When Life Gives You Lemons...

... paint them! Week two of art class.



This one was done with Daniel Smith pigments; I prefer them to the brand I used for the watermelon. Love watercolors!

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Chef Jeff made a trip to the Amish village down the road for fresh-from-the-field cabbages... he's busy making sauerkraut again!

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And we have even more guinea babies. I believe this brings this year's total to over 90. Sigh. Don't you need some guinea fowl?



Fall's just around the corner... I'm going to make the most of the summer days left. Sweet corn roasted on the grill, here I come!

Never Too Late For Old Dogs

I have always wanted to learn to paint with watercolors.

Thanks to the miracle of the Internet (how much do we take it for granted??? Thanks be for the Internet!) I am finally able to take classes in my own home, on my own time (which is a blessing, since the only time I seem to be able to do art is usually at 1 a.m.!)

Behold the result of Week One of Laure Ferlita's Artful Journaling - Foundations class:

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It's a piece of watermelon on a square plate... in case you can't tell. ;) You can embiggen it but it's probably better if you don't. ;)

I know there are lots of imperfections, and I'm ok with them. I know how to do better next time. One of the best lessons from Laure's class applies not only to art, but to life: if we learn from our mistakes, they weren't a waste of time.

I learned a lot about reflected colors in shadows, and blending colors from just three primaries, and contour drawing (and to pay better attention while doing it!)... and I had a great time getting out of my head and into the Zen zone for a little while.

I recently had a wake-up call concerning my vision, which gave me the impetus to sign up for the class (which is great, BTW). Is there anything you've always wanted to do, but haven't? Don't wait for a wake-up call... in the words of Nike, Just Do It!

Never Not Busy

It's been, what... five months? What's happened at Tuppinz Farm lately, you ask?



Ada Oberhasli Goat came into milk, without having been bred or having had any kids. Apparently this can sometimes happen in strong milking lines, and is caused by high levels of prolactin. It's called "witch's milk" or "precocious udder." (Do they have special classes for precocious udders?)

I duly milked the girl for a week, but in the end I decided to let her dry off (the vet having confirmed that she had no infection). We'd given all the milking equipment away when we decided not to breed or sell goats, so it was too much of a pain to milk without the little stainless steel milk pail - Ada kept kicking the bowls over. I do have enough frozen milk to make one serving of paneer (as long as Jeff still has a few cheffing days left...)

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Sheep and goat shearing was - as usual - postponed several times as we tried to find an agreeable shearer. The Big Day will finally take place tomorrow. The sheep will no doubt be relieved to be rid of the floor-length carpets which now envelop them and make them appear like so many Cousin Its on parade in the pasture. The 2010 Sheep Corraling Rodeo was completed today in two hours, with just two people, and went very well... after four years, we've got the process down. Or maybe the sheep do?



There is nothing quite so freaky as Jacob sheep with camera flash in their eyes. This shot reminds me of Gene Simmons and the movie "Legend" at the same time... et tu?

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Having reluctantly come to the conclusion that Icelandic sheep and Angora goats, which both need to be shorn twice every year, are not a good idea for Tuppinz Farm (and its lack of available shearers), we are relieved to announce that our dear friends Lael and Larry Wilson will be adopting the majority of our sheep, and our five mohair goats.

Lael is a professional shepherdess (visited regularly by a shearer!) and will perhaps be breeding our wonderful stock, and she'll definitely be selling their fiber via her website. I was a customer of Lael's before I became a shepherdess, and I'm confident you will be pleased with any fiber you purchase from her!



We will keep four or five of our "pet" Jacobs (whom we think will allow us to shear them ourselves). They undoubtedly will provide enough wool to keep us in sweaters and socks for our cold Wisconsin winters, without intimidating me into hand-spinning paralysis via unprocessed fleece overwhelm (don't you dare tell me you haven't experienced it yourself after a buying frenzy at a fiber festival!)

Thank you, Lael! You're a life saver!!

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What once was our horrible, haunted and cursed, falling-down farmhouse...



... is now going to be my new round pen! Dressage donkeys, here we come!

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We have experienced The Great Guinea Keet Explosion of 2010 (which is still taking place...) Twenty-eight keets and their parents have gone to a new home with some lovely people. There are approximately 30 left... with more on the way. Yikes! Not the best year to confirm vegetarianism, was it?

