My Alpaca's New Home

With invaluable help from a friend we loaded up 8 alpaca into his double horse box. There was just enough room for them to kush down comfortably, alpacas don't travel standing up. Then we put the two males into our smaller trailer with a partition between them as they would normally have a go at one another!

We then set off for the 4 hour plus trip to their new home in Brittany. We pulled up to their new fields and I lead Max to his seperate paddock next to the girls, then we let the rest out, and they immediately explored their new quarters. Running here and there, grabbing a mouth of grass on the way. They all seemed very happy, pleased to be out of the trailer.





I miss them terribly. Although they still belong to me, this is the last time I will care for them directly. I think we have more or less decided to settle in the Stroud area of England, which is close to where they will be settling once all the movement and import restrictions have been lifted.

Even our chickens have gone to a new home, the Peafowl are being kept in as we have to catch them tomorrow and deliver them to new keepers. The place is deserted, barren and cold now.

Packing, sorting, clearing out and generally downsizing is carrying on a pace. We have managed to sell and give away a lot of stuff we just won't have room for and don't need anymore. We are even getting rid of things that we will need but we don't like, like our living room furniture! It is liberating.

I have several boxes of fibre, wool, and general spinning and knitting equipment to keep me occupied in Brittany for the 3 months we will spend there until we move to England. I think I might have too much....

This weekend we have a mad dash over to the UK with our trailer packed full of things to deliver to children that they are taking, then we sell the trailer. A quick lunch with friends, stay overnight in Stroud to further explore the locality. Sunday will be spent visiting my parents, Dad in hospital, (he's getting better thanks), Mum, staying in a care home for people with mental health needs, and my poor brother who is trying to cope with all of this. Then back on the overnight ferry.

That leaves 4 days to tidy up loose ends, Thursday the removal company descend, Friday, we spend 2 hours in the Notaires signing everything off before driving into the sunset to Brittany.

All I want is a simple life

We intend to take our alpaca back to England with us. This has proved very difficult because there was another outbreak of foot and mouth disease in the UK just after they declared the first outbreak 'over'. We feel it's too risky to assume that when it is time to move them we will be able to, it's not something you can leave to the last minute. There are tests to be done, licences to be got, transporters and ferries etc etc. So we had a brainwave, lets see if there is another alpaca breeder who would like to give them a home for a few months and then we can move them late winter or early spring when it's all over. And we found one in Brittany, another English couple. Hooray, we can relax. They have even exported alpaca to England themselves so understand the process so will be able to deal with it all when the time comes.

There is another threat now Blue Tongue There are restrictions on animal movements but until this morning they didn't involve this area. Now they do. We spoke to our vet and he rang the Orne Departements veterinary service and the answer to the question, 'Can we move our alpaca to Brittany' was 'non'. Our hearts sank, but then, after more discussion we can if we treat them with a specific anti parasite and get their blood tested in 28 days.

Our completion date for moving out has been extended to the 30th November, so you could say everything is working out. It's just that sometimes it doesn't feel like it!

The Goat's new home

We took our goats to their new home yesterday. They are joining two other goats belonging to Ruan and David. It was very funny to watch them eyeing one another up, ours stayed very close to one another, looking very alert and apprehensive in the strange field. Ruan's goats weren't quite sure what to do with the intruders, then thought they should asert their authority so proceeded to chase them around the orchard. This only lasted about 30 seconds as, on Ruan's own admission, her goats are too fat and they very shortly became winded! They would catch their breath, then start chasing again, round in circles. Our's easily out ran them, being superior goats of course lol. We had to make another trip as we donated what was left of our straw, some old tyres and doors, stuff we construct platforms for the goats to get on. When we returned they had all settled down, Ruan's two had become bored with chasing and had gone off to their stable.

I miss them. I still glance across automatically to their old paddock, and now it's empty. But I am sure they will be very happy in their new home, they will be loved.

Trying to be a good blogger.

.. and post more often.

Max, my stud alpaca, has an abscess on his foot. It's nasty and he needs treatment 3 times a day. This was okay when he was feeling very sorry for himself and slow, but after 5 days it's a bit better and he's thinking he doesn't want to put his foot in a bucket of betadine solution and keep it there for 5 minutes, then let me squeeze any gunk out then have an IM injection of penicillin. Nope, he doesn't want to do that anymore. And I can't put much effort into holding him with this pesky rib. So it's down to once a day now. Although he is weight bearing and not hobbling anymore, it is obviously still very sore and still producing muck, but I am trying to irrigate it with normal saline (salt solution) rather than put pressure on it.

Tomorrow is a big day, vets ( I really hope it is more than one), are coming to carry out the TB and brucellosis test on the alpaca prior to moving them back to the UK. We've already cancelled them coming once as there were more cases of F&M, and there has been another one over the weekend. They are all in the same area but we are taking a chance that in a months time we will be able to ship them. If not, we have to start the process again. And look for somewhere temporary to house them here as we should move out by November 15th. Oh, and alpaca do not have their veins in the same place as cows and horses and I really really hope the vet's have done their homework. I can't tell them where as I've not seen it done before and my efforts to find diagrams on the web have failed, all I've had is a description of where from other 'paca owners. It's done all the time in the UK and US, I just can't help but be a worry guts at the moment.

This to, shall pass.

Whoops a daisy

 

These are my ribs, one of them is broken. It's not displaced so it's very difficult to see, (10th on the left). I don't have a light box and my scanner isn't connected, so had to make do with the window, hence the view of the alpaca behind, neat.

Yes, it does hurt and it's a damn nuisance when I should be packing.

I slipped on the stairs when I was carrying a skein of handspun and noticed a grass seed in it, went to pluck it out and, whamn. Our stairs are just wood, no covering, and the edge of the treads are sharp. But I can still spin so it's a great opportunity to catch up without feeling I should be getting on with a lot of other chores. And of course I'm excused alpaca poo-collecting! And I'll try to blog more lol.

Only 2 months to go ....

..... until we move out.

I can't believe it is happening really. From feeling we would never find a buyer to suddenly having to sort a mountain of stuff. We are not really into to full sorting and packing mode as weddings, family gatherings and holidays are getting in the way. We are well on the way to sorting out the exporting of the alpaca back to England though because this is dependent on getting the correct licenses, certificates and testing on the alpaca syncronised.

We've found a place for the alpaca at Alpaca Power in south Gloucestershire; we visited last week and really liked the set-up and the owner's approach to alpaca care. Now we are trying to make sense out of the exporting requirements - we can't track them down in the French system! We've asked our vets, searched the web, finally rang the department's veterinary service today, and finally it is becoming clearer. I've found a carrier, it will cost a lot of money but it is well spent to know that they will be traveling with people who are used to caring for animals on long road trips.

Pictures:

Wedding: E's son Sam, and his bride Lydia, they are a lovely couple, the weather was awful but it didn't prevent them and us, from having a fabulous day.







I like this photo of the bridesmaids, they were just outside the door of the church and I was well inside, it was taken using the zoom on my little camera. Although the picture quality is poor, I cropped it and added even more graininess. I think it's lovely, imho.


