New Shawl

I keep two coloured sheep here, Paul and Kelly. They are just the cutest sheep ever and I love them dearly! I keep them for their fleece as well as their company and they were recently shawn. I gave the fleece to my Mum who is the most talented woman I know (do I sound bias?) She spun the fleece and then knitted me this amazing shawl! It is so soft and cosy! I just can't wait for winter now so I can wrap myself up in it! She used Kelly's fleece for this. The photos don't really show the right colour but Kelly's wool is dark chocolate brown and Paul is a slate grey. Last year Mum spun Paul's fleece and knitted my a plain jumper and it is sooooo warm!

Here is the pattern Mum used for the shawl.

This stitch pattern is divisible by 18. That means any yarn and any size needle can be used.. Determine the size you want by YOUR stitch gauge. Follow the needle recommendations on the yarn packaging. Cast on any amount (divisible by 18) plus any amount for border. Keep these border stitches in Knit Only (BOTH SIDES)

Work 8 rows of knit only at the beginning and ending of your piece.
Row 1: K
Row 2: P
Row 3: *K 2 tog 3 times, YO, K1 6 times, K 2 tog 3 times* repeat to border.
Row 4: K
Work the feather and fan stitch until you reach desired length. End by working 8 rows Knit.

Attacked by a Turkey!

What a morning!
I got out of bed this morning and made my way to the kitchen for a coffee and out the window I saw my pet sheep, Paul and Kelly. Normally this would be normal but yesterday I took them on holidays. Due to the drought and the recent hot weather my sheep paddock had run out of green feed. After asking around I was able to move them to the local sports reserve here in Yanac. The reserve is used over winter for hockey and in March each year there is the big Yanac Sheep Dog Trails. There is a holding yard for the sheep taking part, it is secure with shade and heaps of grass. So yesterday they wandered over with me to check it out. They seemed to like it and made pigs of themselves eating the grass and running around having fun. I closed all the gates and bought over their water container and checked all the gates again so they couldn't get out. So I thought!
I was a bit shocked when I saw them out the window this morning!
I pulled on some yard clothes and headed out to get them back in to my yard as it seemed they were home sick. I had to work today so I was in a hurry so I could get back inside and ready for work. I thought maybe they would run and carry on so I grabbed a small pail of layers pellets cause they love them.
While I was bending over getting the pellets out of the bin WHACK!
I thought someone had run into me! I had the air knocked out of me and the back of my leg was stinging. I turned around and there was Troy my gobbler, so proud of himself!
When Troy came to live here 4 years ago I was told he was prone to attacking people but I was confident that I would be able to rehabilitate him with love and good care.....seems not!
I have 3 decent size gouges in the back of my thigh and I was bleeding a lot! and I still had to get the sheep in and secure the fences and gates then go to work so holding the back of my leg I set to work.
I have made the sad decision that Troy will need to find another home. I love turkeys and will never be without them but Troy has just been so violent towards me and visitors that he has to go. I can't eat him as even though he is a pain in the bum he has been a good gobbler and served his hens well and I am a bit attached. If you know of anyone who could home a slightly violent gobbler please let me know.
Chek out this previous post for more fun with Troy

Christmas!

It's nearly Christmas and I have been flat out with soap making for the Christmas orders so I haven't had time to blog...me bad!

This is my Nativity this year. Paul and Kelly the sheep and Troy and Helen (white turkey in the background) had fun possing for the pic!

Ready for a ride????

Well I have had sometime to do some serious thinking in the last few days and I have had a brainwave! It was not so much my brain wave but a dear friend pointed out to me that the blog is my opportunity to be me, no one telling me what I can post about and I make the rules. I can't believe I had to have it pointed out lol. Sooooo, what next?
The answer is ME.
I don't mean that in a narcissistic way but I will be posting the things that I do, like, enjoy and things that bring happiness into my life.
Those of you who have read the blog for a while will know a bit about me but if you have just come across my blog I will give you a bit of an out line. I am in my mid thirties (I can't believe I just wrote that!) I live in a tiny remote town in the far side of the Wimmera on what I call a micro farm! One acre with 3 turkeys, 20-30 chooks, 3 ducks, 2 sheep, 2 adorable cats and 200 goldfish. Kitty and Harry, the cats, live inside with me to protect the native wildlife.
I work two days a week in the big town down the road and the other days I make and sell my handmade soaps. I also fill my days with tending my vegie garden which is up the back of my block nestled in and around my orchard of 15 3 year old fruit trees. I am in the process of fencing this area off from the rest of the back yard as I have big plans for it.
I also fill my days by baking bread and cooking from scratch (most of the time) Developing my new native garden and working where I can in my community.
I have produced a community newsletter and I want to continue working on this as I believe it is an important part of the community.
I also enjoy sewing and I will explore many projects I am working on here on the blog so maybe we can help keep each other motivated!
As I mentioned earlier I sell my handmade soaps online here and I will be adding further to the shop with the other things I create here. Things like head wraps, hand dyed scarves, cloth pads and other handy things.
Gosh I am really excited so lets get this party started!

