Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Christmas Day at Winding Creek

Check out the following picture and . . .. .guess what it is . .. . yes, looks like some groceries and old bread . ..

This is the wonderful bounty that Santa left for our furry and feathered critters!  They are all well behaved, if you forget about all the getting out of the fencing, geting into stuff that is not theirs, etc, they were all good kids this past year.

Carrots for the llamas, alpacas and bunnies, cubed bread for the chickens, Vanilla wafers for the sheep, a bone for Hoover and furry mice for the cats!  Everyone enjoyed their treats.

It's a quiet holiday today, Jeff is under the weather and snuggled on the couch with various "medicine kitties" as they change shifts as to whose turn it is to snuggle with him.  They are very attentive when either of us are not feeling well.

Mom and I are are about the only ones well, we had a nice time attending Christmas Eve service last night and today will probably be a quiet dinner of ham and scalloped potatoes - we'll save our actual celebration and fun dinner for when Jeff is feeling better.  The Findlay crew is under the weather also, along with Jeff's Mom, so Christmas with family will be next weekend.  A quiet day of knitting, enjoying the critters and a nap are on tap for me today!

I am working on plans to update the blog - hoping to actually get to adding the "what is on the needles" and "what is on the loom" to the blog this year.  Along with some other website upgrades and more online sales.

I am participating in my first MKAL (Mystery Knit Along) starting December 27.  I have my yarn and needles ready to go to start a mystery shawl. .. . .yep, that's all I know right now. . .. .come on Dec. 27 - I am ready to start knitting . .. . LOL, I am always knitting. . .but this is a MYSTERY Shawl . .. should be fun.  I'll post updates of my progress.  The KAL takes about a month as we get a new clue every week starting this Thursday. 

Well. .. back to knitting or napping for me . .. . I'll decide when I get snuggled in my big chair with a cat, my kindle and my knitting.

Merry Christmas to all!

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Open House Details

Short and sweet post, check out the new page - listed on the left - Holiday Open House. ..


Need directions?  Give us a call at 419-428-0303 or email llamaluv1@yahoo.com - put open house directions in the subject line, please

Or use mapquest - 4208 Evansport Rd, Defiance, OH 43512

See you at the farm!

Monday, November 12, 2012

Order Season!

As he holidays approach - there are lots of orders to fill.  Here are a couple pictures of orders I just finished, the hat was a Joy/Tina combo!

Hard to tell, but this is a matching hat and scarf set.  The black flower on black is hard to see.



Flower Detail



A ruffled hat for someone who purchased the matching mittens and scarf at McFarlands Open Barn



More flower detail



A nice, warm, snug beret - this one is for sale if anyone likes it.

So, what else has been going on around the farm?  We've been cleaning up for winter, hauling dirt around the back yard and waiting impatiently for the little chicks to start laying eggs.

Four of the "little girl" llamas were out for a frolic last Sunday . . . .. pushed through a week place in the fence.  I, of course, was not home. ....the young boy who hunts in the woods saw them and got help and got a hold of Jeff . .. .oh, Jeff was not a happy boy when I got home. . .just as he has told me since the girls arrived. .. . "Those girls are trouble" . .. . .yes they are . . .and they are lots of fun! ! ! !

Jeff had some dental surgery today, so it will be a quiet vacation week for me.  Getting things done here and there while helping Jeff get through the recovery.  He is doing quite well, sleeping peacefully with the cat, at the moment.  Daisy has appointed herself "medicine kitty" for this incident.  She will nurse him through.

I have a couple more pairs of fingerless mitts and a pair of gloves to finish to complete the current orders.  Also, need to get things around for the Thanksgiving sale at The Old Mill Shoppes just outside Fremont.

Better get back to some knitting or weaving or something productive!

Happy Weaving!
Tina



Monday, October 8, 2012

Weaving Lesson

The studio is coming along, although it has a long way to go. . .we had a weaving session on Saturday.  Nancy learned to weave with the 24" Rigid Heddle and I warped the new 12" knitters loom.  Nancy made a great cotton table runner and is hooked on weaving.  Pat, Roxy and Mom were here for the day with Nancy and I.  Mom and Roxy spent time in the living room knitting while we were weaving in the basement.





I warped the 12" knitters loom with Llama and novelty yarn.  We'll see how it goes.  The loom seems a bit small and cramped to use. . .but I'll weave a few items before I decide if it gets to stay.  It is a great size for demos and traveling.

Not only do we have a Bank Holiday this week, I have the entire week off to work around home and make products.  I made a list. .. . if you know me, you know that in reality the list cannot be done in a week. .so it goes.  I decided to break it down into manageable parts. . .. ..Blackie is helping . . .she's a bit overwhelmed! Her plan is to sleep on the list.