And this is what the weather was like!!

Bugger

Sorry I haven't blogged for a while, my mind has been totally distracted by other stuff.

I'll be brief.

We have sold our farm.

The suddenness of it caught me by surprise, two visits (the second with a tape measure, always a giveaway), first a silly offer then following quickly on the heels of our guffaws a sensible one. We signed contracts within a week.

We have agreed to complete the purchase on 31st October.

The dog and cat will not have valid passports (so that they can travel within the EU without quarantine) until mid February 08. Duh.

For pets to have a passport they need to have a rabies jab, then a blood test 30 days later. If that shows they have immunity, the passport is issued 6 MONTHS FROM THE DATE OF THE TEST. It makes no difference, apparently, if the pet has had regular rabies jabs for 3 years. You have to wait 6 months. After that then the animal can come and go at anytime, they just need to keep up with the rabies vaccinations. This is every 2 years in the UK, annually in France, 3 years in neigbouring Belgium - it's nonsense.

I don't know why I haven't had them done, I know the rules, we knew we were going to move sometime, there is no reason why I shouldn't have just popped down to the vets and had the test. But I didn't. I sort of thought we wouldn't sell the farm for months and months and then it would be 6 months before we moved out.

But, I think things will work out okay. We were going to rent a house in the UK initially in order to take our time house hunting. So we will just rent in France, it's cheaper anyway. There is also the potential threat of foot and mouth disease in the UK with all ruminant animals banned from any transportation. Unless this is lifted by early October I wouldn't be able to move the alpaca back anyway. I'm sure the spread of the disease will be contained this time unlike back in 2002, but if it isn't it won't be a problem, we can rent a place with land here.

I can go on at length about foot and mouth, I will another time.

For the people who think this is a knitting blog....



This is supposed to be a Clapotis for Sam. It's in Sea Silk from Fleece Artist in the Woodland colour way. I love the way the yarns look in the hank. I hate the way this is knitting up. I find it so disappointing that knitting does these type of hand painted yarns absolutely no favours at all - in my very humble opinion. I'm trying to think of how these beautiful hanks can be shown off to advantage. I think weaving is perhaps the best way - this obviously not what they are designed for, and a very expensive option, these yarns are not cheap. Perhaps used for stranded knitting with another plain yarn which picks up one of the main hues might work. I will just have to try it to see if it works. In the meantime I don't know whether to finish the Clapotis and hope Sam likes it, or rip it out now. I wait and ponder.....

Noro Cashmere Flavor

You probably know this already, but I've just stumbled upon this beautiful yarn! It's actually a knitting machine yarn, and works out at 900mtrs for 100gs. Makes a stunning lace weight.



You can buy it online here, home of the Secret Knitting Podcast.

The I found the complete shade card here. The trouble is I've just ordered two lots of Seasilk to knit a couple more Clapotis'. I can dream.

Dreams are made of this..

Our (well okay, my thoughts) are straying to maybe, when we move, perhaps, buying a motorhome and spending some time on the move. Maybe it's a reaction to spending the last 3 years 8 months more or less rooted to the spot. I do love to travel and would like to spend a lot of time really exploring the UK. Some may think after someone has lived there for 50 years + there can't be much left to see, but not so. One thing about the UK, especially England, is the landscape and general style can change within a few miles. There is just so much going on. Finances won't let us run to a luxury model such as the Knaus above, and to cope with tiny roads and difficult parking something like this may be more useful...


for sale here
I am spending too much time browsing motorhome websites, especially the forums where you get user's views and not just advertising speel. My knowledge base is expanding into previously unknown territory. For instance, I bet you don't know what a SOG loo is do you! That's one of the downsides of motor homing eliminated.

I'm on Ravelry!

Woo hoo! I put my name down here weeks ago but when I read there were 9000 in the queue I shrugged my shoulders and forgot about it. Then I got the invitation email just now, so that's my evening sorted.

Ages ago I finally got around to knitting a Clapotis



I'd resisted for some time, having swatched a bit I didn't really like the reverse side. Then needing a summer weight shawl/scarf I chose some fine mercerised crochet cotton sold in the supermarket, only 6 euros for 750 metres! I used 3.5mm needles so did a few more diagonals to compensate before the straight section. It came out definitely a scarf and not a shawl as it is long and narrow, having a natural tendency to elongate.

The yarn is very light and I thought the drape would be enhanced with a bit of weight on the ends so I added some beads on a crocheted edge - I also continued a single crochet along the long sides.

It makes a very nice scarf, the cotton softened and bloomed a bit after washing which made it even nicer. Another time if I use the same yarn I would knit it about 20% wider. My daughter Sam liked it so much I am going to knit her one in Seasilk from Coloursong, she's chosen the Woodland colour way.

I wove!

I have a small Harris, sampling loom. It's used rarely, my one and only previous attempt ended in disaster when I attempted to dress the loom with sticky and rough thin silk yarn (cheap in a sale...) That went in the bin. I've always thought that my handspun wouldn't be strong enough for a warp, but I realised that the combined strength of several threads probably would be, something Deborah Chandler pointed out. Plus you can buy knitting looms specifically for knitting yarn, and, finally, I really do have to pull hard to break a plied yarn that I've spun from alpaca, much more so than the equivalent with wool. All this preamble leads me to this!



I am inordinately pleased with it, it's really very ordinary and full of mistakes. Intended as a scarf, I soon realised it wasn't going to be long enough so half way through I started playing with other yarns and patterns. I learnt so much from doing it and enjoyed the learning, rather than feeling frustrated. I think because my errors were typical beginners ones and once I realised where I had gone wrong they were simply solved. I don't think I will ever be a true weaver, I am not one of those people who describe the first time they sat at a loom as finding their true vocation, but I can actually see an alternative use for my yarn now and will definitely do it again.

I will make a separate page of the whole process with more pictures at some point, it will be long and boring but a good record for me, and will give you the option of skipping it!

One more thing,

Dear Blogger (Beta), I've been slow with praise and quick to criticise in the past, mainly because you could be a RPITA most times, but thank you, from the bottom of my heart for introducing the 'automatic save' feature. (((((hugs)))))

I need a holiday

I want a holiday. We haven't had a holiday for 4 years. Okay, I did get to cycle for 10 days with my mate Annette last year so, yes, I suppose that definitely was a break. But I want one of those lie by the pool in the sun and then wander down to the bar in the evenings type of holiday. Without other people to consider (God I'm just so horrible!). But you know what? If someone waved a magic wand and we were off on a holiday to Crete next week, you know what my first thought would be?

Bugger, much weight can I lose in 5 days.....

Introducing ...

Lu Lu. She's a mate for Brian, hopefully they will have eggs together!

The first time she was let out after about 10 days she wandered around for an hour, then flew off. Cursing ourselves for being over confident she would stay, we searched but couldn't find her. All we could do was hope she would find her way to her previous home. Then early one morning a couple of days later, I spotted her amongst the long grass, I guess she'd been around all the time, making us feel rotten. She's a lot more cautious than Brian and kept to the far corners of our farm, but slowly she's become more confident and now wanders around with the rest of the hens. It has had the desired effect on Brian of reducing his deafening call, but it's not stopped completely. And he still sits on the roof of the car and chases us down the drive when we go out!