I love my life!

I was just out hanging the clothes on the line and looked around. Yes I see it everyday but today it just seemed different....beautiful. I have been working flat out on the soap business and I will continue to work flat knacker for the rest of the year but working like this means you don't get time to really see whats around you. Do you know what I mean? It wasn't just what I saw but the sound track as well. The turkeys were gobbling away up the back, the sheep were talking to me over the fence and the ducks were noisily quacking away! Here are some pictures to give you and idea....and to remind myself how cool it is right out side my door! I wanted to add more photos but blogger isn't playing!

Spring is here!

Just a few pics from the garden today...cause I haven't posted anything for a while lol.

Black Current

Swiss chard and onion with some Chinese cabbage I've let go to seed.

Hhmm, more Swiss chard, lucky I like it, and some parsley.

I need a hair cut!!!!!

Paul looses a tooth

Yesterday when I was feeding Paul and Kelly some cauliflower noticed Paul's mouth was bleeding. O my Lord! I panicked, I was thinking I was going to have to puree his food from now on as it was clear he lost a tooth. Jamie caught him so we could have a better look and there was another tooth coming through were the original had been. I had no idea if this was normal so I again rang Mum in a panic (I'm sure she will get sick of me one day!) Apparently this is quite normal and my little boy is just growing up.

Kiss Mummy for a carrot!

Is this bribery?

Helpers in the garden

I thought I would invite Paul and Kelly in to the garden to help with the weeding. They had a bit of a scare last week when a dog got in to their yard and chased them so I have been being a bit soft on them this week. I think they are playing on it now lol.

I think they are fully grown now and when Paul knows you have an apple he comes running. He could easily knock you of your feet if your not ready lol.

I told Kelly she eat what ever she wanted.....except the apricot tree!

Where have I been?

Well, that is one lesson I have learnt lately and words I will hold close as I move into 2008! This year is going to be so exciting!

I have been struggling lately with working full time and living simply. I just don't have the energy to bake or cook or garden. I think one of my downfalls is coming home and turning on the computer, with in the blink of an eye two hours can slip by! Then it is to late to get anything done so in order to be more productive I am going to plan my days.

Here is a rough draft:

4:30 Get up and have breakfast

5:00 Do dishes and generally tidy up around house

6:00 Leave for work

3:30 Get home and have a shower, put washing on and check animals

4:30 Computer

5:00 Cook tea, eat and do dishes

6:30 Watch neighbours (aarrghhh can't stop) while doing craft be it sewing or knitting.

8:30 Bed

If I try to stick to this plan for weekdays I think I will get a lot more done and not have to run around Saturday morning doing a weeks worth of house work! (It's Saturday now and I still haven't started) I will try and see how I go.

I have a few other things that I will be trying to do this year and if I write them down I may stick to them a bit better.

1; Clean up my potty mouth! I am making a big effort not to swear or say bad things! It is really a hard one for me.

2; Wear skirts and dresses more because it makes me feel more feminine and less likely to swear. It's strange but I am a nicer person in a dress....does that make sense?

3; Cook from scratch and wear an apron. I often think 'I'll just pop this in the micro so I won't get messy'

4; This one will be a hard one for me but I am going to try not to consume any chemicals, well what I mean is stuff like preservatives and artificial sweeteners. I recently spoke to some one about what would be better a egg and bacon mcmuffin or home made apricot jam on homemade bread. They said it would be about the same but I have thought about it and homemade jam on toast is better for my soul! no correspondence will be entered into! LOL

Wish me luck sticking to those won't you!

Lots of other exciting things will be happening on Gobbler's Run this year and I just can't wait.

Here is a pic of Paul and Kelly. They have just had there first hair cut. I was a nervous wreck LOL

Apricots!

Jamie's Apricot tree is over flowing with yummy apricots! What else could I do but make some apricot jam. I love apricot jam!

I'm pretty messy so I always put a towel down before I start pouring LOL. It makes the clean up a bit easier.

Seven jars ready to give away and a big bowl in the fridge for me! (I ran out of jars) This afternoon I will bake some bread so I can enjoy some for supper. I will aslo be making some more soap so I will be having a very productive day!

