A Farm Birthday Celebration! and more...

I'm 45 today! How did that happen!????!!!??!! I mean really...time flies.

Over the weekend, Liz and my mom surprised with me a fun get-together on the farm with my knitters to celebrate my early birthday. I'm so lucky to have them all in my life. A few couldn't make it but we will catch up soon. 

I love when our instagram friends become friends in real life! We had a nice visit from BJ and her husband who came all the way from Ohio! Well, they didn't come just to see us but we weren't far from their destination so she convinced her hubby to stop by the farm. We had a wonderful time and their dogs are soooo cute! Poppy and Archie were the stars that day. She also gifted us handmade notion bags and I LOVE mine! So sweet and thoughtful.

Last weekend was Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival and I couldn't go, so we had fun at home knitting and being together. I always get a gyro and was craving one so I made some at home. Not the same but it was delicious! 

I also performed in a concert with my band. My mom, Liz, Dalton, Wade and Wade's friend Josh came along to listen. It's always nice to have family and friends in the audience. We were headed home and Wade said we HAVE to get ice cream! So we did :)

I finished up my Le Pouf sweater. It was a very fun knit. I have to take better photos, but you get the gist.

When I finished my sweater, I picked up the punch needle kit MaryEllen gifted me. It was so much fun!

I worked on it outside the coop on Saturday with the girls. Here is a link to the kit.

I also picked up a sweater I had in hibernation. I forgot all about it! It's been on my needles since last winter. I worked on it last baseball season. It's a fingering weight sweater and it got soooooooo boring. But I got it out and I'm determined to finish it before starting something new.

I snuck in some coffee and knitting Monday morning with my friends. Tracey was knitting a beautiful baby blanket. (The blue knit). It's a test knit so I don't know the name but I'll find out!

I've been enjoying knitting in the new garden field while Buddy runs and Sox climbs the fences. They're very entertaining animals! As soon as we plant in the garden Buddy won't be able to run free. He's going to be very sad!!!! It's been a great spot for him to get his endless energy out.

Every morning, I enjoy my walks with Buddy. He's such a good companion. I'm so lucky he's ours.

Ok...that's it for now. Going to get some lunch with my mom and sister (after a work conference call)...I should have taken the day off! Next year....

Cheers for another trip around the sun. I'm a lucky girl.

 

Shearing Day 2023

We had a very successful Shearing Day last Friday. We had a new team of shearers and they were extremely efficient and strong! All hands were on deck to help and it was very nice to have Liz back in action! She had just had knee surgery last year so she had to sit and direct us. This year she walked over 20,000 steps taking alpacas back and forth to different fields!

Shearing is essential for the animal's health. If you don't shear them, the hair will grow too long, could cause heat stroke and damage their skin and muscles. They are shorn once a year, usually in May before it gets too hot. They are roped on their legs and spread out on a map. This does not hurt them. They don't love it, but if you didn't do it this way it would be impossible to shear! Some alpacas just lay there and don't seem to care at all. Others scream from the second they lay down until they're done! Drama QUEENS! Lol. While they're down for a haircut they also have their teeth grinded down and toe nails clipped. Spa day for the pacas!

Paige helped us this year and it was so nice to have her. Wade was the only grandkid that got to skip school to help and he was a HUGE help. 

All the fleeces were bagged up and my mom will go through them to "skirt" them (clean them by picking out dirt, hay, etc.) Then she and Liz will decided what fleeces will be sent to the fiber mill to be made into yarn. Mom and Dad will drive it up to Vermont in June and we should have our yarn back to sell early September. It's a long process but so worth it! 

 

Thank you, Pittsburgh

I still can't believe it! My oldest son graduated from The University of Pittsburgh on April 30. I'm beyond proud of him. He loved Pitt and it was so good to him. We went out to Pittsburgh for the weekend to celebrate his achievements. It was a weekend I will never forget. I overshared his grad pics on instagram and Facebook, but I realized I never really posted on here! But my followers here are more into knitting and "farmy" stuff. So I thought I would do a Purple Debbie post and share photos of the most beautiful store in Pittsburgh's strip district. Roxanne's Dried Flowers is a gorgeous shop filled top to bottom with things that I wanted! My shoes matched a lot of the dried flower bouquets and I loved that :) 

We also went in a chocolate store that had the coolest packaging! So many pretty chocolate bars. 

And had to include a few grad photos....how can I not? My baby boy is all grown up.