Do you know the term "mothering up?" I didn't until I heard it on Sweetgrass that amazing SHEEP Movie I told you about about a month ago. I knew it happens every evening when dusk arrives and the lamb races are over but I just didn't know the word for it. The lambs look for their mamas, have a drink of milk and then lie down next to them. It's almost like bedtime story hour for lambs.
I've been feeding the bottle lambs every evening around 7 p.m. I'm all alone with ALL the sheep. It's rather peaceful in a mildly chaotic way - sheep and lambs all around and the only ones that are worried about the food are my noisy crew of eight who don't have mamas. I'm down to twice a day and truth be told, 4 of them should be off of the milk. But I'm babying them, what can I say?
We've got another bit of mothering going on here...... The day after our wonderful mama cat Lily Pons passed from the world, her 3 year old daughter Annika had her first litter of kittens. I didn't think she could have babies since she was yet to have a litter. Quite a miracle of nature... one cat passes and the next day, 4 beautiful little kittens arrive. She is doing an awesome job.
There are 3 beautiful fluffy medium haired black and white patchy kittens and one classic striped short haired tiger kitten with a white chest like her mom. They are at the incredibly cute stage right now! We are having lots of cuddling fun with all of them. Lots of kitten photos to come. If you are interested in a kitten, please email me. They will be ready to go to their new homes just around Easter.
I call this one "the intrepid explorer." Have you heard that quote from Jules Champfleury? "There is no more intrepid explorer than a kitten." It is rather perfect.
Today's blogiversary giveaway comes to you via the fine folks at Storey Publishing. Storey is what I would consider the top "homesteading" publisher in the USA. They do many, many different kinds of books - cooking, baking, animal husbandry, crafts, knitting, healthy living, and more. Their books are clearly written, full of vital how-to information, and great photos. I have been lucky to have them publish two books of mine - Colorful Stitchery and Kristin Knits. This giveaway is awesome:
Bread Making - I've spent lots of time making bread this winter. This book looks fab.
Chick Days - you all need chicks this year, don't you?
Maple Sugar - that sweet stuff that is running at full tilt here in western Massachusetts
Put Em Up - making that garden produce of this summer last until next winter
The Backyard Homestead - everything you need to know for homesteading in the country, the suburbs or the city
Question: What is the one new thing you want to learn or do this upcoming summer? It doesn't need to be a homesteading thing - it can be anything.
Please don't forget to leave an easy way to get a hold of you! Good luck everyone!
Added Monday April 4, 2011....The winner is Jessica who said: I need to start learning how to knit lace! (what can I say, I'm scared!) Thank you for the wonderful giveaway! And for all the baby animals! Pretty much made my day :)
Thanks so much for entering everyone!
114 comments:
Wow! What an amazing giveaway!
This is a summer of goals, including:
* Write a few dissertation chapters. By few, I mean three.
* Learn how to make jelly. I love jam, but I want to figure out jelly.
* I also want to finish up the two quilts that I've been meaning to get to for forever. Really, I've never finished a quilt before so the idea of sewing the binding on them is terrifying.
So much to learn, so little time! I have a whole list of things I want to learn, eventually, but most will have to wait until retirement. To narrow it down, I would like to try my hand at making fermented foods, like sauerkraut, kefir, etc. I hardened cider last year - it was delish!
I want to teach my 8 year old daughter to knit russian style like me - she's ready! I also want to explore keeping Bees on our homestead. Thanks for such a great giveaway!
I would love to finish teaching myself how to tat - I knew once but seem to be all thumbs now :)
wow things I want to learn this summer...the list as always is endless....
my main goal is to learn new skills and when sewing clothing, smocking is high on the list, and becoming better at following a pattern.
i'd also like to complete a few projects that have been abandonned in my basket
after the sewing improvement comes the knitting!
these books look fabulous- thanks
hope you and julia are well. have you heard from simmy and her fam recently? i have not, maybe we will see you at Elmers and the Ashfield Lake this Summer
-t
http://plantinggreendreams.wordpress.com/
http://blazingstarherbalschool.typepad.com/
I would love to learn to grow my own herbs in our tiny home. I know it's super easy if you have a window box, we live in a tiny condo with very limited light exposure and none in the kitchen. I would LOVE to grow my own herbs though!
cortney.rotz@gmail.com
Gee there's a good question. What don't I want to learn or improve on? I'd like to be a profficient preserver and I would like to go back to sewing my own clothes again.
