What We've Been Doing

Things are a little hectic on the farm these days. Winter would not let go when we wanted it to and the chicks arrived before the snow was gone. Half of the birds are not where we want them to be. The ducks are in a tote in the kitchen and the new layers are in the broilers "new" coop.

We started the spring the six new layers in a box in the kitchen. We purchased six new ones because we lost a few chickens over the winter; one due to illness and another due to what we think was a birth defect, plus the original Rhode Island Reds are not laying as well. Recently we put the six new chicks where the broilers will be. 

The Broilers also arrived (and spent a brief two weeks in the kitchen) but have since been moved out the brood box in the barn. They will be ready for processing in less than two months.

The Coop Plan for this year: last years turkey coop will become this years layer coop. There are a few modifications that need to be made to the coop. Dad will make a man door and devise a way to add boxes for the chickens to lay eggs in. The fencing will be re-organized to make the turkey yard and most of the current chicken yard into one large yard. Moving the fencing will make the old chicken yard smaller so that the broilers can have a small outdoor space, but not so large that they won't gain the muscle weight required for a meat bird. We are hoping that with an outdoor space to run in the broilers will have larger drumsticks and thighs.

We have ducklings in the kitchen that will hopefully be moved to the blueberry bushes (so they are fenced in) before they are moved to the brood pen in preparation for taking over the pond. And what will happen to the current ducks? We are replacing them. We want friendly ducks, and the two in the pond are not friendly. We've been handling the ducklings a lot and it seems to be working. 

Thankfully we are waiting to get turkeys until summer, because some fencing still needs to repaired, purchased, and put up. 

In addition to all that going on. Dad bred two rabbits and a bunny (for those who don't know around here rabbits are food and bunnies are pets) so in a few short weeks we should have cute fuzzy things!

Not to mention that the garden is finally free of snow!

I have been knitting like a woman possessed. I decided that I would knit Stomper and Our Sweetie matching vests for Easter. The Saturday night before Easter found me weaving in ends. I cannot believe I finished them! In between knitting the two vests I've been working on a test knit. They are this really beautiful pair of fingerless gloves The gloves feature a cable that starts on the forearm and winds around to the top of the wrist. It's really neat. I was able to knit one before I had to set them aside to finish the vests. I will post pictures as soon as I can find a model.

For April vacation we have the teenagers. It was great to have them around for Mimi's annual Easter Egg Hunt. This year she prepared, and Jason and his brother-in-law hid, 300 eggs. The kids had a blast finding them.

Hope your spring is going well too!

Year of Projects

On Thursday I posted that I finished Stomper's Easter Vest. I think more vests for him are in my future and possibly a sweater. It was so fast and super cute!

Photo Courtesy of Grandma

I also finished the second sock of my hubby's green socks. Although it's not all green. I ran out of yarn. I have another sock for him on my list that I will start in a week or so.

Right now I am working on using up some yarn in preparation for baby showers. I don't have anyone in mind just yet, but its' nice to have a few things set away. The hat on Charlie is Tweedy Owl.  Stomper wanted to wear it, but it's newborn size, so I am starting a larger one for him tonight.The booties I have made before. They are quick, but it uses European (I'm assuming) terms so it's a little tricky. 

Not certain what I will work on next off my list. I am leaning towards knitting my Christmas Stocking, but there is this yarn that keeps calling to me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~My List~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

UFO's

Joni's Photo Gloves

Striped Sock

Green Sock

Due Valentines:

A Kitty for a friend maybe Susan's or maybe Linda's not sure yet. ~~It's in time out

Due Easter:

Pembroke Vest for Stomper

Little Lamb from Spud and Chloe at the Farm for my Sunday School Class kids (Stomper plus one other)  frogged

Promised Projects:

A hood for Mom

A hood for Little Sister, but with a symbol on the back

Christmas Stocking for myself maybe from an actual sock pattern

A hat for myself

For Stomper:

Squirrel/Hedgehog

Socks 

Pembroke

I am doing a little dance of joy. I finished the vest with lots and lots of time to spare. 

I put it on Stomper and it fits, but only just. I think he will be able to wear it this spring (like every Sunday from now until May) and then he will be too long for it. I should have listened to that little voice telling me to knit it longer. Why don't I listen to that voice?

The vest is beautiful, I am quite proud of it and he looks very handsome wearing it. 

If I keep in mind that this was a free pattern it was great. Some of the instructions took a little pondering and head scratching for me to fully understand. The shoulder decreases were awkward and I'm not sure the purpose for them, I wish I hadn't done them. I am anti-sewing so I would have preferred some in-the-round knitting for the body and Kitchener stitching at the shoulder, but those mods aren't necessities.

The yarn is Berroco Vintage in worsted weight. I enjoyed using the sport weight when I made a dress last month it held its shape beautifully. I thought that it would be perfect for the vest as well. I do like how the cables look in this yarn and the feel of it is super soft; however, it is not holding it's shape. Perhaps if my gauge was tighter it would hold better? 

