Sweet Babies

Hickory's mom, Paige, just had a sweet little baby and I wanted to knit her something special from the farm.  I have no clue what size to knit a baby sweater and I figured it would be outgrown in just a few weeks anyway, so I made a sweater for a sweet little stuffed lamb :-).

Since Paige was one of Liddy's aunties, I thought a Liddy sweater would be the most appropriate, so I spun a small skein of worsted weight yarn and pulled out a trusty Elizabeth Zimmermann book.  Most of it was knit on a couple of beautiful fall afternoons.

Of course it wouldn't be a sweater project if I didn't have to rip it all back at least once.

The lamb waited and waited...

And finally it was finished :-).

Before he left for New York, he took his sweater up to show Clay's Kentucky Great Aunt, Stella. He loved hearing stories about the trip he was going to take and what fun he was going to have with his new family.  He arrived safe and sound earlier this week...and I bet he's glad he has a warm wool sweater :-).  

The 2020 Iknitarod

I'm starting this post with my 2020 Ravatar because if I led with the picture of the actual project, everyone would just pass on by because you've seen this yarn so. many. times.  

For the 2020 Iknitarod...I am knitting the Renny sweater!  

I think about the Iknitarod off and on all year long and some time ago I picked this sweet gray dog to be my Iknitarider.  I had originally planned to spin and knit a Jared sweater and have been tossing patterns around for months.  I could never settle on one though and I kept feeling bad about never knitting the Renny sweater and when it dawned on me that Charcoal had something in common with Renny, I knew what I was going to do.

"Are you sure?  That is a LOT of color!" ;-)

Like many animals on our farm, Charcoal was a rescue.  In his early life he had worked hard in a grade school classroom.  So hard that he ended up with a patch on his backside, just like Renny :-).  When his teacher retired, she took him home with her and kept him until she found a new home for him...and he eventually ended up with me.

With the dog connection to Renny - the bad dogs who caused her to end up here in the first place and the good dogs who took care of her for the rest of her life - and how old those dogs have all become, this year the dogs are center stage, along with Comby, who is a close to a dog as a cat can get :-).  And of course Renny is there, too, up in the stars.

I am knitting the Icelandic Star pattern.  The pattern is written as a bottom up sweater.  It's written to be knitted flat, back and forth, not around and around to then be steeked.  If you remember waaaay back, learning to do a steek was one of the original goals for the original Renny sweater.  I'd link all those old posts here, but even I don't want to revisit them (and I'm hungry and want to go eat lunch ;-).  

I have converted the pattern to be knit in the round.  I am worried about running out of yarn, so I've also converted it to be knit top down.  And, just to throw in one more challenge, I am between sizes so I've done the math to create my own personal size.  What could go wrong... ;-D.

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As always, I encourage you to follow along with the actual race at www.iditarod.com.  The Insider coverage is fantastic!  I'll be posting my usual daily Iknitarod updates on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter and the Iknitarod group is in full swing and we have several on the scene "reporters".  

A Leap Day Bunny (And Friends) Party!

There's a new bunny in the Wool House!  Meet Christopher Bunny and his tiny pocket friend,  Comby.  Christopher Bunny came as a kit from Barrett Wool Co.  

The pocket friend was supposed to be a tiny bunny, but since Comby helped us knit, I modified the pattern to make it a cat.  I dyed the kit's white yarn to (sort of ) match Comby.

Christopher has a darling fair isle sweater and he's also supposed to have a pair of green and white striped pants...still to come, I think, although I like him with just his sweater, too.  He (and his sweater, jacket and pocket Comby) was a fun knit.  The kit yarn was really nice and the pattern was very well written and I learned a couple of new techniques - a very nice Christmas gift :-).

 As I was posting progress pictures on IG/FB several folks chimed in that they, too, were making a Christopher Bunny, so just for fun we are going to have an online Leap Day Tea Party this Saturday!  

