Knitting/Rug Hooking/Spinning Room Coming Along

Think April people, think April.

No, not because the snow should be gone by then and we'll be in the middle of Spring.

With beautiful Winter days like yesterday, I'm not wishing Winter away just yet. I mean, would you want to wish away all the fun Moose is having cavorting in the snow? This is one Winter-loving dog! Let him enjoy it for another month or two -- before mud season arrives.

No, I want you to think April because that's when the knitting/rug hooking/spinning classes and get togethers will start!

We're in the middle of planning events and classes right now for a late April studio opening.

We've found the perfect project table at a local resale shop. This baby has four additional leaves we can add so we'll have plenty of room to spread out. Plus, the other studio room will have a large table in it as well. Fiber lovers travel in packs and we know we'll need the room to accommodate you all.

So think April people. And, if you have any specific fiber-related classes you'd like to see at Brighton Wool Gatherings, leave me a comment. We are open to any and all suggestions.

Barn Chores in the Snow

Farmer Gal had issues today. Not issues in a bad, pull-your-hair-out-kind-of way. But issues in a "How the heck do I get this wheelbarrow through the 5' drifts to clean out the pens" kind-of way. But don't worry. Farmer Gal is one tough cookie. Neither rain, nor sleet nor snow would stop her from her chores.

Especially when she knew had this waiting for her in the barn:

This fierce livestock guardian dog is young Dewey -- looking like she's either playing a mean game of hide-and-seek or just plain old hiding. Actually, I think Farmer Gal woke her up from her morning nap.

She had been very hard at work guarding the alpacas. She's still learning the ropes but she appears to be good at her job.

I mean, if you were an intruding coyote or dog, wouldn't you run from something this vicious looking. I personally want to stop and give this puppy a Milk Bone and a hug, but then again I'm not a marauding intruder. I know Dewey will grow into a fine guardian dog, but for now, she's a very hugable six-month old ball of fluff.

Busy As A Bee

I have all the symptoms of a major malady: Looking longingly at the garden and "seeing" the soil, even though it's covered with a layer of snow; ordering massive quantities of seed; and checking for new growth on the apple trees. These are all sure signs of Spring Fever . . . and I've got it bad!

It's a good thing today is a sunny day. I can wander the garden rows and let my imagination jump ahead a month or two when green shoots will actually appear from this snow-covered soil.

But yesterday, during the height of my "illness," I self-medicated by scouring three of my favorite seed catalogs: http://www.highmowingseeds.com/, http://www.cooksgarden.com/, and http://www.abundantlifeseeds.com/.

I sat down with graph paper and colored pencils and plotted out the growing schedule for: Garden: 2010. Nothing cures Spring Fever better than garden planning and a coloring craft combined!

Rhubarb and asparagus were ordered -- twelve rhubarb plants and 100 asparagus crowns, but I'm rethinking the asparagus numbers. I think they are too low. Today, I'm double checking the bed in which they will live to see if I have room for more. You can NEVER have too much asparagus. That's like saying you can have too many tomatoes. It just can't happen.

After asparagus and rhubarb planning, it was time to see what seeds I already bought and chart their space. New for me this year, a blue colored squash. Who knew!

And last but not least, in the evening, it was off to Beekeeping School. They hit the nail on the head with the title of this book.

That's me all right. A beekeeping novice. The husband is actually the beekeeper on the farm, but I went along to class because bees fascinate me. I don't like the taste of honey, but I love the whole process of making it. (The same holds true for maple syrup. Hate the taste, love the idea.) I mean, who wouldn't like the idea of tens of thousands of bees, working together all season long pollinating the garden, just to make honey for their next generation to survive. And we get to eat the excess stores of honey. What a concept!

Our two new colonies of bees arrive in mid-April. (How would you like to be the postal worker that day!) With any luck, and a good growing season, we should have some excess honey for sale by fall. But I can't think about fall today. I have Spring Fever.

Non-Skiing, Knitting and a Hooked Rug Give-Away

Once a year, my family packs up for a weekend of skiing. We don't go far, usually just a few hours away to a rented condo in Pennsylvania. Skiing is my all-time favorite sport. Hiking and tennis are close seconds and thirds, but skiing is by far number one in my book. This past weekend was our trip.

And that's why these pictures are my idea of torture. Cruel and unusual punishment.

This was the view from the condo's living room window.

Why look, here come the husband and daughter, along with various assorted family members in the background, coming in -- skiing right up to our door. How was I able to take these pictures? Because for our one weekend of skiing, I had to get a bad, bad case of bronchitis! I could barely walk up the steps, let alone ski down a mountain, so no skiing for me. But don't worry, I found ways to amuse myself.

