By The Hills

More Lamb and Barn Yard Pics :)

2009-02-23T12:59:00.000-08:00

Little red ewe, momma sheep looks on

Lucy and Mama Luna watching something in the distance.

Lucy on guard - watching from a hay bale

Lucy and Beau

Llamas and sheep grouped around a hay bale.

An expectant ewe

New Lambs - First of the Year

2009-02-14T19:48:00.000-08:00

The lambs are arriving :)
The first one arrived on Thursday.
Lucy looks on while we make get the ewe
and her lamb settled in a pen for a few days.

New born lamb just hours old

Thats it from by the hills!

WHAT A BEAUTIFUL DAY

2009-01-18T12:34:00.000-08:00

Oh what a beautiful morning !
Oh what a beautiful day!
Plenty of sunshine!
Everything not so cold and gray!
( yes I did change that line LoL )

It really is a beautiful day after all the sub arctic cold we have been
experiencing!

I think everyone was starting to get cabin fever!!

Winter has us in its grip!

2009-01-05T10:35:00.000-08:00

Lucy relaxing after playing hard with the llamas

Winter is cold, but Sunday was colder with windchill -51 C
I am not sure of the farenheit conversion but its COLD lol!

I went out to see how the sheep and Lucy were doing.
Earlier in the day we watched from the house as Lucy was playing with the llamas
The four adults tolerated the youngster as she pretended to attack them.
She looked like she was having a blast!!!

Beau sits with the sheep and llamas

That's it for now ! From by the hills!
STAY WARM!!!! :)

!!Happy New Year!!!

2009-01-05T10:24:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year

Happy New Year

If it didn't bring you joy
just leave it behind
Let's ring in the new year
with good things in mind

Let every bad memory
that brought heartache and pain
And let's turn a new leaf
with the smell of new rain

Let's forget past mistakes
making amends for this year
Sending you these greetings
to bring you hope and cheer

Happy New Year!

From Our House to Yours
from by the Hills

Christmas Kitty

2009-01-05T10:20:00.000-08:00

Tipper loves the Christmas Tree.
Every year she sitting under it and watches the lights
This year was no exception :)

Pottery Mixing Bowls

2009-01-05T10:13:00.000-08:00

I have been working on pottery mixing bowls.
I made myself a christmas present -- with help from another
pottery club member -- Andrea --- I have a lovely set of pottery
mixing bowls now. Perfect for making and baking.
The glaze is speckled gray. I used recycled clay to make these.

Christmas Baking

2009-01-05T10:02:00.000-08:00

Well, I am finally updating again. This december has been very busy for us.
Mid december on the way home from work, I hit a deer with our van.
No pics of that, sorry. Melissa and I were fine but the van wasn't.
It is still in the shop getting repaired.

We had planned to travel to relatives this christmas season to Alberta but
due to the deer *incident* we didnt
SO--------- I needed to bake for the holiday season. I had 3 days to do it.
With help from Pierce, Moira, Mel, and Melissa , we got it done!

See picture :)
Mincemeat tarts, gingersnap, coffee sheet cake,chocolate sheet cake, mallow bar, rum balls,
cherry tarts, apple tarts, shortbread cookies . I think we did ok :) Must have cuz its all gone LOL

Remembrance Day Nov 11

2008-11-11T11:01:00.000-08:00

In Flander's Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flander's fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, tho poppies grow
In Flander's fields.

Liet. -Col. John McCrae

We must remember. If we do not, the sacrifice of those lives will be meaningless. They died for us, for their homes and families and friends, for a collection of traditions they cherished and a future they believed in; they died for their country. The meaning of their sacrifice rests with our collective national consciousness; our future is their monument.

Soap Soap And Yes its Soap

2008-11-09T15:17:00.000-08:00

I've been making soap for several year . I have some recipes that I use all the time and I love the way they work out!
Tada! This is years batch so far !!!

So far I have 12 lbs cut into bar that have some very yummy scents --
Coconut Almond Crunch
( Yes it smells as good as it sounds!!)
Honey Oatmeal Vanilla
( smells like brown sugar cookies :) )
Green Tea and Mint
( what a fabulous combination!)
Sandalwood Silk Surprise
( this is an amazing bar, great for the skin!)
Strawberry Swirl
( Smells like a strawberry milkshake !!!)

I have some pictures of part of the process.
Note the *HIGH TECH* cutting tool
and the sophisticated method of getting the exact size of bars ;)

That's it from by the hills!

New Additions to the By the Hills

2008-10-27T13:45:00.000-07:00

As you know , our livestock guardian dog , Badger, went over the rainbow bridge recently. We miss her dearly. We had thought we would just let the llama's guard the livestock but the combination team of both the llamas and the dogs can't be beat for dealing with predators.

That said, let me introduce the latest member of the *team*.
We now have a Pyranean Mountain Dog female pup.

She is approx 6 wks old. We haven't yet decided on a name for her.
Any suggestions????

Another new *addition to the farm is this pea hen.
She is in with the chickens right now.
They are unsure what to make of the big bird lol!

That's it from by the hills!

New Projects

2008-10-26T20:09:00.000-07:00

I've been with new projects . I am sharing a pic of a hat I finished yesterday.
My son is modeling it. I used the colors green, black and white - Saskatchewan Rough Rider Colors !:)

Good Bye To A Dear Friend

2008-10-04T20:22:00.000-07:00

Today our livestock guardian dog , Badger, went over the rainbow bridge.
She has had cancer for over a year but valiantly carried on. She never shirked her duty or charges. This morning, her pain ended. She has gone to be with our other canine babies waiting by the rainbow bridge - Max and her mate, Major.