I enjoy the blog, thanks so much for sharing your world with us.
What an exciting and useful giveaway! This spring I am learning to raise chickens and how to grow my own food in the backyard. It's a big undertaking which I think will reap big rewards. Hooray for homesteading!
MountainGirlVintage.blogspot.com
I want ot learn how to make a souffle.. Sounds high and mighty but I think doable... So in a baking mode
RAVID: Atareen
I would like to learn how to weave. And to spin better, I'm self taught, I'd love to take some classes.
This spring/summer, I want to finish my vegetable garden. It needs a permanent fence but for now, as long as I can keep the deer out, I'm doing OK. I want to try some new herbs and veggies too. All of the books in your giveaway would fing a good home here:)
I'm a semi-new quilter and this summer I'd like to try a quilt with curves. Scary!!
Cute overload on the kittens! Great pics!
This summer... Very difficult to pick just ONE thing. I suppose my number one goal is to clear and level a garden area for next year, and build raised beds for the more gopher sensitive plants. This year's garden may not be so grand, but I'm determined to have a nice big garden next year!
I want to learn to weave with proper selvages. I want to finally figure out how my flower beds can look good all season long.
Chicks were last year's project...what a blast! I would love more hints for saving my produce goodness!
Jane
My summer project is to raise one new vegie in my garden. Our climate here is western Nebraska can be a challenge. Also finish quilting at least 1 of the tops I have in the pile and finish my first pair of knitted socks on the 2 at a time method. Yarn----oh so sweet. I live just over the hill from Browns Wool. rsbertram@yahoo.com
I am a sucker for a giveaway! I would like to learn to spin. There is a grain mill near my home that hosts civil war reenactments. They were a station on theunderground railroad. They need a woman to spin and demo the whole process. But my hesitation is that I do NOT need another obsession to suck up my life!
Sara
sarabyron@att.net
I've fed three baby goats at one time before. I don't even want to THINK about 8 lambs! You really must be Superwoman.
Hmm. What I want to learn this summer... What don't I want to learn? I want to learn felting, how to make homemade cleansers that work, how to manage my website without constantly looking at a guide to do it, and how to make bread without my machine. I'm skeered of that last one.
Most importantly, I want to learn how to be less crabby!
The lambs and kittens are adorable! Thanks for having the giveaway. I'd love to look at Put 'Em Up. I'm really hopeful I'll do better at my garden this year. Last year we had a rabbit problem, and the seedlings I'd started indoors didn't do well. My seedlings are under a grow light this year, and they seem to be growing more quickly, so my fingers are crossed!
I want to learn to take better photographs but I also want to learn to can pickles. I usually make refrigerator pickles but I want to make some canned too.
I want to learn to use the serger that my mom passed down to me. Happy continued blogiversary and thanks for sharing such wonderful goodies with us!
What a great givewaway!! I want to read all of these.
What I am trying to learn right now is baking with sourdough. I'm hoping to perfect that by the summer so I can provide all our family's bread.
I'm also learning to spin on a wheel.
Specific to summer would be to get much better at gardening!
I am sort of glad you're too far away for me to claim any kittens, we already have 4 cats which is over the legal limit in my town but I'm a sucker for those fluffy little guys...
This summer... what I need to learn is how to keep my house decluttered. We accumulate so much stuff and in the summer I get try to get rid of some of it. What I would like to learn though would probably be how to make bread from scratch.
lebel.marg@gmail.com
I want to learn more about bees and chickens. I have been wanting to jump into both for a long while, and am seriously going to try this year.
