2020 batch of peepers

I just... I love chickens. And I love eating their eggs. And I sell most of my extras to friends/family/clients. And I'm moving to a bigger space soon. So... more chickens it is.

On May 14th, I went to Higby's and picked up a Gold Laced Wyandotte, Cuckoo Maran, and Welsummer. 

Cuckoo Maran

Gold Laced Wyandotte

Welsummer

Sadly a week and a half later, the Wyandotte and Maran were wandering the greater pen and got themselves stuck between two sheets of hardware cloth, and died of exposure in the sun. I didn't want to leave the Welsummer all by herself, so the next morning I returned to Higby's to see what they still had available. I had originally planned to return for 3 more chicks the next month - they had scheduled Russian Spangled Orloffs and Norwegian Jaerhons to arrive on a future date, and I like getting rare breeds. I was shocked to find that the hatchery had changed the order schedule since the last time I checked it, and those two breeds had been rescheduled for the day before! And then for some reason the post office hadn't delivered them yet, so they were expected later that very day! There was a sign up sheet, and I was now at the very bottom, but was only the order of how people were to be contacted - if I showed up right after they called me, I still stood a chance at the rare breeds.

Sure enough, that afternoon I got the call and raced back. I was able to pick up a Spangled Orloff, Jaerhon, Speckled Sussex (one of my favorites; I've had two before but both died young), and Barred Rock. I had room for one more, so I grabbed a second Jaerhon as backup. (The Spangled Orloffs had already been all picked up between my first one and when I decided to get a backup chick!)

Barred Rock

First Norwegian Jaerhon

Second Norwegian Jaerhon

Russian Spangled Orloff

Speckled Sussex

Okay, I have 6 new chicks, of breeds I wanted, I'm all set, right? It's just too bad I ended up not getting any Easter Eggers. I was hoping to add more blue/green eggs to my basket...

Four days later, I have to stop by Western Ranch, and they have a small number of Easter Eggers that are a little older but still small enough to put in with the 6 babies. I brought 2 home. Oops.

2 Easter Eggers

Darker Easter Egger

Lighter Easter Egger

I purposefully picked ones that had very different shading, and it's still easy to tell them apart as pullets.

We haven't had any more incidents and they're all doing well, although some of them are escape artists. Fortunately there are very few predators out here. They'll get a more secure run at the new place.

Knitting/crochet update: Hamilton shawl, seamless cat hat, dog sweater for Frank

 I call this my Whimsically Informed shawl (Hamilton shawl). I was hoping to wear it to a show, but sadly the pandemic cancelled the rest of the San Francisco run before I finished it.

Seamless cat hat needed alternations because the "small" size was made to be less tall, but not smaller in circumference. Came out a little short. But cute.

Perfect Fit Dog Sweater for Frankie needed a TON of alterations as I went, despite measuring and calculating carefully. You can see that it's still a little baggy behind his armpits. I wrote down the final pattern, and a couple more alterations I'd do for next time, so now I can make as many sweaters for Frank as I want. I was REALLY hoping this would be a one-skein-of-Malabrigo-Rasta project, but sadly it was 1.25.

I am mostly done with my very first sweater, the Moyen Age. I had taken a break when I got to the sleeves because I dislike magic loop and DPNs. I do best with tiny circulars. I put off buying the set of ChiaoGoo size 4-8 shorties until I had a little more money, and the right sleeve is in progress now.

In the meantime I started a Criss Cross Top that is one color on the back and split into left and right colors on the front. The back is all done.

Kryptonite Lace Shawl and amigurumi Narwhals are floating around as easy travel projects.