Goat watch!

Yesterday started goat watch 2016 here at Outback Farm! I counted the days and yesterday was day 145 for Olga with Freya being 5 days behind her. So the 3rd through the 18th is goat watch. Olga's udder has really gotten big the past few weeks! I'll spare y'all pictures of goat rear ends. But that is the most important part of a goat right now. It all happens back there! I have to check for loose ligaments in the tail. Check the vulva for any discharge. Check the udders for fullness. So a lot goes on back there that a person needs to be aware of. It may not be pretty, but it's important right now.

I need to get some towels and a few other things ready and put in a bucket in the barn. Need to have my camera charged up too. My brother is coming tomorrow to help work on the electric fence. I want him to help me get a few lights hooked up in the barn. It would help to have lights in there at night with kids. Flashlights are too annoying to have to hold and do things at the same time. I need 2 hands!

I am thinking they are both carrying twins. I just hope they come out the right way! And that I'll be here when it happens. This is Olga's first time. She's a big girl, but things can go wrong really fast. And these first timers can really be dramatic.

Most all the goats I've ever had here would have kids in the morning or during the day. I have gone out during the night for checks, but nothing ever happened. Maybe 5 or 6 in the morning, but that's the earliest. But these 2 does are new, so ya just never know. And goats are goats. They do whatever they want to do!

So hopefully, in the next few weeks, there will be some cute little goat kids bouncing around back there!

Pottery

 I started my pottery class last Tuesday night. It's hard. I mean, seriously, it's hard. I could not get it. The instructor wanted us to start with a cylinder. Right. No way could I make a cylinder. Mine and everyone else, made bowls or plates or whatever. But no cylinder. I just could not make the clay go UP. So the few things I did manage to make, I smashed at the end of class.

We get 1 free studio day during the week to practice. I went Wednesday last week. David was there then. He showed me a few other techniques that actually worked for me. I made these 2 pieces. A bowl to scramble eggs in and what might become a mug. It was fun that day. So these had been drying since last Wed. They were just right to trim yesterday when I went back after this Tuesdays horrible disaster of a class. It was not a good night for me. I almost cried. A lot. Very frustrating for sure. So I went back yesterday to practice some more.

This is the mug I started trimming on. I loved this part. It was fun. I love all the curly clay trimmings. I can save these and let them dry and add water next week to make clay again.

So Tuesday was not a good class for me. I could not get anything to work for me. Nothing I did was any good. I had 7 piles of clay on the plaster board to soak up the moisture so I could reuse the later.

So I went back yesterday to practice. There was another instructor the then. She was very helpful. She sat at a wheel next to me and we worked like that for a long time. She would just slap a square hunk of clay on the wheel, turn it really fast, and within seconds, had a workable mound of clay ready to make something with. So I tried it her way. It worked!

Then she showed me some more good techniques to make the inside. I have got to cut my nails on my right hand now. Fingernails just get in the way in pottery. So they have to go! I used all those 7 chunks of clay plus a few more before the night was over. I made 4 fairly good pieces. Even if they are not perfect, they say to keep some to practice the glazes on. Good idea. So these are drying now and should be ready to trim next week.

Only 4 days in, I have a great appreciation for potters. And I can totally agree with how much they charge for their work. I totally understand. It is a lot of work. It's a lot like spinning wool actually. The speed of the pottery wheel determines how the pot will turn out. Same with spinning wool. The speed of the wheel while spinning determines the twist of the yarn.

So there is SO much to learn. These 3 people who are helping us in this class have a lot of years of pottery between them. And all 3 are so different in their ways of instructing us. I have learned something from each of them. I don't know how far I will go with this, but I am enjoying the learning process. And who knows, I may even get some usable pieces one day.

This shawl

I finished this shawl last week. Ended up with over 500 stitches.Took forever t bind off. Then I used a size bigger needle to bind off. Which is why I think it made the ruffle. Which was the top. But is now the ruffly bottom. I really had no idea what I was doing. I just started knitting from the bottom up. So please don't laugh at this very first shawl I've ever made. It still needs to be blocked too.

I did a lot of yarn overs to make the little holes. I just thought it needed something in there besides just all knitted. And I love the colors. It's not a heavy shawl. The yarn was probably more lace weight. Not really sure. So, there it is. And I had models a few days ago, but forgot to get pictures of it on.

Now to start on a new project!

I stopped at a cute little thrift type store in town yesterday after I voted. I had some time before my pottery class. And I found this cool pot. I love it. She had $19.50 on it and I asked if she'd take $15. She did! I love the color. I am thinking about redoing my kitchen and these are the colors I am leaning towards. With maybe some pops of red and yellow. Just something different. And I would love to find an old vintage range in this color. Wouldn't that be awesome? I have an old GE with a big and a small oven and the extra room on top. I love this stove. But I am down to only 1 big eye now. And the smaller over only has broil working. But I am not ready to get rid of it. I would like to get it fixed some day. And maybe it could be painted?