Even the Ravens Were Grounded

Yesterday the weather was so March-like that even the Ravens weren't flying. Tomorrow is June and we're all wondering when spring will be here for good. I'm thinking tho, that we may just skip spring and jump right into summer.



Yesterday morning we woke to wind, rain, sleet and snow flurries. Thank goodness I can close my blinds and just make socks all day long. That always cheers me up.



By late in the day the gusts grew stronger, but we realized they were finally blowing this system out of here.



And then it happened, the sun began to appear. All our spirits were lifted and we knew that we'd wake to full sunshine the next day. And today is definitely a beauty. Slowly the temps will now start to rise and maybe the poor tomato plants will perk up.

Let's hope that we all have a marvelous week ahead. Happy Memorial Day to everyone.

Just Hangin' Out Today

We're actually have a spring day today! The weather's been so cold and windy for ages, so I'm taking advantage of the warmth and decided to hang out some clothes. And if you're wondering, yes, I hid the undies on the back line. I can't let people see 'em from the street, right?

As you can see tho, the winds are already starting to kick up and we have a high wind warning going into effect in about 2 hours. I'll have to rush back out there as soon as they're dry and get 'em off before they wrap around the lines 20 times!

We're expecting gusts up to 55 mph, so that means off with the wind turbine. I know many of you are wondering why on earth we have to turn off the turbine since it does work on wind. These gadgets have lots of moving parts and the high winds actually damage the internal bearings. A lot of people are now realizing (including us) that it's actually too windy for these machines up here. We would've been better off going with solar, propane and backup generator. Live and learn, huh? Next year, we hope to add some solar.



Years ago a friend of mine shared a Pillsbury recipe with me and said it was in the bakeoff contest and won the creator oodles! Someday, I'd like to enter that contest! Anyway, it's called Italian Zucchini Cresent Pie and my guys absolutely love it. And with all the zucchini that we all will have this summer, it's perfect.

Here's a link to the Pillsbury site if you'd like to try it.

A Pony and Poppies..........

Yesterday afternoon we took the back road down the mountain and out to the desert to do our grocery shopping in Lancaster. Halfway down, we saw this small valley filled with poppies. What a site!



On our way home, I spotted the new "little guy" up near the fence. For weeks, everytime I've driven by, he's either taking his nap or on the far side of the corral with his mom. He just happened to be in camera range at this very moment.



What a face, huh? Definitely a cutie pie!



It's amazing how large the Clysdales are. Really, really fun to see them everyday and it's even more fun when they hitch 'em up to their wagon and they come up past our house.

Cranking Away..........

With all the rain that we're having here in the California mountains, I've been able to stay inside and just crank out oodles of socks.



I usually aim for three socks each day, but lately I've been doing four. Each sock is hand washed and hung out in front of the pellet stove to dry and block out.



This order is for 60 pair! One sock at a time and it'll get done.

Sweetheart Stockings

I had a great time designing these stockings for the wonderful folks at Red Heart and they're offering them as a free downloadable pattern on their Red Heart site. Thought you might enjoy seeing them and maybe even knitting them up.

A Doggy Placemat Winner

Congratulations to Kat for winning a downloadable copy of our "Doggy Placemat." I just sent her a message via Ravelry, so hopefully we'll hear back from her.

The weather has warmed up nicely all week, so I decided to start our garden. Yesterday I planted 7 rows of corn and put in about 8 tomatoe plants. Then last night's weather forecast is showing more rain on Sunday with temps in the low 40's. Murphy's Law, huh?

I wish you all a wonderful weekend and hope your weather will be better than ours!

Look Who Just Arrived

We've been waiting a long time for this moment. Our new sock machine has arrived and I'm absolutely thrilled. This machine is called a New Zealand Auto Knitter (NZAK), pronounced N (like the letter) + Zak (as in the boy's name). So, it only made sense to name him Zak! Yes, he indeed came from across the pond from New Zealand and even survived the great quake that they recently had.