Started off today . .on the right track . .first up . .. do chores. .. .then I was supposed to come back in the house and clean up the kitchen .. ..but that did not happen .. .but the rafters in the barn are cleaned out and the cobwebs are gone . .. . ...so much for following a list. .. .I'm not so good at sticking to the rules. . .I prefer a bit of free form!  LOL!

Off to my next task. . ..

Saturday, September 22, 2012

Beautiful, Overcast Fall Day!

Okay, so it seems very odd to think an overcast, chilly day as a beautiful day . .. . .to me, right now, it is! 

I have spent the last two weeks fitting way too much in my work, home and farm schedule!  I have been on the road and gone over night a couple times and working from a different banking center everyday . . .kind of forget what my own office looks like . .. .so this is a perfect day for me.  I have three pairs of mittens to have knit by the 28th of the month . . .I have 1 1/2 pairs done . .so, woo hoo - I'm 50% done!  I'll be spending the day alternating between working inside and knitting . .. the working inside will be the "time out" from the knitting . . .as I will be "power knitting"

As I walked around the farm this morning, I took some pictures to share .. .  .. enjoy!


The morning glorys don't seem to mind the overcast weather.


Now the Geraniums bloom!  The summer was too HOT for them.



The "little chicks" - they should be laying eggs next month, then soon they will be out with the "big" girls.



The "big" girls enjoying some scratch grains



Some of the big girls, getting their work done.

Included in my 10+ days of craziness. . .. I spent two days in Columbus at a Security Seminar, Including and overnight and great visit with my friend Sheila,Two days in Bowling Green at the Black Swamp Arts Festival, Two days in Yellow Springs at the Wool Gathering fiber show - which included a great visit with my friend Deb and it included a fun trip to MI with Mom, Aunt Skip and Aunt Mar for a great day of visiting, including AWESOME lunch at the home of my cousin Jim and his wonderful wife, Mary. (How about sending me the chicken salad and lemon muffin recipes?)

And, it ended with a farm tour for a great group of people from a church in Montpelier where I spoke last winter.  With the farm tour, comes a weaving and spinning demo - this cute little loom is what I used for the weaving demo - donated to our farm by a school teacher in Defiance.



Have a wonderful weekend - enjoy the chilly weather!

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Fiber Room Make Over

As you know, I've been working on getting the studio together.  The LeClerc loom moved to the basement today so I worked on the transformation of the fiber room.  The LeClerc loom was just too big for this room, I could not walk around it to warp it and it just was not user friendly.

So, as we moved items out of the cottage that our family enjoyed for over 50 years and sold it to a family with young kids to enjoy it . .. I brought home a couple special things. .. .the red and white cabinet that is in the studio and the retro aqua chair and smoking stand.  These two items were in my grandparents house, prior to being lake furniture. . ..so they are quite old.  The "barrel" chair as we always referred to it is a GREAT chair to curl up and read a book . .so what better chair to be in the Fiber reading room?  And, of course, the "matching" smoking stand is in here also.. . .

The cleaning bug is still with me, she lays dormant during the week and comes out on Friday night to spend the weekend!  We cleaned off the back porch, starting Friday night and power washed it and the siding on Saturday . . ..

This porch has not been this clean since we moved in 12 years ago today!


The new fiber room . . .an area to read and relax in my retro barrel chair - Thanks Mom!


The smoking stand, repurposed and some of my favorite pictures


The never ending dish towel warp  . . 490 ends . .. and I am at 350 done . .. another 140 to wind, then off to the studio!

Have a great week!

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Studio Update

The studio, that we started last winter, was put on hold when summer arrived so early.  I have gotten back to setting up the studio and made really great progress while on vacation a few days last week.  The studio will have 5 looms and the triangle loom - three looms are in there, one is at my friends house and one needs to move from upstairs to downstairs.

The studio is at the point that I can actually get back to weaving!  My first project will be some "funky scarves" on the rigid heddle and some Ohio State and Michigan coasters on the rug loom.

Here are some pictures. . . .of the studio in progress. .. . mind you, I can't have the flooring until the wall is done. . .because this is a "no cat zone" . .. . so, the floor is still just cement and the walls are not painted yet, but it is useable.

Soon, the couch will move from Mom's basement to ours and the sitting area will be complete. . .then once it gets cold outside, we should go back to working on the wall.

The Cambridge Rug loom


My Desk on the left, a cabinet from the lake and some yarn storage


The sitting area, waiting for the couch.  Chair covered with "stuff" to keep the cats off!


Basket storage in the studio


Another view of the sitting area


Recently acquired loom, need to finish assembling.

The rigid heddle is in the sitting area and the 36" 4H Le Clerc will be in the middle of the room facing the door.