~ I wish to learn to garden better & store my own healthy foods, due to my cancer diagnosis. I need to grow far more GREENS !!
In the creative area, I wish to learn to spin with a drop spindle ~
The kitties are precious. Julia must be loVing them too ~
Shell ~
~ p.s. My contact for Shell~ is:
YarnSoup@yahoo.com
This summer, or fall I guess, I would like to learn how to keep my dahlia tubers inside so that I can enjoy the same ones next year. I tried once but was unsuccessful. I would also like to do a better job of eating all the lettuce that grows in my garden! haha.
I would like to learn to be less driven and try being instead of doing...
I want to learn how to can vegies and fruit. My mom used to have canning weekends and I wasn't old enough to learn then. Now I want to be able to eat my garden even in December.
Plant and harvest veggies. I THINK I can do it with no problems.. just not sure. Threw some tiny potato pieces in the ground a few weeks ago and now I have plants! How easy is that? Now on to cucumbers, tomatoes and squash... oh and beans and hmmmmm what else? It's Spring along the California coast yeah!
to do this summer: more time together as a family; finally landscape our yard a bit; continue learning new ways to use all the fabulous CSA veggies we receive - and get the kids to eat them! also, take better care of our own garden - once the peas are done, it turns into a weed patch. tackle the realm of canning veggies. annegp on ravelry
This summer I'm going to learn to can and make jam! Lots of U-Pick places here in the PNW, so I will take advantage of that.
I want to get over my dislike of sewing this summer. I also want to learn how to make laminated dough, but summer's not the time for that!
Kristin,
I love those kittens. I'm a cat lover and have 3 kittens that i need homes for too. But you just fall in love with them and it's hard to do.
But on to the question you asked, my precious mother made the best sweet 14 day pickles and since she is gone now I've been lucky to get some from one of her sisters who is now 82 years old. I think the time has come for me to take the plunge and learn to do this myself. I love these pickles and it is just a part of my mother that I miss so making them will be with her in spirit.
I want to learn to bake bread (don't laugh, I never had a chance to learn) and to make and can jams. I love the kittens . . . and the lambs.
What an awesome group of books! I want to learn how to garden most successfully in my Pacific NW coastal climate!
I would love to learn to spin; but am going to settle for learning to knit lace.
What a wonderful giveaway. I've always wanted to learn how to "grow" chickens! We have lots of coyotes and occasional rattlers so I don't know if that's a good idea or not where we live. But, I'd sure love to give it a try.
tehachapisockcompany@gmail.com
I think that the "Put It Up" book may come in handy... I'm planning to actually have some garden food left in December. But I'm a novice at canning and freezing so I must learn.
Also, I need to learn to make cheese with the milk from my goat, Nelly.
artsiehorse @ gmail . com
I would like to learn how to knit myself a sweater! I've conquered socks and now need to get up the nerve to try a simple sweater.
Sandy Harsh
sandyharsh@gmail.com
I would like to learn to say 'no', to have better control over the projects I am committed to, and to finish two sweaters that have been on the needles far too long!
michelecorbeil@gmail.com
I think this giveaway is simply amazing!! A number of those books are on my list to get and have so much to do with what I want to learn this summer... We are new to country living and gardening so I have much to learn about gardening, our new chicks and old chickens and I also want to learn about how to prepare wool and make it into yarn! A great thrifting find has me itching to learn!
CPR, it's one of my New Year's resolutions.
I want to learn to do Norwegian Hardanger embroidery well.
I need to start learning how to knit lace! (what can I say, I'm scared!)
Thank you for the wonderful giveaway! And for all the baby animals! Pretty much made my day :)
homewithjessica (a) gmail (dot) com
What great timing: one of my goals for this summer is to regularly visit our neighborhood farmers market and preserve a whole lot more food than I have in the past. I would also kind of like to learn to make yogurt and maybe some cheese. Maybe.
my goals for this summer are:
- see if i can manage more than herbs in my tiny garden
- find a way to dry/preserve some of the herbs and keep them for this winter
- visit my local green markets more, since i moved it's not as easy as when i lived in brooklyn (who knew?)
