That Other Secret Project...

Pattern: Innisfree, Yarn: my handspun

Was for Tucker.

Given to this happy grandson of mine on his 1st Birthday last month.

Wonder if his parents know he had helped in it's construction over the summer?

My mother picked out the buttons. Perfect, I think. 'Little Mathew' the teddy was my son's best buddy as a child.

I finished Listening to A Shepherd's Life

a while back often while working on Tucker's Sweater. I enjoyed it so very much. How thrilled I was to be able to attend a book talk and signing by it's author just last week in D.C. James Rebanks' newest work is filled with lovely photos from the Lake District region he farms in the UK.

Such and interesting talk covering so many topics ranging from food systems
to preservation issues, politics
landscapes, language,

 and yes, sheep :)

***

Sharing with Yarn Along

Happiness is...

A weekend with Tucker all to ourselves!

 And we sure did make the most of it.

 Lots of walks.

Fun at bath time.

Shelling peas from the garden for his lunch under Oma's watchful eye.

 

Along with the ever present guard dogs (one belongs to to Tucker, the other on loan. Both made sure we took care of the babe at all times) .

An interest in becoming a future BI Cardinal.

 

And most importantly,

 

Letting us know he approves of the view.

We know Tucker. We know.

I hope your weekend was filled with the good in the world as well.

Peace to all 

and Many Thanks Jojo and Fifi!  

We loved every moment!

Sheep Shopping

We spent the day at a couple of different farms hoping to bring back a couple of these:

 

 

 

Or perhaps some of these:

 

 

 

We have Wells all to ourselves this weekend. So much fun.

 

 

But ended up coming home with this:

 

Husband spotted it roadside in between sheep farms with a for sale sign attached. And that was that.

 

 

There is going to be a huge payback.

 



Grass Feed Pork

A Playdate with Bennett

It wasn't long ago that the middle grandson laid on the floor crying for his mommy while I babysat him in his own home one morning.

 So when Bennett asked if he could have a sleepover with me at the farm yesterday, I grabbed him a change if clothes and we bolted for the drive to the country.

No tears this time.

Only good times.

Helping Great Grandma.
Yes. He took his wet-from-helping-with-the-watering shirt off and hung it to dry too.

Helping great grandpa be silly.
That's a pretty important chore!

Helping Marme with dinner.

And then helping himself to do the things that make a young boy happy.

All that combined makes a Marme a Very Happy Lady.

Babysitting

 

A few hours of the littlest guy all to myself.

Happy me.

 

It's All About Purple

First up is this recently completed vest.

Started last winter, it was put down when the heat wave struck in March. 

It's quite warm and cozy.

Those perfect buttons were found second hand.

 

With a sister's 50th Birthday a week a way, I finished this shawl just yesterday. 

Just a sneak peak

The yarn was spun and dyed by a knitting group member, which makes for an extra special gift.

It's full of sparkle, but it doesn't photograph well in the finished project.

I think she needs a red hat to go with it.

***

And just before he left for his home, I had a bit ball winding help with some lovely purple merino silk yarn. 

He did a great job. 

***

Sharing with Fiber Arts Friday

Harvest Help

As much as I miss being a Harvest Helper at Stoney Lonesome Farm, I am happy to have a little harvest helper right here at my own farm. Each morning, after he has had his 'milky' and 'bar', my grandson always asks if he can "check Marme's garden?" in the cutest little todler voice imaginable. We put on shoes (sometimes right over PJ's), or not, gather the harvest basket, the previous nights scraps for the compost pile, slide my pocket knife to a place of safety and hand-in-hand make our way out to the garden. Frankie his dog is always along.

Cullen loves the garden. He goes around to each bed or row telling me whether the cantaloupes are still growing, or that the beans and squash are ready.

He makes his way to the broccoli, now nothing but a few wayward shoots, to help himself to a morning snack.

 We dig a carrot up each day to see how much they have grown from the previous morn

and his keen eyes spot the ready tomatoes from afar. 

 He knows the name of each plant and somehow understands when a veggie is ready to be plucked.

He spots the weeds and valiantly tugs often with a "Marme, Cullen can't do it,"  but has the nozzle of the watering hose mastered (Frankie often gets watered more than the plants producing a big 2 year old belly laugh that I think I could live on for years!).

 We fill the basket and reluctantly head back to the house to wash up, but always with a fresh picked bunch of flowers in hand for Mommy.

I love that time with him.

 It should really be called "Marme and Cullen's Garden."

...Only 7 days left....