She took care of the livestock and her * human* lambs. She was truly an amazing creature.

The Rainbow Bridge
Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge.
There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together.
There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.
The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. Her bright eyes are intent; Her eager body quivers. Suddenly she begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, her legs carrying her faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

Author unknown...

We will miss you Badger girl! Wait for us by the rainbow bridge, until we meet again.

Pictures of the kids all dressed up

2008-06-23T21:28:00.001-07:00

Thats it from by the hills , till next time!

Lily Chin Knitting Classes

2008-06-23T21:19:00.000-07:00

I attended some knitting classes being taught by Lily Chin at 2008 Saskatchewan Stitches Conference.

I will post the pictures I have then will fill in the notes later!

Shearing Time By the Hills

2008-06-23T21:06:00.000-07:00

Its inevitable that shearing must come to by the hills.
The poor woolie girls were getting so hot and uncomfortable.
Cliff Metheral , the sheep shearer arrived on Tuesday May 27th in the morning. The kids stayed home to help with the shearing.

Thankfully it wasn't that hot the day we sheared.
The sheep really enjoyed their trims!

Thats it for this post :)
From by the hills

2008-06-23T20:49:00.000-07:00

WoW Finally an UPDATE!!

Here it is for those that have been asking ;)

Winter has come and gone. Finally!
Badger is relaxing, and doing her job.
Here she is waiting for the school bus to bring back the kids
This was taken the 20th of May.

Spring brings back the birds.
We have a bird feeder hanging in front of our living room window.

This house was on its way to the Regina area May 23rd.
We stopped and briefly talked to the movers.

Thats it from by the hills ;)

Palidome Hat Finished

2008-02-08T17:40:00.002-08:00

This is a hat pattern that was shared with me.
I like the cabling, the ribbing was a bit monotonous but thats just me.

Moira modeling the hat.

You can see the detailing of the cables here.

Thats it from by the hills :)

Old Man Winter Has Temper Tantrum

2008-02-08T17:22:00.000-08:00

I was at the library today for work.
During the day it started to snow.
As time went on it progressed.
TV and Radio were issuing zero visiblity warnings.

I still had to drive home.
I had my camera with me. Snapped a couple pictures of what it was like.
Oh I got home all right. Took a bit longer. Was glad to see our driveway.

This is out the windshield.

This was out the drivers window.

Thats it from by the hills.. Where We are inside , warm and toasty!

Baby Ear Flap Hat

2008-01-30T16:48:00.000-08:00

Yep, another FO
Its a hat I just whipped up.
It turned out really cute :)

That's it from by the hills!

My Winter Buddy Howard

2008-01-28T20:55:00.001-08:00

Howard is a good buddy.
He keeps me company when I am outside.
Gives me that warm cozy feeling when the winter temps DIP way too low.

So its a funky blue.
And not the most fashionable.
I tell ya though, HOWARD is very warm and keeps me
company on cold winter days outside! lol

See why I call the suit * Howard*?

Thats it from By the Hills!

Where there is Wind chill warning in effect
	Low -33C(-27F). Extreme wind chill -46.

Stay warm and keep your stick on the ice ;)

Another Contest

2008-01-28T16:21:00.001-08:00

Tami Knits is having a contest to celebrate 100 posts!
Tell her you saw heard about it on my blog :)

Good Luck!

Latest Completed Pottery items from the Pottery Room

2008-01-26T16:07:00.000-08:00

Here's pictures of the latest completed pottery :)

Mixing Bowl - Dark Green with Floating Blue Glaze

I was playing with the glaze a bit.
It looks pretty funky lol!

This is the picture of the inside.

Pitcher with Oatmeal Glaze

Melly made this bowl. Its our current fruit bowl

Mugs, a creamer and a small bowl

Two small serving bowls

Set of Two mixing bowls

Mug and small tea bowl

~ 7 Random Facts Meme ~

2008-01-25T09:45:00.000-08:00

~ 7 Random Facts Meme ~
I've been tagged byVicki to play along.
Hmm... now to come up w/7 things you'd be interested in knowing. Ok ~ let the games begin.
7 Random Facts... now these are the rules:-
Link to the person’s blog who tagged you.-
Post these rules on your blog.
List seven random and/or weird facts about yourself.
Tag seven random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.-
Let each person know that they have been tagged by posting a comment on their blog
My 7 random facts:

1. I'm a country gal. Love living in the rural area we are in.
2. I have lived in BC and Alta as well as Sask. I like living in Saskatchewan best
3. I am the only one in my immediate family that is a handspinner.
4. I will go for rides in the summer in the forest that is close by. I use my camera to go *hunting*
5. I always wanted a large family growing up -- Dh is from a family of 12 and I am from a combined family of 7 , me being the oldest. Dh and I have 4 children.
6. I don't like winter. Summer is my favorite time of year. You can't find me in the house most of the summer.
7. I read books like some people eat chips.. one right after the other. Good thing I'm a library clerk at the local public library , right??

Now will pass this on to

1. Brenda
2. Katie
3. Marion
4 Dorothy
5. Shelly
Have fun !

Thats is from by the hills :)

Robbie Burns Day !

