Christmas...

...is alsmost here, so a little slow down on the crafting side, whilst I get ready for my family's Christmas lunch.
I had a good market last Sunday at Mooroopna, selling yarn as well as crafted accessories. It is summer here so wool items still sell. I find that if I continue the markets all year, it is advertising and allows those knitters/spinners out there to purchase for their winter projects.
But I do have some summer cotton garments that I have made on the knitting machine. and I will post a photo of another sample.

So just in case I don't get back here, I wish everyone a safe and Happy Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Bear with me...

... have been lots of tidying, gardening, and a little craftwork. with the farm on the market so much work to do.
Plus Leigh's 60th birthday today. Having a couple of his mates stay over on the pretense that they want to take him out for tea with a surprise from some of my family and a couple of other local mates. Not very big but you need to acknowledge the milestone. Leigh's sons are so far away with one overseas, that I feel bad not inviting them, but  know there would be difficulties, particularly when I started organising only 3 weeks ago.
christmas breakups are on the go at the moment with one group yesterday, lunch out for leigh today, me out again tonight. The birthday tea out on Saturday night. Girgarre market Sunday morning. I think I'm worn out already....
So keep watching,  because I do have work underway.

More Yarn...

Carnival 8ply

Freesias 4ply
 

Machine knit cotton top in Blush
 

...added to the website. My plans are to gradually add my handdyed yarn in 1kg lots divided into 10 skeins of approx 100gms each as  they are dyed.
The colour of this garment did not come out as well as I thought it would so nay have to check the camera and do another on. A simple lace pattern with boatneck and garter stitch edging at the sleeve area.



Hanspun from hand dyed blended fleece.

This yarn I am still working on, origially deing 900gms of grey fleece in 3 colours , blending on the carder and then spinning as singles(approx10-12ply)
 

News..

...
After a big decision by my partner, he has finally decided that the farm is not up to the mark and even reopening the dairy is not able to produce enough income to keep us going as well as feeding all the cattle and the sheep. The upgrade to the power after an unfortunate accident, (unwitnessed) and the future upgrade to the irrigation system is going to be too much to handle. Leigh is 60 next month and I am 59. We could have rattled on for awhile as we were but now with no real spring rain all the feed has gone off,
So the farm is going on the market, with photos being taken on Monday, and the signs going up as well for internet access to the real estate agents.
Unfortunately one does not know how long this could take considering the poor economic climate.
Being as it may, it is a good property for someone just starting out with extra money to put into the things that we can't financially do. Lots of shedding as well, including my studio.
My crafting will go on as usual, and hopefully I will access other markets as I won't have to think of too many animals.
Leigh's mother is aging and is becoming more frail and so has been needing a lot of help, and there is nowhere for her to go, yet.

I remember...

...when I started this blog that I would keep up to date. But life, including family, new grandchildren and issues surrounding them did get in the way. Hopefully some of these issues will settle down so I can get back to what I should be doing.
The sheep have been shorn, with some fleeces with barley grass through them, some of which I can process myself, and the better ones may go to Baling Day for ongoing commercial processing into tops, or yarn.

Handspun, from Hand dyed wool tops

Handspun natural camel coloured wool

Handspun from hand dyed fleece

Machine knit from Natural 3ply yarn

Machine Jacket from Bendigo Wool 3ply

Hand dyed 4ply Pure wool

So I will add a few photos for you to peruse so you know I have not slacked off on the craft side of things.

Dairy up and running...

We bought new Jersey cows for the dairy and it has been a bit stressful for them as well as us, but hopefully soon things will settle down. Also I got the dreaded "cold" with sinus problems and the sore throat, which did not help. cell count has been a problem but hoping to get on top of this.

So, up early at 5am with a bit of breakfast, then down to the dairy yard forr me to feed my sheep and shut them into their other paddocks away from the dairy, and then the cows into the yard for milking. we have 54 milking cows at the moment and 4 calves we are feeding which will be sufficient for this season. A nice Jersey bull has been hired and arrived yesterday, and was extremely happy to see his new girls. He is a quiet boy which is good because I do not like being around bulls.

My craftwork has to continue, but sadly I have lost some hours, but as it approaches the warmer months I hope to get some spinning done. I will still be attending the 3 regular markets I attend, Nagambie, Girgarre, and Mooroopna, plus some sharing days and of course the Bendigo Sheep and Wool Show.

I continue to work on my machine knitting and have made a few more garment over the last few months, and hope to produce some summer cotton garments soon.

I have some fleeces washed waiting for picking and carding, so never a dull moment and more organisation will get me going.

How does one keep up...

