent in for the May Phat Fiber samples. This group of full sized batts went up in the shop today.

Dredlocks and Half Moon Natchwoolie

2009-04-16T13:17:00.007-06:00

Cool new purse for me was handspun, crocheted and then felted. It has half round bamboo handles. The oatmeal colored fiber is a blend of wool and mohair that I got in a swap from katessheep on Ravelry.

The silver stripe is some llama roving that I got in another swap from Roving1 on Ravelry. Lovely stuff! You can't see it here, but it has a shine that won't quit!

The locks are dyed Teeswater locks that I bought from katessheep. They are absolutely the most gorgeous thing I've seen in awhile! When he saw the finished purse, hubby remarked, "Look! You made a bag with dredlocks!" Funny man.

This is the beginning of my half moon shawl featuring some merino/silk that I bought from Natchwoolie (the pink and grey blend) and some grey merino/alpaca from Ashland Bay. The Natchwoolie fiber arrived undyed and in cloud form. I dyed it three different colors and then my son carded it with some angelina into the gorgeous batts I posted about not long ago. I spun it bulky and it is really beautiful! Such a soft blend of the colors and the texture is amazing.

Here is an overview of the shawl in progress. There will be another band of each color on there by the time it is finished.

Cotton Baby Feet

2009-04-15T14:39:00.003-06:00

I got back to working with some of the Isis Cotton I got from Betty at Sheeps of Egyptian Cotton on etsy awhile back. I made these oh so cute baby sockies! I so love them. This cotton is such beautiful colors and really soft too. It's a joy to work with and the baby is loving wearing her new footwear. Thanks, Betty!

Just for Danido

2009-04-01T18:10:00.003-06:00

Okay, for Dani, and because it's April Fool's Day. I put together a VERY impromptu "If Cyndi Lauper Were a Farm Wife" costume and my son took these photos. Sorry, I didn't have a tutu, but that IS my summer going to town skirt and that IS my winter orange flannel petticoat underneath it and those ARE my muck boots! Go ahead, have a good chuckle.

Coffee and Chocolate, Ahhhhhh

2009-03-22T10:29:00.001-06:00

A little pile of mohair cloud that I washed and teased this weekend. This is from Dori, my reverse badger doe. Can't wait to wash some more of this.

Got my amazing package from my partner in round 4 of the Coffee and Chocolate swap on Ravelry. I don't even know where to begin! Goodies include: two skeins of yarn, a journal, a notepad, pens, a little tape measure for my knitting bag, lotion, a book of neat patterns, 2 packages of coffee, a knitted afghan square in a beautiful shade of mustard, and more candy than I truly need! What a great pick me up. I keep going back to fondle the yarn and the square. I love the mustard and the red together. They may have to be joined in some way!

Got My Phat On!

2009-03-18T14:01:00.001-06:00

Got my Phat Fiber box today! If you don't know what that is, go here for more info. First, I got a llama stamp on my box, yay! I don't know why that's important to anyone but me, but there it is.

Look at all the great stuff!

Border Leicester Locks from Altered Visions. These are lovely. Very clean and brightly dyed. I can't see any VM in there.

Spinning batt called Ides of March and a little cloud of angora from Giffordables. I got one of their batts last month too, which was really lovely by the way. This one is beautiful colors and has lots of springy texture.

Little blue fiber braid from H.A.Y. It's called "Summer Day" and it is Falklands. Soft and beautifully dyed.

Pretty rust tweed mini skein from Jags Funky Fibers. I love the colors in this. I might have to see if she has more of this for a felted project or something.

Have I ever mentioned that I love yellow? I really do. The yellow yarn is from Teresa Levite Studio and it might be my favorite thing in the box because it is just the perfect shade of yellow.

I also really like the green yarn from Deborah Quesnette. This is handspun and so even and fine. A very lovely shade of green, too and would go with my yellow fetish.

A Ruddawg bag! Love the fabric and the workmanship is excellent.

From Jen Hintz Yarn Arts a sweet little skein of minty green laceweight Merino. Very soft and lovable.

I love the way East Kentucky Fibers did their samples. They sent several little bits of roving in different colors so you could see a sampling of their stuff. Some of it is Rambo! (I love the Rambo) Best of all, it's dye lot identified for easy matching.