Seems like I'm not the only one who like apricots!

Happy New Year

Well 2008 is here all ready. I still haven't finished all the things I had planned to do in 2007. AArrrggghhh.

I had a wonderful time over the Christmas break, spending time with my family. I know that this time isn't just about gifts but.... I got some gooduns'. Jamie bought me 50m of 6' chicken wire! I can't even think of all the things that will enable me to do, oh and a bag trolley. I hadn't heard them called this before, I'm not sure what I would have called them but probably "You know, those things you use to lift and move fridges with a handle and two wheels!"

This will be so handy as I have to leave the big bags of layers pellets in the boot of my car where the bloke from the shop puts them cause they are to heavy for me to lift!

He also gave me a flash sharp kitchen knife with a note attached that said "Not to be used to cut soap or in the garden!" Which was probably a good thing as the first thought into my head was 'Wow just what I need to divide those clumps of perennials'

I wasn't the only one to get a gift here on Gobbler's Run. Paul and Kelly, my beautiful sheep had been really good this year so Santa (cunningly disguised as Shane from up the road) bought them a huge round bale of pea straw. Thanks Santa (and Shane!)

I just thought I would enter the new year with a bit of a run down of whats going on here at the minute.

I have 3 chickens ready to go to there new home.

3 chickens that aren't to far from being ready to leave home.

1 chook sitting on 6 sebright eggs.

2 Sebrights sitting on about 20 eggs together ( I've tried to get in and thin out the eggs but boy for little chooks they are angry so I haven't been able to get near!)

2 turkeys sitting on fertile turkey eggs and

1 turkey sitting on non-fertile eggs (I will take her eggs away today but she cries when I have to do this and it breaks my heart)

I haven't worked out my new years resolutions yet but I'll post them when I do !

Nearly Christmas

There isn't much happening on Gobbler's Run at the moment. I have two weeks off work over Christmas so I will be using that time to really get stuck into the jobs that need doing. The three baby turkeys went to their new home last week and yesterday the farmer who took them called in to drop off two bags of wheat screenings as payment. The chooks and turkey's are so excited they are feasting! Due to ridiculously low rain fall Paul and Kelly are eating lucerne hay that I am buying in every couple of days ($19 a bale!), they love it but they did ask if they could please spend the Chrissy holidays at my brothers place cause there is heaps of green grass down there. Just have to work out some way of getting them there?

I have given up the knitting! In fact I have bought a knitting machine and I pick it up on Monday. It knits long tubes like giant french knitting so I will make Jamie some leg warmers! I will post pics, I'm sure he will look adorable!

Due to Paul and Kelly raiding my vegie garden I have planted my summer vegies in the front garden this year. I love the way they look all mixed up together!

I planted mint as a green mulch to try and keep some moisture in the ground. I knew that the mint would take over and I'm happy to keep pulling it out but boy it happened quickly!

Speaking of things that happen quickly, my gold fish have multiplied again...sigh. I have tried to explain family planning options to them but they just ignore me!

Just a catch up post!

A while ago I posted a photo of Paul the sheep teasing a local homeless rooster with a carrot. Well the said homeless rooster has taken a wife.....one of my Plymouth rock bantams and her chicken. I felt like a bit of a home wrecker when I spilt them up and chased my chooks home. I explained to him that there is someone out there for him just not in my yard!

I woke up Paul from a snooze when I got home and from the photo he still doesn't look awake LOL. I went down to visit my Mum on the weekend and she gave me this plant. It's called climbing spinach and is suppose to reach 3m tall. The leaves really do taste just like spinach!

Just a happy day!

I work full time so I really enjoy getting home a bit earlier to hang out with the critters.

The local Supermarket puts all it's green waste in boxes and puts them in the back lane on a first come first served kind of arrangement. You have to be a bit lucky for any to be left by the time I knock off...well today was my lucky day! I scored a huge box of goodies.

Paul and Kelly thought Christmas came early as there were heaps of carrots and apples, they just love carrots and apples! The chooks and turkeys were pretty keen on the strawberries so lucky that there were four punnets. There were also heaps of cabbage, mushrooms, peppers, lettuce and onions! I had such a great time tossing the contents of the box over the fence to them and watching them taste different things. They must have been a bit noisy about how good it was a passing rooster stopped by to see what he could score LOL. Check him out looking longingly through the fence! Notice to that Paul is antagonizing the rooster by waving a juicy carrot at him.

I also scored well out of the box. A huge pot of very wilted coriander that I hope only needs a drink and three punnets of tomato seedlings, very wilted but I will try to resurrect them.