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I don't really remember hosting tea parties as a little girl, but for some reason the first thing I think of now when I see cute rabbits (and other animals) dressed up is "They need to have a tea party!" @auntiereg and I set up a cute party for our Miss Maggie Rabbits last summer and now that I've started my Christopher Bunny and several other friends have as well...yep, we're gonna need to have another tea party! . 🐰 . Being rabbits, the obvious party date is Leap Day. Leap Day...rabbits...get it? 😆 But this party is not just for rabbits. All animals are welcome! If you are working on a new friend or have thought about trying to make a new friend, use this as a push to give it a try. Already finished yours? Perfect! Not a crafter, but you have a special stuffed friend who'd like to come to the party? He or she is of course invited too :-). . 🐰 . On February 29th, Leap Day, post a picture (Instagram or FB) of your party guest and tell us a little bit about him or her if you'd like, especially if vintage... Use the hashtag #leapdayteaparty so we can all find each other. If you've used a commercial pattern, please share what it is. If the design is your own, let us know. 😀. 🐰 . This is just a fun party and not affiliated with @susanbanderson or @barrettwoolco or @aliciapaulson or any other of the delightful designers who inspire us to knit, crochet, sew and needle felt all these sweet stuffed animals. . #leapdayteaparty #carrotcake #missmaggierabbit #christopherbunny #knittersofinstagram #crochetersofinstagram #stitchersofinstagram #needlefeltersofinstagram

A post shared by Sara Dunham (@thecrazysheeplady) on Feb 12, 2020 at 10:17am PST

You don't have to be an IG or FB user to participate. If you'd like to just email a picture of your party guest, Christopher, Comby and I would love to meet him or her :-).  You can also just play along at home ;-).

By Cute I Mean Handsome

The hat turned out cute, but Comby's cuter so he gets shared first :-).

Two Birds...

I posted five pictures to Instagram and tried to just embed the post here, but I don't think all the pictures were going to come through so I've copied and pasted it over here mostly to let you know Rebecca Boone is still fighting and maybe showing a little improvement and also a little Liddy to make you smile ;-).

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First an update on Rebecca Boone- she’s still fighting and maybe a little better this morning. Thank you for all the prayers and concern. I love how we take care of each other. It matters. ️
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If I’d read forward on the Fiberuary list I would have held off on my pictures from the other day because I actually nailed several challenges that day . So I’m not just sharing the same pictures for days, I’m going to combine a few challenges with this post, which also gives me a little more room to keep my focus on sheep care. .

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Days 4, 5, 6 and 7 - Close Up, WIP, Outside, Technique. .

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The close up of my work in progress that I was knitting outside looks complicated, but it’s not!  Only one color per row and the patterning comes from a simple slipped stitches technique . .

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I included a picture of Liddy because... Liddy . The two Moose thugs pillaging my knitting bag while I was rescuing the short dog who was on the wrong side of the gate. And the muddy hoof print at the top of the super close up . Oh, and that’s Woody, the king of close ups .
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#fiberuary #fiberuarychallenge #agatecovehat #farmyarn #lambcamplegacy #lambcamplegacyyarn #knittersofinstagram #barnyardknits

Fiberuary Day Three - Knit In 2019

I'm trying to do I am doing the February fiber challenge Fiberuary again this year.  I enjoy these month long challenges because a. I like a fun challenge and b. I frequently think about things I wouldn't normally and sometimes learn something new either about myself or my craft.  I've also made some great friends following other posts.

Yesterday's challenge was "Knit in 2019".  The obvious first thought was the epic Muffin and Pepperpot sweater. I've used that for a several posts already though, but the only other thing I could think of was a teddy bear sweater I knit over the Christmas season.  I stewed on it off and on all day while caring for a sick sheep and just couldn't get enthused.  

And then it hit me.  I did have another 2019 knit that I hadn't already over-shared.  The Rebecca Boone cape.  The cape I really enjoyed dyeing the yarn for and knitting. The cape I sent off to the Finger Lakes Fiber Festival and won a blue ribbon with.  The cape I...had still never even tried on. 

I don't know why I hadn't.  Maybe because I was afraid it wouldn't fit or I'd look stupid in a cape and I would no longer love it the way I did.  I know I'd hoped to wear it during the Kentucky Wool Festival or for the Rhinebeck Blues party, but both events were too warm.  I didn't worry about it though because I knew I had plenty of time...until I didn't.

The sick sheep I'm caring for is Rebecca Boone and she is very sick.  I had hoped it was "just" pneumonia due to the crazy weather, but is most likely a heart problem that has now developed into pneumonia.  The vet was back out this morning and we are trying one more thing, but I don't have a lot of hope.  One thing I can say about Cotswolds though is they don't go down without a fight and she is still fighting. 

So as I sat in the truck where I could watch her without bothering her (she is quite over being doctored) I beat myself up for forgetting to do a "dressed alike" photo shoot with her.  Then I added in never making the Ewen mittens and the PPPP sweater or Renny's steeked flower sweater and...

