A New Rescue Kitten - Mowgli

Saturday afternoon our daughter called to tell us that our son had called her wanting to know if she could come get a little feral/stray kitten and take care of it. Apparently a momma kitty had kittens under the bay window at our son's house. While she was moving kittens to a new location she either dropped one or he wandered off while she was moving the others. Our granddaughter found a kitten and picked it up and brought it into the house. Momma didn't come back for him. So, they called our daughter, knowing she has experience with raising tiny kittens. We went down the mountain to Colorado Springs on Sunday to see the kitten. He is one of the cutest little kittens I've ever seen. Because our daughter works a full-time job and because this little guy is young enough that he needs to be bottle fed, I offered to take him and raise him. It just makes more sense because I work from home and can feed him every few hours without any problems. I think he is probably about 4 weeks old. One of our male cats, Munchkin, was a rescued feral kitten that we also bottle fed and he loves helping to take care of kittens.

Here is little Mowgli

And here is little Mowgli with Uncle Munchkin

And I took a video with my digital camera (I've never used this feature before!)
 I had just fed little Mowgli his bottle and Munchkin was laying behind us on the chair so I set Mowgli up with Munchkin and Munchie started to clean little Mowgli.

Isn't Munchkin just the best surrogate Momma cat?! He loves taking care of kittens.

Lalo and Kitten

This morning I came out of my office and found Lalo, our former foster kitten, a Tonkinese mix male, "hugging" one of the foster kittens. I ran back into my office and grabbed the camera and managed to get a couple of good shots of them. snuggling. I just love how my cats get along so well with the foster kittens!

New Foster Kittens!

We have new fosters kittens! Last Wednesday we picked up three little eight week old kittens - all dilute orange tabby males. Eli, Elmo and Elton are their names.

Here are the three of them - for some reason they insisted on sleeping on the toilet seat - go figure.

It is Elton in the back, Elmo in the middle and Eli in the front. Its hard to tell them apart just looking at them so the shelter put different colored collars on them with their names written on them. We're learning to tell them apart by personality though. They are probably the sweetest, friendliest litter of kittens we've ever fostered.

Eli is quiet and reserved, a bit shy, but he loves people and is perfectly content to sit in one of our laps and purr. Or he's happy laying on the sheepskin rug in Jim's office. Elton, on the other hand, has earned the nickname "Mountain Goat" or "MG" because he climbs everything. He can't sit still; he has to be on the move and exploring everywhere. He's learned that the dogs are fun to play with but I think he's getting tired of getting a bath when playing with them. Annie, my Aussie, loves to lay down with Elton between her paws, licking and licking and licking on him. And little Elmo is in between. Sometimes he's content to lay in one place and nap and other times he's off with Elton playing.

Today I was taking photos of some new fleeces and I got some really good pics of Elmo playing on the back of the chair.

But soon it was nap time for little Elmo.

Happy Mother's Day!

Wishing my Mom and all the other Mom's out there a very Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Easter!

Wishing everyone a blessed Easter today.

My Fleeces are Back from the Mill!! Llama Rovings Now Available!

Several months ago I sent three fleeces to the mill to be processed into roving. I sent a first shearing fleece from our gorgeous silver/gray male, Tempis Fugit. This fleece has been sitting in my studio for a few years, waiting for me to decide what to do with it. It was extremely clean, ultra-soft and an incredible silver/gray color.

Here is a photo of Tempis Fugit - he has earned enough Grand Champion awards at halter to earn his ALSA Halter Champion award!

 

And here is a photo of his first shearing rovings

I also sent in Tempis Fugit's second shearing fleece. It processed into a similar roving that is slightly darker and only slightly less fine than the first shearing.

These rovings are available for sale. I will probably hold back at least one bump of the first shearing for my personal spinning stash. The rest is offered at $4.50/oz for the first shearing fiber and $4.00/oz for the second shearing fiber.

The first shearing fiber bumps are as follows:

8.3 oz = $37.35

10 oz = $45.00
10.6 oz = $47.70

I have an 11.6 oz bump in stock but I think that is the one I will hold back for my own stash.

The second shearing fiber bumps are as follows: (all prices are plus shipping/handling)

8.2 oz = $32.80

10.8 oz = $43.20
12.1 oz = $48.40

I had some gorgeous rich dark chocolate brown rovings available from a first shearing of Primoris Filius (First Son in latin - he is Tempis Fugit's first son) but that fiber sold quite quickly. I'm going to share a photo of the llama and the fiber though, because it is so gorgeous!

Here is Primoris Filius aka Fil after shearing

And the bumps of his first shearing roving

My Somewhere Over The Rainbow Collection made it to the Front Page of ArtFire!

