Well, it has been a year since I last updated...to long really, but not much has been happening in the workshop.
I've cast on and finished a few things, still plugging away at the Vkandis Sunlord shawl, but have finally reached the halfway point on it. :)
I've been learning to milk my goats and make cheese from the milk. I've tried "Vinegar Cheese", Chevre and Neufchatel so far. All are soft cheeses and don't need to age. The first one wasn't that good according to the family. The Chevre was ok, but I got to much seasoning in it. The Neufchateel is great!! I left some plain and added crushed pineapple to some to use on crackers for snaking. I want to learn how to make mozzarella and ricotta so I can make lasagna with my homemade cheese. To make hard cheeses, I need a cheese "cave", which is a place to store them at a controlled temperature and humidity level, so that they can age. That will be awhile, as the base will be a small dorm size fridge.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Another Update
It has been even longer this time...well here goes.
The last two does kidded finally. Amber had a beautiful little buckling, Dustdevil, on May 15th and Diva had a beautiful little doeling, St. Helen, on May 18th.
Dustdevil
St. Helen
I've been working on three shawls, all MMario designs. Talia in blue 6/2 weaver's cotton for my oldest dd, Hawkbrother in some chocolate corrie/shetland hand spun and Half Hap in a mixture of different small skeins of hand spun. I'm enjoying all three of them, as each is a different shape and texture.
We finally got all the fencing done for the main perimeter fence, so the boys are able to browse all day, the does are still locked up in a smaller area, until I can run a cross fence to give them a separate area. We built a chicken coop and got six Americuna chicks, six Barred Rock chicks and two Bronze turkey poults to raise.
Still waiting on the extra goats and sheep to be brought down from their breeder's place, she has been really busy with work and family matters. Today she asked if I would be willing to take a different doe than the one I was supposed to get and I said yes I was. The new doe is out of different bloodlines, a direct descendant of one of the top Navajo Angora bucks and does on her mom's side and out of a really nice colored angora buck, so really is an upgrade for me. She is only a year old, compared to the one she is replacing who is three years old and daughter to the other doe.
The last two does kidded finally. Amber had a beautiful little buckling, Dustdevil, on May 15th and Diva had a beautiful little doeling, St. Helen, on May 18th.
Dustdevil
 |
| From Nigoras |
St. Helen
 |
| From Nigoras |
I've been working on three shawls, all MMario designs. Talia in blue 6/2 weaver's cotton for my oldest dd, Hawkbrother in some chocolate corrie/shetland hand spun and Half Hap in a mixture of different small skeins of hand spun. I'm enjoying all three of them, as each is a different shape and texture.
We finally got all the fencing done for the main perimeter fence, so the boys are able to browse all day, the does are still locked up in a smaller area, until I can run a cross fence to give them a separate area. We built a chicken coop and got six Americuna chicks, six Barred Rock chicks and two Bronze turkey poults to raise.
Still waiting on the extra goats and sheep to be brought down from their breeder's place, she has been really busy with work and family matters. Today she asked if I would be willing to take a different doe than the one I was supposed to get and I said yes I was. The new doe is out of different bloodlines, a direct descendant of one of the top Navajo Angora bucks and does on her mom's side and out of a really nice colored angora buck, so really is an upgrade for me. She is only a year old, compared to the one she is replacing who is three years old and daughter to the other doe.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Finally an update!
Wow! I didn't realize it had been so long since I posted. I've been busy with trying to get all the animals settled into the new place and time has flown. I'll try to touch on some of the things that have happened around here.
We finally got moved in November! The new place is nice and quiet, our next door neighbor doesn't come over or bother us, which has been nice with all the work to do to settle the farm in.
I was offered two more Navajo Angora does and a cross-breed wether to add to my herd, the does were put in with a buck in February by the breeder, so hopefully they are bred and will kid in July.
We decided to add sheep to the farm. Looking at the different breeds, we decided on Shetlands, due to their size, ability to live on browse and pasture like the goats and I love their fleeces. So, we are waiting on two ewes to come down from their breeder and she is giving us a Jacob ewe as well. This is the same lady I'm getting the goats from.
March starting kidding season for me, with a nice single buckling born to a first time mom without any problems. Then at the end of March I had a second time mom give birth to triplets, but she needed help, as the first one came out sideways. Finally on April 3, twins were born to another first time mom with no problems. Still have two more does to kid this month.
I am now processing fiber and selling it on my website at: http://mystickacres.com I call the shop my "Workshop" on the site. Take a look and tell me what you think.
We finally got moved in November! The new place is nice and quiet, our next door neighbor doesn't come over or bother us, which has been nice with all the work to do to settle the farm in.
I was offered two more Navajo Angora does and a cross-breed wether to add to my herd, the does were put in with a buck in February by the breeder, so hopefully they are bred and will kid in July.
We decided to add sheep to the farm. Looking at the different breeds, we decided on Shetlands, due to their size, ability to live on browse and pasture like the goats and I love their fleeces. So, we are waiting on two ewes to come down from their breeder and she is giving us a Jacob ewe as well. This is the same lady I'm getting the goats from.
March starting kidding season for me, with a nice single buckling born to a first time mom without any problems. Then at the end of March I had a second time mom give birth to triplets, but she needed help, as the first one came out sideways. Finally on April 3, twins were born to another first time mom with no problems. Still have two more does to kid this month.
I am now processing fiber and selling it on my website at: http://mystickacres.com I call the shop my "Workshop" on the site. Take a look and tell me what you think.
Saturday, October 04, 2008
Catching up
Well, I've been so busy with trying to get everything ready for the move, I haven't had time to blog. I'll update the blog about the move today, check it out.