The only one of those I could maybe fix was Rebecca Boone.  I decided to try and called my neighbor to see if she could come over and take a couple quick pictures while I sat down with her in the barn...and I went in to get the cape...that fit perfectly and I now loved even more.

I had hoped she'd just keep laying down and I could crouch down next to her without bothering her too much, but she saw both of us coming and made a run for the door.  I quickly grabbed a bag of cookies in hopes that would stop her and it did and she even ate two for me while Jennifer quickly snapped a few pictures.  We then hightailed it out and let her go back to bed.

Jennifer got several pictures that most people would think looked fine, but as I know the sheep (and the shepherd) I look at them and mostly see a sick sheep and a sad shepherd...who is wearing a lovely cape she made from the wool of one of her very favorite sheep.  I hope we get another chance to re-take these pictures.

The Most Interesting Sheep In The World

It was in the 60s this afternoon so I grabbed my knitting bag and headed out to the barn lot.  I took my camera as well, but mostly didn't get anything worth sharing.  I did kind of like this picture of Big Moose though.  Then, in the background I noticed Maisie watching intently out the back door.  Always on guard.  I find her endlessly fascinating.

Lamb Camp Legacy Yarn

After we got Baaxter back under control, I was able to get a couple really sweet pictures of the sheep with the new yarn.  

(new puzzle :-)

I always wonder how much they understand about...life.  I know they understand that getting sheared makes them feel a lot better, but do they know that what's in the basket is the wool from their backs?

Or their kids backs?  Rocky was very, very interested in the yarn.

Remember when I threw Rocky under the bus for being a spoiled sport about getting his picture taken?  Jared...  This is as close to the yarn as he'd get and it was just for a split (and blurry) second.

"Dudes, I don't know nothin'  about that yarn.  I'm just here for the ladies...and the cookies."

So this is the Lamb Camp....Legacy yarn.  It's a limited edition, small batch run, spun from some of the nicest lambs sired by Nistock Farm's Rocky and Jared when they were working over at Tring Farm, before they retired over here.

The yarn is a really versatile DK weight and I think it would be suitable for almost anything, except possibly socks...but I'm not a sock expert, so I could be wrong.  It's comfy and soft, but still has some texture and feels like actual wool.  I'll stop here before I say something disparaging about over processed merino... ;-).

Rocky and Jared are Cotswold crosses and the mommas are crosses of North Country Cheviots and Polypays and maybe a little Dorset, so the blend is a lovely mix of crimpy down type wool with a lovely longwool drape and luster.  I love the natural colors and the soft sheepy feel.  It really is beautiful.

Each washed skein measures 250 yards and the two grays weigh around 3.5 ounces and the white weighs almost 4 ounces, so it's on the heavier end of DK weight.  I can also wind off skeins without washing, for weavers.  Unwashed skeins are measured at 262 yards to account for shrinkage.

I've knit the three color sample and dyed and knit the Forest for the Trees hat.  I've also woven a dollhouse rug  with it for a friend.  I enjoyed each project and am very happy with this fun and useful yarn.  I'm also getting ready to start a small cable project, too, you know...for marketing purposes ;-).

Speaking of marketing, each skein is $18.  And it often goes without saying, but buying this yarn supports not just our farm and sheep, but also Tring Farm, who raised these legacy lambs, and Stonehedge Fiber Mill, who spun the yarn, and our sheep shearers, our veterinarians, our local feed mill,  our hay and straw producers...

By the way (more marketing ;-D) there are still about a dozen Equinox Farm calendars and 4 Lamb Camp calendars left in case anyone is still needing a 2020 calendar!  We are no longer able to recycle paper here (do not get me started!) so I'd love to find them good homes.  Sale prices $10 (farm) and $8 (Lamb Camp).

My Magic Hat

My first finished item of 2020.  It's just the 3rd folks, so I'm really killing it so far!  Actually I basically finished it at the tail end of 2019 (better late than never!) and just added six extra stitches yesterday ;-).

Why did I add six extra stitches yesterday?  Let me bring you up to speed...

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Well, I’m taking this as a good omen for the new year! I (finally) finished my Forest from the Trees hat and I added some red and blue duplicate stitches in the trees to symbolize Peep (my favorite cardinal 😍) and another favorite bird, blue jays (thanks to @juliezickefoose Jemima) and as I am (still 🙄) sitting on the porch, a pair of blue jays just came in and checked out the feeder! I very, very rarely see them here. They apparently didn’t like my “cooking” and didn’t stay, but what a surprise! I’m thinking the hat drew them in and maybe it’s magical 🤔. Must cast on an owl hat. No wait, add owls to magic hat! BRB 😀.