We've set him up right across the table from Doris (our Legare 400) and "she's" absolutely gushing over him! The difference between the two is that Doris's cam holds 72 needles and Zak's has 64. I'm hoping with the slightly thicker sock yarns that I won't have to tighten the tension as great on him, so the socks will have more of a handknit look and feel.

I just can't believe how sparkly and new he looks. For now, I'm just practicing tubes on him so that I get a good feel for how he cranks and behaves. We're gonna get along just fine!



And here's a couple of pair of socks that Doris just cranked out. Doris has literally cranked hundreds of socks and is well broken in. Zak will loosen up too, the more I use him. Isn't he a dream?

Oh, and just a reminder, today's the last day to leave a comment on the post, "A Project For Your Best Friend" for a chance to receive a free downloadable pattern for the Doggy Placemat.

See you tomorrow with the name of the winner.

A Knitting Project For Your Best Friend

Are you looking for something really fun to knit for your best friend? How about a Doggy Placemat? Mac is quite excited about his and thinks all the other dogs will be very envious!

Any worsted weight yarn will work and you can make it in any color that you prefer. The words and little paws were all worked at the end in duplicate stitch.

We've just added the pattern on our Ravelry and Etsy sites for $3.00. Feel free to sell the items that you make from our patterns, but please give Tehachapi Sock Company credit for the pattern. Thanks so much.

Let's do a little giveaway, ok? Just leave a comment on this post and on Friday I'll randomly select one name to win a downloadable copy of this pattern. Be sure to leave an email address to make it easy for me. My printer is down, so I'm unable to send a hard copy of this design. Good luck and we'll see who wins on Friday.

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to everyone today. I hope your day is a very, very special one.

My husband surprised me with this sign that he'd made for me. His woodwork is getting better and better!

We may have a special delivery later this week, so pictures are sure to follow. Here's a hint: His name is Zak!

A Pumpkin's Lifespan

Can you figure out what's wrong with this picture?



It might be the fact that this pumpkin that we picked last October in the pumpkin patch is still alive and well! How is that possible? Could the environment inside our home be the clue to the fountain of youth? Seriously, I've never had a pumpkin last this long and I don't have the heart to throw it out. Maybe, just maybe, it'll last until this next Halloween and we won't have to buy another one!



Remember awhile ago, I mentioned that I would be starting some designs for dogs and cats? Well, here's one under construction. I know that you can't tell at all what it's going to be and I won't share the secret yet either. But, if it turns out half as nice as I hope, it'll be up and running very soon. My original idea for these first two projects were to have them felted, but I decided that a lot of people are rather afraid of that process. I get that, because I'm with you totally in that feeling.

Here's two hints tho about this first design - it'll contain some "catchy" duplicate stitch and be totally fun for your favorite canine friend.

Really, I'm here!

I decided to take my time on the kitchen and have started relining the shelves and drawers. Would you like a little tip on doing this? Go to a wallpaper store and see if you can buy some discontinued and discounted wallpaper! I gotta tell you, it makes the best shelf and drawer paper! I love it when the cabinets look so nice inside!

Just for fun, here's a photo of some of my husband's artwork. Who can afford art for their home, so my husband looks through old magazines (Cowboys and Indians is one of his favorites) and just copies it onto an art canvas. Now, these little guys can be a bit pricey, so wait until Michael's Craft store (or your favorite) have 50 percent off sales! By the way, my husband has never taken one art class! He's pretty good, don't you think?



Sometimes, I amaze myself at how slow I am to things. Why have I not sold some of our sock yarns in our Etsy store before now? HELLO! So, since we seem to have oodles of the stuff around here, the first two have been added. AND, we're offering free shipping with the sock yarns!





Today was our first day of 70 degrees. And does it feel wonderful! The locals all tell me tho, unsettled weather here in the California mountains can happen up until Memorial Day weekend. Let's hope it's here to stay!