My spinning is sitting here waiting for me to have time and energy to work on it, so is my knitting. I pulled Mystic Meadows back out, to see if I can make some progress on it. I had to frog MS4, as I dropped the very first stitch of the row and didn't realize it, until it had run back about 4 rows and I had knit two more rows. I couldn't figure out how to fix it :(
I was tagged by GoldenTracks.
Now to share 7 random/weird facts about myself...
1. I HATE moving, but am looking forward to the one we are in the process of.
2. I enjoy spending time with my goats.
3. I just added two new dogs to my group of working dogs (more on Weedeater Farm Happening)
4. I have a new friend who lives here in town. :)
5. I got a 50cc scooter, so I can run around town to do all the errands needed for the move.
6. I love knitting lace, even though I'm more of a tomboy than a girly girl.
7. I'm on three lace KALs, even though I don't have much time to knit.
Now to tag seven people...Shelly, Marion, Lisa, Grandma Sally, The Mouse That Knits, Opal, and Bumpy Doink.
My spinning is sitting here waiting for me to have time and energy to work on it, so is my knitting. I pulled Mystic Meadows back out, to see if I can make some progress on it. I had to frog MS4, as I dropped the very first stitch of the row and didn't realize it, until it had run back about 4 rows and I had knit two more rows. I couldn't figure out how to fix it :(
I was tagged by GoldenTracks.
Now to share 7 random/weird facts about myself...
1. I HATE moving, but am looking forward to the one we are in the process of.
2. I enjoy spending time with my goats.
3. I just added two new dogs to my group of working dogs (more on Weedeater Farm Happening)
4. I have a new friend who lives here in town. :)
5. I got a 50cc scooter, so I can run around town to do all the errands needed for the move.
6. I love knitting lace, even though I'm more of a tomboy than a girly girl.
7. I'm on three lace KALs, even though I don't have much time to knit.
Now to tag seven people...Shelly, Marion, Lisa, Grandma Sally, The Mouse That Knits, Opal, and Bumpy Doink.
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Spinning
I decided since I couldn't knit, I would pull out some fiber and spin to help me to relax. I am spindle spinning some and spinning some on my Babe Pinkie.
I was given 4 ounces of a kid mohair/merino blend called "King Neptune" by Gypsy Girl Creations. It has blues, purples, greens and white in it and is spinning up really fine on my Wagon Wheel Spindle by Mommabear7.
The second fiber that I'm working on is some chocolate Shetland/Corrie blend from MikelsWool. I'm spinning this up on the Pinkie wheel, trying to get a fine lace weight yarn for the Mystic Earth KAL by Anna Dalvi of Knit & Knag.
I have other spindles and need to work on spinning up a couple of batts that I did of Shetland/mohair. I will use this for the thumbs of a pair of mittens I started last winter for my dh.
I was given 4 ounces of a kid mohair/merino blend called "King Neptune" by Gypsy Girl Creations. It has blues, purples, greens and white in it and is spinning up really fine on my Wagon Wheel Spindle by Mommabear7.
The second fiber that I'm working on is some chocolate Shetland/Corrie blend from MikelsWool. I'm spinning this up on the Pinkie wheel, trying to get a fine lace weight yarn for the Mystic Earth KAL by Anna Dalvi of Knit & Knag.
I have other spindles and need to work on spinning up a couple of batts that I did of Shetland/mohair. I will use this for the thumbs of a pair of mittens I started last winter for my dh.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Packing
Well, with all the work I have to do to move. I decided that I don't have time or the ability to work on my lace right now, so packed up all my projects and will pull them out after we get moved. I have about 30 days to finish packing and getting ready for it. That includes running all over town, making phone calls...all the normal stuff that has to be done because we are our own general contractors. I have to make sure that permits are gotten, the work is done on time and passes inspection, that the physical address is assigned after the utilities are in. Then have to get that information over to the manufactured home dealership, so that they know where the house is going. I still have to get a map drawn of how to get to the property for them.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
New Project
MMario posted a new pattern for us to test knit on Friday, 8/8/08. It is the Benden WeyrHold Shawl, designed for fingering to sport weight yarn. Since I didn't have any yarn of that weight with enough yardage to knit the shawl in, I plied up some 2/19 into 6/19 yarn (that is three strands of the original yarn plied together), that gave me a light fingering weight yarn for it. I cast on this morning and am already up to row 8 in just a short time. I'll be taking this one with me for some short trips.
I have about 150 rows left on Mystic Waters and still slowly working my way through Mystic Meadows. They are both getting knitting time, just not as much as I would like with organizing my craft stuff and packing away anything that isn't needed for what I have on the needles or planned to go on the needles in the next month.
As for KAL's, I'm signed up for two and waiting on the start date of the next one in the Mystic Element series. Tomorrow, 8/15/08, the Secret of the Stole III starts. I am going to use some 2/28 NM 100% silk with some silver-lined alabaster beads for it. Mystery Stole 4 starts on 9/5/08 and I will be using some 2/28 NM 70% merino/20% silk/10% cashmere yarn with the silver-lined alabaster beads for it.
I have about 150 rows left on Mystic Waters and still slowly working my way through Mystic Meadows. They are both getting knitting time, just not as much as I would like with organizing my craft stuff and packing away anything that isn't needed for what I have on the needles or planned to go on the needles in the next month.
As for KAL's, I'm signed up for two and waiting on the start date of the next one in the Mystic Element series. Tomorrow, 8/15/08, the Secret of the Stole III starts. I am going to use some 2/28 NM 100% silk with some silver-lined alabaster beads for it. Mystery Stole 4 starts on 9/5/08 and I will be using some 2/28 NM 70% merino/20% silk/10% cashmere yarn with the silver-lined alabaster beads for it.
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