- learn to weave on the 4 harness loom i'm building out of pvc.
- get my driver's license at age 31. (will make visiting green markets much easier..).
happy blogiversary!
This summer I would like to learn to spin sock weight yarn and to learn some additional canning recipes.
Pinknewf on Ravelry/Molly
Lovely site!
This summer I want to build my dairy! I'm starting a sheep dairy in Oregon, reclaiming an old cow dairy farm. Very close to finalizing the design.
By the way, I also love "Lily Pons" as a name for a kitty. An amazing singer.
I want to learn to put up veggies from my husband's garden - this is only the second year we will have a little garden - last year I froze a little, but not very effectively. I'm eyeing the Put Em Up book - would love to win! ;)
I am hoping to make time to learn basic cheese-making this summer. But I would settle for making a lot of pickles!
I have wanted to learn to spin for a while, especially cotton since I live in the south. I'm preparing for this by planting cotton in my vegetable garden! Three browns, two greens and a white pima. Put me down for wanting the books.
Phyllis
I want to learn to make my grandmother's bread 'n butter pickles. Last summer my mother brought me my grandmother's equipment so now I need to grow the cucumbers.
This experience has special meaning because March 27, 2011 would have been Grandma's 100th birthday.
I would really love to learn how to make a delicious loaf of whole grain bread!
I would like to learn to make yogurt. I'm really really keen to give it a try.
Whoa! There are so many. I'd like to learn how to make all the basics such as mayonnaise, etc so more of what we eat is made at home. Jo
It is easy to reach me at jmorgan762@comcast.net
When I commented I forgot to say that it's lucky you are on the east coast and I am in Colorado or I would be beating your door down begging to adopt one of those adorable black and white kittens. Jo
This summer I want to do one thing-Learn how to use my double bed knitting machine. Of course it's got to get here first! lol
This summer I want to actually make a 'hard' (aged) cheese with my goat's milk...a farmhouse cheddar I think!
You may reach me at grdepa@yahoo.com
That's easy....our chicks are ordered and we're just waiting for them to arrive! They're little house went up yesterday and looks so cute waiting for arrival.
Those books look awesome! I want to learn how to compost :)
I would like to learn how to spin better and how to use a weaving loom. All the books great.
I want to make more vegetarian meals that satisfy my hungry farmer!
jduskwind at gmail dot com
I want to learn how to be a better mother to my adult children. They are both grown & on their own. Our son is married & has blessed me with 3 grandchildren. I am finding it a challenge to understand how to still be mom, but be the one they need me to be today. I'm on Ravelry as "Auntea".
Love the lambs and kittens...
I want to learn to make socks on my antique circular sock machine.
Norma
I feel like Cookie Monster when I see kittens. KITTENS! Om nom nom nom nom.
This summer, I want to learn my family's genealogy.
Wow. This assortment of books is hitting all of my points of interest right now. As for your question, I am approaching my second growing season as a homeowner and am looking to learn how to better store our garden goods in our root cellar.
Thanks for hosting this great giveaway.
I would love to learn how to make soap and the other thing I REALLY want to do this year is.. knit bedroom slippers like my aunt knit for me as a child. I get all sentimental just thinking about them.
Kathy
I want to learn to make candy. It is a tough thing as you must monitor temps and use the right ingredients.
I'm a new spinner. I want to learn how to either draft faster or pedal slower. I want to learn how to navajo ply.
We're trying (for the third year) to start a garden. Hopefully we're now wiser than we were before and it will be a yummy success!
For those of us in the SOUTHERN hemisphere, it's winter. I'm wanting to learn lace knitting and Adobe Photoshop elements!
What is the one new thing you want to learn or do this upcoming summer?
I would like to learn how to take really good closeup photos of my veggies in my garden this summer! They always look great on the plate, but I want to capture their beauty "on the vine" so to speak.