Fire Lizard sock yarn! I love all her stuff and one day I'm going to go shopping. This one is Enchanted Forest on the Joy yarn.

I was really excited about the green fiber braid. It's from Vines and it is South African Fine Wool. I've been seeing ads for lots of South African wools, but this is my chance to put my fingers on some. I really enjoyed petting it and I'm looking forward to spinning. Love the color too.

Princess Emma's sent two lovely carp stitch markers. Stitch markers are not something I tend to use, but these are so pretty, I'm thinking of adding them to a charm bracelet!

Beaded yarn from Laura Murphy. How can anyone not love that! Everything she does is just beautiful.

Worsted wool yarn from Bohemian Knitter Chic. Love these colors! She has some really neat patterns too.

Way cool copper shawl pin from Wyrding Studios. I love copper jewelry and this is such a sweet piece!

Sock pattern from Avalon Fiber Arts. I'm saving these because I AM going to knit socks!

Lamb stitch marker from Yarndemon Designs is also going on the bracelet! I'm in love with it!

Gorgeous knit happens bookmark from Becky's Paper Creations.

Something beautiful from In Stitches. A row counter, maybe? I gotta get ahold of her and find out for sure because I've never used any of those kinds of tools and don't know what I'm looking at. Lovely, though!

And, a selection of coupons and business cards.

Phew! What a box and what a blog post. I'll share when I've done some spinning.

Moonwood Hat Finished

2009-03-13T13:39:00.000-06:00

I got the Moonwood Hat done! This hat was spun from fibers I got from Moonwood Farms and then crocheted into the super cool finished hat below. I love it!

I put a little bit of a shell edging around the bottom. I figured with that much sparkle, the design should be uber feminine.

Don't you love how the four color panels came out? I still have yarn left over too. I may do a headband or maybe a hat for the baby.

I also dyed some yarn yesterday. This is LemonBerry on the DK Merino.

Here is Dryad on the bulky single.

And Geranium on the Mohair blend. They all came out just lovely!

Stone Soup

2009-03-11T15:35:00.000-06:00

I took the Stone Soup Challenge. Check it out here.

Moonwood Alpaca Yarn

2009-03-10T08:57:00.001-06:00

I finished spinning and plying the 5 ounces of alpaca blend fiber I got from Moonwood Farms on etsy. Look how sparkly! It's navajo plied into a sport/dk weight yarn. The amethyst is alpaca with sparkle and the hematite is alpaca, satin angora and sparkle.

Now, I'll get it wound into a ball and start a stocking hat with it. I'm sure it will get some notice with all the glitz and those gorgeous colors.

Isis Cotton Beanies

2009-03-09T14:20:00.001-06:00

Here are a couple of the beanies I've made with the Isis Cotton yarn I got from Sheeps of Egyptian Cotton on etsy. Oops, I need to trim that ribbon!

But, I loooove them!

This one is really cool and may become mine.

I love the texture and color!

Baby Goats!

2009-03-08T12:29:00.001-06:00

After a couple of fake-outs, Charity finally had her babies with no warning whatsoever. A strawberry and white swirled doe kid.

And a tomato soup colored buck kid. Aren't they beautiful? Charity is a high percentage Boer and the daddy is Curly Joe who is 50% Boer and 50% Angora.

She's such a good Mommy.

Finished Object

2009-03-04T13:43:00.000-07:00

I got the black and white Merino hat finished yesterday. It turned out so pretty and so soft! I delivered it to the customer yesterday and she was tickled pink. Check out the bold stripes. Love it!

So cute, I may have to do another one just for kicks.

Everybody, Everybody, Everbody Wants to Be a Cat

2009-03-02T13:21:00.000-07:00

I've been singing that song ever since I opened my swap package from the Ravelry stuffed toy swap. Check out my alley cats! My partner went way above and beyond-dare I say "Crayyy-zayy".

This coffee and chicory is one of my favorite things. I can't wait to try it and I just love the can. I'll have to save it (I'm a tin and box nut).

Check out the crazy socks and the Mardi Gras beads.

Yes, those are jumbo shrimp on the mardi gras beads. I can hardly stand it! They are so cool!

