People Watching . . . Farm Style

"Hey ya'll, gather around.  Look what the humans are doing!"

"Silly man, doncha know we would love to do that job for you!"

"Why is she taking our picture again? Crazy humans!"

Photo Shoot Out Takes

Getting just the right photo to show off

a knit is next to impossible for an amateur like me.

I suppose I could learn, but that would

take time away from knitting, and

we can't have that, can we? {grin}

So, as a result, I usually delete a bunch,

and keep a couple.

This time however, I kept them all.

My model was so entertaining.

And having so much fun, that 

when it came to it,

I just couldn't hit that red X.

I hope you enjoy my silly, sunny, funny little man.

{And his new sweater too!}

Queen:  Show mama your sleeves.
Prince:  I a big tiger!!

Queen:  Show mama your sleeves.
Prince:  I your cheeseburger!!

Queen:  Show mama your sleeves.
Prince:  I gonna show you one sleeve, mama, okay?
[Queen's side note: and apparently his tongue, too.]

Queen:  How about you lie down as still as a statue?
Prince:  Nope. I gonna lay like a big tiger!!

The Queen has an inspiration.
Queen:  Stand like you did for your preschool photo.
Prince:  Cheese!
The Queen really hopes his preschool photo
does not resemble the above.
It just doesn't get cheesier than this, my friends.

Queen:  Okay, last time, show mama your sleeves.
Prince:  Arrrrrrr!!
Queen collapses to the floor in a fit of
giggles and waves the white flag!!

Lots of Knits

.

Lots of "stuff" going on these days.

New windows going in the Castle.

New stray dog at the Castle.

New home for stray dog.

Same stray dog comes back to the Castle.

Skunks.

Soccer.

School.

Playing.

Making friends with the neighbor kids.

Hay baling.

Hay hauling.

Weeding.

State Fair attending.

Harvesting.

Hot Air Balloon admiring.

Each of the above could have it's own post.

And maybe someday.

We'll see how motivated I get!

But for now, let's get the important stuff.

The knitting.

Wild Vanilla for Princess #3

A wonderfully unique sleeveless sweater with
cables and fun shaping.
Yarn:  Knit Picks Andean Silk (sadly discontinued)
Pattern:  Wild Vanilla by Elena Nodel

Another lace shawl mystery knit.
I am addicted to these KAL's.
This one was knit from Dye For Yarn's Tussah silk.
Love, love, LOVE their yarn.
I used size 5 Muyuki glass triangular beads in a mix of blues.

Out of Darkness Shawl by Bev Gardiner

Her shawl patterns are excellent for beginning lace knitters.
Great, easy to understand instructions, with
gorgeous, end results.
The picot border took "for-esser" (as the Prince would say)
but was oh, so worth the day of binding off that it took!

A Week At the Castle Farm

It has been a busy week at the Castle Farm.  Lots of playing, weeding, fruit preserving, schooling, soccer ball dribbling and so on.  Fall must be on her way . . . Here is our week by the numbers.

One nectarine tree picked.

Two soccer practices.

Three batches of nectarine freezer jam.

Four front yard garden beds weeded.

Five days of schooling.

Six rows done on my mystery shawl. *sniff*

(Curse you, weeding!!)

Seven stints of mopping.

(Curse you, muddy dogs!!)

Eight (at least) loads of weeds hauled down to the "edge".

Nine wedges knit for my Spectra shawl.

(Love you soccer practice knitting!!)

Ten dehydrator trays of nectarine fruit leather. 

And now it is time to rest, and look forward to the fun next week will bring.  More soccer.  Applesauce making.  Friends to visit from far away.  Friends to visit from close by.  More school.  More knitting.  More weeding, ugh.  More knitting (a girl can dream right??).

Random picture from this summer.
I know when *I* think of SD,
camels always come to mind!!

Mmmm . . . Cake

Four little cakes

of scrumptiousness!

My favorite flavors too:

wool and silk

Fall just can't get here soon enough.

The sweet treats

pictured above are for a 

shawl (that cake of dark blue Tussah silk)

and a scarf (the medium blue and the multi-colored cakes).

A Knit A Week: Eye Candy Addition

Eye Candy you ask??

And I reply,

Is there better eye candy out there than

. . . .

my adorable boy buttoned into

the lovely, wooly goodness that

is Malabrigo Rios yarn.

I didn't think so!!

This knit is a test knit I did for Terri Kruse.

It is from her just released e-book

of knitting patterns:  "The Vintage Ice Cream Truck".

This is "Sammie".

Those cheeks, those widdle chubby hands!!

He's your cheeseburger.

I used the distraction of:
Where is Papa's Massey Ferguson?
to keep him still!

Adorable "dragon slayer" buttons from etsy seller:
TessaAnn.
Buy some of her amazing buttons, you
will not be disappointed!!

Overheard At Dinner

Queen:  Okay, how about you eat half of your chicken and we will call it good?

Princess #3:  I can't.

Queen:  quizzical pause

Princess #3: (in all non-sarcastic seriousness) There are three and you can't divide three in half, Mama.

Queen: (between giggles) That is correct . . . glad someone is paying attention during math!!  Now eat these pieces, my dear Miss Literal!!