Monday, December 28, 2009

Out the window today was snow



Yes!! More snow and again just enough to coat the ground.  I do love a covering of snow!!   The bird feeder is a very busy place, with a good assortment of birds.  These are the things that I look forward to in winter. 


On the needles I have still not finished the list of Christmas knitting that I had wanted to complete.  The good news is that the sock yarn is great!!  I'm sure that I mentioned before how happy I am with this years sock yarn, but the more I work with it the better I like it!! 

The blog site now has a spot to rsvp about Rock Day.  Rock Day is the day after Twelfthday, when, with the Christmas holidays being over, women returned to spinning. We invite you to join us in honoring our predecessors with a pot luck gathering. Please bring your spinning or knitting project and a dish to pass!!  I have heard already that a few of you will be joining us, it should be a great gathering.  Please feel free to invite your friends, the more the merrier at this event.  We will have plenty of room!!

The next big event will be our shearing day open house.  It will be on January 24.  We are scheduled to start shearing at 9am.  It will take most of the day to shear the 60 some sheep.  Everyone gets a haircut at this time of year at the Foster Farm.  It is best for the sheep and the shepherd.  More details will be posted soon!!

While all of these upcoming events are filling this page, don't forget that the next gathering of knitters and spinners at the farmhouse is Wednesday, Dec. 30.  We generally meet at around 11am, bring our own lunch, and stay until 3 or 4pm.  We have a great time and enjoy each others projects.  In the past there has always been a goodie to share that we took turns bringing.  I thought it wasn't necessary to have the goodie.  I now believe that I was wrong. ( I don't confess to being wrong often so listen up!!)  It is nice to have something made by someone else, it is often a new recipe for someone in the group and we share that also.  So let me suggest that we bring back the dessert.  I will start this off and volunteer for dessert on Wednesday. 

Hope to see many of you there...

Saturday, December 26, 2009

Merry Christmas


      Merry Christmas from the Foster Farm.

For me it has always been about the tree... I love the smell of the tree in the house.  I love to pull out the old decorations and remember each one and who it was from, or how it was made. Of course we all feel that this is the most beautiful tree we have had, but we say that each year. 

This week after Christmas we get to relax and sit around the tree and enjoy it.  I of course will be finishing up some of the last minute gifts that I was sure I had time to make. 

I am also finalizing the plans for January.  We will be hosting Rock Day at the farmhouse.  We will also be hosting a shearing day open house.  Also, I will be putting the finishing touches on the January and February class list.  Many great things are happening in January.  Stay tuned...I will post the days and times later this month.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

I can no longer look out the window to see the sheep.  The snow is beautiful!! but the sheep are in the barn.  We started feeding hay in the pasture on Wednesday when the snow fall was over a foot!!  (the weather men thought we would get a couple of inches)  Then the prediction for freezing rain on Sunday prompted us to bring the sheep inside.  I'm not sure if they are happier, but we all feel better. 

For me it wouldn't be December without a push to finish up a few projects for gifts.  On the needles right now are fingerless mitts...socks...and a new project, it's the Button-up Neck Warmer by Mavis Adam.  Its in the Summer 2009 issue of Spin Off.  When they posted it in the summer I was not inspired to make it.  I wish I was one of those people that would plan ahead.  I don't think there is any hope of changeing that about me at this late date.  But now that the weather is changing, I am ready for a new scarf.  Its simple and fun to knit.  I also have another new project on the needles that I can't tell you about until after Christmas.  After all, aren't the secrets one of the best part of Christmas?   I remember when the kids were young it seemed impossible to sneak a few minutes to work on a secret project.  I still enjoy keeping gifts a secret from them.

With all this knitting to do, I am walking away from the computer and getting back to the needles. 

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

snow




I don't know about you, but I like a little snow in December.  Out the window today we have just that.  It's a little bit of snow cover and the forcast is calling for periods of flurries this morning and then snow late tonight, with an inch of accumulation.  Perfect!!




The sheep are still grazing.  We think they have a few days left before we will start to feed hay.  They still have there wool coats on so they don't mind the cold and snow.   If the weather turns and it looks like cold rain we will probably bring the sheep in the barn.  But if its no worse that this we will put a hay feeder in the pasture and keep them there.  Its so much nicer for them to be on pasture.  Our set up doesn't allow us to let them go back and forth, so once there in there in.  Its been a great fall for grazing. 




The gift baskets are done!! 
The hardest part was writeing the patterns down.  I have been knitting socks for so long I just plan knit them.  I knew I needed a pattern, but I needed a push to get it on paper.  So if you need a sock pattern or a fingerless mitt pattern, or any of the hat patterns, or if you need a last minute gift  let me know, I now have them.





Don't forget...Knit nite...tonight at 6:30. All are welcome

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Kitchener Stitch

I am still making kits, but I have run across this article on knitty.  I am sending you the link.  I think it is the best discription of the kitchener stitch I've seen. 

http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEsummer04/FEATtheresasum04.html

Check it out!!

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Gift Kits


I try to post a blog every Tuesday. Yes, I know that today is Wednesday. I am working on so many different things I'm finding it hard to focus. I'm sure you know all about it. Its December. I am dyeing all kinds of yarn, knitting socks, hats, fingerless mitts, making ornaments, making angels...but, right now I think I will make kits. I think its a great gift idea. I am going to put together a learn to knit kit, a hat kit, a sock kit, and a learn to spin kit. Well, what do you think? I will post some pictures tomorrow. Right now I need to focus!!