2008-01-25T08:44:00.000-08:00

In honor of Robbie Burns and in keeping with
the fiber type theme of by the hills blog
I found a poem by himself

The Cardin O't, The Spinnin O't

I coft a stane o' haslock woo',
To mak a wab to Johnie o't;
For Johnie is my only jo,
I loe him best of onie yet.

Chorus-The cardin' o't, the spinnin' o't,
The warpin' o't, the winnin' o't;
When ilka ell cost me a groat,
The tailor staw the lynin' o't.

For tho' his locks be lyart grey,
And tho' his brow be beld aboon,
Yet I hae seen him on a day,
The pride of a' the parishen.
The cardin o't, &c

written -1795
Found on Robert Burns Country

Address to a Haggis

Fair fa' your honest, sonsie face,
Great chieftain o' the puddin-race!
Aboon them a' ye tak your place,
Painch, tripe, or thairm:
Weel are ye wordy o' a grace
As lang's my arm.

The groaning trencher there ye fill,
Your hurdies like a distant hill,
Your pin wad help to mend a mill
In time o' need,
While thro' your pores the dews distil
Like amber bead.

His knife see rustic Labour dight,
An' cut you up wi' ready sleight,
Trenching your gushing entrails bright,
Like ony ditch;
And then, O what a glorious sight,
Warm-reekin, rich!

Then, horn for horn,
they stretch an' strive:
Deil tak the hindmost! on they drive,
Till a' their weel-swall'd kytes belyve,
Are bent lyke drums;
Then auld Guidman, maist like to rive,
"Bethankit!" 'hums.

Is there that owre his French ragout
Or olio that wad staw a sow,
Or fricassee wad mak her spew
Wi' perfect sconner,
Looks down wi' sneering, scornfu' view
On sic a dinner?

Poor devil! see him ower his trash,
As feckless as a wither'd rash,
His spindle shank, a guid whip-lash,
His nieve a nit;
Thro' bloody flood or field to dash,
O how unfit!

But mark the Rustic, haggis fed,
The trembling earth resounds his tread.
Clap in his walie nieve a blade,
He'll mak it whissle;
An' legs an' arms, an' heads will sned,
Like taps o' thrissle.

Ye Pow'rs wha mak mankind your care,
And dish them out their bill o' fare,
Auld Scotland wants nae skinking ware
That jaups in luggies;
But, if ye wish her gratefu' prayer,
Gie her a haggis!

The Translation

Fair is your honest happy face
Great chieftain of the pudding race
Above them all you take your place
Stomach, tripe or guts
Well are you worthy of a grace
As long as my arm

The groaning platter there you fill
Your buttocks like a distant hill
Your skewer would help to repair a mill
In time of need
While through your pores the juices emerge
Like amber beads

His knife having seen hard labour wipes
And cuts you up with great skill
Digging into your gushing insides bright
Like any ditch
And then oh what a glorious sight
Warm steaming, rich

Then spoon for spoon
They stretch and strive
Devil take the last man, on they drive
Until all their well swollen bellies
Are bent like drums
Then, the old gent most likely to rift (burp)
Be thanked, mumbles

Is there that over his French Ragout
Or olio that would sicken a pig
Or fricassee would make her vomit
With perfect disgust
Looks down with a sneering scornful opinion
On such a dinner

Poor devil, see him over his trash
As week as a withered rush (reed)
His spindle-shank a good whiplash
His clenched fist.the size of a nut.
Through a bloody flood and battle field to dash
Oh how unfit

But take note of the strong haggis fed Scot
The trembling earth resounds his tread
Clasped in his large fist a blade
He'll make it whistle
And legs and arms and heads he will cut off
Like the tops of thistles

You powers who make mankind your care
And dish them out their meals
Old Scotland wants no watery food
That splashes in dishes
But if you wish her grateful prayer
Give her a haggis!

What is a Haggis???
Find out here

My mothers Clan
Sutherland

Highlander wearing Sutherland Plaid

That's it from by the Hills!

beannachd leibh !
(farewell)

Tipper Pics and FO's

2008-01-24T20:37:00.000-08:00

Tipper is our feline fur baby.
She strongly resembles a British short hair tortoiseshell.
Tipper likes to spend lots of her time with me, either keeping watch while i spin or knit.
Or sitting by me when I am on the computer or working around the house.
She sits at the back door in summer by the screen, on her own stool watching me as
I work in the back yard. She refuses to go outside though.

Here she is guarding my spinning wheel ,
background is the house plants in our south living room window

I have a couple FO's too
A pair of skull fingerless gloves

An ear flap hat for a toddler

Stulpen Fingerless Gloves. ( An awesome free pattern found online)
These are ALMOST finished.
I have recently discovered cables and these were actually fun!

That's all for now from by the hills :)
Catcha Next Time!

A Contest! From Cass ( Shut up, I'm Counting)

2008-01-22T07:58:00.000-08:00

This is a fun blog to read :)
She is having a contest!
Please tell her I sent you lol

Cass- Congrats on #444

That's it from by the hills!

Coffee, Cake, Chatting and Company

2008-01-22T07:10:00.000-08:00

Had a short afternoon of coffee, cake and chatting yesterday.
Went to a friends , Vicki ,( purple is a fruit)
We had some good coffee from Star bucks. She got some in an exchange.
Her neighbor Stacey wants to learn to spin as well. I had to leave just as she got there.
Hopefully we can get together again soon ! Wouldn't it be fun to start a spinning guild for our area??