My conclusion is that I will be holding on to this pattern to make again maybe for a baby shower.

Year of Projects

I don't have much to tell you or report. I am working on a vest for Stomper for Easter Sunday. It is progressing. I have the back done and the front is finished up to the arm pits. I am hopeful that I will finish. I don't have a recent picture. Just this one from last Wednesdays post.

I enjoy reading everyone's posts. Keep up the good work knitters!

Yarn Along: Startitus Thwarted

One look at my projects on Rav and you can see that I had a bit of startitus over the last few days. I have a bunch of beautiful yarn calling my name and I've been itching to use it, but on what? I've been searching the last week for what to knit next. I took a look in my Year of Projects page to remind myself of my goals and so the three projects I "started" on Rav are all reflections of that list. Did I start them? No. What I really want to knit with is the bright Knit Picks yarn (from the turtles and the mittens) but I have no idea how much I have left. If only I had a scale that measured a small enough weight ...

I digress, this is supposed to be a Yarn Along post, so what have I actually started? Because even though I say I started the projects on Rav, I haven't, only in my mind. What I have actually knitted on is the second sock of a pair of green ones from Christmas for the hubs and Stompers Easter Vest.

I know I sing praises of my husband quite often here, but I really do have the best man on the planet. I sent him to my LYS with a list and some money. The list: Berroco Vintage Worsted in light grey, light blue, or light green, check the dye lots, and ask her to cake the yarn. A few minutes after I sent him out the door I received a call: "Honey, they don't have the right color. I-um---here, talk to the lady." The phone was shuffled and I hear, "Hello Delia, it's Sherri, this is what we have..." She and I sorted out a few details and he came home after work with the right yarn, caked, and ready to go. How I love him. 

I've only cast on the swatch to the vest but I am excited to get started. This pattern has been in my queue for a year or more. I may go blind reading the chart, but I'm afraid to make it much bigger and risk legibility. 

I have been reading. I have been studying the aforementioned pattern and reading several fiction books. I am mostly through with #6 of A Series of Unfortunate Events and just started #10 of The Rangers Apprentice. My music teacher had a saying, "If you are going to mess up, do it in the beginning of your recital, but always end on the right notes. That's all the audience will remember." Well, this last book, I'm not impressed. I will solider on, because I have faith in the author. And after all I almost didn't read it because I didn't like the rhythm of the first one.

Joining Ginny and the gang of readers and knitters! 

Go ahead and leave a link to your own Yarn Along in the comments!

Project Report

I finished my cowl. I wish that I had cast on the full 180 stitches so that it would be a little bit longer. All I need to do now is block it so its a bit longer. I showed Jason how I can wrap it around my neck twice to make a face mask and he said he'd like something for over his face like that too. I may bring out his scarf and see if I can link the two ends together to make it into a cowl. He tells me that he likes wearing his scarf when he hunts, but the ends bother him. If it doesn't work I have a feeling he'll be asking for his own cowl for hunting .. maybe something in hunter orange? 

I didn't finish Stomper socks in time for Valentines, I finished them a few days later. He watched me finish the toe and as soon as it was finished I asked him if he wanted to try it on. I set him on a stool next to me and put the sock on him. Then he waited patiently while I wove in the ends of the second sock so he could put that one on too! 

I have a quick little pattern for the sock I will put soon for those that are interested. It's a heel less sock, so if you are afraid of heels, it would be a great starter sock. It hasn't been tested, so the sizing might be a little off, but for a boot sock that should be too big of a problem.

I am not making a couple of sheep for Easter. I finished the bodies over the past few weeks, they are tedious. I don't like my yarn choice, and I can't imagine I'll like it any more once I start the legs. The cable is really interesting and I'm glad that I tried this pattern if only to learn a new cable pattern. I will be tossing out what I've made, but that just frees up the needles and hands for more projects!

I cast on the second sock for the hubby. I haven't told him yet that I'm working on it. I hope to surprise him, sometime before winter ends (and since we are getting 7-14inches of snow tomorrow looks like I'll have a little time).

I would like to be knitting Stompers Easter Vest, but I haven't made it to the yarn store. With any luck I can go later this week, Easter will be here before I know it and I really want it to be done!

I bought the pattern for the hoods for my Mom and Little Sister. Have you seen moebius knitting? I watched this video and it blew my mind away. I just sat there staring at the computer totally bemused. I am so excited to start the hoods.

Thank you to everyone for your wonderful comments to my last post. I look forward to reading the comments of each update. I am lucky girl to marry the man that I did, who understands a knitters heart for yarn and goodies. The pattern for the hat is Starcrossed Slouchy Beret as goodpurlgonebad guessed I appologize for not mentioning it in my post.