Your new lambs and kittens are sweet and lovely. I have a small sheep farm in Poland (about 60 sheep), make cheese, bake bread in a big bread oven outside my house.
Last winter I had 4 orphaned lambs so I know how hard it could be with 8. You are really superwomen.
My plan is to learn to spin better by hand my own raw wool and to learn weaving with the loom.
Greetings from Poland and good wishes for You and Your farm inhabitans
Owca Rogata (Ewe with horn in translations)
beatapiekalska@o2.pl
Summer always seems to fly by so quickly and I always find myself wondering why I didn't get the time to do everything I wanted to do, so this year I want to learn how to make the most of my summer.
I have already started working on one new project for this summer. I am growing plants from seeds for my flower bed. Usually I just buy already started plants from the local nursery. I have been visiting some gardening sites online to learn how to keep the seedlings growing and the best times to plant them in my area. It is fascinating to me to see how they are growing each day. I can't wait until I can plant them outside and watch them bloom.
onlyonce@ymail.com
what a great giveaway, indeed! as we wait for our two wooly sheep to be shorn, i really want to learn to spin on a wheel. i've been doing the drop spindle for several months, but now i'm ready for the big wheel!
I would like to learn to speak Spanish.
This summer I want to learn more about companion planting and getting more out of the space in my garden. Also, want to learn bead weaving with my son since he has joined a Native American dance group.
I plan to learn this summer a method of teaching children to knit! I'm having a knitting camp for my six-year old twin granddaughters and a seven-year old and a six-year old great-granddaughter. I'm looking forward to it and want it to be a fun experience and the beginning of a life-long passion.
Pat
What I MUST learn - how to manage a mid-stage Alzheimer's patient. What I want to learn - really good thread crochet with a goal to make some beautiful coasters for Christmas gifts. What I will learn - some practical beginner's info on keeping chickens to get me closer to my goal of keeping a few in future.
I'm determined to learn how to can this summer. I get yearning for the tastes of summer in February and would love to be able to have a taste from warmer days. I'd also like to learn how to do paper piecing as it seems very portable and MAYBE relaxing!
Thank you for such a great opportunity and for sharing your world with us. My husband and I will be moving to the Eastern Shore of Maryland sometime in the next year. We are hoping to raise a small number chickens. My goals for this summer are to learn about chickens and to finish quilting a quilt for my husband. Nancy P
I want to learn to make a beautiful and flaky pie crust for the summer fruits!
I'd like to learn how to grow potatoes and garlic!
bookboxer @ ravelry
What a great giveaway! And your babies are precious!
This summer I want to learn, along with my campers, how to felt a rug in a kiddie pool. Should be very interesting:-)
fiberlooney@yahoo.com
I plan to learn natural dyeing - wool and fabric. I have some plants started in little peat pots that hopefully will grow to provide me with a dye source. One is cosmos and the other is unpronouncable, given to me at a natural dyeing workshop I took in March.
I love to try new things. I had a great time making butter the other day, thanks to you.
I would like to put up more food. I've made jams before but no more than that. And I would like to revamp my entire wardrobe.
I would love to learn how to make cheese this summer.
My sister and I are going to learn to kayak.
flgirl1987 AT yahoo DOT com
I really, really, really want chickens!
sissyjane98@yahoo.com
I would like to learn how to make my mom's homemade raspberry (seedless) jelly! amyroz on ravelry.
I actually have a list of things I really, and I mean REALLY, want to learn to do. I guess the top would be learning to bake a good loaf of bread. I tried once and ended up with a rock hard football. I also tried canning once, but couldn't get my pressure canner up to the right temperature on my electric stove, so I ended up throwing everything away. Canning is definitely on my list too. But I also want to learn to make cheese. So much to learn, so little time! I love seeing all your photos. Wish I could live the same way. Thanks for the contest.
Oh those kittens..but my two cats are already jealous of one another, not pretty! I really want to learn Fair Isle and color work. I am left-handed and the diagrams just don't make sense. I guess I will just have to take a class someday. I recently mastered SSK which is huge for me!
