1. My testers are JUST about done with my Coastal Waters Shawl which is turning out BEAUTIFULLY.  They have worked so hard and so completely that this will be such an easy shawl to knit when I publish it.  It is a study in slipped stitches and really fun and interesting!

2. I’ve just finished another shawl design that I’m pretty sure is one of the neatest things I’ve done because it was with out planning and just spur of the moment.  I just really dig it.

3.  I’m fairly certain that at least one of my goats is pregnant and that 3 of my sheep are which rocks my world.

4. I finally was able to string together 150 words for my Ariel synopsis to eventually put into an agent letter.  It took the help of my wonderfully honest cousin, my best friend, and the Mr who spent a half an hour alone re-writing the last line but I think it might actually be what I’m looking for.  If you’ve never tried to compress a book into 150 short words it’s pure torture.  The first few attempts I had sounded as if they were written by grade school kids.

Through the eyes of the casual observer Portland may seem like just another city but just below the eco-friendly surface it’s a hub for forgotten gods, mythical creatures, and things that go bump in the night.  Standing between these two worlds is the arch angel Ariel.  Ariel is divine justice and keeps the peace between pantheons, creatures, and humans for as long as such things have existed.  It is her job – and her job alone – to make sure that everyone who walks among humans follows the laws set down by the most powerful of her kind.  Now someone or something is changing the game and setting its sights directly on the peacekeeper herself.  Now not only is the lion of heaven in grave peril but the world itself.

Right now things are going pretty good and I’m pretty pleased with myself.  I have some knitting to show you but I thought goats might be just the ticket

Well, I can begin so I will…with goats.

Who on earth can resist a goat smile?  No one I say, NO ONE.  It’s kryptonite, you know it is.  You see a little goat smirk and your insides go all squishy then try as you might a force bubbles up inside you till you just can’t contain it and you explode with an ‘awwww’.  You know you do.  I KNOW you do which is really all that matters right?

Running Prancer runs.  He also prances quite a lot.  He also side kicks and wiggles happily.  I swear La Mancas are the happiest goats on the face of the earth.

Sometimes I see him running and he’s running right at me and I won’t lie, I pucker a little when he doesn’t turn directions until the LAST second.  You will read a report one day that I am completely bowled over by this goat.  It might even be the way I die.  If it is that would be the most ridiculous thing ever and if the Mr posts a damn obituary saying “at least she died doing what she loved” I would haunt his ass so hard because no one loves getting run over by a goat.  But I digress. Back to the cuteness.

There aren’t a whole lot of hat wearing holidays are there?  I think we’ll have to make some up to be quite frank.

We had snow and the goats didn’t really know what to think.  It wasn’t bad like rain but it wasn’t awesome like sun either.

And as a special little extra tree here is a little video of goaty goodness!

Outlaw is a pullover sweater knit in Cascade 220 with a slipped stitch yoke and a similar rib hem.  A cozy slipped stitch hood and a high cowl neck makes this sweater a very comfortable and stylish option for those cold months.  Queue it here.

The specs:

***Gauge 20 sts = 4.5” in stockinette***
***Gauge in Slipped St Pattern 20 sts = 4”***

Yarn: Cascade 220 5(5, 6, 6, 6) {7, 7, 7, 8} (8, 8, 9, 9) {9, 10, 10, 10} skeins
Needles: US # 6 24” circular and DPNs, US # 8 24” circular and DPNs
Notions: stitch markers, tapestry needle, stitch holders or waste yarn

***Sizes available***
Finished Bust Size 28(30, 32, 34, 36) {38, 40, 42, 44} (46, 48, 50, 52) {54, 56, 58, 60}”

We wish you a merry goat-mass,

We wish you a merry goat-mass!

And a happy Baaaah year!

It was the night before Christmas and we were dressing up a goat…

“What is finer than dressing up a goat in headbands so cheery?”

The only thing better is dressing up a wooly ram…clearly.

Here is what I am up to…

1. I designed a new cowl with shaping. It reminds me of the Robin Hood cowls that are all drapy and perfect.

2.  I designed a sweater but am waiting for my model to be free.  Stupid holidays & life getting in the way

3. Herman is still making funny faces and jumping all over ewes.  I hope we’ll have some little red lambs this spring!

4. Milk Goats.  I have em.  Well, almost.  We are picking them up next sunday.  I have two girls and a buck because you need a buck and babies for milk goats to have milk!  They are all pure La Manchas and yes, I am going to make cheese.  And maybe butter.