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And finally, after four years of shepherdessing, I have moved my donkey tack permanently out of the sheep shearing area and to the other end of the Long Barn.



Tell me, please, why does a woman with just TWO riding donkeys need THIS MUCH EQUIPMENT?! Because nothing fits donkeys properly! I won't even show you my saddle collection... time to place some CraigsList ads. After many failed saddle experiments, I'm happy to report that donkeys seem to be very comfortable in Wintec dressage saddles, with wide gullets and cushy sheepskin pads. Anyone in the market for a wide Passier jumping saddle, or a Big Horn Flat Topline cordura saddle? A mule headstall and breast collar? Send me an email!

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I haven't been doing much knitting, but I'm happily taking online watercolor painting classes from Laure Ferlita, which are wonderful. I recommend them wholeheartedly!

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If anyone tells you how peaceful and quiet life would be on a hobby farm, remember this entry, and how infrequently I've blogged since moving here, and that you would be better off visiting a hobby farm than living on one!

Truly, it is enough to make one just want to lie down and take a long nap, like Miss Tikki here:

Yee HA, Back In Business

Yippee, something got fixed and my entry page is back to normal. Phew! Thanks to those of you who suggested WordPress - I did set a new blog up over there and it was indeed very easy to use. I'll keep it there, just in case Blogspot goes wonky on me again.

Summer on a farm - even a hobby farm - doesn't leave a lot of time for blogging, as you can imagine. Add to that new Facebook and Twitter accounts, and my life took a major detour as I caught up with friends old and new. Sorry - I have missed you and your wonderful comments!

We had many more hatchings of guinea keets than anticipated, the most recent being this week! We are inundated with guinea fowl. They really are the cutest babies - much more adorable than baby chickens. They're like little "scrubbing bubbles" that zip all over the place on their huge, bright orange feet.



We are still awaiting the shearer to clip the Icelandics and the Angoras, both of which must be shorn twice a year. We had snow this week, so I hope he gets a move-on, since I want the goats to get a decent growth on them before the truly cold weather sets in. At least they have a snug barn, and we have heat lamps should we need them.





Speaking of the snug barn, the Golden Laced Wyandotte chickens that Chef Jeff pasture-raised for the freezer are now having a lovely night's rest in the box stall, before their first (and only) car ride to the humane Mennonite butcher tomorrow. They had a week of feasting on cracked corn, carrots, and apples, as I spoiled them a bit. Perhaps I should have fed them garlic to pre-season them? Well, joking aside, they will receive a blessing from Chef Jeff before they make their journey. I hope we have treated them with the respect they deserved, and that they had very happy days here at Tuppinz Farm.

The livestock are all well. The dogs are all doing great.


Otter sleeps very soundly.


Molly stops chewing her cow ear to watch the big machinery pull up the driveway.

We did have to say good-bye to our wonderful kitty Max due to liver failure. He had never been a healthy cat since he first appeared here at the farm. The other four cats are all just fine. Despite our feelings about outdoor cats, we made the decision to move everyone but Abby out to the goat barn. There, they have two levels of room to run about; a large, heated bed; windows to let in sunlight; and no dogs to chase them. Boris and Otter were a little too interested in some of the cats, and the floorplan of the new house will not allow us to keep the cats and dogs separate any longer. Abby is older and keeps to herself - she will live in the studio and loft in the new house, in which the dogs will not be allowed.

The new house - ah, the new house. Did I mention the new house?

Suffice it to say, the old farmhouse in which we now reside is going to fall down soon. Literally. It will cost less to build a new one than to fix up this one, which in all likelihood isn't even possible. We also have five dogs living in this one - can you imagine trying to repair it? So... we have begun building a new house up on the hill and hope to move in in December.



The old farmhouse will be burned - not only to give students in the firefighter program at a local college experience, but also to get rid of all the awful karma, bad energies, and evil spirits which have clouded our lives for the past three years. I wish I could be excited about it, but the fact is, the experience of moving to a place where dishonest folk left so many very, very bad things really took a toll on me emotionally.

Thank goodness Chef Jeff has been up for the task of choosing counters, cabinets, flooring, and fireplace rocks! I never could have made a decision with so many choices, but he narrowed things down very quickly:



The interior will have a warm, Southwest feel to it. We will have geothermal heat, so the puppers will enjoy a heated floor in their rumpus room downstairs. I will have a larger studio in which I will be able to spread out my knitting, spinning, quilting, and painting, and I can hardly wait for that!

