Extreme Knitting Redhead: Grow your own!

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Grow your own!

No not fruit and veg, wool!

These little beauties have come to stay with us for a while.

It's a nice arrangement with a local farmer - we provide the grazing, he gives us hay for the horses in return. Suits us all as the horses don't need all the land and also it keeps the worm count down in them as the sheep graze the grass lower and eat the worm eggs which aren't harmful to them.

Mike went for a walk around the land yesterday morning and I asked him to take photos of anything of interest so he chose the sheep. They are very nosey, even though they won't always come right up to you, so it was no surprise that they followed Mike on his walk.

It's like a scene from the Pied Piper of Hamlyn!

In knitting news, Kirsten has just released clue 3 for the mystery sock KAL so I should get both of those done soon. As I was getting bored waiting for the clue I started to experiment with stranded garter stitch with a view to perhaps making a hat to keep me going inbetween clues. I'm not allowed to start a big project as I made a promise to myself last year that I would stick to one item at a time so that things didn't get abandoned through lack of interest - I am the worlds worst for unfinished items! It's worked well so far so I'm trying to stick to that rule.

4 comments:

Carol said...: We lived next to some grazing land in the UK and these photos take me back! Good luck with the next clue. I've put my mystery socks aside to finish a cardi for Rhinebeck. Only a few more days with lots to knit!; October 15, 2008 at 3:56:00 AM PDT
Kirsten said...: Love those sheep photos!! Especially the last one.

You may need a second project this week since it is just the heel, you'll have that done in no time. Next week, with the gusset and foot should take a bit more time though.; October 15, 2008 at 4:12:00 AM PDT
Susie Hewer said...: Carol, I am so jealous of Rhinebeck. I bet you come back laden with goodies.

Kirsten, I've just done one of them whilst I had a break for lunch so the other should be finished this evening.

Hmmmmmm, I can see myself breaking my 'one project' rule................but it won't count as it will be Kirsten's fault!; October 15, 2008 at 5:25:00 AM PDT
Shan said...: I just love that last photo.; October 15, 2008 at 4:21:00 PM PDT

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Mum's Story

In 1997 my mother, then aged 81, had a series of minor strokes. Shortly after that we started to notice behavioural changes notably memory loss and confusion over everyday items. We thought it was just old age finally catching up with her. Then she started wandering and had violent mood swings. Although she already lived with us it became obvious that she couldn't be left alone for long and so I left my job to care for her. The next few years saw a gradual decline into the blackness that is 'vascular dementia'. My normally placid mum became violent and aggressive. She had psychotic incidents where she would see imaginary people (children hiding in her wardrobe, Russians sitting on the stairs, women stealing her clothes) and she would shout at them and sometimes throw things too. She was so convincing that we used to go and check that there wasn't anyone there! When my sister died mum did not know who Judy was or that she was her daughter. There came a point when I suddenly realised she no longer knew that I was her daughter and this was a terrible time for me. In the last 2 years that she lived with us, life for us all became almost unbearable as she needed 24 hour care - she couldn't be left alone at all because she would either wander off or hurt herself, she never slept for more than 30 minutes at a time during the night, she became incontinent and incapable of doing anything for herself. Finally my husband and I realised that we could no longer provide her with the care that she needed and she went to live in a special care home where the team did a splendid job caring for her in the last few months of her life. There she lived a zombified existence unaware of who she was, what she was or where she was. It was heartbreaking. She died in March 2005, the day after her 89th birthday.

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