Off the loom

One more doe had twins..........I promise, no more pictures of them unless there is something really unique.

I finished weaving the blanket. I'm in the process of sewing the four panels together. Regardless of technique, I'm not all that pleased with the appearance of the sewing. I've sewn panels together before, and after wet finishing and pressing it has looked great. I have not gotten to the final processes yet, but I am hoping after all is said and done (and perhaps a year later) I'll be happy with it. The actual squares match up, so that's no the problem. I've stitched pick to pick, pick to space, figure 8, zig zag. Ah, life is full of lemons some days.

And bottles.

Ikat done

It's really navy but the flash washed out some of the color. The entire piece will be navy and will probably be dish towels. I won't be getting this on the loom for quite a while, but it'll be ready when I am.

I'm just getting ready to begin the fourth and final panel for the navy and white check blanket. Then I get to stitch to panels together...lets hope it's an uneventful event. Are you feeling a navy theme here?

We use the pond as a natural fence line for the pigs. Or did. Yesterday I watched them march their chunky bodies across the pond for a look around. They enjoyed themselves and came home at feeding time. Pigs-capades. The weather has been too cold for slaughter.

The house kids are out in the barn now, thankfully. It is a pain to have to go out and feed them their bottles, but at least the floor is dry now and I can spin without fear of one or all of them eating the roving.

...and two more last night

Soot's very big lambs, one ewe, one ram. (Kid closest to the fire, checking out the new babies) I don't understand why we're lambing late at night this year. We've always been lucky lambing during the day. There is a theory that feed time dictates birth time. I was responsible for evening chores until this winter and fed between 4-5PM. Mr Princess however, feeds 6PM or a bit later. I can't see how such a small time difference could make an AM/PM birthing change.

Winter was very late in coming. Sub zero wind chill temps aren't unusual around here, but for long periods of time with no above freezing temperatures is unusual. The winds have been heavy and the temperatures bitter. We've lost 6 lambs due to the wind chill. We're not alone. Many local farmers are losing lambs, calves and kids to the cold. Next breeding season we will take into consideration a later lambing/kidding schedule. So, next year we'll have a warm winter. Fine by me! No more hauling water.

McGregor is a tired dog. He can't get any rest with the three resident kids bothering him.

One more last night

Sara The Doe had one live kid last night. She is big and the other one was bigger, but had died en route to the World. Sara passed away as well. We grieved a few days ago since we were fairly certain she wouldn't make it. She was our first dairy doe and the best damned mother ever. She will be missed.

Today's quads

Dearheart and her lambs
two ewe lambs & two ram lambs


Yesterday's triplets

duct taped
diapered kids

Happy Pigs

Wood shed roof cave in

I failed to mention the possum in the barn. Possum no more.

I cannot get back to the loom! I have a blanket I've got to get off and I can't even find time to throw one shot. I have been spinning at night.

Sara, the doe I mentioned a few days ago that was down and is still down, is in labor. I doubt there will be any spinning tonight. Her kids will have to join the two resident kids I'm afraid. Life is never, ever dull.

Why I Don't Get Much Done

When it's cold out, the kids and lambs come inside, usually briefly, to get brushed off, dried and treated with iodine. The sink in the laundryroom.

Iodine gone wild!

My poor shirts!

Two of the three lambs warming up. The third was coming through the door as this was being taken. I forgot to take a picture of all 3 together and took them back out to Mom. There is nothing flat around here and tromping through 14 inches of snow carrying the lambs to the barn wasn't fun. Did I mention the wind?

Here is Barn E. Cat building his snow kitten in the snow.

Today's picture through the window. This is the spring where we get our water from. Frozen pond is beyond.

Uphill after the plow went through

Downhill after the plow went through. Notice how he managed to take out not only our mailbox, but the railing beside our wee bridge (going over a ditch). Ain't life grand?

It will be interesting to see how this looks after publishing. The pictures are not staying where I put them!

Add another kid

Gale and her new daughter....Gale was born during a storm, thus the spelling.
Enjoying the sun, briefly....the sun was out briefly. Now it is snowing.