A post shared by Sara Dunham (@thecrazysheeplady) on Jan 1, 2020 at 6:37am PST

If you look closely (click to biggify) at the top picture, you can see the two brown stitches now up in the tree.  I actually added two "owls"...a pair...and then decided I wanted three owls, so they are a small family.  And yes, I realize that I probably don't want a owl mixed up in a tree full of my favorite smaller birds, but these are kind owls and are only here "visiting" ;-).

Here's where things went a little...awkward.  Last night I had a dream that I was sitting on the end of the bed and the little blond chicken was sitting next to me (yes, in the house :-o) and outside the window were five new brownish-black chickens gathered together looking like they, too, would like to come in the house...so there may be a glitch or two.

Project notes:

This is the Forest for the Trees hat by Mary Scott Huff.  

I used a partial skein of the new white Lamb Camp Legacy yarn and I dyed it using Jacquard acid dyes.  I promise I will get the yarn posted soon.  It's lovely.

I noticed on the projects page that some folks had trouble with the hat being too short, so I added three extra rows...and if I make it again I will probably add three more somewhere.  I am hat challenged...or pointy headed.

I used duplicate stitches to add some cardinals, blue jays and owls and changed the top to brown to look like a pine cone :-).

It was a fun knit and I give it a thumbs up...and will now wait patiently for my owls to show up.  Owls...Not Chickens.

It's Wovember Again Already?!?

Yes. Yes, it is.

Good grief.

Today, being November 4th, is Day 4 and the prompt is "Wool in color".  My first thought was to post a picture of some Jacob roving and praise the color GRAY...but then I remembered I actually had a colored wool project started that needed a blog post.

I thought it might be fun to show the two original GRAY colors that were then overdyed to make Not Gray colors.  I used the rocks around the blanket flowers as my setting since the flowers have a nice "fall" feel to them...

...and then I noticed that if I tweaked a couple of the unused colors (yellow and burgandy) I could almost match the flower colors...

I think the obvious tweak on the yellow is just to add a little orange.  The burgandy...I'm not so sure I can change enough...but I think I'm going to try...and if it works...and I like it better than the current colors...

Hey, it wouldn't be a knitting project if it didn't hit the frog pond at least once ;-).

Yarn Along - June

I decided if I was going to get back to normal regular blogging, I'd better have something ready for the Yarn Along.  That and I'd picked up a skein of Rhapsody in Hue's Equinox Farm yarn and I was dying to try it out ;-).

Melanie did a spring and fall colorway and I picked spring.  I'm not sure why, as I much prefer fall, but I was probably feeling sentimental about the redbuds, which were as beautiful this spring as they were when this picture was taken several years ago.

The redbud blooms might be gone, but the yarn still looks right at home with a backdrop of Johnny Jump Ups on the Wool House porch.

My knitting mascot for this project is Silke, a super sweet lamb from Little Cotton Rabbits.  I've been trying to purchase one for several years and finally got lucky (they sell out in a minute when she lists them!) last fall...winter...?  If I'd kept the blog current I'd know for sure :-/.  Anyway, she took the first frogging with great courage and luckily we haven't had any more trouble.

Melanie did half the skeins with Merino and half with Blue Faced Leicester.  I chose the BFL since I'm...all together now...a coarse wool girl ;-), but it's not coarse.  It's very soft and smooth...and I'll be happy to get back to some good old Texel or Jacob when I'm finished ;-).  

The colors are really pretty though and I'm having fun working with it.  I think she may have a few skeins left from the festival if case you are interested in knitting along :-).  

For my book...well, I listened to some really good ones over the winter and during the Iknitarod/Iknitaredux.  I actually have some Friday Flashback pictures to post from the epic journey, so I'll share that list then.  

For this spring?  Meh... I've only listened to one book that I've really enjoyed.  But I really enjoyed it.  It's the final book in a series of three.  I've listened to them all and loved all three.  They are The Rosie Project, The Rosie Effect and The Rosie Result, but Graeme Simsion.  

I think you could listen to just the last one and not be lost, but why.  Start at the beginning and fall in love with all the characters and the last one will be just that much better.  They are cute and funny and the last one really makes you think.  Just brilliant.

Joining in with Ginny.