A cool organizer box full of trims, beads, eyes etc. And I adore the tiny ceramic lamb! There were also several neat pieces of ribbon, some beaded fringe and a big bunch of colored pom poms. I'm so excited I could almost pee!

Thank you, thank you! You've made my day with your messages and this box is so far out! Also included were a bunch of Southern recipes (I love black eyed peas), some home made candy (Yum!) and a bunch of information about the region that I can't wait to sit down and read. What a great day this is!

Oh, oh. Kids just came in and informed me we may be having baby goats. I'll post to Ravelry after checking on the doe.

Hippo, Yarns, and Luxury Fibers

2009-02-26T19:31:00.000-07:00

Okay, I said I was going to do a pig next, but instead I did a hippo. These are our homegrown fibers. A blend of Rambo lamb, kid mohair and angora. Sooooo soft!

More yarns are coming from the dyepot. Dryad is the green and blue and is a blend of silk, merino and alpaca. Old Flame is the red and gold and is Peruvian Highland wool. And, Paper Roses is the rose and purple one and is a DK weight Merino.

And, I carded these batts in gorgeous shades of chocolate, white and spruce. The chocolate is Merino, the white is Alpace and the spruce is Soy Silk. There's a little peacock colored flash in there too. These are too yummy to leave lying around. Someone better buy them quick or I'll devour (spin) them. I won't be able to help myself!

Little Lambie

2009-02-25T18:17:00.001-07:00

She's finished. This little cutie is a gift for my partner in the stuffed toy swap on Ravelry. I'm so tickled with how she came out! She's been handspun and crocheted from a wool yarn and a tailspun yarn. I dyed the roving and the lincoln locks to match in my partner's favorite colors of blue and green.

Her little eyes are crocheted flowers from some wine colored Merino lace yarn that I got as a sample in my Phat Fiber box and they are accented with some little white buttons. Isn't she darling? My husband says I need to make some more of these for my craft booth during Fiddle Week. I think I'll try a piggie next. She was so much fun to make and plan. I definitely have to try some more critters.

Llama Batts and Knitting Needles

2009-02-23T11:11:00.000-07:00

Been busy today. Here's what I've done. Oh so delicious, drum carded batts. Smokey lavender grey llama, dorset wool and silk. Can you say lustrous?

Look how fluffy and soft they are and oh the shimmer! These will make someone a very happy spinner. The llama who donated the fiber is my daughter's Hot Shot. His fiber is very silky with almost no guard hair anywhere. I'm thinking he may be what they refer to as a "suri" type llama. I really gotta learn more about those llama fiber types.

I also got the first two pairs of our lovely new walnut knitting needles done and listed. These are hand rubbed with beexwax and orange oil. The tops are hand painted and slightly distressed. I love them! They're 12 inches long and a wonderfully large 3/8 inch in diameter. So cool!

More Yarns

2009-02-19T18:38:00.000-07:00

And the dyepot overfloweth... Boy Meets Girl on the mohair base

Summertime on the bulky wool singles

Dancing Queen on the bulky wool singles

Playful on the mohair. Off to do some more!

I love dyeing yarn

2009-02-18T15:21:00.001-07:00

I've been dyeing yarns like crazy trying to have them in the shop by the time the Feb and March Phat boxes get into people's hands. I just love dyeing yarn! I got some gorgeous bases to work with and they are turning out splendidly and I may have to snag one for myself to work up into something so I can see a finished item. For now, here is a sneak peek at a few of the yarns I've been working on. "Rustic" a bulky domestic and new zealand wool blend.

"Lavender and Old Lace" a mohair and wool blend with a sparkly thread wrap.

"Geranium" a worsted 100% Merino.

More Dyeing

2009-02-14T14:45:00.000-07:00

These are some Merino Rovings that I dyed yesterday. Oh so pretty! This one is "Raggedy Do" because it reminds me of the yarn hair on an old fashioned rag doll.

"The Dye Pot Burped" and this is what I found.

This is "Spring Smile". It makes me think of flowers and Easter and other spring things.

Look What Came Today!

2009-02-11T13:54:00.000-07:00

Look what we got in the mail today. These are American Seramas. They are the smallest Banty chicken. The males weigh less than 2 pounds! These will be show birds for two of the kids this year. This is the pair that my daughter chose. She's named them "Spark" and "Sparkle", I think.