The Summer Solstice June 21 2007 18:06 GMT

I love midsummer, stone circles, dawn. Perhaps I'm a druid.









Photo by KimM-O

Yup, I'm old

The day before yesterday, Asda (large chain of British supermarkets (now owned by Walmart?)) announced that sales of clothes pegs had risen by 1000%. This was attributed to the increasing awareness of global warming and that, perhaps, you could forsake the dryer and dry your clothes out of doors.

Then yesterday, two separate channels ran items about HOW TO HANG YOUR WASHING OUT. I remember that a colleague once related a story, of how her neigbour turned down her offer to use said colleagues washing line when the neigbours dryer had broken (this was summer) with a snooty "but that's like a peasant". Peasants? Is it me?

The weather here has been wet, very wet. We had a long, grey wet winter, then April was absolutely glorious. We started to make contingency plans for watering the garden, saving grey water, maybe buying a pump for the well. But from May onwards, it's been 90% wet. It's still been getting warmer so the humidity is very high and we get thunderstorms. The hay can't be made, after seeing the grass go to early seed in April, now it can't be cut and dried. And the torrential rain is flattening it.

The little cria, now called Consuela for posh and Connie for short, very soon learnt how to dash for the field shelter. She's doing very very well, the best thing is just to watch her in the evening sprinting at top speed around the paddock, and yesterday she was even pinging, or pronking I've heard it called. It's a sort of effortless bounce on all four feet at once, they seem to just flick their feet, with hardly any movement in their legs, heads and tails up, they do it when they're happy.

Consuela 11th June 2007

 
The picture is from left to right, Sandie, clever mum, Connie and aunty Lissie, who can't help but poke her nose in.

Warning, contains icky stuff.
A brand new cria arrived yesterday morning. I don’t know if I will ever get through a birth without worrying myself silly. The dam, Sandie, has been having practice contractions where a definite bulge appears under her tail for weeks now. A week ago a very large bulge appeared and I grabbed birthing box expecting her to produce a cria then and there. But not Sandie, she continued to do this for several days. In the morning, there would be some large bulging from her rear and then by the afternoon she would go back to normal size. I was beginning to worry, 'is this normal? Is the cria too big? Has she a torsion??!!' I tried to rationalise my fears, she's eating normally and seems completely relaxed, so I should just be patient, but surely it must happen soon? Then yesterday morning Sandie was behaving differently, she was last up to the hay, and didn’t come down for ‘breakfast’ – oddly, the gran of the bunch, Margo, was keeping her company, I’ve never known Margo miss food – mid morning we had serious protuberances from her rear end, her vent was elongated, she rolled, went to the poo pile several times, but still nothing. I was pacing around wondering when, if, I should call a vet. Then at lunchtime I checked and there was ‘something’ on the ground behind her, and yes, a cria half delivered! Now alpaca do this funny thing of walking around for a while with a half born hanging from their rear end, but Sandie didn’t get up, and I could see she was having contractions but the cria wasn’t progressing. I gave a slight pull and there was a lot of resistance so I backed off and waited, Sandie got up, nothing, then she laid down again, dragging the cria’s head in the dust. All of this time the cria is sticking out of her rear end making gurgling noises, it is still attached via the umbilical cord and is receiving oxygen, so it’s okay although it looks damn awkward. The contractions didn’t seem to be doing anything so I caught hold of the cria’s legs and this time very gentle traction got her 90% out, I left the rest for mum to do and another few seconds and the cria was out, very mobile and SHE, WOOPEE, A GIRL!!! struggled up to kush position very quickly. Then the heavens opened and I had to pick her up and carry her to the shelter. Very soon she was up and wobbling around, and feeding within 3o minutes. Brilliant work.
Sigh, now I can almost relax. I did have a brandy, well two, small ones….

But you can never completely relax with newborns around….

Sandie is proving to be a very attentive mum, a very different attitude to the one she had for her fated boy 2 years ago who eventually died.

I think the cria is going to be called Consuela, nickname Connie….

Candy floss

I dyed this.
My Method Pre-soaked the roving in a large container with lots of water with vinegar and a drop of washing up liquid added. Then after several hours removed the wool, add a very weak solution of magenta acid discharge dye, swish it around and replace the wool. Leave to settle. Then with a 5ml syringe squirt a few mls of stronger pink and even smaller amounts of turquoise deep into the wool under water, be sparing and random. The dye pools, and doesn't bleed far from where you put it. Start to heat very very slowly over about 45 minutes up to the temperature you normally dye at. Continue as normal. I didn't stir the roving at all. I like the effect a lot. I'm into subtle now.

Then spun and plied it...



and swatched..

I really love this stitch pattern, start with an even number of stitches, K1 *yo, k2tog* k1. Every row - yes, even the wrong side row, that's how it works. It's not as fast as I thought it would be to knit up as the needles need a bit of manipulating to do the K2tog, you are knitting into the YO k2tog of the row below, and not purling as you often do. And just don't drop a stitch, they just disappear and are almost impossible to pick up.
It's going to be a shrug for Molly, I've 340 yards so I think it should do. I started to do a cuff to cuff version but I just don't like vertical stripes, and there are subtle ones in this, so I've ripped it and I'm now doing a front to back. I wondered if it's possible to do short rows to get a narrower sleeve sections, but as the fabric is very stretchy and should conform around Mol's little bod I don't think I will this time, not wanting to give myself the stress of ripping again if it doesn't work. I'm intrigued with the the idea though, so I might just try it on a doll sized garment to see how it goes.

Happy Easter!

It's set to be a glorious weekend here, the freezing cold wind has dropped and we are blessed with clear blue skies and temperatures around 16C which is very warm for us this time of the year.

The comment link disappeared on the last post, thanks to Little Critter Keeper for flagging it up. I was investigating then posted this and I see they are back! Just the one post it seems was affected. Poor old Blogger.

Okay, I'll spin then

I took some superwash wool which I picked up some years ago from Wingham WoolWork, then dyed it. The sliver striped into 5 separate strands very easily which helped to achieve the random, blobby effect, which of course was entirely intentional.

Then spun it up with quite a lot of twist as I wanted to Navajo ply it and still have a 'fingering' type yarn.



This is the swatch I did. There are approx 18 wpi and this is on 2.5mm needles.



I found it quite tricky to handle the fine single while plying. I don't have a tensioned lazy kate but adapted the Majacraft's bobbin box by tying cord around it and in the bobbin's grove which did put enough tension on it. I found it tricky to adjust the take up and one minute was feeding in to quickly, then slowed to a stop. So the number of plying twists aren't consistent and I noticed afterwards that the lower number of twists, the more it allows the plys to spring out and increase the diameter of the yarn. So, more twists gave me a snug, fine, cabled looking yarn, less twist, a fluffier yarn. There wasn't a problem with the yarn twisting Z or S either in the different sections so it seems I was probably at either end of the limits of the number of plying twists the single needed. An interesting light-bulb moment and one to put in my spinning records.