My Somewhere Over The Rainbow Collection made it to the Front Page of ArtFire this morning!

Happy Monday everyone!

Sorry, I've been AWOL again - A tribute to Gigi

I apologize for being absent from the blog, yet again, recently. I have a very good excuse and this time it isn't good news.

On March 29th our little toy poodle, Gigi, started vomiting. She seemed to feel okay otherwise so I wasn't too alarmed. I fed her some boiled rice with low sodium chicken broth on Tuesday night and she gobbled it down but vomited some of it back up. I thought it was perhaps because she had eaten too fast on an empty stomach. On Wednesday when she showed no interest in food but was drinking plenty of water and throwing up some of the water, I decided to take her to the vet, just in case.

We decided that since she had a normal temp and wasn't exhibiting any other symptoms we would start with a conservative approach first. The vet gave her an injection of Cerenia to alleviate the urge to vomit, gave her some SQ fluids and sent home a box of 5 Cerenia tablets to give her for the next five days. She had a somewhat restless night on Wednesday and seemed to feel better on Thursday. Thursday evening she was a bit more restless and uncomfortable so I put her little bed in the bathroom and turned a nightlight on for her. I put her water bowl and food dish right next to her bed and woke up several times throughout the night to check on her.

Friday morning she was really groggy but I had given her some Benedryl the night before to help her sleep (the vet gave his approval for the Benedryl) so I didn't think much of it. She came into my office with me and curled up in her bed behind my chair. All of a sudden she gasped and went rigid. I immediately picked her up and tried to get her to stand up, which she was unable to do. I picked her up and carried into hubby's office across the hall and he agreed that something was most definitely not right. I called the vet's office and they told me to head in right away. I was still in my bathrobe and slippers so I quickly dressed while hubby kept an eye on her. We put her in the car on the front seat on a towel so I could keep an eye on her while I drove her to the vet's.

It is at least a 30 minute drive into town and my little girl crossed The Rainbow Bridge when we were about halfway into town. She crossed over with my hand on her and my voice calling the angels to guide her. After she stopped breathing I was sobbing so hard I was afraid I was going to pass out so I had to calm myself down before I had a wreck. I continued on to the vet's office and carried her in, sobbing to them that I thought she was already gone. Fortunately nobody else was at the vet's office so they got me in immediately. The vet listened for a heartbeat, then put his arms around me and gently told me that she was gone. I was hysterical. I couldn't believe it. He started to tell me what my options were for her and I immediately told him she was coming back home with me because I wanted to bury her someplace where I could visit her grave. The vet gently wrapped little Gigi in the towel and carried her to the car for me and placed her in the passenger seat. He hugged me and told me how very sorry he was for my loss and while I was sobbing hysterically he urged me to please come back inside until I was a bit more calm; he was worried that I wouldn't be able to drive home. So I went back inside and his staff hugged me and told me how sorry they were, handed me a box of tissues and offered me a private room if I wanted it. I spent a little while crying and blowing my nose, then thanked them for everything. I asked them to please send me a bill for the visit and the vet told me there was no charge whatsoever for what he had done for me. He hugged me and said "we love you, please drive home carefully". I assured them all that I loved them and thanked them for all they had done for me and for Gigi.

I am so grateful to my vet and his staff for their compassion, not only for the animals that they treat, but for the people who share their lives with these animals. Several days after Gigi passed I received a beautiful Rainbow Bridge card from the vet along with a hand written note telling me that Gigi was obviously a very loved and integral part of our lives and to please remember her with love and cherish the good memories of her.

I think for the first few days I was just numb. I would do things like look around for her to ask if she wanted to go outside. Then when the numbness wore off I would think of Gigi and realize that she was never coming back. Last night was incredibly gut wrenching for me. When I thought of her, I felt like somebody had punched me in the stomach. I cried and cried last evening.

I know to some people, it is "just a dog". To those who know that our companion animals are so much more than that, thank you for understanding how very difficult it is when we lose one, especially when it is sudden and unexpected.

Gigi

May 4, 2000 - April 1, 2011

RIP my sweet little girl

More Fun Fringed Scarves!

I wanted to create some fun fringed scarves that weren't as labor intensive or as expensive as my usual Extreme Fringe and Fabulous Fringe scarves. I came up with these scarves made from handspun yarn for the base scarf - both in wool - and a poly faux feather yarn. I hand crocheted the base scarf - I don't use patterns - I simply crocheted about 160 loops, turn, single crochet across, turn, double crochet across, turn, single crochet across, turn, slip stitch across and tie off ends. Then I cut fringe approximately 14 inches long from the faux feather yarn skein - 160 lengths of fringe. I then hand tied one section of fringe to each and every double crochet stitch the entire length of the scarf - fold yarn in half, slip folded end under the double crochet stitch and pull the ends through the folded loop across the top of the double crochet stitch, pull tight.