This is the pair that my son chose. They have been dubbed "Shadow" and "Fireball". They are so stinkin' cute!

Swap Box

2009-02-10T17:10:00.001-07:00

My Chocolate and Coffee swap partner from Ravelry got her box today, so now I can share pics of what I put in there. She got two kinds of coffee because I couldn't decide. She got Mayan Chocolate instant coffee, dark choc Toblerone, dark chocolate buttercrunch truffles by Almond Roca, smoked almonds and two Idaho Spud bars beacause you can't send a package from Idaho without including those! She told me she wanted to learn to spin, so I included a wooden student spindle, a spindle sack from my shop and some wool roving that I dyed with lichen. I also found some way cool wooden knitting needles with vintage wooden thread spools at the ends and I bought two pairs--one for her, one for me. Of course, I plopped in a tin of Teat Treat and the yarn was a blend of camel and tussah silk that I spun because she told me that camels were her favorite animal in the whole world. I had such a great time working on this box!

New Yarn Off the Wheel

2009-02-09T21:30:00.000-07:00

I love spinning coilspun. It's just so quirky! This is a wool coilspun with a cotton core. There are bits of gold thread showing here and there. It's super squishy and extremely colorful! I've called it "Sea Witch".

Busy, Busy

2009-02-07T11:34:00.001-07:00

Lots of things coming off the wheel, hook and needles. This is a hat I did for myself. It's spun from the other Merino/Silk Tropical Smoothie roving that I kept behind. It's so soft and squishy. I just love wearing it. I spun it bulky and knitted it on my giant wood needles.

This is a hat I'm doing for a local lady. I love the way the black and white graphic stripes look. It's coming out beautifully, but I underestimated how much yarn I would need. Back to spin some more Merino.

This will be my next spinning project. Some luscious baby camel and baby alpaca for a tie shawl. Can't wait to start on that one!

Out of the Dye Pot

2009-02-01T11:20:00.000-07:00

I did a buch of dyeing yesterday and came up with some really pretty fibers. All have been listed in the shop. Can't wait to see how they do! This is some really pretty BFL that I called "Peony". I love the way the rose and the spring green go together.

This is an ultrasoft Merino that I dubbed "The Ides of March". I may do some more of this colorway for the March Phat Fiber box in addition to my Loch Ness plan. These colors just reach out and grab me.

This is another BFL roving that I named "Nosegay". The blue came out a little darker than I anticipated, but I've decided I like the contrast to the softer lavender and rose.

Got a Preeeeesent!

2009-01-29T14:56:00.000-07:00

I got my swap box from the Ravelry Coffee and Chocolate swap yesterday and boy, did I ever need it! I've been fighting this virus crud for several weeks now and I needed something yarn-y, something chocolate-y and definitely something COFFEE! I got some gorgeous baby alpaca bulky in a lovely shade of pumpkin that I think is my new favorite color. I got three, yes three, flavors of coffee. Tons of Bavarian chocolate. A to-die-for lavender eye pillow (I've wanted one for several years). Got a great soy candle in Red Currant that I may just glue to my face. Got a cowl pattern that is so cute I can't wait to make one. And, I got some heirloom veggie seeds. C'mon spring! My partner is way cool too and I think I made out like a bandit. I'll post pics of the package I put together for her, but not until she gets it so I don't spoil the surprises.

In other news, I finished this cutie patootie lamb's ear baby hat for my brother's baby. It's knit from Serengetti colored Gloss yarn (merino and silk) from Knit Picks. I lined the ears with some black velvet and I'll tie a little bow on there somewhere in case it's a girl baby. If it's a boy, they can just take off the ribbon. I've got a black one on the needles now for my littlest and I'll do another one in chocolate brown for my friend who is due with a boy in May. I tried this one on my baby and it was soooo cute. Made all those tiny stitches worth the effort!

New Yarns

2009-01-27T11:35:00.001-07:00

I just finished dyeing the first two test skeins of the new yarns I will be adding to the shop in February. They are dyed in a colorway I call Loch Ness. I'll be sending in samples of these yarns, in this color combo, to the March Phat Fiber box. This one is a blend of Suri Alpaca and Merino in a worsted weight.

