So, I make stuff!

A few weeks ago, now, Mom had to have her gallbladder out. Not a huge deal, but long and sore. As an early Xmas gift to make her happy, and to make her feel better about the house for for turkey day while G’ma is visiting, I made her this.

A pair of slip covers in duck cloth, for the couch. One of the upper cushions and one for the lower cushions. She’s wanted one for *years* but they’re expensive. So I made one (and another one ready to make for her b-day). Super simple, 4.5yds of fabric.

I also recently finished a hat. Knit. Super simple. From my own handspun yarn. Merino. In an almost black maroon merino with blue flecks.

I need to make more things with my own yarn. I like it. It’s fun.

In other news… Happy Thanksgiving to my U.S. readers. Happy Thursday to my non-U.S. readers! We got up early and got things going. And now, the cranberry sauce (fresh, not jellied) is made, the green jello (with pineapple and cream cheese) is set, the turkey’s in the oven, the gravy’s stewing, and the stuffing’s in! Just rolls/biscuits, and mashed potatoes left (and slicing up homemade pickles, putting out olives, etc).

~The Gnome

It is a chicken house, and this is after Dad and I started to lift it up so we could start moving it. Moving it, we decided, would be easier with wheels. It weighs… something around 1300ish pounds. Very very heavy.

So we put on wheels!

Unfortunately, our first attachment wasn’t strong enough and they came off. Doh! So we tried another method and…

We’re off! Just pretend it’s a handpushed train car. The tracks are how we moved it, the plywood allowed for the 90 degree turn into the gate (and again once it was in the gate).

Once we finally had it in place, we had to get it off the wheels and extra boards and onto cinder blocks (because the dirt it’s on is soft and will likely sink with chicken scratching and water).

And then, level it all… and… DONE!

And yesterday, our new baby chickens came in! Buff Orpingtons (gold ones) and Bard Rocks (black ones)!

All together now… AWWWwwww!

The one sad part of this whole thing was that I was an idiot. I did this whole moving thing… in my flip flops. This was dumb, because inherently at some point something’s going to go wrong. Of course it did, and I had to lift/shove that 1300lbs more than once. Doh. Which I didn’t think about the time, but by the next day I realized what I’d done…

Pulled my plantar fascia. Ow ow ow. Acute plantar fasciitis! Ow! Taking forever to heal, which sucks (two weeks in, only somewhat better). Trying to keep it stretched enough to keep walking without tearing it further. Massaging it frequently. Trying to stay off it.

Do not want! Yay for dumb.

That’s all for now! Will try to get an update up early next week. Got quite a bit to put up. Fiber, yarn, whee!

~The Gnome

Not just ’cause it makes ice cream. In fact I haven’t been using it to make ice cream…

It’s summer… and summer means fruits and veggies such as, cantaloupe!

I mentioned it before but I did it again last night. Slightly different recipe this time. My own concoction.

The first batch was Cantaloupe/Lime/Mint
1/2 Large Cantaloupe
6+ Tablespoons good lime juice
~1/4c chopped mint
1 1/4c Simple Syrup

This one was Cantaloupe/Cranberry/Lime different, but also very tasty. I’m so getting myself one of these when I have my own place. It’s awesome! And so healthy, just make simple syrup and after that everything just goes in the blender to taste and then the ice cream maker. So there’s about 3/4 of a cup of sugar in an entire batch of dessert. Not bad!

1/2 Large Cantaloupe
~1/2c Cranberry Juice (Cranberry, not cocktail, not with water)
~1/4c Lime
1c Simple Syrup

Nom nom

Also been making progress on weaving the scarf.

~The Gnome