Another Welcome - Crafty Diversions!

And here we have another clever pattern designer.  I was introduced to Anne (Crafty Diversions) at the TNNA show by Tina Sanders from the Peacefully Knitting in Arizona Blog.  Tina is one of our local designers here in the Valley of the Sun.  Make sure you go and visit Tina's blog!


Happy Stitching!
Regards,
Karen
OPYF

Crafty Diversions came out of Anne's need to unleash her creativity. She has always been very
creative and crafty from a young age, and is mostly self-taught in all her crafty endeavors. She has
been knitting and making up her own patterns ever since she taught herself to knit a few years ago
in order to pass time during her long train commute to work.

Anne's designs have been seen in several knitting books and magazines, including Interweave Knits, Twist Collective, Knitscene, and Knitty. She has also partnered with various yarn companies to design garments out of their yarns. Aside from knitwear design, Anne also dabbles in hand-painting yarn and fabrics, spinning, and jewelry metalsmithing/fabrication.

Something You Might Like - Mary Berry's Place

Mary and I wanted to introduce OPYF fans to some of the residents of Fancy Fiber Farm.
But first, here is a very important video from the Dallas/Fort Worth News Channel 5 about some of these residents which aired on April 27th. 

Bear - LGC - guards the girls and alpacas

Some of this morning's eggs

Lily - LGD - guards the girls

Lucy - LGD - friend to Lily - guards girls and alpacas

Big Mama and her ram lambs headed to pasture

Lucy chillin' in the chicken coop

Some of our meat chickens

Bear on guard

Bear on guard

Princess -- LGD -- girls and alpacas -- resting in the shade of a small shelter

Somethng You Might Like - First Days At Fancy Fiber Farm

ZZ Top and Cocoa are doing well at Mary's place.  Here are some notes and photo's from their first days at Fancy Fiber Farm.

"ZZ Top wiggled his way into the feed room this morning when I was fixing feed and started hunting for munchies.  He found a torn bag of alfalfa cubes I have in there and helped himself.  But when it was feeding time, he followed the group into the pen for his grain.  I’ll keep him in there for a while, then eventually put him over with the boys where he won’t get any grain. 

ZZ slipped into the feed room looking for munchies

He found the torn bag of alfalfa cubes

He has the feeding routine down now

ZZ having some grass with Saffron keeping him company

Cocoa had been out on the pasture with the boys, but I got her back in with the girls and the alpacas when I put them out on the pasture, so she wandered around the feed pen for a while looking for grain, then back out to the pasture, then back to the barn.  She’s more skittish, but she’s coming around.

 

Cocoa investigating the alpaca feeder

Cocoa and the alpaca feeder

Might be something good left in there

Let's see

Cocoa

Cocoa

All the boy goats and sheep live in one pasture.  All the girl goats, sheep, lambs, kids, and the alpacas (all of whom are boys) use the other pasture with its two bigger barns.  Then they share grazing pastures."

Cocoa on the pasture

Cocoa grazing

Wow - that grass out there is a lot taller

Happy Grazing!
Regards,
Karen
OPYF
City Girl's Fiber Farm

Welcome Pattern Designer Grace Akhrem!

I met Grace Akhrem at the TNNA show and just loved her patterns.  I've added several of them in to the store.  I think Grace is a particularly clever designer.  Make sure you go and take a real good look at the pictures for her Olga's Vest!

Happy Stitching!
Regards,
Karen
OPYF 

ZZ Top And Cocoa Have Arrived In Texas!

Last night I received these 2 pictures from Mary Berry.  Mary drove to meet the livestock mover and picked up ZZ Top and Cocoa last night.  She just put the critters in her car and drove home with them!  I think my husband would have a shock if he suddenly saw these 2 in our little Honda Fit!

Here was today's message from Mary:

"They are wandering around trying to find their place in the world.  I’m going to take some pictures after it cools off some.  At first, I kept them both together in the girls’ pasture.  They were laying together in the backyard (where they spent the night), and that goat is so small that I thought he might be better off with the smaller animals.

But then they wanted to go over in the boys’ pasture, so I let them over there for a while.  Then the goat wanted to come back and the sheep stayed over there.  This evening, I’ll see how they are doing and probably put them both back over with the girls."

Mary, I can't even describe in words how much this means to me.  Thank you so much for taking these two in.  

Regards,

Karen

OPYF 

City Girl's Fiber Farm@Fancy Fibers

Cinco de Mayo Blog Contest!

Enter to win an African Fairwinds Trading Company bag and matching Starbucks thermal cup . What do you need to do to win?  You can enter by telling me what you would do with this prize if you win it!  The winner will be chosen by the online random number generator on May 5, 2012.  Please be sure to leave me your contact information so I can let you know if you have won.  You can also email me your contact information after you leave a blog post.  Good Luck, and remember, if you don't win this time, there will be plenty of other opportunities to win something coming up this spring.

Bon Chance!
Regards,
Karen
OPYF

 

Be Sweet Yarns - Old And New!

It's always so nice to receive a box in the mail from Be Sweet.  I added in several of their new colors in Bamboo and Bamboo variegated, as well as more colors in then new Skinny Wool line.

 Magic Ball Herbs and Spices.

 Skinny Wool

 Bamboo variegated.

Happy Stitching!
Regards,
Karen
OPYF