..with life changes.
I have been adding some yarn to the website, but more yarn and wool tops still to be added. My machine knitting is progressing, but I still need to do handknitting projects.
Felting, what can I say, this has been very slow and need to get some more items done.
Farm projects: the dairy is finally ready and leigh has been improving fencing for the milkers. some beef heifers will be going to the market tomorrow, there is definitely no room for them here, now.

My oldest daughter who is 6 and 1/2 months pregnant had the biggest scare of her life, when her partner picked up their daughter from daycare to go for a drive, and was involved in a serious car accident. Amelia was extremely lucky with no injuries, and her car seat strapped into the middle of the back seat of the car. Shane received multiple facial bone and jaw fractures and was transferred to the Alfred hospital where reconstructed the smashed bones, etc. The wonders of modern surgery and they are bringing him home today. Will save on travel, and much nicer to be at home. Just will have to go back for specialist appointments.

Happenings...

June has produced some highs and lows, with lambing started and some losses occurring, followed by several sets healthy twins. So with about 30 lambs and mothers running around madly it's a bit chaotic in the mornings during feeding.
Some market sales have improved with me attending the Echuca Steam Rally for two days and successful sales there.
At the moment I am spinning lots for the Bendigo sheep and Wool show.
The Dairy renovation is progressing getting ready for the application of the dairy licence prior to buying more cows.

This post is probably a bit garbled but I still have to put photos on the computer of new yarns etc. and I am heading off to Echuca to take my daughter out to lunch for her birthday.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Lots happening...

A lot has been happening on the farm as well as in the studio, which has decreased my time blogging, so forgive me.
I am currenly knitting for my grandchildren a cardigan and a jumper on the knitting machine, and now almost finished.
Handspinning goes on forever and who wants stop??? I have not enough of my natural coloured handspun for the markets so thais is taking some priority. And 3 skeins have just gone off to a happy customer, so more of that happening.

A little more handspun hand dyed thick and thin, and a natural coloured woven houndstooth scarf completed.

The cows continue to calve with 12 calves since January, more to come for June, and then the remainder cows will start to calve in July onwards. These are the beef cows, and they will have to found a new home when we get dairy cows, as the property is not big enough for all the animals.

A friend has been keeping an eye out and spotlights at night shooting foxes. The sheep have been shifted to smaller paddocks where I can easily keep an eye on them, as they will start lambing from early next week. All looking in good condition, and hopefully up to 30 lambs could be expected as there is sure to be some twins.
And the farm has a new silo in readiness for grain for dairy cows when all the works are completed for the dairy to begin operating again.

Wangaratta Wool Day...

...is on tomorrow, and I will be wearing my new wrap. I have dyed the fleece and spun the yarn from my own sheep, so it is very special. Also on my table some new thick and thin hand dyed yarn and hand dyed wool tops.

A lot is happening this month.

First... The Nanny and Ewe Fibre Muster to be held in Echuca this weekend, check out the website at
http://www.nannyandewe.com/
Lots of fibrey things happening there.

Second... The annual Wangaratta Wool Day on Saturday May 28th.
And I have updated the website with wool tops in semi-solid colours in lighter tones.

Winter is coming...

...so I have been working hard after the Harrietville retreat. Some new yarns and other items added to the website.
Harrietville was a relaxing and learning process, with lots of fun in between. The historical dyeing was fun and interesting to note that Indigo changes as the yarn hits the air (that's another photo I haven't taken yet).
How to make better drum carded batts, I also liked, something for all those add ins that are talked about these days. I made some batts but instead of using them for Artyarns I made 2 ply yarns plying with some of my hand dyed tops.
Weaving tips, and wool combing with English combs was something else I was happy to participate in.

Muliticolour wool/fibre batt plied with hand dyed wool top

Muliticolour wool top plied with solid colour wool top

Light colour semi-solids

Handspun jumper and woven scarf

So, now I have completed a machine knit handspun jumper in Natural dark grey, a scarf completed off the knitter's loom, and some hand dyed semi-solids in light colours for a change. I am also adding 50 gram carded dyed fleece batts to my market stall as I do them, unless I spin them first.

Hand dyed semi-solid

Hand dyed semi-solid

  This big beast obtained from a clearing sale. A Gardner wool press of unknown vintage but has been in the family for a very long time.

Harrietville...

...here I come.
Whilst I was working shift work, I was not able to attend any workshops over the years, so for the first time this year I am going to the Harrietville weekend retreat workshop that is put on every year by the Handspinners and Weavers Guild (Vic). So am busily preparing the the requirements for the workshops on hand.
Art yarns, wool embroidery, Historical dyeing, wool blending with combs, and ideas for the knitters loom.
The best about it will be the new comrades I will meet and some I already know and the casual way the workshops work.
Will have some posting to do when I come back.