Now, I've 80grms, just enough for those small foot coverings..

Pride comes before...

See this sock?



Cute isn't it, it's for my 3 year old granddaughter, Emma.

Second sock is coming along nicely. I was especially impressed with the way I had the gusset decreases flow from the pattern, I wondered why I didn't think of that with the first sock (it's my own pattern). I didn't make notes because I always think I will remember and anyway, you can always squint at the first sock to work out what you did..



After a few rounds I counted stitches, umm, still a few rounds to go, usually there by now.

I haven't worked it out yet have I.

The sodding decreases work so well with the pattern because they are still part of the pattern, paired with a Yarn Over.

On the first sock I must have decreased for the gusset after the decrease for the YOs.

Rippit Rippit.

May as well rip the whole sock as this one is coming out larger as I've loosened up over the pattern. But, I suppose I should rip this one back to the heel and rip out the first one, as it's very unlikely I can make the second sock tighter.

Bum

Oh, and the bread is there because I was having a bad morning and I had to eat something.

Habadashery P**n

I could spend a whole day in a good dressmaking shop, handling the fabrics, drooling at buttons, salivating at trimmings, throbb- okay, I'll stop, but you know what I mean.

Well, almost as good is looking at MacCulloch & Wallis' web site. The photography is stunning!

One of their silk and velvet roses in the bridal section;



The hat blocks are so beautiful I'd like one just to look at and touch.



Go look at the bridal section and click on the flowers! Look at the buttons, and closures! Magnetic closures, leather trimmings, gasp. And the wool fabrics, so beautiful, wonderful colours, but very pricey as they are made in England.

As Brenda Dayne moaned in her blog a couple of weeks back, the UK has lost most of it's dressmaking and haberdashery outlets years ago. But, we do still have John Lewis', where you can buy fabric and notions. However there are only 25 stores in England and Scotland, (I've just been to their website and counted, more than I thought actually). But, there are none in the Southwest or Wales and you have to visit their Oxford street store in London for the greatest choice of fabrics. Some larger towns still have a fabric shop, where you will have a limited choice of buttons, including fish-eye plastic, where would we be without those, plain zips, a bit of Vilene and some velcro.

But MacCulloch's, I'm in heaven. When I get back to England that is one place on my list to visit.

I think I've done a bad thing, I was busy looking at the pictures and saving the images - JUST SO THAT I COULD SHOW YOU - but all of a sudden my browser wouldn't display any more images on their site. I guess it can tell when people are copying? Oh dear, I'm embarrassed now....

Socks and gin

I'm on a quick visit to the UK to see my old Dad and Mum and came away from their house minus my holdall. It contained the cursed socks and a litre of gin. Nuff said.

The Curse of the Sock Knitter

These have a curse on them. I completed this sock, kitchenered, didn't like the 'ears' although I slipped the end stitches over the next one in, the toe still had definite corners to it. I fancied the sock wasn't as snug as I liked them so decided to frog it and try a toe up version 4 stitches smaller. I found a few patterns with gussets which I like and need as I have a high instep so off I jolly well went.

I think it took eight attempts at the figure of 8 cast on before I a)managed it at all and b) was happy with my increasing. For some reason the increases didn't look nearly as nice and symmetrical as my decreases did. Once I got going I knit the sock up to the heel and once completed didn't like that either. It seemed too shallow. Frogged again.

I went back to knitting downwards, got most of the leg done then - I always leave a reasonable tail to mark the beginning of the rounds, one particular tail was too long so I grabbed the scissors to cut it off and cut the working yarn instead. Frog.

I got as far as turning the heel but kept looking at my gusset decreases which didn't match well enough for me. Frog. Then on Knitter's Review there was a suggestion that for ssk slipping the first stitch knitwise and the second purlwise works well - and it does!

So for the umpteenth time started again, this time to avoid the 'ears' turned the sock inside out to finish. Now I have to use a crib sheet to kitchener, it saves me time. I tried to reverse the instructions in my head, dead loss. So I re-typed the instructions substituting 'back' for 'front' and 'purl' for 'knit'. When I'd finished half the toe was okay but I must have lost track as the second half had purl bumps. I tinked back and tried again. Same result. Shit.

By then I was ready to chop it up with the scissors. I tinked back, decreased several times in the last two rows, sewed it up, said 'that will do'. Off course, it wouldn't. So after leaving it for 24 hours, I've frogged, cast on the original number of stitches as decided I preferred ever so slightly loose to ever so slightly over stretched. I'm now on the home run. On separate needles I am going to do a toe, turn it inside out and practice reverse kitchener until I get it bloody right.

It's only 02.21 ...

... I was reading an old post on Maia Spins and there was a link to Web sites as graphs
where you pop in the address of your blog and get this, Well, you won't get that picture exactly, you can get your own. On the site there are a few links which I followed as it is 02.22 now in the morning and that's how I waste my time and I got this. I can see a slight problem, just a tiny one. Over here in Euro territory, the euro symbol goes after the numbers. Do you think I should tell him? Nah.

Rain

Rain

Today, back to this.

Violets

Violets

Yesterday was sunny, dry, and to good to miss a spin on the bike, and the spring flowers had really begun to show themselves, violets everywhere.

B4 Bag

I've nearly finished the B4 Bag from Blooming Knitiot. It's so pretty. It's a comprehensive pattern with several pictures of other bags, their finished sizes and how different yarns behaved after felting. Trish sent an accompanying email with other tips and ideas from previous knitters of the bags, all very useful.



I'm using hand spun and trying to achieve as even a fabric as I can by using 2 strands of some yarns, or mixing thinner and thicker and trying get a pleasing colour mix. For the base I used 1 strand of blue, plied alpaca with one strand of merino single. They sort of cancelled one another out so I didn't repeat that blend. The dark band is two strands of merino, it is firmer, but one strand was too flimsy, I'm hoping the felting with even up the fabric, not accentuate the difference.



I just have the last 'bump' row to finish then the cord handles. Luckily I have a magic French Knitting toy and I just have to crank a handle to get yards of I-cord very quickly. Then there is the dreaded felting. I don't have much luck with felting.


.

Dyeing

I have an awful lot of Max’s
fibre , and while it has the most wonderfully soft handle, it spins up into a grey/brown mix and I want to dye it. I took about 16grms of carded fibre and pulled into a sort of roving, soaked it for a while in water with vinegar added; then drizzled some magenta, turquoise, and red dye onto it, then sprinkled yellow powder in a couple of places; encouraged the dye to spread and mingle by putting cling film over the top and squishing it, and steamed it for a good 30 minutes.

I was very pleased with the result. Even more pleased, I cannot tell you how much, that I didn’t manage to felt it.



I spun ( so want to say ‘span’) it up into a fine single and Navajo plied it. I’m really like the result and after knitting with it – on 4mm needles - I want to reproduce the colours as closely as possible to make my Dad a waistcoat for his birthday in early April.

So, can I replicate the effect with 300 gms?

I’m feeling nervous about this. I suppose I should have weighed and measured the amount of dyes I used, but, I feel that although I might not get exactly the same colours what I do get should still be attractive. The biggest problem I foresee is coping with 9 or 10 carded batts and having them come out near enough the same.