Thats it from by the hills

Tbe Never Ending Socks Are FINISHED!!

2008-01-17T11:32:00.000-08:00

I am not a patient knitter! I knit these socks for myself on
size ZERO's! Took me about 5 days. Long time for socks for me lol

Close up of the leg pattern

#2 FO for 2008
Thats it from by the hills!

Winter Days on Farm By the Hills

2008-01-14T06:22:00.000-08:00

It was a beautiful sunny day yesterday. Mel and Pierce fed the sheep and llama's for the week. They set out several round bales and cut the twines as the bales are needed. Doesn't stop the critters from sampling though , lol!

Mel picking up a bale with the front end loader that is equipped with bale tines/forks.

Feeding out the bales while the dogs look on

Pierce cutting the twines from one bale

Woolie girls and Llamas watching the activity

That's chore time down by the hills !

First Finished Project for 2008

2008-01-06T13:00:00.000-08:00

My first finished project for 2008
Melly is modelling for me.
Fingerless gloves with a twisted rib pattern.
I used 100% wool in navy blue.

On to more projects from by the hills !
Bye for now !

New Years Baby on the Farm

2008-01-06T12:36:00.000-08:00

NEW YEARS BABY 2008

We have a new baby on the farm.
The little single ewe was born Thursday Jan 3, 2008 to mama tag #161.
Mama is a dorset cross and sire is the California red ram aka RED

Badger is making sure the *baby* is safe.
She really is a good Livestock Guardian Dog

That is Mel in the pic with Badger , lamb and mom looking on.

Mom says enough pictures and is leading baby away.
You can see the *red mane* on the lambs neck. The Cali Red is showing thru.

The llama girls , the other part of the livestock guardian team Precious is looking at the camera, Mama Luna and Ursa are checking out something in another part of the paddock.

Jasmine, my one and only Jacob sheep.

That is the critter update for now, from by the hills
Bye for now!!!

New Year New Things

2008-01-06T11:48:00.001-08:00

We had a *visitor* in our yard on the 2nd
Mel noticed a HUGE odd looking bird
in the crab apple tree in our back yard.

It is a Pileated WoodPecker.
Wikimedia says this about this bird
Click here for more info on the Pileated Woodpecker

I am still working on pottery. I thought I would share a few pictures
of the pottery club and some works in progress.

This is the electric wheel I use.
There are kick wheels too
I want to try those out sometime.

Foreground is the work table by the potters wheel. Just beyond that is one of the kick wheels, not in service at the moment. The *machine* with orange on it is the slab roller. Rolls out clay evenly to what ever thickness you want. Slabs of clay are used for *built* items and drape molds, mostly.

These are the shelves with items waiting to be bisqued or are already bisqued waiting for glaze.

This is a work in progress. I want to glaze the carving different from the whole piece

This is the glazing table. Its full of pieces from the childrens
Pottery class that Andrea had been offering.
Underneath you can see pails of glazes.
Its a small space so its utilized to the fullest.
Not always the neatest but to the fullest!

These are the kilns. Two are in operation.
One is waiting to get repaired.
You can see pails of glaze in this picture too.

The holidays are over..
Down Come the lights!
Mel and Pierce found an interesting but efficient way
to remove the Christmas lights from the house.
Saves going up and down the ladders!! LoL

Pierce seems to be enjoying it too!

Thats it for this post from by the hills!

Good- Bye 2007 , Hello 2008

2008-01-05T15:17:00.000-08:00

Where has the year gone??
Time to reflect on the old and look forward to the new.

It was a busy time here by the hills since the craft sale.
One sunny day , Mel cleaned our chimney just like Dick Van Dike
in Mary Poppins

He's on our house roof

CHRISTMAS CONCERT 2007 Moira's class preformed in the school pagent.
They sang * Mary's Little Boy Child*
She is second from the right, beside the blue angel.

Oh Tannenbaum Oh Tannebaum

How lovely are your branches!

The big meal!!
We set the table with my dear grandmothers 25th anniversary china,
a table cloth and stem ware she had given us.

The Food!

A christmas toast. My glass is raised too, Im behind the camera ;)

Mel built some old fashioned type sleds using plywood and tin .
We spent a better part of two hours on the hill the kids like to use for sledding.

Yep , that hill is as long as it looks!

Mel getting to give Moira a start down the hill,
while Mellly and Einie look on.

Mel and Einstien coming up the hill. No, Einie didn't ride
but he did run! He would follow everyone down the hill lol.

Mel sending Moira on another run down the hill.
That is Pierce at the bottom.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
We stayed home with the kids for New Years.
At midnight we all toasted the upcoming new year while saying goodbye to the old one!

Happy New Year To You

Happy New Year to you!
May every great new day
Bring you sweet surprises--
A happiness buffet.

Happy New Year to you,
And when the new year’s done,
May the next year be even better,
Full of pleasure, joy and fun.

Best Wishes

Tricia , Mel , Melissa, Pierce and Moira

That's the update from by the hills.
Will post more soon :)

Craft Sale on Saturday

2007-11-27T06:27:00.000-08:00

The Kinettes Craft Sale was on Saturday.
I've been participating with a table since 2005
I don't have pictures as the camera was DEAD and the
charger is MIA!!!