Mooroopna Farmers Market...

...tomorrow from 8.00am. I have spun some new yarn and have a few small items added to the craft table.

Hand dyed wool top plied with natural coloured fleece.

Child's beanie

Hand dyed Machine knit Scarf/Shawl

More Rain...

...here today which means wearing gumboots to the studio. 39mm at 7am still showering on and off during the day.
Have completed the back and 2 sleeves of a cardigan for an  machine knit order. And I am continuing with spinning some hand dyed tops (mine) and plying them with natural coloured wool. Also working on carding more wool for a spinning supply. Winter is fast approaching and I will need lots of handspun for the markets.
Working on a project for myself as well. Sometimes a girl has got to get some new winter woollies.
Need to post some photos when they are done.

A little update...

The website has been updated with a few small projects.

The paddocks have drained but still look very waterlogged. The channels on the farm are full of water. Other paddocks in the area are not so lucky and I would say some of these will still be underwater for some time. We have been extremely lucky!

Handspun, handdyed thick and thin

I can now walk to the Studio without wearing gumboots. It took a few days to get back to the Studio, so have been a bit behind with projects.

The Girgarre market is on tomorrow so will have a few extra items added to the stall.

The Murray College of Health in Echuca has also been asking for awhile to add some of my handspun articles to their window, and I was able to take a few things over there for them to display and sell, along with some other handmade items. so will look forward to extra sales there.



Hello out there...

Very remiss of me not blogging. Internet service up and down. Upgraded to 4G Mobile so hope it becomes better.
Here on the farm this week we have had a whopping 6 inch rainfall resulting in flooded paddocks. We have a huge drain through the property and it is fast flowing and very high, about 18 inches below the bridge. Unfortunately thinking we were not going to get more than the first 3 inches we closed the door that takes water into the drain, so waking up Thursday morning found my Studio surrounded by a sheet of water. Water was lapping the verandah around the house as well. Due to the height of the drain, water was not going away as fast as it usually does.  To add to this proble, the property up the road from us unfortunately has flooded and is running down the road drains, seeping onto our propety around the Studio area so we are on Floodwatch. Everything is up high for the present until everything settles down.
I cancelled going to the Nagambie market, thankfully, as it has now started to rain again. The sheep and cattle have got some dry ground, so hopefully it will be okay!

Looking from house to our next paddock

Studio surrounded by water

Back verandah area

Luckily I had visitors from the Art Mooveau group, to the studio for a get together with coffee and cake on Wednesday. Lots of woollie goodies went away in their hands.
Some hand dyed wool tops and fleeces went over to the North East last Sunday and have new owners. So have had  productive sales this week to make up for lost markets. A recent visit over to Echuca also saw 19 skeins of wool yarns go to a new owner as well.
Once the rain event has finished will have to get more wool dyed. Do not want to increase the drain problem at the moment. So spinning a multi coloured yarn and some Alpaca for a client using handcards to prepare the fibre. Tedious but showing promise.

I am currently....

...spinning some medium-light grey Corriedale fleece from my own sheep so will be awhile before it gets posted to the website.
But in the meantime I have been knitting some mitts. A basketweave scarf in natural grey brown is also finished.
Another machine knit cardigan to be sewn up.

It is the Girgarre Market this Sunday (tomorrow) so will have thes finished items on the stal.
Visitors arriving late this afternoon for a few days. Never know how long so will have to have things at hand mto do whilst sharing a glass of wine or two.
Sheep are looking good with no hint of flystike so far. Thank goodnes!!
Cows and calves are going well, one expected soon. I think the bull must have had a rest every 3 weeks with these heifers as that is how long it is taking between each birth.

Ok...

3ply Natural coloured wool in a classic raglan style cardigan with lace fronts.

BFL/silk handspun

Multi fibre handspun yarn.

....cardigan completed, and halfway through another. More yarn has been added to the website.

Some handspun yarn..

..added to the website.

Time to get busy...

I recently dyed some small amounts of fleece which are now on the website. There is a little VM in them but easily flicked, picked or carded out. I will be dyeing more soon, and these I will card separately.
I recently have been knitting a cardigan on the machine and finally finished it. I was sewing it up and was checking how it looked when lo and behold I noticed the cuffs on the sleeves did not look even. How I missed that I do not know. So will not be able to sell this, but I get a new cardigan for myself which is not a bad thing. So, off to the machine to do a new one. At least I am getting the practice.
I have some skeins of yarn that also need to be added to website. Photos taken so need to be added soon.
As I said time to get busy.
Babysitting this weekend so that will slow me down, will have to get things prepared.