It has been a long and troublesome journey but I am confident that moving on up the hill will make all the bad mojo a thing of the past.

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Crafting kind of went by the wayside as Chef Jeff's company underwent a "rearrangement" of sorts, resulting in much, much more traveling for him (and many, many more chores on the farm for me - ouch!) Absence - and doing without someone else to haul the hay - really does make the heart grow fonder.

I am almost finished with my Drops sparkly shawl A/K/A "Dixie Shawl" (Ravelry link) - just doing the lower edge border now:



I've done two Baktuses (Bakti?) thanks to the pattern suggestion (Ravelry link) from Professor Nannette. If you are looking for a relaxing, mindless knit that will result in something infinitely giftable and wearable, and will let you enjoy your favorite sock yarn in a new way, this is IT!


Baktus Scarves In Drops Fabel and Koigu KPPPM from Yellow Dog Knitting


I'm loving the Fabel sock yarn's stripes.


There are more colors here than meet the eye initially. Very pretty.

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Things I'm Liking:

The color ORANGE.

This Swedish (or Norwegian?) shop's clothing - I wish I could get it here in the US!

I follow a number of Scandinavian blogs and I like their aesthetic. I'm a big fan of Carl and Karin Larsson, white rooms and white furniture with handmade accents, and the simplicity of the Gustavian style. I can't read the text of some of these Scandinavian blogs, but I enjoy them nevertheless.

http://miaslandliv.blogspot.com
She has many more great links in her sidebar!

http://posidriv.blogspot.com

http://shabby-roses-cottage.blogspot.com

http://kathrinesquiltestue.blogspot.com

http://blomsterverkstad.blogspot.com

http://maalaiselamaa.blogspot.com

http://angelattable.blogspot.com

http://mykindofblog.blogspot.com

http://whitecountry.blogspot.com

http://ljo-s.blogspot.com

And now I just realized that my RSS reader isn't working properly; those blogs have some new entries I haven't yet seen. Argh! If it's not one thing, it's your mother...

I'm thankful for Birkenstock Central, who restored my stinky old Birks and kept them out of a landfill!

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And so, dear readers, as the chickens go off to market and the "top" of the new house arrives tomorrow by semi truck, we embark upon a new season at Tuppinz Farm - one of gratitude for abundance. We are indeed very grateful.

Have a lovely week! I'm off to listen to the new episode of Electric Sheep!

A Good Week Of Surprises

It was a week of surprising weather (warm days followed by snow showers and high winds), and surprises in my mailbox.

Beautiful handmade potholders arrived from Professor Nannette, and Miss Kary sent an original painting of an owl (a favorite animal of mine) by Brenda Webster-Drouin. Thanks, guys!



I'd placed an order with The Loopy Ewe, a favorite shop for sock knitting needs. This is what I'd ordered:



And THIS is what I received!



Turns out I am now an official Loopy Groupie. The gifts they sent were more than what I'd ordered to begin with; what you don't see is the chocolate which I promptly ate. Thank you, Sheri!

I became a convert after I received my first order with TLY and I realized what all the high praise was about. They have excellent customer service, and usually include a handwritten thank-you and little treats with my orders... which are becoming more frequent, I have to admit; I love the "instant gratification" of their fast shipping!

I also received the new "Whimsical Little Knits" book by Ysolda in Scotland, as well as two skeins of Fearless Fibers yarn. One of these is destined to become these (Ravelry link). I have been waiting on pins and needles for that KnitSpot pattern to be published and am jazzed to cast on for these beautiful socks.



All in all, a very good week indeed.

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Around The Farm

Frieda The Just gave us 1.4 ounces of beautiful cashmere at the end of March. Not bad for a mostly-Boer goat with a strong resemblance to George Washington.



I planted peas and broccoli rabe outside; started Tigerella and Silvery Fir Tree tomatoes, and serrano and jalapeno peppers, inside.

Other than that, it's business as usual here on the farm. Lots of playful activity inside when the puppy playpen is too muddy from changeable spring weather:



It looks like Champ, our new riding donkey, will not be arriving this weekend as planned. Hopefully he'll be home in the next couple of weeks.



Have a beautiful weekend!