Each loom will be equipped with some sort of table next to it for tools, a small trash can, a pair of scissors and a bench. 

The studio will be an awesome area for me to work and also to teach classes or just have fiber friends come to visit!

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Soap Making Class

What a wonderful few vacation days I have had. . . .. Soap making, studio cleaning, knitting, reading . . .and cleaning fleeces.

Last Wednesday I drove up to Allegan, MI to the MI Fiber Festival and took two classes on making soap.  While they are not perfect, I learned how to use lye to make soap . . and it was very easy.  The key is to be very careful with the lye solution and the raw soap.  Here are some pictures:

The lighter soap is a Goat's milk soap with poppy seeds for scrubbing and a fresh Raspberry scent.  The darker soaps were my first try of the basic soap, they have a bit of ground oatmeal for texture and a scent of Patchuli.

My plan, of course I always have a plan . .. .is to perfect this soap making and put the products in local stores.  Feel free to give me scent/color choices that you would like to see.

Next post, I'll share the studio pictures. . it is coming along.

Of course, I had to shop a bit while I was at Allegan - lucky for me the vendors were not set up yet. .. but I spent enough without the vendors. . .. .

Yup, I NEEDED another hoody AND another TOTE bag - LOL! ! !



Happy fibery days!
Tina

Sunday, May 20, 2012

Farm Clean Up Days 2012

What a fun thing to do. . .. Farm Clean up days . . .may not sound like fun to you, but think of how you feel when you get Spring cleaning done in the house - the feeling of accomplishment, the enjoyment of everything neat and tidy. .. just for a bit. . . .well . .. some things never change. .. . My Dad could never understand how the barn could always be neat and tidy with everything in it's place and my room . . well let's say he preferred to keep the door shut - so he did not have to think about it. .. .He quickly learned, I have my priorities. . . well, I still think that way.  Thank goodness Jeff does dishes and laundry or we'd be in big trouble.

So, what was on the agenda for Farm clean up days . . .center of barn, bunnies, chickens, girls stall, girls pasture, clean out truck, wash truck, weed landscaping, trim landscaping, put in mulch. .. .and a few other things. . .. .did I get them all done? I still have one day . . ..something is not gonna get done. . .here is what I've done.

Cleaned the barn, bunnies, chickens, pasture and girls stall.  Cleaned out my truck and washed it (by hand) . .. Cleared brush, with Jeff, behind the sheep barn. . . and best of all. . .my favorite. .. Jeff finally put up the curtain rod for the curtains that Debbie made for me. .. .


Here are some farm pictures. .. .

Llavendar, Llizzie, Purple, Annie, Dorrie, Montgomery

Elizabeth, Lily and Peter

Okay, the computer is really slow. .. . more pictures later!

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Twin Update!

Hard to believe the twins are just 5 days old - they run around and play like crazy, then plop down for a nap.  Their names are Lilly and Peter.  "Knock on wood" there have not been any more escapes . . .Peter decided on day two, to visit the alpacas . .. Jeff happen to stop home so he noticed and helped Peter get back in the right pasture.

Here are some pictures from today . .. .. . around the farm. . .

Elizabeth and Peter
Lilly and Peter


Dorrie


Annie, and if you look real closely, Llizzie


Montgomery watching Jeff get the tractor out.


Snowflake

Hope you enjoyed the pictures, time for me to go out and feed everyone so they can settle down for the night.  Next blog. . .. . .winter shawl project update. . . .

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

TWINS ! ! ! ! ! !

We have two new additions to the farm. . .. .. Elizabeth blessed us with a ram lamb and a ewe lamb early today.  Elizabeth is a wonderful mother and she will take good care of the lambs.

Jeff glanced outside this morning to see the alpacas staring intently into the ewe pasture, the wethers staring in and the llama girls straining at their fence to see what was happening two pastures over.  When he went down to the barn, he found two lambs up and walking!

I went down to the barn as soon as I got home and one of the lambs was in the llama stall . ..so I did some lamb proofing and they should stay contained.  I say should because. . .. sheep are as mischevious as llamas. . always into something!

Here are some pictures:
Elizabeth and the lambs, one is hiding behind momma.


The Ram Lamb


The Ewe Lamb

We are taking ideas for names. .. . . .so send me some suggestions.

Other than lambs being born, it is BUNNY week here - cleaning up bunnies, cages and their area.

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Flowers in the Woods . ...

Today is a beautiful, sunny day in NW Ohio.  I went for a walk through the woods and found some very pretty wild flowers.

Lots and lots of violets.  Then as I climbed up the hill at the back of the woods, I found these. . .no idea what they are . . ..

Then back to our landscaping . . .