I think what will happen is; the colours will generally be of the same hue and tone in each batt, and if I am not happy with the colour variation between the batts I could re-card them once dry into more homogeneous colours.

In order to keep the graduations of colour through the garment I’m going to knit it in the round – and steek the armholes and centre opening. Again, this should help with colour variations, it will be a design ?ploy. I want it to have an opening in the front as Dad had a stroke years ago and can’t use his right hand.

I have enough fibre, but am I dying enough? It seems like a huge bag full but only weighs 350gms.

I’ll wing it. I will take notes this time and so should be able to reproduce the colours reasonably well.



Umm, far to much red. Something a little strange happened, the blue didn't seem to take, an awful lot of it washed out of the fibre while there was hardly any red coming out, and yet I added the blue to one end of each batt. I have run out of glauber's salts which you are supposed to use with these discharge acid dyes so maybe that's the problem, I hadn't used any with my original swatch so thought it would be okay.

It's okay, just. (There is a lovely teal shade in there which I would love to get again). I don't think Dad will like this as much, so I'm going to swatch using some black and try a simple fairisle pattern or maybe mosaic?

Mrs Beeton's

Diane asked about the Mrs Beetons - they are wristwarmers from a Knitty pattern, written by Brenda Dayne of Cast-on. They are a very easy knit if a bit fiddly especially when you are trying to knit the two frills together and have 7 double ended needles in your hand!

It's only since living in northern France, which is actually colder in the winter than the south of England, that I've appreciated that little bits of wool around your wrists, ankles and neck do a hell of a lot to keep you warm. As I don't like anything in the slightest bit snug around my neck I rarely wore scarves except for the floaty variety. Then, feeling cold in doors one day I put on this fairly flimsy cheap, bought job and found I instantly felt cosier. I think the wrist warmers will help as well, especially driving when woolen gloves are a bit to slippery on the steering wheel. I know leather gloves have grip and style, but have never been able to keep a pair for more than a week before I lose one. Then I hang on to the sole remainder for years as I can't bear to throw it out. I'm the same with earings.

So, it dawns on me that knitting scarves may not be a complete waste of time and just as I complete one it looks as if I've left it too late! After several weeks of relentless winter, today has been absolutely glorious, sunny, warm and still. We joined our English friends and about 10 others - all French, for a group ride through the countryside.

The Published Plan:
Meet at 1.0pm at bar in Le Perrier
Short ride to visit an organic bakery - demonstration
14K ride to another village for "Tout Feu, Tout Flamme" - (Pancakes/waffles cooked over open fires)

Actual Event
Met at bar, general milling around, no-one knew what was happening, after 20 minutes a general straggle of cyclists started towards the bakery.
Arrived at bakery, looked at excellent bread for sale in their shop, tried a bit, left.
Cycle the 14k which takes an hour because 2K was down tracks, some of them very very muddy and my slim tyres wouldn't grip so I had to walk.
Arrived in village, nothing, nobody around. Others caught up with us "have you eaten yet?" No, eaten what?!
Then old chap emerges from small, rustic building and proceeds to put some tables and benches out on the grass, then he goes inside and lights a fire with twigs in the rustic ovens inside the building.
Conflab with friends, agree that food is at least 30 to 45 mins away, feeling a little chilled, and possibly we will be cycling back when sun is much lower and it's a lot cooler. Decide to forgo any food and say cheerio to the French people we know. Danielle gets a map out to show us way back (I have map and know the area well but keep quiet). Says, "You must go this way, not along the main road as it's too dangerous and it's longer anyway." Annette and I have cycled along the main road on other occasions, traffic low, especially on a Sunday, recently resurfaced and wonderfully smooth. And it's shorter distance" Say bye and go back to Le Perrier via the main road, it takes 30 minutes.

We arrived at the bar and had beer and delicious bread and cheese. Superb, the sky was clear blue and we sat in the sun with our friends, "See what you'll be missing!" said Annette. Just so.

Eighty-eight and counting things about me

1 I am half German on my Dad’s side.

2 I don’t speak German.

3 I love summer.

4 I love puddings.

5 I have to watch my weight.

6 I learnt to spin because I had an alpaca.

7 I have low irritation tolerance.

8 I love cycle camping although it’s 10 years since I last did it and I’d probably miss my bed now.

9 I started cycling with a purpose in mind (other than just to get to school or my friends house) when started reading an Ordinance Survey Map; 1 Mile to 1″ of the area I lived in and wanted to explore.

10 I love maps, I could sit and read one for hours.

11 I’m not a serious cyclist but I take my cycling seriously (somebody else said that and it sums up how I feel).

12 After 58 years I’m beginning to know myself a little better.

13 I’ve been deluding myself for years.

14 I’m short but don’t feel it.

15 I’m a qualified nurse.

16 I hate Bed & Breakfast unless they leave me alone.

17 I didn’t know what fear was until I had children.

18 I hate the control commerce has over the world, I believe we are drugged by consumerism.

19 I like buying stuff.

20 When I was young, I wanted to have a pony, I never had one, or rode regularly, so I lived vicariously through my daughters and they both learnt, and Bec kept a lovely dun called Spice for a few years.

21 I wanted to learn to type because I was fascinated by it, so I learnt touch typing at night school.

22 I love computers.

23 I cycled from Land’s End to John O’ Groats in my 50th year, I carried all of my own gear, except for a few days when E carried them (by car) on my first day, the middle weekend, and the last 4 days when he joined me in Scotland. I didn’t want it to end.

24 I love the smell of TVO (tractor vaporising oil) and fresh hay. Must be from my days as a child on my Grandparents farm.

25 I went to school in Glastonbury, Somerset, cool place.

26 I wish I wish there had been a Trinny and Suzanna when I was young.

27 Is my favourite number.

28 I usually take a very long time to make up my mind about something, I like to research, if I make a snap decision, or I’m forced into one, I usually regret it later.

29 I live in France, but I want to go home to England, soon, this year, please.

30 I’m lazy.

31 I hate the dark, grey and cold of winter.

32 I’m very bad at keeping in contact with people, but I often think of them.

33 I like Chinese, Indian, Mexican, Italian and all sorts of food.

34 I wish people would place as much value on the food they eat and feed their children, as they do their cars.

35 I believe strongly that animals are sentient beings and are far more intelligent than we like to think.

36 I like my own company.

37 I don’t tolerate fools, unless they’re very funny.

38 The last time I giggled uncontrollably was when my husband and I rode my little scooter together.

39 As I get older I feel more anxious, I worry a lot about things falling down, our buildings in particular. Weird.

40 It really annoys me to see people trying to get to the front of the queue, in airports, the ferry terminal, etc, but I feel dead chuffed if I beat them, so I’m just as bad, I just try to be a little more subtle.

41 I swear I will never knit entrelac.

42 I can remember 3 things I learnt as a child which had an impact on me, seeing the war graves in Europe, learning of the slave trade and the holocaust.

43 One year I want to attend the Remembrance Day parade at the Cenotaph in London.

44 I would like to take a felting course.

45 If I could change one thing about my body I would love beautiful nails. I have horrible fingernails and lousy toe nails.

