First I want to say thanks to all of you who has commented on my blog – I am not so “blog-wise” yet, that I can figure out how to respond – still learning, you know.
I don’t know how many times I have planned to write on my blog – and never got around to it.
Health has not been good, and there has not been much energi to sit by the computer at all.
However, that has all changed now – My condition has been officialy categorized as chronic, meaning I can now get means of help from local health counsil. While the paperwork is going back and forth I have borrowed this:
Surely, I wouldn’t know what to do without it now!
I bring it for walks, then I can sit when my back gives in – I have been out to excibithions, markets etc – something I couldn’t do before.
It really is a whole world opening up for me!
Besides, I sit in it at my computer – we had to move around to make things more practical, so now I can sit here for more than a few minutes at the time, and get things done!
Passenger is Nøvsen, my beloved dog who is with me where I go. And the view is from our doorstep…
What else has been going on this summer?
Well the rabbits have bred like only rabbits can – Here is a view in the mount, where all the young males are having the time of their life:
Animal welfare is big with us, our animals are for production, and we eat them and enjoy – knowing that they’ve had the best possible conditions when they lived, as far as we are able to provide.
My satin breeding program was a bit of a flop, as it turned out that all the breeding animals I bought had an inbread hart- and vein failure – some of them dyed and we opened them up to check.
This means that all the young ones either have the same problem or at least are carriers…and of course I can’t sell animals like that for breeding.
However, and old experienced breeder told me to continue crossbreeding, it might be I could breed away from the problem and still keep the properties of the fur. Well, we’ll see – and the access of this years litters are all going straigth in the freezer.
Due to my back problems the work on keeping these rabbits got more and more difficult – now Stu has almost finished the new rabbit stable, which will be SO much easier for me to deal with, and provide optimal cages for the rabbits:
It is built to last for many, many years!There will be 4 sections each with 3 flats, big cages big enough for two adults or a mum with a litter. So they will be fine in there – I can’t wait to get it finished and everyone installed, meaning some of all the makeshift cages we now have spread all over the garden, can go!
There is big chestnut tree casting shadow on the spot, so they will be cool even on the warmest days – I plan to have a bench and a table under the tree as well, a shady place to sit and relax, and enjoy the rabbits.
Craftswise I haven’t been very productive – but a little here and there pops up anyway.
My friend Karin dyes wool too, and we have often talked of how it is clear to see the characteristics of the colourways of each dye artist – I love her work, but would never think of putting the same colours together as her – and vise versa.
So we each made a batch of wool and swapped – I had now doubt about mine being used for a lovely cardigan seen in Spin Off Magazine.
I changed the original pattern a bit and inserted an extra row, to make an even amount of rows. Then I experimented with needle sizes, because the plaited bit of knitting pulls a lot – I came up with using Us size 4 for the garter, plain and lace rows, and size 6 and 9 for the plaited stripe, using 9 on the backside and 6 on the front.
Works quite well!
I was lucky to recieve this from Tricia in USA, alas us Europeans are prohibited from buying goods from such fine companies as KnitPicks and Elann…. we feel quite discriminated here!
I love theese needles – they are just like the new addi turbo lace in their shape and feel, only thicker, so I have addi’s for the smaller sizes.For my knitting mentioned above, I used this to make a circular with a size 6 in one end and 9 in the other. Much easier to work with, not having to think so much!
About being practal – this summer I broke my old kitchen help machine – the cogwheels inside litterally crumbled to dust – this was a major blow, as I can’t make dough with my hands anymore. Found a smaller temporary model as an emergency thing, but that one doesn’t have the whisp thingy. So what does one do, not being able to stand up holding the ordinary mixer for as long as it takes to do a decent mix:
This:
No words nescessary, I think…This picture is very good describing my way of thinking – always trying to improve things and be inventing – and thinking outside the frames…
With this I conclude today’s input, I look forward to be back with more and hopefully soon!