Last night you saw #3 and #4 of the quads. Here are the first two.

Sara is milking it for all it's worth. She's awaiting room service, again.

Chicken Coop One

Chicken Coop Two

Pheasant in Assorted Bird Coop Three

I'm still winding a warp and doing Marie's version of taping for ikat. Any idea where I can get real ikat tape? I'm using flagging tape, aka "crime scene tape" (and plastic wrap, sometimes). I'd show you another picture of it but it'll look just like yesterdays. So go look at that instead.

Yes, I'm having a kid

Yeah, I'm beyond the age, but just had to have one more.
Look at that poor, tired face. It's been a long, long day. Read on...

Kid in the sink. At my age, I've forgotten what to do with kids!

Oh my! Twins and a guardian dog? No, curious dog. And no....not twins but quadruplets! Two are in the barn with Mama Autumn. These two does are #3 and #4....chilled, like a fine wine. Not good for kidlets.
I actually got out of the house today. Needed new underwear, ye ken? Anyway, on the way to Scranton, Mr Princess lamented that he thought Autumn would be having quads. I said, "no", our goats usually have twins with the occasional triplets. Then I went on and on and on how rare that would be and not healthy, blah de blah, blah, blah. (I wish I had a mic right now since the white and black one is making me deaf bleating). I get my "panties", some rubber stamps, fabric paint (Lumiere) and other fun items (bubble bath!) and we motor home. As I'm putting away my treasures, Bob comes running in to say Autumn has had twins. So I bundle up and go out to treat the newbies umbilical cords with 7% Iodine, Nutridrench just because and some BoSe for selenium. After gathering eggs, because I am outside after all, we find Sara, our eldest doe down in the pasture. She will not get up! She is great with kid(s). Bob gets the tractor and cart and somehow gets her into the cart and hauls her to a jug pen in the barn. She now thinks she is at the finest hotel (Belagio?) with room service. Warm water with molasses to her right, feed to her left and fresh hay right in front of her. She has not gotten to her tender little hooves since. Still no young'uns. But she is happy and is reading trashy novels.



So, before the trip for new undies, I embarked on a new project. I have the wonderful Ikat II book which is to the right of the mill....so I am trying out some new stuff. Boy, my way is faster.

Our resident bookworm, Barn E. Cat. He's reading a boring book by Newt. However, Mr Princess thinks it's a pretty good book. Will this war ever end? The South wins. Whoda thunk that could happen this many years later?

A Blanket for Me, Me, Me!

Unknown wool I bought at Web's during Charleen and Marie's Excellent Adventure last March.

10 epi
I'm weaving 4 panels and will sew them together for a blanket for my bed. The fringe will be at the sides of the bed instead of the top and bottom. Fringe tickles my nose.

I used the new s-hooks. They were too big so I scruntched one end and closed the small gap with duct tape. The hook is attached to a blinder clip that hangs from the jug's handle.









My hanging jugs








Farm News:
Babe had twin lambs the other night. They must have come fast and she cared for the second lamb while the first one froze. Sometimes farming is just sad.

Sheep Shots

Mom loves me best

Want to ride tandem?

Oh no! It's the cat

Barn E. follows even un-skeined wool.

Procrastination. So I'll take pictures

I have been beaming the warp using milk jugs and binder clips. Works like a charm but the binder clips are a bit fiddley. I asked Mr Princess, who was on his way out to a hardware store, to pick up 6 S-hooks. At $2/pc he came home empty handed. Then off to the Dollar Store and he came home with 8 - 4" paper clips and 6 - 5" plastic coated S-hooks. Okay, so they're not the 3" S-hooks @ $2/pc that I wanted, but these will suffice. Well, maybe not the paper clips, but they could be bent into shape. When the current (above) project is off the loom, I'll use my new hooks when beaming...



this new warp. A blanket for my bed. Note the messy bouts to the right. This was caused by...
















Barn E. Cat

"I'm so bored."