This one is Merino wool wrapped in cotton in a bulky weight. I'll also be offering a 100% Merino in a worsted weight. The new yarns should be ready in a couple of weeks. I'm planning several beautiful color combos to choose from and can't wait to see how they turn out!

Phat Fiber

2009-01-21T20:56:00.000-07:00

My first round of samples for the February Phat Fiber box are boxed and ready to ship. I've included hand dyed fiber, Teat Treat samples and some Sundries Bags and Spindle Sacks. I'm so excited to participate in this networking opportunity. The first round of boxes (something like 69 of them) sold out in less than 20 minutes. Many of the contributors are already seeing traffic from the advertising and the wonderful editors of Knitty.com have notified the group that they are going to do a feature on the boxes in their next issue. Way cool! If you don't know about this phenom, go check it out at www.phatfiber.com. It's way too cool a deal to miss.

Spinning Merino and Alpaca

2009-01-21T15:26:00.000-07:00

A couple of days ago I started spinning some dove grey Alpaca/Merino I had sitting around.

Here it is as a two ply, nearly 8 ounce hank of lustrous, soft, strokable, semi-sport weight goodness. Look at how much shine it has.

Here's a shot out in the sunlight after I wound it into a skein.

I ordered samples of some new bare yarns to work on getting dyed and in the shop. Can't wait to see them. I have a worsted weight Alpaca/Merino coming as well as a bulky weight Merino/Cotton. Should be de-light-ful! I'm also looking at a DK Merino, a worsted Merino and a bulky Merino depending on what I think of the two samples.

Then I ordered some rovings to play with and get dyed up. I've got a Merino/Silk blend, an ultrafine wool and a Falkland wool coming. I've never experienced Falkland in person, so I wanted to test it out and see if it's something I want to stock in the store. Can't wait 'till those come and I can get to dyeing them.

Introducing Vapor Salve

2009-01-16T15:01:00.001-07:00

It's ready and in my shop now. This is our Vapor Salve. It is the same lovely base as all our other salves, but this one contains Rosemary and Eucalyptus to help ease breathing during a chest cold. I used it all last week when I was feeling crummy and loved it. It's much gentler than the other stuff we used to use and it smells better too.

I also finished knitting this cool stocking hat. It is the last part of what we bartered for our new, cool, metal sheep and goat feeders. Gotta love feeders that take a lickin'!

Happenings

2009-01-13T10:53:00.000-07:00

Lots of things have been going on around here the last few days. These are my new Spindle Sacks and Project Pokes which will be debuting in my shop shortly. I'm sewing like mad to get them in before February when several of them will appear in the February Phat Fiber sample boxes. Lots of other samples will be in there from me as well including Teat Treat and hand dyed roving.

The first kids of 2009 were born this week. These are the next generation of a breeding experiment I started three years ago. This buck kid is 50% Angora and 50% Boer. He will be my son's market wether for this year and we are looking forward to seeing how he will grow.

The next day, Faith presented us with this colorful buckling. He is also 50/50 and will be a market wether for my oldest daughter. Both are quite large babies and are showing signs of being very vigorous.

The next project to work on will be to dye some new colorways of roving and to develop our new Super Secret Knitting Product. I'll post about it as soon as I get a prototype together. Very exciting!

Danish Tie Shawl

2009-01-02T14:32:00.000-07:00

Ever since seeing these featured in a Spin Off article, I've been wanting to make one. My aunt gave me a large bag of assorted yarns for Christmas, so I decided this was my chance. I finished it and I love it! I'm planning to make a couple of others for sale and to offer it in my shop as a custom order option. The cool thing is that the original patterns were for a knit version and I was able to figure out how to do it in crochet. I love the way the novelty yarns are shown off and the textures they create.

A New Adventure

2008-12-31T09:21:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about blogging about what I do around here for awhile. A number of people have asked me to do it, so I decided that with a new year ahead, today I would begin a new adventure in journaling online.

I'm looking forward to a lot of new things in the upcoming year as well as a continuation of things I started in 2008. My little cottage industry is starting to take off and my home remedies, especially, are becoming popular. I look forward to seeing what 2009 will bring and to meeting some new challenges and to exploring some new ideas. What an exciting time this is!

Here are a few of the things I worked on for Christmas. Most of these were custom ordered as gifts.