46 I’m quite a good cook.

47 I can only stick about 2 hours visiting cathedrals; galleries; monuments and the ilk; I much prefer just to sit in them and just ‘be’.

48 I have two brothers, both younger than I.

49 I like driving cars, I love big powerful engines, going fast, and rock music playing loudly.

50 My favorite film is ‘Local Hero’, for the scenery, music and story.

51 I don’t like housework but I don’t like a dirty house either

52 I think I’m a typical, libra.

53 I broke my right collar bone when I was 17 and I fell off a horse. It was great, it got me off the geriatric wards.

54 I had my hair permed when I was 17 after I’d broken my collar bone as I was anxious I wouldn’t be able to do my hair, (in the days of rollers) it went wrong and left me with a friz when everyone else had Vidal Sassoon sleek jobs.

55 I had two natural births. I didn’t plan them that way, it’s just how it worked out.

56 I’m right handed but always hankered after being a ’southpaw’, I can use my left hand for many things if it’s more convenient.

57 I love jewellery, but I rarely wear what I’ve got, things hanging on me irritate me. So don’t waste your money buying me any.

58 I don’t like anything close fitting around my neck.

59 I save things for ‘best’.

60 Consequently I’m not a smart dresser.

61 I admire people who dress brightly, but if I venture too I feel like a prize idiot.

62 I think there is a bright, artistic person well hidden inside of me.

63 I have this feeling I may end up as a bag lady.

64 I’m usually very good at finding things, it might take me a bit of time but I find ‘em, even things other people (my OH) have lost.

65 However, sometimes I really lose stuff and it never ever turns up, not even when we move house.

66 I don’t like being asked questions.

67 I’ve been divorced once.

68 ..and married twice.

69 I don’t think I’m cut out to be married.

70 I can be secretive, that’s not a good thing is it?

71 I love to grow things, I get a real kick out of seeds germinating and plants propagating.

72 I love gardens and plants, I would spend a fortune on plants if I could.

73 I would rather have my garden landscaped than my house decorated.

74 I’ve never knowingly met anyone famous.

75 My default setting is to like people.

76 My hair was brunette; is now ‘pepper and salt’ , it has a natural wave, I wouldn’t mind if I went completely silver. But it won’t, so I tint it.

77 I really really really ht al ths txt wrtin an usin i insted of I.

78 I cry easily.

79 I suffer from depression sometimes, had treatment for it once as I couldn’t function at work. Usually I just have to wait until it passes, which it does.

80 My thumbs and my big toes turn up at the end.

81 I like photography

82 My Myers Briggs profile is INFJ, I think.

83 I’m an introvert

84 I worry about the environment, in fact I worried about the environment long before it became popular, worrying about the environment I mean.

85 Just once, I would like to have an expensive holiday in the Maldives or somewhere like that. That means flying of course which is bad, but, as I rarely fly, I think I could justify it just this once.

86 My favourite wine is Lehman's, Barrossa Valley Shiraz.

87 I love stationary, I would buy and fountain pen and notebook every week.

88 As a child, one of my best day-dreams was being shut up in WH Smiths overnight so that I got to read all the books, play the records and use loads of paints, pens and paper.

89

Loose Lattice Scarf, and a Mrs Beeton

Blue Scarf
Originally uploaded by Alpagalaine.

I finished this scarf a couple of weeks ago and then decided to do some Mrs Beetons to go with it. I'm very happy with the scarf, it was an easy pattern to memorise and knit, but I don't like the wrist warmers. Firstly, once I'd cast on I knit to many rows before I should have decreased, secondly, I didn't have the required sets of double pointed 4.5mm needles so they are on 3.75mm and 4.0mm and the fabric is a bit too firm. I do have some circular needles but they have the most horrible stiff cords - bought many years ago before I discovered Addi Turbos and I hate the way everything is such a fight with them. And, I didn't have any beads to add! So, I am being very patient and I've ordered some beads from Regal Crafts in the UK, and some Brittany Birch double pointed needles from Angel Yarns. The beads arrived last week and I've played knitting with them and like the effect very much. I'm waiting on the Brittany's which I ordered later, they are on their way. In the meantime I'm alternating with making a felted cat bed from my copious stash of brown, uninteresting wool I spun when I was first learning the craft. I will add some orange for interest - can't have cats in a boring bed. I found a couple of large hanks of Margo's fibre I'd also spun up several years ago which is quite fine and should suit the Lacey Shrug from Knitty. I decided a shrug would be useful and we went out for dinner one evening with friends and I was a little chilly in my light, browny, orangey blouse and had to wear a fawn lightweight cotton ribbed cardigan. Not the sexiest. Not that I do sexy very often, but I'm trying to be less of a frump.

No more navel gazing..

It's time I stopped feeling so sorry for myself.

I opened the door this morning to let Poppy in who was doing her usual 'lets bark and show 'em who's boss around here' on the front door step. It was just dawn, enough light to see AND THE BIRDS WERE SINGING, they were tweeting and twittering and I know it's still early February but there is that hint of fresh softness in the air that promises so much.

I've just signed up for another Web-ring SpinKitties, not authorised yet so the links wont work just yet, but I'd better start posting some spinning and knitting pictures. I was looking at the membership list, (it's growing, get in quick!) and clicked on a few random ones as you do, and found this lovely poem by JR Tolkien posted by Katherine. I've never put 'reading poetry' as one of my pastimes, but, I do actually enjoy quite a lot, and find it moving and thought provoking. I enjoy the rhythm and sound of the words but I've never been able to remember and quote lines. Like many things, I remember the emotions, feelings, a general sense, an impression, rather than the actual words. Apart from Philip Larkin's "They f**k you up, your mum and dad.." that is.

Farm is up for sale

Well, we've done the deed and the farm will shortly be on the market. The estate agent thought it should sell by spring. I think that's agent-speak and very optimistic as they often are, I'm convinced it's going to be a long time and we will be in a sort of limbo for months. I am just in a very pessimistic mood. DH is much much happier now, he has been told by the agent that it's not worth spending more money and time on renovations so he's not, and having a well earned rest. I have very mixed feelings about it. I really want to be back in England but I feel overwhelmed by the whole prospect. We have so much to do beforehand, equipment to sell; loads of junk to sort and take to the decheterie (re-cycling and disposal) animals to sell or find homes for; downsizing from a farm to a tiny English home is going to be difficult. We are going to rent in the UK at first so that removes the anxiety of buying straight away. But, big decision last night, E asked if I wanted to keep any of the alpaca so we decided take the two young female alpaca, Bella (who should be pregnant), and Copper back home with us and find somewhere they can be liveried. But I don't understand me, I've been crying to myself every time I think of not having the alpaca around, they are just such magical animals, and I look out of my windows and can see them at any time. I should be very happy to think I will still have two, but I didn't feel that, I still feel worried and anxious about it all. I need to stop looking at the move as one whole gi-normous effort and break it down into manageable chunks. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time lol. There is one huge thing the house buying/selling French system has in it's favour. Once you have agreed a price with the purchaser, you exchange a binding contract within 10 days. In the UK sometimes this doesn't happen until the very end, it might even be the same day you have planned to complete the purchase, and it's not at all uncommon for things to go pear shaped and people withdraw at the last minute. So once we do finally have a buyer and contracts exchanged, we will have about 4 months to do the final preparations and move without the worry the vendors may change their minds.