The first scarf I crocheted using Noro Kureyon wool in red/brown/gold (it has some burgundy in there, too). The faux feather yarn color reminds me of mink so I called this scarf "Mink". "Mink" is available for $35 in our ArtFire store.

The next scarf I crocheted using a handspun thread plied merino yarn in Peacock colors. I used some faux feather yarn in matching Peacock colors. I love how this one looks! This is called....of course..."Peacock". Peacock is not yet listed in the store because I have someone interested in it but I have to drive to Colorado Springs so she can try it on to be sure she isn't allergic to the wool yarn used in the base scarf. If she is allergic to it I will list this scarf in the ArtFire store and will find a synthetic man-made yarn to make her a Peacock scarf that she can wear.

These scarves remind me of feather boa scarves. Only they are much more durable and extremely soft. And they shouldn't be too warm, either. The wool fringe scarves are fairly warm with all that wool fringe but these are much lighter weight and the poly doesn't hold heat and warm like wool does.

We should be having llama babies, called "crias", this spring starting hopefully in May, so I will finally have something besides yarn and scarves to talk about!

Peacock Neck Warmer SRR OOAK Hand Crocheted Original Design

Since I discovered my stash of Peacock colored yarns recently I went on a creative binge with them. Here is another neck warmer that I created using the yarns.

 

This cozy neck warmer is a Split Rock Ranch One-of-A-Kind Original Design created by using three strands of yarn at a time; one strand of handspun merino that has been thread plied, one strand of handdyed mohair boucle and one strand of poly flag yarn in Peacock colors of teal, blue and purple. The trim is acrylic feather yarn that adds a flirty and fun touch to the neck warmer.

Measures 27 inches across at the neck line and approximately 33 inches at the ruffled base of the neck warmer and 6.5 inches from top to bottom. Warmer closes with a fun flower shaped metal button. The feather yarn has been left long to create some modest fringe at the front of the warmer.

 

Nice and soft and so much fun to wear!

This neck warmer can be found in our ArtFire store. Look for Peacock Neck Warmer.

Autumn - Fabulous Fringe Scarf - Another Split Rock Ranch Original Creation

I recently finished this scarf using some fabulous yarn that I bought from YarnMarket.com. It is spun by Natalie at Namaste Farms using locks from her own Wensleydale sheep to make it. This is similar to the Extreme Fringe Scarf but the fringe is yarn cut in varying lengths and then hand tied onto the center and outside edge of the scarf. I used the Wensleydale Long Locks yarn and a skein of my own handspun that I found in my stash. It coordinates perfectly with the Long Locks yarn!

Here are the yarns together - my two-ply handspun already crocheted into the skinny scarf and laid with the Long Locks yarn - could they be any more perfect together?!

And the finished scarf. The scarf is 8 feet long including the fringe - 6 feet long without the fringe at each end. It is 1-1/2 inch wide not including the fringe. This is the scarf just draped around the neck and tied with the organza ribbon that I ran through the center section of the scarf.

And here is the scarf put on with the center in front and the ends looped around the back of the neck and over the opposite shoulders.

And I honestly don't remember how I created this next look. But it is more like a neck warmer or collar than a scarf.

And a close up of the scarf so you can see the detail of the fringe better.

 

I will share more finished projects soon!

Sorry I've been AWOL, but I really have been BUSY!

So sorry it has been a couple of weeks since I last posted. Losing Smokey really knocked me down for a bit. I'm just now getting used to the idea that he is no longer here. And I still cry when I think of him (like right now). But, I have so many other animals to care for that I cannot stay sad for long, the others need me. We haven't gotten a call to foster any kittens yet this year either. Maybe that's for the best because I'm fairly certain if I had a foster kitten right now I wouldn't want to give it up when the time came.

But, I have been keeping myself busy with fibers. I will share with you what I've made in the past few weeks.

The last post I made was Wordless Wednesday and it was this Extreme Fringe Scarf

This scarf is another Split Rock Ranch One-of-A-Kind Original Design creation. The base scarf is handspun from a merino/bamboo fiber blend batt purchased from Hanks in the Hood and spun by Brenda Vance at Split Rock Ranch. The merino/bamboo yarn was plied with a viscose thread in a gorgeous copper color. The fringe is tailspun yarn handspun by Esther at JazzTurtle Designs using some gorgeous long Teeswater wool locks. Tailspinning is an extremely labor intensive spinning technique that results in some stunning extreme lock yarn with a price tag that reflects the time and effort involved. Teeswater sheep originated in The United Kingdom and are relatively rare in the United States. It takes a couple of years growth to reach the long staple length so the price tag on the Teeswater long locks is higher than that of more common shorter staple length fibers.

