Knitting

I love to knit. I didn't like knitting at all though, when I first learned years ago. It was hard. So I quit. Crocheting was so much easier for me. Then a few years ago, I wanted to knit again. Because I have sheep and they produce wool. So I just thought I should be knitting. I only knew the knit and purl stitches, so I didn't make anything special.

Then last year, I took some knitting classes in Chattanooga. I was hooked! I loved it. I guess certain things happen in a person's life only when they are ready. Like so many things in my life, that was the right time for me to learn to knit. It just clicked for me then. And I cannot stop knitting! I love to knit.


I knit all over the place. When I take Mrs. T or my mom to a doctor or eye doctor. Or I go with my husband to the would care center. Or in a car dealership waiting on a car to be serviced. Or while at Mrs. T's the days I work. Or riding in a car while someone else drives. Even in restaurants. When I sit, I am knitting.

I had learned the yarn over stitch while in the knitting class. And several other stitches. But had to look them up on you tube to remember. But now, since I found this Etta pattern, and I've made 3 hats so far and a cowl, I can remember these stitches. Like SSK, K2TOG, YO. That's it right now. But I can actually read a pattern! I could not do that before at all. So I feel I have grown as a knitter.

This is the 1st hat I knit using this pattern. I messed up the first lace section. You really can't tell, but I know what I did and corrected it on the next 2 sections. I made this little cowel to go with it.

This is the 2nd hat I knit using the same pattern and did it right. It looks like the pattern picture more than the first hat.

And this is a child's hat I started Sunday at Mrs. T's house. Then Monday at the doctor's office with her. Then at the music school waiting on my grand daughter while she had her cello lesson Monday night. Then getting an oil change yesterday. I knit some more on it today back at Mrs. T's house. Then finished it tonight here at home. I love that my knitting is done in so many places. And people always want to know what I'm knitting. And I love talking to people.

So I just wanted to share my excitement for knitting. I am not the best knitter. Or a fast knitter. But I love knitting. And I hope everyone does what they love doing. It really makes a difference.

My new toy

 Last week, my brother got bored and was looking for something to do. So he got to looking up plans for pottery wheels. Found one in an old Mother Earth News site. Went and got all the lumber and bolts and screws and stuff. Came over Saturday and he and my husband went to work. It was COLD here Saturday too! They worked ALL day on this. It is solid too.! This baby ain't going anywhere.

So this is it. All the metal frame is gone and it's all wood now. That's the seat on the left that we came up with. I have to swing my left leg all the way around to get in. We have to come up with another seat.

But for now, it works! And I love it! It is slow enough so I can do a better job. With the electric wheel, I seem to go too fast. I do everything too fast really. So this will be good for me. I had to try it out right away. So I made a little bowl. I was a little worried I'd be covered in clay when I was finished, but surprisingly I only got a little tiny bit on my pants. The electric wheels have a tray that goes around the wheel to catch water and clay while spinning. This one does not. I didn't use very much water at all on this bowl. But I am usually covered in clay when I leave the studio.

The first piece of pottery made here at Outback Farm!!! I will start signing them Outback Farm now. I just love it and am so excited to have my very own wheel! No telling where this will lead. I hope to be able to sell pottery at the markets soon.

While I was at Mrs. T's Sunday, hubby put this rail up and called it my tea holder. He's so sweet. Plus I was afraid I'd fall off the porch. I need another on the front now.

My classes will be over this week. Tonight is the glazing class but I signed up for a 6 week sewing class which starts tonight. Like I need more to do. So they said I can go to the Thursday class and do my glazing then. I will become a member there so I can bring in all the things I make here to be fired and glazed there. I bought more clay yesterday, so I have a little time today to play with the wheel and clay. So fun!

Goats

I'm sure everyone who has goat kids thinks theirs is the cutest ever. And so do I. Really, these kids are so cute! And they are all so friendly. They jump all over me when I'm out there. They are all so healthy and growing like weeds.

I took Astrid and Isla last Friday to get their horns burned off. I had a little scare with Astrid that night, but she's doing great now.  I am hoping Olga's kids won't have horns. I still don't feel anything on the buck. And bucks usually come out with little horn buds. They are 2 1/2 weeks old now.

Last week I started cutting privet and honeysuckle for the goats after I milk. A few days ago, they were all standing at the fence, looking at me. I forgot to get their morning brush! So I got them a big pile. The kids had their own little branch. They're starting to eat stuff now.

I put it over here on this brush pile so it's not on the ground. If anything touches the ground, they will not touch it! These goats are so picky.

I had to keep them all in this week because they sprayed the hay fields. We had some rain so I let them go out yesterday for awhile. They've pretty much stayed in the "jungle", eating all the brush over there.

Happy Friday y'all! I hope you all have a great weekend! It's going to be COLD here. We have had a fire going most of the week. Supposed to freeze tomorrow night.