Shearing Day

Liddy's a big girl now :'-(.  Each year it gets harder and harder to let them grow up.  As long as they're still fuzzy, they're still babies to me.  Remember the story of Kate not thinking Liddy was a sheep? Interestingly, now that she's shorn, Kate doesn't think she's a baby anymore either.

She was the best behaved lambie ever.  This was no surprise.  Honestly, she's been the best little lambie all her life.  Each lamb is different, just like kids, and Liddy's super power has always been being sweet and no trouble.

I didn't get very many good pictures this year, but here are a few.

Daniel "getting his ears lowered".

Blossom/Baba looking on and Petunia gearing up for battle.  She was actually on her best behavior this year.  Not exactly Liddy Good, but definitely not Petunia Bad.  She takes real offense to being sheared.  Bill might finally have her trained ;-).

Speaking of trained...  Doesn't it look like darling Maisie is smiling?

"See, I'm a good girl.  Don't believe all those stories you hear about me."

"Lean over here a bit more so I can bite your face off!"

"Oops, I didn't mean to say that out loud."

Stella kept us all straight and thankfully remembered Renny's sheet.  I'd forgotten, and while Renny could probably not care less, I'd have been sad to have forgotten.  Thanks, Stella!

Being up to your elbows in Murphy's fleece is not a bad place to be :-).

Bill shearing PPPP and Dustin shearing Baaxter.  Dustin is Bill's nephew.  Their family has been shearing for generations.  Bill has been shearing for 41 years now, Dustin for 15.  Their dad/grandfather shore for 61 year.  Yep, they know what they're doing for sure and we sure appreciate the great care they take with our sheep!

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Update from the Iknitarod Trail - we made it under the Burled Arch before the Red Lantern was extinguished :-).  Pictures coming.

Lamb Camp is in full swing :-D.   Pictures coming!

Yarn Along - Back On The Trail

A quick race update.  Baaxter and I are finally back on the trail and still mushing for Nome.  We lost yesterday working the shearing trailer at Final Frontier Farm, but luckily that put us in good shape for the shearers coming here tomorrow.  This is a huge relief.  It's most important to take care of the "team".  

I think we still have a decent chance to finish before the Red Lantern, but it's going to require some late nights.  I'll share more about the new project hopefully tomorrow.  

A few more snow shots.

Who's in there?

Why it's Murphy!

And Ewen McTeagle!

And Count Chocula!  Boudreaux and Maisie in front.

I'm sure going to miss those fuzzy fleeces, but spring has come early and the sheep are not going to miss them one bit.  Yes, I will take pictures and probably a video of Liddy.  I am so so so not ready for her to be "all grown up" :'-(.

Books.  Let's see...it's been a blur.  Finished The Snow Child and give it an "okay".  Feeling the need for something truly delightful I decided to re-listen to My Grandmother Said To Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman.  Just as good the second time around!

Joining in with Ginny...

The I-Rip-A-Rod

Edited:  Oops, I forgot to add my snow picture and Iriparod is a much better title!

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Backing up a couple days...some scenes from the trail.

Our girl, Amelia. She's everywhere :-).

The finished sleeves.  Six days of hard knitting.  Well, not hard, but long hours.  Even with a simple pattern, these sleeves just take a long time.  They fit perfectly.  I like the pattern going up over the shoulders.  I love the color, perfect for a hard working farm sweater.  The problem?

The yarn was just not spun the way it needed to be.  I started the body and just hated it.  Way too thick. The sleeves were borderline too heavy, but within acceptable range (for me).  I tried two different skeins to start the body and after hours and hours of stewing on it...

20 volunteered to do the deed.  He's always a good sport.

He's got my sled back upright and ready to hit the trail again.  The race is not over!

Speaking of heavy sweaters!  Blossom aka Baba

Trouble On The Trail

There is trouble on both the Iditarod and Iknitarod Trails this morning.  Heartbreaking on the Iditarod and just frustrating on the Iknitarod.  Here's a couple short clips of Kate and Tilly/Weaslie headed out to the back pond the last week.  Breathe in, breathe out.

Note To Self

If your knitting bag is made from a feed sack...

...don't take it in the field for a sheep shot :-o.

Baaxter got about 3 seconds to see his sweater.

"We just wanted to, um, look at it."

"What were you thinking?"

Much safer to hang out in Del Boca Vista for the afternoon - this was actually Wednesday.  I spent too much time visiting with the sheep and taking pictures and didn't get as much done as I'd hoped, but still felt okay about things.

Yesterday I got caught in some tough trail with rows and rows of "purl through the back loop" that made me think of the mushers crossing The Burn.  I still hoped to finish both sleeves last night, but got off trail and did a bunch of fun "purl through the back loops" on the wrong sleeve (!) and had to back track and re-start.  

I don't think I'm mathematically out of the race yet, but I really need to have a couple of good knitting days to catch up.  Here's a trail shot from the end of the day Wednesday. 

And some snow shots from last Thursday.

Sweet Liddy is definitely her momma's girl.

We both like to play in the snow :-).