My pre-occupation with all of this is not helping my 'healthy eating and exercise' plan. Our closest friends are coming over for a big Sunday lunch with us today - this is so we can tell them of our move - so, I'll start tomorrow.

I belong to Weight Loss Resources UK which enables you to log all of your food and exercise and so check you are eating the right amount of the right foods. It helped me lose 10bls last year which I've put on again. I now weigh exactly what I weighed 12 months ago, bum.

Next week I pledge to daily:

- use WLR and fill my diary in daily
- only eat while sitting down
- only eat with E
- get 1 hours exercise, walking or cycling
- drink 1.5 ltrs of water
- no alcohol for a week.

My strategies for achieving my goals

When ever I feel the urge to nibble - go and card some alpaca
Set a time for my exercise, don't think, just do it.
Plan and prepare our dinner just after lunch so that I can stay out of the kitchen when danger time approaches, early evening.
Just focus on one day at a time.

Loose Lattice Lace Scarf

Loose Lattice Lace Scarf
Originally uploaded by Alpagalaine.

The stitch pattern comes from Volume Two of the Harmony Stitch Guides. I've been looking for a stitch that would be lacy but with a cushy, cozy feel which I think this has. The yarn, the blue alpaca, is going a very long way, but probably not enough for a sweater, I thought I would use some of it to make some Mrs Beeton's as well with some contrasting yarn for one of the ruffles.

Web rings and stuff

I was browsing the list of members in Angel Yarns knitting forum along with usernames any websites members have are mentioned. And, as you do,I do, spent over 2 hours wandering from one to another, then on a tangent to others and so on. There were some good ones, weird ones, there seemed to be several (+3) selling shaped cloth nappies???! Many blogs have buttons for web-rings and I keep coming across the "Spinning Wheel" list, and "UK Knitters", I've been thinking of joining the spinning wheel one, there are aparently 40 or so waiting. In UK knitters there are 221 'active members' in the ring, and 447 waiting to join! What the - no point in adding to the mess. Now I'm feeling quilty for saying that, maybe the owner isn't well. Maybe there is a limit?

One blog I read was written by a retired women born in the year of the Rat - so about my age! She had been on a trip to the southwest of England and said she had been keeping an eye out for Alpaca as 'they look so strange'!! I was going to send her a link to some pictures, but I lost the page and now can't find it again - as I'm writing this I remembered the 'history' panel and guess what - I found the blog here!

I'm also, sort of, thinking of starting a new blog in Wordpress just related to moving back to the UK, but, that would be silly wouldn't it? I have enough trouble with Blogger I don't need more. I did play around with my old site yesterday though, the navigation isn't intuitive to me but you can save your post as you go along WITHOUT BEING SENT BACK TO THE MAIN POST PAGE EACH TIME!!! I have learnt to my cost to save regularly with Bummer but it does my head in to have to open the post up again to continue where I left off. I know it's only a few seconds and a couple of clicks but I don't want it! The main irritation I had with Wordpress was how dreadfully slow the site was, and it sometimes froze altogther but it was fine yesterday.

My only reluctance to join a web-ring is I'll feel I ought to post more about spinning or knitting or I might get booted off! I don't want to just talk about the latest pair of socks I've knitted - tell me just how many times you read a blog and there's YET another pair of stripy socks LOL!

Yard Work

The first to arrive was a JCB (digger)at 08.00 who began very noisily scraping the surface to level it.



Around 08.30 more Frenchmen and their equipment arrived and one rolled the exposed surface while the digger put the rubbish in a pile. When the first lorryload of stone arrived and was dumped it took the unwanted material away.


As the stone arrived it was spread by the JCB and rolled, it took 5 lorry loads for the yard alone.





A small plate compactor was used for the edges. It took 2 full days to do the yard and drive and, it still needs to have a layer of grey gravel put on top but now it's the weekend they've disappeared, I hope they haven't forgotten.

I can't get used to this great expanse of greyness outside, I will definitely have to have several planters with flowers along the edge to soften it. We kept the chickens shut in while the work was on, they don't seem at all impressed, one of their favourite foraging areas has gone. They wouldn't even walk on it when they first came out but flew right across!

We are getting our yard and drive re-surfaced today!

Outside of our house is a large yard and our drive to the road about 200 yards, both are just stone and gravel. I suppose due to the lorries that have delivered our sand, cement, blocks; the oil tanker etc etc the surface is full of dips and bumps. It is also muddy, and weedy even though I pull them up and sometimes spray they always come back. We got a devis (quote) back in the autumn for having it done, fell over when we read it and shelved the idea. However, during this very wet winter we have become very fed up with it and think the whole place would look more cared for, and therefore a little easier to sell, if the yard and drive were re-surfaced. So, we visited the bank manager and got a loan! We were told that work would start around mid-february but got a call yesterday and they will be here this morning. There a little snow lying around and maybe the firm have been delayed on one of their larger jobs and thought they would just fit us in, it should be just 2 days work. Woopee! Photo's to follow!

Getting Healthy

I need to lose a few pounds. Nineteen to be exact - (crikey, in my mind it was a stone and a bit...) I was reading Crazy Aunt Pearl and she wrote a long post about losing weight, the pressure to be thin, men, using being fat as an excuse etc etc. It obviously resonated with lots and lots of people judging by all of the comments she received, 300 and counting. Buried amongst the comments was a link to Real Age and I'm two years younger! You get a personalised health plan based on the answers you give to some quite extensive questionnaires. If I follow my plan I will be 4 and half years younger in 3 months! How long before I hit 21 again LOL!

But to be fair to the site, it doesn't make false promises, the improvement tails off dramatically - 5 and half years younger in 3. Generally everything was based on the latest, researched evidence - and it's free!

So, although I am reasonably active most of the year, I tend to do little during the winter, hence a 8 lb rise since October. I'm going to lose this flab once and for all this year! My biggest problem is self-sabotage. I get to within a few lbs of goal and suddenly start eating for England. Go figure.

The plan: Move more, eat sensibly, cut out booze almost completely, do a 20 minute strength and flexibility workout EVERY DAY. I will now go off and produce a graph to monitor my progress in Excel.

Do not play with fibre when it’s wet, do not play with fibre when it’s

Sandie's fibre, dyed sea green.
Originally uploaded by Alpagalaine.

I don’t learn not to leave fibre/yarn alone when it’s wet. I was dying my 800+ yards of Sandies fibre which has taken me hours to process and spin up; I’d soaked the 3 skeins in glaubers salt solution overnight in preparation for dying it this morning. I began thinking I would use a pale shade of turquoise and perhaps some very small amounts of yellow and maybe darker blue – perhaps scatter dye powder on the wet skeins and steam? In the end I chickened out and went for one shade. I used a very small amount of my stock solution of turquoise – probably no more than 30 mls for the 750 odd grms of yarn. Brought it up to simmer over 2 hours, I was very careful to keep it just at the point a few bubbles were breaking the surface, and after about 30 minutes all the dye had discharged, I just loved the colour – the dye had taken very evenly! I was so pleased! I had taken so much care and it had paid off.