The sale went well. Lots of tables with wonderful items
and lots of shoppers!

I had help by way of my daughter , Melly. She sat with me
and kept me company.
I did have friends drop by but I wasn't able to visit as much as
I would have liked too!!

I work at getting ready most of the fall and I am glad its over for this year lol

Now on to holiday stuff!

Thats it from ByTheHills!

Bye for now !

Contest

2007-11-16T11:38:00.000-08:00

Purple is Fruit! Aka Dandy

This is a fun one! Any renovation stories?
Very fun! Go read and enter! Great stuff!!!

New Hobby-- Pottery

2007-11-10T15:19:00.000-08:00

I have been going to the pottery club in town (Wynyard)
Been having a blast. Playing with clay and learning new techniques.
Glazed and almost filled a kiln with a bunch of things I had created last Wednesday

I emptied the kiln this morning. It was like CHRISTMAS!!!

I brought them home today :)
Below are the pictures!

Hand formed Cream and Sugar set with white clay
White with floating blue glaze.

First drape mould soap dish on red clay.
White with Floating blue glaze.

Drape mould Chip and Dip set with white clay
Oatmeal and floating blue glaze.

Mug and Tumbler hand formed with white clay.
White with floating blue glaze.

THIS one is MOIRA's Work :)
She did a drape mould tray with red clay
The glaze is white with floating blue.

Three mugs hand formed with white clay.
Oatmeal and Floating Blue Glaze

Hand formed Cream and Sugar set in white clay
Teal with white glaze.

Hand formed canister with lid in white clay
Oatmeal with Teal glaze

Canister with Lid on

Pinch pot bowl in red clay
Oatmeal with Floating Blue Glaze.

Wheel thrown bowl with white clay
Oatmeal and Teal Glaze

Inside view

My first wheel thrown pot using red clay
Oatmeal and Floating Blue Glaze

Andrea,who is patiently is showing me the ropes of pottery, really makes it FUN!

Making pottery is really relaxing for me .
Nothing with clay is fast.
The one thing I have learned about it , is that its all about patience!

That's it from by the hills!
Bye for now :)

IM IN!!!! I have joined ravelry!!

2007-10-31T13:26:00.000-07:00

I received my invite this week and Im IN!
My Id is Tricster ( no big surprise to those that know my id's online)
Now to explore on there !

That's it for now from by the hills!

JUST ABOUT!!!!

2007-10-25T07:29:00.000-07:00

You signed up on September 21, 2007
You are #34671 on the list.
574 people are ahead of you in line.
13551 people are behind you in line.
68% of the list has been invited so far

Its getting closer!!!!

Long Time No Post

2007-10-23T07:40:00.001-07:00

Seems like I'm always trying to remember to post here but I seem to forget?

Busy stuff on going for me. Working On getting ready for the ONE craft sale I
get a table for every year ( third year upcoming) Knitting, knitting, and soap making !
I haven't spun in wayyyyy too long!!

I started an etsy store called knitjewelry
I like being able to offer things I make there, so far its been a great experience!

Moira , my youngest daughter, using her birthday money, signed up for a children's pottery class.
She says she is making gifts for the big holiday in December ;)

I'm learning pottery too. Its really quite interesting and fun! Its my new ZEN time!
( LIke I NEEDED another HOBBY? )

Been getting the farm ready for winter. Mel has been cutting and hauling in firewood ( We heat with wood and use oil as a back up)
Tucking the roses in for the season and tidying up so no surprises show up in spring .

Thats it from by the hills!

Ravelry! Everyone is talking about it

2007-10-23T07:37:00.000-07:00

Ravelry, its been talked about all over the net.
I thought I would see what it was all about,
BACK in SEPTEMBER!! LoL

I checked to see where my invite was

You signed up on September 21, 2007
You are #34671 on the list.
1948 people are ahead of you in line.
12670 people are behind you in line.
65% of the list has been invited so far

So it looks hopeful, I may be in by this week sometime!

I'll keep you posted!

Obi Won Is Here!!

2007-08-31T19:35:00.000-07:00

Obi Won is here!
My friend Jo and her husband Mark delivered him yesterday.
We had an awesome visit!

The llama girls came in from the field to see who the new arrival was.
There was some sniffing, a small bit of spitting and some tail wagging lol!

Here's the promised pic of the small little lamb
She's doing extremely well and is able to get herself into all sorts of mischief!!

It was a beautiful day here today by the hills.
Dh and I are celebrating our 22nd anniversary today.
We plan to go out on the town tomorrow evening.
Will be nice to spend time with dh.

That's it from by the hills!

Yard Chores

2007-08-18T12:00:00.000-07:00

So there is this hedge between the two front lawns.
I had asked for help trimming it back in June.
However , with being so busy this summer, it didnt get done.
Last weekend Mel decided that it was time to trim that hedge!
He started his hedge trimmer and went to it!
Didnt take long at all!

Below is a picture of it being trimmed.

Just finshing the last bit of trimming.

Whatcha think of his self propelled 18ft hedge trimmer??

The thing about Practice

2007-08-07T15:42:00.000-07:00

The thing about practice is that

they say it makes perfect.

I have been knitting baby sweaters for practice.

Whatcha think?

I still have to block them and add buttons yet

Thats it from by the hills!

Until next time ;)

Summer Blooms

2007-08-06T23:57:00.001-07:00

Been A busy time By the hills!

