Cosy Christmas

Busy, busy making Christmas Market stock.  I am doing an extra market at the Arts Centre on the last Saturday in November.

Today I have finished these tea cosies and some brooches.

As well I have dyed more 8 ply and sock yarn which is drying.

Still Waiting

I know she loves my wool.

I know I'll be another rug.



We are all still waiting for the shearer.  Hopefully tomorrow will be cooler.

Sheep Family

Making


Lots of new stock is being produced this week after a very busy market last Sunday.
As I had guessed customers are looking for small gifts to post overseas.

 
More egg cosies are nearly finished.  And I should have another 4 pairs of mittens. Tonight I'm off to Ravelry.  I'll be knitting a Christmas ornament for my "Christmas Ornament" swap organised by Louise on Caithness podcast.

From the Studio

This week I have been making more mittens.  The are a great gift to send to friends and family who are living overseas and about to experience cold weather.

I'm off to photograph more mittens and will share the photos on the blog.

Morning Walk

Mopsy enjoys a walk whenever one is on offer. We walked to the creek and then up the road. I must book Mopsy in for a hair cut.  Not long till the weather gets warm although  this Sunday it will be cool again for the Arts Centre Market.

The hawthorn trees are covered in blossom.  Well the trees which have the white blossom are

covered but I'm still waiting for the pink hawthorns to blossom.

Colours

The dye pot has started work early today. This sock yarn has been labelled and sent off so time to start this weeks work.  I am dyeing sock yarn, chunky and DK weight. Not a good drying day but I'll hang the yarn in the loft to dry.

Last Friday was spent making tea cosies in the studio so some sorting and clearing the desk would be a good idea before I begin the next batch of tea cosies.

The week is busy.  I'm determined to finish the rug on the loom today. I have washed lots of white fleece so the next rug will be a mixture of hand spun and fleece.

Ready for Shearing

 These sheep are ready to be shorn. With all the lush grass the sheep are fat and have lots of wool ready to spun or woven.

 Not sure when the weather will oblige and give us a dry sunny day.  Anyway I am going to book the shearer and hope for the best

Today the rain is pouring down and the wind is blowing.

The Blue Flower Tea Cosy

For this cosy I knitted the cosy and also knitted a lining.    I made felt pieces using merino fleece and hand dyed fleece from my sheep.

New Bunting

Bunting is a colourful addition for the deck  bbq area



Springtime is bunting time.

Customers have purchased bunting to use as decoration for weddings.

Have made some blue for a boys room and will make a similar pink this week.

Scarf Week

Last Sunday I sold out of scarves so this week has been a scarf production week. Black and white mix  is always popular.  And I have sold this scarf  so will make another black and white version.

 

A mix of greys, white and a touch of black.

And I have started on some colourful scarves as well.

Busy in the Yarn Dept

Sock yarn and more sock yarn. I have been dyeing sock yarn every week over winter.  Such a popular and versatile yarn.  I have added more yarn  to my website today after sorting out the Internet - or lack of for 2 days.  Apparently the tower was being rejigged.  If I had known I wouldn't have said such things to my computer.  All working now.  Haven't listed as much stock as I had hoped but some sock yarn can be found here  Hawthorne

Buttons

At the Bendigo Sheep and Wool Show I added to my button collection.   I use buttons on tea cosies and hats.   This week I'm working on some new tea cosies as well an order for 3 red hats.  The hats are finished except for the final detailing.  The red felt hat bands are finished and dry.  So lucky I live in a loft house where I can dry fleece etc.

Breakfast

Grass is not growing much in this cold weather so my friends are enjoying lucerne hay.  Hope they haven't realised I have no more hay until I go shopping tomorrow.

Also need to mend more sheep coats.  Some of the coats are old and torn so I'll use them to patch the bettercoats.  Will also buy more coats at the Bendigo Sheep and Wool Show in Jul;y. The newer designs are a better fit.

One of Those Rainy Days

                                                        Looking south from the loft.

Today I'm working in the loft. So cosy and warn up here. I've been preparing yarn for dyeing and now I'm knitting one of the many orders that have come in. Orders appear as soon as the weather changes and the mornings are cold..

Hat Week

 Brown and white wool and mohair beret

Grey wool and mohair beret

This week with the cold weather has started a hat flurry.  I am knitting hats non stop.  Luckily I had dyed yarn earlier as I knew I need to up the hat stock.  As well I've dyed a few new colours and the yarn is hanging in the loft to dry.

Tonight's Knitting

I feel like knitting something colourful.

I found some textured and chunky yarns and put them in a box.  Have lots to do today so scarf knitting will have to wait until tonight. However I have cast on so all is ready to go.  Must finish some children's hats and take photos.  Then some spinning and weaving.  That's enough on the list today.

Ownership

 Darwin removed his bed from his kennel and he was protecting it from the bossy one.

This is the "innocent" bossy one.  Mopsy has her own bed but if she can claim another all the better.

Farewell Goosie

Goosie has lived with us for 21 years. Last week goosie died peacefully one night.

Goosie was given to our son when he was in primary school.  Goosie and our son were special friends. Goosie gave me a hard time. When I fed him at night I would have to call "Go to bed Goosie" from behind the gate.  The time I had to wait  would depended on Goosie's mood.   If I hurried Goosie he would charge at me flapping his wings and with beak open ready to bite.  If the foxes were around the "goose alarm" would sound to protect the chooks in the yard next door.

It was a strange friendship but I will miss Goosie.

Ready for Chilly Nights

This week I have made new beds - for the dogs.   I buy hessian sacks and fill them with wool.  I keep wool at shearing time that I'm not going to spin, wash and dry it.  Then I have a great filling for the beds.

The dogs will play tug of war with the beds. They will take them out of the kennels to have a nap on a nice afternoon. Then we have to make sure the beds are back in the kennels before any rain.  Eventually the dogs will make a small hole, which becomes bigger and bigger.  Then we need to have a big clean up after all the wool filling has been removed in another game. And then its time for new beds.

This morning is rather cool for a change.  Dogs do not want to get out of bed. I'm sure thy are very cosy.

Slow Week

Have dyed some yarn..

And knitted one hat and started another.

My knee and I had an argument last weekend and I have spent the week on crutches.  This has certainly slowed me down.  As I'm spending a lot of time on the couch I thought I would knit a hat involving colourwork.  The yarns hopefully won't get tangled.