Minus 11 Fahrenheit

Nothing like another Polar vortex to get outside and sunbathe... Unfortunately -11 is the current temperature, with wind chill, and it will fall again at nightfall.

I love the snowy noses!

 While the temperatures are no picnic for animals needing to live outside, I think our alpacas are doing well and enjoying the extra portions of hay to keep their metabolisms up.

Bridge over creek near our house.

And for all the trouble they're causing, the weather and the snow do deserve a round of applause for beauty and peacefulness.

Stay warm in your hand knits!

Hauling the Hay, Gentleman Farmer Style

When we were visiting my brother's farm last weekend, the topic of hay storage came up, which reminded me that I have been meaning to blog about how we do it here at Shady Grove Alpacas. By November, our constantly "starving" animals had eaten their way through 96 bales of hay since last winter so it was time to reload the stores.

Hungry, Hungry 'Pacas

 Upon arriving at the hay farm and waiting for the farmer to reappear out of some remote field, we were greeted by the most enormous hog either of us had ever seen.

Anyone want to wager a guess how many pounds this pig weighs?

The Farmer in awe (and supplied for scale) of hog.

 We begin the day by, you guessed it, renting a UHaul truck! One of these days we will upgrade our "farm" vehicles, but at this point in our small operation renting is still more economical. We backed the truck right into the hay farmer's barn to easily throw all those bales into the back. The Farmer was thrilled to learn that this hay was of the finest quality and a third cutting - ideal nutrition for the alpacas.

We fit around 75 bales in the back. There was probably a way to get a few more in, but why force the matter. We'll need to come back for more in late Spring and a few bales won't make that big a difference.

At home, there was the arduous task of unloading all those bales into the garage... Yup, our garage has extra room at the front so that we can have a car and all of the hay in one bay. Pretty convenient to not have to build another structure for storage. This revelation brought a look of incredulity to my brother's face, but...

5 rows deep, 3 rows wide, stacked 5 high...

Whatever works, right?

Yarn Along - Happy 2014!

Happy New Year to you! I was sorting my holiday travel knitting back into the drawer this morning and then decided to keep this Omelet Shawl out as a finishing goal for this month. The shawl has been hanging around for a long time (started June, 2012) and a multi-row mistake that needs tinking has been giving me anxiety. Maybe the rest of break will give me a chance to get back on track. 

As you can see, I am also catching up on my reading this New Year's. A trip to Peru in July is setting my focus on ancient cultures and new landscapes. So very excited!

If you like to knit and read, check out what all the other crafty people are doing today on Ginny's site. Enjoy!

Ribby Ruffley Cowl Experiment

I fell in love with some Berroco Boboli yarn at the Orchardside Yarn Shop in Virginia on vacation last summer. However, I was too cheap (and busy) to invest in the necessary 3 skeins for the short-sleeve T I was drooling over. So instead I experimented with a little one-skein improvised cowl pattern starting in rib and then finishing with a little ruffle.

 It looks a little silly with no neck inside! More like a volcano or artistic vase. :-)

I made the Ruffle using THIS tutorial. 

Wearing it turns out to be fun with options.

Plain put it on and go look.

Folded down neck for added warmth on a windy day.

Folded look under a jacket in the cold.

The muffler; or is that a spy film I should be auditioning for?

Finally, I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year! Who would have thought that 2014 could get here so quickly? For me, 2013 surely had some severe tribulations, but I did enjoy the second half much more and am gratefully counting my blessings. The BEST to all of you! Till next year and next time... :-)

Yarn Forest

This  exciting simple pattern inspired me to attempt to knit an Advent calendar's worth of little trees. Unfortunately, time ran out and I only managed to finish 18. Perhaps I will finish it for next year. And the following year 24 lucky friends will get these as wine bottle toppers. In the mean time, I will just enjoy arranging and rearranging my little forest.  Cheers!

Day 3

Day 5

Day 6: St Nicholas Day!

18 trees, you get the idea...

St. Nicholas could use a beard and a real face...

Bead ornament tree topper

Santa is hiking through the woods.

Gnome's - eye view of the forest

Ariel cut-away; stay tuned...

And Don't Forget to Wash Behind Your Ears...

A few special children in my life needed a little something to open for Christmas this year, so I decided to use up some impulse-purchase cotton yarn to knit washcloths. Add some novelty soaps from the dollar stocking stuffer bin at Walgreens and, violá, a useful and fun gift to keep them clean and smelling nice! The kids who got the tropical fish in a bag were especially fascinated by the idea of having to "free the fish" by bathing. Ha! 

One cloth was entirely garter stitch, while the other six had squares of alternating knit and purl squares with garter stitch borders. I used three skeins of Lily Sugar 'n Cream cotton yarn to make seven total washcloths.

 

Merry Christmas and Happy Winter Festivities! Take a warm bath and enjoy!

Best Mother-In-Law Award

Stereotypes aside, making your mother-in-law happy should be a priority for any married person. Fortunately it is an easy task for me, as mine is 110% awesome, welcoming, and a great friend! 

Enjoying the company of amazing in-laws who adore hand-knit products is a particular pleasure of mine, which made knitting a sweater for my mother in law a great joy. She has been "in the sweater queue" for several years and this resulting Lamb's Lace Cardi by Christina Wall is the happy result. The wish for this pattern was inspired by the Hey Teach sweater I knit myself a few years ago. Lamb's Lace was so much easier to execute as a top-down raglan pattern and a relatively quick knit for those of your looking for a great pattern.

 I ended up crocheting the front together due to running out of yarn twice AND forgetting to set a buttonhole. The awesome Edelweiss button (found at JoAnn Fabrics) is just sewn on top as a finishing touch.

The sweater fit the recipient perfectly, thanks to a head start on knitting on a family vacation and then plenty of patience as the August birthday deadline came and went with the panic of running out of yarn and finding that perfect fit. I am glad I waited to finish it until this Thanksgiving holiday. Working out the finishing details together was a definite process not to be attempted long distance.

Three cheers for great family!