And one last picture from the farm ... ..here's my new dragon fly. . ..
That's it for now, Happy Easter!  ! ! ! ! !

Monday, April 2, 2012

Wonderful Weekend on the Farm

Lots going on lately on the farm. .. . unfortunately, no pictures. .. .. but here's a recap:

The HUGE, and I mean HUGE composting pile of manure taking up residence in the girl's pasture has been moved.  Not sure how long it has been piling up - just too wet to get the tractor in or too much else to do. .. anyway.. . . it is gone. .. . 5 hours, 28 tractor bucket loads . . and the girls hanging over the fence blocking them in the barn . .. . sad eyes wanting to come out and play ... .it is gone.  Looks like Black Gold out on the pile out back. . . need some good garden dirt?  Bring a bucket trailer or truck . .. .we'll load it up for you!

Silly me, after mowing at mom's. .. . .I started mowing our back yard. . . with the self propelled mower.. . .got 3/4 done .. .and re-mowed the part we cleared a couple weeks ago! Yeah!

Got my Oaklet shawl ripped back to where I think I made the mistake. . . it still does not seem right, so it has been handed off the the "expert" Lorie to figure out.  I hope to get it done before the end of April.

My HitchHiker shawl is coming along - that I can post a picture of. .... later this week.  It's a fun, fairly mindless 8 row repeat.

Jeff finally bought nails for the weaving studio wall. .. .hoping to put up the rest of the studs this week.

Oh yea, and the Rams were fixed two weeks ago and seem to be doing good ,.. . Dick is behaving and now Junior is the one ramming the barn wall . .. . Jeff is researching the price of a cattle prod ... . maybe I can retrain them since their testosterone factories have been shut down. .. ..wish me luck. .. .

Until next time . . .. Happy Knitting, weaving, spinning, reading . . what's makes ya happy!

~Tina

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Misc productive week and weekend!

Wow, It's like early summer outside. .. who would have thought I'd be mowing on March 17th? Oh my!

We decided to work on a brush clearing project that I started last fall, seemed like a good time to do it.  Here is a picture of what we cleared.  More lawn to mow, but boy does it look nice.  Oh yeah, and we pulled the paddle boat out of the weeds. . .maybe it can get fixed up for summer?   The question is, summer what year? Ha!


Wow!  What a little work horse mower. 
Probably 5 years since it was used, and it kick right off on the 2nd pull! 
Thanks Mom!
We burned two big piles of wood and brush.  Now to keep up mowing this area with the rest of the lawn.

We made some progress on the studio last weekend, on Sunday.  We have a door frame:


It's a slow process, but we'll keep plugging away at it bit, by bit.  The door is here, in the diningroom, waiting to be stained.

Fiber Dyeing . .. ..

I spent last weekend and every night last week washing and dyeing wool so I will have some new inventory for Bowling Green Market day next Saturday.

Today has been spent in the sheep barn.  The two rams were fixed and they are fairly slow to wake up from the procedure.  So, I sheared them while they were asleep and just have to keep checking on them.

Tomorrow night - Lorie and I will make a trip to the Mill to get the wool run, then I'll have a couple nights to bag the wool for sale.

Have a good week!

Monday, February 20, 2012

Studio update, day two

I realize my studio updates will not be this close together as we do the actual building. .. .but I spent the afternoon cutting out small pieces of furniture, shelves and looms and putting them to scale on a piece of paper. .here is the first design.

There are four looms in the studio, an "L" shaped desk, 8 sets of shelves, a cool cherry bookcase thing, some regular book cases, a sitting area in the top left with a couch, lazy boy chair and another chair.  Behind the rug loom in the top right corner is a sink base cabinet and it will have cabinets above it. .. .the BEST part about all this is . .. . WE ALREADY HAVE ALL THE FURNITURE . . .very little to be purchased.

I draped plastic around the basement, in the working area so the sawdust will not be too bad on everything.  One good thing, most everything in the basement is already in plastic tubs and bags to keep moths out.

The white cabinet with the laundry basket on top is a fun cabinet that was in my bedroom at the lake - it is painted white with the drawers and door painted red, to coordinate with the lovely paneling Dad put in my room!  It will be fun to have that in the studio . . .although . .it's not on the map . ..  .well, I did not claim the map was the final version.

You can see in this picture, the lumber we took down the stairs yesterday, to begin the studs for the wall.  Jeff has to get a few more things like nails, etc . . .and then hopefully, he will start.


I'll post more pictures once the wall starts going up.  For now, I need to get a bit more painting drop cloth to cover some shelves and we need to move the big rug loom over and drape it with plastic so it is not covered with sawdust or in the way.

Until next time .. . happy weaving, spinning, knitting. .. whatever makes ya happy!