No time to blog at all

Managed to take a few pictures of the plants in bloom.

Thats it from by the hills :)

2007-07-26T22:55:00.000-07:00

At a yard sale last weekend , I found some material for $2 a bundle.

I sewed up a pair of summer pjs for Moira today.
Its my own pattern and she is quite happy with them!

She is modeling them below!

Summer is keeping us busy here..
With farm life, haying, a bit of gardening, organizing things.
We had a heat wave recently but it seems to have gone back to more normal temps.

Thats it for now , from by the hills!
Cya again real soon!

Stash Organizing!

2007-07-04T20:26:00.001-07:00

I bit the bullet and hauled all the house stash out of the house

OK not including a few bags in the living room.

The kids helped me.

They dumped it right outside the door but they did help!!

Took more than a few hours.
BUT its DONE!!

Woohooo!

And the sun was shining so it was a lovely day.

Thats it from by the hills!

New Baby!!

2007-06-25T08:44:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning a new baby arrived on the farm :)

One of our younger ewes had a little ewe lamb.
AND I DO MEAN LITTLE!!

I weighed her and she was just under 4 lbs!

What a delicate looking little thing!
I checked her this morning and all is going well.

Will be checking her again in a few hours.

Thats it from By the Hills!

Baby Knitting

2007-06-19T17:51:00.000-07:00

There some twins expected in Dh's family so
I have been a knitting cute little baby stuff!

I used my own pattern for the little hats and socks.
I want to make a baby sweater set as well.
Will try to post pics when I do!!

That's it for now from By The Hills!

Wynyard Sports Day

2007-06-19T17:04:00.001-07:00

On Saturday we went to town for the sports days.

Pierce was in the school marching band for the parade.

Unfortunately the camera messed up and no pic of the band :(
I picked up some flowers for my flower beds and patio pots too!

Just a few pics of the blooms!

Just after dark , they shot off the fireworks. What a wonderful display!!

Did manage a few good pictures of those!

Thats it from by the hills

New Chicks!`

2007-06-06T20:34:00.000-07:00

One of our bantam hens sat patiently waiting for her eggs to hatch.
Of the nine she set on , 7 hatched.

Shes very protective of them. They arent all from her own eggs.
I gave her a variety from the henhouse lol.
So 4 black striped and 3 yellow striped ones.
Most of our hens are rare breeds.

Thats it, from by the hills!

Nature's Beauty

2007-06-03T18:23:00.001-07:00

Went for a quad ride with the kids today.
Deep into the forest.
Had a good few hours with just the kids.
Saw some awesome scenery and a bit of wild life.

Got a couple of great pictures of a wild orchid!

It's a really beautiful flower!

Close Up of the flowerIts more a red color than purple with no green at all in the plant.

Isnt it pretty??

This is a chain of small lakes in the back country.
They were formed by a glacier.

Had a great day ! Thats it from by the hills!

2007-05-23T12:20:00.001-07:00

MAY 23rd

It's snowing ! Can you believe that???

Mother nature sure is PMSing!!!

Hopefully it will stop soon but for now , its
showing no signs that.

Will keep you updated.
Thats it from by the hills

Outdoor Fiber Studio

2007-05-17T08:33:00.000-07:00

I have a mini carding studio on my back patio ;)

I took pics to show you

The chair is by the * picking station*
Note comfy seating, bagged fleece
and hydration receptacle on table.

The roving and batt processing station is at the opposite end of the
table.
Note all the HIGH tech equipment <>

This is my *home* electrified drum carder.
No , I didnt do this, I bought it this way!
BUT wow it is so HANDY!!

Thats it for now from By the Hills!

Tulips

2007-05-17T07:56:00.000-07:00

Here's some pictures of Tulips

I took everything out of the bed last fall and replanted

I put in creeping virginia, new tulip bulbs
and a few strawberry plants.

I love taking pictures :)

More later!

April Update

2007-05-14T07:07:00.000-07:00

Quick Update For April

As you may have noticed , April is none existent on the blog for by the hills.

It started out OK with me waiting NOT so patiently for spring.

April 1st My stepfather was taken to hospital on Maui
A week later he and my mother flew to Saskatoon by using
Air Medi Vac . The crew was wonderful.
My stepfather was admitted to the Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon.
After a brief but valiant struggle with cancer ,
he passed away April 16th in the later part of the evening.
April 26th , we traveled as a family to Lethbridge to the funeral.
We were home by the 29th.

I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone
who emailed best wishes and said prayers for my
stepfather and my family.

It was very much appreciated.
More than you can ever know.

That's it from by the hills.

Happy Mothers Day

2007-05-13T06:59:00.000-07:00

Mothers and daughters
Were daughters and mothers
Not so long ago.

We give and take
And take and give
Along time's endless row.

Love is passed
And love received
To be passed on again:

A precious heirloom
Twice, twice blessed,
A spiritual cardigan.

I'll put it on
And treasure it,
The me I have received,
And when the roles
Reverse again,
I'll have what I most need.

So may our love
Go on and on,

A hundred thousand years;
Mothers and daughters,
Daughters and mothers,
Through joys and other tears.

Happy Mothers Day
to all the Mothers and Daughters

Thats it from by the hills

Sheep and Lambs

2007-03-29T09:30:00.000-07:00

I was outside in the corral with the camera the other day.
Snapped a few pictures of the lambs , sheep and llama

Mama Luna keeping guard and being watchful

Watcha lookin' at???

