2012 May 16 — Patchwork Times by Judy Laquidara

Chasin’ Chickens

May 16, 2012 · by JudyL

Except for having hawks and coyotes and no telling what else waiting to eat my chickens (one less snake I might add), they could run loose and free range . . so long as they stay off the Highlander. Come to think of it, with that luggage rack on top, I think it could be a perfect roosting spot. For their own safety we keep them in a covered run but these chickens are such determined little critters. Yesterday I went out the garden and looked up and the chickens had climbed up a crooked tree and were jumping down . . on the outside of their pen. Vince fixed it to where they couldn’t climb the tree but when he started to go back to lunch this afternoon, I looked out and two chickens were running around in the yard. He put them back in the pen and fixed where he thought they had gone under. When I went out there a few minutes ago, three of them were out.

I threw out some scratch so they would be busy eating and I could easily catch them.

The chickens that remained inside the fence could not figure out how to get out and they were quite unhappy and very vocal that some of the chickens were free and had scratch!

I caught all three of them, though Bertha doesn’t like me one bit and having me pick her up did not make her very happy. I think I found another spot where they’re getting under the fence and I fixed it. If they can get out so easily, something could get in just as easily and eat them up so I suppose letting them run loose isn’t so bad. When I started this blog post, they were all inside the fence. I’m not even going out there now but my guess is . . same three are out again.

· Filed Under: Home & Garden · 12 Comments

Yarn Arrivals

May 16, 2012 · by JudyL

My yarn arrived today for Camp Loopy. This is what I got for the baby blanket. It’s pinker than I thought it would be. I was aiming for more peachy than pinky but I should have known since the color is “Flamingo”.

This is the yarn I ordered to make the Cowlie for Chad.

Looks like good yarn for a hunting cap, huh?

Now . . listen to this story. You know how I’m always trying to get two matching skeins of Wollmeise and I can’t ever seem to do it. A blog reader wrote me and asked if I had managed to get two skeins and I told her no. She had three skeins of perfectly matched Wollmeise she offered to send me. NO WAY!! I couldn’t take her three perfectly matched skeins of Wollmeise. She insisted! I gave her my address and I sat at the mailbox for three days waiting for the package to arrive.

It’s so perfect for the Pamuya shawl I’m wanting to make. I can hardly wait to get started. I’ve taken the pattern to bed with me the last two nights to read it and re-read it and I think I can do it.

The Carpenter’s Star quilt was hanging across the longarm as I was unpacking this yarn and I looked at the yarn, and looked at the quilt and realized how well everything matches!

Yep, that’s how things are at my house always — perfectly matched!

Oh, I almost forgot to show you . . the Camp Loopy pin! How cool is this?

I didn’t get one of these last year!

· Filed Under: Knitting & Weaving · 13 Comments

Rise & Shine!

May 16, 2012 · by JudyL

My little roosters are so cute and so screechy! We’ve never had roosters and when my grandma had them, I was so scared of them that I stayed far away from from them.

Earlier in the morning yesterday, the little one would crow, and the bigger one would crow, then the little one would crow again and then the big one would crow. I knew as soon as I went and got my camera, they would stop and sure enough, only the little one would crow for the camera. He crows twice in the video and it takes so much effort. Poor little guy! Look at that big one towards the back with those huge feet. That’s the other rooster and it’s so funny to watch him walk with those gigantic feet. I’m not sure how we’re going to handle two roosters and 3 hens but I sure like both these guys and would hate to have to choose one to get rid of.

Vince is still working on their coop and they so need to get out of these boxes. He promised me they would be in the new coop by Sunday . . this past Sunday . . and you see where they still are. We’re shooting for this coming Sunday now but I’m not holding my breath. There’s still a lot to be done.

We mostly sleep with our windows open at night so it’s going to be so nice to wake up to roosters crowing . . maybe. I suppose it depends on what time of morning they wake up and whether they know to crow a little later on weekends. Want to guess how that’s going to work out?