February Olio

Birds are migrating

Aside from a particularly cold winter we've had quite a bit of sunshine.

View of Sacramento:

View of Mt. Shasta:

For some reason Roxy didn't seem thrilled to pose with my snowman.

I've been knitting, as usual, and made a hat inspired from Hermione's in Harry Potter 7, Part 1. She wears the hat in the scene of Godric's Hollow. The moment I saw it I knew I had to make one for myself. A friend of mine got me a skein of the perfect yarn when she went to New Zealand a couple years ago. It's Zealana Rimu DK Possum Yarn, 40% New Zealand possum fiber mixed with 60% N.Z. merino. So soft! And the perfect color to match Hermione's hat!

I also made some legwarmers using some pokeberry dyed yarn. I'm currently trying to exhaust my dye bath I started 3 days ago using pokeberries I'd frozen from summer. It's not as good as fresh, but it works. The color is leaning more towards orange-red, which I'm not too fond of, but I'm also overdyeing lots of yarns I hated so it's a step up, but not completely. The legwarmers are of yarn using fresh berries so this color is one I love.

I'm hoping I can use some of the overdyed yarns to finish my blanket I've been working on for a year. It's only taking so long because I ran out of pink. That's why I'm exhausting my dye bath so I can hopefully get some pink.

And of course while I was taking pictures of my knits the chickens were curious. Bea's tail is back, everyone's laying again, spring is on it's way!!

My clay-head guy has a spider living in his nose.

January Jettison

In January both Susy and Bea molted. I didn't get many photos this time of Susy looking lousy, she looks fairly normal here:

Enter, Bea to the scene. There's no tail! Both big girls lost their tails during molting. Last year's molting photo of Susy shows a few short tail feathers, I don't remember if she lost her tail completely, but this year she definitely did.

This isn't the greatest photo, but it shows Bea's yellow neck due to molting. I don't remember this much loss of plumage in past years. We did have a particularly cold winter, so I felt bad for the little chickies. Why do they molt during the winter? Don't they need their feathers to keep warm?

Ku'u Ipo eats a grapefruit segment:

And has been attacking me. She really hurts when she pecks my hands! I don't know why she's so agressive with me, not with anyone else. I'm hoping I can change this somehow.

'Twas The Week Before Christmas

So, every winter this bush's berries become ripe and the robins go crazy, so many eating at the same time.

One robin flew into our glass door right as I was going to work.

We have a sticker on the door to try and prevent that, but it still happened.

He turned out ok though! After some rest he poked his head up.

He could hear all his buddies in the bush behind him.

Indigo Dye Project

Back in April I posted about my indigo... well, it's not exactly time-laps photography, but poof! They're big! Not as big as can be, but still I'm proud of my first time growing the plant. The chicken wire keeps the chickens out.

They're even starting to blossom! I'll save the seed for next year!

So, We decided to try dyeing with it!

On the left I'm harvesting the leaves, and on the right I'm making the dye bath. The leaves are treated like a double boiler for a while, kind of makes a dye tea inside the jar.

The next photos didn't turn out well, since it got dark, but it's quite a process! I'll try to get some better ones next time.

Here's pictures of the finished products:

My knit hat, using the indigo dyed yarn.

Mom dyed a silk scarf in the same dye bath. I didn't think I had enough dyestuff to dye this much product, but I had more than I thought!

It's that time of year again, preparing for Art Farm, an art show featuring local artists and farms. The show isn't until November, but the artwork was due today. Can't wait for the show!

Chickens of Nepal

Back in June I went to Nepal, and of course was interested in the chickens I saw. It's interesting how chickens are chickens no matter where you are in the world. There were subtle differences, but it was probably more a fact that these chickens acted like normal ones, not like my spoiled hens that are picky about what they eat.

This chicken liked hanging out with our stuff

Teaching how to dust bath

A pretty awesome chicken coop. The roof says, "Guest House" hehe

He's tied up

April Chicken Happenings:

I'm glad I took a picture of my indigo last month, because I feel much more encouraged by their progress.

It seems like they're growing so slowly! But they are in a good spot, not too much sun, not too much water. (I killed a few, they're so fragile!)

Summer has suddenly hit! Takes its tole not only in us, but in our girls too. Susie mouth breather.

Luckily they rest where it's cool. Little drips from the hose make a cool, damp place on the east side of our house.

Poor Ku'u Ipo is broody. I shut the door to the coop so she can't go in and sit on her golf ball. I'm going to see if she snaps out of it quicker this way, instead of letting her sit on it to her heart's content.

Bea pecking bugs off the geraniums

Chicken fluff butts

                                  I'll introduce you to the plants which make up our dye garden:

pokeberry: pink & red color

Black Hollyhock: light blue color

Sunflower: yellow and green

Purple Basil: brown

Marjoram: yellow, gray, coppery brown

Marjoram protector (an old birdcage)

Things blooming in the yard: roses and orange blossoms!