It is cold - to state the obvious!

Gosh - it is cold this morning!  First time in a while I have had to break the water on the troughs and very glad Carl put the covers on the outside taps at the weekend.  I like the colder weather when it is frosty but not so keen when the road is icy.  Last night was a bit touch and go as we ran out of logs but I have got more today ready for Carl to split up tonight so another cosy fire which will please the cats.  My stray, Ginger, shocked me by suddenly jumping up and going to sleep on my knee while I was trying to knit.  He must be feeling the cold as this is not usual, normally he curls up in a box which he hides in by stretching out his paw and pulling the top flap closed.

Another Christmas Fayre this coming weekend as I am going to Digby Hall Market in Sherborne.  I have not been there before so not sure how that will go.  It looks like there are a lot of traders there with some quite high class items which may make me look a little amateur but time will tell.

Leaf, the ram, is still away on his holidays with some lovely ladies  I had a photo of him sent to me earlier and he looks like he is enjoying himself!!

Alweston

Another brief post as it has been a busy weekend and just got in!  Alweston Fayre went quite well although there were not as many people there as in previous years.  We sold some knitting which was good and I had a couple of ladies who came back having bought something in previous years which is always nice - one lady was wearing the gloves she had bought last year!  I also had a surprise visit from the GHN (although I think she is now the Cup cake queen or the Fairy Godmother but I can't remember!)  Very nice to see her and The Knight.

 

Today was back to moving and footbathing sheep.  We also collected the lambs from the Gravediggers so all sheep now back on the hill - with the exception of Leaf, the southdown ram, who is still away with a few lady friends!

It is done!!

Just a tiny quick little blog as I am pleased with myself!  Just cast off the complex Neibling shawl I have been working on.  It is the most difficult thing I have knitted to date and made from a fawn suri alpaca yarn - Yossarian's yarn to be precise!  That's Yossarian - the fawn in the background.

 

And here is the shawl - not blocked or finished yet!

 

Chapel Minder

The cold snap seemed to be a little short lived and it appears to be back to damp and murk - but how long for?  I like it when it is cold but do not like damp, mud and fog.  However, the four wheel drive on my new car is lovely and means I can get in and out the field gate despite whatever the weather throws at it - so far at least!

The merry band of 20 leftover lambs are still living in the Grave diggers field but not for much longer as it is getting pretty wet in there.  At the weekend they will return to the hill and then the difficult decision has to be made as to which of them stay and which of them go.  As always some of the most friendly ones are the boys and they really do have to go.

My first Christmas Fayre is on Saturday and The Flower Lady has been busy helping to increase stocks so I am hoping to get a sale or two at the weekend.  Last year I did well at Alweston but that is no guarantee I will this year.  The banner, table cloth and all the other paraphernalia is ready with my alpaca broach waiting to be pinned on so I shall let you know if the event is a success from the knitting point of view.  Carl is delighted he does not have to go with me as he will be busy setting up the race and footbath so all sheep can be checked and a few persistent limpers dealt with - that is Sunday's job.

I have spent a nervous week in my temporary role of Chapel Minder.  This should not be an onerous task as the chapel is opposite the house but The Mother of Boys is so diligent I didn't want to let the side down.  My duties were to check for animal attack (apparently a badger was once found behind the organ) ensure a fire didn't break out and deal with the remote possibility of human pilfering of the hymn numbers.  Luckily, all was well and The Mother of Boys now has the key back and Chapel care is returned to her capable hands.

Now I don't really have a photo for you as I haven't taken anything very interesting so I have searched the archives and come up with a random lamb one from last spring - note that pesky bird in the background!

And an old one of Carolyn with her cria, now in Italy, behind her and Axle, the black cria, who went to Lincolnshire.

Still knitting!

I have been moaning away about unseasonably warm weather for the last few weeks - but not any more!  Suddenly turned rather chilly and the jumper is now firmly on!  Hopefully, this will mean people will be in need of scarves and other warming knitwear at the Christmas Fayres I am doing soon.  First one is in a couple of weeks so I am busy finishing things, washing and labelling.  I have finally finished my Shetland shawl which was a rather mammoth undertaking and is currently being blocked to bring out the lace work.

Alpacas are all doing well although Cassie is struggling a bit due to her age.  She has to have a coat on sometimes when the rain is too bad although she could go in the shelter but for some reason refuses to.  The sheep don't seem to mind the rain or the cold and have been shrouded in mist for most of the time- somewhere in that lot there are 58 ewes!!