I was going to leave the skeins in the pot until it had cooled right down but became impatient and took them out and spun them dry. Then realised I hadn’t rinsed them! The skeins were fine at that stage, yarn separating easily. I washed them in the sink with some wool wash, there was a lot of lather….I SQUISHED THEM TOO MUCH!! All I noticed was they felt a little harder after I’d finally rinsed the suds away, ‘umm, I thought, dying not agreeing with this’, spun them again, when I took them out of the machine the second time aaaarrrggggghhhhhhhh! All the yarn was stuck together. I started to pull it apart, and it did separate, slowly and with much tearing of tiny fibres and pulling the ply’s apart. I worked and worked around all 3 skeins, one was particularly bad, must have got most of the squishing..

I thought I’d better separate all the strands before it dried in case they became totally impossible to separate, so I wound each one from the swift into a ball winder, then wound it back onto the swift. So now I have some lovely fuzzy yarn! Not once did it break, alpaca is so strong.

I’m still not sure what to do with it, I fancy “Symmetry in Silk” from The Best of Knitters’ Magazines ‘Shawls and Scarves’. I also think it would weave up very well, but I am reluctant to do it until I’ve had more practice warping. And, perhaps, it would work better if the yarn was fuzzed up after I’d woven it and not before!

Hedgehog!

E found this little chap/chapess wandering around the cellar as he was having a tidy-up down there. It's been very mild (but very wet) this winter so far and this one obviously has come out of hibernation.

This was his nest, he has been made a new one in a cardboard box stuffed with hay and tucked away in the corner of the barn away from the dog. They are so sweet!

Better news

Betty goat seems to have recovered thank God. She's acting normally again, appears to be able to see and is generally almost her old self. I've absolutely no idea what might have caused the strange behaviour - perhaps a 'blinding' sinus headache?!

The photo was taken a few weeks ago when it hadn't been raining solidly for a month - well, that's what it feels like. I tried to post this last week but Blogger was acting up, it seems to be fixed for the second.

I have been preparing some of Sandie's fleece. She is classed a fawn but looks white, when you spin her fleece though it looks very off white, almost grey. I'm going to rainbow dye it when it's all plyed, not totally multi coloured, I love cornflower blue, maybe with other touches of yellow and green. It's likely to be very much down to luck what it actually turns out like. I don't have any sort of structure or plan when it comes to dying. So I am trying to be a bit more focused and I have some water colours which should help me with the colour and shade selection. A lot of my dying has been done using full strength solutions and I didn't appreciate that weaker ones can produce some really pretty colours. That's the plan anyway.

I will have less than 600 mtrs of fine 2 ply, shall I make a Clapotis? Will I wear it? It might not be enough. I really ought to get out another bag, sort, wash, card, spin, and ply that. BUT I WANT SOMETHING TO DO NOW!!!! When you have bags and bags of alpaca fleece you really can't go and buy yarn, sob.

Enough already!

Okay, 3rd visit to the vets with Betty (and George, I'll come to that later). On Sunday Betty was acting strangely, she would stare into the distance, and stand still for some time, this is not normal for a goat! She would walk the perimeter fence of the enclosure with her head slightly turned to the left. She would eat hay and treats, but her left horn felt very warm, the same side as her bad eye. The eye is almost healed, but the pupil slightly enlarged. I didn't think this warrented a call out unless things deteriorated which they didn't so off to the vet yesterday. He wasn't sure what was going on, her temperature was barely above normal and confirmed the ulcer on the eye was healing well. He explained there is a sinus immediately below the horn and perhaps there was a slight infection there? He did give her antibiotic and anti-inflamatory injections. We didn't ask a direct question, about her eyesight, but I think she has. But, in a way that doesn't explain the weird staring and pacing the fence and standing in a corner because at the begining when her eye was at it's worse it was almost completely clouded over - she wouldn't have been able to see out of it, and she behaved quite normally. It's a "wait and see" situation. She is still very interested in tit-bits and hay, but, I think her general browsing and grazing is much less. I've kept her and some companions restricted to the veg garden (nothing in it this time of the year, well, nothing now) which is next to the goat house as it makes it easier to catch regularly for treatment, but this morning I think I will let her into the proper enclosure and see if she is more inclined to eat then. We need some warm sunny days, goats hate this wet, cold weather.

We also took George to the vet as he has had a runny nose for ages and his left eye also shows a slight infection, he was given a long acting antibiotic injection and that was it, no drops, hooray!

I'm feeling very stressed, very short tempered and irritable, and this is the second night I've woken at 02.47, and not gone back to sleep. I dream of lying by a pool in the sun, and no housework!

Computer Crash

Had serious problem with windows yesterday and had to reformat the hard drive so the next few days will be spent re-loading programes. I suppose I can just sit here, knit, and hit 'restart' all day! It all started when I did a system restore and then lost the help/support function and everything was going wobbly, not visually, but odd stuff was happening so the tech support just said 'wipe', so I did. It's just such a time waster.

Goat's eyes are so so. I can still see a very small lesion on Betty's, and George's were mucky so he's having ointment. We have to Betty back to the vets for them to check it on Tuesday and we will take George as well has he seems to have a continuously runny nose - like for months. It's clear but makes his nostrils a bit crusty. I think they need a supplement but I'm not sure what to give them. I've read of a seaweed based one being good, and there are others I can get from the UK.

I spoke to soon

Betty goat's eye still isn't better a week after the new ointment so we took her back to the vets and we now have some drops to be instilled at least 4 times a day. I wanted to post a picture but blogger is mucking about and won't let me.

First proper week of 2007

One week of 2007 completed! It's the dull, damp, slog of mid-winter to get through until spring. The weather has been mild (5c- 10c) recently which of course means rain, mist and mud, yesterday it actually reached 11c! Last winter we had snow mid November and the temperature didn't get above 5c for 16 weeks, I know, I counted. I know lots of people in the northern hemisphere have temperatures much colder than this, but because in some climes it's unusual, our houses, clothes etc are not set up for it, so we, no, I am uncomfortable. We have central heating and double glazed windows, but we keep the CH on for background heat and run two woodburning stoves during the day, but they are difficult to control and won't stay in overnight. In France they don't know how to make decent woodburning stoves, they are very inefficient compared to Scandinavian ones and even some British makes. The other thing that's not helping me is - hormones. I don't take HRT and recently I've found my hot/damp sensations are increasing, they don't really 'affect my quality of life' so I will put up with them, I'd rather not take anything. Maybe I should look for some herbal remedies?

Update on goat's eyes. Betty's eye just wouldn't completely recover so we took her to the vet's again on Wednesday and had a different ointment for her and this seems to be doing the trick, finger's crossed.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to all! May 2007 be your best year yet, and you and your loved ones keep safe, happy and healthy.

(((((hugs))))