Fell In Love With A Purl

Posted By jenifleur on November 23, 2008

Pattern: Swiss Cheese Scarf by Winnie Shih

Yarn: Jojoland Melody color ms12 (50g, 220 yards per ball), 2 balls

Needles: US 4 Knitpicks fixed circs

Mods: I made it narrower than the original pattern by reducing the stitch count to 82.

Comments: I love Jojoland, and have been wanting some for ages. If you buy it, be sure and check each ball inside and out. I have some in another colorway where of the four skeins I bought, two of them appeared to be of a radically different dyelot, despite the fact that they were all labeled as the same. I’ll show you in the next finished object post about my woodland shawl just how dramatic a difference it was. This colorway, however, did not have that issue. This is a really nice superwash yarn and I think it would make some lovely socks, too, but ever since seeing the Swiss Cheese Scarf Jane made for Claudia, I’ve been intrigued. I’d seen it around Ravelry here and there but seeing it in the real world is completely different. It’s basically garter stitch with a bunch of button holes and is quite easy, but it looks so interesting and is a great project for variegated yarns. It’s also a real conversation starter when non-knitters see you making it, so beware.

When last we met I told you about the goodbyes we’ve had to say. Now I’ll introduce you to some new faces. Blogsville, meet Rhett Butler:

I bought him at SAFF from Hideaway Farm. He’s a young Shetland ram who’s come to share the burden of breeding season with Absinth. Not that Absinth is all that eager to share, mind you. It’s early in the season and we’ve already got fence damage and bloody fleece-but that’s for a future post. Have another look at this lovely boy:

Behind him to the left is Apricot and to the right is Anemone. The sheep in the deep background is RoundEars, our oldest Corriedale ewe. Apricot is the first to accept his affections and is reaping a harvest of grief and shunning from the other ewes in their pasture. Apparently she’s been labeled as a traitor by them, but has gained some status by being the current favorite of the ram. I hope she can keep some of that status because she’s a timid little sheep and I’d like to see her gain some confidence. She has what is turning into a massive fleece, I think she’ll be quite a little producer despite her tiny size.

Rhett looks fairly blonde in this picture-all the lambs are uncoated and have UV fading-but he’s actually a perfect shade of brown that is generally what you think of when you picture natural shetland. Apricot and Anemone appear white on the outside but Apricot is fawn and Anemone is starting to turn into a grey we think. She’s a total hopping basket case like her mother and is nearly impossible to catch, so that’s why it’s a guess at this point. Rhett is an affectionate and people-friendly little ram with tremendously soft and crimpy fleece and a tiny little nubbin of a tail. Shetland tails aren’t docked, they’re supposed to be naturally short. Nearly all of our ewes have tails that are too long for breed standard so we’re relying on Rhett to help correct that in future generations. He also has spotted fleece in his genetics and we’re hoping for some interesting surprises at lambing this year. He’ll be the father of the lambs born to Jemima, Anise, Anemone, Apricot and Camille this year. If he can find a step stool, perhaps he’ll have some Shetland-Corriedale children by RoundEars and Blossom, but we doubt it. That would be some amazing fleece, though. What would you call it? Sheltiedale?

We also welcome some new barn cats. Poor Tangle was lonely and howling all the time after Bobble and Loop left us and a co-worker had some cats he needed to place. As it turns out, Tangle is rather annoyed by this and has reconsidered. She now believes she could mouse the farm all by herself. Too late, though. We already got these:

She’s gradually and grudgingly beginning to tolerate them. Traditionally we name the barn cats something to do with knitting, but when I took them out of the car Jared immediately informed me that the one with white ears would be named Rufus and I could name the other one a knitting name. So on the left you have Rufus-who is very busy and squirmy and outgoing and bossy-and on the right, Rowan, who is the purring, affectionate, calm one who wants to be held and snuggled all. the. time. They are some of the happiest and least needy kittens I’ve ever known apart from Rowan wanting to spend all his time in your arms. They are secured away at night because we’ve had a run in with a big, black, stray tom (who’s not going to be a problem as soon as he stands still somewhere away from the livestock or neighboring houses.) and there’s a possum who’s been seen in the potting shed where the barn cats live (would love to give him the same treatment the black cat’s going to get.)

When we go out in the morning to open the door, they’re both clinging to the inside of it halfway to the ceiling. They rush out and spend the rest of their day following the guineas, practicing going all the way to the barn and back by themselves and occasionally falling into the trench and requiring rescue. I actually think they’re going to miss that trench when the plumbing and electrical work is complete. (I won’t!) They’ve already figured out that sitting on the back porch at 5 pm and squeaking usually results in supper, which is a habit I was hoping they wouldn’t develop. The next big project on the list is re-siding the barn and after it’s warm and secure they’re moving Cat HQ up there whether they like it or not. My potting shed is going to be an actual potting shed as dog is my witness. All cats and possums will have to get over it.

Categories: FO, fiber farming, knitting, sheep
Tags: barn cats, jojoland, scarf, shetlands