5. It’s been cold here in the mornings which is colder than it was last year but still..it’s December and NO SNOW.

6. I am trying to finish writing up Frankenfine and then I might be back to the real world.  I’ve been lost in the land of farming and writing and now it’s almost Christmas and I don’t know where the time went.  Soon it will be time for reflection and new years resolutions!

Charlie is a super star.  He can’t help it, he just has that charisma that makes everyone fall in love with him.  Now?  he likes to wear things on his head.  Super star x 10.  My cousin Rebecca thinks I should start a separate blog called “Stuff My Goat Wears” which I think might be funny.  I kind of want to go to a party store and buy out their novelty headbands.

Charlie is not the only super star on the farm though…

Herman is our rent-a-ram that we will be buying at the end of this breeding season.  He’s so damn sweet and gentle and a beautiful red the Mr and I don’t want to let him go.  Also?  He’s festive.  This ram let me put on his crazy head band and then just stood there like a champion.  Then!  He struck a few more poses.  He couldn’t have cared LESS about what I was doing as long as it got him a chin scratch.  Dear Herman, I love you.

Aw My Mr. Dude.  He does abide.  You have to admit that anything along with his sweet bunny face is just adorable as can be!

Oops was not so happy about the adornment but I think that’s because it was a little big on him and kept slipping.  In the end Charlie wanted it back and pulled it off everyone’s head until we put it back on him.

And since this went over so well I found another…

Charlie couldn’t smile anymore if he tried!

He loved it so much he wandered off to eat still wearing his tiara. Gotta love a goat that can accessorize!

Herman was not to be left out though.

In the end though I let them all get back to their dignified naked selves.

And Dude was merry!

Mr Wally knows he’ll probably never be subjected to such indignity because he doesn’t even like an ear scratch.  He’s a sweetie face just the same though.

And the geese are always around, yelling at me and tattling on anyone breaking the rules.

1. Thank you all so much for the wonderful comments on my Ternion Shawl.  I have to say that I was seriously surprised because frankly, I didn’t expect it.  I got a whole bunch of comments on Ravelry and people seem to really like it.  I can only say that I hope this means that Knitty’s winter issue should be badass.  If people actually liked my shawl then the stuff they kept must be amazing.

2. We had one of our very own turkeys for Thanksgiving.  It was amazing beyond words.  This was a bird that I had raised since it was a day old and then it fed my family.  It had the best life a turkey could have.  It got to do pretty much as it wished, eat as much grass and bugs as it could stand, and even mate with the hens should the mood hit.  Remember, just because you buy organic doesn’t mean that bird wasn’t raised with 20,000 other birds in a barn never to see the light of day.  My birds are free range and the more I collect eggs the more birds I might have next year.  So far I’m up to about 26 eggs but none have hatched out yet.

3. The Mr finally bottled his own home made Blackberry wine!  It is amazing.  It actually tastes really wonderful and I have to admit that I had my doubts.  But it is really yummy.  It’s not something that would ever win any snooty awards but it will be all drank to the last drop.  I’m really proud of him.  Now he’s in the middle of making some mead and then there is the quite whispers about a still (for perfume purposes only of course because we are NOT law breakers. HA!)  We totally bought the industrial $70 corker because it is worth every single penny.  Corking is hard otherwise.

He looks so happy doesn’t he?  I know how he feels, I was like that with my jam.  And yes, these are the same blackberries from our property.

4. I knit some socks and they are by far my favorite pair in the longest time.  I have tried to knit these Meida socks by Nancy Bush two pervious times.  It ended in sad too tight socks.  Finally with the right yarn needle combo I came out with these.

Seriously. I absolutely love how these socks feel.  They are Mountain Colors barefoot and I love the yarn SO MUCH! I’m all about having a little mohair in my yarn.  It makes it so much more wooly and wears better I think.