The great escape II

When I drove up the road after work today I was surprised to see a neighbour sitting on the front veranda. On closer inspection she wasn't really sitting, more sprawling. Her face was red and she was gulping water, I was a bit worried she was having a 'turn'. No, she said she was fine just a bit worn out after spending a couple of hours chasing Paul and Kelly around Yanac! The troublesome two had pushed there way into the front garden and out the front gate. I'm surprised the were able to push over the fence as I had put it up! (OK I bet Jamie won't be surprised!) I had used recycled materials to build the fence and I hadn't seen another like it! Anyway this neighbour recounted to me how she had enlisted the help of a young guy from up the road and with military precision they were able to round them up.It's hard to make out from the photo but they must have been in the front garden for some time as both my climbing rose are devoid of any leaves up to the sheep head level! in fact a number of plantes appeared decidedly 'less' than they did this morning! how embarrasing!

Spring is in the air

Well spring has sprung down here. Troy has definitely worked out what it is all about. However is has some trouble differentiating the lady turkeys from....me. I don't dare walk through the yard without a 'distance regulator' but even with that I don't take my eyes off him. The first time Troy approached me I was just kneeling down pulling out a few weeds and suddenly I heard a swoosh and there he was big and blue. I've never jumped up and ran so quickly! The sheep Paul and Kelly are also on the look out.

Oh this is a picture of kitty doing a bit of work on the computer. It's suppose to be a shot of the sheep and Troy but I can't get rid of this one. Maybe Kitty could give me a lesson or two!

Sheep are naughty!

I wandered out to take some photos this morning and this was the first thing I saw. He looks guilty doesn't he?

He is standing in front of my brand new orange tree. It's a bit hard to make out but it is behind the Oleander, supported between to stakes with the pink fleece tie.
The orange tree is now devoid of leaves right up to, coincidentally, the height of Paul's head!

How naughty!

Kelly also looked guilty but was busy hiding because I think she knew mummy wasn't happy!!!

When Jamie was cutting off the top of the Aquaponics tank we managed to save the top pieces. They are slightly curved so I manoeuvred one of the pieces over and placed it around the orange tree. This will have to do till Jamie comes to help me erect something a little more permanent!

I was planing on taking a photo of Paul and Kelly modelling their new collars. So here they are!

Paul's is blue with a reflective strip which caught the flash. I will be able to find them at night now! I am hoping I won't have to mind you.

I had to laugh as I was trying to get a photo of the sheep a certain someone got jealous! Troy the turkey!

This was the shot I was trying to get. Here is the shot I got when I zoomed out! LOL

The Great Escape!

Well I'm knackered! Paul and Kelly managed to make it over my 'makeshift' fence just now. Right on dusk! I've spent the last hour chasing and cursing around Yanac. I started off nicely
"Come on now, bedtime" and
"First lamby back gets a treat!" But by the end it was more like
"Right! your giving mummy the POX!"

I did feel a bit sorry for them as a big mob of sheep has been moved into the paddock across the track and they were calling to each other in a kind of cute way. Well it was cute at the start! Also I discovered that sheep can't see very well in the dark, I had to direct the torch just in front of them where I wanted them to walk. I have had to clip a few of my chooks wings as they would fly out and over anything but what can I do to contain Paul and Kelly? It's my birthday tomorrow so I think Jamie can help me build a higher fence!........and shower me in gifts LOL! Anyway tomorrow Paul and Kelly won't be getting any cake and they are grounded for a week! I'm sure to give in once they look up at me with those big eyes and 'to die for' eye lashes!!!!

What an invention!

I was sick and tired of banging in wooden stakes just to have the end burr over and be unable to be re-used. I have been pondering about this for a while now and I had a brainwave yesterday I went to the hardware store a got two pieces of steel. The first was a piece of square tube and the second was a flat rectangular piece. They both came from the off cuts pile and I was given them for free! Next I called into Jamie's house on the way home and asked him to weld them together.The idea was that the tubing would stop the stake becoming burred and also let me hold it in position without risking the inevitable splinters in the fingers. The flat piece on the top was so I had a larger area to hit (I'm not a very good shot!) and the overhang protected my fingers up underneath!
The finished product fits neatly over the wooden stakes and does indeed protect my fingers. I'm sure someone else would have thought of this before but I haven't seen it in the shops. If I can re-use my wooden stakes then I wouldn't need to buy more and that's a good thing both for the planet and my pocket!Well I'm off now to do some fencing with my new tool. I need to stop the sheep from getting to my fruit trees so a makeshift chicken wire fence should do the trick! Wish me luck...