First, I turned our trusty, unsuspecting Border Collie into a turtle. After the fun ran out of that,

I sewed up the sides of the Briar Rose vest (http://www.briarrosefibers.net/) I've been knitting forever. Then I realized I sewed the top seams wrong, but I have no clue how to fix them, so I am waiting for Knitter Extraordinaire Stacey to "help" me fix them. By help, I mean she takes one look at my mistakes, rips them out, and starts me on the path to correctness. Everybody needs a knitting friend like Stacey.

Then I discovered this great hooked rug give-away on the blog http://www.rugsandpugs.blogspot.com/

Lauren has hooked a primitive heart mat which she is giving away, just in time for Valentine's Day. Check out her blog and leave a comment for a chance to win this hand made rug.

So, all-in-all, not a bad weekend, just no skiing. I guess I can live with that.

Three More Alpacas and a Livestock Guardian Dog

That'll Do Farm was a busy place this past weekend. Three more alpacas arrived as well as Dewey, a Great Pyrenees puppy that will guard the herd.

Dewey is six months old and as calm as Border Collies are energetic.

This is pretty much her personality.

She'll stand and watch things, and then it's time to stand and watch some more. She has accepted her new herd of alpacas. They are still undecided about her, but are starting to be less wary.

In addition to Dewey, three more alpacas arrived on Saturday.

Meet Krispy Kreme, Quintessa and Charm. Three beautiful girls with beautiful fleece.

I can't say we had the best weather for their arrival. In fact, it rained so much this weekend that Farmer Gal has taken to calling That'll Do Farm "That'll Do Lake." I think it's appropriate.

But we're lucky. The "Alpaca Delivery Vehicle" was able to drive into the barn, thus avoiding the large amount of boot-sucking mud in the driveway. We've been asked a few times how alpacas travel. Sometimes it's in horse trailers, but more often, they travel by the trusty mini van!

Who knew! So the next time you're on the highway, take a peek into that mini van next to you. It might not be carrying the usual soccer mom and her human herd. It just may have an alpaca or two in it.

With the back seat out and a bedding-covered tarp down, the alpacas are right at home in the van. And the good news, they never ask "Are we there yet?"

But they do look a little funny getting out!

A Perfect Gift for the Border Collie Lover

O.K., I may not be the brightest bulb about some things, but I thought I knew a thing or two about shopping.

But I was wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.

My friends Jeff and Megan gave me a belated Christmas gift today and I LOVE it.

It's sheep. And a Border Collie. On a tote bag. And it's way, way, WAY too cute. So of course I had to know where they found such a thing. They ordered it at http://www.cafepress.com/. Who knew such a place existed! (Well, apparently most humans on the face of the planet know about Cafe Press, but I did not. I'm hope they don't take away my shopping license for that one!)

I love this bag. I found out I can also have it made as a shirt . . . or a mug . . . or even a mouse pad for goodness sake! But it doesn't end there. I checked out Angora goats, alpacas and even sheep -- and all are available as some sort of trinket on the Cafe Press website. This madness must end -- I am on cuteness overload. Why, why, why did they have to introduce me to this website!

Rug Hooking & the Best Mouser Around

I've been trying to be a good hooker these days, but finding the time to actually sit down to hook isn't always easy. This is how my latest rug has looked for awhile. I'm progressing slowly.

There are a few problems with it. The main problem is that the tree on the right is just plain goofy. No tree grows like that in nature.

So I decided to fix it -- known affectionately as "reverse hooking." Out came the funky colors at the top of the tree as well as the indented leaves, which made the tree look as if someone took a bite out of the left side of it.

I'm much happier with it. You can see I also reverse hooked the mortar on the chimney. It was the wrong color. Next, I'll address the Mickey Mouse ears on the sheep. No sheep in history has ears that big. However, I do happen to know a dog with ENORMOUS ears

This is little Annie. If I didn't know it was impossible, I'd bet big bucks that she is part fox. She walks like one, and more importantly, she hunts like one. We don't need a cat on the farm because she is in charge of all vermin.

This tiny little dog is The Executioner. Yesterday, after surveying her field, she heard the tell-tale sound of a mouse, or a vole, or a mole -- it doesn't matter, she's on it.

Head first, dig 'til you hit ground.

Put your whole body into it.

Don't stop until victory is yours. I am posting this as fair warning to all rodents, including squirrels and chipmunks, in the vicinity of That'll Do Farm. Annie is on the job. And she's good.