This scarf is named "Verdigris" and is available for sale in my ArtFire store. Here are some additional photos of it, showing various ways to wear the scarf.

I won't bore you with what else I've made in the past few weeks - I'll do another blog post soon with more projects to share!

Wordless Wednesday

More Cowls

I wanted to share with you a few more things I've made. Each of these accessories is a OOAK Split Rock Ranch Original Design. I did not use a pattern, I just improvise as I go along.

Remember the Peacock long scarf? Well, I used the rest of that skein of yarn and then found some coordinating yarns in my personal yarn stash to finish making this cowl.

 

This cowl has loads of texture and those fabulous Peacock colors! Warm, fun and fashionable, I believe this cowl will garner loads of compliments when you wear it.

The Peacock cowl is available for sale in our ArtFire Store.

Then I decided to use two of the same yarns that I used on the bottom part of the Peacock cowl and made this cowl. I used a handspun wool yarn plied with a coordinating colored thread and a hand dyed skein of mohair boucle yarn held together. Then I crocheted a row of the handspun lincoln locks eyelash yarn and wove through a purple organza ribbon. I called this the Mermaid Cowl. This cowl was given to someone who signed up for the Handmade Pay It Forward on our Facebook page several weeks. ago.

And, by request, I then crocheted another cowl using a cotton/rayon yarn. This person lives in a warmer climate and would love the fashion look of a cowl without the warmth of wool.

So, here's my Melon Cowl. Feeling a little melancholy? Let our Melon Cowly cheer you up!

The Melon Cowl isn't listed yet but will be available in our ArtFire store soon.

Later I'll share photos of another hand knitted scarf in really bright colors - I called it Neon Rainbow.

Life on the Ranch

 The Three Amigos

Smokey, Buff Ruff & Boots

Sorry I have been AWOL for awhile. One of our older cats, Smokey,  developed symptoms a few months ago when one of our foster kittens, Blackberry, was diagnosed with calici virus. Because it is a virus, pretty much all you can do is manage the symptoms. Blackberry recovered very quickly but Smokey developed anorexia, which is a common side effect because one of the symptoms of calici virus is mouth sores. By the time Smokey finally decided to start eating again he had lost quite a bit of weight and muscle tone. For weeks I was enticing him with every soft food I could think of: meat baby food, canned cat food, yogurt, cottage cheese, scrambled eggs, canned salmon, canned chicken, canned white albacore tuna (less mercury than most), etc. I put fresh food out for him every couple of hours all day long and he was finally eagerly eating every time I put food out for him. I had to stand there to be sure he ate it and not the other cats and the dogs. But I believe Smokey's liver was already damaged and starting to fail. He seemed to be gaining weight. He is a former feral cat that doesn't allow you to pick him up or put two hands on him so I wasn't able to get him onto the scale to weigh him but just looking at him and putting hands on him when I could, I felt that he was gaining weight, albeit slowly.

We debated euthanizing Smokey but he had such a strong will to live that I couldn't bring myself to do it. I figured if the time came where he told us he was no longer willing to fight, we would help him cross over. 

Last Thursday Smokey did not meet me in the kitchen eagerly awaiting his breakfast. I found him curled up in a patch of sunlight near the wood stove. He showed no interest in food all day long. He seemed to be a bit constipated and had what we call "poodle butt" - where they get poop crusted on their bum. He would not allow me to gently wipe him clean. When I tried to help him by pressing paper towels soaked in warm water on his bum, he hissed, yowled, bit and scratched me. Finally Thursday evening we put him in the kitchen sink and hubby held him with leather gloves on while I gently sprayed his bum with warm water until he was completely clean. I put Smokey in the bathroom on a kennel heater with a soft fluffy towel, fresh litter box, fresh water and a small plate of canned cat food. He licked at the cat food and curled up on the kennel heater. When I went in Friday morning to check on him, he had just passed away. His body could no longer keep up with his incredibly strong spirit.

We buried him Friday afternoon on a south facing slope in the adult male llamas' pasture, facing south towards the lake. RIP Smokey.

Because Smokey was a feral cat, I know that the 10.5 years he spent with us as an indoor cat were far better than he would have had as a feral cat, especially as an outdoor cat. And I know he lived much longer than most ferals ever do. I'm just glad we were able to provide him with a loving, supportive home as long as we did.

Here is Smokey snuggling with Blackberry and Blueberry last September