Little ewe lamb pauses for a pose.

California Reds posed with a couple of their friends

Baby smiling while mum eats beside him

Tired out from playing , its nap time!

Lunchtime for this group.

Off to the barn , maybe will take more pics!

From By the Hills until next time!!

SNOW !! YES AGAIN!!!

2007-03-29T09:21:00.000-07:00

Monday and Tuesday it snowed .

The flakes were HUGE!

Thats the weather report from
By the Hills ;)

2007-03-29T08:54:00.000-07:00

Smelling like blue berries
and chocolate my tote
arrived on Wednesday March 28.

I opened the package and there it was :)

A lovely blue with brown
accented tote!

Big enough for all the *stuff* a gal would want to carry.

My partner is from Estonia, so this package has travelled a

LONG

distance to reach snowy

Saskatchewan

I looked up where exactly ESTONIA was.
Its by the baltic sea and is borded by Russia.

She also included a package of biscuits, a bar of white
chocolate with blueberries and two patterned mittens booklets.

Thank you very much to my partner for the awesome tote and
goodies!

Finished Tote

2007-03-13T15:01:00.000-07:00

I finished the tote I have been working on.

This is my SECOND Attempt. The first one I didn't like the way the yarn was looking so it became a frogged object.

I used hand spun and hand painted yarns to create the tote.
I am happy with the way it turned out!

Close up of front

Thats it from By The Hills!

Life By The Hills

2007-03-13T08:18:00.000-07:00

LGD's are relaxing in the sunshine after a night of guarding the flock

Shearing day
was Saturday March 10/2007

All the woolies have been trimmed
and I have SEVERAL lovely fleeces to spin and dye!

BEFORE Shearing

After Shearing

Friday March 9th 2007
saw the start of lambing season here on the farm.

This is CC, our part corridale.
She was the first to have a set of twin ewe lambs.
Both of the little girls are jet black.

Isn't that the sweetest little face??

" I just have to reach that ONE spot!!"

That's it from 'By the Hills'
I'm off to the barn to check on this mornings new lambs!
By for now

New Members of the Sheep Flock

2007-03-01T20:01:00.000-08:00

Yesterday started out looking like a great day to go pick up the two new ewes.

It was the day that old man winter decided to dump a snow storm on that part of the province. I was about an hour west of the manitoba border.

On the road for almost 12 hours , round trip.

Shouldnt have taken that long but with the weather acting up like it was, it did.

Apparently , the roads were closed where I was driving LOL .

It took almost double the time to drive about 125 miles?

Stayed on the road and made it home safely late evening last night.

Four wheel drive is a good thing ;)

*Baby with Catie bringing up the rear*
(they were named when I bought them)

I tried to get better picture of Catie but she seems to be camera shy

Thats it from By the Hills

Morning Visitors

2007-03-01T06:04:00.000-08:00

This morning just as it was getting light outside we discovered we had some *visitors*

They were walking down our drive.

Two white tail deer were just about at the house.

I managed to get one picture.

Another Year Gone By The Hills

2007-02-27T19:08:00.000-08:00

Sunday was our birthday.

February 25th

No I don't talk about myself in the third person lol

DH and I share the same birthdate.

He is a bit older than I am though. ;)

We went to Saskatoon for a very nice meal at a resturant

Doc Hollandaise

that makes the BEST ribs ever!

#6 -705 Central Ave
in Saskatoon .

( You can read about the resturant and its owner by clicking here)

Also spent a bit of time with our oldest son, who lives in the city.
Was nice to see him.
Don't get to that often.

Today Feb 27th

I finished knitting a sweater and hat.

I took of a picture of the set.
Isn't the model just a cutie?? lol

Its a sweater and hat for a teddy bear but I think it looks adorable on Moira's monkey !

Newest Sheep

2007-02-19T21:08:00.000-08:00

My friend , Cindy, stopped in to visit on her way to

Regina on Thursday the 15Th.

As as surprise she brought me the cutest little sheep :)

Her sister is the wonderful artist that created an adorable knitting sheep for me.
I collect TY beanie baby sheep and other like animals.
This is adorable sheep is my first * sculpted* one.

My Internet is shaky at best since Friday,
so I haven't been able to post much.

I just had to share picture of the newest sheep!
That's it from by the hills!

A Finished Object

2007-02-10T11:39:00.000-08:00

I like to do all sorts of hobbies - knitting, crocheting, making jewelry .

I just finished a pair of earring for me!!!

These are goldstone and moonstone gem beads on sterling silver with sterling accent beads.
I have an idea for a matching necklace that I may make too!

Cookies!!!!!!!

2007-02-08T20:46:00.000-08:00

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!COOKIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

LOTS AND LOTS OF THEM

Moira's class is having a party tomorrow

so I made cookies for her to take to school.

Hopefully the kids will like them!

Smells great in here right now!

SOCKS!!!!!!!!

2007-02-07T15:50:00.000-08:00

I used dollar store yarn ( ~ Charmin~ brand)

and knit up these black and red socks.

Aren't they fun looking???

Its Cold Out - Will Winter Never End?

2007-02-06T07:47:00.000-08:00

The icy grip of winter seems unending!
Our tractor will not start. Even plugged in and covered, no go!
No tractor, no way to move bales to feed critters.

