Sock Friday

I have dyed lots of sock yarn this week along with chunky yarn.  This morning I wound all the yarn into hanks and this afternoon I will label and pack for Sunday's market

The sock weight yarn makes a lovely shawl.  Each hank is 400mtrs and if you wish to make a large shawl I'm happy to dye 2 or 3 hanks in the one dyelot.

The week has been very busy so I'm pleased today is Friday.  Outside work has been  in the vegie garden as there are lots of weeds to remove before planting again.  I have a tea cosy nearly finished and I hope to complete the knitting tonight.

Enjoy your weekend.



Recipe Book

This recipe book is at least 70 years old.  It was one of my mother's treasures and she gave it to me when I moved into my first flat.  I wish I had asked her who made it.  The book looks like it was a woodwork project and I think my father may have made it at the Stawell Technical School.  He made a table and other items as well as producing some cool technical drawings.

The book is made using a cut down school exercise book.  The "cook" is drawn onto the ply wood and then painted.  The edge is decorated with burnt notches.

My first recipes were rather basic and some are recipes I had cut out of the Womens Weekly.  There are a few of my mothers recipes as well as a list of plates, cutlery, salt and pepper shakers.  I guess that is a list in preparation for a party.

A Woolly Week

A woolly week is  of course not unusual for me.  This week has been very much starting from the raw fleece.  This yarn has been handspun from some grey English Leicester Romney cross fleece from a very handsome sheep.  Just fabulous wool to spin.  This yarn will be available at the Arts Centre Market in Melbourne on Sunday or you can contact me if you are unable to make it to the market.

The Girls

Two of the new brooches for this weekend's markets.  I just love these buttons  - so much personality.

And the popular farmer and his sheep as well as the tree and house. I'll be at Buninyong on Saturday and the Melbourne Arts Centre on Sunday.

Now I'm off to Daylesford to have lunch and celebrate a special friend's birthday.  Market packing to be finished when I get home.



Weaving Yarn

This hand spun lumpy bumpy yarn is ready for weaving into a floor rug. The wool is natural colours and I think the contrast of the light and dark browns will work well.

I was up early this morning.  The goose was making a lot of noise which sometimes is a signal that the fox is lurking.  No fox but a frost.

Just a hole

All that is left under Mopsy's kennel is the hole.  The echidna left and didn't return.

Lovely to see some spring colour.

My crab apple trees are covered with blossom.



End of the Echidna Saga

For those who would like more info on an echidna have a look here Echidna info

This is a very focused Mopsy.  We moved the dogs well away from the echidna.  Mopsy was not pleased.

The dogs were put to bed in the shed last night.  Mopsy pushed her way out through the smallest space and sat outside our bedroom window until David went to see what she was doing.  Next thing she jumps on the bed thinking that is where she would sleep.  The echidna had moved by this time and Mopsy was put back in the yard.  Now it was Darwin's turn to cry.  He was not going to sleep in the warm shed if Mopsy was having a more exciting life.

Echidnas can live for up to 49 years. I wonder how long the echidna has lived here?

Just Packing

Usually I am packed and ready by now for Sunday's market at Arts Centre in Melbourne.  But I am not.  Yarn (sock and aran) is dry and tea cosies finished.  Need to print some labels before I can finish packing. 

Time for a cuppa and then back to work.

I'll finish the echidna saga later - we had disturbed sleep here last night!!!

Echidna Update

No photos.  Well I could show you a photo of dirt under Mopsy's kennel.

The echidna is now asleep where Mopsy's kennel used to be.  We tried to gently persuade the echidna to move this morning but it could dig faster than us!!!

After a phone call to the Wildlife Service the plan was made to move the dogs.  So we moved the kennel and the dogs when of course the heavens opened and hailed upon us.  It is thought that if the dogs are moved away the echidna might wander off on his/her merry way.

Not so simple.  The dogs found great joy in their new homes and needed to bark and tell the world.  I have just been into town to buy big bones.  Now the dogs are quiet.

And the echidna is sleeping soundly and hasn't moved an inch.

All Creatures Spiky and .....

Our week of adventures began when Darwin found a snake when walking with David.  Darwin thinks all things that move make for play material.  Luckily no snake bites and we will be very careful where we walk now.

And today we have earth moving works happening.

Darwin is the guard dog. Maybe he will divert me from finding out what is going on in dog world.

This is the echidna, the cause of much barking, interruption to my afternoon of wool dyeing and a cross Mopsy.

An unhappy dog.  I have shut Mopsy out of her yard as she was digging  like crazy.  Firstly I thought she was trying to retrieve a hidden treasure.  Mopsy has many hidden treasures.  The digging frenzy made me then realize there was more to this.  After the snake sighting I became wary as I saw movement under the kennel.  Then I saw the echidna.  The echidna has obviously gone into shock or is just stubborn and won't come out from now a lovely soft earth home.

Still have barking dogs, an echidna on strike and dog yard fence to repair.  I am surprised how far down Mopsy has now dug under her gate trying to get back into her yard.



My Friend the Sheep

Included in stock for the markets this weekend is the first of my new range of brooches.

I'm all packed and ready for Daylesford Makers Market tomorrow.  When I arrive home it will be a quick repack for the Sunday Market  at the Arts Centre in Melbourne.  Then I will cook a Fathers Day dinner as I will be at the market on Sunday and by Sunday night its time for an easy meal.

Last night we had, well the goose had a visit from the fox.  The fox slightly injured the goose.  Tonight I have moved all the sheep into the yard around the goose yard.  David has set up motion lights and we have a spotlight we can turn on quickly.  The fox has been on the prowl and sadly killed and injured our friends chooks last week.  Our goose is very grumpy but we are very fond of him

Enjoy your weekend.