Tit for tat....

Tatting is my newest skill I am learning.

There are two kinds of tatting, shuttle tatting and needle tatting. Shuttle tatting is the original method, needle tatting is a more recent development in the art. I am needle tatting because it looks easier to me, hehe. tatting is a type of knotted lace work, if you had a grandma who made doilies or put fancy borders on pillow cases she might have done it with tatting.

I got some tatting needles and have made things with thread and with yarn. It's fairly simple but makes a complicated looking finished product. I think next year for Christmas folks will be getting tatted snowflakes in their Christmas cards, hehe!

First practice project following a pattern... it's edging for a collar made with crochet thread:



second project using a pattern, a snowflake using cheap worseted weight yarn:



The two together so you can see the difference in size:



I fiddled around with stuff to try making my own patterns and made some stuff for Tiff:





I am finishing up my holiday knitting, I have just one snood to finish, assuming I didn't totally screw it up (in which case i may just rip it all out and use the yarn for something else blarg!) then I have to finish the woven reins on my loom, then I can do more attempts at making tatting patterns.

I totally need a job at a yarn store, lol.

FILTHY!!!

How is it that when the ground freezes and the mud is completely gone Brego gets the filthiest ever? Seriously?? And it's impossible to get him clean. And he STINKS. It was the same thing last winter. He turns one spot in the run in area into a sewage swamp of urine and such then lays in it. Rolls in it. REVELS in it.

Seriously dude??



UGH! This isn't mud... I wouldn't mind mud so much.



He is so lovely and graceful *cough* and noble *cough* and elegant *cough*laugh*cough*. "Fairytale horse" my butt!



Not only that but he must hang with a rough crowd of fairies or witches. Because they go wicked mad on his mane.

It's hard to see, but he had three massively knatty "creatures of the supernatural world" braids. I've heard them called witch braid, fairy braids, fairy knots, etc. but i just call them "those *&%#@@%&%$ rat's nests in your &^$@@!#$^^$ mane!!" They are usually underneath a lovely lock of untangled hair, so you can't see how horribly knotted it is until you see him shake his head OR go to brush it out. I wish you could see how ratty it really is but it actually looks pretty good here. DON'T BE FOOLED!!!



I bedded his usual "pee and play" area and what did he do? just picked a different spot to pee and roll. *slaps forehead* I groomed him all up right after taking these pictures, ended up reeking of barn stench, and within an hour he looked the same, only now he was wet and stinky instead of dry and stinky. What a doofus.

He is just SUCH a boy! Ah well, I love him anyway. It's just not as nice to hug on him when he smells like a porta-john. lol.

The fanciest goat pen this side of the Mississippi.

So, the goats have DeStRoYeD the little hoop hut. It served it's purpose but now we need something more solid and permanent. We have plans for it, but I also needed a goat-safe stall in the barn to keep them in when weather is really bad, when babies are being birthed, when I need to keep some goats apart from other goats and to keep them in while we work on their outside pen.

I had this "stud stall" I built for Sparrow when i got Mary and I tried to put the goats in there but Rosemary The Climber got out within 20 minutes. So I requested help from the guys to make a goatproof stall. After brainstorming we came up with the idea to use the left over lattice from our wedding decorations (HAHAHA!!!) to extend the walls up.

It only took a couple of hours. They managed to get it all done between taking our first doe of the firearm gun season and heading back out to hunt for the evening. It works and the stinkers can't get out.



It looks like it needs climbing vines with flowers growing on it. *rolls eyes and laughs*


The goats, resigned to their fate and chilling out.




Now I need to tear down the hut before the ground freezes and make my second goat stall in the little barn with the cattle panels from that, get the new shelter put up in there, and get some toys for the goats to climb on in the back corners of their stalls to help keep them entertained. I have a couple of old woodenshop tables I may use for that.

Today I set them up with their free choice minerals and baking soda, and while I can't say they are THRILLED they do really seem to enjoy being in out of the wind and sprinkles.

Brego comes dashing out of the barn every time one of them stands up against the door and looks out. It's quite funny. I left them a space over the door so they can look out but not get out.

Once I get the other little pen in the barn done I'll have more room than I have goats. Hm. maybe that means I should get more goats. *raises eyebrown*