So Mel put panels out around the bales closest to the barn yard.
The sheep and llamas are enjoying the feast!

I took some winter scenery shots

One of the trail into the wild life quarter .

One of the driveway

Keeping Warm

2007-02-04T11:52:00.000-08:00

It has been nasty cold here the last little while.

Tipper must have been a bit chilly. She crawled into the laundry basket of towels

Took out a towel and wrapped up in it.
It's a cat's roll !

NEW JOB!

2007-02-04T10:57:00.000-08:00

I have a new job :)
I am the permanent assisant library clerk at our town's library.
I am really enjoying it!

Books books and more books!
So far its an awesome job!

Robbie Burns Day

2007-01-25T07:17:00.000-08:00

In Scotland, every January 25,
they celebrate the birthday of their national poet, Robbie Burns Day!

More info on Robbie Burns day as well as recipes for Haggis and Tatties
(HERE)

My Mothers clan

Clan Sutherland

Highlander Wearing the Plaid of Clan Sutherland

( whatcha wearing under that kilt , wee laddie??? ) ;)

Guardian of the Yarn

2007-01-24T06:45:00.000-08:00

Kit is our 9 yr old Terrier Chihuahua.
She found a good spot to sit by me the other day.

She was guarding my yarn for me ;)

Will post more later from by the hills !

2007-01-21T21:11:00.000-08:00

New Years Surprise Exchange

Ooooh look at all these pretties!

4 balls of yarn

beads beads and beads :)

Containers for beads

elastic for beading and twine for jewelry

Im on this wonderful group and in an exchange. I received my package last week

Finally posting about it now !

Thank you to my partner !

Thats it from By The Hills

( More later)

2007-01-19T22:55:00.000-08:00

What type of Wool Are You??

I am Merino Wool.

You are very easygoing and sweet.

People like to keep you close because you are so softhearted.

You love to be comfortable and warm from your head to your toes.

Take this quiz!

2007-01-19T05:36:00.000-08:00

TGIF!

It's friday! And as one friend said

"we have been deemed worthy to have made it through another week"

Wednesday , I was busy beading and creating new abacus bracelets.
New ones can be seen on my website

Sewretro

Also knit some cute little baby socks this week

Compared to a week ago today its warmed up

4 °F / -16 °C
Windchill:
-6 °F / -21 °C

Sooo Much better than -43 C with windchill!

More later from By the Hills!

2007-01-15T14:49:00.000-08:00

I cast on for this hat yesterday.

Finished it today

Had thought It would be
great for hubby at work with the hard hat.

Not his style.
So into the stash box it goes!!

That is it for now from By The Hills!

2007-01-11T16:23:00.000-08:00

Another Snow Day

We were blown in the yard.
No school buses again today.
So now its become a DEEP FREEZER outside.

Windchill warnings ,exposed skin freezing in under 5 mins

Temperature:
-23 °F / -30 °C

Extreme wind chill minus 43 this evening.

Ahhhh , gotta love Saskatchewan in the Winter Time !!

Melly and I kept busy though.
We baked bread, cookies and buns.

Smells GOOD in the house LOL!!!

Thats it from By the COLD hills !!!!

2007-01-10T12:43:00.000-08:00

Finished Project.
WORK SOCKS !!!!

Size 12 Mens
My Own Pattern

2007-01-10T05:54:00.000-08:00

Blizzard Warning in effect....
Today
Blizzard. Snowfall amount 5 to 10 cm. Wind southeast 40 km/h gusting to 60. High minus 9.

That's the weather for today.

The school buses aren't running and my kids won't be going to school.

I knew that we would be paying for the nice weather over christmas, I knew it!

More later .. I'll be keeping the wood furnace burning
By the Hills!

2007-01-02T23:34:00.000-08:00

I did a bit of spinning today, sock yarn. The green tweedy yarn is 50 % wool 50% mohair. The purple yarn is 50% wool 50% mohair. I should have enough for two pair of each color.

It was a beautiful day today 35 F or 1 C .

Very nice for this time of year. Right now the temperature is 42 F or 5 C.

I will probably be plying and spinning again tomorrow.
Will keep you updated!

Gnite from By The Hills!

2006-12-31T13:18:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!

Wishing you and yours a very happy new years.

May 2007 be the best ever!!!

We decided to spend the evening home with the kids.
I've been making soap today I will post pictures when it goes into moulds.
Its a lovely sunny day here By The Hills in Saskatchewan :)

2006-12-29T10:39:00.000-08:00

I was out taking a few pictures today. Its a lovely sunny Saskatchewan day by the edge of the Little Touchwood hills. The frost on the trees makes it almost jewel-like!

2006-12-28T20:51:00.000-08:00

It's almost the start of a New Year so I started a New blog!

I was involved in an exchange. Wow was I lucky!

I received a hand knit hat and scarf set in alpaca yarn. So lovely!

My friend also sent me the 2007 Pattern a Day Calender.. It looks so cool!!
There are two soaps, one a candy cane shape the other has a polar bear on it. There is a magnetic note pad with sweet little stockings on it too! The snow man key chain is just adorable isn't it??

I had fun with this exchange. It was lots of fun!!

Knitting Project--

I am working on a pair of mittens. Just a simple pattern , something mindless for now lol!

Ok thats if for my first post.. Come again :) I'll be here - By The Hills!