Francis the calf.

Jenny had a bull calf early on 7th October. He's a cheeky chap and was up and bouncing around within minutes. All black, too. Must be a Kiwi.

candlelight hottie cover

I needed another hottie cover because on really chilly nights it's pleasant to have two - sometimes essential. I have borrowed a book of knitting stitches from a friend and I thought this would be a good project to try some out, meaning it didn't matter too much if it didn't really work out. The main stitch is called candlelight and the stitch on the top is a slip stitch pattern called counterpoint quilting. The wool I dyed with mulberry fruit and the colour didn't really go with anything else so this is where it's ended up.

front view

details



and a rare rear view

Tere Estonia (or g'day)

These are the latest Estonian project - long socks, or stockings as they call them in the book. I thought stockings were longer, above the knee, anyway. They look quite warm but as spring has decided to arrive here I may not test drive them till next year.
The pattern said madder red, so I used madder red, but it's definitely quite a different colour from the red in the book.








Featuring Folk knitting in Estonia by Nancy Bush, Interweave Press, 1999 and pages from the Huvitav Jurnaal of 1939 to 1940.

Pinky, Perky and the Big Moo

These twin lambs arrived this week in some rather unpleasant weather, but they've thrived nevertheless.



Jenny the cow can't be kept out of the photos, mainly because of her size.


Pinky and Perky get peckish.

Iggy (and the Wiltshires)

Iggy is our first lamb of the season. He was one week old yesterday. He's a Wiltshire, which means he is not a wool breed. In fact, Wiltshires shed their wool. The woolly sheep are in the bottom paddock at the moment and refuse to pose for photos. When I bring them up to the race next time I'll get some pics of them.


Iggy and his mother, Marta.



Winnie - not sure if she's pregnant.



These photos, above and below, show why he was first christened Piglet, now Iggy. His ears were the first thing I saw of him.

Estonian mittens

I finished these only slightly too late to be a birthday present. The wool is handspun in natural colours. There are a lot more mittons I'd like to knit, but how many pairs can anyone wear?

Kate's Estonian mittens

These are from a pattern, Marko's Mittens, in Nancy Bush's Knitting in Estonia. It's a great book and I learned two techniques which were entirely new to me. What's that about old dogs and new tricks? I used handspun and the red is cochineal.