Getting organised...

Although I seem to be very quiet here, I am working at crafting. The garden is still getting a makeover, and we are waiting on quotes for revamping the dairy. If quotes too high it may not be viable.
Baling day for the North East Yarns will be at the end of the month, so will look forward to catching up there at Wangaratta.
In the meantime I have lambs fleeces and bellies and pieces to go over to Riverina Wool in Moama, just have to find a day.
Another cotton poncho has been completed, and a little wool jumper needs to be sewn up before doing the neckband. I have a Natural Grey 3 ply wool on the machine which is going to be a cardigan.
And of course I am spinning some natural coloured grey yarn as well as the white Alpaca for a client.

Diamond pattern Cotton Capelet/Poncho

Who said there is not enough hours in the day!!!

Party Coaster Set

We had only 19mm rain last night but that will freshen everything up.
Saturday is busy with catching up at Mandie's, spinning (EGMTK) and then to Echuca for a Linen party at my daughter's unit.
The Girgarre Market is on this Sunday morning as well.

Sheep...

...have been shorn. Luckily just before this hot weather, which is going to follow up with rain, so will have to watch for flystrike. Very bad last spring and summer. I now have to decide where to send the lamb's fleeces as they are only 1 - 2 inches long. The full fleeces I will spin myself or sell privately or send away, and the remaining will go in the shared Baling Day in the North East after we decide what to do.
I have now started carding (prior to spinning) a white Alpaca fleece for a customer. I also am organising some gifts of natural coloured wool batts for some acquaintances who I met at the spinning workshop in August.

I will be at Riverside Plaza Market in Shepparton this Saturday from 9am to 2pm.


Making himself comfortable.

 I am minding the farm while Leigh is away visiting his son overseas, so a bit quiet here, with only the cats, the sheep and cattle to talk to. speaking of cats, another has popped in and if it hangs around that will make 4, and they don't even belong to us. My daughter's cat of course is settling in really well since he came to us in June, much better life in the outdoors than in a city apartment.

Okay...

...my blogging entries have been very poor lately but I have been using Facebook for quick entries.

Now, on the farm we have been calving very slowly and spread out, unfortunately, and we still have one to go. One of the older cows gave birth to twins, luckily 2 heifers, so a lot of growing for these tiny girls. i haven't taken any photos yet, because the day after they were born Mum wasn't well and had to be treated with Calcium successfully, but soon after one of the twins went missing, and could not be found anywhere. We have a lot of long grass around the channel area, so heaven only knows where she went, but after a week of not finding her she turned. So 15 cows and 15 calves in one paddock. We are very happy! Another paddock we have 10 Lowlines, ( 4 of which are heifers calving early next year) with 6 calves. In another paddock the Lowline bull has 7 heifers and a steer to keep him busy. Lots of animals now plus 44 sheep.

Of course I am always working at my crafting and have finally finished a machine knit cardigan, so hopefully am getting the hang of the machines now.

Handspinning always goes on, with the Alpaca for a client as a priority but I have done some natural coloured Corriedale for the stall.

And some seing, and I need to add more of these. Here is a sample.

So, since it is my birthday today, it is time to get ready to go to Echuca for lunch with my mother, children, sister, etc.

Catching up....

Time flies, and you suddenly realise that you are writing in Facebook pages quickly so as not to use up computer time or "waste time on computer" when you should be working at your craft.

Nagambie market was a washout last Saturday, but weather permitting Girgarre Market will be on this sunday, and new items have been added to the stall.

Farm news... we now have a total of 18 calves. Lowline calves unfortunately have a knack of getting into other paddocks, just walk straight through the fences!!! So Leigh has been putting up ringlock fencing to keep them in; this will be an ongoing project. As the farm was originally set up as a dairy farm, there was no need for high tensile fencing. I must get an updated photo of the Lowline family.

Website is updated, and more yarn is drying. And here are photos of some new items for he stall.

Wet Times...

....setting up the Studio/workshop. It includes the second-hand knitting machines that I have just bought, and set up is my original Empisal knitting machine(always set up) and brought out of retirement.

I thought I would put up a couple of photos to show how wet it has been...

...this is the drain that runs through the farm. It is higher than the concrete drain ....

..that Leigh is pulling up the door here to drain water from this paddock where it is running down from higher paddocks.

.....Handspun Corriedale wool, and a handspun and commercial wool woven scarf.

.....Strauch double-wide motorized carder.

More busy days ahead...

Apart from having more glitzes with the computer which I hope improves as nothing wrong could be found this time, it has been busy with the Steam Rally and Girgarre Market on the long weekend. I was quite happy with sales at Girgarre, as there was a lot of competition with markets in several areas.
On the farm front over the last 10 days we have had 9 live calves from 9 cows, but 3 cows went down with milk fever and 1 cow had to be vet assisted. At this stage 2 more cows to g with another 3 suspected not in calf.
My upcoming studio/workshop now has sand plopped down ready for the concretor who had to postpone due to destructive weather uprooting another job. Never mind my turn will come.
My middle daughter was in echuca for a party on the weekend, so we got together for lunch at the Wisteria with my other 2 daughters and grandchildren on the sunday.
In the meantime more carding and woolspinning happening, and a few projects on the needles.
Photos coming soon.

Rainy start...

Up a little bit later today following an earlier start for the Girgarre Market yesterday. Today started with a shower then raining more just as we go to feed my coloured sheep and the cows and calves. Stayed sitting on the tractor so the seat would stay dry.
Have spent some of this day carding some more wool, cutting more material for our mystery quilt, and some spinning.
Plus setting up this blog (finally).