Give The Gift That Keeps On Giving...

... right from the comfort of your couch. This is a shameless plug for my friend Kary's Etsy shop, featuring fantastic fibers and one-of-a-kind, creative, handspun yarns.



I recently ordered this gorgeous fiber from her, and it occurred to me that a package like this, tied up with a pretty label and fabric bow, would be just the gift for any fiber fanatic friend deserving of a special holiday something. So I thought I'd mention it here in case the malls have got your head spinning.





Kary's photos are always accurate representations of her offerings, but as you can see from the pics above (mine on top, her Etsy listing below), they really don't do justice to the beauty of her creations. I am always doubly surprised and impressed by the real-life product when I receive an order from her.

The reason Kary's fibers "keep on giving" is because she donates a portion of her annual sales to worthy causes - usually animal-related charities. This year, it is Pittie Love, a group that does American Pit Bull Rescue! That is a cause close to my heart, because we believe our pup Molly is partly Pit Bull (we call her "partly Pibble," the silly, doting puppy parents that we are. Really, we're enough to make you barf.)

Gifts from Kary "keep on giving" to your fiber friends because your recipients get to create something from the wonderful blends of wool, silk, chiengora, mohair, angora... and then they may make a present of the item they crafted to someone else! You're also supporting an artist trying to make a living from art - not an easy thing to do in today's world. And where would we be without art? Kary also is a member of Etsy For Animals - artists who donate 100% of sales of selected items to animal charities. Good karma abounds when you support her efforts.

Best of all, Kary's Etsy shop makes online ordering easy as pie, and you can ship directly to your recipient - Kary will make it look pretty for you. 1-2-3, finis, and you can get back to your knitting and spinning to keep you calm during the holiday hubub. Finish your own handmade gifts on time, avoid the icky weather, and stay out of that headache-inducing mall selling forgettable Made In China crap.

Kary is always doing something to help others - she recently started the "Macuwita sni" charity crafting group to make items for the Cheyene River Sioux children in South Dakota. "Macuwita sni" means "I am not cold" in the Lakota language, and it is Kary's hope that every child on the reservation will be able to say that soon. Right now, some are going around in just sweatshirts with no winter jackets - they need warm woolies! Please join the group on Ravelry or Yahoo! Groups if you would like to help!

So... isn't my new spinning fiber gorgeous? Kary puts such care into the preparation of her "batt buns" - no neps, no VM, just soft, squishy spinny goodness. Yoda agrees.



This particularly scrumptious batch features fiber from a Border Leicester sheep named "Sparkle," Icelandic wool from a gal named "Apricot," handpainted tussah silk, and Newfoundland chiengora! YUM! Since chiengora is so warm, I am definitely thinking "hat" or "socks" for these batts... which I am now off to spin, being snowed in by a big storm last night.

One of the best gifts I have ever received is the privilege of knowing Kary and calling her my friend. I am so grateful!

Happy holidays, and happy shopping!

Busy-ness!

They're here, they're here! Aren't they pretty? Love these new Knit Picks Options Harmony needles!

Between those and my BallyK box set, I plan to be very busy in the coming days.

Before the needles arrived and tempted me with their gorgeous colors and smooth finish, I'd planned to work on a couple of crochet kits. This was thanks to the lovely Dawn, whose incredible group project got me interested in picking up my hooks once more.

And by the way, Dawn, thank you for nominating me a Rockin' Girlrrl Blogger! I'm honored! I must pass the torch to Claudia and Nanette and Kelley, whose photos, projects, and zest for living always inspire me. They definitely rock!

But the Kim Hargreaves beret and scarf will have to wait a bit, because now I'm contemplating this pattern, using Knit Picks Wool Of The Andes yarn in a mixed purple and gray colorway called Pidgeon Twist.

I tried to do some spinning this week - the first time I've had a wheel in operation since adopting the pups (how sad is that - we've had Emma for over a year now!)

I'd forgotten, though, what it is to train puppy dogs about spinning wheels.

Of course, being the Doggie Llama, the reincarnation of our incredible whippet, Fiona, Dobie Emma had no problem picking it right up.

She tested the twist to see how the yarn would look plied...

... and carried right on with her drafting.

If Emma can learn to spin, no doubt I should be able to pick up watercolors, hmmm?

I have some super-duper farm news to share... stay tuned!