no, I didn't drop of the earth

I didn't realize that it has been more than 2 months since I posted.

I haven't done much tatting  but my wrist is pretty well healed and I should be able to do more now this fall. or sock knitting wool yarn doesn't seem to be as easy to work with in the heat, this summer. I have done some sewing for our Priest and have more to do.

Aug 3 Farmguy and I headed to Rochester MN to Mayo Clinic.  It is a 6 hr drive for us.  well, that includes a couple stops.

He had a major surgery that involved 2 seperate surgical teams.  He got one problem fixed - the bladder - and that is good, but they were unable to reverse the colostomy.   He is not happy about that, but nothing we can do, he just needs to get used to it for the rest of his life.  We have a follow up apt back at Mayo the end of Sept.  He is healing as well as can be expected, just not a happy person about how things turned out.

I have in the past spent 4 days over the Labor Day Weekend at Rollag MN participating on Western  Minnesota Steam Threshers Reunion. (http://www.rollag.com).  But I will not be able to this year. I have spent those 4 days tatting and demonstrating and teaching tatting.  This year I was going to add my sock machine as well.

The garden is doing well,  I should be canning tomatoes and freezing corn.  The chickens are good.  I actually hatched 30 chicks in an incubator this summer, something I hadn't tried successfully before.  They are growing well.

This has been my summer.

Well, I hope all of you have had a wonderful summer and that fall will be just as good for you.

frustration

 My wrist is nearly healed enough to tat.  I tried it a week ago, but still hurt, so still on hiatus.  I am getting frustrated waiting.

There will be another hosp stay later this summer/fall at some point for farmguy and I will be wanting to tat while sitting at his bedside.

Last week we took a trip to Medora ND to see the scenery and the outdoor musical. The Musical was a lot of fun, even for Farmguy.  This link will take you to a google images page with photos of previous musicals and also shows the stage and seating set up.

We had a good time.
We toured both the South and North sections of Theodore Roosevelt National Park and saw some awesome scenery and interesting animals.

I forgot my camera, and didn't see any disposables for sale anywhere we stopped,. so the photos below are taken from the internet with appropriate links to where I found them.

This image is taken from here

and another

from here

and the Painted Canyon


we also saw some interesting other things.  These are called Cannonball Concretions.  They formed from sediment that stuck to something and ended up rounded.  Then were buried in other sediment and now are showing up in the middle of bluffs

Very unique things to see.



we saw Bison, Pronghorn Antelope, Prairie Dogs, Eagles, Hawks, Elk, Mule Deer, White Tail Deer, and

Wild Horses

Farmguy ended up about 2' from a rattle snake.  He didn't realize just what the noise was, he thought it sounded like a cicada or other bug, not like he thought a rattle snake sounded.

I think we saw the exact same horses in the picture, or at least some very like them.  They were beautiful.

We didn't see any Big Horn sheep which was a bit disappointing.  But all in all we had a good time.

Socks or not and tatting update

My De Quervain Syndrome is not healing very quickly, so I am still unable to tat.

I can crank on my sock machine so am getting that done.

Yesterday I traveled 2.5 hours to Rocking Horse Farm near St Cloud MN they handle both circular and flat knitting machines as well as skads, and skads of yarn and other fiber tools. 

They were hosting their 16th annual Circular Sock Machine (CSM) Crank-in.

Deb Oswald presented a project lesson on making headbands with your CSM.  I was able to complete 2

They are available for sale at the top of this page under the page heading Socks & Things for sale.

I have made a more pairs of socks too. 

I thought I would share a few of the new animals here on the farm

they are a week old now and growing bigger every day.

The little black one in the background disappeared while I was gone yesterday.  I have no idea what happened.  Mama is a very good one, but......

I hope your weekend has been pleasant, you have accomplished all you set out to do. 

Much tatting and crafting for all. 

This week's craft is sewing

This week, I have been working on another sewing project for our Priest.

He has always wanted a Mercy vestment to wear on Mercy Sunday.

For those unfamiliar with Mercy Sunday it is based on a series of visions by St Faustina concerning the Mercy of Christ.

The image that was given to ST Faustina looks like this

http://www.catholicbible101.com/Divine_Mercy_Image.jpg?0.08694508238232956

St Pope JohnPaul II named the Sunday after Easter as Mercy Sunday.

Father found a chasuble with an image of Christ's Mercy on it, but didn't like the style.

He had another Chasuble he liked but didn't have the image

So he asked if I could put the image from the first one onto the 2nd one.
It turned out that the image was actually embroidered directly onto the front and back panels of the first vestment.  So I had to remove the panels and cut around the image  to make an applique.  I was really worried about cutting the gold embroidered threads, but it worked out O.K.

I have gotten the front image stitched on

 but I used a very thin nylon thread so have to wait for tomorrow morning to do the back so I can see better.

These old eyes had some trouble tonight - actually, I couldn't see the thread, I just  watched the needle placement.
Here is a closer look

I think it turned out pretty well.

Next week, back to socks, as the de Quervain syndrome in my left wrist is still interfering with my tatting.

UPDATE

It is finished

Socks for Sale!

I didn't realize it has been 3 months since my last post.  My how time flies.

I have done a bit of tatting but nothing that I really wish to post.  However, I have been knitting socks.

I have registered a company in my state - Farmgal's Twisted Fiber - and will be trying to sell socks, tatted lace and crocheted items at various venues in the area.  In the mean time,  I have a page on Facebook -- Farmgal's Twisted Fiber 

I have posted my first 4 pair of socks for sale.  If you click on the picture, you will be able to read the caption listing the fiber content and the sizing.

#1

$25.00 + postage

#2

$30.00 + postage

#3

$25.00 + postage

#4

$30.00 + postage

Each of these is made from SuperWash wool and a synthetic such as nylon for wear strength.  

Oh, I do not knit these 2 needles, I knit these with 60 needles.  Here is a picture of my 1924 Sock Knitting Machine

you can ignore the text boxes in this picture, that was for something else, but this is a good picture of my setup.  

If you have any questions, I will try to give you an accurate answer.  

On another note, I have a broody hen out in the chicken house.  2 more weeks, and we should have baby chicks. 

Thanks for being patient waiting for me to blog again.