5. Herman the ram.  I can’t remember if I’ve talked about him or not.  If not here we go.  Herman is the ram we are renting to get with some of our ewes.  He’s a beautiful red icelandic mouflon and I love him so much that I’m thinking we will have to buy him.  He’s the most gentle mild mannered fella I’ve ever know.  He’s my husband in sheep form! LOL  And, the ladies are loving him.  Also, he stinks like ass.  Which is a good thing if you are a ram in rut.

I thought he was good natured before but this weekend I bought these festive headbands to embarrass the dogs.  Then I got the crazy idea that these things would fit other animals too…

 Yes, I did put a festive headband on a ram and you know what?  He could have cared LESS.  He snuffled the ladies, asked me for a chin scratch and posed for several pictures.

The goats were not as easy because they want to be RIGHT NEXT TO YOU.

You know what I love?  Goats.  I seriously just love them.  I never would have known.  My friends have sheep and alpacas and llamas.  I never knew a single goat.  But you know what?  Goats totally trump all of those animals x a million.  Not only are they sweet as sugar they enjoy your attention, are silly to be silly, and are so damn affectionate.  Also, they let you humiliate them on the internet.

Some even enjoy it. Charlie is a super star after all.  If you met Charlie in person (or in goat if you will), you’d understand.  This goat has charisma to spare.  After this little experiment I kind of…um…want to dress my goats up more.  I know! It’s sick! I KNOW!  But you guys, it was fun and cute and still makes me smile.  This is better for a foul day than any amount of zoloft.  Bummed?  Dress up your goat.  All better!  So yeah.  This might become a thing.  It’s not like I’m going to knit them little fair isle sweaters and leave them out in the pasture like that but a little headband or scarf for pictures?  Yes.

 6. Lastly I met Monica in Portland the other week for coffee and pictures.  She’s such a good sport for letting me harass her with a camera.

So to tide you over I have a new free pattern.  The Perfection Cowl was designed to be just that…Perfect.  It adds ribbing and garter stitch to make a cowl that wont be too baggy up top while still leaving lots of wonderful drape at the bottom.  This cowl is easy as pie to knit and is the perfect stash buster for that extra skein of yarn you have lying around.  This would also be amazing in handspun! 

This pattern is free!

What do you need?

200 yds of worsted weight yarn
1 us #8 16″ circular needle
Stich Marker
You need to be able to cast on, knit, purl, and cast off.

That’s it!  Have fun and I hope you enjoy!

Charlie is head goat and he always wants to be right up in your face.

I love the expression that Gordy is making in the background. He’s like that guy that walks into your vacation photo, ruins the shot, and you don’t notice till you get home and develop your film.

Tank and Charlie are good friends.  It looks like Tank is being mean to Charlie but he’s only using his front little teeth to give Charlie a good scratch.  They do this ALL THE TIME and it’s hilarious.

Mr Wally Waddles has neck waddles of course.

Blue Steel strikes a pose.  I named this little man Blue Steel after the movie Zoolander because he always seems to be making the face!  He’s also the least smart goat and has gotten tangled in blackberry vines (to the point where he’s literally trapped) more than once.  He’s not smart but he’s pretty which I guess makes up for it.

“Bitch say what?” That’s what I expect the goats are saying with that expression.

Fall fields looks way better on her than it ever did on me.

Channel Islands Shawl.  Still one of my most favorite designs ever and this is probably my most worn shawl I own.

Rough Seas Shawl which I have completely re-written and used my fancy chart software for.

Sweet Corn which looks way better on a body than it ever did on a branch.

She’s amazingly gorgeous right? Yeah, I find it a little intimidating but I  worked through it. I had to hear the Mr’s voice and his parents in my head the whole time telling me that we are all good at different things.  Hell, I played in Carnegie hall when I was 17 which a lot of people never do in their lives…EVER.  So it’s not like I’m a looser but ya know, I might have made a complete ass out of myself talking too much and being a dork.  Only time will tell.

All patterns are available through Ravelry (and the links are on my pattern page if your interested).  I’m really excited about working with Shauna in the future because she’s so tiny (ie less yarn consumed for patterns, meaning more because they costs me less) so the sweaters I’ve wanted to do for quite a while will fly off the needles.  I’ve already ordered yarn for one I’m going to be starting shortly.  It’s Robin Hood inspired, but in a good way.