On my summer vacation I want to:
1. Build an earth oven in the garden and host pizza party nights.
2. Spend time with children who are growing up way too fast. (now ages 19, 17, and 14)
You will find me at:
kimgoodling@yahoo.com
What is the one new thing you want to learn or do this upcoming summer?
I want to be settled with my husband in the same town. Actually, spring would be even better.
And I'd like to read more about maple syrup.
jescrubbedATaol.com
This summer I'd like to learn how to grow sugar snap peas. My husband is usually the gardener and I am the cook, but sugar snaps are not on his list. So I will snare a piece of the garden, prepare the soil and give it a try, if only spring will ever come here in Maine!
I want to learn how to spin. It's been on my "want to learn" forever and it's time!
I would like to learn to grow fabulous cauliflower; the last time I tried it wasn't fit to eat.
This summer I want to learn to ride a horse. Horseback riding is part of my fantasy self that I yearn to realize. Last summer I spoke with the capable horsewomen of New Hampshire who took me around the stable, and explained they would have me work around the horses in their stalls to become comfortable handling them and to learn about their ways. This is work I would relish doing before I earn the reward to freely gallop.
spinning alpaca
I have alpaca - my sister and I have a 'herd' of 4 and I want to learn to spin and since I have alpaca I want to learn to spin alpaca
Make pickles. I enjoy your blog. Thanks for a chance to win!
What a generous and uber great giveaway!! four have been on my wish list! (love Storey)
1. To play my dulcimer with confidence
2. to master baking bread in the dutch oven over the camp fire... without the bottom or top either being burnt. :)
3. Finish housebreaking our new puppy that will join us in two weeks!
Oh boy, comment 1-0-4.
I want to be able to learn....just ONE thing?!???
Can I pick just one thing? I don't know....that's why the 'library' of books would do be good!
(btw - looking at acreage now, while living on a 30 x 80 lot - big changes ahead!)
I want to learn how to walk without limping, after I get my new knee on May 3rd, and I hear it will take the whole summer! Then, at the end of summer I want to be able to go on a walk with my family!!
webksiemsen@lisco.com
I'd like to grow a small garden with my kids and to get better at drop spindling. Thanks for the chance to get some wonderful books!
Tricia
thefankells@mesanetworks.net
I planted straw bale gardens this year to try something new. However, I really want to learn to make soap.
I want to learn how to spin our Angora goats fiber "in the locks" This will be quite the challenge for me!!
Thanks for the pics of the kittens! Just too cute! I also love the pics of the lambs as well. Wonderful that Ask the Farmer is back! I really think you could pitch that as a column..I would definitely read it weekly!
Hmm...things to do this summer. I want to learn more about bees. Also, try to get some pickles and salsa up. Try to keep my tomatoe plants alive from the heat of NC. Go to a couple of baseball games. Try to declutter my life and my house! The list is endless!
There are so many things I'd like to learn this summer but the top three are:
1. How to grow tomatoes! I've never had a green thumb.
2. How to can. I love to make preserves and jams and it would be great if I could can them!
3. How to knit intarsia. It mystifies me but there are so many great uses for it!
Jaia on Ravelry
Learn to take decent pictures so that I can show my projects on Ravelry!
-- Gretchen
stashdragon on Rav
I have a friend who has chickens in the city. I want to learn more about that before taking the plunge.
javieknits on ravelry
What a generous giveaway!
I want to finish at least 2 of the knitting projects on my needles this summer. By the time I finish my granddaughter's stuffed animal, she can take it off to college with her!! Need to get going!
Thanks for your wonderful blog.
Ruth
rcoughlin@thetasystems.net
My goal for the summer is to re-landscape my yard. We had some sort of critter that ate everything.
Two projects for this summer: to conquer my fear of free-motion quilting, and to learn the fundamentals of Photoshop. Oops, I lied--I may also try to introduce a new hen into my established flock of five! That would be a milestone...Thanks for the opportunity!
Megan Hollinger
mmhollinger@yahoo.com
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